DNI To Have & To Hold Insert

& DATE GUIDE

date

WELCOME TO YOUR EDITOR’S NOTE

Congratulations on taking the next step in your relationship! Getting engaged or married is such an exciting time in your life and as a team we want to thank you for allowing us to help you create memories to mark this momentous occasion.

In this box, you will find EVERYTHING you need to enjoy a complete date night. We have activities, keepsakes, games, suggested dinner menu, ambiance and thought-provoking conversation planned. For this Date Night In Box we have hand-selected some of our most popular activities and customized them for this momentous occasion. If you enjoy these activities, rest assured you would love being a long term customer as this is a representation of what you will enjoy in future themes that change monthly! we would LOVE for you to join us again. Simply visit www.nightinboxes.com and use code 15OFFNIB for 15% off all subscription plans.

With each Date Night In Box, we give couples an opportunity to win a FREE DATE. To qualify, snap a picture enjoying your date and post to Instagram or Facebook using the hashtags #DateNightInBox and #DNIToHaveandToHold.

Enjoy and again, congratulations to the both of you. Wishing you years and years of happiness!

All my best,

Megan Pruitt

Owner and Founder of Night In Boxes

DATE ACTIVITIES SET THE MOOD

TA B L E TA L K

S P E E D O F LOV E

BUNCO

C O M P L I M E N TA R Y

“ I L O V E YO U

DINNER MENU

B E C AU S E . . . ” S I G N

R E L AT I O N S H I P T I M E L I N E

R E F L E C T I O N & WAY S T O C O N T I N U E YO U R

D E L I C I O US S N AC K

D AT E N I G H T

x o b in t h ig n S ET T HE mood

Take a moment to consider the space where your date will occur. To begin your evening, you’re going to make your own candle, which will help set the mood for the rest of your date.

Please be careful, and enjoy working as a team!

W H AT YO U ' L L N E E D - Included amber glass jar

- Microwave-safe container

- Included wick

- Metal spoon to stir

- Included wax

- Pot holder or hand towel

- Microwave

- Lighter

DIRECTIONS 1)

Using extreme caution, microwave the wax in a microwave-safe container in one-minute increments until completely melted. Between increments, use a pot holder or hand towel to remove the container,and then stir the wax.

2)

Next, place the wick in the amber glass jar.

3)

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

4)

Place the candle in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

5)

Light your new candle and enjoy!

Now it’s time to apply your included Moroccan Magic lip balm to prepare for date night! During your date, don’t forget to access your custom

To Have & To Hold

playlist at

www.datenightinbox.com/have-and-hold.

SP E ED OF

love

You may have heard of the card game Speed, where players attempt to get rid of all the cards in their hand. We’ve put a twist on the classic Speed and created a fun word game for you. As all good competitions should begin, kick off the game with a wager, and determine the stakes: How will the winner be rewarded?

GAME PREP 1)

Grab your included Speed of Love cards. As a team, choose a starting four- or five-letter word related to love. Suggested words include the following: LOVE, SWEET, KISS and HEART (Feel free to use any other words you can think of. If you need to use more generic four- or fiveletter words, feel free to do so).

2)

Find the cards needed to form the starting word, and place them on your table or playing surface where each of you can see and reach them. Make sure they form the starting word you have chosen. Leave a bit of space between the cards so there will be no overlapping or blending when other cards are placed on top.

3)

Shuffle and deal out the cards equally between you and your significant other, until no cards remain in the deck.

HINT Remember, the cards are double-sided. They are printed with a letter on each side, either side of the card may be played to make a legal word.

There are also a couple blank cards throughout the deck that can serve as a “wild letter,” or a letter of your choice.

u n me r ne din

O P TIONAL G R A B YO U R R E C I P E C A R D .

Each month we include custom recipes provided by Marina from

marinamakesblog.com. Our hope is that you will be inspired to use this recipe card again in the future. Enjoy!

P L AY I N G I N S T R U C T I O N S Play a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who will start the game and who will be the game announcer. Once determined, the announcer will signal the start of the game.

1)

The goal of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand by creating new words from the starting word you chose.

2)

Place a letter from your hand anywhere on the starting word to form a new word as soon as you recognize a new play. Speed of Love is, unsurprisingly, a speed game; players do not take turns placing new letters on the word. Rather, any player can make a play at any time.

--

We will leave it up to you whether to allow slang, acronyms, proper names for people or places, hyphenated words or words with apostrophes.

--

You cannot play the same letter if it will make the same word. For example, if the current word is “THANK,” you cannot play another “A” immediately on top of the “A” in the word on the table. You can, however, play an “I” to change the word to “THINK” and then play “A” to change the word back to “THANK” before your opponent changes the word to something else.

3)

You may call “time out!” to challenge a word your opponent played if you don’t think it is a real word. Stop playing to discuss the word’s legitimacy and consult a dictionary if necessary.

4)

The first player to go through all of the cards in his or her hand is the winner. If both of the players still have cards and nobody can make a play, whoever has the fewest cards remaining is the winner.

Hi lovebirds! I’m Marina from Marina Makes (marinamakesblog.com).

Whether you’re newly engaged or married, this time is so extremely special! I hope you’re enjoying each moment and soaking it all in because right now, you’re living in the start of your beautiful journey together.

My husband and I got married in 2013 and while there are times it seems like it was just yesterday, it also seems like it was ages ago. So seriously, savor this time!! After our wedding, my husband and I moved to Chicago and developed a great love for all things food. We’d visit new restaurants, watch cooking shows and found a lot of joy cooking together and separately. We learned that there are a lot of memories to be made in the kitchen. It’s my hope that the recipes I’ve prepared for you spark some of that same happiness my husband and I experienced as we navigated our new life together.

