Allow me to share some of the most practical marriage advice I have received:

I remember reading a post years ago from one of my favorite instagram follows (@thegraygang) that has stuck with me ever since. Tiffany shared that she and her husband had a standing date night every November 1st. Why that date? It was within 48 hours of Halloween. They would book a sitter well in advance and leave their five over-sugared, over-tired children to escape for an evening away. A “We made it through another Halloween!” celebration, you could say.

I took this advice and have applied it to when we seem to need it most: after a family trip.

On family trips we tend to be with the kids 24/7 and no one sleeps well. We desperately need a reminder that we are not only partners in keeping everyone alive, but are also friends who enjoy and love each other. And so, we plan the date. Within 48 hours of being home, we get uninterrupted conversation. A kid free car ride. A meal we didn’t have to make. French fries. It is bliss.

If you have an event after which you always feel tired or disconnected from your spouse, get ahead of it. Plan that date for the week after school starts, or post-Thanksgiving, or when you’re drowning in laundry from that long summer roadtrip. Throw a little gas (or a few cocktails) on that dwindling love flame and watch some sparks fly 🔥💫🤓

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