Tuesday, October 23, 2012

DATE NIGHT Ideas...


RECREATE YOUR FIRST DATE (or any special past date): What were you wearing?  Where did you go?  What did you do and talk about?  

BOOKSTORE DATE:  Go to the bookstore and pick some of these options:  an interesting magazine to browse, a cookbook recipe to make, a favorite picture book from your childhood, a travel book for a country you'd love to visit someday, some funny jokes in a joke book...

MOVIE NIGHT: Surprise your hubby with some sparkling cider, popcorn, and a movie.  Or blow up an air mattress in your front room or cuddle on the couch as you watch a Redbox rental and eat popcorn.  You could even check out a movie for free from the library.  Keep a running list of movies you want to watch together.

PICK OUT A BOOK:  Find a book that you would both enjoy and start reading it together.  

GET FIT: Exercise to a workout video together. Then enjoy a protein shake or fruit smoothie afterwards!

CANDLELIGHT BY WATER: Throw a blanket out near a river, pond, stream, and light a candle, eat some treat, and be together!

PLAN FOR A RUN:  Find a 5k, 10k, or ½ marathon to sign up for together.  Decide on your training plan.  You can even go on www.gmap-pedometer.com to find out how many miles are certain nearby runs.   

DOLLAR DATE: Grab food at a fast food restaurant’s dollar menu and go to the dollar store to pick something out for each other with a certain money limit.  You could even go to the dollar movies.

INDOOR CAMPOUT: Cook tin foil dinners in the oven, make smores with your broiler, read a book by flashlight, and sleep out in your front room!

PLAY GAMES: Buy a new game and play or enjoy one you already have!  Have treats to go with it and maybe even make a bet for what the winner gets.

Take an ONLINE PERSONALITY TEST: Click Here to take a free personality test to get your four-letter personality type. It even tells you famous people that share your type along with where you thrive and where you struggle.  Once you have both of your types, you can even click on “Jung Marriage Test” to read about your compatibility as a couple just for fun.  This is very fascinating and insightful!

TEST YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE: Click Here to test your top love languages.  Afterwards, take turns doing something in each other’s love language! 

TRAVEL from your Home:  This fun date night can be done multiple times with different countries you are interested in.  All dates could include eating food from that country, learning interesting facts about the country, watching a movie based there or about it, printing off some pictures, watching a short youtube tour of that country or famous city, and maybe even dancing to their music! For examples:
*France: Put out cheeses, fruits, French bread, and juice for “wine.”  Dance to French accordian music.  Google beforehand about “interesting facts about France.” 
*Italy: Make homemade pizzas together, play Andre Bocelli music, and enjoy painting!
*New Zealand: Eat Kiwis, learn about cool facts on Wikipedia, watch Lord of the Rings…

DINNER & JAR OF QUESTIONS: Beforehand, print out interesting, fun questions and place in a jar. Make a fun dinner recipe together.  While you eat, pull out questions that both of you have to answer.  Some examples are: What are some of your fears? Describe your relationship with your parents.  What are 5 passions that you have? What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?   What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?  What are 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could?  List 3 people have have influenced you and describe how.  What are some of your pet peeves?  What do you think are some of your greatest strengths/weaknesses?  How do you want to be a better spouse?  If you were an animal, what would you be and why?  What is the thing you most wish you were great at?  Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.  If you could have one superpower, what would it be?  List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.  If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be?  What is your favorite part of your body and why?  What do you think people misunderstand most about you?  List some things you would hope to be remembered for…

VIDEOTAPE EACH OTHER: Pull out of the video camera and record asking each other various questions.   Some examples are: What was your hometown like?  How well did you get a long with your siblings, parents, teachers? If you could re-do anything from the past what would it be?  What were you like in elementary, junior high, and high school?  What are some of your happiest memories from your childhood?  What are 2 of your favorite breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts?  Name some of your hobbies.  How did you meet each other?  Name 3 of your favorite traits of your spouse.  List some of your favorite traits of each child.  What is your favorite color, animal, book, movie?  What was college like?  What is the craziest thing you have ever done?  What are some of your dreams for your family?  List 3 pieces of advice. 

PAINT SOMETHING OLD: Pick out a cheap piece of furniture at the Restore or DI or KSL and re-paint it together.  Or paint something you already have and fix it up! Or grab some cheap canvas and paint away. 

CREATE A VISION: Brainstorm your current goals and some of your longer-term visions for the future.  Use materials you already have to create some kind of  display to put on your refrigerator or in your bedroom.  Or you could place in sheet protectors and tape them up to the shower wall to read often! 

FUTURE DREAM HOUSE: Walk/drive around a fun neighborhood and dream about what you do/don’t like for your future home.  Or, draw out your ideal floor plan and talk about each room.

Bake cookies together and make ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Light some candles, give massages, and have a SPA NIGHT.

PLAN an UPCOMING TRIP together, whether it’s just a one-day adventure or a couple day mini vacation with your kids.

PIGGY BANK.  Create some kind of “piggy bank” where you can start putting all your spare change.  Decide as a couple something fun you want to start saving for!  

Bring a blanket to a fun park and lay down and TALK UNDER THE STARS. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom...

Life for me right now feels a lot like Bill Murray's Groundhog's Day... every day is the same.  Lots of this...  (whew, it's actually sorted here!)
and this...

and pouts... lots of pouts

Cleaning out the ETERNAL GRIME ... I will not post a picture of this.

and cleaning up this cute adorable face... :)

and handling melt downs...

and wiping this...

and trying to get them to eat things...

and reading the same cute book for the umpteenth time :)...

and needing more of this... that is actually having time to shower and get ready :) haha

and EVERYONE needing a whole ton more of GOOD SLEEP...  oh what am I ever going to do about that?!  And yes that is chocolate frosties all over them.

and oh the WORRY of a mother... I'm often stressed about something - how am I going to help a child through a certain issue, how are we going to get through the day...

 and I wish more of this... :) This happens to be a cute happy hug even though it looks like a death grip.

 So I'm thinking the answer is just I should never have to sleep!  Wouldn't that be such a gift to mothers?!  Anywho, here's some more confessions of HOW I COPE:

1. We CAN'T "STAY AT HOME" :)  Right now, havoc breaks out when we're home for too long.  My kids do SO much better OUT OF THE HOUSE... at a park, anywhere outside, exciting museums, a fun kid's place...  They don't usually fight as much or have nearly as many tantrums when we're OUT doing "kids" stuff.  It's a mother's therapy - and kids' therapy.

2. Sometimes just FORGET IT ALL, and LIVE IN THE MOMENT.  For me right now, I don't think having a continually clean home is anywhere near realistic.  I've tried :).  I think there's hope in just dropping it all for a while (when we can't fix or control it then anyways) and focusing on being happy and making your kids happy.  Last night, it was 9pm and the kids were still awake.  And... the house was a complete mess.  And... I was about it tears a few times yesterday with being completely overwhelmed as a mother.  And... I really needed to shower.  BUT... I found myself sitting on our messy kitchen floor and just laughing hysterically with my kids.  Hailey was randomly stuffing bread in my mouth :)  My tired self relished in the giddy happiness in their faces, and I guarantee we'll all remember that...