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.

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! 

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.

A Saturday Stroll

Who doesn't love a good, lazy Saturday? Sometimes it's just nice to wake up on a Saturday morning and drink a cup of coffee then decide you just want to soak in the day. On one Saturday, Sterling and I decided we wanted to do just that- enjoy the day with no plans.

We decided to spend this day in Downtown McKinney looking at all the adorable shops {my words not his} and grab some lunch. We also looked at some fun things we could put in our future home!

As good Baylor bears should, Sterling and I popped into The Bear Market to see what fun things we could find!

After the going into a couple stores, we decided it was time to look for a lunch location. Churchill's was one of the closer places to us, and we thought it could be fun to be British for a few minutes, so we ate here. Sterling had a shepherd's pie, and I had a chicken sandwich. {I know I kinda failed on the British thing.}

We had a fun day just walking around the square and enjoying the beautiful weather that day! Where are some places you like to go for a lazy Saturday?

One place Sterling and I are planning on going to soon is White Rock Lake for a fun, Saturday outing. We went there this past weekend with our wedding photographer, Lauren Guy for our engagement pictures, which are up on her blog! We were ecstatic with the outcome of them! Not only was the scenery just gorgeous, but Lauren is so talented and makes you feel extremely comfortable. It was a wonderful experience. You have to look at her blog for the beauty of White Rock Lake, because we will be going back! 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Panda

Most people go to Fair Park for the Texas State Fair and the Dallas Summer Musicals, but this past weekend, Sterling and I went to another event held at Fair Park--The Chinese Lantern Festival.

We were amazed at all the gorgeous lighted lanterns from the dragon boat on the lake to the precious pandas. There were so many things to look at. It was sensory overload. But pictures are worth a thousand words! 

Normally you wouldn't find the festival open at this time of year, but it is now open until February 17. And even better news...there is a LivingSocial so you can go on a date for two for the cost of one! {You can thank us later} 

After the festival, we went to one of our favorite restaurants in the Oak Cliff area, Bolsa. We love the freshness of the food and the ambiance. These are the kind of meals you think about months afterward. Sterling had a black drum fish in a cilantro-coconut sauce. It was delish! 

Are there any fun festivals you have attended? Let us know, and you might find it on our blog!