Marriage | The Mom with Moxie

36 Date Night Ideas

February 22, 2013 By Bree Leave a Comment

When you enter the land of parenthood, date nights (and other fun things) become a thing of the past. A myth.

But, even though it’s hard, it’s very important to maintain a good great relationship with your spouse. When kids see their parents happy, it makes them happy. And, it’s been my experience, that happy kids are better behaved kids.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list date night ideas. The list is varied so I’m sure you’ll find an idea you like!

Arcade
Art Class
Art Museum
Batting Cage
Beer or Wine Tasting
Bike Ride
Boating
Bowling
Comedy Club
Concert
Cooking Lessons
Couples Mani Pedi
Couples Massage
Dance Lessons
Dinner Cruise
Drive-in Movie
Go Karts
Hiking
History Museum
Horseback Riding
Host a Dinner Party
Indoor Rock Climbing
Jazz Club
Karaoke
Laser Tag
Miniature Golf
Movies
Mystery Dinner
Out for ice cream
Paint Ball
Picnic
Roller Skating
Science Museum
Street Fairs/Art Fairs
Symphony
Tennis

I can’t wait to try some of these out! What are some of your favorite date night activities?

photo source

Keeping the Flames Alive: The Importance of Intimacy In Marriage

February 13, 2013 By Bree 1 Comment

A couple of years ago, I wrote this as a guest post for A Proverbs Wife. I thought with Valentine’s Day coming up, today was a good time to re-post.

Intimacy is one of – if not the most – important aspects of a good marriage. While I recognize the importance of sex, in a marriage, that’s not all intimacy is about; it’s also about spending time together, getting to know each other, on a deeper level.

Let’s face it, marriage is hard. Between taking care of the kids, work and keeping house – making time for each other often falls by the way-side.

A good way to keep intimacy alive, in your marriage, is by purposefully scheduling alone time with one another. Date nights, lunch dates and weekend trips (when you can find a sitter), are all great ways to do this. When scheduling your “dates,” try to make it a time when you know you have the full attention of each other and can really talk and connect with one another.

Even scheduling time for sex, with your spouse, can help. I know it takes the spontaneity out of it, but with all you have going on, it may be the only thing that works. If scheduling isn’t your thing, try making a promise to each other, that you’ll be intimate at least x times per week.

Its easy let the mundane tasks of everyday life; get in the way of spending time with your spouse. But, like everything else in a marriage, cultivating intimacy, requires work.

A few resources I recommend are:

Shannon Ethridge, author and advocate for healthy sexuality and spirituality. She has written several books on intimacy.

Dr. Gary Chapman, internationally respected marriage and family life expert. Dr. Chapman is the author of many books, including The Five Love Languages.

Dr. Kevin Leman, author, speaker, founder & president of Couples of Promise. He has written books on marriage, children and family.

photo source

I’m a lucky lady…

October 18, 2012 By Bree 14 Comments

No, really.

I am one of the luckiest women in the world, because I get to spend the rest of my life with this yummy piece of chocolaty goodness. (Seriously, isn’t he just simply delicious?)

And on this day nine years ago, I was lucky enough to become his wife.

There are so many reasons I love this man (aside from him being super-hot ):

He’s a good listener. Whenever I have a problem, he’s always there to help talk me through it and find a solution.
He’s an excellent father. He and the kid have such a special relationship, that sometimes I’m a bit jealous of. And, even though it sometimes it feels like I have two children, the way they interact and “play” with each other is inspiring and it makes me love him so much more.
His heart. He loves me – and all my crazy – with all his heart.
He’s hilarious. His sense of humor is epic, and he has a knack for making people laugh, no matter the situation.
He is generous. Sometimes to a fault. He’d give you the shirt off his back, if you needed it.
He is my best friend. The past nine years have had their ups and downs (marriage ain’t easy, y’all), I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Because I’ve had my best friend by my side, the entire ride.

Happy anniversary, baby! I love you so very much.

What are you getting him for Father’s Day? Here are some cool ideas.

June 11, 2012 By Bree 2 Comments

So, because I’m an equal opportunity blogger… I couldn’t let Father’s Day come and go, without dedicating a post to what fathers want for their big day and giving you some really cool gift ideas.

