dream dates

After our recent secret date spring cleaning the garden, we started to think of other great date ideas to do in your yard. We say yard, as ours is more yard than garden, but these ideas can be mostly done in a garden too. Here are some of our suggestions.

COOK OUT

Get your chef’s hat and disposable BBQ out, and head into the yard on a pleasant evening. Not only will the food be delicious, but you will get to spend some special time with your partner. Make sure to take turns in control of the grill, so that you can both relax whilst eating your meals.

BUILDERING/URBAN CLIMBING

You can try this phenomenon in the relative safety of your own back yard. Have you seen the antics of Vitaliy Raskalov on Instagram? He must have started somewhere, right? Get out into your yard and see what you can grab onto and climb. See who can get on the roof first, if it is safe to do so of course.

MOONLIGHT PICNIC

Check out when the next full moon is taking place, and that the skies are clear. If they are, take a romantic picnic outside. Get together all of your usual picnic supplies, and a bottle of champagne. Then, toast to your relationship as you cuddle under the romance-filled glow of the moon.

HAVE A FRUIT CAKE TOSS

After hearing about the Manitou Springs Fruitcake Toss in America, we couldn’t wait to try it out in our own back yard. It was absolutely hilarious! We even roped Scott’s parents into having a go, which resulted in Scott’s Dad misthrowing his onto the roof! As long as your yard is big enough (you don’t want to be hitting neighbours or passers-by on the head now), don’t miss this unique date idea.

BUILD A ROCK CLIMBING WALL

This one requires space, and a few DIY skills. If you don’t have the necessary tools, ask someone you know if you can borrow theirs, and who knows, they may offer to help too! It is a great way to achieve something together with your partner that takes planning, skill, and time. Even better, you can nip outside whenever you feel like it for an impromptu climbing date once it is finished.

TRAMPOLINE

If you have a trampoline in the yard, it is actually one of the best date ideas to do in your yard. You can have a lot of fun together, trying out new tricks and bouncing about.

ENTRAPMENT

Do you remember the game show Strike It Lucky/Strike It Rich? Get the family or a group of friends round and recreate the game in your back yard! All you need to do is get some questions together and make up some A4 sheets of paper to represent the monitors on the TV game, including those hot spots. We actually got our questions from watching an old episode on YouTube and copying them down, but you can make your own up just as easily.

EGG FLIRT

The amount of fun you can have with eggs is unbelievable! Of course, being rather messy, the yard is the best place for these games. This makes a perfect double date too. Games you should play include the egg and spoon race, throwing eggs at a target on the wall, playing catch with an egg (a risky business), and egg roulette, where you choose (blindfolded) an egg from a selection. All but one, is hard-boiled. You then have to crack the egg you chose over your head, meaning one person will get very messy! The finale should be the egg flirt. Before the games start, split off to each make a contraption, using things like cardboard tubes, plastic containers, and rubber bands, which can be used to fire an egg as far as possible. It is fascinating just to see what each other will come up with!

SUICIDE (GAME)

A great game that you can enjoy in the back yard is called Suicide. It can be played with just the two of you, but we found it more fun when we roped our nephew into playing, so it is a great way to involve family members too. You start by throwing a tennis ball against a wall as hard as possible. It bounces, is caught and the game continues in the same way. However, if your throw misses the wall, or hits anything else en route to the wall (such as another player or the ground), then you have to run for the wall as fast as you can, or you are liable to be tagged out. It is great fun!

BUILD A SNOWMAN

Don’t see winter as a time to completely hide indoors. You can still come up with date ideas to do in your yard. Take advantage of the snow to make yourselves a snowman in the back yard! We made a Snowman and a Snowlady recently. Have a little competition and see who can make theirs the cutest, and don’t forget those hats and scarves, buttons, and a carrot for the nose. It is a great way to bond and make memories together.

CLEAN OUT THE GARAGE

If your garage is anything like ours, it will become a dumping ground. Things you no longer want, are broken and you haven’t got round to fixing, and keep piling in until the place looks a tip. You will gain some amazing clarity of mind without the stress of all of the clutter, probably find things you forgot you had (and would use), and could even make a pile of stuff that you could sell to make a bit of money for date nights!

Have you tried any of these date ideas to do in your yard? What dates have you and your partner had in the yard/garden?

