L is for Love

All of this talk of my preschooler and my love for her has brought me to a very important topic my love for Christopher and how hard it is to nurture that love when you've got a 2 year old around. For the last month-ish we've been working on that as a couple...

First, we've been reading the books For Men Only and For Women Only...I talk a little bit about that here.

And, I've been working on devising a year's worth of dates...

Chris likes playing games so there will be a lot of fun in pulling a date idea out of a basket or jar. I have many, many, many baskets just lying around and Date Night in a Jar by Life in the Green House gives such broad but entertaining topics, all of which are color coordinated in groups.

Examples include expensive, as in let's go out and spend some time and money dates:

• Dinner at a fancy restaurant
• Hotel stay for the night
• Concert and dinner (his choice)
• Concert and dinner (my choice)
• Weekend away

Inexpensive dates:

• Dinner and a movie (my choice and his choice)
• Laser tag and go carts
• Mexican night 
• Dessert only date
• Coffee Date

And,  let's stay at home dates (for us that would require a babysitter, who will take the kiddo with them to their home):

• Takeout and board games
• 1,000 piece puzzle and pizza (he would like this one, I would just die...painfully)
• Football game and nachos
• Popcorn and a chick-flick
• Make a dessert together
• THE MENTALIST marathon
• Homemade pizzas and an Italian movie

Chris and Stephanie sitting in a tree...

Finding Joy in the Journey's Let's Go on a Date are 12 dates neatly packaged and prepared. Love Actually: Creative Ideas for Romance On A Budget has so many wonderful ideas that I haven't even gotten to them all yet, however, they are wonderfully categorized under "Ideas". The topics are: Date Night, Day to Day Romance, Lovey Dovey Gifts, "Heart"y Foods, Romantic Home Decor, Holidays, Loving From A Distance, Students in Relationships, Couples Group Dates, Married with Kids.

I may document these I may not...some things are just better without pictures.

Final analysis: Lots of date ideas with the time and the means to have at least one a month as a gift when Chris will least expect them...the month of June.

Here's where I've been inspired and where I've gotten my ideas

1. Date Night in a Jar
2. Let's Go On a Date
3. Love Actually...so many good ideas so little time