Quirky Date Ideas For Couples in Lockdown

Lockdown fatigue has truly set in, and despite our best intentions, we give into the fervor of boredom, yawning our way through ‘our new normal’ with the sluggishness of a Cheshire Cat. Each day that passes feel a little less bright, and whether we’re isolating alone, with a partner, friend or family, it’s hard to see beyond the storm cloud to capture the vivid blue sky that waits beneath, glorious sun rays cascading onto golden skin. Now more than ever, we need something to look forward to, and for couples who are separated during lockdown, the weeks crawl on by, ever so slowly, as you wonder, when oh when will we see each other again? The endless stretch of silence, the snatched video calls, the feelings of desolation, loneliness and anxiety in a cooking pot of emotions. Even couples who are isolating together are struggling with the same feelings, struggling to adapt to a world where freedom fails to exist, where each action that you take must be taken with care, to protect yourself and those around you. Which is why it is so important to make the most of the time that we have on this earth because life is fleeting and we have to make every single second count. Whether you are in a new relationship through online dating, have just celebrated your anniversary or are happily married, it is important to show your other half just how much you care about them. Which is where my guide to Quirky Date Ideas For Couples In Lockdown comes in handy…

 

Whether you are at home with your boo and in need of a desperate dose of sunshine, are isolating in different homes or have just started dating, keeping the spark alive during time apart (or prolonged time together) is so vital to ensuring that your relationship thrives during COVID-19. After all when the world as you know it has turned upside down, there is nothing more beautiful or fortifying than feeling a lover’s warm embrace, even it is from afar. And don’t forget, even if you don’t have a significant other, the same quirky date ideas can be applied on a platonic or familial level with friends and family too. From a three course themed ‘cookathon’ to a good ol’ fashioned classic game night, spice up your love life with creative quirky date ideas  that are equal parts romantic and equal parts fun with a liberal drizzle of sensuality on this cherry pie quirky date sundae.

The Ultimate Wine and Cheese Night (or Champagne if you are feeling BOUJIEE)

Nothing says romance more than a well selected cheeseboard adorned with a glorious spread of cheeses, olives, nuts and all the essential trimmings, washed down with a bottle (or two) of bubbly. Picture the scene: wax candles flickering at a candlelight dinner, sumptuous green olives, plump and juicy, swimming in rosemary and thyme, The Weeknd crooning on the radio, provocative lullabies. Cheeses lined up in succession, 1,2,3, burrata caressing soft cream cheese, brie swallowing goats cheese as easy as can be. Champagne flutes at the ready, bubbly poured into greedy mouths. For the couple are drunk on love, toasting romance in a picturesque way, as night fades into inky darkness and the candles blow out, one by one. Except this isn’t an ordinary booze and cheese quirky date night, not a chance! The couple are separated by computer screens, longing for each other’s touch, a virtual quirky date on Skype, cementing true love through hours of drunken conversation. It might seem like a fictional story but for me this ‘virtual date’ was a reality, marking the largest period of time that I had apart from my partner and I missed him dreadfully. What started off as a series of ‘normalized’ Skype dates, developed into something more, as I came up with creative quirky date ideas to keep our spark alive during this challenging time.

We went from seeing each other every weekend to months apart and counting, and I wanted to show my partner that we could still have regular ‘dates’ that were just as fun, just as creative and would bring us closer together than ever before. After all they do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and didn’t I know it. And what better way to kickstart my quirky date ideas for couples in lockdown, than a date that truly means something special to me? As part of my anniversary present my lovely boyfriend took me to Champagne + Fromage in Greenwich Market, a beautifully intimate and rustic bistro, bringing elegant French cheeses and delightful fizz to London. We shared a delectable cheese board with five incredible cheeses including hard, blue, creamy, pasteurized, washed rind and mild, served with grapes and quince paste. Washed down with a glass of Furdyna La Reserve, this light and creamy champagne was delicate and elegant, with a hint of spice, the perfect pairing to mark a couple’s first anniversary with each other. So imagine our equal delight when we were able to recreate a similar quirky date experience at home, albeit apart, gorging on cheese until we could no more.

