Favorite/Easy Family Dates: Pizza/Movie/Camping

One of our favorite things to do on a Friday night with our family, is order pizza and watch a movie together.  It's so fun to just relax and share time cuddling with our kids on the couch!  Sometimes we do this once a month or even longer in between, so it's super special when we get pizza and redbox a movie!

link for picture here

Another great family date, great for the summer, is to set up your tent in the back yard and camp out! Do everything you would do for regular camping, so roast up hot dogs over a fire pit or bbq, make smores, play outside and look for crazy nature bugs, bring out the hot chocolate at night by the campfire (if you have a pit), bring playing cards and board games in the tent along with stories, and don't forget your flashlights!  I have heard of great success from other families doing this, we tend to only make it out in the tent for a couple of hours and then move everyone back in the house because some of our kids a just too young, but it's another summer and the kids are a little older, so we will try again!  At least we always have fun, up until bedtime!

 link for tent picture here

  

A third option is to combine the two plans into one, which we have done with great success!  We set up our tent in the family room, set out the sleeping bags, ordered pizza, and rented a movie.  The kids thought it was so fun eating pizza in the tent while watching "Smurfs" as a family!  Then we put the younger kids (and ourselves) to bed, and let the older kids sleep in the tent all night inside! Perfect combo.

What variations do you do with movie night, or camping with your family?  What are some of your other favorite family dates?

Happy loving,

Rachelle

Presenting dates for a YEAR!

With Father's Day coming up, I wanted to share a couple of ideas for gifts that you could give your husband if you want to give him something a little creative and memorable.  (They are both alike, and yet have there own unique qualities, so check them both out) This first idea, I did year ago, on Valentines Day, when I enrolled my husband in "The Date of the Month Club".  It was his favorite gift -to this day- and filled with many memories for the both of us.  I found this idea on the Love Actually blog and switched a few things around and made my own homemade version.  Below is a picture from Love Actually that shows you can purchase your own personal digital version from them, to take out a lot more work on your part.  It's only $20 bucks to buy the personalized version, but then you have to print out everything still.

The idea is to enroll your husband in the Date of the Month Club, which means he will receive:

*One creative date (set up by you) per month for a year

*Two vacation getaways within the year (homemade or real getaway destinations-whatever your budget allows)

*Coupon tickets to use anytime throughout the year (examples: breakfast in bed, massages, make his favorite dessert)

*A bag of Hershey kisses, redeemable for the real thing!

So you would choose 12 date options for the year (making sure that at least half are things your spouse likes to do) and then a separate paper with all the months in the year, and he gets to pick which date he wants for each month.  Also come up with coupons your husband will enjoy using.  This is a great way to ensure that you have dates (bonus for you) and gets your husband excited and anticipating dates.  Plus he'll just feel so loved that you put all this effort and thought into him!

Personally, some of things I did in my homemade Date of the Month Kit for my husband were the following:

*Presented the kit in a photo book, and put our picture on the front of it

*Slipped a congratulations letter in the photo slots about how he had been enrolled in the club and explained what to do and what was included in it.(above)

*Some dates I chose were: Pizzeria night, Bowling Date, Game Night, Chinese Date, Tickets to entertainment at the college campus, Spa Night, Chef's delight, Golf Day, Wild West Night, Envelope Date, Trip to the Theater.  Many of these dates can be found on the Love Actually Blog, and others are just things we like to do.

*I included the Hershey kisses, which I enjoyed eating when they were redeemed.

*I included 16 coupons like the examples above.

*I didn't include vacation getaways this time.

*In the rest of the photo book I would put pictures of us on all our dates so that we could always remember the fun time we had.  Sometimes I'd put ticket stubs or invitations that I made for him too.

I just found another awesome idea like this on The Dating Divas blog, in which they were featuring one of their readers who came up this idea of "The Passport to Love" (picture below). They have great printables if you go to their link, and detailed instructions on how to put this gift together.  

The idea is the same, to provide one date a month for the next year, but this time, "traveling" to different locations around the world.  Her ideas for making each location in your own home are amazing and sound fun, and easy! Check it out, it's worth it!  I'm going to have to use this idea sometime soon!  Hope you enjoyed these gifts ideas!

Happy loving, 

Rachelle

Chinese Date Night

 Any night is a great night with Chinese food right!?  A couple of weeks ago I prepared this Chinese Date for my husband and myself, inspiration coming from the Love Actually blog, and it was great! Fantastic food and cultural entertainment make this date really special!

Prep:

No using table and chairs for this date, bring it to the floor on a rug or mat if you can find one.  Find any and all oriental decor to set the mood for dinner, focusing on red, gold, and black colors.  I found bamboo place mats at Walmart, red napkins and red plate at the Dollar Store, free chopsticks at our local Mandarin Restaurant, and red candles and Chinese decor at Family Dollar.  It is really fun setting up this date and what's even better is that you don't have to spend much money!  Discount stores have plenty of decorating options.

