Written by Candace on February 11, 2014 | 2 Comments

Date Idea:
Dining Table Tennis

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it hundred times more – there is value in date nights.

Each one is like making a personal investment into your relationship. Whether they are simple or elaborate. Whether they are emotional or just plain fun. Each is worth the time and energy you put in.

I have a lot of friends with children who have a hard time making date nights happen. Babysitters are expensive and date nights take even more energy to plan when you already feel depleted. If you’re in that boat, we have a treat for you today. I got a little help on this one from my friend and mother of two, Kate, from StyleSmaller. She found a perfect way to have a little friendly competition with her husband without having to leave the house. A perfect date idea to enjoy after putting the kids to bed at night.

Introducing Dining Table Tennis by Red Envelope. Let the games begin!

This would be a unique Valentine’s Day gift and one that could result in a ton of fun. And since February is all about being affectionate, feel free to offer hugs, kisses, tickling and teasing to your opponent.

If you think someone else might enjoy this date idea too, please feel free to SHARE.

P.S. Check out our instagram feed to see the date idea in action!

Chime in or Share

Written by Candace on January 22, 2014 | 3 Comments

A Year of
Date Ideas

This is the year to MAKE MARRIAGE HAPPEN. This is the year to make your marriage happen.

I believe it can be done one date at a time. The date idea is less about the activity and more about making a conscious investment into your relationship. By setting aside time to focus solely on each other, you are telling your spouse they are your priority. You are also telling yourself that marriage is your priority. Both of which are reminders worth repeating on a consistent basis.

Date nights aren’t just going to happen. You have to plan for them. And then you have to fight for them. To be more intentional about our dates this year, Vitaliy and I trying something new. Here’s the idea – map out a minimum of one date each month. More dates are always recommended, but hopefully this will help you accomplish at least one special date each month this year.

Here are the instructions:

1. Brainstorm 12 date ideas with your spouse. Mix things up with dinners/activities/sight seeing/etc.

2. Once you’ve decided on your 12 for the year, write each idea on a notecard.

3. Then shuffle the notecards and, without looking at the ideas, place them in 12 separate envelopes. Then label each envelope with a month of the year.

4. At the beginning of each month, open up the corresponding envelope and pick a date to make it happen that month. Then add it to your calendar and arrange for childcare if needed.

That’s it! Work together. Be intentional. Make marriage happen.

Styling by Stylesmaller

Chime in or Share

Written by Candace on November 27, 2013 | 4 Comments

2013 Christmas Advent Calendar

Christmas is such a special time of the year, but it can easily become one of the most stressful times of the year too.

I want to get lost in the season, but it’s so easy to forget the reason: Jesus. Vitaliy and I have made a few crucial decisions this year in order to best enjoy this special time.

1. We worked our butts off to deliver all 2013 weddings before Thanksgiving. Woohoo!

2. We said no to any family portraits past November 1 so that our workload stayed manageable. Saying no to potential income is always scary so it was really a test of faith.

3. We decided against taking a self-portrait for our Christmas cards this year. You can see 2011’s picture at the top of this previous post.

4. We decided not to take a picture because we’re not going to send out Christmas cards this year. I’m still mourning this decision, but you can enjoy 2012’s Christmas card.

One of the things we’ve always wanted to do was create an Advent Calendar for ourselves. Thanks to Kate from Style Smaller, we now have a simple and achievable way to make it happen. We hope to use this calendar for two things. 1. To enjoy the simple pleasures and traditions of the Christmas season. 2. To reflect on the importance and significance of the birth of Jesus.

Here are few ideas we’ve come up with so far.

1. Begin John Piper’s daily reflection of the Christmas story.

2. Schedule and invite friends for a National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie night.

3. Make homemade Christmas cards together and send them to our Compassion sponsored children.

4. Drop everything and do something spontaneous together.

5. Begin creating a 2013 family photo album.

6. Go caroling with our community group.

We’re going to spend this weekend designing and planning the rest of our advent calendar before December starts on Sunday. Have any suggestions for us? I’d love any ideas you want to share in the comments section. And if you don’t have access to mini boxes like these from Paper Source, you can also use envelopes like we did for this valentine’s advent calendar.

All styling by the lovely Kate from Style Smaller for Pictilio. Thank you! She also recommends filling a few boxes with sweet treats like cookies or Hershey kisses.

Chime in or Share