Reconnecting with a Partner Using Date Deck®
Let’s face it. Covid and being quarantined did a number on fun. What I used to take for granted, I no longer do. Prior to Covid, I had a great date with my then-boyfriend, now-husband, every weekend. We’d drive from our apartment in Southern Orange County into LA for the day. Or head down to San Diego to visit a park, the zoo, or have a creative date in the Gaslamp District. It was a ton of fun. That was prior to Covid, and prior to a baby and move to a new state. These memories stayed with me during the difficult Covid quarantine when looking out my window seemed like that part of my life was never going to return. But it did, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Fast Forward – Life After Covid Has Changed
Now, I have a son. He’s a wonderful, sweet, happy little boy who is three years old. He’s curious and the light of our lives. What I used to do with my husband, getting out each weekend to create memories, I now do with my son and husband. As a threesome, we have created some incredible memories. We have visited outstanding places around the new city in which we now live. And we have exposed our son to new things.
I believe exposure for small children is very important. They see new things and have new and varied experiences. It helps them grow and develop and expand their horizon. The same is true for us, as adults. We need to make sure we’re always challenging ourselves to get outside our comfort zone. Outside our comfort zone is where we grow.
Happiness Breeds Happiness
I’m a creative person. I have never colored inside the lines, as my mom used to say. I especially love to try new things. It keeps me happy and challenges my thinking. It gives me time to explore creative ideas that I may never have thought to do.
When we lived in Southern California, one of my favorite things to do was go to the museums. The museums in Los Angeles are amazing. From The Getty to modern museums such as The Broad, I took it all in. Being an art student, I loved the time spent looking at the world’s rich art culture. I felt inspired to draw and paint and did so throughout my college years. It’s what kept me connected to myself. To me, going to museums is one of the best ways to spend our weekends together. Now we take our son and go to museums designed for children.
My husband was not the museum type when we first started dating. He went with me a few times. He was much more about the Griffin Observatory and gazing at the stars. So, I went with him. Pretty soon I realized that when you do something with another person that they enjoy, truly enjoy, the happiness from them spills over to those with whom they share their love and experience. When I look back at pictures of our dating days, I see how happy he looks (and I look) when we spent time looking into the night sky.
Date Deck® – Outsourced Fun - Delegate to the Deck®
Once I realized that fun is the ticket to making strong connections with another person, especially a special someone, I knew Date Deck® needed to come to fruition. I distilled all the things that my husband and I did together that really strengthened our relationship and put them into prompt cards. The deck of 52 cards, which sells for $19.95 and comes in a box to hold the cards so they don’t get misplaced or spill, is a way to outsource ideas for fun that you can incorporate into your life. The idea behind the deck is that there is a special thing that happens when the stresses of the week dissolve into a weekend of happiness. It recharges your batteries and makes you realize why you’re together. You laugh, play, and enjoy each other’s company. And with Date Deck®, you reduce decision fatigue.
You can do this in any city. I have moved several times, and in each city, I have found fun things to do. You can look online or on Instagram to see what’s going on each weekend. However, a lot of times you need to buy tickets, the event is sold out, or it is expensive. I was, and always have been, looking for unique ideas that aren’t expensive that get us out of the house and into a great weekend. Even weeknights benefit from a few of the ideas in Date Deck® because they don’t take a lot of planning, effort, money, or trouble. They’re just spontaneous things to do together to increase happiness in your relationship. What could be better than that?
A Week is Busy
Our weeks are busy. I’m sure yours are, too. With a baby in tow, we have a lot of things to do to make the week work. Dinner on the table, baths, growing a little garden together, going for check-ups, and playing outside. Now, the week is more about this little guy than it is about us. And that’s the way it should be. But to be the best parents to a happy little boy, it’s important that we are happy, too. And, for this reason, we try to do something different every weekend, of course revisiting some of our favorites. Doing so keeps us happy and healthy both mentally and emotionally. And doing things outside keeps us physically healthy, too.
Our mental health after a busy week can sometimes take a dive with exhaustion and the pressures of family and work. Both of us can be a little testy at times or feel that the division of labor isn’t exactly as fair as each of us prefers. We may feel that we’re not getting everything we need. Or we're struggling to do our best in terms of patience and appreciation. Gratitude sometimes gets replaced by frustration. This is all very normal. To turn it right around, and to show the appreciation we have for one another and our precious family, we follow Date Deck® prompts to put the fun back into our weekends. We reconnect. We appreciate each other more and have fun together. We take a little time to ourselves, get back on track, and start the week off fresh again.
A Date Deck® Reenergizes a Couple to Face the Week Ahead
Take time to yourself as a couple and do something fun, unique, and mentally satisfying. Pull a prompt card from Date Deck® and enjoy the weekend. You’ll emerge refreshed and ready to tackle the next week on a much lighter and refreshed note!