While you can recreate the same experience if you are isolating together, I just thought a wine and cheese night or champagne and cheese night was so special because it is romantic, easy to create and can be done virtually or in person. Plus if you are looking for help to make your cheese night come to life, then look no further than The Cheese Bar who have designed the ultimate cheese truck self isolation kits, delivering glorious cheesy goodness straight to your door!

Create a Restaurant Experience

By this point you would have guessed that I am massive foodie, and the way to my heart is definitely through my stomach! So a little disclosure, a lot of these quirky date ideas below will involve food and drink in some shape or form, but considering that I am passionate about food and drink on a personal and professional level, what says a quirky date more than a themed restaurant experience? A restaurant experience, whether that be themed, fancy or bistro dining or even recreating your favourite restaurant in the heart of your home,can be a great way to bring together couples who are isolating together. You have the freedom to be as creative as you like, can make it personalized to you and your partner and have an excuse to be super extra because why the hell not.

My concept for a restaurant experience is inspired by two very happy memories. The first being the aforementioned anniversary; after our beautiful champagne and cheese night, my partner surprised me with a three course meal, inspired by memories we had shared together. The starter was poached eggs and avocados on toast, a reference to the morning after our first date when he cooked me breakfast in bed, the main was a chickpea and Quorn chicken curry inspired by my favourite restaurant Dishoom, which incidentally is my favourite cuisine and is where we went on our second date and the dessert was a strawberry cheesecake, which is my favourite dessert. While he had thought of taking me out to all our favourite places, he didn’t want to repeat what we had done for Valentine’s day, and I was proud of him as he didn’t tell me what he was planning to do for me for once. Another inspiration was ‘immersive dining experiences’ that I had been to over the years, including Journey London and Kitchen Theory, both multi-sensory dining treats that blew my mind and my palette, which encompassed themes such as travel (Journey at Chelsea Funhouse) and philosophy and science ( Chef’s Table). For example while Journey London uses ‘travel’ to create a mouthwatering tasting menu i.e. the Silk Road with culinary visits to India and Pakistan, Kitchen Theory explores Japanese psychology and science to create a meal that challenges you taste wise and intellectually’.

If you are looking to create a themed restaurant experience, the type that you choose is dependent on whether you are isolating with your partner or are separated.  For example if you are isolating with your partner then you could create a ‘multisensory dining experience’ by installing fairy lights, scented candles or incense and romantic, relaxing music to create a sensual dining table that transforms the way that you eat together.Other ideas can include something that is personal to you, whether that be recreating your favourite culinary memories like my partner did for me, having a theme like using a movie or cartoons r.e Rick and Morty, Bojack Horseman to inspire your food and drink or even creating a fancy dining experience replicating tasting menus from your favourite posho joint, the possibilities are endless. On the other hand if you are isolating separately like me and my partner are, then other ideas can include the following: cooking together over Skype r.e creating a meal together where each person chooses each others ingredients to make a delicious meal, allergies and dietary requirements taken into consideration of course. For example your partner might give you a theme such as ‘romance’ and you have to create a meal that you feel embodies that, or they may give you a list of ingredients and challenge you to come up with a creative dish.

No matter what theme you choose or whether you are isolating together or are apart, recreating a restaurant experience is magical for foodie lovers like myself. Plus you can choose delicious cocktail or wine pairings, can give each other gifts such as flowers and care parcels and can even dress up so you feel like you are all fancy. What’s not to love? Quirky date ideas never looked so good !

