At the start of this year, I made a New Year’s resolution to start dating my husband again. Unlike my resolutions to do yoga at home after the kids go to bed (yeah, right) and order less take-out (I discovered the best new Thai delivery last night!), my dating resolution seems to be the only one still standing.

This might be because dating my husband is way more fun than Warrior Pose, but more likely because I have enlisted the help of HowAboutWe for Couples, a site dedicated to planning dates for people in relationships. They give you a ton of interesting options to choose from (at up to 75% off regular prices) and then set up the whole date for you.

Our first date was dinner and dancing. Since that required us to stay out late and party with twenty-year-olds, this time, we opted for a couples massage at Moonshine in the Parker Meridien at 5:30pm. (That’s us in the Parker Meridien lobby in the photo up top.)

5:30pm might sound like we are senior citizens opting for the early bird special, but fear not my friends, this was actually a VERY SAVVY MOVE on our part.

You see, going out at 5:30pm means we met straight from work without going home. This way, instead of feeling guilty walking out the door while our children look solemnly after us with sick puppy faces, we can bypass the kids all together!

This is a move that used to make me feel even guiltier about going out, but I must say, the longer I’m a parent, the more I’m starting to get over it.

I haven’t had a massage since before I got pregnant with Harlow and MY GOD WHAT WAS I WAITING FOR???

Plus, there was the added fun of lying next to Mike. After it was over, neither of us wanted to move. Then we swore we would not only make dating a regular thing, we would make massages a regular thing. (Please, someone hold me to that!)

As part of the date experience, we got two complimentary drinks and a dessert at the Parker Meridien bar.

That’s the thing with HowAboutWe— a lot of their dates involve numerous coordinated elements that make you feel like someone is watching out for you the whole time. It’s kind of like what I always wished Mike would do on a date, except no man puts that much planning into a date ever.

Joining HowAboutWe has actually inspired us to go on more than our promised one date a month. We’ve seen two movies since January (an amazing feat for parents!) and I’ve begun looking at HowAboutWe’s Valentine’s Day Collection to see what else we can fit in. They’ve got a bunch of cheap date options as well as some freebies exclusively offered to their members, like a candlelight yoga session, a Valentine’s Day Sugar Tooth tour, and off-menu grilled cheese sandwiches for two at Lucy’s Whey.

Even better? MommyShorts readers can click here to get $50 off your first date. That means a bunch of the already-affordable dates will be totally free.

FYI- I would take Mike on the Sugar Tooth tour in a heartbeat but the man is not that into sweets. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM???

After we’d finished our massages, cocktails and dessert, we decided we wanted to get dinner and walked into a nearby restaurant called Quality Italian. We ended up spending hours there talking, drinking and eating a full meal at the bar.

It’s interesting how different this date was from our last date. The last date felt very much like AN OFFICIAL DATE with us both very aware that this was not something we do often. But this date felt a lot more like old times. We didn’t even rely on the kids for conversation. We had a really great talk about how we compliment each other and make a great team.

Mike and I work really well together as parents. We have different strengths when it comes to raising a family together. He is better at organizing the household while I am better at childcare. And while we will occasionally take digs at each other for not doing enough (me for not cooking/cleaning and him for not waking up with the kids), it really is a smart balance for a marriage. We work.

But over a couples massage, cocktails, dessert, and a late night dinner (in that order), it’s nice to remember we aren’t just together because we make a good team.

We’re together because we love each other.

And because we both think the other looks pretty damn sexy in a robe.

Sorry, you’ll just have to imagine. It was dark in that massage room!

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This post was sponsored by HowAboutWe, but the positive experience and renewed interest in dating is all my own. If you’re scrambling for a Valentine’s Day present, I highly recommend checking out their date options, none of which you would have come up with on your own.

Click here to get $50 off your first date, and make sure to select “Make it a surprise” when you book!