#date help

Wait...is that Dates101? With a new blog post?? Yes my lovelies, I am indeed alive and well. I took a little hiatus from posting because I had other stuff (mainly school stuff) to do, you know how life happens. But today I’m here to bring to you people a brand new glow in the dark date idea! Well, kind of new.

The Date

All my OG followers will know that I’ve talked about Laser tag within another glow in the dark date idea. I think it was the arcade date, but could have been mini golf? I’m not entirely sure. Anywho, I wanted to expand on that idea, because I have some really neat tricks for it! But first, why laser tag? Well, the short answer is its a lot of fun, totally unique, and a great addition to a current date idea! (like....the arcade). Should Laser Tag be your only date activity? I would say probably not. You can only play so many rounds before it gets tiring, literally. I would say 1 round is perfect, maybe two if you're really keen, and three if you're having the most fun ever, but that's it. How do you play laser tag? Well, here is where you can bring in some variety.

Pew..Pew..Pew

There are some Laser Tag places out there that add different game modes and objectives, which I think is totally awesome! But just in case you don't have access to one, we’ll be talking about the barebones, shoot at person don't get shot game type. And for that, I have a couple of ideas. Firstly, you can play the game completely normally. You and your date can be on a team, or even against one another! It's simple, fun and effective. You could even put fun bets on who’s going to come out on top. But what if you wanted more? Well, I have two ideas for you. The first, you can pretend you two are in some sort of video game or movie. One person is the commander, with the other one following their orders. “Go to that spot, give me cover, meet me up there, play dead!” You could get totally wacky with this idea, and the one following the orders has to comply no matter what is being asked (within boundaries of course). Switch commanders mid way through, or during the next game, and you're in for a pretty hilarious time. So what is the second idea? Well its pretty out there, and totally corny, but really fun and unique (or so on paper). So you two will be on a team for this idea, sticking together for the whole round. If one person gets shot, they're dead, and need to be revived before they can resume playing. How are you going to revive them? With a kiss of course. You two are going to be each others medics, and continually “bring them back to life” throughout the match. Of course, they have to be ok with kissing you before hand though! Or you ain’t getting revived anytime soon.

Wrap Up

And that’s my take on Laser Tag. Is it corny and a little ridiculous? Probably. But is it effective? Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ll be experiencing this date idea for the first time, tonight in fact. Like, in 2 hours! Hopefully it goes well, but if it's a total bomb I will definitely let you people know. Wish me luck!

Remember, make every date a story.

if it’s casual then i’d go with a good pair of jeans/ pants/ shorts (if it’s warm where you are) or a casual skirt if you feel comfortable in them and then a top (not a tshirt) that you feel confident and comfortable in and shoes that look pretty nice (not your gyms shoes) but you can walk well in (so no heels, unless that’s something you wear regularly.) i’d recommend flats.

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.

Summer is only here for a couple of months, which means you need to take advantage of these warm summer nights. What better way to do so then cuddling up under the stars, Nicholas Sparks style? 

The Date

Like most of my date ideas, preparation is key. First is location, i.e where you'll be looking up at the stars. The most common place would be a public park, although somewhere more rural would work out better (the less light pollution, the more visible the stars). If your city supports Earth Day, I would highly recommend doing it then, as the city participates in a brief no electricity time period. Well at least that's what my city does, do you even have Earth Day in your city? I’m going to pretend the answer to that is yes and you totally know what I’m talking about. You should also pick a night that wont be very cloudy. Planning everything just to have it ruined by a cloudy night would literally be the worst thing ever. Ok so we have the location, next is the necessities. Are you going to watch in your car? In the bed of a truck? On a blanket in the grass? Majority of you will probably pick the latter, so we’ll go with that. Lastly you should bring a couple of snacks, some extra blankets just in case, a pillow or two, a portable speaker with romantic music, maybe some drinks, and most importantly bug spray! Yes, I said bug spray. It may kill the ambiance for a brief second but most people forget that bugs are a thing during the summer, especially at night. And I don't want my lovely readers being eaten alive by mosquitos. Ok so you're laying under the stars..... what now?

