When you think of summer, maybe you dream of an island getaway. White sandy beaches; crisp, clear water; bonfires and margaritas… But for many of us, it remains a dream. Maybe the timing isn’t right, or money is tight. But what about an indulgent staycation date instead? Even just for a night. 😉
The term staycation has been coming up more and more lately. It makes sense, right? Especially for us moms. When little ones are involved, a vacation can seem a bit more like a chore. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay in. But that doesn’t mean it has to be any less romantic!
This month, I had the pleasure of working with Date Night In Boxes, and the theme was “aloha“. I’m going to walk you through my aloha staycation date night, and also show you how you and your partner can have your own!
I received this box in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through my link, I may earn a tiny commission (at absolutely no extra cost to you)! Thanks for supporting this site! Learn more here.
Setting the Mood for your Staycation Date Night
Date Night In is so elaborate, they actually have invites you can print out for your partner. I love that they take care of every single detail. It makes date night so much easier!
Depending on your kids’ ages, you may want to leave them with Grandma, or just wait till they go to bed. Whatever you decide, it’ll be nice to have some one-on-one time with your husband!
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My biggest tip is to protect your date. Sure, you’re not actually sailing off into the Hawaiian sunset, but if you were, I’m sure you’d be very vigilant in soaking up every romantic moment. Treat your staycation date the same way!
Night In Boxes also provided a yummy scented candle this month. Go ahead and light a few of your own! The scent mixed with that soft flicker of the flame will be sure to put you in the right mood, if you know what I’m saying! 😉
Want more ideas?
- Tidy up before the date, it’s always easier to relax in a clean room, right?
- Grab your favorite blanket and some pillows, vacations should be cozy!
- Or you could easily take this date outside! Set up some tiki torches, wipe down the patio furniture, and enjoy!
- Turn on some relaxing, mellow music. Night in Boxes provides a playlist each month, but you could just turn on your favorite streaming app.
- Make sure your bedroom is also tidy, and the bed is freshly made (like a hotel!). Most dates end in the bedroom, am I right?
What to Eat for your Staycation
Honestly, the easier, the better! This month, Date Night In didn’t have a menu I’d enjoy, so I skipped it! In fact, on their website, they actually didn’t have a vegetarian option (but they did have a vegetarian option in the booklet we got) so I wasn’t planning on making the menu this month from the get-go.
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Since there’s a Hawaiian theme, you may want to see if you have a Hawaiian restaurant nearby. There’s one close to my parent’s house in Utah and they love it. If that’s not an option, eat whatever sounds good! And be sure to indulge in some dessert. A vacation (or staycation) isn’t complete without some sweet treats!
This month’s suggested menu:
- Margarita and coconut mojito (mixes included in the box)
- Honey lime fruit salad
- Pulled pork sandwiches with pineapple slaw
- Macadamia nut oatmeal cookies dipped in white chocolate
One thing that is kind of cheesy, but I actually enjoyed, is that they had a section this month called “Table Talk”. It had some conversation-starters and questions to ask your partner. I know that might sound silly. Before my son was born, if someone told me I’d need conversation-starters for date night, I’d have laughed them out of the building. Talking has never been hard for us.
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However, now that I’m a stay at home mom, it’s hard to resist the urge to talk about my son 24/7. Don’t get me wrong, we both love talking about our son. But it isn’t something that really sets the mood. It isn’t romantic.
So, when you’re eating dinner, try to talk about your relationship. The theme for the questions was about how you and your partner complement each other. A few of my favorite questions from the Table Talk section were:
How does your partner make you a better parent?
How does your partner enhance your confidence?
How does your partner improve your view of the world?
Staycation Date Night Activities
Lei it on Me
This first game they included was super cute and fun. In our boxes, we received fill-in-the-blank cards. Each person takes some cards and fills them in. The other person has to guess the correct answer. Underneath the question is a spot for you to write what you’d like your partner to do if they guess incorrectly.
