5 Winter Date Night Ideas

Hey there, me here…again.

I know, I know. I should probably stop saying I’m back when I’m not. I feel like I’ve been lying to you guys and I’m not a liar. I swear. So here’s the quick “where’s waldo” of where I’ve been and thank you to those who have been concerned. I didn’t realize not posting on social media as much would make people wonder if I was ok? Gosh, you guys are so sweet and don’t worry I’m more than fine. Just enjoying life a little too much over here.

Any who. Here’s the quick breakdown because I don’t want to bore you with the details. I wish I had something super exciting to announce and some huge STAY TUNED but to be honest, I don’t. I’ve been hitting the pavement hard (I mean, REAL hard) with Bon Aprontit now (more to come on that in a later post). I got a new job (yippee)!. It’s been an incredible experience and quite a challenging one which is what I wanted. And lastly, I’ve been taking a step back to do things for myself. I realized over the holidays as I was watching my cousins sing karaoke on Christmas Eve at a 2am bar and having the time of my life, that I was having this weird self guilt that I wasn’t filming it and posting it on insta-story. Almost as if, oh my gosh if you’re not posting then you’re obviously not having fun kind of guilt, when in reality it was the complete opposite. I was having so much fun I didn’t want to not be in the moment. So lastly, I’ve been taking a step back and doing things for myself vs. for the perfect insta-worthy photo and trying to really live in the moment. This means less phone time when with people and less instagram scrolling and more podcasts and book reading.

But yup, that’s about it in a nutshell. Cranking out some major Bon Aprontit work and enjoying time doing things for myself and with friends and family.

Also, squeezing in some extra date nights and time with the husband. After the wedding, I was spending pretty much all my free time job hunting because if you haven’t tried for a new job lately, let me remind you: job hunting is basically a second full-time job. It’s crazy and in the midst of that my husband got a promotion (so proud!) and his hours changed to crazy early start times. I’m talking 3am shifts. So between me handing my resume out like fliers and him being a walking zombie while getting used to his new sleep routine, we were barely finding time to have dinner together at night. So once I landed my new job and he got in the groove of his new schedule, we were able to make time for date nights again and well let’s be honest…netflix binging nights too.

So grab the popcorn and blanket, I’m sharing my top Winter Date Night Ideas.

Winter Date Night Ideas

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Movie Night In. Steve and I are huge movie buffs. We have seen way too many recently to admit to but a move night in is probably our favorite winter date night. We conveniently live a few blocks from a movie theater, but love renting one on demand and watching it at home in our sweat pants with Rosie. Some of our recent favorites: A Star is Born, Crazy Rich Asians, Bohemian Rhapsody, About Time (oldie but super cute), Searching and Mary Poppins Returns. Also may have had a few Netflix binge sessions lately too. Favorite there include: Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (obsessed and want her entire wardrobe), You and Fyre Festival (super impressed by the marketing behind this).
Date Night Crawl. Since we both love cooking, when we go out to dinner we like to make a night of it so one of our favorite things to do is a date night crawl. We pick 3-4 places and get one or two dishes at each. Maybe an appetizer at one, drinks at another, main dish at a third and then cap the night with dessert and drinks at the last stop. It makes for a fun way to explore a new area and make the night last longer than a quick meal.
Black Tie Affair. If we could live in sweat pants and hoodies in the winter, we probably would so we always try to book something that gives an excuse to get all dressed up. We love going to events together and one of our favorite is the Junior Council Snowball gala that happens every winter. It’s a fun night out together and the perfect excuse to dress up for the night. The evening benefits the Pediatric and Adolescent HIV & AIDS Programs at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrenâ€™s Hospital of Chicago. To learn more and purchase tickets to this year’s gala, click here.
Get Outdoors. Although this is the time of the year, everyone typically avoids the outdoors there becomes a point where you can’t stay inside anymore. Some of Steve and I’s favorite outdoor winter dates are ice skating, walking around looking at christmas lights around the holidays, attending a game (doesn’t have to be pro, we sometimes go watch the grade school up the street play at the park. They’re entertaining when they’re that little), sitting around a fire and making smores, etc.
Stay Indoors. Another fun way to enjoy time together during the colder months is through indoor activities in your city. Local trivia nights, wine tastings, brewery tours, indoor rock climbing, volunteering at a local nonprofit (Ronald Mcdonald house is one of our favorites where you get to help cook meals for families staying at the house), check out a new museum, try a wine and painting class, cooking class, etc.

While we love a good date night, nothing beats a night in on the couch with our Rosie and a big bowl of popcorn. I recently picked up a bottle of the new Spice Islands truffle salt and I’m addicted. We always make fresh popcorn vs. microwave so love trying new seasonings on it!