DATE IDEAS: The good, the bad and the shameful

Great Date Ideas and Not so Great date Ideas: Where to take a date, Where NOT to take a date and gift ideas

Have you ever tried to plan a date and felt like you kept hitting a brick wall? Maybe you ruined a perfectly good night by choosing the wrong place. Whether it’s your first or tenth, here’s some great ideas for dates.

Before we get started, you will always want to plan a date using the following guidelines: 1. Find a public place (this make it comfortable for both parties), 2. Do something that will provoke conversation, 3. Always make it fun for all.

1. The Casino – The casino makes for a perfect date. It is in public, serves drinks, has amazing food and gives you something to do together without having to fear an uncomfortable silence. In addition, the casino provokes conversation because there is a lot to see and do and if you go on the weekend there is usually free bands. Also it is open 24 hours a day so if the date is going well you may find yourselves sitting by a fountain and drinking a coffee at midnight! Just because you go to the casino doesn’t mean you have to spend your life’s savings, I like to play slots. If you set a budget you can easily play for 3 or more hours off of $60! In addition, I use my ‘Players Club Card’, which helps me earn free meals at great restaurants!

2. A Martini Bar – Similar to the casino but more romantic. Martini bars have really good music, usually Jazz and great drinks. Many people assume martini bars are only for Gin lovers – NOT true anymore! Every martini bar offers a wide variety of beverages for any pallet. I like to ‘taste test’ with my date. Make a deal that both of you will select something different from the menu each time and try each other’s drinks. You’d be really surprised the flavors you can order – Blue Monkey, Grasshopper, White Chocolate, Raspberry. Many of these are really light on the liquor too, and for those “non-drinkers" they serve soda and juice!. To find a martini bar near you, use Google and search for “(Your State) Martini Bars.

3. A “Variety" Pub – A bar or pub can make for a great date, but have caution before driving to any one. You want to make sure they offer a wide range of activities. I like a bar about 20 minutes from my home. It offers pool, darts, video games, food, Keno, and more. It is also affordable and the staff is nice. ALSO, please check ahead of time – you may not want to bring your date to a bar where the waitresses wear bikinis!

4. The Comedy Club – Everybody loves to laugh and there’s no better time to laugh with somebody than on a date. Comedy Clubs are a great way to socialize and have a blast while maintaining a budget. I do suggest checking ahead of time to make sure there is comedians worth seeing! The comics don’t have to be big names but it would be awful to take your date to see a stand up who she finds offensive!

5. Sampling – Sometimes you can find a great place near your home that offers wine, cheese or desert sampling. This is great fun if you like to try new things.

6. Take a class – A lot of places, such as community colleges and recreation centers, offer classes on various things. A great date idea is to take a class together painting ceramics, making candles or pottery. Not only will you have something educational to do, but you will also have a great gift to exchange at the end of the night!

7. Get a Limo – If you have a few extra dollars and you want to do something truly unique, rent a limo for 3 or 4 hours. Be sure to stock it with beverages ahead of time. You can also really customize this idea by preplanning a route for the limo driver to follow. Chose a city with some historical sites or interesting buildings. Use the internet to find little known facts about things you will pass. If you really want to be fancy, print up pamphlets for each of you to read!

PLACES TO NEVER TAKE A FIRST DATE

1. YOUR HOUSE - Never ask a date if she wants to go to your home, even if you have only good intentions. This often comes across as being creepy.

2. DIRECTLY TO DINNER – If you are forced to sit at a table with someone you barely know, eating is pretty tough, even if you are hungry. Always meet somewhere else first, spend time socializing THEN go get some chow.

3. DIRECTLY TO A MOVIE - Movies are great but during this time you aren’t learning anything about each other. In fact, you just spent the last two or more hours doing nothing. In addition, if the movie is bad then the night may be tarnished. If you really need to do a movie, please wait until you have a couple dates in.

4. TO SOMEWHERE YOU THINK IS GREAT – Just because you love the arcade or Barnes & Noble doesn’t mean your date will. Always communicate ahead of time and mutually decide what you want to do.

5. THE MUSEUM – The museum is really tricky because it can really go either way. Even smaller museums involve a lot of walking and looking at things (this is why they are museums). A few hours at a museum with a total stranger can be awkward, to say the least. The problem with this date idea is that, unless you are a huge history buff, you’ll probably find yourself in an hour long silence. Most people don’t have a lot to say about artifacts. However, if you feel that you do like to discuss relics make sure your date is ready to spend a while hearing about them.

6. A ROMANTIC DINNER – Too many people (men especially) try to plan romantic dinners for a first date. Often this ends up horrifying the girl. Hold off on the candles and roses for a future date. You don’t want your first time together to look like a marriage proposal.

GIFT GIVING
So it’s your first date and you really want to give her something but can’t decide what. There’s a few rules you always want to consider before purchasing your gift.

1. Will he/she have use for it? Don’t buy something that your date will have to “find a place for". Plants, picture frames, photo albums, etc are too big of gifts. At this point you do not know what your date likes/dislikes so don’t make assumptions. You don’t want your gift to end up being an item at his/her next garage sale.

2. Size DOES matter. Never give something that your date has to carry around the entire time. I once had a friend that was given a hand mixer (she loves to cook). Although the thought was very nice, my friend had to lug this mixer all over.

3. Price is important. You do not want to make your date feel like they are in debt to you for your gift. On the other hand you don’t want to give something really cheap. Instead of getting a dozen roses, just bring a single tulip. Remember, it is the gesture that counts.

4. Ask yourself, “What does this gift say about me?" And “What will she think of this gift?"

5. Lastly, I believe that hand made gifts are the all time best. This present is straight from the heart and it shows. I went out with a welder once who had made my initials out of metal. If you are good with carpentry make something with her name or favorite thing on it. My friend was given a vase with elephants painted on it. To this day that is her favorite present ever. It makes someone feel good to know that somebody else took the time to make him or her something.