Sunday, November 16, 2014

25 Dates of Christmas

Disclaimer: This is going to be a long post; I get a bit excited when planning date nights with the Hubby.

In my previous post I mentioned wanting to do something memorable for our last Christmas just the two of us. After compiling my list of 50 dates I realized two things...
1.     There is no (sane) way to have 50 dates in 25 days.
2.     We live in San Antonio. And while I love living here we don't get all that white stuff falling from the sky that people call snow. So all of the fun outdoor snow activities were out.
Since 50 dates was out of the question, I opted for the 25 Dates of Christmas. (That has a nice ring to it, right?!) I will be creating an advent calendar with envelopes and having the Hubby open it each morning to give him a hint of the date each night. Since some of the dates will be more involved, or require more time, I will plan out the days we have each date rather than putting them in the calendar randomly.
**These dates can easily be tweaked to accommodate a family.  I have listed some local things that are only offered in our area but feel free to pull date ideas from my previous post or find something fun & new from your area to take their place. Now on to the dates….

Christmas Movie Night
·        Put on your favorite PJ’s (Don’t forget the fuzzy socks)
·        Grab a comfy blanket, big enough for two
·        Pop in a Christmas Movie(s) Here are a few of my favorites….White Christmas, Holiday Inn, The Grinch, Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, A Muppet Christmas Carol & Charlie Brown Christmas.
·        Start a fire in your fireplace
·        Pop some Jiffy popcorn in the fireplace
·        Make S’mores for dessert
·        Have some Sparkling Cider or you favorite adult beverage
·        If you’re feeling adventurous you can even try roasting chestnuts

Christmas Themed Game Night
Play your favorite Holiday themed or normal games; here are a few 2 player games we like…
Holiday Fluxx & Rudolph Monopoly , Ticket to Ride, Rumikub, Blokus, Headbandz, Tenzi & Quirkle
·        Have a Snowball fight
I live in Texas; the real thing isn't an option here so we’re going for the next best thing... Grab some flour, go outside and have at it! If you’re feeling crafty you can even make your own. Here’s a link to show you how http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/fakesnow.htm
·        Have an “Indoor Ice Skating” contest
Wrap your feet in wax paper & secure with rubber bands. Judge each other on Technique, Execution & overall “Creativity.” If all else fails, you can slide around the house like you’re Tom Cruise in Risky Business ;)
·        Snowman bowling
Save your soda bottles & paint them like snowmen to use as the pins. Use a squishy ball as the bowling ball.
·        Race to see who can drink a glass of milk & eat a cookie the fastest
·        Put together a Christmas puzzle, you can race each other or work on one together
·        Play name that tune with Christmas music
**All of these can be used to “Spice Up” your evening. You can wager certain things on each game or make them “strip style” it can be as wild or as tame as you want. (Click & print the picture below for your own wager cards)


Dollar Store Stocking Stuffer Date
The whole point of this date is to have fun & be silly. You don’t have to get them practical gifts, think fun & outrageous!

·        Head to your favorite dollar store
·        Each person gets $10 or $20 if you’re feeling generous ;) and 15 minutes to pick out the stocking stuffers for their spouse
·        On the way home stop for take out
·        Before dinner, stuff your spouse’s stocking, preferably in separate rooms so you can keep the gifts a surprise, have dinner and exchange stockings

Windcrest Christmas Lights
Do some research and find out what neighborhood has the best Christmas lights, for my area it’s Windcrest.
Here’s a link to the Windcrest Light Up http://www.windcrest-tx.gov/index.aspx?NID=190

·        Bring along Hot Cocoa or your warm beverage of choice
·        Don’t forget the blanket or warm jacket. We roll down our windows when driving through, a lot of the homes add music to their displays and we don’t want to miss it.
·        Hop in the Car, put on some Christmas Music, drink your hot cocoa & enjoy the lights
·        Check off your Christmas lights scavenger hunt list below


Christmas Tree Sleepover
·        Turn off all the lights except the tree
·        Grab your fluffiest pillows & blankets and make a pallet under the tree
·        Dance by the light of the tree to your favorite songs
·        Write out your Christmas wish list. Click on the photo below for a minimalist Christmas wish list.
·        Listen to an old timey Christmas radio show. You can find them on youtube, Amazon or Pandora


Christmas Fort
We all loved forts as kids, I know I did. So for this date we’re taking the same concept and adding a few Christmas touches. Tonight is all about having fun and enjoying the season through a child’s eyes. Embrace the silly, goofy and ridiculous tonight.

