May 7, 2020 | Activities/Services
In previous entries, we’ve compiled lists of different activities you can do while at home. There’s truly something for everyone, from those at home with children to aspiring chefs and even for those itching to give their place a chic makeover. However, what you might be missing most of all is the opportunity to let go and relax. This is why we’re sharing tips on how to have a perfect spa day from the comfort of your home.
Finding the perfect place to relax shouldn’t be too difficult in your home, with its stunning sea views and plenty of natural light, but it might be helpful to change up the feeling of the room. To do this, you can light some candles for softer lighting and a pleasant aroma that is sure to lift all your worries away. Next, we recommend you change into a bathrobe and put on your favourite relaxing playlist. Now you’re officially ready to relax!
It’s now time to focus on pampering yourself and what better way to do that than to make some DIY masks out of ingredients you’re sure to have at home? For example, to get shiny and voluminous hair, just mix a teaspoon of honey, an egg and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Leave it in for half an hour before rinsing it off. You can also use other moisturizing ingredients, such as avocados and olive oil, which can be combined with honey as well.
These ingredients aren’t just good for your hair, but also perfect for your skin. You can double up on their beneficial properties and make a face mask while you wait for your hair mask to work its magic. If you still have some avocado leftover, mix it in with half a cup of oatmeal for a soothing effect. If you want something more anti-ageing, you can combine half a banana with a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt instead. In addition to these ingredients, honey has great antibacterial and hydrating properties, so feel free to add it to your facemasks for glowing skin.
While you let these masks soak in for 15 to 20 minutes, you can also give the rest of your body a little treat. Body scrubs are an amazing way to improve circulation and stimulate the production of collagen. They’re also guaranteed to help you feel refreshed and renewed. To make some at home, all you need is about half a cup of used coffee grounds, half a cup of brown sugar and 6 tablespoons of coconut oil (you could also use olive oil). If you want something more soothing and moisturizing, we recommend mixing honey with brown sugar and some olive oil. You can use this everywhere and even as a hand/foot mask.
You can finish your spa day by giving yourself a manicure or any other of your favourite ways to practice self-care, just be sure to share it with us! For more tips on making the most of your home on the Costa Blanca, don’t forget to follow us on our social networks and keep an eye out for our blog posts.
Apr 21, 2020 | Activities/Services
Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and mountains, those who opt to start a life at Residential Resort Cumbre del Sol will enjoy picturesque beaches, over 300 days of sunshine and unparalleled, natural scenery along the Costa Blanca. We mustn’t forget, though, that this area is also tourist favourite due to its exceptional gastronomy! There’s no better time than the present to learn to cook your favourite Spanish dishes and travel Spain by way of your palate! Don’t miss out on our suggestions below!
The Valencian Community is famous for its rice dishes, including Spain’s renowned paella dish. The one thing they all have in common is, of course, Valencian rice. Each dish highlights the way this region is rich with flavour-packed ingredients.
There are two types of paella: paella Valenciana made with chicken and rabbit and paella de marisco made with seafood. Both have a few shared key ingredients: saffron, paprika, peppers and tomatoes. For the first one, you’ll need green and broad beans, rosemary and artichokes. Meanwhile, the seafood paella has a sofrito base, which is made by sautéing peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes with some olive oil and spices. The star ingredient of this dish can be prawn, mussels, squid and oysters, take your pick! Fish stock is also used to cook the rice. It should take about an hour to make and the divine flavour will be fully worth the effort!
Baked rice, or Arròs al Forn, is usually cooked in a clay pot in the oven, as its name suggests. It has humble origins, as it was originally created to make the most of leftover stews and other ingredients, but these days it is considered a delicacy by all. It usually contains ingredients such as chickpeas, chorizo, black pudding (morcilla), potatoes, tomatoes and garlic. Rich with Mediterranean flavour and a traditional home-cooking staple, it’s definitely worth trying to make at home.
Arròs a Banda originates even closer to home as it is a typical Alicantean dish. It also has humble beginnings, originally made by fishermen out of the leftover fish that they couldn’t sell. The dish is packed with flavour thanks to the fact that the rice is cooked in a rich fish broth and served with regional rockfish. It’s usually served with a side of aioli.
Lastly, there’s the striking Arròs negre, or black rice. Its distinctive colour comes from its star ingredients: cuttlefish or squid ink. Depending on how you choose to make it, your rice will contain cuttlefish or squid as well as the ink. The rice is also cooked in seafood stock, but if that’s not enough for you, you can also add other seafood, such as prawns, clams or mussels to your rice. It takes under an hour to prep and cook, which makes it the perfect simple dish to wow your family with!
