Statement Necklace & Date Night

Hello! I hope November is off to a good start for you. :)

My hubby and I recently celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary! Despite our full schedules, we were able to carve out a few hours to steal away together, with no extra riders. Rico's World Kitchen, a favorite of ours, ended up being our stop. With an eclectic assortment of delicious food, good prices and a fun atmosphere, Rico's makes it difficult for us to try another place.  After, filling up on strawberry salad and cuban sandwiches, we made a pitstop at the mall for a phone repair and decided to peek into our favorite stores.

See you in a few, honey. He went to Dick's and I went to Altar'd State.

I've trained myself to go straight to the sale racks before browsing the rest of the store. This training paid off and I was rewarded with this $7.00 hat find! It went great with my outfit, so you know I just had to have it.



And this statement necklace? I've had it since April, but it's been way too hot to experiment with it. Not to mention the fact that I've never been into statement necklaces before. My instinct, while throwing an outfit together, is to reach for a long necklace. I'm afraid I've fallen into a necklace rut. Here's to trying new things!  Only problem is I need some bracelets to go with this copper and glass beauty.  That should be easily remedied soon!

Do you wear statement necklaces?

Outfit Breakdown:

Denim Jacket: Old Navy

Top: Target Clearance

Green Jeans: Marisa Jills

Booties: Clarks

Statement Necklace: English Rose by Premier Designs
Linking up with Shelbee On The Edge, Michelle's Paige, Not Dressed As Lamb, Classy Yet Trendy, Sydney Fashion Hunter, Living On Cloud Nine, Elegance and Mommyhood

Extra Thoughts on Dating

As I mentioned above, it was our anniversary and we kept it sweet and simple. There was no pressure to do something extravagant. Why? Because this year we made extra efforts to pour into our marriage. Escaping for a short respite was icing on the cake, though if a cruise was possible, I'd have done that as well! ;)  

Notice I said "this year". I say this because our last anniversary we came to the startling realization that we had begun to neglect each other.  We were becoming all business. How did we not notice? With four boys and a full schedule, our home is a bustle of activity. Not to mention a money vacuum. However, living disconnected can't be an option. So, we wrote a list of things we thought would be fun to do together.  

The list is done. Now what? How do we make this happen? It's not as easy as I would have thought. In fact, it took us a few months before we started getting some sort of system in place. Grab dinner, but make time for a walk. Once in awhile, take a full day to ourselves and go for a hike.  Another thing, go roller skating as a family. Yup. If we're all having fun together, those are sweet moments shared and great memories made. 

Wait. There's more. We realized that for us,  it's more than getting out together. How do we have connecting moments on a day-to-day basis? That may look like encouraging texts, praying together, acts of unsolicited service or surprises:  chocolates or flowers for no particular reason, etc.

These small connecting moments can add up to big ones. Like money in the bank.  Of course every couple is different. So to each has its' own connecting moment. The important thing is to make sure you're having them. We still fall into a rut at times, and there are just some seasons that are going to be crazy. Here is where I have to remind myself to show grace. We are not perfect. We are a work in progress!! 

This past weekend we went on a marriage retreat. Those are great investments! If you have one nearby coming up, try to go.  I always come home with good reminders and new insights. 

I leave you today with a small way that we connect. And that's being just plain silly.

While waiting to be seated, we made good use of the time by snapping a few blog pictures. I'm sure others waiting to be seated were entertained by our ridiculousness...

Glen's Blog Pics (He doesn't have a blog.)

So in review...if you're in a rut and not connecting here are a few of my unprofessional, but hopefully helpful suggestions:

• Plan a working date immediately! This is important! 
• Assess the situation. Can we identify a big problem or is it a conglomeration of little things? (Bigger problems may need outside help - that's ok!! This is important!)
• Make a list of things you both enjoy doing together.
• Make a plan! You may have to put some dates on the calendar. You may need another "work" date to get it done. But do it. This is important!
• Ask each other what are some small day to day things you can do for one another to make each other feel special. (Small investments add up!)
• Go On Marriage Retreats
• If you pray, pray together! We need all the help we can get.

Ok, so what do you to connect with your loved one? I'm always looking for creative ideas. 

Have a wonderful day my friends and remember to be silly from time to time!

Chrissy

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