Five More Great Fall Date Ideas

Photo credit: Darby Baham

Autumn is in the air. And despite the fact that it was 40 degrees this weekend in the District and snowing last week in Chicago, I’m determined to try to enjoy the fall season before it officially turns into winter.

It’s such a pretty season, really. The leaves start turning to these beautiful amber and golden colors, and they litter the ground everywhere, making folks (me) want to skip everywhere they go so they can kick up fallen crispy leaves along the way. The weather, when not being all wonky, is the 2nd perfect blend of seasons (spring is the 1st lol)… sunny but not hot, brisk but not cold. You might need a jacket but it can be one of those cute nonfunctional ones instead of the big bulky utility ones that you have to wear when the temp drops to 30 and below.

And you know what else autumn brings? Really cool opportunities for dates.

Such as?

Such as watching the sunset from a really cool outside setting. The great thing about the fall is that since the sun sets so early, you can make plans to watch it set about 5:30 on a Saturday and not have to worry about it getting to be too late. Bonus points if you can find a historical or beautifully landscaped spot to do so. Monuments in DC maybe? The Empire State building in NY? The observatory in LA? All really great options.

Attend a music festival – most people tend to think of these happening in the summer, but really your best bet is to find one in the spring or fall so the weather’s not too hot because you’ll be there all day. Voodoo Fest in New Orleans is a great suggestion – and if you get your tickets early enough, not that expensive to get down there.

Basketball game — Last time I talked about attending a football game, but how did I forget to mention the basketball options? Well there are plenty of pluses here. A: it’s indoors, which is great if it’s 40 degrees in your locale. B: you don’t necessarily have to break the bank to go. Now you probably won’t be courtside, but basketball games do have fairly reasonable options when it comes to pricing! And there’s nothing like adding a little competition into a date if you end up going to a game where your teams are playing each other.

Be a tourist in your city, but not just in any random way. You can do fun stuff like a city wide scavenger hunt or one of those double decker tours if you live in a big tourist city. But go all out! Maybe come up with accents and different names and play around like you have no idea of anything in the city. You’re bound to meet some interesting folks, maybe learn some things you didn’t know before, and get some good laughs in as well.

Go for hot cocoa and s’mores. Everyone always thinks of ice cream dates for the summer, but what’s the equivalent when the cooler temps start settling in. Hot cocoa! Google some of the best places in your city for hot cocoa, get a cup each, and just walk around getting to know each other. The hot cocoa will help keep you warm on your walk and maybe inspire some canoodling between the two of you as well.

Any other ideas you all have?

And what’s your favorite date you’ve gone on in the fall? What made it so nice?

Sandal Season is Here!

Photo Credit: Victoria’s Secret

Spring isn’t just for dating; it’s also the season for sandal wearing! So that means it’s time to get out your favorite nail colors, get those pedicures, and pop on your best sandals while the sun is shining down on all of your activities. But Spring can also mean shopping for you (like it does for me), and the best things to get right now are … you guessed it, sandals!

Here are some of my faves I’ve peeped recently: there’s a mixture of heels and flats, sparkles and bedazzles, prints and solids – but they’re all fabulous and potentially statement making.

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Are there any sandals you have your eye on these days? And what are some of your go-to nail colors to wear with them?

SPRING! A Time for Fun in the Sun Dating

Photo Credit: http://www.sunny1069.com

I’m a little biased, but spring has always been my favorite season (allergies not withstanding). The flowers are blooming, the sun is out, your friends start suggesting happy hour and brunch almost every week, and it’s just the right temperature outside – warm enough to not need several layers while you hang on someone’s patio, but cool enough that you don’t wish you were baking on a beach instead of baking as you walked to the train. It’s perfect!

But aside from all that, Springtime is also the perfect time to date. I mean, who can pass up an opportunity to frolic in the park with a cutie or watch the sun set on a beautiful crisp, spring night? I certainly can’t! And coincidence or not, some of my best dates have happened in the spring.

