Member Date Night Ideas!!

Member Date Night Ideas

My DH and I like to go to Barnes and Noble for dates-- especially at the end of the month when the money is spent. We find chairs off in a corner and sit down together and look at books we have been wanting to read. Sometimes we read together and sometimes we read on our own. At the end of the date, we go to the cafe area and share a peice of cheesecake. (Barnes and Noble sells Cheesecake Factory cheesecake by the slice-- YUM!) It's quiet, no kids, no phone, just us. We get a chance to be together and preview books before we buy them. Sometimes we just look at a magazines. Sometimes, we have little contests to find the stranges article or the wierdest book. It really doesn't matter, as long as we spend a little time together.
Dear Flycrew,
We used to do these things BC (before children).
Pick up some fish and chips and beer or wine coolers, go to a park, sit on the bonnet of the car and eat our dinner under the stars and then play on the kids' playground equipment.
Have dinner in a nice cafe or al fresco restaurant, then walk along the beach barefoot, letting the waves wash over our feet and collecting shells/stones.
If it was a daytime date, we'd hop in the car, grab a picnic and a bottle of wine and drive to a national park and eat out in the rainforests, near a waterfall.
Now we have a baby boy, we tend to just hire a couple of dvd's, wait till he's gone to bed, then have a drink while we watch the movies and cuddle up and go to bed and cuddle some more.

Kind regards,
Brisbane, Australia
I'm a scrapbooker and as I was going through one of my scrapbooks recently, I found two pages my husband and I did together.
We dressed up one night and took pictures of each other. Then we dropped them off at a one-hour developing place and went and had dinner. After dinner, we picked up the pictures, took them back home and scrapbooked them! I did a page of his pictures, and he did a page of my pictures. We had a lot of fun and have a very nice remembrance of a wonderful evening together.
My husband and I ... went sledding. We are not "in our 20's anymore," but we grabbed some sleds, went in the back yard and zoomed/laughed ourselves silly. Cost was two cups of hot cocoa.
We have also been known to put on some snowshoes and just walk into the stillness of the woods.
Geocaching is a great date night. You will need a GPS (or a friend with one - contacting anyone on the next link will probably result in an offer to tag along too so you don't NEED a GPS to try this). It is a world-wide scavengar hunt where people are hiding small containers of trinkets, your mission is to use a GPS to find them, sign the log, and if you wish take a trinket and leave one behind. The site and the hiking are FREE, just type in your zip code and go. They have both in-town historical tours to the go psycho hike to never-never land. http://www.geocaching.com/
This one is for my 6 year old DS. When it has been a while since the last party, or the weather has been particularly bad and we couldn’t go out to play as often, we book a date night! It is just for DS and me. I book the restaurant that he chooses. We both get showered, dressed and ready to some rockin’ music – DS always spends more time in front of the mirror than I! He loves to use his Dad’s aftershave, and then puts on some hair gel. We both get dressed up in our best clothes. Then, at the restaurant I always make sure to tell the staff that this is a very special date night. We usually choose food that we both like and so share and trade as we go along. We always have a large bottle of sparkling water to share (I try to avoid the usual sugar-laden carbonated drinks just from a nutritional perspective) and toast several times throughout the meal. DS behaves so nicely and I feel so relaxed because I know that he thinks this is such a special time too. We talk about all sorts of things and reinforce how fortunate we are to be able to love and be loved.
The last date night resulted in all 5 of the staff almost hovering over our table to watch us! DS was so proud to hear the compliments on his handsome clothing and his grown up behaviour. He felt so grown up himself.
My reward, other than spending a wonderful evening with the most special child in my world? At the end of the evening I asked DS what the best part of the event was and he said, “Being with you, Mommy!”. When he saw my response he made sure to reinforce that emotion many times over the next few weeks. What a treat!
It is something we both look forward to. DH is starting to get a little put out – and I think a bit jealous. I suggested to DS that we all three go out on a special date night but he said that he had a better idea: DS wants us both on separate nights so that he can have double the special treats. I think DH will be very impressed when he has had his first.

