SheIn Velvet Bomber (c/o) / Nordstrom Rack Black tank / Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace / Beija Flor Jeans / Agaci Heels

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I've been thinking a lot lately about fun date ideas that don't just involve going to dinner, because we all know that getting Valentines Day dinner reservations can be nearly impossible if you don't book over a month in advance! To get in the spirit of the greeting card industry's favorite holiday, I thought I'd share seven of my favorite date ideas with you! 

Movie in the park: When my boyfriend and I first started dating, we decided that we wanted to do something a little bit out of the ordinary, so we got a bunch of blankets, some hot chocolate, a few snacks and a laptop and walked to a nearby park to watch a movie outside! To this day this is one of the most memorable dates we've gone on! The movie we brought was actually horrible (it had like, one star on Rotten Tomatoes, I don't know why we chose it), so we spent the night talking, looking at the stars, and kind of freezing but I loved it! Obviously, you'd have to make sure that whatever park you are going to is safe, and bonus points if you have a yard to do this in instead. It would also work (and probably be a bit safer) on a college campus, I don't know why we didn't think of that being as I lived on campus at the time... This one is probably best if you do it just after dark, that way you aren't out too late, because the earlier you go, the warmer and safer it is!

Go to your local shelter and play with the dogs: A lot of shelters will actually let people come and play with or even walk their dogs, so this is a great date because you get your puppy fix, but you also get to show some homeless dogs some love! Bonus points if you come home with one. 

Progressive fast food dinner: Sometimes the best dates are the super low key dates that you don't plan ahead for. Being as restaurants always tend to get booked up fast on Valentines Day and you're guaranteed at least an hour wait anywhere if you don't book in advance, this one is a super good one for all of you last minute people (like me). Basically, you stop at one place for an "appetizer", for example stop at Taco Bell and split a quesadilla or chips and guac, then you go somewhere else for the main course (like a burger at McDonald's!), and a third place for desert! This one is fun because you're making multiple stops, so it feels like you're doing a lot, and it's also a super inexpensive option. Bonus points if you get dressed up! I've always thought that this would be a good first date idea, because it's not super fancy and doesn't have as much potential to have that awkward downtime that often happens on first dates because you're running around the whole time!

Take a painting class: I've always thought it would be really fun to go on a date to one of those wine and painting classes! This is another good "get to know you" date ideas because you'll be focused on an activity the whole time, and I love that at the end of the date, you'll have a fun keepsake to take home with you! 

Cook your own fancy dinner! Search Pinterest or spend an hour or two watching the Food Network for some inspiration, go shopping for the ingredients and spend an afternoon in the kitchen cooking together! Set up your table with a tablecloth, flowers, candles, and of course your favorite bottle of wine! 

I hope these ideas were helpful and I would love to hear about how they went for you in the comments if you end up trying them! Also, if you have any date ideas of your own, or even any favorite dates that you've been on, I would love to hear about those, too! 

XOXO, 

Olivia