The kids, my husband and I decided to spend the Easter weekend doing the vacation thing in our own home town. We booked a hotel down on The Plaza and decided that we would spend the weekend being Kansas City tourists. Our “staycation” was meant to rejuvenate us, get us away from home for the weekend, and provide a memorable experience.
We had a wonderful time, but as the weekend progressed, it became more and more clear to me that what we really needed… my husband and I… was the same type of experience but without the kids. 6 of us scrunched into two beds… long, leisurely lunches trying to talk over the 3 year old chatter box and the 10 month old food thrower just wasn’t quite the rejuvenation our marriage needed. We needed to get away… or at the very least, we needed a date night.
Date nights have always presented a challenge for us because for 1…we have four kids and when you justify the cost of a babysitter versus the cost of going out, it just never seems to be worth it. Secondly, we are extremely busy so simply finding the time and energy to go out seems difficult.
The other day I was talking to a friend of mine and she mentioned that her and her husband have an at home date night once a week. They feed the kids and put them to bed early and then have a special dinner just the two of them. It solves the babysitter dilemma and the time dilemma. It sounded like a great solution for what Nick and I needed.
Bertolli just happened to come to the rescue to make our date night a cinch. Armed with 2 coupons from Bertolli for free Bertolli Frozen Pasta meals, my husband went to the store and grabbed their Shrimp Scampi and Linguine meal and their Roasted Chicken Cannelloni. Within a very short time, dinner was on the table and my husband and I could focus on catching up with each other… not cooking, not cleaning up after an extravagant cooking session… just talking and eating. It was a great night.
In addition to the two coupons for free meals, Bertolli also helped set the scene by providing a stainless steel wine aerator and wine pairing guide, an Andrea Bocelli CD of greatest hits, 2 Crate & Barrel dinner bowls, 1 large Crate & Barrel serving bowl, a candle from Crate & Barrel and sage napkins with silver napkin rings. Our evening was complete, thanks to the wonderful folks at Bertolli.
Are you in need of a date night? Do you want to be swept away, in your own home, to a true Italian experience? Do you need some spark back in your love life and just a little push in the right direction? Do you want to have just a small time investment so you can spend your evening gazing lovingly into your sweetheart’s eyes? (Ok – I went a little overboard with the cheese there… I know…) Bertolli is giving one of my readers the chance to enjoy an at home date night, just like Nick and I had. Simply leave a comment on this post that includes what an ideal date night would look like for you! 1 winner will be drawn to receive a complete Bertolli prize package, including coupons for 2 frozen Bertolli meals and all of the things to set the scene mentioned above (minus the loving husband… he’s mine!). The winner will be drawn by the Random Number Generator next Friday, April 16th. All entries must be turned in by 5pm on the 16th CST to be considered for the drawing.
Unfortunately, because of the large weight of this prize package, Bertolli is only able to ship to entrants within the United States.
Once again, the prize package includes:
· Coupons for free Bertolli Frozen Meals for two that will transport you to Italy in just 10 minutes
· Stainless steel wine aerator and Bertolli wine pairing guide
· Verona Pasta Serving Bowl, two matching individual bowls, contemporary red wine glasses and cloth napkins from CB2
· An orange luminary candle and two contemporary brushed silver napkin rings from Crate and Barrel
· The Best of Andrea Bocelli CD
Thanks for entering and good luck!
For more Italian inspiration, make sure to check out Episode #2 of Into the Heart of Italy: The Secrets of the Fungaioli. I have loved watching this series unfold… I hope you will too!
My best date night is any date night! I’m not hard to please…dinner, a movie, and some dessert would be nice too.
.-= Brandie´s last blog ..Learning Cooking Techniques on YouTube (WFMW) =-.
*sigh* I love date nights 🙂 Sounds like you and your hubby had an amazing evening! An ideal date night for me is definitely some great conversation over a meal and some delicious wine! *sigh* Perfect!
.-= Dawn (HealthySDLiving)´s last blog ..My Favorite Day =-.
My perfect date night includes, obviously my boyfriend Justin. Then a bottle of red wine, a warm summers night, our puppy Morgan, an italian meal, and a dessert to be shared.
Date night for me is dinner at a place on the water with fabulous wine and conversation! Ending with dessert!
.-= Jessica @ How Sweet´s last blog ..Happy Easter! =-.
What I really need is a night or two away with my hubby. We have lots of home dates, but sometimes I wish I could totally get away from the mess, the laundry, the email, the routine… you know?
