Love Birds Guide to Date Night On a Budget

In honor of Valentines Day during a recession I'm gonna share a few of our cheap, fun and even romantic date night idea's.

1.Intimate Italian Date Night: Recently we rented a cheesy romance movie, from Netflix, set in a vineyard. We had plans to watch it together one evening and as I planned dinner for that night I thought it would be fun to make a date night of it. I themed the dinner, Italian, and grabbed a bottle of wine. I made bruschetta (click here for my own special recipe) for an appetizer and timed dinner for him to come home to me cooking in my "Mrs. Budinsky" apron like a regular ole June Cleaver. I offered him the bruschetta as an appetizer and a glass of wine and as a finished up dinner. Then we gathered our plunder and headed upstairs and watched a cheeseball vineyard romance movie and ate our delicious homemade Italian food and sipped our wine (pretending to be very sophisticated). Sean loved it!( Ladies,Don't always leave it your dude to plan a date. I think it means so much to Sean when I make the effort to make something special for him.)

2.Ice, Ice Skating Baby:

STOP,collaborate and listen! Ok, I'm a child of the 90's I had to throw the Vanilla Ice reference in. It's just how my brain works, I think Ice and it's just all down here from there...

Moving on. We found that there is actually somewhere to Ice Skate in the Mid-South besides the Mall of Murder that no longer exists. Mid South Ice House in Olive Branch.

We have been a couple times. They have Open Skating most nights from 6-10 but that is subject to change so check the website It is $11 per adult for rentals and skating.

 Doing something active with your sweetheart is a great way to bond . 

Hold hands, laugh at yourself,pretend to be ice dancers, or Scoot around the wall if you have to, but try it! We have a blast ice skating.I Suggest eating a light dinner before and hitting up the steak and shake after for milkshakes and cheese fries. yum!

3.Cozy up in my cuddle-y coop:

Last weekend I was having a really rough day and was in bed crying and Sean went upstairs to the game room and built  a cuddly-coop for us by pushing the the couch and the loveseat together and laying several layers of blankets on top of them and a couple pillows.Then he went and got my favorite candies and Pei-Wei takeout (because I love "Chinese" takeout in the little white boxes like they always have in movies) and we had a movie marathon. I was so cheered up and absolutely loved it! if your not up for rearranging the furniture you can make a cuddly coop of blankets and pillows on the floor. This is definitely my favorite date night  in. I'm a snuggler, what can I say?

4. Skee Ball Tournament:

Putt Putt has a better game room but we usually go to chuck-e-cheese because it is closer. No, we are not to old for chuck-e-cheese! For about $12 you can get about 50 tokens. That is 25 games each! Or 20 bucks will buy you a total of 100 games! Not a bad deal for a some good ole fashion throw back fun. Challenge your spouse to a Skee Ball tournament or the moving basketball hoops game or whatever you like to play. Get excited or even competitive  about getting your tickets.When you have had enough fun, cash your tickets in and pick out something for each other at the prize counter.

5.Fireside Heart to Heart, and don't forget the chocolate!:

There is just something romantic about snugglin' up by a fire together. Ladies, Make some Cocoa or tea, or your cozy drink of choice. I like to leave the fire buildin' to my sweet little pyro expert man because he will get in roarin' in no time. Then grab your throw blankets cozy up, stare into the flames(there is just something mesmerizing about fire) and pour your heart out. 

Those are a few of our favorite kinds of things to do together. Making simple things special, having fun and laughing together, and just snugglin' up and gettin' our chatterbox on is romantic to me. What Special things do you like to do with your sweetheart?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

(click her for my own special recipe )