NOTE FROM JEANNINE: Please enjoy this final 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

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 enjoyed this series from Lauren.  Don’t forget to check out Lauren’s style profile, get to know her a bit and follow her on Twitter: @theLaurenKelly!

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Part 3 :: Out on the Town!

I apologize for my absence last week!  We had a little something I’ve decided to call icepocalypse and we lost power, internet and our sanity all in a 48 hour period.  It was great fun… next time I’ll invite you all over.  BUT to make up for me leaving you hanging last week, we are having a double feature today!! 

Babes, it is time to break out of the boring routine of dinner and a movie… today we are talking all about how to spend a memorable night out on the town!  In case you are new to this little series, catch Part 1 and Part 2 then meet me back here for some delightful ways to spend your date night out and about.

Before I dive into this set of date nights I have to give one rule.  Are you ready?  I’m serious about this now… For out on the town date nights, you have to wear shoes that you love.  I don’t care if they are flats or heels or whatever but they need to be nice and make you feel like a million bucks.  I guarantee you will walk taller, feel skinnier, and be more apt to take a compliment.  Shoes, ladies… they are important.

Photo by Taylor Lord Photography

Ok, now that the rules are out of the way, let’s get to it!  While I do love the occasional dinner and a movie night with James, nothing makes me feel more special than a pre-meditated date night out on the town.  Sometimes budget doesn’t allow for  elaborate nights out more than a couple times a year so don’t think I’m telling you this has to be an extremely regular activity or an extremely expensive activity every time but be sure to intentionally save up to spoil yourselves.  My rule about the shoes is serious and I really hope you take that further and carry the trend into all of your clothing for your night out.  It’s important that you feel confident and while I will champion the fact that confidence comes from the inside out, there’s no ignoring the fact that a pretty exterior is a wonderful touch. 

Because every town is different, I don’t want to pinpoint these date night ideas down to three or four, instead, I’ve got a whole list of fun things to do to share with you so you can get your wheels turning about what might be offered in your surrounding area.  My favorite place to check is the newspaper or our local town’s magazine.  As old fashioned as they might be, these little gems hold the socialite’s guide to the universe.  Use them!  Things in our local magazine that just came out this week:

• High School Jazz band concert
• New wine bar opening downtown
• Art gallery’s new art install open for visitors
• Symphony tickets on sale now!
• Baylor University’s art gallery is featuring an alum

Things I found perusing our newspaper:

• One of our favorite bands is playing at a nice restaurant in Dallas
• A new bakery is opening up in Dallas
• They are playing a movie in our town’s square Friday night
• There is a tour of homes planned for Valentine’s Day
• And a traveling carnival is coming to town!

Get creative and get out of the house!!  I can’t wait to hear of all the fun things you guys find!  What’s going on in your town that you would like to make a date night out of?

………………………………………………………………………….

Part 4:  Other date night ideas

These last few weeks posting here on The Stylish Planner have been incredible!  I feel like I’ve made so many new friends.  Thank you all for sticking with me through this series and letting me know when you had a blast using one of the date night ideas I threw out there!

To wrap things up today I just want to re-iterate the purpose of dating your spouse.  These dates are not meant to feel obligatory but rather to breathe life into your relationships and take you to a place where there is no pressure to be mom and wife or teacher and wife or businesswoman and wife but to strip all that away and be a wife… a companion in the truest form. 

 Photo by Taylor Lord Photography

At the end of the day and at the end of life, I want each of us to be able to look back and see that our riches are in the relationships we have.  With those of our time spent with our husbands are the sweetest ones of all.  I want to be able to recall memories that make me laugh until my side hurts or smile until my heart feels so big it may hop out of my chest.  Don’t you?

Photo by Taylor Lord Photography

That’s what date night and intentional time with your spouse creates.  Memories.  So, start at Part 1 and work your way here.  Send your man a text and get a date night on the calendar!

Love,
Lauren

P.S.  Here’s a list of other fun date ideas that didn’t make it into the other posts ::
- Stake out on the couch and watch a complete season of your favorite TV show!
- Have a planetarium near by? Get lost in the stars!
- Bubble bath for two
- Make some homemade ice cream! 
- Head to a paint your own pottery place and create mugs for each other.
-  Indoor climbing gym
- When going out to eat, order a meal off the menu for each other. 
- Take a painting, ballroom dancing or otherwise fun class together.

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

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 Captivating Photo

I am especially excited to share that this is the first installment in a four part series from Lauren to be featured on The Stylish Planner for the next several weeks!   Next Wednesday, she will continue with part two of a great post 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!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ahhh, I remember the days when I could hear my football star boyfriend (now husband) turn onto my block in his incredibly loud truck.  I knew when I heard the rumble of the engine there was just enough time to layer on one more swipe of lip gloss and take a final glance in the mirror.  Then I was out the door with butterflies in my stomach and the hopes of stealing a goodnight kiss swirling in my head.  We were off on what promised to be a wonderful dinner date.