.-= Katie @ goodLife {eats}´s last blog ..Linguine with Lemon-Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese =-.
Fun!! Date night for us usually looks like a nice dinner eaten together while watching Star Trek! I know . . . nerds!
.-= Julie @ Willow Bird Baking´s last blog ..Banana Nut Bread Waffles =-.
Date night is having dinner on the patio with my husband when the weather is nice and we can enjoy each others company.
I need a date night! Quiet, at home, no kids. Sounds perfect.
.-= Vicki´s last blog ..Braised Cabbage =-.
My ideal date night is in a quiet place with a pleasant setting – the most important part of date night is not having to cook or do dishes though. 🙂
.-= carmen´s last blog ..Saucepan Fudge Drops =-.
Maybe if I win the package I can then get a date! Can I win one of those also! Joking!
i love a nice quiet date night that i don’t have to plan! any break i get is welcome, a movie on the couch with some snacks is great!
My perfect date night would be a romantic dinner (preferably outside near the water) and maybe a movie at home later. Nothing fancy, just a quite night with my husband.
Oh how I cherish a great date night! My problem is always that I am pesca/vegetarian and my husband LOVES his meat.. so we are stuck straddling the fence whether eating out or in! I am sure I could come up with something we could both eat from Bertolli! I do love their dishes and the ones with shrimp are great because then we both can enjoy! If we won this I would cook the fabulous dinner, using all of the new and wonderful items, paired with the perfect red wine. Following, I would take my husband for a candlelit walk in the desert, followed by strawberries and champagne that just happen to be in the back of my car.. under the stars of course! <3
My ideal date night is most certainly a great meal, good wine, and a lovely conversation. Hopefully I’ll have another one of those soon!
The best date nights are when we do dinners at home, dine on the back deck and have an awesome bottle of wine!
My favorite date night is at my favorite restaurant pub, in a corner seat, where there’s just enough noise that nobody can hear you.
an ideal date night would be at a fancy yet local hotel. fancy so we can be wined, dined, and catered to without having to clean up. local so we wouldn’t feel guilty spending so much time in a hotel room like we would if we were traveling somewhere foreign!
.-= sarah´s last blog ..masterpiece together =-.
Awww. Date night has always been “dinner and a movie” for us… a joke at first because that was our excuse pre-dating and pre-marriage. Doesn’t matter if the dinner’s prepared by someone else or by me, if the movie’s great or awful, we love our dinner and movie date nights.
🙂
.-= Zahra Duffy´s last blog ..Cinnamon Toast… Muffins! =-.
What an awesome give away! I am at my happiest when with my husband so any meal shared with him is a great one. A perfect date night would be a good meal at home and great conversation!
I need a date night for just me and my bf. Our nights are spent eating bad for you food at our half finished house. We certainly can’t have date night at one of our parents house. Hopefully can have one soon 🙂
.-= Niki´s last blog ..Chicken pita w/ avocado tzatziki and my 100th post!!! =-.
I lived in Italy for 18 months in my 20s, and have been back twice since. A perfect date night involves anything that reminds me of that blessed land, so this sounds fantastic!
We love in-house date night! It’s on our schedule every Mon night at 9pm. I make a nice dessert, he makes nice coffee drinks. A game, a tv show (Mad About You is awesome!!) or just talking. A breath of fresh air each week!
My perfect date night isn’t extravagant… Just not having to do dishes or put the kids to bed!
Just going out to dinner, taking our time and having a nice conversation. That is the perfect date to me.
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..I won! =-.
My idea date night would be a nice dinner in with my hubby without the kiddos, in a clean, candlelit house, and a fun romantic comedy and dessert afterwards!
My ideal date night would be a get away night anywhere with great food for just me and hubby.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
I LOVE date nights! My hubby and I are all about a unique meal (ie something we usually wouldn’t eat with the kids) and great conversation.
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Y? N? =-.
Aww, what a great post & giveaway! My favorite date nights are spent at the hole in the wall Japanese restaurant by our house. It’s cozy and the food is so good!
.-= sharon´s last blog ..Calphalon Giveaway and BBQ Chicken & Ranch Mac ‘n Cheese! =-.
I’m just looking forward to curling up on the couch with my man and watching some tv… always nice and relaxing after a long week!
Date night for me is when the kids go to their dad’s house and I get my house to myself. I can then do whatever it is I want. Including driking my own bottle of wine and not sharing!
A perfect date night for me is dinner (at home or eaten out), a slow walk in the park, and playing a boardgame together.
