Date Night Gift Package & Giveaway from Uncommon Goods

Instead of the traditional Father's Day gift of a tie or mug, I decided to go with something a bit different this year to shake things up a bit. My husband is a gear junkie and already has nearly everything he could want or need in the fishing/hunting/camping/golfing areas, so I wanted to get him something that we could use to have fun together, whether at home or out of the house (get your mind out of the gutter!). As parents of little kids with full-time jobs and lots of hobbies, it's hard to find time to spend together. Last year we made a committment to have more date nights - ones where we left the house and didn't spend the entire time talking nonstop about the kids - and while we did a good job at first, more and more we started skipping them in order to get things done around the house or try to get caught up on work. Or when we did make it out of the house together, all we did was discuss the kids and worry about all the things on our to do lists (ok, that might just be me). And while sometimes that's fine (I mean, I gotta get stuff done), I also know how important it is to focus on our marriage and make sure we stay connected on a level that's different than just being mom and dad. 

So, with that in mind, I decided to put together a little "Date Night" gift package for Ryan , to get us out of our dating rut and force us to do some fun and unexpected things.  First off, I worked out an arrangement with our nanny for three nights of babysitting over the next few months so he and I could have a couple date nights. Woo hoo! Then, I put together a package of fun games and activities from Uncommon Goods that we could play during dinners out or even at home, once the kids were in bed, over a glass (or six) of wine. The games range from trick questions and word games, to more traditional conversation starters and discussion topics. Plus, I threw in a fun game for us to play with friends (about our phones), for when we have a double date with one of our favorite couple-friends (scheduled for July!) and a Date Night Bucket List barrel full of date night ideas and activities to inspire us to try some new things. (psst...they also have a Family Fun Bucket List that would be a blast to do with your kids)

Ryan and I had our first date night this past weekend and we got to try out a few of the games. We took the Word Teasers - Old Wives Tales game and the Table Topics game with us to dinner at a new Spanish restaurant we've been wanting to try out. Initially, I think Ryan was a bit apprehensive when I pulled all these cards out of my purse and told him we were going to play a game, but he quickly warmed up (he's a good sport) and after a few questions we were cracking up and talking about topics we've never really discussed together (ghostly encounters, retirement aspirations, favorite teachers, most influential books, etc.). The Table Topics game was a huge hit and we spent nearly two hours asking each other question after question, which inevitably lead to more questions and I learned so about my husband. I got the "original" version of the game, but they also have eight other variations on this, all with different topics and audiences (couples, teens, family, girl's night out, etc.). How fun would it be to get the Girl's Night Out one and try it with friends on your next girl's night or trip? (Hint hint, Tahoe ladies..)  

Even though the Table Topics game was a huge hit, I'm really excited to try this Game of Phones, which is basically a scavenger hunt on your smartphone! The prompts I looked at include things like asking everyone to show the last photo they took, funniest nickname for a contact, finding the weirdest Google image for your name, see who's parents will text back the quickest and create an emoji story. You earn points and the person with the most points at the end of the game wins (maybe free drinks?). I think Game of Phones will be so much fun to play with a group of friends or on a double date. 

The other game we haven't tried yet is the Trick Question game. However, I checked out some of the cards and they're good brain-teasers and play on word questions that require you to think outside the box. This one requires you to be quick and clever and I think it would be fun to play and discuss possible answers with a couple teammates. Definitely a fun one to play with family and it'll be going to the farm with us the next time we go visit my parents. I have a feeling my little brother is going to dominate in this one. 

Lastly, in the date night gift package, I gave Ryan one last item, mainly for us to use at home. This Smartphone Projector is a really cool DIY gadget that will turn your smartphone into a movie projector, so we can watch all those adorable iPhone videos of the kids on a big wall in our house. I absolutely love this idea, because we've both been trying to take more videos of the kids, but then they live on our phones and we don't get to share them with anyone (or even each other). With Ryan taking more videos of Mac fishing and me downloading my silly snaps of the kids throughout the day, I think this is a great way for us to be able to watch the videos together without huddling over a tiny phone screen or me having to do a ton of work uploading them all, putting them in iMovie and all that. I'm really excited about this one and can't wait to be able to throw videos of the kids up on the wall for our parents, as well. 

I am so happy with the way this little date night gift package turned out and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Uncommon Goods. This is a company that is committed to sustainability and prides itself on carrying unique and creative products that are socially and environmentally responsible. Since their founding, they've featured products that contain recycled components and have not sold any products containing leather, features or fur. Their goal is to sell nothing that harms any animal or human. In addition, they created a program called Better to Give, which allows customers to select a non-profit at checkout, which will receive a $1 donation from the company after every purchase. 

No matter who you're shopping for, Uncommon Goods has some of the most unique, creative and fun gifts out there. The site is searchable by gender, age, interest (beer, foodie, sports, gardener, hostess, etc.). Uncommon Goods is also really awesome at curating fantastic gift guides/collections to help you pick from the overwhelming selection of amazing products on their websites. Some of my favorite collections for the men in your life (husbands, boyfriends, dads, brothers, uncles, and guy friends) are the Anniversary Gifts for Him collection (HERE), the Boyfriend gift collection (HERE) and the Birthday Guy collection (HERE). Why is it that guys are so much harder to shop for, anyway? 

Table Topics // Awkward Moments

Marital Bliss // Let's Play Doctor

WhatchmaDRAWit // Kwizniac Trivia

And because I love you and want you to have a fun date night with your partner in crime (or just the chance to get an amazing gift for yourself or someone special), I'm pairing up with Uncommon Goods to give away a $50 gift certificate to their website. Use the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win! Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* I received the items reviewed free of charge from Uncommon Goods in exchange for my honest review and feedback. I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions expressed and the incredibly dorky love of games and trivia are all mine.