Toronto, Canada
Dear Fly Lady,
My husband and I spend so many hours maintaining, repairing and improving our home, we started to wonder why we used our free time to go somewhere else. We don't have family in town so, we worked out an arrangement with our neighbors to trade overnight babysitting every few months. While the kids get a sleepover at their friends, we have a quiet night in our own home, enjoying the fruits of our labor! My husband calls this: "Marriage Counseling".

With many Baby Steps to go...
Flybaby Lv Orlando, FL
Whatever you do for dinner, don't eat dessert there. We like to go to our local book store, where they serve coffee and confections. We browse awhile, then take our picks to a quiet table and share what we found, reading aloud to each other. The atmosphere is quiet and intimate, the company divine. And the coffee and dessert isn't bad either! If you have a coffeehouse nearby, you could bring your own materials to share -- even plan something special to read, Often, these places will have a little jazz trio grooving in the corner, which only improves the evening.

J
Ohio
On Date Nights we sit down with a glass of wine or beer, get out our cd collection, and pick out five cd's to play over the course of the next week. We have fun time re-visting our collection, and remembering where we were when we first heard a song. We get some interesting mixes of songs for the next week, and we listen to a wider variety of music now. We just had a baby, so we don't have a lot of money to "go out" but we have a lot of fun anyway.
This idea is from a friend of mine, and I think its great for anyone who wants to do something fun and different without spending alot of money: go to several local eateries ordering the same menu item and grade them to see who makes the best whatever-it-is, such as milkshakes, sundaes, frenchfries, cheesecake, etc. Also, my husband and I love to go to a local coffee shop to get a specialty coffee, split a dessert, and play games that are supplied by the coffee shop.
Every summer my husband and I get season tickets to the local dinner theater. We always have a great meal, get to know new people, and see a wonderful show.
This is our favorite date night! We have been married six years and have to small boys.
First, we set up a card table with a nice table cloth, candles and a centerpiece in front of the fireplace. Then the boys get to have their dinner at this table, which they enjoy. They are off to bed a little early and my DH and I get to have our dinner a little later at this same table. I add some extra candles and make the menu special. This Valentine's day we will have Filet Mignon, shrimp cocktail, beans, chocolate dipped strawberries, twice baked potatoes and heart shaped bread. It is very romantic, very relaxing, and there is no need to hire a babysitter.
My DH and I have a closet full of board games that we like, but seldom play. Since the kids came along, we've somehow only managed the occasional game of Candyland. Thanks to your Date Night promptings, this Friday we have a date to meet on our bed after the kids are asleep for a bit of Scrabble at our very own pajama party!

Giddy as a newlywed in Utah
My husband and I prefer not to use a babysitter very often and although we love to have dinner at some of our favorite restaurants, taking four children along with us is expensive. To have an "at-home" date night, we get a couple of videos from the library and let the children eat boxed macaroni and cheese (a huge treat and way cheap at 29 cents a box), then we make a big bowl of popcorn and make sure everyone has jammies on and, if necessary a clean diaper. Then we let the children watch a movie and eat popcorn in the living room and we head off to the family room There, we make a fire in the fireplace and enjoy "take-home" from one of our favorite restaurants, and visit just as if we were "out." The kids rarely need us for anything during that time. Not only did we not have to pay for a babysitter or spend two hours driving to Grandma's house twice (to drop them off, then go out, then go get them later, then drive home!) It's also cheaper because we're not paying tax, tip or buying drinks, and we feel as if we had a special night together.

Flybaby on the Maumee River in NW Ohio
Hi there FlyLady and Crew!
My Sweetheart and I have long held "Date Night" long before I discovered FlyLady. We like do a variety of things, dinner in or out, a movie at home, or playing with Playstation (yes, adults can have fun with video games too!).
But I think our very favorite thing to do is go the the drive-in! Yes, the drive-in!
We love to pile all kinds of blankets and pillows in the back of our Explorer, I make a big brown-bag of popcorn later, all I have to do is toss the bag), I pack a picnic dinner, which is usually sandwiches and a cooler of drinks. I have seen some families bring a small grill and make hot dogs and hamburgers right there in the parking lot! We also like to bring a deck of cards to fill the time before the movie starts or just chat about our day at work. We always go on Fridays after work, so staying for the second show is okay!
We really enjoy going to the drive-in because we can relax, it's relatively inexpensive (you get two movies for the price of one walk-in) and it's a lot of fun!

