DNI October Fall In Love Insert

Volume 6, 2018

Date Night In

#DATENIGHTINBOX

Fall in Love DATE NIGHT IN BOX

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Date Night In Box //Fall In Love

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Fall In Love // Date Night In Box

e m o c Wel n I t h g i N Date TO YOUR

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hello, and welcome to your Fall In Love Date Night In Box. I don’t know about all of you, but I absolutely welcome the cooler, crisp, fall air here in Aiken, SC. We have hovered in the 90s each day for as long as I can remember.

AUGUST PIC SHARE WINNERS!

As the season changes and my daughter sets off on her first year of school, I find myself and my family spending quite a bit more time at home. I hope that a slower pace has graced your daily life and that you are able to enjoy and take advantage of the intimacy that the cool weather brings.

When creating your date, we tried to capture all of the staples of fall and translate them into a date night experience. The crispness in the air, the changing seasonal colors, and the delicious fall foods and aromas will all become part of your experience tonight.

As always, we are giving a FREE DATE this month to someone who snaps a pic with his or her significant other while enjoying this date. Take a moment to post it to Instagram or Facebook using the hashtags #DateNightInBox & #DNIFallInLove. Congrats to our winners last month! It warms our hearts to see all of you enjoying Date Night In. Here’s to falling in love,

Megan Pruitt FOUNDER OF DATE NIGHT IN

YOUR PLAN FOR THE NIGHT

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OPTIONAL CUSTOM DINNER MENU AND TABLE TALK FALL CANDLE MAKING & SETTING THE MOOD

6 TREE OF LIFE 7 ENJOY YOUR SNACK 8 FALL IN LOVE BUNCO 1 0 HOW HAVE YOU FALLEN FOR ME? 1 1 WAYS TO CONTINUE YOUR NIGHT

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Date Night In Box //Fall In Love

Optional DINNER

Menu

FROM MARINAMAKESBLOG.COM

Cheddar & Thyme

Hi, friends!

I’m Marina from marinamakesblog. com My favorite season is upon us! Bring on the falling leaves, sweater weather, and cozy comfort food. This month I’ve prepared one of my favorite fall foods: chicken pot pie! This is not your mama’s chicken pot pie though. Topped with cheddar and thyme biscuits. They are fluffy, savory, and the perfect topping to soak up all of the delicious pie filling.

To go with the pot pie, I put together a harvest salad filled with fresh figs and goat cheese. To end the meal on a sweet note, this month’s desert is chocolate and caramel apple slices. Oh, and of course, I can’t forget the apple whiskey - a fun, smoky drink with a twist. I’d love to see how your autumn-inspired creations turn out, so please feel free to share your pictures on social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #M ARIN AM AK ESEATS.

BISCUIT POT PIE

PREP TIME: 35-45 MIN.

Ingredients

Directions

POT PIE MIXTURE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep your veggies by chopping the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic on a cutting board with a large knife. I recommend cutting all of the veggies into small cubes and making sure they’re all cut around the same size, except for the garlic, which should be finely minced.

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6 tablespoons of unsalted butter 1/4 cup of yellow onion, chopped 1/2 cup of carrots, chopped 1/2 cup of white mushrooms, chopped 1/4 cup of celery, chopped Salt Pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup of frozen peas 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, chopped 3 tablespoons of unbleached flour 3 cups of chicken broth (vegetarian option: veggie broth) 1/2 cup of heavy cream 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken (vegetarian option: leave chicken out and add more vegetables)

BISCUITS • • • • • • • •

1 1/2 cups of flour, plus additional flour for sprinkling 2 teaspoons of baking powder 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 stick of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), chilled and cut into small cubes 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme, chopped

TOTAL TIME: 55-65 MIN.

Happy eating!

Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat and melt the butter. Once melted, add the onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms, and stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables become a little tender. Add the minced garlic, peas, and thyme, and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle the veggies with the flour and stir to combine, cooking for an additional two minutes until the flour turns a golden brown.

