Leaving the house to go on a date night when you’re the parent of a young baby, isn’t always possible. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought I’d look at some inventive ways to spend time with your partner without even leaving the house.
I’ve been going out with my husband for over 30 years now. There have been times when it wasn’t an option to leave the house, so we’ve had to get creative. Don’t forget this is a joint venture, you both need to buy into the evening or it all feels like hard work and you’ll resent it rather than enjoy it.
So get those babies into bed, it’s time for a date night!
Setting the scene
When you’re planning your date night it pays to think about the details. If you can’t do the big things, like going to a restaurant or seeing a show, it’ll be the small things that make the most difference.
Dressing Up
If you rarely leave the house then there’s never an opportunity to dress up and feel good about yourself. Take some time to put on freshly laundered clothes that make you feel special, add a spritz of scent too. Maybe try each of you choosing the other person’s outfit for the evening.
Creating a mood
Candles, soft light, a clean table cloth, your posh cutlery, fresh sheets on the bed: all make an evening feel out of the ordinary. Put on your favourite music, too. It might be something relaxing and soft, so that you can chat over it, or the music you both liked when you first met, so that you can reminisce.
Choose your own adventure
Now comes the fun part. There are so many different kinds of date night you can have, something to suit every taste. Discuss what you miss doing most with your partner and come up with a plan. Looking forward to your evening is almost as much fun as actually doing it!
Red carpet date night
I think we’ve all been watching television way more than we usually would recently. So how do you make a ‘trip’ to the movies a special night in? You give it the red carpet treatment!
Imagine you’ve been invited to a movie premiere, you’ll need to dress up for it and someone’s sent you an extra special ticket for the evening. I did a quick search on Etsy and found some awesome custom golden tickets that you can buy.
As with going to the cinema, choose your movie with care and make sure it’s one you both want to watch (not always easy).
Will you go for a new release or an old classic?
How about you rewatch the first film you saw as a couple?
Here are some of the new releases for 2021 that you can watch from home:
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/tv-premiere-dates-2022/
and some classic movies:
http://www.seeclassicfilms.com/10-places-stream-classic-films-on-tv-online-appletv-roku-amazon-fire/
BFI’s list of 100 great movies and where to watch them:
https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/100-great-films-streaming-netflix-amazon-prime-updated
So, you have your ticket, your film or show and your posh frock, now all you need is something to snack on. Popcorn is a classic and so easy to make at home, plus you can add whatever flavouring you like. I always used the struggle with getting all my corn to pop until I discovered this method:
https://cookieandkate.com/perfect-stovetop-popcorn-recipe/
You can also order grazing boxes from local companies. Graze on the Hill have a movie night box you can find here:
https://www.facebook.com/grazeonthehill
Now turn the lights out and enjoy, safe in the knowledge that no-one’s going to block your view with their very large hat.
A date night for foodies
If you’re a food or drink enthusiast, an evening with an expert could be the perfect date night for you.
Wine Tasting
If wine is your thing, https://winetoursofkent.co.uk/tours/virtual-wine-tasting/ offer virtual wine tastings, which comprise of a pack sent out to each of the participants.
Cocktails
If an evening of mixing your own cocktails appeals to you, there are some great options.
The Cocktail service offers a range of classes to meet your budget:
The cocktail service virtual masterclass
Or Mixology have either private classes or public scheduled ones (every other Friday from 6.30pm):
https://mixologyevents.co.uk/cocktail-making-classes/virtual-cocktail-classes/
The joy of both these classes is that they come with non-alcoholic options.
Cheese
I love cheese! I can’t deny it. One of the best presents I bought for my family this Christmas was an evening of cheese tasting with Tonbridge local Ben Headon. Ben is an International Cheese Awards judge and Head Judge for the Taste of Kent awards. I think it’s fair to say he really knows his stuff.
Ben can put together a bespoke virtual cheese tasting for you. An example of what he offers could include: £10 a head for a tasting session in which you provide your own cheeses (shopping lists provided) or £20 a head for 5 cheeses provided by Ben (for people all local to Tonbridge). He can also add extras such as wine tasting notes or more / fewer cheeses.
You can email him for more information or create your own unique evening here: events(at)bheadon.co.uk
I’d highly recommend him for a fascinating evening.
Dinner and a dance
Cooking for yourself and your family every night is sometimes a real slog and it’s easy to get into a rut. If you love cooking but don’t want to have to think too hard about it on date night, why not book a private cooking class with Pip from The Cooking Apple:
https://thecookingapple.co.uk/private-classes/
You can cook along with her, learn a new recipe and then sit down to a delicious meal afterwards.
Order in
If you don’t want to cook (or wash up afterwards) then you can order dinner from a restaurant in your area. Many deliver takeaway meals and a quick search of your local favourites will give you the information you need.
Just because this is a takeaway doesn’t mean you should eat it from the containers, though. Make sure you use your best plates, serviettes and cutlery (see above) and create a restaurant-like atmosphere for yourselves.
After Dinner
Once you’ve eaten (remember to slow down and savour that food), take some time to have a conversation that doesn’t revolve around your family or work. This is a bit of a lost art when you’re a parent, but really worth the effort. Talk about what music you liked to listen to when you were a teenager. Ask each other questions about your likes and dislikes. Compare notes on your best holiday memory or the meal you had that most sticks in your mind. These are probably things that you discussed a lot when you first met but which have fallen away as you’ve grown more comfortable together. Maybe kick off your shoes and dance to your favourite music.
Games night
Back in 2019, when we could do such things, I organised a board games afternoon at a local pub using all our own games. We have a lot of games and play them as a family all the time.
There are plenty of games for two players though and they’re a fun way to spend an evening together.
Simple but effective
There are lots of games you can play with two people and some dice or a pack of cards. Yatzhee is one of my favourites but here are some others:
https://www.dicegamedepot.com/liars-dice-rules/
https://www.dicegamedepot.com/poker-dice-game-rules/
https://www.dicegamedepot.com/zanzibar-dice-game-rules/
https://www.dicegamedepot.com/war-card-game-rules/
Specialised games
I love two player board games and could write about them forever.
Instead I’m going to send you to this article, which includes all of my favourites plus some interesting extras:
https://www.thestrategist.co.uk/article/best-two-player-board-games.html
Virtual Escape Rooms
One of the things I’ve really missed recently is the buzz of completing an escape room. Luckily there are some fun on-line versions that you can do, which will flex your brain and support local businesses who are having a tough time at the moment. My favourite local escape room companies include:
Clue Cracker in Tunbridge Wells
They have some excellent online games, including a live hosted game show, which looks amazing.
The Panic Room in Gravesend
The Panic Room not only has some amazing online games but they also sell escape rooms in a box. We recently tried a Deckscape and really enjoyed it. It’s perfect as a two player game and there’s some great themes to choose from:
https://thepanicroomonline.net/collections/escape-room-board-games/products/deckscape
Apps
If you haven’t banished your smart phones for your date night, there are some great games you could play together.
Psych!
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/psych-outwit-your-friends/id1005765746
Heads Up!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wb.headsup&hl=en_GB&gl=US
Bounden
Make time for each other
Wow, I feel like I’ve run a marathon! I had so many ideas for you and I wanted to make sure I got them all in. I really hope you find something to do here for your own stay-at-home date night. The most important thing is to have some fun together…
…Now, I don’t have an agenda of my own here but if you find yourself in want of a newborn photographer in the future, please do get in contact 😉
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