We all pick up skills as we go through life. Most of us will have a different set of skills to our partner. I recommend highly that you teach your partner the skills you have learned. At the very least, they will have a new-found respect for what you are able to do,. They won’t take it for granted anymore. More than likely, however, you will bond over a now shared experience. I taught Amy how to play a bit of guitar. Now when she sees a guitar lying around, she doesn’t see it as being in the way, but enjoys picking it up herself for a quick strum!

There are many skills you could teach your partner. You don’t have to be an expert to pass on skills, you just have to know how to do something. Here is a handy list of things you could teach your partner for some inspiration.

COOKING

If your partner is a lousy cook, then invite them into the kitchen for a mini lesson. You could bake a cake together, or cook a meal together. Eventually, they will feel confident enough to cook all on their own.

DRIVING

Are you fed up of chauffering your partner everywhere because they don’t know how to drive? Then teach them how to drive. Assuming you have been driving for a certain amount of time, you should be able to take your partner somewhere quiet, with little or no traffic, and let them loose on the wheel with your instruction. Just don’t forget the L plates, or insurance!

SPORTS

Does your partner know how to swim? Ski? Play tennis? Ride a bike? If one of you does, and the other doesn’t, then this is a perfect idea for a date. It is opening up a whole new world of possibilities for things that you can do together.

FINANCES

If your partner is always racking up credit card bills, or hitting the overdraft too hard, or has no money left just after getting paid, then it is likely that they need some help with their finances. This one is only recommended for committed relationships, however. Getting out of the red is one of the best feelings ever. It will give you a new sense of freedom.

DIY

Stopping a leak, sewing a button, and painting a wall are examples of the sorts of skills that are pretty easy, yet many people don’t know how to do them. This results in people paying hundreds of pounds to hire a professional for something that would just take a short amount of time to learn. Teach your partner these essential skills so that they don’t panic if you’re not around.

ARTISTIC SKILLS

Does it annoy you that you take great Instagram ready photos of your partner, but the ones they take of you are missing your head or that iconic landmark that should be in the background? Then teach them the skills you have. It will improve both of your lives.

COMPUTER SKILLS

If you have a job or hobby that involves working on a computer, then you are likely to know many skills that your partner won’t. Teach them to make a website about their hobbies, or even a personal blog. Maybe how to use a program like Excel or Photoshop.

LANGUAGES

Teaching your partner a new language opens up a whole new way to communicate. They will feel proud of their achievement. You may even be able to get away with having a very private conversation within earshot of people without them understanding what you are saying!

INSTRUMENT

Like our recent blog about Scott teaching Amy how to play the guitar, teaching an instrument is a great date idea. It could be any instrument at all, even singing. Who knows, you may be able to make a musical project together, like the White Stripes or Abba!

JUGGLING

OK, so this last one is a long shot, but I put it in the list to represent anything else you might know how to do that it would be fun to teach your partner. Do you remember how much fun you had learning that skill? Imagine the fun you can have together when you both know how to do it.

What skills do you have that you could pass on to your partner? Let us know if you have tried to share your talents and had success!

So yesterday we told you how taking an oil painting class is an amazing date idea. We shared our experience at MazArt Studio in Stoke-on-Trent, England with you. Let’s allow ourselves to dream a little. Here we have a think about the best oil painting classes in the entire world, should money or distance be no object.

MAZART STUDIO, STOKE-ON-TRENT, UK

After two visits here, it is clear that MazArt offers the very best experience possible, especially to beginners like us. This is because you get to produce a work of art that is far beyond what you would assume yourself to be capable of, thanks to Marion’s expert tuition. Better still, you can take MazArt’s classes online, including the Bleak Midwinter one that we took.

ADAM COPE PAINTING HOLIDAYS, SOUTH WEST FRANCE

How about painting historic chateaux, medieval abbeys or quaint villages in Dordogne, south west France? The fresh air and warm southern light create the perfect scene for these residential courses. They include great food and charming accommodation.

NORFOLK PAINTING SCHOOL, NORFOLK, UK

The UK’s leading specialist oil painting school offers a great 2-day Beginners Oils course. In this, you will be taught all that you need to know, step-by-step, to create two finished paintings, which you can take home.

ACCADEMIA D’ARTE, FLORENCE, ITALY

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How about the chance to paint in the heart of the Italian Renaissance? Painting in Florence is surely an all-encompassing artistic experience. You can even nip away on your lunch to see Michelangelo’s David, if you’re not already inspired enough!

