Great Date Ideas: Christmas Themed Dates

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and the holiday is fast approaching. With the hustle and bustle of the festive season pressing in all around, (work parties, ward parties, shopping, cookie and candy making, gift wrapping, etc…) it might seem a little difficult for LDS Singles to find the time to get out and date. No worries, in the spirit of 101 Creative Dates For LDS Singles, here are some Christmas-themed date ideas to keep you going, help you have a great Christmas season, and, who knows, maybe start a tradition!

If one of you has yet to get a tree up and decorated. Spend time getting a tree and decorate it together. Sharing the meaning behind those special ornaments that you have can bring you closer together. Be patient with stringing the lights…that could say tons about you as well!
Bake Christmas cookies, make candy (caramels, choclate truffles, etc…), or other treats together and deliver them to neighbors, friends, elderly ward members, send them to missionaries or to service men/women serving from your ward.
Get outside in the snow and make snowmen or snow angels; go ice skating, go sledding, go tobogganing, or have a snowball fight. Afterward, head inside to warm up with hot cider, wassal, or hot chocolate.
If one of you has an open fireplace, light a fire and roast marshmallows (You can enjoy the marshmallows with hot chocolate, hot cider, wassal, or eggnog) while singing along to Christmas carols
Drive or walk around your local neighborhood enjoying the Christmas lights. If your local temple visitors centers, like Temple Square in Salt Lake City, have lights you can walk around and see; make the time. Check with your community chamber of commerce or visitors center, your town/city might have have organized Christmas light tours that you can drive or walk to view.
Have a picnic in the room where your tree is, turn out the overhead lights, leaving on the Christmas lights and listen to your favorite Christmas Carols.
Go visit Santa and have a picture taken with both of you on his lap. Then, tell him what you want for Christmas (bonus points if you can make him laugh – or blush!) If you are in the stage where your children are spending time together, you can take your kids to see Santa together.
Take in a performance of the Nutcracker at the ballet. (This is a tradition I do with my oldest daughter because she is a dancer…makes for a great daddy/daughter date!)
Take turns reading ‘A Christmas Carol’ to each other (or go see a local performance of the play. And this year, you can go see the movie!)
Take turns reading the Christmas story from the Bible to each other. One version of this is to get a group together, dress up and act it out. (Again, this is something you can do with your children, if your relationship is at that stage.)
Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen or a Toy Drive together.
Shovel the drive way of some one in your area.
Join, or form, a group and go caroling! (Your ward or FHE group is a good place to start!)
If it is offered in your area, take a horse-drawn carriage ride with a thermos of hot chocolate or hot cider.
Make dreidls! (You can find instructions on how to do this throughout the internet.)

For the movie lovers, have a Christmas-themed movie marathon at home. Here’s a list of some of my personal favorites:

A Muppet Christmas Carol (Kermit’s 50th Anniversary Edition)
It’s a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversay Edition)
Miracle on 34th Street
Home Alone
The Holiday
The Santa Clause

There are a ton more…

Remember: We’re LDS! We’re Single! And, we’re all in this together!

P.S. Do you have a great date idea for the Christmas season? Share it with us in the comments.

Tags: christmas, date ideas

Great Date Ideas: LDS Movie Night

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Anyone who knows me knows that I am huge movie lover. And, while I don’t advocate movie night as an every date habit (it’s hard to get to know someone very well if all you do is watch movies), there is nothing wrong with taking the time to time enjoy a good movie or two. In keeping with the theme ideas generated from 101 Creative Dates For LDS Singles, I thought that I would put in a plug for a genre of film for which I have a strange affinity: LDS Films. Quite a few movies have been made in recent years highlighting the joys, trials, and oddities of being LDS. Singles have been an especially popular topic for LDS filmmakers (I think we are easier to poke fun at). So, grab a favorite someone, your favorite candy, get some soda (make mine a rootbeer!), and pop some popcorn and spend the night getting acquainted with Mormon Pop Culture and the interpretation thereof! Here’s a list of possible suspects:

The Singles Ward
This affable and heartwarming romantic comedy follows Mormon comedian Jonathan Jordan who, after a painful divorce, returns in a depressed and withdrawn state to his local community. Jonathan is determined not to be cheered up, and avoids all organized singles activities as best he can–until he meets the beautiful and sweet activities director, Cammie. The movie ultimately embraces Mormon values while poking gentle fun at its charming characters. This is the original LDS Singles romantic comedy.
Buy It Now from Amazon.com

