Dating during the holiday season can be a special treat. Of course, in order to fully ... this you may need to re-order some ... and make time for yourself and your own personal needs. D
Dating during the holiday season can be a special treat. Of course, in order to fully experience this you may need to re-order some priorities and make time for yourself and your own personal needs. Don't give into the temptation to put your social life on hold until after the New Year. Manage those work projects and family demands in a way that leaves you open to try some of the romantic and fun-filled activities that are available at this time of year.
The following 10 date ideas should help put you in the mood and may even inspire you to come up with a few on your own.
1.Have a "progressive" dinner together. Go to one place for your appetizer, another (romantic and intimate) place for your dinner; and then have dessert and coffee (nightcap), in a quiet spot with a beautiful view of holiday lights or other holiday views. Even better, go by limo, so you have all your time to focus on each other and don't have to worry about all the driving.
2. Take a holiday tour of historic homes in your area. Many areas of the country have these. Often they are done in the evening by candlelight. Afterwards, you can go for a walk and view the surrounding neighborhood lights and decorations. Finish with coffee in a quiet bistro.
3. Get dressed up and attend a holiday concert or play. You can spend a lot or very little on this kind of date, depending where you go for the entertainment. A nice little before or after meal fills out the evening.
4. Go and get hot chocolate with your date; then go look at Christmas lights or displays available in your area. Many places have dazzling displays that light up the night.
5. Go ice skating together. Find a nice place, not too crowded. This brings out the playful side and encourages a lot of interaction with each other. Hold hands, show off, race- be kids again!
6. Attend a religious service together. This could be accomplished by going to a place of worship that one (or both) of you belong to; or you could go to a non-denominational service. An evening service, followed by a supper in an intimate restaurant could fill you with a sense of well-being and peacefulness.
7. Throw a small holiday get-together with a few other couples (or friends). Plan an activity such as trimming the tree or lighting the menorah. Be sure to serve festive food and drink. A bonus would be to have a secret Santa gift exchange. This would be where each person brings a gift ($10.00 or less). Everyone picks a number. Person with number one begins with first selection. Go through all the numbers and open each gift in front of the group. Exchanging is fine and provides some extra fun. Lots of laughs and very interactive.
8. Choose your or his/her place, stay home, rent old holiday classics, light the fire and cook a simple but festive meal together. Play holiday music while you cook. Then watch (a few if you like) holiday favorites together. Or, you can bake Christmas cookies or other holiday treats together while listening to music and enjoying the fire.
9. Work at a soup kitchen one day (meal) together. Sharing the experience of giving is a wonderful way to get to know someone and deepen a relationship. It is also a great way to get into the true holiday spirit. After the clean up, go for a walk followed by coffee or a nightcap.
10. Go to a planetarium (if one is nearby). Enjoy the spectacular winter sky together. There is usually a guided "show" that you can experience as you sit closely, (perhaps hand in hand?). Try to pick out constellations together as you walk back to your car. It is always nice to have an intimate meal afterwards.
See if you can add some ideas of your own to this list. Then put aside several evenings over the next few weeks and awaken those feelings of peace, joy and goodwill for others.
Happy Holidays!
What Women Want From Men, Dating and Relationships
Dear Dating Coach-I have been dating a woman for almost three months. Lately, I have been confused about her behavior and need help to ... what is going on with us and what I can (should) do abLove Could Be An Errand Away
You have signed up on several large dating sites and posted a great profile. So far, you've had some nice responses, but these haven't led to a meeting yet. Someone told you about a singles group at your church and there is an organization in your city for singles who want to volunteer, and hopefully meet other like-minded people. You've lost count of all the parties, happy hours and clubs you've been to, hoping to meet compatible singles. Whew! It's a lot of effort just to be in the right place at the right time with the right people.Men On Dating- Timing, Turn-offs and Keepers
"We met online and seemed to hit it off right from the start. After he answered my ad, we went on our first date, and it was fabulous. I believe we both felt a strong chemistry and learned a lot about each other. At the end of the evening we agreed to get together again. He called me the next day and we talked for three hours. On our second date, we spent the whole day together. After three dates (and many emails, phone calls) - we were talking on a Thursday night. We had previously discussed plans for Saturday. However, he did not mention it before we hung up. I wasn't sure of how to handle the situation, so I waited until a day later and left a voice message for him, saying hi. After four days with no word, I left him an invitation to dinner at my place. I never heard back. What happened? What am I supposed to think?" (Confused Female)