How to Plan a Date Night In

Pick a date and time

Treat your at-home date night like a real date or appointment, meaning you should actually schedule it and put it on your calendar.

Put technology away

It’s so easy, especially when you’re at home, to instinctively check your phone or even computer – just a quick email here and a quick social media check there, right? Well that all adds up and takes the focus away from your time together. Put your phones away away, not just in your pocket or on vibrate – put them on a whole separate floor from where you’ll be spending your time together.

Make plans

Just because you’re staying home doesn’t mean you can’t make plans; if you don’t, you’ll probably fall into your normal, daily routine. What mine looks like is a shower after the kids are in bed, jammies, couch, watching TV as I catch up on emails while my husband sits on the couch next to me and works, or some variation of this. There’s nothing wrong with this routine, but to make it more special, treat it like a real date and make plans in terms of food and activities, even something as simple as ordering in and having a movie picked out ahead of time (otherwise I can spend an hour looking at movie options and then becoming too tired to watch a movie after going through every Netflix page).

Date night in ideas

Crated with Love: This date night subscription box has a monthly theme that includes games and activities that will save you time and money while promoting fun, romance, and communication. It does all the planning for you and gives you something to look forward to each month; it even comes with a calendar magnet for you to circle and choose your date night(s).

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Board game night: My husband bought me a table-size Scrabble board years ago, and that always guarantees a night of fun. We played so much on our honeymoon when it was monsooning in Mexico; it brought out the competitive side in both of us, to say the least, but now when we play it, it always brings us lots of laughs, tests our love (because we get FIERCE), and is something out of our ordinary routine. Plus, it can be played with just two players.

Movie night: Make your movie night different than just watching TV together every night; if you have another place to watch TV than your normal routine, choose that location – for me, that’s our basement’s movie room. Set it up with blankets, snacks, and beverages, and remember, it’s a cell phone-free zone. Pick your movie(s) ahead of time, too.

Cooking: Is there a special meal you love ordering out? Is there an intricate meal you always wanted to make but never had the time? If you have kiddos, eat some appetizers when they eat dinner, then wait until they go to bed to let your own cooking show begin! Try fondue, sushi, or something from your family’s heirloom cook book.

Dance: Have you always wanted to learn to salsa dance? Has time, money, or your lack of coordination kept you from lessons? Dress up and head to the living room for some Youtube dance lessons!

What’s your idea of an ideal date night in?