It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a first date but I do remember how nervous I would get before each one. Not having enough to talk about was always at the top of my list for items to be nervous about. What if we didn’t have anything in common? What if there are awkward silences? What if my mind went blank and I couldn’t think of anything to say? Most of the dates usually went well…not that they were a perfect match for me but the awkwardness was kept to a minimum! If running out of things to talk about makes you nervous as well, you’re going to want to review this list.

Your conversation starters for a first date don’t have to be deep questions – try to keep things light and you may be surprised at what you have in common.

Conversation Starters for a First Date:

• Does he have any hobbies? You may discover that you share a similar interest or perhaps you have knowledge about something that is of interest to him.

• Where did he grow up? If you both grew up in the same city, perhaps you know someone who used to live in his area that he may know as well. If he grew up in a different city, is it a place that you’ve ever visited?

• Does he have a favorite sport or a favorite sports team? Have you ever attended one of these sporting events? Have you ever tried this sport? Do you have a sibling that also plays this sport?

• Does he like to travel? If so, you could ask him about the most memorable trip he’s ever been on. Where have you traveled that you’d like to tell him about? Where would he like to travel in the future? If you share a love for travel, this could lead to many conversations starters for a first date.

• Does he have a favorite movie? Have you seen this movie as well? If so, what did you think about it? Have you seen something similar that you can recommend to him?

• Does he have a favorite singer or musical group? Have you ever seen this person in concert? Do you enjoy any of this singer’s songs?

• What is the best concert he’s ever attended? Tell him about the best concert you’ve ever attended or perhaps who you’d love to see in concert. If you share similar tastes in music, this could lead to many more conversation starters for a first date.

• What is his favorite restaurant in the city? Have you ever tried this place before? If you have a second date, perhaps you could suggest this restaurant.

• What was his first job? Do you know anyone that used to work there?

• What is his dream job? Do you know anyone that currently works in that field?

• What is the most daring adventure he has ever tried? Have you ever tried anything like bungee jumping or sky diving? Sharing stories about some of your adventures are great conversation starters for a first date.

• Does he stay in contact with any of his childhood friends? Tell him about why you’re so glad to have some of your closest friends.

• Does his family live close by? Does yours? You can share a little bit of information about each of your families.

• Does he have any pets? How long has he had these pets? Do you have any pets? Perhaps you had a similar family pet growing up.

Your conversations starters for a first date should never include anything too personal like the history of past relationships. Nothing will scare a date off faster than discussing your failed relationships of the past! Also, try to avoid getting into deep details like what you want in a partner. A first date is meant to be filled with light conversation to get to know each other better and to see if this is someone you’d like to spend more time with.

While on your date, try to remember that he’s probably nervous too. Just try to relax and enjoy getting to know each other better. Even if there isn’t a romantic spark, you could be making a new friend.

For creative date ideas on Moms & Munchkins, click here.

When is the last time you were on a first date?

There are so many creative date ideas out there but nothing is more special than a personalized date for you and your partner. This idea for taking a drive down lover’s lane is easily customizable to include many of the special memories from your relationship. All you’ll need for this date are some creative ideas and your vehicle.

The goal of this creative date is to drive to some of the areas that you’ve shared special moments with your spouse and talk about your memories. You probably both remember different parts about your special moments – you could even have a fun quiz game with each other! Your creative date ideas don’t have to be identical to the original special moment, you can simply visit the locations of the dates and talk about special memories.

For those of you who have moved to a new city, you can still put this date together with a little bit of creativity. For example, did you get engaged in a park in a different city? You can visit a new park while trying to recreate the special moment or talk about your memories of this special event.

Taking a Drive Down Lover’s Lane – Creative Date Ideas:

• Where did you first meet? Was it at a coffee house? You can go to the coffee house and enjoy some time together talking about good memories.
• Where did you go for your first date? Is it a restaurant that you can visit again? Was it to a movie in a theatre you could go to?
• Where did you share your first kiss? You could visit this location again and try to recreate the memory!
• Where did you get engaged? Did he plan something special for you at home? You could surprise him by creating your own special version of this at home.
• Where did you get married? You could visit this location and talk about all the special memories you have from your big day.
• Where were you when you went into labor with your first child? Where did you give birth? Perhaps you could visit the hospital where you gave birth and bring along a donation to their labor & delivery unit.

While out for your drive around the city, you could pack a special picnic in the back of your vehicle to enjoy while watching the sunset.

What creative date ideas have you planned for your spouse? For more fun & creative date ideas on Moms & Munchkins, click here.

Long distance dating can be difficult. When my husband and I first starting dating in 2005, we had to live in separate cities for the first several months as I had a job up north and he was finishing school in the south. I’d often send him long distance dating care packages just to let him know I was thinking of him. I remember one year I sent him a mini Christmas tree filled with ornaments that reminded me of him. We still have these ornaments and we put them on our Christmas tree every year.

The idea for using a craft storage box came from this post by Angie over at Echoes of Laughter in her cute idea for a Valentine’s Day treat for a teacher.

