Look details: T-shirt (hands down, my FAVE- and under $15!) here, similar here and here | Jeans here, similar here and here | Cardigan here, similar here and here | Mug here | Similar blanket here
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to share our typical traditions with you all and ideas on how to have a date night at home.
In general, Scott and I do not make Valentine’s that big of a deal. Our anniversary is much more significant, so Valentine’s is really just another day for us- boring, I know. If I am being honest, the only time I have really loved this holiday is when I have been dating someone. When you’re a single girl, this holiday is just UGH, the worst (because who needs to be reminded they don’t have a love in their life) and then when you’re married it’s really not that big of a deal. I feel like when you’re dating someone, this holiday is much more fun, as each person typically puts forth an effort to celebrate the day- whether it’s a date night, gifts, etc. You’re still in that phase where you are trying to impress one another haha!
Typically, Scott and I will plan a date night and exchange cards with one another, but this year Valentine’s fall on a weekday, so we will most likely be here at home. And let me tell you, we LOVE being at home. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good date night out in Nashville, but sometimes we have just as much fun being here at home!
At Home Date Night Ideas
1. Cooking breakfast/dinner together- This is an obvious choice, but now that there are so many meal delivery services around, it can be super easy to arrange! Cooking together can be so fun and it is fun to try new foods together. Scott and I made sushi at home once and I think we had more fun making the food then actually eating it!
2. Turn you home into a wine bar- Okay, I LOVE this idea! Grab a few different bottles of wine and set up a cute little bar area with snacks. You can both try out different wines and see which ones you like. Side note- this would also work well for the fellas who love beer too!
3. Bring the movie theater experience home- I know watching a movie is another obvious choice, but elevate the experience with popcorn, candy, and drinks! Cuddle up on the couch and settle in- there are so many great movies out right now! I keep telling Scott we need to watch all the Oscar nominated movies for this year.
4. DIY night: Okay, this one requires a little bit of work, but it could be fun! If there is work needing to be done around the house (paint, hanging things, etc) you can spend time together getting the job done! Anddd you can wear overalls and look adorable haha!
5. Fondue Night: I will pretty much eat anything covered in chocolate or cheese, so this is right up my alley! Make sure you have lots of different foods to dip into the fondue and have fun trying out different combinations!
Now, I am no expert when it comes to being in relationships, but I do think I have found some things that tend to work well for us! My parents have been great relationship role models for us, and over the years I have picked up on some things that I believe really make a relationship last.
1. Be thoughtful: This is hand-down my number one tip. It is so important to let the other person know that you care for them. I think it is so easy for couples, especially those together for a long time, to stop being thoughtful and get into too much of a routine. There are so many little things you can do to let your significant other know that you care- I try to text Scott at least once a day to see how his day is going, I will pick up his favorite candy from the store randomly as a surprise, I will put a pack of gum in his car, etc. These are all super small/inexpensive things, but when he sees them I know it makes him happy!
2. Cook dinner: Okay, I know that not everyone has time for this, but I grew up with a mom who stayed at home and she always had dinner on the table. Since I was raised like this, I have tried to do the same thing, but it definitely can be difficult with a full-time job. My goal is to cook at least three meals per week and I typically cook everything on Sundays. The last thing I want to do when I get home from work is cook, so by having all the meals prepped ahead of time, it is super easy to just heat something up. No cooking and no mess to clean up during the week. If I was a single girl, I definitely would not be cooking big meals like this, but I know that Scott appreciates coming home to a home cooked meal, so I do it!
3. Put yourself together: Okay, you don’t have to do this all the time, but I think it is important to not get lazy and put in effort into your appearance. When I was a full-time student getting my Doctorate degree, I spent most of my days at home studying. And I’ll be honest, some days I would just roll out of bed and keep my pajamas on all day. But, I would always pull myself together a little bit before Scott got home from work- I would change clothes, put a little makeup on, etc. I think it is important to be
4. Focus on one another: How many times have you been sitting with your significant other and you’re both scrolling through your phone? Um, that’s us- a lot. We always try to put our phones away for at least 20-30 minutes at night to talk about our days. Usually this coincides with dinner time, as neither one of us will bring our phone to the table. Take this time to really listen to each other and ask questions about their day.
5. Share interests: Gosh, Scott and I are very different- I love fashion, home décor, etc and he is a huge outdoorsmen. I would much rather go to Nordstrom whereas you can usually find him at Bass Pro. Even though we have very different interests, there are some things that we love doing together! We work out on the weekends together and love spending time outside with our sweet pup Luna. We always make time during the weekends to do something together!
I hope you guys enjoyed this post and sorry it was so long! Hopefully, I gave you some fun ideas for Valentine’s this year. Below I linked up some Date Night Essentials! As always thank you for reading and sharing! -A
Date Night Essentials
