Here are seven of the most classically romantic date night ideas we could muster that will sweep your sweetheart off their feet!

1. Cook a three course meal and dine by candlelight
Make it a special dinner – pull out all the stops! Start by planning a menu. Your darling’s favourite foods? Or perhaps three courses that are just made for lovers! Aphrodisiacs, anyone? Think oysters, asparagus, dark chocolate, strawberries…

Then, set up the house for pure romance… soft music with husky vocals, mood lighting, set the table with the best silverware and linen. Dress yourself up before you start preparing dinner and tempt your partner to join you in the kitchen with a glass of wine while you cook. Try pre-preparing as much as possible so you can spend more time sitting at the table gazing into their eyes and less time peeling potatoes.

Once you’ve spoon-fed each other dessert, lead your darling to the loungeroom to sway around together to the music before retiring to the boudoir to finish your evening in style!

2. Take a bath together
A long soak in the tub for two… remember those? Start by cleaning the bathroom from top to bottom – use baking soda and vinegar so there are no harsh chemical smells. If you have small children, remove all evidence of bathtime toys and hide them in a cupboard.

Take a trip to a specialist store and find some yummy goodies to pop into the bath. We love Lush or the Body Shop – think fragrant bath oil, bath bombs, bubbles… if you’re feeling really indulgent, drop in at a florist for some loose rose petals and pick up a bottle of champagne!

Pipe some relaxing music into the bathroom, light up the requisite candles and give each other a foot rub as you drench yourselves in the water…. Make sure fresh, fluffy towels are on hand for off once you’ve turned wrinkly and pat each other dry from tip to toe! Bliss.

3. Row Your Boat
A lazy afternoon floating along an idyllic river or quiet lake, among the ducks, with a thermos of hot chocolate and a decadent afternoon tea… what could be more lovely or more dreamy? If you really want to ramp up the romance factor, take a book of love poems and quote Keats as you drift under weeping willows…

4. Give Your Sweetie a Massage
Do something selfless and lovely for your hardworking sweetie… give them a massage to soothe their poor aching muscles! This is a great way to build intimacy with your partner… make sure the temperature is nice and warm (and so are your hands!), light some candles, put on some soothing music (am I starting to sound like a broken record?!) and get rubbing! Our very own Denis Merkas has divulged his best massage tips to start you off…

Use sweet almond oil or a special body bar from Lush to get your groove on with. Then jump in the shower together to rinse it all off when you’re done!

5. Dessert Only
This is strictly an after-dinner date. Either eat at home or pick up your date well after dinner time and find a sticky, wicked dessert spot in which to indulge together. Order a coffee to ensure you’ll stay awake and then eat your way through the dessert menu – order one of everything your tastebuds desire, with two spoons. Sinful!

6. Go Fruit Picking
Being the romantic that I am, when I think of this date idea, I conjure visions of running barefoot through orchards, selecting plump, ripe fruits for my fruit basket and feeding berries by hand to my lover… for some, that may be a reality but God knows my husband wouldn’t have a bar of it! Nonetheless, a day in the sunshine picking beautiful juicy fruit (frolicking or not!) is a wonderfully romantic way to spend an evening.

7. Tango or Salsa Dance Class
There is something deliciously romantic and steamy about two hot, sweaty bodies pressed together on the dancefloor… Take your date to a dance class and whirl them around in a haze of pheromones and latin music. It may take a few lessons before you start to resemble Johnny and Baby, but don’t forget that you can always Dance Like No One is Watching in the privacy of your own loungeroom later. If these fiery dances are going to be a bit too much to handle, opt for a romantic, soft Waltz or even the Rhumba… it is the dance of love after all.

More Romantic Date Ideas here. Check it out on $30 Date Night.

This breaks my heart… and so I just wanted to say that I am Team Geek (in fact, I am slowly becoming quasi-geek myself, what with this internet business and the Twitter and the aiii-ohh) – and ladies, if you’re smart, you’ll heed my advice… here are the top eight reasons you should consider dating one!

