Recession Proof Your Marriage: Dinner

The other day I proposed that marriages could actually benefit from recession. To start us off on the right-thinking foot, I proposed giving thanks for what we have right now. (Mainly, each other and any time we spend together, because that’s precious in and of itself.) Sometimes it just takes looking at all the good we enjoy to realize everything else isn’t as bad as it seems. However, I also hinted that I’d explore other ways a recession could benefit marriage. After giving the matter some thought, I’ve come up with some date night ideas. Ones that use the recession … Continue reading →

How to Create a Date

I have a small confession to make – the one drawback to being married is that you don’t have the sweetness potential that exists in going on a date for the first time. You know – the sensation of nervousness coupled with excitement that flutters in your tummy? You worry about how you look and how things will go and you look for great conversation to engage your date with and you want to be able to look back at that first date with absolute fondness. How to Create a First Date But here is something I have discovered – … Continue reading →

Marriage & The Ark

So yesterday morning, my daughter and I went to see Evan Almighty. This is a follow-up to 2003’s Bruce Almighty. My husband and I really enjoyed the Jim Carrey film that featured Morgan Freeman in the role of ‘God’. God was answering Bruce’s prayers about being able to do things better than God. The movie was populated with painful moments, bittersweet moments and wonderful moments. You may or may not remember Evan Baxter (Steve Carrell) from the first film – he’s the somewhat mean, albeit tortured newscaster that Bruce embarrasses terribly by making him do odd things with his mouth … Continue reading →

1997-2007 – The Gate Closes

This is a bit of an off the cuff blog, but last night on the Sci Fi channel, they aired the last first run episode of Stargate SG-1. The show premiered in September of 1997 and was a follow up to a 1994 film. I have some nostalgia related to Stargate SG-1 because it premiered the first year my husband and I lived together. We weren’t huge television watchers, but we’d been big fans of the movie when it came out. We set aside some time the night it aired and watched the two-hour premiere. We had no idea then, … Continue reading →

Father’s Day, Date Nights & Other Fun Events

What a great weekend we had here at home. My apologies for not writing a focused on Father’s Day article today as I intended. But starting late yesterday, my husband and I both shut down our computers and headed off to spend the next 24 hours focused on the family as a part of Father’s Day. Sometimes you need to make a conscious decision to shut off the responsibilities and the rest of the world and just be together as a family. Date Night Our daughter’s gymnastics school hosts a parent’s night out once a month. It’s a four-hour event … Continue reading →

Quality Time – What Does That Mean?

We talk about quality time constantly. It’s the catchphrase of our generation – because thirty years ago, no one talked about scheduling quality time or setting a private date to meet with his or her spouse or to even make sure everyone was together. Our world of convenience means we’re on the go, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and there’s no guarantee that the family will be together at a meal time or on the weekends unless we really set aside that quality time. Quality Time Quality is how we want to describe the time we spend … Continue reading →

Four Fun Date Night Ideas

You finally made time for a date night, but now you can’t come up with an idea for something fun to do. Well, the ideas below might appeal to you or maybe they’ll inspire you to come up with something. As the weather gets warmer, more opportunities will present themselves, so take advantage of the great outdoors whenever possible with picnics, hikes, and the like. Check out some of these ideas instead of the same old stuff: Be a Good Sport In other words, go outside and play. Playing sports together can be a lot of fun and a little … Continue reading →

Planning Romance

Wouldn’t it be nice if romance could always just be a spontaneous thing? That caught up in the moment, swept off your feet feeling of being lost in each other’s eyes is a powerful thing. Unfortunately, life sometimes intrudes on our love lives and leaves us little room for spontaneity. That’s okay. There is nothing wrong with planning for romance when you can’t be spontaneous. In fact, sometimes planning is the key to success. While winging it can be fun it can also sometimes result in chaos or worse, hurt feelings. If you attempt to surprise your spouse too much, … Continue reading →

A Lazy Day to Do Nothing

Sometime, instead of planning an actual date night, consider just taking a day together to do nothing. Relax. Be lazy. Lie around in your jammies. Drink coffee and read the paper in bed, or just stay snuggled up and watch a great old movie. Order take-out or better yet, have something delivered. We all need to spend time with our spouses and sometimes that means getting out of the house; however, doing nothing can also be very therapeutic. This is especially true for those with hectic schedules. Years ago, my husband worked days and I worked nights. His mom would … Continue reading →

A Romantic Dinner for Two

What are some of the best tips for creating a romantic dinner for two for Valentine’s Day or anytime? Well, the first rule should be to schedule time alone. Hire a babysitter or take the kids to Grandma’s if necessary, or plan a midnight supper once the kiddos are tucked into bed. The next step in setting the mood is to get rid of all distractions. Replace that television show with some soft music (or at least a romantic movie). Turn the volume way down, along with the lights. Candlelight is nice too, but dimmed lights will also work. Aroma … Continue reading →