Star Light Star Bright

You're going to get really romantic for this one, yay! Play that music, get under those covers and cuddle up with your significant other. Talk about life, talk about your day, the future, something funny that happened, your deepest darkest secrets, make out, anything you want really. It’s just the two of you and the stars. In this exact moment, nobody else exists. But what about the stars themselves? Well, you could bring a telescope, and I think that would be really cool! However, they are expensive ranging from $50-$150 so only get one if you plan on using it more than once. Thats a lot of money to spend on one date. An alternative would be downloading a stargazing app on your phone. If your location data is turned on, the app will actually pin point the constellations for you! So you can take turns locating them, which is actually a lot of fun.

Wrap Up

And that's the Stargazing Date. Realistically this date could be completely free, and just requires a little bit of cash to make it really nice (or a lot of cash if you so wish). And for you Nicholas Sparks fans out there, yes I’m going to answer the elephant in the room (I’m looking at you “A Walk To Remember”). Naming a Star costs around $50-$100 depending on what registry you go to. If you decide to do this, you've hit romantic overload, and will definitely make a memorable moment you two will share forever. But with that being said, I only recommend this to couples who have been seeing each other for a VARY long time. Nothing says “moving too fast” like naming a star for someone on the first few dates. Also, unfortunately the star isn't officially named the name you pick. In fact, the same star could have multiple “unique” names from different agencies. It’s sad to hear, but I wanted to let you know before you dropped a lot of money. At least you still get a really cool looking certificate!

Remember, make every date a story.

The College semester is finally over! Which means the days are longer, the weather is warmer, and summer is just around the corner. What better time to write about some super fun outdoor date ideas! And I’m going to start things off with a great, (and cheap, yay!) date you and your significant other can do in the gorgeous outside weather. So get ready to unleash your inner shutterbug.

The Date

Cameras are super expensive. Like, $1000+ expensive. I don't know about you, but I don't have money like that to spend. And unfortunately, this date idea is going to involve both of you needing cameras. But fear not, because a quick search on amazon has informed me that you can get 2 disposable cameras for around $20-$30! And you’re not going to need crazy good quality anyway, so an expensive camera is definitely not needed. In fact, even if you do have one I suggest you go the disposable route anyway. But wait I hear you say.... We live in a technological world where an amazing camera is always in our pockets. Why would we need disposable cameras? Yes, hypothetically you could use your smart phone camera. But let me ask you this....it that as fun? Is using something you use everyday, something everyone else uses as fun as using something as ancient as a disposable camera? In my opinion the answer is no. I feel that using an actual camera for this date idea will make the memory a lot more, well memorable. It’s a lot harder to get a good shot, which makes it more challenging and a lot more exciting! Plus you only get around 25 shots per camera, so you have to make every shot count! I mean, of course you can use whatever you want, but I’ll be using a disposable camera just to make it more authentic.

So what are you going to do with these cameras? The short answer is you're going to use them! Pick a day where both of you have a lot of free time. Go to your city’s downtown, the beach, the forest, or anywhere that strikes your fancy and take photos of yourselves and your surrounding area! And yes that means flipping the camera over to take a selfie, not even knowing if you're in frame. I love the old school ways. You can totally make a day out of it! Visit some tourist locations (even if you're a local), get some food (shots), and try capturing photos during different times of day, especially sunset. After you're finished, you'll need to get the photos developed. This is the best part in my opinion, because you have no idea how they're going to turn out. If you're really awesome you could try developing them yourself. I personally don't know how to do that, but 10 points to you guys if you can figure it out. Later, after everything is done I want you to make a collage of all your good photos. No, not one for instagram, this one is physical, one you can display or frame. It’s a call back to simpler times, and a wonderful reminder of the memories you had on that date. But if that seems too tame for you, do not worry. This is Dates101 of course. 