Food:

You can definitely try your hand at cooking your own Chinese cuisine (we used Schwan's frozen food - I love their chicken egg rolls!) or you can make it easier on yourself and just order take out!  Eating together with chopsticks is a must for this date!  And, don't forget fortune cookies,  maybe slipping in your own creative fortune in it to see how the night will turn out!

Entertainment:

After dinner, we watched Kung Fu Panda 2, but any movie set in China would work perfectly, there are tons of options!  After dark it would be so romantic to light a Chinese Wish Lantern and watch it float up in the night sky!  I purchased (here) and surprised my husband with a Wish Lantern for us, but it's pretty windy where we live, and we decided to wait until winter to light it (when there is snow on the ground), since we live by many fields and trees.  Basically it's best to light one up in a huge concrete or dirt area, just in case, so it doesn't start a fire if the wind knocks it over or it malfunctions.  But I hear people do it for weddings and special occasions and I imagine it's beautiful! We are just extra cautious!  Anyway, have fun re-creating this unique date!

 (please use responsibly, and check your local laws regarding the use of these lanterns)

Happy loving,
Rachelle

Big Fish Games

Big Fish Games has a lot of computer games that you can download within minutes for cheaper than it would be in the store.  I think games are fun to do for date nights, and my husband and I especially like to do a couple of mystery games together throughout the year.  They have medium to hard puzzles and outside the box thinking is required.  (We always choose the "no hint" option to make it challenging)  Plus depending on how much you play it, it takes several weekend nights to solve and for $7.00- 10.00 it gives you plenty to do for a few dates.


 ***These games can be addicting, but I recommend saving it for dates, or at least on the weekends so that you can get the bills paid and laundry done still during the week! :) 


If you are a first timer with these games, you can use the promo code NEW299 (currently going on), and buy your first game for $2.99! (They also have a daily deal for $2.99 everyday)  What a deal!   They also allow you to try any game for one hour to see if you like it.  Sometimes we just download the free trial, so that we for sure stop after one hour and go to bed on time!  Hope you enjoy exploring this site too!  Have you already played big fish games? Do you have any games that you would recommend?

Happy loving,
Rachelle

• Puzzle
• Hidden Object
• Time Management
• Adventure
• Match 3
• Large File
• Strategy
• Marble Popper
• Arcade & Action
• Word
• Mahjong
• Card & Board
• Brain Teaser
• Family

Today's New Releases

Western Date Night

Some of you may remember me posting this date on my family blog about year ago.  I was 8 months pregnant then, and this was the first at home, themed date we ever tried.  It was so much fun, and I've been hooked on themed dates ever since!  This post definitely belongs on this blog so I'm re-posting it over here.  Seriously, you've got to try this date!

This date was a fun break from always going to see a movie or going out to eat.  I had a blast preparing for it and we just put the kids to bed so we didn't have to pay for a babysitter!  I spent only $20.00 for it and the biggest purchase was the photo paper I wanted to buy.  Have to give credit for this creative idea: go tohttp://loveactually-blog.blogspot.com/ for this and more ideas.

(again, I'd recommend for married couples)

So first we got dressed up all westerny and took our western photo shoot.  You know how at Knott's Berry Farm and other places you can dress up and take an old fashioned photo like your from the old west?  I always wanted to do that so this is our home-made rendition.

I'm posed next to my wanted poster.  The hats I purchased from D.I. and I was wearing the best outfit I had for the night, a blouse, skirt and boots.  These are just a few the shots we took.

 Dan next to his "wanted" poster.  He looks a little wary with his first western photo shoot, but soon gets into it. :)  It's cheesy, right?!

Dan likes using photo shop, so right after we changed the pics to old western brown colors and printed some out for keepsakes!

And then we framed our favorites for a good laugh to always remember this off beat date together.  These frames were purchased from the dollar store.  I don't decorate my house in western style, so I call these bathroom worthy and have them set up in our bathroom.  I do chuckle every time I see them.

 And what's a good ole western time unless you play a little poker, playing for keeps with homemade poker chips.

Lastly, we visited the Wild West Saloon and Theatre where we snacked on rootbeer, chips, and dips and watched a western, Shanghai Noon, with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, pretty awesome!  So what can I say, it was definitely different and fun, you might want to try it out!  Go to the blog above for a few more ideas and details for this date and others! 

Happy loving, 

Rachelle

Family Zoo Date

I originally saw this idea posted on the Love Actually blog you can check out here, and I've also made some tweeks when I did it with my family.  In the winter time our zoo is not open, so we had a fun time bringing a zoo filled evening to our house!

