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Here’s my tip to make my date nights work – plan them ahead.

Oh and make sure you’re not in a grouchy mood–so eat breakfast.  I have a bad habit of skipping a meal if I know I’m going out with my hubby later that day.  Believe me, my hubby doesn’t want to be around me when I’ve skipped a meal much  less on a date with me.

I have lots of goals within reach for 2015, this new year like remembering to eat breakfast, controlling my emotions when it comes to my kids, figuring out better consequences for them and eating healthier; but in the midst of all these wonderful goals, I’ve realized that it’s so easy to forget about my marriage. Do you make marriage goals?

Reach Your 2015 goals by getting our morning energy, so try– BelVita Bites – Mini Breakfast Biscuits and V8 Veggie Blends Drinks.  Especially, try the V8 drinks in your morning smoothie or mid-day smoothie snack–yummy! I didn’t realize that V8 had so many delicious fruit and vegetable juice drinks like: carrot & mango, spinach, carrots, pineapple and apples.

I don’t just want to be intentional about my health or my parenting but I also want to be an intentional with my spouse.

One of my marriage goals is to be more consistent in our dating routine.  I love date nights!  Whether it’s with my husband, my children , my friends… But life can get so busy and out goes all of my great intentions. Or sometimes our unrealistic expectations get in the way.

Here are some ideas that we have tried and enjoyed doing in the past as a way to connect with one another beyond the, “How was your day?”

Oh, and as I mentioned above don’t forget to put it down on the calendar at the beginning of the month or months in advance. We write ours in our big family calendar on the wall. Take turns planning your dates, this has worked out great for us.  If you don’t have a planner go purchase one of those cute planners that Target has and start scheduling in your date nights with your spouse.

Intentional Marriage: 25 Fun Date Ideas

1. Look at the stars.  After your dinner or coffee date, just sit outside on the grassy knoll and look at the stars. And if you want to add some deeper conversation talk about that dream that seemed unattainable but happened when you were a kid. Or the dreams you have now.
2. Enjoy a new cultural experience.  Go to an Indian or Lebanese restaurant.  Or visit a museum exhibit that focuses on a certain culture.
3. Go out for coffee or tea and read together or flip through magazines.  We did this a lot when we were in college.
4. Free Dance Lessons – Yes, if you look in the paper or online lots of community centers or even clubs (before it starts getting hot and heavy) offer free dance classes. When we lived in Ft. Worth we would go to a hall where they offered free swing classes and then they opened up the floor so you could dance. I LOVED it!
5. Picnic – These were my favorite dates before we were married. My husband once wowed me and brought a cd player with speakers in his backpack and we danced.
6. Biking – Find a new path or your favorite path and explore it with your hubby.  If you don’t have bikes find a place to rent them.
7. Ice cream and game night – This can be a date night in or out. I prefer date nights out but I know sometimes it’s hard to find a sitter.  So put the kids to bed, get your favorite ice cream out and play a fun game.  I love playing Canasta with my hubby mostly because I always win.
8. Double or triple date – Get some friends together and explore the town or discover a festival in your area. We’ve also put the kids to bed and invited friends over to play a board game.
9. Try something new.  Once I found a buy one, get one free ticket to a race car event.  It was definitely a cultural experience and we definitely stood out.  It was fun but I definitely wouldn’t do it again. It was so loud, we couldn’t hear each other.
10. Go hiking.  I enjoy the outdoors so this is another one of our favorite things to do as a couple and as a family.
11. Watch a movie. I know I can’t believe I’m suggesting this because I feel strongly about not watching a movie for a date night. Even though I wouldn’t choose this for a date night, I know sometimes you just need to sit next to your spouse in complete silence and hold their hand.
12. Go to the symphony.  I love the outdoors but I sure do love dressing up. A lot of cities offer free shows or buy one get one free offers.
13. Go for a walk in the rain.  A lot of times rain seems to ruin our plans but why don’t you turn lemons into lemonade and put on your galoshes and rain coat and enjoy the rain with your spouse.
14. Go play laser tag – I know this activity is geared towards teens but it sooo much fun.  We got a group of friends together and had a blast playing laser tag.
15. Visit a museum.  Explore your city and visit your local museum.
16. Cook something together.  We made ravioli once, neither of us had ever made it before but it was still so much fun.
17. Enjoy a fancy restaurant – Save up and splurge on a fancy meal on one of your dates.
18. Take an art class together – If anything you’ll end up having a good laugh.
19. Stay in and get someone to watch the kids while you set up a romantic dinner and evening for your spouse.
20. Have a date night get away!  Last year we had a busy schedule around our anniversary so we found a cute hotel near our home and we spent the night there and enjoyed that area the next day.  It was great and close to home.
21. Drive to another city nearby and explore the shops.
22. Sit out by the lake and watch the sunset.
23. Go see a musical or play. We’ve always lived in mid-sized cities that offered free shows to some great plays. Especially, during the summer–my favorite Shakespeare in the Park.
24. Go for a walk in your neighborhood. It doesn’t have to be fancy to make time to connect.  It’s all about quality time not how much you spend or how creative you can get.
25. Go bowling or ice skating.  Neither of these are my first choice activities but I’ve always had a blast when I enjoy it with my hubby.

When we were newly married, we went to a marriage conference.  I don’t remember the speakers exact words but the gist of what has stuck with me to this , goes something like this: In a marriage, you’re either moving forward or backwards.  There is no pause button. There’s only “play” or “stop”.   When you stop moving towards your spouse, you’re not in pause–you’re actually moving away, thus creating the tiny crack that will eventually become a huge chasm driven between the both of you if one continues in this state.

Share with me below in the comments some of your favorite date ideas?

Here are some things I discovered about V8:

• Delicious blends of vegetables with a touch of fruit.
• 1 Full serving of vegetables in every 8oz glass. (A serving of vegetables = ½ cup)
• 60 calories or less per 8oz serving & no sugar added.
• Excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, & E. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
• Made with 75% vegetable & fruit juices {and 25% pure water}

Just go to your local Target store and pick up some V8 and BelVita yummy snacks.