Monday, January 23, 2012

BALANCE: NEVER STOP DATING + DIY

Let's talk about dating. :) One of the things I most treasure about my week is Wednesdays. Every week, Jon and I set aside a day, currently Wednesdays, that's dedicated to spending time and dating each other. We started this tradition early on in college and decided it was important enough to continue into our married lives together.

Having a date night once a week allows both Jon and I the comfort of knowing that no matter how busy and overwhelming a week can become, we always have date day to unwind, talk, and spend intentional time together. I can't tell you enough how important this has been for our relationship and marriage. This time has allowed us to participate in each others hobbies, find interests together, talk about issues that might be pressing from the previous week, and work on us. It's too easy to get stuck in a routine and forget about investing intentional time in the most important person in your life.

We've challenged ourselves to continue dating each other once a week, for the rest of our lives together. :) Because one day we will start a family. We will continue to be busy and pursue our dreams and we always want to be accountable to "us" time.


3 Tips on Dating Your Spouse//Significant Other
1. Set a Day. ---> Sit down with your schedules and figure out one day of each week that works the best for the both of you. This can be an evening after work, a morning time, or an entire day. Just find at least 4-6 hours each week you can dedicate to each other. Once you decide on your time, schedule it into your calendar, phone, agenda...whatever will remind you that every ________ is date night//morning//day.

2. Non-negotialble. ---> In order to be accountable to your date time, come to a "non-negotialable" agreement. This means that other events, parties, errands, to-do's will not come in the way of date time unless you decide as a couple it will be part of your date. Of course, some weeks will slip due to sickness, travel, and other life circumstances...but make it a priority for your week.

3. Get Excited! ---> Make your date time something you look forward to each week. Make a list of fun ideas, take turns surprising each other each week with a planned date time, budget for date time each month so you have a little extra to go out if you want to, make 3 weeks out of the month simple and FREE and then spend one night each month going out and making it a bigger date!

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One of my goals for 2012 was to make a date night calendar with Jon. We often find ourselves going out to eat and cozying up on the coach to watch our "latest" show, which is GREAT...but we wanted to get a little creative over these next couple months and grow our date nights into something even more exciting. AND of course have our dinner and a show nights sprinkled in here and there. :)

Date Time Calendar DIY
Over Christmas I was inspired by Naomi and Elsie on their "12 Dates of Christmas" posts. I thought this would be a great idea to apply to our date nights with a little twist!


STEP 1: Each of you get 6 index cards and 6 envelops. Secretly, so the other doesn't see, write out your six date nights. They can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Jon and I split up some of the gift cards we received over Christmas to go in our envelops...you can also add cash limits, rules (have to hold hands, 2 minute make-out sessions every 30 minutes ;) ...etc.), topics of discussion and, of course, fun things to do! Get creative and have fun!

STEP 2: Once you write out your dates, slip each index card into a blank envelop. Put all 12 envelopes together and take turns shuffling to make sure you don't know the order.

STEP 3: After shuffling, mark your envelops 1-12 and hang up in your home. :)

This is a great way to add some excitement to your date time. Each week will be a surprise! Jon and I just finished our first date last week and we'll be opening envelope #2 on Tuesday night to know what we will be doing Wednesday evening. I can't wait!


Do you have a regular date time? How do you keep accountable to that time? Don't have a regular date time, but wish you did? I challenge you to commit to once a week in February! Never too late to start a new tradition. :) 

Happy dating!

25 comments:

  1. Great concept. :)

    ♥ sécia
    www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com

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  2. Good for you! We became parents almost 6.5 years ago, and we now have three children. It is SO difficult for us to get out more than 2-3 times a year. Now that our youngest is almost 2.5 yrs old, I'm hoping we can make date nights happen a little more often!

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  3. omg this is a fabulous idea!!

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  4. I think that setting aside a date night like that is so important to maintaining a healthy and happy marriage. I'm so glad that you make that effort!

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  5. Yeah, having children really complicates this but I agree it is very important.

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  6. I 100% agree with you on this!! My bf and I have been together over 3 years and since almost the very beginning (it started because of our work/school schedules and has just stuck ever since) Thursday's have been set aside as our date night. We always knows that no matter how hectic the week is, we will be together Thursday nights. Sometimes we go out to eat, cook dinner together, talk about whatever is going on in our lives, etc. It is hands down my favorite day of the week and I know that we will also be doing this for the rest of our lives. It's so important and wonderful to us!

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  7. This is an such a great idea! esp with all our busy schedules, I can use a little surprise date night. something to look forward to! Thanks for sharing, I'm going to be making one!