Add the chicken broth and heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Stir in the chicken. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the pan, filling it 3/4 of the way to leave room for the biscuits. Set aside.

Now that the pot pie mixture is cooked, start making the biscuit dough. Place the 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Add the chilled, cubed butter and, using a pastry cutter (alternatives: potato masher or fork), mash the butter into the flour mixture, cutting until the butter pieces are pea-sized. Add the buttermilk, cheese, and fresh thyme. Stir until combined (do not overmix!). Place biscuit dough on a clean, floured surface and sprinkle all sides lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin or your hands, roll the dough out one half inch to one inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter (or circular cookie cutter or the top of a large glass), cut out five biscuits and place them on top of the pot pie, close together but not touching.

If you have extra biscuits, place them on a baking sheet to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

Place the pie pan on top of a baking sheet (there might be some overflow while baking) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until biscuits are golden and the sides of the pan are bubbling.

Fall In Love // Date Night In Box

ADDITIONAL RECIPES INCLUDING A DELICOUS HARVEST SALAD AND APPLE WHISKY BEVERAGE CAN BE FOUND BY VISITING NIGHTINBOXES.COM/ FALL-IN-LOVE-MENU

Tools

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Shot glass Medium bowls Cutting board Paring knife Large sharp knife Small saucepan Colander Whisk Nine inch pie pan Large pot or Dutch oven

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Biscuit cutter (alternatives: round cookie cutter or large glass) Pastry cutter (alternatives: potato masher or fork) Rolling pin Baking sheet 3 small bowls Spatula Spoon

Hint

When making the biscuits, mix until just combined.

Overmixing will make the biscuits tough.

Caramel & Chocolate Apple Slices

PREP TIME: 5 MIN.

TOTAL TIME: 20-30 MIN.

Ingredients • • • • • •

Parchment paper 1 granny smith apple 1 cup of caramel (type that can be melted) Sea salt 1 cup of melting chocolate (milk, dark, or white) 2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts

Directions

Lay a piece of parchment paper on a hard surface. Using a cutting board and paring knife, slice the apple in 1/4 inchthick slices, removing any of the core and seeds if needed.

Place the apple slices on parchment paper. Microwave the caramel in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring with a spatula between intervals. Spoon a tablespoon of caramel on to each apple slice. Top each with a sprinkle of sea salt and let it cool for about a minute at room temperature.

Next, microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring with a spatula between intervals. Using a spoon, cover a portion of each apple slice with chocolate.

Do not dip the apple into the chocolate, this will ruin the chocolate’s consistency. Garnish with chopped peanuts and enjoy immediately!

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Table

TALK HELLO FROM AMY MILLER… Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, but my favorite one is because my husband and I actually did fall in love during fall so this theme is giving me all the feels! I can’t wait for this trip down memory lane to remind us of those feelings of being absolutely smitten.

Fall time is here and I love it! Most people can relate to colors of yellow, orange and red through leaves changing color, pumpkins growing bountifully and apples ripe and ready to be made into an apple pie. While the changes of this colorful season are embraced by some, others might worry about leaving behind the pleasurable sunny days of summer.

It might have been easier to connect in your relationship because of the fun activities had. So how do we keep that going through the fall? Gary Chapman says it so well: “We can plant seeds of love and hope in the springtime that they will produce fruit during the summer. And we can harvest a storehouse of good feelings and open communication that will prepare us to weather the changes of fall and the icy cold of winter.”

I love that word “harvest” he uses to suggest we gather our hard work throughout the year so far, and use it to get us through the colder nights ahead. Maybe you painstakingly planted new roots in a new place that you now are seeing the reward in. Maybe you had a memorable summer road trip that is giving you new perspective and priorities as you head back to a hectic work life.

Take advantage of this dinner conversation to discuss what you as a couple have harvested for your relationship from the year so far.

