For those of you who don’t know my wife, her name is Amanda. She is an accomplished author of 9 books. She hit the New York Times bestseller list… twice.

She does a million other amazing things. In short, she is badass, and it’s clear I married up. She is my favorite human.

She is who I crave to spend the most time with in my life. In the past, Amanda and I would routinely try to find a time on our schedule to have a date night. It didn’t happen very often. Once or twice a month was doing well.

Our schedules stay pretty full with kid stuff, family stuff, work stuff, social stuff. But in the last year we’ve found three new ways to spend a lot more quality time together. Just the two of us, and it’s been awesome.

The first one: Breakfast Dates 

Yep, breakfast. There is a fantastic little hole-in-the-wall breakfast place close to our home where we can always get a table. We started by going on the occasional weekend morning when the kids were staying overnight with family or friends.

We found these breakfast meetings gave us something far more than delicious food. They gave us another means of dating. They feel like dates even though they are in the morning. And we found it’s far easier to fit these dates into our schedules than date nights. Plus, these meetings are productive, as we discuss projects we’re working on and brainstorm solutions together.

Next thing you know we are putting these meetings on our daily planner during the week, just like any other client or business meeting. So now we go to breakfast at least twice a week and we both look forward to them. We discuss important things and unimportant things. It’s awesome, and I highly recommend morning dating.

The second: Neighborhood Walks

Another new part of our routine is that we go on walks together, often after dinner.  Sometimes we walk to breakfast. Another popular time is right after we finish our work for the day, and we are both eager to get up and move after sitting for so long. We don’t walk super far, but it’s long enough to get some health benefits from it.

We have a route that takes us about 30 minutes. We both have Fitbits, and one walk knocks off about half of the daily goal for steps. Beyond the health benefits of getting our steps in, it’s yet another time we get to spend together. Conversation varies from things we are reading to family dynamics to strategizing new business ventures.

This lovely habit has increased with the onset of better weather. So, I’m not sure what we’ll do when it gets cold again, but at this point I don’t care. I’m just enjoying the extra time with Amanda while burning some extra calories.

And the third: Drinks on the Deck 

This last new habit that we love is definitely seasonal, and not nearly as healthy as the daily walks. We have two big decks at our house. Depending on what time of day it is, the decks can differ in temperature by up to 15 degrees. So, we can typically find a spot that is just right to sit together outside with a beverage.

There is something about being outside with great weather and a cocktail in hand that we love. It’s like the perfect date experience, but without having to go anywhere, and super easy to fit in. It’s a great time to reconnect after a long day or have a quick break from the kids, and simply enjoy the moment, together.

So, if you are in a relationship, and you crave more dates with your partner, consider mixing in some of these alternatives to date night. They are easier to schedule or to make happen during your busy week.

Happy Dating!

P.S. Amanda and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary next month! One secret to our marriage success is that we make a point to date. Just saying.