ShareThisLong before it took a week's pay to fill your grocery cart or concert tickets sold for thousands, we found simple ways to have fun with the one we love. But when the days get shorter and the temperature drops, going for a hike or hanging out in the back yard is no longer practical. Here are some cold-weather-date ideas for you and your sweetheart that won't cost much.
1. Go to a restaurant with a roaring fireplace. Share a glass of wine and an appetizer or two, and gaze at each other in the glow of the embers. Remember that we all look our best by firelight.
2. Dance together, with or without the stars. Learn a few ballroom steps and practice the tango on a chilly winter night. There's something about holding each other and touching hearts as you spin around your living-room floor that warms in a way nothing else can.
3. Check out a coffee house. Hang out and split a muffin, listen to some poetry or participate in open-mike night or karaoke.
4. Work out together. If only one of you has a gym membership, invite the other to be your guest. You can keep each other healthy by exercising together.
5. The next time you meet up for a fast-food dinner, take a small tablecloth and a candle with you and set the table, so you can make it a little bit romantic. (But do make sure the manager's OK with your dining by candlelight in that eatery!)
6. Break out Twister or Monopoly and change the rules to suit your mood. Try twisting yourselves into a new embrace and think about trading Boardwalk and Park Place for future, uh, favors.
7. Rearrange the bedroom together and create a romantic hideaway or a fantasy getaway in a "Design on a Dime" kind of way. After you've initiated the space, you may want to keep some or all of the changes as a reminder of your special evening.
8. Give each other a massage. If you or your partner is a little shy, you can start with feet and hands.
9. Light the fireplace, make some hot chocolate and read to each other or tell stories. No TV, no music -- just the two of you speaking softly to one another.
10. Get your dogs together for a doggy play date and hang out with some blankets and warm drinks. Dogs actually get more energy in cold weather, and watching them frolic may inspire the two of you to do the same.
Merely making the suggestion of any of these activities will make your partner smile. Hot dates in cold weather are not only fun; they will bring warmth to your entire relationship. Saving a few bucks in the process is a bonus.
(Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a marriage and family therapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author of "Emotional Fitness for Couples."E-mail him at Barton(at)BartonGoldsmith.com)
EMOTIONAL FITNESS
