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Date Night Game: Pandemic

With two small children at home, the majority of mine and my husband’s dates end up being at-home date nights. We’ve discovered lots of ways to have fun at home, one of our favorites being game night! We have found several 2-player games that we enjoy and so I decided to share one of them with you.

The game I want to introduce to you today is called Pandemic. We’ve owned this game for almost two years and we still love it.  It’s a 2-4 player game that can be found in most Target stores and on Amazon priced between $30-$40.

One of the best things about Pandemic is the fact that it’s a cooperative game. This means that, instead of competing against each other, you will actually be teamed up together to beat the game. At first, I was skeptical about how a game like that could still be fun after a few times playing it but I’ve been pleasantly surprised! The game is a little bit different every time we play, and it is always a challenge! 

Game Play: At the start of the game each player is assigned a unique role (examples: research specialist, medic, scientist etc). The roles all have different strengths and characteristics that can help the team when used correctly. Players then travel around the world (the board) interacting with each other and trying to cure the 4+ diseases that have broken out worldwide.  You do this all while trying to avoid disease outbreaks and hoping to completely eradicate the viruses. 

I have been thoroughly impressed by the re-playability of this game. It is always a challenge and requires a lot of strategic thinking and teamwork. The difficulty level is easily adjusted so the game can get harder as you become more experienced with it. 

Pandemic is a perfect date-night game that will have you and your spouse working together to save humanity! 

Happy dating from Paula Rollo @ Beauty Through Imperfection 

Movie and a Picnic

My husband and I operate on a very tight budget. However, we don’t let that keep us from having date night.  Each month we plan to have two date nights. We each take a date night and we are responsible for this date. I thought of what we could do for a cheap date at home. I thought what better thing is it to cuddle up with your honey where you can be comfortable and romantic without any interruptions. 

Items you will need:

• Jar/bucket/bowl
• Questions to encourage conversation and getting to know each other better
• Movie (you already own)
• Rose petals (Dollar Tree)
• Your own blankets/pillows
• Candles (whatever you have around the house)
• 2 envelopes with instructions
• Printed out quotes for the movie
• Tickets to the movie (I handmade them)

I Decorated my jar (you can use whatever container your want) and placed the questions in the jar. During the week leading up to the date I would text him little cute messages about our date or little clues. I wrote some questions out and tore them into strips. On the day of our date I sent him an actual invite to his email.  When he arrived home after work I was ready to go. 

We lived across the street from a park. I had packed a little bag with a candle and some apple slices. I also had my jar (That I decorated) that had strips of questions in there that we could ask each other.  We found a table and sat down. I put some music on my phone and lit the candle. We sat there just enjoying each other’s company. The questions were great and provided some laughs! 

I told him it was time to move on. 

“There is more?” he asked. Giggle. 

I gave him two envelopes.

#1 Envelope: Money for a cheap lunch. $7 to be exact, pizza and fries ( which is a meal in the movie ..sticking to my theme); His instructions included taking me home and going to get the food.  Open #2 envelope when he arrives back home

#2 Envelope: had his movie ticket in it and instructions to come in

While he was gone I made a romantic picnic scene in the living room. I made a padded area with blankets pillows. I spread the rose petals everywhere. I lit candles around the living room.  I also posted the quotes from the movie in random places and then a movie poster on the door so he would see it before he walked in. Made sure the movie was ready for just to hit play. 

It was a great night! He enjoyed my efforts and felt very special. 

It was a little prep work but worth it! He still says that was his favorite date night ever  

All together this date was under $10! 

Staying Hopeful, 

Lauren @ Aunt LaLa

Write Your Story

Looking for something a bit more romantic than “just” another evening at home? Ready to walk down memory lane with your spouse in a fun and creative way? Then I have just the date for you! This is a simple, but fun date that can be completed in one night or stretched out over many evenings for even MORE fun! 

For this date you will need:

• 2 pens
• Some paper or a notebook
• Your spouse
• And LOTS of memories!

