All posts tagged: New England

Our Top Ten 2017 Posts for Marriage Resources and Date Ideas

Our Top Ten 2017 Posts for Marriage Resources and Date Ideas

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We’ve successfully reached a second year in blogging and we have a lot to celebrate. We have an ever growing and amazing community of 5,000+ readers, we’ve written 94 posts, and have spent countless hours planning, researching, writing, photographing, and learning. We’ve even started a monthly newsletter, and have collaborated with fellow relationship bloggers and date night worthy products and services. The long hours haven’t been easy but it’s certainly been worth it! So in celebration of our two year blogiversary, here’s a round up of the top ten articles that became everyone’s favorite over the past year. If you’re not a weekly reader or if this is your first time here, this is a great way to get to know us. We invite you read and join the community. 1. 50 Questions to Really Get to Know Your Spouse Maybe you’ve been married for a while and the conversation has run dry. Maybe you’re newly married or engaged and want to know your partner on a deeper level. Or maybe you two are so …

Antique Store Scavenger Hunt Date Night

Antique Store Scavenger Hunt Date Night – with Free PDF Download

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A scavenger hunt at an antique store is the perfect winter date idea for those rainy or snowy nights when you want to leave the house and do something other than the age old dinner and a movie. It’s fun to dig through the past finding a few treasures but mostly trash. It’s also a great budget date night! And who knows, you might find a sweet deal on an item or a fun trinket to commemorate the night. Here’s a list of thirty items to find. Split up and race each other if you’re the competitive type. Don’t forget to take photos for proof! Or find the items together, laughing at all of the odd novelties along the way. Download the scavenger hunt list here. Print and check off the items as you find them. Child’s highchair Glass chandelier Tea set Suitcase Copper teapot Sowing machine Toy car Child’s doll Type writer Globe Tea tin Cook book Gaudy broach Fur coat Hand mixer Candelabra Jacket with shoulder pads Turquoise jewelry Apron Clock Sequined dress …

What can rest do for your marriage?

9 Effective Ways to Stop Stress from Hurting Your Marriage

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We’re living in a world where everything is instant, households require two working parents, and stress/anxiety are a quickly growing psychological struggle for the masses. It’s so easy to get caught up in the trials of daily life without realizing the lasting impact it may have on your health and relationships. I’ve admittedly been a busy bee for the past couple of months. My nose has been in the laptop or a phone for far too long and I haven’t been enjoying the small things. In the grips of working 70 hours a week in my day job, running a blog part time, serving at church, and domestic duties, I have been stressed and consumed with everything I need to do. So much so, that it affects my physical health and my attitude in relationships. My husband on the other hand is really good at rest. He can shut off the stress of to-do lists and immediately switch to having fun playing a video game or relaxing on the couch with me. All the while, …

25 ways to love your wife

25 Ways to Love Your Wife

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If you’ve been married for a minute, you may have heard of the book “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. If not, it is a must read for anyone looking to win at the game of marriage, meaning everyone who aspires to live life with their best friend! My wife and I have found this to be a very useful tool in identifying how each of us prefers to be loved. Not sure what you or your spouses love languages are? Take the quiz! As the title of the book suggests, there are 5 love languages: gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and physical touch. The titles are fairly self-explanatory; however, the book describes the implications of how the reader can adjust to their partners specific love language. On the flip side, the book offers you the opportunity to determine your own language and help you communicate that to your partner. The 5 love languages go both ways and here at Tonight’s Better Together, we wanted to give you simple …

DIY date night ideas: Time capsule with questions and free PDF templates

Time Capsule Date Night – With Free Downloadable Templates

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Time capsules are a fun community, school, or family activity. But they also make a really fun date night activity. Who doesn’t like dreaming and reminiscing together? It’s also a simple and easy idea that costs $5 or less to make, and can be made any time of the year. It’s fun to create together and even more fun to open at a later date.   What you’ll need 1 mason jar with lid (we recommend a wide rim so it’s easier to fit your hands inside) 2 pens 1 printed photo of the two of you from this year Front page of today’s newspaper Print the Date Night Time Capsule PDF template. It includes: “Don’t Open Until…” Label Goals and Predictions Guide This Year’s Events Guide 2 Letterheads   Instructions Download the Date Night Time Capsule PDF. Choose a date to open and write it on the label. Then tape the label inside the mason jar with the label facing out so you can read the date. This prevents any future weather or other wear …