1. Geeks will treat you right.

Geeks, more than anyone, know what it’s like to be teased – after a lifetime of high school wedgies and toilet dunkings, they wouldn’t wish the same on anyone. All their experience shapes them into sweet., caring individuals who definitely have their heart in the right place. Geeks will look after you like no jock ever could.

2. Geeks are great conversationalists.

Let’s face it – they’re highly intelligent! This makes them great conversationalists on just about any topic you can think of. Even if they don’t know much about it, their huge brains probably know more about it than most people. Or they could just Google it and get a grasp on any topic from rocket science to topics such as South Africa and The Iraq and everywhere and such as. You’ll never run out of conversations!

3. Geeks will do the thinking for you!

No doubt it will come to good use one day. Trivia nights, fixing your computer, working out the cost-per-wear of your new Jimmy Choos before you can even bat an eyelid… this leaves your brain free to focus on the important things. Like World Peace.

4. Everyone loves a DIY rescue.

So, the exterior may need a little renovating on a Geek. That’s fine! That’s do-able! We’ve already established that they are lovely, intelligent human beings. That takes care of the hard part. The easy (and the fun!) part is the makeover – a well-chosen haircut, some new clothes, a little Vitamin D and voila!

5. You’ll get your weekends with them

Football? Baseball? Basketball? Forget it. Geeks are not interested in sports! Which means you don’t have to put up with gangs of rowdy boys in your house watching the game, or having one-way conversations with your sweetie while he focuses on the score. Picture instead visits to the art gallery, walks in the park and dinners out on the weekends.

6. You’ll be number one

Right after the internet, that is. But the good news is, a Geek has already spent years and years of one-on-one time with the Internet. He’s probably ready for a change – and just the fact that you’re 3-D is totally going in your favour!

7. You’ll love his friends

You won’t find your Geek out with the boys at strip clubs, drinking too much or flirting with others. Instead, his friends will be as sweet, sincere and fun as he is. Think quiet weekends spent playing Everquest, giving you time to shop with your friends and not having to worry about what he’s up to!

8. He won’t leech off you

You won’t find a Geek on welfare… they’re far too clever for that. In general, you will find they have high-level, well-paying jobs. And after they’ve spent their hard-earned cash on all the great new gadgets they can get their hands on, you’ll be next in line for spoiling!

So, assuming I’ve convinced you to take a chance on a bit of Geek Love – here is the perfect place to find your perfect geek. Happy dating!

Taking a digger out on a first date? Here are some First Date Ideas that will keep things interesting!

Remember – goals should be SMART. Be Specific about what you’re trying to achieve together, make sure the end result is Measurable (How will you know when you’ve made it to your goal?), Achievable and Realistic (nothing is more defeating than not being able to make a goal you set yourself! Make sure you don’t ask too much of yourselves!) as well as Timely (When will you have your goal completed by?)

Here are five great goals you might consider setting for yourselves as a couple!

1. Participate in Marathon/Triathlon/Bike Ride
If you’re active types, sit down together and pick an upcoming event – a fun run, a walk, a bike ride, a triathlon and set up a training schedule together. Spend time each week working towards your fitness goals as a team, motivating each other and training together. The adrenalin rush of competing on the day will last long past the finish line! Plus, think of all the fun you could have with your very toned bodies once it’s over! Soaking in a bubble bath together with a bottle of French Champagne is the perfect way to celebrate your victory at the end of it all….

2. Plan a Holiday
More than just a holiday – plan your DREAM holiday! Start by dreaming together over a stack of travel brochures… if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would you do when you got there? How much money will you need to take? Put all the wheels in motion – even if you’re planning it for a few years away, set up your goals for the trip, visit the travel agent and work out what you need to do to make it happen! And save! Set up a separate bank account called ‘Our Holiday’ and schedule a savings plan. Even if it won’t be a reality straightaway, if you don’t start now, when will you?