The great thing about this date is that it can be done so many different ways. You can do it all in one sitting, or break it up over several different nights. It’s all about personalizing it and doing it your own way. After you gather your materials, it’s time to get to writing and reminiscing together.

Start with the first moment that you saw each other. Take turns writing out what you remember; your first thoughts and impressions of the person who was later to become your spouse! Write it all out and compare notes. Then keep going! You can continue taking turns writing special events from different perspectives OR write them together and find creative ways to voice both of your thoughts and memories at the same time.

This could get really fun as you will both remember things that the other didn’t and be reminded of tiny details that you might have otherwise never recalled! If you need help with details or just need some extra inspiration, dig out old picture albums (or facebook photos) and try to remember what was going on in each photo as you write your story. Don’t worry so much about writing a grammatical masterpiece or recording each memory perfectly. Focus on having fun, laughing together and flirting as you re-live those early moments of young love! Be sure you save your writings someplace special so that you can revisit them on special occasions like anniversaries. Your children might even enjoy reading them one day! Still not sure what to write about? Here are a few prompts:

• The Moment You Met
• First Date
• The Moment You Knew He/She was “The One”
• Favorite Dating Memory (His & Hers)
• First “I Love You”
• Meeting the In-Laws
• The First Kiss
• The Engagement Story
• Wedding Day – His Perspective
• Wedding Day – Her Perspective
• First Anniversary

 Happy dating from Paula Rollo @ Beauty Through Imperfection!

The Top 50 Date-Night Ideas of All Time

You don’t always need to be super creative to go on a date with your spouse. Sometimes you just need to be intentional about making time to go out (or stay in!) and simply do something together.

Wander the bookstore

Venture into the kitchen

Head on a (mini) road trip

Explore a winery

The go-to activity was made famous in Sideways, but there’s lots of not-so-obvious things to do at wineries. More and more are equipped with hiking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, and even pools, turning vineyards into all-day destinations. Or see if there’s one in your city; in some areas, urban wineries are becoming almost as common as local breweries.

Read more: Date Night Ideas – Creative Date Ideas – Redbook

50 Fun and Cheap Date Ideas

Take the guess work out of trying to decide what you can do that won’t cost a fortune, yet still be fun. Check out these awesome date ideas from Six Sisters’ Stuff that are both inexpensive and enjoyable.

• Make your own fondue. Use a fondue pot (or crock pot) and dip fresh fruit, cake, cookies, marshmallows, and pretzels in melted chocolate. Try this delicious recipe!
• Make homemade pizzas together. Try our Easy Pizza Crust Recipe and choose your own toppings!
• Fly kites. You can usually find them at the dollar store!
• Try a new sport together. My husband is an avid snowboarder, so we hit the slopes! It was so fun to see him doing something he loves, even though I had quite a few wipe outs!
• Have a game night. Pull out all of your board games for a friendly night of competition. Be sure to have some treats for the occasion, like our Gooey Almond and Coconut Chex Mix.
• Be a tourist in your own city. Find what tourist attractions are in your city and spend the night acting like tourists, which includes taking cheesy pictures!
• Go rollerblading (if the weather is bad, try an indoor skating rink). We found ours at a thrift store for just a few bucks!
• Explore. Rent a four wheeler, snowmobile, scooter, waver runner or something you can do a little exploring on. You can often find deals online for cheap rentals!
• Go to a thrift store. Each person gets $5 to spend! See who ends up with the best item(s)!
• Have a picnic. If the weather doesn’t permit, lay out a blanket on the floor and eat in the living room!

Read more date ideas here.

Cheap Dating: 101 Inexpensive Date Night Ideas

Date nights can get tricky when the bank account isn’t offering much to work with. Don’t let that stop you! There are plenty of great date ideas to choose from that don’t require a lot of cash.

Take a Walk on the Beach

If you live near a beach, this is perfect for you – the stereotypical “walk on the beach” isn’t actually cliche at all. Many girls would love to be taken for a walk along the waterfront.

