I'm excited to be linking up with Kendra from Open Spaces Blog for a guest post again today. I really like what Angie from Chasing My Halo has to say about dating. I know that Trevon and I try really hard to plan date nights, and have been doing better lately, but it's tricky to plan around schedules, kids, budge, etc. So here are a few helpful hints from Angie about all of that.
This is a guest post written by Angie from Chasing My Halo.
With February quickly approaching it
starts to happen: Love is in the air! Pinterest abounds with recipes, gift
ideas, crafts, and romantic sentiments to make Valentine's Day special.
I'm the first to jump on Cupid's wagon, but I also try to remember that romance
is a year round goal that doesn't always mean flowers and candy. My marriage is
only a little over two years, but some of the best advice we've been given
is to make space for date night. It sounds so easy and a little trivial
compared to all the harder things in marriage, but it's the smallest
things that can make the biggest difference! Here are my 5 Do's of Date Night.
Make it a priority
This is the hardest part for us. We put it in
our calendar, but then other things come up that seem more important and it
gets cancelled. We know some couples that pick a certain day of the week
and set it in stone. That is a great way of making it a priority, but it's
just not practical for us. We will check our schedule for the upcoming week and
set one night (or day) aside that works best depending on that week. The
important part is keeping it even when last-minute things come up that aren't
of vital importance. I've also heard that making it a habit pre-kids helps for
when it gets even harder to get away after kids!
Make it persistent
Every.single.week. Missed weeks start to
accumulate, and before you know it it's been months since good quality
time with each other.
Make it practical
Every couple is in a different situation.
Kids, finances, health, and all sorts of things come into play and it is not
always possible to have an extravagant night out week after week. A Fresh Start on a Budget has a GREAT
list of 50 inexpensive date ideas. If its been an exhausting week have a night
in! Many of our date nights are pretty chill, but even if it's dinner in with
movie the point is to make time for just each other.
Make it pleasurable
This is kind of a given, but have fun with it
and change it up! You want this to be something you look forward to week after
week. Step outside the routine and experience something new with each
other. Life hands out enough lemons as is so being able to go to each other as
a place of refuge and laughter is all-important!
Make it unplugged
Last but definitely not least! It is so
irritating when we are out and checking our phones. We have to be super
intentional about turning off our devices because it's second nature at this
point to constantly check in. Force yourself to make eye contact and have real
conversation. Your social networks will still be there at the end of the date I
promise!
So this season why not save all those Valentine's
Day ideas you pinned and use them year round? You may even find that romance is
even sweeter when it's not on February 14th ;-).
Love this post! Practical ideas for dates and Just in time for valentines 😉
ReplyDeleteI think it's great too. It's always good to remember how important dating is after marriage.
ReplyDelete