*This post is done in partnership with Date Night In Box (DNIB), but all thoughts and opinions are 2LWithIt’s*
Date Night In Box (DNIB) is a monthly subscription that sends couples a curated box, complete with a soundtrack, recipes, games, crafts, and thoughtful conversation starters.
One of the things I like most about DNIB is their partnership with Tri-Development Center of Aiken County (TDC). TDC helps individuals with autism, head and spinal cord injuries, and intellectual disabilities, find employment in Aiken, South Carolina. TDC finds the helpful hands that put together each and every DNIB (and Kids Night In Boxes, too). I love to support companies that give back to their communities, so if you’re looking to give a gift that supports a good cause, look no further!
This month’s theme is “Winter Wonderland,” transitioning from the holidays into the new year. The insert, written by DNIB’s founder, suggests using this date night box as a way to reconnect with your significant other from all of the holiday craziness.
Speaking of craziness, we didn’t get to try the optional menu this month because we’ve spent the last few weeks dealing with a fridge/freezer that defrosts at whim…so most of our meals have been takeout. That’s not to say the recipes aren’t delicious; we’re planning on trying them once our appliances are fixed. This month you’ll find a very cozy menu, including: hot toddies, parmesan and garlic crostini, pancetta and sweet pea gnocchi, and a homemade peppermint pudding.
All of the recipes look pretty straight-forward, with all of the dishes (minus the pudding) taking under a half hour to prepare. Even the pudding is pretty easy to make, it just needs to set in the refrigerator to cool (which, if you plan it right, you can prepare it and do some of the date box while it sets)!
Next up on the date night itinerary is “Table Talk,” which is a set of discussion questions you and your partner can use while you prepare dinner. If you subscribe to the faith add-on (which is an insert with Christian-based discussion questions), you’ll just get more topics to talk about. If not, Table Talk is a good way to connect with your partner beyond “how was work” and “the kids were fine.”
One of my favorite discussion questions from this part of the date was, “what are your biggest stressors in regards to the upcoming holidays? How can I support you through this holiday season.”
It’s such a simple question, but the reality is the holidays do bring up a lot of stressful things – whether it’s traveling to be with family, interacting with people you don’t see that often, that one dish that’s made every year that you don’t like but eat anyway, etc. Taking the time to talk to your partner about how you can support them through any/all of this is really thoughtful and it got us thinking about how to work together through the holidays as a team, rather than individually dealing with the stressors.
The next part of the date is probably my favorite, because it’s the most interactive. This month, couples get to try a variety of hands-on activities, like: making white chocolate winter wonderland trees and putting together a piece of art.
Below is a picture of the chocolate trees we made. All of the materials are included in the box (white chocolate wafers, pretzel sticks, and sprinkles. The only things you’ll need to put this together from your own kitchen is a baking sheet and parchment paper. Some of the trees turned out better than others (aka they’re at the bottom of the plate), but they all tasted really good! It’s a super cute snack to make together as a couple, or with kids; you’d probably just have to make sure the chocolate isn’t too hot while you’re drizzling it over the pretzels.
The second activity was a bit more labor-intensive. You get to choose between a snowflake and a christmas tree to put on your wooden tile. You can leave the wood plain, or stain it like we did (we did it with a sharpie). This was definitely a two-person activity, as I made sure we kept all the nails consistent with the pattern, and he did the heavy-lifting by hammering them all into the wood.
Again, all of the materials for this activity were included in the box (including a little hammer), which is really nice because it means you can take this date night box with you on a trip and you don’t have to bring along anything extra! I really like how DNIB included an online tutorial on how to do this activity, because it took the guesswork out of trying to figure out how to put it all together.
Like previous months, there is a game that’s included with this date. I’d liken it to “Heads Up,” but winter-themed. The final activity for this box is a sentimental gift for your significant other. I won’t spoil the surprise, but it’s something you can’t put a price tag on.
Last but certainly not least, at the back of the insert, you’ll find ways to continue your date night in, like: movie suggestions, downloadable activities, and a themed soundtrack on Spotify. DNIB truly takes the guesswork out of planning a memorable date (or series of dates if you spread it out over a week or so). You’ve got everything from things to talk about, food to make together, and activities to try (and sometimes fail pretty hard at…like all of the chocolate christmas trees that got eaten before we took pictures because they looked more like globs than trees…but that’s half the fun of these boxes).
All in all, this was a very well-thought out DNIB. We really enjoyed the discussion questions and used the activities as breaks from our holiday plans to spend time together. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for DNIB in 2019!
For pricing and more details about the boxes, check out Date Night In’s pages here:
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