Stay at Home Moms

In this two part series we will discuss ways to go on a date spending little to no money. 

Fun doesn’t have to mean “expensive”. Sure, it might limit some of the extravagant options, but there’s a whole world out there to explore. Creative brainstorming with your mate, a little resourcefulness, and the right attitude are all it takes to have fun on a shoestring! Consider some of the following ideas.

• Picnic at the park. Pack a tasty lunch and a bottle of wine if you’d like, and enjoy a lazy afternoon embraced by nature. Remember to bring a blanket, and keep the meal simple to avoid having to carry a lot of gear (Don’t forget the corkscrew, though!). If you picnic at a local forest preserve, you can enjoy hiking afterwards.

This is a wonderful way to spend an hour or two along with your partner, but it also doubles as a family function if necessary. Choose a location that offers both natural beauty as well as playground equipment. After lunch, enjoy adult conversation with your spouse while the kids play. It also works well for parents of infants, who don’t yet feel comfortable leaving the baby in another’s care.

• All-season star gazing – Stardate.org is a terrific website for non-technical people with an interest in heavenly events like moon phases, asteroid showers, planet visibility, and seasonal constellations. Visit the website or subscribe to the newsletter for up-to-date information on interesting phenomena.

Drive to the best viewing location in your area. You can watch the sky show from the warmth of the car, or bring a blanket in mild weather and lay beneath the stars. A thermos of hot chocolate and a snack will add to the fun. Laying side-by-side beneath the cosmos has a way of putting things in perspective, and the peace that permeates the sleeping world, accompanied by late-night sounds of crickets and the rustling wind, create a relaxing, romantic environment for the two of you to simply enjoy.

Since most astral events don’t occur when it’s convenient (or possible) to find a baby-sitter, some couples use this date idea with their children in tow. Little ones will likely fall asleep during the car ride to your viewing location, making it another way for the two of you to “be alone” even if you’re not.

• Backyard camp-out. Nothing is more relaxing for some couples than getting away from it all. You don’t have to wait for that long-planned vacation to escape together, though. Plan a camp-out in the backyard. Raise the tent, build a fire, and relax away from phones, televisions, and all your day-to-day distractions.

To make it more authentic, pack your food and beverages for the night (or weekend) in appropriate coolers and storage containers. Have a ready supply of firewood, because no camp-out is complete without the heady smell of wood smoke. Enjoy the sounds of the night and the dance of the bonfire, and then snuggle up together in a sleeping bag. There’s an added bonus, too. Unlike the real thing, this pseudo-camp-out does not require the use of an outhouse or public shower!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm and is filed under Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.