Gentlemen, I’m sure you’d agree that a date-night-in can be awesome. Staying in every now and then is more cost-effective, more intimate, and it gives you a chance to show off your pad. If you do the date-night-in the right way, you’ll easily be able to impress your date. You should never suggest a date-night-in for a first or second date, but once you’ve been dating a woman for awhile and she feels comfortable with you, it’s a great option. Here are 7 tips to impress your date during a date-night-in:

1. Slightly redecorate your home to show off your style

A woman will notice how your apartment is decorated. She’ll notice if it’s cluttered, or if your living room’s couch has old and ugly pillows on it. If your place looks modern, clean and is decorated with a touch of style, however, she’ll be super impressed. If you invest in a couple of items for your home like new couch pillows and a funky new coffee table, it will definitely pay off. Changing just a couple of things works wonders on your bedroom, too. For example: Get a nice new set of bedsheets (Bouclair has the clean, modern style you’ll want for a great price) and a more modern lampshade, and suddenly your bedroom will look significantly better. It doesn’t take a ton of effort to give your home a quick revamp, but your simple remodeling efforts will go a long way. Stick to a clean and simple design with a few stylish accents and you’re set. Oh, and don’t forget to clean up any messes in the kitchen or elsewhere before she arrives!

2. Have a good bottle of wine on hand and something to pair it with.

It goes without saying that you should have food and drinks to serve to your date when she comes over. If you don’t already know if she’s a red or white drinker, ask her so that you can have a good bottle (or two) on hand. A quick google search can give you tips on what types of appetizers are best paired with your wine.

3. Up your personal hygiene game.

Don’t forget that during a date-night-in you’ll likely get much more up-close and personal than you would if you went out for dinner. If she gets close to you on the couch and notices that you smell amazing, she’ll be impressed. Don’t just shower and shave, impress her by getting a facial or by putting a couple dabs of cologne behind your ears so that when she kisses you, you smell great.

4. Keep her entertained.

If your woman is going to be in your home for a few hours, it’s smart to have various ways of entertaining her planned. For example, you could show her your photo album from when you went on that epic river cruise through Europe, and strategically place it on your coffee table for easy access before she comes over. Another option is having on hand a board game that the two of you could play. Sometimes conversation, music, food, wine and a movie is enough entertainment – but I always say the more you can show her the more you’ll ultimately be able to impress her.

5. Know your music and movie options.

A date-night-in could involve chatting on the couch with a glass of wine and relaxing music in the background, or she may want to watch a movie. Make sure you have a playlist of good date music already downloaded to your iPhone, and double check that your Netflix is working in case it turns into a movie night. Great date music is anything that is relaxing, because soft background music will put her at ease and it’s also easy to talk over soft music.

6. Consider a themed date-night-in.

Women are always impressed when it’s evident that you put a lot of thought into something. If you plan a themed date-night-in, you’ll score major brownie points with your lady. For example, a Mexican night in could involve you making sangria (try one of these recipes) and serving fish tacos. For an Italian theme, you could serve red wine, put on an Italian movie and make pizza.

7. Be attentive all evening.

Being an attentive, thoughtful gentleman will always impress a woman. Refill her wine glass, offer her a blanket, let her choose the movie and listen to her when she speaks. Don’t just feign interest in what she’s saying – actually be interested. The conversation throughout the evening will flow much more easily if you’re listening to her, because you can then ask follow-up questions which keep the conversation from awkwardly stalling.