We celebrated Camille’s first birthday yesterday. Our little Earth baby. I found myself, like I always do the days leading up to the girls’ birthdays, looking through old photos of them. Since Camille doesn’t have many “years” under her belt yet, I ended up going through her past year month by month. I could recall with so much clarity how we were feeling, what was going on, and what the highs and lows were from each month. And as I looked at her this morning I simply couldn’t believe it had already been a year…. More thoughts on that in my next motherhood post (next week!)….

But something TJ + I have always done, after the girls’ birthdays are over, is have a special date night to ourselves. Get dressed up, go out, and celebrate. Celebrate another year of parenthood, the highs + lows, and cheers to the year to come….

Since going out for our official “parenthood” dinner isn’t possible this birthday, we’ll be doing something special for it this coming weekend. An at home date night. And since we’re all still sheltering at home for the foreseeable future, we could all probably use a little QT with our significant other. So today I put together another at home date night. This time Italian themed…. everything from the ambiance to the menu is taken care of!

And while I was doing a little internet pursuing for this post, I went and took a look at some old photos from when TJ + I were in Rome 7 years ago. I was literally drooling over all the pizza + gelato photos we took……

All that aside, I hope this post is helpful in some way!
________

ATMOSPHERE

TABLE SETTING: I’d opt for a crisp white tablecloth with some fresh rosemary and/or lavender in a vase + strategically place some lemons down the center of your table for a clean + fresh look (I’m opting for an Almafi inspired dinner here). Since Italian can be a little dressier, maybe bring out those “special” dishes + glasses that you reserve for holidays + other festive occasions (although, I’d argue, everyday we’re alive is worth celebrating….).

PLAYLIST: For this date night’s playlist I really wanted something somewhat authentic to the region… so a simple google search pulled up this Italian Dinner Music YouTube station. I listened to it for about 10 minutes and it had me craving a spritz, some pizza, and gelato….. Give it a try!

CONVERSATION STARTERS: Like with the last “at home date night post” I think starting with a recap of the week is generally a great place to start and reconnect. I also included a few questions from the book “Eight Dates.”

“What was one high and one low from the past week?”

“Name 3 things, and be specific, that you’re grateful for right now….”

“When we go into our ‘new normal’ what’s one thing that you hope you take from this unique period in time?”

“Share 3 things you appreciate about your partner’s contribution to the ‘wealth’ of the relationship.” This can be paid AND unpaid (since much contribution is not monetarily measurable)

“What do you love about being parents together?” OR “What do you think we will love about being parents together?” OR “What does your ideal family look like? Just us? Us and friends/relatives? Children?”

“What’s a one day adventure you could imagine us having together?”

MENU

APPETIZERS: The options are endless here. Caprese salad, bruschetta (my favorite), or an antipasto platter.

MAIN COURSE: I’m going to go very simple here, because sometimes simple is the best and suggest a delicious thin crust pizza you two can make together… or each make your own personal pizza if your topping selections differ. I love this option because you can sip a beverage while you make it together, and while it bakes, you can have some opportunities for conversation, as opposed to continuously having to tend to various dishes. Hey, you can even order out from an Italian restaurant for the pizzas and make it even easier!

BEVERAGES: While not traditionally Italian, I think a good Pinot (our favorites here) paired with pizza is always a safe bet! Or, make a delicious Bellini (a little sweeter, but nonetheless very good). I used to have them all the time, and one is refreshing, two is overkill. Or try a Limoncello Bellini (you can buy limoncello at any alcohol store) or pour it over some ice for a pre-dinner beverage (it’s potent though… a little goes a long way….).

DESSERT: Gelato. That’s all.

ATTIRE

CASUAL + COMFORTABLE: Channeling the coast of Italy I’d go for some comfortable gauze-y pants (these are my favorites) a comfortable crop or loose tank, and a long duster cardigan (if it’s chilly where you are). I’m sure everyone has pieces that are similar to those in your closet, so it’s easy to get creative. I always think light and airy when I think about an Italian date on the Almafi Coast.

DRESSED UP + COMFORTABLE: Hands down, if you want to be dressed up + comfortable, go for a loose fitting, flow-y dress. I bought this white dress for our travels this summer and would highly recommend it!