While you discuss the talking points below, I encourage you to tap into the fun memories had, lessons learned, decisions and changes that were made, and ultimately, how your love has been cultivated.

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TALK ABOUT A FAVORITE MEMORY YOU HAD FROM THE SPRING.

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TALK ABOUT A FAVORITE MEMORY YOU HAD FROM THE SUMMER.

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TALK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU’VE DONE THIS FALL ALREADY THAT YOU ENJOYED DOING TOGETHER.

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WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU DID IN THE SPRING TOGETHER THAT YOU ARE REAPING THE REWARDS OF, OR ARE ABOUT TO REAP THE REWARDS OF?

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WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU DID IN THE SUMMER TOGETHER THAT YOU ARE REAPING THE REWARDS OF, OR ARE ABOUT TO REAP THE REWARDS OF?

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Date Night In Box //Fall In Love

Set The Mood WITH TUNES & CANDLE MAKING

To set the mood tonight, we have included a custom playlist for you to enjoy. You can access your Spotify playlist by visiting N I G H T I N B O X E S .

C O M / M U S I C . You can also access the playlist by downloading the app.

Hands down, the scents associated with the season are among our favorite things about fall. For your first endeavor of the evening, get ready to make your own candle!

While we loved providing you with candles in the past, we thought we’d let you experiment with creating your own this month.

Make Your Own Candle Now it’s time to make your own candle. Please be careful but enjoy working as a team!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED • Microwave • Microwave safe container • Pot holder or hand towel • Included amber glass jar

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Metal spoon to stir Included wick Included wax Lighter

Tree O Fall is such an exciting time of year! As the summer melts into autumn, we notice the leaves change in color and eventually fall, leaving the tree branches bare. This process is a timeless picture of strength, tranquility and perseverance.

It’s an interesting idea to think of your life as a tree. New seasons bring changes and growing pains, but like a tree, we also have roots that determine who we truly are and what goes on at the surface.

Did you know that a 60-foot-tall maple tree may have roots that stretch 100 feet down into the earth? That means we cannot even see nearly 2/3 of the tree—how crazy is that? These roots are the anchor that holds the massive tree to the ground and support it while providing food and nutrients to keep it alive.

As a couple, ask yourselves these questions: WILL IT BE OUR ROOTS THAT DIRECT OUR

DIRECTIONS

LIFE’S STORY, OR WILL IT BE THE WEATHERING

1 Using extreme caution, microwave your included wax in a microwave safe container in one minute increments until completely melted. Between each minute increment, use a pot holder or hand towel to remove container and stir wax.

OF THE SEASONS ON THE SURFACE? A tree that is given a constant source of nourishment will grow strong in preparation for the potential threats to come.

2 Place your included wick in your amber glass vessel.

HOW DO WE NOURISH OUR RELATIONSHIP TO

3 Working as a team, hold on to the wick and slowly pour the wax into the included jar.

4 Place the candle in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

5 ENJOY!

KEEP IT STRONG DURING CHALLENGING TIMES? Equally important to consider are the toxic avenues in life that slowly find their way into our relationships.

ARE THERE STREAMS OF WATER FEEDING INTO OUR LIVES THAT ARE NOT BRINGING NOURISHMENT?

HOW CAN WE WORK

TOGETHER TO BLOCK OR DIVERT THESE TOXIC FLOWS?

Fall In Love // Date Night In Box

Of Life Activity Time!

MATERIALS NEEDED: WOOD CIRCLE, FINE-TIP MARKER, STAMP PAD Take a look at the piece of wood included in your box and reflect on your discussion this evening. Let the piece of wood be a representation of your relationship’s “tree of life.” Take note of the rings in the grain of the wood.

Just as they do for the tree, let these rings remind you of the seasons of your relationship. Let each ring represent a season of change that you’ve gone through together.