Singles 2nd Ward
We all remember the gang from “The Singles Ward” – Jonathan, Cammie, DeVerl, Hyrum, Eldon, Dallen? Well, some years have gone by and Dallen is the only one who isn’t married. It’s the morning of Zak’s wedding and everyone has gathered at the temple for the big day. Before he can go in, he sees his bride come running out of the temple for all she’s worth, throwing an “I’m sorry” over her shoulder. He promptly goes into a blue funk and takes up his video games again, determined to never leave his chair again. Dallen in the meantime is feeling lonely. Most of the guys are married and have a bunch of children, but he’s all alone. He teaches a Mormon Mythology class at BYU, and a beautiful red-head named Christine has just moved in and wants to take his class. He asks her out, they start dating, and become engaged. The only difficulty-she wants a temple marriage and neither of her parents are members. They can’t understand why they can’t see their own daughter get married, and it causes a huge rift in the family.
Buy It now from Amazon.com OR Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Beauty and The Beast: A Latter-Day Tale
Eric Landry is a cold-hearted man that people have nicknamed “the Beast.” Years of anger and bitterness have consumed him, turning him into a selfish man. But, Belle Watson is the exact opposite. She’s caring and kind. She works hard to help her family, often sacrificing her own wants and desires to satisfy the needs of others. When her father accidentally breaks a valuable work of art at the Landry mansion, Belle is thrust into the life of Eric Landry. And she’s determined to not only prove her worth, but discover what it is that has caused Eric’s sour disposition. The process is a journey of self discovery for her and Eric.
Buy It now from Amazon.com OR Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Jack Weyland’s Charly
Sam Roberts thinks he has all the answers: the purpose of life, the meaning of love, the plan for a perfect future. Until Charly walks into his life. As different as Salt Lake City and New York City, Sam and Charly are thrown together by circumstance and repelled by differences. He’s scheduled and idealistic. She’s spontaneous and cynical. He’s guarded and practical. She’s open and mischevious. He’s a Mormon. She isn’t. Differences spark interest, though, as Charly finds depth in Sam’s idealism and Sam seeks the vibrance of Charly’s joie de vivre. But all is not smooth in the Rockies, as their relationship accelerates – cultural differences, family issues, former loves and life-altering challenges threaten to shake things up.
Buy It now from Amazon.com OR Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Baptists at our Barbecue
Frustrated by his mother’s attempts to set him up with all the “nice” girls she knows, Tartan, a 29-year old single Mormon, decides to leave Utah for the very first time. He accepts a forest services position in Longwinded, a small town (pop. 558) located somewhere deep in the Southwestern mountains. Upon arriving, Tartan is accosted by the county sheriff regarding his religious affiliation, which he soon learns is the determining factor of his social circle. Longwinded is a town made up of 262 Mormons and 262 Baptists — both groups completely biased against the other — and Tartan is the tiebreaker. Tartan is determined to find a solution to end the hostility between the two groups — especially since Charity, the beautiful visiting niece of a Longwinded resident, is less than eager to make her stay in such a religiously-prejudiced town permanent.
Buy It now from Amazon.com

Pride and Prejudice
Elizabeth Bennet is a hard-working, intelligent college student who won’t even think about marriage until she graduates. But when she meets Jack Wickham, a good-looking playboy, and Darcy, a sensible businessman, Elizabeth’s determination is put to the test. Will she see through their exteriors and discover their true intentions? Based on Jane Austen’s timeless tale Pride and Prejudice.
Buy It now from Amazon.com OR Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Remember: We’re LDS! We’re Single! And we’re all in this together!

P.S. If you are looking for more creative date ideas be sure to check out 101 Creative Dates for LDS Singles and these posts:

Great Date Ideas: The Halloween Date
Great Date Ideas: The Veterans Day Date

Tags: date ideas, lds movies

Great Date Ideas: The Veterans Day Date

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Veteran’s Day may seem like a strange day around which LDS Singles could plan a date. However, it would be a great way to discover much about each other’s love for the country and those who have served and sacrificed for the blessing and privileges that we enjoy. It may be as simple as tying yellow ribbons on your cars or on the trees in your yard. You could visit a cemetery and place flowers on the graves of deceased veterans (they’ll be marked.) Again, adapted from 101 Date Ideas for LDS Singles, here are some more things that you and a date could do to show appreciation for those who currently serve or have served in our armed forces.

Are there people in your ward or stake who are currently deployed? Together you could write and send letters or care packages to people. Go to a local military base and volunteer. Tie yellow ribbons on your cars. Visit or volunteer at a veteran’s nursing home. Visit a local cemetery and leave flowers. Visit a military (or historical) monument.
Do you have a friend or a family member who served in the military? Or, perhaps there is a family on your street who currently has someone on active duty. Why not make them dinner together and have them share with you and your date about their experiences? And then take the time to express your appreciation for what they sacrificed. (If dinner is too much to do, you and your date could make a plate of cookies and take them over as a way to say “thank you!”)
Chances are your community will offer special tributes to those who have served in our Armed Services. Make plans with your date to attend one of these Veterans Day programs. Many of these programs are free and open to the public.
Take part in a flag-raising ceremony. Your local veteran’s organizations (The American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars) will be participating in flag raising ceremonies. Stand and join in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and the singing of the National Anthem. Afterwards share your feelings about how grateful you are for those who’ve suffered and sacrificed for the freedoms that we enjoy. (Perhaps your young men/young women’s organization put up flags are part of their yearly fund raiser…you could volunteer to help them. I’m sure they would be grateful for the assistance.)
There are many musical tributes organized to honor our veterans. Seek out and attend a band or choral concert featuring patriotic music.
Schedule time together at 11 am to observe the traditional moment of silence; this moment of silence usually begins at 11 a.m. and continues for 2 minutes in remembrance of those who gave their lives for their country.
If you can both take the time off of work, attend a Veterans Day parade in your area. Or even better, if one of you is a Veteran, member of a military or National Guard unit, or civic organization, march or ride in the parade together.

