Beauty Through Imperfection

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Beyond Movie night – 10 at home date night ideas

Now that we have 2 babies it has become more difficult for my husband and I to have a night out together. Sometimes his mom will come watch both kids at our house when we need a night out, but it’s just so much harder leaving two kids at home, especially while they are young. Date night and alone time takes so much more effort and planning than it did when we were just newlyweds without kiddos. It can be done though! When we can’t have a night out, we try to be sure we make time to spend together, without our phone or the tv. Usually that means we do a date night in. 

Fun ideas for a stay at home date night! Turn off the tv and try one of these #datenight #homedatenight #romance #romantic #marriage #dateyourspouse #parents
Fun ideas for a stay at home date night! Turn off the tv and try one of these

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1. Go on a fake vacation – This is something I came up with last summer because we didn’t have the $ to go on a vacation. hubby was skeptical about trying this, but we both ended up loving it. In short, choose a destination and then plan a fabulous trip together as if you were going there. It’s perfect because you can plan a super exotic trip and imagine doing things that you would not usually try because of fears, finances or time constraints.

2. Have a sleepover in your living room – Simple and sweet. Sometimes a change of scenery is all that’s needed ! Invite your hubby on a sleepover/campout in your living room! It’s something fun and silly to do together, hubby and I did this before I got pregnant with the princess and we both had a lot of fun. 

3. Deeper Conversations – I love these conversation starter cards! Sometimes you’ll pull an “easy” question and find yourselves sharing thoughts for a few minutes but other times you might have to force yourselves to stop because the conversations can be so long and wonderful!

4. Game night – This one is our favorite! My husband and I usually have at least one game night a week, and it so much fun. We are both pretty competitive but most of all we enjoy the time together. If you are looking for great 2 player games, these are a few of our favorites:


5. Cook dinner together – While cooking on your own can get old really fast, it can be fun to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen with your spouse!

When you’re done cooking, you might as well get all dressed up for your fancy at-home date. Put on your nicest dress & highest heels and have a candlelit dinner in your dining room. It’s the experience and the togetherness that matter, far more than the location!

6. Read a book – Choose a fun novel to read together, or even an awesome book on marriage or parenting. Take turns reading chapters to one another and discussing what you read.

7. Go through your wedding photo album or watch your wedding video together – It can be so romantic to go through old memories and cherish the memories together. I love looking through old pictures with my hubby and laugh as we re-tell our favorite moments to one another. One of the easiest, but most romantic things to do.

8. Drink coffee/hot chocolate on the porch – We don’t have a porch, but I do love drinking hot chocolate on our apartment’s balcony when the weather is nice. It’s beautiful outside and something about the outdoors always sparks deep conversations! I love that being outside makes me feel like we’re “away” from home, but we’re still close enough to hear the baby fuss and I’m able to walk right in a nurse her if need be.

9. Write your love story –  Talk it out and write it together, or take turns writing sentences and see how the story ends up! Use the “love story for baby” book to turn your love story into a lovely keepsake for your little one. This would make the PERFECT gift when baby grows up!

10. Grab something from the date box – This is a great idea if you are stuck in a date-night rut. Pull out a pog and see what it says and do that for your date night! They have SO many great ideas already printed on them, no creativity required, you just get to have the fun!

I love these dates because they are perfect for low budget weeks, and for weeks when you don’t have time/energy/a babysitter to be able go out. Whatever is keeping you from having a date night and intentional time with your spouse, can probably solved by having a fun, intentional date night IN <3

Have you ever done a date night in? I‘d love to hear your ideas!!!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. These are some great ideas. It is so important to stay connected, and just gets more complicated the more children you have. It is also good to shake things up and use different ideas to keep things fresh, yet simple and inexpensive.

