George and I met on a blind date five years ago, where we quickly discovered a shared a love of fitness. We began attending boot camp together four to five times a week, and about a year into our relationship, we began running in races together. Soon races became our favorite way to spend weekends. But when our son was born, it seemed like the days of enjoying those weekend adventures were over.
Around that same time, we began to encounter another struggle that befalls many new parents: trying to figure out “date night.” We read over and over how important it is to schedule these pockets of grown-up time, so periodically we would go through the motions, but found it unfulfilling. Date night left us feeling a bit befuddled – wasn’t this supposed to be our relationship-replenishing “us time?” Why wasn’t it more fun?
George and I realized that date night doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. For us, our idea of indulgence is having the time to engage in our shared love of fitness and healthy living. That’s what we really missed as new parents: enjoying our shared hobby.
Redefining Date Night
So instead of Saturday nights, we started hiring a babysitter on Saturday mornings. Races are typically from about 7-8 a.m., so we could participate in a race with time afterwards to hit our local diner (yes, in sweaty running clothes!) for a nice breakfast of egg white omelets (hold the potatoes!), fruit, and child-free conversation. These special outings have become our “date night,” and for us, it’s heaven.
By redefining date night into a mutual opportunity for self-betterment, we feel we’re giving each other the best gift there is: the feeling of accomplishment and an increased chance for a long, healthy, happy life. And lucky for us, Hello Sitter couldn’t have come along at a better time. The app makes it so easy for us to find amazing childcare, even though we’re usually looking to book sitters at slightly different hours than most parents. In other words: 6-11 a.m. instead of 6-11 p.m. on a Saturday would make it challenging to find a sitter anywhere else!
We always know Hello Sitter will have the absolute best sitters whom we can trust. Our son ends up adoring every single sitter we hire through the app, and that is worth everything. For us, it takes the weight off our shoulders, and allows us to “run free”… and hey, what parent doesn’t need that?
Husband and wife duo George and Jamie Hess spend their days working high-powered jobs in music marketing and lifestyle PR respectively, but share a passion for fitness that drives their relationship. George proposed to Jamie on a treadmill at Barry’s Boot Camp, and from there, they began documenting their fitness journey on social media.They share daily #fitspo on their Instagram account, @NYCfitfam.
