Six First Date Don'ts

I've had friends who've gone through some major first date blunders. Now, I am not saying I am the master of dating; it is a craft I continue to hone. I, like most men in the world, have had my share of first dates gone bad. First dates will already be filled with nervousness and butterflies, but I would like to give a few tips to help a guy out. Instead of learning by trial and error, apply the following six dating don’ts as part of your date night.   

1. Don’t say she looks pretty – Yes, pretty is a good compliment, but it’s date night. She just spent hours in the bathroom getting ready. Let her know she is beautiful, gorgeous, amazing etc.  
2. Don’t be on your phone – Dates are a time to be unplugged. The social media world, Fantasy Football scores, and all the texts can wait. This is a personal battle for me, so sometimes I just turn the phone off. Unless it’s an emergency, the rest of the world can wait a few hours.
3. Don’t dress down - I don’t mean dress to the nines if you’re going to Olive Garden and a movie but don’t go in your shorts and graphic tee either. She will take time to look special for your date, so take time to look nice too. It shows this quality time with her was special enough to you to dress up a little.
4. Don’t eat anything you’ll regret – Garlic, Onion, beans etc. No explanation needed.
5. Don’t talk about past relationships- Past dating history will come eventually in the relationship. Your first date is not the time to rehash it though.
6. Don’t be late – A gentleman is always on time.

Now as a married man, I don’t do the first date gig anymore, but I still avoid these don’ts on my own date nights with Meredith. By making sure you DON’T do these dating fails, you DO have a chance at the second date. What are some of your dating don’ts?

Staycation in Southlake

Birthdays are the perfect time to have an extra special date. My birthday was last weekend, and my husband had been planning for this special occasion for quite a while. {If you read our last blog, you will notice that he incorporated some of his tips in this date}

On Friday, I had walked away from my desk at work, and I came back to find Sterling sitting in my chair with a rose and said, "It's time for your birthday weekend! I've already talked to your boss and you can leave a little early today." As I open up the door to his car, he had a packing list waiting for me, so I could know what to pack without knowing the mystery location.

On our way to our weekend getaway, Sterling told me he had booked a night at the Hilton in Southlake Town Square, which is a fun retail area with restaurants, shops and a movie theater. We checked in at the Hilton and went to Brio Tuscan Grille, a few steps from our hotel. If we could recommend one item on the entire menu, it would be the bruschetta quatro, a sampling of all the bruschetta items on the menu. Delish!

Sterling had told me to bring some of my birthday money on our staycation, and we spent some time after dinner shopping in the shops. We of course had to stop for dessert at Milwaukee Joe's, an ice cream shop, before heading to our movie, The Best of Me. Ice cream=great. Movie=not so much.

First of all, you need to give Sterling credit for going to a chick flick for me. Second, don't see the movie. I mean unless you enjoy broken hearts and sadness, then by all means, see it! We just felt very empty inside after.

To cheer ourselves up, we went to Barnes and Noble and enjoyed looking at some books to lift our spirits. {sidenote: don't you just love the smell of that place. It just makes you want to read, even if you aren't a reader.}

The top 3 reasons this date was a great one:
1) It was a surprise. The whole time I thought Saturday was going to be my birthday celebration, not a staycation on Friday night.
2) We never had to get in our car once we got there. Our hotel, shopping, food and a movie were all in walking distance. It really felt like a getaway.
3) We got to just be ourselves. You may think this date sounds like nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, but it was the "no schedule, let's just do what we want" kind of date that is a perfect end to your week.

What are some of your favorite staycations? We would love to do another...we are kind of addicted now.

Six Dating Tips for Guys

Lauren Guy Photography

A lot of times my friends ask me what they should do to make a date special. I've learned over time in my relationship with Meredith that dating is an outlet for intentional and quality time. My motivation behind making a great date is not to score points or to look like some great guy...if this happens that’s just an added bonus. The point behind making a great date, to me, to let Meredith know she matters to me, and that she is loved. No matter what your date is, you need to have shown you have put thought into it. This shows her that the time you are going to spend together mattered enough to you to spend time preparing for it.

Bottom Line: thoughtfulness is key.  Here are six tips to enhance your date and make your girl know you care.

1. Write a Note – It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are going, write her a note. A hand-written note shows her you are intentional. It will mean more to her than you can understand.
2. Greet with a flower – Before heading to go on your date, buy a single flower. It's not as much money as a whole bouquet but still shows her that the night with her is special to you.
3. Surprise date – Sometimes a surprise is just what the doctor ordered. If you can feel that she is just in need of some good quality time, plan out a surprise. There are times when I’ll make Meredith think we are having just a normal night in, but I have other things planned. Just last week she thought we were eating leftovers at home, but I had laid out clothes for her to go on a date with a note and plan ready for action.
4. Open Doors – Gentlemen Code 101. Unless it’s an automatic or revolving door you better be the one opening and holding the door.
5. Give Options – Sometimes I’ll plan a date, but I'm not exactly sure what Meredith is in the mood for so I’ll give her options. Let her choose between a few places to eat you know she likes and then suggest a few date activities for afterwards. It shows you’ve taken initiative
6. Affirm – Like I said with a note, words are important, and your girl deserves them in abundance. Even before the date begins you can already be affirming her. If you have a date planned, text her and let her know how excited you are for your date that evening. It shows her that she is on your mind. Let her know how good she looks, how you feel about her and how you are enjoying your time that night. Words go a long way.

