Reminiscing

(A bit late but meh, you get it now.) Mike and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on the 8th of this month. Fabulous! So with that little milestone I thought a little history would be proper.

1. Where/how did you meet: We were both freshmen in highschool. Since we had mutual friends we saw each other but never talked. One day he got the balls to introduce himself and got hit in those said balls with a hackey sack on the way over to me. I helped him off the ground.

2. How long have you known each other: 9 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating: About a week later.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged: Couple years.

5. How long was your engagement: Officially 3ish months but we had been talking about it for about a year before.

6. How long have you been married: 6 years. :)

7. What is your anniversary: November 8th 2003

8. How many people came to your wedding reception: Um, around 15 including family.

9. What kind of cake did you serve: I made a heart shaped cake vanilla cake FROM SCRATCH! I put a bit of strawberry flavor in the icing. Awesome sauce.

10. Where was your wedding: A double wide trailer out in the boonies. There was even chickens and a mean turkey roaming around outside. Seriously.

11. What did you serve for your meal:We didn't serve food beyond the cake and some snacks. But a handful of us went to the local Chinese restaurant and I think scared the bejeebies out of the staff. We seriously looked Mafia. Ha!

12. How many people were there in your bridal party: 1. Mike's friend Ashley was my MOH. Mike had two of his friends as groomsmen.

13. Are you still friends with them all: Yeah, although we've lost touch with one of the groomsmen because he joined the Army.

14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony: We both got a bit teary eyed. I'm surprised I didn't full out bawl.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day: Seeing him at the end of the "aisle" and knowing that we had forever, starting now.

16. Any funny moments: I was having a CRAP morning. I needed to finish the cake but the icing was melting a bit because it was taking so long to get right so it kept going back into the fridge and I was frustrated. Mike used all the hot water so I took a cold shower. I burnt my breakfast, the only toaster strudel left. Mike almost wrecked my car. Gah! Funny now though. Ha!

17. Any big disasters: Nope.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon: Didn't. Some day though it will happen.

19. How long were you gone: N/A

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change: I think it was perfect in all it's redneckery. (Yes that is a word because I said so).

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on: Left.

22. What size is your bed: Queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple: We always come back together, no matter what.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple: PMS. (HA!)

25. Who literally pays the bills: Me

26. What is your song: We could never decide.

27. What did you dance your first dance to: We didn't dance at our wedding. We do dance a lot though, waltzing in the kitchen.

28. Describe your wedding dress: A white prom dress with light blue velvet flowers. Tight across the chest and stomach then it flowed out. The dress I wore to prom later was the same style just different color. Ha!

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding:We had these HUGE red roses on the cake and in vases but I carried a fake bouquet. I can't even remember the reason why now.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? Nope, when we get replacements we talked about having them engraved. Maybe in a few years.

I'll be blogging about our $10 date in the next couple of days so keep an eye out!

Summer Checklist

Hello readers!

Don't mind the shift; I've just decided to make this profile my primary one.

Recently, I've been inspired to make a summer checklist of the things I wanted to do while the weather was still warm.

Why not sit down with your sweetie and crank out a colorful checklist of your own?

Here is mine, for inspiration:

Sorry for the poor quality; it turns out my markers need replacing! Plus, I only had this large piece of white cardboard to work with. Next time I will definitely use not-white. Maybe green like the original!

My list only has 16, not like the original 20, because it's already almost August anyway and did I mention my markers died? So sad. But I have space at the bottom (and sharpies, which I'm going to use the next time I make this!) in case I think of anything else.

Stay in Dates

My husband and I just bought our first house (YAY!) which explains my recent absence. Moving and settling is so time consuming. But the dust has settled and I'm back in action.

Now that we're here, we never want to leave. We are homebodies anyway, this just made it worse. The good thing is our "dates" are cheap. 

Netflix date 

My husband and I are huge fans of Netflix. For less than $10 a month, we get unlimited DVDs (one at a time) plus unlimited online streaming. If you have your Xbox hooked up, you can even stream it to your TV. 

We have weekly "date nights". After the kids are in bed, we pop in that week's DVD and just chill. We like to rent movies we haven't seen before and pretend a bit that we are in a theater. No babysitter required.

Margarita nights

This is for those already living together or at least in the "sleep over" stage. No driving tonight! 

The cost of this date depends on how stocked up you are. It can run you from $0 up to $80. Not really $10 date but there is a bit of an investment. A blender will last years as well the glasses. A bottle of mix can see you through at least 2 nights, depending on how plastered you want to get. 

A bottle of good tequila is $20-$40 (I recommend Azul, great tasting and inexpensive. We just bought a new bottle for $21) but if you are like us and have the makings of a bar, all you need is a bottle of margarita mix which usually runs about $6 at the grocery store. (This is the under $10 part) If you want to buy the actual margarita glasses they are about $10 for a set of 4. Buy or borrow a blender if you don't have one. After your initial investment, future margarita nights will be much cheaper, just mix and occasionally a new bottle of tequila. 

This is the fun part. Mix up some drinks and enjoy. Play board games or talk. Be silly but be responsible. No one wants to be cleaning up the mess after you went past your limit. After you set your glasses down for the night, go cuddle in bed. 

