As Razzie suggested, we cranked the tunes, poured ourselves a glass of wine and sorted a platter of cheese, dips, crackers and chips. Of course Emma had nothing in her wardrobe that she WANTED to put on ebay – so went through mine instead.

2 shirts and a hat! The shirts I’d still wear if they fit me – alas they don’t fit anymore. It’s a shame cause I only wore them a couple of times.

The ebay date idea is cruisy and easy to do. It was a lot of! Now that we’ve done it, I would recommend making sure you both get involved in the searching for the items that you’ll choose to put on ebay. Sit back on your bed and hit the wardrobe together. We kinda didn’t do that… and I reckon it would have been way cooler to make this process a team sport.

To view the above listing on ebay click here Politix Men’s Shirt

To view the above listing on ebay, go to Gangster Hat

To view the above listing on ebay, go to Christopher Chronis shirt

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1. 6 Exciting Date Ideas Beginning with E
2. Life Drawing in Sydney!
3. D is for Dumplings

We had our first Sydney Date Night ever! YAY! It was sensational!!! The most fun I’ve had in Sydney for a long time!

The Sydney date idea was impromptu… we flew to Sydney for business and a photo shoot with chick magazine Marie Claire. Photo shoot was a lot of fun, profiling Australian couples – so we are stoked to be part of that! Out in September.

The Life Drawing Session at the ArtHouse Hotel in Sydney’s CBD – now that was a very cool experience. An awesome venue full of old world charm with high ceilings, it’s so different to the pubs / bars you’ll find in Melbourne.

Ems and I hadn’t planned to make it a date night, we didn’t know how much time we would have to ourselves after the photo shoot. As it worked out – we had 3 and a bit hours to play with. Ems jumped on her iPhone and started going through $30DN’s Sydney city Guide – a very cool feeling using your own site to find some entertainment.

First Choice: Crab Racing in Glebe – unfortunately that was time wasting taxi ride, not to mention Crab Racing was only on Wednesday nights – it was Monday!

Second Choice: Monday Nights $9 Steak at the Slip Inn – WINNER – we were starving so I was like LET’s GO!

Em’s manically fingered her iPhone just to see what other options could be found. And then she hit the Jack Pot!

Third Choice: The Life Drawing Session at the ArtHouse Hotel.

This was less than a minute walk from where we were; it had food and entertainment. 2 things we desperately needed.

Ok, so we were a little nervous, not knowing what to expect – honestly I thought easels and berets but for $4 per person this didn’t seem fitting. I guess we were nervous cause we can’t draw and maybe others would laugh at our drawings. Standing out the front we um’d and ah’d on whether we should go in… no drawing skills, no materials (and the poster on the entrance definitely said bring your own materials) and no berets… still, Em’s responded with “we should at least chat to find out more about it” … so inside we went.

The best date ideas are the ones that push comfort circles – having fun through new experiences releases dopamine hormones.

We had a chat with the chap on the door who made everything so much easier! He said “Woolworths is just around the corner – all you need is A4 sketch Pad and some pencils – 2B is perfect. Also – we get all calibre of artists, it doesn’t matter whether you draw stick figures or master pieces no one critiques your work.”

Done and done – Woolworths was literally a few seconds away and for less than $8 we picked up 2b pencils, eraser, sharpener and 2 A4 sketch books. For the night, you don’t even need the eraser or sharpener (unless you’re Emma). We grabbed some food on the way – not including that in our $30 budget – to do an experience you’d expect that you’d eat at home then head out for your date night. Alas, we had to eat – STARVING!!!

The Arthouse Hotel is laid back with couches and chairs lined up. The room is amazing and huge… in the vid you only see a small angle, around to the left is a bar and a whole lot of space, as well as another live model and loads of seating. You can get there early to find prime position in front of the nude models, but if you’re beginners like us you’ll probably be more comfortable sitting on the couches near the back.

