Creative Dating Guide

One of my favorite bloggers, Amanda from Wit & Whistle, recently created a Hobby Compatibility Quiz. You and your partner each fill it out, marking down the hobbies or activities you'd be interested in. Then you compare your answers and see which activities you both marked.

This actually gave us a lot of chuckles, some great ideas, and also somehow reaffirmed our strange-but-awesomely-in-synch relationship. A few that Matt and I both chose are: amusement parks, astronomy, cocktail mixing, fencing, film making, and visiting wildlife parks.

I highly suggest checking out the quiz, and while you're there, peek around Wit & Whistle--the photography alone is worth it!

♥ Shannon

10 Dates Under 10 Dollars

Valentine's Day is coming up, but your date doesn't have to break the bank. Here are 10 great dates for under 10 bucks. Enjoy! 

1. If you want to go out, do it during happy hour. You can get drinks, enjoy the bar scene, and enjoy each other. Do some research to find the best happy hour and have fun! Spend the rest of the night walking around your town, or cozying up together back at home.

2. Coffee shop dates are trendy for a reason--they are so fun! There is nothing like a warm drink on a cool night, and February is a perfect time. Plus you can look into great deals to add in cute pastries or even free drinks.

3. Don't underestimate how sexy it is to stay in, drink some wine, and cook with each other. Seeing the ingredients in your food is an amazing way to connect with what you eat, and preparing the meal with your date gives you time to bond. Nourish yourselves, and your relationship.

4. Pack a picnic! If it's cold, pack a thermos of hot chocolate with oversized cookies. You can even stay indoors by a fire, just lay a blanket out on the floor and have fun eating somewhere new. It makes for an easy transition to laying together, cuddling, star-gazing, or whatever else might strike your fancy.

5. Go to a used bookstore. There is something terribly romantic about tomes of books and making great discoveries. See what you can find for under $10. Bonus points for vintage Shakespeare sonnets, fairy tales, or love poems.

6. Indoors or outdoors, go ice skating! The two of you will get flushed cheeks, exhilaration, and peals of laughter. There is nothing like endorphins to boost a date! Finish up with hot chocolate at home.

7. Create art together. One of the first things Matt and I did with each other was to pick a theme that we each had to paint. Choose a quick-drying medium like watercolor or acrylic, set up your canvas or pages so you can't see each others' work (but so you CAN see each other), and set a time limit. You'll have fun seeing how you each interpret the theme, and then you have art AND a great memory!

8. Go to your local library, find a great (or terrible) film, and stay in to watch it! Make popcorn ala Elsie, get oversized candy, and your favorite sparkling drink. Be a teen again and make-out during the film. There's nothing like a great love story to get you feeling lovey-dovey!

9. Go dancing! It can be a night club, or to mix things up, find a local country bar or lindy groove. Swing dance and two-stepping are oh so very romantic--and a blast.

10. Stay in, light some candles, pour some champagne, and take turns pampering each other. Massages--whether full body or just feet and hands--are so divine and lend themselves to intimacy.

The bottom line is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great date. All that matters is being with someone you are into. Have fun!

♥ Shannon

Original Image Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Date with Myself (courtesy of my iPhone)

I enjoy time with myself. I bring a notebook into restaurants and dally, brainstorming, ordering my favorite things. I browse through stores and take my time. It's just sort of slow and thoughtful, without worrying about imposing on someone else.

I needed a few hours like this yesterday because I've been feeling anxious about moving, and my unplanned trip robbed me of the time I planned to use to accomplish personal goals. I wanted a few hours to just relax and remind myself that most of the timelines I set up for myself are arbitrary and can flex a bit when needed.

Do you go on dates with yourself? Where are your favorite places to go?

♥ Shannon