Date at Home Ideas?

Once the kiddos are sleeping run a nice warm bath with candles. When you get out - full body massages for both of you! That always ends up being a nice night!

My friend and her husband have a Tuesday date night every week right in their own garage. They put a movie on for the kids and hang out together in the garage. They can't get away so this is their next best option. They will sit in the driveway when the weather is decent and have a couple drinks. They have some music on and just chit chat while the husband tinkers on projects.

The point of it is that they take the time and have designated time to spend together. Their kids have learned to just sit and watch a movie without "needing" something every two minutes.

My hubby and I (also together 13+ years) will sometime rearrange the living room, move our King size mattress out into the living room and arrange it in front of the TV and Fireplace...

We have a 'picnic' of finger foods for us and our kids (ages 7, 5 & 2), everyone's favorites and watch an early 'kid movie'...we try to start it @ 7p that way it ends @ 9p and hopefully the kids have past out..either way, when it's over we move them to their own beds.

And then we have our time!

Hubby makes a huge roaring fire!
We put on a favorite TV series and have a marathon! ~Thank you Netflix and XBOX Live!
We pop some popcorn, open a bottle of wine and get comfy cozy!

*This is a fabulous idea and has served our family well. The kids get 'their' time with us and we get 'our' time together! In the morning when we all wake up, it's fun...the kids jump all around us...hubby 'wrestles' everyone...we try to read the newspaper in bed...we take our time getting up and its great!
When it's all over we put the house back together, just like nothing!

We don't necessarily date at home, but we do go on family dates. Sometimes we go bowling but mainly it's a drive somewhere. We pack up and drive to a lake or Botanical Gardens or some tourist spot in our town. The kids absolute favorite is to drive the streets of downtown at night. All the lights and tall buildings and people everywhere. There's so much to see. I watch online for free concerts in the park or any free event really.
If I am trying to kickstart the romance at home I just paln as though the kids wont be there and wait for them to go to bed. Lingerie. champagne or wine, candles. fireplace. music. a more luxurious late dinner after the kids go to bed. I might make steak and lobster and serve it in my teddy. Then it's behind locked doors!

Well, you could do something that initially includes the kids and then have alone time. Like maybe a fondue night or a dinner that takes you somewhere across the world like Greece, France, or China. That's something fun and interactive for the family. It will probably also tire them out so that you guys can spend some time together later. Then I would finish it up with a movie or board game. We used to go to the movies all the time before our baby and now we can't so we enjoy anytime we can rent one.

My husband sometimes runs out for take out from a "real" restaurant while I finish putting the kids to bed. Then we enjoy it together once everyone is asleep.

Whenever my DH and I can't get out, and after we get the kids in bed. We are lucky that both our kids (4 and 4 mo) go to bed no later than 730pm. We will crack open a bottle of wine and make a homemade pizza (crust and everything). Its fun, we always have a good time doing it and it always comes out really good. Even when we put things on it that seem so weird. Then we make a blanket and pillow picnic in the living room and watch a movie together. Every once in a while if the movie is over and we aren't drop dead tired we will break out Yahtzee and play a couple games. We bought the Wii a couple years ago so sometimes instead of Yahtzee we will play a very loving, yet intense game of tennis : )
If you want to include your kids have them join you in making and eating the pizza and save the wine and the movie until after they get to bed.

Imagination is your friend. Put the kids to bed as early as possible. I do a wonderful thing with my hubby that involves some silk throw pillows, satin fabric, bed tray with crackers, cheese, and a bottle of bubbly, belly dance music and I dance like a crazy lady for him with my occassional two left feet. He thinks I'm sexy and I just try to focus on that and not how silly I feel.

We also have been known to do some adult type dinner food and play a card game where the whole objective is to discard some form of clothing. One piece for the winner of the hand and two pieces for the looser and every time a designated card is drawn we have to say what we find sexy about the other person.

Like I said your imagination has to rule. You may even dare ask your hubby what his fantasy is and then make that become a reality. Hope this helps to spice things up. Keep us posted. God bless.

We do date nights at home at least once a week. Put the kids to bed first! We usually either rent a movie and have a bottle of wine or play a game together. My favorite is we take a timer and go back and forth. We set the timer for 2 min and then take turns doing whatever to each other (usually starts with a back rub :) ). Something else we like to do is cook together and if it is for a date night we always cook something new.

I have to second the bath, wine/beer and candles.

Turn everything off, TVs, lights all of it and just hang out with each other.

A game is also another good way to do it, if you have one that both of you like!

Movie night. Get a movie just for grown ups, get a really sinful dessert, and when the kids go to bed indulge. It's so awesome to have movie night with your spouse. I love that alone time and crave it more often than we can get together.

