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!

A Charitable Challenge

What  better way to embark on an amazing date than by trying The Great MN Race?!  Challenge yourself and your spouse/date to try something totally different in a couple’s teamwork unique date.

The Great MN Race is modeled after CBS series The Amazing Race, with a few original twists thrown in to give a local appeal. The race will benefit Urban Ventures, a faith-based non-profit that works to break the cycle of generational poverty, specifically in the Central and Phillips neighborhoods of South Minneapolis.

The Great MN Race will take teams of two across the metro area of Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota. Teams will be solving clues and performing challenging tasks that are both mental and physical in nature as they race across the city (by foot, by bus, or by train).

The Great MN Race is unlike any race in the area, combining the fun elements of racing, solving clues, and completing tasks all while exploring the urban areas of the Twin Cities.

There’s still plenty of time to find a partner and register your team of two to participate in the race. Register online for $45 before 11:59pm Friday August 27^th.  

Registration and check-in is at 8:30am on Saturday and the race begins at 9:30 at 1199 Midway Pkwy, the north side of Como Pavilion in St. Paul.

For challenge examples, race details, and other information, email info@greatmnrace.com or visit http://www.greatmnrace.com/.

We are so inspired by this charity event, we may look for more A+ romantic idea as date opportunities that allow you to both enhance your relationship on a date and support a fabulous charity. Dates that Inspire! Watch for more ideas….

3 Challenges in the Relationship Olympics!

 Watching the Olympics’ is always uplifting – you see such dedication and persistence — Such commitment to a particular goal.  And teamwork that is unparalleled.  Sounds perfect for the Relationship Olympics…Take the Challenge!

Do these challenges sound familiar to you?

Challenge: Team members don’t build on each others’ strengths

Cost to your team… Lost opportunities for creative collaboration

 Challenge:  Individuals talk “at” each other without really connecting

Cost to your team… Frustration, stagnation, lost chance to improve

Challenge:   Multiple agendas compete

Cost to your team… Lack of synergy, focus, and progress

 Take those team challenges and create your own Relationship Olympics! And remind each other, before you start, that success will take persistence and teamwork and commitment to your goal.

Challenge 1: Spouses that don’t build on each others’ strengths….And the cost to the two of you? You guessed it – that creative collaboration could be a key component to a successful relationship!  Challenge your spouse to list off their greatest strength and what they see as your greatest strength. Then share your “strength” views of them and yourself.  This might be eye opening – and it might also give you a different way to look at the “building blocks” of your relationship.

 Or this could lead you to

 Challenge #2:  Couples talking “at” each other without really connecting…not hard to imagine the frustration, stagnation, and lost chances.

Both of you know the other one is not listening. Depending on the degree to which you can talk about it later, it might lead to a counseling session, or a decision to try a conversation with the ground rules.  Try the “you get 2 minutes” uninterrupted time to talk.  The response is based on “effective listening” rules – starting with – “what I think I hear you saying is…”  This can seem hard, but forcing a structure around a difficult conversation using effective listening can actually open you up to receive what you are saying to each other, instead of planning what you want to say next.

 Challenge 3:  You would think Olympic teams would have one goal, and not be plagued by multiple agendas.  But you might also say that about a couple.  And we know how multiple agendas pop up, at least in the day to day experience of life!  But just as it warns above – the cost from that lack of synergy and focus can really deplete your relationship. What do you do to rise above this challenge?

Well, the old “don’t go to bed angry isn’t a bad start! Any argument of separate agendas could be a good test.  You might need to step away and come back later, but together, write down what progress you would like to make on this issue.  Finding even a common goal of wanting to move forward to resolve it can shift the conversation.  Then you might need a refresher from Challenge 2 above!

At some point, all of us face one of these challenges. Instead of feeling frustration or anger, try thinking of it as a chance at the Relationship Olympics – something you can team up for, and using a few tools, you can both find Gold! 

 Build your Relationship to its Olympic Heights!!