One of the Best Ways to Use a Vacation Day
Today I’m going super practical as I share one of the best ways to use a vacation day from work.
On Monday of this week, Kristen and I went on a date day. I took the day off work, Kristen didn’t schedule any patients, and we got rid of the kids for the day. And by "got rid of," I mean that two of our kids were at a weeklong ministry opportunity called Dallas Experience, and the other two kids went to friend’s houses for the day. Thank you, Cindy and Amy, for watching our boys!
Kristen and I both worked out in the morning and then brought the boys to their friend’s homes around 10:15. For the next 5.5 hours, we got to go on a day date. In this post, I’m going to share what we did on our date (to give you a practical picture of what it could look like), and then I’m going to share eight reasons why we love day dates (and why you might as well!). At the bottom of the post I'll share how you can win a copy of one of my favorite marriage books.
Monday’s Day Date
After dropping off our boys, we drove to North Plano and walked around Legacy West. We walked into some fancy stores and then spent some time walking around Barnes and Noble. This Barnes and Noble also had a Barnes and Noble Kitchen. Who knew? We didn’t eat there, but browsed shelf after shelf of books.
We then walked up the road a bit further and went to Legacy Hall where we ate lunch and split a donut. From there, we drove a few miles north and went to a cool coffee shop called Nerdvana, where we drank coffee, read books, talked, and played a board game. The coffee shop was really cool—in addition to selling a bunch of games, they had about 75 games in the back of the shop that you could play while you drank your coffee. We’ll definitely be back!
Very simple: walking, shopping, eating, drinking coffee, playing games. Then back in the car to drive home and pick up the kids.
We try to do date days every year on our anniversary, and 1-2 other times throughout the year. We love them and think they’re different than the standard date nights most of us experience.
8 Advantages to a Date Day
Both types of dates are great, but below I’ll share 8 quick reasons why I think you should schedule a date day.
Lunch is cheaper than dinner. Good stewardship. Lunch prices are typically a few dollars less than dinner and the selection is just as good!
What about our kids? It’s generally easier to get your kids taken care of when they’re older. During the school year, they’re in school, and over the summer they’re either at camp or some other activity. Or, their friends are looking for someone to play with, so you can potentially bring them over to a friend’s house. Regardless of the age of your kids, look for some friends to do a babysitting swap. You’ll do each other a big favor and you’ll save money that you’d typically have to spend on a babysitter. Again, good stewardship.
Hours of Operation. Some places might not be open at night. For example, we spent one of our first date days at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The Bush closes at 5:00 pm, so going at night isn’t even an option.
Traffic. Less traffic on the road and in many restaurants. Enough said.
ENERGY!!!! More energy and less fatigue. Sometimes at night we’re just ready to sit down on the couch, hang with our kids, or go to bed. Typically on a day date you have a lot more energy which translates into more activity and more fun.
Time. You get more time during the day. As I shared above, we had 5.5 hours for our date day. At night we usually get 2-3, so you can do so much more in the day than at night. (i.e., lunch and a movie).
Options. Depending on the weather, you might have more options. For instance, you can do more outdoors during the daytime than you can at night (i.e., hiking, biking, kayaking).
I Think We’re Alone Now. If the kids are all gone, you have the house to yourself. You can nap, read, or partake in some #BusinessTime.
It’s not rocket science. And yes, there are some advantages to the date night over the date day. But, in my experience, the date day is underrated and under-known! Most couples don’t think about it, so I hope this post gives you some practical ideas on why you should consider putting a date day on your calendars.
Your Turn
If you had a date day, what would you do? Share your answer below, on Facebook, or on Instagram, and I'll pick one winner who will receive one of my favorite marriage books.