Posted on: March 30, 2007

4 Simple Steps to the Perfect Night

Bring romance to life, and to your life, with a step-by-step plan to provide your partner with an evening to remember

By Timothy R. Schulte
CTW Features

The alarm goes off at before the sun comes up. Twelve hours later, you’re sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on your way home from a hard day – not so you can go home to relax, but so you can go home to cook dinner, clean, do the laundry and maybe sneak back into bed before midnight. The next day, repeat. While you can’t avoid the responsibilities of a working life all the time, you certainly can buffer some time to enjoy yourself (and your special someone) at least one night a week. Here’s how:

Before you get started, know that since you’re making this your ideal evening, you’re going to have to relegate your regular routine to some other night.

1.Make it a Date to Meet Up

If you drive to work, take the long trip home and pick up your partner from his or her workplace. Or if you both walk, take public transport, etc., and meet at a specific location. It will spice up your romance when you take your special someone out of the familiar confines of home to a chore-free destination, even if it’s just a trip to the local coffee shop before you head home. And, if you pick the other person up, it’s a fun experience that gives you some brownie points in the end.

2. Don’t Fake It, Make It

There are few things more depressing than staring at a sparsely filled refrigerator or pantry. One of those would be a refrigerator stacked of Tupperwares full of leftovers. Bypass your barren home front and forget about ordering takeout. Whether it’s the grocery store near where the bus lets off or the quaint market in your neighborhood, stop off and pick up what you need to create a perfect enchanting dinner at home. The quest for the right ingredients will be a fun experience, and the fresh food will be nothing but pleasant on your palate. Try to recreate a special restaurant moment from a previous date by fixing similar foods. Putting together your magical meal will be just as fun as purchasing it. And, of course, don’t forget the wine.

3. Evening Entertainment

If you like a side of TV, feel free to invite “The Riches” over for dinner or pop in the latest rental from the local video store. Or maybe for you, dinner is best served over a Monopoly board. Even just some relaxing conversation at the dining table could do the trick. There’s no wrong way to go about it. The point is to break away from the stress of folding towels or balancing the checkbook when all you really want to do is relax. Making the time to battle over a board game or let your favorite show move you to the edge of your seat is what’s key.

4. Off to Bed

Whether you engage in physical intimacy or some soul-nurturing cuddle and conversation, the perfect night wouldn’t end any other way – in the arms of the one you love.