A few years ago I was telling a couple of girlfriends that my husband and I had gone for an evening drive around the island the night before; they both giggled and said, “Oh how cute, you had a date night”. That was the first time I’d every heard the term “date night”, and I liked it!
The “date night” concept wasn’t a new and revolutionary idea, in our 30+ years of marriage my husband and I have gone out many times. We just didn’t call it “date night”.
We called them going out to dinner for our anniversary, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day; these fell in the special occasion category. When we went to the movies, the beach, and other places we just said we were going out. Going out covered many activities including a trip to the ice cream shop, fishing, and evening drives around the island. When I think about it I guess “going out” really was a “date night”. So clearly I been having date nights all my adult life.
I think the term “date night” can be misleading, implying that the date must be in the evening. It can give the impression that you must go somewhere and do something special and romantic the whole night. It can also be interpreted to mean that a date night must cost a small fortune. It can be all of that or none of them.
In my opinion a date night can be anytime, anywhere, and last as long as you want it to. It can be extravagant or almost free. It can be romantic, fun, educational, or just about anything you want. The idea of date night is to spend alone time with your partner in an enjoyable environment.
Here’s some date night ideas for every month of the year to fit just about any budget. I like to mix it up, do something extravagant at times and something cheap at others.
I’ve listed 3 different ideas per month ranging in price from extravagant $$$ to almost free $. You’re not limited to doing an activity once, if you both enjoyed it the first time, then by all means do it again. Remember the idea of date night is for you and your partner to spend time alone doing something you both enjoy. If you have kids plan for childcare; love the kids but date night is adult only!
January – Ring in New Year’s Day with a date night. Drop kids off at grandma’s New Year’s Eve for an over night stay if you can.
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| Found on donebrilliantly.com |
$$$ Check-in to a luxury hotel, bed-and-breakfast, or resort on New Year’s Eve. Ring in the New Year in style at a near by night spot. Wake up on New Year’s Day and enjoy a romantic champagne breakfast in bed. If you have kids this will only work if you have overnight childcare for them.
$$ Have a lovely brunch at a restaurant near you. Arrange to leave the kids with a friend or relative for a few hours if you haven’t already dropped them off to spend the night at grandma’s the night before.
$DIY breakfast in bed. Plan to feed the kids earlier and have an activity that will keep them entertained for a couple of hours, better yet drop them off at a friend’s house if possible.
February – Folks dealing with nasty winter weather are more than likely sick of it and are dreaming of a tropical getaway by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around. Make this month’s date one of those special occasions. Turn the heat up by planning a fabulously romantic Valentine’s Day date.
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| Riviera Maya – Image from Savvy Nana’s Travels |
$$$ Fly off for a weekend at a tropical resort or set sail on a Caribbean cruise. Bask on sun soaked beaches or enjoy a fruity drink on the pool deck. Watch romantic sunsets on the beach and pamper yourselves with a couples massage at the spa.
$$ Reserve a table to dine at a romantic restaurant in your area. After dinner go home and snuggle up to a nice romantic movie. Set the stage for romance with candles and flowers, and don’t forget the bubbly!
$ Create a romantic nest in your living room floor with cushy pillows, soft blankets, flowers, candles, and soft music. Then have a picnic in your living room and let nature take its course.
March – Spring is in the air, warm breezes are ushering old man winter out. Take advantage of warmer weather and take your date outdoors.
$$$ Spend a day or two in our Nation’s capital while the cherry blossoms are at their best. Visit a museum or two, dine at one of the fine restaurant this city has to offer, and stroll along the Potomac on a moonlight night.
$$ Go for a horseback ride in the country. Many ranches offer trail rides and horse rentals. Find one not too far from you and plan to spend the day there.
$ Go for a walk at your neighborhood park and play on the playground equipment. Don’t be afraid to push each other on the swings and ride the teeter-totter.
April – Spring is definitely here bringing along some April showers. Spend rainy days doing something fun indoors.
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| Bridge in Paris -Image by Savvy Nana Travel |
$$$ Nothing is better than Paris in springtime. Fly over for a few days of dates. View masterpieces at the Louvre, stroll along the Champs Elysees, and have dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
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| Courtesy of groovetravel.com |
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| Ballooning in France – Image by Savvy Nana’s Travels |
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| Courtesy of Broadway.com |
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| Roman Forum – Image from Savvy Nana’s Travels |
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| Courtesy of adirondackcabin.com |
$$$ Rent a cabin in the Adirondacks one weekend. Spend some time outdoors before the weather turns cold, and romantic evenings snuggled up in front of the fireplace.
$$$ Book a full day for two at a fancy day spa, the relax and be pampered from head to toe.
$$$ Get away for a day or two to a ski lodge before guests arrive. Even if you don’t ski the food is good, and sipping wine in front of the fire place is romantic.
$ Put the kids to bed early and enjoy a glass of wine in front of the fireplace. That’s so romantic!
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