 

Spa Day Or Spa Night For Couples

Frankincense oil dripping on golden skin, expert fingers kneading impatient knots, begging to be straightened out. Steamy showers and passionate love making, two bodies entwined as one. Soapy perfumed bubbles, a tentative toe dipped, hot water replicating steam, stress melting away in a sea of love . For nothing is more soothing than a spa day for couples, as everything is stripped back and relaxed and all your worries are temporarily erased in the spirit of tranquility. And while you can’t book yourself a pampering massage or invigorating facial at your favourite spa, who says that you can’t recreate your favourite spa experience in your very own home? Whether you are renting, have your own home, live in a house, flat or cottage, recreating a spa day or night for couples have never been so enticing in a time where we truly deserve to feel good. Because lets face it, spending long periods of time by yourself, away from your partner is never a great feeling for either your physical or mental health so it’s important to have date nights that nourish you and your partner. mind, body and soul. Even if you are isolating with your partner, lockdown can still be just as difficult, as you are separated from other loved ones, so a Spa Day or Spa Night is the perfect respite from everyday life.

To recreate a wondrous spa night at home, it is important to engage you and your partners senses, which admittedly is a little difficult to do if you are separated, so i’ll walk you through both scenarios. If you are isolating together, a great way to create a relaxing yet romantic experience is to incorporate elements that are pleasing to all five senses. To stimulate your sight, you can decorate your room or bathroom with flowers, candles, mood lighting and even a novelty sign listing prices and duration time of treatments, as well as a ‘Welcome to Ana’s Spa’ door plaque to really give your spa experience authenticity. And obviously you would put you and your partners name, not mine! To engage you and your partners sense of smell you can use incense sticks to replicate the aromas in spas, as well as room fragrances that have distinctive scents such as tropical fruits, or other aromas that capture romance and love. For taste, you can prepare fresh fruits and vegetables as side snacks if you want to follow a traditional spa route of creating a healthy detoxifying experience, or use sensual foods such as strawberries and cream and chocolate and wine to heighten the sexual tension. For touch you can use this sense to really attend to your partners needs, whether that be through applying a face scrub, giving them a full body massage or engaging in good ol’ fashioned sexy time. And lastly soothing music will please your sense of hearing, encouraging both you and your partner to chill.

Although recreating a spa experience when you are not isolating together can be more difficult ,there are still ways around it. For example using Zoom or Skype, you can prepare a beauty routine that your partner has to follow alongside you. For example you might start with a glass of bubbly, share a ‘virtual bubble bath together’ with cruelty free bath bombs, lotions and potions, which you both send each other in the post, before finishing the bath with a face cleanse, scrub and mask. You can then wait in the spa lounge aka your bedroom, in the fluffiest robe you own, complete with unicorn slippers, as you sip on cucumber water, until your facemask dries. Of course there are many different ways that you can create a spa day or night at home, so do whatever floats your boat. After all quirky date ideas can be romantic, they can be tranquil or they can be educational, so it really depends on what you want to do.

An Outdoor Or Indoor Picnic 

I really wanted to share easy to recreate quirky date ideas with you guys, because I understand that we all have limited resources during lockdown, myself included. Which is why the concept of an outdoor or indoor picnic is great because this is something you can do with your partner together or virtually, without much cost or fuss. To me picnics remind me of childhood’s noshing on snacks in the park, slurping ice lollies on the beach and ravenously devouring crisps and sandwiches on beautiful walks, allowing me to take a trip down memory lane. And what better way to recreate scenes from your very own childhood, than with your partner, as you modernize the picnic to have a romantic sensual flair. Think beautiful bouquets of flowers, gingham picnic blankets and straw baskets, plates, glasses, utensils and napkins and all the classic picnic snackies such as cheese and tomato sandwiches, cheese and onion crisps, Cornish pasties, scotch eggs, olives, biscuits, sausage rolls and cocktail sausages, pasta and potato salads and a selection of booze and soft drinks such as Pimm’s, lemonade, peach iced tea and wine spritzers. And it does not matter if the weather is a bit meh either, as it is just as fun to create the picnic experience indoors, whether that be in your kitchen, back garden (if you have one) or your room if you are renting like me. You could even create a blanket fort, adorned with flowers and fairy lights to create a magical picnic without leaving home. What’s more your partner will love the secret hidey world that you have created, and picnics are a great way to bring couples closer together.

