The Easiest (and cheapest) Date of All

I am going to be honest with you. This revelation is not groundbreaking, creative, or very forward thinking. It is so simple that you might be saying "I already do that every day." If you do, then kudos to you! For those of you in the same spot as me, here we go...

Quality, alone time with my spouse is sometimes the most difficult thing to find. We try to have lunch together every day, but it is difficult to turn off the office drama and talk about things other than work or the kids. On the nights that he has rehearsals, we have a rushed dinner at home amidst the craziness I like to refer to as "the witching hour" (more like hours). He is usually out the door about an hour after I get home; leaving me to carry on with my established mommy/kids evening routine.

By the time the kids are fed, bathed, tucked in, kitchen cleaned, toys picked up, and another load or two of the never-ending mountain of laundry washed, I am ready to crash. If I am not completely exhausted, I will indulge in one of the shows I DVRed from 3 weeks ago. Most nights I am so brain dead that I crawl into bed not long after the babes are asleep. My preschooler has the ability to instantly memorize any song she hears and most nights she graces us with a full on hour or two production from the comfort of her bed. Not easy to relax to the sounds of "little bunny foo foo" over the baby monitor.

When dear hubby is home for an evening, we are able to divide and conquer. We try to throw in family game night for a little fun quality time. Nothing like a rousing round of Hi Ho Cherry-O or Candyland right before bed. Actually, in all honesty, we love playing games with the munchkin. After the kids are down, we commonly find ourselves stuck in our individual ruts. By the time we finally remember we are both home, I'm already half asleep or 3/4 of the way through a show that I don't want to turn off. So I have decided to implement date nights every night.

Instead of focusing on chores, emails or the unending fun of bill paying, we will have a date. Just sitting down each night for a little uninterrupted spouse time. On nights where we have done this, I am able to deepen my connection with my spouse and learn new things about each other and our relationship. After 8.5 years of marriage it is safe to say that we have changed quite a bit as a couple, individuals, and as parents. We are long overdue to further explore these new aspects of ourselves.

Knowing our tendency to forget about the importance of these dates, I've decided to set a few rules. They are common sense so don't expect anything wild!
 
1) Date night EVERY night. Ideally, our date will be at least 30 minutes.
2) If things have been unusually crazy and we are short on time, we can do chores together instead of our normal division of labor. We will still carve out a few minutes of together time.
3) Read and discuss a book together. In all of our years of being together, we have never done this.
4) Read our Bibles and embark on a study plan.
5) NO KID TALK!!!

I can think of at least 8 more rules to add, but it is probably best to keep it simple for now. I am sure the list will evolve just as our relationship will mature through the process. Tonight will be the start of our purposeful and nightly dates. I am really excited an hope my hubby will be too. I haven't shared with him my new plan yet, but I have a feeling he will be thrilled! Great ideas happen when I've been up with the kids since 4:00 am. Luckily not both at the same time!

The rest of the week will be devoted to a few of my favorite things and a giveaway or two! Be sure to subscribe to the blog and share with your friends!

A Love Affair

I am absolutely in love. This little love affair of mine might cause just a tad bit of trouble for my other half. But before you get in too much of a tizzy, let me clue you in on my little secret. I am in love with the Groupon and Living Social websites/smartphone apps. If you have never heard of these websites then I will apologize right now as you might soon become addicted to their deals. Instead of continuing to read this post, open a new browser, visit these sites, and sign-up for their daily deals. These sites will offer deeply discounted coupons to restaurants, movie theaters, various classes, trips, museums, gift cards to major online sites, at super affordable prices.

I am a girl who can't pass up a great deal, but I am also lazy.  I just don't have the time to search out the deals, clip coupons (much less remember to actually use them…I’m the mom that rips open a package of goldfish while grocery shopping to keep the kids from screaming), or search our nearby cities to find new and unique entertainment. I’ve heard stories of how some can “coupon” so well that they actually make money. If this is you and you would like to try your hand at blogging, let me know. You could be my first guest blogger. My husband would love you if I could start saving money instead of spending it!

The Groupon and Living Social sites are how I’ve added some spice to my life. Initially, I purchased deals to entertain my daughter over the weekend. My spouse has quite a few evening and weekend obligations, so I try to get creative when planning activities for the kids. After a few successful purchases, I started noticing intriguing adult activities. I thought what a great alternative to our traditional dinner date. For us it means venturing out to the nearby cities, but an hour drive is worth the time to deepen the relationship with my hubby. Plus, it gives us the opportunity to talk without interruption. This is a great luxury when you have a 3-year old! Imagine talking about politics, books, or the future instead of your child’s recent re-enactment of last night’s Fresh Beat Band episode.

Here are a few examples of some of my recent purchases: 

Coco Flow (http://cocoflow.com/) I purchased two classes for super cheap. We will learn the history of chocolate, make our own truffles, and indulge in some decadent desserts. Who doesn't love chocolate?!

Wine and Canvas ( http://www.wineandcanvas.com) I am so excited for this event! Mind you, I cannot paint or draw to save my life. Maybe I have some potential seeing as how I did have a pen and ink drawing displayed at the local library…when I was in 4^th grade.  If all else fails and my artistic creation looks like a puddled mess of paint on canvas, at least I have tried something new and enjoyed a glass of wine (or 2 or 3).

I also keep my eye on deals for different cities. It helps me learn about potential vacation spots for whenever my husband and I ACTUALLY take a much needed adults only trip. For fear of losing your respect, I won’t even tell you how long that has been. I’m still trying to convince him that these deals I keep purchasing aren’t frivolous, but his sense of adventure hasn’t quite matched up with mine. In fact, a friend of mine and I bought our Wine and Canvas events together. It will be a “no boys allowed” adventure. Either way (hubby or friends), I’m adding some much needed “me time” to my life and trying out something that has the potential to become a new hobby. I hope that you will check it out for yourself and share your purchases/upcoming adventures here.

I’m going to end with a shameless self-plug. If you enjoy reading, please take a minute or two to click the FOLLOW link. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be sponsoring a few exciting giveaways, and you will need to be a current follower for the best chances at winning. I promise it will be good!