We got these new pans a couple weeks ago and they are oven safe up to 500° so it’s really easy to just prep and stick right in the oven.

How amazing is this built-in strainer!

When you realize you don’t have a brush to brush olive oil onto your bread you improvise with tomatoes lol!

 

DETAILS: WHITE TEE | CALVIN KLEIN JOGGERS

COOKWARE: LAGOSTINA COOKWARE SET| OBSESSED WITH THIS COPPER SET

RECIPES: BRUSCHETTA | ITALIAN CHICKEN AND VEGGIE DINNER

Hey guys! I’ve talked about it before but having alone time with your significant other is so important. Make time for it! Especially once you have kids, that time together is so important because life gets way more chaotic the older they get!

I’ve gotten a lot of a comments and emails from you guys about date ideas when you are on a budget, or when you have kids at home and can’t always get a sitter. So I wanted to put a list together of some fun ways to spend a romantic night in:

1. Try something new. For us it’s cooking. We are both not the best cooks. When you can’t rely on your cooking skills, you for sure need to invest in good cookware so we just got this Lagostina set. It’s comical because we are such beginners we were making this Italian chicken dish the other night and we literally had to google how to crush garlic because we weren’t sure if there was a specific technique or what?! (so embarrassing!) We got halfway through and realized we didn’t have a brush for the olive oil and bruschetta, and improvised with garlic cloves and tomatoes to spread the olive oil across the bread.  Honestly I feel like it’s those moments that make an experience more memorable. Having everything come easy and run smoothly is boring, it’s the funny mishaps that are memorable! We’ve also had those times when we plan to stay in for a romantic night and the kids just don’t stay occupied (or asleep if it’s their bedtime) – you can incorporate them and have them act as servers or put them on clean up duty so they get to participate. The Lagostina pots is dishwasher safe so it makes clean-up easy.
2. Youtube dance lessons. You can take this as silly or as seriously as you want to, but either way sounds like so much fun!
3. Make your own board game. Cody does this with the kids all the time but it works great for adults too! Pick up a game from the dollar store (we picked up a travel sized Chutes & Ladders last time) and grab some small pieces of paper (we use old business cards) to make funny ‘chance’ cards. Every time you land on an odd number, for example, you have to draw a chance card which might have something funny or a chore, etc. For date night at home, your chance cards could be anything from giving a 5 minute massage to a 2-second make-out, etc. (You can make it as PG or non-PG as you want 🙂
4. Have a cook-off! Whether it’s a full meal or just dessert, pick a couple recipes and see who can make it better or invite some of your couple friends over for a cook-off! You might need to recruit some unbiased judges, which is another fun way to involve the kids if they won’t stay in bed ;).
5. Build a fort & binge-watch a new show.  Cody is a master for builder! We love to string lights around our forts and make it overflowing with pillows and cozy blankets. We love finding new shots, and one of our favorites is The Night Of. It’s a little dark at some parts, but it’s really good! We watched 5 episodes in one night. For a laugh, we love King of Queens. It’s an old school classic, but the way they jokingly argue kind of reminds me and Cody of the way we banter so it’s a good, easy show to watch.
6. Blind taste test.  You can either pick up some fun treats at the store that you think will stump each other or have fun quizzing each other on ingredients you already have at home.
7. Bubble Bath and Your Favorite Playlist.  Baths are one of the best ways to relax! You can make it extra romantic by making a playlist with some of your favorite songs from your relationship. You can also stick a bath bomb in your S/O’s bag when they leave in the morning with a note that says “Bubble Bath: you & me – tonight.” or think of other ways to build it up for them.

What are some of you favorite ways to spend a date night at home?

XX, Christine

*In collaboration with Macy’s and ShopStyle.