Flybaby - San Jose, California
My fiance is a hockey fanatic and I love to see him when he's really passionate about something. He's got season passes, so we've got great seats. Date Night is often out to dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant and then to the hockey game.
We live in a remote area with little choices of where we eat. Once in a while for our date we like to go to another town not too far away and try a new restaurant.

Flybaby J, NM
Dear fly lady,
Friday night is suppose to be date night but DH works until 10:30 at night and we are on an extremely tight budget so it is a little difficult to follow the plan exactly. I have read your emails about planning to be romantic and I realized that I had not put out much effort in that department in many years. soooo....this Friday i am packing a picnic lunch and I am going to meet him at his work on his lunch hour with a home cooked meal. He is totally amazed that since i found flylady.com that i started cooking! And i am amazed that I am actually a pretty good cook! Not only do we have our date night, but it didn't cost a thing!

thanks for being such an inspiration
newbie flybaby in the Ozarks
Hi there,
Our best date nights are something we don't do too often so it doesn't become too mundane. We have a light easy dinner in a cafe type restaurant. Nothing heavy or too pricey, then we head out to a comedy club in our city. There's nothing more conducive to romance and warmth than laughter, and we always leave the club in a great mood, with a wonderful sense of camraderie. It reminds us of how much fun we can have together without everyday pressures on our minds. Great precurser to romance. Follow up with a shared nightcap, and voila! Romance!
My hubby & I really enjoy having "Reminisce" Date Nights. We conjure up old memories & remind each other what each of us remembers specifically. It always makes us smile & laugh & rejoice in all the reasons we fell in love. It keeps us close & also leads us to conversations about our hopes & dreams and even our fears & frustrations. We always learn something new about each other or relearn something we'd forgotton. This can be done ANYWHERE & costs nothing. It makes especially sweet pillow talk ;-)
I came up with this idea when my best friend said her husband surprised her with a bubble bath after a long day at work. I said why not surprise him with this. first fix him his favorite meal and while he is finishing up -go into the bathroom and run him a bubble bath complete with candles and music and let him sit and relax , then lead him to the bed and lay him down and give him a massage.
I did this once for my DH. I told him to give me $100 and he had to do everything I said for the entire day. Well, we went and had a look at the shops that he liked (you know, computer stores, stereos etc), I took him to tea at his favourite bar, played the poker machines, went to a pinball arcade, and then to top it off, we went to the movies and saw a movie that I knew he would love but that I normally wouldn't go to (something with guns, explosions, car chases and Steven Segal - a guy flick!). He LOVED it!

A Flybaby in QLD, Australia.
One of my favorite dates with my husband is going out to play miniature golf. It's one of those activities that never gets old, and it also never fails to bring back memories of previous games we've played. Highly recommended!!!
Dear FlyLady,
Get some massage oils and a book on basic massage. This is a wonderful and healthful way to relax.

Love,
FlyBaby
Almost every Friday night, my mom takes our two kids for a sleepover. This tradition started when my oldest, almost 9, was a baby. It gives me and DH a break, but we rarely use it for "date night." Usually we catch up on "stuff" that didn't get done during the week, and flop into bed early to get a beloved good night's sleep.
But last weekend, we decided to go out. Not to dinner, or a movie -- we went SLEDDING! There's a middle school nearby with an awesome, steep hill, where we take the kids whenever there's snow. But, with trudging them up and down the hill, and supervising their rides, and kissing those "I-fell-off-and-bunked-my-head" boo-boos, DH and I never really get a ride. WHAT FUN it was to go, just for an hour, and remember what it was like to be a kid flying down a snow-packed hill on those sleds! :)

flybaby in jersey
My DH and I love eating out and love experiencing other cultures, but we are on a budget. After realizing that we were spending over $40 every day eating out (!), our new year's resolution has been to eat at home. This includes date night (we treat ourselves to a restaurant on one date night per month now). For date night every other week, we have a theme dinner. We choose an exotic dish, prepare it together, and then follow dinner with a movie that coordinates with the evening. An example would be making Chicken Kiev and watching Dr. Zhivago. My DH is especially fond of foreign films, which adds an extra twist. It keeps dinner and a movie at home from becoming boring and routine.