If you are not isolating with your partner, you can still recreate the quirky date ideas with a ‘virtual picnic’. For example like the restaurant experience, get your partner to create a fun shopping list of quintessential picnic treats for you to enjoy and vice versa. Or what you could do is send each other care parcels full of fun treats to munch on, that you can share together, albeit virtually. In fact both me and my partner sent each other care parcels, which are excellent for outdoor or indoor picnics. He sent me the following tasty treats; Aspyall’s Cider (as that is our favourite cider to drink together), Barefoot Pink Moscato which is a glorious cheap and sweet wine that I enjoy, as well as BBQ Pringles (my favourite crisps), Kinder Bueno (my favourite chocolate) Quorn cocktail sausages, Quorn sausage rolls (as I am vegetarian), milk chocolate shortbreads, a Lindt Gold Bunny and Cadbury Mini Eggs Easter Egg (as it was Easter at the time) and Captain Morgans Spiced Gold Rum with Caffeine Free Coke (because I can’t have caffeine found in coffee or fizzy drinks and rum is my favourite spirit). In short it was the perfect medley for a summer picnic.

A Night At The (Home) Cinema 

While I can’t remember the last time I went to an actual cinema (far too long!), me and my partner would always watch TV shows and movies together, because this is something that we both enjoyed. And before being with my partner, I used to love going to the cinema to watch the latest releases with my uni gang, turning our group hang outs into insta worthy movie nights before Instagram was cool. We would queue for snacks (strawberry and blueberry slushies and sweet and salty popcorn for the win) and go to midnight screenings, we would watch 4D and 3D movies and engage in animated discussions but best of all we would hang out and have fun, leaving behind our troubles and worries at the door. And while cinemas aren’t set to open until September, don’t let the lockdown stop you from having a kickass night at the (Home Cinema), as you recreate a set up worthy of being at the movies for you and your boo. If you are isolating together, you can choose a feel good, funny movie to watch together-either one that you have watched before or one you want to watch- before buying the essential snacks such as popcorn, veggie hot dogs, veggie burgers and veggie approved sweets. And sorry I am going to be annoying by saying vegetarian snacks but I don’t eat meat after all. You can then use a movie projector to screen the movie, while you put out beanie bags or comfy chairs  to watch the movie, alongside blankets, mood lighting and all the drinkies to get you in the mood. You could even have a themed cinema experience as I will outline below.

For example as we are coming up to summer, a tropical themed delight is a sure fire winner, as you turn your designated room into a beach worthy movie fest. Inspired by what the fantastic visionaries do at Backyard Cinema and Luna Cinema, you can revolutionize the concept of watching a movie by taking your movie night outside in a unique setting , such as transforming your garden into a ‘stay at home beach’, add your own special effects i.e disco lights like they do at Backyard Cinema, or even buy a poster or makeshift green screen so that you can imagine that you are truly at the movies. For a quirky date set up, you can even create your own ‘cinema tickets’ to gift to your partner, stating the price, name of the movie, and time of screening  which will really pique their interest. If you are self-isolating, a great way to recreate the movie experience is by using Netflix Party, an app extension that is available to download through the Chrome web store. While it does not support video chat, it does offer synchronized video playback and a chat box so that you can interact with your partner who is watching the movie. Or if you want to video chat while you watch the movie, Zoom and Skype are great, as long as you don’t mind the difference in quality and sound.

Let The Games Begin 

Both me and my partner love to play games, and have made it a weekly tradition ever since we went on our first date, and bonded over our love of cartoons, comedy and games. In fact on our first date, after taking me to fancy shamancy places that clearly were out of both of our comfort zones, he took me to Loading, a games bar in Dalston, where you could drink, relax and play. From video games like Mario Kart, to card games like Exploding Kittens, right through to ‘game themed cocktails’ such as ‘Crash Bandicoot’, Loading was the ultimate catalyst to bringing me and my partner together that night. And our tradition of playing games grew from there; from return trips to Loading, to playing Ring of Fire in pubs and playing card games such as Cards Against Humanity at home, whatever the occasion, games were always a central part of our quirky date experience. We would make up rules, invent new games and no matter what environment we played games in, we would always have fun. Which is why no quirky date ideas list would be complete without a good ol’ classic games night.

