Today I am sharing with you the dates I chose for my “dates for a year” gift. If you missed that post,  you can find it HERE.

1. Train ride to San Juan Capistrano for Brunch at Ramos House Cafe’.
2. Tickets to the Kings game.
3. Walking tour in San Diego’s Little Italy with a gift certificate to Extraordinary desserts.
4. Lunch at Lucha Libre. It’s this dive Mexican restaurant where you can reserve the “booth”. Funky and fun!
5. Puzzle night at home. (this is something they like to do together)
6. Art Splash Carlsbad where locals come together and paint the streets and showcase their art. (sent them to breakfast first)
7. Cineopolis, the fancy movie theater where you can recline in your comfy chair and have a waitress bring you a martini, while you watch the latest James Bond flick!
8. Go Cars in San Diego. Basically I sent them to be tourists in their own city. Cafe Chloe’ followed for lunch. (a San Diego must)
9. Pottery painting at a local shop where they made each other a gift.
10. Ice skating in La Jolla so they could bring back the teen romance in their life! haha
11. Their last date was a gift card to Michaels Craft shop so they can assemble their scrapbook together with their “year of dates” photographs and memories…

These were the dates I chose for my sister and brother in-law. My ideas were truly endless, especially the longer I thought about it. Here is a little added bonus for you…

More date night ideas:

• Picnic with all the trimmings. (candles, blankets, wine and even a laptop to watch a romantic movie)
• Dinner at a restaurant, but at the “chefs table”. (this is the room or counter you eat at while watching your food being prepared)
• Spa day for fabulous massages and facials. A mini date at your local pedicure place would be great too!
• Be a tourist in your own city. I especially like using Groupons/Living Social coupons for this.
• Whale watching or sunset dinner cruise.
• Cooking class at a local restaurant or store, such as Sur La Table.
• Amusement park such as Disneyland. Act like a kid again…even if for one day!
• An unusual dinner out such as “eating in the dark” or try a new food. (Indian, sushi, vegan, etc…)
• Museum or local art showing.
• Music concert for an old favorite band.
• Your local juice bar, followed by hitting the rock climbing gym. (fun even for beginners)
• Plant an herb garden together.
• Create a signature cocktail. Have fun experimenting with ingredients such as lavender, rosemary and mint. (look around on the internet for inspiration)

Date nights that are cheap or free:

• Embrace the great outdoors by going on a hike or stroll along the beach, river, or local nature spot.
• Wash each others cars together while blasting your favorite tunes. (if it’s warm enough, add a little water fight too!)
• There is nothing more romantic than cooking a meal together. Do everything as a team,  from choosing the dinner, grocery shopping, prepping and cooking.
• Pamper your significant other. Example: Let them watch their favorite t.v. , play video games, eat their favorite bad foods, GUILT FREE, while you make them food, always have a cold drink for them, do a few of their chores, give a little foot rub…you get the idea.
• Garage sale or flea market date. Designate $10 and have fun searching for a gift for one another.
• Follow a local food truck to have some gourmet grub on a budget.
• Pay it forward together. This might be the most bonding date. (tidy your elderly neighbors yard, babysit for a single parent, deliver a surprise dinner to someone sick or depressed, have a fund raiser such as a garage sale for someone in need, volunteer locally such as a beach clean up, help friends have their emergency kits together, I could go on and on…)
• Attend a free concert in the park or movie in your local community. (usually a summer activity)
• DIY spa day. Create a spa atmosphere with soothing music, water with cucumbers and lemon, low lighting, favorite candle scent…and give each other scalp, hand, foot or neck massages. If you have a tub, draw a nice bubble bath for the other with a tray of a few of their favorite things. (book, bubbly, soaps) Throw a towel in the drier so it’s nice and warm for them when they get out.
• Game night,  such as chess or scrabble.
• Get some household chore done, such working in the yard. It might not be the most romantic date, but you will get something accomplished TOGETHER. Make it enjoyable by taking a break and having some cold beer and chips/salsa together.

I think these suggestions should keep you busy for a while. Please feel free to share your ideas in my comment section to share with everyone!! I’d really appreciate your creative input.

I am going to show you how to put together an entire year of dates. This is a unique idea you can arrange for your significant other or as a gift for that couple who has everything. I came up with this idea for my sister’s 20th wedding anniversary. To get a quick idea of how this works, click here to read the letter they were given. Remember you can customize this idea to fit your needs. Perhaps a year is too ambitious or expensive for you. You can alter this idea for 3, 6 or 9 months very easily. I accomplished this by using a scrapbook that had “dates” in envelopes inside the pages. For their last date they would get to compile their “year of dates” memories and photos.

