This one’s for the parents! We all need a night out, away from the kids every once in awhile, right? Well here’s your chance!
This week’s winner will receive: Four free passes to Atlas Improv Company, a $50 gift certificate to Liliana’s Restaurant, and a certificate from Overture Center for the Arts good for tickets to one of a select group of shows in the 2011/12 season (more info on this prize will be sent to the winner).
Atlas Improv Company performs at 8 pm and 10 pm every Saturday at the Electric Earth Cafe. (Kat used to house manage for Atlas, and her husband Jess used to be a performer!)
Liliana’s Restaurant is a semi-fine dining New Orleans style restaurant located in Fitchburg, Wisconsin owned by RM blogger Tiffany and her husband Dave (the restaurant is named after their daughter, Liliana).
Overture Center for the Arts is a high-quality performing arts center located in downtown Madison. Overture Center offers performances for children and adults alike. The 2011/2012 season was just announced earlier this month.
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To enter this giveaway, answer the following question in the comments (one entry per person. Please include your first & last name when commenting):
What is your favorite way to spend a date night when on a budget? or When money is no object?
Comments must be submitted by midnight on Friday, May 20. The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced Sunday, May 22.
Raising Madison 
When we’re watching what we spend, I like to make a nice meal at home and then go out for dessert. When it’s nice out, we’ll go for a walk some place different like the Arboretum or Olbrich Gardens. If it’s not, the Market Square Cinemas has recent movies at discounted prices.
We like to see a matinee.
Take a picnic dinner made at home out on our boat and anchor at the Union Terrace to listen to the live music. Maybe enjoy some ice cream for dessert 🙂 Or take a picnic to the beach park by our house or go for an evening hike.
A few months ago, we started trading babysitting with two other families. We drop our boy off, he has dinner at his friends house, and we get a few hours to ourselves. This is great for him and for us; a special perk being that our house is free (no babysitter and baby there!) so now our favorite On A Budget thing to do is just to come back home! We have the space to ourselves, maybe make dinner or drink red wine. Relaxed, we go pick up our boy;)
If money were no object…. Eating out? Show? …and then home.
When we’re on a budget date-nite: I’ll cook a gourmet dinner at home and we rent a movie.
When money is no object: we schedule a trip to Chicago where we stay in our favorite hotel, see an Opera (ordered tix wayyy in advance) and have dinner at our favorite restaurant.
Budget date – Walk to the grocery store and pick up fix-ins for a delicious dinner together at home followed by a movie and an evening walk.
Lavish date – Dinner at Harvest followed by a show at Overture then coffee at Fair Trade.
Budget: dinner at home and then playing a board game or some Wii.
Money no object: Spa day with a dinner downtown and then a show or movie!
We eat dinner at home and go out for dessert and drinks after.
Our date on a budget is a walk downtown and ice cream and live music at the Union Terrace. No lavish dates since the little one arrived!
Our budget date is hanging out at the Union, sipping drinks on the lake. Our lavish date is Eno Vino!
On a budget: I’d cook my husband’s favorite dinner – Chicken enchiladas and we’d watch a movie or play a board game – things we took for granted before our son.
If money were no object – We’d go somewhere fancy that we have never been before – such as L’Etoile or Harvest and see a show at the Overture Center.
Anya Holland-Barry
Date night? What’s that again? The perfect evening is one with both of us and our daughter.
Our perfect date on a budget is going back to Olbrich Gardens, where we got married 10 years ago, reliving our wedding memories among the flowers and the butterflies.
A perfect date night when money is no object (doesn’t happen often!): we enjoy going out for a steak and fondue dinner, then out to a movie together.
We also have a barter system for date nights. We trade off with some other couples in our building. Can’t beat free baby-sitting, especially when our kids can spend the evening with their friends!
For our budget dates we take the free 80 bus to State Street and either eat dinner or dessert at one of the many wonderful restaurants there. Then we explore the MMoCA, or enjoy Allen Centennial Gardens on UW campus, or hike through the many lakeshore paths near picnic point.
As for a non-budget date, we really have yet to have one. That’s what happens when you are a student family with three kids!
On a budget- we go biking, hiking, or kayaking.
Money no object- we go out to a nice dinner and a show or Badger game.
On a budget: Going out for something small but very tasty–gelato at Paciugo, one cocktail each at Merchant, etc. (It’s true that single really great cocktail can make mommy much happier!)
Not on a budget: Going out for an entire good meal is a beautiful thing.
Fav night out on a budget: Ice cream of course! We go and get a cone and spend sometime watching the sunset..
If money were no object: A luxe dinner, a show and a night at a hotel..lol, can I say that?!
on a budget? a walk along lakeshore path and a beer at the terrace. money no object? a trip to new zealand – more of a date week than night, but i’d die for the chance to go back some day!!!
Budget Date this past winter: walking down to the (empty!) ice rink for an evening skate together
Budget: a fun night at the bookstore catching up on reading and having coffee.
If money is no object: A nice dinner out, either just the two of us or with friends!
Budget: walk down to the union in the spring to watch the baby ducks and get beer or ice cream.
Lavish: overture and Letiole…While grandma babysits overnight 😉
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