The Dates101 Photo Challenge 

Of course you can shoot whatever you want, however you want it. In fact, I encourage you to do so. It’s really fun to unleash your inner creative photographer. However if you're looking for a little more, I have just the thing. For simplicity, let’s say each camera has 25 shots in it. I am going to present to you, loyal reader, 25 challenges you and your significant other have to do for each photo. Later, you’ll decide who took the best photo for each challenge. You might even have to separate location wise for some of them, to get a unique image. Or even challenge another couple and team up to see what couple can win! It's all for fun of course, but adds a little spice to the date. Feel free to swap challenge ideas for some of your own, or even all of them for that matter. Whatever you decide to do, I rooting for you to win. Yes, you. Now here's the challenges. 

*Remember, you cant photograph 1 thing for multiple challenges. They all have to be different. 

#1- capture a moment of love

#2- capture something red

#3- capture a landmark 

#4- capture something with wings

#5- capture someone moving

#6- capture something frightening

#7- capture something on wheels

#8- capture something with water

#9- capture something expensive

#10- capture something written

#11- capture something strange 

#12- capture something that gets you excited

#13- capture something still

#14- capture something with a pattern

#15- capture something fluffy 

#16- capture something old

#17- capture something that makes you angry 

#18- capture something hilarious 

#19- capture something noisy 

#20- capture a moment of hunger 

#21- capture something athletic

#22- capture your reflection

#23- capture something in nature 

#24- capture something metal

#25- capture something real

Wrap Up

And that’s my take on the very first outside date idea. I think you're really going to enjoy this one. And the best part about it is that you can do this idea multiple times in different locations or with different rules. If you think of some unique challenge ideas I would love to hear them. Maybe even show me that collage of yours. 

Remember, make every date a story.

Got a super fun, super delicious date idea for you this week! So dust off those cookbooks, clean up those pans and load up on paprika, because we’re cooking.

The Date

With the right mentality, a simple task like cooking can become a date in itself. Just picture this: you and your significant other spot a delicious looking dish in a magazine, on Pinterest etc, and decide you’re gonna make it yourself. You two get the ingredients, put on some music and cook away! And its actually a lot of fun cooking together I'm not gonna lie. In fact, you could just stop reading here because cooking on its own would make a great story, especially if it turned out really good (or really bad). Just follow everything in “The Pizza Date” but substitute pizza for whatever you're making. However, I hear you want something a little more on the wild side. Well I got an idea just for you.

Hell’s Kitchen

So this is my idea to flip cooking on its head. To start off, your significant other is going to give you a picture of a delicious meal. Thats it, just 1 legible picture of the meals entirety (it has to be a fair photo though). After that's done, the outcome is in your hands. You are now the head chef of the Dates101 restaurant, and your partner is the sous-chef. Based on the photo you received, you're going to try and recreate said meal as perfectly as you can. Meaning, you come up with the recipe (or find it online), you get the ingredients (with your partner there of course) and you are in charge of cooking the meal (your partner is also there to help but you must tell them what to do). The whole dish is in your complete control, so if you mess up its kinda on your head. BUT with that being said, it makes this idea super fun and unique because for all we know your partner could be an expert in making this dish, but isn't allowed to help because they are not in charge. There is a very high chance that your partner starts bursting out laughing because you're making them cut onions the wrong way! But that's all in the fun of it, because its your kitchen, and everything is done your way. If the meal is a success you can gloat till your hearts content, but if it’s a complete disaster, at least you got a really great memory out of it.

Wrap Up

Regardless of the outcome, its your partners turn to be head chef next time, so if they gave you an incredibly hard dish to create, nows your chance for revenge! Or go easy on them, its your choice. Either way, you're going to have a blast being in charge, as well as seeing your significant other in charge. No pressure, Gordon Ramsay.

Remember, make every date a story.