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!

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.

Sometimes romance IS in the crowds…

Sound crazy?  A couple can be come an island of closeness even with people all around. Whether it is an excuse to hold hands, squeeze together, or have a face-to-face conversation, a crowd can be very romantic!  We have several intimate-crowded-adventure-ideas for you…..

My husband I and recently went to Luci Ancora in St. Paul, billed as a casual elegant restaurant for people who like food.  The first thing I noticed is how close the tables were to each other. I shrugged – and decided it was like the cute little bistros in Europe.  The funny thing was, as you get lulled into the gentle buzz of all the conversations, you actually cease to notice any individual chats around you, and focus on your own. 

We had what really felt like a “date night” of non-stop conversation, easily moving from kids and jobs to sharing experiences and really talking. Thumbs up to Luci Ancora!  And we recommend the mussels appetizer and try the Limón cello sorbet for a light refreshing dessert!

Another inspired crowded yet cozy date night?

Add a little jazz to your date-life!

Try a Blues singer/piano combo at the Dakota Jazz Club.  Davina has been a hit in Minneapolis, Memphis and even Switzerland for the melting pot of her blues, American roots, and New Orleans music.

Or try a little Pop with 10-time Grammy nominated Meshell Ndegeocello!  Her music, energetic and assertive, is equal parts funk, folk, hip-hop, jazz and African roots music. And you won’t be the first to find romance in the intimate candle-lit jazz room. 

And here’s an A+ romantic idea that can bring intimacy whether it is crowded or not – tho you will find people there! Try Patisserie Margo. They’ve been referred to as the bakery version of “Cheers”, where everybody knows your name. If you need desserts for a party, morning pastries or just a treat for the two of you, this is the place to be. They have muffins, scones, croissants, danish, bars, cookies, bread, quiche, sandwiches, and famously sinful desserts. Of course, they make everything from scratch daily.

What better way to create a memorable date night and relationship renewal than splitting a scrumptious hand made dessert?  Share a fork and look into each other’s eyes – the crowd will melt away!

So what does this A+ romantic idea company  have in common with Bed & Breakfast Getaways?  Well, Out-Of-The-Box-Dates Founder and CEO, LeeAnn Williams participated in our very first trade show – which means YOU are going to see some more cool and unique dates around Minnesota and Wisconsin.

LeeAnn displayed Out Of The Box Dates (OOTBD) at the Crown Plaza North in Minneapolis with the specific purpose of sharing our Romantic Dates and offerings with the Bed & Breakfast community of Innkeepers.

 The Bed and Breakfast owners, all 55 of them, primarily in Minnesota, and some in Wisconsin are very proud of their properties and the experience they offer their guests.  In LeeAnn’s words, “it was a privilege to meet the owners, and hear their excitement as they shared their unique offerings. ”

OOTBD offered a free assessment of the B&B’s current romance package… and we discovered the number one reason why people don’t stay at a B&B when traveling is because… they didn’t think about it.

 We’re about to change that!  Stay tuned as each of a myriad of proposals we received to create custom dates at B&B’s  in and around their hometowns become available. You can be the first to experience an exceptional new Date!

 In the meantime, don’t be one of those people who stay in some sterile suite with bagels for breakfast, when you can  experience an OOTBD at a B&B! Check out our current exciting, no planning required,  romantic MN date called The Pillar of Love!  And feel free to click on these B&B search sites and enjoy a unique and personal travel experience!  

B&B Directory  B&B Planner  B&B Online  BnB Finder  Lanier B&B

And one more fun and amusing fact?

During the show, we found out that the first thing a male guest will do is check out the shower head to see how nice it is!

Well, we recommend you watch for Out Of The Box Dates updates regarding weekend get-away Bed & Breakfast Dream Dates…which make great gifts….(we’ll let you know about the shower!)

 Thanks to the OOTBD staff’s help in preparation for this show!

HUGE thanks especially to Scott for his help at the show!

Great Dates that Shout “WOW” without all the planning!

How do you plan for such a date for one of the toughest Date Nights of the year?  There are options!

 You could just spend a ton of money:

• 4 star restaurant – but you better have a reservation already
• Big concert – check out Ticketmaster – pay more to get good seats
• Plan a party – but I guess you wouldn’t be looking here if you’d done that

You could also go for the minimalist approach

• Red roses (never mind the number that turn droopy in 3 days)
• Hand made card ( a trip to Michaels? Hallmark first to get ideas?)
• Lobster Dinner at home (well – rent a chef? Ok – add to above points $$)

Let’s face it. The date that you can plan in the next two weeks is a box date.  You can find it, because it’s in a box – you know – four corners, square, exactly as expected. But you are not a box person! You are looking for something

• Unique
• Surprising
• Personal
• Memorable
• Exciting
• Inspiring
• Romantic

 A REAL Valentine’s Day Date is one that doesn’t fit all the usual suspects.  Have you seen this one coming?? YOU NEED AN

Yes!  A romantic WOW date –without the planning!

If you have been reading this blog, but have yet to check out the rest of the website, now is the time!  The most WOW date you can imagine is at your fingertips!

• Without a ton of money
• Without any planning
• You will find personal touches  -  discover surprises in the “Secretly Hers” and “Secretly His” envelopes
• Unique and tantalizing specially designed romance games
• All the supplies (some silly and some dreamy) for your date
• As with all of our dates, your adventure begins the week leading up to your date

So NOW is the time to go shopping…for your WOW Valentine’s Date! No planning – just shop and click!