#couple dates

[bohemianrhapsodic]

Give your characters personalised date nights.

Not everyone likes fancy restaurants or picnics in the park. Sure, it can be nice, but every date? What’s your couple’s special thing? The thing that they would rather do together than go out for a two hundred dollar dinner somewhere? Are they the sort of couple who would like to go on a five mile hike together? Write about it. Are they the sort of couple who would like to stargaze through a telescope together and identify all the planets and stars they see? Write about it. Are they the sort of couple who would like to just stay in for an entire evening watching their favourite show and eating in bed? Write about it. Write. About. It. Everyone loves a couple who can do their version of nothing and still love it because they’re together.

[dates101]

The Autumn Date

Fall is finally here my lovelies! The weather is colder, the leaves are changing, and the date ideas are a plenty! “But wait a minute”, I hear you ask. “What kind of dates can I specifically do during fall?” Well, because schools been incredibly busy and I haven't posted it decades, I feel it fair to give you not 1, not 2, but 4 date ideas to do during this awesome season! So without further ado, let’s jump right into our first date idea (pun intended).

Jumping for Joy

Ok, the first date idea I have is going to require you to release your inner child. Remember raking leaves and jumping into them afterwards? Well, you guessed it, you're gonna do just that. “That doesn't sound very romantic, it sounds like work to me”. Oh, ye of little faith. Making a leaf pile is a lot more fun than you would think! Bring out some autumn beverages, crank the tunes, and see who can make the biggest leaf pile. Or you could be a team player and build one big pile together. See if you can get all the leafs into on place, and then have a contest to see who can come up with the best jump (all filmed for social media of course). Is it the most glamorous of date ideas? No. But it’s not supposed to be. This is a fun way to kill a couple of hours while doing getting some great photos in the process. Plus laying in a pile of leaves and cuddling next to your significant other is a pretty great experience. Give it a try!

Picking perfection

Next up we have another classic fall activity. Some families might even have a tradition of doing this every year (and maybe you two will as well). Ever been apple picking before? For those of you that said yes, you already know where I’m going with this. However for those that said no, let me tell you how romantic this date idea can be. It’s just you and your partner, alone picking the biggest, juiciest apples you can find. Need to get an apple at the tallest branch? No problem, get on someone’s shoulders and BOOM memorable moment. Tired from all the picking during the day? Most apple picking places have tractor rides and BOOM memorable moment. Need a recipe for all those apples you picked? Find a recipe for apple pie and BOOM...well you get it. There are so many memorable moments to be had while picking apples, in addition to all the other cool things consumer farms have on offer. In fact, let’s talk about another date idea while we’re at the farm.

Lost in Love

Most farms now a days (but not all so don't quote me on this) have some kind of corn or sunflower maze as an attraction. Getting lost in a corn maze with the love of your life, being goofy and trying to find the way out? Umm hello Hollywood, I got your next RomCom right here! But in all seriousness, mazes are a super unique way to spend an afternoon, and a great addition to going to the farm. But what about the last date idea?

Pumpkin Spiced....Pumpkins

I’ve saved the best for last obviously, because you'll be making Jack-o-lanterns! Yes its super cute, and yes you have to do it (well not actually but it would make me happy). Buy two pumpkins from the local grocery store (although I prefer from a farm), set up some newspaper and get carving! “But wait, shouldn’t we work on one pumpkin together?” I mean, you could. However I think its better if you work on your own and compare when its done. You could even make caricatures of each other and get incredibly silly with it!

Wrap Up

And there you have it, 4 date ideas you could do this Autumn season. Could you do all 4 in one day? Of course! I would actually prefer it all be done in one day because that would make an incredibly memorable story. However it’s also a lot in one day, so you might want to break it up into two or even three days. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you take a bunch of pictures. Autumn is only here for a short while after all.

Remember, make every date a story.

-Dates101

[dates101]

The Park Date

Before we get into this, I want to give thanks to Awkwardmarine for this awesome date idea! Also, I’m going to write this one a bit differently than other blog posts, because I have a bunch of ideas for the park, yet they aren't big enough to have their own post. So I’m just going to write all of them down, and you can pick and choose which ones interest you. Now with that being said, I present to you dear readers 12 date ideas to do at the park!

The Date

Like most of my date ideas, planning ahead of time will be essential. BUT, I hear you say, what if I wanted a spur of the moment, no planning required, back up idea. I hear you loud and clear, so I’m going to include free date ideas that don't require any planning! But no matter what idea is your favourite, you're going to need a public city park to do this in, so hopefully you have one near you. Can you do all of these ideas at once? Of course, but I would recommend only picking a few, or at least having them in the back of your mind in case one of your dates ends quickly and you need to think of something fast to do. Hope you have fun!

