Remember that first date? There were butterflies and lots of excitement, high heels (perhaps), and your special perfume. Y'all had so much fun! And then what?
One of the best pieces of marriage advice I've ever received came from my mother-in-law who cautioned us at the very beginning - don't stop making time for each other. Kids will come into the picture, plus activities and jobs and house stuff and all kinds of distractions that might eventually make it seem impossible to date” your spouse, but MAKE IT HAPPEN anyway!
Couples, if you need help in this department, this article is for you. If you have very young kids and no sitter, no problem. Send those kids to bed early and get ready to heat things up at home. Here are some home date night ideas that will be just as special as going out on the town.
1. Bring on the bubbles. If you have a garden tub or jacuzzi tub and you like the idea of bathing together with your partner, plan a relaxing bubble bath. Personally, it's not my thing, but if I were to do it, we'd both have to take our own separate showers first, because I'm not a fan of being in my own bath water when I’m dirty, let alone someone else’s. If you don't want bubbles, adorn the water with red rose petals. And you've seen the movies... there must be scented candles surrounding the tub and music playing.
2. Pour and sip. Wine tastings don't have to be done at some upscale restaurant. You can enjoy the activity in the privacy of your own home. Add whatever flair you deem necessary, but the gist of it is this. Buy some different types of wine. (We love going to World Market for this). Get wine glasses (two per person). Prepare a cheese board or charcuterie board. Sample the wine. If you want to be fancy, do some googling and have a printout on hand with information about each type of wine. Also, when wine tasting, you swirl the wine in the glass, observe it, take a whiff to smell it, and lightly sip it (if you’re trying to be sophisticated). But feel free to pour and gulp if that’s your thing!
3. Relax your back. Aha! You thought spa night was just for your girlfriends. Negative! You and your hubby can have a good time soaking your feet, putting on face masks, and then... duh ... giving each other massages. This date should end with ice cream sundaes.
4. Netflix and chill. Don't turn up your nose at this "everyday" idea, thinking it's too simple. A movie night at home is one of the best ways to connect with your partner on a Friday night after a long week at work, when neither of you have the stamina to put in much effort for deep conversation, but you still want to spend time together. Grab coffee, snuggle up, choose your preferred genre and hit PLAY. Romantic comedies or even watching a comedy show work really well for home dates!
5. Order room service. My favorite thing about staying at a hotel is ordering room service! But you won't be at a hotel, so you know what that means... Uber Eats! Choose a restaurant you both like, put in your order for entrees and desserts, and pull out a bottle of wine for good measure. When the delivery comes, bring everything to your bedroom and enjoy eating on bed trays and talking about your highs and lows of the week.
6. Game night fun. A bit of friendly competition and trash talking is what love is all about, right? Open up a can of whoop-booty (cause we don't cuss, LOL) and compete all the way to the championship round with board games like Scrabble and Monopoly, or active games like ping pong. Of course, if Mario Cart is more your speed, play video games. Don't forget about card games, dominos, a scavenger hunt, and other options that you might not see being done much in this generation. Bonus points for this date if there's a trophy for the winner to keep until the next game night. Another great option for game night is watching a sports game together. SuperBowl Sunday is next week!
7. Have a cooking date. Working together to follow a new recipe is a great idea for an at-home date, and you kill two birds at once - an activity AND a romantic dinner! What better way to pass the time than chopping up veggies or learning to make creme brulee? Sur La Table offers virtual classes that you can sign up for, prepare the ingredients, and work virtually along with the instructor and other classmates to put together a meal fit for a king and queen. They offer lots of cuisines to choose from, from Italian to Thai. When the meal is finished, set the table with your best china, and light candles.
8. Dance the night away. You can do so in the comfort of your own home, right there on the living room floor. Scoot the coffee table off to the side, queue up your favorite songs on Alexa, and enjoy dropping it like it's hot! Put in a good mix - songs in your favorite genres, some line dancing, and you might even turn on YouTube videos so you can dance along with your favorite artists.
9. Phone a friend (or two). Home Dates can be done with others too. Invite your favorite couple over to share a special theme night at your house. Maybe it's "Mexican" or "Italian" or karaoke night... the main goal here is to enjoy your partner while also taking pleasure in the company of friends. You can prepare fun questions to ask (like tell me the story of how you guys met), spread out a picnic blanket in the backyard and tell ghost stories, or have a special night talking and making smore's in your own backyard.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Hopefully by now it's obvious . Home Dates can give a "common date night out” a run for its money, any day of the week. A few quick tips:
- Make sure your house is clean. Home dates are no fun if your surroundings aren’t tidy.
- Dress to impress your partner. Wear something appropriate for the activity, but make sure it’s cute, and fix your hair. Staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t get dolled up.
- Take care of the kids first. If they’re not in bed, give them an activity to do (i.e. a movie or time in bed reading) along with instructions to leave mom & dad alone. Make sure they're fed and happy before your date begins.