Whether you want to play a family friendly classic like Monopoly, a drinking game like Cards Against Humanity or a spicy sex game like Fifty Shades of Grey, the sky is the limit.  The great thing about hosting a games night is that regardless of whether you are isolating together or are self-isolating, playing games can be done in person or virtually, especially if you are both a fan of video games. You learn together, you play together, you laugh together and you get out of your comfort zone together, which makes playing games (in my opinion) a vital part of dating, whether you are newly coupled up, have celebrated your first anniversary or are happily married. So without further ado let’s start with a games night for couples that are isolating together. In order to host the perfect games night, you have to figure out what your goal is for the evening in with your partner. Do you want games that will heighten the romance, make you laugh, relax you or all three?In my case, I love playing games that will spice up my love (and sex) life, but especially games that make us both laugh, because laughter is a key component of our relationship. Or maybe you want to try something new, or even make up a game but whatever you choose, the goal is to de-stress and have fun so be mindful of that.

It might be helpful to make a list of games that you want to play beforehand so that you have a rough idea but depending on whether you are a planner like me or spontaneous like my partner , it is always a good idea to strike a happy medium. Another important part of games night, is the snacks and drinks that you will have to fuel your competitive spirit. Of course what you choose is entirely up to you, but for us we love having snacks such as Pringles, Popchips, cheesy chips and curry sauce , pizzas, biscuits, chocolate and alcohol such as wine, rum and (caffeine free) coke and ciders. Not the healthiest true, but come on it’s games night! Music is always a great way to capture the game night spirit so put on some banging tunes to get the gaming party started.

If you are not isolating together, you can still have a fun games night with some modifications to how you play. Admittedly it is a little tricky to play card games when you are not in person together but there are ways around it. You can play multiplayer video or computer games together such as FIFA, a bunch of Mario games and Resident Evil ( I’m more of  Sims/ Spyro/ Mario gamer as opposed to football or shooter games but whatever floats your boat) so there is plenty of choice to play games together virtually. Me and my partner have tried out a few card games together during lockdown, with drinks so it is doable and is all about being creative and thinking outside the box. Who says virtual game nights have to suffer?

Below are some card games that I would recommend for every quirky date occasion, that will help you and your partner de-stress during lockdown.

To Make You Laugh

Weird Things Humans Search For

These Cards Will Get You Drunk

Cards Against Humanity

Bad People

You can find the above on Menkind

To Bring Out Your Competitive Side 

Exploding Kittens

Go Fish

Unstable Unicorns

Ring of Fire

Disturbed Friends

PG Friendly 

Uno

Monopoly

Trivial Pursuit

Let’s Get Frisky 

That’s What She Said Card Game

Strip Poker (see below)

Fifty Shades of Grey Fifty Days of Play

Monogamy

You can find the last two on Ann Summers

Film/ TV Show Marathons with Themed Cocktails

Inspired by Design My Night‘s ‘Cocktails and Killing Eve: The Drinks For Every Kind of Isolation Binge’ blog post, what could be better than binge watching  films and TV Shows with a fun, boozy twist? From Too Hot To Handle, to Ru Paul’s Drag Race here are some great Netflix shows that you can watch with your partner, alongside ‘sexy and seductive’ cocktails that will leave you feeling oh so fruity on your quirky date.

Bonus Tip: Look for shows that you both love to watch together and choose the shows accordingly. You can do this very  easily if you are isolating together, by drawing up a list of approved cocktails and shows beforehand. If you are not isolating together you can send care parcels to each other containing instructions, ingredients and shows to watch, so that you can still binge watch shows virtually, whether that be using Netflix Party, Zoom or something else.