The 12 Park Date Ideas

People watching: Simply put, you and your significant other are going to sit somewhere and watch people walk by you. But of course there’s a little more to that. Try to figure them out before they walk out of sight. Guess their story, occupation, favourite colour, whether they're vegan or not, that sort of thing.

20 questions: Ever play 20 questions before? You’re going to think of something (literally anything) and your partner has 20 questions to find out more about what you picked. Also, you can only answer with yes or no. Oh, and did I mention you're gonna be doing this on the swings? If you're asking the questions you push. Switch once its the other persons turn!

Kite Flying: This one is super fun on a windy day. You can easily pick up a dollar store kite or make your own! Better yet, if you go on “The Arcade Date” I wrote about many moons ago, make sure to get one of those build your own toy planes and have races!

Catch: A football, Frisbee, tennis ball, or baseball can work for this activity. Bonus points if you're practising for a coed sports league (date foreshadowing??) 

Cloud Watching: It’s actually a lot more fun than it sounds. The more ridiculous the object in the sky the better!

Eye Spy: Ok hear me out first. You're gonna walk the full length of the park, making mental notes of things that catch your eye. Once you've picked something, your partner has to try and guess what it is. Start at the entrance (or wherever you want) and give hints about your selection. Hints could be how big it is, the colour, if your partner is “hot or cold”. But the catch here is they can only ask for 5 hints!

Events: Look to see if there is an event happening in your local park. There’s usually something happening during the summer months, you never know what you might stumble upon. 

Painting/Drawing: Bring some art supplies and paint the scenery of your choice! Bonus points if its sunset.

Picnic: Bring a blanket, maybe some food, and enjoy eating outside. Need a spin on this idea? Well lucky for you I’ve already written about a super awesome picnic date idea!

Ice Cream: Theres always some kind of ice cream vendor near city parks (hopefully). So grab a cone in one hand, your partners hand in the other, and walk through the park, enjoying your delicious treat. Just watch out for bugs.

Talk: This one is pretty self explanatory, but just sitting and talking could make for a great date! Especially if you don't know much about them yet.

Make Out: And of course, a romantic classic. Find somewhere secluded and hidden from the other park goers, and just have a really fun and passionate make out session!

Wrap Up

What did you think of this different blog post style? Usually I like to go into great detail about my ideas (as you obviously know), but for this Sundays post I wanted to mix it up a bit. Also, I’m surprised nobody called me out on this, but last week I didn't post anything. I have good reasons though! I’m working on something pretty cool, but more on that when its ready. 

Remember, make every date a story.

-Dates101

[dates101]

The Billiards Date

Picture this: it's Saturday night, and you have a date with that good looking barista you’ve summed up the courage to finally ask out. You plan to go out for a drink, but you’re worried there won’t be enough to talk about, resulting in that dreaded awkward silence. What do you do? You cancel out of nervousness three hours before. Sound familiar? Well, I’m here today to talk about a great first date idea that provides protection to the awkward silence nightmare.

The Date

So what is it already? The answer is Billiards, or “pool” as its often referred as. Now what makes billiards such a great first date option? Well for starters its very similar to the bar, meaning its low key, involves drinks, and has plenty of time for great conversation. But what separates this from the bar is if the conversation does dies down for whatever reason, you have the game of billiards to fall back on. Confused? Let’s get into this.

Billiards is a simple enough game to play. You take turns trying to get balls into pockets essentially. Now, I'm not going to bore you with the rules of the game, but I am going to suggest a way to progress through the night. Grab a drink for each other, set up the balls and start playing! You can start off with small talk while each of you play your turn, comment on their amazing trick shot (or trick shot fail), and even talk about wants happening on the TV in the corner. Its great because billiards allows for you to just jump right into it. No need to try to think of something to say, because something will naturally come up as you play. For some reason, I find it much easier to talk to someone brand new while doing something at the same time, and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this. Better yet, you can take fun risk shots while the game progresses, and make fun of yourself in the process. Got a tricky shot coming up next? “Watch as a hit it behind my back with my eyes closed!” This breaks down awkward barriers, making both of you feel that much more comfortable. I suggest a 2-1 approach here. Have one full on conversation after every second billiard shot (each). Meaning, you take a shot, your date takes a shot, then you, then them, then you start a conversation about anything you want to know. After that conversation dies down, you move on to your next shot! Its a way to get to know your date really well, while limiting the awkward “stare-down” some experience while getting a drink at the bar. But what if you wanted to make billiards even more interesting?

