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Holiday Date Ideas for Busy Parents

 

Amidst all the noise and fuss and CRAZY that is a modern Christmas, it’s super important to take a little while to decompress and de-stress with your spouse. I have gotten really good at severely limiting the obligations but it still gets a little nuts. Now we have older kids, so there are Christmas programs and rehearsals

December’s theme for date night nights for busy parents is holiday dates.

While someĀ ideas can be adapted to any time of year, others are decidedly holiday-oriented. Also, this went up a little later than normal but most ideas will still be good until New Years Eve. Plus, after all the compact family togetherness, we are usually ready for a date :).

For Free

If you are low on cash (because aren’t most people this time of year?), here are a few free ideas.

Christmas Lights

Go for a drive (or a walk) and take a look at some fun Christmas light displays. Pack a thermos of coffee, tea or hot chocolate from home to keep warm and make costs minimal. You could even give lights awards!

Christmas Tree

One of our favorite traditions is to sit in the light of the tree after everyone is asleep. Pour yourself a cup of decaf, tea or a hot toddy and snuggle near the tree. You could talk, play a game or whatever else you might enjoy doing together ;).

 

For Home

Because not everyone has the time, money or energy for date night out, I wanted to share two ideas for at home date nights over the Christmas holidays.

Christmas Movie Night

If you can’t get a sitter, a Christmas movie night is the perfect choice. Put the kids to bed early or set them up with their own movie & a popcorn in bed. Dating Divas has a fun Christmas Cuddle printable date package you can download. This is the perfect time to watch your favorite holiday flicks that aren’t appropriate for your kids or that they can’t stand!

New Years Eve Countdown

Right now, our kids are young and so we don’t have any New Years traditions. I would love to start an at-home New Years Eve date tradition! If you used to go out dancing, have yourselves a private party. Decorate & celebrate with the kids in the day. Then get glitzed up when they go to bed. Dance & drink some bubbly and start kissing at 11:59 & don’t stop until 12:01. Make it a perfect end to this year and a perfect start to next! If dancing isn’t your cup of tea, try a game night, or a tv show or movie marathon. We would do Lord of the Rings or Pirates of the Caribbean or maybe even Harry Potter. This post has great New Year’s Eve countdown ideas for kids AND adults. Just use the grown up stuff after kids are in bed.

For Fun

With these two fun date night ideas, you can do a little clearance gift shopping and plan for an awesome year.

12 Days of Christmas

Traditionally, the 12 Days of Christmas starts on 12/25 and runs through 1/5. Take your spouse on a date to find the best 12 days of Christmas clearance hunt. You could aim for your gifts to be applicable to the number, the part of the song (lords a’ leaping, for example), or even the hidden meanings of the 12 days of Christmas. Set a time or money limit & even check in every 10-15 minutes. Then give your gifts, one each day until you give them all!

New Years Retreat

If you have older kids & an awesome sitter/aunt/Godmother, maybe you could take a New Year’s retreat with your spouse. Go out for a night on the town on New Years Eve, spend the night at a hotel or B&B, and spend the next day coming up with your best year ever. Consider areas such as faith/charity/service, your marriage, parenting, work/life “balance,” social opportunities, budgeting, and big life wishes.

 

I hope that you may be able to use one of these Holiday date night ideas for busy parents this Christmas season.

Do you take dates during the busy holiday season?

Jen S.

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