To make this care package, you’ll start with a small craft storage box from your local dollar store. What’s great about these storage containers is that the separators inside the box are removable so you can move them around to fit your needs.

To make this idea even more cute, add a piece of scrapbook paper (with permanent double-sided tape) to the front along with a sweet message and your special someone’s name. Now you get to fill the box with treats that remind you of your special someone.

Long Distance Dating Care Packages Ideas:

• chocolates
• love notes
• chocolate kisses
• hot lips candies
• favorite snacks
• long distance phone card
• pen, paper and a stamped and addressed envelope so he can write you a love letter back
• a restaurant gift card so you can have a Skype date while enjoying takeout food
• small candle and a personalized napkin for him to use during your Skype dinner date (visit Society Shirts for cute & inexpensive personalized iron-ons perfect for napkins)

Have you ever sent long distance dating care packages? If so, what did you include?

Do you want to plan the perfect date but you’re running low on ideas? Here are some questions you can use to help you brainstorm a long list of perfect date ideas! When brainstorming, write down every idea even if it seems too big, too small or too silly. One big idea could turn into ideas for a few smaller dates. Let your creativity run wild and you’re sure to come up with some great ideas.

Questions to Consider When Brainstorming Perfect Date Ideas:

What are her hobbies? If it’s art, is there an art museum you could go to? How about an art studio that you could try together? A romantic and fun idea would be to create a piece of art together to display in your home.

What is his favorite sports team? Does this team play in your city? If so, you could attend a game together. If not, you could set up your own mini game at home with the sport colors, logo and a concession stand. As an example, see this hockey date night I planned for my husband.

Is there a place that she wants to travel to? If Hawaii is on her list of places to visit, plan a special luau at home with decor and special Hawaiian themed meals.

Is there an adventure that he’d like to try? Perhaps rock climbing or white water rafting are on his wish list of adventures. You could try to find a place in or around your city that offers these experiences.

Looking for more fun & original date ideas? Check out these fun posts:

• 40 Ways to Show Appreciation for Your Husband

• 40 Ways to Show Appreciation for Your Wife

Do you have any perfect date ideas to share here to give the rest of us inspiration? What is the best date you’ve ever been on?

There are so many great ways to have fun in the snow! Here are some fun outdoor winter date ideas that are great for all ages. Remember, you’re never too old to build a snowman!

Outdoor Winter Date Ideas:

• Outdoor Skating Rink: Growing up, we had a skating rink right across the street from our house and we used to go out there daily. Check the local listings in your city for outdoor rink locations in your area.
• Hockey: If your date loves hockey, you could pick up a couple of sticks and a puck and play a friendly game of hockey at an outdoor skating rink.
• Tobogganing : You’re never too old for tobogganing! At least that’s why my husband tells me.
• Cross-country skiing: Check your local listings for a company that rents skis and they can also likely tell you where there are trails around the city.
• Downhill skiing: If there is a ski resort nearby, you could make a fun weekend out of this activity!
• Snowshoeing: I’ve never tried snowshoeing but my husband says it’s fun – I’ll take his word on that.
• Ice fishing: I have tried ice fishing once in Northern Manitoba with my husband’s family. If you have the right equipment, you can even manage to stay warm!
• Outdoor Light or Ice Festival: Does your city (or one closeby) have a winter festival? You could make a day trip out of it!
• Snowmobiling: You likely don’t own a snowmobile but perhaps you could find a place that rents them or a friend that would let you borrow one for a day.
• Horse Carriage Ride: Is there a company in or around your city that offers horse carriage rides? There is nothing more romantic in the winter than this!
• Be a Kid for the Day: Enjoy some fun snow activities that you used to play as a child like building a snowman, having a snowball fight or making snow angels.
• Curling: Have you ever tried curling? It’s actually much more difficult than it looks! Find an indoor curling rink that offers lessons and start to learn the sport together. You can then practice on an outdoor rink in your area.

What are your favorite outdoor winter date ideas? How many of these winter date ideas have you tried?

Since we became parents, my husband and I don’t seem to go out for date nights very often so I wanted to plan something special at home.  My husband loves hockey so a Hockey Date Night seemed like a great idea.  He’s a huge fan of the Winnipeg Jets and his biggest rival team is the Boston Bruins so I themed our date around these two teams. If you’re husband loves hockey, then these date ideas for guys are perfect!

I called him at work in the morning to tell him that someone from a “617” area code called for him this morning and left a message to say “Be prepared to get your butt whooped”. My husband looked up the area code and found out that it was Boston.  I told him the guy’s name was “Blades” which is the mascot name for the Boston Bruins.  He didn’t get the hint though and just decided it was probably a wrong number.  Ha!

When he came home from work he found a note on the front door reading the same message that I told him was on the voicemail and signed “Blades” with a picture of the mascot (now he must get the connection – I hope!).

When he came downstairs I had a two small hockey nets set up with mini sticks, a small puck (ball) and a Winnipeg Jets t-shirt for him to wear.  I set up a concession stand with hot dogs, fries, pop, popcorn and soft pretzels.  From our local dollar store I picked up plastic hot dog & fry baskets, a white table cloth with blue plates (Jets colors), popcorn bags and raffle tickets.

