We all have been cooped up in our homes for a while now, or at least have not been able to enjoy the normal way we might go on dates with our significant other. Here’s a couple of ideas that you can do in the comfort of your own home!

1. Have A Backyard Picnic

We know that it may seem really simple, but this can be an easy way to just change up where you and your partner eat lunch or dinner. It helps to get outside and enjoy some sunshine while still not having to go out and be in public.

It can be as simple as sandwiches and some water or take it up a notch and make dinner (maybe even dessert!) and have a romantic little spot in the backyard!

The options are endless here, just make sure to wear sunscreen, some bug spray, and enjoy the time with your loved one!

2. Movie Night!

Whether it be a horror flick, rom-com, or a documentary, take some time and set it a part to sit down and relax with your partner. Bring a comfy blanket, pop some popcorn or other snacks and pop on a movie!

Again, pretty simple but just by setting time aside and creating a space for you and your partner to relax and cuddle up to one another can help! If you're really feeling the movie night vibes you can find ways to make the best movie night snacks before hand and set up the whole living room with comfy pillows, a big fluffy blanket to sit on, and surround yourself with all the tasty treats!

Find some delicious recipes here:

https://www.eatthis.com/movie-night-snacks-recipes/

https://www.wideopeneats.com/12-movie-snacks-to-sneak-into-the-theater/

3. Get Out of the House!

This can be taken in many different forms depending on what you and your partner’s interests are. It can be as simple as taking a walk around the neighborhood, or get more involved. You can go biking either in your neighborhood, in a park, on a trail (Ijams is a really great place for biking in the Knoxville area), go for a hike whether it be an easy trail that has tons of nature to keep you entertained, (again, Ijams is a fantastic place for this) or if you would rather a more intense trail that will get your blood pumping, House Mountain is one of my favorites because it’s close enough, has an amazing view at the top, and is great exercise. A little further out option is Max Patch which we’ll go into more detail with another blog, it’s one of our favorite places to be, and to photograph, it isn’t a difficult hike but the views are astronomical, you have mountain tops surrounding you at all sides and if you go early enough the fog in the morning looks like a river running in between the mountains. It’s breathtaking. Go hunt for waterfalls and Bald River Falls, Laurel Falls, Grotto Falls, or you can google waterfalls near you and see which one you want to take in that day.

Another option of getting outside is going to any of the lakes/rivers that we have surrounding us. They are beautiful this time of year and some of them have the option of renting paddle boats or boards, even if you aren’t about getting in the water, having a nice date at the lake is still something that can be in your list of date ideas!

This time in quarantine has really woken me up about my personal need for being out in nature, soaking up vitamin D, and just getting out in nature for my own mental health let alone the simplicity of at any moment being able to choose nature as a date night option and having a plethora of different locations that are all beautiful.

4. CRAFT NIGHT

Okay, hear me out. Maybe not everyone is down for the mess that is involved with having a craft night but I promise you will have more laughs and memories than you caring about how your actual project turned out. I am a really crafty person, I can probably find a way to make just about anything and I also find joy in doing that. I understand that some people aren’t like this, but I am a huge believer in the fact that it’s not about the project turning out perfect, it’s the fact that you can look at something and say “ I made that!”.

As a date idea you can find really cute options online or you can take a look around your home and think about what you want/need and see if there’s a way to make it! You want some more decor for your living room, dining room, or bedroom? Figure out an idea or a theme you want for the room and start painting, gluing and crafting! It’s most of the time cheaper and you’ll have fun during the mishaps that will happen during a DIY.

Even if a else fails, you craft something and it looks like a child’s macaroni noodle house (which even those mom’s will put up on the fridge with pride) it doesn’t have to see the light of day! If your craft turns into absolute trash that doesn’t matter, you most likely will have memories as it fell apart and the glue didn’t quite stick or your painting turned into a blog that is flipping you off and you and your partner will have spent some quality time together.

So, throw on some music, get all your supplies on the dining room table or sprawled out on the floor and get to just trying to create something!

5. Subscription Box Date Night!

So this one might be more involved and a little more pricey than the other options. However, this is something that we have actually done within the past couple of months and I have really enjoyed it! I know that there are actual date night subscription boxes, which if you have a hard time thinking of something for you and your partner to do but want to still have creative and fun date nights they seem like a really great and easy option!

Basically a date night subscription box is a monthly subscription that you have a box delivered to you with ideas and materials for you and your partner. If you look these up online there are many, some for married couples, some for dating, some with certain aspects that are specific and some that are more generalized. You and your partner would be able to choose whichever one best suits your personalities and needs in a date night and it’s an easy solution to setting specific time a part for you two.

Now, Spencer and I have not done a “date night box” per say, we subscribed to another subscription that although it isn’t marketed for a date night, we have turned it into one!

We have fallen in love with the subscription box for Hunt A Killer. We started our dating relationship with taking long drives and listening to murder mystery podcasts, or both of us finding interest in mystery podcasts, so when we were looking for something to help us with date nights we looked into this subscription box.

Basically what happens is the company sends you a box each month (you can have them send it quicker depending on the subscription option you choose). In the box you receive the background, evidence lists, and some actual items that help you build the case of what happened to the victim. Each box that comes you have a “mission” to complete whether that be to solve the murder weapon, eliminate at least one person as not a suspect, etc. Eventually you are able to piece together a timeline for that night, the events that took place, and who the murderer is. The amount of detail and thought that was put into each of these boxes each month amazed us. There isn’t a time limit so if you have to wait to solve it or make sure that you have the answer correct, it’s all based on your own time.

There isn’t just one box either, there are multiple mysteries that you can sign up for, multiple different subscriptions, and options you can choose that help fit your budget needs. Ultimately we decided on a box that would’ve amounted to how much Spencer and I would’ve spent in a month on dinner and movies.

If you’ve ever thought about doing a subscription box, make it into a date night! There are a ton of different options, wine boxes, snacks from around the world, books, you name it! It doesn’t have to be conventional, just something that you and your partner can appreciate and have a blast with.

Leave a comment down below with other ideas of date nights!