NOTE FROM JEANNINE: Please enjoy this guest post today from the very talented Lauren Kelly.  Lauren is a wedding planner out of Waco, Texas, and I absolutely adore her blog, Love, Milk & Honey.  If you aren’t reading it, you definitely should be.  It is a wonderful online community for nearlylweds and newlyweds – or even “seasoned” married folks like me!  I think providing this resource for couples is such a wonderful thing – especially in a world where we are usually so focused on the wedding day itself and not the marriage.

Photo by www.captivating-photo.com

I am especially excited to share that this is the second installment in a four part series from Lauren to be featured on The Stylish Planner over the next couple weeks!   Next Wednesday, she will continue with part three of a great series on dating your spouse.  Lauren and I talked about this late last year and deliberately held off on sharing this with readers so that we could provide it just in time for Valentine’s Day.  This May, my sweet hubby and I will celebrate 14 years of marriage, and one thing we have definitely let slide is our dating life, so I am really looking forward to this series from Lauren.  I hope you will check in on the blog to read this great series.  In the meantime, check out Lauren’s style profile, get to know her a bit and follow her on Twitter: @theLaurenKelly!

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Thanks for tuning in for Part 2 of this fun series.  In case you missed it, you can easily find Part 1 all about fun at-home date nights HERE.  This week I’m touching on spontaneity!  Before you go getting all panicky, let’s have a moment of truth.  If the thought of something being sprung on you makes your sweat glands go into overdrive and your hair lose it’s fluff, hang in there.  I’m the same way!  However (you knew it was coming), be a bit more open minded to this.  Unexpected love isn’t scary, friends. Embrace it!  (Even if your hair does look a little flat.)

Alright, the single and only way surprise dates or random acts of love-ness will happen is if you, as the wife/girlfriend/skirt-wearer and your man create an environment in which your  love for each other just can’t help but bubble over.  AND offer him the same element of surprise when it comes to extra amounts of affection within his love language.  While I talked about the importance of scheduled and set-aside date nights, these surprise dates can pack the same punch and offer reprieve from whatever the day has held.  Be open to a less than perfect date.  Your makeup may be smudged and you may not have a thing to wear but your mate is trying to love on you… accept it.

Photo courtesy of: Taylor Lord Photography

Let’s jump straight into the ideas I’ve got for you this go-round.  If you need a little refresher on the guidelines for date night, check back in the first post HERE.

Now… remember… these are intended to just be spur-the-moment, hey hunny, I love ya… get dressed… I’ve got somewhere for us to go, you’re cute and I want to show you off – kind of nights.  Either spouse can initiate!

Surprise date night #1: Homerun, Baby!

I might have an uncanny love for sports but odds are that you and your mate have at least some sort of overlapping sports interest. Be it your alma mater, a pro sports team or a nearby high school in your community, nab some tickets before the day is done and go to the game!  Jeans, t-shirts and hot dogs!  A night out of the house in a place with immense amounts of energy has a way of working worries away.

Surprise date night #2: Keep it simple & sweet

Ice cream (or frozen yogurt for you healthy ones) is a simple yet fun surprise.  Especially something along the lines of Pinkberry where you get to build your own masterpiece!  Sample each other’s creation and then take your ice cream to the park, river walk, or whatever attraction your town has and just stroll the streets chatting. Catch up on life, talk about the dreams you have for the month or year(s) ahead.  Confide in each other.

Surprise date night #3: Puttin’ on the Ritz

Okay, flashback with me to the movie “Down to You” with Freddie Prince Jr. and Julia Stiles.  He walked into a dark room with only a single candle lit with a note… it said “find the other candle,”  the next note ready “flip on the switch,” and as the light switched on, there Julia was, in the middle of an art gallery (she was an artist) with a romantic dinner for two set-up.  While I can’t make generalized statements for everyone here, I can say that most women like to be romanced.  But, what we often forget is men do too.  Pick an evening to really romance your significant other.  Your efforts and intention will not be overlooked.

Start plotting to spring a surprise date-night on your spouse soon!  No need to wait until Valentine’s Day.  Let me hear from you!  What is the best surprise you’ve ever gotten?  Or… what would be the best surprise date you could ever get?

Happy Dating!

Lauren