One piece of relationship advice I find myself offering my Houston marriage counseling clients over and over again is to make date night a priority! Making time to focus on your relationship is important.

But over time, even date night can seem like a routine. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with establishing a tradition – in fact, that can be a great thing – it’s also a good idea to change it up a bit now and then. Having new experiences together can help you feel connected. That’s why I came up with this list of simple ideas for my Houston marriage counseling clients who feel like they are in a rut.

New Date Night Ideas from Houston Marriage Counseling

Try a new restaurant. Simple, but effective. Try out that new trendy place everyone’s talking about, or get adventurous and try a foreign cuisine you’ve never had before. You’ll quickly realize that it isn’t just about the flavor of the food. The new experience will be what actually adds the spice back into your relationship.

A one-night vacation. I often hear complaints from couples about not having a chance to go away together. Her work load is too great. There’s nobody to watch the kids for a week – or a weekend. My relationship advice is: how about a one night vacation? You don’t even have to leave town. Just book a room at a nice local hotel, spend the day doing things you normally wouldn’t, and take your mind off your daily grind.

Movie night in the park. “Go to a movie” may sound like boring advice, but it often depends on how you do it. In most cities, organizations put on events that show older movies in public places like parks. Los Angeles even has a movie series that plays in a cemetery where many stars rest. Bring a blanket and a bottle of wine, and you can have a film night under the stars.

Anything fun and competitive. The longer we’re around each other and the older we get, the more we tend to ignore active and competitive activities. Want to rekindle your youthful passion for each other? Try mini-golf, go-karts, or even just board games at home. Let yourselves act and feel young again.

Go to a sporting event. Instead of competing, why not attend a competition? You’re part of a lively crowd, rooting together for a common goal. I always find that this is a great way to bring people together.

If you need more thoughts on how to bring some more excitement to your relationship, Houston marriage counseling is happy to help.