I hope you're safe, well, and staying positive. It can be hard to remain upbeat some days at the moment - so I thought I'd share some of the little things we've been doing keep each other sane and protect our NHS.

Nobody said you need to ‘go out’ to have a good time. Tanya and I have been together since 2003 and will share our favourite ideas for date nights in the lockdown.

Turn your phone off

You deserve each other's attention. I doubt any relationship failed because a couple paid too much attention to each other. Manufacturers designed your phone to distract you, so the best way to stop the temptation to pick it up is to switch it off.

Dinner

Who doesn't love a pizza? Sure, you can order one to your door, but making your own is a lot of fun! We used to make our own dough, but we discovered shops sell frozen dough already. They’re individually wrapped and the perfect size to make one pizza. A pizza stone is cheap and lasts a lifetime. They make an authentic base, just crank the oven up to full temperature and let the stone crazy hot! We found cooking the base for one minute before you top it stops the dreaded soggy bottom.

Go for a walk as the sunsets

It’s a bit of a cliché but for a good reason. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut while you're cooped up indoors. Set aside an hour and plan your route. We live on a busy main road, but like most places in the south-east, you're never far from somewhere a little more picturesque. You're allowed to take a short drive at the moment if you really can't just walk. Put some warm clothes on, wear appropriate footwear, bring a torch in case, and go exploring, you might find your new favourite view!

Cocktails

I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like cocktails. There’s something for everyone, even people who don’t drink alcohol! Not only are they great fun to drink, but they’re also a lot of fun to make! We’ve been making cocktails at home for years and have built up a pretty serious collection of ingredients. But you don’t need anything exotic to make some classics. Just a couple of things you can get in most supermarkets for less than the price of a round of drinks and meal in a restaurant. I’ll include some Amazon affiliate links for each recipe so you can order anything you don’t already have.

All of the below recipes make one drink, so you’ll need to double them if you’re both having the same cocktail. 👍🏻

DAIQUIRI

Put a couple of good handfuls of ice into your Cocktail Shaker with 50ml of light rum (Havana Club 3 Años is an excellent choice). Add 15ml of freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 small limes). Pour in 10ml of Sugar Syrup (or one Sugar Cube if you don’t have syrup) and an optional 4 drops of Daiquiri bitters. Shake till the shaker is nice and cold, then pour into a short tumbler, or a martini glass if you’re fancy.

OLD FASHIONED (MY FAVOURITE COCKTAIL)

Put a Sugar Cube in a short empty tumbler and add just enough hot water to start dissolving the sugar as you stir with a spoon. Add 75ml Bourbon Whiskey (bonus points for rye whiskey) and three ice cubes to the glass and stir again (one big ice cube will do if you have a big ice cube tray, you won’t need to add more later). Now add one good dash of Aromatic Bitters and an optional dash of Absinthe or Ouzo. Add two more Ice Cubes if you have small ones and garnish with a thin slice of orange. I also like to add a maraschino cherry, but it’s not essential.

WHISKY SOUR

Shake together 60ml bourbon whiskey, 30ml lemon juice, 15ml sugar syrup and 3 dashes of aromatic bitters. Pour into a short tumbler. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make a Boston Sour by adding 15ml egg white before you shake the ingredients together.

Games

Tabletop games can be a lot of fun if you find the right ones. Sales of board games have rocketed in the lockdown. Let's face it; most of us can only stomach so much social media and television right now.

A lot of people are getting back to the things we all used to enjoy before smartphones killed all of our time. We both enjoy Jenga. There are a lot of cheaper versions of the game in the shops. You can even get a giant one to play in the garden. They're so ubiquitous I've seen them at wedding venues!

Music

We love listening to music. Our preferred format is definitely Vinyl. But Apple Music and Spotify make it so easy to find a great album. I used to be in a few local bands playing original music and never lost my love for discovering new acts. The feeling of finding a great one is rewarding! If you're stuck for some records to listen to we can make a few recommendations;

• Diiv - Is The Is Are’ ‘Warpaint - Warpaint

• Title Fight - Hyperview’ ‘Citizen - As You Please

• Art School Girlfriend - Into the Blue Hour EP’ ‘Basement - Colourmeinkindness

• Foxing - Nearer My God’ ‘Chromatics - Closer To Grey

• Rival Schools - Pedals’

Watch movies

You don’t need to go to the cinema to enjoy a good movie. Why not make a list of films you really enjoy and make your way through them on you date nights. We’re watching the brilliant Wes Anderson’s back-catalogue right now. There’s something magical about his films that we both love. If you’re not sure what to watch, how about all the 'Harry Potter' 'Aliens' 'Tarantino' films - or even loads of shark films. For example; 'Jaws' 'Sharknado' 'Avalanche Sharks' 'The Meg' 'Sharktopus' 'Ghost Shark' 'Jurassic Shark' 'Sand Sharks' 'Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus', the list is endless! Can you tell I love a shark movie?

Bonus tip!

Engaged?

Why do some wedding planning? If your only just starting to plan your bid day I recommend agreeing what's important to your both. Write down your 'must-haves' and your 'nice to haves'? Locking these down at the start will make decisions far easier later on. Remember to refer back to this list at every step as it will become your north star. 

Almost everything you plan is for your wedding day. But the photos from the day will be for the rest of your life. Naturally, you’ll need a photographer who’s work resonates with you both. If you'd like some impartial tips from a wedding photographer, I wrote a comprehensive guide to findings and hiring your perfect wedding photographer. Spoiler alert... it won't always be me!

9 secret tips to find & book your perfect wedding photographer