Your models are nude – totally nude and they will hold a position for about 2 ½ minutes, which surprised me, but it makes sense and you get used to drawing fast. I manages to sneak a peak of some dude’s sketches and they were amazing! So much better than what I was doing but it didn’t put me off.

Life drawing sessions are $4 each. Materials cheap too – you’ll probably be able to find this in your house already so it doesn’t count… the remainder of cash can go on chips and beer. WINNER!

What I loved about it:

The date just seemed to fall into place. We had no idea that this amazing experience was just around the corner from us. Life drawing was something we’ve never done before – a totally new experience. It was laid back enough that Ems and I could chat and quietly laugh. I’d give this date a 10 / 10.

If you live in Sydney or even travelling through like we did – DO THIS DATE! I cannot recommend it enough!

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1. Planning Holidays Together
2. Three Stages of Male Life
3. G is for Game Show

You don’t accidentally find the Shanghai Village – usually it’s recommended to you. Even with it’s in your face signage there is still the fear of not knowing what you’re in for when you walk through the doors.

INSIDE: it’s loud, its very busy, it’s not 5 star service but the food is good, the food is quick and its super cheap!

You don’t make a reservation, and on some occasions you’ll see a line out the door waiting for a table. Good thing is that you’re never waiting longer than a few minutes to get a table.

Romance Factor 0 / 10
Fun Factor 5 / 10
Cheese Factor 0 / 10

Overall Factor 5 / 10

WHO THIS IS FOR: If you live in Melbourne you need to visit this place as a cheap eats guide. You’ll enjoy good tasting food without hurting your wallet. It’s even better for large groups!

In regards to a romantic night out it doesn’t cut the mustard dumpling but not every date needs to be romantic – just sharing an experience is great for you! This is our local, there is no romance in something you do on a regular basis. Who knows, next time you’re at the Shanghai Village you may even bump into us.

AS A SIDE NOTE: This date idea is a bit of a copout – I did it cause I hadn’t taken Emma out for at least 2 weeks and the date I wanted to take her on fell on Thursday which she couldn’t do. So I decided to review a restaurant that I think Melbournites would like…

NEXT WEEK: I’m doing another “D” date! this is going to be awesome… again its on a Thur and its more aligned with our mantra of getting out there and doing something different… next weeks date is out of my comfort circle – I’ve never done it before and I’m looking forward to it! Stay tuned – you’ll love it – even better if they let me get in with video or a camera but I’m not sure if we’ll get away with it.

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1. Pho Fo’ Date Night
2. A Date Night in Pictures: Dominique Portet Winery
3. BINGO, it’s a religion!

As much as Emma is going to hate me saying this, I’m going to say it anyways… Emma has some expectations about the dates that I take her on… and… at times, she’s HATED the date idea before it’s even started.

So if I think the date idea is going to be crappy, well… I get nervous…

These days I tend not to give the date idea away – a surprise is always best. Actually, I usually dull it down so her expectations are so low that no matter what we do there is a chance that she’ll like it.

Plane spotting is one of those dates that could go all too terribly wrong! We drove out of the city, on the freeway and through toll-ways! I NEVER go through tolls – but I was chasing the sun so time was not on my side. As soon as we hit the freeway out of the city, Em’s was like “we’re going to the airport aren’t’ we?”

I was like (jokingly) “Dammit, stupid shit, $#%^en how does she know these things! …yes dear plane spotting it is. How’s that sit with you?”

Em’s – “I’m cool with that… are we going to make out?”

( LAUGHTER )

We had a great time! Check the vid out to see what we saw… Enjoy.

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1. Date Night Failed :(
2. MALE WARNING: Sex and the City is out!
3. BINGO, it’s a religion!

This date night blew the budget… blasphemy!!! The total cost came to $46, but it was all for a greater cause – in hope of wooing the wife into getting jiggy with it in the cold of night – hidden away in public. I enjoy being cheeky, God knows I can stir the pot with the best of them, and even though I am a good boy I do enjoy the adrenalin rush of the possibility of being caught (obviously within reason). On this occasion Emma chickened out at the last minute.