·        Set up your tent, the more blankets the better, it doesn't have to be Pinterest perfect. Think fun, whimsical, and romantic
·        Add Twinkle lights & Christmas decor... ornaments, garland, pillows, scarves, banners
·        Set up a picnic in your fort, nothing fancy, you’re “roughing it” tonight
·        Write down your wishes for 2015 and the highlights 2014, you can write as many or few as you want. Put each in the stocking to read next year. Click & print the photo below for the printable
·        Have Christmas music playing in the background
·        Read your favorite Christmas book growing up. Here are a few of my favorites….‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Polar Express & How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Hot Cocoa Tasting
This date will be mostly about making & tasting the cocoa. To keep the focus on the tasting I’m going to have some fruit and nibbles for dinner that night. I mean, we’re already going to get more than our caloric intake for the day in chocolate, why add more?

·        Try making a bunch of different kinds & judge/rate the cocoa. There are about a 1,000 different recipes out there, pick which ones you think you’ll like best. Here’s what we will be tasting…
Traditional Hot Cocoa, Spicy Hot Cocoa, Nutella Hot Cocoa, Salted Caramel Cocoa & Frozen Hot Cocoa
·        Rate each Cocoa on the Tasting printable I’ve created. I’m treating this like you would a Whiskey/Bourbon tasting. 
·        I’ll also have fun toppings for the Cocoa, just in case they need a little something extra. Whipped cream, sprinkles, shaved chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon & raw sugar
·        To Spice this date up you can blindfold your spouse and have him taste each one without looking. Each one he guesses correctly he gets something from you in return






Fondue for Two
I love Fondue it’s probably my favorite kind of meal. We don’t have it often because of the labor & planning involved, but trust me the work is worth it! If you’re nervous about taking on an entire meal just do dessert! This website has all you would ever need to know about fondue http://www.bestfondue.com/

·        Fondue can be a very sensory dining experience. If you want to spice up the evening, treat it as such. Turn off the lights and eat by the light of your Christmas tree. Feed your partner their food.
Every time a piece of bread or fruit is “lost” in the pot you must kiss your spouse, I mean really kiss them. Who knows, you may not even make it to dessert ;)
·        We will be having 3 courses
Cheese served with french bread & green apples. Oil served with tuna, steak, scallops, potatoes, mushrooms & other veggies. Chocolate served with raspberries, strawberries, marshmallows & more
·        Make it fancy, romantic & all about you two.  I will be adding lots of candle light as well as the twinkle of our tree
·        Share some sparkling cider or you Adult Beverage of choice
·        Put on some Christmas music
·        Start a conversation. The best part of a Fondue meal is the time it takes to eat one. There is no possible way to eat quickly, so to help with the conversation I’ve attached some fun Christmas questions for you and your spouse I've even left a few blank for you to fill out.


  

Riverwalk Dinner Date
We live in San Antonio, and here we’re known for The Alamo and The Riverwalk. This time of year is, in my opinion, the best time of year to visit.  The trees along the riverbank are covered in miles of twinkle lights; it creates a beautifully romantic atmosphere.

·        Get dressed up, walk around, take part in any festivities, have dinner and just enjoy the atmosphere and each other.

Alamo Drafthouse Date
This is my hubby’s favorite movie theater; they serve food & have great quote-a-longs.  Here’s a link to their site to see if you have one in your area.  http://drafthouse.com/


Wassailfest
This is a once a year event offered in downtown New Braunfels.  There’s nothing better than walking through a small town at Christmas time, drinking FREE Wassail!

·        Here’s a link to their website http://www.nbtexas.org/index.aspx?nid=1490

Make a Christmas Treat
I have never been a fan of cookies but my hubby LOVES them so we will be making a few things as our treats tonight.

·        Chocolate Chip Cookies, Puppy Chow, Candied Pecans & Spicy Chex mix

Try a New Meal
Pick something festive but new. It can be as simple or as in depth as you want, depending on how daring you’re feeling.

·        Grab the ingredients & get to cooking!
To make this evening as stress free as possible, add the dishes’ shopping ingredients to your normal list, that way you don’t have to scramble the day of the date to get all the ingredients.  Just be sure to have a frozen pizza as back up, just in case the experiment goes awry ;)

Make a Christmas Ornament
This year I wanted to start a tradition of making an ornament that signifies something special from that year.  Since I’m planning a somewhat jam packed 25 days this will be a nice low key date at the house. You can do this at your local pottery place or make one at home.  Remember to make it fun & something memorable from this year.

Movie Marathon/ Waffle Bar Breakfast
I know most of you are thinking this is craziness, wasting an entire day watching movies.  So I ask you, how often do you actually get to do that?  AND, I hear any leisure time pretty much goes out the window the moment you have a baby, so why not indulge while we can?

·        I plan on spending the day in our PJ’s, indulging in a day of movies & waffles.
·        Here’s what I’ll be serving on our Waffle Bar; Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Chocolate Chips, Pecans, Whipped Cream, Powdered Sugar, Syrup & of course Bacon!

