9 Ways to Spice Up a Date Night at Home

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You know all those websites that say you should have a date night with your partner to keep the romance alive? This is probably good advice, but with four kids in tow, I never wake up on a Tuesday and say, “Tonight we’re going to call a sitter, get dressed up and hit the town. It’ll be spontaneous and amazing!”

I mean, who can get a same-day sitter?

Still, date nights are a great idea, and they’re a great way to stay connected and enjoy time together without the kids.

It’s just that they’re so hard to make happen.

That’s why I’m a big fan of the stay-at-home date night. I mean, if we waited for the stars to align for single-person Valentine’s Day level of quality time, we’d never do it at all. So home dates have really saved the day, and we can enjoy ourselves almost more in our own living room once the little ones are asleep because we don’t have to worry about all the logistics.

Date Night at Home: Ideas to Try

If you’ve never had an at-home date night before, I encourage you to give it a try. Here are some of my favorite ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Go Gourmet

One of the best parts about going out is having someone else do all the cooking and serving. Don’t skip this on your at-home date night! Plan to order in so that you don’t have to lift a finger. You can do this by ordering one of those fancy subscription boxes or by calling your favorite local restaurant and having your meal catered and ready for pick up before the big night. Whether you eat it at a candlelit table or on the living room floor is totally up to you!

2. Sip Something Luxurious

Along with a great meal, you should get to uncork a great bottle of wine. No more waiting for a special occasion to enjoy the good stuff — your date night is the special occasion!

I recommend upping the ante by making sure your wine is at the perfect temperature so you enjoy it as much as you would at a fancy restaurant. A dedicated wine fridge is a major quality of life boost that makes it a no-brainer to keep reds and whites perfectly chilled and ready to go.

Newair AWR-290DB 29 Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler

We were recently sent the NewAir AWR-290DB Compressor Wine Cooler to accomplish just this goal. It’s a great addition to our house and keeps our wine at just the right temperature so we can enjoy it without any planning.

Dual Temperature Zones

With dual temperature zones, the Newair AWR-290DB 29 Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler allows me to keep all of your fine (and even my not so fine) wines at just the right temperature. The upper level cools to temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for my whites, and the lower level can be set to 50 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit for my reds. We like our reds pretty cold, so I turned it all the way down to keep them cold. It’s probably breaking a wine rule, but my favorite rule of wine is you drink it how you like it! Thankfully, the controls are super easy to use to so I can se them quickly and effectively. You can also change the display to Celsius if that’s your thing (or you just want to challenge your brain).

The lighting

The blue light inside has two settings (high and low) as well as off. It ads a nice subtle light that helps you locate just the wine you are looking for without having to hunt too much.

The Look and The Sound

It’s a gorgeous wine cooler that can sit free-standing or installed within a cabinet because it has a front vent. It measures only 15 inches wide to fit in the space a trash compactor as well as being kitchen cabinet height. The NewAir AWR-290DB Compressor Wine Cooler can hold up to 29 bottles of wine on sliding and removable beechwood shelves if you need extra space for larger bottles. It’s surprisingly very quiet, too and I imagine even quieter if it were installed within a cabinet.

The quiet closing door doesn’t allow for slamming and the front of it has double-paned glass to keep the UV rays out. The locking door is also a nice feature.

Discount Code: The NewAir AWR-290DB Compressor Wine Cooler usually retails for $749 but you’ll be able to get yours for 20% off when you use the code KRYSTYN at check out.

3. Relax at Your Home Spa

Who doesn’t need a massage every now and then? You might not be a pro, but giving each other some back rubs and a good hand or foot massage is just what the doctor ordered after a stressful week. To make it really romantic, use a massage oil and clean off afterwards in a warm bubble bath with some homemade fragrant and fizzy bath bombs. This date idea can get as romantic as you want it to be — or you can give each other the gift of a great night’s sleep after all that relaxation.

4. Camp Out Indoors

This works best if you have a fireplace for atmosphere, but you could always load up the Christmas Yule Log on Netflix as a fun substitute. Grab your sleeping bags and camp out on the floor with some of your favorite snacks. If you’ve got a gas log or wood stove to work with, try making some s’mores or hot dogs over the flame. Otherwise, I love sorbet as a fun, summery substitute.

5. Host a Classic Game Night

When’s the last time you got to play a game to win, without any interruption or bickering? When it’s just the two of you, you can break out your favorite video games or card games to enjoy the competition and conversation. If you love board games, those can be great, too. And if you’re feeling really creative, you could put a romantic spin on things by making your own version of Trivial Pursuit with fun questions about your history together.

6. Try a Fun Theme Idea

If you spend a fair amount of time longing to travel the world and cross places off of your bucket list, a theme night could be just the thing to soothe your globetrotting soul. Want to go to Paris, or remember your last visit to France? Crack open a bottle of French wine and play some Edith Piaf. For an Italian theme night, order some tiramisu and dust off that old cappuccino machine. Or my favorite, reminisce your honeymoon to Mexico with some delicious fajitas, chips and salsa and a good margarita! With the right food, drink and background music, you can bring any part of the world into your living room for the evening.

7. Kick Back for Movie Night

Never underestimate the power of “Netflix and chill” (the actual chilling, not what people are now saying this as!) for a fun date. This is the easiest date night of all, and it’s an especially good way to catch up on all the movies you missed so you actually know what people are talking about when the Oscars are on TV. For a more sentimental movie night, you could always pull out the video tape of your wedding or early days as a couple and reminisce. Just add popcorn, and you’re ready to unwind.

8. Plan Something

Are you full of great ideas that never get accomplished? Are you dying to plan your next vacation — or even just your next regular date night? It can be hugely fulfilling to pull out the travel guides, fire up the internet to plan your next big adventure. Whether you want to start a business or get away for a long weekend, putting your heads together opens the lines of communication. It also reminds you how well you work together as a team.

9. Leave Something for Future Posterity

Speaking of planning ahead, have you ever thought about how you’ll look back on this time in your life? Try making a video of yourselves talking about what your life is like right now, and what you hope and dream about for the future. It’ll feel a little silly, but that’s a good thing — you’ll be glad someday to have a video of what you were like right now, laughing together and being happy in the moment. Or, go look at some old videos that you recorded when digital videos and cameras started to be easier to come by.

Why have a Date Night At Home?

Whether you’re trying to pretend you have an upscale life even when you can’t get out of the house or just want to relax with no pressure to get out of your PJs, a home date is a great way to get some quality time with your partner. Try one — or better yet, a combination — of these date night ideas to add a little fun and break up your everyday routine. The best date night at home ideas are ones that will let you be yourselves and have fun doing the things you love, so there are no rules about what makes a great date. You can be as plain or fancy as you want to be — just as long as you’re together and enjoying your time alone.

And as long as the kids stay asleep!

Looking for more date night at home ideas? Check out these cheap and romantic date nights in.

Want to head out on the town? Check out these Non-traditional Date Night Ideas.