THE
Night In Boxes TIMES
ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX
YOUR DATE NIGHT itinerary
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENJOY YOUR DATE! Greetings Date Night In Seeker! Thanks for allowing us to join you in your home and assist in making some special memories. This month’s date theme is Easy Like Sunday Morning, and it has been one of our team’s favorite dates to develop for you! We want you to really focus on relaxing with your significant other and enjoy some downtime spent together. As a Mom of two, one of the things I miss most is just getting the chance to lay in bed or lounge on the sofa with my husband without little ones asking us to turn on Netflix! So snuggle up, read your newspaper that will guide you on your date journey and share some pics with us. As a growing business we really appreciate any word of mouth recommendations you can give! Till Next Month! – Megan Pruitt (Founder of Night In Boxes)
PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO SNAP AND SHARE SOME PICS USING THE HASHTAG #DATENIGHTINBOX
TO WIN A FREE DATE NEXT MONTH! Follow us on social media: Facebook - @datenightinbox & Instagram - @datenightinbox
TUNE IN TO YOUR CUSTOM SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
FIND YOUR BEST CUDDLE LOCATION
In an effort to help SET THE MOOD, each month we create a custom Spotify playlist for you to enjoy. Head over to www.nightinboxes.com/music, or login to your account, and ease into this date
For this date, we encourage you to cuddle up on the sofa or even in bed with a nice tray. Relaxation is KEY to the enjoyment of this date.
experience. We will start things off with a very necessary cliché song from our friends The Commodores. Let the gravity of Easy sink in and set the tone for the rest of your date.
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX PREPARE YOUR SUGGESTED RECIPES
Kale and Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs
Candied Bacon
EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING Recipes Recipes provided by Marina Makes
ENHANCE YOUR BELGIAN WAFFLES
We have provided you both with all natural authentic Belgian waffles. They can be eaten right out of the package or reheated and enhanced for some added flavor.
Belgian Waffle Toppings (Maple Syrup and Whip Cream with Chocolate Chips) INGREDIENTS Maple Syrup 1 cup of heavy whipping cream (vegan option: coconut cream) 1 tablespoon of sugar 2-3 tablespoons of mini semi sweet chocolate chips DIRECTIONS
Enhanced Belgian Waffle
To make the whip cream, add heavy whipping cream and sugar to a mediumsized bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. I recommend topping the waffle with maple syrup, then the heavy whipping cream and sprinkling chocolate chips on top.
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX
ENTREE
DONT FORGET TO LOGIN INTO
Kale and Goat Cheese
YOUR ACCOUNT AND PRINT
Scrambled Eggs
OUT YOUR SHOPPING LIST!
INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 cups of thinly sliced kale Salt Pepper 6 large eggs 2 oz of goat cheese (dairy-free or vegan option: dairy-free ricotta)
about marina Your dinner menu each month has been thoughtfully prepared for you by our friend and blogger Marina.
DIRECTIONS In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the kale and stir to coat it in the olive oil. Add a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, stirring to mix. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the kale is wilted. While the kale is cooking, crack the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk for a minute or two with a fork or whisk. Add a couple of pinches of salt and pepper and set aside. When the kale is wilted, add the eggs, keeping the heat at a medium/medium-low. For creamy eggs, you want to cook the eggs low and slow. Stir until cooked through. When the eggs are cooked through, remove from the heat and gently stir in the goat cheese. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper
Candied Bacon INGREDIENTS 4 slices of bacon (vegetarian option: vegan bacon) 2-3 tablespoons of light brown sugar Cinnamon 2 tablespoons of maple syrup Parchment paper DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon on top. Sprinkle each slice with brown sugar and a pinch or two of cinnamon. Bake the bacon for 20-30 minutes, checking it often. When the bacon is crisp, take it out of the oven and let it cool for five minutes. Brush with maple syrup and enjoy.
Blood Orange Mimosa
BEVERAGES Blood Orange Mimosa INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup of blood orange juice (or grapefruit juice) 1/4 cup of prosecco DIRECTIONS Pour the blood orange juice in a glass and top with prosecco.
Sparkling Blood Orange Juice INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup of blood orange juice (or grapefruit juice) 1/4 cup of club soda DIRECTIONS Pour the blood orange juice in a glass and top with club soda.
We would Love for you to share pictures enjoying your recipes! Tag #nightinboxes & #marinamakeseats
Growing up in an Italian and Greek household (yes, I’m exactly half and half and it’s super fun!), I was pretty much forced to love food. Luckily, I happen to not only thoroughly enjoy eating, but also cooking. My grandmas and mom taught me that cooking is so much more than a chore, it’s feeding the ones you love and making memories around the table that will last a lifetime. I’m so blessed to be able to carry on their cooking skills and create a million more memories with my own little family. In 2016, I decided to share my love for eats with the world and started my blog, Marina Makes (marinamakesblog.com). It’s been a true adventure recipe testing, being creative with cooking and revisiting some of my family’s classic dishes. Over the past several months, it’s been a joy seeing Night In Box subscribers take the time to make my recipes and enjoy what they make. Creating fun and themed menus for all of you has been a dream and this month has been one of my favorites – who doesn’t love brunch?! Please continue sharing your food adventures and don’t forget to tag and include #marinamakeseats so I can see them!! Happy eating, friends!
