National Marriage Week is February 7 - 14th. There are many simple, yet meaningful things you can do throughout the week to celebrate being married. These ideas can be as expensive as your budget allows or as simple and inexpensive as your creativity allows.
This week of recognition ends on Valentine's Day, a day to reflect on your feelings of love and admiration for your partner, no matter how long you've been together. This year, rather than the traditional roses and chocolates, think of something different and more meaningful to your relationship.
Think back to one of your most favorite dates of the past. Maybe it was where you first met or where you went on your first date. Can you recreate the happenings of that evening from the type of attire you wore to the places you went or foods you ate?
Can't agree on where to go for an evening out? Maybe you can go restaurant hopping on your night out. Go to one location for appetizers, then on to another for the main course and follow-up with another selection for dessert. For an evening with a special twist, you might just start out with dessert first for this special evening!
Your budget can't handle a night of restaurant hopping? Then be creative in planning a special night at home. The kids will need to spend the night at grandma and grandpa's house for your special evening at home. If this is not possible, then plan a special "midnight dinner" for just the two of you after the children are asleep for the night.
Plan the entire evening together from planning the menu to grocery shopping to preparing the meal. The most meaningful part of the evening can just be the time you spend together.
The meal need not be a formal candle light dinner if that is not your style. How about an indoor picnic spread out on the living room floor with your favorite snacks. Pull out your wedding photos and family albums to reminisce about your family's past events. Maybe end your evening together watching a favorite movie from your dating years.
Another inexpensive alternative to watching television may be to revive 'game night'. Pull those board games out of the back of the closet. Or you might want to play a game of cards or put a puzzle together. The important objective is the time you spend together.
Your celebration of National Marriage Week does not have to be a special date night. Simple acts of kindness throughout the week can revive those feelings of love and admiration that brought the two of you together. Relieving your partner of a chore he or she dreads doing can show you care.
Throughout the week, leaving notes of thanks in unexpected places, such as the bathroom mirror or dash of the car, can be a pleasant surprise. Leaving a message on the cell phone or dropping by work with an unexpected lunch can be another idea. Be creative in how you can unexpectedly show kindness that will be meaningful to your spouse.
A creative way to present a gift to your partner, could be to send him or her on a treasure hunt. Leaving several notes along the way that give words of care and clues to find the gift can be a fun way to show you took the time to care.
Carry your ideas for date-night and creative ways to show you care on beyond this week of recognition of National Marriage week. These same ideas can and should be carried on throughout the year and on into the future for strong and meaningful relationships.
The Marriage for Keeps initiative of Kansas has additional information on strengthening relationships. You may want to visit their Web site and view their monthly newsletter at: marriageforkeeps-ks.org
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National Marriage Week is February 7 - 14th. There are many simple, yet meaningful things you can do throughout the week to celebrate being married. These ideas can be as expensive as your budget allows or as simple and inexpensive as your creativity allows.
This week of recognition ends on Valentine's Day, a day to reflect on your feelings of love and admiration for your partner, no matter how long you've been together. This year, rather than the traditional roses and chocolates, think of something different and more meaningful to your relationship.
Think back to one of your most favorite dates of the past. Maybe it was where you first met or where you went on your first date. Can you recreate the happenings of that evening from the type of attire you wore to the places you went or foods you ate?
Can't agree on where to go for an evening out? Maybe you can go restaurant hopping on your night out. Go to one location for appetizers, then on to another for the main course and follow-up with another selection for dessert. For an evening with a special twist, you might just start out with dessert first for this special evening!
Your budget can't handle a night of restaurant hopping? Then be creative in planning a special night at home. The kids will need to spend the night at grandma and grandpa's house for your special evening at home. If this is not possible, then plan a special "midnight dinner" for just the two of you after the children are asleep for the night.
Plan the entire evening together from planning the menu to grocery shopping to preparing the meal. The most meaningful part of the evening can just be the time you spend together.
The meal need not be a formal candle light dinner if that is not your style. How about an indoor picnic spread out on the living room floor with your favorite snacks. Pull out your wedding photos and family albums to reminisce about your family's past events. Maybe end your evening together watching a favorite movie from your dating years.
Another inexpensive alternative to watching television may be to revive 'game night'. Pull those board games out of the back of the closet. Or you might want to play a game of cards or put a puzzle together. The important objective is the time you spend together.
Your celebration of National Marriage Week does not have to be a special date night. Simple acts of kindness throughout the week can revive those feelings of love and admiration that brought the two of you together. Relieving your partner of a chore he or she dreads doing can show you care.
Throughout the week, leaving notes of thanks in unexpected places, such as the bathroom mirror or dash of the car, can be a pleasant surprise. Leaving a message on the cell phone or dropping by work with an unexpected lunch can be another idea. Be creative in how you can unexpectedly show kindness that will be meaningful to your spouse.
A creative way to present a gift to your partner, could be to send him or her on a treasure hunt. Leaving several notes along the way that give words of care and clues to find the gift can be a fun way to show you took the time to care.
Carry your ideas for date-night and creative ways to show you care on beyond this week of recognition of National Marriage week. These same ideas can and should be carried on throughout the year and on into the future for strong and meaningful relationships.
The Marriage for Keeps initiative of Kansas has additional information on strengthening relationships. You may want to visit their Web site and view their monthly newsletter at: marriageforkeeps-ks.org
