A marriage can never be too strong, so I have created this 30 Day Marriage Challenge for ALL couples… ones who are at a good place in their relationship and those in a marriage that needs a little work. You don’t have to be in a bad place in your relationship to strive to make the marriage stronger.
I created this 30 Day Marriage Challenge to be a better, more attentive, intentional, loving, thoughtful wife. Will you join me in this challenge? If you want to be a better wife or husband, download the free printable and start tomorrow! It doesn’t matter what day you start on, as long as you start with day one and cross the days off as you go on.
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30 Day Marriage Challenge
1. Write a love letter to your partner.
In the letter, tell your spouse whatever you want them to hear. Tell them how much you love them, what you love about them, where you want your relationship to go, your hopes for the future, etc. Just speak from your heart. If there are specific issues within your marriage, you can even write about those, too. Try to keep the letter positive, even when addressing issues. You can read the letter I wrote to my husband HERE.
2. Make your partner’s favorite meal.
Does your husband or wife like breakfast or dinner better? Maybe they prefer brunch? Whatever it is, cook their favorite meal for them! Do the prep work, the cooking, and the cleanup. Let them know you are thinking of them and want them to enjoy their meal without any effort on their part.
3. Clean the house on day three of the marriage challenge.
Everyone loves a clean house, but sometimes, it’s just hard to get it cleaned (especially when you have kids) and keep it that way. For me, this means stressing about how messy the house is but never getting the time to clean the house. I’m sure it’s the same way for my husband. For this challenge, clean the home for your partner. Don’t make them do any of the work, and let them enjoy having a clean house (even if it’s just for a day). They will feel less stressed as they settle in to relax.
4. Plan a date night out.
Take care of all the details for a successful date night. If you’re on a budget, search for free options in your area. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a fun night or evening out. Just make sure you plan something that your spouse will enjoy. Don’t forget to make a plan for a babysitter, if needed, too.
5. Tell your partner how you feel about them.
Don’t just say, “I love you,” to your partner. Go in-depth and pour your heart out. The goal is to make sure your spouse knows how important they are to you.
6. Thank your partner for all they do.
Does your husband or wife work hard to provide for your family? Is your partner a stay-at-home parent who handles raising the kids and running the house? Does your spouse work super hard to update the home or keep everything maintained? Whatever your husband or wife does for the family, let them know how grateful you are. You can tell them by saying it aloud, or you can do something special like make them a card or buy a small gift.
7. Turn off electronics for the night.
Give your spouse your undivided attention by turning off all electronics. When you don’t have the distraction of electronics, it will help you focus your attention on them without occasionally looking down to check your text messages or Twitter feed. It’ll stop the chime of your phone from interrupting a conversation or cuddle session, too.
8. Tell your partner three things you love about them.
I always appreciate hearing what my husband loves about me, so I assume he would feel the same way. You can make your partner’s day by telling them the things you love about them. On day number eight of the marriage challenge, spend some time thinking of meaningful things you could mention.
9. Wake up early and have coffee together on day nine of the marraige challenge.
Sometimes early mornings are the only time my husband and I have together. I’m often tempted to sleep in while he gets ready for work and heads out, but it’s always a good time for bonding when I wake up early with him. Having a cup of coffee together in the morning makes both of our days better.
Love coffee? Check out this coffee subscription box that I love!
10. Compliment your spouse.
I think many spouses forget to compliment their partner. We become so accustomed to seeing that person every day that we sometimes take them for granted. If your husband looks especially good today, tell him. Likewise, if your wife’s hair looks great, let her know. Whatever it is, tell your spouse when they look good.
11. Get dressed up for your partner.
You don’t have to go as far as a suit and tie or fancy dress (unless your situation calls for that), but look good for them! Put on an outfit you know they love on you, do your hair, and wait for them to get home for the day. They’ll be thrilled to walk in the house to their partner looking put-together for no reason at all, and you’ll feel good about yourself, too.
12. Talk about your favorite memories together.
Spend some time reminiscing with your spouse. Talk about all of your favorite memories that involve the two of you together. For my husband and I, these talks go back to the beginning of our relationship. We love talking about the things we did before we had kids, and it reminds us of who we were when it was just the two of us.
13. Give your partner a massage.
Everyone likes a massage, and the physical contact will make you feel closer to one another. Who knows, maybe they’ll return the favor. Want to make it even more special? Use massage oils! You can find them with essential oils or scents that help with relaxation, like lavender massage oil. **click the link for the one I use.**
14. Kiss your partner first thing after work.
I’m a stay-at-home mom, and my husband works a full-time job. I’m always happy to see him when he gets home from work, but lots of times I’m in the middle of changing a diaper, breaking up a toddler fight, cleaning a mess, doing dishes, or cooking dinner. I’ll shout out, “Hey babe!” and continue doing what I’m doing while he gets settled. It isn’t until he comes to me that I kiss him some days. With this challenge, I’m going to kiss him the minute he walks through the door. Making it a priority means I’ll stop whatever I’m doing, greet him at the door, and give him a big kiss.