Just like my very first Date Night In Box, this is great because you can scale it depending on how comfortable you are with each other, and how, er, frisky you’re feeling. You can keep things G-rated (“Do the dishes tonight”) or take it all the way to R (I’ll let you fill in your own blank there!).
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It was fun to come up with a mixture of “punishments” for each other to complete. And it was also a fun way to see how well we know each other.
A few of my favorite questions were:
- I love how you encourage me to…
- I love making … with you.
- I love that you are secretly…
Konane
Another thing I loved about this box is all of the history it included. We learned about the Hawaiian language and how to pronounce a few phrases. The Lei it on Me game provided some background on the lei, and the material used to make our lei.
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Konane is also rich in history. It’s similar to checkers and is an ancient Polynesian game. My husband loves strategy games, so this was a total keeper. They gave us a game board and pieces, and we had a blast. My husband (unsurprisingly) won.
Hula
Can you really have a Hawaiian-themed date without throwing in some hula dancing? The answer I’m looking for is no.
They provided a hula lesson for you to try out. We were definitely not in our comfort zone, so we ended our lesson early!
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Don’t get me wrong, hula is beautiful! I have a friend who does hula dancing and she is phenomenal. I’ve watched her performances and I think it is so lovely. It’s just not my jam!
Aloha Bingo
Don’t ask me what the relationship is between Hawaii and bingo, because I’m pretty sure there isn’t one. But, we played bingo anyway!
Each spot on the board had different questions related to our date night or to our marriage. I know for some people, the learning aspect of this date might not seem romantic, but I liked it. My husband wasn’t really interested in it, but hey! We still had fun.
Some of my favorite bingo squares were:
- Kiss (because who doesn’t like to kiss their special someone!)
- Create a bucket list. We came up with a summer bucket list of things we’d like to do before it gets cold!
- Ask me anything!
DIY Staycation Date Ideas
If you missed out on this month’s date, HURRY! You’re going to love next month’s. But if you still want your very own staycation date, I’ve come up with some more ideas.
Weekend Staycation
If you can spare a weekend, be a tourist in your town! I can pretty much promise you that there are some fun things within driving distance. It seems like the locals are always the ones missing out on their town’s hidden gems. Don’t let that be you, go explore!
Create a budget for your weekend, after all, you’re staying home in order to save money, right? Hitting up every hole-in-the-wall diner you can find is going to take its toll on your wallet. So, plan which meals you’d like to eat out, and which you’d rather eat at home.
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Indulge in some breakfast in bed with your partner. You may not have room service available, so this does mean more work for you and/or your partner. However, I think it’s totally worth it. I mean, when was the last time you had a yummy, decadent breakfast?
Consider going screen-free. It’s your staycation, so this is up to you. But I promise that making an effort to stay off your phones will really help you and your partner bond.
Create at least a loose itinerary. You probably don’t take aimless vacations, right? You most likely go in with a plan. Your staycation shouldn’t be any different! Plan out a few fun places you’d like to go and get out there!
Staycation Date Night
If you only have a night, make sure you plan ahead. You’ll want to soak up every second of your mini-staycation. Order dinner, or have something quick that you can whip up. Gather any items you’ll want. This could be candles, massage oils, movies, games, a few snacks, etc.
If I’ve learned anything by working with Night In Boxes, it’s that the key to an amazing night in is having everything you need at-the-ready. You don’t want to be scrambling to find things when you should be relaxing.
If you two drink, have everything you need ready to go for your midnight margarita (or drink of choice). If you don’t drink, consider making a virgin mixed drink or grabbing some sparkling cider. It’s important to indulge sometimes!
The best part about a date night in is really immersing yourself in the experience. Whether you two love watching movies together, playing games, or going for a moonlit walk; give it your full attention. Enjoy your partner’s company!
Tell me…
Have you and your partner ever had a staycation? How did you make it feel special? Be sure to head over to Night In Boxes to grab next month’s box. And, if you grab a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription, you can use code ONEFREE for a free box!
Psst… Here’s a sneak peak of next month’s theme! Click the image to grab yours!
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