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The Hubs and I are 6 months in to being parents of a toddler and an infant not to mention we co-parent our 9 year old daughter with her mom. So as you can imagine date night doesn’t happen often. Ok seriously, we have only been on one date since Baby E was born. One date in 6 months is just not going to cut it so I decided to plan a few cheap dates for us and put together a full proof plan for making them happen. Well not totally full proof because with babies, you just never know.
So how exactly does two busy and tired parents make it out of the house for date night? Well before I share my tips with you, let me tell you a secret: Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we use our kid free time to just sleep. Like seriously SLEEP! Uninterrupted sleep with small children is the equivalent of a silent date. So if all else fails, just sleep. But other wise here are my tips for getting out of the house.
- Confirm your baby sitter and a back up. Yes confirm a back-up and let them know if their services are not needed at least 2-3 hours ahead of time. Figure out the timing with your sitters.
- Have your entire date planned including departure time.
- Lay out outfits ahead of time.
- Leave an emergency contact list.
- Prep all necessities for kids. Most likely they will be sleeping but keep essentials in one place just in case.
- Keep your date night essential on hand
- If I had $1 for every doctor that told me my headaches & migraines would go away once I had children, I would be rich. This is just not the case so I make sure to keep Advil Liqui-Gels in my purse. Advanced liquid fast relief means we can continue our date if a headache strikes. Remember to use as directed.
- Emergen-C is a must. I am just recovering from a cold then the flu and an upper respitory infection. The hubs had yet another cold so guess what? We take Emergen-C daily. Date night won’t happen if we are both sick. More Healthy Days, More Healthy Nights
- Flat shoes because sometimes heels won’t make it through the night
- Makeup & ChapStick. ChapStick Total Hydration instantly smoothes and moisturizes which means it’s great for applying before you put your lipstick on.
- Jewelry
When I’m running low on my purse essentials, I restock at my local Walmart. I am sure to find everything I need to #BeHealthyForEveryPartOfLife while picking up household & baby items.
And because kids are expensive (hello diapers for two!) we keep date night simple and on the cheap.
5 Date Night Ideas Under $50
Pizza Time
The hubs and I love pizza. Actually the whole family does. We usually order in but I planned for us to go to a local pizzeria and just enjoy a pie alone. No cutting up slices for kids. Just us, eating pizza. Beer for him, wine for me and that is good enough. We make pizza at home so we can easily turn this into a fun couples pizza making night but if a pizzeria offered this as a date, that would be the bomb!
Sporty Night
A few years ago, the hubs and I went indoor rock climbing. We had a blast. The workout is intense and having to trust one another to hold the ropes made us bond. Go rock climbing or do something else physical with your guy. Rock climbing not for you? Go for a hike, sign up for a fun run or book a few tennis lessons. Work up a sweat and enjoy it.
Arcade
Head to your local arcade and gaming center. Challenge each other at a basketball shootout. Play driving games or even a few rounds of bowling. Just have fun.
Museum Nights
One of our local museums host evening drinks and appetizers a long with a live band and dancing. The cost? Nothing more than museum entry and a few extra dollars. Since we are members, we go for free. Check your local museum for free events that you can enjoy as a date night.
Lessons
Sign up for a few lessons today or a one night class. I’m a huge fan of ballroom dancing so we actually have 2 classes scheduled for next month. My flats will surely come in handy after that class.
How do you do date night? What are your date night essentials and favorite date night activities?
10 Comments
Vashti (veepeejay.com)
November 19, 2015 at 6:19 PMLOL! I kinda chuckled a little at uninterrupted sleep. I don’t have kids but I can only imagine.
Girl these are really great ideas. We tend to do a lot of movies and quiet dinners. In the summer time we like to go hang out by the lake 🙂
M J
November 22, 2015 at 8:24 PMThanks Vee. Girl I can’t wait to have a good night of uninterrupted sleep again. This coming from a chronic insomniac.
Bernetta
November 20, 2015 at 12:35 PMYes! Date night is so important. Its good to get a break sometimes! The good thing is, date night can be in the living room when the kids go to sleep! LOL!
M J
November 22, 2015 at 8:21 PMThat’s oh so true Bernetta. We have done date night in the living room even though we usually end up falling asleep.
Bim
December 2, 2015 at 10:20 AMI think these are all great ideas for a date night. I have to be honest, my GF and I haven’t had a date night in years. We’re both so busy, a date night for us is sitting on the couch! Of course, we do include pizza in that, so…
M J
December 2, 2015 at 9:53 PMLOL Bim, I totally understand. Date nights on the couch are alright by me.
rochkirstin
December 3, 2015 at 9:36 PMThe combination of pizza and arcade is always fun. It’s great to bond with your special someone right at home without breaking the bank. We also enjoy just downloading movies online and watching them together with the family.
M J
December 5, 2015 at 9:04 AMSo true Kirstin. My hubs is a movie buff. Me, not so much but I indulge him and we always have a great time.
Tyra
December 5, 2015 at 1:00 AMI love those shoes, so cute! And I take Emergen-C daily as well. You gotta make sure you are in good shape for your date night!
M J
December 5, 2015 at 9:02 AMThank you Tyra. Emergen-C is so good to us! My preteen takes it as well.