With Valentines Day right around the corner I know everyone will be searching for creative, pandemic friendly, date ideas to celebrate their love. For couples with kids, it might be especially hard to get away for a romantic Valentine's Day date, or any date for that matter, as we survive through a pandemic. So, I am here to help by sharing three (3) ideas to spark your creativity, as you plan the perfect pandemic date!
As a mom of three children, ages six and under, I know how stressful this pandemic is for families and how finding alone time with your partner sometimes seems virtually impossible. One strategy that my husband and I have found effective is capitalizing on times when our children are asleep, either during naps or after bedtime at night.
For our anniversary, however, we did decided to go out and have a nice lunch. We selected lunch time because we figured less people would be at the restaurant during that time, and we were right! So, it is still possible for couples with kids to have fun, romantic dates even in the midst of a global pandemic. Here are three ways my husband and I have found time to continuing dating during this pandemic.
Date Idea #1: Try A Day Date
We live in Pittsburgh, and for our Anniversary we wanted to go someplace with a nice view and good food. We picked the Grandview Saloon, located in Mt. Washington and we were not disappointed. The view was remarkable and I was able to enjoy one of my favorite meals, sea scallops. If you are in Pittsburgh, we recommend this restaurant. We also spent some time outside taking in the sites and enjoying the crisp winter afternoon sunshine, which is rare Pittsburgh, because the sun barely shines from November through April.
If you have children who go to school or childcare, consider taking a few hours off of work, if you can, for an afternoon lunch date or even a breakfast date. Often times couple wait until the end of the day to spend time together when they are tired from a long day. Planning an afternoon or morning date might allow you to be more present with your partner and maximize the precious, and limited alone time you have together.
Date Idea #2: Night Cap and Conversation
Again, capitalizing on times when our children are asleep has proved to be a new normal for date nights during this pandemic. This idea may seen obvious, but I challenge you to move beyond Netflix and chill and engage in some screen free time together! Conversation cards, board games and dreaming about your future together are all great alternatives to television.
Here are some fun conversation cards to spice up your "Night Cap and Chill:"
Alternatively, if you have kids you likely already have some board games around the house that you can add some rules to and spice up for date night! Card games make fun activities for date night, as well. No time like the present to perfect your spades game so your ready for the 1st post-pandemic cook-out.
Oh, I almost forgot the night cap part. Pair these fun conversations or competitive games of passion with your favorite beverage. No matter if that is cognac or coffee, the addition of a special drink elevates any occasion. You might even spend some time in the kitchen creating new concoctions together, which I am sure will lead to lots of laughs! Consider a cocktail kit, like this margarita one, to make fancy cocktails with ease. Margaritas are my personal favorite, but there are many cocktail kits to choose from, like Moscow Mules cocktail kits, available on Amazon for convenient, safe delivery to your home.
Date Idea #3: Virtual Paint & Sip
Lastly, if there is one thing I learned during this pandemic it is that YouTube contains answers for pretty much any question you might have, including how to plan a paint and sip date night at home. Simply head over to YouTube and search "paint and sip" and you'll find everything from how to paint a beach sunset, to a snowman and even detailed guides to find everything you need for your paint and sip date night at Dollar Tree for under $10! Yes, you read that right, Dollar Tree. So if you are planning on a budget, this might be a fun, creative date night idea. You might even decide to turn this into a family activity... just kidding, that will defeat the purpose of spending 1 on 1 time with your partner, so go ahead and put them kids to bed! Add on the cocktail tip from above and BOOM, paint and sip at home!
I hope these three date night ideas help spark some creativity for you as you plan a romantic pandemic date night, whether it is for Valentine's Day or just because. This pandemic has highlighted the stark reality that tomorrow is not promised, so we must make the most of each day. Don't put it off for when the pandemic is over, make some time to go on a date with you partner now!
~Cassandra, PBOs Mom
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