Too Hot To Handle: Sex on The Beach or Pina Colada

For those of you who haven’t heard of Netflix’s latest cult smash, Too Hot To Handle is a reality television dating show where 100,000 is up for grabs. And imagine the horny contestant’s ‘delight’ when they find out that in order to have the chance to ‘win’, they have to remain chaste, celibate and not engage in some good ol’ fashioned intercourse. Boo. But of course, without giving too much away, you can expect there to be plenty of rules being broken, captured by the show’s virtual host ‘Lana’ who sees all and knows all. Creepy! And what could be better than a delicious themed cocktail such as Sex on The Beach or Pina Colada, to capture the fizzle and sizzle of these vibrant singletons who would like nothing more than to get down and dirty on the seashore? The concept is that each time a contestant breaks the rules i.e. kissing,  the prize money will decrease and each ‘sexual act’ is worth a different sum of money. The premise of the show is to teach these young singles how to find ‘genuine connections’ instead of their usual flings, but like its predecessors before them (i.e. Love Island), it’s unlikely that many couples will stay together after their ‘dating contracts’ are up. Still a cocktail or two is the perfect way to enjoy this delicious sexy show with your partner on your reality TV themed quirky date.

A quirky date and sex on the beach? Winner, winner, cocktails for dinner!

 Sex on The Beach

Pina Colada 

Love Is Blind – Red Wine (duh)

Possibly one of the most compelling dating shows that I have ever seen, it’s hard to not watch Love Is Blind, without watching 5 episodes in a row. It’s messy, unbelievable, heartwarming, binge-worthy and gives you all the feels. In short it is hard to put down and will either make you ‘thank your lucky stars’ that your relationship isn’t as cray cray as some of these people on the show or it will make you want to crash a wedding and steal the bride’s gown because it looked better on you anyway. Whatever your poison, there is only one drink of choice to match the chaotic vibe of the show and that is red, red wine. After all, we all know a certain someone who liked to give wine to her dog, but I beg you please don’t be stupid enough to do that. Health and Safety y’all. While red wine is technically not a cocktail, follow the ‘summer berry red wine spritzer recipe below to truly figure out whether Love is (actually) Blind. And judging by some of the contestants on the show, it’s clear that they don’t actually know what love is. To be fair who can blame them, I didn’t find true love until last year so who am I to judge?

For those of you who haven’t watched Love is Blind, the dating show is a cross between ‘Married at First Sight’ and ‘The Bachelor’, which follows thirty men and women who are hoping to find love. Except the twist is that these couples ‘date in pods’ , where they can talk to each other but not see each other, until the man ‘proposed to the woman’. It’s pretty genius, and there are some right characters such as Jess and Mark and Amber and Barnett, who all have turbulent, dramatic and at times cringe-worthy relationships, but let’s face it they are no match for the Queen Supreme Lauren and Cameron. Plus you’ll find out pretty early on exactly why red wine features so heavily in this show…

Summer Berry Red Wine Spritzer 

Or How I Like To Call it … Love is Wine. The perfect ingredient to get your quirky date marathon started!

Ru Paul’s Drag Race: The Absolute Berry Acai

Hey Kitty Girl, remember a time in your life where Ru Paul’s Drag Race didn’t exist, and ‘Not Today Satan’ wasn’t your adopted catchphrase? Those years, my friend were the dark ages, a time where ‘tongue pops’ weren’t a thing, spilling tea was actually literal and shade involved you frantically looking for shadows in the middle of a freaking heatwave. But then lo and behold, Ru Paul’s Drag Race came around and boy was it the best show that had ever been invented.  A cross between Project Runway, American Idol and America’s Got Talent, this all singing- all dancing- all sewing and acting extravaganza cured my depression, healed my anxiety and gave me mother f***ing life. But what does RPDR have to do with quirky date ideas I hear you ask? Well what could be quirkier, after all this is a show that revels in drama, oodles of talent, secret sorcery and catchy showtunes, so what’s not to love? And yes I have totally roped my boyfriend into watching RPDR with me, whenever he lets me. Plus there are so many fun drinking games that you could play, such as taking a shot everytime Ru Paul says El DeBarge in Season 12 to Crystal Methyd. I honestly can’t get that song out of my head and I’d be very drunk by the time we got through all the El Debarge chats. LOL.