3. Learn a Language
Pick a language that the both of you would love to learn but never have. Perhaps a language of love? Italian, French and Spanish are all verrry sexy choices! Or the language of a place you’d love to visit together one day. Sign yourselves up to a community college class together. You’ll be perfect study partners, spending nights on the couch whispering sweet nothings in foreign tongues!

4. Take a Class Together
Find a short course in something that interests you both. The options are endless! Photography, music, dancing, wine and food appreciation, yoga… check out your local community college or adult education establishment to see what they offer. Learning new things together sparks dopamine and norephrithrane hormones, patterning the same brain chemistry as when you first fell in love. That means you’ll be high on tummy-butterflies for weeks to come!

5. Savings
Name a figure you want to see in your bank account, work towards it! Decide what it’s for, something that you both want, be it a deposit on a house, a big-ticket furniture item or a car… Sit down and develop a savings plan that works for the both of you. Make sure that once you hit your dream figure and purchase your goal item, you celebrate in style together! Take some of that hard-earned cash and splash out on a romantic night for two!

Quite literally speaking, when you do something new and exciting, your brain’s reward system will be flooded with dopamine and norepinephrine – the same chemicals that give you butterflies (and cause addiction, funnily enough!).

So for long term couples who haven’t felt those nervous butterflies in quite awhile, here are five ways you and your sweetheart can reclaim the fuzzy, head-over-heels feelings – together!

1. Learn a new skill
This could be something as simple as learning to juggle, learning to play an instrument, having a go on a trapeze, ice skating… or as complex as a short language course or dance lessons! Find something you’ll both enjoy doing together and reap the benefits of the love hormones along with a new talent!

2. Go to a new restaurant
Always going out to dinner at the same old familiar restaurants? Branch out! Whether it be a new establishment you go to, or a totally new cuisine to try, breaking routine and seeking out new places is a great way to expand your horizons and top up your dopamine! Get as niche as you can… have a look for a local restaurant and have fun! Here are some suggestions for great cuisines to try out. Surely you haven’t done ALL of them?

• French
• African
• Nepalese
• Indian
• Thai (Dine on floor cushions!)
• Vietnamese
• Malaysian
• Croatian
• Polish
• Mexican
• Swiss
• Peruvian
• Japanese
• Greek
• Lebanese
• Spanish
• Turkish
• Modern Australian (yes, kangaroo!)
• Molecular Gastronomy (bacon and egg ice cream, anyone?)
• Indonesian

3. Try something new in the bedroom
Got to spice things up every now and then! Try introducing something new to your boudoir routine… a sexy striptease, handcuffs, a longtime fantasy, costumes, a board game, toys, a new Kama Sutra position, fruit and chocolate…. The list goes on! Plenty of suggestions to be found on the internet for you! Be sure to talk it through with your partner first and make sure you’re both comfortable with the scenario…

4. Do something you’ve never done!
The movies tend to be a stock-standard coupledom activity… what about a night on the town with a bit of a twist? When was the last time you took in some theatre, opera or a symphony? A musical? A burlesque show or a live band? Have a look at your town’s local gig guide and see what’s coming up that may interest you both.

5. Explore new places!
Take a mini-break or a weekend away somewhere you’ve never been before. Even just driving a new route will wake up your brain! Wineries, beach houses, the snow, a farmstay, a cottage… getting away from everything that is familiar is a breath of fresh air for both of you…. And staying a few nights in a new environment won’t hurt either!

Well, what our people want, our people get. Here’s our choice for top ten free date ideas you and your sweetie can do together! Recommended for long-term couples to indulge in when they’d like to spend some quality time, without forking out any cash… Happy recession dating, darlings!

1. Memory Lane

Sit down at home and pull out your old photo albums and memento boxes… take a trip down memory lane with each other. Great conversation starter for long term couples! And it will spark off memories you thought you’d lost a long time ago… lovely way to spend an evening or an afternoon inside. Make a pot of tea or crack open bottle of wine (ahem, if said wine is already lying around the house, it’s not deducted from the budget! See how that works?)