FlyBaby in Columbus, OH
Dear Flylady,
1. You asked for ideas on creative date nights. Here is what my dh and I just did for the first time since we got married. (We used to do it often, and it was really neat going back to when we first fell for each other) We got a book and took it to a coffee shop and read it to each other. We love coffee shops and we are both addicted to the written word, and the books we read are historical fiction on enchanting stories like King Arthur and Robin Hood!
Another of our favorite date nights (for warmer weather) is to grab a blanket and sit in the yard feeding bread, cheese and wine to each other. It's nice to be under the stars and gazing at the stars in the eyes of the one you love!
2. Also, you asked what new habits we are forming. This is a bit of a romantic habit to form, so I figured I would include it here. My new habit is to write thank you notes to my dh every day. I think about all the reasons I love him and why I married him and pick one and thank him for it. I also thank him for all the little things he does around the house to help, like if he folds a load of laundry or if he cooks dinner... even if he leaves a mess, it tells him I appreciate the effort.
This does an amazing job on killing the stinkin thinkin. Not only does it inform him of what good he is doing, but it reminds ME of how much good he is. It cuts MY complaining down and helps ME be happier. Then, if I have a legitimate problem with something that he has done, I don't feel bad about being candid. I also at the same time try to remind him to reread his Thank You file (it's saved on the computer) so that he knows I'm not trying to criticize him. I am trying to show him that something bothers me.
This is a great way to strengthen a relationship that has started to lose it's spark. I think that it has brought us closer, and we were extremely close to begin with!
3. Lastly, I think that keeping the sink shiny and the bed made are two of the most important things in keeping the relationship sparkling too! My dh LOVES coming home to a clean kitchen and a made bed (still working on the bedroom clutter). He loves that almost as much as coming home to a new thank you!
It's all because of Flylady and her wonderful crew! The sink is shiny, the kids behave better and dh shows a lot more affection!

Thanks Flylady for all you are doing for us. You are one of those very special people who changes lives to change the world!
Sprouting Wings in VA
This is a great date night idea and it doesn't cost much at all.
When we were dating and first married, my husband and I would hop in the car, pick up our favorite fast food meals and drive through the nice neighborhoods and look at the beautiful homes. We'd talk about what we liked about each and what we thought the inside might be like. We dreamed about the home we would own one day. Well, now we do own a beautiful home and I am working harder than I ever have to keep it clean and organized so that we can truly enjoy it and have friends over and feel proud of our home. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be, and with 2 little ones, 2 golden retrievers and a cat, I get a little overwhelmed, but I'm doing much better now! Anyway, this is something that we still do sometimes. We hop in the car and drive around to look for landscaping ideas, colors for front doors, neighborhoods, and dream about the next home we will own. We even take the kids with us sometimes and look at lights and decorations, play equipment, etc. Going for a drive has always been nice for us and we can do it anytime, on a Tuesday afternoon when our oldest is at school, in the early evening on our way home from errands, before the movie starts that we are going to see, etc. You can bring your own food and nibble while you go if you prefer!
Since we do have small children and babysitting can be so expensive, we have some other date nights we can do at home as well. We rent a movie, make popcorn and snuggle up on the couch with the fireplace going while the kids are sleeping. We also play poker together, something my husband loves and I don't mind, but since he likes it so much, it makes it more fun.
We also go out for dinner, go to see lots of movies, the occasional play or musical, out to dinner, shopping, bowling, and out with friends. Any time spent together is special.

Sincerely,
C
I think a good free date would be to make a nice dinner for your sweetheart and have it ready when he gets home from work. (have someone babysit the kids if you have any) have lights dimmed, candles lit, and romantic music playing. then afterwords you can relax together or watch a movie together.
another idea me and my husband like to do is after getting the kids in bed, play a board game together, and eat icecream.
Our favorite date night is renting movies and wearing jimmies and snuggling up on the couch together with our snacks. No one’s cell phone rings to interrupt us, no ones baby is crying and we can pause the movie whenever we want!

