Let’s make love in the summertime….
Like most, I’ve been listening to The Carters new album Everything is Love and loving it. And just like Lemonade and 4:44, this album gave the world another glimpse into the legendary music icons’ marriage. The highs. The lows. The in betweens. The fights. The makeups. The love. The “hate.” The pain. The happiness.
We’ve all experienced it. No couple is exempt. And if they say they haven’t, their lying. Don’t believe me; simply watch other couples discuss the same thing on The Black Love Documentary on OWN.
As a mom of two and a wife of almost 6 years, it’s sometimes hard to find time to be with your spouse. It takes some effort like asking their god mothers or grandparents to watch the kids so you can have some adult time or putting the kids to bed at a scheduled time so you can connect after the little monsters are asleep. But whatever you have to do, do it because marriage takes work. It doesn’t just happen. It isn’t always a fairy-tale. There are ups. There are downs. But it’s so worth it!
So with summer here, try to find a way to date your spouse once or twice a month. Let’s commit to making love in the summertime……
And if you’re in Chicago, here are a few date ideas:
Find your happy at the Happy Place Exhibit (June 28 – August 8)
Go for a bike ride along the lake
Go dancing in Millennium Park , do morning rise yoga on the beach together, or watch a movie in the park
Go for a stroll or carriage ride downtown. Be sure to time it with the Buckingham Fountain Water Display and don’t forget to take a pic by the bean
Go see a concert at Ravinia (Mary J Blige will be there on July 20th)
Go see the On the Run II tour
Take an architectural river cruise, pizza tour, or any of the other tours offered here
Pack a lunch, head to the Chicago Cultural Center on a Wednesday for a classical lunchtime for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, and stay afterward to share your story with StoryCorps, an organization who captures the stories of people in Chicago as part of an oral history project. P.S. You need to make an appointment first and be aware that your story will be preserved at the Library of Congress and possibly shared on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Explore Hyde Park, stop by Kilwins for some delicious fudge, grab a bite to eat at Ja Grill or Porkchop, pick something up from Sir & Madame, visit the Du Sable Museum, walk around U of C’s campus, and end up at The Oriental Institute or Smart Campus located on their campus. Looking for more steps, explore Hyde Park’s neighbor Kenwood and see the area where 44 lived. The houses are beautiful over there.
Explore the South Loop on Sundays. First stop Maxwell Street Market. Second stop The Padded Room. Third stop Printer’s Row. Fourth Stop Buddy Guy Legends.
Visit the Bridgeport Art Center on the third Friday where artists open their studios for sneak peeks
Take advantage of the museums free days. P.S.S. If you have Bank of America, some museums are free to the first full weekend of every month for one free general admission per card holder. For more info, click here. BTW…. The Art Institute of Chicago has free hours for Illinois residents every Thursday evening from 5-8pm.
For more, visit Choose Chicago for some other ways to explore my beloved city this summer.
Coming soon on the blog: Perfect Date Night Looks for the Summer