So, if you’re looking to date this season, but you’re not quite sure what to do or where to go, here’s 5 dates I’d definitely go on in the next couple months (and I’m willing to bet others would as well):

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Doesn’t really matter if you like baseball or not, honestly, because the great thing about attending a baseball game is that there’s so much to do outside of actually watching the game! Now, I am someone who will watch it (eventually), but most ball parks have plenty of options for those who wouldn’t. For example, Nationals Stadium has a full on bar/club experience that you can attend and the drinks are pretty darn good. So is the food, actually, since they have options other than your typical hotdogs and nachos at the park. But why go in the spring and not the summer? Well, that’s easy – have you ever been to a baseball game in August? It’s H.O.T. And there’s no way anyone can be sexy during that time. Spring has the perfect weather for an afternoon, outside game and you should definitely take advantage of it.

Experience the culture

Okay, so I am from one of the cities in the US that’s ALL about its culture, and I happen to live in the Nation’s Capital now – so I’m probably used to a lot of options in this area. But every place has stuff distinctive to that town, whether that’s museums, food, specific locales, etc… Now is the perfect time to explore something like that.

Get into the water!

This doesn’t have to be a pool, although that could be fun too. But if your town or city has a lake or river in it, chances are there are tons of things to do around it. DC has paddle boating, canoeing, and kayaking. New Orleans has Mardi Gras colored fountains and parks on the lake. You just have to find what your town has, but I guarantee whatever is – you’ll have a blast.

Hang out in the park/Plan a picnic

Most people think of this as a summer activity, but if it’s too hot – this can go all the way wrong. In the spring, you have the perfect opportunity to enjoy the weather and not worry about sweating during your date. Bonus – there’s less bees in the spring too, right?

Find a festival/out-door movie

The out-door movies are loads of fun and can range from oldies to scary movies and everything in between. It’s a great twist on the old faithful “dinner and a movie,” and it shows you’re a bit creative. And the festivals – oh they’re the best! You can find a festival on almost anything – wine, food, music, whatever – and it’s a great way to do something ‘active’ without actually doing some active.

I hope these are a help to anyone looking to make that jump this season – because, I mean, what’s spring without dating! (A sad, sad situation, that’s what it is.) May the dating force be with you and the spring season bring you plenty of luck 🙂

Top 5 Dates for the Fall

Photo: Colourbox.com

I think we all know by now that dating can be either really boring or really really fun. For those of us that have had the chance to experience some of the really fun ones, you also know that there are what I like to call, seasonal options for dating.

For example, go cart racing is loads of fun. Probably not in January in Chicago, though. And you couldn’t exactly try to go ice skating in July in New Orleans. So for those of you looking to date this autumn, here are my 5 best things for you to try.

Football game

Okay, full disclosure – I’m a southern pigskin girl. But going to a football game can be so much fun! And on the plus side, you don’t have to have amazing (and therefore expensive) seats to make it fun. You’ll have just as much fun at the very top of the stadium with all the crazies painted in your local team’s colors.

Pumpkin carving party or festival

You’d be suprised at how much fun carving a pumpkin can be! Plus, you get to find out a lot about the person’s creativity, their okayness with getting dirty, and ummm his or her knife skills. If he or she is too good and has never done it before, you might want to ask why lol

Drive-thru movie theater

If your city has these, it’s the perfect way to do the movies without seeming cliche’. And the great thing about going during the fall and not the summer is that you can go earlier because it gets dark earlier now, and you don’t have to worry about the blazing heat outside. You can both wrap up in a nice warm blanket while you watch some oldie but goodie on the screen.

The park or some other outside location

I know we always think of doing the picnic type activities in the summer, but the beginning of fall can be an even better option. There’s so much color around you as the leaves are changing, and if you’re into looking at the stars and such – you can probably go to a park as early as 8 and go star gazing (while staring deeply into each other’s eyes lol).

Costume Party

You can totally dress up and have such a good time, ummm seeing how good they are at roll play lol. No, but really, costume parties are the perfect opportunity to let loose and have a good time. What better way to cut out any pressure of a date?

Anyway, what other dates do you guys think are perfect for this time of the year? And have you tried any of the ones I’ve suggested?

PS: I’m really late with this message, but I wanted to thank every one who voted for me in the semi-finalist round of the Black Weblog Awards. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the finalist round, but I am more than humbled by the people who took the time to vote and who have continued to read this blog over the years. Thanks y’all! And Happy HU Homecoming!!