My love affair with Ru Paul’s Drag Race began when Season 6 was airing; I was at a uni friend’s house having a sleepover, when she introduced me to the beauty of drag and I was hooked ever since. I fell in love with the cast, and was particularly rooting for Adore Delano, the kooky badass grunge rocker chick, who was a motherf***ing Libra like me. But when it came to choosing a drink to represent Ru Paul’s Drag Race I knew I had to ask the fandom for some ideas that would be as authentic and as true to the spirit of RPDR as possible. And boy did they come through. For those of us who have watched every season (again me because I am totally a fan girl), you might remember that before season seven Absolut Vodka were the official sponsor of the Interior Illusions lounge, while the queen’s untuck and let all the ‘tea spill’. Well on Season 2, which is arguably one of the most dramatic seasons (and I live ), the episode Once Upon A Queen saw the Queens promote their self titled books, alongside an Absolut Vodka drink. One of the funniest satellite interviews during that episode was with Jessica Wild who was clearly drunk, and kept telling us how much she ‘loved that Berry Acai’ hence the themed cocktail for this isolation binge. Trust me it is funny so go watch Jessica and her dreams of a golden shower now.

For more fun RPDR themed cocktail ideas to bring your quirky date to life check the list below that will bring oodles and oodles of fun to the quirky date you’ve been planning for you and your boo.

* A special thank you to RuPaul’s Drag Race Fans for all your fabulous cocktail ideas. I am so grateful! Please see below for RPDR approved drinkies and tips.

 

‘The Absolute Illusion’ using Absolut Elyx, diet tonic, splash of cranberry and edible glitter’ –Burn Tan Orton

‘Take inspiration from the challenge where they had to make outfits inspired by cakes- i.e. the cakes would taste like the cake flavours and you can name them after whichever Queen got which cake’ – Allish Rafferty

Claire Mcgowan– ‘a version of Sangria to represent the diversity of the queens and make it so that the recipe can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Call it Interior Illusions : ‘We don’t know what’s in it, but it tastes like punch when it is really alcohol.What could be more Drag Queen than that? And yes it should definitely have Absolut in it. And what was the spritzer that Vanjie was repping? That should go in too.’

Damien Dine– Absolut Vodka is the way to go. Berry Acai flavour was featured in season 2 and had a whole challenge centered around it. Same with Absolut Mandarain, Citrus, Mango and Raspberry in Season 1. Season 4 had a mini challenge using actual cocktails which I am sure that you can find online. Phi Phi won with the Absolut Grapevine, Dida had the Absolut Collins, Latrice had the Absolut Punch, Sharon had the Berri Sour and Chad had the Greyhound.  Then if you want to branch out of Absolut Vodka, you can check out Mickey’s in WeHo as in recent seasons they sponsored drinks with Hamburger Mary’s as well.

Alishah Jesani and Andreea Nadia Antohi– ‘We came up with some cocktails to host a viewing party for DragRace UK which we never ended up doing but this was our idea. They then proceeded to kindly share with me an entire page full of named cocktail recipes such as the ‘Rolaskatox’ ( Vodka, OJ and Blue Curacao), ‘Moonsoon Season’ (sparkling wine, orange juice and strawberry garnish) and Busted Ass Showgirl ( Vodka and Cranberry juice).’

Rachel Harvey– ‘I’d look at a play on words: Vodka on the Roxy, Long Island Spill the Tea, Mojito Better Don’t, Affinity the Tuck and Thunderfucks Fizz’.

Quirky Date RPDR style? Check!

