While I don’t particularly like setting New Years Resolutions, I’m extremely fond of setting goals and actively improving my relationship with my husband. Let’s face it, military life is hard. We already don’t see enough of our spouses due to long work hours, TDYs and deployments, then factor in children and all their needs and it seems like the time just melts away. My husband and I try to plan a date night once or twice a month, whether it is a home date night after the kids go to bed or hiring a babysitter and going out. No matter what we decide to do, we feel so refreshed and reset by the time we get home. Here are three date night ideas to get you and your spouse out of the house for some much-needed reconnection.
Dates Out on the Town:
Try That New Restaurant. When we can get a babysitter, my husband and I love going out to a new local restaurant. Sometimes it’s a small Japanese restaurant around the corner, sometimes it’s a cool restaurant and bar with live music, and sometimes its just dessert or a coffee. It’s refreshing to be able to get away from the kids for a time, have a meal without having to cook or clean up dishes, and be able to eat a whole meal without being interrupted. It also gives us an opportunity to explore our neighborhood more!
Get an Air BNB. We like to do this when our parents are visiting and will stay with our big kids for a night. Being able to stay up late, watch what we want and sleep as late as possible is such a nice break from the hustle and bustle of everyday parenting.
Take a Class. For the more creative couple, perhaps a cooking class or a date night painting pottery would be fun. It is time to spend together, sharing a hobby and maybe something a little different from the ordinary dinner and a movie date.
Cozy Dates at Home:
As a military family with several little kids, it is hard to find a babysitter. Sometimes its because we’ve just moved to a new location and don’t know anyone, it could be too expensive to afford a babysitter and a date night or sometimes it just seems like too much of an undertaking. Here are some cozy date night ideas that you can do right at home after the kids go to bed!
Themed Dinner and a Movie. My husband and I love watching movies together, but unless we’re intentional about scheduling the time, it doesn’t happen! One of our favorite at home date nights is making a themed dinner that matches a movie. For example, you could make Mediterranean food and watch Casablanca, or make Christmas cookies and watch The Holiday. Another option could be spaghetti and Lady and the Tramp if you’re Disney fans like me. If none of those seem up your alley, a charcuterie board would go great with just about any movie you can think of. This is a great way to have a quiet dinner time without having to leave the house.
Couples Spa Night: Another cozy date night idea is a couples spa night! Gather your favorite candles, facemasks and foot soaks and enjoy easy conversations while relaxing together.
Reading Date Night: Create a cozy spot, gather your favorite snack, and read together. You can both choose the same book, or different ones, but snuggle up and flip some pages!
It always seems to make the week go faster when you have a date night to look forward to, so try out one of these ideas and spend a little extra time with your spouse this week!
