Affordable Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, most couples are trying to plan their lovey dovey date nights. Since I just moved into an apartment with my boyfriend, I don’t have the usual cash I’d have on hand to help plan and pay for Valentine’s Day festivities. But there are ways to get a bang for your buck on Valentine’s Day, and frankly, doing the things that don’t cost a lot of money tend to mean a whole heckuva lot more down the road.

Fun & Cheap Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

1. Make dinner together: For those who cook, and even those that don’t regularly, this is a great Valentine’s Day go-to. It’s ample opportunity to crank up the romance factor in your relationship, or, if it’s a newly formed relationship, a great chance to get to know each other better without anyone else being around and distracting you. Cooking together can be a lot of fun. I’m a fan of a stir-fry since it’s super simple to make and can be done quickly, but if you wanna go all out, try homemade lasagna or something a little more complex. Don’t forget the wine and dessert of your choice. Can’t be a traditional Valentine’s Day date without a great dessert!

2. Takeout and board games: This brings out the kid in everyone. Grab takeout from your favorite restaurant (I always recommend Royal Thai if you live in San Rafael), head over to Bev-Mo! or your local Safeway to grab some beer and wine, then head on home, or to your significant other’s house and choose a few board games to play while you get your grub and drink on. It’s always fun to sit picnic style in the living room by candlelight and play games like the good ol’ days.

3. Valentine’s Day hiking trip: Valentine’s Day dates don’t necessarily have to take place at night. Day dates are just as fun! Living in Marin County, there are tons of beautiful hiking trails. I’m sure wherever you live, there are trails equally as beautiful. Plan the hike so you end up overlooking a beach or something beautiful. To make it extra special, bring a backpack with yummy little (healthy!) snacks and two drinks to celebrate your Valentine’s Day hiking adventure.

4. Dinner and a movie: This is the standard, go-to, every day kind of date. But on Valentine’s Day, try to amp it up and make it a little more romantic. Venture out to a restaurant you both haven’t been to before and see a movie in a genre you both like. Don’t forget your trip to the local frozen yogurt place! Can’t forget about froyo…

5. Video game fun: Even if you both don’t play video games religiously, it’s still nice to sit down together and learn how to play a new game. It can be on any console and head over to your local GameStop and pick a game out together and have fun learning the ins and outs of games! Laughter will be had!

6. Cards Against Humanity game night: This is a game that requires a lot of people, so be sure to plan it in advance. You will spend your entire night laughing your buns off and having a great time. They don’t call Cards Against Humanity “a horrible game for horrible people” for nothin’! Be sure to have snacks and beverages on hand for this gathering. Keep in mind that the best and easiest place to buy the game is through Amazon, but you can always ask friends if they own it. I personally have the game and 4 expansion packs. Totally worth the investment.

7. Road trip it!: This road trip can be a day road trip or a lengthy one. I’m sure that beauty surrounds where you live, so why not venture out to a place like that? Or, to fulfill that kid-at-heart urge, drive down to Disneyland (if you live in California, or Disney World (if you’re in Florida), and have yourself a grand ole time! Disneyland is fun at every and any age, so why not make Valentine’s Day fun? Don’t forget your Disney character gear — I’m a fan of the sparkly Mini Mouse ears headband.

Well, that’s the small little list I’ve compiled for you all. Seven date ideas, but they’re all grand and fairly easy to plan and do. Keep the weather forecast in mind when you plan these things, but otherwise, you’re good to go.

Hope you all have a fun, romantic, and great Valentine’s Day… Don’t forget to stock up on those little heart candies!

Until we meet again…

Ch-ch-changes…

2014 is here! Well, it’s been here for almost 18 days now, and boy are things-a-changin’. First of all, after over two years of dating, Max (my boyfriend) and I are finally moving in together! Yaaaay! We move into our beautiful new apartment next Friday and couldn’t be more excited to see what this next part of our lives has in store for us. Great things are happening for both of us, so who can really complain, right?

Secondly, my mom and I were surprised by not just one family member flying in to visit during the 2013 holiday season, but 3 of them! For Thanksgiving, and a week and a half after, my mom’s cousin and her daughter came to visit. Then, with only about a week and a half break in between, my uncle came to visit for 10 days! It’s just been a frenzy of going places, doing the touristy thing, and having as much fun as possible during the holidays. My uncle had not been to the United States in six years, which is how long it has been since my father passed away.

