While working on this series of blogs about date ideas, I decided to recruit my girlfriends to help brainstorm suggestions. I was curious to know what kinds of dates they'd like to go on and the type of gifts they'd love to receive. So I sent a mass text and asked if they would answer a few questions for me:
1. What's a fun date idea?
2. What's a dream date you'd love to go on?
3. What do you want as gifts for Valentine's Day, your anniversary, or your birthday?
I absolutely loved reading their responses. Their ideas were really creative! (I'm planning on texting their answers to their husbands.) But what stood out to me was how unique and specific each person's ideas were. I realized how valuable this information was- not just for their husbands, but even for me as their friend.
By simply asking a few direct questions, I now know exactly what to give my friends as gifts. And when we're planning time together, I know the types of activities they will really enjoy.
I dare you to ask your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend to answer these three questions. Write down their answers so you don't forget. And then figure out when and how to make their dreams come true!
And to help get you inspired, here are 11 Dreams Dates, as described by some of the coolest women I know.
The rest of their brilliant suggestions are included in these articles:
23 Super Fun Date Ideas
17 Totally Free Date Ideas
25 Gift Ideas: What Women Want
11 Dream Dates
1. "A day trip to somewhere exciting, to see something awesome! Like flying to NY to have dinner and see a Broadway show, or to Vegas and see a show there."
2. "I want to do something I've never done before! I like making new memories and being fascinated by something I know nothing about. Like one time in Hawaii, my husband and I watched these guys make glass sculptures for hours. I'll never forget it, it was so beautiful and we met some really incredible people!"
3. "Something on the beach, anything involving the beach. We went to Monterey for our anniversary recently, it was amazing. Sanctuary Beach Resort was out of this world pretty...and we had an ocean view with a fireplace. I was in heaven! (Mini weekend getaways are my fav!)"
4. "A spontaneous day trip somewhere – especially if it was a flight or train ride somewhere to grab dinner or stay overnight. Always loved this idea 🙌🏼 My husband planned something like this before. He secretly worked with my manager to find a day I could take off (without telling me!). I came home on Thursday, and when we got into bed he leaned over and said – “You’re not going into work tomorrow!” Then we played hooky for the day! It was amazing. Also, the fact that he is taking me back to our honeymoon suite for a couple of days for our 5th anniversary is preeeeety good too 😍. (Sidenote: My husband is amazing at this stuff – I’m the one that needs the help!!)
5. "Going to a gorgeous outdoor place for a hike or any outdoor activity. Also, going to a plant nursery to explore trees, plants, and flowers & then maybe going to explore Anthropologie or an art museum."
6. "Dream Date: staying a weekend in Banff, Canada- riding horses around the lake, getting massages and having dinner with a view of the lake and mountains."
7. "Anything that includes good food, good music and me not feeling guilty about the money. In a local sense, that could be any kind of show, like Cirque Du Soleil or something at the CPA or at a symphony. I also love the opportunity to try really delicious food guilt free - that usually by itself makes me happy. On a larger scale, I would love a trip to Hawaii or any tropical island, the East Coast, or especially the British Isles. For these, and any type of dates, I would not want it spontaneous or to be a surprise, as that is really stressful for me."
8. “I don't do many dates these days BUT I need to be surprised. In this stage, my two year old daughter is my main priority and I'm more likely to do something if it's "spontaneous". So any date for me needs to be a surprise because I can't "plan" to be away from her because I'll feel guilty. (Working on this 😓) I always enjoy it once I'm there but it's hard for me to be okay with being gone.”
9. "Dream Date: hiking somewhere beautiful. Then food. Then massages. Then drinks/dessert. Then ya know. ;)"
10. "A full day of pampering and a fancy dinner in the evening. I would love to plan a group date with all of our friends. We could go for a run/hike early in the morning. Then get breakfast and coffee. Then the guys could go do manly stuff while all the girls have a spa day at Burke Williams and then get super glammed up. Then the guys could meet us and we could go to a fancy dinner together. Or maybe the fancy dinner should be a different day... because maybe after a day at the spa we won't want to do anything but put on sweats and watch a movie? "
11. "For me, a dream date would basically be an excuse to travel. Currently, I want to go to Spain, Australia, Jamaica, The Hamptons, or to Nashville or D.C. to see my siblings."
Which of these date ideas do you want to try?
For more great date ideas, check out these articles:
25 Gift Ideas: What Women Want