As I talked about here, I believe that the key to a steadfast love is spending quality time together. I think a lot of couples, however, struggle to make quality time a priority. My husband and I certainly do. When you've been together for a while, you start to fall into a routine and the excitement you once felt is replaced by complacency. Add work, children and a tight budget and you've got a recipe for a stale marriage. Below you will find 5 date ideas that will break the monotony, but not the bank.
1. Get out of the house. My husband and I are both nature lovers so some of our favorite dates have been outside. Pack a picnic dinner and some blankets, drive out to into the country and eat dinner under the stars. You could print out a constellation map and search for them together. We prefer to just gaze and watch for shooting stars. We live fairly close to the beach so something else we've done is order pizza and eat it on the beach on summer nights when it's still light outside. If you have kids and can't get away, plan to have dinner together on the back deck after the they have gone to bed. Getting outside is a great way to get away from all of the electronic distractions and focus on each other. Leave your phone in the car!
1. Get out of the house. My husband and I are both nature lovers so some of our favorite dates have been outside. Pack a picnic dinner and some blankets, drive out to into the country and eat dinner under the stars. You could print out a constellation map and search for them together. We prefer to just gaze and watch for shooting stars. We live fairly close to the beach so something else we've done is order pizza and eat it on the beach on summer nights when it's still light outside. If you have kids and can't get away, plan to have dinner together on the back deck after the they have gone to bed. Getting outside is a great way to get away from all of the electronic distractions and focus on each other. Leave your phone in the car!
2. Plan your dream vacation or search for your dream home. Get on your laptop, ipad or whatever and spend some time looking for cool resorts in exotic places. You may never actually get to go, but sometimes the planning is half the fun. You could also spend some time looking at houses for sale in your area (or a place you've dreamed of living). This is a great way to determine what you are looking for in your future home.
3. Mix and Math Dinner. We've never actually done this. I heard the idea on the radio a few years ago and thought it sounded fun. Go to a few different fast food drive-thrus and create a meal from your favorite foods from each one. Example: Chick-Fil-A fries, Zaxby's wings, Cook Out milkshake. Take it all home and eat it while watching a good movie.
4. Attend a high school sporting event. Being around young people will remind you of the spark you had when you first started dating. This is especially cool if you're high school sweethearts and live in your hometown.
5. Purge. This may not sound like your idea of a good time, but give it a try. Roger and I recently went through our clothes and got rid of a ton of stuff. It was fun to model our old clothes (think prom dresses and suits that haven't been worn in years) for each other and it felt so good to have some extra space when we were done. Great conversations can come from sorting through all of the stuff you've accumulated as a couple.
5. Purge. This may not sound like your idea of a good time, but give it a try. Roger and I recently went through our clothes and got rid of a ton of stuff. It was fun to model our old clothes (think prom dresses and suits that haven't been worn in years) for each other and it felt so good to have some extra space when we were done. Great conversations can come from sorting through all of the stuff you've accumulated as a couple.
6. Volunteer together. What better way to bond than by serving others together? Ask your church or use a website like createthegood.org or volunteermatch.org to find volunteer opportunities around your community.
A great date night does not have to consist of getting dressed up and blowing your entire paycheck on dinner. In fact, some of my favorite date nights have been nights where we stay home in our pajamas. Whatever you do, do it regularly, remove all distractions and enjoy each other's company.
Do you and your spouse make time for regular dates? If so, how often do you go on dates? What are some of your favorite things to do together? I'd love to hear your ideas!
A great date night does not have to consist of getting dressed up and blowing your entire paycheck on dinner. In fact, some of my favorite date nights have been nights where we stay home in our pajamas. Whatever you do, do it regularly, remove all distractions and enjoy each other's company.
Do you and your spouse make time for regular dates? If so, how often do you go on dates? What are some of your favorite things to do together? I'd love to hear your ideas!
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