Creating More Memories in Your Relationship
Thinking of your relationship, what's the first song that comes to mind?
Music is awesome. Few things in life can capture our emotions or thoughts quite like music can. Those tunes are not only essential to us individually, but they can also help you create and remember moments of you and your partner.
What is you and your partner's song? The one that you can't help but smile and think about your love when you hear it.
Today, we will look at the power of music when it comes to memory and how you can use songs to collect and reminisce on those special times together.
WEEK TWO: MEMORIES WITH MUSIC
Have you ever been walking in the store, and a song starts playing over the speaker that reminds you of your childhood? Do you remember the most popular song in high school? The first song you danced with your partner? What about that jingle from the radio commercial you hear WAY too much?
Music has an incredible way of evoking memories from our brain and is even being studied with Alzheimer's or severe brain injury patients to help them with memory.
It all has to do with what part of your brain is stimulated when you hear a familiar song. But we don't want to get into all that. Let's just keep it simple: music helps with memory.
So, how do you put this into play within your relationship? Well, this month's topic is all about creating memories with your partner and different ways to do so. This week, let's talk about music!
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Do you and your partner have a song? One that might have been special to you early in your relationship or one that you've come across over the years together? When you listen to that song, what emotions are brought up? What do you think about? It doesn't have to be a "love" song to work either. Those songs that are special to us bring back when we were first learning about each other or when we were falling in love. Those same feelings are reignited within, and that romance is sparked back up.
But if those songs are so powerful, why don't we have more? What if you created a new playlist or thought of a new song for every special moment in your relationship?
With today's technology and resources, it's never been easier to document your special moments with songs. You can use Spotify, Apple Music, or whatever works for you, but find ways to incorporate more music into your memory-making.
For example, if you were to create a playlist of your first year together and had to choose ten songs to encapsulate that year best, what songs would you pick?
What about your last date night? What song best symbolizes your night out or your night in? If you are a part of our date night box program, then you already know we do this for you with our monthly Spotify playlists!
With this week's date night ideas, we have a few challenges for you to put this concept into action, but you can start tonight with this week's Monday Motivation below!
MONDAY MOTIVATIONS
OUR RELATIONSHIP PLAYLIST
WHAT TO DO:
Come up with your Top 5 memories as a couple (you should already have this list from earlier in the month). Write them down on a piece of paper, or better yet, create a new playlist on Spotify called "Our Top 5 Moments".
Every night this week, choose one of those five memories and come up with 3-5 songs that will help remind you of that moment. The best way to do this is for you both to sit quietly with your eyes closed, thinking of that moment. Try and remember every detail, from the weather to the sights and sounds around you. What did you feel, what did you hear, what did you smell? All of it!
Together, talk about a few things that come to mind. Brainstorm a couple of key characteristics of that memory and then research some songs that might fit. Once you find 3-5 perfect ones for that memory, write them down or add them to your playlist. By the end of the week, you'll have a playlist of between 15 and 25 songs all about the most perfect moments of your relationship (so far).
WEEK FIVE DATE NIGHT IDEAS
Let's make some memories with music!
Are you ready for some music-inspired date nights?! We've got three date night ideas for you today that are sure to have you singing out loud with each other! (Totally okay if you're not a good singer, that just means you will have to harmonize with your partner!) 😋
DATE NIGHT IN IDEA: A BILLBOARD OF MEMORIES
WHAT TO DO:
Have you each grab your phone and curl up on the couch. Start by identifying the year you were in 1st grade (choose the year based on whoever is younger). Have your partner close their eyes. While their eyes are closed, search for the top Billboard songs of the year your partner was in 1st grade. Choose one of the songs on that list.
Once you have chosen a song, jump on Spotify or YouTube and play that song out loud for your partner while their eyes are still closed. While they listen, have them describe what they are thinking. Are they thinking of a particular memory? The clothes they were wearing in 1st grade? Their friends or their school? After about 30 seconds or so, have them open their eyes. Talk about the things they thought of, then switch roles.
This time, have you close your eyes while your partner goes to the next year to find a song. While they play that song, it's your turn to see what memories are conjured up while you listen.
Keep going until you have hit 2021. Or, you can start all over, choosing new songs! What years stick out most to each of you? What memories were strongest?
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Starting when we are just little ones, music has a strong impact on our memories which is why a simple tune can bring back so many. This activity is a super fun way to relive some of those memorable songs from when you were a child, but it's also a great way for you to learn more about your partner. The songs you play might spark a certain memory that you didn't know before, allowing you to get a little closer to them.
DATE NIGHT OUT IDEA: A CONCERT NIGHT OUT
WHAT TO DO:
With your partner, search for a local concert for you two to go to. Try not to spend more than $20 per ticket. We know, we know. That can seem a little challenging, but that is part of the fun! Find a local band or a concert in the park to go to and spend some quality time together.
While you are at the concert, look for a CD or some way to bring the music back with you. A week after you attend the concert, play the music while both of your eyes are closed, thinking about your date night. What is the first thing about that date that comes to mind? What sticks out most? Talk and reminisce with each other. Then, plan a new concert date!
Disclaimer. We know there may be a very limited (if there are any) selection of concerts. So, we encourage to save this idea for the future. OR, you can go to the store or search online for a recorded concert from one of your favorite bands. Create an at-home date night concert while you watch/listen!
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Even songs from a new band or genre that you don't listen to often can bring back memories if attached to a significant event. This month, we are talking about the importance of creating and holding on to memories you make together. Every moment you spend together and every date night you have can be significant, and music is a great way to hold on to those beautiful times.
$5 DATE NIGHT IDEA: REMEMBER CASSETTES?
WHAT TO DO:
If you DON'T remember cassette tapes, don't worry, we have something for you too!
First, you'll each need to come up with 5-10 of your favorite memories growing up. Write them on a piece of paper. Try and choose memories not associated with your partner (those are too easy to think of). Next to each memory, write the year that it happened.
Together, go to a used record store and spend some time looking through the old cassettes. For each one of your memories, find an album that was released in that respective year.
Once you each have found your 5-10 cassettes, purchase them and head back home to create your Cassette Memories Artwork. Take a large picture frame backing and glue each cassette to it, similar to the photo below. Remove the glass from the picture frame and attach the backing back to its place. Boom! You now have a piece of artwork that combines the most special memories of each of your childhoods!
If you DON'T remember cassettes, then use CD covers for this activity. If you don't remember CDS, then we are officially old...
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Every time you look at the piece of artwork or any individual cassette you placed on it, you'll remember some of the fond moments you had as a kid. Even better, you'll remember the journey your partner had as well and how after all those years, both your and your partner's journey came together to make one!