2. Surf, Sun and Sand Castles
Pack your bags with a swimsuit, a good novel, some sunscreen and towels and head to the beach for the afternoon! Splash around, relax and try your hand at some sand art! Build a huge castle, a mermaid, a big fish… get imaginative. Then let some little kid run straight through it!

3. Be in a TV audience
Tickets to sit in the studio audience of a show are usually free! Find out if any live audience stuff is filmed in your city and apply online for tickets. You may have to plan in advance for this one… if you score tix to a gameshow, you may even walk away with a profit!

4. Go for a jog, a bike ride or a nature walk together!
Slip on your sweats and go for a scenic jog together at your local park or lake, a bike ride if you can use your own bikes or borrow a friend’s or even a nature walk at a picturesque part of town.

The exercise will get your endorphins going, and if it’s a beautiful day, your hearts will sing! You decide what to do with each other after you get all sweaty…!

5. Fireworks
Find out when your next local fireworks exhibition is (usually on holidays, special occasions, fairs…) and head on down with a rug and your sweetie to enjoy a night spread out under the stars and the fireworks display… so romantic!

6. Board Games / Jigsaw Puzzle
Dust off the old monopoly/chess/twister set and spend a quiet afternoon playing board games. Alternatively, find a huge 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle from a friend or in your cupboard and spend the afternoon piecing it together.

Failing all that, there’s nothing you can’t do with a deck of cards and the internet.

7. Model for a Day
Okay, spruce yourselves up with some spiffy clothes and lovely make up, then head out with your digital camera to capture some happy snaps! Work it, baby – don’t be shy! Pose, smile, be silly and have other people take pics of the both of you. A lovely idea is to roam around all day visiting places that are special to you both… where did you first meet? Your first date? Your favourite park?

When you get back home, load them onto your computer and pick some great ones out to post on Facebook, or print out and frame (perhaps on another day, seeing as this date should technically be FREE! Ha!)

Hope that whets your thirst for awhile, lovelies… as always, see our $30 Date Night site for more creative date ideas. And if anyone has anymore great free date ideas, let us know here!

1. Donate Blood
Obviously not for the needle-phobic! But if you are both fit as fiddles, free of recent body art and not prone to fainting, seek out your local Red Cross centre and give some blood. God knows the world needs it.

2. Volunteer Your Time
There are plenty of ways you can help out by donating your own time. Contact a charity in advance rather than just turning up – and think about what might suit you and your date. Perhaps volunteering at a dog or cat shelter (they need to be walked and groomed and played with!), a soup kitchen (won’t ladle itself!) or helping disadvantaged children learn to read.

3. Pick Up Trash
Get geared up with gloves, trashbags and tongs and head to a favourite park or stretch of beach and make it beautiful again! Once you’re done, disinfect and grab some takeaway (or a pre-packed picnic) to enjoy in your newly cleaned space together!

4. Offer to babysit
Do you have a friend or relative that never seems to take time to themselves? Offer to babysit their kids for a little while – take them out to a park or the movies and give your loved one some much-needed quiet time! If you’re feeling extra generous, arrange a surprise for them to go and have a blow-wave or a spa treatment in the time off you give them! The smile on their face when you bring the kids back will be reward in itself!

5. Op-shopping at charity stores
Take your date shopping at a handful of charity stores. If you’re prepared to dig around, who knows what you might find? Beautiful vintage clothing, great denim, retro knick knacks… if all else fails, go to the uniform section and get some fantasy dress ups! Hel-lo Nurse!

Best of all, these are all under $30 as well! Cheap AND nude? Do dates get any better?

1. Cook dinner together – naked!
Den adores this idea… all I can think of is hot oil splatters and burning myself on the oven. We’ve never officially cooked together naked, but I imagine that donning nothing but an apron each could make for a nice compromise that keeps everyone’s everything intact. And perhaps don’t shallow fry anything… On second thoughts, maybe just a nice salad will do!

