Alphabet Dating: 10 Date Ideas Beginning with B

B is for Breakfast (or Brunch)
The perfect date if there’s just not enough time in your week or you suddenly find all your nights booked up. Get up a little early and have breakfast with your sweetheart, whether you take them out or cook for them in bed is up to you!

B is [...]

Real Life Couples: Brett and Mandy

Brett and Mandy have to be one of the most fun-loving couples we’ve come across in our web-travels!
They are daters in their own right on their side of the world, writing for Seattle P-I about their adventures on the town dating in Seattle, as well as on their own Brett and Mandy Date Night Blog, [...]

mX Column: The Age of the Bromance

I think my husband may be having an affair.
G. – the object of his affection – is tall, good-looking, and also happens to be our next door neighbour.
They see each other every day. They are members of the same gym, take frequent coffee breaks and if they can’t be in the same room [...]

Alphabet Dating: 9 Date Ideas Beginning with A

So to support you (and us) through an Alphabet Dating adventure, we are going to publish a list of date ideas each week that start with our Letter of the Week (Sesame Street, we’re coming after you!)
If you’re thinking of Alphabet Dating, now’s a great time to start. You can check back in every [...]

A 3-way Relationship? Bingle, Clarke, and the Rest of Australia

The end of a relationship – or facing any relationship problems, for that matter – is never easy, never clean-cut.
In the case of Lara Bingle and Michael Clarke, the nude photos, the Fev affair and the very public flight home from New Zealand have made it even less so.
I feel for them both, [...]

Alphabet Dating: A is for African Cuisine

You may have caught yesterday’s post on ABC Dating – we’re going to spend the next six months working our way through a dating alphabet. This has a few benefits – we make sure we’re doing something different every time we go on a date and we also introduce a little more structure into the [...]

Love Plug: Hollywood Make-Out Mints

I have just fallen in love with these cute-as-a-button Make-Out Mints… packaged in a sexy retro pink tin with embossed hearts on it, it’s the perfect product to keep you date night ready in a crisis. Tuck them into your handbag and freshen yourself up pre-date with the tiny pink heart-shaped mints inside.

Says the [...]

Alphabet Dating

Well, we felt we needed even more structure than usual this year – and to be honest, a new dating challenge. When we have SO MANY date ideas to choose from on our little date night generator, it can get a bit hard to decide what to do next.
The ABC Dating trend has been [...]

Getting Back on the Date Night Horse

I have to confess, ever since Christmas hit Den and I have been kind of… slack when it comes to date night. It’s been a blur of road trips, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, partying… summer nights at rooftop bars… bad, bad date night couple.
We’ve waned from our usual Wednesday night date night, which means some [...]

The Post-Break Up Makeover

I’ve just finished reading this great post The Power of the Post-Break Up Makeover from the ever-fun Zoe Foster over on Primped.
Says Zoe: “Nothing says “I’m over you” to your ex-boyfriend than hiring a Monster truck and gleefully driving over his car, or in the case of Miss ABBIE CORNISH (who recently split up [...]

mX Column: Lessons from Marriage

It’s my first wedding anniversary today. I can hardly believe a year has flown by, but at the same time it seems almost a lifetime ago.
I’m acutely aware that each anniversary is cause for celebration – particularly when statistically speaking, there’s at least a 40% chance that any given couple may not stay married forever.
What [...]

8 Paper (First) Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

It’s our first wedding anniversary today! That makes it a paper anniversary. We’ve decided that we’re going to stick with the traditional gifts in the traditional order.
Of course being a guy, Den automatically went “Well, what do I get you? A ream of A4?”
No, Den. No you don’t.
Here’s a list of paper-anniversary gift [...]

mX Column: Money Matters

It’s the last few days now of Febusave. More frightening than Febfast (cutting out alcohol), Febusave is an initiative set up by the ANZ Bank to encourage women to pay better attention to their finances. I rallied, and decided it was time I started taking an active role in looking after my own financial situation. [...]

mX Column: Hand-in-hand

Nothing melts the heart quite like watching an elderly couple walking along hand-in-hand together.
I saw an octogenarian couple crossing Swanston Street the other day. They didn’t even look as though they could negotiate the street without one another. The husband had a walking stick, the wife a hunched back. They were clinging to each [...]

Me and Febusave

I am the first to admit that I’m crap when it comes to saving money. For a long time, I was convinced that there were many more interesting things I could be doing with my money, rather than hiding it away where it would never come out to play.
Things have changed.
For one, I [...]

mX Column: The Rise of the Cougar

It might be the Year of the Tiger but another big cat is on the prowl.
Demi started it. Then Samantha fell for Smith and we all fell right along with her. Now Susan Sarandon has broken all records by reportedly dating a 31-year-old man that her son introduced her to. She’s 63.
However much [...]

Melbourne Daters: Something Special for You!

Hi you Melburnian Lovebirds… we have something special for you! The wonderful Ben Knight from Ben and Wine has offered three couples the chance to attend one of his upcoming wine tasting nights as a $30 Date Night… which is a hugely discounted offer for our readers (RRP: $150!).
The nights will run over the next [...]

