What a time to be alive. There are so many unknowns and that can really start to impact your everyday life. If you don’t make quality time with your spouse and family a priority, you may start to feel the blues. With so many unfortunate closures happening, you may be having a hard time coming up with fall date ideas. It also might be hard to think of how you can add some spice to your relationship. If this sounds familiar, you are in luck, I have a few ideas for you. After being cooped up for months, and having a new baby, me and my husband set out on a date filled October. Most of our date ideas this season will take place outdoors. In fact, this will likely be the case for the foreseeable future. However, I can say they have been very effective in giving us the romantic boost we needed. Here are some of the recommended adventures:
Fall Farm Date
Living in Halton Hills, Ontario, we are surrounded with farmland and greenery. We often drive by farms but don’t usually think to stop. When thinking of fall date ideas for any budget, we decided to buy tickets to a farm to pick out our own pumpkins rather than buying them from the store. We decided to wear plaid to be farm – chic, and dressed our son up in his plaid shirt as well. There were many farms to choose from, but we decided to go with Downey’s Farm in Caledon. It was such a fun time! From a Halloween haunted house, to a hay maze, there were different activities to keep us busy. The grounds were large, so we were never close to other people. They have a wonderful petting zoo for animal lovers. It felt like we got some exercise and spent time in a new environment. We really enjoyed this day and we decorated our front entrance way together with the pumpkins we picked. Leo got a kick out of the “munchkin pumpkins”. The on-site store offers delicious pies and other handmade goodies. I recommend taking a drive out there and exploring this fun farm!
Tip: Make sure you book your tickets in advance
Bathroom Spa Date
Pre-Covid, I could tell you the best spas to visit and recommend services. But as of late, I haven’t been feeling like visiting spas. The face masks and social distancing don’t scream relaxing to me. So, we have admittedly gone down a different route. A few weeks ago, I filled our tub with bubbles and hot water, lit a few candles, and poured some cold lemon water. I bought two bath pillows and set up our Google Home to play “spa music”, turned down the lights and surprised my husband with a “night at the spa.” These simple actions went a long way. We both felt relaxed, happy and felt like we went to the spa, even though we were at home. There were some positives about being at home rather than being out. One, we didn’t have to be on anyone’s schedule but our own. Two, we were able to go straight to bed after without having to get dressed and drive after feeling super relaxed. Three, we had all the privacy we needed to fully relax and enjoy ourselves. I highly recommend giving it a shot. I assure you that the tub won’t be the only thing that gets steamy!
Tip: Buy a body oil that you can also use in the bath and turn your bath into a moisturizing treatment for your skin, the oil will also help inspire your partner to give you a massage. I used this oil from the Body Shop and it just so happens to be on sale right now!
Get dressed up and order in
Uber and food delivery have certainly seen a spike in demand. With stage 2 being implemented in a few regions and looming over other areas, it is understandable. Ordering in can either be a dinner solution or can act as a “restaurant at home”, depending on how you set your plates. Too often, we find ourselves set up our dinner in front of our tv, on our living room table. We find with hectic schedules, it is nice to sit and relax, while Leo plays with his toys at dinner. But, for date night we tried setting up our dining room table, we put out our fancy tablecloths, lit some candles and dressed as if we were going to a fancy restaurant. Last time we ordered in from Goodfellas in Georgetown, and split a pizza, pasta and bottle of wine. How can you not feel extra happy with all those carbs?
Tip: Wherever you order from, play music to compliment the night. We ate Italian, so we listened to Italian music to help create the ambiance.
Take a drive to a new destination
One perk of being a realtor is visiting new cities. I recently discovered Dundas Ontario, and it inspired a fall date idea! From the little shops to Cumbrae’s butcher shop. There are so many places to go and see. One of our favourite places on this walk was the French Revolution Cafe which makes fresh croissants and French pastries that look absolutely adorable and taste like heaven. This day trip made us feel so happy. The drive, the fall leaves, the views, everything was just perfect and I found myself feeling like we were on vacation.
Tip: Google a restaurant in an area you like, and order a take-out meal so you can eat local while exploring. We also turned on the “avoid highways” setting on Google maps so that we could drive through the back roads.
Book a photographer and go on a romantic photo walk
When I was trying to think of creative fall date ideas, I tried to remember a few of our most romantic moments. One of them was doing a photo walk for our engagement through Rome. We woke up early, got dressed up in our nicest clothes. Did our hair, make up, and rushed out the door to meet our photographers. We walked around Rome and took so many beautiful photos. The photographers encouraged us to kiss, look into each other’s eyes, tell each other things we love about each other. It was so romantic and was an experience we will never forget. Of course, our scenery is a bit different this year. But at our latest life event – our son’s baptism, we decided to hire a photographer and get some family photos, as well as some couple photos.
It reminded me of our time in Rome, and made me feel those lovey-dovey feelings inside.
Get away to a cottage in the woods
Last but not least, a little weekend getaway really does go a long way. We have this booked for November, and I couldn’t be more excited. We picked a place with a hot tub, a view of the lake and according to our reservation – there is little to no cell phone service. Just what the love doctor ordered. We will be away from it all, as it would be if we took a true overseas vacation. We look forward to exploring a new area, playing board games and making plans for 2021. I will be sure to write a post on how our week away.
Although these fall date ideas aren’t the exotic plans you may have been hoping to make in 2020. I can tell you that they will make you feel those romantic, loving feelings you may be craving. If 2020 has taught me one thing, it is the magic of making simple plans, more extravagant. The power of imagination and how important it is to go on dates with your partner. Spending some one on one time together, or changing your environment with the kids can make you feel like you didn’t have to sacrifice fun in the face of the pandemic. We can still live a fun and exciting life, even if our plans look a little different.
Enjoy your fall dates, and be sure to let me know if you try any of these ideas! If you are feeling more adventurous check out my article on Four Short Haul Trips You Have to Try!