.-= Crystal’s Cozy Kitchen´s last blog ..Foodless Friday: Ultimate Blog Party =-.
Getting out of the house to go anywhere would be perfect! It just doesn’t happen. At all! So glad you guys had a great time!
.-= Debbi´s last blog ..Chipotle BBQ Pulled Chicken with Spicy Cilantro Cole Slaw =-.
We don’t have any little ones left at home, so no true date nights for us. We love a quiet evening at home with a bottle of wine or dinner out at a favorite restaurant.
What a fun giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity!
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Chocolate Banana Trifle – Foodie Friday =-.
Our little one will turn 2 next week. It’s been about 2 yrs and a month since we’ve been out to eat at a restaurant… really since we’ve had a meal alone. I’d love to go out just him and I and have a quiet dinner. Able to talk (and eat WARM food!)
What a great giveaway!
My husband and I have been doing at home dinner date nights for a few years now. Every Saturday we try to “gourmet” it up and have a nice fancy meal after the kids are in bed.
Now if I had people that could clean up after this; that would be the ultimate!
Date night at home is making dinner together in the kitchen, making exotic plans that are really just daydreams, and cuddling up on the couch with a movie.
.-= Dianna´s last blog ..Thai Chicken Pizza & a guest blogger! =-.
My favorite date night is grilling something yummy on the deck, lots of drinks, and late night dessert shared over a good movie!
The perfect date night …hanging out together in the kitchen, barefoot, sipping wine, and cooking together. Candlelit dinner on the deck.
Thanks for the chance to win this great gift pack!
Dinner and a movie at home is a perfect date night for us………although a little getaway would be nice too! ♥
Sounds like you two had a wonderful evening!
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..I’m Lovin’ It – SwagBucks =-.
My perfect date night would be sitting outside on the deck in the summer with my husband. Good food, good wine, good conversation, and no kids!
I remember a small restaurant my husband and I used to go when we lived in Italy in th town of Porcia. We used to sit in the bak porch where there was a beautifull small river with cascades. There we had the most amazing date nights. The food was out of this world and of course the wine. Now we live in Florida and on Friday nights, if we don’t go out on our date night, we stay home, open a nice bottle of wine and make an Italian dinner what else do we need!
My perfect date night would be to go to the beach and just walk the boardwalk. When we are done, stop by the store and pick up something good and easy to fix, come home pop it in the oven an start on a movie until the food is ready. After we’re finished eating we just stay on the couch until get tired. Relaxation, perfect.
.-= Devona´s last blog ..TWD: Mocha Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake =-.
First of all, going overboard on the cheese sounds DELICIOUS.
Second of all, date night… hmm. Let’s say on vacation somewhere, at a restaurant that we BOTH love (my palate is quite a lot more adventurous than his, so I think lots of things are amazing at which he wouldn’t be having a good time, and for it to be a good date we should BOTH enjoy it), and then… oh, ok, I’m thinking of a specific vacation for a particular reason. We’re going to NYC in July because the US Air Guitar nationals are there then, and while he didn’t qualify in the Boston regional, there’s a good chance my husband will be picked to go to the Invitational a couple days before the finals. So a nice day capped off by some good food and AWESOME VICTORY OF AWESOMENESS would be the best date ever.
My perfect date night with my husband starts with the anticipation of the event. I like to plan a nice dinner that’s not labor intensive and can be mostly made ahead. I set the table like I would for company, with candles and crystal. Pick a nice wine. Then we relax, let the evening unfold and enjoy ourselves
I need a date…then we’ll focus on date NIGHT ; )
.-= maris´s last blog ..National Food Blogger Bake Sale: Saturday, April 17, 2010 =-.
What a great idea of the date night at home. I always worry when my husband and I go out about how much we are paying a babysitter. My perfect date night would be somewhere you can sit outside and enjoy the nice weather and where we can just focus on each other and talk. Maybe a movie or just come home and watch a movie together on the couch.
My perfect date night is a picnic in the park after renting a paddle boat in DC under the cherry blossoms. Run on sentences FTW!
My son, age 23, works his tail off to keep the family financially stable – so of course, he has very little money left over to pamper his future wife. I would love to be able to gift them with such a fabulous date night!
My husband has been really stressed and busy at work lately and I would love to be able to treat him to a quiet meal in a clean house with just the two of us.
.-= katie´s last blog ..Roasted Garlic Potato Salad =-.
Date. What is a date? We never seem to have the time or energy to have a just the two of us night. It would be so nice to have alone time with no cooking.
