Temperatures are finally cooling off a couple degrees in the evening here in Texas, and I couldn’t be more excited! One thing Rick and I agreed upon before getting married is making sure a date night happens for us at least once a month, if not more! It’s easy to go out for date night and spend money, but with the weather cooling off, why not enjoy date night at-home and outdoors? Today, I’m sharing three tips for an outdoor stay-at-home date night.
Don’t get me wrong, we love going out and trying new restaurants, bars or catching a movie or concert for date night, but sometimes those type of date nights can add up quickly! Granted we’ve only been married for a 1.5 years (you can see some snippets from our wedding in this post), but we have over 6 years together under our belt, so I’d say we have some experience, right? Sometimes date night at home can be just as gratifying as those out.
Some at-home date night ideas include: a Netflix binge, whipping up a cooked meal together or even your own game night. We haven’t been able to enjoy the outdoors (thanks mosquitoes) since basically early May, so we’re jumping back on the outdoor stay-at-home date night situation asap!
There are plenty of things that go into making an at-home date night special and one worthy of repeating, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top three tips for an outdoor stay-at-home date night below. 
ONE // Have a plan
To make sure your stay-at-home date night goes well, discuss a plan with your hubby or significant other prior to the actual date night. Especially if you need to pick up some things from the grocery store or make sure your the grill propane tank is filled, planning ahead, or at least simply discussing your stay-at-home date night plan eases the possibility of something going wrong or messing up your plans! 
TWO // Turn on your listening ears
One of the most important aspects of date night for me is when Rick and I have a chance to talk to each other and/or listen to what the other has to say. With that being said, sometimes when we go out to restaurants it can be too loud, or if we go to a movie, we obviously can’t talk! So with an outdoor stay-at-home date night, we can set the mood, the environment and more to be conducive to talking or listening and having deeper conversations than just the regular small talk. Some of the best and most memorable conversations Rick and I have ever had, have come from date nights together. 
THREE // Have a treat that you’ll both enjoy
Whether you call yourself a sweet or savory person, or perhaps your indulgence is a glass of wine or a cold mug of beer, date night is that much more fun when you have a treat you both can enjoy. I love a good glass of red wine, as well as the indulgence of a bowl of ice cream or a tasty cookie. Rick loves a mixed cocktail or lately he’s had a new found love for a cold Stella Artois beer. It’s such a crisp and refreshing beer that is light enough to pair with food, such as our favorite steaks or burgers on the grill, but also tasty, too!
Of course these are just three tips, I know there are definitely more that I could share. But when we plan an outdoor stay-at-home date night around here, we like to keep these three tricks on mind to make sure our date night is fun and effortless! Tell me, do you have any at-home date night tips or ideas? Share with me in the comments below!