15. Praise your spouse. Marriage Challenge Day 15
Did your spouse fix something around the house or make the kitchen look amazing? Did they help you wash the kid’s stroller that you’ve planned to do? Are they playing a game with the kids? Praise them for it.
Adults appreciate praise just as much as kids do, but adults don’t give it to one another as often. Tell your spouse when you think they did a good job.
16. Send flirty text messages throughout the day.
My husband and I used to do this often when we were first dating/living together. Not so much anymore, though. Now we (or I) send messages like, “OMG, WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME?! THESE KIDS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!!” There’s nothing flirty about that, and it’s probably making him dread the moment he walks in the door. For day 16, I will make it a point to send him flirty text messages instead and avoid the negative texts.
17. Bake your partner’s favorite dessert.
If you can’t bake or don’t have the time, you can buy your partner’s favorite dessert. It’s all about the thought here and letting your spouse know you’re thinking of them. Go out of your way to put a smile on their face.
18. Plan a movie night and watch your spouse’s favorite movie.
Yes, watch their favorite movie even if you hate it. Prepare your spouse’s favorite movie snacks, get comfortable, and settle in for a night of your partner’s favorite movie.
19. Pack your spouse a lunch and slip a love note inside.
Just a short, cute little message to let them know you are thinking of them, even if it just says I love you.
20. Give your spouse two hours of alone time.
During these two hours, they get to do whatever they want. Take the kids (if you have kids) and get them out of the house.
21. Create a playlist of your special songs.
Remember the song you first danced to when you were dating? Or the song you used to listen to in the car while driving around? Add those to the playlist! Add your wedding songs and whatever other songs are meaningful to your relationship. Ours aren’t all love songs, so don’t feel like the whole playlist must be mushy, slow songs.
22. Take over a task you know your spouse doesn’t like.
If your husband or wife is in the middle of doing dishes and you know they hate that chore, take over. Tell them to go sit down and let you do it for them because what better way to show that you care about the things they like or don’t like? If my husband did this for me, he would be taking over bathing the babies, for sure.
23. Surprise your spouse with their favorite treat or drink.
My husband LOVES Slurpees from 7-11, so I’ll be making a trip to 7-11 for a Slurpee on day 23 of the marriage challenge. I might pick up a Snickers bar, too. The treat and drink don’t have to be anything fancy, just something you know your spouse will appreciate and enjoy.
24. Spend time just kissing.
That’s it. Nothing complicated here. Cuddle up on the couch or lie in bed just kissing.
25. Take cute or silly selfies together.
You don’t even have to post them to social media if you don’t want to. Just have some fun and be silly together. You’ll find yourself laughing by the time you’re finished, and you’ll have a couple of new pictures with your spouse.
26. Plan a successful date night in for this marriage challenge.
Come up with a fun idea for the two of you to do at home. It can be whatever you and your spouse like to do together. If you need date night ideas, check out my Date Night Ideas post.
27. Learn about your partner’s love language.
I talk about learning love languages in my post: 11 Ways to Keep the Spark Alive in Your Marriage. It is essential to know your spouse’s love language to make sure you show love to them in the way they interpret and understand it best.
28. Ask your spouse what you can do for them.
Simply ask what they need help with on day 28. This simple question can lighten their load so much. Plus, it’ll make them happy knowing they can count on you.
29. Lay in bed and talk.
When was the last time you did this? Just lay there, pretend you don’t have anything to do, and enjoy each other’s company. Talk about all the things you don’t usually have time for.
30. Work on a project together.
This project could be big or small. Whatever you want. All that matters is that you work on it together.
**Download 30 Day Marriage Challenge FREE PRINTABLE here**
30 Day Marriage Challenge
So what do you think? Are you going to join me in this marriage challenge? I hope you do! Let me know in the comments, and we can work to hold one another accountable!
Awesome! I’m going to do this as a lead up to our anniversary next month. I think it’ll be more interesting if I don’t tell her I’m following a game plan.
Much more interesting!! See if she noticed any difference LOL. I’m not telling my husband, either. He sometimes reads my blog so he might know anyway. Thanks for the comment, I can’t wait to hear how this challenge goes for you!
I am not married yet and this just highlights just how much work goes into a marriage it is not easy!
Great post
Jenna
Xoxo
Dancing to the sound of a new beat in Santorini | Jennas World View
Yes, marriage does take a lot of work but it is so worth it. You have to continuously strive to be better. Thanks for reading!
lovely ideas thar are simple to put into practise ( not that I’m married) Hoe did your husband respond?
I’m not finished with the challenge yet and he doesn’t know I’m doing it (unless he read this post). He has said a couple of time that I’m making him look bad with how sweet I’ve been and all the extra things I’ve been doing for him. 😂
I like it, will work on it in my marriage (four years now!)
I am grateful every day, but this challenge gives a more visible way to express my gratitude!
I absolutely love this!!! I think marriage challenges are great ways to connect with your spouse.
Stephanie, One Caring Mom recently posted…Weekly Inspiration – August 27th
I agree!! I feel like we sometimes get so caught up in our day to day activities that we forget to take this time for one another.