We are all wondering about these whimsical summer evenings – 72 degrees some eves’, 62 others.  Does it make it hard to plana little couple-only time away? Not at all! You always deserve a date night, a relationship boost, a refreshing night of something different, unexpected or nostalgic…

While it may not always be warm enough for a hazy dreamy twilight walk and kiss, (at least this summer!) there are some lovely alternatives.  The UofM Showboat Theatre review is raving “a cut above”  for both the production and the acting talents of   ’The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’. What could be more novel than a theatre production on a floating showboat?!  It’s got date potential and will be playing all summer! Check out the other river cruises for their possibilities!

How about a bit of nostalgia?  Try Mini Golf!   The Adventure Gardens Mini Golf has 18 holes of miniature golf surrounded by attractive gardens, landscaping, waterfalls, ponds and streams.  It is located on the west edge of Veteran’s Memorial Park on 64th and Portland.

Perhaps some music outdoors at twilight will beguile you both into a summertime frame of mind?  The Music in the Zoo has tickets for many different July and August events. There is a little something for every musical taste – try the Monkey’s (for anyone who grew up in the 70′s!) to Los Lobos, or BoyzIIMen or HippieFest 2011, or Gaellic Storm! You can’t miss, it’s a guaranteed date night winner!

And if you are looking for a truly unique date, then go no further than Out Of The Box Dates.  You simply must try “Somethin’s Cooking” or “Let the Games Begin!” Check out all our dates, games, love notes or conversation cards. And then write us with your exceptional date experiences – we’d love to hear!

Date Opportunities!

The Holidays are more than gift giving time – they are date opportunities for spending quality time together.  It doesn’t matter if you are dating, or married 20 years, amidst the “musts” and “shoulds” of holiday preparation, consider some true stress relief by spending intentional time together.

Avoid the stress – look for some great dates! We have a few suggestions for activities around town. Perhaps slip back to a simpler time?  A Victorian Christmas at the Ramsey House (Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul MN).   Visit the Alexander Ramsey House this holiday season as Christmas 1875 comes alive. Take in a Victorian holiday with heirloom ornaments on the 12 foot parlor tree, period china on the dining room table, and fresh cookies from the wood-burning stove.

The popular “Homecoming” holiday tours run through Jan. 3, 2010. Other special programs include Annie’s Kitchen baking classes, Victorian floral workshops and special carriage rides around Historic Irvine Park. Visitors should make their reservations early for these popular events.

Need a date with a few laughs?  A holiday favorite returns with Triple Espresso – A Highly Caffeinated Comedy.  It is back at the Music Box Theatre on Nicollet Avenue through Jan 9.  Triple Espresso tells the story of three guys whose bid for showbiz fame and fortune ended in 4-minutes of magnificent failure on national television. Hugh Butternut, Buzz Maxwell, and Bobby Bean tell their rags-to-rags story earnestly, with hysterical results. Butternut is a musician, a vulnerable soul with a lounge lizard smile; Maxwell is an uncertain magician with an attitude; and Bean is an irrepressible, all-over-the-map entertainer with big dreams. The laughter is infectious and the comedy appeals to everyone from first graders to college students to baby-boomers to grandparents.

Or perhaps a Nostalgia Date with some charitable overtones. Check out the Riverview Theatre!  In what is becoming an annual tradition, they will have screenings of A CHRISTMAS STORY on December 20-23. This year they will also have IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE on the schedule. Admission to either of these films will help benefit the local Food Shelf.  Popcorn and soft drinks will be available for just $1. Click here for more information. (Advance tickets are now on sale on their website.)

Another intimate date idea?  Consider improve theatre at Stevie Ray’s Improv company at the Chanhassen with a brand new holiday show.

Stevie Ray’s proudly presents its newest holiday comedy with music, O Little Town of Chanhassen November 19-December 30.  Enjoy holiday music and comedy!

Of course the best stress reduction is fabulous easy-to-find-gifts for your special someone – you  can shop for a unique and memorable date to give as a holiday gift! Just shop here – at Out of The Box Dates – see our exciting romantic adventures!  We wish you the best holiday season ever!