I’d love to see how your food turns out, so please share pictures of the results on social media; don’t forget to use the hashtag #marinamakeseats. Happy eating!

RELAT IONSHI P

timelin

Moments such as your first interaction, your first kiss, your first “I

love you,” your first time meeting one another’s family, your first home together and more serve as mile markers in your relationship. Locate

your included Relationship Timeline. Together, take a moment to add your unique relationship mile markers to the timeline.

D E LI CIOUS SN ACK TABLE

talk

It’s time to sit back and enjoy a little bit of table talk this evening. Enjoy some fun, light-hearted discussion that is sure to bring something new to the table in your relationship!

Do you ever find yourself in “la la land” when your partner is talking to you? Have you ever snapped back into the moment after hearing the words “what do you think, babe?” There’s no doubt you care about your partner, but your attention is being pulled in a million different directions. “What am I going to make for dinner? When was the last time I showered? What do we have going on this weekend?”

It can be easy to lose sight of the importance of giving your partner your full attention. When you’ve been together for a while, complacency can creep into a relationship. We all have an inherent need to be acknowledged and understood. But, being present in the moment can be a battle! Your significant other deserves for you to put up a good fight against distractions.

Let’s put together a list of obstacles that prevent you from giving each other your undivided attention and create a plan of action for showing them who’s boss. Take turns going through the lists provided. Write your initials by each of the obstacles that resonate with you and each of the action steps that you’re willing to try out. A little effort shows a lot of love.

ine

As you’ll notice, there is room on the timeline to dream of the future!

Reflecting on past growth is essential, but dreaming about future growth can guide your relationship. To make things a bit more interesting, we’ve included a die to use when planning future growth. Roll the die and let the number determine the amount of time for your goal. If you roll a six, for example, ask yourselves how you would like to grow in the next six days, months or years. Take turns rolling the die until you fill the future portion of your timeline.

Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy a delicious treat! Locate your Sanders Classic Caramel Fruit & Snack Dip and drizzle it over your snack or any fresh fruit you might have on hand!

O B S TA C L E S : –– My cell phone needs me.

–– My crazy schedule has my thoughts.

–– I’m trying to listen to two things at once.

–– My focus is easily distracted.

–– I’m already formulating a response to what you’re saying.

AC T I ON ST E P S : –– I’ll put away the electronics during quality time.

–– I’ll speak up when something else is on my mind so that we can find a better time to talk.

–– I’ll give you some sweet, sweet eye contact.

–– I’ll enjoy a distraction-free date night with you!

–– I’ll listen before I speak.

Take a moment to discuss your results and any other obstacles or action steps not listed above.

FO O D FO R T H O U G H T : What time of day have you found to be most productive and distractionfree for sharing your thoughts with each other?

Take turns completing this sentence and sharing your answers: During quality time with you, I appreciate it most when you give me your attention by ______________.

Trying out new activities together is a fantastic way to practice being present in the moment with each other. This evening, you can even bring a few of the ideas you checked above into play!

Cheers to dining, dancing and living in the moment with my one and only!

B U NC O Bunco is a lively, friendly game that consists of rolling three dice. While playing, it’s tradition to ring a bell each time a “Bunco” (defined below) is rolled. In this version of the game, when a player rolls a Bunco, the player must shout out something that made him or her fall in love with his or her partner. No two answers can be alike.

M AT E R I A L S N E E D E D

OBJECT OF THE GAME

3 dice, bunco sheet

To have the highest score at the

and pencil

end of six rounds of play

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

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)

SCORING 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!

H O W T O P L AY O N E TA B L E B U N C O F O R T W O P L AY E R S 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 point 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.

IF THE PLAYER THEN ROLLS TWO MORE 1S, HE OR SHE SCORES TWO MORE POINTS. 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.

BONUS POINTS Whenever a Low Bunco or High Bunco is rolled, the player immediately scores bonus points (7 points for a Low Bunco, and 5 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 7 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 5 points.

“I love you ” . . . e us a c be S IGN

SUPPLIES

–– Display stand

–– “I Love You Because...” printable –– Dry-erase marker

DIRECTIONS 1)

Locate your included display stand and “I Love You Because...” printable.

2)

Place the paper in the frame.

3)

Place your frame in a spot you see every day, perhaps next to the kitchen sink, by your keys or even in the master bath.

4)

Take turns writing something new every day (or every week) and see how little reminders have the ability to transform your relationship.

bye, for now!

REFLECTION

Take a moment to reflect on your To Have & To Hold Date Night In Box. Discuss these questions together: –– What aspect of the date did you enjoy most?

–– What did you learn about your relationship?

–– How will you use this date to build on your relationship moving forward?

WAY S T O C O N T I N U E YO U R D AT E N I G H T –– Continue playing the games included in your date (Speed of Love, Bunco) and continue to complete your “I Love You Because...” sign.

–– Strengthen your connection by selecting a day of the week to devote time to your relationship.

–– Participate in a local volunteer program that you’re both passionate about.

–– Try something new together: art, dance or cooking class, hiking, train for and run a 5K and explore a new place together (whether it’s your neighboring town or another country).

–– Compose a list of traditions you want to create as a couple and make them happen.

M OVI E S Father of the Bride (1991) Julie & Julia (2009) Sense and Sensibility (1995) Shall We Dance? (2004) The Best Man (1999) The Notebook (2004) Up (2009) When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Share the Love #DATENIGHTINBOX

@DATENIGHTINBOX