By: Brittany Ann
My husband and I have been married almost eight years now. Short enough that we are still learning every day, but long enough that we’re starting to fall into some of the same ol’ routines.
And while I’m a huge fan of routines in daily life, when things get TOO routine, they often start to get boring and stale… and no one wants that!
Are you and your husband stuck in the same ol’ same ol’ boring routine? Why not take some steps to make your marriage fun again?
(I mean, since you’re stuck with each other–might as well make the most of it, right 😉 )
Here are 10 ways to do just that.
1. Carve Out Time for Each Other
Between work, school, church and other family obligations, it’s all too easy to get so busy that you barely have any time left for each other. Don’t let this happen.
Whether it’s once a week, once a month or 15 minutes at the end of each day, carve out a special space for one-on-one time and intimate conversation. Put it on your calendar and guard it closely. After all, you can’t have fun together if you never spend any time together, now can you?
Good marriages don’t just happen. You have to be intentional about it.
2. Surprise Each Other
That being said, you don’t have to wait until you can block out a chunk of time together before you can do something fun. There are plenty of little things you can do all throughout the day to him know you’re thinking of him, and they only take a minute.
For example, you could:
- Send him sweet, funny or sexy text messages while he’s at work. (Not sure what to write? Here are 365 Text Message Love Note Ideas to get you started.)
- Surprise him with a extra long kiss – do it when he’s least expecting it.
- Leave sexy sticky notes where he’s sure to find them — in his sock drawer, on the mirror, alllll over the inside of his car 🙂 (Use these sexy sticky notes – they’re absolutely adorable)
- Give him a back rub
- Make his favorite meal
- Write him a love letter of appreciation for all of the things he’s done for your family lately.
Get creative!
3. Get Silly
Who says that when you grow up, you have to be serious all the time? Let loose and get silly!
Surprise him with silly string, goofy glasses or a water balloon fight. Tell corny jokes, have tickle fights, or arrange a hilarious scavenger hunt.
One morning I woke up and my husband had put sunglasses on a pineapple sitting on the counter. I laughed about it all day! Another time, I crab-walked down a busy, downtown sidewalk just to make him smile. That’s totally not like me. It worked, though, and he still remembers it to this day.
Sure, you run the risk of embarrassing yourself, but you’ll also get some hilarious stories to look back on. And isn’t a good marriage worth it?
4. Try Something New
What have you always wanted to learn, do or try that you’ve never gotten a chance to? Why not learn together?
Whether it’s something as adventurous as skydiving or as relaxing as paddle boating, learning something new together is a great way to keep things fresh, exciting and interesting. Plus, there are all sorts of options for every budget and time frame, so you truly have no excuse.
Oh, and be sure to take a picture! I LOVE the idea of assembling it into a photo album at the end of the year – how fun would that be to look back on?
5. Find New Reasons to Celebrate
Today, my son did really well on his maths test at school. I made a big fuss over him, and he was absolutely beaming. He loved the attention.
As mums, it’s so easy to make a fuss over our children, but how often do we celebrate our spouses and our marriages? Sure there is Valentine’s Day and our anniversary, but is twice a year really enough? (And if you’re like some super practical people–myself included–you might not even make a fuss over those!)
So find things to celebrate.
Made it through a weekend with the in-laws? Awesome! Agreed on which couch to buy AND what paint colour to use in the living room? That’s great! High fives and cupcakes for everyone! You’re rockin’ this marriage thing.
6. Choose to Be Positive
Sure, you could argue that those things aren’t really worth celebrating. You could argue that your life is so bad that it isn’t worth celebrating at all. And maybe it is; I don’t know your situation.
But the fact is — every day, you have a choice. You can choose to be positive and focus on the good things in life, or you can choose to be negative and focus on the bad.
Even if your home is falling apart, even if your kids hate you… You still have a choice. Make it a good one. And *hopefully* the rest of your family will follow along.
7. Be Affectionate
Is your or your spouse’s love language physical touch? Then a little physical affection is an absolutely must. Don’t save it for the bedroom either – make it a part of your every day!
Kiss each other every time you leave and every time you return. Hold hands when out and about, even if it’s just at the grocery store. Grab each other’s bottoms as you walk by, or playfully graze a thigh when no one is looking.
And then, of course, don’t forget to take it to the bedroom too!
8. Play Games Together
When is the last time you and your hubby busted out the board games? If it’s been a while, it might be time to pull them out and dust them off. A little friendly competition is a great way to have fun in marriage–and it can be done on next to no notice for next to no money, if not free.
Play a board game like Sorry or a card game like Uno. Play along with a game show on TV, like Family Feud or Wheel of Fortune. Go out and play tennis or basketball, or set up a mini golf course right in your own backyard. Play by the rules or invent your own–just as long as you’re having fun!
9. Daydream Together
What would you do if you won 1,000? What if you had a whole month off of work and nothing to do? What will you do once retirement age rolls around?
While these things may be unlikely or at least a ways off, they are sure fun to dream about! So, what would you do? What would your husband do? Daydream together!
Plus, you may just decide your dreams and goals aren’t as crazy or unrealistic as you thought they might be… and maybe you could even come up with a plan for making them actually happen.
10. Let Go of the Little Things
Mad at your spouse about something? It happens.
But while minor irritations and annoyances may be unavoidable, the anger you feel after the fact doesn’t have to be.
Your husband doesn’t pick up his socks? Annoying, but not the end of the world. He’s gained a few pounds around his middle? Not fun, but it could be way worse.
Yes, if there are major issues, you will need to address them and deal with them, but for minor things, why not just let them go? The only thing nagging accomplishes is making people irritated, and chances are you have your fair share of annoying habits as well. (just sayin…)
Article supplied with thanks to Equipping Godly Women.
About the Author: Brittany is a wife, a mother of three, a writer, author, teacher, and lover of Jesus!