7 fun New Years resolutions for marriage

7 Fun New Years Resolutions for Marriage

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Who said resolutions had to be painful? Here are seven easy (and did I mention fun?) marriage resolutions you and your boo can do now. Here’s to a year of building your marriage and having fun too! 1. Schedule a date night once a week Setting aside some time for a date every week will transform your marriage. That’s the whole reason why we’re doing this blog! Sit down with your honey and choose one night per week. Marking it on the calendar or choosing a specific day of the week really makes date night feel intentional and special. Need ideas? We have hundreds of them! 2. Find a hobby you can do together You married your best friend after all! Finding a hobby you can do together will bring the fun back into your marriage and build a stronger bond between the two of you. Find something you both like to do and be more intentional about doing it. If you or your spouse already have a hobby you individually enjoy doing, do it …

Christmas Recipes: Grandma’s Gingerbread Cookies

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The best part of marriage is creating Christmas traditions together. In a world of Christmas cookies, there are so many options to choose from. How can we possibly make a decision? We default to what we know and trust; family traditions. One of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes is my grandmother’s soft and chewy gingerbread cookies. It’s time to break out the Kitchenaid! Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  If you are using metal cookie sheets, line with parchment paper. A candy thermometer would be useful but we have never used one. Baking is all about the love, right? Ingredients: 1 cup dark molasses ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup white granulated sugar 4 teaspoons ground ginger 4 teaspoons ground ,cinnamon ¾ tablespoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp (We’ve used salted butter with no problem) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 6 cups sifted all-purpose flour Place the molasses, sugars, ginger and cinnamon in a double boiler over medium heat. We actually don’t own a double boiler so …

How You Can Use Myers-Briggs to Better Your Marriage

How You Can Use Myers-Briggs to Better Your Marriage

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Have you ever taken the Myers-Brigs test before? If you haven’t, it’s time to understand you and your spouse a little better. I believe that if you can understand the cause of what makes people make the decisions they do, you can really understand how to thrive with in your relationship with them.  With this free worksheet, learn how to communicate, motivate, protect, and care for your spouse. Don’t know what the Myers-Briggs test is? In short, it’s a test to give you accurate results of your psychological indicator type (I’m an INFJ and Eric is an ESTJ). Remember that everyone is unique and with 16 categories, there may be a couple traits that might not be exactly you. But it does gives you a deep understanding of who you are and what motivates the decisions you make. This test is used by psychologists and counselors helping clients to understand their complex personality, and even large corporations helping their employees thrive in their work environment. I’m sure you’ve taken Facebook quizzes before, but this is …

Salem Massachusetts

How to have the Perfect Day Adventure in Salem, MA

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For anyone looking for a wonderful day date, Salem, Massachusetts may fit the bill with its rich historical past. Much of it is related to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 – 1693, but there is so much more to the storied past of Salem. We just so happened to adventure through Salem around Halloween, which means that it is brimming with historical re-enactments, witch impersonators, and tons of other ghoulish fun. Salem is nestled just north of Boston along the coast and offers the adventuring couple many options to choose from. Here’s a list of recommended witchy and historical fun for you and your boo. 1. Hocus Pocus House You should definitely stop by the Hocus Pocus house on the way into town. This is the actual house featured in the film Hocus Pocus. It’s a little far away from the bustling downtown of Salem, so make sure to stop by on the way in or out of town. 2. Best parking in town For centrally located parking, head to the visitors center and …

Sundae Football Date Night - Over 60 Ice Cream Topping Ideas

The Ultimate Sundae Football Date Night with Over 60 Ice Cream Topping Ideas

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Sure the fall leaves are beautiful, the hot cider warms the soul and the apple cider donuts are deliciously delightful, but the best part of fall is football season! Football is a big deal in our house. Eric is from Washington so he’s a Seattle Seahawks fan and being from the golden state of California, I’m a 49er’s fan. We’re usually “that cute couple”. However, when a football game is on – especially when our teams are playing – we are (in the most loving way) a house divided. Some call it a rivalry, we call it flirting and team pride. So in celebration of fall and football season, we’ve come up with an awesome idea if you and your boo love football. Sweeten up your football date night with creative ice cream sundaes. It’s super simple and fun too! Choose any combination of the list of ice cream toppings below and enjoy with vanilla ice cream, your honey and football.  Remember to grab your toppings in your team’s colors and waffle cone bowls! Over …

