Work That Core

When it comes to the core of your marriage relationship, shared beliefs can be very important. As you work on strengthening those beliefs together, you build unity, friendship, and companionship. As you strengthen your core, the rest of your marriage is strengthened. A fun and intense way to practice strengthening your core together would be to take a Core Physique Pilates class together. You can take your first class for just $10/person at Core Physique, located at 18415 Blanco Road, and can choose from a variety of days/times.

Photo courtesy of www.core-physique.com

Like your marriage, strengthening your core is not always an easy task but the benefits are highly advised! You'll feel stronger and healthier, both physically and in your marriage.

The Glory Days

What was your first date with your spouse? Was it special? Does thinking about it elicit old feelings of nervousness and excitement? For me, my first date with my husband ended up being 5 hours long! Now, I'm not suggesting that you must also take a 5-hr date. But what I am suggesting is that you go down memory lane and try to recreate aspects of that first exciting time together. As you do this, let the romance come alive and fall right back into those giddy feelings of new love. It'll add a spark to your well-established love fest and your marriage will be strengthened.

Photo courtesy of Brindle's Ice Creams Facebook

While the entire time of our first date was memorable, I'm going to recommend the last part of it as your next date night idea. We ended our evening at the delicious Brindle's Ice Creams. Located at 11255 Huebner Road, Brindle's is a cute ice cream shop that serves homemade ice cream, gelato, and espresso. You can grab a delicious cup of ice cream and cozy up with your loved on their comfy sofas. The atmosphere is way more comfy than your everyday ice cream shop and I guarantee the cream tastes better too! Most of us don't have time for 5 hours of nonstop fun, but you can take the time to run over to Brindle's and grab a quick treat to share (or if you are like me, eat your own cup and take bites of your spouse's too!).

Early Bird Gets the Worm... Or the Segway

Sometimes the desire to go on a date is there but finding the time just seems impossible. If you're willing to get up early, you can enjoy a wonderful, fun date and breakfast too! SegCity San Antonio Tours and Sales is a company that offers Segway tours in major cities throughout the state of Texas. In San Antonio, they offer the "Breakfast Tour" which involves 6:30am departure and a guided tour along the Riverwalk, King William District, and a hot breakfast at the Guenther House. The tour, including breakfast, lasts 2 hours so you'll have plenty of time to go about the rest of your busy day. If you are interested in the other San Antonio tours they have to offer, click here.

Photo courtesy of thesanantoniriverwalk.com

When it comes to your marriage, making time for one another needs to be a high priority. When you put each other first, you build love, trust, and appreciation for one another. So if you can't seem to find the time for a date during your day, try this Segway date before your day even begins.

The Grass is Always Gruene

The Texas Hill Country is the next door neighbor to good ole San Anton. The Hill Country is home to many gems including one of the greatest small towns in the state. Located along the Guadalupe River, Gruene, TX is home to the state's "oldest continually operating and most famous dance hall"- Gruene Hall. What started out as an 1800s dancehall has turned into a world famous venue. Famous musicians and artists have been performing here for decades. Your sure to catch someone exciting on a Friday or Saturday night. For a list of famous artists who have performed at Gruene Hall, click here. Ticket prices vary but are very affordable, usually $10-35/person. Whoever you see performing, your sure to work up an appetite. Located behind Gruene Hall is a delicious restaurant, the Gristmill. Open since 1977, the Gristmill stays in historic fashion with the rest of the town as the main building is an original cotton gin. You can learn more about the menu here.

Photo courtesy of gruenehall.com

Gruene, TX has remained true to its roots by saving the integrity of the businesses and people that founded this cute southern town. As you stroll through the strees of Gruene, enjoy live music in the dancehall, and satisfy your appetite with a delicious meal at the Gristmill, take the time to reflect on the foundation of your own marriage and family. What things are important to you? What standards or goals do you want to live by? Discuss these important things with your spouse. With the speed at which life seems to fly by these days, it's important to go back to roots every now and then and remember what things are truly important to your marriage. Doing this will help you stay on course together and build unity and confidence in one another.

Prime Time

When was the last time you got dressed up, went to a fancy steakhouse, and enjoyed each other’s company under candlelight? While it doesn’t have to be all of those, this sounds like the prime setting to really turn towards one another and connect. Put away your cellphones and tablets and really focus on connecting in meaningful, uplifting conversation. As you do this, you’ll turn towards one another which Dr. John Gottman says fills “the couple’s emotional bank account.” Spouses who do this are “building an emotional savings that are key to long-lasting romance.” Myron’s Prime Steakhouse, located at 10003 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78231, offers the prime time to bring your loved one for a special night of emotional savings. Myron’s is known around town for its savory steak, mouthwatering sides, and decadent desserts. It’s received several awards and high ratings, from quality, taste and service. Even better, Groupon currently is offering vouchers of $30 for Dinner for 2 and  $50 value or $60 for Dinner for 4 and $100 value.

Photo courtesy of groupon.com

If you're having trouble finding a sitter for the kids, take a look at our Parents' Night Out page for an ever-growing list of options for child care.

Party Art-y

For many parents, the conversation that happen inside their home revolve around a child’s vocabulary and interests. What’s going on with your children is central to your family life, but what’s going on in your marriage is vital to keeping that family life happy. What’s a better place to have an adult conversation than the San Antonio Museum of Art? Located at 200 West Jones Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78215, The SAMA offers an exciting event on the 2^nd Friday of every month called: “Art Party.” This event is $10/adult and is held from 6pm-8:30pm. This Friday, March 8^th, the Dirty River Dixie Band will be playing, drinks will be available for purchase, various gallery tours will be available, “Art Activity: TASK Night” will be happening, and a food truck might even show up. From their website, “TASK is an improvisational art event. Write a task for someone else to complete and add it to the TASK pool. Pull out a task and complete it using materials we provide.” For more information, visit their website by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of samuseum.org

Love Language Date

Do you know what you Love Language is? Do you know your spouse's Love Language? Gary Chapman has discovered the 5 ways people most often feel loved- aka: 5 Love Languages. You can read his book or just take the quiz online here to discover you and your spouse's love languages. Knowing how you feel most loved and how your spouse feels most loved can really help your marital relationship be strong and effective.

We took the test, got our results, and then put it to the test on our date night here. You can watch the video below and read more about the date from this previous post. We recommend taking the test and trying this out on your next date, whether that be at home or on the town. The purpose of the Love Languages is to apply them daily, so give it a shot and keep working at helping your spouse feel loved in the most effective ways.

The Rollercade

Keep the flame burning under the neon lights of the San Antonio’s Rollercade. One of the city’s oldies but goodies, The Rollercade is a family owned and operated skate rink that has been around since 1959. The Rollercade’s décor is full of neon and brings you right back to the glory days of the 70s and 80s. While the hair and clothing options have since improved, the Rollercade continues to offer the memorable entertainment found in a classic roller rink.  Located at 223 Recoleta, San Antonio, TX 78216, the rink is open Tuesday-Sunday. Specials run throughout the week making this an ideal weeknight date too. These including “Bargain Day” on Tuesday and “Adult Skate Night” on Wednesday. For more information on pricing, see here.

Photo courtesy of therollercade.com

The Rollercade can be a reminder of simpler times. Life can be crazy, busy, and many things can fall to the wayside. However, your marriage doesn't fall to the back burner. You can keep the flame burning between you and your spouse through simply daily tasks. According to strongermarriage.org, these 10 tasks are just a few ways you can improve your relationship daily. Take the time as you skate down the floor with your loved one to try some of these out.
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