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May 24, 2018|

Date Night In – A Date Night At Home Cookbook

The Date Night In Cookbook takes at home date nights to a new level. With full meal menus for every season, and date night inspiration behind each one, there’s a recipe in this cookbook for everyone. Be more intentional with your date night at home and prepare a meal together for your date. "Whether you love cooking together, are looking for ways to change up your date night routine, aren't going out as often to save money or are looking for new hobbies to enjoy together, I think you'll love the Date Night In cookbook. "Date Night In is the story of nourishing a relationship and the food that brings us together."

May 23, 2018|

How Your Marriage Could Benefit from a Few Date Nights at Home

A lot of stages in life make it difficult to get out of the house or put money toward a babysitter and a date every single week. The good news is, you don't have to wait until you have extra cash, a night off or even a large chunk of time together to go on a date. At home date nights have become one of our favorite things over the last couple of years and they could benefit your marriage as well. By being more intentional and a tiny bit creative with your time at home, at least one night a week, you can still make date night a priority in your marriage every single week.

May 18, 2018|

Am I Paying the Babysitter Enough?

I have wondered on multiple occasions, how much I should be paying our babysitters while we're out on a date. And it's a question that I revisit time and time again. Once I settle on the hourly rate that we pay our babysitters, I start to wonder if that should vary based on the time of day they're at our house, whether the kids are napping or not, if the sitter has to put together a meal, how late at night we're gone and whether or not they had the kids pick up their mess before we got home.

May 17, 2018|

How to Make the Best Use of Your Date Night Time with a Babysitter

When you have a babysitter at home with the kids, you are free to spend quality time together without potential interruptions and the distraction of the to do list that you have at home. Make the most of that time and use it to strengthen your marriage relationship. You don't have to do something grand and elaborate to make the most of date night, but being intentional with your time will make it count. Some nights we come home from our date and I find myself wishing I'd thought of doing something different or planned ahead better

May 16, 2018|

Six Tips to Keep Your Babysitters Coming Back

In the three years that we've been parents, we've only ever had our nieces, parents or siblings tend for us, but I've still worked hard to make the experience a positive one for them so that they'll want to continue tending our kids. Now that we're looking to diversify our babysitter pool, I have been thinking about these things more than ever. What are the things we can do to make babysitting our kids a fun experience and make our home one that sitters are excited to come back to? These are just a few of the things that we've done or are doing to make babysitting a positive experience for anyone who enters our home.

May 15, 2018|

Three Tips to Help Make Date Night Fun for the Kids Too

Leaving your kids at home while you go out on a date can be difficult. Making the night with a babysitter more fun for the kids could make it just a little bit easier for you to go out on a date. If you aren't worrying about the kids back at home, you will be able to enjoy the quality time that you have together on your date. There are a few things the two of you can do that will help your kids (and the babysitter) have more fun while you are gone on your date. Your kids will begin to look forward to date nights, rather than begging you to stay home. The two of you will get to go out on a date more often and the entire family will benefit from the effort that you are putting into making date night a priority in your marriage.

May 14, 2018|

Six Tips for a Smooth Transition with the Babysitter on Date Night

One of the toughest parts of leaving our kids with a babysitter while we are out on a date is getting out the door. There have been a lot of time when our kids are crying and begging us not to leave. I'm left feeling guilty for the first half of our date night and wondering if we should have stayed home. But we know that our marriage needs date night and we spend a lot of time with our kids and as a family so we don't feel guilty about leaving our kids while we go out. Luckily for us, those nights of our kids crying while we walk out the door for date night are over. Both of our toddlers look forward to the nights that we leave them with the babysitter now. If leaving your kids with a babysitter is hard for you because of the emotions and guilt, these tips will hopefully help relieve some of that pressure and make going out for date night more of a happy occasion for all parties involved. I know that seeing that my kids are happy and having fun makes it easier for me to enjoy date night to the fullest and not feel bad that we left the kids home.

May 3, 2018|

Guidelines We’ve Set to Make our Date Nights Count

When we started making date night more of a priority, we noticed that there were habits we'd fallen into that were keeping date night from really making a difference for our marriage. We set what we considered rules for our date nights to keep us in check. I don't like to call them rules anymore, I consider them more of guidelines. Guidelines that make date night count and help us grow closer as a couple. The guidelines we set help us think more intentionally, and set aside the habits we might not realize had come between us when we were on dates in the past.

