I’m hoping all you lovely ladies had a gorgeous Valentines or Galentines day yesterday. I was wondering how many of you sat back sipping a glass of wine or two with your other half wondering ‘gosh, shouldn’t we do this more often?’ Well the answer is yes, yes, yes. Please do!

James and I recently introduced ‘date day’. Aforementioned day came about after we were at a real loose end a while ago. We are used to our weekends being chockablock and are generally booked up for the next two or three months, so imagine my surprise when we ended up with a blank entry in the calendar one Sunday. Nowhere to be for one whole day. No DIY to do, no people to see and I’d be damned if I was going to spend it washing socks. Did I relish a relaxing day to mooch about at home? Did I ‘eck as like. (Showing my northern roots here). Instead I had a bit of a strop tormenting myself I really shouldn’t waste a day and spent the majority of the day having a slight hissy fit. It was all rather dramatic. When the next available day came round I vowed to be far more productive and sprung the idea of ‘date day’ on James.
The premise is simple: A spare day (or couple of hours will do), a limited budget and a surprise location. On our trips back to Sheffield, James frequently remarks on the brown sign advertising the Space Centre, though rather unsurprisingly we’ve never curtailed off the motorway. Therefore I chose this as our first date day location. Amongst a large group of four year olds and more pregnant women than a labour ward, I spent a semi-enjoyable time having an intergalactic experience. James loved it though and that was the main point.
Last week we had a few days off work as I had some annual leave owing from last year. This time is was my husband’s turn to organise and he bundled me in to the car and treated me to an amazing lunch at The Hare in Milton Under Wychwood followed by an afternoon of leopard spotting at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens.
Our next date day probably won’t happen till the summer but it’s been such a luxury to steal a few hours of quality time with my other half. The pressures of work, DIY and general everyday life can get overwhelming and I’m guilty of neglecting our relationship in favour of my laptop. (I actually spent most of last night working. Bad Wife Alert).
If you’ve managed to escape from your brood for an hour or two I’m not sure how appealing a family-friendly trip to the zoo would be but the opportunities are endless. My husband’s boss is based over in California (lucky thing) and he and his wife take two days off a year, drop the kids off at school and then frolic off to a vineyard or somewhere equally envy-inducing having a generally lovely time. However perhaps it would be more realistic to suggest grabbing a bite to eat or a romantic stroll.
Anyone else tempted to surprise their other half with an unexpected trip or experience? Have you been vowing to make more time for a special someone in your life? Maybe it’s your mum, sister or a close friend. Anyone contemplating taking up their family or friends’ offers to babysit for an couple of hours and run off to the pub for a drink? Do it. And please let me know where you’re off to as I have another date to plan soon.
While I’m here I’ll mention the beautiful print from reader Rebecca’s stunning bedroom tour above is available from Not on The High Street. Indeed, all you need is love and a trip to the Planetarium.