An ideal date night for me would be one where I have to do nothing except show up 🙂 No cooking, no cleaning, no outside interruptions … just me and my loved one, along with good food and good entertainment. *Thanks* for the giveaway!
A really good date night would be….Going to a fabulous restaurant and having amazing food, good wine, a mouth watering dessert and great conversation.
.-= Dawn Logterman´s last blog ..The Works Burgers =-.
Well, I really never had a date night. Can I dream? Here it goes…just me and my husband alone at home, prepare a meal for two, create a lovers tablescape, and enjoy the savory food while sipping on some wine.
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Gothic Romance Novels =-.
Our ideal date night is to first send the kids to grandma’s house. Then go out and rent a movie and pick up all the ingredients for our favorite meal to cook together, chicken breasts and roasted red potatoes and green salad. This is something special to us as the kids hate it. Then we share cooking, pop in a movie while we eat on trays in the living room snuggled up on the couch.
Date night would most likely would be with my husband with some great food ended by nestling in his chest looking to the water!
Date night for us is just hanging togather .
My perfect date night would be painting all day in the studio without worrying about what to cook for dinner, coming home to a delicious dinner my husband (who does NOT COOK) has brought home in a bag and finding out it is my favorite…authentic Italian cuisine! Wine would be nice too! 😉
My ideal Date night would be an evening with my hubby, a wonderful meal, no interuptions and great conversation!
Our kids are 18 and 20, so no need for a babysitter for us – but we do enjoy date nights in! 😀
.-= Biz´s last blog ..I Cried. =-.
A great night for me is a great meal, either out at a restaurant or home cooked, and a great movie.
i’m glad ya’ll got your much-needed couple time! my favorite kind of date night involves messy burgers, cake, and cuddling on the couch. man, am i easy, or what? 🙂
.-= grace´s last blog ..sometimes you feel like a nut… =-.
The ideal date night includes a fun night out to our favorite upscale pizza joint along with a glass of wine and some much needed conversation that doesn’t involve an interruption from the little people 🙂
Date night is really just about good conversation for me, even if that is just going for a walk on the trail near our home.
Best date night — a bottle of red wine, steak with copious amounts of butter, and for dessert…I’m flexible ; )
.-= Sallie´s last blog ..Houston’s =-.
Date night after 25 years? Well, we do it because the kids are both gone to school…so we head to our mountain house, open a nice Pinot Grigio and throw some steaks on the grill with a nice baked potato and some grilled asparagus. That always seems to relax us and set the mood!
Date night for us is simple – something cheap and delicious (like our favorite tacos, gyros, or pasta salad from the local deli), and a blanket outside so we can look at the stars.
.-= Alyssa Stewart´s last blog ..Gooey, Cheesy, Tomatoey Goodness (Baked Ziti) =-.
We loooove Italian and cook it a lot at our house. But date night in a box sounds fabulous! Wonder if I can get our 18-year old to tidy up and put his 2 little sisters to bed, to make it like a real date night?
Sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!
I have been trying to do more date nights with my husband. It is hard between our 2 daughters, time and budget. But is is very important to reconnect with your spouse. My ideal date night would be any date night. Give me a dinner out with my husband and I’m happy.
Thanks for a great giveaway.
.-= Jamie´s last blog ..Blueberry-Almond Granola featuring Beveri Flaxseed =-.
Our ideal date night would be to drop the kids off for the night at Grandma’s and go back home. Watch movies in bed and have chinese take out for dinner. That would be amazing!
An ideal date for me would be um in Venice, Italy…eating a homemade pasta meal (courtesy of Bertolli, of course) outside on a patio overlooking the canals. *sigh*
We have date night almost every night:) Cooking together and then talking about our days. Simple but the best nights! Of course we go out for special date nights too:)
.-= Maria´s last blog ..2peas3-0 =-.
Kids at Grandma’s
Wine
Hot tub
That’s what I’m talkin’ about! 🙂
This is SUCH a cute giveaway! My favorite date night would night out to our favorite restaurant, Park Ave 🙂
.-= Ali´s last blog ..100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes =-.
Definitely a romantic dinner with the two of us at home. Good bread, good pasta, candles, and music. That pretty much sums it up.
.-= Claire´s last blog ..The queen of spades =-.
Its nice to have a little break once in awhile. It seems that once you become a parent the date nights get put on the back burner. My husband and I went away for the weekend a few weeks back. First time since our 18 month old born. It was so nice to just have alone time!
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Buttermilk Poundcake =-.