My husband and I do date nights at home after kids go to bed. I usually feed the kids something simple, leftovers, frozen pizza, etc. I then will make a really nice dinner for us. My husband will often put the kids to bed while I start cooking. You can do some easy things too that taste fantastic with very little effort. Ideas like already prepared crab cakes from whole foods are very fresh and easy. Just broil, or fry. Whole foods also sells there own smashed potatoes that can easily be reheated and steam some veggies. You could also add a movie for after dinner-on demand, net flix.

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Do a Fondue.
It is real good and real fun.
Of course you need a Fondue pot.
We and my kids LOVE fondue dinners.
My kids are 4 and 8.

We have the Rival brand, Fondue pot, that I got from our local Macy's store. Or they have it on Amazon too. Its real good. Easy to clean and electric. No fire burners underneath.

We have it by melting emmental cheese and another cheese in the Fondue pot. Then, have cubed French bread, deli ham, and boiled Yukon gold potatoes, and Cornichon pickles. That is typical and what French do.
It is real good. And fun. And a good nice way to have a 'family' dinner...
for you and Hubby you can have a nice wine with it.

THEN, after dinner and whatever. Put the kids to bed. THEN... you and Hubby can be alone and do whatever....

all the best,
Susan

bubble baths are wonderful together, hot water, candles, music & a few drinks.

eat late after the kids are in bed, dinner by candlelight is wonderful (or even just a dessert just for you two...you could even pick up something from your fave restaurant & have it at home)

sit on the couch or lay in bed with music & drinks & just talk

play cards after the kids are in bed or do a puzzle together

carpet picnics can be very romantic

My husband I have been together for 4 years now, we have a 2 year old together. Its quite tough getting a babysitter i totally understand. Or at least one you trust. ;)
My suggestions, actually what we do.
We like to experiment with making food. We'll plan to go to the central market together pick stuff out and go home and cook it.
We also do game night. We'l play Jenga, OMG jenga is so much fun its loud but fun, our two year old loves it when daddy makes the blocks falls. Um, also Yahtzee ... any games you may prefer. Try Wal-mart for those. Their not too expensive.
We'll do a movie night, where i pick the movie one night and the next its his pick. Its fun.
We'll experiment making different margaritas too. thats fun we'll see who can get the most creative. We too have a garage like one of the ladies down below said. We turned it into a hangout spot once our two year old is fast asleep we'll take our baby moniter for only this reason. And we'll relax down there and just talk, drink sometimes we grill out.
Hopefully its helpfull. Have fun & good luck. :)

After the kids are in bed, DH and I will sometimes cook dinner together then watch a non-kids movie (I would say "adult" movie but that implies something that I don't mean;).

Sometimes we play board games (but haven't done that in awhile).

I agree with the warm bath and massage idea.

Sometimes we just turn off the tv and talk, about nothing and everything, over a glass of wine or beer.

Buy something sexy but don't let him see it til you put it on (but definitely let him know you bought something!).

Even just making out (that doesn't lead anywhere) can be fun!

I'm curious to see other answers b/c we rarely have a sitter so date nights out of the house are few and far between.

My SO has a 65 mustang and it sits in our drive way right by our kitchen windows. One night, after our daughter is asleep, we are going to go out there, with some snacks, a portable DVD player, a good movie, and have our own drive in.
We've already talked about it and are both looking forward to it. We're just going to leave the kitchen windows open so we can hear our daughter (and of course periodically check on her).
Have fun!!!

One thing we've done was waiting to have dinner until after the kids are asleep. We use our nice dishes and set the table like adults are eating and then we're able to spend time together talking and reconnecting. What you eat doesn't matter so much, but something special or a favorite dish can be nice. It's really more just about taking the time to be together.

What about a fondue dinner, just the two of you. You can even set up a little table in your bedroom, if there is room, candles, soft music. Or you can just have all that at the table after the kids are in bed. If you want to watch a movie after dinner, you can do that, too. If you don't have a fondue pot, or don't like fondue, you can have any special meal. The main thing is that you make each other feel special and loved. Enjoy!

There is this great board game called 101 nights of great sex for couples and its really cool. It isnt all about sex and it has these romantic gesture cards to do as surprises later in the week. You can buy it online or at barnes and noble for like $20.

OH the possibilities!

*Freebees*
Movie night
Game night
Hide & go seek

*Cost*
Hotel with indoor water park or pool
Dinner out & have the kids come up with a review for what they ate
Ice cream & indoor put-put
Bowling night

Have fun M.!

Put the kids to bed. Light a couple of candles put some very adult food you both like that the kids think is awful. Munch talk, cuddle and when it gets hot between you move to the bedroom.