    Reply

    • thanks so much Heather! Fresh, simple and inexpensive! yes!!! that’s our goal :) love that description! thanks for reading and commenting <3

      Reply

  2. OK, so my favorite is game night. But what a cool idea to write our love story. I think I will try this one with him! Maybe get a notebook and we each take turns writing in it. Also this just reminded me of something my oldest sister and her husband did, actually when they were dating. The would swap bibles periodically and highlight scriptures and write notes in eachother’s bible.

    Reply

    • we love game night too!!!! That is a fun idea with the Bible!!! I’m hoping to convince hubby to start writing our love story together soon, but we shall see ;)

      Reply

  4. It definitely changes after baby!!! :) but not necessarily bad, you just have to be more creative and intentional :)

    Reply

    • Love your response here, Paula! Love the encouragement of knowing although it changes, a little intentionality (yep, just made that word up :)), can go a long way.

      Reply

  7. Paula,

    These are great ideas, ones I’ll have to hold onto for future reference. Right now, we live in a motorhome with 4 of our children, 3 of whom are teens, so anything we do at home is virtually a family affair! Still, it’s good to spend time alone with your spouse however you can.

    Thanks!

    Lisa

    Reply

  8. It must be dating week in the blogosphere! I wrote a post on “starting to date again” a few days ago, and have added a tab to my blog for folks to post their ideas to share. I hope you will share some of yours, or feel free to post a link to this piece in the comment section.

    Terrific ideas!

    Reply

  10. Hi Paula, I got pregnant 2 months after we got married and then we proceeded to have 4 kids in 5 years… needless to say we don’t go OUT on dates ever. We are big fans of date night though and have one every Saturday night after the kids go to bed. Unfortunately we have fallen into the television trap – and, while I still love date night and look forward to it, there is little connection that goes on. I thought your list was wonderful! I think I might give one of them a try this weekend. Thanks for sharing and keep up your date nights! They are so special and the kids start taking note of them too!

    Reply

  11. This is a great list! We like to do game night and a nice meal at home, but I had never thought of most of these. We will have to try some of them out!

    Reply

  13. Oh, I LOVE the sitting outside one… wish my hubby liked being outside more, but with nice weather and few bugs he’s usually willing to go along with me. We do a variation of the living room sleep over – nap time on the futon with the Christmas tree lights on :) It’s even more special with the lights on a dark winter day :) I’m excited to read all the similar posts listed in the comments here!

    Reply

  15. Great ideas. I know how difficult it is to have a date night! I don’t think my husband and I have been on a date since the end of July. My mom is going to come over and watch the kids on Friday night so we can go out to dinner. That was her Christmas present for us.

    Reply

    • oh wow! that is a long time, but i’m so excited you get to go on a date this week!!!! :) I hope some of these help you have some special time together next time it’s so long between dates <3

      Reply

  16. My husband would love the ideas of planning a fake vacation! We will have to try that soon. Your 2 person game ideas link didn’t work and I’d love to hear about those!!

    Lindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com

    Reply

  17. Great ideas! My hubby likes watching movies/TV shows, but like you, that doesn’t make me feel any closer to him. We often play board games, though sometimes it feels like there’s limited games for two players. And I like reading with him – parenting books or marriage books – though sometimes he’s too tired for that (he’s a full-time student at the moment). I have a couple friends who have a hot tub and love sitting in that together to relax for an evening – I like that idea, if we ever buy our own house and could install a hot tub! Thanks for sharing! (I’m dropping by from the Mommy Moments blog hop.)

    Reply

    • So sorry the links for the games didn’t work! My hubby has done lots of searching and discovered some really great 2 player games! One of them is even cooperative so you and the hubby could actually be on the same team playing “against” the game. I was impressed with how hard that one is!!!
      You can see the full list here
      https://www.beautythroughimperfection.com/2011/11/28/games/
      a hot tub sounds so nice and relaxing!!! that would be wonderful! :)

      Reply

  18. These are great ideas I especially like the fake vacation one. I always want to take a vacation but the money is never there. We are saving here and there but so far our little bit of saving is still not enough. We couldn’t even pay for food for one meal for the family with the savings we have so far. Oh well, pitty party over for now. I can’t wait to try this. Maybe I’ll try this with the kids as well.

