Our #keepthelovealive Retreat & How to Plan Your Own

Last weekend Loverboy and I went on a #keepthelovealive Retreat. I named them this because before we were even married we were told to take time alone every few months to just get away and be intentional. So we're keeping the love alive, yes?

This time around we hit up Airbnb (which is awesome and I'm totally sold on and can't wait to use again!) and found a secluded cabin on Bass Lake in New Richmond, WI. It was super beautiful and the perfect little spot for a quick getaway. We left Friday morning and came back Saturday afternoon, so it was just over 24 hours. 

We spent a lot of time reading, praying, and talking, either cuddled up on the cozy couches, enjoying the view from the deck, or walking through the country neighborhood or near the lake. We enjoyed the hot tub and grill, and explored an antique shop in Hudson before our dinner at a local Caribbean restaurant. 

All-in-all, it was wonderful, and I highly recommend doing something similar if you are married. Get away for 24 hours or a long weekend and spend some extended intentional time with your spouse. But you might be wondering just exactly how to go about this, or what we did during our time. Well then, read on!

{ain't he handsome??

Here are just a few tips for having your very own #keepthelovealive retreat ...

1. Have a plan

It was super helpful for us to set aside some time before the weekend and plan out things we wanted to do, read, talk about, pray for, etc. We brought along a couple marriage books and read and talked though some of them, and we had time set aside for time with the Lord alone, and time together. We read through and discussed this ebook, 5 Simple Marriage Tools. We also brought a couple games and planned to watch a movie. 

2. Get on the same page

It's important that as you plan this retreat that you and your spouse are on the same page with your priorities and expectations for the time. Sit down and write down or talk about what each of you are hoping to gain from the retreat. If one of you is looking forward to relaxing and laying around all day while the other can't wait to go hiking and do a bunch of activities, it's going to be a tough realization once the time comes.

3. Keep it affordable... or don't!

You can totally make a retreat affordable! We did so by using Airbnb and keeping it to one night. Other than the expense of where we stayed, we just had to pay for a dinner out and that was it. Easy, peasey. But, if you have the funds, and you want to, why not splurge and spoil your spouse a bit? Just make sure it's in the budget! ;)

I really do hope that you go on your very own #keepthelovealive retreat. And it can totally be themed too! This retreat we focused on our marriage (duh), but we also focused on justice and human trafficking, both in our praying and time with the Lord, and with our conversation and planning with each other. It's cool to see how the Spirit leads when you let Him.

P.S. Do you follow me on instagram? If not, first of all, I'm sorry for your loss. Secondly, you should! All these photos are from my instagram, so just imagine! You could have followed along for all the #keepthelovealive goodness in real time. Next time, friend. Next time.

5 Unique Valentine's Day Date Ideas

So, in case you are unaware, this weekend is Valentine's Day! [Men... don't panic, you still have a few days to pull something together for your sweetie!] I love Valentine's Day because 1) I love love 2) It's an excuse to be cheesy romantic 3) It's a day set apart to express your love for others. What's not to love? Even if you don't have a special someone in your life, why not grab a friend and have a Galentine's Day date? 

If you're not quite sure what to do this Valentine's Day, then read on for 5 fun, unique date ideas!

1. Dinner & Games at Dave & Busters

If you've never been to a Dave & Busters, I'd highly recommend it for an action-packed, competitive date night! Loverboy had a blast flying planes, riding motorcycles, shooting the bad guys, and more at this Adult "Chuck E. Cheese." We did the "Eat & Play" combo which allowed us to choose from a large selection of entrees and then gave us each a $10 play card for the arcade area. Such an awesome date night that both of us will remember for awhile.

2. Have a TV Show Themed Dinner
Loverboy and I adore the show Parks & Recreation. Recently, the last season premiered, so we decided to make a date out of it and make a breakfast for dinner that Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson would be proud of. Waffles and bacon, people. Waffles and bacon. Why not choose your favorite TV show or movie and make a themed night out of it, complete with the characters' favorite foods?

3. Visit the St. Paul Cathedral
Or, ya know, find some similar place in your city. The cathedral is free and open to visitors, and is a fun way to pass an hour or two. We checked out a little diner nearby for lunch on MLK day, then headed to the Cathedral to take in the incredible architecture. Plus, it was fun to have to be sneaky quiet while we were hyped up on a day off.

4. Go iceskating
A Classic winter date. BUT, made so much better when it's a couple blocks from your house at a free park that provides free skates, popcorn, hot cocoa, and s'mores! Not even joking! Check out this schedule to find parks near you in the Cities and when they are open for what type of skating. In case you're curious, Windom Park is where we went with all the awesome amenities.

5. Dinner out at a new restaurant

This is what we'll be doing for Valentine's Day. Well, technically one of my besties is getting married on V Day, so we're datin' it up on Friday. We will be checking out Masu Sushi, which is in NE Minneapolis and was voted best Sushi in the Cities! 

Obviously, all of these dates would be awesome for any day, not just Valentine's Day, so why not put some of them on the calendar, or better yet, surprise your love?

What are your Valentine's Day plans? 

Four Months

After three months of doing these monthly marriage posts, I have to say, they've accidentally become somewhat of a tradition and something that I look forward to every month. Taking a moment to look back on the previous 30 days to remember and be grateful. It's kinda nice.

So this fourth month of marriage started out with a night's stay at a B&B in Stillwater, MN. Which was sooooo wonderful and came at the perfect time right as Loverboy and I were both feeling a lot of job stress. We have been strongly encouraged by multiple different people to take a little getaway 2–4 times a year... just some time for the two of us to be intentional, reconnect, get away from all the hubbub of life, and work on our marriage.

This first trip was pretty chill and we didn't have a ton of super intense marriage building time, but just to get away and have fun together was so great. We stayed at the Ann Bean Mansion, dined at Marx Fusion Bistro, and got a private tour at the Warden's House Museum. We highly recommend all of those experiences! Also, I am officially dubbing these getaways as #keepthelovealive weekends. Just because hashtags are #ridiculous, but I still #lovethem.

Ann Bean Mansion

Marx Fusion Bistro

Warden's House Museum Tour

Other highlights included a small group Christmas party, finally getting my name put on our Wells Fargo account, tons of Christmas celebrations, a fancy dinner with friends, lots of good family time (especially with some sibs), the beginning of what I hope to be a decluttering trend for the year, an epic date night at Dave & Busters, trivia with the neighbor, and quite a few new recipes.

This was a pretty sweet month of lots of time together, learning how to spend lots of time together without getting on each other's nerves (ha!), dreaming of the future and asking God how he wants to use us, and learning more about communication and openness. All good things. Not all easy, but definitely good. :)

I love you hubs and am so grateful for another month together. You've got my heart, boi.