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX
CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE: fill in the blank
You are my favorite ___________________ in the world. It makes me really happy to ___________________ for you. Going to ___________________ with you is my idea of a perfect Sunday morning. I hope we get to ___________________ our favorite ___________________ soon. If we could bottle your ___________________ and sell it, we’d make a fortune. I love to hear you ___________________. I love it
FILL IN THE BLANKS TOGETHER AND TAKE A MINUTE TO CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE.
when you wear ___________________. I love that you are secretly ___________________. I love to watch you ___________________ every day. I believe we’d make a great ___________________ team. I wish we were flying to ___________________ this week. I love how good you are at ___________________. I love how you encourage me to ___________________. This week, I’d love to see you relax and ___________________. I love how you’ve helped me see ___________________ in a new light. If you were a song, you’d be ___________________. I love watching ___________________ with you. Let’s never ___________________. The world is more ___________________ because you are in it.
CROSSWORD SEARCH
Words about love crossword puzzle .
ANSWER BANK ADORE, TREASURE, CHOCOLATE, SPARK, COURT, CHERISH, AMORE, AFFECTION, BLISS, AMOUR, RAPTURE
.
FILL IN THE BLANKS TOGETHER, SEE HOW WELL YOU CAN DO WITHOUT USING THE ANSWER BANK!
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX
My Favorite place in the world is next to you!
A Wise Investment By Amy Miller of FreshlyMarried.com When we think of investments, we typically think in financial terms; putting money and time into an account, product, or company in hopes of bringing you better fortune in the short-term and long-term. When we think of investing in the relationship with a partner, it is the same idea. You invest your days and nights into first dating each other. You invest money through gifts, date experiences, and enjoying your lifestyle together. You also invest your thoughts and actions towards one another. As time goes on, we hope that after all we’ve put into this relationship we will be rewarded in both short-term and long-term ways. Like having someone who will always be there to support us, build us up, and meet our needs. Many couples unfortunately, start investing less and less, thinking they have already received their reward, especially if they have achieved that marital commitment. This is where financial investments can differ from relationship investments. A relationship requires more than a one-time deposit of love that compounds or grows into something better on its own. Relationships continually require you to give for years to come in order for you to continue reaping the benefits. While there are many worthwhile things in this life to invest ourselves in, I believe one of the most important investments is the relationship with our partner. This can be a difficult idea for many to understand and execute, especially when children are added to the mix because raising children is also important. But think about what happens when your kids eventually grow up and move out and start having their own separate lives: your partner is still there. If you gave 18 years of extra focus in your children’s lives than in your partner, you most likely won’t see a good return on this long-term investment. And unlike financial investments that are often influenced by economic climate, we can actually have full control over our investment in our relationships! We can take action in both small and large ways to have a happy and healthy relationship. A few things we probably do already or could do to invest in our relationship: make a meal for your partner, speak their love language, plan and enjoy more dates together, give up an activity or hobby to spend more time together, or send them love notes throughout the day. What do all of these actions have in common? TIME. Marriage advocate Dave Willis said, “Time is the currency of relationships. There’s no way to invest into a relationship without investing your time.” I absolutely agree with this! Time surrounds almost all actions that enhance our relationships! If you feel your lifestyle is lacking in time, make changes so you do have time. When we do any of those ideas mentioned (along with so many other ideas of course!), partners can enjoy the loving and comforting benefits that come with a romantic relationship. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a wise investment to me!
Sunday Morning Dice Game
DICE GAME INSTRUCTIONS The goal of this game is to fill in all twelve circles. This is a one player game, but take turns playing all the way through to see who comes out on top. 1. Using your box to contain the dice, roll both die and count up your total. 2. Now, shade in the circle reflecting your total or two circles adding up to your total. For example: If you rolled a 5 and a 2, you can either fill in the circle labeled 7 or any combination totaling 7, like a 5 and a 2, 3 and 4, or 6 and 1. 3. When you roll your die and you can no longer follow step #2, you’re out! Good Luck!
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX
Win a Massage Envy Gift Card! If you’re interested in winning a $300 Massage Envy gift card (typically good for two 60-minute introductory massage sessions plus a 60-minute introductory facial session, including gratuity) simply take a picture of you, the box your date came in and hold up this newspaper to show us how you do Easy Like Sunday Morning using the hashtag #datenightinbox.