First, we colored zoo animal coloring pages:
                           

(zoo coloring pages, animal coloring pages)

Second, we watched funny and cute animal clips on you tube. These can get you started: smart bird, baby pandas, elephant slipping.

If we had time, we would have gone to this site where they have information videos that teach you facts about the animals at the San Diego zoo.

Lastly, we watched a movie, The Zoo Keeper, as a family and really enjoyed it.
Other movie ideas:
Madagascar 1 or 2. ( I love the second one!)
The Wild

 We also had "zoo snacks" to munch on during the movie.  We had animal crackers, gummy bears, and peanuts. The kids thought that it was an amazing night and it's so nice to do special dates as a whole family every once in a while!  Try this out soon with your family!

Happy loving,
Rachelle

Ultimate March Madness Date

I cannot wait to have this date with my husband next week when the March Madness games begin!  If you already watch sports games with your husband, he thinks you are cool, but if you add in the details for this date he will think you AWESOME!  (My husband is going to think I'm really awesome, since I don't normally sit and watch sport games with him on TV.)

Preparations:
1. Ask your husband which game he is most excited about during March Madness which he wants you to watch with him.  Tell him you two will have a date watching that game together. (He will love that alone!)

2.  Find appropriate attire.  If  two you have sports jerseys you could wear that for the date, or you could make your own March Madness shirts to wear like I did.

I bought Fabric Transfer paper and printed designs on them, then ironed it on the shirts.  Transfer paper is $8.50 at Walmart for 6 sheets.  Below is to show the free designs we created for you to use.

 

Here are the links to the free designs: Blue option, Purple option, Orange option, Pink option. (**NOTE: They are all ready to print and will show up mirrored, so that when you iron them on the shirt they will read correctly.)  Just make sure to print with the best quality your printer can do.

3.  Gather some yummy concession snacks to eat throughout the game (soda, nachos, candy) and make him "pay" for the food with kisses, compliments, flexed muscles, and whatever else you like.  Throw in as many decorations as you would like to create the game atmosphere.

4. After the game is over, play your own one-on-one game of "Around the World".  You can find directions of how to play here.  You probably have, or could buy those little nerf hoop and ball sets (which men still love because it's nostalgic from their childhood) that hang over the door.  I bought mine off of Amazon.com because ours broke over the years. 

Before the date, print off and cut out these game prize cards, and you and your spouse can fill out what prize you get if you are the winner of your "Around the World" game! (Example: massage, foot rub, ice cream run) Also, remember that the original format of the prize cards will correct itself when you download.

5. Optional:  If you would like, you could say that each time your team makes a shot, you kiss each other.  If you are rooting for different teams that's a whole lot of love!  But get into the game and pay attention to it the whole time!  Your husband will love having you cheer and get just as into the game as he does!  This date is sure to score points with your loved one!

Happy loving,
Rachelle

Pot o' Gold ~Date

With March settling in, it got me thinking about Saint Patrick's Day!  If you are wanting to celebrate a little differently this year try this Pot o' Gold date...a hunt to find your leprechaun gold at the end of the rainbow (with surprises along the way)!

This is how it works.  Each clue that you give your spouse will lead them to a location in your house, and they will find a little holiday surprise along with the next clue.  At the end of the hunt, you two can enjoy the pot of gold (popcorn and other treats) you found, and watch the movie, "Fools Gold", with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.

 Preparations:
1. Get some type of leprechaun attire for the two of you to hunt for your gold in.  The Dollar Tree has awesome hats and you can find lots of other cool items in just about any store right now.

2.  Print out the date invite and clue#1, clue#2 and clue#3, clue#4 and clue#5, and clue#6.  (Click File, download, and  print)  Remember, the font and text spacing will correct itself once you download.  I'm new at this, and working out the kinks.  Below is the example of the invite for your spouse.

4. Next you will need to put the clues where they go, along with a little surprise with each one.  After giving your spouse the invite, hand him/her clue#1 which will lead to the pantry.  The surprise in the pantry could be this cute jar filled with gold coins, miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, or Hershey's gold nuggets.  Found this idea here.

 

Clue #2 should also be in the pantry and it will lead you to your spouse's shoes which you could fill like this:

(idea from Love Actually)

Clue#3 then leads you to the car, where they might find a bag full of Rolos waiting for them.

(Idea from Love Actually)

Clue#4 leads to the refrigerator which could contain "Irish Pub Mugs", and Root Beer or Cream Soda.  I found these glasses at the dollar store just a few days ago and my husband thinks they are awesome!

Clue#5 leads to the microwave which should contain your popcorn, I mean pot o' gold!  And clue#6 leads you to the couch to watch your movie with all your snacks!