    Reply

    • I had a similar pity party last summer when all of our friends were going on trips and we were stuck at home! We are saving all our pennies for a house!!! I hope you have fun on your fake one! I know it was great for us! :)

      Reply

  19. Thanks for all of the great suggestions! We fall into the TV every night trap, and it’s mostly my fault because I’m usually too tired to do any more thinking or moving by the end of the day. Those games look interesting, we will have to try them out. It’s hard to find games that are exciting with just 2 players, although we do like to play Wii games together sometimes. :)

    Reply

  23. Oh Paula I love your ideas. So, so smart! I wrote a Date Night post today too.
    Come by and see me. I really enjoyed meeting your.
    Thanks for sharing your great ideas!
    Have a wonderful Thursday,
    Sherry

    Reply

  24. Hey, Paula! Thanks for adding yourself to the Thursday link-up this week. I have been following your comments here on date nights, and find that blogging this week appears to follow this theme. Are we all that in tune? :)

    Have a terrific day!

    Reply

  26. Hey! Nice to meet you! Great post! We have done in dates before. When the kids were a little younger we could put them down early and have more hang out time. But now the time just isn’t enough! The other night we had an impromptu coffee date on the living room couch, just coffee and chatting. It was NICE!! But coffee keeps him up at night so I should probably go get some decaf:)

    Reply

  28. What fabulous ideas! With 3 kiddos and no family nearby all of our dates have been at home in recent years…but they are every bit as meaningful! My husband and I take turns planning the evening.Here are two of our most memorable: 1) my husband grabbed a roll of duck tape along with a challenge to see what we could each create with it. He made glasses and I made a handbag…while we sharing lots of laughs. 2) an evening in the kitchen together putting together a set of freezer meals…complete with fancy drinks, beautiful music, and a little dancing. ;)

    Reply

  31. I love this list of great ideas! We do a variation on the fancy dinner at home where I make steaks but we get all the side dishes from take-out (like Texas Roadhouse). That way, it isn’t nearly as expensive as a whole dinner out and there is only on pan to clean. Win-win.

    Reply

  33. You shared some excellent ideas for spending time alone at home. For years we just didn’t get out because there was no one to watch our children. What we often did to spend time alone was: to eat a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream TOGETHER taking turns to take a bite. It was so fun!! Thanks for linking up and sharing this post over at WholeHearted Home.

    Reply

  34. This is great!! We can always use more in-home date ideas since we don’t get out enough either. I love all the ideas you came up with, so creative and they sound so fun. Thank you for sharing!

    And thank you for linking up with Marriage Week :)

    Reply

  36. I appreciate the list of two-person games. Now that we’re empty nesters, it’s harder to play games (other than the obvious ones :) with only two. And to #10 I would add — “Go to bed BEFORE you’re exhausted.” Tired bodies make for tired lovemaking — certainly not our best. That’s my 2cents worth!

    Reply

  39. Great list, Paula! Yes, we do date nights in all the time. Because our work hours are so long, our absolute favorite thing in the world (next to traveling) is doing nothing. Sitting on our patio, enjoying a glass of wine, and just talking. That’s our idea of a fabulous date night in.

    Reply

  41. I’m visiting from All Things Pretty. This is inspiring me to get creative with my husband for date nights in. It’s very easy just to sit in front of the tv, but like you said, it doesn’t create memories or help keep our relationship strong.
    ~Erin @ Erin’s 2 Cents

    Reply

  42. Once kids join the scene date night becomes late nights! Some very creative ideas you have shared here. Key to my sanity to get out with my man at least monthly. We sometimes go for a walk to the nearest cafe and have a coffee (tea for me). Or even just a walk with no kiddies can be quite refreshing. Thanks for sharing and inspiring. Visiting from http://www.ritewhileucan.com via LOBS link up party

    Reply

  45. Super ideas!

    I would love for you to share and link up at my weekly TGIF Link Party if you haven’t already this week. Your favorite posts, most popular, recent or new! The party is open every Thursday night and closes Wednesday’s at midnight. Followed by (Not SO) Wordless Wednesday! http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/. I would be honored if you join us! Have a wonderful week!