Camp Out

This is the perfect time of year to go camping... in your backyard. You can even do this on a weeknight and go to work the next morning. Now I don't recommend you do this without a tent (mosquito bites do not equal sexy) so if you have one, invite over your sweetie and go old school. Bonus points if you have a fire pit in your back yard for roasting marshmellows for smores.

Do you have any stay in date ideas?

$5 Dinners

A simple $10 date? Make a $5 dinner!

5 Dollar Dinners is by Erin Chase, who shares all her frugal, motherly wisdom of making healthy and tasty meals for $5 or less every single time.

You can use the leftover $5 to fancy up the setting with candles and flowers. =)

Make Lemonade

When life gets tough or throws you some curve balls or gives you lemons, make lemonade! Don't get bummed out to the point where you push your partner away. Let them be there for you by looking at the bright side or silver lining of any bad situation.

Keep it simple! Here are some suggestions for things you can do for your partner or that you can do for each other:

• Draw a nice bath. If you've got it, toss in some bubble bath and bath salts. Light a few candles and just relax for a while.
  (Just as a note, candles don't have to be pricey -- you can get a pack of 100 tea light candles from Target or Ikea for less than $5.)
  
• Give a massage. Physical contact can do wonders for stress.
  
• Buy or make a comfort food. It could be his/her favorite dessert, like homemade chocolate chip cookies.
• Write or say 10 Things You Love about the other person. Alternate sharing and soon you'll find your spirits lifted!
• Go for a walk together. This is especially relaxing in the evenings if you have a park or beach around.
  

What do you do to de-stress?

Very Definitely Not Dinner & A Movie

Some highlights from an article over at iCiNG by Gala, called "Very Definitely Not Dinner & A Movie," featuring 50 offbeat date ideas. These are my favorites off the list:

The Case Of The Mystery Band
Grab a copy of your local newspaper or magazine, close your eyes, run your finger over the “live music” section & choose a band neither of you have ever heard of to go & see. It could be amazing; it could be completely hellish — you won’t know until you go! But even if it’s shocking, it’s definitely a bonding experience, & maybe even something to tell the children, eh?

Ye olde photobooth hunt
Trawl your city for old-school photobooths & take as many strips as you can. Take props, maybe a silly wig or two, & see how bizarre you can make them. P.S. Photobooth.net is your go-to source for major photobooth info!

A drive-in movie
I admit, this one seems ultra-cool to me just because I’ve never done it & I am in love with Danny Zucco from here until eternity. Just don’t try to take your ring off by wiping it through your greasy hair & hit your girlfriend in the boob. “Oh Sandy baby, some day, when hiiiiiiiigh school is done!”

“My old neighbourhood” date
Walk around the area you used to live, & tell your date about where you used to ride your bike, what happened on that one lawn, which house was best to hit up on hallowe’en & who the really creepy neighbours were.

The really long one-way walk
No rules except that you just have to walk for a really long time in one direction & not turn around. When you’re really exhausted or hit the ocean, it’s time to go back. Catch a taxi or a bus or something to ease the pain.

“First date” night
This one works best if it’s not your actual first date. Like, for example, you’ve been together for 3 years & live in the same house. Get dressed separately, meet somewhere strange & a bit awkward, & pretend you don’t know one another. Start from scratch. Ask all those banal questions you’re supposed to ask (“So, what do you do?”). Then at the end of the night, rejoice that you’re in a relationship & not dating any more!

The silent date
In a loud, noisy, overstimulating world, it can be nice to unplug & escape. But it can be nice to do that with your new favourite person, too. Hold hands & read books on a wharf & occasionally look adoringly at one another. Cool.

Check out the rest of the list:
http://galadarling.com/article/very-definitely-not-dinner-a-movie

Banana Split Sundays

If you and your sweetie are the sweet tooth type, try putting together a make-your-own-sundae bar! Go to the store together and pick out two or three of your favorite flavors, along with the corresponding favorite toppings, and a bunch of bananas. Give each other instructions on how to make the perfect sundae for you and learn more about each other's tastes!

Particularly with summer just around the corner, consider making this a regular activity. You can even spring for the bigger tubs of ice cream and therefore cut down the cost of each sundae.

And if you really want to make this a true DIY, try out this recipe for 5 minute homemade ice cream using frozen fruit!

Tips and advice:

• Look for ice cream and toppings that are on sale or go for a generic or store brand. You get more bang for your buck in bulk and the brand difference is barely noticeable in most cases.
• Don't buy any toppings or extra things that you know you won't use up. They are just going to sit around and clutter your kitchen. If you just want a dollop of something, consider skipping it altogether.
• Buy very fresh bananas, since they will last longer and you can use the rest later for more sundaes, other recipes, or just eating them. Personally, I love using them in smoothies and this amazing banana bread recipe. You will know they are fresh when they are a bright shade of yellow with no brown-ish spots. If they have a little green, they are slightly under-ripe.
• Add other fruits to the mix! Strawberries are in season now, which also go great with sundaes and smoothies.
• Pick up a 2-liter of root beer for root beer floats with the leftover ice cream!
  

Enjoy this sweet and cold treat!