I want to share something my husband and I have done the last four years since we've had children.
We love getting out to have dates a few times a month or once a month {so good for your marriage!} - but can't always afford a big date- for one babysitters can get expensive. Here's what we do- and I love this.
We take turns with some friends of ours watching each other's children. So every week, or every two weeks {really whatever works with everyone's schedule- actually it's better to just pick a day but our schedule is pretty irregular}- we will have our friends' daughter then the next week they will have our girls so we can each have a 'free' date night.
What works really nicely in our situation is our friends are right down the block so what we do is if I'm going to watch their daughter I just go to their house so their daughter can go to bed in her own bed and I can just get some time to myself {and Ben some time to himself at our house}. This way too they don't have to worry about putting her to bed again after they get home. It's worked really nice.
Highly recommended! And actually her mom and I do the same thing every week on Tuesday mornings so one of us can get some errands done, or just go have some time to ourselves. Also very nice.
And just for fun, here are some of Ben and my favorite inexpensive date night places- no need to spend $50+ just for a date! {Usually our budget is under $20- if that}
{1} Barnes & Noble - we grab travel books or anything interesting and talk at a table over cheesecake.
{2} Eat dinner before we leave and go to one of our favorite restaurants for an appetizer or dessert.
{3} Walk around the Plaza {a KC favorite... but any shopping center will do} I always like getting ice cream or buying little things I normally wouldn't
{4} Go to the art museum- ours is free {just call in advance, they can have some weird hours}
{5} See a movie on a weeknight- generally about half the price of a normal ticket
{6} Panera with our Bibles.
{7} Game night with some other friends- after their kids go to bed
{8} Play Scrabble at a coffee shop
{9} Picnic in our favorite park- bring some nice dishes and wine glasses from home
{10} Star gazing. We used to do this all the time before we were married, just drive out to the 'country' {kind of challenging to find sometimes} and lay on the hood of the car watching stars.
There. Now you have no excuse to not go on a date! Seriously though, it's so good for your marriage to just focus on each other- talk about your goals, where you feel the Lord is leading your family, dream about impossible things, and just spend quality time together.
{2} Eat dinner before we leave and go to one of our favorite restaurants for an appetizer or dessert.
{3} Walk around the Plaza {a KC favorite... but any shopping center will do} I always like getting ice cream or buying little things I normally wouldn't
{4} Go to the art museum- ours is free {just call in advance, they can have some weird hours}
{5} See a movie on a weeknight- generally about half the price of a normal ticket
{6} Panera with our Bibles.
{7} Game night with some other friends- after their kids go to bed
{8} Play Scrabble at a coffee shop
{9} Picnic in our favorite park- bring some nice dishes and wine glasses from home
{10} Star gazing. We used to do this all the time before we were married, just drive out to the 'country' {kind of challenging to find sometimes} and lay on the hood of the car watching stars.
There. Now you have no excuse to not go on a date! Seriously though, it's so good for your marriage to just focus on each other- talk about your goals, where you feel the Lord is leading your family, dream about impossible things, and just spend quality time together.
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