We aren’t huge fans of standing out in the cold with a crowd of people at midnight. And we generally try to avoid going out to eat at a restaurant on nights when we know that it will be busy. So if you’re looking for us on New Year’s Eve, you’ll most likely find us at home or celebrating with friends and family in their homes. But we’re also looking to start a romantic New Year’s Eve tradition.
I love making fondue and eating it with my little family. Playing games, then celebrating the new year early with our little ones. And tucking them into bed before we watch a movie and try to stay awake until midnight. The next day we sleep in and enjoy a quiet day at home without work or anywhere we need to be.
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I love our little at-home celebrations that I’m sure will only get more fun as our kids get older and understand more about what’s going on and can stay up a little later. But I have dreams of a different kind of celebration that we could do as a family or just as a couple in the coming years. Have you ever gone on an overnight getaway for the New Year? I have grand ideas for a low-key overnight getaway with our kids. And I hope that we can make it happen in the next couple of years. But what I really want to do is go on a romantic overnight getaway, just my husband and I, once every few years or so.
For more date night ideas like these ones, check out the book, Prioritizing Date Night in Your Marriage, with 300+ date night ideas.
You know that we love to stay at themed bed and breakfasts, just for couples, any time we get away together. This is the one thing we like to splurge on when we get away together. Because it provides an atmosphere for us to connect and enjoy our time together without any distractions. Whether you book a B&B or just a nicer hotel, we highly suggest somewhere with a large soaking tub and room service for breakfast in the morning.
Related: What We Look for in Our Romantic Getaway Accommodations
If we were getting away for the night of New Year’s Eve. We’d definitely take a nap as soon as we checked into our room. We struggle to stay up past 10 pm on a regular basis. And would want to be well rested for the activities we had planned for the evening. And to make it to midnight to see the ball drop.
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I think that if we were going to get away for New Year’s Eve, I’d book us a room with a little kitchenette or a full kitchen. Just so we wouldn’t have to fight the crowds for dinner. We love this Date Night In Cookbook and all of the different date night meals they have to make together. The best part about the cookbook is that it gives you things to prepare ahead of time. So your prep time on date night is minimal and you can focus on enjoying the food together.
Related: Date Night In – A Date Night In Cookbook
Most everyone I know sets goals for the new year. So I’d love to make this part of our quiet, uninterrupted night away. I generally have been thinking about my goals for the year for a month or two. But I would love to take time to sit and listen to music or sit in silence. And put my goals on paper and map out what I will do each month to accomplish each thing by the end of the year. After you’ve set your goals, get back together and talk about the things that you each want to accomplish and the person you want to be when the year is over. Then discuss how you can support each other and help your spouse achieve their goals.
Related: Are Your Spouse’s Endeavors a Priority for You Too?
One of the things that I’m always surprised to hear is that couples don’t set goals for their marriage! We set goals related to our finances, house projects we want to get done, dates that we want to go on, etc. If you want to make date night more of a priority in your marriage, set goals surrounding date night. If you are trying to set aside time together each and every day, set goals with that. Work together to set goals to make your marriage better in the coming year.
Related: The Importance of Setting Goals in Your Marriage
We love cuddling up to watch a movie, soaking in the jetted tub, or playing games together when we are on an overnight getaway. Bring a few of your favorite two-player games to play. Rent a movie you’ve been wanting to see or bring one of your favorites from home. And bring bath bombs if you’re staying somewhere with a tub. Depending on the amount of time you have until midnight, you might be able to enjoy more than one activity together.
Related: Date Night Movies You’ll Both Enjoy
We don’t watch the entire New Year’s Eve party. But we do like to watch the end of the celebration and the ball drop at midnight. Don’t forget to share a New Year’s Kiss!
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Our favorite thing about overnight getaways without the kids is not having to get out of bed for any responsibilities in the morning. We can sleep as late as we want. And then cuddle in bed until we’re hungry. And climb back into bed after we eat.
Related: The Secret to Successful Goal Setting in Your Marriage
Breakfast in bed is a must any time we’re together for an overnight getaway. If breakfast delivered to our room isn’t included with our stay like it is at some of the B&B’s we stay at, we always splurge on room service. We haven’t ordered room service yet and regretted it. If you prefer to go out, be prepared for a long wait along with the rest of the world who will be out celebrating the new year with breakfast.
Related: How to Save Money on a Romantic Getaway
End your getaway with an adventurous date out. Do something outside of your normal date night routine. Go on a winter adventure if you’re somewhere there is snow. Plan and budget for whatever you choose to do and don’t be afraid to splurge a little bit.
When our kids are older and moved out, a romantic New Year’s Eve getaway is something that I’d love to make an annual tradition in our marriage. While they’re young, I’m hoping we can make it happen at least once every few years. I know that getting away from our regular responsibilities and all of the projects that loom over our heads at home is beneficial for our marriage every once in a while. And making it a holiday tradition can be even more fun! Especially if we are intentional and set goals for ourselves while we’re away. I love the idea of this romantic New Year’s Eve tradition!
Do you have a special romantic New Year’s Eve tradition?
