Five Budget-Friendly Summer Date Ideas

If you’re anything like us, spending a crap-ton of money on a single date night is not in your budget. So if you want to pull off a special evening that is both memorable and easy on your pockets, give these a try:

1. Redbox movie night. Use the Redbox app to reserve a movie you both would like to see. Then, head to Kroger and grab a box of popcorn (Cousin Willy's white cheddar is our favorite!), buy a cheap bottle of wine (have you heard of Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck wine?) or sparkling cider and light a few candles. Total cost: $15 or less

2. Dinner at home, dessert out. Dinner AND dessert can get pretty pricey depending where you go. So how’s this: Cook your meal at home followed by a dessert of your choosing. You can even get a little crazy and share two of your favorite desserts. Watch out, now! Total cost: $15 or less

3. Nighttime drive with your favorite playlist. Most times, it doesn’t matter where you are on a date night, just whom you’re with. Some of our favorite dates have just been us sitting in a car, windows down and listening to music. Surprise your honey with love-inspired mixtape while on a drive and let the nostalgic feelings roll in. Total cost: $10 or less

4. Rent a bike and pack a picnic. A lot of cities have bikes you can rent for a few hours for affordable prices, usually located inside parks and downtown areas. Take it back ol’ school and bring along a picnic lunch (or grab some cheap, portable food) and voila! You’ve got yourself a date. Total cost: $30 or less

5. Check out free events in your town. Your city’s online listings are usually full of free — or cheap — events. Some of our favorites are Shakespeare In The Park and free outdoor concerts. Most of these events usually have food trucks present, but those can get pretty pricey, so you might want to eat something before attending the event. Total cost: $15 or less for parking

Why I Will Never Have Dreadlocks Again

My wife prefers a clean cut look. Don’t get me wrong, she likes dreadlocks, but she likes one option over the other.

I’ve learned that saying “I do” also means saying “I will...acknowledge and accept your preferences and do my best to make you happy.”

Please don’t hear a cliche like “happy wife, happy life.” It’s still my hair and my body, and I want to present myself in a way that makes me happy and affirms my self esteem. However, let’s be clear: Leah didn’t ask me to compromise my integrity or forego my individuality. A matter of fact, she didn’t ask for anything.

In the regular conversations of life, I discovered one of her preferences.  At that moment, I was given a choice: Do I consider her preferences or do I not? And that question lead to more in-depth ones: Why do I care about my appearance? Is it just for my satisfaction? Is it for the approval of others? Both?

The only people I care about pleasing with my appearance are God, Leah, and myself, and I have a feeling God is indifferent regarding my hairstyle. This only leaves me and Leah. Will I feel bad about myself if I have a short haircut? No. Will I like the way I look with a short haircut? Yes, I will like it no more or no less than dreadlocks. So what reasons do I have to ignore or fight her preferences beyond pride and my desire to feel in charge? I don’t have any.

I haven’t even got to the best part yet. If I decide to keep a clean cut look because Leah likes the way I look, I am the one making a decision to please her and communicate my love to her. The result is her knowing there are few things she doesn’t have influence over in my life and there’s almost nothing being withheld from her. (I said almost because I’m still a work in progress.) Suddenly, there’s much more value associated with the style of my haircut, and I chose to make Leah feel considered and respected.

Goodbye, dreads. I planned to one day grow you back before I started balding, but Leah prefers a fade so you lose. Besides, you’re high maintenance and require too much time, that is, if I plan on looking more like Andrew McCutchen as opposed to Lil’ Wayne.

What are some of the simple things you have sacrificed (or plan to sacrifice in the future) for your mate’s preferences? Please share it with us in the comment section below. It's nice to be reminded that we're not the only ones sacrificing and comprising in the name of love. :-)

The Power of Unplugging

Sometimes one of the worst distractions of your relationship are things many of us feel we can't live without: our cell phones, laptops and other electronics that keep us connected to the outside world.

I can't begin to count how many times I've said the phrase, "Will you please get off of your phone?" to Kevin. I also know there's been numerous times he's given me a sideways look when I'm on Facebook or Pinterest during times we designated to spend together just him and I.

Always having your phone or your laptop creates a bad habit of inviting distractions into your quality time and relationship with your spouse. For the health of our relationship, we've found it's in important to find time to unplug. No cell phones, no laptops, no nothing. Though we don't do it as often as we'd like, here are some ways we try to unplug from the outside world and plug into quality time with each other:

No cell phones in the bedroom. Our friends, Dara and Nick, once told us that they don't keep their cell phones in their bedroom at night. Part of me thought I'd never be able to do that - I'm naturally a worrier, so it took some getting used the idea that I couldn't be reached until morning. But man, what a difference! Keeping our phones out of our bedroom guarantees that we're focusing on just us in one of the most sacred, intimate places in our home. Pinterest can wait (I think). :)

Keep your television in a common area. Kevin and I have never had a TV in our room in three years of marriage and we likely never will. It's so easy to get sucked into a show and get into the habit of falling asleep to the sound of the TV rather spending distraction-free time together.

Leave your phones at home for short - or long! - periods of time. I know, I know. The thought seems unbearable, but not impossible! I don't think you realize just how many noises your phone makes throughout the day. Each ping says, "Hey! I need your attention right now!" and it's likely you'll give it, no matter where you are or what you're doing at the time. Take a walk with your spouse or go out to dinner without your phones and make a habit of doing it every day.

No electronics during date night. Nothing kills a mood quicker than, "Look at this new recipe I found on Pinterest!" or "Hang on, let me just watch a few basketball highlights."

How do you like to unplug? Any that we missed? Leave a comment below to share with us and readers.