That’s the other thing I wanted to touch upon briefly. Losing a parent at 18 is the worst thing anyone could ever experience. Losing a parent at any age is the worst thing anyone could ever experience. There are things I have come to accept that my father will never physically see: my engagement (whenever that happens), getting married, having a child, growing older… I’ve had to learn to live with those feelings of yearning for my father at times. The holidays are always especially hard since Thanksgiving and Christmas were his two favorite holidays. The same dream haunts me each time his memorial comes around. Same dream. Same day. Every year.

But, with time comes change; and with change comes good and bad. Right now, I’m very grateful that things are going in my favor. Just goes to show that my father still looks down on his not-so-little girl. There will always be speed bumps, but it’ll all work out in the end.

I figured I’d give you an update as to what’s on my mind and how the holidays were. I hope you all enjoyed your 2013 holiday season and rung in the new year in style! Keep an eye out for the return of the Game Dev Girlfriend blog. Since Max and I will be living together from here on out (*fingers crossed*), I thought it’d be a great opportunity to pick up that blog again. Expect a new blog post on there in the next few weeks, along with a new webcomic.

I bid you all adieu!

Happy 2014!

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

Valentine’s Day: a day where eating heart-shaped candies is acceptable, where Hallmark makes a ton of money on cards, and a day to celebrate your love. If you have been with your significant other for a short period of time, your first Valentine’s Day together will be something special and magical, filled with gifts and lots of love. For those of us, like myself, who have been with our significant others for more than a year now know that you have to add a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ to keep that “First Valentine’s Day” magic there.

I have compiled my Top Five Valentine’s Day Date Ideas that I have found to be successful. Girls, send the link to your boyfriend, or if I have any men reading out there, keep this hush-hush so your girlfriend can be surprised!

1. Scavenger Hunts: This one takes a lot of work, but is incredibly fun and can easily be within an affordable price range. It doesn’t have to be long…five maybe ten cards with things to find or things to do. Start off on a neutral meeting ground and open the first card up. It’s Valentine’s Day, so remember to have fun with your scavenger hunt cards. If you’re planning do this in public, be sure to keep it PG as to not get arrested or offend any bystanders. However, if it’s one of those “at home” scavenger hunts, but as not PG as you’d like.

2. Dinner and a Movie: It’s a little more on the pricey side depending where you go for dinner. Movies now cost about $12 a person, not including beverages and popcorn, but if you go to dinner first, you won’t need to spend money on the concessions. A nice dinner followed by a rom-com (romantic comedy) or whatever genre of movie the two of you enjoy will lead to a wonderful evening.

3. Dessert Date: Yes, I know. It sounds kind of silly, but let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with sugar, chocolate, and anything that tastes sweet and delicious. There’s a great place in Marin County called The Melting Pot and they serve chocolate fondue. Can’t go wrong with something like that, right? You can spend time with your loved one either baking the desserts yourselves or purchasing them and having a frenzy with some cheap wine and a great flick at home. Either way, it’s enjoyable.

4. Mini golf (or bowling if you prefer): This is a fun and fairly reasonably priced way to have some fun and act like kids. I mean, really, you can go mini golfing or bowling any time you’d like during the year, however, make this just the two of you and it’ll be especially romantic. Tip for gals: It always works when you try and “miss” the shot… Your boyfriend will do the cute thing of going up behind you and helping you make par on that particular hole. Works every time ;).

5. Homemade Meal & Gifts: It’s simple, sweet, and to the point. Homemade gifts are easy to come by, especially if you are a member of Pinterest… So many ideas to choose from. Looking for a good, healthy and hearty Valentine’s Day meal to cook for your loved on? Allrecipes has a wide selection of recipes to choose from. Just type in what you want to make your lover into the search bar, and hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes will come your way. For me, at least, homemade gifts and a great meal mean more than any material item out there. I’m sure a lot of you feel the same, so take advantage of this Hallmark holiday to do something like that.

I hope this has given you some insight and ideas for what to do on Valentine’s Day. If you have anything else you can suggest, just leave a comment below!

Til we meet again…