April 27, 2018|

Why We’re Choosing to Make Family Meal Times a Priority

Family mealtime hasn't always been easy for us to make happen. It seemed easier when it was just the two of us, even though our schedules were so opposite, because we could adjust our mealtime to match up with when we'd both be home. Kids make everything more challenging, because they need that routine and aren't going to be ok with waiting even 15 more minutes for everyone to be home. In an ideal world, we'd sit down at the kitchen table together for three meals a day, but we all know that's a perfect world scenario and not realistic for most families, including ours.

April 18, 2018|

The End of a Chapter – More Changes for Our Family

Joe has been mowing other people's lawns since he was eight years old. When I first met him, back in high school, he was running Joe's Lawn Care and he mowed the lawn of the family who I babysat for so I got to see him in action quite often. When last year's season ended, we knew that we had some decisions to make before the next season started. Joe was considering upgrading his truck and adding a second crew to mow during the day, while his high school employees were in class. We also considered having him quit his full time job and grow Mow Joe full time with a small crew.

April 12, 2018|

Four Ways That Becoming Parents Can Strengthen Your Marriage

There's a common belief that if you are struggling in your marriage, having a baby will bring you together. I want to preface this post by saying that if you feel that your relationship with your spouse is in trouble, having a baby is not the way to fix that. I would urge you to seek counseling and professional help. Any of you who have kids can attest to the fact that your role as parents challenged your marriage in ways you didn't know were possible and that it was definitely not as fairy tale as some people would have you believe.

April 5, 2018|

8 Things to do for Yourself and Your Marriage When It Feels Like Your Spouse is Never Home

Every stage of life is different and I hope that this one is brief for your marriage. Whether it's short term or a new way of life that might last a few years, you can decide to make the best of it. Adjusting your traditions and the things that you're used to to fit your new normal will make things better. When you feel like life is so busy that you don't have time for your marriage or yourself, that's usually when you need to make those things a priority more than ever. Whatever you do, find what works for your family and make the most of it!

April 3, 2018|

Three Different Ways to Divide Household Tasks in Your Marriage

There is a lot of research being done right now involving the division of household chores and relationship dynamic. This article suggests some interesting theories on the dynamic of household tasks and how emotions and couple dynamics in the modern culture come into play. I wish I could tell you that I have a great, end all disagreements, idea for dividing the housework in your marriage. But I do have a few different ideas that you can try out to and see which one works best for the two of you!

March 19, 2018|

Why I Quit My Job to Stay Home Full Time

If you haven't heard already, I put in my notice of resignation at work last month and have been home full-time for two weeks now. I've mentioned it on Instagram a few times and shared the news with my newsletter subscribers, but I've had a few people ask me to share more about my decision to quit and everything that went into it and that's something that I want to share, so I wrote this post for those of you who have asked (and those of you who haven't).

March 15, 2018|

Date Night Idea – Music Library Exploration

If you're looking for a relaxing at home date that encourages connection, this is the date night activity for you! Grab your favorite takeout, and get cozy on the couch. You could also find a local scenic overlook and watch the sunset while you listen to songs in the back of your car. Make sure you have your phone or your iPod, two sets of headphones and a headphone splitter, so you can both fully experience the great music that you listen to! You will be surprised by the things that you learn about your spouse and how much the music you listen to connects the two of you as a couple.

March 13, 2018|

The Best Shows on Netflix to Binge Watch Together Right Now

I looked through everything that is currently available on Netflix and added shows that we truly loved to this list. As shows are added and removed in the future and as we find more shows that we found binge worthy, I will do my best to keep it up to date. There are a lot of shows that we've loved in the past but that are no longer available on Netflix and that's a bummer! Whether you're looking to just watch and episode or two or binge watch and entire season (or more), I'm certain you'll find something on this list that you haven't seen yet and will love!

March 9, 2018|

4 Ways to Incorporate a Puzzle on Your Next Date Night

If you're looking for a quiet night at home, or something that you can do together every night over the course of a week or two, building a puzzle might be fun for the two of you! To prepare for this date, head to the toy section of your favorite store or go to your local dollar store. Pick out a puzzle or two or three that you like and get to work. I have a few ideas to change up your puzzle date. You could pull out each of these ideas on different occasions and make four separate nights out of it.