Rick and Morty – Morty Rita or the Pickle Rick Shot

Here’s a show that gives you the ultimate Quirky Date 101: AKA the great, the Schwifty, the one and only Rick and Morty. Drum roll please… The cult classic adult cartoon is a sure fire favourite with individuals and couples alike, as you are dunked headfirst into a psychedelic world, which redefines the concept of irreverent humor. Dark, zany and quick witted dialogue , juxtaposed with vivid splashes of colour, densely plotted science fiction escapades and surrealist worlds drives this masterfully creative sci-fi/ comedy to previously unscaled heights.  In short Rick and Morty is one of the greatest adult cartoons known to human (and Me-Seeks) kind. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, the popular series follows the misadventures  of cynical mad scientist Rick and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith who travel across an infinite amount of realities throughout the multiverse. Four seasons later and Rick and Morty is still one of the highest rated adult cartoons, if not TV shows and it’s easy to see why. With episodes like ‘Rick Potion’ , ‘Get Schwifty’ and ‘Morty’s Mindblowers’ under it’s belt, this mindbogglingly brilliant adult cartoon is the perfect show to binge watch during lockdown with your partner on a quirky date.

And what could be a  better way to commemorate your mutual love for Rick and Morty than a themed cocktail like a ‘Morty Rita’, a margarita with a Szechuan sauce rim made at the ‘Rick and Morty and Stranger Things Mashup Cocktail Bar at Zest in 2018?’ Or if you want a precise recipe you can head over to Geek Bomb to see their guide on Rick and Morty cocktails which includes incredible cocktails like ‘Mr Poopybutthole’s Pina Colada’ (with white rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, cream of coconut and a pineapple wedge), Rick Rolled (Midori, sweet and sour mix and lemon juice and Get Schwifty (Kahlua, Baileys and Grand Marnier). And if Mr Poopybutthole doesn’t get your quirky date started I don’t know what will because that is one cool cat!

Get Your Freak On With Strip Poker

And last but not least, if you really want to show your partner a good time then what could be better than playing a game that you know you are terrible at?  And by terrible I mean me, because even after my partner has shown me countless times , I still have no idea how to play poker. Which is why, if you are a novice poker player like myself,  strip poker is  a great option for a quirky date during lockdown because losing is the new winning. So how do you play this game of strip poker I hear you ask. Well don’t ask me as I don’t know how to play haha. But what I do know is how to spice things up… You could use one of the naughty card games that I had suggested above, such as Fifty Days of Play to play alongside Strip Poker, which gives you 5 levels of freaky time, with 10 envelopes that contain an exciting action. For example Virginal (I wish they would change the name ) contains tender and romantic suggestions, Vanilla is teasing tasters building anticipation, grey is arousing adventure to stimulate, darker is sensual activities to entice and black is kinky concepts for raunchy fun. So when you apply this to strip poker, everytime you loses a round you have to take off an item of clothing. Except that this is a sex game, so you don’t just get naked, but use a sex card to find out what your sexual fate would be.

For example let’s see you lose the first round, you can start off small by picking up a white card, which might tell you do something innocent like the ‘kiss me’ card, which invites you to ask your lover to choose a number between 1 and 50. Their choice of number is how many kisses you must give them, but you can choose where and how. So for example (as we are keeping it a little PG to start), they might pick the number 5, and you choose to kiss them across their chest and place the last kiss on their pubis, to give them a taste of what’s to come. Then as the game progresses and more rounds are lost, you could work your way up to the black card, which might tell you to indulge in the ‘pay time’ scenario, where you entice your partner with multiple orgasms through the use of sex toys such as vibrators, dildos and cock rings. You can pleasure them with your mouth and toy for heavenly orgasms. Or if you want to do something else, you could create your own ‘sex cards’ that are personalised to you and your partner that can contain instructions for sex acts such as ‘choose a new position that you haven’t tried from the Karma Sutra’, give your partner a lapdance or command your  partner to perform an oral action of your choice i.e going down on you.  The same can be said for role play or acting out each others fantasies. So no matter whether you win or lose, there are no real losers in my version of strip sexy-time poker. So what better way to act out you and your partners fantasies through a quiry date that will leave you ‘cumming’ for more?

What Quirky Date Idea Would You Like To Try?

*Drop your fun quirky date ideas below. I’m always open to new ideas!