My idea of a typical, romantic date night is to dress up and go out to a nice dinner. What’s not to love? Drinking wine encourages good conversation and you can enjoy great food without washing a single dish. However, sometimes you want to change it up. Instead of dinner, try learning a new skill or enjoying the outdoors. Below are a few ideas for you to switch it up and break out of your comfort zone.
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Dance Lessons
Now hear me out on this one. I know, if your man is anything like mine, this will be the very last thing they want to do. However, I booked dance lessons for my husband and I while we were engaged so that we could learn some moves for our first dance. I bought the lessons through Groupon and we had four lessons, spaced out a few weeks apart. Sometimes we would show up for our lesson having just had a little tiff with each other. However, it’s really difficult (dare I say impossible?) to stay mad when you have to learn to dance with one another. We would enter feeling grumpy, and then by the time we left we were laughing and completely de-stressed.
It’s also incredibly bonding to learn how to work together in such an intimate way - if one of you goes left when the other goes right, it’s pretty obvious. You really have to be “on the same page” with your movements and that leads to better coordination and communication in general.
Dallas Options:
Pottery Class
Anyone who has seen Ghost will undoubtedly agree how romantic a pottery session can be (just go YouTube it if you haven’t seen the movie…). Regardless, a class where you get hands on experience with pottery on the wheel would be a fun date. You’ll see a theme with these date ideas, but I love the idea of spending time together learning a new skill. Even if you decide that you’re not going to become the next Eric Landon, it’s still worth it to have fun and spend some time together.
Dallas Options:
Glass Blowing
This might be one of my favorite ideas of this entire list. Book a night with you and your special someone to go watch a glass blowing demonstration (or participate in a hands-on experience if you are feeling brave). You’ll walk away with a beautiful memento and an experience you won’t soon forget.
Dallas Options:
Wine Tasting & Winery Tour
Instead of drinking wine at home or at a restaurant, up the ante and move the party to a winery. If you have never taken a tour of a working winery, it’s a very cool experience. The experts will show you the process of how the wine is made - grapes to bottle. Many wineries even include an engraved glass with the tasting experience, so you get to take home the glass and remember your special outing.
Dallas Options:
D’Vine Winery - Granbury
Times Ten Cellars - Lower Greenville
Messina Hof - Grapevine
Cooking Class
Heat up your relationship with learning a few new skills in the kitchen (see what I did there?). Even my husband, who is skeptical of going to classes, really enjoyed the cooking class we took together (hint: that’s us at a pasta making class - it was fantastic!). The class we took was hands-on, and of course you got to enjoy the delicious meal you worked so hard to prepare!
Dallas Options:
Hike with a Picnic
If your area has a nice park or trail system, go enjoy the outdoors with your special someone. Getting some fresh air and sunshine can certainly help boost your mood, and it gives you an opportunity - away from phones and tvs and distractions - to have some good quality time with one another. You can pack a simple picnic (or make it fancy with cheese and wine) so you can stop along the way and have a romantic lunch.
Farmer’s Market
The farmer’s market is not usually the first place you think of when you think romance, but I would like to argue that it can be incredibly romantic. I knew a coworker that used to go with his wife to the farmer’s market every Saturday. It was their time to get out of the house without the kids and enjoy the weather and pick out yummy, healthy, locally-grown produce and other handmade goods for their family. They would usually grab coffee at a cafe afterwards and talk. What a perfect Saturday morning!
Dallas Options:
Gun Range
Now, this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but give me a chance here. Just like learning any other skill, going to a gun range and trying your hand at hitting the bull’s eye can be fun and can help you guys bond. Most ranges have hand guns for rent, so you don’t even have to own a gun to try this activity. Search for ranges in your area (I prefer outdoor ranges when the weather is nice) and ask if they offer gun rentals. The ranges will also have ammunition and targets for purchase. If you are totally new to shooting, taking a beginner’s class can be a great option. Just don’t forget your hearing protection (I wear both ear plugs and over the ear hearing protection) and your safety glasses (do you want a casing in your eye? I didn’t think so).
Dallas Options:
Elm Fork (outdoors) - my favorite!
Tell me, what are some of your favorite dates? Do you prefer casual day time or fancy night time?
There is nothing more comforting than a warm chicken dish with a side of rice and some veggies. Check out my absolute favorite chicken recipes for quick weeknight dinners and or to satisfy the craving for hearty comfort food.