Date Better- Date #3
Forts and Flicks
Ya’ll, we’ve outdone ourselves on this one. Not only has this date been the MOST fun and laughs we have had in all of our Date Better testing, but it’s also 100% free from the everyday average date. If you will only do one of these date nights, please make it this one. I hope you are ready to laugh a lot and ultimately feel closer to your partner. This is Date Better Date #3: Forts and Flicks.
Forts
Don’t balk at this one because it seems silly. It IS silly- 10,000% silly! That may be what you need if you feel like you are stuck in a cycle of the same day-to-day routine. When things feel repetitive, it can help to change things up and allow your inner child some room to play. By the title, I’m sure you have gathered that there is fort-building in store. But not just any fort, you’re going to build the most epic fort of your childhood dreams. Be as creative as you would like; this is a no holds barred fort. Here is what we did.
Building the Fort
Start by gathering all of your fort-building supplies. Thicker pillows or cushions are great for stability and lighter sheets or blankets are perfect for draping. We used our couch as a “wall” for one side and draped sheets down and over to a chair so that there was enough room to sit up inside the fort. We added in some fun lights to add ambiance and I sprayed the sheets and blankets with an aromatic room spray. Some additional building materials we recommend are cardboard boxes, tarps, poles, rope and umbrellas. You can even build outside! When it comes to fort building, the sky’s the limit.
Building Conversation
As with all of our Better Dates, we love to incorporate a conversation element to our dates. Spending time in conversation helps us to reconnect and check-in with one another. Here are some questions to toss around while you are building your pillow castle.
- Did you build forts as a kid? Do you enjoy the act of building?
- What are your creative strengths or weaknesses?
- How did we build our relationship? What would be our “firm foundation”?
- How can I support you this week? Where can I be your “pillow”?
Flicks
Once our fort was constructed, we moved to the second part of our date- movie time. We managed to move our TV inside the fort, but this is optional. Any screen will do- a smaller TV screen, tablet or laptop are great options, especially if outdoors.
As for our movie selection, rather than scrolling aimlessly through Netflix, we thought why not make a game out of picking our flick? Here is what we did: we selected 3 categories- genres, movies that start with a certain letter, and titles with a specific number of words. First, we wrote our top genre choices on slips of paper and placed them in a bowl. Next, we wrote letters A-Z on slips of paper and placed them in a second bowl. Lastly, we numbered 1-5 on slips of paper and put them in a third bowl. Then we drew a slip of paper from each bowl. We drew the genre ‘Animation’, a ‘B’ from the letter bowl and a ‘3’ for the number bowl. We then brainstormed movies that fit those specifications and landed on ‘Big Hero 6’! If this sounds like too much, you’re welcome to keep things simple and just toss movie options in a bowl and pick one.
Forts & Flicks Options
As in our past blogs, this is where we would offer creative ideas and options to accommodate different budgets, time constraints and preferences. With Forts and Flicks, the idea was to make it a simple, fun night but we still have a few options to offer.
Spend a little
With all the money you’ve saved staying home building a fort and movie watching, it’s totally okay to indulge a little! If you love nostalgia, special order a favorite childhood movie theater snack. Why not splurge on some really good take-out or purchase a decadent dessert from a local bakery. A few of our favorites are surprisingly found at one location- Pandora Cupcakes! They have amazing cupcakes, West Point Market’s Killer Brownies and gourmet popcorn! You can also peruse Pinterest for a new recipe to try. Whatever food fits your craving for your Forts & Flicks night is the way to go!
Include others
Our second option for this Fort & Flicks date is to add a 3rd “F” to the mix- Family. With all good intentions, sometimes it is difficult to have a date night with just the two of you. That is okay! Dates can be adapted to anything you might need while juggling kids, work, activities and social obligations. When the babysitter falls through or the day comes around too quickly, this is an easy date to include the kids.
Now I know what you are probably thinking, “It’s not a date if my kids are there”. And to that, I say, why can’t it be? Don’t rob yourself of a fun evening with your partner because it’s not just the two of you. Family dates can be just as fulfilling and your kids will certainly love the Fort-Flick-Family idea! If you give this a try and have success, check out some more Family Fun ideas here.
With endless possibilities and fun to be had, we encourage you to go forth and build your fort! Seriously, try this one and enjoy an evening of being silly together. I hope you enjoy Date #3- Forts & Flicks as much as we did!
As always,
Two Millennials.
For more great Better Date conversation topics, check out our resources page for book titles to help you dive deeper.
Rachel is a guest blog writer for Married Life Counseling. She is married to her husband, Scott, and together they enjoy live music, good food and spending time together. They have two beloved dogs, Moose and Gouda, and are foster parents for Stark County awaiting new family members.