Slowly fulttering but I’m working on it!
Flybaby H
Dates for those who live near a lake, beach or scenic spot :-
Recently my dh and I spent a late afternoon close together on a rock shelf watching the waves and surfers. The waves were big and wild that day and it was exciting and relaxing at the same time. Later my dh said "I had a wonderful day with you".
When we lived a short drive from a small lake we would go after work and paddle our 2 man canoe on the lake at sunset, watching the water birds. It was very peaceful and romantic.
Sometimes we would just walk along the lake shore together or bring a picnic and read a book on a rug under a tree.
In wild and windy weather we fly kites on the beach together.
In any weather or season, walking hand in hand along a beach really is as romantic as the travel posters show us. Build a sandcastle together or look for shells or pretty stones.
Picnic at a lookout point, or just sit in the car in cold weather and admire the view listening to relaxing music together
Hi Flylady & FLYcrew,
I think Date Night is a wonderful idea even if you don't do it on Friday nights. I've been dating DH for 9 years now. We've been married for 7.5. The best advice I received as a newlywed came from my then 6 year-old DSD. She said, "Just because you and Daddy got married, doesn't mean you can't still be boyfriend/girlfriend." How do you argue with that logic? LOL. So I try to take that advice and keep those boyfriend/girlfriend feelings alive amidst the grind of daily living. Here are a few date night ideas of mine. Some I've tried and some are simmering in my mental crockpot for future use. ;-)

Flying in Southern Illinois
1. We enjoy working out together. Some people may not think of working out as romantic, but couple's yoga is very sensual. There is also something great about getting sweaty together. Then there is the cheering each other along and encouraging each other when we are down. I really feel close to Dh when we workout together and share our fitness goals.
2. We also enjoy a day or night together at our local bookstore. We browse and drink coffee. We share ideas and talk.
3. An idea I've had and wanted to try is a night looking at the stars. One night soon, I'm going to grab a thermos of hot chocolate soy milk (YUM!), our telescope and Dh. We'll head out to a local bluff and look at the stars. I want to do this soon. The stars always seem so much brighter on a clear, cold night. It's also important to do this before the leaves come back on the trees.
4. Another idea I have that I'll try soon is to make a bubble bath for Dh. I'll have it all ready for him when he comes home from work. I'll use some of my good, but not flowery bath products. I'll have some soft music playing. I'll light some candles and pour him a rare-for-us glass of wine. Don't our men deserve some pampering too?
5. Something else that Dh enjoys is a night of no t.v. Giving a man your undivided attention is probably one of the best gifts you can give him. On a night like this, I would cook a supper that he likes and serve it at the table (not on a t.v. tray in front of the t.v.). After supper we might have some good coffee and play cribbage, something my Dh loves. The important thing is that we spend the time with each other and turn off the t.v.
6. We are also fortunate to have a local indoor archery range. Spending a night improving our aim is fun.
7. Feb 9 is Chinese New Year. While this isn't on a Friday, it could still make a great date night. Get Chinese take out or make your own stir-fry. Sit on pillows around the living room coffee table. Wear something silk.
8. Feb 9 is also Ash Wednesday. You could take the time to do something spiritual with your significant other.
9. Pretend you're back in grade school. Have glue, scissors, construction paper, magic markers and other art supplies available. Make each other Valentine's
10. Turn your living room into a spa. Take turns giving each other spa treatments.
My husband (of 33 years) and I have recently established a "different type" of date night. Lately our family situation requires that someone stay home at all times with my elderly mother (84) who lives in an apt. attached to our house, so I had to brainstorm a little. Our Friday night routine now is: We both get a "little" dressed up - bathed, clean casual clothes, etc. as if we were going out to the movies. We crank up the grill and my husband cooks something (this varies of course, but is always something quick and easy),and we enjoy our dinner together.
We light a fire in the fireplace, and I light the scented candles.
Then, the ole deck of cards get taken out, the table cloth removed from the table and lots of fresh coffee perked. The game begins. Just a simple game of 500 Rummy. We have a ball. We laugh and laugh, and he usually wins (so far 12 out of 14 games). We play 2 - 3 games. When we first started, my Mom walked over to see who our company was - she heard all of the laughing - there was no company - just us. It may sound silly, but it is so much fun and we really look forward to our Friday nights "in".

