Date Night Done Right with UrbanSitter

As a married mom of two young children (ages 1 and 3.5), the frequency of relaxed conversations with my husband have sure changed since we were dating. Our respective responsibilities consume our days, and our nights are frequently interrupted by the pitter patter of little feet. Communication during the day is often done through e-mails or texts, and we schedule calls to compare calendars. All of the sudden, a week goes by and I realize I didn’t notice that my husband got a hair cut. Or he will comment on a pair of shoes that I am wearing, asking “Are those new?” when I have worn them every day that month. When you stop noticing the little things, the details that you used to offer compliments on, you know it is time to slow down and re-connect. The only problem is we don’t have anyone to take care of our children while we actually catch up!

When I started searching for babysitters, I had no clue where to start. You feel like you are stealing from another mom if you “borrow” their sitter for a night (such taboo in many social circles!), but how do you know if a sitter is right for your family? A friend of mine recommended UrbanSitter, and it has been a life (and relationship!)-saver for us. I downloaded the app, connected my Facebook account, and added my affiliations (play cafe’s that I frequent, the school my son attends, our gymnastics center). UrbanSitter then found babysitters in my area that other moms have already used and recommended, but no more “babysitter borrow” guilt!

I have been able to find sitters at the last minute, and have friends who have hired their part-time or full-time care on UrbanSitter. I think my favorite part of their service is that I can check the schedule of multiple sitters to see if anyone is available. No more calling/texting 5 different babysitters, trying to track down who is available! All of the UrbanSitter members update their schedules online, so I have easy access to them through the website or app. Although my husband and I still schedule conference calls to compare schedules, I can easily book a sitter online during our calls for events that we want to attend together or a date night!

Also, there isn’t the uneasy topic of compensation that I have always had with new sitters. On UrbanSitter, they list the acceptable rate for a certain number of children which takes the guesswork out of it. At the end of the night, you can skip the ATM and pay them with a tap on the UrbanSitter app!

We recently hired Ellen through UrbanSitter for our date night downtown. I booked her through the app by sending her a job request- she replied in a matter of hours so I had time to make plans. She arrived promptly the night of our date, could easily handle a serious debate about how fast Lightning McQueen actually was and dinner messes, and we felt 110% comfortable leaving her with our children.

And what did we do on our night out? We hit up the WineRiot in Union Hall! It was a massive wine tasting with 250 different wines from all around the world. We finally got the chance to re-connect, chat, and learn more about one of our favorite topics together.

AND I got the opportunity to wear some of my favorite pieces, specifically this leather pleated midi skirt and Jenny Bird Silver Illumina Bib Necklace (thanks Rocksbox! If you want a free month of jewelry rental, use my code when signing up: cherylbff54).

Although we aren’t able to be as spontaneous as we once were, with UrbanSitter we are able to gain a little of that spontaneity back by having easily accessible babysitters. If you want to give it a try, use the promo code FORFREETRIAL for a free month of membership!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.