Archive for the ‘Date Night’ Category

People playing miniature golf outdoorsI’ve got a date idea you may not have done in a long time. So grab your sweetheart and on Saturday head out to your local miniature golf park to celebrate Miniature Golf Day together!

You don’t have to be good at playing miniature golf. You can have fun wagering against the other on who is going to win. With all those windy turns and obstacles you never know who will claim victory and that is part of the fun.

After your game go out to your favorite hamburger joint and enjoy a basket of burger and fries and don’t forget to order a malt to share with two straws.

The excitement and joking between you and your sweetheart might just get you in the mood to have a little laughter and playful fun together between the sheets later that night.

I certainly hope your night with your sweetheart will be up to par!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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beauty young cookOk, I get it you are overworked and underpaid. You and your husband work 40+ hours and are just too tired to go out on date night. Plus there are bills to be paid and there is no money for date night. Where do you find the money and the time to do anything enjoyable with your sweetheart?

Larry and I have always tried to watch our money but like everyone else we have overspent and let the credit cards get out of control and then we have to reel in the purse strings to get back on track. I personally know it is no fun but I also realized we cannot continue to spend like we have.

So here are some of our strategies we have done off and on through the years to get back on track on and living within our means.

Do you still have children living at home and are they in their teens? Teach them how to cook. Have them make one or two meals a week so when you and your husband get home dinner is done. Then there is no excuse for going out to dinner during the week.

When Denise was in her teens we would have her make a menu for 2 nights a week and give us a list of the food items she needed to complete dinner. We would get the items she needed at the grocery store so there was no excuse she couldn’t cook on her designated nights. There was a big advantage for all three of us. She was learning a life skill so when she moved out on her own she could cook and we didn’t have an excuse to go out and eat.

Then Larry and/or I would cook dinner the other two nights. On Friday, it was chose your own dinner. We usually had leftovers from the week in the refrigerator and we would each get to eat whatever we wanted.

Having your children help with cooking teaches them not only a life skill when they move out but also how to work as a team.

With everyone pitching in to help with cooking there should be enough money to squeeze in an inexpensive date night with the one you love.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Ice cream sandwichesToday is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! Celebrate by grabbing your sweetheart after dinner and picking up two ice cream sandwiches at your local grocery store or ice cream parlor.

Then drive to your nearest park, sit down and have a little quiet time with your sweetie pie. After you have savored this creamy delicacy go for a stroll arm in arm together through the park. Take in the smells and sites of just cut grass and the piney scent of the pine trees nestled along the way.

You will discover that the simple pleasures are the most memorable times you have together. These moments are usually when you both feel the most comfortable in your own skin and with each other.

So go ahead splurge, have a date with your sweetheart to celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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European Couple WalkI published this date day/night idea in May of 2010 and thought you would like to revisit it again.

Do you feel like your marriage is in a rut? You do the same thing every week. Boring!!! You have forgotten what it feels like to do something different. You have gotten into a comfortable routine. Well why not have a min-adventure?

Did you know studies have shown mini-adventures can fire up the senses? Try something different, something you haven’t done in a long time or something completely new. When you do this it creates a new neural path that can activate the production of dopamine (the attention hormone) which can help you appreciate each other.

Larry and I had an unexpected mini-adventure this weekend. Larry went to work in the morning and I worked on straightening up the house and fixed lunch for the both of us when he got home. After we ate lunch Larry suggested we run up to Arroyo Grande to get some fresh fruits and vegetables. I had plans we would work on the house and our small vegetable garden but figured why not. Let’s drive up to the Arroyo Grande Village and listen to the free entertainment under the gazebo. Purchase the fresh produce from our local farmers to use in our dinners this week. We hopped into the car with our cooler in the back R & B playing on our XM Radio with us deciding what we needed to get to compliment our meals for the week.

Sounds like fun? We did have fun but it didn’t stop there. After we went to farmers market we went to Starbucks for coffee. While we were enjoying our coffee our daughter called us to see if we wanted to meet them with the kids and have dinner at an inexpensive little Mexican restaurant and after go to see the movie Rocket Man. We decided to opt out this time and instead decided to drive up to Baywood Park for dinner. It is about an hour drive from our house along the coast. There is a great little place where they serve Thai food. It is called Noi’s.

When I say little I mean tiny. When you walk into the place you immediately see Noi standing there stir frying up all these delicious aromas. There is a small counter with two bar stools overlooking all the activity or a bar that runs against the wall for about six people. You can eat outside too. Most people order ahead and pick up the food to take home. We were lucky enough to sit at the bar overlooking Noi and her workers make magic with some vegetables, chicken, shrimp or tofu. Larry went across the street to purchase a large bottle of beer to share while we ate Pad Thai with chopsticks. Yum! We hadn’t been to Baywood Park and Noi’s in forever. It was a nice unexpected treat, totally unplanned and a nice way to relax and have a mini-adventure that didn’t cost too much.

So when is your next mini-adventure? Fire up your senses, get out of your routine and discover why you enjoy each others company.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Did you know it is National Moon Day on Saturday, July 20th? It celebrates the day that man first walked on the moon. What a great excuse for you and your sweetheart to eat moon pies and watch your favorite space movie.

Here are some suggestions:

Star Wars

Star Trek

Apollo 13

The Right Stuff

Avatar

Space Cowboys

Cuddle up on the couch with your sweetheart and celebrate National Moon Day on Saturday evening.