My perfect date would be in my backyard. Its a warm evening and we eat over candlelight and then go swimming in the pool whilst a movie is projected on the wall.
dinner by candlelight with soft background music drinking a whole bottle of vino…..lol
dinner with my husband, candles & wine
dinner w/husband, candles & wine
I would love to have a whole just with my husband. Maybe go to a movie (we haven’t been to a movie in FOREVER), go for a late dinner, and then relax at home while our son stays with Grandma. Some wine would definitely be involved…
So glad to hear about your rejuvenating evening! Hope to win and have a delectable night staring into some soft brown eyes. Sigh…a girl can hope. Thanks for the giveaway!
My dream date would be just to have a date! Let’s be honest–how often do you get a date when you have two small kids at home. I do love a good home-cooked meal every night, so a break from cooking would be nice.
Dream Date…having dinner with some really great friends from Arizona and KC? Dare to dream..on a cruise ship maybe or vacation spot? Alas, I will look at photos instead. Reality…dinner without trying to feed the twins and forcing the 4-year-old to eat!
Date Night? What’s that? It’s been WAY too long for Dave and I!! Glad to hear you and Nick got some connection time!
.-= Whitney Schmale´s last blog ..Visitors part 2 =-.
Call me boring, but a perfect date night involves wine, good food, and romantic movie (Love Actually, or something mushy like that).
I saw the Bertolli meals in the frozen section this week. I almost bought one – they look really good.
.-= Steph´s last blog ..Honey Chipotle Glazed Chicken =-.
oh goodness. date night would be some wine, some quiet music and my sweetie. if we were by the water or dining al fresco, all the better 🙂
Since we just bought our first house, part of our kitchen is still packed in boxes. So recent dinners have been hectic. Perfect date night for us would be going out to a restaurant (no clean up!), then coming home to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie.
Sounds like a wonderful evening! To solve the expense of a frequent babysitter, we used to trade date nights with friends. With a group of four friends, we each took a turn watching all the kids in our house, so one night a month, we get everyone’s kids, but the other three date nights, we were kid-free. Just another way to go! As for a perfect date night … sign me up for cooking a meal together and enjoying an impromptu picnic in the backyard underneath the stars with a bottle of wine and good company. Only those with a wicked sense of humor and strong sense of family and self need apply.
.-= Cate O’Malley´s last blog ..Tomato and Salami Salad =-.
Ideal date night…it’s really quite simple. Alone. With my honey. No one else. For several nights. That is all.
My idea of a perfect date night would be dinner and dancing, but my husband hates to dance! Usually, we resort to the cliche dinner and a movie but it works for us because we rarely get to see movies in the theater. By the time they come out on DVD we’ve forgotten we wanted to see it! 😀
.-= Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Blue Italian Ice =-.
My perfect date night would mean that the kids were gone, and my husband fixes one of his specialties and while he is doing that we actually have quality conversations without interruption. We also would enjoy some glasses of wine.
After dinner, we would watch a movie – a chick flick and he would like it!
Our son is grown and gone, so every night is date night. There is no one I would rather be with than my husband, even after 38 years!
An ideal date night for me would be a nice dinner I didn’t have to cook or clean up after and then a nice long walk along the beach with the hubby.
Ideal date night would be either a picnic on the beach or a night out in NYC to see a show and eat an amazing meal!
.-= Liz´s last blog ..Podcast 100: Show 100 Celebration & a Recipe for ‘Sushi’ Ham & Cheese Roll Up =-.
A date night would be any time I could have the WHOLE day to do nothing but relax and think about how wonderful an actual date night would be!!
My ideal date night would include a fabulous meal, a bottle of good wine, and then getting all cozy to watch a movie together.
.-= Heather Thompson´s last blog ..Egypt: Kushari =-.
Our ideal date night would be one where we didn’t have to worry about $$ or family – where it was truly just us!
My ideal date night would be a night where we send our son to his grandparents and just spend the evening watching movies and cuddling on the couch with out the ruckus of a 2yr old! Maybe a nice homecooked meal with some candle light 🙂
My husband and I have 4 sons and we live far away from family. No babysitters for us except when nana comes to visit.
We’ve been living on a serious budget lately, so my ideal date night would include a delicious dinner with fabulous food and wine, maybe a concert or movie, and a night cap somewhere. Oh, and the biggest thing of all – a babysitter or sleepover for Elli!
.-= Kris Mulkey´s last blog ..Off Beat Eateries in the San Francisco Bay Area =-.
A great date night would be my husband & I getting dressed up for a romantic dinner, then listening to a great band and dancing.