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How My Idea of Romance Has Changed

By Ashley French
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How My Idea of Romance Has Changed

Chris and I got married more than a decade ago, which is wild to think about—it doesn't feel like it's been that long. Our years together have brought us closer in ways I don't think we could have begun to imagine when we first met. And at the same time, I feel like our younger selves would be surprised by how romance looks way different than it used to.

At the beginning of a relationship, everything feels exciting and intentional as you fall in love. If you get married, that feels fresh in a different way because you're committing to a life together.

And despite what people might tell you, after kids, there IS still time for romance. You just have to find the time for it, where it used to just happen naturally. A friend once told me, "When you have two kids, you and Chris will never watch TV together again." I laughed, but then it happened. 

One of the things I love about Chris is that he's a good communicator. A while back, we got honest about how much we missed time that was for just the two of us. Obviously, we love our daughters to pieces—but we were missing one-on-one time that didn't revolve around the logistics of parenting. We realized that unless we made the effort to carve out time for our relationship, romance would always be on the back burner.

So we did something about it. We committed to having Friday night dates, usually an early dinner. When we can, we squeeze in a trip for the two of us to just relax and unwind. (Very grateful to our parents for making all of this possible!) Day to day, we stay connected by leaving each other little notes and looking for small ways to connect. Even something as simple as watching a show together in bed can be an opportunity to do that. All of those touchpoints make us feel connected to each other, and in turn, that makes us better parents.

What’s funny is that romance used to mean going out, planning something special, making it an "event." Now it’s often the everyday things and the emotional closeness we share. For instance, Chris knows how much I love a bath, and if I've had a stressful day, he's there, running the water so I can unwind. How thoughtful is that? And that's what feels truly romantic to me now… feeling so close that you know how to make each other feel seen, appreciated, and loved.
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