How to Make Time For Date Night

Romance and relationship do not always go hand-in-hand. Each stage of love, whether parents to four children, a newly-wed couple or a couple just starting off has something in common: busy schedules. At times, dates can be few and far between but with a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T and TLC, date nights can become a weekly outing and put the two of you back in the honeymoon phase. Sometimes date night can get pushed aside, but below are five ways to help you make dating your significant other easy and fun!

Pencil It In

Get back to the basics of dating by choosing a day and time. It may sound simple, but this is actually the make or break; and although it seems obvious for couples who just started dating, this is the hardest thing to do when several anniversaries have passed or you've raised several children together (they tend to make life a little busy). Marking date night on a calendar is the best way to stay committed to some we-time while giving you and yours something to look forward to throughout the week.

Fun Tip: DON’T plan a date that you won’t enjoy. The goal of the date is mutual fun.

Princess and Popper it

Say goodbye to boring dates! Help keep date ideas fresh and allow for the relationship to be a healthy mix of nights that both can enjoy by switching off with your partner when it comes to who plans the evening. She wants a romantic restaurant and he wants some NY-style pizza? Mix it up! The princess and popper style is the perfect way to go (not sure if this is an actual phrase, but we're coining it!). If the goal is to make date nights a weekly or bi-weekly thing, taking turns will help relieve some stress of planning.

Date Tip: DO leave your house for the date and try turning your phone off.

“Well, What Do You Want To Do?”

Pinterest for crafty ways on how to choose your date night. Keeping a running list will give you easy ideas to choose from whether it’s your turn to plan it or not!

Pinterest is flooded with ways to make planning a date fun. Whether it’s a date night jar, a relationship bucket list or trying a seasonal activity, here are a few of our favorite DIY ways to come up with date night ideas:

Date Night Jar

This is a great way to keep an element of surprise with every night out. Choose a color scheme to show which ideas require a low or high budget. Depending on what kind of night out you want, whether it’s casual or fancy, pick a random date plan and go with it!

Plan It By Budget

Romance doesn’t require an empty wallet. Not looking to spend a lot of money? Make a list of date ideas that fit within a budget and choose from them! Long walks on the beach and sunsets are free and that cheesy-romance feel is priceless.

Categorize It

Not all types of dates work for every night of the week. An easy way to never run out of date ideas is to categorize them. There are several ways to do this: by weekday or weekend, staying in or going out, and by seasons!

If your date is scheduled for a weeknight, take a look at what fun date ideas you can do in your house from baking to movie marathons. Ready to wine and dine? Add restaurants to your list of weekend dates! Whether it’s summer or winter, get creative and have fun with seasonal dates, from baseball games and picnics on the beach to ice skating or making gingerbread houses!

Date Your Own Way

Not every relationship is the same. While some find romance in dim-lighting and 10-course meals, others find it in the outdoors while hiking together. It’s important to keep dates within the realm of the relationship in order to keep the honeymoon phase alive. Don’t worry about having to do every type of date together, or spending hours gazing into one another's eyes, it’s all about spending meaningful time together in a way that keeps love fun!

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