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! 

Favorite DFW Valentine's Day Date Ideas

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Valentine's Day is the one day in the entire year that the majority of America decides they want a spectacular date night. But what does one do when they didn't schedule a date night at the nicest restaurant in town months in advance? This is where creativity comes in. We have compiled a list of our top 10 favorite Valentine's Day date nights in the DFW area.

1. Romantic homemade dinner- We all know how difficult it is to find a restaurant that will provide the ambiance you are looking for on Valentine's Day, and most of these places are booked very early out. But, you can always create that look at home. Make dinner, light some candles and have some flowers. Anyone will appreciate the effort you put into making that night special.

2. Friendly competition- If you are looking for a more carefree and fun date night, think about places like TopGolf or Bowlmor Lanes. Both have fun atmospheres where you can let loose with your special guy or girl.

3. Urbanspoon shuffle and Hastings movie night- This is one of Sterling and my favorite date ideas...EVER. We put our Urbanspoon app on the shake option and go to the first place it lands. We have found some of the yummiest restaurants this way. Then after we go to dinner, we hit up Hastings, and pick out a movie we haven't seen in forever to finish up the night. This type of date is completely up in the air, but it provides great memories.

4. Dessert tour around Dallas- If you can't go to some of the best restaurants for dinner, try taking a dessert tour around Dallas or Fort Worth! I know one of our first stops would be Emporium Pies for me :)

5. Go ice skating- Ice skating is a fun activity, but sweet and sentimental at the same time. You will share some laughs and sweet memories. Plus, it's a great excuse to hold your date's hand ;) You can find these at the Galleria mall.

6. Fort Worth stockyards- The stockyards can be a memorable date night where you walk around and enjoy the scenery and food. There is so much fun to be had in that area, so get out your boots and head down to the stockyards!

7. Dine in movie theater- Sterling and I are also a big fan of these. When we don't want to worry about eating dinner and catching a movie on time, we hit up Grapevine's Cinema Suites. Reclining chairs, dinner during our movie and a great movie, what more could we ask for!

8. Recreate first date- This is one of my favorite Valentine's date ideas. I think this is the perfect way to say, "I care about you so much, that I wanted to recreate the first time we went on a date." Sterling did this for me in college, and I LOVED it!

9. Picnic- Now many of you might be thinking, Valentine's Day is in February, it might be too cold outside for a picnic. But another sweet gesture is if you had a picnic in your living room-move all the furniture out of the way and lay a blanket on the ground. What a sweet memory!

10. Scavenger hunt and make your own chocolates - This is a date night that calls for personalization! What are some of your places to go? The place where you first met? Maybe this should be on your scavenger hunt! After you get back from this fun adventure, make your own chocolates! Talk about a fun activity and special memory.

As long as your loved one feels loved and valued, it doesn't matter what you do on Valentine's Day. And also remember, it is just another day. We are called to love every day, no matter the day.

Meddlesome Museum

Well like I said before, Sterling and I are going to go on dates that are out of comfort zone, because we know other people might enjoy them. Part of this date was one where we branched out.

Sterling picked me up and in the passenger seat was this surprise. {Guys take note. Nothing says more than a single flower and a sweet note}

Dinner was at The Meddlesome Moth in the Dallas design district. We have been here before and loved it. If you go when it's nice outside, the patio is awesome! But since it was foggy and dreary on the night we went, we sat inside. Lucky for us, we got a booth right next to the kitchen where we could watch the cooks make our dinner.

We shared a plate of deviled eggs and toasted mushroom farro. We also ordered two types of mussels. The food was amazing, and we might have cheated a little on our pre-wedding diet. {oops!} But it was worth it for one of D Magazine's Best Restaurants in 2013.

The next part of our date was out of our comfort zone-The Dallas Museum of Art. On Thursdays, the museum stays open until 9 pm, and it's relatively empty.  Sterling and I don't have anything against art. In fact, we constantly talked about how we wish we could be more knowledgeable about art. When we went, there was jazz music and a little cafe where people gathered to talk. But we had a mission to accomplish in the museum-- a photo scavenger hunt.

Here are some of my findings from our scavenger hunt:

I did realize that I loved the European art section, and I would like to go back when I have more time to read about all the paintings. Sterling also enjoyed the Biblical art in the museum. Another reason The Dallas Museum of Art was appealing was because it was free! If you want to go look at the special exhibits, you need to pay a little extra, but general admission doesn't cost you anything.

No matter what you do, we have found that it is more fun if you add a personal, creative twist to it, and that date becomes your own. We didn't just look at art, we made it more interactive. As you approach intentional time, think about what would make that date meaningful to you as a couple. What are some creative approaches to dates you have done?

Breaking out of the Box

Going on dates is fun to us, because it means being together. We met in college, which has allowed us to go on many dates over the time we have been together, and we have come to realize there is more to dating than just your typical dinner and a movie date. Not to say there is anything wrong with dinner and a movie, but we have found a movie is more fun when you watch it from a fort in your living room. Whether we are spending $2 or $200, we want to have a fun time together.

We started this blog for three reasons:

1.       To give us a fun activity to do together- Just thinking of ideas for this blog has brought so much excitement and togetherness to our relationship. We love working on a common goal together.

2.       To keep us accountable for dates out of our comfort zone- We know that all our readers aren’t going to find horseback riding a fun date, which is why we are going to go on some dates that branch out of our comfort zone and provide great memories. We wouldn’t typically go to an art museum, but it’s on our list!

3.       To help others be intentional in their relationships- We believe being intentional is necessary in any relationship. How else will you show someone that you care for them beyond giving one of your greatest gifts of time? We make an effort to have intentional time with one another once a week.

Intentional time together and trying new things have really helped our relationship grow, and we can’t wait to show you some of our favorite dates in DFW!