Anniversaries are a lovely time to recommit to each other and renew your relationship.  My husband and I just passed our XX anniversary (yup – it’s up there).

 We waffled a bit about a decision on how to celebrate…

 We thought about dinner out. (Always nice – we’ve celebrated that way many times) but his work schedule shot down the two weekend nights. We looked at a concert near our anniversary (we’ve done this 2 or 3 times – also a nice event if its an artist or group you both love), but it turned out the only dates for the group we wanted were on the same night as my book club, and our son’s band concert.  Then I received a Groupon or Social living discount email for a condo on the north shore – what an idea – a get-away-weekend!   

Ahhh!! – but while the kids are old enough to be alone for a dinner or concert, they are not quite the age for a weekend alone.

Have you ever been stumped this way?  We both knew the day would just slip by like any other day if we did nothing, and it certainly wouldn’t put our marriage on the rocks, but it still seemed disappointing! However, time slipped by in the rush of work, kids, and other commitments.  Before you know it, it was that night.

He had to work until 8, but I made him one of his favorite dinners.  Even lit a candle on the table. And, surprise! He brought home a dozen roses and a lovely cake from the bakery.

And being the crazy life we are all used to, we ended up eating a slice of cake for breakfast the next day!  But you know what? Classic is nice! Sometimes you just “let it go” and see what percolates up. (A+ Romantic Idea!)

If you would prefer a bit of planning, rather than an unpredictable percolation….we do understand, and recommend a truly unique and amazingly different anniversary memory.  Our advice is to visit our website for a Romantic Themed Date! ( You can even shop together….)   If you are still searching for making Staying Married memorable, here are a few suggestions:

Throw a Retro anniversary party—and dress the part!

Take your own anniversary photo and send announcements (maybe some will send gifts!)

Did you fake your way through that wedding dance? Maybe this anniversary you can recommit to dance lessons!

Throw caution to the wind, and have an anniversary sculpture made (when young – so you can look back and remember how you both looked with hair!)

 Customize your own recommit-vows ceremony! 

Then write us and tell us about your greatest hits (and fails) of anniversary celebrations. We’d love to hear from you!

Halloween Date Night

Need a fresh idea for date planning around Halloween?  Read on for great ideas around town!

How about the BareBones Theatre,  Friday October 29 to 31st based on Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes!  It is outdoor puppetry and performance art at it’s best. Held at the Hidden Falls Regional Park, just south of Ford Parkway and Mississippi River Blvd in St. Paul, this show features  pyrotechnics, puppetry, stilt walkers, aerial feats, and live orchestral music.  This is set up to be a stellar spooky date night!

All show times are 7pm and tickets are not required for admission (cheap date night!).  A free-will offering of $5 to $20 is suggested to support BareBones Productions and their future endeavors.

If you feel like bringing out your creative side, then create the best couple-combo-halloween-costume you can think of! Strut your duo-stuff at Red Carpet to Hell II at the Living Room and Prohibition  in the fabulous W Hotel, located inside the Foshy Tower, downtown Minneapolis. The event on Saturday October 30th kicks off at 9pm and you can party till closing time at 2am.

Stop by the Living room, have a cocktail and mingle with other vampires, ghouls and beasties. Then head up to Prohibition on the Foshay’s 27th floor for the Dead Celebrity Lounge. Stick around for a chance at some prizes, as thousands of dollars worth will be given away.

Dress up in your most creative or scary (but appropriate) getup for the costume contest for a chance at your piece of the prize pie. You have to be present to win, so if people are coming and going, your chances of winning may be pretty good.

This event is for 21+ and there is no cover. The Living Room is located at 821 Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, in the Foshay Tower.

Spooky date night is a great chance to be in each others arms! How is that for couples therapy? Enjoy these A+ Romantic ideas!

Down through the ages, has there ever been anything more romantic than a scary movie, drawing the two of you into each others arms? It worked at 15, at 25, and we are fully confident it can also work at 35, 45, 55, etc, etc, etc.  It’s time to check out the  Scare-Fests with your spouse/date, and rediscover the best scary romance times!