The main focus of date night was to hit Melbourne’s Eureka Tower – the observation deck (88 stories high). I hate heights, it terrifies me and if you force me up high you’ll get an ear bashing for days afterwards. The Eureka Tower… not so scary.

Let it be known that heights in theme parks are not my forte and I will happily gouge your eyes out to ensure I do not make it on a ride. We learnt this the hard way.

Happy snaps of the city lights were taken, but honestly we suck at photography. My hat goes off to the professional shutterbugs that can get a good night shot! Accompanied with a SLR and a tripod – feeling like extreme tourists and complete dicks we faffed around until we got the shots that looked great on a small 3 inch screen. But now looking at the shots – hmm, not that good!!!!

Peering through the binoculars we found our apartment – and had clear view into the lounge room of “the guy across the hall.”

Well enough to see his TV flickering. If he was prancing around naked I’m positive you’ll be able to catch a good view.

Eureka Towers for two = $33. I recommend it once – but if you’ve done an observation deck once, you’ve pretty much done them all.

Although over budget, Emma still wanted Gelato – “sure… but Emma, going over budget is going to cost ya in other favours!”

With that thought implanted we chuckled over the cheekiness – walking back home along the river, gelato in hand (which do say was fantastico!!! – from some place in Southbank, upstairs near Bluetrain – hey, maybe we should add that place to the $30 Date Night list…) we searched for places that may be appropriate for you know… *a-hem*.

To be honest I knew what the outcome would be a negative but pushing Emma’s comfort circle was just as fun. I proposed a place along the river very close to the St. Kilda Road Bridge – it looked secluded – that was until we were standing on the actual St. Kilda Road Bridge looking at my proposed hiding space. Emma shrieked “It’s got a spot light pointing right into your spot!!!”

All in all – a fun date night. Nothing fancy but we did laugh our butts off which makes it a pretty good time in my eyes.

Related posts:

1. Date Night at the Elwood RSL
2. Veggie Bar Date Night
3. $30 Date Night in Bushfire Country

Emma says using my things makes her feel closer to me – from my daggy clothes, to my pyjamas (yes I love pyjamas!) to my socks and worst of all – my pens! “I feel closer to you when you’re not around…” I think she does it to annoy me! The pen situation is one that I’ve argued black and blue but is never resolved.

I don’t expect everyone to get the pen issue – so you may need to substitute pen for another noun that relates to you. Emma and I both work from home, on the same concepts (although we have different roles and rarely get in each other’s way). We both need and use pens like any other office job… although my pens frequently go missing… starting with the good ones.

These days I have to keep a secret stash of pens for emergency purposes. This drives me mental! Especially when I have a train of thought that I want on paper fast!

The bathroom is another place where things should not be shared… I think the person who developed the double sink bathrooms is a genius and deserves a medal! I bet it’s saved a lot of marriages. Emma doesn’t know this – a year ago I started buying an extra tube of toothpaste (a brand that I knew she didn’t like) just so she wouldn’t use it! Emma likes to squeeze toothpaste out from the top – not the middle, and forget about squeezing from the end – rather she likes the top, the closest edge to the opening, it’s such a pain! The new set up is the perfect plan!

Emma using my stuff IS cute… thieving my stuff is frustrating!

Update: Wow – my favourite felt tip pen has just arrived to my pen holder… how could this be? Only hours after drafting the first copy of this blog post! It is a mystery!

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I was going through the $30 Date Night site looking for a date idea that would blow me away… nothing popped out at me a grabbed me. Madly pressing the red button I cruised past the Bingo suggestion. It’s such a stupid date suggestion I didn’t even notice it… but, like the subliminal promos played at the movies back in the day, my mind couldn’t focus on much after Bingo.

It’s difficult to get excited about something that you think is going to be shit! I pictured a rundown shack lit by florescent lighting, the aroma of a deep fryer that hasn’t been filtered in 4 weeks, a sea of coin slot machines and massed by the elderly and, uh… bogans!

