Date Night is always my favorite night!
Parenting is hard. Parenting with a child that has a disability is HARD. Finding time to reconnect with each other is vital and I can’t think of a better time to infuse some sweet, sunny, summer vibes into your date nights.
Summer time means longer days, living in sundresses and flip flops, and when it comes to you and your one-and-only, summertime means a ton of options for having fun together.
Check out these sweet ideas for summer dates that’ll keep the spark alive and your bond strong.
Go out for dessert (only!).
One fun date idea is to go out just for dessert! We will normally just eat a salad for dinner with some protein on top and then go out and order a flight of desserts.
His pick? Bananas Foster. Mine? Cheesecake!
It’s a fun (and cheap!) way to get the date night but not have to spend a fortune on appetizers, dinner, drinks, and dessert.
Play hooky together.
Schedule a day off together during the week. Sleep in, go to brunch, do a workout together, catch a matinee movie, and generally just enjoy spending some “secret” time together while everyone else is at work. Bonus–most places are less crowded during the week day!
Go to an outdoor concert.
I LOVE a good outdoor concert…..especially a country concert. Summer is a great time for outdoor concert events and sometimes, and this summer there are a lot of big names out on tour (looking at you Taylor!). If big crowds aren’t your jam, you can always check out low key local events in your area.
Plan a spa day at a local resort.
Go ahead and fake a mini honeymoon. Grab your bikini, straw bag, and flip flops and book a romantic spa day at a local resort. Most spas that are on resort properties offer a day pass so you have access to all of the amenities–gym, pool, hot tub, sauna, and more. Book a couples massage and spend the rest of the day relaxing and rejuvenating. You had me at cucumber water.
Do dinner on a patio.
Summer time is the perfect time to do dinner al fresco. Twinkling lights, a live band, maybe some specialty cocktails (or mocktails!) and you’ve got yourself a perfect date night. Adding the new element of an outdoor location makes this night even more memorable.
Go for ice cream at sunset.
For me, there’s nothing truly more magical than a long summer-sunset. There’s something about the sky exploding in bursts of orange, purple, red, and pink that does something good for my soul. So we try to take advantage of them while they’re still here and stop at a breath-taking viewing spot with to take it all in. Pro tip–on the way over, grab a sweet treat such as your favorite ice-cream or fro-yo to share.
Go drive through your dream neighborhood.
Grab your Starbucks drink of choice and cruise through your dream neighborhood. Soak up all the design and gardening inspiration for your future forever home–take pics to add to your Pinterest board too! Dream, manifest, and use the time to make plans to hit your goals on the way back home.
Hire a private chef.
Get the grandparents (or neighbors!) to watch the kids for the night and have the ultimate date night in the comfort of your own home. Get dressed up in fancy clothes and hire a private chef to come in and cook a delicious meal for you and your partner. We’ve found a lot of culinary schools have students that are eager for the practice–check them out to see if one of them wants to come “practice” and earn some extra money! Fair warning: this will lead to one of those, “I could get used to this” moments.
Go for a workout together.
Full transparency, I LOVE working out together with my guy. There is just something about setting a goal, cheering each other on, and having an accountability partner. Working out together strengthens our emotional bond–running at the same pace, lifting at the same repetition, passing a medicine ball back and forth creates a nonverbal matching that helps us feel emotionally attuned to each other.
Hit up a local food truck park.
We love a fancy dinner, but there’s no better time to get outside than during the warm summer months. There is a local place where food trucks congregate (many cities have these!) that we really like. They play live music on the weekend too which is super fun. We tend to grab something off the menu from each truck to share. This is a fun way to be a little adventurous and try something we probably haven’t had before and experience it with each other.
Peruse the farmer’s market.
Farmer’s markets are our jam. Access to unique local, organic, farm fresh produce is such a win–we stock up on local honeys, handmade pastas, fresh baked bread, and locally sourced veggies and then plan out a fancy dinner for later that night. Our last one consisted of pasta pomodoro with chicken and goat cheese with a berry trifle for dessert. Chef’s kiss!
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