Date night ideas with baby

Date Night Ideas with Baby

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We love supporting local businesses and bloggers. That’s why we’re excited to have Kristina Lough from the blog, “Loughs in Love” and local business, “Painted by the Shore“. You can find her beautiful hand painted totes, glasses and other goodies in shops across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. We hope you enjoy her fun (and honest) perspective of motherhood and date nights. Make sure to leave her a comment if you’ve enjoyed her post!     About a year before baby, my husband Eric and I instituted Friday date nights. Each week we take turns planning something fun to do together. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a chance to set aside everything else and enjoy time with one another. Cue baby Cooper. Our first date night after Coops was born consisted of Chinese food and bedtime for the both of us at 7:30pm. We were exhausted and actually getting that quality time back seemed seriously far fetched. Especially when the next couple of weeks passed with the same, take out food and early to …

Holiday donation ideas you can do together

Date Night with a Purpose: 5 Easy Holiday Donation Ideas You Can Do Together

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With the rush of the holidays, we tend to get wrapped up in our own agendas and needs that we forget about the needs of others that might not be in our circle of family and friends. Helping and giving to others feels great. Helping and giving to others as a couple is even better. My husband and I have had many great memories of volunteering together or doing something for community members in need. In fact, volunteering at church is how we met and it even led to our marriage. I fell in love with some Christmas cookies he baked for a production at our church and it was all downhill from there. We’ve put together some holiday specific activities to help members in need in your community that you and your spouse can do together, anytime and anywhere. All of these can be done within a couple of hours, are stress free and easy to do. Choose one (or more if you’d like!), download the available PDF’s and have fun getting generous together. …

Classic fettuccine carbonara recipe

Easy Date Night Recipe: Classic Fettuccine Carbonara

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Sometimes we just want to stay in for a date night and that means curating our own experience. If you’ve been dating for about two seconds then you are well aware of how daunting a date night in can be. We strive to bring recipes and experiences that lend themselves to low pressure date nights that foster communication and relaxation. With that, we are happy to announce that the Tonight’s Better Together team is growing! We have the distinct pleasure to announce the arrival of Chef Joseph Choi to our team. Chef Choi’s professional training and field experience will add much more depth and insight into Tonight’s Better Together’s recipe portfolio. Before we get to the recipe, let’s look a little deeper into the man, the myth, the legend: Joseph Choi. He was born and raised in Spokane,WA and began his career in the food industry at the age of 16. He initially studied Biochemistry at Washington State University while continuing to work in a kitchen in Pullman, Washington. In late 2010, he made the …

Romantic scanvenger hunt date night

Romantic Scavenger Hunt Date Night

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I’m sure you’ve done tons of scavenger hunts in your day, collecting random items with a group of friends for a probably not-so-great prize. When doing a scavenger hunt for our own date night, a lot of the items on lists we found seemed random. What did light bulbs and an old newspapers have to do with date night any way? So as we do here at Tonight’s Better Together, we came up with our own fun, creative list that’s romantic and perfect for date night. Scavenger Hunt Instructions: Below is a list of items to find. You can find these items in your neighborhood, the mall, the grocery store and your own home. The sky’s the limit! You can also download the PDF for easy traveling and checking off your found items. It’s fun to come together and see what each of you has come up with and it’s also fun to go on the adventure together. That’s why some items on this list you will need to split up for and others you …

Day date on Block Island, RI

Day Date on Block Island, RI

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Most people are familiar with locations like Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket Island. Memories of warm summer days with Atlantic Ocean breezes may come flooding through your conscious mind. A fun fact, Martha’s Vineyard was where the original Jaws movie was shot, but you can relax because the shark was fake and anytime a great white gets anywhere near a beach the authorities are hot on its tail. However, there is a lesser known Island off the coast of Rhode Island that, in our opinion, could be better than any of the aforementioned locations. Block Island is a small island that is just a ferry ride away for any who wish to enjoy its shores. With the summer heat in full swing, my wife and I decided to take a day for ourselves and go find some cooler climates. We landed on Block Island as we had not been there before and we had only heard good things from friends. We were pleasantly surprised to find this to be a relaxing day for two. …