Ball for a question

This is a super fun mini game you can do to guaranty the conversation keeps going on for a while. But before I get into it, I have to make sure you understand that winning the game absolutely does not matter! You're here to have fun and learn about your date, not destroy them with your pool skills (or lack thereof). So please, don't take this as a way to win the game. Now with that out of the way, this game idea is called “Ball for a Question” Every time your dates sinks a ball, they must answer a question of your choosing (and vice versa). This question could be absolutely anything, but must be answered honesty no matte what. If your date answers, then the game continues, however if your date choses not to answer, then you have to take one of their sunken balls outside of its pocket. Now hold on, before you think about all these dastardly questions you want to ask, know this: every question that is asked, gets redirected to the person who asked the initial question. Meaning, when you ask your date a question, regardless of if they answer or not, you must answer your own question as well. If you refuse, your ball gets taken out. And if you haven't sunken any yet, you miss a turn. Are you up for the challenge?

Wrap Up

Now, like all my date ideas, you absolutely don't have to do the mini game if you don't want to. Getting some drinks, playing pool and taking with your date would still make for a great first date experience! But if you're dying to know a little more about the other person, Ball for a Question is a great way to find out more about that special someone. Regardless of what you chose to do, billiards is a fantastic option for anyone looking for a fun and unique first date experience.

Remember, make every date a story.

-Dates101

[dates101]

The Romance Date

“Whoa hold on a minute, The Romance Date? That could literally be anything!” Yes dear reader you are correct. I kinda don't have a title for this date idea, because it doesn't really have a theme besides being romantic. But let me tell you, romantic it is. I’d definitely suggest saving this one for a special moment in your relationship.

The Date

“But what kind of special moment” I hear you ask. Well, ideally you could save this for an anniversary. However, I feel like this idea is too generic for an anniversary. My pick for such an occasion would be something meaningful to the both of you. But if you’re out of ideas, this one would definitely work. Other suggestions I could think of would be Valentines Day, a big promotion at work, a huge accomplishment, or just because you love your significant other and want to surprise them. All choices are good, and would work for this idea. So what is it already?

Straight out of a Movie

Ok, you're going to create a surprise, romantic setting for the two of you. And it has to be a surprise, as that will make it the most impactful. Firstly, you're going to need a room to set up in. I would suggest a bedroom, but a living room would work just as well. Now that you have your location, let’s go through this step by step.

Step 1: Create a romantic music playlist (ideally of songs they really like) and have it playing when they walk in. Having a portable speaker would be a huge help!

Step 2: Have candles lit all around the room. No, I’m not talking about expensive candles here. Cheap, little candles will work perfectly (unless you want to go all out). And of course have them be your only light source.

Step 3: Wine! Have a bottle of their favourite wine (or alcoholic beverage) poured into two glasses ready to go.

Step 4: Their favourite flowers or chocolate or both! My pick would be Guylian Belgian Chocolates, because they are the greatest chocolates of life. Give me a box of those and I’m all yours, seriously.

Step 5: Last step on the list is your main event, a blanket to sit on in the middle of the room and cheesecake. Delicious, fatty, too good to be true cheesecake. 

Wrap Up

If you know when your partner will be home, that would be ideal. Or set everything up and tell them to come over for a surprise. Obviously you don't want to light the candles until they're close to arriving, and same goes to playing the music. But when they do show up, and they see what you’ve done for them, the look on their face will be priceless. But, why should you do all of this? Because no one does anything like this anymore! It shows how much you care about them, and that you're willing to put in effort to please them. It’s going to be super romantic, and I guaranteed it’ll make a lasting memory. After you finish the cheesecake, what you do next is completely up to you....

Remember, make every date a story.

-Dates101

[dates101]

The Board Game Date

Rainy day got you down? Never fear, date night can still be saved with this awesome and hilarious date idea! With a small twist of course.

The Date

The great thing about this idea is that it can be a planned date or a backup, as long as you have the games already. “But I don't have any board games” I hear you say. Never fear loyal reader, I got you covered. Firstly, let’s talk about the types of games you'll be playing. Of course, I always recommend playing whatever games you like the most, however this date idea was designed to use older games from your childhood, or even older! I’m talking about classics like Twister, Ker-plunk, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Uno, Barrel Full of Monkeys, Yahtzee, Connect 4, Guess Who, Memory, Mouse Trap, those kind of games! Yes, I know what you're thinking, those are goofy games for kids; and that's the point. You could play your Monopolies and your Risks, but that's too normal. I want you to release your inner child, and play games you've completely forgotten about! They're dumb, they're silly and they're quick, sounds like a pretty hilarious night to me. Add some drinks, snacks and music to the mix, and you're looking at a great memory maker! But with that being said, I don't want you to be spending hundreds of dollars on these games. See what you have in storage, and go from there. A great way to save money is buy travel versions. They're much smaller yes, but also much cheeper. Thrift stores are a good option too, as you never know what you can find there. But if nothing is working, I do have another option for you.

