If we aren’t wearing leggings, I don’t want to be there. Who’s with me? This Valentine’s Day, I think a lot of us are going to be staying in, and that is honestly fine by me. But that doesn’t mean we can’t plan something special and get ourselves all cute.
Even before Covid, Mr. G. and I have always been on board with the at home date night. No babysitter needed, budget friendly, and the bedroom is right down the hall for when it’s time to wrap things up… But sometimes it can feel a little boring or monotonous to order takeout and pick a movie or board game together. How much different is it than your typical Tuesday?
I shared 40 Ways to Spice Up Your Relationship last week but wanted to give some great date night ideas to go along with it, along with a little outfit inspiration. You might need a little bit of pre-planning to make these date nights happen, but they are all super easy and so much fun!
If you are sick of being the one to plan a romantic night in (or out!), send this post to your partner and say you’d like to do one thing from this list for Valentine’s Day! Taking turns planning your dates makes it all the more special, and you might be surprised what they come up with all on their own.
These ideas are a little more effort than game night and aren’t all free, but the day of love is a special occasion that we can go all out for.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details. Photos were taken January 2020.
AT HOME DATE IDEA #1
This is our own plan for Valentine’s Day! There are so many great online cooking courses now available. From chefs who have pivoted since Covid to culinary schools opening up virtual learning to anyone, there is a class for every cuisine and every level. Sur La Table is hosting live classes right now, and online schools like Udemy and Outschool offer both affordable, live, and prerecorded options. Just search for the type of class you are looking for, and I’m pretty sure you will be able to find the perfect option!
Choose something together, or make it a surprise for your partner. Do grocery delivery, pick up a fun bottle of wine, or maybe even do a mixologist course instead of food! Make sure you have all the tools you need for your class, like a bamboo mat if you are doing sushi.
AT HOME DATE IDEA #2
Let’s do Fondue! Who doesn’t love cheese and chocolate? Sorry to all my dairy-free peeps out there, but a classic fondue is a supreme date night in. You can make it super cozy and romantic with candles, a great jazz playlist, and a beautiful table.
I have been wanting a fondue pot for ages, and went ahead and grabbed this one from Amazon for a future date night idea. But there are plenty of easy recipes out there that don’t require much special equipment or master chef skills, like this gorgeous fondue board from The Baker Mama.
And if you aren’t feeling very fancy, you can always do a Beer Cheese Fondue, like Jessica Merchant smothered these fries in.
QUICK FONDUE RECIPES
- GOAT CHEESE AND FRIED SAGE FONDUE
- CLASSIC SWISS CHEESE FONDUE
- SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE FONDUE
- FLAMING TURTLE CHOCOLATE FONDUE
- ISNTANT POT CHOCOLATE FONDUE
- PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE FONDUE
AT HOME DATE IDEA #3
Remember when everyone was having paint parties? You can still do that at home! There are plenty of places that are doing online classes like The Paint Bar, but you can also search for a local studio that might be offering a Valentine’s special for an online class.
But if virtual learning isn’t really your thing, you could totally hit up Michael’s for supplies and DIY it. Paint by number, follow along with a Bob Ross video on Netflix, or give painting portraits of each other a go. Make it a friendly, sexy competition, and whoever wins gets the upper hand in calling the shots later!
AT HOME DATE IDEA #4
If you really just want to have a fun and sexy night, you could totally do an at-home spa night. Make it fun with a no sex rule till all of your “treatments” have been completed. Make some fancy spa water or chill a bottle of champagne. And don’t forget the strawberries!
Start out with a full-body scrub for two in the shower. This is hands down my favorite body scrub. It smells incredible and leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated, but not greasy.
Grab yourselves matching robes before hand, and wrap yourselves up. Instead of a messy charcoal mask, go for an easy clean up sheet mask like this Burt’s Bees Hydrating Mask.
Take turns giving each other massages, and be sure to chat all the way through it. I love these 100 Intimate Questions for Couples if you need to get away from talking about the kids and work.
AT HOME DATE IDEA #5
An at home game night is always fun, but take it up a notch with doing a murder mystery! I have heard so many great things about this particular murder mystery from Etsy! It’s a digital download that was made for just two people to play. You don’t even have to print it if you don’t want!
Get yourselves dressed up into your characters and meet at “8:00” to get to work on the case. Bring wine, snacks, and all of your acting skills to take it over the top. I will definitely be adding this one to my date night roster for the future!