THE ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK

This iconic institution is where O’Keeffe, Pollock, and Ai Weiwei all studied, and unbelievably, you can too! You can learn at your own pace from prominent artists. They are affordable for the quality of the class too. Most classes don’t require any previous art experience.

SUSAN ABBOTT, THE BAHAMAS

Though based in Vermont, USA, where she also runs classes, one of the highlights of prominent art teacher Susan Abbott’s schedule is the Bahamas Winter Retreat. This week-long workshop is a great chance to work on some beautiful landscapes from the dazzling harbour views, to the distinctive Caribbean buildings.

ARTS IN PROVENCE, PROVENCE, FRANCE

Provence is world-renowned for its suitability for painting, and attracts painters from all over. One of the best English-language companies is Arts In Provence. They run a huge amount of workshops which take the students out in their minibus to the markets, countryside and villages of the Luberon for inspiration.

SCHOOL OF PAINTING AND APPLIED ARTS, COSTA BRAVA, SPAIN

Based near to the former home of our favourite painter, Salvador Dali, you will learn some great new skills both in their light and airy studio, and on location around the quiet coves of the coast. Even Gaudi’s picturesque Barcelona.

ARTABLE, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

These great drop-in oil painting classes (or weekend workshops) in Kingscliff will really help you to hone your technique in an amazing area on the Gold Coast.

LITTLE ARTISTS ART STUDIO, SINGAPORE

Established in 1997 to help children get into art, they have expanded to let adults have some of the fun too. They have a great range of teachers, from a multitude of countries, to create a real global influence.

What do you think of our list of the best oil painting classes? Where would you most like to do an oil painting class?

While we went to Magna Science Adventure Centre, in Rotherham, UK (which was great!), our wanderlust is such that we got to thinking, “if we could visit any science centre in the world, which would it be?”. We couldn’t resist checking out some of the best science centres in the whole wide world, and making our dream list. We have been to the two UK ones mentioned already, but have still to visit any of the science centres abroad, which will have to be rectified soon as we want to visit them all!

DEUTSCHES MUSEUM – Munich, Germany

The world’s LARGEST museum of science and technology, and most visited, covering over fifty different fields of science and technology. There is actually far too much here to appreciate in one visit, yet be sure to see the first motorised aircraft built by the Wright Brothers, the U1 submarine, and the first motorcar by Karl Benz, of Mercedes-Benz fame.

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM – Sydney, Australia

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Named after the former electric tram power station which used to occupy its building, the Powerhouse Museum is a science centre and then some. Don’t miss the space exhibit, which recreates the feeling of being in a spacecraft. It also covers industry and steam engines, transport, the history of timekeeping and everything in between!

CITE DES SCIENCES ET DE L’INDUSTRIE – Paris, France

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Wow, this place is stunning, especially the planetarium at the far left of the picture, called the Geode; and the museum also houses an IMAX theatre, and a submarine, which is worth the visit alone!

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY – Chicago, USA

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The museum’s classical exterior is a bit of a ruse as the inside is as high-tech as it can get! You can descend into a simulated coal mine, explore a giant dollhouse, and like Paris, they also have a submarine!

NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE – Leicester, UK

The UK’s space centre is housed in a striking tall, pillow-like structure that is mesmerising to look at. We’ve been here and highly recommend it, if you get to the Midlands.

ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES – Philadelphia, USA

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The oldest natural science museum in the West, it bafflingly has over 17 million specimens, including a live butterfly hall, and of course the dinosaurs!

ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE – Toronto, Canada

What a cool place this looks! The fountain outside doubles as the world’s largest hydraulophone, which can be played with 24 hours a day.

SCIENCE MUSEUM – London, UK

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One amazing thing about a trip to London is the fact that many of its museums are free, including this super-duper collection of marvels which counts among its number the oldest surviving steam locomotive, the first jet engine, and hundreds of spectacular interactive exhibits.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EMERGING SCIENCE AND INNOVATION MIRAIKAN – Tokyo, Japan

This state of the art museum will teach you all about natural and man-made disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and even nuclear disasters, in the most entertaining way conceivable. The show with robot mascot Asimo looks super cool too!

TEQUENDAMA FALLS MUSEUM OF BIODIVERSITY – Bogota, Colombia

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OK, so the science centre might not be one of the best in the world, but we would love to visit this place anyway! Located in a haunted hotel overlooking the Bogota River and the Tequendama Falls, there is surely no more eerie location for a museum.

Have you been to any of the best science centres? Which ones did we miss out? What is your local science centre, and is it any good?