A couple other ideas for surprises you could use on this date:

Lucky Hubby Card

Leprechaun Kisses

(found at loveactually-blog.blogspot.com)

If you want a cheaper route, you could just leave a few Rolos or Reese's at each location with the next clue.  Or you could give clover coupons and write down on a clover what the coupon is good for!

Happy loving,

Rachelle

Elegance in White.~Date

For Elegance in White, it's all about the mood.  You will be sharing delicious white treats in a breathtaking white atmosphere.  This date is one that you can do at home when the kids are in bed, if you don't have much time, or if you want to tack it on at the end of another date when you get home.  This also might be good for your anniversary, as white can reflect memories of your wedding. 

Preparations/decor:  The idea is to set up a location in your house before hand with white luxurious sourroundings.  Some ideas include: white candles (putting them on mirror candleholders creates a very romantic effect), white rose petals, sheer white curtains, white table cloth, white canopy (if your location is the bedroom), white flowers, pillows, ribbon, and/or gather any white decor you already have in the house as well!  If you go to the dollar store or Walmart and look in the wedding section you'll find these and other great white decor ideas for cheap.  Black and white photos of you and your spouse would be beautiful too!  Below is a vision picture of what you could create that I found on pinterest.  If you follow me on pinterest, I've collected some more beautiful decor ideas for this date there.

(original link for this picture here )

Preparations/food:  Then, you'll want to prepare or buy white lavish food such as cheesecake, white chocolate, white truffles, white cake (re-inventing your wedding cake), white chocolate covered oreos, sugar cookies, lemon bars with powder sugar on top, powdered doughnuts, and/or double berry cheesecake ice cream (Albertson's brand) for the date.  If you really love white chocolate and have a chocolate fountain, you could get an assortment of food to dip into the flowing chocolate too.  Also, I recomend getting sparkling cider or another variety that they have (I used sparkling cranberry), and serving it in glass champagne glasses for your beverage.
Make sure you have on white attire as well.

(Ignore the bites already taken out of the cheesecake!)

Yummy Recipes:
Oreo Truffles (except using white chocolate coating)
Mini Cheesecakes
Creamy Lemon Bars

Be sure to download one of these special invitation options: invite#1, invite#2, invite#3  Once you download the font will change to a pretty cursive.  For some reason these invites didn't keep the original cursive font when I uploaded them.
 (Click on file, click download original, enter in specific info, print)

Set all these things up prior to the date so when the time comes, you can savor and enjoy Elegance in White with your loved one for a complete luxurious experience!

Happy loving,
Rachelle

OOOh baby you know what I like!!!-Date

***NEW GROUP AND SPOUSE INVITATIONS ADDED TO AT THE BOTTOM (available to download)

Wow, my husband is so clever.  He came up with this catchy date name, and what can I say, I like it! You can  make this either a group date or a couple date depending on what you want.

This date is all about making choices for your spouse and is sure to spark conversation about what you already know about each other and what you still have to learn!

1.  Pick out the outfits.  Each person picks out what they think their spouse's favorite outfit is to wear on the date.
2. Go out for dinner and order for each other.  Choose everything for your spouse and vice versa, including drinks, meals, and desserts. (If you are out with a group (and have friends like mine), can you just imagine the conversations that will spring up about each other?)
3. Play the Newly Wed Game.  After dinner, return home and play this lively game with friends or as a couple.  This game is fun whether you are newly weds or been married for a while. Instructions:  Take turns asking either husband or wives  a question, and they have to predict what they think their spouse's answer would be.  And example question for husbands could be, "How many pairs of shoes does your wife own?".  A good way to keep track of this is to have both partners write down their answer on paper so they can't change it.  To find which questions you want to use, go to these helpful links here and here. If you are playing with a group, this can be really funny and you could pick up some gag gifts at the dollar store for the winners!  If you are playing as a couple, write down a service prize that your spouse can do for you if you win, or what you will do for them if they win (30 min. back massage, foot rub, husband makes dinner, day without changing diapers, etc).  Trust me, incentives make games more competitive and fun!
 Optional:
 I've learned that surprises make everything more fun on a date, so if you want, you could just tell your spouse that you have a date planned on Friday at 6pm and lay the details on him that night.  Also, going the extra effort to make invitations to give to your spouse or friends, starts anticipation for the date and that's sometimes half the fun...and makes the fun last longer around any memorable date.  Here are some free download invitations that we created.  (Group Date Invitation) (Spouse Invite) After clicking the link, go to file and then click download original.  From there you can add information for your date and print.

 So there it is, all through this date you have learned so much about your loved one, or proved you know them best and it can be a very enriching night!

If you try this, or have any additional ideas for this date, comment and let me know! 

Happy loving,
Rachelle