I heard this song from one of the Disney Christmas specials on Disney+ and fell in love with it. It’s supposed a Christmas song but it fits both Christmas and Valentine’s with it’s lyrics being “a very merry February.”

This year I’m busy prepping for my upcoming races so my husband and I decided to postpone celebrating Valentine’s day til after I come back from Disney, since work gave me a few extra days off after I come home. This way, we can spend more quality time together and really enjoy it. By then, I’ll also be able to eat whatever I want as well so I can indulge freely without any dietary restrictions like I’m doing now to train.

I love this holiday because the first time I actually celebrated it was with him back in 7th grade. I unexpectedly received a cute red Ty Beanie Baby Buddies bear and red roses. I wasn’t expecting anything cause we had just started “going out” in school and well, I didn’t really know what couples did being new at the whole relationship thing. I showed up to school and he showed up with an embarrassing display of cute gifts for me. Maybe this is where my love for giant bears originated. I wish I had pictures of it from back then but we weren’t in the age of digital or phone cameras just yet. Ah, the stone age.

Fast forward to now, 2020. I am no longer new to relationships, 20 years later, hahaha. We’ve gone through quite a bit learning about each other, fighting, growing and getting through a lot of heavy stuff through the years. I read something the other day that I thought rang really true.

“People are ready for WEDDINGS, not marriages.”

We prep and plan tirelessly of the big day but we should really be focusing on the bigger picture. I’ll admit I definitely was big on my wedding, stressing and going crazy with planning and putting it together as well. I’m guilty 100% of it, wanting every detail of that ONE day to be picture perfect. Marriage, however, at least in my eyes, is a lifetime commitment. Not that I wasn’t working on that as well, but instead of focusing so much energy into a picture perfect one day wedding, we really should put more effort into making our actual relationships the priority.

Although, I guess I can say I’m guilty of this too. Before we were married, or rather before we were even engaged, I had a very clear, vivid plan of what I wanted to happen. My then-boyfriend now-husband was very much aware of this because like Blair Waldorf and how she blue-printed her life and spoke them out loud, I was always reminding him of what I wanted my timeline to look like. I knew I was going to finish school by the time I was 24 with pharmacy being a 6 year program, and for some reason, I was stuck on wanting to be married by the time I was 26. I wanted to have a big house with a swing in the front yard and a kid within 5 years. How he didn’t find me psycho and run, I’ll never know, but maybe that’s where love comes in. When you want to be with the other person no matter what and will do anything and go through anything to keep them. But at least we were on the same page. We knew where each other stood and we were in agreement that we’d work towards it together. And even though half those plans have changed, we’re still on the same page together and happy with where we’re heading. Together.

The vows you say to one another on the big day isn’t something to be taken lightly either. They are lifelong promises to uphold and see each other through even when the going gets tough. You shouldn’t be so quick to throw in the towel when you’re mad at each other, but rather try harder to put aside hurt feelings and differences and remember the important things and the bigger picture.

I would have to say I’m very lucky in a lot of aspects. We see eye to eye on some things, like how we’re both in agreement neither one of us is ready to have kids yet, and how we’re both not religious at all. I can see these things being deal breakers for some people, so I’m very fortunate that that’s not the case for us. And if and when we do decide to have a kid, we’re both on the same page when it came to gender roles and how we’re not traditional at all in that sense. I don’t want to be a stay-at-home mom type. I want to work. I’ve always liked working and always want to work. He, however, is more of a homebody, stay-at-home and take care of the house and other affairs type. It works out for both of us. Who knows, maybe that will change too when the time comes, but again, I’m happy we’re in agreement and are able to work together making decisions like these. It sounds stupid but these types of mutual understandings is not something I take for granted.

And honestly, we actually don’t agree a lot on a lot of things. But when it comes to the important things, we try to meet each other in the middle. It’s a very beautiful thing when you’re able to have that type of relationship with someone, especially someone you’re promising to spend the rest of your life with.

I love this boy so much. I love the fact that he always wants to go everywhere with me, even when it’s to places he doesn’t want to go to, but just because he wants to be by my side.

This year we’re trying to save money because we’re anticipating having to pay a heavy tax bill like last year. So here are some date night ideas that won’t break the bank if you’re in the same boat. We do try to go out to a nice dinner when we can, when the stars align for our schedules and when we have a little extra cash to burn on a nice meal together, but every so often, I love these dates as well because they’re just so intimate.

1. Movie Night - whether it’s to the theater or a Netflix and Chill thing, movies are always a great idea. Personally, the comfort of your own home is always better because it’s always comfier. I can snuggle up in a warm blanket and cozy right next to the boy in sweats and hair tied up. I always grab a bunch of candy boxes and snacks from Walmart, blow up a bag of popcorn and we’re ready to go.

2. Picnic - I love picnics. They’re so cute and fun. Unfortunately, they’re not a feasible idea right now in NY but for those in warmer areas of the world, this is a really cute idea. Put together a basket or tote bag of your favorite sandwiches, snacks and drinks and head to the park, beach, cliff spot with a great view or other favorite spot.

3. Make dinner for each other - I love cooking for my husband for some reason. Actually I just love cooking for anyone I care about in general and I love when they enjoy my cooking. And I’m sure your loved ones don’t mind either. And it’s more thoughtful and intimate as well as cost-saving compared to going out for dinner. I love it because at home I can make more food for less and have more sides and options as opposed to pay in X amount for dinner at a restaurant and not even being to try everything I want on the menu. I hate being restricted to picking just 1-2 sides with my entree. I always want to have a little bit of everything.

4. Bike rides/take a walk/go running - I just love going for a walk/run with my husband lately ever since I started making him be more active this summer. It’s just a really nice thing to do. We’re able to catch up and share each other’s days and events and just clear our heads from any stresses. We’re looking to hopefully get some bikes later this year to go riding through the neighborhood if our budget permits. Plus working out together just makes both of you feel good afterward because workout high. There’s no losing with this one. No one ever regrets a workout. They only regret not making the time to do so to put in the work.

5. Game night - I like board games while he prefers video games. So we do a little bit of each to make both parties happy. I prefer Switch games because they’re prettier and cuter than most Xbox and computer games. I also prefer cooperative games because I don’t have a competitive nature when it comes to video games. I just want to have fun, I don’t care to win. The hubby though, he plays to win. Which is unfortunate for him because if we’re on the same team, I’m always dragging him down but hey, he’s the one who wants to play with me all the time for some reason instead of his friends, lol.

What are some of your favorite date nights you’ve done with your significant other? It’s important to always set aside some time to spend together. It helps to strengthen the relationship, especially if you don’t get to see each other that often. It’s important that your significant other feels loved and wanted and knows you want them to be around. The human connection is an extraordinary and powerful thing. If you ever find someone who makes you feel like you’re the only one that matters to them, don’t take them for granted. I know this post is very The Notebook but head-over-heels love stories are my favorite.