An Easy, Meaningful, Affordable Holiday Gift: Date-Night-In Jar

An Easy, Meaningful, Affordable Holiday Gift: Date-Night-In Jar

Date nights look much different these days. Since moving to a new city, growing a family, and trying to save money, trendy restaurants, eat-in-theaters, and long weekends away are things of the past. We’ve run into a rut of watching a show together after putting the kids to bed. It has gotten a bit redundant, and the novelty has worn off. Our time together doesn’t seem unique anymore.

Date Your Partner Without Leaving Home: DIY Date-Night-In Jar

So, to get out of our rut, I came up with the Date-Night-In Jar. This jar, which I keep on the dresser in our bedroom, is full of small folded pieces of paper. On each piece of paper is an idea for a date night activity that we can do at home. 

Each Sunday, we draw a date idea from the jar and pick a night to enjoy our one-on-one time, and put it on the schedule. We have enough time to plan should we need to pick up something from the store. But we can be flexible with our unpredictable schedule.

We’ve enjoyed themed dinner or dessert ideas, activities in the backyard together, and moments of pampering each other; sometimes, the kids are included. But, on days when we can get the kids to bed a little early, we will make a nice themed dinner for us once they are down. I also love craft and game night activities too. Mainly because both are things I can’t typically do when the kids are around, and I enjoy doing them with my husband.

Date Your Partner Without Leaving Home: DIY Date-Night-In Ja

There are three reasons the Date-Night-In Jar has worked well for us:

  1. It makes planning a date night so much easier. I am at a stage in life where everything feels a bit chaotic, and I want things to be as simple as possible. The less I have to think, the less I have to plan, and the happier I am. With a variety of ideas already written down and tucked in the jar, we don’t have to work too hard to come up with a unique activity. It’s been a fun, easy, way to spice things up during our time without the kids.
  2. All of the ideas in the Date-Night-In Jar can be done at home. Some plans require a little preparation, but we don’t have to leave home to enjoy the themed date night. Now that we have two kids and an unpredictable work & family schedule, getting a last-minute sitter can be next to impossible. So, having activities to do at home once the kids are asleep is even better.
  3. Most of the activities don’t require extra money. We don’t have to pay for parking, restaurant bills, or tickets to a show. Occasionally, we order something online from the store to go along with our themed date night, but we are mostly able to use what we have at home.

While we don’t get to regularly enjoy the types of date nights that we used to, we are learning to make the most of our time together. I am so thankful for this jar to keep things simple, spontaneous, and special.

Now it’s your turn!

If you would like to make a DIY Date-Night-In Jar, click here to receive a printout including directions on how to create your own Date-Night-In Jar, plus 60 creative Date-Night-In Activities, including food-related dates, movie dates, game dates, project dates, and more!

Print out those activities, cut them out, and place them in a jar or any container you have available. When it comes to planning your next date, draw an activity from your Date-Night-In Jar, and enjoy your special time together without leaving the house.

How do you like to spend your time together at home, when you aren’t able to get out of the house?  Do you have any other date ideas you recommend?  Subscribe to Move Mama Move here, and receive a printout to make your very own Date-Night-In Jar

Date Your Partner Without Leaving Home: DIY Date-Night-In Jar
Date Your Partner Without Leaving Home: DIY Date-Night-In Jar
Date Night In


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