Will had practically just become my husband when we hit a few road bumps. I hate to even admit this online because of course, we like to seem like we have it all together. Who doesn’t?
I’m not going to go into too much detail, because while I believe in being open, I also think some things are not beneficial to share, and all of our dirty laundry is one of those things.
However, the root of our trouble was selfishness. Learning to humble yourself and put another person ahead of yourself is HARD. When we hit this rough patch, we started seeing a counselor. I firmly believe there is no shame in this. If you are having trouble, put your pride aside and see a counselor before it is too late. In our counseling, we had homework each week. We were given scripture to read together for daily devotionals, and we were required to do a date night. These things might seem simple, but believe me when I tell you they saved our marriage.
Now that we are raising a 6-year-old, it is even more important to carve out time for intentional date nights. Of course, we love snuggling up on the couch and watching the latest scary movie on Netflix; but we also like to get creative with our ideas, so I wanted to share a few of our favorites… and most of them don’t cost much at all!
- Glow sticks: This was a night Will planned and it was so much fun! He ordered a massive box of glow sticks from Amazon, and we had competitions with each other to make the most creative outfit. We laughed so much!
- Blanket Fort: This is a classic, but one we love so much. Just grab some old sheets and quilts and white lights to make a cozy fort! We enjoyed popcorn and candy in it while we watched a movie. Pro Tip: Use a futon mattress or air mattress in the bottom of your fort for extra comfort!
- Drive-in: If you’re local, Pipestem Drive-in is the best for date nights! If you go on Sundays, you pay for your carload so it’s so much cheaper than going to the movie theatre. We love to stop and get Gino’s pizza on our way to enjoy in the bed of the truck. Pro Tip: it’s much cozier if you pile blankets and pillows in the bed of a truck than if you sit inside your car!
- Game Night: This is another classic. We don’t have many game nights because Will says I’m too competitive, but I love them when it’s my turn to choose. Pro tip: The Dating Divas have so many free games (for married couples) you can make!
- Hiking: Simple, but fun. There are so many beautiful trails in our area that are FREE to explore! Or if you are inexperienced and don’t know where to go, you can hire a guide from Adventures in Appalachia to take you and your friends for an adventurous double date!
- See a show: There are several local places to see a show for your date night, like The Barter Theatre and Theatre West Virginia. These are a little more pricey, but they are great for a splurge night!
- Romantic dinner at home: Take turns cooking dinner for each other! When we do this, we go all out with candles and something sparkly to drink.
- Karaoke night: Find a local spot to do Karaoke together, or you can even do Karaoke at home through youtube! Both are hilarious.
- Live music: Did you know that there is a new local spot that has live music every Saturday for free? Stop by The Sophisticated Hound Brewery to get pizza and a cold brew and enjoy the local musicians. If you’re not local, do some research and find out where the local artists are performing!
- Pottery painting: We are not very artistic people, but one of our favorite date nights is Pottery Place. You just pay for the piece you choose to paint, so we usually only spend about $11 each on a new coffee mug!
Let us know if you try one of these dates and love it!
xoxo,
Katelyn Workman
Great ideas!