Tomorrow my husband and I are leaving on  a 7 day romantic vacation. I’ve been so excited thinking about all the alone time we will have together. I’m looking forward to a stress free, work free, and kid free week. I know that going on a couple’s trip isn’t always easy to do when you have children and bills to pay, so I’ve come up with a list of 5 other ways to spice up your marriage.

1) Plan frequent date nights

I suggest a weekly date night, but if you can’t fit that into your schedule, then do it as much as you can. Planning date nights don’t have to be expensive, get creative. Some nights my husband and I make the kids go to their rooms while we have dinner and watch a movie. (Of course we feed the kids first). Your kids may not like it, but you will be setting a great example of the importance of marriage. Some other ideas are: going out to eat, going to the movies, play a game of miniature golf, go to a football game, take a walk in the park, or double date with friends. When planning dates, keep in mind what your spouse would enjoy…not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of others (Phi 2:4). 

This picture was taken a few weeks ago on my husband’s birthday. I cooked his favorite foods, lit a few candles, played slow love music in the background, and dressed to impress. I spent less than $10 and we had an amazing time together!

2) Write your spouse a love letter

I know everyone doesn’t like to write, but I’m not telling you to write a book. I’m simply saying to take a few minutes to write down on paper just how much you love your spouse. If you are better at typing, then do it on a computer or by text. Some days I text my husband to tell him how I much I appreciate all the things he does for me and our family. Other days I write him long love notes. His love language is words of affirmation, so not only do my words speak right to his heart, but it motivates him to keep showing love in return. How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! (SOS 1:16).

3) Try something new in the bedroom

Don’t let sex become the same old routine; same postion, same place, etc. I’m not saying to do anything you’re not comfortable with, but it’s ok to change things up a bit. Have sex somewhere other than your bed, try a position you haven’t before, take a trip to the adult store. There are a variety of things you can buy to spice things up. Men are very visual creatures, so wives invest in some sexy lingerie. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing it, then find something thats a little more revealing than just your normal night clothes. Talk to your spouse and find out if there’s anything you can do to improve your sex life. Make sex fun and eventful, but don’t ever bring pornography into your marriage. For this is the will of God, that each of you learn how to control his own body in holiness and honor (1 Thess 4: 3-4).

4) Bring back old habits

Can you remember back to when you and your spouse first met? I bet you did things you never thought you would because you were so in-love. I know I did. I can remember buying Richie gifts, writing him poems, meeting him during lunch breaks, holding his hand in public, and calling just to hear his voice. But somewhere along the way life happened, and I stopped doing those little things. We’ve recently tried to bring those old habits back into our marriage. Another thing we used to do is kiss at red lights. It might seem silly to some people, but it’s something special to us. The other day I asked for a “red light” kiss, and of course the kids said, “eww!” But I want them to know that not only do I love their dad, but I make it a priority to show it. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…(SOS 1:2).

5) Become your spouse’s friend

For a long time my husband and I lacked friendship in our marriage. I can remember being at my son’s football practice and a friend walked up to me and said, “How did Richie’s job interview go?” I replied, “I didn’t know he had a job interview.” I felt so embarrassed! How could I not have known of something so important. It opened my eyes to how far apart we had grown. He didn’t tell me because he didn’t feel secure enough to open up to me. I think we all should have best friends outside of our marriages, but don’t forget to be your spouse’s friend too. Have fun, laugh together, share your feelings, talk about your work and hobbies, and let your spouse know you support them in every way. This is my beloved, this is my friend (SOS 5:16).

Thank you for reading my blog! Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by clicking the follow icons below. Also if you subscribe to my email I will send you more marriage tips, and you will updated each time I submit a new post!