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  8. Friday night dates! That's what I call them. After we graduated High school and started college we became so busy and didn't have the same day to day time together anymore. So one day after a spontaneous date night out on a Friday night we agreed that we would put everything aside.

    Fast forward 6 years later, we are still doing this every week. Sometimes it's just the two of us, or with his family, or with my family. But all in all it is nice and refreshing. I don't have the liberty of seeing him everyday because we are still in college but I do look forward to every single date night. Makes my heart Happy.

    Mary from ♥ meowwzie.blogspot.com ♥

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  9. This is an awesome idea! I think I'll have to get Kevin to set a day for this!

    -Madeline Grace

    http://withlovemadelinegrace.blogspot.com

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  10. Anonymous23.1.12

    My husband and I spend almost every Tuesday evening at the movies, since our local theatre has a toonie tuesday night and about once a month we go to our favrouite 24hr diner around midnight on a Friday. It's fun looking forward to these.
    I also love the 12 dates idea to change things up!

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  11. Such a cute idea! sometimes couples just get bored of doing the same routine every week.

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  12. Such a great idea. Great post. :)

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  13. This is such a cute idea!

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  14. Anonymous23.1.12

    so cute! i am obsessed with this idea!!!!! xxo

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  15. This is such a great idea :) I wish it were possible with a schedule like mine where I have school but then assignments as well that can pop up out of nowhere and surprise me and take up my time, even if I thought it was free :( Oh well.
    I love the whole concept of this though, I think it's definitely a great help to a relationship :)

    xo
    http://kittysnooks.blogspot.com/

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  16. love this idea! we try to have a weekly date, but it doesn't always happen and i love your suggestions. i think my husband would be on board with this crafty idea for sure :)

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  17. I've made it one goal this year to have a date night at least once a month. I see my guy every day and we usually sit on the couch and watch a movie or something like that...but it's just not the same. The biggest problem I am facing...is that my guy is absolutely unromantic...he just does not see the necessity in an extra date night since we see each other all the time anyway....It's hard living with an absolute unromantic guy...I tell ya....but he has other virtues that I wouldn't want to miss ^^

    Anyway...I've talked about it a thousand times with him and told him to figure out six dates....he gets to pick 6 and I got to pick six.....he's supposed to tell me about them in February....We had a fight and I literally had to force him.....but I'm already totally excited....And I know as soon as we start...he will love it! :)

    (date number one was at our favorite restourant were I told him about this)

    This all sounds like he's a pretty horrible boyfriend....He's not!!
    He's just special in some things ;-D

    Love the fact that you guys really stick to this since such a long time...and love the DIY!

    xoxoxo
    Melanie

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    1. Melanie --

      I hope this works out for you and your boyfriend!! But I totally understand what you mean. My husband and I have very different hobbies and interests so sometimes that can be difficult in the sense of getting motivated to try something new together. One of the ways that keeps him excited about date time is trying to come up with ideas that we both really like and we're both excited about...OR having it so that we watch his requested movie//show and then we grab food at a place I request. So merging things you both get stoked about..and throwing in the "try something new" dates here and there.

      And maybe the dates don't have to be "romantic"...maybe they could be sporting events, visiting the shooting range, playing games...something totally out there and not so movie and dinner?? I think finding what works for you as a couple takes a little time, but is totally fun and all part of the adventure. :)

      Again, crossing my fingers that he'll really get into it!!

      Hope you have a wonderful week. :)
      -Savannah

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  18. Aw! My boyfriend lives an hour and a half away but comes in every weekend to work at his parents resturant. Currently we use Sunday's for date nights (since we both usually work on Saturdays)!

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  19. Oh my gosh Savannnah - I am so excited to do this with my husband! I am totally going to hop on it and then link up to this post.

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  20. The Mr and I literally had this conversation two nights ago, about how we're implementing date night! And I decided that we should put out ideas in envelopes and basically do exactly what you just suggested! Great minds think alike;) Thanks so much for sharing!

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  21. My boyfriend and I have our date night every Wednesday too! It's so important to make that time for one another no matter what

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  22. Anonymous24.1.12

    I love this idea. Things are really stressful in my life right now. The Mrs. and I really need to take time to date each other.

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  23. This is such a sweet post! I will definitively try to keep this in mind! With schedules and everything, we don't always get time to have a date, and usually just slack off. This should be one of my goals in the new year.

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  24. Anonymous19.7.12

    I'm gonna have to start doing this soon! Love the idea

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