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!

An Outdoor Date!

You can hardly miss the romantic opportunities of an outdoor festival!  Check out the possibilities, and see which are most attuned to both your desires…

Aquatennial Block Party  

 The Aquatennial Block Party will officially launch the 2010 Minneapolis Aquatennial on the evening of Friday, July 16. The festivities will take place from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Nicollet Mall between 3rd and 4th Streets in downtown Minneapolis. The Aquatennial Block Party is one of the largest free annual outdoor concerts. No ticket is required! This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the Block Party, the official kick-off event of the Minneapolis Aquatennial. Night Ranger, the iconic 80’s band famous for songs such as “Sister Christian” and “When You Close Your Eyes,” will headline the block party! Minnestoa musicians, Corey Stevens and Romantica will open the show. The Aquatennial Block Party will offer happy hour pricing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with discounts on beer.

 Twin Cities River Rats
West River Road in Minneapolis
1758 West River Rd N
The River Rats perform an hour long show combining various water skiing acts with skits and music. Their acts include Barefooting, Pyramids, Doubles, and more.

The River Rats show site is located just north of downtown Minneapolis on the Mississippi River. The hillside along the river provides excellent viewing for the best show in the Twin Cites.

07/17/2010 3:00 pm 5:00 pm
07/17/2010 7:00 pm 9:00 pm
07/18/2010 3:00 pm 5:00 pm
07/18/2010 7:00 pm 9:00 pm

Star Tribune Beach Bash
10:00 am 4:00 pm
Thomas Beach, Lake Calhoun
The Star Tribune Beach Bash features the beloved events of the Milk Carton Boat Races and the Sandcastle Competition. Join us Sunday, July 18th for the ultimate blast on the beach!

CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade
8:30 pm 10:30 pm
Hennepin Avenue
Come line the streets of downtown Minneapolis for the Aquatennial CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade. Watch as the parade runs down Hennepin Avenue on Wednesday, July 21st starting at 8:30 PM!

If you really aren’t in the mood for outdoor festivals, perhaps a nice quiet poetry reading tonight?

Poets Sharon Chmielarz, Mark Conway, and J.P. White read from their latest collections at the Loft Literary Center and Open Book    just scroll down the homepage to upcoming events, directions etc.  The best things in life are free!

Have a romantic adventure! And you can always find those right on our website!

We wish you a very romantic week…

Romance Always!

We went on a little journey in search of romance….and have 7 fresh unusual tidbits to entice you!  Join our tour of insights for always finding Romance.

Start a Joint Diary

 When it’s hard to communicate face-to-face, try writing in a book. Purchase a beautiful notebook or diary, and record your thoughts from the day as a message to your partner. Have your partner do the same.  Even though you can’t be physically together, you will feel a sense of unity by creating this one-of-a-kind record of correspondence. Then, when your schedules slow down and you have more time with your partner, you’ll have a special keepsake to re-read years later and cherish.

Read more at Suite101: Keeping Romance Alive: Strengthen Your Relationship Even When Schedules Keep You Apart http://dating-advice.suite101.com/article.cfm/keeping_romance_alive#ixzz0t9ZddXAo

Keep Him in the Dark
For the ultimate lights-out love nudge, fake a power outage. “Unplug the phone, computer, and TV, then turn off all the lights,” instructs Godek. “With nothing else to distract you, you have no choice but to break out the candles and cling to each other as you tell scary ghost stories…or just plain cling to each other.”

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/tips-moves/285737-3

Share a Book

Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love (Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC, December 2009) is a fun read about dating, romance, love and marriage, guaranteed to inspire a renewed search for that special someone, or open your heart a little more to the one you already love.