March 8, 2018|

25 Ideas for Simple Family Fun on Family Date Nights

Sitting on the riding mower display for a few minutes and going nowhere was the highlight of Bensen's weekend. It was a simple thing but it left a big impression. He's been carrying his own John Deere toys with him everywhere, they're his current most prized possessions. It made me realize that for every big outing or fun adventure I plan for our family, I can plan a dozen simple ones, because my kids and my husband will love them just as much.

March 2, 2018|

The Importance of Praising Your Spouse in Front of the Kids

The other day I walked into the kitchen where Bensen was sitting at the table with Joe. A few minutes later, Bensen said, "Dad is a big deal!" Then he and Joe gave each other knuckles. I just laughed because Joe being "a big deal" is a running joke in our household and really with anyone who knows Joe. Later I found myself wishing that instead of laughing, I had agreed with Bensen and in that moment said, "Yes, dad is a pretty big deal." Because Joe is a big deal in my eyes, and the most amazing man I've met. I married him after all, didn't I? He had to be something special to become my closest confidant and my partner in life.

March 1, 2018|

Updated Home Tour – The Front Room

You can check out the official before and original decoration pictures in this post. Below are the final pictures of the areas that I redecorated. I'm more in love with the room than I was before, which is good because we definitely spend a lot of time there. It's the room where we entertain guests, it has a big picture window that's Bensen and Howie's favorite, and my kiddos play here often while I'm around the corner cooking, cleaning or working on my own projects in the kitchen.

February 20, 2018|

How Family Life Education Benefits You

Relationship education, like therapy, is surrounded by a negative stigma. People perceive relationship education and therapy as something that you do only when your marriage is in trouble. Relationship education is really another way that you can make your marriage a priority. By take part in classes and conferences centered on helping you improve your relationship, you are showing that you care and that your marriage matters to you.

February 15, 2018|

The Best Sour Cream Waffles for Breakfast in Bed

Whenever I make waffles, or any other breakfast food for that matter, I mix up more than one batch, cook all of the extra batter, and freeze the leftovers. When we're ready to use them, we thaw a few in the microwave, for 30 to 45 seconds, then pop them in the toaster for a few minutes. They come out perfectly crispy and warm, ready to be drizzled with syrup and eaten. This trick means that we can enjoy our favorite breakfast foods every day of the week if we want, without the time, effort and dishes that goes into making them initially.

January 26, 2018|

Four Ways We Keep our Family Safe and Happy On Car Rides

This year, one of my goals is to make sure that our family is prepared in case of emergencies, both at home or on the road. Over the past month, I've made it my goal to ensure that our cars are stocked and ready for anything that we might encounter on the road. I know that no matter where we go, whether it's just to the grocery store up the street or on a long drive for a family vacation, we can have peace of mind knowing that we're prepared for any situation that comes our way. Here's a list of the things that we've done to make our drives happier!

January 23, 2018|

Why You Should Embrace the Differences In Your Marriage

I think I can safely say that the majority of marriage relationships are built on shared values, beliefs, goals and interests. Maybe you fell in love You and your spouse may share a lot of things but there are bound to be differences between the two of you. I've always heard people telling couples that you will have to recognize that you and your spouse will have differences, and that you will find ways to work around them and agree on things. And yes, that is true, but I also believe that your differences can make your marriage better if you embrace them and view them as a strength!

January 16, 2018|

How Having a Dog Taught Me to Love My Husband Better

We've learned so much about life, responsibility, selflessness and love since our dog, Howard, came into our lives and he makes our lives more interesting and happy. Over the last four and a half years, I've paid attention to how this sweet pup interacts with Joe and he's inspired me to change some things about the way that I love my husband and treat my marriage.

January 12, 2018|

At Home Date Night Idea – Indoor Campout

If your stage of life is similar to ours, if you're not an outdoorsy couple, if the woods are too far away from you or if it's the middle of winter and you're missing the summer weekends when you would escape to somewhere without cell phone service, this date night might be for you. In the summer, you could do this in your backyard, but you'll want to make sure you have long lasting batteries in your baby monitors or an extension cord that reaches out to your tent so you can keep an eye on the kids.