Another option is stuffed squid, a seafood lovers’ delight! Add a list twist to your rice dishes by making this quick and easy meal. There’s no end to the ingredients you can use for the stuffing; everything from chorizo to prawn pairs wonderfully with squid. You can cook the rice, onion, garlic, tomato and other vegetables with wine before stuffing the squid and finishing it all off in the oven. It’s a simple recipe with restaurant-quality results.
No meal is complete without dessert, which is why we recommend coca llanda, also known as coca boba. All you need for this recipe are eggs, milk, sugar, oil, baking powder, cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon and orange juice! These ingredients are probably sitting in your pantry right now, so there’s no reason to not give baking a try with this aromatic delight.
You can pair your meal with a nice regional wine and dessert with a glass of horchata. Make the most of your time at home and enjoy the richness the local produce and gastronomy has to offer. Don’t forget to follow us on our social networks and keep up to date with our latest news on our blog.
Apr 15, 2020 | Activities/Services
Your home is the safest place to be with your family and we know that you are all enjoying this time together to the fullest. This is why we’ve made a list of unique and fun activities you can do while at home, ensuring that you and your family can make the most of every day together during these times.
Scavenger hunt
Hide little treats all around the house and prepare some clues that guide your child from one prize to another! If they’re a little older, you can take turns creating scavenger hunts for each other or work together and plan a creative surprise for someone else in the house. Get their imagination going as they try to solve or create riddles, we’re sure whatever they come up with will be a laugh!
Bingo
You might be thinking that bingo is something only grandparents enjoy but trust us, children love it! It’s a great way to practice letters and numbers with younger children. You can even have them make their own bingo sheets by having them write or draw things in a category (like animals or colours). If you have pre-teen or teens, you can make each square an activity they have to do (a handstand, say a tongue twister or sing their favourite song) and make it a race to see who gets bingo first!
Obstacle course
Use paper streamers, tape, jump ropes, stuffed animals and anything else you have around the house to create an obstacle course in a safe area. There are many ways to ramp up the fun with this activity; you can time each other to see who is the fastest or make up a challenge to make each round harder! Make sure to move any valuables out of the way as everyone can get a little competitive.
Science experiments
There are plenty of fun and easy science experiments you can do from the safety of your home! If you have some corn-starch, just add water and mix it until it forms a very liquid paste. Have your children put their hands in and squeeze to watch how the liquid becomes a solid until they let go. For a tastier option, you can make sugar crystals by boiling 4 cups of sugar in a large pot until dissolved. Add some food colouring and pour the mixture into a jar. Using clothespins, balance a sugar-coated wooden stick in the centre of the jar and put it somewhere dark. Make sure to leave enough of the stick out of the jar! Check in every day and watch the crystals get bigger, the longer you leave it, the bigger the crystals will be.
Put on a play
This activity is a combination of many tried and tested favourites. Have your children pick out their favourite story or movie to retell. Alternatively, have them make up a sequel to one or even create their own original story to put on. Together you can write a script, arts and craft the set and then decide who is going to play which character (bring in some stuffed animals to play some parts if you don’t have enough people and give each one a funny voice for some extra fun). Lastly, go through old clothes and costumes to dress up. If they’re older, they can create their own game show and have you on as a participant or the other way around. This is a great activity to involve the whole family through video calls or by sending them a video of whatever you’ve created together.
We hope these ideas blow boredom away and help you and your family create some fond memories at home. If you’re looking for something to do in your free time, you can also check out our other blog posts that are full of suggestions. Don’t forget to keep up to date with our news on our blog and by following our social networks.
Apr 8, 2020 | Activities/Services
After more than a month now of confinement, there’s a good chance you’ve run out of ideas for projects and things to do around the house. You’ve probably done a lot of sport, created artwork and hung it on the windows, organized the closets, and finished your favourite series. What else can you do? What about giving your home a little makeover? Keep reading for some tips on how to renovate your home.
- Change the layout: That armchair that blocks the way to the dining room area, that bench at the foot of the bed that you bump into every morning… I’m sure there are things in your house that, although you love them, don’t quite fit. Now that you’re at home more, it’s a good time to take advantage and try new layouts. Have you heard of Feng Shui? One of the maxims of this philosophy is light, although that is not a problem in your home at Cumbre del Sol, which is designed to make the most of natural light. But what about the bedroom? If you’ve noticed that you aren’t resting as well these days, you could try decorating the room with subtle colours, burning incense and even orienting the head of your bed to point north.
- Try your hand at crafts: Unleash your imagination and restore that piece of old furniture that ended up abandoned and unused in a corner of the house. It deserves another chance too! You could sand it, paint it, or decorate it with the découpage technique and, of course, don’t forget to ask the little ones for help; you’ll have a fun and creative time. Afterwards, you’ll be able to show off the before and after process on your social media accounts; get ready for a flood of likes!
