I always tell my husband that one of the best gifts he can give me is the gift of a date night. Whether it's taking me out to do something special for the occasion or planning a date for the future and gifting me with all of the details, date night is one of best gifts that my husband can give me for any occasion. And now that I'm thinking about it, I've loved getting date nights from other people in my life as well. One Christmas my mom got us tickets to a musical that I wanted to go see and said that she'd come over and babysit our kids while we went out. The show was three months away, but it was one of the presents that I was most excited about. I've also been known to gift date nights to other people in the form of gift cards and offering to take their kids for the evening. Maybe it's because quality time is my love language or maybe it's because every one deserves a date night, to enjoy something that they love with the one they love the most.
With Mother's Day coming up, I wanted to give you some simple ideas for treating your significant other or your mom to a date night that spoils them and thanks them for everything that they've done for you and your children. I'm a firm believer that even if you don't have kids yet, you can celebrate the woman who will be the mom of your future children. The first four years of our marriage, we celebrated "Future" Mother's and Father's Day in our home. Even the year after my recent miscarriage , my husband made Mother's Day weekend a special one for me. You know better than anyone what the woman in your life loves and what makes her feel special, but here are a few ideas to get you started!
14 Date Ideas for Mother's Day
Dinner and a Show
We have three great live theaters right here in our area as well as a few great ones close by in the Salt Lake Valley. Each of them has a great lineup for the season and I'm willing to be that the mom in your life would love tickets to a show and dinner before or dessert after. If one of the shows that's currently playing doesn't sound like the perfect one, purchase tickets to a future show or a gift card to her favorite community theater and gift them to you.
Couples Massage
I don't know a single woman who doesn't like to be pampered and being pampered alongside your spouse on a date could be even better. Beyond Spa in Layton is one of my favorite places to go for a massage and they have a lot of great massage packages and will have some great seasonal specials just for Mother's Day. If massages aren't your thing, schedule one for your wife and send her off for a few hours of relaxation while you clean the house and prepare for the rest of your date.
Outdoor Adventure
If the two of you are outdoorsy and adventurous, tailor your date night fun to that. Explore one of the area's many trails, go geocaching, take a walk through the botanical gardens or one of the many nature trails in the heart of our county, or go fishing. Pack a picnic and make a day of it! If you're feeling extra excited about the outdoors, you could make an overnight of it and go camping.
Family Date Night
Activities out as a family are always a lot of fun, and what better way to celebrate the mother in your life than by involving the kids? Mini golf and pocket pies at Cherry Hill, an afternoon at Station Park or a visit to the Seaquest Aquarium are just a few ideas to get you started.
Weekend Getaway
We love to getaway for a night or two together any time we have something special to celebrate. We've learned a few tricks to save big on our romantic getaways so that they're not a burden on us financially and so that we can truly enjoy them. We take advantage of the time away and plan a bunch of little dates. Some weekends we'll go on a few adventures, others we're all about relaxing and eating out and watching movies we haven't seen yet together; it just depends on how busy life is currently.
Tickets to a Future Event
I mentioned grabbing tickets or a gift card to see a play or musical in the future, but that can be applied to any event. I recently grabbed tickets for our favorite comedian who's coming to town at the end of the year. His performance is seven months away, but I'm excited to surprise my husband with a date night out that's a little bit of a splurge for us. No matter your budget, I know you will be able to find an event that the woman in your life would love to attend. If tickets aren't required, but you want to plan it as a date, make up your own "ticket" and gift it to her to let her know it's in the plans.
Laughter
Research has shown that couples who laugh together are happier across the board. It seems obvious when I type it all out. Some of our most memorable date nights have been ones when I remember laughing together, whether it was at a comedy routine, over a movie or just sharing stories and jokes with each other. We've loved late night dates to The Improvables, right here in the community. We also loved going to Wiseguys on a date earlier this year and love that they have a two for one ticket deal to make it a cheaper price.
Dessert
This would be a great way to end the day when you've been on a family date or doing something with the kids. We've enjoyed dessert at home, like our very favorite cookie skillet. There are a lot of great dessert locations in the area for going out after the kids are in bed. We love grabbing dessert from one of the and sitting around the fountains at Station Park or playing games while we enjoy a pastry and hot chocolate or ice cream. Head to your favorite dessert spot or pick something up to enjoy at home!
Tour Your Town
Since starting this site a year ago, I've had a lot of fun exploring the area where we live and discovering new things that I didn't know existed or had heard of but never tried. Sometimes for date night we'll pick an area we've never been or have wanted to explore and walk around to see what's there. We walk in all of the little shops, and make note of places we want to come back to. After we've seen what's there, we pick someplace new to eat. There are also a lot of popular attractions in the area that we've taken for granted and never explored. Planning a date that takes us to one of those spots would be a lot of fun.
That One Thing She's Always Wanted to Do
Is there an activity, event or restaurant that your significant other has always talked about wanting to do? Plan a date night surrounding those things and surprise her with it. If you aren't sure if there's something she's been wanting to do, you can ask her!
Scenic Drive, Cider and Dancing
This is perfect for a low key, budget friendly, romantic date night. We love to drive up in the mountains above Davis County, particularly up on Bountiful Blvd and look over the valley. If you have a little bit of time, you could take this mountain drive. Pack sparkling cider, chocolate covered strawberries, or some yummy pastries and end your drive with a romantic little picnic in parking area on your drive. If you have a playlist of romantic music, you could dance together while you're there.
Green Thumb
One of my favorite Mother's Day gifts to date was the year when my husband planted flowers in front of our house for me. I don't have much of a green thumb and need plants that don't require a lot of TLC. We planted Wave Petunias the first spring we were in our house, a few weeks after our first baby was born and it's been a tradition ever since. You can make a date of this by taking her shopping to pick out the flowers, then letting her sit and play with the kids or chat with you and enjoy her favorite treat while you plant them for her.
Her Favorite Meal
A fancy dinner out, a regular dinner date, her favorite takeout or a home cooked meal would all be perfect for this one. If you plan a dinner at home, pull out some candles and fancy glasses. You could even get the kids in on it and have them serve the meal to the two of you. Don't just make it about the food, make it about the experience and the quality time that she gets to spend with you.
A Day Off
This is the one thing that I think every mother wants for Mother's Day. Send your wife off for a day at the spa, on a shopping spree, or a meal and a movie with her best friends. While she's gone, clean the house (or hire someone to clean it), spruce the place up with her favorite flowers, and plan a date to whisk her off on when she gets home. I've also seen some husbands book a hotel for their wife for the night and send her out to grab dinner, take a relaxing bath, watch all of her favorite shows and go to bed early, while they're at home taking care of the house and the family. The trick is not to let her spend her "day off" at home because I know the majority of us moms aren't able to avoid housework, making meals and taking care of the family when they're at home.
I know that whether you're spoiling your mom or the mother of your children, they'll enjoy a date night with you, no matter what you plan!
Photography by Sadie Banks Photography