Take a Nature Hike

If she’s really adventurous, take her for a nature walk through a local trail. If she’s more adventurous, organize a trip through more rugged terrain.

BONUS: Make it an adventure! Get packed up and make it a full fledged, week long backpacking trip (though be careful: this will drive you both to the edge!)

Bowling

Bowling alleys are becoming cheaper and cheaper around my neck of the woods, and it’s probably the same for where you live. Shoes + a game can be as cheap as $2 in some places I’ve gone, and even cheaper if you’re not very good ($.01 a pin per game).

BONUS: Imagine you’re twelve years old and have your own private bowling pizza party. Just order a cheap $5 pizza from a nearby chain or order from the alley itself and enjoy.

Play a Game

Board games and card games are great ways to bond with one another. Just arrange a day to play games and have at it.

BONUS: Learn a new game together, that perhaps neither of you have ever heard of!

Do a Puzzle Together

Any puzzle will do – crossword, jigsaw, Sudoku. Anything that you both like can work as a great way to just lay around and spend time together.

BONUS: Make it a daily ritual to sit down and do a puzzle. It will pay off in the long run as it become a part of your routine. No matter how busy you may get in the future, the puzzle will bring you together.

For more inexpensive date ideas, click here.

100+ Great Date Night Ideas

Planning a fun date night isn’t always as easy as it sounds–especially when you feel like you’ve been there, done that for just about every outing in your town. The Nest has started you off with 6 dates under $15. Follow the link at the end of the post for even more ideas!

1. Fiesta Night

Pretend you’re south of the border and create your own happy hour.

Margarita mix: $2
Tequila: $8
Chips and salsa: $5
Total: $15

2. Roman Holiday
Sometimes the best dates are the most relaxed ones. Mangia!
2 slices of pizza: $5
1 bottle of Three-Buck Chuck: $3
Ice cream for 2: $6
Total: $14

3. Fashion Show
She loves Project Runway, he loves Heidi Klum. Combine your passion for fashion — then take it all off at home.
Trying on ridiculous outfits at a vintage store: free

Disposable camera: $6
Total: $6

4. Movie Mania
Have the gang over for a BYOB movie night — but save the make out session for later.

Renting Old School: $5
Booze brought by friends: free
Going streaking through the quad: optional
Popcorn for 20: $10
Total: $15

5. People-Watching
Pick a beautiful day to chill at the park and take in the beauty (and freaks!) of nature.

2 grande lattes: $7
2 croissants: $4
Bench: free
Total: $11

6. Bubbles and Bubbly
Hot tubs are overrated! There’s fun to be had in your very own bathroom.

Bath salts: $5
Bottle of prosecco: $10
Getting clean and being dirty at the same time: priceless
Total: $15

For more ideas, including 20 dates under $20, 10 ways to surprise your spouse, 10 hot, hot, hot date ideas plus much more, check out more great date night ideas here.

Creative Date Nights in Minutes

On The Dating Divas website, we are all about creative ideas that will help strengthen our relationships. One of our FAVORITE things to talk about is…

…DATE NIGHT!

We are strong believers in dating your spouse!! That one-on-one time to connect {or re-connect} with your sweetheart is crucial to a healthy relationship. A date is simply spending time with one another – BUT it can be so much more! I love treating date night as the one day of the week where we can create a wonderful memory that will last us through whatever the new week brings. In order to help YOU create these fun {and lasting} memories, we decided to bring you FIVE of our fun date ideas. Three of these are fun to do with just your spouse and two are a BLAST to do on a group date. I wanted to share more than one idea with all of you… as I know we all have different tastes. BUT – I have to tell you, these are fit for ANY age group! {Just ask my cute parents who about died laughing when we had a “Minute to Win It” group date night!}

You can click on any of the titles to get more information about each creative date idea. Here we go…

Love On the Run

 