How Much Does Your Man Pay Attention?

I wrote late last year about creating Love Maps in your mind, to track the small details about your partner that are important.
The Daily Mail has reported how millions of men don’t know the most basic of details about their partner – including dress size and even eye colour.

2,000 men in the UK [...]

Top 5 (Non-Soppy) Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

The commercialism of Valentine’s Day seems to be grating on everyone’s nerves this year. And it’s not just singles that are hating Valentine’s Day. Couples everywhere that I speak to are vehement. “Bloody Hallmark”… “Overpriced Flowers”… “Don’t tell me when to be romantic towards my wife”

You know what everyone? Get over it.
It’s VALENTINE’S DAY! [...]

mX Column: Blind Dates? Bad News.

Despite the Austen-like images my moniker may conjure, I’m not much of a matchmaker.
I don’t believe in the ‘set up’, and especially not since one of my best friends, N. sent me on a blind date.
On paper, it should have worked perfectly.
He was cute, fun and intelligent, as promised. He even had just [...]

For Men: How to Buy Lingerie for Your Sweetie

Today’s post is written by the saucy Bra Queen, who knows more about lingerie than anyone I know!
Valentine’s Day is coming and you’re probably thinking about what a con the whole shebang is. To be honest? You’re probably right. But any man worth his weight in gold would want to Va-va-VOOM his Valentine. Blow her [...]

Why Don’t Men Listen?

I get Deja Vu on a regular basis, what with the amount of times I have to repeat myself during the day.
I don’t know what goes through Den’s head when I talk. I can only imagine it’s something along the lines of “miow-miow-miow-miow, miow-miow-miow-miow, miow-miow-miow-miow-miow-miow-miow-miow”… Or perhaps the grating pitch of my voice inspires [...]

mX Column: The Problem with Valentine’s Day

For our out-of-town readers: mX is a free newspaper available in the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane CBD at the end of the day, giving 700,000-odd people something to read on their commute home on trains, trams and buses. mX covers the issues that matter most in a concise, upbeat, funky, intelligent and sexy way.
Our very [...]

mX Column: How Was it For You?

For our out-of-town readers: mX is a free newspaper available in the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane CBD at the end of the day, giving 700,000-odd people something to read on their commute home on trains, trams and buses. mX covers the issues that matter most in a concise, upbeat, funky, intelligent and sexy way.
Our [...]

The ‘Top 10′ Date Lists Collection!

If we had a popularity contest for our blog posts, these would be the winners, so I decided to make especially for you… Our Top 10 Date Lists Collection!
Well… not all of them are Top 10s as such, but you get what I mean. A quick glance at our most looked-at posts from 2009 [...]

The Complete List of $30 Date Night Reviews!

Den and I try and do a date night every week together. The catch is, we try and do something new together every time… keeps us interesting! I’ve rounded up a list of all the date night reviews we’ve done since starting this blog – and had great fun reminiscing back in the process! Click [...]

Worst Date #4: The Nudist Beach

So, we finally stopped procrastinating and we did it!
Worst Date #4…. The Nudist Beach.
This was so-called the “Worst Date” because over on our date ideas website, it has one of the worst ratings in our user voting system. Fair enough too, the thought of it is pretty intimidating! After putting it off for [...]

How Long is a Piece of String?

A thought occurred to me last night – how long do y’all think a date night should go for? Is there a minimum length of time it has to be to be a “proper” date? And are there any “must-have” elements that should be included in a good date night?
I’m still trying to work out [...]

Real Life Couples: Rebecca and Murray

Welcome to one of our new segments for 2010 – Real Life Couples. A tiny insight into the lives of real, actual couples from all over the globe, all going through their own journeys… a very real way to see that each relationship can have it’s ups and downs and that you really do need [...]

From the Velveteen Rabbit

So, I’m in the midst of trying to organise my very messy office, desk and paperwork for the new year (even I am sick of the mess I make!) and I came across all my notes from planning our wedding… this excerpt from the Velveteen Rabbit makes me smile every time, and it unfortunately never [...]

New Year, New Goals

Welcome back! I feel like I’m waking up from a really long hibernation today…. so much to do to! So many things to think about!
A new year is a great time for couples to set new goals together… something you can both look forward to, work on together or learn as a couple. It [...]

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Guys! We’re here in rural Victoria celebrating with Den’s family (presents any minute!) after spending a relaxing day with my family yesterday. Denis looks like a stuffed turkey, he’s beached himself on the loungeroom floor after three days of too much food (the Croatian in him doesn’t have a “full” switch!).
We’re taking a [...]

To Have and to Hold, and to Buy All the Presents.

Ah, the Christmas season. What I want to know is, where on my marriage certificate was the small print that stated “now that you are my wife, the job of sourcing, buying and wrapping presents for everyone we’ve ever known in the history of the world – including my own family – falls to you. [...]

Mystery Date Box Idea!

This great, inspirational dating idea was submitted by Kirsty, one of our users over at $30 Date Night – I thought we should share it with you here!
“Combine all your favourite date ideas and put them in a box! My partner and I have created the ‘Mystery Date Box’ – Each fortnight we pull [...]

