Three Steps to an Awesome Date Night In

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Hunter and I live away from most of our family and both grandmas. We have lots of friends here, but asking a friend to watch your child can be hard. Especially if they have kids too! We never want to inconvenience anyone and when someone other than family is watching Oaks I get super paranoid. We really try to go on a date once a week because it is so important for us to get away and remember what life was like before becoming parents, but it can definitely be difficult to find a babysitter at a convenient time. We've been really lucky to have Hunter's sister close by to watch Oaks when she's available, but occasionally a date night in is what we do to give ourselves a special night, just the two of us. I know several people think of date night in as not a fun date, but it can be super fun! So, I'm including three tips in this post to make an awesome date night in.

Step 1) Plan out a great meal

Hunter and I are total foodies. We love a good date night meal and love to taste each other's meal. We are fans of bold flavors and meals that look good. Appearance is totally huge for us ;) With the holidays here, we are trying to implement healthier dishes into our meals. When planning a date night in recently, I came across MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bowls and loved all the different flavor options. While I'm a huge fan of making my own meals and testing out new recipes, I think date night should be fun and relaxing. Veggie bowls are a convenient and a delicious "as-is" meal solution. MorningStar Farms Veggie Bowls are not only for vegetarians—they are for everyone. My husband even loved them! Veggie Bowls are made with Chik’n Strips, Steak Strips and Veggie Sausage Crumbles™. The Chik’n Strips are 100% vegan chik’n strips, lightly seasoned, and have 23g of protein with just 150 calories. Steak Strips are 100% vegan steak strips, lightly seasoned, and also offer 23g of protein at 150 calories. While Veggie bowls are perfect for a date night in, they are also good for all ages, demographics, and lifestyles. They taste good, are good for you, and are good for the world. Choose whatever meal you and your significant other really love, but I highly recommend MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bowls! We tried Chik’n Tikka Masala and Japanese Soba Noodles and they both had a really yummy flavor.

Step 2) Give yourself time to get "date night ready"

Just because you and your love aren't going out on the town, doesn't mean you can't get all dressed up! Spend a little extra time on your hair and makeup and be in one of your best dresses when he gets home. Have a vase of flowers on the table with dinner already made and you have yourself the perfect date night. Make sure you give yourself enough time to get ready for your date because if there's one thing I've learned in marriage, it's that men don't like waiting ;) Have fun with the ambiance and light some candles, turn on some music, and maybe even dim the lights if you can. Giving yourself time to get all of this ready will ensure you both have a wonderful experience dating inside your own home. Also, give yourself time to be ready to give your fully devoted attention to your loved one. I didn't think this was hard to do until I started having deadlines for my blog, a child to think about, numerous house chores, and other errands that need to be run. Make sure you get everything you need to do done ahead of time so you can be fully involved on your date. 

Step 3) Have a fun activity planned

There are actually so any fun activities out there you can do within your own home. No wasting gas, no sitting at stop lights, no loud crowds or busy restaurants... just the two of you in your house. You could set up blankets and pillows on the ground in front of the tv to make a cozy little spot that is perfect for snuggling to watch a movie. Pick out a movie you both haven't seen before and make a fun treat! You could also eat your MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bowls during this part of the date if you want! You can also do a little spa night in! Give each other massages and facials. Light some candles and give a foot rub! Have a relaxing night in. Have a game night! Buy some good 'ol board games that were your favorite growing up and play them all. You could also play video games, play 20 questions, or make one up! We also love going through old photos and reminiscing on the fun times we've had. Doing that with family videos is a blast too. One last idea is to have a workout date! Come up with some fun workouts together or find one online and get your sweat on together!

So now I want to know, what are your best date night in ideas??

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Dating After Baby Comes

I think we've all heard it before... the dating doesn't end after the wedding.

You need to continue dating your spouse throughout the rest of your life together.

Hunter and I are high school sweethearts.

We met when I was 14 and he was 15 at a pool party.

