Austin Date Nights

Every Tuesday, from six to ten, the same sitter walks in the door and we walk out of it. No carpool line, no permission slips, no negotiating who's on bath duty — just the two of us, for four hours, doing whatever we feel like doing. With five kids under thirteen, it's easy to let 'us' quietly disappear into the schedule. This is how we don't let that happen.

How It Works

Every Tuesday, 6–10 PM — barring holidays, birthdays, or a kid's school or sports obligation
A priority since we got married in 2009 — we've changed sitters over the years, but the standing Tuesday has stayed
Planning alternates: one week Mark plans, the next week Jen does
The one rule: never repeat a restaurant
Home base is Volente, but the map stretches to Georgetown, Lakeway, Cedar Park, and Austin — once, all the way out to Dripping Springs for something worth the drive

Why We Do It

With five kids in the house, it's easy to let a marriage run on whatever time is left over. This is our answer to that — four hours a week that belong only to us, to talk through whatever the week didn't leave room for, kids included.

For Jen, it's the highlight of her week — every week.

Mark's take: way more fun than couples therapy — and a lot cheaper.

If you're dating or married: find your Tuesday, protect it, and keep showing up for each other. It's one of the best things we do for us — and we'd tell any couple to steal the idea.

About Mark & Jen

The two people behind the Tuesday Date Night Journal

Mark is a steak-and-bourbon enthusiast, co-founder of Crystal Practice Management, a former youth minister, and the other half of this Tuesday-night tradition.

Jen was born and raised in Louisiana and brings a serious love of crawfish, Cajun cooking, martinis, and gathering people around a table. She also founded a monthly cookbook club and is the author of Praying Through Infertility.

Together, Mark and Jen protect four hours every Tuesday to explore a new restaurant, cocktail spot, movie, or experience — and they never repeat a restaurant or movie.

About Mark → About Jen →

Also on the Docket: Movie Nights

Movies are their own tradition inside the tradition — almost always dinner and a movie together at the Moviehouse or Alamo Drafthouse. Same rule as the restaurants: we never see the same movie twice.

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