Day at the Beach

Photo courtesy of freedigital photos

How about a day trip or even a Christmas parade at the beach.  Take a ferry over and spend a day at Crystal Beach.  There are endless fun things to do, including a parade down the beach at Christmas time.  Santa himself comes to the beach for this parade.  Check out more for dates and schedules at http://bolivarchamberofcommerce.com/crystaland-christmas/  



Relationship Reconnection:

Many times couples are so busy with life that they don't take the time to communicate about feelings and needs that are most important to them.  Couples that don't deeply communicate often create emotional distance between themselves which can lead to our deepest feelings being neglected or pushed aside. Now is your time to really deeply communicate. Take time to open up about needs and desires in your marriage. You'll see that intimacy will increase and trust will be improved.

Starry Night

Before we know it winter will be here! It is time to take advantage of the warmer weather before it’s too late! I know star gazing might be a little corny but, this really is a very beautiful setting for you and your spouse to relax, hold each other tight, and catch up on each other’s lives

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Get out of the city to where the lights don’t shine but only the stars. Bring lots of pillows and blankets to keep comfy. If you have a truck, fill the bed with blankets and pillows. Bring some hot chocolate and grab your favorite snack to munch on. Now create a fun memory together.

Relationship Reconnection:

While enjoying the beautiful night sky, talk about non-defensive communication. What is this? Sometimes we find ourselves offended when our spouse gives us some criticism or feedback. We can either choose to be offended or use the feedback to better ourselves. Talk to your spouse about how non-defensive communication can strengthen your marriage and feel even closer. Share ways in which this can help your marriage grow even more. Also share when it is appropriate to do so. Make sure you both of you are on the same page. 

Fresh Pasta at Home

Sometimes I feel like marriage can easily slip into routines and we find ourselves forgetting why we fell in love in the first place. That may sound cheesy, but think about it for a second, you may be surprised to realize that you've fallen into that trap too.

One thing that helps my husband and myself to feel special when we can't leave the house for a date, is to purchase special food for our special night in. Just taking a little bit of extra time to shop for our date at a unique, or specialty store can help a lot to get us excited about having some time together. If you're interested in this kind of date, check out Fabio's Fresh Pasta where you can purchase your own fresh pasta to make at your house with your spouse.

My husband is wonderful about making special meals and going out of his way to make me feel important. I love this about him, one thing I would say as a word of warning, however, is this: please take time to work together after the meal to clean up. I will say again, my husband is so sweet, but it takes away from the enjoyment of the night to know that I will be cleaning up alone after the date. So plan to bond with each other over the food, but also over the work that you put in together.

Relationship Reconnection:
Take the evening and talk about something fun. My husband and I like to talk about what our dream kitchen would look like while we cook, or we plan the biggest and craziest trip we can imagine while we cook together. It's just dreaming, and it's fun, but it gets us laughing and smiling together, and you can learn a lot about who a person is from what they want. Enjoy the conversation together.

"Smore" Fun

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

This date is all about having a little "smore" fun.  Build a fire in your own back yard (or you can even roast marshmallows in your oven if you're not feeling quite as adventurous or don't have a private yard) and make smores together. Share a sweet,m gooey treat and just snuggle up and talk.

Relationship Reconnection:

While making smores, talk about each others day and really listen to one another.  One way to connect is to be present and know about what's going on in the life of your spouse.  So, go ahead and show "smore" interest.