Project 52: Week 1

This is Week 1 of the Project 52: Date Night

Dave and I had our first date night of 2010 on January 2nd.
It was a wonderful way to start off the New Year.

The kids all left the house by noon and then we were in bed for a much needed “nap”. Finally around 5pm we started thinking about dinner and nighttime entertainment.



We made reservations at PF Changs for 7pm, and spent the next hour getting dressed and “prettified”. I think we looked the best we had in weeks and headed out with an hour to kill. So we went to Target for a mundane trip of cologne, vacuum belt and other household accoutrements (We are still parents after all.)

We got to PF Chang’s with about 15 minutes to spare so we sat at the bar and had a cocktail while waiting for our table. We got a GREAT table that was raised up from the normal floor; it was like having a beautiful seat at the movies. After watching the people, discussing everything under the sun we settled into a great meal, some drinks and many laughs.

I think we finally got out of there around 8:30ish and went to Blockbuster for a few movies. Got home, changed into pjs and watched “Star Trek” (Which was AMAZING, see it!)



It was a really fun time; we drove a little through the lights at a local open air mall and talked about ice skating sometime before March. Perhaps I can drag my guy out there!

We don’t have a picture of us from out first date night of year, but I promise every week we will get a new picture. Need something to remember the years with right?

***************************************************************

Have you joined in the Project 52: Date Nights challenge?

Come with us and exercise your heart!

Project 52: Date Nights

I remember when we first met we dated every Wednesday and Friday night.

After work I would touch up my make up, straighten my clothes and spray a pretty scent over my neck.

When I got to his house we would do this funny little dance as we once again would get used to each other’s company. A touch here, a laugh there and finally we’d fall into one another’s company like two souls who’ve missed out on air our whole lives.

When we moved in together those moments became a bit rarer and though we have always done a date night, they became only Fridays and many times nothing more than a quiet house without the kids.

We had decided this coming year we would alternate responsibility of the weekly date nights. They will alternate between staying in, cooking, seeing the town and hiding out with just us, some music and the glow of the TV (My favorite).

In my walk through the blogosphere I came across Simply Modern Mom. Tiffany started up a Project 52: Date Nights.

A promise to yourself, your significant other and the relationship you create together.

Once a week date nights. Stay in and watch movies, make a meal together and eat on the back deck, go to a local art opening, have a night on the town with the opera and a fancy dinner, something that you can do after the kids go to bed to rekindle your romance.

Care to join me on the same journey?

Have you committed to spending more time with your kids this year? How about to get a better job/more pay?

Why wouldn’t you commit to the person you are sleeping next to? You spend 6-8 hours a night enjoying the energy of them next to you… perhaps it’s about time we all fell in love all over again!

Head on over to Simply Modern Mom’s site, sign the “agreement” post it on the door to the bedroom/closet, in the kitchen, wherever you will both see it every day!

• Every Friday night from 5pm- we fall asleep. We have no kids on most Fridays and Saturdays, so this works best. It’s a benefit of blended families.
• Can’t do the same thing twice in one month.
• We will rotate being in charge of date nights on a weekly basisMust create a date-like atmosphere.
  
• No frumpy clothes or pajamas (Unless the date calls for this, ex: Movie and snuggle night: pjs necessary). Make it a special event. Mind the details. But most of all, keep it simple.
  
• We must take a picture of us on date night.
• 
  

Make a new step to exercise your heart.

Then come back here and visit me every week as I document our dates!

Mr. Handy Man

Did you know my guy could build things?

He's pretty handy to have around.

He can cook, clean, help with laundry, chop down a tree without a chainsaw, fix a vehicle, spray paint like a tagger and MAKE me presents.

We like to cook, both of us rummaging through the kitchen, listening to music, having a drink and laughing, it's one of our favorite times together.

We have a plethora of spices and one small spice cabinet. After 5 months of living together it became too much for him. He took out some wood, measured, sanded and took my 14 year old son outside to hammer and make noise.

The space before - Bare and not attractive

The framework is done


Putting up the finished product


It is done! Very pretty huh? You should see it FULL of spices!

Needless to say I'm a happy, happy woman. I can find my spices and cooking is much easier when I'm not throwing spices into the sink when they fall out of the cabinet. Now we have fresh spices on the windowsill (Rosemary and Thyme) along with our shelf of spices!

New Years Day Brunch

Dave and I decided to do a New Years Day brunch for some family and friends. Due to illness many of them did not make it, however his parents came over and between the rest of our family and them, we ate happily!

The menu

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad

Bacon and Hashbrown Bake

Bacon Wrapped Figs

These figs were amazing.

We adapted the recipe a little from Betty Crocker's website

1 package (12 ounces) bacon, cut in half
2 packages (8 ounces each) dried whole Calimyrna figs, stems removed
Small red and yellow peppers cut into strips and 3 inches long
Fresh basil leaves

• Heat oven to 425ºF. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• Cut slit in each fig. Place basil leaf and pepper inside fig. Wrap bacon around the fig and place seam side down in pan.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until bacon is brown. Serve warm with toothpicks.

It is a New Year! 2010

We made it, survived the holidays, enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and had a crazy week mixed in with 10 people in the household and no one died, or even ended up in the hospital.

Let me sum up the last month of 2009 with a few photos.

We cut down a Christmas tree

We had Issa's Birthday party
(She was born Christmas Day three years ago!)

The Issa Cake!

Issa smiles with her cake

She got a doll for her birthday!

We opened gifts

Joey loves his Rubix cube

Ashlyn and her new coat

Faith wants to draw!

LaLa has no patience

Kara and her candy

Christmas at the Smith's


I love this picture of them
Kim, John and Dave

My boyfriend is silly!

Issa LOVES her princess set!


And now... it is time to clean up, get back into life again and start off our New Years with a bang!

Happy New Year, 2010 is a BRAND new beginning!
What will you do with this year?