Trying to come up with some fresh ideas for your date night at home? Try these four ways to have a deluxe date night in. If you’re feeling friendly, you can easily add more seats to include your favorite couple for a double-date night.
To the Floor
In Darling Dates for Two, I was smitten with the suggestion to “be a kid” and set up your teatime under the table, like a fort. That inspired me to have my dinner date on the floor. We could literally lay back and relax, enjoy each other’s company, have a conversation, and snack our way through the evening.
Just because we’re floor dining doesn’t mean we can’t be posh. Set up your area with plush pillows, cushions, and blankets. I had a couple of un-hung pictures to place in our dining area, to create a little “dining room.” Use your glam glassware and silver, or whatever makes you feel like you’re five-star (floor) dining.
Make Your Partner’s Fave Foods
For our fanciful floor feast, I cooked up some cheesy pasta that my husband loves, thin steak strips with a tangy sauce, and assorted sautéed veggies. A bowl of gorgeous ruby red cherries made a lovely side dish.
My hubs is a big chocolate fan, so I made dark, fudgey brownies for dessert. (I couldn’t muster the patience to let them cool before cutting, so they came out with disastrous edges…) He’s also a big fan of gummy bears, so I found a lovely goblet to showcase the little jewel-toned candies.
If your partner’s favorite food is something as down-to-earth as grilled cheese sandwiches or PB&J, go with it. Or, maybe they desire something sumptuous and expensive, like a wedge of creamy Brie cheese with fresh apricot jam. Take this opportunity to spoil them with food and your love on your deluxe date night in.
Dress Up
Too often we leave our most favorite clothes, shoes, and jewels in the closet for another, more special occasion, always off in the future. But what could be more special than spending time with your sweetie? Wear your favorite outfit, the one you feel really smashing in. You’re dining in, so you can take off your shoes before the night is over if they start to squeeze your toes a bit too tightly.
Dress Down
When’s the last time you had a pajama party with your partner? Put on some loungewear and slippers for a cozy and comfortable dinner for two. Serve hot cocoa as an after-dinner digestif, like one of these three recipes, with an “adults-only” add-in of Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, or Grand Marnier. Switch up the menu completely and serve breakfast instead!
More Date Nights
How about using the time to accomplish a task together? If you know there’s something your sweetie wants to get done -- a DIY project, perhaps -- give them the gift of your time. When one person offers to help the other without having to be asked, it shows you really care.
Getting active with your partner releases good-feeling endorphins, which means you’re sure to feel great about your time spent together. What could be more romantic than candlelit yoga with your special someone? Yoga, even simple moves, is fantastic for everything from boosting flexibility to mental clarity. There are thousands of free yoga classes on YouTube you can do as a pair.
Now you have four (and more!) ways to make a deluxe date night in. Whatever you choose to do, date night makes space for you to truly reconnect with your loved one.
