The last two nights, we have had family dates.

In my opinion, these are just as important and special and

our normal husby-wifey date nights.

Two nights ago we made an indoor fort in our family room,

using an abundance of couch cushions,

and settled in to watch the first Harry Potter movie

{Ryan has been begging to finally watch it!!}.

We ordered pizza from one of our favorite local restaurants

and stocked up on licorice.

It was a wonderful night…

{if you don’t count the slight case of food poisoning that Husby experienced – bummer}.

Yesterday, since Husby was still recovering,

we neglected our daytime errands.

When he was finally up and about, we set off to do some

much needed grocery shopping.

As we were making our way to Trader Joe’s,

we decided instead to head to the Irvine Spectrum

{one of our families faves}

and eat dinner at Wahoo’s, walk around, and go to Target

{since they also carry grocery items}.

My wafu bowl {highly recommend – tofu & veggies}

was fabulous, as always. The ambiance was perfect….

we were able to sit outside in their new seating area

and enjoy the coolness of the evening.

Afterwards we walked around.

I captured a few night-time shots of the ferris wheel…

We made our way to Barnes & Noble to browse the books

and their toys {for Christmas ideas}.

Ryan was in heaven when he found the Harry Potter display…

Miss Sophia Blue wandered by the Barefoot Contessa and shouted,

“Mama, LOOK! It’s Ina!”

I couldn’t resist making her pose {do you see the pure happiness}…

Today, I started thinking about great, low-cost, family date nights.

Here is the list that I came up with to share with you:

{Dance Party}

Put on some oldies but goodies and teach the kids how to do the Bunny Hop, the Electric Slide, and maybe even the Cha Cha! You may need to watch a few YouTube videos for this one!

{Around the World}

Have the kids pick a country. Research that countries customs, traditions, and historical facts. End by making a meal to cebebrate the country.

{Flashlight Tag}

Kids LOVE flashlights! Do this one in the backyard or even in the house!

{Homemade Pizza & Sundae Bar}

Have the kids roll out the dough and top their individual sized pizzas with the toppings of their choice. Set up a sundae bar for dessert, complete with fruit, graham cracker & cookie crumbles, sprinkles, hot fudge and whipped cream! Yummy!!

{photo via: homemade pizza}

{Bowling Night}

Always a fun family favorite! Get those bumpers ready {not for the kids… unfortunately, but for me!}.

{Silly Dress-Up}

Have the kids put whatever they want on {you could even get some silly props, or use extra items from your own closet}. Have a fashion show and don’t forget to take video and/or photos!

{Picnic & Star Gazing}

Find a good spot to have a family picnic and follow it up by spending time gazing at the stars. Teach the kids about the various constellations and moon cycles. Click {here} for a good book to help teach the kids.

{Photo via: star gazing}

{Scavenger Hunt}

Do this either in your home or break up into teams with one parent in each group and do the scavenger hunt around town.

 {Board Games}

Who doesn’t love board games? Our family favorite is Uno right now.

{Family Bike Ride}

Take the whole family around your neighborhood or on a local trail for a bike ride {preferably before dark}!

{Photo via: family bike rides}

{Book Reading using Different Accents}

How funny would this be? Skippyjon Jones books lend themselves well for practicing your Spanish accent!

{Hide & Seek}

A good indoor, night-time game!

{Campout}

Either in the backyard or inside where it’s nice and warm! Using boxes, card tables, couch cushions, and lots of cozy blankets….make a tent or fort for the whole family to enjoy! Make indoor s’mores and read bedtime stories using flashlights or a lantern.

{Photo via: indoor tents}

**I don’t recommend making your family tent/fort near a lit fireplace!!** 

 {Photo via: summer bohemian fort}

{Viking Meal}

Husby actually does this one at the firehouse! Cover your dining table or eating area in aluminum foil. Dish up dinner directly onto the foil in front of your kids. Everyone must eat using only  their hands to eat the entire meal! No table manners here!

{Movie Night}

Inside or outside on the lawn {weather permitting, of course!}.

{Photo via: outdoor movie night}

We would love to hear some of your families favorite date nights! Please share with us by posting your comments below!