Author Archives: Paula Rollo

About Paula Rollo

Paula Rollo: Paula & her hubby have been happily married for 4 years. They decided to tie the knot after knowing each other for just 35 days! They now have 2 rambunctious kiddos known as Little Man (2) and The Princess (7 mos). The family resides in Texas in a small but lively apartment. Paula and her hubby love to play board games, take long walks with the kids and they both LOVE the Texas heat! Paula also has a passion for writing. Her compositions have been featured many places around the web, including her own blog Beauty Through Imperfection where she writes about motherhood and strives to be an encourager through her writing.

Date-Night-on-a-Dime

Marriage Mondays: Top 10 Tips to Have Date Night on the Cheap {& Link Up}

Date-Night-on-a-Dime

Did you know we have a Date Nights section on the new Happy Wives Club site?  We sure do and you can find great articles like this one from HWC contributor, Paula Rollo.

Enjoy and today is Marriage Mondays so don’t forget to scroll down and link up! 

Until tomorrow…make it a great day!

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Finances can often be a huge hindrance for couples wanting to have a consistent date night. The desire may be there, but that doesn’t mean it is always do-able financially!

I don’t work outside of the home and we have 2 young kids, so my husband and I have definitely learned to get creative when it comes to making date night work for us.

Here are my top 10 tips to have date night on the cheap:

  1. Share an entree.  This isn’t only a great way to get a meal for less, it’ll help you watch your figure.
  2. Skip the pricey beverages and order water.  This will also help you reach that often elusive goal of drinking 8 glasses each day.
  3. Dress up like you are going to a 5-star restaurant, but eat at a local deli instead.  A night on the town doesn’t need to come with an $100 tab at the end of the night.
  4. Stay home and play board games.  Put the kids down early and let them know mommy and daddy are having a special night.  Incentivize them to stay in their room if need be.
  5. Go on a romantic nature walk.  If you live in the city, this may be a bit tricky.  But there are generally beautiful walking paths (most off the beaten path) almost anywhere you go.
  6. Add date night into your monthly budget. Some couples create a “date night” savings account they add to (and usually drain) monthly.  Some put it in a jar or envelope.  The important thing is to set money aside for this express purpose.
  7. Save a few dollars each week until you have enough for a fancy dinner date. If “fancy” is important to you, save toward it.  But don’t wait until you’ve saved enough money before enjoying a date night (see tip #3).
  8. Swap free babysitting and date night weekends with another couple.  You never know how easy this can be until you try.
  9. Have dinner out but rent a movie instead of going to a theater.  With theater prices going through the roof, it may be time to stay under your own roof.
  10. Go to a movie earlier in the day to get cheaper tickets.  Can everyone say “matinee”?!  If there is a movie you just “must see” while in the theaters, enjoy it for a little less.

QUESTION: What inexpensive date night tips do you have?  Share them in the comments section.

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Happy Wives Club

pandemic game

Date Night Game: Pandemic

With two small children at home, the majority of mine and my husband’s dates end up being at-home date nights. We’ve discovered lots of ways to have fun at home, one of our favorites being game night! We have found several 2-player games that we enjoy and so I decided to share one of them with you.

The game I want to introduce to you today is called Pandemic. We’ve owned this game for almost two years and we still love it.  It’s a 2-4 player game that can be found in most Target stores and on Amazon priced between $30-$40.

2player game night

Photo Credit Amazon.com

One of the best things about Pandemic is the fact that it’s a cooperative game. This means that, instead of competing against each other, you will actually be teamed up together to beat the game. At first, I was skeptical about how a game like that could still be fun after a few times playing it but I’ve been pleasantly surprised! The game is a little bit different every time we play, and it is always a challenge! 

Game Play: At the start of the game each player is assigned a unique role (examples: research specialist, medic, scientist etc). The roles all have different strengths and characteristics that can help the team when used correctly. Players then travel around the world (the board) interacting with each other and trying to cure the 4+ diseases that have broken out worldwide.  You do this all while trying to avoid disease outbreaks and hoping to completely eradicate the viruses. 

pandemic game

I have been thoroughly impressed by the re-playability of this game. It is always a challenge and requires a lot of strategic thinking and teamwork. The difficulty level is easily adjusted so the game can get harder as you become more experienced with it. 

Pandemic is a perfect date-night game that will have you and your spouse working together to save humanity! 

Happy dating from Paula Rollo @ Beauty Through Imperfection 

Write Your Story

Write Your Story

Looking for something a bit more romantic than “just” another evening at home? Ready to walk down memory lane with your spouse in a fun and creative way? Then I have just the date for you! This is a simple, but fun date that can be completed in one night or stretched out over many evenings for even MORE fun! 

For this date you will need:

  • 2 pens
  • Some paper or a notebook
  • Your spouse ;)
  • And LOTS of memories!

The great thing about this date is that it can be done so many different ways. You can do it all in one sitting, or break it up over several different nights. It’s all about personalizing it and doing it your own way. After you gather your materials, it’s time to get to writing and reminiscing together.

Start with the first moment that you saw each other. Take turns writing out what you remember; your first thoughts and impressions of the person who was later to become your spouse! Write it all out and compare notes. Then keep going! You can continue taking turns writing special events from different perspectives OR write them together and find creative ways to voice both of your thoughts and memories at the same time.

This could get really fun as you will both remember things that the other didn’t and be reminded of tiny details that you might have otherwise never recalled! If you need help with details or just need some extra inspiration, dig out old picture albums (or facebook photos) and try to remember what was going on in each photo as you write your story. Don’t worry so much about writing a grammatical masterpiece or recording each memory perfectly. Focus on having fun, laughing together and flirting as you re-live those early moments of young love! Be sure you save your writings someplace special so that you can revisit them on special occasions like anniversaries. Your children might even enjoy reading them one day! Still not sure what to write about? Here are a few prompts:

  • The Moment You Met
  • First Date
  • The Moment You Knew He/She was “The One”
  • Favorite Dating Memory (His & Hers)
  • First “I Love You”
  • Meeting the In-Laws
  • The First Kiss
  • The Engagement Story
  • Wedding Day – His Perspective
  • Wedding Day – Her Perspective
  • First Anniversary

 Happy dating from Paula Rollo @ Beauty Through Imperfection!