I know I missed Valentine’s Day last Friday, but I was kind of snowed in with a cute husband and a cute 2 year old… so you’ll have to forgive me for not having the chance to blog. I figured that this week was as good as any to have my top 5 romantic date ideas though.
Not that Travis and I get out often. In fact, in the past two years we may have had 5 dates total. Or less.
My awesome brother offered to hang out with Jack on Saturday though, so Travis and I are going to dress like grownups, go out into the world and make googly eyes at each other.
Of course, then I realized that I have no idea what we should do on our awesome date… so there you go, my reasoning behind today’s brainstorming session!
Date #1: Overnight at a local B&B
Okay, this date idea is one that we have actually done when we had the gift of a whole 24 hours to ourselves after Christmas. I booked a B&B about 45 minutes from our house, but you can even book a cheap hotel in your same town if you want. Not too cheap though… you don’t want any hourly ladies of the night (or afternoon) hanging out in the hallway. Just the idea that we had a whole night to hangout – whether that be having an extra drink at dinner, watching TV really loud, taking a long bath, and/or something sassier – it really felt like a vacation. Bonus points if the hotel has a pool because you can totally pretend you’re on vacation.
Date #2: Dinner & a Movie
I know, I know… this is like the most typical date EVER, right? But to parents to a young child the idea of going out to dinner someplace that kids aren’t welcome, followed by a grown-up movie in a movie theater is absolute heaven. That’s probably why 80% of our dates since Jack was born were exactly this one. When choosing a place, we like to make sure to pick one that’s a bit TOO trendy and/or quiet for a 2 year old. That way, we can feel like it’s a real SPECIAL event that we’ve gone out. I also like to wear something a little cuter than normal, since Jack won’t be rubbing his messy hands on my sleeve.
Date #3: Massages for Two
I love massages so much. So, SO much. For those uninitiated to the world of massages, there is a huge variety of choices for every budget. We’ve gone to the local massage school’s clinic nights where they give a 50-minute full-body massage for $25 each. We’ve also had massages at fancier spas, which cost a bit more but come with some pretty relaxing extra ambiance. Of course, my favorite massage was on our honeymoon in Jamaica where we were layed out next to each other and massaged for 90 minutes straight in a hut overlooking the water. Any which way, a couples massage (even if you are in different rooms) is a great, relaxing way to spend your time!
Date #4: Go the Bar and Flirt
My husband and I met at a bar, so if we ever find ourselves back at that bar it’s like we’re in the initial stages of meeting all over again. Sure, we’ve been together for almost 8 years and have a son, a dog, a house and way too many vehicles… but stick me back in that place with a hard cider in my hand and I break out the sassy flirty eyelashes. Even if you didn’t pick your honey up in a bar the first time, there’s nothing stopping you from doing it now.
Date #5: Do Something Active
Most of the time it is easier for us to do an afternoon date than the typical evening date. If the weather is nice, this is a great chance to do something active outside. We’ve gone hiking, swimming at the pool (back when we had a gym membership) and played mini-golf. When Travis had his old motorcycle, we would spend hours just riding around to go and get ice cream somewhere. Now that I have my scooter, I can’t exactly have him hop on the back (though I would LOVE to see how that would go), but we can take turns letting the wind whip through our hair as we top out at 30 MPH!
And yes, I need a cuter helmet. Maybe something blue with sparkles…?
None of these date ideas are rocket science. A good date is really just about spending time with the person you love and WHAT you do isn’t really that big of a deal.
What are your favorite easy date ideas? Share them below in the comments and maybe you’ll help me plan our Saturday night!