2. Strip Chess
Strip chess is great fun! The rules go like this; pawns are excluded. For every other piece you capture, your opponent removes one article of clothing. You’ll notice that this changes the entire strategy of the game. Screw taking their king! Take what you can, piece-by-piece and defend to the death right down to the last little castle… sacrifice nothing!

3. Take a Bath
Champagne, candles, soft music, bubbles… taking a bath together is up there on our best rated dates for a good reason. Good, old fashioned romance and seduction are not dead yet!

Pop out to the store and stock up on some indulgent goodies for you both to make the best of bathtime together… scented oils, handmade soap, luxurious body moisturizer for afterwards… delicious!

4. Online web chat date
This can be a bit of fun for a night in together. Get onto separate computers in separate rooms of the house, find a private chatroom or a secure IM connection and hook up your webcams for some cheeky cybersex with each other! You don’t have to START naked… but I think we all know it’s a distinct possibility that it’s going to end up that way!

5. Treat your sweetheart to a massage
Spread an old sheet or towel out on your bed and tell your sweetie you’re going to give them an amazing massage! Gather everything you will need – massage oil (sweet almond oil from the health food store is best), a hand towel for wiping off, turn off the phone. Leave the room while they strip off and cover themselves with a towel and then come back in and begin. Make sure you indulge them with a good 15-20 minutes of massage before you put the moves on and ‘accidentally’ knock their towel off them…

Check out Make Your Partner Melt for some great massage tips to get you started.

6. Play Wii
You’ll have a ball playing the Wii in the buff! Wii tennis, Wii bowling, Wii yoga…

7. Life Drawing/Photography Session At Home
Pick up some art supplies or whip out your digital camera if you’re handy with it and have a night at home learning something new while also posing for each other. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never tried drawing or photography before! The internet is a great place to start. Try these posts from Digital Photography School or Artist Instruction Blog to kick you off. Now all that’s left is to convince your sweetie to pose…

8. Strip sport
Much the same as strip chess, this is one great way you can get involved in a sporting game if your sweetie loves them and you don’t, or if there’s a big game on that you feel obliged to watch but honestly couldn’t care less.

Pick a side each for the game, agree on how many points constitutes removal of opponent’s clothing (i.e. for soccer you can do one item per goal safely; for basketball you may want to negotiate for every ten points…) Then barrack hard for your team and bask in sweet success as your partner strips down, piece by piece!

9. Skinny Dipping
Find a quiet (and safe!) lake or swimming pool and indulge in a late-night skinny dip under the stars with your sweetheart!

10. Nude Beach
Look around online and find out where your closest nude beach is, then take a day trip with your sweetie and get naked with a bunch of other people! Obviously, this date isn’t for everyone but if you think your partner has the, ahem, balls (so to speak!) for it, then surprise them with the destination once you’re there. Pack a lunch, drinks and of course, loads of sunscreen!

Any of you lovebirds out there got any others for us? (Aside from the obvious!)

Main picture source: Numero Magazine issue 104 ‘Pool Service’.

And the tea menu was great! Beautifying teas, calming teas, happy teas, mental clarity teas… I could have stayed all day and had pot after pot!

Anyway, Yum Cha is a great date for a lazy Sunday. I’ve compiled a list of a few more for you here:

1. Breakfast Date Idea
Go out for breakfast, and pick somewhere fancy. You’ll still get away with it for about the $30 mark even if it is a well known restaurant!

2. Movie Marathon Date Idea
Have a movie marathon at home together – pick up some snacks, snuggle on the couch under a blanket and enjoy a themed movie afternoon. Select your DVDs according to actress or actor, or pick ones with a certain word in the title, that are set in a certain country (and theme your snacks to match!) or your childhood favourites!

3. Window Shopping Date Idea
Take your date shopping, let them spend the $30 on something for themselves! Take them somewhere new where you can explore little boutiques or handmade items you haven’t seen before and pick them up a little gift.

4. Jigsaw Puzzle Date Idea
Buy or borrow one of those huge 1000-piece jigsaws and spend the afternoon putting it together over a couple of mugs of hot chocolate, and some good conversation.