January 11, 2018|

Why We Start Planning for Christmas in January

One of my personal goals this year is to plan ahead, prepare and then follow through on the plans that I've made. One of the things that we're planning ahead for is Christmas! Yes, I know it's been less than a month since Christmas ended and I just barely finished putting our decorations away a week ago, but we're already talking about this year's holiday season. I'm planning for a lot of different things including traditions and gift ideas but the biggest thing that we've been talking about is our budget.

September 28, 2017|

Snuggle Up for a Little Autumn Romance

Two months, that's the length of time between the first day of fall and Thanksgiving. After that, winter seems to hit in full force either with snow or frigid cold temperatures. I plan on taking full advantage of these two months and fitting in as many romantic fall activities as we possibly can. If you're looking for some fun ways to bring the spark back into your marriage this fall, I've listed a few ideas below!

September 25, 2017|

8 Ways to Foster a Good Relationship Between Your Kids and Your Pet

Howie joined our family two years before any kids came along. He was used to a calm, quiet environment where he had the freedom to enjoy life wherever he pleased. These days he shares attention and living space with two little ones who are anything but calm and quiet. As our little family has grown, it has been our goal to build a happy and safe relationship between our kids and our dog. We know that they will all be the best of friends if we do our part to teach them how to interact well with each other while they're still young. Two and a half years into this parenting thing, we've learned a few important lessons for fostering that healthy, happy relationship.

September 19, 2017|

9 Ways to Prepare Your Marriage and Family for an Emergency

With the events going on around our country over the past month, I've been thinking a lot about preparedness and what we need to do to make sure that our family is ready for any situation we might find ourselves in in the future. There are so many things that we need to do to be better prepared. We've been working our way through this list slowly over the last couple of years, but I've felt an urgency to finish up preparing our family for any sort of disaster that we may encounter in the future, whether it's a natural disaster or a financial hardship.

September 1, 2017|

Advice for Families in the NICU – from People Who Have Been There

September is NICU Awareness Month, a month designed to inspire hope and to honor families who are currently in this situation as well as the health care professionals caring for their little ones. I wanted to do something to give back this year, because our time in the NICU was trial but it was such a huge blessing at the same time. I wanted a way to provide them with support and hopefully make that time just a little bit easier. I asked other parents who have experienced a NICU stay, as well as nurses who work there, to share their story and offer a few pieces of advice.

August 2, 2017|

Our Three Favorite Freezer Cookie Dough Recipes – Showing Love to My Spouse with My Love Language

I quickly realized that this was a great way to show Joe love in a way that spoke to him, using my own top love language, Acts of Service. But fresh, homemade cookies are a process and sometimes take a lot more time I have when Joe's cravings hit. I found that one of the easiest ways for me to serve my husband in a way that he loves is to mix up a batch of cookie dough, roll it into individual cookie dough balls, and freeze them. Then we have fresh dough that we can pull out and bake at any time.

June 30, 2017|

8 Date Night Tips for Married Couples

Date night can be just as much of a priority once you are married as it was before. Honestly, date night has become more exciting now that we are married and have kids. I look forward to those few hours every week when we set aside our side hustles, housework, projects and other responsibilities. It's nice to step out of our parenting suits for a bit, dress to impress and enjoy focusing on being a couple in love. So... here are my best tips!

June 28, 2017|

Five Tips for Helping Your Dog Feel Like Part of the Family

You've all met our forever puppy, Howie, here on the blog and on Instagram. He's been a part of our lives for four years, can you believe it? Because we had Howie for two years before having children and then added two children to our family within the next two years, there were a lot of adjustments that he had to make in a short amount of time. Howie is an important part of our family and we strive every day to make sure that he knows that he has not been pushed aside by the kids that have joined our family.

June 16, 2017|

Four Tips to Make Your Date Nights Sweeter

No matter what you decide to do for date night or where your date night takes place, there are things that you can do to make your date nights greater. Planning an activity that's different than your daily routine and setting phones and other technology aside so you can focus on each other are just a couple of things that you can do. The four tips below are simple but will help make your date nights just a bit more exciting, like they were when your relationship was first starting out.

June 7, 2017|

Six Relationship Memories from our Six Years of Marriage

Today we are celebrating six years of marriage. Tonight we plan on celebrating our family's "birthday" with the kids, going to dinner and doing something fun. This weekend we have plans for just the two of us. We are excited to celebrate our marriage by spending quality time with our little family and with each other. In honor of the occasion, I decided to share a few of my most favorite memories from our time together.