Dallas for Two Goes to Mexico!

Hola!

We are sorry that we haven't been posting! In case you missed it, WE GOT MARRIED! Yes, we are now Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Shanks, and we love it. August 16, 2014 was a perfect day, but for the purposes of this blog, we will be talking about August 17-22 at our new favorite place—EXCELLENCE PLAYA MUJERES!

For anyone going on a honeymoon or any romantic getaway for that matter, this place was absolute perfection. The pools, the beach, the amazing staff…sorry I am getting ahead of myself J

Once we arrived at the Cancun airport, we met our transfer shuttle to take us to the resort. We passed through two security checkpoints, so we felt very safe. When we arrived, we were met with drinks and a cold towel. As we walked through the huge doors, we were seated until we were ready to check in.

We are honeymooners! 

After checking in, we were taken to our room. When we arrived we saw this sign in front of our door (I might have squealed and jumped up and down). Our room was beautiful with a huge closet and bed and a patio with a gorgeous view.

After we took a tour around the resort, we got ready for dinner at Agave. The resort has many restaurants, and in an effort that we get the full effect of the resort, Sterling and I implemented a tradition we like to call "second dinner." We would go to dinner early then go again later that night. We only didn't make it to 2 restaurants! Now second dinner isn't for the faint of heart, but it was totally worth it. 

Monday morning came, and we had our appointment we had set at the spa. When we arrived, we were taken to the wellness spa where we spent time in the sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy treatment circuit. After our wellness treatment, we went upstairs for our couples massage. It was everything we had hoped for and more! Sterling and I sat up after our massage, looked at each other and without speaking, agreed we were in heaven. 

After the spa, we spent the rest of the day by the pool and the beach. Everyday we went to the pool or beach, we never struggled for finding a great spot. That night we went to dinner at Chez Isabel, the French restaurant, another great choice! This was our first night of second dinner, and we went to Flavor Market, this wasn't our favorite place, but was still a fun experience with all the tapas. We went to bed early this night, because we had to wake up early the next morning.

7:15 am was an early wake up call for these honeymooners, but we were excited for our day at Xplor, a park where we spent our day swimming, zip lining, rafting and driving off road vehicles. We didn't get back to the resort until 6:15, but it was an incredible day. Sterling and I really felt like we got the most "bang for our buck" at Xplor. 

When we got back, we went to dinner at Spice, the Asian restaurant {this was of course Sterling's favorite}, but I had to agree that my fried rice was amazing. Second dinner that night was at Barcelona, the Mediterranean restaurant, which was delicious as well. 

Wednesday we headed out for our other excursion, snorkeling in Puerto Morales. We saw sea turtles, squid, stingrays, sea urchins, barracudas and eels, not to mention all the fun fish. Sterling and I had a great time swimming in the ocean and having a more relaxing excursion the day. We made it back to the resort early, so we spent the rest of the day lounging out by the pool. It was after the pool that we realized how sunburnt we were. 

Sterling and I went to dinner at Toscana, the Italian restaurant and then were hurting so badly that we had room service for second dinner. Aloe vera was our new best friend for the next couple of days. 

Thursday was our last full day at the resort, and we wanted to soak it all in. We started the morning at the beach with a nap and some reading, and then headed to the pool for the same. We were lucky enough to snag a bed by the pool, and we camped out there until it was time for dinner. Since Thursday was our last night, we decided to have our special honeymoon dinner at Toscana. When we arrived, they had rose petals all over our table, and we were given a special dessert :) That night was the Michael Jackson show, and we LOVED it! I will not boast about all the shows, because we'll be honest...we only like the Michael Jackson show and the Circus show. 

Friday was hard to say goodbye, but we were so thankful for the week of relaxation and this wonderful wedding gift from Sterling's parents. We have already started looking at when we can go again {I am actually serious, we looked today.}

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, Dallas for Two readers! 

Lauren Guy Photography


Remember, all you need is love! 

P.S. You will notice all the pictures of us on our site have changed. Our wedding photographer, Lauren Guy Summersett, took us to White Rock Lake for our engagement pictures, and we are so pleased! 

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! 

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!