5. Garage Sale Date Idea
Trawl around your neighborhood’s garage sales with a couple of takeaway coffees and see what you can find. One person’s trash…

Bake Gingerbread Men together

6. Baking Date Idea
Pick up some ingredients for a yummy cake or squishy cookies or gingerbread people and get baking together in the kitchen with the music turned up loud before indulging in afternoon tea together once it’s cooked.

7. Floor Picnic Date Idea
Have a picnic in your very own house! Your choice of al fresco or lounge room floor, spread out a rug and lots of yummy cheeses and snacks.

8. Swimming Pool Date Idea
If it’s beautiful weather, go and laze in the sunshine at your local swimming pool. Take towels, snacks, reading material and enjoy an afternoon of nothing much together!

9. Yoga Class Date Idea
Take a yoga class together, or pop an instructional DVD on in the lounge and do your sun salutations in the comfort of your own home! Then drink fresh juice and enjoy the invigorated feeling!

10. The Memory Lane Date Idea
Pull out all your old photo albums and mementos and walk each other down memory lane. Tell stories from your childhood days, marvel over how young and spunky your parents used to look and get to know each other a little better. You may learn something new about your partner!

For Fun Date Ideas that can be done on days other than Sunday – Check out $30 Date Night.

Here are five ideas to help make the movies a bit more interesting. A lot of these are Melbourne-based (write what you know!) but I’m sure the concepts are universal and you can find similar in your own city or hometown, wherever in the world you are!

1. The Outdoor Cinemas – The Ford Fiesta Moonlight Cinema runs every summer right around Australia and shows a great variety of new, cult classic and old favourite movies. Pack a picnic and a rug and snuggle under the stars while you watch. Favourites upcoming in the lineup include: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Pulp Fiction, Australia and The Dark Knight.
2. The Drive-ins – When was the last time you fooled around in the backseat of your car? The Coburg Drive-in is the perfect excuse to do just that! Get your own snacks from the supermarket first and steam up the windows during the previews and the boring bits.
3. Rooftop Cinema – Above Cookie Bar in the Melbourne CBD, The Rooftop Cinema allows you to chill out in your deck chair with a beer or wine and enjoy the city skyline while you watch. Admittedly, this date will cost you a little more than $30 but for the novelty of the experience, it’s worth it.
4. Half Pipe Cinemas – Cinemas with bean bags instead of chairs are popping up everywhere! Huddle together in an oversize beanbag, rather than negotiating the armrest while balancing the drinks and the popcorn! See Hoyts in Australia.
   
5. The Classic Theatre – Find a movie theatre that plays the classics and the cult movies – usually you’ll get a double bill for the price of one! The Astor Theatre’s line ups include Stanley Kubrick double bills, It’s a Wonderful Life coupled with The Shop Around the Corner and Casino Royale back to back with Quantum of Solace.

How about this? Just one night a week, once you’ve put the kids to bed, turn off the phones and the laptop and spend some time with your sweetie doing something novel and fun. There has never been a more important time for the two of you to cultivate your relationship and spend some one-on-one adult time together reconnecting. Try not to talk about the kids for a bit (as much as you love them, you will be better parents for having had a break in the adult world!) and spend some quality time together. It’s proven that doing new things together keeps you close to each other – bonded and happy.

Below are just A FEW of the ideas we have on our generator that can be done at home. If you’re working on a fortnightly date night (a lot of couples with kids just can’t manage once a week) then this is five months worth of dates for you! Right here!

Also, find another likeminded couple with children and trade off weekly so that you get a date night OUT every once in a while! You take their kids one week, they take yours the next…

My attempt at drawing Den

1. Get arty
Go to an art supply store and get professional graphite pencils, a big artist pad and maybe a “learn to draw” book (or jump online to find out for free). You’ll be surprised at how easy it can be! You may even convince your partner to pose for life drawing practice if you’re lucky. Check out our attempt here!

