I’m so excited for our first #TakeOverTuesday blog post and I couldn’t be happier that our first guest blogger is Reg. She is a powerhouse mama with some fun ideas for date nights on a budget. I hope you enjoy her blog as much as I do. And I’m blogging on her site today, discussing ten things I’ve learned since becoming a mom. Head on over to her blog to check out my post.
By: Reg Lok Von
Hi! I’m Reg, a kinesiologist and mama to two little girls, 6 and almost 9. I’m so excited to work with mama Lindsey on this post! To keep up with my blog, visit me at https://valeio.wordpress.com/.
This week, I am talking: DATE NIGHT IN.
It can be challenging to find time alone with your spouse after children enter the picture: dinner is often pushed back until baby’s bedtime, or important conversations get interrupted by screaming toddlers, or that phone call you get from your teenager asking to get picked up.
Caption: We can’t even get a photo together without one of the girls in it, haha!
Children can distract us, minimizing the time that we use to have to stay connected with one another. Staying connected with one another is just as essential as brushing your teeth! To do this, most couples implement a regular date night. Easy, right? It wasn’t, for us. My hubby and I decided on a monthly date night and I’m pretty sure it fell through by the second month. It was difficult to achieve with two youngsters. Babysitters are expensive, which, when you incorporate the cost of the date can add up very quickly. As working parents, we also relied on grandparents to take care of our girls during the week. We did not feel right to ask them to also babysit on the weekend! Over the years, there were lots of ups and downs trying to figure out what worked and what we needed as individuals and as a couple. There were days when our conversations were a total of two sentences! It took us awhile but we got creative and devised our own DATE NIGHT IN, spending minimal money.
1. Movie Night + Popcorn: This one is a no brainer. Pick a movie after saying goodnight to the kids. Find a comfy spot on the couch and cuddle under a warm blanket.
2. Gourmet Meal on the Patio: Order in and get it delivered just in time for the kids’ bedtime. Then set up a table or blanket and enjoy the meal and each other under the stars.
3. Sweat Together: The hubby and I like to get active but we do different activities. He’s all about the endurance sports and I like my strength and HIIT training. So we are rarely active together – but when we do, it’s super fun! We have biked down to a restaurant together and then took a taxi back home. We also like to sweat in our modest home gym (i.e. basement) and then go for pho + chat.
CAPTION: Us, just before a run.
4. Lunch Date During School: This technically isn’t a date night in, but we found this also worked well for us since we did not have to hire a babysitter. He planned to take me out on a lunch date at a restaurant while the girls are at school. We had wine, food and laughs. So much fun!
Caption: Wine, because why not?
5. Ask + Wine: This is an inadvertent date but I find we do this often. We would pour glasses of wine, put on a movie for the girls (or to bed), then just sit in the kitchen and chat. Sometimes we ask about each other’s day, other times, we just chat about one topic for then entire duration of the movie.
Amanda
August 1, 2017Love these ideas! It can be so hard to get everything arranged to actually get out of the house without the kiddos. These suggestions are perfect!
Delicately Balancing Life
August 1, 2017It is hard to get a sitter, especially when we use family all week – we hate to ask for more time from them!
Alex
August 1, 2017So many good ideas! Definitely will do some of these, trying to find some creative date nights in for me and my husband!
Delicately Balancing Life
August 1, 2017Enjoy! Date nights are the best! I love connecting with just the hubs and me!
Lexie
August 1, 2017Love these suggestions. Thanks, Reg and Lindsey for sharing!
You make movie night sound so easy, but that would require staying up later than the baby! Haha.
Delicately Balancing Life
August 1, 2017I still count it as a a date night if I fall asleep half-way through the movie, which happens almost every time!
Mikaeya
August 1, 2017Great guest post! Keeping the dating going after kids is so hard yet so important! We do the ask and wine a lot too, it’s my favorite!
Delicately Balancing Life
August 1, 2017Pretty much any date with wine is my favorite 🙂
Heather
August 1, 2017Yes!!! Love the workout date! That is my idea of a perfect date!
Delicately Balancing Life
August 1, 2017We are going to start doing these! Get sweaty and then go have a healthy meal after! Sounds like my kind of evening!
Valerie
August 1, 2017Love the patio dinner idea!
Delicately Balancing Life
August 1, 2017It’s a great way to spend the evening when the weather is nice this time of year!
Reg
August 1, 2017I loved doing this together. It was so nice to connect with another wine lover 🙂
Mai Edwards
August 1, 2017Awww love it all. Especially the gourmet dinner patio idea. Gotta try that one. And Reg how hot do you look in that blue dress.