Date night: How celebrity parents keep the romance alive

We all know celebrities have more resources than most of us do, so it's a little easier for them to, say, jet off to Paris for a romantic rendezvous, or even to just go for coffee in the middle of the day. Just for fun, then, and to get us in the mood (date night this weekend?), here's a gallery of celebrity parents out on dates.

...Starting with Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck! They're actually seen quite often sharing a kiss, holding hands, smiling at each other. Recently, they took a trip sans kids to Paris. They walked around the City of Love holding hands, and of course, bought clothes for the kids (who can resist?).

Here they are just the other day (left), enjoying a coffee together. Love!

Back in April, Mariah Carey and hubby Nick Cannon spent an extravagant night alone together in Paris — renewing their wedding vows at the Plaza Athenee Hotel and then heading to one of the most romantic places on Earth, the Eiffel Tower. Meanwhile, their one-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, stayed put in the hotel.

The photos of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr out on this date (back in June) are some of my all-time faves. Orlando loves to dodge the cameras and drag poor, chuckling Miranda behind him.

On this special date, the Pirates of the Caribbean star and his supermodel wife left their one-year-old baby, Flynn, at home while they rushed to catch the Broadway show Peter and the Starcatcher together in NYC.

Before you click on to the next slide, check out Orlando's colourful running shoes. As my son would say, "Those shoes are so fast!" And, seriously, see them in action here. Miranda's high red-and-black-polka-dot heels aren't so bad either...!

Alas, it's very rare that we see Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie out alone together. Told ya, they're surprisingly very private....

Here they are greeting their fans as they head to the glitzy Make It Right charity event in New Orleans, Louisiana (earlier this year) — without any of their six kids.

Jennifer Lopez and her young boyfriend, Casper Smart, on the other hand, are often seen enjoying time alone together. (They're also often seen hanging out with Jennifer's adorable twins).

Here they are stopping to sign autographs while enjoying a late night out after Jennifer's concert last week, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Here's Beyoncé and her man, Jay-Z, being guided by what looks like a bodyguard to their table at a romantic sunset dinner, without baby Blue Ivy, of course, in Battery Park, New York, last month.

Just last week, moreover, the two were spotted alone together at the Brooklyn Nets home opener, in Brooklyn, NYC. Sighhh, they sat in the front row and watched the Nets (of whom Jay-Z is a part owner) beat our Toronto Raptors 107-100.

Honestly? A random lunch date with your hubby is just as romantic as an impromptu trip to Paris. Or, well, sort of.

Here's Alanis Morissette and her hubby, Mario Treadway, heading home — and looking recharged! — after a lunch date, sans baby Ever Imre, at a nearby eatery in Brentwood, California, earlier this year.

Here's Halle Berry and her fiancé, Olivier Martinez, on their way to a romantic dinner together at Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, California, last month. Halle's 4.5-year-old daughter, Nahla, clearly not in attendance....

Back in September, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale left their adorable boys at home and got all glammed up to go for an intimate dinner date at Madeo Ristorante in West Hollywood, California.

Double dates can be romantic, too. Here's Keeping Up With the Kardashians stars Kourtney Kardashian and her boyfriend, Scott Disick, on a double shopping date with Kourtney's sister, Kim, and her boyfriend, Kanye West, in Miami, Florida, a couple of weeks ago.

When on a double date, I suppose, it never hurts to colour coordinate — so everyone knows who's with whom, of course.

Kourtney and Scott are parents to Mason, 2.5, and Penelope, four months. If you watch Keeping Up, you know that there's no shortage of babysitters in the Kardashian family!

Since they're frequently spotted out and about with Ava and Deacon (Reese's children with her ex, Ryan Phillippe), it's sweet to see Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth, out alone together now and then, too.

Near the end of her pregnancy, amidst hospital scares, Reese and Jim were often photo'd grabbing a bite after Reese's checkups.

Here they are going for lunch at Huckleberry Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, just a few weeks before baby Tennessee was born.

Spice Girl and mom-of-three, Melanie Brown, is photo'd here with her hubby, Stephen Belafonte, going to dinner at Le Boudin Blanc, a très fancy restaurant in London, England.

Here's Clear History actress Kate Hudson and her fiancé, Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy, leaving the Groucho Club in London, England, earlier this week.

Indeed, in the midst of a whirlwind tour with Matt's band and the kids, a date alone is definitely in order.

Special movie screenings can be romantic opportunities when you've got two little ones at home and a baby on the way.

Here's Brazilian model Camila Alves and her hubby, Matthew McConaughey, dazzling onlookers on their way to a screening of his movie Killer Joe, at the Tribeca Hotel in NYC.