This is one of our most popular date ideas because life is SO fast-paced for everyone nowadays. People are super busy and we don’t always have the time to put together a fun date night. Just like grabbing fast food to go… you can put together a DATE night “to go!” :) Grab a gift bag, print off the darling free printable to glue to the front, print off the list of fun “date ideas on the go” that you can refer to… and gather the materials needed for your NEXT date night. When it’s all prepped, you can hide it away as a surprise for you sweetheart OR place it somewhere visible & mark your calendar! Either way, it will be the start to many more great date nights to come! Oh, and the best part? Your sweetheart gets to plan the NEXT one! {Yeppers, we included “His” & “Her” tags to help out with this…}

The Bookstore Date

 

This one is even EASIER to plan and it’s 100% free! What’s not to love about that? All you need is the free printables included in the post and a local bookstore! Voila! The easiest date night you have ever planned. Now, if you are thinking, “But my husband doesn’t like to read…” or maybe YOU don’t enjoy reading? I promise this will STILL be fun! I am an avid bookworm and my husband is an avid book-avoider… and he absolutely LOVED this date! In fact, we had so much fun, he suggested doing it again! On the downloadable printables, there are six tasks listed that you and your spouse get to complete while at the bookstore. They take quite a while since you just MIGHT get caught up in enjoying each one! Head on over to our original post for more details on the different tasks.

Couples Minute to Win It

 

If you have some fun-loving friends around, then a group date is a blast to organize! Based off the hit TV show, “Minute to Win It,” this date is sure to keep you laughing all night long! With each couple already forming a team, the goal is to complete the hilarious tasks within a minute. Some of the tasks are done by one team member and some can be completed by both. I have played this with my friends multiple times, with my family, and I even had my students playing these games during one of our parties {I teach 5th grade}. Every time, it is a complete hit! My ultimate favorite is called, “Face the Cookie.” The participants place a cookie on their forehead and have to maneuver it down their face and into their mouths withOUT using their hands! Soooo funny to watch and you would be surprised how many of my little 10-year-old students were able to do it! {LOL}

The “Funky Town” Date

 

Another FUN group date that is for extreme EXTROVERTS is the Funky Town Date. When I was in College, I think I must have dated the most outgoing & creative guys on campus! I can’t believe HALF of the crazy things we did on our dates! I took a few of my most fun memories and combined them into what we now call… “Funky Town!” It was even BETTER experiencing these hilarious activities with my husband and our crazy friends! From eating with crazy utensils, to going to a thrift shop & choosing ridiculous outfits for each other, and ending the night with bowling… with a TWIST – we created an unforgettable memory! This date was one of my all-time favorites!

Spring Olympics

This one can be just for you & your husband OR you can turn it into a fun group date. Yes, we posted this in the SPRING, but it would be fun to enjoy the weather one last time before the chill of winter hits! By utilizing supplies around the house, you will be able to put together your OWN Olympic Games! The thought of sitting on a skateboard & using a plunger to “paddle” away completely cracks me up! If the ideas contained in this post aren’t totally up your alley, then use your creative juices… look around your house and make up different events. Don’t forget to run by the Dollar Store to grab some Olympic Medals!

Now that we have you all set for your next FIVE date nights, you might be wondering what our website all about! I told you a little above….but in case you were curious….our website is what happens when a BUNCH of super crafty friends get together & come up with solutions for strengthening their marriages.

We blog about amazing & creative date ideas, fun gift ideas for our spouses, quick & easy romance ideas, CRAFTY tutorials, and MUCH, much more!! ANYTHING that would help enhance our already ROCKIN’ marriages!! We even decided to share tips on how to look good for our man AND ideas on how to keep things HOT in a certain room…..

…but you are gonna have to visit our website for THAT! {WINK!}

Stop on by The Dating Divas to get more ROMANCE tips so you can keep dating that amazing spouse of yours! We love spreading the word about our blog….and we hope it will strengthen YOUR relationship as much as it has ours!!

Thanks again for letting me hang out with the “Happy Wives Club” crew today!

Enjoying Date Night at Home

“When was the last time you went on a date with your husband?” was a question posed by a member on our community board.  For several people, it had been over a month.  Mainly, because babysitters are expensive and getting out of the house can sometimes be easier said than done.