Unfortunately because I waited until the last minute, I don’t have time to do a survey like I did for Mother’s Day. Instead, I asked the hubster what wanted.

Here’s how the conversation went…

Me: Hey babe, you wanna help me with this blog post?

The hubster: Okaaaay…

Me: What would your perfect Father’s Day consist of?

The hubster: A brand new Maserati. No wait, I don’t even like Maseraties. Change it to a ’68 mustang. No wait, seriously I guess a cool electronic gift and spending some time with the kid; and whatever you want to do with me (bow chick wow wow). I guess maybe have lunch or dinner. You know have a nice, fun and relaxing day… And then have the next day off of work.

_______________________________________

How lucky am I? All I have to do is get him some electronic gadget, some food, and hang out with him – and he’ll be happy. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

In case you have no idea what to get your husband, dad, etc. for Father’s Day (because you don’t have it as lucky as I do) here are some ideas:

Beer of the Month Club Membership

Gift recipients receive 12 bottles of premium microbrews (4 different kinds) every month from award-winning breweries nationwide.

Drive a Stock Car

Experience first-hand the thrill and excitement of stock car racing. A crewmember buckles you in, checks your radio, and gives the “thumbs up” sign to your instructor. You’ll start your engine, hear that V8 roar, and pull onto the track!

Personalized Stainless Steel BBQ Tool Set

It’s incredible what a difference the right tools can make – especially when grilling! This durable, stainless steel BBQ tool set includes 8 essential grilling tools: a spatula (with knife edge), tongs, steak fork, basting brush and 4 steel skewers.

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker

Share your music out loud with the SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker from Bose. This speaker connects wirelessly to your mobile phone or any Bluetooth device.

Burberry Men’s Swiss Black Rubber Strap Timepiece

This Burberry sports watch features a black rubber strap. Silvertone stainless steel round case and round black dial with three subdials, date window, logo and stick indices.

NOOK Color by Barnes and Noble

The Barnes and Noble NOOK Color eBook Reader offers a range of popular applications like email, video and web browsing.

Pocket Projector for iPhone 4

Easy to use just dock your iPhone 4 device and project on any surface. Our Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 is perfect for on-the-go travel entertainment. Its super-bright 15-lumen LED projector lamp ensures clearer, more brilliant images than other pico projectors.

iPad

The newest iPad. It’s brilliant, in every sense of the word. Pick up the new iPad and suddenly, it’s clear. You’re actually touching your photos, reading a book, playing the piano.

Ricardo Mele and Co. Java Finish Charging Station

The Ricardo charging station from Mele and Co. is a practical way both to store your valuables and to charge your electronic devices.

Boconi Double Buckle Messenger Bag

An organized messenger bag in soft tumbled leather is designed with an adjustable fabric shoulder strap. The interior features a padded laptop compartment, MP3 pocket, pen slots and more.

Roku 2 HD Streaming Player

300+ channels with movies, TV shows, music, sports & more High-definition streaming up to 720p HD Works with virtually any TV Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi b/g/n) Smaller and more energy-efficient than any other streaming device.

Men’s Sterling Silver & Onyx Cufflink

Pay attention to every detail. The handsome cufflinks feature onyx (9 x 7 mm) set in sterling silver.

.

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out the posts on AskMen.com and Gift.com.

How do you sleep?

February 21, 2012 By Bree 2 Comments

I had a thought, last night, when I was trying to go to sleep…

When it comes to sleep, I totally go against the “females like to cuddle” stereotype. Seriously – I am not a cuddler. When I sleep, I want my space. I don’t really want to be touched, at all.

The hubster, on the other hand, has the tendency to want to have personal contact, when sleeping. And, I think it’s just about the sweetest thing, ever. Normally, I snuggle, a bit, and then roll away, to go to sleep. I always feel horrible, when I do. But, luckily, he understands (because he’s so awesome).

How about you & your significant other? Is one of you a cuddler, and the other not? Both cuddlers? Both loners? Let me know, in the comments section, below.

On a semi-related note… here’s a interesting post, on sleeping positions, and their meanings.

I’m a freefall: The participants in the freefall position slept on their stomachs with their arms under or wrapped around a pillow and heads turned to the side. The study found this group to be outgoing, brash and did not like criticism.

Photo source.