Would you consider taking on a 15 Date Challenge? If you’re like me and my husband, you’re busy, you often “miss” your partner and you think you’ll find time for a date later. Well later keeps getting pushed back. Then you realize you haven’t been on a “date” with your spouse for over a month. This trend needs to stop.

Dates are so important for my marriage. It creates a space for me and Ryan to connect without distractions. We laugh, smile, joke and dream about the future together. But we have two going on three sons. We are tired. We are frenzied. We put each other last. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to keep “waiting” for more time and energy to enjoy my husband. I want that now. I want to put him first, like I promised in my wedding vows.

So even though, life is more restricted due to the global pandemic, I am determined to date Ryan regularly. I challenge you to do the same with your partner. Pick a date on the calendar and make at-home date nights YOUR THING. Our date nights are Fridays. We put our kids to bed by 7pm—then our date begins. If our date revolves around making a fancy dinner or ordering out, we will eat an appetizer while the kids eat their dinner.

Are you ready to commit to 15 dates this month?

At-Home Date Night Ideas

1. Game Night

   This is probably the easiest “date” once you find what two player games you like. Personally, I do not like strategy games. I prefer funny themed games or ones that involve words. Our two go-to games are Exploding Kittens and Bananagrams. Here is a great list of 40 two-player games to consider trying.

2. Movie Series Marathons

   Ryan and I just started watching the Marvel movies in chronological order and it’s been so fun. Other series to consider: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Die Hard, James Bond (old & new versions), Dirty Harry, The Godfather, Mission Impossible, X-Men, Rocky, Star Wars, Bourne, Back to the Future, and Toy Story.

3. Homemade Pizza Party

   I love a simple margarita pizza but Ryan prefers BBQ chicken pizzas. We can never agree on one pizza to share. Planning a pizza date where you can create your perfect personal pizza is a win for me. What you’ll need: store bought pizza dough (found in the deli section) & your favorite toppings! Consider making a sweet and savory pizza for each other.

4. Spa Date

   Light some candles and give each other timed massages to music with massage oil (hands-5 min, foot-10 min, full body-15 min). Then enjoy a bath with bath bombs. Finish the evening with facial masks. Don’t forget to lotion each other up again. We get our bath bombs from Da Bomb.

5. Drive In/Backyard Movie Event

   Take this as a challenge to change up where you watch movies. Set up a sheet and project a film in your backyard. Relocate your TV to your porch and create a backyard movie oasis. Or open your tailgate or van and watch a movie in your car as if you’re at a Drive In (be sure to not leave your car ON).

6. Puzzle Together

   Don’t hate on this one. I love doing puzzles with Ryan. It’s a great way to wind down from a busy day. We can focus on the puzzle and talk without distractions. Do a puzzle with light music in the background and just talk.

7. Backyard Camp Out

   If the weather permits, pitch a tent in your backyard. You don’t have to spend the night out there but you can spend most of the night doing some of the above activities. Give yourself a getaway that’s not really away. Work together putting the tent up and gathering the essentials you will need for your evening.

8. Break a Guinness World Record

   I got this idea from The Bachelorette (remember Tayshia and Ivan?). Pick a world record and plan to beat it. There are so many great ideas on the Guinness World Record website, like: most socks sorted in 30 seconds, longest habanero pepper kiss, or the fastest time to assemble Mr. Potato Head blindfolded.

9. Take-out by candle light

   Make ordering out more fun by creating a restaurant-like dining experience at home. Bring out the fancy dishes, take the food out of the styrofoam containers, and light some candles. Set the table like the queen is coming over. AND THEN…dress up!

10. Tasting/Pairings Party

    Create your own charcuterie board. Fill it with different styles of cheeses, meats and nuts. Pick out 3-6 different type of wine, beer or whiskey. Do the same with chocolates or your favorite candies. If you want to go another route, pick out 3 different smoothie recipes to sample to find your perfect blend!

11. Travel-Themed Night

    Plan a date around a country. You might not be able to travel right now, but you can pretend! Decorate your space to reflect that culture. Pick recipes to make together with your partner. Don’t forget to play music from that country to fully enjoy the experience. Ideas: Italy, India, Greece, the Caribbean, France, South America, or German (my husband’s favorite).

12. DIY Wine & Paint Night

    I love going to wine & paint nights but they can be pricey. You can plan an inexpensive date night at home by getting inexpensive canvases, paints, and brushes. Then find a painting tutorial from YouTube. Don’t forget your wine or yummy mocktail!

13. Make A Dream Board Together

    Discussing your dreams with your partner is a valuable practice. It keeps you moving forward together, gives you something to strive toward and it helps you two stay connected. Creating a dream board, helps put those dreams on paper. It’s a visual for you both to refer back to when days are hard or when dreams feel so out of reach. You can do this in several different ways but we like to start with writing a list on paper. We like working in reverse. What do we want our lives to look like in 10 years, 5 years, 2 years, 1 year, 6 months and then 3 months. If things feel stagnant, be intentional about sharing your dreams.

14. Play Video Games Together

    I am TERRIBLE at playing game consoles but since I’m very competitive, I’m always willing to try. We have a Wii that is covered in dust but with games that we both enjoy playing. Spend an evening in friendly competition playing a video game together. You might be surprised by how much you two laugh and de-stress.

15. Couples Questions Game/ Newlywed Game

    I’ve always joked that Ryan and I would fail at playing the Newlywed Game. Well here is our chance to see how well we know each other. We’ve been together over a decade but we’ve evolved a lot since 2009. You can find questions to play your own game here. Another option is to play a “couples question” game as a way to facilitate more fun conversations together.

I challenge you to try ALL 15 of these dates. Make your date nights a weekly NON-NEGOTIABLE. You will be blown away by how much closer you two will become once you start setting aside time together. If you take up my challenge, I want to hear from you: How did those 15 dates go? Do you have a favorite date that you found from my list? Share a comment for me to see and connect back.

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