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Let's Make a Date

Therapy Tuesday
Photo by: dcjohn

Date Night. Two easy words that constitute really wise advice. How many couples actually follow it? Last summer, world divorce rates were released per 1000 people. Guess where the United States ranked? First. Not really something we want to be proud of, but for every 1000 people, 4.95 of them divorce.

That's where Date Night can come in. Time to be alone with your spouse. To have uninterrupted time together to reconnect, rediscover one another, and just enjoy the relative quiet. Date nights don't have to be expensive (or even occur at night!) Using creativity, and even sites like Groupon, can lead to some fun and out of the box ideas.

After the birth of my second child, I felt fairly overwhelmed. I had little time for myself, let alone my husband and I. Recently, we committed ourselves to date night. Our aim is once a month, and hopefully, we'll be better (but that all depends on child care, of course!)  A few recent dates: Trapeze School, movie, and partner yoga. We try to do things that will get us talking (OK, movie was the exception) and can spark conversation beyond parenting.

That's one of the cardinal rules of Date Night: Little talk about the kids. Yes, you both have them in common. Yes, you both love them, and they are adorable, but they aren't sexy, and they don't remind you of the foundation of your relationship prior to their existence. One day, your kids will be gone, and you'll be left with your spouse. Regular date nights help to keep this a vibrant connection rather than just one based on co-habitation or co-parenting.

We live busy lives. But date night is worth its weight in marriage gold.

What have you done for date night?

Potatoes for Everyone -- Even the non-Potato People

Meal Monday

I am a fairly staunch non-potato person. I usually don't find them worthy of the a) effort, b) carbs or c) fat and calories once I've added butter, salt and countless other accoutrements to give them some sort of flavor.

However, my sister-in-law recently served the most delicious potatoes that all of us loved. That includes myself, the non-potato person, my husband (the potato lover who unfortunately for him married a non-potato person), my son the fussy eater and my daughter the omnivore.

An added bonus is that these potatoes are ridiculously easy to make -- an essential characteristic of any recipe I favor. This is an excellent addition to a roast chicken dinner (see Comfort and Classic -- Roast Chicken is Always a Hit) and only needs a green salad or perhaps some fruit for dessert instead to comprise a healthy, satisfying meal.