Something about having someone set aside dedicated time to spend just for you holds such meaning.  It’s the idea that you, as a woman, are being pursued and courted by a man.  In marriage, you can take comfort in knowing that the man who holds your hand also holds your heart and has spoken vows to handle both of them with care. I am a strong believer in the idea that both husband and wife should continue pursuing one another well past the wedding day.  One great way to do so is to frequently set aside time to go on a date.

Photo by Taylor Lord Photography

This is the first post in a series of four intended to provide a springboard to either help you jump back into dating your spouse or to enrich the date nights you already have set aside for each other.  This week we will dive into some fun ideas for budget friendly at-home dates.

Photo by Taylor Lord Photography

First, a few pointers that are considered rules of thumb no matter what type of date you go on::

1. Set aside a dedicated evening of the week (or every other week) to be date night.  I know a lot of you work on odd schedules and if you have kids added into the mix, your time is even more sparse but the first step in setting intentional time with each other is communicating about it.  Date night doesn’t have to be the same night every time it just needs to be an evening that is clearly communicated in advance as a time for the two of you.
2. Do not let budget be an excuse.  Some of the best dates James and I have had cost absolutely nothing.  Get creative!
3. OK – big statement coming your way… you ready? Date night means you unplug.  Leave the cell phones in the car, don’t sit by the TV’s if you go out to a restaurant and should you happen upon some friends, say hello and then move on.  The evening is about the two of you — no one else needs to steal hold any amount of priority.

Alright, now that the ground rules are out of the way, let’s get to the date ideas!

Photo by Taylor Lord Photography

At home date night #1: Kitchen creation

Working together as a team often presents options for grace and patience to be exercised.  For this date, pick a recipe out of the cookbook you haven’t cracked since you received it at your wedding from aunt Betty, make a trip to the grocery store for ingredients and then spend the first part of your evening creating the meal.  Choose something challenging but not overwhelming. Truly complete the meal as a team – share the tasks and encourage each other.  Stay in the kitchen together through the duration of the preparation process and then enjoy the meal around a candlelit, set table before changing into jammies for a couch cuddle with whatever dessert you created earlier or, if you skipped the homemade pastries, go out for an ice cream run!

At home date night #2: Living Room Lounge

This type of date night is a personal favorite of mine.  Gather up all your favorite blankets and pillows and clear out the furniture in the middle of your living room.  Now, hang in there with me, this next part is key.  Pull your mattress off your box spring and drag it into that cleared out space in your living room.  You heard me… a mattress… in your living room.  Pile on all the pillows and blankets and settle in for movie and popcorn night!  Each of you select a movie in your taste and flip a coin for whose movie goes first.  Remember to keep your phones at bay — this time is just for the two of you.

At home date night #3: Throwback Night!

Block out some time for this ladies, it’s time to get dolled up!  Pick your favorite dress from your past (think prom dress, church program dress, sassy Christmas party dress) and recreate your look.  Blue eyeshadow and poofy bangs may have to be included!  Guys, the same goes for you (except for the eyeshadow part… you don’t have to do that).  Pull out that favorite shirt from high school or the suit you wore on your first date.  Order in some take-out, turn on a few songs from your throwback time period and take a walk down memory lane.  Share your best moments from the past and laugh at all the crazy things you wore.

At home date night #4: What’s with your hobby?

Okay, this one is going to get me in trouble because I am the world’s WORST at being interested in my husband’s hobbies.  My fancy nails just don’t mix with gun triggers.  So this one is just as much a challenge for me as it will be for some of you.  Here’s the gist :: have your husband pick a hobby of his to teach you how to do.  Be it hunting, fishing, Xbox (yes, hunny, I said xbox), or poker.  The key is to be open minded and willing to set aside your opinions of whatever activity is at hand.  You don’t have to become an instant fan of whatever he does but showing that you are interested in him teaching you what he loves about his hobbies means a lot.   Spend the evening in his world. Let him take the lead as your teacher… you may learn even more than you thought!

At home date night #5: Under the stars.

Call me a romantic but you knew I would throw this one in.  Grab a blanket and head for the great outdoors.  If you have a yard, the grass is the perfect place if not, spread the blanket across the hood of your car and just be. Take in the wonder of the night sky, point out the constellations and just enjoy each other’s presence.  There’s nothing like the beauty of creation to make whatever problems the day held melt away.  There’s also nothing like creepy crawlies to kill the mood so don’t forget bug spray!

Pick a night, pick a date, and prepare yourself for the butterflies!  Next week I’ve got some great ideas for an unconventional night out on the town so be sure to head back over then to chime in.  Leave your favorite at-home date night ideas in the comments and let me know how your date night goes this week!

Happy Dating,

Lauren