The Happy Housewife asked for ideas for date night at home. Seeing as we are living very frugally (although occasionally treat ourselves to a date that includes paying for a sitter (we don’t have any family nearby)), we have been embracing date nights at home for a while now. But, having date nights – at home or otherwise – requires more than just planning something that isn’t part of the normal doldrums. We have to keep in mind why we were “dating” each other. Our top priority in dating one another was reconnecting – sharing something that we both enjoy. The cool thing is that we can do any activity that we wish, including ones that we hate, as long as we have the correct mindset. How? Well, aren’t we marriage because we enjoy (or at least at one point in time did) our spouse? As we spend our special date nights together, we focus on seeing the blessings of each other. The things that we like about the other person. As it is human nature to dwell on the negative, sometimes I have to stop and remind myself of all of the wonderful things that DH is and does. When we are focusing on the positives in each other, our relationship is strengthen and we feel a greater depth of love for one another.

Other people have wonderful date nights that include a special dinner after the kids go to bed, but by the time we get the kids to bed, I am worn out and would rather just skip the date if I am starving and still have to get everything laid out to create the date atmosphere that is enjoyed by other couples. I wish that weren’t the case, but I just don’t have the energy for it. (Okay, and it seems to me to be more work for me – more dishes, more prettying the house up, etc. Yes, I can be very lazy!) But, we do enjoy our date nights at home. Some of the activities for a date night at home that we enjoy are:

• Playing Guitar Hero together. We both enjoy it, and as we are working as a team for a common pursuit, we have fun cheering each other on. Okay, and the occasional good-humored teasing helps us to relax a bit.
• Snuggling on the couch together while watching a good movie (one that we already own or that we borrow from the library) or television program. It is nice to just have the physical closeness without thinking about some chore that needs to be completed. We rarely take the time to sit down and watch television of any sort together as by the time the kids are in bed, we are usually trying to unwind in our own ways. So, it is special when we take the time to watch something together.
• Laying on our bed (fully clothed! – or not) and talking about our true desires and thoughts. As I said in an earlier post, there is just something comforting and intimate that allows us to talk easier while laying on our bed.
• Playing a board game together. We don’t do this nearly enough, but it is fun when we do.
• Gazing into a burning fire – either in the fireplace or on the patio in the fire pit. There is something about an open fire on a clear night that brings great peace to us both. We then share our intimate thoughts and dreams within this special cloud of tranquility.

I can’t wait to read what great ideas other people have of incorporating date night into their frugal lifestyles. We will have to try to implement some of them. And, maybe I will even plan far enough ahead that I could cook us a special date night at home dinner with some candles. But, we might just have to settle with a special dessert shared by candlelight.

Growing my resolve that I will not give into the bad behavior of my toddler who keep openly defying me.
Growing patience as I repeatedly put K back in the corner as he refused to “do his time.”
Growing a deeper gratitude for the time and effort that my mom put into my “child training” helping me to be one of those children that parents comment on their good behavior (at least that is how I remember it…).
Growing my repertoire of skills which to use in my child training.
Growing a greater appreciation of my husband’s ability to handle the children’s misbehavior in a manner that gets results without the backtalk. There is something about Daddy that just makes them straighten up.

J loves baking with me. His favorite thing to make? BROWNIES! J is a very picky eater – but he loves brownies and really enjoys baking them. J and I have the recipe for the best brownies ever!!

Best Brownies EVER

2 boxes of your favorite brownie mix
Ingredients to add to the mix per directions on the box
Shortening
Huge bowl for mixing
9 x 13 glass baking dish
1 sandwich baggie
1 wooden spoon
1 bowl scrapper
Lots of love
2 dish rags
1 towel

