A Year of Date Nights

I don’t know if I’ve ever been as excited to give someone a gift as I as this year. In November, I saw an idea on Pinterest for “A Year of Date Nights,” which I thought would be a fun idea for my husband. As I started to put it together, I became more and more excited so I thought that I would share it here.

The idea behind this gift is as follows:

The binder includes twelve envelopes, one for each month of the year. Inside each sealed envelope is an idea for a date night and some props or accessories to go along with it. The couple opens one envelope at the beginning of the month and then picks a day that month to go on their date. When the year is complete, the couple can refill the envelopes with things for next year.

Rather than use a binder, I found a cute box at Office Depot that was just the right size and I decorated the front with my Cricut machine.

When you open the box, this is what you see:

Inside the box are twelve expanding file jackets, labeled for each month.

Inside each jacket are the “instructions” for the date and some simple supplies that are needed, all of which were found at the dollar store. I laminated all of the instruction sheets so that they may reused. I thought it would be a great idea at the end of the year to “regift” the date night box to another couple. When they are done, they can “regift it” as well, and so on and so on.

As an example, for February, the date is called “Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often.”

The instructions for this date state:

Laughter is the best medicine.

Start at home with your comedy prescriptions. Watch the sponge

capsules develop into little critters. You should each take three and think

about places you can hide them for your spouse to find later. I guarantee

it will bring a smile to your face.

Then off to the arcade or mall with your disguise kit!

Take your photos in the photo booth with your disguise on. Make two sets.

One for you and one to rip up and leave out for other to find.

Then off to the comedy club for jokes and drinks.

The date for August is called “Grow Up.”

The instructions for this date state:

Hang out like you did as a kid again!

Wake up on Saturday and watch Sat morning cartoons while eating your

favorite sugar laden childhood cereal.

Walk or bike to the gas station and buy a 44oz Slurpee or Freeze (2

straws) and head over to a nearby park.

While you’re there be completely childish. Have a bubble gum blowing

contest. Learn the rules of hop scotch and play it. Use the chalk to write

your initials on a tree or draw portraits of each other. Blow up the punch

balloons and see who can do the most punches super fast without

messing up.

Find a spot under a tree or behind the bushes and practice kissing with

flavored chapstick.

Here is where you can find all of the Date Night Instructions, which were taken directly from the original post where I found them (although I did add the Clip Art to each page). You may notice that there are 13 Date Nights. That is because one that was included, the “Vintage Romance” was the only one that I knew that we would never do…and I’m not even sure if they have horse-drawn carriage rides in downtown Minneapolis. So I had to create one of my own, called “Take a Hike!” Also, in the original post, you had to follow a bunch of links to compile some of the props for the date nights (such as the Mall Bingo game and various scavenger hunts). I compiled most of them into one document so if you are interested, let me know and I can send that to you to save you some work.

So what did my husband think of his gift? I think he liked it. I know that he loves the idea of a special date night once a month. And I think he’s receptive to trying fun, unusual things that we wouldn’t normally do for our dates. So I will keep you posted. Look for future blog posts on our “Year of Date Nights.”

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