PAST WINNERS
MAD LIBS Dear Love, When we first met, you looked ______________________ and ______________________. I couldn’t believe adjective
adjective
my ______________________! You smelled like ______________________ and walked as graceful as a part of the body
plural noun
______________________. I couldn’t wait to ______________________ to you. animal
verb
I ______________________ asked you if I could have your ______________________. I could see adverb
noun
a ______________________ look in your eyes. You hesitated for a moment, then gave me a adjective
______________________. noun
We finally got to go on our first date. I loved spending time with you. You could make me ______________________ so easily, like no one had before. When you touched me, I felt verb
______________________ up my ______________________. When you looked at me, I could see plural noun
party of the body
______________________. I knew we were meant to be together. plural noun
After a long ______________________ night, I was so ______________________ to end the date. emotion
adjective
I longed to ______________________ verb
you again. You looked at me and said, “______________________!” exclamation
You ______________________ me, and I ______________________ you back. past tense verb
past tense verb
Here we are after all this time. It feels like it’s been ______________________ years! I look number
forward to ______________________ more. You make me want to ______________________, and I will number
verb
______________________ with you forever. Nobody else could ______________________ with me like you verb
do. ______________________ yours, adverb
Your Love
verb
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX
10 Questions You Never Thought To Ask While you’re enjoying snuggle time, take turns answering these thought-provoking questions you might never have thought to ask your significant other. Q UIZ QU ESTION S:
1. If you could spend one day in someone else’s shoes, who would it be and why? 2. Which super hero’s powers would annoy you the most? 3. If you were going to bury a time capsule, what would you put in it? 4. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 5. If you could bring back one toy from your childhood, what would it be and why? 6. If you had to describe yourself using only three words what would they be?
LET THE QUESTIONS BEGIN!
7. If you could relive one day of your life, what day would it be and why?
9. What feature of mine do you find most attractive?
8. If your life was a novel, what would the title be?
10. How would you like to end this Date Night In?
3 IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR YOU TO KNOW
Did you know we have a Kids Night In box? Shhhhh... don’t tell the little ones, but we sneak in a little learning, a get up and move around activity, a healthy snack, and more spontaneous fun, all to help make a moment that will last a lifetime. To learn more visit: www.kidsnightinbox.com
Now you can access your recipes and playlists directly from your customer account. Simply login with the username and password you created. Now everything is in one convenient place for you to access.
We are excited to announce the launch of a Faith-based component that can be included in your date. Each month we will give you an added discussion guide that provides you with the tools you need to deepen your relationship with God and with each other. For more information, email customerservice@nightinboxes.com.
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ISSUE 1 2018 • EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING DELIVERY • NIGHT IN BOXES • #DATENIGHTINBOX THE SPECIAL INGREDIENT IN YOUR DATE
TRI-DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF AIKEN COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO WORK WITH THIS ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PROVIDE, PROMOTE AND COORDINATE COMMUNITY SERVICES IN AIKEN COUNTY, SC FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM, HEAD AND SPINAL CORD INJURIES, AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.
THESE DATE NIGHT IN BOXES ARE FILLED EACH MONTH BY THE WONDERFUL FOLKS FROM THE TRI-DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF AIKEN COUNTY. THEY ARE ALWAYS HARD AT WORK PUTTING LOVE INTO EVERY SINGLE DATE WE DELIVER. ALL OF OUR WORKERS ARE AMAZING INDIVIDUALS WITH SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
MEGAN PRUITT, FOUNDER OF NIGHT IN BOXES
On a monthly basis so much happens behind the scenes to get your box to your door. As we have grown as a company (faster than we could have hoped or imagined), we have been blessed with the opportunity each month to work with the Tri-Development Center of Aiken County, Inc. In the middle of the month, 10-17 workers come into our office with warm smiles on their faces happy to find work and keep busy. Accompanied by the workers are several work supervisors that are critical to the success of the Tri-Development Centers’ programs. Two people who have impressed us the most are Linda and Shannon. Linda, a worker who is in her early sixties, arrives each day for work with one the biggest and best smiles on her face. When her job
duties are done for the day, she still looks around to find what she can help with next. Shannon, one of the supervisors for TriDevelopment Center, was made for this job with a natural gift to manage a large crew with a kind heart and admirable patience. The beauty of the Tri-Development Center is their mission focuses on providing, promoting and coordinating community services in Aiken County, South Carolina for individuals with autism, head and spinal cord injuries, and intellectualdisabilities. Supervisors like Shannon help ensure the workers, who are part of the programs, maximize independence, safeguard and support human rights and dignity, and achieve community inclusion. As we have grown, we have tried and made several mistakes. One of those mistakes was contracting with a thirdparty fulfillment company that helped us pack our boxes. Many of you who were
our subscribers in December might have noticed some items were missing in your box. I’m proud to say since partnering with the Tri-Development Center, our missing item notifications from our customers are at an all-time low. The workers like Linda catch the smallest details being missed and are such a critical part of our success In the event that an item is missing from your box, we want you to know we will absolutely make things right. We’re so proud that we are able to utilize these individuals on a monthly basis to become part of a larger mission of doing some good. We hope you find comfort knowing your purchase each month is part of this larger universe that improves people’s lives and employs many. We also hope as we grow, we can bring on more workers from the Tri-Development Center and make a larger community impact than we ever knew was possible.
Enjoy the rest of your night! Till next time!