The holidays are insane. Hold on, let me say that again, the holidays are insane and they can make people insane!! Between work schedules, gift buying and giving, hosting prep, and social obligations, it can be all too easy to forget to make time for each other and celebrate together. Rob and I have both been guilty of this, which can sometimes be a bummer because we love the holidays and celebrating together so much! To make sure we get the best of each holiday season and remember why we love this time of year, we make sure to surprise each other with a few holiday date nights leading up to Christmas. These can be super simple evenings or afternoons together, at home or out on the town. Here’s a few of our go-to ideas from year after year and a few new ones too!

His: Burberry Jacket | J.Crew Shirt | APC Shoes and Denim | Movado Watch
Hers: Wildfox Dress (Similar here and here) | Sézane Purse and Boots (Similar here and here)

OUR HOLIDAY DATE NIGHT IDEAS:

1 — DECORATE
Okay so decorating the tree is a given and you’re probably like, duh!…but why not make a whole day out of it? Some of our favorite days together are running errands at Home Depot or picking up things for the house. The other night Target stole our hearts when we found so many goodies from the Hearth and Hand Collection…ornaments, stockings, you name it. We’re going with a different color scheme this year, so we definitely enjoyed singing through the aisles and stocking up on all things merry.

2 — MOVIE NIGHT IN
Bust out your comfy clothes, or maybe your Christmas PJs and get some popcorn going, while you set your favorite Christmas movie on a projector. We got this one not too long and it has made movie nights so much more fun. These little popcorn containers could be a nice touch too. We’re definitely not knocking an in-theater movie night though — A Bad Moms Christmas is looking pretty hilarious.

3 —  CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
It wouldn’t be a holiday date night list without hot chocolate and hopping in the car for a drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights! We used to do this all the time while we were dating and we’re happy to say the tradition is still alive. Plus, it’s a totally acceptable sweatpants date, which is always welcomed around here. 😉

4 — ICE SKATING
Rob definitely has the skills in this department, while I slowly move one foot in front of the other, making sure I’m close to the railing, but I can’t help myself…I love iceskating this time of year. It’s so cliché, but whether it is an indoor or outdoor rink, it always ends in a ton of laughs.

5 — BAKE COOKIES TOGETHER
I’ve been eyeing this bake set and think we’re going to put it to good use this year. It comes with cute little gift boxes too.

6 — GINGERBREAD HOUSES
Sometimes the most romantic date nights don’t require leaving your house! Cook a meal together, light some candles, and build a gingerbread house to get in the holiday spirit! They’re kind of cheesy, but so fun and there’s kits at almost every grocery store this time of year, so it’s too easy not to.

7 — FIRE & S’MORES
Make a fire in the backyard, grab a blanket and roast some S’mores, while listening to your favorite Christmas tunes. We purchased a small fire pit when we were living at our old apartment and it has definitely come in handy.

8 — SEE A PLAY
We used to go to plays and shows all the time while living in New York. Since moving to AZ, we’ve definitely been slacking in this department, but I couldn’t think of a better time of year to get dressed up and see the Nutcracker together.

9 — TAKE A COOKING CLASS TOGETHER
This has been on our to-do list for a while now and it could be such a fun double date idea too. Rob’s parents took one a while back at Williams Sonoma with his aunt and uncle and they had a blast. I think a pie making class would be so fun.

10 — DANCING
Go dancing or take a dance class together. White Christmas is always on our must-see list during the holidays and all the dance numbers captivate us. This may be a bit more on the ambitious side, as most of the list is pretty laid back, but we’ve been talking about taking dance classes for a while. A friend of ours is getting married in December and has been taking dance classes as a way to prep for the wedding. She said that it has turned into such a fun outing each week with her fiancé and now we’re intrigued. If not, we’ll just find somewhere to go dancing and shake it like fools and crack up together. Haha! I’ll report back. 😉

For more holiday posts, check out some past favorites here.