Thanks, Fly Crew, for all the inspiration and baby step lessons, and thanks for loving us all!
Flybaby in NC
In Tampa, they have a shopping “village” called Old Hyde Park with restaurants, stores and a center garden area with a foundation. Every month they have a free “movie in the park” where they show year-old-ish movies on an outside screen in the center garden of the shopping village. It’s free to watch the movie, we bring our folding chairs and a blanket if it’s cold, and either some food from home or we stop for sub sandwiches on the way. It’s an inexpensive date night and we get caught up on movies we didn’t see last year.
We have a baby and don't like to get a sitter when we go out so we like to go to the Drive-In movies. They are usually cheaper then regular theaters and the baby can sit in her car seat slumbering. If she gets up set and fussy we are the only ones that know and we lover her anyway. It also makes it easy to nurse her privately.
An other idea my friend had is to order take out and have a date at home when the kiddies are asleep.

Thank you for all you do for us! :)
Flybaby M
DH and I do a "theme night" once a month. Last month the theme was "Italian". We planned together and cooked an Italian dinner, drank Italian wine, and listen to Italian opera while eating. Then we watched "The Godfather". Your theme can involve places, events, etc. Half the fun is planning and the anticipation. And it doesn't cost a lot of money!!
My husband and I recently celebrated our 8th year of marriage. We decided to spend the night at a hotel in Odessa,(about 20 miles from home), and spend the next day at the hotel spa having ourselves pampered. The drive over was great. Just long enough to feel like we had gone out of town, but not an exhausting rode trip. We ate at the hotel restaurant, and even ordered a bottle of champagne and desert up to the room. The next morning my husband and I had a 2 hour massage, an 1 1/2 hour facial, and a pedicure. My husband was a little weary of having a facial and pedicure, but he was a great sport. I know he would do it again in a heart beat if he could!
I saw an ad in a magazine showing two girls sharing a bottle of wine and going over photographs together. My dh and have been talking about organizing our photos so I found a picture of us that had been taken at a family gathering and cut out our heads and pasted them over the heads of the girls in the magazine ad. I tore out the page and attached a note inviting him for a date with me to do what he found on the next page (the altered magazine ad) and left the note on his desk in his home office.
He was THRILLED. The date is yet to actually happen but I know it will be fun, just the invitation was a boost for both of us.

Thanks for all you do!
Fluttering in Palatine Bridge NY
My husband and I went to one of those bookstores that has a coffee shop attached. We each picked up books we liked in the bookstore on subjects of interest to each of us. Some of the books were on home improvements/decorating, others had inspirational messages. We looked at each others' books together, looking and reading paragraphs here and there that sparked all kinds of lively conversation between us. When we were done, we did not have to purchase anything unless we wanted to. It was one of the nicest dates we've had. We sat, had a soda fountain drink, talked and enjoyed each other's company for several hours. Our daughter had her own "date" with a family friend whom I exchange tutoring time for our "date" time.
We give ourselves "Spa Nights" with a walk, conversation, massages, candles, music, hot soaks in the (already clean) bath, candles, and healthy Leanne's Saving Dinner Low Carb Meals, from my already stocked pantry.
We can do this at home after the kids are in bed, and the older ones are out for the evening.
I make the bedroom extra special with Dana's special bed routine of freshening the bed and linens.
I lost weight with the routines, and regular dinners - got me eating well balanced meals. I made a habit out of "not" complaining. Therefore, I am not complaining during our conversation.
My bedroom is not a sneeze causing dust trap thanks to the Flylady fabulous feather dusters. I even stopped snoring!
My house is blessed.
I put my Flylady cling wherever we are having our Spa Night. My husband looks forward to being pampered and even pampering me!

