Date Night - What to do?

[Carrie Earls]

I have a confession to make.

I am tired of "dinner and a movie" for date night! Somehow, after a combined eleven years of courtship and marriage, my husband and I can't seem to think of anything else to do for date night than go to dinner and watch a movie. Does this indicate something?!

Okay, so I'm not very creative. Surely, someone else has thought of some fun, relaxing things to do together with their mate? Will you share your ideas with me? Something that you and your husband both enjoy would be nice!

Thank you!

[Rhonda]

How about bowling, it kinda depends on where you live too, if other options are available.

[jamesglewisf]

I know I don't belong in here, LOL, but check out this Recreational Enjoyment Inventory (http://www.marriagebuilders.com/forms/rei.pdf). You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html), if you don't have it. It's free.

Amy and I did this a few years back, and it was great. We need to do it again. It has an incredibly long list of activities.

Just follow the instructions on the form.

[sleon]

Hey James, that recreational thingy-whatsit looks cool. We may try that out. (Archery caught my eye! I always forget that my husband and I both love archery! Then the issue is just to find someplace where we can do that...)

Dates that both of us love will have two components, we have learned through testing and discussion: 1. we have to be DOING something (so, we can't just be sitting and talking, that doesn't count as a legitimate activity to my husband) and 2. we have to be TALKING (so, I'm not satisfied if our date doesn't include conversation that's not about the kids or work). It's hard to find things that fit this bill, but dinner and a movie does work pretty well if we have conversational time allowed for. Things that are less good are visiting bookstores or other kinds of shopping--because we always just go into our private reveries.

One thing we've found that works pretty well, and is fairly cheap, is taking a drive! To my husband, since he's doing the driving, it's an activity...and to me, it's a conversational opportunity. I just wish gas prices hadn't risen :( because now my husband (read: cheapskate) isn't as willing to just go for a drive. It's good if the drive ends up at a pretty destination, like the hills or the beach, but not necessary. A recent date that was pretty good for us was driving to an outlet mall in a nearby city--25 minutes of driving each way. And we had a specific, frivolous purpose for going to the mall, so that was fun.

But, yeah, I'm looking for dating ideas, too. It's hard!!!

[blinc]

I couldn't get James's site to load.. but were maybe a co-ed softball team, rollerskating-blading, ice-skating... things like that on there? My hubby and I joined a co-ed softball team a few years back and we had an absolute blast!! I'd love to find another team to get on! :)

Do you guys like fishing? Camping? Hiking? Biking?

Rhonda's idea of bowling is a good one too! We used to do that when we lived closer to a city that had a bowling alley. Loved to go!

[ntexas]

Some of the most fun date nights my husband and I shared were the ones playing board games. I know, I know ... sounds boring, but it instigated lots of laughter and friendly competition. We were looking for something inexpensive, and to take us out of the house, we would take our game to a picnic table in the park, and play whatever.

Trivial Pursuit (what ever happened to all those cute little pieces of pie?), Monopoly, dominoes, Life (that one was a hoot), Mouse Trap (for those 'remember when' moments), Operation (zap!) ... we built up quite a game stockpile, and really enjoyed it.

[blinc]

We used to play board games too Ntexas. Trivia Pursuit, Monopoly... hubby got tired of being trounced and won't play anymore! Guess I shoulda let him win more often huh? That dang competitiveness trait!! {toothy}

[In_His_Shadow]

My husband and I love board games. We keep alot in our camper for when we are out camping. We have Uno, Boggle, Mexican Dominos and of course cards. We have actually invented alot of card games that a geared toward just us two if you get my drift :o

CJ

[Swimmers]

Originally posted by Carrie Earls
I have a confession to make.

I am tired of "dinner and a movie" for date night! Somehow, after a combined eleven years of courtship and marriage, my husband and I can't seem to think of anything else to do for date night than go to dinner and watch a movie. Does this indicate something?!



Sounds like my mom when says that about my dad. That's what they always seem to do too. Maybe you should hint things that you really want to do. Now if you lived in Orlando like I do I could suggest better things. But you don't! Texas has some good places though...

I would think that maybe you could...revisit the place where you met if it's close. The board game idea is good. Sometimes a candlelight dinner is enough to relight that flame. Do something out of the ordinary. It makes for an interesting life!

Be spontaneous! Be free! LIVE!! :D

[Carrie Earls]

Thanks Swimmers!

Actually, we have revisited the place we met . . . daily, for about 5 years! We met at a camp/retreat center, where we both worked, called Sky Ranch. It's about a mile from where we live, and Bryan worked there full-time for about 5 years.

What a great idea, though! We could go and do some of the things that we did together the summer we met. That would bring back some great memories.

Thanks for your post!

[PsalmReader]

Mini-golf is fun when it's warm, regular golf too.

Have you ever played the card game "Phase 10"? It's fun. We've been playing that a lot lately--especially with bil & sil.

A nice thing is to leave the kids with someone and go spend the night in a hotel with a jacuzzi in the room. :) I did that for a bday present one year for hubby, and he loved it!

A walk around the park with a cone of ice cream is nice in the summer too.

[Austruck]

My husband and I visit the place we met every day -- on the Internet! (Bwaaaah!)

But seriously, folks, we both love to meander around places like Walmart and Sam's Club together. We get to talk some (in the car), and get away from kids, and can window shop to our heart's content. But we always find stuff we can't live without, of course, at prices we can't pass up. (snort)

This past spring and summer, when we'd have all six kids here at once, by the end of dinnertime, when I was clearing off the table and loading the dishwasher, both of us would end up with this deer-in-the-headlights look. My husband would then just announce to the two oldest kids that they'd have to watch the other ones for a few minutes while we ran a quick errand.

That errand was usually him whisking me away to the local homemade ice cream joint a few miles away, where we'd get the hand-dipped flavor of the month on a homemade thick waffle cone and sit in the car and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Then we'd drive back, take a deep breath, and head back in for Round Two. :)

My husband and I DEFINITELY have to go on dates more often. We used to like things like rib festivals, baseball games, and I personally like go-karting, bowling, movies (go to a cheaper matinee, do the dinner AFTER the movie, and have time to gab about the movie too!).

Works for us ... when we make the time for it!

[Austruck]

PsalmReader,

I was looking for just such a hotel room for our honeymoon last year (I'd seen one once and LOVED the idea), but couldn't seem to track down a chain that had such rooms. Is there a way to find a jacuzzi room easily, or did you just have to call a gazillion places and ask every single one??

[PsalmReader]

Matinee movies are the best!

Actually some hotels will list that "feature" in their yellow pages add, or like you said, call around. :( I have a Christian bed and breakfast directory too! |B) I just got it before Christmas. It's actually last year's directory, so I got it for like two bucks!! Email me your town and a few others close by (or heck why not half way across the country!) and then I'll see if there are any in the area if you want me to. :)

We had our wedding reception at a bed and breakfast back home. Then we went back and spent the night for our first anniversary. :) They had a large jacuzzi tub in the bathroom there. Enjoyable!