All you need is love…and maybe a bit of inspiration

Valentine’s Day is approaching, which can only mean one thing… love is in the air!

Now, before you get the wrong idea, this won’t be a blog purely for couples. Valentine’s Day is about love and that love can and should include everyone. So, this year, we’ve created a list of date night ideas whether bae is your other half, your best friend, or yourself, and whether you’re suffering with fatigue, a lack of money, or just a plain lack of ideas.

Friends:

Kaleb (17 – living with a brain tumour) and Ella (18) have been friends for 6 ½ years and share some of their favourite ‘friend date’ ideas.

• Have a joke – this mainly involves showing each other cat pictures (sad, but true!)
• Talk – whether it’s about your tumour, holidays, school, gossip or whatever else, communicating, sharing and listening is a brilliant way to have fun, love and feel loved
• Go out for a meal, order in a takeaway, or have fun making something for each other. We first bonded over a shared love of cake and confectionary, so perhaps bake a cake!
• Go to the cinema and then talk about the film after
• Go to the park, talk, swing, slide, have fun
• Go shopping – whether you buy something or not, just trying on silly outfits, finding tasty food, and wandering around together can be great fun
• Do some in house activities – board games, video games, a puzzle, there’s a lot you can do without even leaving the house
• Talk about all your best memories you’ve had as friends – embarrassing school stuff, funny moments, what you first thought when you met each other, how far your friendship has come
• Grab a box set and binge watch a new show or an old one you both love to watch over and over

Couples:

Beth (26 – living with a brain tumour) and Sam (25) first met during a Duke of Edinburgh residential trip. Eight years’ later and they’re still together. Having had many dates together, they have plenty of ideas to share.

• Film nights in, make your own cinema but with the pause button and pyjamas.
• Games. From board games to candy crush, any game will do!
• Get a takeaways or cook each other a nice meal.
• Catch-up on your favourite TV show or watch an old classic
• We both like to go to IKEA. We love looking around, getting free pencils and having lunch!
• Get some snacks, put a film on and just relax with each other
• Bake a cake, cook something new, or get crafty
• Get out a bottle of your favourite drink (can be non-alcoholic!) and rewind your past – embarrassing, silly, heart-warming memories.
• Go stargazing – get some blankets and a pillow and get cozy! Conversation will naturally flow or you can just lay in comfortable silence and take in the scenery
• Building duvet fort and cuddle up inside with a hot chocolate
• Go to the zoo – you can walk around and enjoy each other’s company without any pressure to talk or move around too quickly and there are plenty of opportunities to sit down and relax (and have a picnic!)