And to get you both into and even better mood:

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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County Fair-Ferris WheelOur County Fair is in town this week and everyone talks about bringing the kids but few consider going to it without the kids in the evening. It is a once a year event and it can bring the kid out in your relationship.

The County Fair is relatively inexpensive and there is so much to do there:

• Eat all the junk food you want, i.e.:

Corn dog, garlic fries, fried Oreo cookies; funnel cakes, cotton candy, chocolate covered bacon, ice cream, barbeques, etc.

• Enjoy the rides:

Ferris wheel, roller coaster, bumper cars, carousel, pendulum rides, tornado, etc.

• Look at all the vendors selling their wares. Last year we bought a black frame with a special saying I wrote myself and had it put on glass for our bedroom. (You will see it another time when we are done with the room)

• Look at the all the cute animals

• Enjoy one of the paid or free concerts

• Stroll through the plant, art and food competitions

• Watch the tractor pulls

Enjoy the County Fair under the stars, it is a fun evening date with your sweetheart and it brings out the kid in your relationship which is so important to making it feel continually new.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Heart BalloonsDid you know it is “National Fried Chicken Day”, Saturday, July 6th? Now who doesn’t like fried chicken and what better way to celebrate it than by having a picnic with your sweetheart!

This is an easy and fairly inexpensive date night dinner. If you want to keep it simple pick up your favorite meal at one of the fast food restaurants or make your own at home.

Pack the picnic basket with:

• Napkins
• Silverware
• Plates
• Glasses
• Picnic Blanket
• Candles
• Drink of Choice
• Potato Salad
• Corn on the Cob
• Fried Chicken
• Brownies or get an Ice Cream Cone on the way home.

Head to your favorite spot, i.e. park, beach, lake, river or a spot overlooking the city and celebrate “National Fried Chicken Day” with your sweetie pie.

But wait a minute you don’t want to go out. You just want to stay home and relax. Then plan on having a picnic in your own backyard once the kids are in bed or they have settled down with their favorite movie in the den. Who says you can’t be romantic even when you are home.

Candles, wine, fried chicken and all the fixins can make for a very romantic evening together.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAWith summer finally here and the weather is warm, why not enjoy an old fashion date night with your sweetheart by going to see a movie at an old fashion drive-in.

Get on the internet to find a drive-in movie closest to your home and plan on bring some goodies with you to enjoy while watching the movie under the stars. Don’t have a drive-in movie near you? You might be surprise to find out there are parks that sometimes put a screen up and have movie night in the park.

A ½ hour away from us Solvang has free Friday night movies in the park.

Here is this summer’s schedule:

Pre-show begins at 7:30 PM. The movie begins when it is dark.

• June 21 – Remember the Titans
• July 5 – Madagascar 3
• July 19 – The Amazing Spider Man
• August 2 – Casablanca
• August 16 – The Avengers

Bring a blanket, sodas, popcorn and a light jacket (just in case it starts to get cool) and enjoy a visit to a drive-in theatre or a free movie in the park together under the stars.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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$1So you don’t thing you can have a $1.00 date night? Well think again. Decide what you want to spend, $5 or $10, and grab your sweetheart and figure out what you can do for a $1.

Here are some suggestions:

• Buy $1 Tacos for dinner
• Go to the Dollar Store for desert, i.e. cookies, fruit, candy
• Go to the video arcade and play $1 games
• Buy a book from the Goodwill
• Wash your car
• Buy a surprise gift for a $1 for each other at the Dollar Store.
• McDonalds ice cream cone
• Get 100 pennies and make 100 wishes in a water fountain together
• Give it to a child in a $1 Store (just because)
• Buy a Lotto or Scratcher Card (all it takes is one card to win)
• Go to a Flea Market & buy something for your home for a $1
• Add it to your $5 a week stash (just couldn’t resist saying it)

I am sure once you put your heads together you can figure out lots of other things you can do for $1. Bring out the creativity in each other and find things to do in your city.

You will be surprise how this little $1 Date Night will bring fun, laughter and togetherness.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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TheatreLive theater is available in most cities and it is always fun to take advantage of. We have two in our community. One is your typical small playhouse that you see in most communities and the actors are usually local people. The other is run through our community college and is a professional conservatory. Actors from all over the United States come to hone their craft here. Both are very reasonably priced and it is a wonderful way of seeing some great live theater.

When we first moved from Los Angeles to Santa Maria, CA we couldn’t believe how inexpensive it was to see wonderful professional live theater. The first summer we moved here we seen three plays in one week. Granted it is a different experience but it is still quite enjoyable.

If you want to have a lovely evening out, your local community theater is one way to have a fun evening date that isn’t too expensive. Our local theater is only $15 per person and the community college starts at $28 per person. Also, check to see if they have student or senior’s rates.

That is all well and good you say but you don’t even have $15 to spare let alone buy a ticket for your partner. Did you know you can still see a play and not pay a cent? That is right. Most local theaters are running on a tight budget and can’t afford to hire people to usher or work the concession stand. They need volunteers.

I know of a couple who love to go and watch live theater and see all the plays for free! They sign up to volunteer and are assigned duties before the play starts. They will hand out the pamphlets or take tickets at the front door. Sometimes they usher or work the concession stand during admission. They are helping support the community theater and they get to have an enjoyable evening out.

This is something you might be able to do for your local symphony or concert that is coming to your city. Call the place where the venue you want to see is going to be playing and see if they have a volunteer program where you can help out and still be able to watch something you thought you couldn’t afford.

So don’t sit home complaining you can’t afford to go out on a date. Grab your partner and see live theater because it won’t cost you a penny!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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