Read fascinating stories about how couples met, when “they knew,” incredible good and bad dates, imaginative proposals, wedding day adventures, second chances, the ones that got away, and all the other ups and downs that come hand-in-hand with true love, including great examples of how to keep relationships strong.

http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-Heartwarming-Humorous/dp/1935096435

Touch

Plato once said “Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.”  In any relationship touch is as essential as sunlight. A child who walks into this knows his mother by her touch and can recognizes her mother among thousands just with one touch. Touch is a powerful tool in romance. Hold her hand as you shop or walk down to the mall. Hug her when she brings you your bed tea. Kiss him Goodnight. Just snuggle and cuddle on the couch watching TV. Don’t limit the touch to the bedroom; bring it out off course not outrageously but in a shuttle romance reminiscent of your early days of marriage when you couldn’t get your hand off her.

http://hubpages.com/hub/HOW-TO-KEEP-ROMANCE–ALIVE-AFTER-MARRIAGE

Flowers

…Make a point to give your wife flowers once a month — on random days. The flowers, from hubby and children, thank Mom for being a great wife and mother.

http://sexsmart.com/article_bringing-back-the-romance.htm

Make a List

Determine what it is that makes you feel attracted to someone. What attracted you to your partner in the first place? What are the things that you find attractive that you would like to see in your spouse? What gets your attention?

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/daily_living/keeping_romance_alive.aspx

Date Night

Well, no matter how many articles you look for regarding romance, you will find advice to go out on a date night. Look no further! Out of the Box Dates give you variety, simplicity, plan-free freedom!

When Relationships are a Puzzle

Over time in a relationship, you become comfortable with each other and flow along with shared interests and activities.  At some point, though, circumstances change, and fireworks – or an argument – arises. The relationship moves into a dangerous time of conflict. 

Ultimately, the issue is resolved or forgotten, and you return to a new level of shared experience and a mutually satisfying relationship.  That may be what your head tells you, but how does your heart deal with the moment of time when you are caught in this puzzle, and can’t see the future? How does your heart feel, when you are are in a daily routine, with no expectation of change.

The relationship path is predictable in its general shape, but in any moment it is truly unpredictable. Does one ever know whether the next moment brings reassurance or surprise? No, so a good partner is constantly aware of circumstances, as well as the needs of self and other.

When things are calm, it is easy to fall into habits . We can ignore our relationship because it is pretty much the same as it was before.  And we can thrive in that comfort zone – at least for a while.  Sometimes though, we need to be critical of our own assumptions. We need to think carefully and clearly about what we see and what it means. We need to communicate with each other to test our assumptions.

In times of conflict  in your relationship,  just being aware may not be enough.  And making a decision in the midst of uncertainty can feel like standing on the edge of cliff and stepping off into empty space. We don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know how our partner will respond to our actions, and we have no idea what other factors might affect us.

So how do you thrive during times of conflict? Or comfort?

We never know for sure. Nevertheless, we must act. To stand in inaction, frozen in fear of the unknown, is to lose the opportunity to engage in the learning and growth of  our relationship.

So maybe it is just a decision to be ready and eager to step off the cliff and into the unknown. To know that whatever surprises the future holds, you can meet them with open eyes, thoughtful meaning , and sufficient courage to thrive on the shifting complex landscape of improved relationships.  Maybe, after all, it is all about choice and attitude!  And the desire to take adaptive action, and engage with the emerging changes in your relationship.

There is a guy in New York who decided to outfit his car with a sleeping space, and then hit the road to achieve 100 random acts of kindness for strangers.  We applaud his values, his goal setting, and his sense of fun!   And then we had another idea. What about 100 random acts of kindness for your spouse? 

If helping strangers makes the world a better place, what about helping those closest to you, whom we all admit, are sometimes the people we show our worst side?  And what if you incorporate some fun around the Twin Cities  in your random acts? Intrigued?

When Tyler Kellogg, a chronic do-gooder, drove 1600 miles, he found plenty of possibilites for random acts of kindness, according to Readers Digest.  What Tyler realized after achieving 115 acts of kindness in 55 days, is that you don’t have to be a philanthropist to do good. You just have to ask people “how can I help?”