I had made a price list for the concession stand and the prices were all in “tickets”.  In order to buy something from the concession stand he needed to earn enough tickets.  He could do this in 2 ways: (1) score a goal, (2) correctly answer a hockey trivia question (click here for the free printable trivia game).  As he earned tickets, he could either use them to make his purchase from the concession stand or enter them into a bucket for a raffle.  If he answered a trivia question incorrectly or if I scored a goal, I won a ticket.

I made a penalty box using a big empty diaper box.  I created a sign that said “Bruins Fan Bleachers” and hung it over our cat tree.  I had also printed off a picture of some hockey officials to hang on a nearby wall in case we needed some referee assistance.

I tried to learn some basic hockey terminology before our date night so that I could use them during the game.  I used terms such as:

• Hat-Trick:  When one player scores 3 goals in one game.  I remembered to call it after I scored my first 3 goals.
• Man Advantage:  When team one has 1 player in the penalty box then team two has a man advantage.  I used this one when he was serving his penalty and my “team” had the man advantage.
• Empty Net Goal:  A goal scored when the opposing goalie is not on the ice.  I used this one when he left “the ice” to visit the concession stand.

Wikipedia helped me quickly learn some hockey terminology.

We were playing until one of us reached 10 goals.  I then did the draw for the raffle prize but it’s tough for him to lose the draw when he was the only one putting in the tickets!

It was a fun night and pretty easy to put together.  If you’re trying to play some date ideas for guys, a sports theme is a good way to go. Just think about what his favorite sport and team are and go from there! What are your favorite date ideas for guys?

That’s right, you read it correctly, these are all fun blind date ideas for your spouse! How exactly do you plan a blind date with your spouse? You’ve known each other forever so what’s so blind about it, right? Well, the date ideas themselves are blind – not the identity of the person you’ll be dating!

This idea is really easy to put together and you can let your imaginations run wild with this one. To start you’ll need some large empty envelopes or boxes. The idea is to create a “date in a box” but leave the contents of it a mystery. Instant blind date ideas!

Each package can have be labeled with a special clue word or phrase like “Action”, “Out of This World”, etc. and then the contents of the date idea box will be centered around this theme. I’ve put together a few samples of blind date ideas below to help get your creative juices flowing.

The contents of the boxes can be filled with items around the house, small items from your local dollar store or department store, recipes to try together, etc. You can also rent items from your local library! Your local retailer likely has a sale bin for DVD’s so this would be a great place to go to find inexpensive DVD’s for your date boxes.

When planning to use one of the blind date ideas, it’s best to ask your partner to choose a box the night before the date so you have time to get everything prepared before date night (shop for the ingredients for recipes, rent the movie, set up the activity, etc.).

Blind Date Ideas:

Steamy: This idea can include an in-home spa with a foot bath, bath salts and face masks – you’ll want a picture of your husband with this one! Your food idea could include steamed vegetables and chicken in a stir fry mix with rice. So as an example, the inside of this date box could include a bag of rice, a stir fry mix, face masks, bath salts, etc. You could either tell him what it’s all about or let him try to guess.

Mushy: This date box could include a romantic movie, a recipe for mushy mashed potatoes and meatloaf and some ingredients for making a mushy dessert like bread pudding. This one for a Cookie Bread Pudding looks delicious. You could either make the recipes ahead of time or have fun cooking together in the kitchen.

Skinny Dip: This idea could include dry ingredients needed to make a vegetable dip (like this one for a Garlic & Chive Dip), fondue sticks for a fruit and chocolate fondue and a fun exercise video like Zumba. How does Zumba fit into a Skinny Dip theme? The exercise helps you get your body ready for the beach, of course!

Explosive: This date box could include instructions for an explosive science experiment (like this one from Science Bob for building a rocket), an action movie and a recipe for a spicy dish like Firecracker Shrimp.

Adventure: This date box could include supplies to make a romantic scavenger hunt (I have a free printable here) plus a recipe for a food you’ve never tried before. Be adventurous and try a new recipe that may be out of your comfort zone. If you don’t know how to cook anything different, try some takeout.

Dark: This idea could include a small blank canvas and some glow in the dark paint (the paint pens would be the cleanest way to go). You could then sit in a dimly lit room and make a fun glowing picture together. Your food ideas could include a blackened chicken recipe and a dark chocolate dessert (like these coffee, chocolate and cream cheese Noir Bars).

Out of This World: This date box could include an alien movie a roll of aluminum foil to cook food inside tinfoil packets.

Game On: This idea could consist of a date box filled with sport items from your local dollar store like mini hockey sticks, suction cup basketball net, etc. along with food ideas you’d see at a concession stand like hot dogs, popcorn, pop, etc.

Action: This date idea could consist of a poster size target along with Nerf suction cup darts and an action movie.

What blind date ideas do you look forward to creating? These blind date ideas would be a perfectly unique gift for Valentine’s Day or a birthday!