5 Ways to Prepare for a Date

5 Ways to Prepare for a Date has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BeHealthyForEveryPartofLife #CollectiveBias

You probably don’t know this (I mean, why would you?), but my husband and I have been keynote speakers at many marriage seminars throughout the years and the first thing we tell married couples is this: “Never stop dating!” And I’m going to go a step further and share 5 ways to prepare for a date with your spouse.

Our marriage is definitely not perfect, but we sure do love each other. We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs, especially when the toilet seat is left in the up position and I stumble to the bathroom in the middle of the night. We’ve been married for 33 years and I do believe I’ve learned a few tricks on how to keep the spice in my married life.

Marriage is sometimes spelled W O R K, but work can be fun! Over the years, we’ve tried to never take each other for granted (and when I find myself doing that, I give myself a little wake-up shake).

I get it. I do. You get married, have a couple of kids and often times romance gets pushed aside because life happens. It pays to remember that in the blink of an eye the kids will be grown and gone. You don’t want to be that couple you see in restaurants that are eating silently OR looking down at their phones.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Date With Your Spouse

1. Pick out your outfit and shoes in advance.

Even when it’s not a dress-up date, I want to look my absolute best for a night of flirtatious fun!

Don’t wait until the last minute to realize your sexy blouse is in the dirty clothes hamper. No, now is not the time to try and salvage that blouse. A spritz of cologne will not help. Pick out your outfit well in advance so you can make sure it’s not wrinkled. Am I the only girl in the world who irons most of her clothes?

2. Make sure you’re well rested.

Don’t scoff at this one! I’m a morning person. That means I’m up early. If possible, on date night, I try to sneak in a 15-minute nap in the afternoon. Since I work from home, this is totally doable. I don’t recommend sleeping on the job if you don’t work from home.

3. Take a nice, long shower or bubble bath.

Even if I’ve already showered that morning, I take another one. I want to look my absolute best.

4. Take time with your hair and makeup.

Most days you’ll find me with my hair in a ponytail and a freshly scrubbed face. Remember, I work from home. But on date night, I like to go all out. I start with moisturizer, primer, the whole works – to make myself look natural with a touch of glam. Wink! I also take extra time with my hair.

5. Stock your purse.

My final step for preparing for date night is to stock my purse. First, I clean it out. How can my purse get so messy? Also, if we’re going to a movie, I must make room for my decaf coffee. Most movie theaters don’t offer anything sugar-free AND decaf, except water. I don’t want water on date night. I just don’t. So I sneak in a decaf coffee from the local coffee shop. 🙂

Then I make sure I have ChapStick Total Hydration. I’ve always said that if I’m ever stranded on a deserted island and I could only have one item with me, it would be my ChapStick.

It’s 100% natural, age-defying and instantly smooths and moisturizes. I can’t live without it. It’s on my nightstand at all times and it’s always in my purse. I’ve got to keep these lips kissable!

What else is in my purse? Advil Liqui-Gels and Nexium 24HR. There’s no way I’m allowing a headache or indigestion (just in case we eat spicy food) ruin my date night.

Nothing’s faster on tough pain than Advil Liqui-Gels (among OTC pain relievers) and Nexium 24HR is the #1 prescribed acid blocker brand (based on IMS health data: total Nexium® prescriptions 2006 – 2014) and may take 1 to 4 days for full effect. Use as directed.

If I find myself running low on these date-night essentials, I make sure I swing by Walmart to stock up.

My favorite ChapStick and Advil Liqui-Gels are located on the pain relief aisle.

DIY Pouch for Date Night

I even went as far as to make a little pouch for my date night essentials using Duck tape and a zippered bag. It’s so easy. Pick out your favorite duck/duct (both are correct, just sayin’) tape and cover the bag in whatever pattern you like. Flip to the other side and do the same.

Regular date nights are one way that my husband and I make sure we stay connected. Have you and your spouse been on a date lately? What’s in your purse on date night?