Don’t dismiss Date Night just because you don't have a sitter! Here’s a quick plan to put some romance on the calendar for your special occasion:
- Give the kids a bedtime. The older ones won’t like it (bedtime on the weekend?) but let them know they don’t have to go to sleep, but they do have to get in bed and stay in bed.
- Set the scene. Choose a setting ahead of time, and make sure that area of the house is clean and available. Consider the back porch, formal dining room, or a quaint corner of the home library.
- Set the mood. Dim the lights, light candles, and have a pre-arranged playlist to enjoy your favorite tunes.
- Eat. You'll probably have dinner with the kids earlier in the evening, but a delectable “Date Night” snack should be on the menu: a cheese, fruit, and olive plate; sushi; shrimp cocktail; crostini bites; etc. If you haven’t had a full dinner already, order Door Dash, or pop a couple of the H-E-B Chef Prepared meals into the oven.
- Sweeten things up. Dessert is a must! Whether it’s a sweet cocktail (frozen mudslides) or a slice of pie, make sure there’s something cool and delicious to indulge in. For chocolate lovers, we recommend the chocolate tiger cake at HEB or the molten lava cakes (and ice cream!) from Trader Joe's. Or consider working together in the kitchen to craft up some lattes or your favorite coffee bev.
- Have fun and connect. Come prepared to do something that you’re not doing together every other night of the year (like having routine conversations about work and the kids). Should you challenge him in a game a checkers? Take an evening stroll around the block (if the kids are old enough to be left alone)? Watch a comedy show? Prepare an exquisite dessert together? Slow dance? Force interesting topics of conversation with prepared conversation cards? Another idea is to both read (separately) a book excerpt, magazine or news article ahead of time, and plan to discuss it on the “date”.
Need more creative ideas? Here are 9 Home Date Ideas that are easy to pull off for Valentine's Day or any special occasion!
