Winter is fully upon us! Queue ‘Netflix and Chill’ season. For us introverts, this seems like heaven. Pour me a tall glass of wine and light the fire and i’m quite happy, but every once in a while everyone wants to get out and explore a little – dinner & a movie can happen whenever, but these date ideas hopefully will get your blood and heart pumping a bit more with your special someone. Things to do Inside this Season: 1. Build a Gingerbread House – i’ve always had a soft spot for holiday treats. Building a gingerbread house can be a family or friend affair or just between you and your s/o. Who knows, may even turn into a frosting fight! With Pinterest and other sources for ideas you can build your own gingerbread village or even gingerninjas (this was Steve’s preference this year)! 2. Compete for Love – while competition is not always the healthiest thing for a relationship, an innocent game of twister, monopoly or any other favorite board game is a fun way to blow off some steam and place a friendly wager. Whether it be your favorite candy treat or another kind of wager, game night just got a whole lot more interesting. 3. Binge Movie Marathon – Pick all of your favorite holiday movies and binge watch with your favorite treats – my favorite is Elf with raisinets 🙂 4. Become an Olympian – We recently purchased a new Wii U (much to Steve’s despair as he was pushing for a PS4) and although it hasn’t gotten much use, there are plenty of games that involve winter sports. Loser makes dinner! 5. Make a Bucket List – Create a list of things you both want to do, whether it be things you have both been talking about and never gotten around to or some secret desire before you were even together. This list can be used for future date night ideas, too. 6. Go to the Aquarium – bring back those childhood memories and support a local establishment by visiting your aquarium. Depending on where you are, they may have some cool shows throughout the day – i.e. where you may even be able to help feed some of the animals! 7. Zigzag to Laser Tag – Like I said, a little competition isn’t always a bad thing. Get ready to get your blood pumping as you duck for cover as you fight to your laser death. May the force be with you! 8. Comedy Show – Get ready to laugh! Many local bars and restaurants hold comedy shows during the week or on the weekends. Scope out who’s coming to a spot near you. 9. Indoor Skydiving – Nothing brings you closer then facing your fears! 10. Escape Maze – A fun and challenging real life adventure for groups as small as 2 where you work together finding clue and solving problems to escape before your time runs out! Something I have been wanting to checkout for some time now! Things to do Outside this Season: 1. Christmas Lights – Whether it is touring your local holiday lights festival or decorating your own house, holiday lights are sure to put you in the festive mood. 2. Hit the Slopes – something that i’m unsure i will ever be able to do anymore is ski or snowboard, but don’t let my bad knees stop you! Grab your gear or rent when you get there and head to your local mountain for the day, night or weekend… Think extra alone time on a long chair lift and you can’t pass up on those cute winter wonderland outfits 3. Just Keep Climbing – Indoor rock climbing has been all the craze in my town lately. Whether you are just getting to know each other or have been married for quite some time, this exercise size of trust and mind over matter will surely be something to talk about for days to come. 4. Get in a fight – a snowball fight that is! Make sure you bundle up for this activity, which is sure to give you a good arm workout. 5. Get out on the Ice – A classic winter activity, which requires a little bit of intimacy as you help each other balance on that trickery ice 6. Strap on some Snowshoes – Forget a long walk on the beach in 90* weather, embrace the wintery season and take a stroll down a peaceful snowy path. For an added bonus go at night to enjoy the moonlight and icicles all to your selves 7. Snuggle up on the Sled – It takes two to toboggan! Grab a sled and hit the local sledding spots – or even your backyard depending on the slope to embrace your inner child! 8. Snow Football – ‘Tis the season for football. While you may not enjoy sitting on the couch all day Sunday watching football. An alternative to get yourselves out of the house and doing something active is snow football! Get some friends together one evening and mark the field & end zones using spray bottles with water & food coloring. Use a glow in the dark ball and bring some hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps to keep you warm 9. Snowmobiling – Nothing can be more peaceful than roaming through the woods on the back of a snowmobile, nuzzled up against your s/o watching the sunset. Sounds amazing, right? Just make sure you wear those extra layers for the cold night air. 10. Take a Winter Stroll – “I smell snow!” One of my favorite lines from Gilmore Girls (yes, I am a diehard who has watched all the seasons more than once). Lorelai is famous for her intuition of snow and truly enjoying the beauty of it. Take a winter stroll in the snow with your s/o as you hold hands and look up into the wonder of it all! What do you plan on doing this winter season? Whether its with someone new or a long-term relationship let us know what you find to be the perfect winter get together! Xo, Courtney