Date night Success.

Date nights are very important for both parents and non-parents alike. Sam and I have been realizing this more than ever so we've tried to set aside time to make them happen (thanks to Ash/Bry & Mom/Dad for watching Wells). We still go on dates far less than we'd like to but at least it's on our radar and more of a priority than before.

About a month or two ago Sam set up a babysitter for Wells on a Saturday and we went jogging together on beautiful trails right outside of Purdue. He had packed a picnic lunch as a surprise and we feasted after. The picnic included sushi, hummus, pita chips, fruit, sparkling wine, and cheese. Divine. :)

The jogging and picnic extravaganza was great, but you can only ride on a good date for so long. ;) At the conclusion of a busy weekend, we realized that we needed some time together...we were both feeling pretty overwhelmed relationally and life continues to move at a fast pace.

After dinner at HuHot Mongolian Grill, we decided to do "The Bookstore Date" . This basically consists of fun activities revolving around books.

We arrived at Barnes & Noble and here's how the night unfolded..

1. Head to the kids' section, find books that meant a lot to you when you were a child, and read them to each other. 

We sat around a circular children's table near the coloring books,  found a lovely assortment of books, read them together, and reminisced about our childhoods. :)

This book was a new one for both of us and a rare find indeed. Seriously, it's hilarious. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't. We loved it so much it came home with us. :)

 2. Head to the travel section and find a destination you'd like to visit in the near future.

Sam and I both decided on Italy. He liked the Dolomites of Italy and I like Southern Italy, but we both agreed that the next destination should be Italy. 

Amalfi Coast

Dolomites

3. Find something funny in the humor section!

Sam found a book called Crap Taxidermy. It was super funny and slightly horrifying at the same time to to see the poor quality of taxidermy that exists in the world. Here are two...

Notice the title "Dieting Fox"...Ah, just look at that lean and long physique. 

This one was from the really creative section where people let their artistic talents go wild...just think what marvelous creatures you could create from combining different animals in taxidermy. As we flipped through, it seriously looked like all options had been exhausted. There were some bizarre "animals"!

Check out this super helpful guide to parenting...

We ended up spending some time in the games section too and bought The Struggle for Catan. It's a game that can accommodate 2 players and is from the proud lineage of Catan,which we love. I'm hoping it'll be just the thing to brighten up a dull evening sometime.

All in all, "The Book Store Date" was a huge success. We were able to actually learn more about each other, laugh together, and feel like kids again.