OMG, what have I got us into?

NOT OUR CROWD

We drove to the outskirts of Melbourne… Fawkner (way out north!) It’s where no city folk are game to travel. When we got there the Bingo car park was FULL! Seriously jam packed! The venue was massive!!! Much larger than what I expected, and yep there were a few slot machines but the place was clean and well presented.

I had called the center before hand for instructions on how the night works. I figured I’d rather look like a dick to one person than not have a clue in front of a crowd. When we got to the counter, the lady knew immediately who I was… embarrassing? yep!! “Are you the guy that called earlier?” How did she know…? She was lovely, explained how everything worked – but it didn’t sink in. We bought $32 worth of books, which got us 8 books (well it is $30 date night).

We walked into the hall – it was HUGE! And packed with a diverse range of people – yep… not the typical crowd that we’re used to.

At this point, Emma and I were feeling so far out of our comfort circle that we couldn’t even find ourselves a seat. Luckily, people in general are nice, and the organisers were helpful enough to find us a seat together.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

1 book has several games in it coded by color. Each game lasts approximately 60 seconds. Each Bingo session will go through an entire book, which is something like 7 or 8 games (not sure wasn’t counting). The more books you play with the better chance you have at winning. Like lottery tickets, play with 1 line of numbers or 32 lines… etc. Just means the more numbers you have to belt through to mark off.

Emma and I played with 2 books at a time – the lady at the counter advised against it because she says “they read out the numbers fast!” Well… yep they do! It’s insanely fast… yet looking around the room some people were marking off 8 books at a time!

IT’S FAST! HOLD ONTO YOUR PANTIES…

If the caller was serving tennis balls as fast as she was calling out the numbers, Roger Federer wouldn’t stand a chance. It seriously fast, which made it a lot of fun. Emma and I didn’t mean to fill ourselves with sugar before Bingo started, but it proved to our advantage… with sugar loaded our minds were at our peak to absorb the fast paced numbers and mark them off!

After 30 minutes our sugar levels dropped – things turned bad for our heroes.

The concentration levels started to fail. 36 – 21 – 7 – 9 – what’s on for tomorrow? – 76? – Shit what was the last number? – Damn it missed that number – MAYDAY… MAYDAY… bingo player down!

DON’T MESS WITH A BINGO PLAYER

The atmosphere was something else… there’s a massive hall, with a serious amount of people in it. It was packed out, and why wouldn’t it be, the grand prize for the night was $10,000. Unlike the lottery, we were going to keep playing till that $10,000 prize was won!

For a room of approx 500 people I was expecting more chatter, but Bingo players are not ones to socialize – they’re an interesting breed. The room has a slight tone of chatter muttering throughout while the caller is prepping to start the game… without a change in pitch, speed or momentum the caller says “first number” and the mob turns ghostly quiet… heads down and sharpies madly marking paper.

A mobile phone goes off close by to us… it has been set to vibrate yet it was enough to drive the mob wild! The caller had to stop just in case it was someone who muttered bingo but they knew better. The room was unsettled with people yelling out over the top of hundreds of disappointed sighs, until the caller said “next number” and then *BOOM* in an instant people were over their disappointment and they were back into it.

SHUT UP!

We had met the most lovely lady on our table… dubbed our BINGO ANGEL (only because we forgot to ask her name, but we did get her picture.) She gave me and Emma a real sharpie to borrow… each! Allowing us to discard our measly pens which don’t stack up in the Bingo world.

Our table sat out of one of the games, waiting patiently and quietly for the game to finish… I had to hold myself back – a room full of people, an audience… I so badly just wanted to call something out although I knew it would be instant death!!! Our BINGO ANGEL opened an individually wrapped mentos and quietly popped it in her mouth. It was enough to set a lady on the table next to us off! When the game had finished the lady had no reservation to put her opinion forth and ask for quiet on the court. Bingo is serious stuff – a religion not to be reckoned with!

ALMOST WON!

