Wednesday 4 October 2017

10 Ideas For A Date Night Without Leaving Home #Blogtober17 Day 4

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10 Ideas For A Date Night Without Leaving Home


The phrase date night may make you cringe a little but whatever you prefer to call it, dedicated time together in a relationship is important. This is especially true when you have children. Date night is not just for hopeless romantics.

There are a million excuses to not have a date night from not enough time and no childcare to not enough money but it does't need to be expensive or even away from home. The most important thing is that the time is set aside just for the two of you.


Here are 10 ideas for a date night without leaving home, great for parents;

1. Have a Candle Lit Supper

If your children are very little you may not be able to do this every week, but maybe once a month. We did this every Saturday from when our youngest was about five. We still do it now and mine have both left home.

Feed the children early with their favourite food, pizza, burgers, spaghetti, whatever they love. Then lay the table with your best crockery and glasses. If all your stuff is chipped and worn buy 2 new of each, something special.
Don't forget to dress up and light the candles. Start with simple food. A casserole, a slow cooker meal even a take away. It's about spending time together, no phones, no TV just food and the two of you. Put some music on in the background, low so you can talk.

2. Try A New Recipe 

Once you have mastered a simple candle lit supper branch out. Now is the time to try something special, especially foods the kids would refuse and you never eat anymore. Maybe sea food, lobster or prawns. Have a themed meal - A vegetarian night, Mexican with Tacos and chillies (and Tequila if you dare with salt and lemon), or curry, Thai, Chinese or Indian. Steak night, American Night (burgers, fries, hot dogs) and so on. Make it together, not one doing all the work, share the cooking.

3. Board Games

Not children's board games but grown up ones (I was going to write adult but that's a whole different night!). Not all board games are great for two but our favourites are Carcassonne and Ticket To Ride. We also love playing Back Gammon. If you google best board games for two lots of great suggestions come up. This list from Arstechnica looked good with lots of games I haven't played, but now want too.

4. Play Video Games

Dust off that Sega or Xbox, get the children to bed and the kids can play! Play the games you love together, against each other. The only rule is that it must be a game you play together, not one playing online while the other one watches!

5. Have a Movie Night

Choose your movie, get the snacks in and cosy up on the sofa together.

6. Make Your Own Cocktails

Set up a little bar, buy a few mixers and a cocktail recipe book and have fun. They do not all have to be strong enough to blow your head off, try some mocktails or halve the ingredients and just have a taster. One word of warning, stick with one base each time. So have a gin cocktail night or a prosecco night. Vodka, whisky or rum. This will help stop that awful ground spinning and head hurting after effects.

7. Stargazing

If it's a clear night lay out a waterproof on the grass, cover with blankets or quilts (depending on time of year) and lie down and watch the sky. There are apps that will tell you what you are looking at and so many can be seen with the naked eye.

8. Make Something Together

Anything from a jigsaw puzzle to a model boat. Maybe a dolls house and all the stuff to go in it, especially good if you have children as they get to play with the finished project. Try a new hobby, painting or learn a new language. The important thing is that you do it together.

9. Plan Something Together

Something you enjoy, maybe makeover a room, the garden, travel, the weekend. Once you've chosen your subject each write a list of your top ten, compare your lists and compile a joint top ten. Use this list to plan your dream garden, holiday, weekend or whatever. Maybe you can't afford it now, while the children are small, but one day you will fulfil your dreams.

10. Give Each Other a Massage

Feeling tense and stressed? You never have time for each other? Then a few essential oils and a guide book from the library and off you go.

I am sure you can think of lots of ideas that you would love to do. If nothing else, just make time for each other, that is why you are together in the first place xx

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3 comments

  1. Oh id like all of them right now! Me and hubby could do.with a date night!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ohh! Fab ideas. I do like the sound of making cocktails. hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love a movie night, although they tend to be movie afternoons now. Snuggled under a quilt, any film will do x

    ReplyDelete

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