Anniversaries and Date Nights Part III

As soon as we got home from mass, the rolls went into the oven to bake. Meanwhile, I made two lattes in our thermal travel mugs and the glaze for the cinnamon rolls. The combination of these particular cinnamon rolls (filled with a brown sugar crumb with chopped raisins and pecans topped with a creamy sugar glaze) paired with a decadent latte make for one of my favorite and rare treats (I usually only make these rolls for Christmas morning). Once the rolls were done baking, I drizzled the glaze on top and it took every ounce of my self … Continue reading

Anniversaries and Date Nights

My husband and I recently celebrated six years of marriage. Before we had children, my husband and I would celebrate our anniversary by spending the entire day together focusing on each other, but our time together has drastically changed after we had children. Celebrating our anniversary is about all we do. It is rare for us to get a babysitter so that the two of us can have a date night. For the first five years of our marriage we were in the throngs of a very intense graduate program which demanded more time and money than one could imagine. … Continue reading

Date Night Ideas

It is important for married couples to get away by themselves on a regular basis. Lives often get in the way of marriages, from the responsibilities of jobs and kids, to individual interests. Couples starting out usually have a good number of date nights, but the ones that need it the most may just be the couples who have been together for a while. I know it isn’t always easy to get time alone, but planning something, even if it is a quick movie while the kids are in bed, is always a good idea. Here are some date night … Continue reading

12 Creative Date Night Ideas That Won’t Break the Budget

Is your marriage feeling stale? It’s easy to get so caught up with the everyday that we forget to make time for each other and to make each other feel special. To bring the romance back, here are some suggestions for date nights that won’t break the budget. 1. Turn off the lights and light candles. Turn off the TV and put on some romantic music. Curl up on the sofa with perhaps a glass of wine and listen to music. 2. Pack a picnic dinner and head for a favorite beach. Watch the moon rise over the water. After … Continue reading

7 Ideas for Frugal Date Night

Whether you are looking for a date night with your spouse or wondering what to do on a first date, you can spend less and still impress. Here are 7 different ideas for frugal dates that fun and sometimes even free. 1. Instead of the fancy dinner at a fine restaurant, opt for happy hour at your local fun and inexpensive restaurant. There is bound to be a festive atmosphere, and you can enjoy drinks and appetizers for less than half the cost of that fancy dinner. 2. Check out evening museum programs. Many local museums offer free or reduced … Continue reading

Election Night Party

Why not throw together an election-day party for your family? If you have extended family or friends who can join you, so much the better. (Use judgment in selecting guests who can watch and discuss election results with each other in a civil manner.) Invitations: Have these ready when your crew comes home from work or school: Folded cardstock: on front, paste a clip art image of Uncle Sam and write“I WANT YOU…” On the inside write “… to join me for an election party.” Then lower on the page put the headline: “Proposition One” and following that this text: … Continue reading

Home Blog Month in Review: October

As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. October 1st Buy a Home for $1.75 It seems that the housing crisis has made some interesting news lately. Home Month in Review: September 2008 Has the weather turned cooler now that September has passed? Pretty soon, it will be time to get that heat turned back on! Meanwhile, check out all of the articles that were posted … Continue reading

Creating a Date Night

I regret the demise of wine and dine – those intimate little candle-lit restaurants that used to be around when Mick and I were young. You could have a meal,enjoy listening to someone sing romantic songs and play the piano, or get up and dance. I’m talking, the old time dances where partners actually held each other in their arms. Never having much money we only went to such places for an anniversary, birthday or special evening out. These days the win and dine seems to have disappeared. So the other night we created our own. We went out to … Continue reading

Home Blog Month in Review: August

Did you have a good month? We seem to have packed an entire summer’s worth of activities in this past month. Now, it seems, it is back to school and time to get ready for autumn. Still, it is nice to look back toward warm sands and wearing shorts even as we will soon be crunching leaves and taking out the sweaters. August 1st Getting Out Grass Stains With summer in full swing, chances are that your family has been playing outdoors quite a bit. And with all of that outdoor play comes the grass stains, especially if you are … Continue reading

How to Date Your Spouse – Lindsey K. Rietzsch

Are you looking to put a little zing back into your relationship? Remember how exciting things used to be before you were married, when you’d get all dressed up, put your best foot forward, and go out for a romantic night on the town? What happened to that sparkle—did it just disappear once you got married? No, it didn’t. But you stopped dating, didn’t you? “How to Date Your Spouse” by author Lindsey K. Rietzsch is a fun and lighthearted book that reminds us how important it is to keep creating special moments together. Now that the goal of marriage … Continue reading