These are just some ways to show your girl you know her and love her. Don't let it stop at these six tips. Continue to seek new ways to put thought into your date nights. Do you have any tips to make your date more special? 

A "Fair"ly Good Weekend

I love this time of year! Cold weather, pumpkins, colored leaves...and the Texas State Fair! Sterling and I can't get enough of Big Tex, fried food, fun rides and so much more!

This year, we kicked off our state fair weekend with a concert at the Gexa Energy Pavilion to see Zac Brown Band. We had a great time sitting on the lawn with our blanket under the stars listening to great music. This was the perfect time of year to go, because it wasn't that sweltering Texas heat. When the sun went down the weather was nice...as if you can have nice weather in Texas.

We also had a wonderful time because we were joined by Sterling's brother and his girlfriend. A concert at the Gexa Energy Pavilion is perfect for a double date. You don't have to worry about getting seats together, just remember to lay down your blankets in the same area! It was the perfect beginning to our weekend spent at Fair Park.

The next morning we drove ourselves to the DART station to be at Fair Park at 10 am when the fair opened. Sterling and I aren't ones for crowds, so we loved getting to the fair early (AKA no waiting in line for our Fletcher's corn dogs)! The DART is inexpensive and efficient. Pay $5 a person for a day pass, and the DART train will drop you off at the entrance for the state fair. Yes, you heard me right: no waiting in traffic, no paying for parking, no walking to the fair, and no losing where you parked.

When we arrived at the fair, we had to get the Fletcher's corn dogs, because we think about those all year long. We are also huge fans of the food at the fair. Let's be honest, it's the real reason we go to the fair.

Last year we went at night so we had a hard time finding the finalists in the fried food competition, but this year it was our goal to taste some! Right by the main Fletcher's corn dog station, we found the Texas Bluebonnet. This is a blueberry muffin, stuffed with cream cheese, blueberries and white chocolate. It is of course deep fried. Then to top it off, it's served with whipped cream, white chocolate chips and a blueberry sauce. It was Sterling's favorite.

After we had all the food we could handle for the moment, we went to one of my favorite parts of the state fair: the dog show. Ya'll these dogs are the cutest! This is also a free event {and on our newlywed budget, we are loving free}

The dog show led us to the area with all of the animals, so of course we had to visit with the cows, pigs and llamas. When you are in the barn, you almost forget you are smack dab in the middle of the a huge city!

We started to get hungry again, and I was determined to eat the Fried Sweet Texas. This is a pie filled with buttermilk pie, peach cobbler, and pecan pie. It's deep fried and served with a true Texas staple, Blue Bell ice cream. Ya'll I could have easily eaten two. {There is no judgement at Dallas for Two}

Sterling and I walked around and enjoyed two other fried treats--fried Reese's cup and fried cookie dough. Both perfect.

On this trip to the fair, we didn't ride any rides or play any games, but that's the fun part of the state fair--you can make it your own memorable experience. You may not care about the food, but that's alright, because there is something for everyone, which makes it the perfect date spot. But, hurry there, the last day is October 19! Do you have any fun Texas State fair traditions?

Giving Back

Date nights don't always just have to be about you as a couple. Sometimes, by focusing on someone else, you grow closer together as a couple. Sterling and I are extremely passionate about giving back to others. We love using our time and talents to support causes we find important. By volunteering together, we spend time together and have the opportunity to make a difference. 

One volunteer opportunity near and dear to my heart is Operation Christmas Child. I had the blessing of working there as a Media Relations Associate in 2012, and I loved every second. What does Operation Christmas Child do? In a nutshell, Operation Christmas Child sends gift-filled shoe boxes to children overseas to tell them about the love of Jesus.

When I found out that there would be a processing center in the DFW area, I knew Sterling and I would have to volunteer. At the processing center, we looked through boxes for liquids, breakables, and other items that aren’t allowed to be shipped. We also taped up the boxes and crated them for shipment. They took time periodically throughout the process to pray over the boxes and tell us where these boxes were going. I loved knowing a child in South America was going to be getting a box filled with school supplies, soap, a teddy bear, and a toothbrush. 

It was an incredible day for a cause we have such a heart for. We also love that we can get involved with Operation Christmas Child outside of the processing center. You can pack shoe box gifts for the children. To learn more about packing shoe boxes, go to their website. You can also sign up to volunteer at a processing center, here.

Find a cause that you and your significant other feel strongly about and spend time volunteering. You will grow closer in a way that dinner and a movie won't give to you. How do you and your significant other give back together? Let us know in the comments section below!