It’s been almost 2.5 years of my husband working 2 jobs. I’m not going to lie, I so look forward to when he only has one. He has worked multiple jobs at a time even while we were dating; he missed our first Christmas morning because he had to work. It’s hard. But I am so beyond grateful that he works so hard to provide for us while I get to now fulfill my dream of being a SAHM. But it’s hard (did I already mention that). It’s so much harder than I expected it would be after having a baby. Some days, it feels like I’m a single parent, but it makes the days with him home so much sweeter. It’s amazing to me how he is able to juggle so many things at once and still somehow able to put Maverick and I first.
I say all of this to say our date nights aren’t of the norm. His off days are generally spent with him taking a well deserved nap after his first job (because he rarely has off from both jobs at the same time), and then running errands aka a Costco trip. I say Costco because we live upstairs and as much of a #TeamOneTrip family we are, sometimes I just can’t carry the baby and all of the groceries.
We don’t always have the chance to go out for our date nights because let’s face it, time is of the essence and I’d much rather us have family time where Michael can spend time with Maverick as well. Now, don’t get me wrong we always make time for us, but it’s just not how it used to be.
Even though we’ve only been married for 2.5 years, we’ve kind of mastered the whole unconventional date night thing. I’ve listed a few below so if you ever need new ideas on how to have a date night with a small budget or a small amount of time – I’ve got you covered!
Cook dinner together
Okay well if I’m being honest, this is more like I fix dinner and Michael will hang out in the kitchen while I get everything ready and we talk about our day.
Eat dinner together
This one may seem obvious BUT sometimes Michael gets home from work at 10pm. So it’s definitely a struggle for me to wait but I make it a point too. I also am one of those people who will cry when I see others eating alone, but that’s another story.
YouTube & Chill
After we eat dinner, we always catch up on our YouTube channels. We’re huge Disney fans so when we aren’t in Disney (which is the majority of the year), we live vicariously through our favorite YouTubers who vlog their trips daily.
Going Out
On the rare occasion that we do go out to eat we always search for deals. Mellow Mushroom usually wins with a free pizza, but sometimes we’ll head to Red Robin for buy one get one!
No Distractions
We made a rule when we got married to not have a TV in our bedroom. This was probably one of our best decisions as newlyweds. It opens the door for more conversations and less distractions before going to bed! It truly is a time for us to unwind together. Some of my favorite talks have happened then.
Sure, the things I’ve listed aren’t your normal date nights, but we’ve learned to cherish the moments we do have together even if it’s only 2 hours in the evenings! So if you find yourself sometimes struggling to find time for your spouse or if they work long hours – try one of these unconventional date night ideas!