Items you will need to assemble your date scrapbook:

• Scrapbook or photo album. (with enough pages for each date)
• Shipping tags (2 3/4 x 1 3/8 is the size I used)
• Large envelopes. (enough for one per date and an extra one for the memorabilia at the end of the book)
• Tiny envelopes that will hold your “date topic”. (enough for one per date)
• Printer and 8 1/2 X 11 paper.
• Optional items: fun scissors for paper edges, stickers, etc… (see photos)

(click on photos to make them larger to see details)

What you need to do:

1. Create a budget.
2. Make a list of date ideas you have.  Ask yourself what their hobbies, likes and dislikes are. One date might be fancy and the next casual. (and even free) Think ahead and take seasons and weather into account when planning as well. You wouldn’t want to give them a date to snowboard in June or an outdoor picnic in December.
3. Purchase the gift certificates, gather any “date” specific items you may need (ex: map to a secret picnic spot) and money envelope
4. Write your “date night topics”  in WORD (or whatever program you use). Print them out, cut and stick them in the tiny envelopes. (see photo for example below)
5. Print maps, directions, menus, etc… that you will need for the dates. You can provide suggestions in addition to the main date. For example, if they were going to the Kings Hockey game for their  date, you could give them a list of cool restaurants nearby with links to reviews, prices and menus. I took screen shots to help me provide more information and cool photos.
6. Create the finishing touches for each date and put them in their individual envelopes. Be sure they are labeled.

You need to include a cover letter explaining the gift and how it works. Here is a sample of the letter I included for my sister’s gift of “dates for a year”. SAMPLE LETTER

Extras:

• This idea can be used for almost any recipient whether single or married.
• Remember it’s the small details that make a difference. For example, I photo-shopped my sister’s face into the Date Night movie poster for the cover of the scrap book. This worked out perfectly and was very custom since it’s about date nights and my bro-in– law happens to look  like Steve Carell.
• If you need to stretch the budget, add some no cost dates in the mix. It’s more about making them take the time to relax.

 Stay tuned for my list of date night ideas…

CLICK ON PHOTO TO PURCHASE GLASS

The ideas are endless:

• Get them etched with Mr. and Mrs., a special date or a wine quote at your local engraver for a one of a kind gift. (or etch them yourself if you’re the crafty type)
• For dual usage fill the large wine glass with candies, nuts or a dip at your next cocktail / wine party.
• Use them as candle holders or a flower vase.
• They make a great vessel for wrapping gift certificates to your local wine tasting bar, restaurants or home decore stores.
• They make the perfect storage for used wine corks too!

Here is my latest idea on how to gift money other than stuffing an envelope with a check or cash. My co-worker was moving away (sob, sob) and it wasn’t practical to burden her with more “stuff” to have to move. There was no doubt in my mind money would be the best gift. I like to add a little whimsy when gifting dough. Since my co-worker is a serious chocoholic and moving away to college, I came up with the shadow box idea.

Supplies you will need:

• shadow box (can be found at most stores that carry frames such as Michaels, Target, etc…)
• chocolate or choice of treat your recipient would like
• small envelope to hold money
• four coins (pennies matched my decore best)
• paper to print “In Case Of Emergency Break Glass”
• hammer
• safety glasses (can be found at Home Depot for a few bucks)
• glue gun

What to do:

1. Hot glue your coins onto the envelope that you put your money in.
2. Print out the “In Case Of Emergency Break Glass” onto your paper of choice, then cut it to fit the frame size.
3. Hot glue your envelope and your chocolate bar onto the print out.
4. Assemble inside the shadow box. From the back side I hot glued the frame shut so that she really would have to smash it open to get to the goods!
5. Your done, wrap it up in a gift bag or box.

Life is like a box of chocolates…

I’ve written a lot of posts on how to “gift money”. This is my latest idea with a sweet twist to it. Start by getting a box of See’s (or your favorite) chocolates. Go to a store like Cost Plus that has novelty candies. Find any money themed chocolates to add to your box. I purchased gold coins and chocolate dollar bars. As you can see how I did it in the above photo, randomly put the money chocolates with the See’s candies and then of course add the real money. This is a simple, but thoughtful way to gift money for all occasions. I created this one for a graduation celebration.

On the card you can add a fun quote like, “Life is like a box of chocolates…” finish the quote with something appropriate for the occasion.

