With the increase of social distancing, and many cities locking down completely, in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak, many people are fearing cabin fever. While it’s natural to worry about boredom during shelter-in-place orders, there are tons of ways to keep life interesting. If you’re locked down with your husband, fiance or boyfriend, you don’t have to sacrifice weekly date night. With a little bit of creativity you can bring romance and fun into your household.
Organize a wine tasting
Breakout all those wine bottles that have been collecting dust in the back of your cabinet and a couple of wine glasses and get to tasting. Set out a few reds and a few whites. Practice the 5 S’s of wine tasting (see, swirl, sniff, sip, savor). You can even go as far as to watch YouTube videos about wine tasting or do some research on the region where that wine comes from. You and/or your significant other don’t drink? Organize a tasting for any other kind of drink you both love! Tea tasting, anyone?
Have a game night
This is a no-brainer! Break out some of your favorite board games, or the games that have been sitting in the back of your closet and haven’t been played in years. It doesn’t have to be just board games either. Video games and card games count!
Have a cocktail making contest
This is a great way to clear out the liquor cabinet. Get out all the liquor, mixers and garnishes you can find around the kitchen and see which one of you is the king or queen of cocktails. You can mix old favorites like a vodka cranberry, or you can create your own. Maybe something you make will become your new signature.
Set up a backyard picnic
If you live in a place where you have enough yard space to keep your distance from neighbors, set up a picnic! Grab a quilt or a few towels, make some sandwiches and grab a few sides and head to the yard to enjoy the great outdoors. The fresh air will help combat the cabin fever and it feels a little more romantic than a Netflix binge.
Get romantic with a candlelight dinner
Even if your plans for dinner are super simple, nothing is stopping you from breaking out a tablecloth and a few candles! Cook dinner together (it can be ramen or prime rib, it doesn’t matter), turn on some instrumental music and lower the lights in the kitchen. The mood lighting will help you feel like you’re getting a bit of a change of scenery.
Movie marathon
Pick a theme, or a favorite series and snuggle in on the couch together. Make some popcorn and grab your favorite kind of candy to complete the evening. (Series/Theme Ideas: Harry Potter series, Star Wars series, Quentin Tarantino films, Marvel films, Disney films, etc.)
Breakfast in bed
Maybe you and your S/O always take your morning cup of coffee in the bedroom, but there are plenty of ways to dress this up and make it feel more romantic and special. Get a big breakfast going with lots of breakfast meats, fresh fruits, etc. and bring them to your significant other on a serving tray or special dishes. Enjoy your morning coffee or mimosas in your pajamas together. What a fun way to get your morning going before having to get dressed and work from home.
Learn a TikTok dance together
As goofy as it may sound, some of those dances are really fun to learn and this is a great way to kill time and get some exercise together.
Around the world date night
Pick somewhere that you and your S/O have been wanting to travel and theme your date around it. If you’ve been wanting to visit France, make a cheese board, pour some wine, and put on Ratatouille or Beauty and the Beast. Been wanting to visit New Orleans? Get some gumbo or jambalaya cooking and put on Princess and the Frog.
Work out together
If you’ve been spending a lot of time on the couch or in your bed, you might be going a little stir crazy and dying for some physical activity. Grab your computer and pull up a workout YouTube video or dig up one of your old Beachbody DVDs. Get moving!
Host a Food Network show from your kitchen
Find some ingredients in your kitchen that you’ve been dying up to use up and get to cooking: a la, Chopped! See who can make the best dish out of the unused ingredients.
Have a Nerf gun war
Dig up those old Nerf guns out of storage and get locked and loaded. Since date nights to a real gun range are out of the question at the moment, this is a fun alternative and a great way to bring the childish side out of you and your S/O.
Have a trivia night
There are tons of great places to find trivia questions. Whether you choose to use an app, watch old episodes of Jeopardy on Netflix or find the questions yourself using the internet, this is sure to be a fun date night!
Build a blanket fort
An age old activity done with siblings and friends on snow days can be fun with your S/O during self-isolation too! Grab some blankets and pillows and get to building.
Do a puzzle together
This has easily been one of mine and my S/O’s favorite ways to entertain ourselves while social distancing. There are so many great puzzles out there and they will occupy you for hours.
Look at old photos and videos of your relationship
This can be a fun way to reminisce on how the two of you have grown together. You can even turn the photos into a slideshow or movie using an application like iMovie to watch for years to come.
Start a bible study or devotional together
This isn’t necessarily a date but could easily turn into a recurring date! Pick a book of the Bible or an online devotional to follow and dive into God’s word together. It’s a beautiful way to grow your relationship together while you’re both stuck at home.
While it seems like everywhere we turn there’s more bad news about COVID-19, it can also be a beautiful opportunity to slow down, focus on yourself and your family and be more intentional with how you use your time. Instead of moaning about how boring it is to be stuck at home, get creative and find ways to love on your significant other without leaving the house.
Georgia G
CABINET
Georgia Gallagher graduated from the University of Alabama in the summer of 2019 where she majored in Journalism and Political Science. She is currently working as a Cast Member at Walt Disney World in Florida. In her free time she can be found advocating for pro-life policies and working with single or low-income mothers. She often says that her planner is second only to her Bible and she’s never caught without a cup of coffee in her hand.
