Weekend Kindness
Reaching Others Through Kindness

Thank you for visiting Weekend Kindness-- the blog that helps you build positive relationships! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so that you don't miss a single post from one of our great authors!

I love being married. I get to hang out with my husband–my best friend–every single day. I see him every morning, every evening, every weekend.

After more than fifteen years of marriage, though, it’s easy to let the routine become routine. I’m not saying we don’t enjoy being together. We just tend to take it for granted. When we do realize that we haven’t been out on a date in awhile, usually all we can think of on short notice is to go out to eat, or sometimes to a movie. It’s nice, but that kind of routine date doesn’t necessarily create lasting memories.

The dates that I remember the most, and that I think we ought to shoot for more often, are the quirky ones. Conveniently, they also tend to be the least expensive (sometimes they’re even free!).

So, without further ado, these are a few of my favorite dates:

· Taking a walk together. Hey, we live at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It’s hard not to feel warm, fuzzy and romantic when you’re taking a leisurely walk in the clear morning air, or in the breezy evening with the sun setting behind Pikes Peak. Get out there with your mate and enjoy the unique beauty of your own hometown.

· Picnic! You don’t have to go to a national park if you don’t have one nearby. You can sit out in your own yard, your patio, or even in your living room or bed room. The shift in routine is the thing. We especially like late night picnics, after the girls have gone to bed. We spread a tablecloth in front of the fire, or sit out on our deck and dine under the stars.

· Go dancing … at home. You know what songs tug at your loved one’s heart strings. Push back the sofas, crank up the volume, and go for a whirl around the living room. (We particularly love “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds, and “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra. Oh – and when life’s getting rough around the edges – Ella Fitzgerald’s “Come Rain or Come Shine.”)

· No zoo nearby? Go to a pet store! Spending a little time with puppies, kittens, and baby bunnies is fun, relaxing, and … what’s that magic word again? Oh, yes. Free! (Unless you fall in love with a pure bred Lhasa Apso. In that case, I can’t help you.)

· Game night! Invite over some especially hilarious friends and have a great time laughing together. Make it a pot luck, and you’ve got yourself a dinner date, too. If you have kids, they can play in another part of the house and have their own fun—with no babysitter to pay.

· Play. Play in the snow. Or the sprinklers. Or stay inside and do a puzzle. Acting like kids together is definitely a break from the routine. Who could feel like a stodgy old married couple while pelting each other with snowballs?

I hope these ideas inspire you to break away from the restaurant-and-theater routine. You’ll save some cash and, I think, have a lot more fun. If you have any ideas of your own, post a comment and share them with everyone.

Happy dating!

Tags

Related Posts

• Frugal Christmas Gift
• Make a Coupon Book
• Pursuing the Greatest Relationship
• Fixing a Breaking Marriage
• Showing love with a lump of coal