Flying in Deer Creek Canyon
Last year my husband and I rode our Harley out to Sturgis for the very first time, camped for 10 days, enjoyed the concerts, and took day trips all over the area. It wasn’t the first time we had time away from the children (ages 12 and 7), but it was completely uninterrupted time – no t.v., no radio, just us, the Harley, and the tent! So for Valentine’s day, I’m re-creating the inside of the tent as a surprise. I have the kids going off to Grandpa’s, so we can have a night at home alone. The cooler will serve as the table, camping chairs our seats, and no outside noise. I’m really looking forward to doing something (SO CHEAP), but so special for us. It’s an amazing way to re-connect, because there is nothing but the two of us, and I want to take the time to re-create that amazing time we had.

Flying in Wisconsin~!
Nothing makes you feel more alive than being outside in the fresh Winter air ! Too many of us cocoon ourselves inside at this time of year when this is the best time to recharge our batteries by playing in the snow.
We love to go tobogganing as it makes us feel young again - if nothing else, it gives us an excuse to be goofy! Other favorites are snowshoeing + x-country skiing. Lots of places are now lighting the trails for night time use which adds a romantice feeling to the event.

Frosty Flying in Canada !
What I do is plan a special dinner homemade (or you can buy 90% & just make it look like you slaved over the stove) I get dressed to the occasion (sexy-hint!) Then I have candles & the fire place lit( with a beautiful area set up - a warm blanket with vase of flowers & dessert surrounded by rose petals (you can get these free at your local florist - just ask for a couple of older opened roses they are going to toss!!!) My hubby is floored every year!(-:
I am ashamed to say that "Date Night" has been the hardest change because finding the time to just spend with your DH can be so frustratingly difficult. But it is well worth it...
I started off with the basics...movie and dinner - renting a movie and having dinner at home
But then I tried to be more creative...we have attended plays, auctions, jazz festivals, concerts, etc...but one of my favorite dates was when we had a evening picnic out in our backyard one night. My 6 yr old had chicken pox and could not be left so my DH started a campfire (we live in the country) and we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows - we felt like we were 16 again.
If money is tight that week, then I have to get very creative like sending the kids to sleepovers while I make a special dinner for just us or. I have even fed the kids early so that I could share a late dinner with DH locked up in our room.
I also pull the entertainment section of our paper on Friday to see what special events are going on in our area. I have come to believe that it is not necessarily the amount of money that is spent but sometimes the more creative ideas have been both more enjoyable and memorable then the ones where we spent alot of money.

Thank you FlyLady for giving back to us the joy of dating one another.
Flybaby from Texas
Hello..I'm just a 3rd day Fly-Baby, and am already making great progress..THANKS!
I have a great date idea that I just saw on the Today Show... Most men love to camp so set up an indoor campout for your hubby! Set up a 2 man tent in your living room....complete with double sleeping bag and fluffy pillows. Light candles...have a nice pic-nic dinner on the floor...buy an in-home Smores kit, Set up a lantern-style night light (you can find these at most any store in the camping or flashlight section.) BE creative and HAVE fun!

Happy Valentines Day!
Oregon Fly-Baby
My husband and I had date night plans for last Saturday night. They fell through but the kids still ended up at grandma's at 10 PM. We decided to make the most of it. We moved the coffee table out of the way and set up sleeping bags. We lit a fire, watched a movie, and camped out in our living room. It's a night I'll always remember.
FlyBaby in Ca
My husband works nights so this is more of a "date day." Go have a picnic lunch at a nearby state park. A romantic walk through the woods is great after lunch!
My sister gave my DH and myself a date night as a Christmas gift. It was a new DVD, microwave popcorn, some jelly beans and a box of hot chocolate, etc. for "A night at the Movies" date all packed in a big bowl for the popcorn to be dumped into. We curled up on the sofa to watch the movie and enjoy it, the goodies and each other's company.
I want to share the most romantic Valentines day ever. It was a date night that did not have to be for Valentines only. My husband and I had been married for 9 or so years, and money was very tight. We had a small child at home, and one and 1/2 incomes.
I had worked during the day while my child was at preschool, cleaned house, run errands, in short, been a MOM all day. My husband had worked late, and he came home to find me in my nightgown, snuggling our daughter to sleep. He came in the room, and told me to stay put, and not move till he came to get me. He was in his uniform from work, and tired.
From the room where I was with our child, I could hear furniture moving, and kitchen cabinets banging, and the shower running. I was beyond intrigued.
After a while my husband came to the room, freshly showered and in a SUIT! He took my hand, (mind you, I am looking scruffy in my night clothes!) and said, "Darling, please join me? " He led me to the family room, where he had pushed all the furniture back against the walls. Small candles flickered everywhere. Soft, romantic music played. On the small table was a plate of shrimp cocktail, chilling in a bowl full of ice was a really inexpensive bottle of champagne, and a truely tiny box of chocolates sat nearby. My darling husband danced with me in the candlelight, fed me shrimp and sipped champagne with me. We talked and smooched and giggled. It was a totally wonderful, romantic evening. My DH told me that he had a mere $18.00 to spend, but all day to plan the way to spend it.
We have now been married 21 years, and that memory is warmly emblazoned in my mind and in my heart. A "date" does not have to be extravagant. Put the kids to bed, light a few candles, put on some music, and just enjoy each others company. After all, isn't that what its all about?

