Date overload.

Since we all know I am so terrific at keeping up with posting my dates, and I know I will even be better at it because the holiday madness is approaching (ha ha)...I sat Matt down and we planned out the rest of our dates for the year. Some we have already done and others we haven't and maybe will change at the last minute, but for now here are the rest of our dates in one big post...

Date #38: Plant a garden.

If you live in an apartment ask you landlord for permission or choose to use planters. I chose to plant one of my favorite flowers, Sweet Peas. Cost: $2.99 (for packet of seeds). Remaining budget: $27.46.

Date#39: Photo Scavenger Hunt

This idea was given to me by my friend Bethany. You can find list of what to photograph online. Best part it's free! Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget: $27.46

Date#40: Hike

Matt proposed to me while on a hike. It was perfect. However, we only made half the hike because it started to rain. I wasn't sad because I love the rain and I think it makes things more romantic. Yet, I have always wanted to go back and finish the hike. 4 years later we finally did it.

Cost: $0.00 Remaining budget: $27.46

Date#41: Trip to the ZOO

When we first moved to Tucson we bought a year round zoo pass. Within the first 3 weeks I took the boys so much that we got our money's worth out of it. Now every time we go it's for free. Of course we jumped on the opportunity of a free date and went and looked at the animals. If you don't have a zoo pass, keep an eye out for special offers or maybe it's in your budget to go and pay regular price. Either way I think the zoo is a lot of fun.

Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget:$27.46

Date #42: Pumpkin Carving

Take advantage of the holidays to use as themes for your dates, besides you've gotta have a Jack O' Lantern for Halloween.

Cost:$3.00 Remaining Budget: $24.46

Date#43: Paddle Boating

My parents live next to a neighborhood that is built on one of those man made lakes. Some of the residences their know my family through church and most are happy to let us use their paddle boats every now and then. If you don't know anybody with a paddle boat, you try kayaking, or canoening. Also Tempe Town Lakes has paddle boats, but I am not sure how much it cost to rent one.

Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget:$24.46

Date#44: Bat Watch

There is a bridge close by that is the home to several bats. At about sunset they all fly out of there home. I don't know why but I find this fascinating. maybe it is because I know deep down that if I got close to one I would scream bloody murder and run around like a crazy person, so sitting a safe distance away watching them fly away makes me feel brave...who knows?! But it sounded fun and a good date to plan close to Halloween.

Cost: $0.00 Remaining budget: $24.46

Date#45: Visit the Rose Gardens

Matt's sister Cami let us know a little about the places to visit here in Tucson. One of those places are the Rose Gardens at Reid Park.

Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget: $24.46

Date #46: Video Games

This was a suggestion that was given to me by Endless Possibilities. I'm not a huge fan a video games because well...I stink at them...really it is painful to watch me play Mario Cart. However, I love to play the Wii. If you haven't ever tried it you should it's loads of fun. I've beat Matt at the boxing game every time and I know he is dying for a rematch. I don't own one, but we a have a couple of friends who do. So maybe if I bribe with Brownies we can have a group date.

Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget:$24.46

Date #47: Sugar Cookies

It's not fall if you don't make sugar cookies. Matt is a big fan of our food dates. :)

Cost:$0.00 (unless you want to buy candy to decorate them with) Remaining Budget: $24.46

Date#48: Chinese Date

Someone sent me to this Loveactually blog. It has lots of cute ideas for dates. One of them was a Chinese Date Night. Now I am not as crafty and creative as this girl, nor do I have the money to spend on Chinese hats. But I thought it was a cute idea and I thought if I made Chinese food for dinner (using money from my grocery budget), and maybe even make paper Chinese hats, and have a candle light dinner on the floor, it could be a lot of fun still and FREE.

Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget:$24.46

Date #49: Gingerbread house

Decorate a Gingerbread house or use graham crackers like you did in Elementary School. Have a contest or build one together. I'm not sure how much this would cost but I am going to give myself $8.00 to spend on materials anything else we need will just have to be creative with what we already have.

Cost: $8.00 Remaining Budget:$16.46

Date#50: Decorate the Christmas tree

Pretty self explantory

Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget: $16.46

Date#51: Look at the Christmas lights

I always did this with my family growing. A great place to see Christmas lights is the Mesa Arizona Temple.

Cost: $0.00 Remaining Budget:$16.46

Last but not least...

Date #52: Surprise Date

I wanted to surprise Matt with this date, but I am horrible at keeping secrets so I already blabbed my idea to him. I want to use this date about the time Matt is done with Finals. He has been working so hard and I felt like he deserved a vacation. But, we all know vacations are expensive. So I thought why not do what others have done and have a "staycation". My mom has agreed to come and pick the boys up and let them stay with her for the weekend. (THANKS MOM) That way Matt and I can do whatever we want without worrying about nap times and meal times and discipline, and diaper changes, etc. Just a weekend to ourselves and we can spend the remaining balance on whatever falls under that price range. I know it's not a lot but we have come up with a lot of cheap or free dates, so I am sure we will have no problem having fun spending $16.46.

