Date Night

For all of my adult dating life I’ve been a strong believer in having a set date night. It’s always been weekly for me, but if all that can be managed is once a month then make it extra special in the time that you have.

I feel strongly that if you don’t put in the effort to spend time together purely for enjoyment and being in each other’s company than things can get a bit dull.

Going out keeps the excitement alive. You get to experience new things, learn about each other and could find a mutual enjoyment of anything! Not to mention that fact that if you are going out for dinner you don’t need to worry about cooking or cleaning and get to have exactly what you want. It’s a real winning situation.

Here are a few of my favorite dates!

Bowling and mini golf-

I have a seriously competitive edge to me and I especially like to compete with those that I love. Ryan and I have been to plenty of bowling alleys and mini golf courses now and it’s so much fun every time. It’s worthwhile to try out 5 and 10 pin bowling because they are so different. We generally prefer 5 pin, but 10 pin can be real enjoyable as well. I don’t know about you but when I’m bowling I usually pick out 1 ball that I’ll deem as lucky and try to use all night, but I also like to steal my partners lucky ball, just to see if it works for me. As for golf, we have played indoor, outdoor and black light and they’re all great.

Arcade-

We’ve only been to the arcade a few times, and it’s usually in relation to bowling but it’s tons of fun in a totally different way. It’s childish carefree fun. And if you do well and get lots of tickets you go home with candy and crappy toys!

Movies-

Movies are traditional and always enjoyable. If we are feeling lazy we’ll stay home, snuggle on the couch and watch a movie we have or take advantage of Netflix. I especially like going to the theatres though. It always feels really indulgent to spend an evening in the theatre eating crappy (but delicious) food, living in fantasy worlds and enjoying silent time with Ryan.

Food!-

Of course, food is one of the most important parts of any date night. Like I mentioned before you get to eat anything you desire and there is no need to prep, cook or clean.

Outdoors-

Every date doesn’t need to be a big event, sometimes its nice to just get outside and enjoy the world together. Go for a long drive, walk or take a bike ride. Have a picnic, fly a hike or go for a hike. Using the world around me is one of my favorite dates.  Ryan and I have been to so many places around us and it’s always an adventure. We’ve discovered some really great places in Edmonton just from walking or driving.

Edmonton (and area) specific-

One of my all-time favorite places to go is Fort Edmonton Park. In the many times, over many years that I have been going there it has never gotten old for me. At some point I would like to make a real event out of it though. Eat in the restaurant and maybe stay in the hotel or watch a show.

The river valley, especially near the Muttart Conservatory is so beautiful and a great place to explore together during any time of year.

In that same vein, spending any amount of time checking out the Legislature Grounds is always good. Fountains, lights and plenty of green space. In just one spot on the grounds I've done a photo shoot, laid in the sun and played in the snow. It's a very versatile place.