Making Date Nights Extra Special and 10 Things I Love About My Husband

There are so many great things about having older kids and one that my husand and I have really been enjoying lately is that we find it so much easier to squeeze in those date nights!

This month I'm linking up with two prompted posts-- 10 on the 10th hosted by Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After and Not Just a Mom hosted by Not in Jersey.  Since the two prompts were about date night and things I love about my spouse it just made since to combine the two into one!

With Valentine's day just a few short days away I have been putting a lot of thought into our date nights.  As I said earlier with older kids it's much easier to get away for a date; during the day or at night.  So much easier that they've started to not feel quite as special as they did when the kids were little.

Here are just a few ways I try to make our date nights still feel extra special:

1.  I dress up-- since I tend to wear a lot of yoga pants and sweatshirts I take extra time on a date night to wear something nicer often pairing the outfit with heels and jewelry too.

2.  I wear perfume-- I have been wearing the same perfume since high school and while I don't really like it anymore and rarely wear it I know my husband loves it.  So I definitely make sure to add a squirt or two on our date nights.

3.  I put on makeup and paint my nails-- Sine I rarely wear makeup it's again all part of putting in the effort.  It makes me feel sexy and I hope it makes my husband still feel special.

4.  I try not to talk about the kids or mundane household things-- being a full time homeschooling mom it can be so hard for me to not just fall back on talking about the kids but I really try to find other things for us to talk about and discuss when we go out so that we can leave our adulting hats at home and connect just the two of us.

5.  Find new places for us to check out together-- I try to mix up our date nights from the usual dinner and movie rut we can fall into (see my 15 fall date night ideas here and 52 ideas for dating your spouse here).  If we are heading out to dinner I like to find new restaurants.  I'm constantly brainstorming date night ideas and we've taken to hiking (in the spring/ summer when it's nice and light out still) or doing things together like mini golf.

I am more than happy to put in the extra work and effort because my guy is totally worth it.  Having begun dating at 16 there isn't much of anything we don't about each other or haven't tackled together.  And yet I still find reasons to fall back in love with him every day.

1.  His dimples!  My husband is usually pretty reserved and it can take a bit of work to make him smile but he has the cutest dimples when he does; something he's passed on to our boys too.

2.  He goes out of his way to help out.  He may not always notice when I need help but if I ask he definitely delivers.

3.  He supports me in everything I do.  He doesn't always get the blogging world and my tie to it but he does support my efforts and when I decided I was joining Weight Watchers last year to finally shed those pounds that were driving me nuts he joined up too.  Together we've lost a total of 90 lbs! When he heard that I've always wanted to try and visit all 50 states he began devising ways to make that happen.

4.  He gives the best hugs.  No matter how upset or anxious I am feeling, one hug from him calms me right down.

5. He's got mad skills.  There is not much that my husband can't do when he puts his mind to it.  From woodworking to metal working to engineering and more he's incredibly handy to have around. He made our kitchen cabinets, our concrete countertops, our fireplace tools, our mantlepiece, and so much more.  He's great at fixing things too.

6.  The way he looks at me.  I've always had rather low self- esteem but to see myself through my husband's eyes through all the changes in my body over the years and as we age has given me such confidence.

7.  How affectionate he is (with me anyway).  My husband is definitely not one to show his emotions but he's never been afraid to shower me with affection.  Even after all these years we are one of those couples that walks around holding hands, sharing secret smiles and looks, and stealing kisses.

8. He's a wonderful father.

9. He's incredibly patient.  He rarely seems to lose his cool and is very laid back when it comes to just about everything.  He's a perfect anchor my for high strung nature and has taught me how to let the little things go.

10. He's got a great sense of humor and can almost always get me to laugh.

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