“You” The Board Game

Yes, you read that right. You're going to create your own board game, with your significant others’ help of course. Whoa, wait, huh? Confused? Ok hear me out first. Think of a combination between candy land, and snakes and ladders. You can get a bristol board and create mini squares with sticky notes with a whole bunch of fun colours, or you could simply draw on a piece of paper. The amount of effort you want to put into this is totally up to you. Next you can decorate it with different memories, inside jokes, add some areas to move up or move back (like snakes and ladders) and make this “Your relationship the Board Game”. You make the rules, so it can whatever you want, but I do encourage you to add this one element. Have part of your game involve answering questions on cards. This could be if you land on a certain square, or required before moving your character piece. I want you to write a bunch of questions about yourself. What your favourite colour is, your birth month, your favourite flavour of ice cream, anything really! Its your partners job to see how well they know you (and visa vera of course when they make their own cards). It adds a really cool and personal element to the board game, as well as answers the most important question of any relationship: “How well does my partner know me”. You might be surprised by how much they remember, or forget.

Wrap Up

And that's my take on Board Games. As always, this date idea could be as simple or as complicated as you want. But, I do challenge you to make this one complicated. Its so much fun getting materials to make your own game, decorating it, and deciding upon rules. I really think you should give it a try! And don't forget to add on new questions as your relationship continues. 

Remember, make every date a story.

-Dates101

[dates101]

The Drive-In Date

It's sad to say, but summer is on its way out. And with it, the potential for fun summer date ideas. We’ve talked about Stargazing, Parks, Concerts and Ice Cream, yet there’s so many more Summer dates I’d like to write about. Time is not on my side but I don't care, for this week I’m going with a summer classic, The Drive-In Movie.

The Date

For all you younglings out there, let me explain what the Drive-In is. You watch a movie, on a giant screen, in your car. And that's pretty much it. “But you’ve said movie dates are the worst things ever!” Yes, and I still stand by that argument. However this my friend, doesn't count as a movie date because it is so much more that just watching a movie. It’s a totally different experience, one that lets you bend the rules of traditional movie watching. Drive-Ins are super unique, fun, intimate, and exciting. They are also a dying breed, so I highly suggest trying it before all of them are gone forever. Now, confused as to what you need to do? Let me explain.

Down In Front

There are lots of Do’s and Do Not’s when it comes to Drive-Ins, and Im going to go through each of them so you are fully prepared to have a great date experience. First, is preparation. You’ll obviously need a car to watch from, although you could use lawn chairs if you so wish. My all time favourite would be watching in the bed of a truck (make sure to bring bug spray). I also suggest getting there super early so you get a good spot (maybe even bring a ball or game to entertain you). Now that you’re settled, you’ll have to tune into a specific FM radio station in order to have audio for the movie. But, I’ve had great success bringing a portable speaker and plugging it into the cars radio with a 35mm headphone jack (yes those are still a thing, I checked). You’ll also need jumper cables! Why? Well your car has to be on in order for you to get the audio from the radio, and your battery might die. So just in case, please bring jumper cables. Next is snacks, and for this section I want you to go crazy! Bring all the snacks you want, the more the merrier! You could also bring a cooler if you so wish. Flashlights are important as well, because one of you will eventually need to take a leak, and I wouldn't want you bumping into anything or anyone. Lastly is blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, even pyjamas if you wish; anything you need to be as comfy as possible. And that's pretty much all you need for a great Drive-In movie experience. Now as for the Do Not’s, make sure you don't park at the very front if you have a large vehicle, because no one wants to be that person. Also, make sure you don't press down on the brake pad accidentally while watching, its super distracting. Lastly, be respectful for the people around you and that's it!

Wrap Up

Ok, to sum up: get there early, don't park in the front, bring something to entertain you, bring lots of snacks, blankets, pillows, pjs, portable speaker, and jumper cables. Got all of that? Then you're ready for your movie under the stars. Oh and if you want a cool little idea to spice up your Drive-In experience then listen up. Most of the time there will be more than one movie playing at the same time. Feeling bored with the movie you’re watching? Turn off the audio and try to watch a different movie being played, but try and guess what is happening in that movie without audio. It’s going to be confusing, you're gonna be confused, you're gonna laugh, its gonna be great. 

Remember, make every date a story.

-Dates101