    Hugs, Cathy

    Reply

  48. Great ideas! So often we can take our husbands for granted, but I love the idea of mixing it up and instead of the default mode of tv or the same ole stuff; creating date nights at home. I’ll have to try one of these ideas this weekend! Thanks for a great list!

    Reply

  50. HI Paula! Stopping in from SITS.. love an at-home date night. My husband and I regularly pull out the Scrabble game. It is fun because it gets you talking. Now if I can just get him to put down the iPad:)

    Reply

  51. LOVE these ideas. I may have to try the livingroom camp out. My husband doesn’t enjoy traditional camping, but I bet I can talk him into this. :D

    Reply

  52. I love board games. My last birthday was a family game day. I checked your link of favorites and only the first game is one I know. Not a bad thing–definitely a source of possible future purchases. We love Carcasonne, Ticket to Ride, Survivor Atlantis, Catan, and more. Thanks for the Post. Enjoy your SITS Day.

    Reply

  54. These are some great ideas and I will definitely look further into #3 on the list. My husband and I don’t have young children anymore so we go out to dinner every Friday night. I’m usually the one trying to come up with things to talk about so I would love to get some new ideas. We’re having too many repeat conversations now… Children, politics, blah, blah, blah.

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  55. Fabulous ideas! I have never thought of most of these tips before… Now I am so keen on trying out some. Thanks for the ideas Paula! have a wonderful SITS day :)

    Reply

  57. Hey Paula, Happy SITS Day! Great list. I am definitely doing the drinks on the porch thing. Maybe tonight! We love games too, we just fall into the TV trap and never play. Hmmm, maybe we’ll play games….on the porch! Thanks for the ideas, and the reminder to make time for each other!

    Reply

  59. We do a lot of these since we are always cautious about spending money on dates but there are great ones here that we haven’t tried yet, like a fancy dinner at home. Visiting from SITS! Enjoy your day!

    Reply

  60. Great ideas – even though our boys are older and we don’t need a sitter, it is hard to make the time to get out often – I love the idea os planning a fun night in.
    Hope you had a great SITS Day!!!

    Reply

  61. I hope your SITS Day was wonderful, Paula! I had to laugh because I was trying to convince my husband the other day to build a fort in our living room like I used to do as kids. He thought I was a little nuts. But knowing me, I will just do it anyways. Sometimes it’s fun to just act like a kid. I love the idea of game night, we love Rummy Cube/Tile and Farkle. I need to that more often. I’m so guilty of wanting to just veg out in front of the TV after work.

    Reply

  63. When we were kids, my parents would frequently send us to the basement or upstairs to play for a couple hours, telling us–“Only come get us if someone is bleeding!” and they would have date nights in. You do what works!

    Reply

  64. This is a great list of suggestions. It’s definitely a great way to spice up your marriage beyond just the normal bedroom activities. I love the idea of writing your love story together. I may have to get my husband on board with that one. Thanks for these ideas.

    Reply

  65. I love these ideas sometimes we build a bonfire in the back yard and cuddle up with hot chocolate on a cool night. Nothing like just staring at the fire talking about silly stuff and cuddling in a blanket

    Reply

  66. These were super terrible. Your supposed to already know your spouse. Unless your married someone without fully knowing them. Then your an idiot

    Reply

  67. I love these ideas! I am getting married in December and though we don’t plan to have children for a couple years, I will bookmark this to use at a future date (and maybe now too since we are buying a house so money may be a little limited for awhile!). Love the ideas! Thanks!

    Reply

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