Maybe we can start a trend right at home. Suprise your spouse with “How can I help?  You have to admit -it could be an interesting conversation!  And it doesn’t hurt to have some fun while you try this new effort.  How about a Twin Cities destination? For example, you could suggest a date night to the Twin Cities Improv Festival now through Sunday at the “Brave New Workshop.  For only $12 a ticket, the two of you could look at life completely differently!  It might give you some ideas for your own improv version of “How can I help you?”

Suprise him/her with a summertime fun Waterfall Windchime.  Sit outside at sunset, listening to the chimes, and ask “is there soemthing that I could do that would make you happy right now?”  Call it a zen couple-moment for relationship renewal!

 Walking alongside each other might also offer an opportunity to simply ask, ”lets go out tonight–where would you like to go? ” If you are both stumped for a fresh date idea, and enjoying the summertime outdoors when you can, then try Steven’s Square Park on June 30.

They are offering a free movie showing of  “Dr. Strangelove.” And as a bonus, while you are waiting for it to get dark, there will also be live music performances by Phantom Tails and Rogue Citizen, and free mini cupcakes from Whole Foods. Also, bring a dish to share for the community potluck. They are actually offering movies every Wednesday night…check out Cinema and Civics.

See? it’s easy to find random ways to be kind, and have fun doing it together!  Send us your stories of random acts of kindness for each other — and things to do in Minnesota!  We’d love to hear!

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!

Hints & Hotspots to Help You

Have you ever heard of Dr. Pepper Schwartz? She’s a Sociology prof at the Univ of Washington, and a sexologist who has written 12 books and is a leading industry expert on relationships.  She has some effective tips on staying married, which we are going to pair up with some exciting Twin Cities hotspots for date nights. You can earn an A+ in Romantic Ideas!

Hint #1

Don’t try to persuade your spouse that you are right; instead look for a comfortable middle ground.

HotSpot #1

Perhaps finding a good spot for a comfortable conversation would be helpful?  Try  Piccolo in south Minneapolis – voted Best New Restaurant by City Pages in April.  They believe in enhancing the dining experience with variety in small tastes and healthier eating. Now that is romantic advice!

Hint #2

If you find either of you are getting defensive in conversations, take responsibility and suggest a do-over. This can make it easier for either of you to admit you’re are wrong.

HotSpot #2

Suggest a do-over in a wide open place – perhaps a park with ample walking time to help you both keep your cool!  You may have a favorite neighborhood park, or for something new, visit Ft.Snelling State Park.  Just off 494 by the airport, you can’t miss with hiking on Pike Island, swimming or walking the beach of Snelling Lake, or canoeing on Gun Club Lake.  Be corny and stop in the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center for a memento of your day and maybe a fridge magnet to represent your new efforts to communicate defenselessly. Now that is a  cheap date night!

Hint #3

 Affection isn’t just about sex – it’s about hugging and holding hands too. Share a smile, a kiss, or a hug at the end of the day.

HotSpot #3

What better place to rekindle romance than walking hand in hand through a winery, on the gorgeous 55-acre grounds if Chateau St. Croix (complete with a carriage house, stables, gardens, and a fishing pond). Schedule a tour and learn about winemaking, or sign up for their Tuscan Vine & Dine evening on June 11^th or the Marseille and French Riviera Vine & Dine evening on June 25^th.  Have fun!

So try our hotspots, check out Dr. Schwartz’s book, “The Love Test: romance and relationship self-quizzes”, and consider an Out of the Box Date for a romantic adventure!  Watch your marriage endure!

And how do you achieve better sex?  There are myriad ways no doubt, some not printable here — but improving your physical condition by getting more active goes a long way towards more enjoyable sex.

Don’t just trust us — read about it here! 

We “ran” across an article about getting from the Couch to 5K in simple easy steps. It’s a beginner’s schedule that helps get you off the couch and out running with the result that you could be running 3 miles in two months. 