Coming to the rescue…one of my favorite marriage sites on the web.  I’m honored to have them guest blogging for us today.  Introducing…

 

My name is Erika and I’m here from The Dating Divas. Happy Wives Club has asked me to guest blog today and I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite date ideas. That’s what we do at The Dating Divas. Our goal is to strengthen marriages one date at a time. The Divas also like to give you some quick and easy romance ideas, a creative date once a week, intimate moments, anniversary and gift ideas and so much more. Check out this idea to get you started with a weekly date night.

I’m like you; my husband’s schedule is busy and he’s often gone on the weekends, money is tight, and we have two little munchkins (one being a newborn.) With all of that going on, date night often ends up being at home after the kids are in bed. So why not have date night on Wednesday? Wonderful Wednesday! No rule that Date Night has to be on the weekend.

So the kids are in bed and you don’t want to stay up TOO late with work the next day, so what should we do for date night? The DATE WHEEL! I put together a Date Wheel that you just have to spin to pick what you are going to do.

You just print, cut it out, and stick on the date options and you are ready to go! The options are interchangeable (stick them on with Velcro or tape or magnets) so you can change them out depending on your mood or availability. I even left a few blank so you could create your own ideas to use as well!

Oh and a word to the wise, I laminated mine. This way I can reuse again and again without printing a new one. I can also use a vis vis or dry erase marker to write on the blank option cards. Thanks to the fabulous Aileen, of Lil Buckaroo Designs, for creating this printable date wheel. You can DOWNLOAD for FREE the Date Wheel with instructions of how to put it together to use for your next date!

Sticking with the inexpensive and easy theme, I sent my husband a text earlier in the day informing him that date night was happening TONIGHT!

 

 

Once the kids were in bed, I pulled out the Date Wheel and explained to him how it worked. We added a few more of our own ideas and then I let him spin.

This was perfect for us because half our battle on date night is deciding what to do. Neither of us wants to decide and we’ll usually just end up in front of the TV. But all of these ideas are EASY at home dates and don’t take any prep work. We had so much fun playing games and are looking forward to next week.

Sometimes the best dates are the simple and inexpensive ones. Wednesdays may be my new favorite night!

Thanks to Fawn and Happy Wives Club for letting me be here today!

…

Erika, thank YOU for sharing this great tip with us.  We greatly appreciate you stopping by and kicking off the discussion today.

Does anyone else have a great stay-at-home date suggestion?  What do you think about Erika’s date night tip?  I loved it!  What about you?

Free Date Idea: Take a Fantasy Tour Around the Globe

Happy anniversary!  Can you believe it’s been a full year since the Happy Wives Club book was released on January 7, 2014.  Where did the time go?

Since it is, technically, it’s birthday or anniversary, or whatever celebratory thing you want to call it, how about we create a brand new -and scrumptiously unique- date idea?

Free date ideas are the best kind in my book. With at least 52 potential weekly date nights in a year, you can never have too many ideas to choose from. And if your hubby is like mine and loves variety, it’s a great idea to have a few plans in your back pocket and ready to go.

Today we are combining food, travel, TV, *and* using a little inspiration from the Happy Wives Club book– what’s not to love?

One of my favorite parts of the Happy Wives Club book was feeling like I was seeing, smelling and tasting all the places Fawn went to interview happy couples and learn their secrets to happy marriages.

When I was thinking about a FUN and FREE date night idea, I remembered how much fun The Hubs and I have watching House Hunters International and fantasizing about whether or not we would ever live anywhere but home.

Soooo I thought it would be even more fun to go on a fantasy vacation, inspired by the fabulous locales in the Happy Wives Club Book and approved by the hubby!

What you will need:

1. Laptop or Tablet – to cue up the Travel Channel’s website.

I suggest taking all the links below and opening them in new tabs, that way they are cued up and ready to go so you have the mechanics out of the way and can snuggle and discuss as you go along the tour.

