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Matt and I have been married for 17 years. One of the biggest pieces of advice I could give anyone is make date night a regular thing. I’m talking AT LEAST monthly, weekly if you can manage. Even when we first got married, we budgeted-in date night because it was just as important to us as the grocery bill.
Both Matt and I share the same language of love: quality time. If you have not already taken the Language of Love Quiz do so immediately. Quality Time language is when you put aside all distractions and focus on the other. For us, that means no phones or tv or kids interrupting, so we often get a sitter and get out of the house! You don’t need money to have a date night out, but you do need time. Carving out time to be with just your spouse distraction free can refresh and add life to your relationship! Each month we will challenge you to a Date Night with your spouse! We will make sure these date nights can be in with little to no money involved or to go out! Be aware that if one of you has Gift Giving as a language of love, money will have to be spent/budgeted in. So often we put our money into the things we value most. If your spouse’s love language is gifts-spend the money on a sitter and restaurant and maybe even dessert ;)
So here is our Date Night suggestion for the month of Feb:
Since Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday, celebrate Fat Tuesday instead! Go out for breakfast or have a brinner (breakfast for dinner) date out or in. Eat a big breakfast including pancakes to celebrate Fat Tuesday! While you are munching on deliciously carby pancakes, discuss the following things:
February’s Date Night Questions:
Fat Tuesday was a date where people would use up all the foods they would be giving up over lent. Read more about Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) on Dynamic Catholic’s website. What shall we do as a couple that ‘trims the fat’ so we can make more room for God? Here are some ideas:
No TV or limit it (1 hr a day or something)
No social media-text one another updates instead of sharing with FB world
Together, write in a couples prayer workbook. Matt and I wrote we will add to the shop mid February! Commit to at least one entry a week each.
Work together to help the other get to Mass during the week.
Commit to one date night that starts with a holy hour.
Pray Rosary for one another (use our free journal to help!)
Read the same spiritual book and talk about it in the evenings or every Saturday morning. Here are some suggestions (these are affiliate links with no extra charge to you-thanks for supporting our ministry!):
Toward the end of your date, hopefully you both have full bellies and hearts and are ready to start lent off on the right foot… together!
Stay tuned for our Family Movie Night challenge coming soon!
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is a top ten read for me! Love this post Stacy!