I’ve fallen in love with the quirky cooking show, Extra Virgin, starring Debi Mazar and her Italian native husband. I recently tried one of their mouth watering recipes, bolognese lasagne with a besciamella sauce. It is divine! I’m going to be upfront with you, it’s a simple yet time consuming recipe. However, one bite and you’ll know it was worth all the effort.  The main thing you’ll notice that sets this recipe apart from most, is the lack of cheese. Instead you use a besciamella sauce that is made from butter, flour and milk. It turns what would be an ordinary dish into an extraordinary one!

I followed the recipe as directed, except I omitted the nutmeg simply because I don’t like it. If you need a meal to impress, look no further… Serve it with a simple salad and rustic Italian bread. Of course, don’t forget the vino!

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Today I’m sharing my latest repurposing project that’s perfect for your next party! Take old records and melt them down to bowls. They not only look groovy, but are very functional. My sister made these for her son’s graduation party recently. His party theme was the Beatles, so these were the perfect accessory. The process to make them is very easy too!

INSTRUCTIONS HERE

How to get your groove on:

• fill them with snacks and candy (be sure they’re wrapped food items for safety)
• a great storage for t.v. remotes
• loose change anyone?
• “where did I put my keys?”…a thing of the past
•  place your small gift or gift card (think iTunes) in the bowl and wrap with cellophane

If you don’t have any unwanted records laying around in your attic, you can pick them up for next to nothing at a garage sale or thrift store. Have fun and don’t forget to crank your tunes!

That’s right. You can EARN money while shopping!!! Just read on…

There are so many social media sharing sites for window shopping and purchasing these days that I absolutley love. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one I could belong to and make money? I think I’ve found a really cool site that marries suggesting items and making a few extra bucks. We all promote things we love for free on all the popular sites out there such as Pinterest and Wanelo. Get the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for some practical items such as a bbq, washing machine and items of this nature, I have just the program for you. It’s called Shop Your Way. I recently joined which took a whole two minutes, it was so easy. All you need to do is request an invite and follow the simple basic instructions.Request an Invite to ShopYourWay

• request invite
• confirm via e-mail
• provide your information
• set up a login password
• invite friends and family
• start shopping and sharing things

Basically you share great products you have personally used or would just like to recommend and share it. Since I’ve recently signed up for this program, I can’t honestly comment on customer service or commission payment procedures. It does appear to be very easy. I think this is a site that anyone can use even with limited computer knowledge. I could see myself using it a lot if someone wanted to ask me about my opinion on a certain item such as a new t.v. I could recommend what I like and if they agree they can purchase it from the site or even the store. They would just need to join the program as a shopper. I figured it’s free so I’d give it a whirl and try it out.

*If at anytime you are not happy you can easily cancel the program. Just go to your personal shopper link on the left column and click on the opt out tab. Presto!

Summer is here and I’ve got the travel bug. Unfortuneately, like most, I don’t have the circumstances to venture off to far. Since I live in a top tourist state, California, I decided to investigate what gems neighbored me. Last summer we played tourist to home and did a little staycation.

This summer my vacation requirements are:

• located within a few hours of home (San Diego)
• on the beach
• amazing food options (my favorite thing to do on vacation, eat!)
• clean, reasonable hotel with nice pool
• classy but casual vibe

First stop, Newport Beach. Here’s a little video to familiarize you with the city.

Everything I needed to know all in one spot can be found at Newport Beach. I like this site because it’s very specific to my needs of where to stay, what to do, where to eat and so on. In fact, I found a great deal at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. Buy one room at full price, receive a connecting room for kids 18 and under at 50% off. They have 3 swimming pools which is always a bonus for me. I don’t have the link but here is their number if you want more details. (Call 800–233-1234 and mention the Family Plan) I also found awesome ideas and deals on their events calendar under the what to do tab. Giant whale watching for only $15, kayaking by moonlight (the perfect amount of romance for me) and for a $10 parking fee we can grab our blankets and head down to the Waterfront Resort and Marina to watch an outdoor movie. Not too far away is the Festival of Arts/Pageant of Masters. This is something everyone should experience once in their life. Tickets go quickly so if you know you’d like this, book it fast. If you’re looking for a way to relax during the day and have your kids taken care of, look no farther than Camp James. Parent magazine has voted it best camp in OC for 4 years in a row. I especially liked the Newport Sea Base for 90 minute activities such as nautical knots lesson, scavenger hunt aboard a pontoon boat and more…You will find several unique camps on the site Newport Beach. I have no doubt Newport beach fits everything on my check list for this summer! If you have other things to share please comment your suggestions… Thank you!