In my book Creative in COVID: Ideas for managing COVID Fatigue and staying connected with others during times of isolation, I said in chapter four:
“As important as it is to keep the children optimistic during this time, it’s just as important, maybe more so, to keep special times with your spouse. It is harder than ever to find time alone because there are so many more questions to answer: Who is sheltering at home to the same degree we are to babysit? Is the place we want to go on a date open? Would it be safe to go to the place we want to go? And the list goes on.
“However, it is so important to make this effort. With all the additional stress of life, a marriage is likely to bend until it breaks.
“We often take our spouse for granted, just assuming he or she knows what’s going on in our heads, and that he or she understands. A lot of times, they have no clue what we are thinking or feeling. We need to tell them, and a lot of times, it’s best when little ears aren’t around.”
When we moved to our current house, I was seven months pregnant with our first child. We were an hour away from our closest family. We didn’t know anyone well enough to ask them to babysit for us. We quickly realized we’d have to get creative in carving out dates, so we came up with date nights in. This has served us well during the COVID-19 pandemic, since we had already practiced!
As Valentine’s Day approaches, maybe you want to do things a little different this year, for whatever reason. (Even if the excuse is “It’s too cold to go outside!”)
Here is a list of several date night in ideas, most of which we have done at least once, so they are proven to be fun! Some of these I talked about in my book, some I haven’t. Pick one, pick a few and have a Valentine month, or just get inspired from these and create your own date-night in! Either way, I pray that you and your loved one have a fantastic time together!
(If you’re single, feel free to file these away for future use, or pass this link on to a friend who is married or dating. Although… some of these you could definitely do for fun by yourself or with friends.)
- Have a formal meal together
This can be a meal that you make together or a meal you order for delivery or carry-out. Ladies, this can be a chance to dress up and show off that new dress you bought. (Gentlemen, just grin and bear it, and focus on how pretty she is.)
Get out the nice tablecloth. Light the candles. Use the fine china.
Or, eat on the couch with your carry-out while you watch your favorite show using paper plates.
Make it as elaborate or formal as you want, but make it special.
2. Walk down Memory Lane
Time to open up the old photo albums (or scroll through pictures of each other on social media.) Read old journals that you kept, or letters and cards that you’ve exchanged through the years. Just sit on the couch and reminisce about the past.
Take time to remember why you fell in love to begin with.
3. Set up an indoor shooting range
My husband and I had a lot of fun with this one. And the best part was that he didn’t know what I had planned! He just knew we had a date night in on the calendar. We put the kids to bed that night and I snuck into the bedroom to set up the date.
When the room was ready, there were twenty disposable plastic cups in two pyramids, numbered 1-10, on the far side of the room. Two identical Nerf dart guns sat closer to the door.
We quickly realized that just shooting down the cups was too easy, so we made shooting ‘obstacle courses’ for each other.
And, yes, we shot each other.
4. Make kindness coupon for each other
Cut paper strips (choose your own quantity) and staple one end of them together (I recommend two staples, minimum.) Then write things you are willing to do for your partner that you know would bless them, one on each slip of paper. If you want to be fancy, add a cover.
Then, exchange coupon books with each other.
Make sure you’re willing to live up to your end of the bargain.
5. Turn your living room into a movie theater
Pop some popcorn, have your favorite candy on standby, and put in a movie. Maybe it’s a movie you both have wanted to see or maybe it’s an old favorite, but just snuggle together on the couch and enjoy the time together.
I really hope you enjoy these ideas. I hope you’re able to make a special night for you and your loved one.
If you want a longer list of ideas, make sure you are part of my reader group before Monday night (February 7, 2022) because I’ll be sending out a list that includes these and 15 more ideas! You can sign up by going to my homepage, and as an immediate thank-you for joining, you’ll get an in-depth character study of the woman who bled in the Bible in Mark 5.
Next week I’m going to talk about God’s love, then we’ll finish “The Mirror.”
As always, thank you so much for reading!