For Valentine's Day, I promised my husband that we would go on 15 dates this year. For some people, that may not sound like a lot. But for us, we go out maybe 3 times per year. However, we need to keep the dates affordable and within our budget. I thought I would share some of the ideas we have in case anyone else is looking for inspiration. I got some notions from a book called "Fun & Creative Dates for Married Couples."
1) Have a great dinner served... at home. This is for when you can't get a sitter and need to involve the kids. Get takeout from your favorite restaurant and bring it home. Let your children make a menu up that includes what you ordered and then pretend you are at a nice restaurant. Ariana loved doing this and she was really good about staying in her room between courses so that we has some quiet alone time. (Remember, though, that kids have a short attention span and might get distracted and forget about you while they are in their bedroom!)
2) A concert or show is always a hit. You can usually find cheap or inexpensive local shows, especially outdoor shown in the summertime.
3) Picnic under the stars. This can also be done when you can't get a sitter. You can wait for them to go to bed and then go out in your back yard and have a late dinner and some wine on a blanket. Ideally, you can get a sitter and go to a park or to the beach and it would still be a cheap date.
4) Great Cookie Hunt: Spend an afternoon in search of the best cookie your town/ city has to offer. Go from place to place (deli's, bakeries, etc.) and try a new an unique cookie. This is ideal if you have a nice downtown area where you might bring your cookies to a bench and sit to people watch... who doesn't like to people watch?
UPDATE:
From my friend, Isolde:
Stargazing with a big blanket and good binoculars.
Sitting on the chairlifts in the summer when the ski resorts are closed.
Hiking..those are our best talks.
Free movies in the park Friday nights.
Taking a kayak or canoe ride.
Do you have any other cheap date ideas? I'd love to hear them.
hour one: no talking. lying next to each other, looking into each other's eyes. no smile wars : )
ReplyDeletehour two: no talking. first half hour, partner blindfolded. clothed / unclothed, ur choice. prep 15 sense experiences each beforehand. the blindfolded lays there still, while the other in a relaxed, rationed-out manner, gives them a sense experience. a fave perfume, a whispered poem in the ear, kiss on the stomach...etc. then switch.
hour three: no talking. pen and paper. sit together and have a dialogue. share what the experience was like. talk about ur relationship...perhaps there's something difficult to talk about- might b easier in ink. draw together.
afterwards?...ur call...
walkdinnermoviebreakupdancefucklaundry, etc.
Great ideas! i did a post not too long ago w/ some ideas. we have to be creative w/ all our chaos and kids! but i think i like these dates better anyway....i love the picnic under the stars...we've done that one :O)
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog! Nice to meet you!! I'll be back!
Most of our dates are free, because those are the best ones, right? Some of our faves:
ReplyDeleteStargazing with a big blanket and good binoculars.
Sitting on the chairlifts in the summer when the ski resorts are closed.
Hiking..those are our best talks.
Free movies in the park friday nights.
Taking a kayak or canoe ride.
I hope you meet your goal!
Great ideas. Since it's winter right now, maybe sledding or skiing together would make a good date. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips and hope you made it to 15!