Don't Stop Dating

It’s that time of year where love is oozing from every which-where like a grilled cheese sandwich of affection—and twice as cheesy.

(Ryan said, “You have to go with that line; there’s so much cheese, I got constipated just reading it.” So here we are, Folks.)

What with the stenchy little cloud of romance that February is, it seems to all disappear by the 15th. Red and pink hearts are instantly replaced with pastel rainbows and bunnies with baskets of eggs in their furry clutches. Heartbroken teenaged girls who never recieved a teddy bear, and mournful women who saw nary a rose have magically forgotten that the day of love has gone and passed. Husbands and boyfriends wipe their brows and smile at a calendar, knowing that the day is good and gone for at least a year. High expectations for assorted chocolates and cards fo proffessed love have been forgotten. That red thing is hung back on its hanger at the back of the closet until its next appearance, 365 days from now. 

But shouldn’t love be celebrated every day? 

If you’re like me, Valentine’s Day is jus another day. (could this be that my first boyfriend bought me a hersheys chocolate bar and a pack of gum for Valentine’s Day? Probably. But my husband flew to Colorado to spend less than 24 hours with me on Valentine’s Day too, so… it’s probably the disappointing and unromantic weather.) However, several millions of people flock to the stores and flower shops to impress their loved ones on this ONE DAY, every year. 

Don’t be the couple that dusts off their finest outfits for a night out on the town for the first time in a year, just because its a holiday to celebrate love. Why? Because you shouldn’t have stopped dating each other in the first place.

So many people forget that the fun doesn’t stop after you get married, or settle in with a partner. You chose that person because you love each other, but love shouldn't end at the bedroom door, and shouldn’t be designated for Valentine’s Day. If you feel as though you’re just going through the motions, it’s time to try a little harder(reminder that if an effort is expected by you, chances are it’s expected FROM you too). Just like with that resolution you made last month, your relationship needs your attention too. It needs to be worked on. Don’t allow the romance to become a couch potato.

So how can you ensure that you don’t stop dating? Well… just don’t stop being “two crazy kids in love". Here are some important bullets to note: 

• PDA is not gross, and PDA is not a “new couple” thing. Hold hands, cuddle, hug, kiss even when you aren’t at home. 
• Keep flirting and making each other blush/laugh with those pick-up lines
• You know that hug them from behind and give a kiss on the cheek thing? Yeah, still do that.
• Always say “I love you” and not just when you end a call, or leave the house—ALWAYS. 
• Talk about everything under the sun. Communication is key, but I’m talking just…well, talking. 
• Stay up late together. Don’t just stay up late at the same time. Stay up late doing something together, even if it’s crackers and cheese at midnight. 

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert at relationships, and that’s not what I’m doing here; I’m simply relaying what I value about my own relationship, and what I believe makes it a successful one. Have you ever watched a product review on YouTube? Yeah. This is my product review of relationships: it’s healthier when you continue to date each other. Cultivate it, and not just with a lousy once a month date night to dinner at the same restaurant, in the same outfit as last month, eating the same food. 

Here are five of my very favorite no-hassle date ideas(perfect for parents, busy people, or poor college kids):

1. The $5 Movie Bin

You don’t have to go out to the movies. 

This is one of my favorites because I really love the process; pumping tunes on the way to WalMart, sifting through old movies, that “What?! You haven’t seen this??” and the “Holy cow! I used to watch this so much that my grandma banned it!”(True story, Never Ending Story on repeat.) and you get to bring your own snacks. Some of our favorite snacks include: makeshift smore’s(marchmallow fluff, teddy grahams, hersheys drops) microwave popcorn, cheese board, 1min. microwave skookie, and favorite $1 bag of chips from WalMart. Actually, I think the best part is that pants are optional. No pants=awesome. *great way to stay up late together

2. The Ol’ Walk Until You Drop

This has always been a fan favorite with Ryan and I. 

You simply step out of your front door, pick a direction, and walk until you get too tired. Probably a name for it—urban hiking? We’ve found ourselves so far from home sometimes that we don’t get home until it’s nearly dark outside. The great thing about doing this in a city is that there are restaurants and cafes to stop at if you get too hungry. When we go on road trips, we have amazing conversations that we call “road trip talk” walking talk is really good too. *great way to talk about everything under the sun

3. Sit Outside and Watch it Together

You don’t even have to do anyting. You don’t have to move, you don’t have to talk—just sit for a while. Watch the sunrise, the sunset, or gaze at the stars. Just take some time to watch the outside together. *great way to spend quality time together, and do a bit of that PDA

4. Eat Something New

Trying something new with Ryan is one of my absolute all time favorite things to do. Whether its cheese, soup, sandwiches, unique pizza toppings—I love eating new things with my best friend. It’s a tasty little adventure, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. Sometimes, we like to walk through a grocery store until we find one or two things we’d like to try(this is best practiced when you’re starving, beacuse EVERYTHING looks tasty)

5. Read a Book Together

We try to do this every night; I’ve read roughly eleven books, and counting, to Ryan. I guess you wouldn’t call this a “date” but it’s how we continue to date each other. We love to snuggle and we love to talk, and I love to share things that interest me. Reading is one way we do all of that at the same time. It’s a hobby we share and do together. If you can find a hobby that you love to share with your person, it’s high on my reccomendation list. Quality time is always a good time, and it’s easy to share that time together if it’s doing someting you love. 

How do you date your spouse/partner? I’d love to hear in the comments; we are always looking for new ways to spend time together. 

Remember this upcoming Valentine’s Day that it’s not your only chance to date each other. It’s not the only night that romance is allowed. 

Don’t stop dating, and be excellent to each other. 

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My next post will be going live on Feb. 26th, 2020. 

As of right now, blog posts will be biweekly, on Wednesdays. If you’ve been reading long enough, you’ll know that’s subject to change. I’ll be announcing the date of new posts at the end of each post, the top of the blog home page, my Instagram bio, and Instagram stories. So you can’t miss it!

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Blog: @smalltown.squirrel

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Personal: @sh3rlc3