Live Nativity
There are quite a few churches around us that offer the drive thru live nativity. If you've never been to one, you should go. They have lots of live animals, volunteers and it’s just a beautiful reenactment and reminder of the real reason for the season.

·        I will be keeping tonight very simple so we can really focus on the message of the nativity. The only thing I have to add to the evening is reading Luke 2 when we get home.

Giving Back
Do something to give back this Christmas; there are tons of great places to give of your time and resources.
·        Angel Tree, Salvation Army, Elf Louise, Blue Santa, Local Food Kitchen, etc. Whatever you choose, take the time to give back this holiday season.

Scavenger Hunt through the house
For this date I will be creating 12 clues for my Hubby to follow inside & outside the house. The clues will follow the 12 days of Christmas theme. At the final location he will receive a 12 pack of specialty beers coordination with the numbers 1-12.

Romantic Christmas Night Indoors
I won’t go into too much detail for this one, but I plan on creating a romantic date night for the two of us centered on the 5 senses with a Christmas twist.

Go Christmas Shopping
I know this doesn’t sound like the best date night, but it can still be fun. Since you have to shop anyway, you might as well do it together?

·        The best way to make this as quick and painless as possible is to have your list of what you’re getting and for who ready prior to leaving. This is twofold, it will keep you from wandering aimlessly (unless you like that sort of thing) and it will also keep you from making impulse purchases.
·        One way to make it fun is to treat yourselves at the end of your shopping madness with a sweet treat or drink from the food court that you normally wouldn’t get. It’ll give you something to look forward to & a moment to chat after the craziness of the mall. If nothing else, it’s always great people watching!

Wrap Presents
Some people love wrapping presents, other people…not so much. My Hubby falls in the “not so much” category.  Here’s how to make the night fun…
·        Put on some music or a movie & get to wrapping.
·        You can have contests to see whose package is wrapped the best. Judge on the neatest corners, no tape showing, perfectly centered bow, etc. For each round he/she wins, he/she receives something from the looser.
·        Take this normal activity and spice it up…. let your hubby know for every item he helps you wrap, he gets to unwrap an article of your clothing ;)

Go cut down a Real Tree
I have an artificial tree at my house since that’s what I grew up with, and I continued that tradition once we were married.  My Hubby grew up with real trees so this year we will go cut down a small real tree to incorporate both traditions.

·        This date doesn’t need much; it’s a fun time all on its own. You can’t beat the scenery, atmosphere and smell. Don’t forget to snap some pictures while you’re out there!

Take Christmas pictures
Even if you don’t send out a Christmas card, you can have a photo-shoot at your house. You can make it silly, fun or serious. If you've already planned to have a professional photographer take your pictures, remember to enjoy the moment!

·        Here’s a link to tons of cheap and easy to make backdrops via BuzzFeed http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/unbelievably-cheap-and-beautiful-diy-photo-backdrops
·        Set up your backdrop, put on your best (or worst) Christmas clothes/sweater and get to snapping!
·        Even if no one but the two of you use the pictures it’s all about having fun and enjoying time with your spouse. If a few great pictures turn out great, by all means, send out that Christmas card!

“Elf” a couple
Drop of a basket of goodies for your neighbors or friends on their front porch. Ring the doorbell and run! This is just a fun way to share the holiday spirit with your friends and neighbors.

Christmas Eve Tradition
We will be opening a small gift and exchanging letters, just the two of us, on Christmas Eve morning prior to the family festivities.
Here's the template for our letters.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy Date Night!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

50 Christmas Date Ideas for Couples


 
 
 If you're like me you've been dreaming of Christmas since October 1st. Yes, I am one of "those people." Christmas for me has so many wonderful memories, from my childhood until now. It's my favorite time of year and something I look forward to pretty much all year long.
This year is going to be a bit different for the Hubby and I since it will be our last Christmas as a couple. We are expecting our first child in April and that got the planner in me thinking... How can I make this Christmas different and special? I want it to be something we can look back on, reminisce, and cherish years from now when we're sleep deprived and missing date night. So I did what most of us would do, I immediately logged on to Pinterest for some research. I found so many wonderful ideas for families but the couples section was really lacking, so I started my own list. I pulled ideas from other lists and tweaked them for two people or just made up some things I knew the Hubby and I would enjoy doing.

Since I tend to do things a bit (well actually A LOT) overboard, I decided I wanted to try and do something every night leading up to Christmas. Now, I realize this is not for everyone, which is why I made the 50 dates list. I'm hoping you'll find some inspiration on this list, even if it's only for one date night. It's NEVER to late to start a tradition or date your Spouse. 

Now on to the list...





In my next post I'll share what dates/activities I have planned for the Hubby for the 25 Days of Christmas. Until then...Happy Planning!

-Shavaun