We're a working class couple with two kids and a third every other weekend. We've tried to have date night before but due to lack of money, lack of baby-sitters and being just plain lazy, it always disintegrated into watching X-Files re-runs and going to bed early. We tried looking online for ideas but either came up blank or found the same tired cliches (how many Italian meals do these web sites think we can eat?). So here we are; tired, lonely, bored and frustrated. First step, re-committing to setting aside a few hours on a designated night just for ourselves. Second step, find something to do together, with a few rules thrown in. Third step, remember that this is not just about something to do, it's a gift of time to our partner. We thought we'd track what works for us, what doesn't work for us and share what we learn about being parents, having jobs, having no money and still finding time for each-other. After all, we got married because we're madly in love and like being together.



Henna Tattoos

Cruising a thrift store, you can find all sorts of stuff. She was looking for books for the kids when she came across a Henna Tattoo kit for $1.91. Being just within our budget, she picked it up. So after dinner, the older kids, in an act that can be described as "kind" or better described as "suspicious" agreed to watch the baby while she cleaned up the dishes and he cleaned up the area in the basement around the couch. Both not small tasks.


Having a nice, clean place for Date Night is important. Get the half eaten pb&j sandwiches out of there. Pick all of the Tank Engine toys, Hot Wheels cars and all of your unpaid bills up off of the coffee table. Vacuum, dust and de-funk. Get all of the stuff that makes the other days of the week so stressful put away. Light some candles and incense. This night is special, so go for it. For a few hours, it's just us.


We made a playlist of songs on the computer during the week so that was ready to go. Just a few minutes a day, while checking email even, think of songs and add them to a playlist. Then you'll have the songs you both like on hand. Add to it and in a few days you'll have one thing taken care of.


As he was putting the baby to bed, she set up the henna area. And Date Night was off. I can't say the henna was the best work we've ever seen and there were some minor glitches, like when she cut the hole too small and the henna bag burst in her hands. Or when we figured out that the henna was way too watery after he got his tattoo done (it looked like a turtle shit on the back of his hand) but damn, we had fun. We laughed together more last night than we have in a very long time.



So for an idea for Date Night, check out your local thrift store. For a few bucks, maybe you'll luck out and find something worth doing. Or not worth doing but doing together.

1 comment:

tlryder said...

This sounds like so much fun, and much better than the usual dinner and a movie thing that people get trapped into just because that's what a "date" is.