Most often, new runners start too aggressively and tend to give up when their body is in pain.  Starting slowly allows your body to adjust, as well as lets you get over that first mental leap of just getting off the couch! We ‘re talking just 3x a week, for 20 minutes. The 3x a week rule is so darn healthy anyway, which health guru’s the world over confirm, just ask Harvard!

And the “Couch to 5K” plan is merely a combination of some fast walking, then alternating 90 seconds of jogging with 2 minutes of walking, for 20 minutes. Just 3x a week — Easy Peasy, right?!!  Just imagine, basic health needs met, and better sex achieved! What’s not to love! Check out the rest of the schedule from Cool Running. 

Is the idea of running just not appealing to you?  Then get walking!  Even walking 5x a week can improve your health and physical condition. Better sex is still in your future! Take advantage of the many parks in the Twin Cities and most surrounding suburbs.  One example? Lake Harriet.  It’s a delightful walk, with plenty of activity to keep you engaged as you go briskly round the lake. 

And who better to run or walk with than your spouse! If you time it right, you can reward your walk/run with a free concert. The Lake Harriet Bandshell  has some lovely opportunities for free music – the perfect romantic rest-break!  Then walk on home and enjoy your improved sex!!

Check out the concert line up for the next week:

June 4 Tim Fast Nat’l Touring Acoustic Singer Songwriter

June 5 Glacier Jazz Festival Local Jazz Artist Showcase

June 6 2:00 Inver Hills Community Band Broadway, Swing, Light Pop, Patriotic

June 6 5:30 Apollo Male Chorus Apollo Male Chorus Presents: “America Sings”

June 7 Cooker John Real Slide Blues

June 8 The KGB Band Blues, Classic Rock, and Originals

June 9 South of the River Community Band Community Band Playing Concert Favorites

June 10 Seward Concert Band Americana Favorites

(7:30 pm unless otherwise noted – see website for changes)

But don’t stop there! Hit Grand Old Days on Sunday June 6 and get some serious walking exercise in! Plus there is something romantic about attending this Twin Cities Rite of Summer passage.  Join everyone on Grand Avenue in St. Paul between Fairview Avenue and Dale Street.

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.

Two Romantic Twin Cities Destinations

Every relationship needs stretching from time to time.  Think about it as if you are taking your daily commute via a completely different route. You see things right around home that you hadn’t noticed before, or from a different angle.  Take a new view of each other by trying something you’ve never done together before.  We have two very different destinations that could provide just the spark you two could use!

Try an artsy collaboration!  The enticement is not to BE artsy, but rather, to try something different, something new, where you just enjoy the act of collaboration!

Twin Cities Destination? Mosaic on a Stick.   It is a community classroom, mosaic supply store, and studio.  Join your spouse by taking a class, or check their website for their “open” days, where for a small fee you get supplies and free reign to make whatever mosaic comes to mind, after sifting through tiny cubes of ceramic tile, beads, and other fascinating tidbits.  Together you could create your own work of art to celebrate yourselves or a special occasion. Or sign up for a class together!

Do you two have more of an outdoors yearning? What better way to be romantic than to search for hidden treasurer together!  Find marriage enrichment by joining the craze for geo-caching.

One of the best ways to explore this together is at Ft. Snelling State Park. They offer 1 hour classes on geo-caching basics, and have 25 GPS units that you can check out to try your new skills together.  It’s an excuse for a romantic stroll…with a purpose! You can cut your geo-cache teeth on their current Wildlife Safari challenge in all the MN State parks.

Any time spent truly together is an excellent romantic destination. Whether it is a super cheap date night running errands together (without the radio playing), or taking a walk around the block at sunset, or taking a fun shower together, it is a successful romantic destination that could give you a new view on your relationship.  So start stretching! Who knows where these A+ Romantic ideas could take you!