Bingo is a lot of fun… I almost filled out an entire game… I was one number off which would have netted me 120 big ones. But the anticipation of waiting for that number to come up was better than winning the cash. My heart rate elevated, mouth a little dry, the anticipation of calling out bingo as soon as that number comes up was intense. Everyone said, “If you hear your last number come up – don’t mark it off just yell out bingo! Cause if they call out another number before you yell out bingo you you’ve lost your chance.” Boy oh boy the pressure… how are the oldies not getting angina from this game?

$10,000 game…

It’s ALL about this game! 60 seconds of play and someone was going home $10,000 richer. I had not noticed, but Emma did… people were putting on their jackets, scarfs and hats in preparation for this game (its winter here).

The game begins and I’m off like a rocket – marking 6 numbers off in a matter of 3 seconds then nothing for what felt like an eternity. I had marked off 3 / 4 of my book and the adrenalin really kicks – concentrate Den, trust your brain to process the numbers and your hand to mark them off, then suddenly… “BINGO!” A lady yells out only 4 tables up from me…

People leap from their seats and dash for the exits. I couldn’t believe it… someone had just won $10,000 and no one claps! No congratulations? Those who lost the $10,000 game were now in a new race – the first to get out the door. What a site!!! Emma, BINGO ANGEL and I sat back to watch the spectacle of a mob disbanding while ONE person sits in elation repeating to herself “oh my God, oh my God… I just won $10,000.” I gave her a gentle clap, and a smile. BINGO ANGEL (a regular to the scene) says “it’s like this every week – a mad rush out of here. You should come and see what it’s like on Pension’s Pay Day!”

THE END RESULT

Would I do it again? HELL YES!

It was a lot of fun, but unfortunately we cannot do it again for date night cause you are not allowed to repeat the same date night twice (well at least within 12 months.)

I’m also rapt that we took ourselves way out of our comfort circle. What I thought would be a shitty night out ended up quite the opposite. Em’s and I couldn’t stop chatting about it on the drive home.

Rate the Date:

Romance Factor: 0/5 (Fluro lights are not your friend)

Cheese Factor: 4/5

Fun Factor: 5/5

Overview: Hiliarious date night, totally pushes your comfort circle and you may even win some moolah! A definite success – go next week!

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Dominique Portet's Famous Rose

The Local Produce Plate at Dominique Portet

The Pentanque Pitch

Gorgeous Winery!

…all for under $30! Great date night in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley… go find your own local winery reigon and seek out some cellar door specials! Enjoy!

Rate the Date

Romance Factor: 5/5 – Gorgeous wine region drive, beautiful views, great food and great wine
Cheese Factor: 1/5
Fun Factor: 3/5

Overall: Wonderful date for a lazy Sunday. Opportunity for great conversation and connection. Just lovely.

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Move over Rockpool, Vue De Monde and Nobu… there’s a hidden secret out there that deserves a chef’s hat (Michelin star) from each of you. Sure I’m no food critic, but I do love my food! And yes, my opinion may not mean much, but this is it… and here it is!

Food gets me going – I love it! Colors, textures and tastes – it’s all amazing to me! I love fine dining restaurants, but I cannot stand snobby upperclass wannabies that only eat at such places. And it seems that this is the type of people the $30 Date Night site attracts – go figure?

Kind of sad tho… I just checked the stats out on the Elwood RSL date idea, and 9 voters have voiced their opinion about the Elwood RSL… 3 love it / 6 hate it.

6 crazy people!!!

I announced to Emma that I was taking her out for Date Night and that we would be dining out for the evening. Last month Emma cut me down – she cut me deep with an “apparent lack of effort into date night.” So I felt it was necessary to warn her that she should not expect too much of what is in store for her.

Her next question was “Do I need to change for tonight?” I said “No.”

(see right –> Emma was wearing jeans and some cheap-ass chequered cowboy top – geez I really hope she doesn’t read this post – or else she’ll kill me!)

Ems responded… “We’re going to the Elwood RSL,aren’t we?” I answered… “D’OH.”