 There are quite a few Scare-Spots to choose from around the Twin Cities.  Even if it is a road-trip, try  Zywiec’s Landscape and Garden Center in Cottage Grove, for the Haunting Experience 3D.  Visitors begin their exciting excursion in a 3-D haunted house, where special glasses provided by the center will have you leaping into each others arms.

Next, thrill seekers are ushered into the haunted mansion, where they discard their special-effects lenses as maniacal, bloodthirsty flower fans chase them through 20 horrifying rooms and out to the waiting hay wagons. After being briefly schooled on the horror of hay-fever allergies, the daunting descent into the frightful forest begins with a mile-long hayride through haunted woods and panic-ridden cornfields.

Visitors who manage to make it out of the haunted attraction alive can enjoy Zywiec’s nightly bonfires, as well as free movies projected on a large outdoor screen, while munching on snacks and perusing seasonal décor such as Indian corn, mums, pumpkins, and candy-corn seedlings in the garden center. The entire haunted experience lasts at least an hour and a half and stays open from dusk until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 11 p.m. on weekends, though guests should check out the calendar before they leave to make certain the attraction is open. 

Another Twin Cities option is ValleyScare. Valleyscare is happening at Valleyfair Amusement Park throughout the month of October, mostly on weekends. 

Indoor mazes and spook houses abound, such as Chateau du Damné, a vampire-infested Renaissance castle, the posse of insane clowns at CarnEvil, the Mangler Asylum, where Dr. Mangler performed twisted experiments on the residents, and finally, Mr. Cleaver’s Bloodshed.  

The hours between now and the 31st are Saturdays from noon to midnight, Sundays from 6 to 11pm, and Fridays from 7pm to midnight. The only exception to these hours are Wednesday and Thursday (the 20th and 21st), the park is open from 7pm to midnight as well.

If “Scare” is just not in your future as a couple, perhaps try a corn maze to test your couples team-building abilities! (Of course there might be a few scares as you try to find the exit!)

Berry Hill Farm in Anoka has a field maze

Shafer Corn Maze – Hwy 8, Shafer, MN 55074

Apple Jack Orchards – 6 acre corn maze – 4875 37th St SE, Delano, MN

Sever’s Corn Maze – Shakopee, MN (by Canterbury Downs)

Sponsel’s Minnesota Harvest Apple Orchard – Jordan MN 

Afton Apple Orchards – 12 acre Corn Maze – 14421 90th Ave. S, Afton, MN

Gilbertson Farms – 12791 Oakhill Rd, Scandia, MN

Enjoy being Scared Romantic! Relive the thrill!

Perhaps it feels a little early for such crisp air, but it’s a chance to embrace the Fall with a romantic road trip.  Consider a fun fresh day-date with a search for tart apples and the beginning blending of fall colors!

Bite into Fall with an apple/leaf road trip!  If you haven’t headed SW of the Twin Cities in a while, take a spontaneous road trip down 169 south. Once  you pass the town of Jordan, just a little further on your right, you will find an amazing sunshine yellow building with multiple signs about apples, candy, and baked goods.

 They even promise 64 kinds of rootbeer and some 70+ kinds of licorice!  Pull in, and you will find 10-15 varieties of apples, which you can sample before you choose your favorite. You’ll find yummy extras from a huge variety of salsa’s to an amazing array of smoked bacon and jerky.  They always have fresh pies, strudel, and a whole room filled with candy, from old fashioned kinds you haven’t seen in years (Turkish Taffy anyone?) to European candies, to current favorites.  It’s a dream day-date guaranteed to make you giddy!

While you are in Jordan, hit a few antique stores - there are 4– one of them in an old brewery.  And maybe try the local meat market, still family owned and famous for it’s ring bologna.

Or maybe you’d like to pick your own apples?

It’s the original date!

Find your closest apple orchard by visiting Minnesota Grown‘s website. They have 108 different apple orchards to choose from!  They also have directories for Fall raspberries, pumpkins, winery’s, and farmer’s markets. Lots of possibilites for Minnesota-grown dates!