- Update your home fabrics and textiles: Just because you can’t leave the house doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy spring! Tropical, floral or marine prints are great, but above all, colour, lots of colour! Change your home’s cushions, bedding or curtains and prepare for an exotic trip around the world from your living room or without leaving your bedroom.
At VAPF, we are convinced that all this effort will be rewarded, and we’ll soon be able to return to our normal routines. In the meantime, follow what we’re posting on our social networks and in our blogs, where we have set out to provide you with ideas and entertainment during these difficult days. We’ll see you there!
Mar 30, 2020 | Activities/Services
The current situation has turned our lives around, we’ve had to disconnect from our usual routine and it’s completely changed our daily habits. If you’re wondering what to do and how to best spend your time while you wait, the answer is simple: at home! We’ll help you fight off boredom with a series of ideas of what to do alone or with your family. Keep reading and don’t miss out!
- Get closer to friends and family from remote. Just because you have to stay indoors doesn’t mean you can’t spend time with family and friends the way you always would! There’s no reason why video calls should only be for meetings. Host an online dinner party, watch a movie together or have a coffee or glass of wine from your balcony and catch up! It’s a new way to enjoy getting together with your loved ones!
- Now’s the time to pick up that hobby you’ve always wanted to try! Nurture your creative side and take up painting, knitting or even writing. There’s no time like the present to learn to play an instrument or speak a new language. The gorgeous landscapes and sea views from outside your window are the perfect inspiration!
- Read that book you’ve been saving for later! It’s the perfect time to get lost in another world or time and enrichen our lives through literature. Whether you’re a fan of fiction or non-fiction, make yourself a cup of tea, get cosy and crack the spine of that book that’s been sitting on your shelf. You can even start a book club with your fellow bookworms.
- Experience cultural activities like never before. Many famous musicians are hosting streamed concerts every day. You can also travel from the comfort of your house, as famous museums worldwide are offering virtual tours of their collections. Say hello to the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, hop over to the Vatican and admire the Sistine Chapel or head to America and marvel at the Guggenheim!
- DIY! Is there an area of your home you’ve been wanting to add a personal touch to? Maybe there’s a hand-made detail you wanted to add to your house or a gift you’d love to craft and give to someone once this time has passed. Get inspired by the stunning design of your home and start a new project.
- Don’t stop learning! Many websites and universities are offering online courses for those who have been wishing for some free time to keep expanding their knowledge. Make the most of your free time and gain a new expertise.
We hope that these ideas help you to have a great time! If you still want more suggestions, check out our other blog post with even more ideas on how to spend your time at home. Don’t forget to follow the health and safety recommendations given by official sources. Keep up to date with our news on our blog and by following our social networks.
Mar 23, 2020 | Activities/Services
Home has always been a place of rest and relaxation but practising safe social distancing while we go through these trying times might present a challenge to this. Here at VAPF, we want to ensure that your home on the Costa Blanca remains a haven where you can live your life to the fullest under the current limitations. Therefore, we have compiled a list of activities you can do while at home, guaranteeing you can fill your days with positivity and enjoyment during these times:
- Keeping fit doesn’t have to be put on hold just because you’re indoors! Every day that passes, you’re one step closer to hiking up the stunning trails or swimming in the many beaches on the Costa Blanca. You can still keep fit while you wait and start practising yoga and pilates by following online videos! Keep strong physically as well as mentally with these fun and peaceful practices.
- Welcome springtime by picking up gardening. This peaceful activity is ideal for slowing down and enjoying your home and its idyllic surroundings. Add to the enchanting landscape with flowers that will flourish alongside you.
- Decorate your balcony; spring has come and it’s the ideal place to spend your free time. Many people have started to work from home, but your at-home office doesn’t always have to be indoors! Make the most of the nearly 365 days of sunshine and mild temperatures along the Costa Blanca and spend your days basking in the sunlight and sea breeze.
- Get in touch with your inner Marie Kondo! Take advantage of this time and discover tips by the queen of organisation and tidying up. Give your home a little makeover so you can breathe a easier. Another idea could be to organise photos from all your travels and transport yourself to another place without even having to leave home.
- Learn to cook, your kitchen is calling out your name! Get creative in the kitchen and learn all those fancy tricks you’ve seen TV chefs do. Try something different and surprise yourself by cooking up those dishes you never thought you knew how to or had the time for.
While at home, don’t forget to stay safe and wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face and cough into your elbow or a tissue. Saving the world has never been easier! Stay indoors unless it’s an emergency or a necessity. Check out more tips on our blog and stay informed by following our social networks.