The surprise element to the evening was blown, but at least she knew what she was in for = no disappointment as Em’s expectations were now low.

When we reached the RSL the place was packed. Yep, who would have thought that I needed a booking? So for your reference, here’s the number (03) 9531 4331. Remember guys, this restaurant is based in Melbourne Australia. Funnily enough, Ems was not that annoyed – hoorah! Bless the lack of expectations!!!

When seated we were given the menu – YUM. The choices – so many… do I have Steak and Guinness Pie or the Roast?

What of a dill of a pickle to be in… BOTH dishes cost under AUD$15 and they both come with garlic mash which didn’t make the choice any easier. There’s no table service so you have to go to the counter to order and pay. Easy – I’ll let the chick at the counter decide what I want…

“Sorry – we’ve run out of both the pie and the roast!” Ahh dammit!!!! I was sooo looking forward to eating both of them! Counter lady wasn’t too bothered by my puppy dog face.. she bounced back with “have the eye fillet, its only $24.”

Steak and I have this kind of bond you see… we like each other – a lot! But it takes a special kind of place to cook a good steak. Even my favourite steak houses don’t seem to get it right half the time. So I was a little dubious – AND the steak broke our budget of the $30 date night… bah, rules are meant to be broken. I went for the steak – Em’s had a burger.

The Elwood RSL had a 3 man band playing (Whisky Gypsies) which were amazing! A taste of Acoustic European – don’t ask me what that means… they played a U2 track, I guess Ireland falls into the Europe category??? But the highlight of the night was the steak… OH MY GOD!!! Cooked to perfection, this place knows what medium rare means – and the cut was magnificent! I want to go back there again tonight!

You know what – I can keep raving about this place for the next 3 posts but I’m going to stop right here… if you live in Melbourne – make the Elwood RSL your date night this week! Em’s and I had a blast, you can get away with 2 massive meals for under $30 but realistically with drinks it may cost you a little more. We spent close to $60 after buying the most expensive meal on the list as well as 4 glasses of wine… that is still amazing value!

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3. Date Night on Deck 88…

THE GOOD!

It’s hot, damn hot. And sooooo so so good on a freezing cold night. You get to splash around in the outdoors, under the stars with plenty of greenery around you. It’s perfect for winter… when it gets dark at 6pm. The twilight sessions start from 6pm and finishes at about 8.45pm – TUE to THU.

There are 3 different pools at different temperatures… the hottest is scorching – enough to prune you in seconds – the next pool down is only 1 degree difference, you’d expect that it wouldn’t change much but the difference in temperature is remarkable – And the largest of the pools are a comfy 39 degrees Celsius.

Honestly, spas are sort of “meh” to me. I mean we got a spa where we live so it’s not like it’s a new thing but the mineral spas were different… giving you a glowy feeling once you get back to your car, hmmm… maybe it was the lack of chlorine.

THE BAD…

The Mineral Springs are just so far away from the city!!! And to make it for a night session midweek is lunacy! We were stuck in traffic for hours, and so we parked our butts in Frankston for dinner just to let the traffic die down. Quietly, I tried the mineral springs date on Emma the week before and FAILED!!! I ruined that date because we left late, I was hoping to hit the springs after the traffic. This time round, we left 2 hours earlier and slapped ourselves with intense traffic for miles and miles!!! How do people commute to and from work in traffic each day – its CRAZY!!!

THE UGLY

There is no ugly – It’s too dark. The twilight session brings typically a younger crowd. The pools are lit up around the perimeter and the steam from the baths going up into the cold night is enough to blanket any unnecessary visual disturbances within your blissful field of vision 

In a sense, even tho it’s a public pool it’s easy to find your own little personal space with yourself and your partner.

THE RECOMMENDATION

If you live in the area – lucky you! Do this for date night. If you live in the city – don’t bother trying to get there for the twilight sessions during the week just because its $15 each. Spend the dough to make it part of a day trip and go a t a time where the traffic won’t do your nut in!!!

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