So get in the spirit (before leaf-raking time hits!) and make your own unusual date of apple picking, apple tasting and some antiques. Think of it as Couples Fall Therapy!

We promised to look for other dates that inspire, by helping out with something larger than both of you.  Our next suggestion is for the two of you to volunteer at ”Feed My Starving Children”…and you don’t have to have kids to be part of this inspiring date!

One of Feed My Starving Children’s  (FMSC) belief statements is:  We believe that our lives are enriched when we graciously give our own time and resources to help others in need.  So why not enrich your relationship the same way?

Find something you both believe in, and a way to support it together.   FMSC makes it super easy – with 3 locations around the metro area (and 5 other states as well), and an online sign up to volunteer,  which allows you to search available timeslots in a date range. (Try signing up under “family” to get 2 or more spots). Sounds like a great date – both cheap and full of value!

FMSC is a  faith-based charity, headquartered in the Twin Cities, that is having an international impact.  FMSC seeks to ensure that every child in the world can receive adequate nutrition for healthy physical development.  In 2009, they were able to supply 96 million meals for distribution in over 62 countries.  The meals provided by FMSC are carefully designed by food scientists to provide the nutrients that malnourished children need and the success stories are impressive. 

Helping to solve the world hunger crisis is great fun at FMSC.  The volunteers (you and your date!)  will arrive for a 1.5 to 2 hour shift and watch a short motivational video,  receive a briefing on how the assembly process works, and then the take their place in the meal packing process.  The atmosphere at FMSC makes the work game-like.  Workers will give a shout when a bag of meals weighs exactly the right amount.  The music is fun and light-hearted competition is encouraged.  At the same time, the work is taken very seriously.  The ratio of ingredients is carefully maintained and the work flow maximizes output and minimizes stoppages.  When the shift is over, a staffer will tell the group what they have accomplished.  The result is always satisfying.  

So don’t delay, sign up on their website, or search out your own charitable challenge that means a lot to both of you, and find your relationship inspired on an unusual and unique date!

Summer’s Date Night!

Every summer night can be your Summer Date Night when you start looking around at the possibilities!  Dancing under the stars?  Perhaps some live music? What better way to replenish your relationship than checking out the ready-made date nights in the Twin Cities!

Thursday evenings through August 12th, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and several partners team up to turn Landmark Center Plaza into a venue for dance.

This Thursday, July 29th is Rock ‘n’ Roll night. The evening kicks off at 6pm with instruction by Arthur Murray Dance Studio, followed by live music  from the Rockin’ Holywoods from 7:30 until 10, giving you some time to practice what you learn and dance the night away.

Beer and wine is available for purchase starting at 5:30, so you can come early and mingle with other couples before class is in session.

August 5th, the schedule remains the same for Ballroom Dance night. Cinema Ballroom will provide instruction and live music is by the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra.

But if dancing isn’t the way to your collective heart, you and your date could check out some upcoming free movies and music. Loring Park has some A+ Date Night opportunities!

 Tuesday nights starting August 3rd and wrapping up August 24th, the live music starts at 7pm followed by the movie screenings at dusk. Then you can head over to Nick and Eddie for more live music at the afterparty.

The series kicks off August 3rd with a live set from local heroes Communist Daughter followed by a showing of Raising Arizona, written, produced and directed by St. Louis Park natives Joel and Ethan Coen. Then at the afterparty, catch local electro pop outfit Estate.

What could be better than a ready-made fresh date night with no planning required!  So if you need something more spontaneous, on a date night of your choice, visit our website.  And enjoy a summer of unique romantic adventures!

Is it all the recent rain – or is it your relationship that needs some sunshine?

Sometimes, rain or shine, you just need to get out on a date! Maybe it is time to do something different.  There are lots of fun activities in the summer in the Twin Cities.  You can do some web searches, talk to friends, or just log on here and look for some fresh date ideas…this week with an emphasis on MUSIC!

Coming soon….

