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How to Plan the Ultimate Harry Potter Movie Night
I focus a lot on this site, trying to bring the magical world into the Muggle one. But there's nothing that quite compares to the magic of re-reading the Harry Potter series or re-watching the Harry Potter movies. From the first notes of the score to the final credits roll, there's something truly special about the Harry Potter films and the magical feeling they make us all feel inside. That's why it's a special occasion to plan a Harry Potter movie night!
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A Magical Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe for Harry Potter Fans
I will never forget my first bite of Sticky Toffee Pudding. I had traveled all day (by car – not by Floo powder, unfortunately) and arrived at the inn, tucked among the mountains of central Scotland. Friends and I were on a day trip from Edinburgh and stopped for a meal among the lochs and glens. Based on the setting, Hogwarts might have been hidden just over the mountain tops, far from prying Muggle eyes.
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55+ Gifts Daring Gryffindors Will Love [Gryffindor Gift Guide]
Every Hogwarts house is special – but one always seems to be the best. And as a Slytherin who was quite used to winning the House Cup, I can’t deny I envy the Gryffindors just a little. They seem to have it all! In the event there’s a Gryffindor in your life with a special occasion coming up and they don’t have it all, this Gryffindor gift guide will help. I may prefer my green and silver, but I can’t deny that some of these objects are totally cool – and bursting with Gryffindor pride. From house goods to clothes and jewelry to an assortment of other lion-adorned products, you’re…
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7 Powerfully Magical Harry Potter Locations in Oxford
While growing up, I was always heartbroken by a bittersweet fact: all of the Harry Potter films were made entirely in Britain, featuring British actors only. My hopes of playing Hermione were dashed at an early age, let me tell you! Luckily, the Harry Potter films also featured some incredible locations around Britain, including London, the English and Scottish countrysides, and even Oxford! I made the trip to Oxford in 2013 while I was living in London; I was obviously smitten immediately with the stunning architecture and literary heritage of this small English city. Little did I know that many of the sites I saw in Oxford were also Harry…
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How to Plan a Harry Potter-Themed 11th Birthday Party
If you’re reading this post, you probably have a big thing on your mind: the 11th birthday of a special child in your life. Whether they’re a Harry Potter fan already or have never heard of Harry and the gang’s magical adventures, a Harry Potter 11th birthday party is a great way to celebrate. Below you’ll learn everything you need to create a magical space for the party, plus what to serve for food and drink. I’ve also included fun activities to keep a bunch of sugar-fueled witches and wizards active, and a few gift ideas that every 11-year old will love on their birthday. Read on to get ready…
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How to Make Treacle Tart: Harry Potter’s Favorite Dessert!
Do you have a favorite dessert? I do! If I had to choose one that I’d ask the Hogwarts house-elves to whip up on a visit to the kitchens, it would have to be lemon merengue pie… or maybe mint chocolate chip ice cream… or salted caramel pudding. Shoot, how can I choose? As you already know, I’m a Slytherin who wants it all; but Harry Potter’s a brave and determined Gryffindor – and he knows exactly which dessert is his favorite: treacle tart. This dessert isn’t well-known or common outside the U.K., so you might wonder exactly what this dessert is that Harry’s so keen on. To that end,...
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50+ Gifts Ambitious Slytherins Will Love [Slytherin Gift Guide]
When it came time to start working on my series of posts for each Hogwarts House, there was no doubt in my mind which house I would start with... My own, of course! This Slytherin gift guide is the first in my series. I've known I was a Slytherin since the beginning of my lifelong love affair with the Harry Potter series. Maybe it was my little crush on Draco Malfoy (ok, I'll be honest, it was on Tom Felton) or the fact that cunning and ambition are two traits I pride myself on having. In any event: Slytherins, I'm here with you. I see you, and I've got your…
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A Magical Recipe for Harry Potter-Inspired Pumpkin Pasties
Among the many foods I wish were more common in America, pasties are high on the list. When I was growing up, my Croatian grandma and her sisters would often make pasties when we visited; these big pastries were filled with meat and potatoes, and I loved drowning mine in ketchup when I was small. On my first trip to England in 2011, I was delighted to discover that pasties are more common there – I bought a Cornish pasty from a window shop. I might have been one of the few kids reading Harry Potter to know what pasties are for these reasons – but I had never had…
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How to Plan a Bewitching Harry Potter Bachelorette Party
Whether you’re the maid of honor, a bridesmaid, or the bride herself, you don’t need Veritaserum to know one truth about the bachelorette party you’re planning: it has to be Harry Potter themed! Everything about weddings can be magical, and that includes the bachelorette party where the bride shares a fun night or weekend away with her closest friends for a final night of freedom before she makes her Unbreakable Vow. I’m personally planning my own wedding right now, and have officially decided I need to have a Harry Potter bachelorette party – time to send this post to my Maid of Honor so she has everything she needs to…
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How to Make the Draught of Peace
If there’s one thing we can all agree on when talking about the year 2020, it’s that the world seems so uncertain and stressful right now. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use some of the magic in the world of Harry Potter to help us stay calm and relaxed as we face the challenges before us? It turns out that is possible! Easily overlooked in favor of other more popular potions, the Draught of Peace is a potion that produces the exact sense of relaxation and calm we all need a little more in our lives. While the potion in the magical world is incredibly complex...
