Our Date Night at Home with REI x West Elm
Andrew and I tied the knot in Costa Rica on February 8th, and a few weeks later, the world shut down. We never could have imagined our first several months of married life would be in quarantine. I’m beyond grateful our wedding happened before all of this, and to be honest, staying at home hasn’t been all that bad for us seasoned homebodies (although, that’s not to say we haven’t had our fair share of cabin fever-induced quarrels, haha). All in all, we are grateful to be healthy. We understand what a privilege it has been to stay home, while many of our fellow humans are out there risking their lives to keep our shelves stocked, our cities running, and our bodies able.
It is now August, and if everything had gone as planned, we would have just returned from our honeymoon in Bali… and maybe have baby fever? Not gonna lie. For now, we are happy with our two dogs. With the help of our friends at REI, we decided to plan a lil staycation just for fun. Check out the REI x West Elm Outdoor lifestyle collection designed to help us make the most of our summers while stayin’ close to home.
*This is a dream collaboration, so thank you to REI for sponsoring this blog post.
Real talk: Andrew mowed the lawn for these photos. We didn’t want y’all to see our backyard lookin’ like an untamed jungle. It was the motivation he needed to finally get it done. Score!
Here’s how we honeymooned at home:
We put on swimsuits (and sunscreen!), so it felt like we were on vacation.
We set out lawn chairs where we could catch the best sun + read books side by side.
We cooked a delicious dinner together using greens we grew in our hydroponic backyard garden!
We set up a lil “campsite” in our backyard to change it up from our usual side-patio hangouts.
We made a pact not to talk about work. That’s always a tough one, hehe.
We ended the night by watching a movie outside on our projector screen.
Shop the full REI x West Elm Collection here.
Even though we can’t wait to go on our real honeymoon, it was a lovely little evening. At the end of the day, I’m just grateful I get to share my life with Andrew and our two doggos. Home is wherever they are. That alone brings me comfort no matter how uncertain the future seems right now.
So, tell me - what are some fun things you’ve been doing at home to connect whether it’s with a partner, family, or friends? Comment below!