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Remember date nights before kids? You wanted to head out to dinner, you did. You wanted to see a movie, you did. You wanted to stay out until midnight, you did. Date night after kids? A quick dinner and back home.

Just because our date nights are different now, that doesn’t make that any less important. In fact, I think they’re even more important. I want to share a few tips to help you have a successful date night out, even after kids!

Get a Babysitter

I’m sure we’re not the only ones that are guilty of passing up sitters when offered. That’s about to change. My goal for 2016 is to actually start taking people up when they offer to watch the boys.

This is what happens when Mommom is in charge for awhile. The torture, right? Clearly, the kids are not going to mind if you leave them unattended with a grandma!

I know I feel guilty having someone watch them while we’re just at dinner or a movie, but that dinner or a movie is a chance to reconnect with the hubby!

Be Prepared

I don’t know about you, but I never had problems with heartburn until I was pregnant. After Charlie though, heartburn is something that rears its ugly head somewhat frequently. Taking Nexium 24HR (May take 1 to 4 days for full effect. Use as directed.) is a great way to make sure that heartburn doesn’t surprise me while we’re actually enjoying a night out.

Adding Nexium 24HR to your regular routine is easy because just one pill a day will give you all-day, all night frequent heartburn protection! It’s the #1 prescribed acid blocked brand (Based on IMS health data: total Nexium® prescriptions 2006 – 2014).

Use as directed.

As far as being prepared while on the actual date: take some Advil Liqui-Gels along in your bag. Nothing kills date night quite like a headache and nothing’s faster on tough pain (among OTC pain relievers) than Advil Liqui-Gels. Whether you’ve got a headache coming on from life’s stresses or the kids (or job) really wore you out, you’ll be prepared to make that date night last longer!

Don’t Talk About the Kids

I know this one is a hard one, but try it! You spend your whole day with the kids, talking about the kids, doting on the kids, but for date night: don’t talk about the kids!

Technically, you’re not supposed to fill up your date night talking about work, but I think that’s okay after kids. Talk about work, talk about your sports teams, talk about your favorite television shows, talk about just about anything!

Get Your Kiss On

With the rush and craziness of everything at home, we aren’t nearly as affectionate as we should be: a quick kiss before someone leaves the house, a hug and a kiss when they return, and maybe a kiss over the toddler that has crawled into the bed at nighttime.

I picked up the new ChapStick Total Hydration and I’m all about getting my kiss on! To get more kiss action, your lips need to look good and this gets the job done. Clinically proven to leave healthier looking lips, ChapStick Total Hydration instantly smooths and moisturizes. In the colder months here, that’s a big help in getting a more kissable lip!

Don’t Rush It

Everything is busy all the time now, I get it. This kind of goes back to the babysitter thing, but I’ll say it again: take your time and enjoy your night out! Just because you have a babysitter doesn’t mean that you need to rush home to get the kids!

That babysitter is not going to mind if you spend an extra 20 minutes chatting after dinner. They offered (or maybe they’re being paid) to watch the kids and that’s what they’re going to do. So, wait half an hour for that really awesome restaurant that always has a wait, linger a little, order dessert, or go for a short walk before your night is over.