15 Minute Mini-Date: "Poet and I Know It" Challenge

Introducing: the Mini-Date

Too busy to go on a date this week? 

Sometimes life gets crazy and it’s hard to set aside time to connect with that special person in your life. And once you get off your weekly date routine, it's difficult to get back on it. Sometimes Matthew and I look at our schedule and realize we haven't been on an official date in a month. Other times, we look ahead on our calendar and cannot find a solid bit of time to set aside for a date that week.

We've come up with a solution. 

You may not have the time this week to go on a date, but you probably have 15 minutes at some point in the day, even if right before bed, to give devoted time to your spouse. But you are probably thinking it: how can you have a date in 15 minutes?

Here are some criteria we use to determine what constitutes a good date:

• giving undivided attention to the person you are with

• having fun and forgetting your stresses

• connecting with one another

• recognizing it as and calling it a date

The last one may seem irrelevant, but Matthew and I have found that we attach more importance to time we designate as a date than time we spend together otherwise, even if we are doing something fun. 

Enter the mini-date.

All of these things can be accomplished in 15 minutes, if need be. While it is preferable to dedicate more time to your dates on a regular basis (especially for the "forgetting your stresses" part), sometimes it is better to spend some intentional time together than no time at all. So, take the quarter of an hour and have fun!

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"Poet and I Know It" Challenge

Time: 15 min  |  Cost:  $  |  Location: Anywhere  |  Level:  Easy

Learn how to craft a love poem, then write one to your partner. Read them aloud afterwards for a tender moment or a good laugh.

Materials Needed:

Poetry Printables
Pens + Paper
Rhyming Dictionary

Instructions:

1. Download the free printable below--including the types of poems, inspiration, and poem sheet--and optionally print. Otherwise, download to your tablet for reference.

2. Once you are alone and settled for your mini-date, go over the printables and start brainstorming the poem you want to write to your partner.

3. Take ten minutes to write your poems. Don't be afraid to get creative and use detail and imagery.

4. Read your poems aloud to one another. It may feel vulnerable, but that's the point!

5. Pin your poem somewhere for your partner to admire for the rest of the week.

6. Tweet your favorite lines to @makeadateofit #minidate and see what the rest of our community has created.

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Share your best verses with the Make a Date of It community on Twitter #minidate @makeadateofit

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