2. Theme your movie nights!
It’s important for you to do new things together, but they needn’t be huge sweeping gestures. Something as simple as theming your own little night for two will inject some novelty into your bog-standard DVD-and-dinner night:

• Italian Night: Make mini pizzas together, open a bottle of chianti, get some Tiramisu and pick up an Italian themed movie – Life is Beautiful, The Italian Job, The Talented Mr. Ripley or Roman Holiday are all excellent choices.
• Spanish/Mexican Night: Think Tacos or Paella on the menu, a pitcher of Sangria to wash it down and movies like Y Tu Mama Tambien, Like Water for Hot Chocolate, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Motorcycle Diaries, Vicky Cristina Barcelona to transport you to exotic places.
• Japanese Night: Make sushi or udon noodle soup together and rent out Lost in Translation, Memoirs of a Geisha and snuggle on the couch with a box of Pocky to watch.

3. Play Strip Chess
Chess, sexy? Absolutely! Here are the rules: for every piece you capture that isn’t a pawn, your opponent must remove an item of clothing. It changes the whole strategy of the game! Dim the lights, put on some hot music and go for checkmate!

4. Have a floor picnic
Go to the deli and stock up on some picnic essentials – antipasto, cheeses, frittata, arancini and have your own little private picnic together in the comfort of your home. The grass in the backyard or even the lounge room floor are perfect – pop down a rug, kick off your shoes and pop open a bottle of wine.

Kikki-k’s Love Conversation Starters

5. Love Conversation Starters from Kikki.K
Run out of things to talk about that don’t involve the children?These great Love Conversation Starters from Kikki-k will revitalize your chats with your partner. Crack open a bottle of wine and settle in on the couch together to ask the hard questions – from your first heartbreak to a walk down memory lane with your sweetie, it will spark long-forgotten memories and warm fuzzy feelings.

6. Have a candlelight dinner.
Treat your honey to a full three course meal extravaganza – and be sure to milk all the brownie points you can get with a homemade dessert! Light the candles, put on some romantic music and enjoy a restaurant-quality meal for two in peace and quiet… all the little things will make this one special… a clean house, no TV, garnish on the food, wiping the spots off the plates once you’ve served it up… and be sure to put in a little effort on your own appearance too!

7. Have your partner teach you something new
Almost as good as learning something new together is having your partner teach you something fun that you never knew how to do!

• Be grease monkeys for the night! Strap on some overalls and have your man teach you how to change the oil, check the transmission and change a tyre on your car.
• Learn to play a song. Assuming your partner is musical, have them teach you how to play a song on the guitar, piano, etc.
• Learn to play the Nintendo. I hate these things, personally, but if your partner can be patient with you, then take an interest in what they’re doing and learn to play a computer game with them .
• Knitting, crocheting, baking a cake, dancing, photography, language… the possibilities are endless!

Just remember, both of you, to not take it too seriously! And keep it basic, so you can enjoy each other’s company at the same time.

8. Pamper your sweetie
God knows they deserve it – quiet time, no children calling out… turn the house into a mini day spa and pamper each other senseless. Facials, manicures, massages, body scrubs. Stock up on some great products with your $30 budget, pop on soothing whale noises, light some aromatherapy candles. The internet has loads of information on how to give great home treatments – so much more cost effective and intimate for you both.

9. Take a bath together
When was the last time you relaxed in the tub together? Champagne, bubbles, romantic music, rose petals, candles. If you don’t take the time to create some romance in your life, it’s never going to happen. Toss all the foam toys and rubber duckies somewhere you can’t see them and reclaim some you time in your own house. We love Lush for great bath products to get you going.

10. Get cheeky and spoil your partner with a striptease!
Go on… it’s a little risqué, but if the kids do wake up and catch you with a feather boa and fishnets, just tell them you’re playing dress ups and you’re a Pussycat Doll! Or position your sweetie in the bedroom where the kidlets are hard-pressed to interrupt. The pop on a bit of Joe Cocker and strut your stuff. Need inspiration?

See $30 Date Night for plenty more ideas that can be achieved, sans kidlets!