Date Night At Home

While in the days of two under two, our date night life became something of a work in progress. Throw in two messy dogs and a pet pig, and good babysitters are generally hard to come by! While we still aim for an out of the house date night when possible, we are currently working on perfecting the art of date night at home.

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Date Night At Home Space

The first thing we worked on for an at home date night was identifying where in the house would be our date space. We do not have a basement which would be an ideal setup for adult date night. But, we do have an add on to our house that right now serves as a playroom/sunroom for the kids. We have big dreams for turning this space into an entertainment bar for future events but for now, it serves as a blank slate. We have a high top table for games/meals, a tv/love sac combo for movies and video games, and an open space.

Dedicated Time For Date Night

This one was the game changer for us. We were always talking about putting the kids to bed on the weekends and “hanging out.” But life happens, and hanging out becomes Netflix shows and picking up the house. We started writing in “date night” on the calendar even if we were staying at home. Our attire is not pajamas (most of the time). And we make sure the time is dedicated.

House Date Ideas

While we have not checked off all of these items, these are some of the things on our house dating bucket list! Let me know which ones you have tried or plan to try!

1. We have been wanting to try the Hunt A Killer box sets! Each box contains one episode from start to finish that includes all the items needed for a mystery you’re trying to solve.  Since we have already watched the entire series of Criminal Minds, these seems like the next step!
2. Board games- these seem old school and boring but can make for a great time. We open some wine, and break out some of our old favorites. These are some of the ones we have snagged that have been a blast: Risk, Monopoly, Scrabble, Codenames, Yahtzee
3. Cards- Card games are endless, and my husband is an avid poker player. He enjoys (or so he says) playing with me even though my skills are negligible compared to him.
4. Cooking- Not your average cooking. Instead of cooking one of the meals you make frequently try a completely new and difficult recipe. My husband and I have been doing some research to tackle a Beef Wellington recipe at home and I’m stoked.
5. Fondue or tasting party- This one we recently tried and it was amazing! We grabbed this fondue set and the ingredients to make several cheese and chocolate fondue recipes. Some were duds and some were superb, but it was all fun. This set in particular heats up so quickly and was super easy to clean. We were able to make several different recipes in one night with how easy it was. We have also done tasting parties with each other. Choose a theme like wine, whiskey, cheese etc. and each of you can pick out 3-4 exotic new flavors to try.
6. Bubbles baths! Yes this one is routine for us but never disappoints. We have fake electronic candles and a frame with momentos of our honeymoon in Italy hanging over the bathtub. I love the bubble bath set from Babo Botanicals for the amazing ingredients and smell along with fluffy towels!
7. DIY Paint and Sip- If you have ever tried one of the places with painting and wine, it’s easy to recreate at home. Canvases and paint are super cheap from the local craft store and there are tons of tutorials online with various paintings you can try.
8. Movies and video game marathons- This one sounds routine but it does not have to be! When we decide on a movie or video game night, we plan ahead and make it themed. We have done a Harry Potter movie night with homemade butter beer, and Mario Kart competitions with prizes and betting. There are tons of ways to make this one into a super night!
9. Planning night- we love daydreaming about future vacations even if they are a ways away. I believe everyone should continue to have mini honeymoons with their spouse throughout the years, and we love taking some time to take through the details of where we want to go. You could put together an itinerary, research different places, or create a vision board.
10. When all plans fail and we just need some time, adult conversation can be refreshing! With two jobs, a bunch of toddlers, and all things adult, sometimes we need a dedicated time to just reconnect.

Whether you are dating at home by choice, or because of necessity for the time being (thanks coronavirus!), hopefully you and your spouse can make the most of dating at your house!

All the best,