NOW IT IS TIME TO GET CREATIVE TOGETHER. •

Be creative with how you choose to decorate your included wood circle. You may wish to leave your thumbprints next to each other’s or in the shape of a heart. You can use the enclosed marker to sign your names, mark rings with significant dates, or make note of today’s date.

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Take turns pressing your thumb onto the stamp pad.

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Press your thumb firmly onto the wood piece and lift it away to leave your unique thumbprint (the ink washes off with soap and water).

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Find a special place in your home to display this token (and squeeze in one more autumn decoration!)

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Enjoy Your Snack Your included snack this month is a staff favorite here at Date Night In… we hope you enjoy your SuperSeedz. In our eyes (and taste buds), they truly are SUPER, and here is why:

#1) No shells!

They take off the shell so that you don’t get any of that shell shrapnel.

#2) Nutritionally well endowed.

Pumpkin seeds have been a little under the radar, but they are packed with nutrients.

Ounce for ounce, pumpkin seeds have 42% more protein than almonds and 212% more magnesium than peanuts do.

#3) Simple, natural ingredients .

Unlike many nut and seed brands that spray their products with artificial flavors, each of these seeds is dry roasted with nothing but simple, natural and delicious ingredients.

#4) Allergy friendly .

Free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, wheat (gluten), egg, soy, fish and shellfish—AND they’re delicious…

JACKPOT!

20% Off all orders

USE CODE SEEDZIN18

AT SUPERSEEDZ.COM

OFFER VALID FROM 10/1/18 - 2/31/19

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Date Night In Box //Fall In Love

Fall In Love Bunco

Bunco is a lighthearted, friendly game that consists of rolling three dice. When a player wins a round of Bunco, it is tradition to ring a bell each time a “Bunco” (when a player reaches 21) is rolled. In this version of the game, once a player reaches 21, he or she must shout out something that made him or her fall in love with his or her partner. No two answers can be alike.

OBJECT OF THE GAME To have the highest score at the end of six rounds

MATERIALS NEEDED 3 dice score cards 2 pencils

You’ll find everything you need to play Fall In Love Bunco in your box.

FALL IN LOVE BUNCO TERMS BUNCO: A three-of-a-kind of the number that corresponds to the round number (three 1s in round one, three 2s in round two and so on).

This is often called a “true” Bunco. A true Bunco immediately ends the round and scores you 21 points.

Bunco for round 4

LOW BUNCO: A low three-of-a-kind that is lower than the number of the round (three 3s, 2s or 1s rolled during round 4, for instance). Low Buncos score seven points.

Low Bunco during rounds 3, 4, 5, or 6

HIGH BUNCO: A three-of-a-kind that is higher than the number of the round (three 5s or three 6s rolled during round 4, for instance). High Buncos score five points.

High Bunco during rounds 1,2,3 or 4

SET: Six complete rounds (rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Fall In Love // Date Night In Box

HOW TO PLAY ONE TABLE, FALL IN LOVE BUNCO FOR TWO PLAYERS The players sit around one table. Appoint a scorekeeper who will record the scores.

In each round, the players hope to roll the same number as the number of the round (for example, in round 1, the target number is 1). No other number will score (except when a Low Bunco or High Bunco is rolled).

The scorekeeper will announce the start of a new round. This player then rolls all three dice and looks to see if any of them come up as 1.

• Anytime a player rolls the round’s number (in this case, 1) he or she scores 1 for each dice showing this number and rolls again.

For example, on his or her first roll in round 1, a player rolls two 4s and one 1. He or she scores one point for the 1 and may roll again.

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BONUS POINTS Whenever a Low Bunco or High Bunco is rolled, the player immediately scores bonus points (seven points for a Low Bunco, and five for a High Bunco—see “Bunco Terms”). The round continues, and the player rolls again. The round ends, as usual, when a player accumulates 21 points.

For example, during round 4, a player rolls three 2s.

Because 2 is lower than the round’s number, the player has rolled a Low Bunco and scores seven points. If the player rolls three 5s during round 4, he or she has rolled a High Bunco (5 is higher than the round’s number) and scores five points.

