March 14, 2012

The Dating Game

Last night was Date Night!  Whooohooo!


date  - an activity two people share together with the intention of getting to know each other better.



It was a bit of a "normal" date night (you will see other, more creative ideas later in the post) consisting of dinner, dessert and a little bit of shopping.  We don't do this type of date night a lot, but it was a nice treat, especially in the middle of the week. 

Here is a recap of our night, followed by quite a few unique and fun date night ideas.  Remember, dates don't just have to be between you and your significant other, although I do love those!  Any of the ideas listed at the bottom of this page would be fun with any combination of people:  boyfriends, girlfriends, moms, dad, kids, friends, etc.  Enjoy!


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We had a few gift cards for P.F. Chang's  to use and decided to cash in.   Going out to eat is so much more fun when it's already paid for!


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Drinks of choice - Lane:  Pinot Grigio  Mike:  Blue Moon


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We started with Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Steamed Vegetable Dumplings.  They were both very yummy, but very filling.  We were both pretty full before our main meals even donned the table.


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Our main course choices consisted of Garlicky Chicken with Broccoli (minus the ginger) and brown rice for me, while Mike ordered the Moo Goo Gai Pan (I just love the name) with white rice.  The portions were huge and we barely made a dent…yay for leftovers!


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My fortune – keeping my fingers crossed!


Date Night


Although we didn’t finish all of our dinner, we did leave a tad bit of room for our favorite after dinner treat – Jeremiah’s Italian Ice!  This place is like heaven and always has a line out front.

We shared a small, yes the picture below is a small, P-Nutty and Chocolate Gelati.  It consists of peanut butter flavored* Italian ice layered with chocolate soft serve ice cream.  It tastes like a cold Reese’s Peanut butter cup.  Deee-lish.


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*I decided that since this was just PB flavored and not actually peanut butter it was ok to eat.  Only 25 more days of Lent!


Dating is a great excuse to explore and experience your surroundings with new aquaintances or old loves.  If you're in a rut, or are always wanting something different to do, check out the ideas listed below and get started!

Get Active:

  • Trail Biking - example here
  • Tennis
  • Ice Skating
  • Horseback Riding
  • Rock Climbing Gym - example here
  • Batting Cages
  • Go-Carting
  • Bowling
 
Get Creative:
  • Paint Your Own Pottery
  • Canvas Painting - example here
  • Chocolate Party - example here
  • Cooking Classes
  • Progressive Restaurant Tour-go to different restaurants for the following courses:  cocktails/apps, dinner, dessert
 
Get Local:
  • Scooter Rentals - act like a tourist in your own town!
  • U-pick Farms - Strawberries are in season right now and we are going this weekend!
  • College/Professional Sports games
  • Farmer's Markets
  • Drive in movie
  • Zoo
  • Food Truck Round Up
  • Air Boat Rides
  • Community Movies on the Lawn - example here
  • Rodeo
 
Get Cultural:
  • Museums
  • Lectures
  • Musicals/Plays/Ballet
  • Festivals (International, Food and Wine, Arts)
  • Art Galleries
  • Winery/Brewery Tours and Tastings
 
Get Cozy and Stay at Home:
  • Board and Card Games
  • Movies and Books from the Library - pick out books to read to each other, or movies from the Library.  They are free with a library card...score!
  • Pitch a tent in your backyard - smores, firepit, grill and your own bathroom.  Love! 
  • Massage - switch off giving each other massages 
  • Dance Party - turn off the TV, blast your iPod and dance like crazy people. 
  • Black Out - turn off all of the lights and use candlelight only for the night to add a bit of romance.
 
Another fun suggestion?  Go to tripadvisor.com and search your own city!

I am always visiting Trip Advisor to get great restaurant or things to do ideas on this website when we visit other cities.  Many times, if you search your own city, or surrounding cities, you can find many hidden gems that you never even knew about!

Have fun!

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