Cost$16.46 Remaining budget:$0.00

HAPPY DATING EVERYONE!

Date #37

Write Love poems. Surprisingly enough my husband came up with this one. I didn't think he was serious at first but he assured me that he was. Both of our poems were a bit cheesy, but ladies let's be honest. We like a little cheesy, if not Chick flicks would no longer be made. To show you how cute my husband is I am going to share his poem to me with you:

Oh, My Dear Sweet Natalie

Oh, my dear sweet Natalie

a woman so beautiful

must have a name that rhymes with pretty. (ha ha. Nice try honey)

You really are the love of my life

everything good that I have

is because of my wife

Thank you for giving me two little boys

and I know it hasn't been easy

changing diapers, potty training and picking up toys.

I love coming home to you after a long day at school

it's a thousand times better

than a relaxing dip in the pool.

I wish you could see the way that I do

I'll do everything in my power

to make it come true

Sometimes we're on a hill and other times in the valley

I'm glad I don't walk alone

through this life that's a journey.

I'm so glad in this life that we're together

not just for now

but for ever and ever

I love you Natalie.

I'm such a lucky girl! Cost:$0.00 Remaining budget: $30.45

HELP!

We need your help. We only have 16 more dates to go, but we are running out of ideas. Leave a comment on any cheap date ideas that you have.

Dates #29-36

Since it has been awhile since I have posted and i have a lot of catching up to do I am just going to make one post of the last eight dates we have done.



Date #29- Main Street Statues

On Main street in Mesa there are statues all along the sidewalks. We took a stroll, viewed the art work, and felt culturally uplifted. Cost: $0.00







Date #30- Swimming!

Cost- $0.00 (used parents pool)





Date# 31-Frisbee Golf

If you haven't heard of Frisbee golf, it is similar to golf only with Frisbees (pretty self explanatory)

Mesa has a good Frisbee golf course. cost $0.00





Date #32- Home Project



We moved to Tucson the first weekend of August and I had some projects that I have been wanting to do. One of them was changing the colors of the boys room decor. Matt was a good trooper and help me paint these projects. Cost $5.00 (for paint)

Date #33- Barrow a movie

This is a lot like Date#1, but this time you aren't watching your own movie.

Cost. $0.00



Date #34- Make a "Couple" Bucket list

Awhile back Matt and I started a Bucket List (you know things you want to do before you kick the bucket). We want to make a list of a 100 things we want to do. We only had about 20 so we dedicated this night to come up with 30 more things we would like to do together before we die. Portugal, get ready because one day we'll be there! Cost $0.00



Date #35- Read together

On a night you just want to relax together, pull out a book and take turns reading aloud. I'm a sucker for children's literature so we read a couple of chapters from Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Such a good book, makes me cry every time. Cost$0.00.

Date #36- Camp out (or in)

Labor Day weekend my family went on there traditional camp out. It just didn't work out that we could go. So, I was feeling a little sad and sorry for myself knowing I was missing out on the fun. Then the thought came to me that we should have our own camping fun. When the boys went to bed we busted out the marshmallows, crackers and chocolate and made smores over the stove. Then Matt spread out a blanket on the lawn. Our plan was to tell ghost stories, but none were coming to mind. Besides, I am a major scaredy cat and both of us knew deep down that if we told ghost stories we would be sleeping with the lights on for a couple of weeks. Instead we talked about the good things we have experienced together and then talked about the goods things we knew we had a ahead of us. It was the perfect camp-in. Especially, since I got to sleep in my own bed and not on the hard ground. Cost$1.00 (For a chocolate bar).






Remaining Budget: $30.45

Whew! Here's hoping that I won't get that behind again. Happy Dating.

Finally, I have the Internet again! More dates to be posted soon.

Date #28

Go for a bike ride. I think the last time I rode a bike was in 8th grade. We only have one bike so we borrowed one from my parents then went on nice leisurely seven mile bike ride. However, my behind did not think the last mile and a half were so leisurely. Aside from the soreness, it was really nice and I was impressed with our multitasking skills of talking and riding at the same time, something I thought I would not be able to do. Cost:$ 0.00 Remaining budget: $36.45.

Date #27

Tennis anyone? My first two years of High school I was on the tennis team, and let me tell you I was awesome! Okay, so maybe the only thing that I was awesome at was chasing the tennis balls that I had hit off the court. Seriously, the only reason I think I was allowed on the tennis team was because you didn't have to tryout. Despite being the second worst player on the team, I loved playing. Well, Matt never played tennis in high school, in fact I am not sure if he had ever played at all. So, I wish I could say that with my mad tennis skills that I beat Matt by a landslide. I wish I could say that I even beat him by just a little bit. However, I can't. He beat me 6-1. But, what I can say that with every game that he won he only beat me by one point. We had so much fun that we are planing to play doubles this weekend with my sister and her husband. Cost:$0.00 Remaining Budget:$36.45.