Since becoming parents and Matt getting a job in another city, we have not spent that much intentional quality time together. Yes, we may sit in the same room for a few hours a day but the TV is usually on and one of us is on the computer while the other one is busy with the little man. I can see a rut forming and I want to fill it in before it gets too deep. Thus I initiated a 52 week intentional quality time challenge. I came up with a list of about 60 ideas and each week we are going to pick one to accomplish that week. They are a mix of stay at home nights, outdoor adventures, some of our classic dates and a couple new ones. Now as a young married person who really believes in the value of investing in family and in the lives of those that mean the most to me, I came up with a few options for intentional relationship development that we can do as a couple. One of the ones I am looking forward to the most is "Go on a double date". I haven't been on an intentional double date since high school (I'm not counting the meet up with a couple of friends to go rock climbing then going to catch a bite to eat or going to a friend's house for dinner). A few of my ideas can be done in the same week and there are a couple times this year where Matt and I will be apart for more than a week so we'll have to double up but the point of this challenge is more for relational growth instead of strict rule following. We'll be flexible but intentional! Here is my list I put together...
-Make homemade pizza and watch a hockey game
-Go watch one of our youth kids play a sport
-Get take out and play a board game
-Pick up our favourite candy and watch a movie
-Cook a new recipe together
-Go out for gelato
-"Coffee" date (we don't actually drink coffee)
-Play "Would you rather" on a walk
-Give each other a massage
-Go for a picnic
-Ethnic theme night (Italian, Chinese, Colombian, Dominican, American)
-Have breakfast in bed
-Go snowshoeing
-Review the year
-Watch a series of YouTube videos
-Go for a bike ride
-Go workout at the gym
-Go bouldering
-Spend some time in White Rock, BC walking along the pier and/or slacklining
-Shop for each other (each pick out an outfit or an item for the other person)
-Read together
-Play frisbee
-Go mini golfing
-Go camping
-Climb a mountain
-Go for a hike
-Go swimming
-Go to the beach
-Dress up and go out for dinner
-Colour together
-Play a card game in a public place
-Take the little man to the park and take pictures of us all playing
-Do a project we found on Pinterest
-Re-live our first date
-Make cookies for someone else
-Watch the sunset (no the sunrise)
-Attempt to create a sibling for the little man
-Take a day trip to Seattle
-Go to Stanley Park
-Go slacklining at the park
-Have Jim's Pizza and go bouldering
-Go to the movies
-Try a new restaurant
-Walk to the park and around the park and home from the park (about 10km)
-Go trail riding
-Read together outside
-Participate in a community event
-Build a snowman with our son
-Build a sandcastle with our son
-Go on a double date
-Have a naked movie night
-Try a new ice cream recipe
-Read the Bible together
-Drink a bottle of that one wine I like (as long as I'm not pregnant or nursing)
-Buy each other a 'surprise' gift this week
So far we have watched YouTube videos together! I will talk to Matt when he gets home from work today and we will decide what's on the agenda for this week.
What is your favourite date? It's sometimes challenging to come up with ideas so I'd love some feedback! As you can tell, we like to be outside. It was actually more challenging to come up with quality time options for inside. One thing I'm really happy about is that some of these ideas are very low key. If we've had a week where all of us are sick (like we are dealing with right now) then we can just get take out and play a board game or read together while the little man naps. Then there will be other weeks where we can pick one at random and go do it! Plus I love that a lot of these could involve family and friends as well. We love the people we share life with and want to be intentional about spending time with them too.
(Us on one of my favourite dates in White Rock, BC - you can see that we are sitting ON the WHITE Rock)
Go spend some intentional quality time with someone you love!
