Melbourne & Spending Time With Your Spouse

My husband and I make it a priority to invest in our relationship.  But it’s hard work! Finding time to go on a date, let alone eat dinner together, is difficult.  I would say that our family isn’t child-centred.  While a lot of our life revolves around our children, the relationship between Matt and I is very important for our family.  You see, if Matt and I are on the same page, the kids benefit greatly from this.   So, we try (but don’t always succeed) to find some time each week to be a couple.

In May, I had an opportunity to go down Melbourne for a Bloggers Brunch run by Kids Business and Room to Grow TV.  My husband and I decided to take the opportunity to make a childless weekend of it. Oh, and I ADORE Melbourne.

Bloggers Brunch Melbourne

I always enjoy meeting with other bloggers who understand that sometimes, Twittering while people are speaking is not impolite, but actually the opposite! I also enjoy talking to people about their products and why they are passionate about them. 

{twittering snippets of the morning}

{meeting bloggers and contacts}

Christie Kids Business – Me — Nic Planning With Kids – Marthese Romantic Flair Original – Lovely Lady in Red Top – Renee Bra Queen

{love Bruder}

I was especially impressed with the attention to detail in the Bruder products. They really are just like a real life version, right down to the number plates. My son adores his Bruder truck.

I also enjoyed looking at the clever Playskool products, smart MegaBlocks, gorgeous Pink Poppy pretties, and finding out that Disney on Ice will be in Brisbane for the school holidays (which I’m taking the kids to see).

I also want to thank KleenexMums, Zap Creation and Little Tikes who supported this event.

Photos courtesy of Little Red Photography

Remember Why I Married This Man

After the Bloggers brunch, the husband and I enjoyed the rest of the weekend together.  It was beyond fantastic to spend dedicated time with the man I married. Here are some snaps:

I loved reacquainting myself with why I married this man. Images (left to right):

I love this man because…

1. He knows how much I like red, so booked a hotel with based on what I love.

2. He makes me laugh.

3. He’s uber handsome.

4. He’s always happy to carry my things for me. Yes, even my handbag (what a man!)

5. He loves trains and trams, and navigated me around Melbourne like a pro!

6. He’s patient and happy for me to look at every second hand bookshop we walk past.

Finding time to be a couple

Matt and I are always looking for creative ways to have time together.  What works (and what doesn’t) varies very much to where we are at in our lives, but here are some of the things that are worth a try:

1. Have a regular babysitter

My friend has a regular babysitting come on the same night every week. This hasn’t worked for us as my husband’s schedule is always changing, but if you can arrange regular dates like this, it’s brilliant!

2. Stay in date

You don’t necessarily have to go out of the house to have a date. Matt and I often feed the kids early and have a special dinner together, followed by a movie. The only trick here is to make sure you treat it like a date and don’t run around doing housework.

3. Day dates

Last year, I had a day during the week without any children at home. I made use of this time during the day to have lunch with Matt at his work.  It worked surprisingly well because we both weren’t dead tired.

4. Weekend getaway

We’ve only just began to enjoy weekends away, and it’s nothing short of BRILLIANT! Having a weekend away without children is almost impossible when you have a baby to care for, but for those of you who are in the baby stage, just know it does happen — eventually.

5. Weekend brunch

A weekend brunch is another fun time to try. The tricky thing is finding a babysitter but it’s worth the effort.

In our experience, raising children brings such joy to a family, but it also can put a lot of strain on a couple’s relationship.  Matt and I make it a priority to enjoy each other’s company without the children. Just as we also make it a priority to spend time with the children as a family. It’s hard work to make it happen but so very worth it.

When was the last time you went on a date with your spouse?

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