For the movie lovers, there are many, many movies that you could watch which would be great for Veterans Day. There is, however, one that came immediately to my mind: Saints and Soldiers. If you haven’t seen this movie, Veterans Day would be the perfect day to watch it.

Based on actual WWII events. In mid-December 1944, Hitler’s Army charges through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, initiating the offensive that will come to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. The German soldiers open fire on the unarmed prisoners, in the tragic event now known as the Malmedy Massacre. Corporal Nathan “Deacon” Greer, his friend Gordon Gunderson and a handful of others survive the massacre by playing dead and escaping into the nearby woods. The small band of soldiers come across stranded British intelligence officer Oberon Winley, who has valuable information to be delivered to Allied forces, increasing the urgency of their already desperate situation. The group forms a fragile bond as they begin to trust each other. But the constant threat of capture, as well as mounting suspicions of a German sympathizer within the group, threaten to tear them apart. Now with few weapons, no food and a strained camaraderie, this tiny band must take on the unforgiving winter and a forest filled with enemy troops to fight their way back to Allied occupied territory. Buy It or Rent It Now!

Happy Veterans Day!

Remember: We’re LDS! We’re Single! And, we’re all in this together!

Tags: date ideas

Great Date Ideas: The Halloween Date

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Well it’s that time of year again when ghosts, ghouls, goblins and comic book action heros make their way to your doorstep looking for free candy! Are you looking for fun things to do on a date that shows you are not a creep? Here are some great date ideas for any LDS Single to make Halloween a success:

Carve pumpkins.
Take your date off to find the perfect pumpkin and bring it home to creatively decorate it. Pumpkins generally last two to seven days depending on weather conditions, so this is a great idea that you can do several days in advance of Halloween itself. If you are going to use stencils to carve your pumpkin be sure to print out the stencil and take it with you on your pumpkin hunt. (It’s easier to find the pumpkin to fit the stencil than the stencil to fit the pumpkin)

Hand out Candy to Trick-or-Treaters
If one of you lives in a neighborhood where there are lots of kids who come trick-or-treating, hand out candy together. While handing out candy, you can add a twist by playing Halloween Bingo (also know as Trick-or-Treat Bingo) or you could do a Halloween Scavenger Hunt.

Dress Up as a Famous Couple
One great date idea to bring a little something special to your Halloween is for you and your date to dress up in couples Costumes. For instance you could be: Beauty and the Beast; Caesar and Cleopatra; Captain Hook and Peter Pan; Caveman and Cavegirl; Conferderate Soldier and Southern Belle; Daddie Warbucks and Annie; Frakenstiein and His Bride; Sports Hero and Cheerleader. The ideas are limitless. And, if you plan to get engaged this time of year, why not go that Halloween party with all your friends as a bride and groom.

If you and your date enjoy scary things you can go to a haunted house, a haunted corn maze or other “creepy/scary” event.

Halloween Movies for Movie Lovers
Watching a movie is never necessarily a bad thing. This time of year, you and your date could check out one of your favorite Halloween movies. Or, select from the following list of my favorites:

Ghostbusters

Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple.

Buy it Now
Rent/Download it: NetFlix or Blockbuster

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere!

Buy it Now
Rent/Download it: NetFlix or Blockbuster

Hocus Pocus

You’re in for a devil of a time when three outlandishly wild witches — Bette Midler (BEACHES, BIG BUSINESS), Sarah Jessica Parker (HONEYMOON IN VEGAS), and Kathy Najimy (SISTER ACT) — return from 17th-century Salem after they’re accidentally conjured up by some unsuspecting pranksters! It’s a night full of zany fun and comic chaos once the tricky 300-year-old trio sets out to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth — but first they must get their act together and outwit three kids and a talking cat!

Buy It Now!
Rent/Download it from: NetFlix or Blockbuster

The Curse of the Were Rabbit

Wallace and his dog, Gromit has built up a very respectable business which prevents any pests from destructing the vegetables of the village, but when a creature, only described as the were-rabbit, rampages through the village, all eyes are on Wallace. After hearing his plan, the villagers are on his side, expect one man. Victor Quartermaine feels threatened by Wallace’s relationship with his fiancée Lady Campanula Tottington and aims to take out the bunny himself.