1. Preheat the oven as directed by the instructions on the back of the brownie mix.
2. Using the sandwich baggie as a glove, Little Person greases the baking dish with the shortening. Mommy discards baggie after “touching up” the dish to ensure complete coverage of grease.
3. With a little assistance from Mommy, Little Person adds the brownie mix and all required ingredients listed on the box into a huge bowl. Don’t worry about the brownie mix that gets split on the counter – there will be more added to it shortly!
4. Using the wooden spoon, Little Person *gently* stirs the ingredients until he tires and turns this task over to Mommy. Note: Little ones are still learning about the physical sciences and the fact that while mixing batter the resistance level does not remain constant. He is trying to stir gently! Refrain from becoming upset or cleaning up just yet.
5. Mommy finishes mixing the brownie batter.
6. Mommy pours the batter into the grease baking dish – not scrapping out the bowl well – while Little Person tries to patiently wait until he can use the bowl scrapper. Mommy spreads the batter in the dish and places in the oven allowing them to bake for somewhere around one hour.
7. Little Person now uses the bowl scrapper to scrap out the yummy raw brownie batter and licks off the scrapper. Mommy gets to us the wooden spoon to scrap brownie batter out for herself as this allows Little Person a chance at getting a good share on his much larger bowl scrapper. Remember to let other little people have a lick also.
8. Use one dish rag to clean brownie batter off the faces and fronts of Little Person and yourself. Use second dish rag to clean the counters, back splash, floor, cabinets, etc.
9. Let brownies cool and enjoy your yummy creation of love!

Ah, yesterday was refreshing with the warm sun melting most of the snow and the kids being able to play outside without coats or even a jacket on! The boys enjoyed splashing about in the puddles and completely covering themselves in mud. I was able to air out the house and bring that fresh, crisp smell back inside. (Although, now, I see just how much dusting I need to do. LOL!) The sunshine seemed to linger longer than normal and following me where ever I went. The geese even cooed “hello” on their way to Canada. Ah, yes, spring must be here!

HA! Yesterday was just a treat – a harbinger of warmer times in the distance, as alas, today it is winter yet again. The wonders of winter! Winter always reminds me of what is important in life. It is when the warmth of our home and family seems to beckon us to tend to it even more – to enjoy the blessing of security it provides against the frigid temperatures and outside elements. It is when we most look forward to returning home to our families and we remember just how blessed we are to be in their warm bosom. Today, we will celebrate the return of winter by keeping one another warm and cozy while we enjoy reading books together and making a delicious treat to warm our tummies and our souls. It is the simple things that are the most rewarding.

Please excuse me as I cuddle up with my little ones while I read them book upon book under the warm blanket on the couch. If only DH could be here to share this time with us it would be PERFECT!

Enjoy your day – whatever the weather!

• The quick and easy recovery of my grandma who had a heart attack and splint put in a week ago.
• The boys giggling as they are playing in the backyard. Such a beautiful sound!!
• The unseasonably warm day.
• The presents of my wonderful husband who is working from home today.
• The peace of knowing that all that *needs* to be accomplished will be.
• Our loving and supportive extended family.
• The time to spending reading on topics of interest to me.
• The rich resources available to us at our public library. (Our oldest son checked a framed print out to display in our home – he wanted it for his bedroom, but we aren’t so sure it will be in one piece if left in there. LOL!)
• Watching our oldest go into the prints room at the library and see one that he said was “beautiful” and ask if he could check it out (we had never done so before). It was great to see in interest in art and appreciate its beauty.
• The geese returning from the South.

What has blessed your life today?

What is tomorrow without today?
What is a marriage without love?
What is the future without hope?
What is food without nourishment?
What is an embrace without caring?
What is knowledge without learning?
What is friendship without sharing?
What is love without giving of ourselves?

All of these are empty vessels if without the substance behind them that make each a wonderful blessing. I choose these blessings with their beautiful meanings intact. May your life be full of these blessings and many more!

If we all wish for the days of our childhood when we were free of adult responsibilities, why are we pushing our children to grow up so fast by taking away their free time and instituting formal education at a younger and younger age? Why is it that we wish to be carefree and playful like children yet we are always telling our children to be quiet, “act your age” (which is another way of saying “you aren’t behaving like a miniature adult), and quit goofing off? Is it because we are jealous at their ability to truly enjoy life to the fullest while we are weighted down by the responsibilities of adulthood?

I am going to try harder to let my children be children. It is hard to just let them be kids sometimes, but that is what their job is – to be kids! They make messes. They investigate things. They are exuberant. They are God’s blessings to us. Lets delight in them enjoying the world!