Love and Life

Let's face it. Life is tough. You are trying to juggle so many things and sometimes the one person who has been with you thru thick and thin gets the short end of the stick. It may be your spouse or a special someone, but the truth is it is easy to forget to set tasks and responsibilities aside and tend to one that is the most important. Especially while raising a family.

I am so fortunate to have been dating my best friend for almost 27 years. We have been married for almost 20 of those. We have seen so many highs and lows. We both know how important it is to occasionally take some time and focus on us. We used to put it right on the calendar ~ "Date Night" ~we need to do that again. ♥

Dating, no matter where you are in your relationship does not need to break the bank. You could be a fresh in a relationship, a newlywed or been married for years up on years, put your wallet away and listen to your heart. Don't get me wrong, a date night out at a restaurant or a sweet little getaway is wonderful but these things you can do as often as you wish and some are easy to squeeze in right at home after the kids have gone to bed.


"Always strive to give your spouse the very best of yourself; not what's left over after you have given your best to everyone else."


Indoor ideas:
Stroll thru an art museum
Go to an art opening
Search for free community theatre projects
Have a Netflix marathon
Host a board game night with friends
Volunteer in the community together
Go for a scenic drive
Go to the library, look for books or borrow movies
Re-create your first date at home
Cook a meal together
Make ice cream sundaes together
Plan your dream house
Plan your dream vacation, even if it's years away. (it's always fun to share and dream together!)
Play a board game or card game together
Bake cookies together
Put together a play list of your favorite songs and have a dance party, slow or fast
Go thru old photos and movies together
Have a S'mores night
Make a campout in the living room
Watch each others favorite movies back to back
Get on YouTube and find funny videos
Give each other massages
Learn a new hobby, via resources like your local library, YouTube, Pinterest
Go people watching at the mall or an airport
Write down your bucket lists
Play truth or dare
Complete a DIY project together
Write a list of your favorite things about each other
Create your own city tour
Go on a free tour of a factory
Make a fun list of what you would buy if you had a million dollars to spend
Work on a puzzle together
Listen to an audiobook together
Make homemade pizzas together
Go to a Home Depot workshop
Make a meal for someone in need and drop it at their door


Ideas for outdoor fun:
Go to a free outdoor concert
Walk dogs at your local animal shelter
Host a backyard game night (Pinterest has great ideas)
Be a tourist in your own area and visit a landmark you have never been to
Go stargazing
Pack a picnic and find a quiet spot to eat and relax
Volunteer together at an event together
Go on a hike
Ride bikes...pedal or motorcyles
Visit a flea market
Make a movie under the stars with your laptop
Attend a local garden club event and get ideas for your home
Take selfies all over your city and make a collage/photo board
Pack some homemade treats and go watch a sunrise or sunset
Play frisbee in the park
If there is snow, grab a sled and go sledding.
It it is warm weather, pack up your swim suits and go for a swim
Travel the area to local beaches and start a collection of sea glass
Do a scavenger hunt with or without a group of friends
Go Geo-cashing
Make a campsite in your backyard
Go fishing
Go downtown (in a big city) and watch the street performers
Have a water gun fight on a hot day
Go ice skating/rollerblading depending on the weather
Go to a food festival
Pick a spot on a map and take a road trip to a place you have never been
Go for a walk/run together and then go home and make smoothies
Learn to grill/smoke a new recipe together
Work on DIY landscaping projects
Plant a garden
Go for an ATV ride
Go out in the community and do random acts of kindness


These are just a sampling of things you can do that cost very little or no money at all.
If you have a hard time deciding what to do when you have time to spend together you can write down all kinds of ideas on craft sticks and put them in a jar, making a deal that whatever you pull
out that day/night is what you will do.
You can even color code the sticks to allow for choices that align with your budget for that date.
For example:
Red= Free
Blue= Little cost
Green= More expensive

Making time for one another is the most important thing. Now go make memories with the one you love so that when the kids are grown and it's just you two you can say "Remember when?"