Good ole Valentine's Day… Love it or hate it it's coming! Well, you can thank me later, but I have the perfect gift for your hubs! This gift started over ten years ago on our very first anniversary… we were broke, still in school, and oh so in love. Let me tell you it was a hit! So much so, that I just gave the same gift for our 10 year anniversary back in November. **Disclaimer- This post is written totally from the perspective of a married woman that adores her husband. I'm being honest here ladies, so you've been warned. Also, if you are my mother, STOP reading right now. Thanks!**
The Perfect Valentine's Gift- The Game of Love Imagine with me for a moment… It's been a long day, you and the hubs are headed to bed. You've put on your favorite comfy, frumpy sweats and a tee for bed. Once your hubs sees your bedtime wardrobe choice he knows there's no shot of romance for the night. He pulls back the covers to hop in bed and… what's this??
You've just pulled off the best Valentine's Day surprise ever. It's time to play The Game of Love! It's a game your hubs will love even more than the Superbowl!
All you'll need for this DIY is some time without your hubby around, some markers, some kind of shape template, and a fitted bed sheet…Seriously mom, if you're reading- Stop!
Ok, you can kind of see where this is going, and I must make a public confession… yes, I used one of my bff's birth announcement as my template! It was an adorable shape- Sorry Mandi!
I spent a lot of time ironing my sheet and then had an idea… I could have just washed and dried it. That would be easier.
Pop on your still wrinkly ironed sheet and you're ready to start making your game board.
If you want nice, straight lines, you can use some masking tape and your template to help with your spacing.
It doesn't have to be perfect (trust me he won't be too focused on your straight lines!) Start tracing your template. Trace it over and over again. Darn that I couldn't really have a friend come and help me with this DIY… awkward: )
Before removing the masking tape, I added some cute little dashes along the top.
You can add your game's title across the top. Don't you love my cheesy name? The Game of Love… still makes me laugh! Feel free to use it or come up with a less cheesy one!
Now it's time to get creative. I included a few presents, snacks, wardrobe changes, and lots more!
Here are a few of my squares… (if you really want to know what else I added, you can try and read the teeny writing! Ha!) I had a few gifts wrapped and ready to go and a few yummy romantic snacks as well.
Put your mattress back and it's ready to go! (Okay, I have some limits, so I pulled a little censored for your protection action!)
In case you're wondering, here are The Official Game of Love Rules: 1. The player will roll a die, but the highest number can be 3 (so divide by 2 or the game goes too fast!) 2. Each square has a 1 1/2 minute time limit 3. No getting carried away- you have to stop at 90 seconds and roll again (the hubs might fight you on that one) 4. Only one person"plays" your role is just the game"facilitator" 5. The Final square is"Score" and you can't skip ahead (if ya know what I mean)
Okay, now my rationale for posting this. No, it's not my life's aspiration for my personal life to be all over Pinterest (don't worry, I am cool with you pinning it though). I just know that marriage is tough. It takes effort each and every day, not just Valentine's Day. I don't know your situation, but I know that 4 kids takes a toll on the love life. As a woman, I have to be intentional about connecting with my husband and making him a priority (FYI"connecting" is a code word! lol). I wanted to encourage woman to have FUN with their husbands… it's really okay- you're married! I call this the"Perfect Valentine's Gift" because for me, it meant so much to Eric that I took the time to think through this, plan out the surprise, and then have an unexpected evening dedicated to us.
So, will you be using The Game of Love to attempt to"Connect" with your husband this Valentine's Day?
Psssst! We came up with a new version of this game this year. Click here for the Game of Love: Travel Edition!
Linking to: TT&J, Stories of A to Z i heart naptime