Date Ideas.

     As I have said so many times before, I am the queen of keeping things lively. I can't do ruts and I loathe the mundane. I live for those right out of a movie kind of loves. Let's face it, we all know that long-term relationships just don't stay thrilling forever. You see them everyday, life is busy and kids can require a lot of our energy. But! I must say, I've become quite the master at thinking up fun date ideas and ways to bring back that extra little spark. I've found that the spontaneous ideas are good, if not better than the planned nights. But we do what we can. If you have kids, you know that spontaneous isn't the easiest. Although, sometimes getting a sitter spur of the moment and acting on a whim is more than worth it. Here's some of my favorite date ideas...

  1. Comedy Show, Horse Derby, or any other event that you can get dressed up fancy for. Sometimes seeing each other decked out in not the normal everyday is nice for a change. We make even work events into date nights. Read about ours here. 

2. Road Trip. This was probably one of my most favorite days of 2014. It wasn't exactly planned to be a date but it turned out to be an important day for us both and one that I look back on with fond memories. We had traveled to New Hampshire for my husband's bike meet-up. We spent most of our time apart that weekend. Him with his bikers and me meeting up with some old friends. We hadn't spent much time together over the past few weeks. On the way home, we took a scenic route through Vermont and the peaceful drive and quietness gave us back a little bit of what we had been lacking. We talked and laughed. We stopped to view some great scenery and ate a bit of lunch. One of the least expensive things you can do is get in the car and go for a drive. Go somewhere that you don't normally go. Just enjoy being together and you might find that you start to feel like the first date....a little bit of that romance sparks back up. You can read about this date here.

3. The drive ins have always been one of my favorite date nights. I am sure that has something to do with the fact that it was one of our first dates. One of the first times that I discovered I was totally in love with Ty. Sometimes it's just fun to re-enact some of your first dates. Read about ours Here.

4.Weekend Getaways. Ty works a lot and it's hard to get away for more than a long weekend. That's okay. Besides an annual week long vaca, we take a couple long weekends a year. Ty planned a surprise long weekend anniversary trip for us. I admit, I plan most of our date nights and vacations. I'm kind of a control freak like that. The fact that he took the time to plan this trip and did it all on his own, meant a lot to me. I was blown away by his planning abilities. I didn't know he could plan such a fun, romantic trip. Even if your guy isn't the type to plan a surprise trip, remind him that you like surprises. Or ask! I randomly tell Ty out of the blue, "You know I like surprises, right?" Even though he knows this and I've told him a million times, guys need reminding sometimes. And you might be surprised by what a guy can do if you let him. If he just isn't the planning type, then take the reins and take matters into your own hands. You can read about our GLORIOUS weekend Anniversary trip to the Finger Lakes here. 

 
 5.Beach dates. These are self explanatory. Sun, drinks, relaxation. Plan beach dates. And not just with the kids. Don't feel guilty to go once a year to the beach with just the grown ups. Sometimes doing double dates or going with friends to places is really fun, too! We did a little pre-wedding getaway with are friends here. 

 6. Nature is another inexpensive way to do things together. And as it turns out, Mother Nature has a quite a few things to offer. Hiking, canoeing, or even a candlelight snow shoeing if you live in the snow regions. This one is especially fun because you can do this with our without kids. Read about our canoe trip here and our hiking trip here. 

 7. Dinner Dates. These dates are easy and Ty and I plan them at least once a month. We try and go to new places that we have never been. Eventually you will run out of places so try and go to your favorites and places that you went in the beginning of your relationship. One of my favorite spots is Boca Bistro. An authentic Spanish cuisine that has the cutest setting. I love the quaint and intimate details of the restaurant.

 


 8. Booze Cruise. If you have never been on one of these, do it! This booze cruise was a work event that Ty's work held but I will definitely go on another in the future. It was fun, romantic, different and peaceful by the end of the evening. All the elements of a good date night. Read about ours here. 

9. Couples Massage. Or Pedicure. Ty and I have been on a few dates where we have gotten couples massages. Once when I was pregnant with Scarlett and it turned out to be one of the best gifts I ever got him....and me ;) Drag those guys in with you for a pedicure. Think pedis are only for girls? Think again, I see numerous guys there with and without their spouses and quite frankly, the men need it more than the women with their callused, neglected feet.

I also wrote a little post Here on how to keep your relationship fiery.  Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day today!