Date Ideas for Spouses, Friends or Families
I wanted to find a permanent spot for these ideas and this whole concept. The feedback on the date ideas has been amazing and it lights me up to think about the fun and the memories that will come out of sharing these ideas.
For some background, back in 2016 my mom asked my partner and I what we wanted for Christmas. We were newly married, I just started a new job, started my nutrition program and life was busy. We knew that date nights would be one of the things that got pushed aside in all of the calendar shuffles. We told her that we would love some date nights.
Being the incredible person that she is, she ended up planning an entire year of dates and put them individually into their own envelopes labelled with the appropriate month on them. We were to open that month’s date on the 1st of the month.
What an idea, right?
She has been doing this for us since 2017 and it’s been the best gift that we could ever get.
Some months the dates are sweet and simple. Other months include a road trip or a bit more planning. But all of them are thoughtful and intentional to make us stop our busy lives, spend time together, reconnect and remember what we love about each other.
Not just for spouses
The dates she put together were for us as a couple, but these could easily be replicated with a best friend or a group of friends. You could take your kid out on a date, or maybe even take one of your parents out for a new adventure.
No matter who you take, it’s the connection and the memories that really matter.
However, if you do have a spouse and it’s been months since you two have been on a real date (without kids), I highly encourage you to put something in the calendar, plan it, and follow through on it.
In any circumstance, you’ll be glad you did it.
DAte EXAMPLES
Get fun snacks and write out your bucket list
Order food from a country you want to visit and plan your dream vacation there
Go back to where you first met/had your first date/have a fun memory
Go on a wine or brewery tour
Get up early, grab a coffee and watch the sun rise
Double date to a local sports event
Road trip to St. Jacob's Market
Grab your favourite food, snacks, drinks and build a fort
Volunteer together
Skip dinner and go out for dessert
Go out somewhere or stay in and write out ten of your top memories from the year
Gingerbread house competition
Order food to do a date-night in and set up your favourite board games to play
Go on a picnic
Take personality quizzes together and compare
"Taste Test" - pick up the same food from 3 different locations and compare
Try a new cuisine that you’ve never had before
Sit down and write letters to someone you love -- it could be to your kids, your parents, a mentor, a friend or a stranger
Go for a morning walk in nature then go out for brunch
Find an outdoor patio/cafe/restaurant and people watch. Make up funny stories about the people passing by and make each other laugh
Sushi date (a personal fave of ours)
Enter a fun walk or race and set goals together
Each of you take $20 and go through the grocery store picking items your date would enjoy and don’t let them see what you pick! Choose a spot to enjoy a picnic with the items you bought
Plan a scavenger hunt together for someone else in your life
Have a pajama date - stay in comfies, pick your favourite movie, grab your favourite snacks, turn all the lights off and have a slumber party
Buy all the ingredients you need for a new recipe and make dinner together - something new and more elaborate than a regular family dinner
Are you feeling inspired?!
These are some seriously great date ideas and I bet you already have a smile on your face thinking about how much fun you could have!
your 2023 challenge
Alright, I’m all for good intentions, but I’m even more about action and accountability!
Grab your journal, a notepad, notes on your phone or your calendar and decide what date you want to try, and who you want to invite.
Start with one, lock it in, and then keep going.
Maybe this year a goal can be to go on three dates. Maybe you want to try for six, or maybe you’ll go for one a month. Either way, this is the perfect way to connect with the people in your life who mean so much to you. It’s the perfect way to focus on love and positivity, and the perfect way to spread some cheer.
If you feel up to it, I’d love to hear back from you if you do any of these dates.
I know how lucky I am to have these dates as a regular in my life, and how grateful I am for the connection it brings to my marriage.
Happiness looks good on you, let’s go make some happy memories!