D, (happy wife of a thoughtful man!)
Appleton, ME.
Plan a light appetizer meal at a quaint restraunt then, book a steam for two at a local steam bath. After you've been nicely fed and relaxed have a nice moment with each other in front of a blazing fire. Its great and not to pricey ---which makes everyone happy. To be a bit more economical --make a picnic and eat in your car looking at the moon and stars with music of choice then the steam bath and candles burning around the room afterwards. On the other hand if money is just fine with you. A nice restruant, the steam bath and a overnighter some place nice just you two. But either way having a steam bath for two is romantic. Hot tubs are fine but steam baths --that unique.
Give each other the same amount of money (IE 10.00 each).
Then the date begins when you spin the Hershey Kiss candy and the one it points to goes first after a kiss. The first person must treat the other to all the fun they can enjoy with the money agreed upon. When the first person is out of money it is the other persons turn to indulge their dear spouse.
Alternately:
You can only do on a date night what you have found a coupon for.

J In Oegon
When my DH and I met, I was a single mom with two babies ... 2 and 4 yrs old ... and I worked full time. Because I was busy during the day and wanted to be with my kids in the evening, my guy and I had our courtship over lunches. Lots and lots of lunches.
Now we've been married 14 years and the kids are teens. But DH and I still do our *dating* over lunch. We schedule it in each Wednesday! So if it's hard for you to schedule a Date Night, try dating at a different time of day!

Flappin' in north Idaho
~ C
My husband and I lived on (and still do!) a really tight budget when we first go married, so we had to be creative with what we did on date nights.
Some of the things we did included:
1. Going to a second run movie at the dollar theatre or renting from the Library and popping popcorn at home!
2. Taking advantage of 50cent wing night at Buffalo Wild Wings (or any cheap special), then taking those along with other things from home and having a picnic at a park or on the floor of our living room.
3. Having our own Decathlon at home, which included a paper airplane throw, holding the longest note, a staring contest, and tossing cards into a hat.
Coming up with the events was almost as much fun as the Decathlon itself!
4. Making a story book. We used a roll of film and our imagination. We made up the story first, decided what kind of pictures we wanted to take, laughed ourselves silly taking the pictures, then developed them at a 1 hour photo place and glued then onto pages that the story was typed onto. Our first such endeavor was called "The Kitten Catastrophe or Don't Put all Your Goodies in one Basket" and our next one involved our 4 month old daughter. It's called "Little Miss Terrific."
5. Making our own ice cream shakes/floats/fruit smoothies then sitting on the porch talking watching the sun set (not recommended for the winter! heehee).

I hope these help out!
~C from KC (a 6 month old Flybaby)
My Sweetie and I like to go to the gym on Friday night! During the week, we try to go to the gym to workout after work but we rush through to try to get home to dinner, evening routines and sleep! On Fridays, we take our time and enjoy the amenities. Before you laugh, consider this-- it's nice and quiet there on Friday night, and there is lots of room to swim in the pool. We take a hot tub together, and just relax and chat. We each take a steam or a sauna, then come out, clean and relaxed, the stress of the workweek completely behind us. Best of all, we've already paid for it!
If you are going to join a gym anyhow, you might as well try to find one with a nice pool, steam room and hot tub, and use it to relax as well as get your exercise!

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