For me, it was love at first sight. For him it took a little longer, but when he did come around (ha) there were some serious sparks.

We would have spent every waking moment together if we could have.

When we got married, we couldn't stand being away from each other longer than a few hours.

I know, that sounds like the typical newlyweds, but seriously we were smitten.

We loved just being together and the romance was always there.

The first year of marriage for us, was literally pure bliss.

We loved going on dates together whether it was a trip to the water park, a hike, a nice dinner, or just a picnic at the park.

A few weeks before having our sweet daughter, I noticed my mind starting to shift from being consumed in my husband to consumed in my baby.

I couldn't sleep... like ever... so I would lie awake in her nursery praying for her, making bows, adding last minute decor, and looking through all her little clothes.

There was a piece of me that was sad that this was the last little bit of time we had to spend together as just me and Hunter, but I couldn't take my mind off becoming a mother.

Once Oaklyn made her arrival, I was consumed in chores and soothing my baby and my husband quickly took the back seat.

I think this is probably quite typical in most families.

 Obviously the tiny person that just made their entrance into the world needs more attention than your fully capable husband, but it doesn't mean your husband doesn't still exist. 

Occasionally during the first few months of Oaklyn's life I would be rocking her to sleep in the middle of the night and I would glance over at Hunter sleeping in our bed. 

I longed to just snuggle up next to him and drop all of my responsibilities.

I loved my sweet baby, but I missed my spouse.

I missed just sitting on the couch and talking to him, I missed going on spur of the moment dates, and I definitely missed being spontaneous in every area of our marriage.

The first few times Hunter and I finally got the guts to take some time away and go on a date together, I was a complete wreck.

I was so excited to be with him, but I missed Oaklyn like crazy!

I couldn't just relax and be the wife I once was and I missed my old self.

It took time to get used to leaving her, but I'm so glad we decided to take time to focus on our marriage after having a baby.

So much of my time and energy is spent on Oaklyn.

I'm holding her, feeding her, talking to her, playing with her, getting her dressed, washing her clothes, cleaning up after her, changing her diapers, and so on all day everyday.

When Hunter comes home, I'm exhausted and really just want to lay on the couch and scroll through my insta feed mindlessly... and that is why dates are so important after having a baby.

When Hunter and I have a date planned, I get so excited to reconnect with him.

Going out to dinner as a family is fun, but it is usually spent trying to tame Oaklyn and find something she might actually eat.

When Hunter and I go out to eat together we are able to have a good conversation and focus on just each other. 

I love my daughter, I love her more than I can possibly say, but Hunter and I need time away from her.

We need to remember who we were before she came along.

We need to reconnect and talk about something other than sippy cups and dirty diapers.

We need the time to grow closer as a couple.

We need to remember how and why we fell in love in the first place.

We need to plan something special because our marriage is special.

We need to be able to stare into each other's eyes and say I love you without interruption. 

We need to take time for each other. 

We need to keep the fire we once had, alive.

We need to be playful with each other and take time away from responsibilities.

And, we need to miss our child so coming home feels that much more special. 

Having a baby is the best decision we have made yet as a married couple, but it has also been the hardest.

Our alone time has become limited and our minds are constantly distracted.

Hunter planned a date night this past weekend and it was just what we needed.

He made arrangements to have a babysitter and even chose the restaurant that I have been wanting to try for a while.

That is what sparked this post. It meant more to me than I can say to have him go out of his way to plan a date night with me. ( We went to Station 22 and highly recommend it.)

We love our daughter and find ourselves talking about her more often than not when we are away from her, but are learning more and more that our marriage needs to come first.

It has helped our relationship tremendously to ask family or friends to watch our little girl for a few hours while we take time to be together.

By dating your spouse on a regular basis after having a little one, your marriage will be strengthened in ways you didn't know needed to be strengthened. 

So, take some time out of your busy schedules to spend time together. 

Then, go home and snuggle your little one together ;)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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