Check out the Twin Cities Jazz Festival June 17 -19 at Mears Park in St. Paul

You could enjoy a relaxing date with a sit and stroll while listening to fabulous music.  Friday afternoon, the music starts at 4 p.m. on the Main Stage with Story City. There will be an additional stage, the Sixth Street Stage, with more live music on Friday night as well, featuring Pete Whitman’s X-tet and Aakash Mittal. The Main Stage headliner for the evening is Joe Lovano with Us Five starting at 8:30. 

Mears Park

Saturday the 19th includes a concert at noon on the Main Stage. Highlights for Saturday include such giants as saxophonist Bobby Watson at 4 p.m., John Ellis & Double-Wide at 6, then the main attraction at 8:30 featuring guitar virtuoso John Scofield.

Also on Saturday, a third stage is added, presented by the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education. This stage features the BFGS Quartet, and a number of student jazz groups from the area.

Or flip the memorable possibilities and try a new style together – Country!

Check out Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar & Grill for a little country fun! The vibrant atmosphere would shake off the cloudiest blues. The website shows their upcoming event, including Accoustic guitar with Tim Siegler on June 21^st!  You’ll find it in the newly reborn “West End” of St. Louis Park – if you haven’t been recently you’ll find the area looking quite different! 

For those die hard rock fans who like their relationship renewal in a comfort zone, a good date night can be found between First Avenue and Hard Rock Café downtown Minneapolis .  Check out the live music on June 18^th with Big City.

Revist First  Avenue if it has been awhile. It’s been the Twin Cities Danceteria since 1970!

Check out Delta Spirit, Lookbook, or Fujun on Friday; or  the JayHawks, Haunted House, or HollyGoLightly and the BrokeOff’s on Saturday.  Or visit their full June Calendar to find your perfect date! 

Can’t you just feel the fresh sunshine of new experiences creating a new Date Night like you’ve never had before?  Of course – you also need to remember that you can find your own unique Romantic Adventure with Out of The Box Dates.  That makes for an exciting and fun date night any time – with no waiting lines!  Enjoy!

Why Date Night Works!

 Straight from the LHJ, comes advice for long time married couples about rekindling early romance.  Their advice? Embark on a regular date night but reinvent it to include new and unusual experiences.

LHJ tells us new experiences activate the brain’s reward system, flooding it with the brain chemicals dopamine and norephinephrine.  These are the same brain circuits that are ignited in early romantic love when you feel exhilarated by — and obsessed with – your new partner. And several experiments show that novelty—simply doing new things together as a couple—may help bring the butterflies back, re-creating the chemical surges of early courtship.

No surprise to Out of The Box Dates!  We completely believe in Date Night.  And we’ve also found that being “out of the box” is all about trying new things, and sharing new experiences with your spouse.

So  take a few minutes to shop for Romantic Themed Dates with surprises here, at Out of  The Box Dates!  And look below for a few ideas for you to try something new  and memorable in the Twin Cities with your spouse this week:

Persephone: Reign of Fire

Presented by Bedlam Theatre and Infiammati Fire Circus
Directed by Rah Kojis
Playing June 3, 2010 through June 13, 2010

Persephone: Reign of Fire tells the story of an innocent maiden’s journey to the underworld, her rise to power as queen and her incandescent return as harbinger of spring. Theater, dance, fireworks, aerialists, acrostilting, shadow puppetry, video, and live score by Naomi Joy and Asylum Soundsystem.

Eat Street Excursion

The section of Nicollet Ave. from Grant to 29th St. is also known as Eat Street, so named for its dozens of restaurants and markets. Eat Street has an option for every palate, from Greek food (Christo’s, It’s Greek to Me) and pizza (A Slice of New York) to upscale Asian Fusion (Azia) and sushi (Anemoni Sushi & Oyster Bar). There’s German cuisine (Black Forest Inn), Chinese (Rainbow Chinese, Peninsula), American (Java, The Bad Waitress), a handful of excellent Mexican restuarants (Pancho Villa, Little Tijuana Cafe, Morello’s Mex-Grill, El Mariachi, Los Amigos), and even bakeries (Marissa’s Bakery, Sinbad Mideastern Bakery) and sandwich shops (Lu’s Sandwiches, Jasmine Deli). For more info on Eat Street options, check out the reviews page at Urbanspoon.com.