If the player then rolls two more 1s, he or she scores two more points.

SCORING If the player rolls three 1s, he or she has rolled a true Bunco and scores 21 points. If you’re this player, shout out why you fell in love with your partner, and the round is over!

In round 1, this throw would end a player’s turn because no 1 was rolled.

• Whenever a player fails to roll at least one current-round number, his or her turn immediately ends, and the dice are passed to the other player. Play continues in this manner until one player accumulates 21 points and wins the round.

The scorekeeper writes the names of all players in the spaces atop the columns for the round being played.

Whenever a player scores points, the scorekeeper writes the score in his or her column.

A player is always entitled to ask the scorekeeper how many points he or she has accumulated. The scorekeeper announces when a player reaches or surpasses 21 points.

The round ends. This player will shout out why he or she fell in love with his or her partner and celebrate the win!

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Date Night In Box //Fall In Love

u o Y e v a How H ? e M r o Fallen F AFTER HAVING TO THINK QUICKLY ON YOUR FEET ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE DURING FALL IN LOVE BUNCO, IT’S NOW TIME TO PUT A LITTLE MORE THOUGHT INTO ALL OF THE WAYS YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE—AND CONTINUE TO DO SO.

A NOTE FROM MEGAN PRUITT, THE FOUNDER OF DATE NIGHT IN As our Date Night In Team was creating this date, we were all talking about the many ways in which we have fallen in love with our significant others.

One of my favorite memories is when my husband and I were expecting our first child.

During our first sonogram, the tech was blocking my view of the monitor, but my husband had a clear shot at it. Not being able to see the screen in this divine moment, I turned and watched my husband fall in love with our unborn daughter.

That moment—this three-second memory in time— made me fall even more deeply in love with him. So many times in both little and big moments have I fallen for my husband all over again.

My hope for you is that through these questions tonight, you will explore the ways in which you have fallen for your significant other and enjoy taking a trip down memory lane.

Now it is time to play How Have You Fallen for Me •

HOW DID YOU FIRST FALL FOR ME?

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WHAT PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF MINE DO YOU FALL FOR?

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WHAT LIFE MILESTONES HAVE MADE YOU FALL MORE DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH ME?

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WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ME?

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WHAT’S SOMETHING I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST WEEK THAT HAS MADE YOU FALL FOR ME?

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HOW HAVE WE GROWN AS A COUPLE SINCE YOU FIRST FELL FOR ME?

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WHAT REMINDS YOU OF WHEN YOU FELL FOR ME (A SONG, A LOCATION, A SCENT, ETC.)?

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IN WHAT WAYS CAN WE SPICE UP OUR ROUTINE TO CONTINUE FALLING IN LOVE?

Fall In Love // Date Night In Box

Continue Y O U R

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NIGHT

If you are interested in extending your Date Night In, we have a few suggested movies that incorporate the theme you experienced tonight. These movies either have an autumn feel or were filmed during the beauty of the fall months.

To be enjoyed from home .

Autumn in New York (2000)

Keep your Fall in Love date going throughout the month: •

GO ON A HAY RIDE.

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GET LOST IN A CORN MAZE.

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BOOK A SPONTANEOUS TRIP TO HONEY POT HILL ORCHARDS IN STOW, MASSACHUSETTS, TO GO PICK APPLES.

The Blind Side (2009)

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VISIT A PUMPKIN PATCH.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

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SURPRISE YOUR SWEETIE WITH A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE.

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

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SNEAK AWAY TO SEE THE FALL LEAVES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AND ENJOY SOME HOT APPLE CIDER.

Good Will Hunting (1997) October Sky (1999) Practical Magic (1998) Remember the Titans (2000)

t x e n l i t Un time!

Share the Love! @DATENIGHTINBOX #DATENIGHTINBOX #DNIFALLINLOVE