Is Music Unhealthy for Your Relationship?

The Boston Public Health Commission has proposed a new initiative to categorize music into “healthy for your relationship” and “unhealthy for your relationship”. The campaign will arrive in the form of a badge – kind of like the health department’s tick of approval on healthy foods – and is aimed at teenagers, encouraging them to [...]

In Sickness and in Health?

I was fairly taken aback to read recently that a US doctor has just discovered that women with terminal illnesses are seven times – that’s seven – more likely to go through a divorce than men with the same illnesses.
Says the article:
“When Dr. Marc Chamberlain, a Seattle oncologist, was treating his brain cancer [...]

20 Festive Christmas Date Ideas

The rush of the festive season can leave you and your sweetie feeling a little short of time… don’t quit on your weekly date nights amidst all the chaos. Here are more than enough Christmas-themed date ideas to keep you going through the festive season!

1. Go get your tree!
2. Make Eggnog
3. Decorate the tree together over Eggnog
4. Bake [...]

How to Survive the Festive Season Together

Love it or hate it, there’s no escaping the festive season. And it’s approaching fast!
For some, it’s dreams of a white Christmas in front of yule logs, singing carols and trimming the tree… a lot of the time though, the stress of the holidays can result in heated arguments, crappy presents and trying to mesh [...]

Worst Date #2: Swimming at the Local Pool

Well, we did Worst Date #2 yesterday… and I’m very happy to report that it wasn’t so bad at all! Swimming at the Local Y rates badly for some reason, but I don’t know what y’all are complaining about?

We picked a gorgeous sunny day (Hello to summer down here in Australia!) and headed to [...]

Are You and Your Sweetie Speaking the Same Love Language?

It turns out, Denis and I are not speaking the same Love Language… in fact, our Love Languages are so different that Denis might as well talk to me in Klingon for all the good it does to get through, and likewise right back at him.
The Love Language theory was developed by a lovely [...]

When Musical Tastes Collide

I went to see Britney Spears last night! I love her, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Den didn’t come, of course. Britney is definitely not his thing. But, bless him, he’s tolerating it right now as I play her entire back catalogue through his precious Bose speakers and into the apartment.

And sometimes, [...]

Date Night Review: Joint Manicures

So. Worst Date #1 was… well, it was ok.

We started with the most benign of the four worst dates: getting joint manicures. Not a bad one, especially from a female perspective. I don’t mind a good manicure. Feedback from girlfriends was along the same lines: what a great date idea! Which makes me suspect [...]

Worst Date Challenge: Date #1 Coming Tomorrow

So, tomorrow is Date #1 of our Four Week Worst Dates Challenge. We’re starting with the least offensive date – Joint Manicures. And not just any manicures. In the interest of sticking to the rules and keeping it a $30 date, we’ve had to book them at the local beauty training college. Greaaat.
Now, I’m [...]

Elizabeth Gilbert Talks Soulmates

I was sitting down to lunch the other day and I flipped on the TV to find Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the beautiful book Eat, Pray, Love, was on Oprah.
I’d been looking for some source of inspiration all week after feeling a little stuck and Elizabeth was a breath of lovely, fresh air for [...]

The Secret to Hugh Jackman’s Happy Marriage

Well, we were thrilled to see this headline in The Age newspaper today: “The Secret to Hugh Jackman’s Happy Marriage”

The Age reports:
“Hugh Jackman has a happy marriage because he has date nights.
The X-Men Origins: Wolverine star – who has been married to Deborra-Lee Furness since 1996 – has revealed he and his wife always make [...]

The Stupidest Idea We’ve Had Yet

Well, this is exciting. Denis and I have been challenging our users to a 4-week Date Night Challenge for awhile now. The idea is that you create an account over on $30 Date Night and save your four favorite date ideas from our list of amazing ideas and print them off. Then you and your [...]

Love Plug: Old School Polaroids

What is it that’s so romantic about having an old Polaroid photo? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the sense of nostalgia is overwhelming. We found this site Rollip.com where you can work back your favorite pics of the two of you into vintage-style Polaroid.
Here’s a few I prepared earlier…

Do Soulmates Exist?

I got thinking about this after reading a recent guest post on Mamamia… Do soulmates exist?
I think… I think so, but I think there is more than just one other true soul mate out there for everyone. Like maybe there’s a certain – batch – of people that we are somehow connected to. The ones [...]

Tinky-Winky-Pummy-Umpkin-Snookie-Bum.

Rove’s little presenting dance got me thinking… It’s amazing the things we’ll do in a relationship. The way Den and I act sometimes, I swear… there’s the silly in-jokes that make no sense to anyone, chasing each other around the house squealing like children, singing silly songs loudly at each other with made-up lyrics (in [...]

Rove Interviews Tasma – Adorable!

Okay, so I’m a little behind the eight-ball on this one. I didn’t see the actual show (it was a couple of weeks ago) and my sister-in-law just told me how seriously cute Rove and Tasma were together on Rove’s show! (Ah, for our American audience, Rove is our favourite talk show host over here [...]