It’s amazing how things change when you’re in the dark, isn’t it? The mundane becomes the mysterious, the ordinary the unknown. I, for one, always get spooked by things at night that would never make me think twice during the day—and I’m a self-professed night owl!

Going over my Living To Do list, I was just struck by the things I had listed that I wanted to do at night—build a snowman (check!), play Frisbee (haven’t done that one yet, though we did just purchase a Frisbee), and ride a roller coaster (check!) are just a few of them. What things would you like to do at night? Here are just a few ideas…

• Dine by candlelight outside (that one is on my list, too!)
• Be serenaded—or serenade someone
• Paint or draw a picture—or sculpt something out of clay or play dough
• Catch lightning bugs like you did when you were seven years old
• Play tag in the dark (use flashlights if you like)
• Make a snow angel (or any other snow activity)

The cool thing about the dark is that you don’t actually have to be outside—and it doesn’t have to be nighttime—to do anything. You can always just turn off the lights—which brings me to a really crazy idea that I recently heard about.

Have you ever thought of eating in the dark? Apparently there are actual restaurants where you can dine in the dark—the practice is called “Dark Dining”—and utilize all of the rest of your senses while you are unable to actually see your food! I am in love with this concept. Of course, when you take away one sense, the others heighten (or at least seem to, right?); imagine how food might taste, smell, and feel when you simply can’t see it.

Of course, I would want some basic rules set—no onions, for example; I hate the things—before I agreed to do this. You wouldn’t have to do this at a restaurant, of course; after all, it does seem quite expensive. You and your partner or a friend could take turns making dishes and blindfolding one another if you just wanted to try this idea at home. If you did want to try it out while dining out, though, I say go for it! I might just add it to my own list…