While I was at Tanger shopping for my LWD (Little White Dress) last week, I picked up a few new pieces that I just couldn’t resist. My favorite “had to have it” romper from Express just so happens to be part of what our resident Fashionista and Tanger Style Team Member, Briana, calls the season’s most romantic trend – flirty ruffles.
Challenge accepted! I’m putting the romper and trend to the test and planning a long overdue date night with the hubby.
The chance to be kid-free for a night (or even a couple hours) is so enticing that sometimes it’s hard to know what to choose for your night out. We’ve all been here, right? Well, I’m going to share my personal date night tips and tricks to help you plan your evening.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Before you start planning, think about what you need at this very moment. Chances are one or both of you have said “I wish we could…” or “I’d love to…” at least once or twice in the past few weeks. Use that as inspiration for your date.
With two young kids in our house, we often eat dinner while tag-teaming the kids’ meals, bathtime and bedtime routines. The thing we want most right now is for someone to wait on us, prepare a delicious dinner and have a nice bottle (or two) of wine without having to refill sippy cups or having our toddler pick food off our plates and then put it back because it’s not to his liking.
Romantic dinner it is!
Take inventory of the things you and your husband want most and go for it. If it’s adventure, go on a day date and go hiking, zip-lining or some other fun excursion. If you can’t remember the last time you admired a piece of art or had a taste of culture, go to the theatre or the newest exhibit at the museum. There are also a lot of great outdoor festivals and concerts this time of year, so check your area’s local events calendar for ideas.
CHILDCARE
For all the new mommas reading, if you don’t have relatives close by or already have a go-to sitter, ask some of your neighbors for their resources. Chances are they can give you personal recommendations. When we selected our new sitter, I requested that she meet with us in advance so that we could talk with her and see her interact with the kids.
Leaving your babies with a stranger is not an easy thing for any mom, so make sure you build up a comfort level with your childcare provider first. It’ll make you less hesitant to leave them and encourage more date nights, which all of us need!
SPECIAL TOUCHES
Think about the special details that you can add to the date to really make it a great night for you BOTH. The restaurant that I chose for our date night offers wine from our favorite Napa vineyard that we toured on our honeymoon. I’m going to call ahead to reserve a bottle of wine for our table when I make the reservation.
If you choose adventure, pack a surprise for the waterfall at the end of your hike or find a nearby restaurant for a post-excursion celebratory drink. A little advance recon work and planning goes a long way and these little details also put the pressure on the hubs to step up his game the next time he plans an outing for the two of you.
GETTING READY
My ultimate tip when it comes to prepping for a night out is to make sure the babysitter is there an hour or two early so that you can get ready without an audience or pint-sized make-up artist trying to help. If you’re like me, you’re probably a pro at dressing with little people underfoot and it usually provides quality entertainment. But trust me, this will MAKE. YOUR. NIGHT.
It’s worth the extra hour’s pay to be able to waltz down the stairs frustration free and looking fab while the song from that scene in “She’s All That” plays in your head (or maybe that’s just in my head).
Just channel your inner Carrie Bradshaw from Sex In The City and you’ll be good to go!
Photo: Sex In The City
As a parent, it’s all too easy to let date nights take a back seat to our other responsibilities but we need them for our sanity…so choose something fun and make the most of your night out. Cheers!
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