How to Have a Great Date Night for Valentine’s Day

How do you actually make date nights happen when there are a million excuses not to? It’s not like going out with your spouse without kids doesn’t sound wonderful. It’s just that life, money, babysitter availability – you name it – all get in the way. But, we all know date nights are super important to do and sometimes we need to creatively work around those roadblocks.

Last week I was talking with my girlfriends about their plans for Valentine’s Day and we were swapping ideas on things we could do locally to make it fun. We all agreed that although it is sometimes hard to coordinate, we always end up having a great time. Here are few ideas for date nights that you might want to try.

Music and Dancing: Check out your local paper for bands or live music that is playing at a venue close by. Maybe even try a new place you haven’t been to before. If it’s a concert, actually purchase the tickets as soon as you decide it might be fun to go. Once tickets are bought, it is much harder to not go. Then, book you sitter and start planning your outfit. You might be surprised how relaxing it is to sing and dance a little with your sweetheart.

Bowling: Look for some local lanes that have open bowling in the evenings. We like the old bowling alleys that take you back in time.

Museums: These are definitely not just for field trips with kids. You can experience a museum from a whole new perspective when you are on a date. Art museums are especially romantic and are a perfect date night destination. Don’t forget smaller, specialized ones like a sports, history or car museum.  Lunch or dinner out before or after is a must!

Progressive Dinner:  Plan out your date night with a few local stops. First is appetizers and drinks at a local pub. Next is dinner at your favorite place. Last, is dessert. For myself and my husband, that’s an easy one, since we both enjoy our local custard shop’s hot fudge sundaes. It has a quaint little dining area we love.

Another way to do this is coordinating with a few other couples, so that each couple hosts a different course (one house is appetizer, one is main course, you get the picture). It’s not as personal as a just the two of you on a date, but it is lots of fun and you are away from the kids having some adult conversation, which is always nice.
Most of all, make your date night something you both will enjoy. Be sure to plan it together. It doesn’t need to cost much, it just needs to be time that you can be adults and disconnect from the kids for a bit. You will be glad you made the effort!