14 Days of Valentines - DAY 1

It's DAY 1 
and I'm already asking, "What did I get myself into?" 

My intention with the 14 Days of Valentines sounds pretty simple: share some great, affordable date ideas, do my best to actually go out on those dates, while also going out of my way to share love with my friends and neighbors. Mix that in with jobs, volunteer work, and an upcoming travel schedule and I find myself with my head in my hands wondering how the heck I'll pull all this off.
For starters, I've made myself an advent calendar. I cut out 14 hearts, numbered them, strung them with ribbon, and have written our date ideas for the 14 Days of Valentines on the back of each heart.

TODAY'S DATE IDEA: BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

I love the idea of bringing the outside in for dates. This is great for people who are already familiar with one another. I'm not too keen on recommending at-home dates for first dates. After all, safety is key, so keep those first dates with "strangers" in a public place! Your mother would say the same! But keep this date idea in mind once you get to know someone well. It won't disappoint!

Back when I was in college, I mentioned to my friend Jeff that I hadn't been to a drive-in movie theater since I was a kid. There were no drive-in theaters around at the time, not to mention it was the dead of Winter near the foothills of Virginia. Jeff improvised.
He and some of his fraternity brothers found a couple of refrigerator-sized cardboard boxes and turned it into a CAR. They cut holes for windows, the windshield, cut out big circles for the wheels, drew a license plate on the back. They even cut out a handle for the "door," which Jeff held open for me as I climbed inside and onto a comfy chair. Jeff popped in a movie into the VCR and we ate microwave popcorn. I think I smiled through the entire cheesy 90s chick flick.
To me, it was the world's best surprise date. Jeff had taken an off-hand comment I'd made about drive-in movies and saw it as an opportunity for creativity. What a great guy! Although I am embarrassed to admit, my 19-year-old insecure self thought Jeff was "too good" for me and I never thought of dating him seriously. **rolling my eyes at myself**

Equally as thoughtful was my fifth date with my now-husband.
Yes, that's right, I remember it was our fifth date. By the time I started dating him I'd become so accustomed to counting my 31 Dates that I counted every one of our dates until we got up to date #23. I guess by that time I'd assumed we were exclusive.
**now YOU'RE rolling your eyes, aren't you?**
So it was our fifth date and I'd made a similar off-hand comment about how I loved to go camping. Coincidentally, he had recently bought a tent. We set up the tent in my living room, I drew some stars to hang above us, and we played a board game. Tonight, we stepped-up the indoor camping theme. I spent the early part of the evening talking about love and my 31 Dates in 31 Days experience with a group of women. When I came home my husband had set up this in our living room:

 That's right. Our tent, complete with guitar, pillows, blankets, and even this:

 That's our little s'mores maker: chocolate, graham crackers, and a little holder for cooking fuel for us to roast marshmallows. For dinner, my husband put together tin foil dinners.

I'm so thankful he helped put this date night together! I even had a little surprise for him. I dragged out the map of stars we had drawn the night of our fifth date, three years ago. Yep! I held onto it!

This was a great date for us. How often can you camp while watching a movie? Or bring your cat?
Total cost: $12 for the s'mores goodies and tin foil veggies.
Can't wait for Day 2 of The 14 Days of Valentines!

How did you kick off Day 1?