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?

Happy Trails to You

Sterling and I love to give each other dates as gifts. It's more personal than a shirt or watch. Since we love experiencing different things together, I thought it would be a fun adventure to go horseback riding together. I'm not a very gifted secret keeper, so Sterling figured out where we were going when I kept talking about how horseback riding together would be fun.

I found an adorable place about an hour north of DFW called Black Mustang Ranch. Black Mustang Ranch is right next to a precious resort overlooking a lake. It is rustic and peaceful. I had purchased a picnic ride, which was an hour and half of riding and a 30 minute picnic while on the ride. There are a lot of different packages you can purchase at different price points, but this seemed to fit us well.

As we approached the stable, our guide met us out front and assessed our experience level, giving us horses that met that level. Sterling rode Bailey, and they became quick friends. I had the pleasure of riding Snowball.

Both horses knew the trail well, and we never felt nervous that we were inexperienced. Our guide strapped our brown bag lunch we brought onto the back of the horses, and we started on the trail. When it came time for the picnic, our guide brought us to this open area in the woods, tied up our horses and walked down the trail so that Sterling and I could have some time to ourselves. It was so peaceful just sitting in the woods and eating lunch together.

Our favorite part of the date was the simple fact that we got to take a couple of hours of our day to just enjoy each other and look at the beauty in North Texas. We went riding the week after the huge ice storm in Dallas, so remnants of snow were still left on the ground. We loved getting out of the city, and just enjoying the beauty of the woods.

We would love to go back and ride again sometime and would highly recommend using Black Mustang Ranch for a fun afternoon date. Happy trails to you!

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!