2. Some yummy food – check out great snack ideas inspired by the book (see links to fabulous recipes at the end of every country I’ve listed below.)

3. A little conversation – one of my favorite things to do with the hubby is PAUSE THE TV and DISCUSS. Would we want to go there? What do we want to see? Is it a “must-go-before-we-die-place?” or a “would-be-nice-but-eh-place?”

Ready for the World Tour? (You don’t even need a passport! Score.)

Cape Town, South Africa –

This one is on my own bucket list. I loved this video because I must admit, I was curious to see the South African version of McDonald’s. It does not disappoint.

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/mcfeasting-in-south-africa

The recipes from this fabulous part of the world:

http://www.food.com/recipes/south-african

And who could forget about the red cappuccino’s Fawn raved about, and are only served as espresso’s in South Africa? Well, this may not be identical but I think we found a way to enjoy the taste without needing to take the flight:

http://capepointpress.com/rooibos-cappuccino-latte/ 

Perth, Australia

When I was a kid Olivia Newton John was one of my idols (thank you, Grease! And yes, it’s still the word.) So Australia has been magical and beautiful since I was 13. When Oprah went during her final season, I fell in love with it all over again.

When I was looking for the most viewed videos on Australia it turned out to be a review of their Superman roller coaster.

That reminded me of one of the things I just love about travel – the way you can plan a thousand details and yet a place will surprise you and the last thing you thought you would ever do there turns out to be your favorite part.

So, here is the link to Superman Down Under -

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/superman-flies-down-under

And a little dive into the Great Barrier Reef –

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/dive-into-the-great-barrier-reef-11550

And a little 5 Star Spa Day to relax after all that exploring!

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/lilianfels-spa-and-resort

And we can’t forget some great local recipes from down under (or what the locals call “Oz”) -

http://www.abc.net.au/perth/recipes/ 

Mauritius –

Since we are half way around the world already, let’s just hop over to Mauritius for some “Street Eats” and snacks.

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/mauritian-mash-up

Don’t forget to try out some of the fabulous Creole food from Mauritius -

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/cuisine/mauritian

Or you can do what Fawn did when dining with a French couple married more than half a century, enjoy some fabulous (and buttery) French cuisine -

http://www.foodandwine.com/french-recipes

Europe – Rome & London

Let’s wrap up our world tour with some Gladiator school in Rome –

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/gladiator-school-in-rome-11153

a mini tour of Rome neighborhoods -

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/romes-neighborhoods-11156

a look around London -

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/taking-a-look-around-london

and finally, the food!

While in Rome…eat as the Romans do: http://www.aboutroma.com/rome-cuisine.html

While in London, authentic fish and chips are a must: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/english-style-fish-and-chips-recipe.html

Winnipeg, Canada–

According to Fawn, those living in Winnipeg will be the first to tell you there’s not a whole lot to do there other than The Forks.  But what they do have and are so proud to share (aside from a beautiful culture and love for family and mastering the art of simplicity): Poutine.  It’s so popular, Canadians even tried to make it their official national food.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Gravy-Fries

These are just a few of the 12 countries Fawn visited during her research for the Happy Wives Club book, there’s so much fun to see and learn about.

After this date night, always remember that it doesn’t take a lot of money to travel the world – just an Internet connection and a little creativity.

Where do you and your spouse want to travel next? Please share in the comments.

We’re SO close to our goal! JOIN THE 1,000,000 MEMBER CHALLENGE: If you haven’t already done it, what are you waiting for? Join the club! It takes only a few seconds and, of course, is free.

 

THE NEW YORK TIMES® BEST-SELLING BOOK: It’s been described as, “Like Eat, Pray, Love but not down on marriage.” Make sure to check out the Happy Wives Club book.  I had the great honor of traveling to 12 countries on 6 continents, interviewing couples happily married 25 years or more, with 1 mission only: to find out what makes marriages happy…and keeps them that way.  It’s a marriage book like none other.  Guaranteed.