Video: Best Public Proposal Ever

While I’m still completely glad that Den proposed to me in private (before springing all our in-on-it family and friends on me!), if he absolutely had to do it in public, I would’ve wanted one just like this. I’ve watched it about 5 times already and I tear up every time!

Let us know if you’ve [...]

Experts Confirm: Couples Need Date Night

Well, we’ve known it for awhile and every month or so we find more research and more expert opinions confirming the same: Couples need to find time in their schedules for date night, or risk ending up a divorce statistic.

This article from the Evening Tribune is a good one:
“It is not only important, it [...]

mX Column: There Is No “Mostly Equal”

NB: This column has been altered slightly from it’s original publication as I have an infinite word count on this blog.

There are many things straight couples take for granted that gay couples have had to fight for.
And on Monday, Eliza Bern’s article in mX sparked even more conversation on the topic.
Bern suggested the [...]

Why We Love, Why We Cheat

In the midst of researching for my new ebook, I came across this great presentation given by Dr. Helen Fisher at the 2006 Ted Conference. We love Dr. Fisher’s research and I don’t know how this particular clip has eluded me for four years now.
In it, she explains the brain chemistry of the stages [...]

6 out of 10 People Not Trying Hard Enough

Wow, Daters. Did you know that 6 out of 10 people are unhappy with their relationships? That’s a lot of people. 60% in fact (I should’ve done maths and stuff).
The Daily Mail reported last week that: “More than six out of ten adults in a relationship admit there is a lot they could do [...]

Delight Your Partner with Inexpensive Nothings

Ahh… whispering sweet nothings is lovely, but handing over a sweet littIe gift to your partner for no reason whatsoever will melt them to a puddle of goo in a second.
As you know, we’re all about relationships with intent here at $30 Date Night. Break your usual routine and make your partner’s day by buying [...]

An Interview With HitchedMag.com

Hey readers, as you know we love anything to do with couples, love and marriage that is available as a resource on the interwebs. We sent a few questions off to the founder of HitchedMag.com to see what inspires him and his marriage. The site is online, magazine-style and written by a team of experts [...]

Newsflash: Couple Dates Each Other, Finds It’s Good For Relationship

I just found this article in The Sun about a couple who took on a one-month date night challenge (sounds suspiciously familiar) only to find that dating each other once a week was – GASP – good for their relationship!
Okay, I’ll stop being snarky now.
Because it’s great.
It really is great that we [...]

Sexy Christina Hendricks Has Advice for Men

A wonderful open letter to men, from the Best Looking Woman in America (So Esquire says. I might just second that after reading the following advice from Christina Hendricks to Men of the World.)
“We love your body. If we’re in love with you, we love your body. Your potbelly, everything. Even if you’re insecure about [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

What are the Best Breakup Songs?

I recently found an old friend I’d all but forgotten: my Missy Higgins The Sound of White album. This album and I go way back. It got me through a hideous breakup with hours of cathartic sobbing, crying and feeling generally sorry for myself. I had it on repeat for months and months…

Do you [...]

In Defense of Marriage

In my recent web-travels, I stumbled across Sandra Tsing Loh’s “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” article, complete with subheading ‘The author is ending her marriage, isn’t it about time that you did too?’ I am deeply disturbed, and I’m trying to put my finger on why. I’m not usually a ‘I’m-going-to-write-a-letter-about-this!’ kind of person. [...]

Is ‘Happily Married’ Unfashionable?

I just stumbled across this wonderful article by Aaron Traister: It’s hot! It’s sexy! It’s… marriage!
Traister writes:
My wife and I have been married anywhere from seven to 150 years (I’m not good with dates). During those years we have moved six times, and each move was like an exotic gift that happened to be covered [...]

Top 8 Reasons Smart Girls Should Date Diggers Geeks

We get a lot of great feedback about our date ideas site. But one comment that keeps coming up in particular from some of our dear internet-savvy readers who are self-professed nerds and geeks, is that while they love the ideas, they find it hard-pressed to FIND a girl to date in the first place!
This [...]

Collection of the Best Wedding Dances Ever!

Weddings should be a fun celebration of life, of friends, of family and of course of love. We love these three couples who went out of their way to deliver some fun into their wedding day and shirk off the staid traditions that can threaten to make the day far too serious! Kudos to you [...]

Follow Their Lead: The Obamas Do Date Night!

The world has been abuzz with the scandal of the Obamas’ fantastic, expensive date nights – from a Broadway show in New York to dinner by the Eiffel Tower in Paris the next, the President and First Lady are setting an amazing example to couples everywhere.
Politicians, the media and dating ‘experts’ are all weighing [...]

Tame the Bear and Lame Date Ideas

Last night I watched some talk show with Kevin Bacon in it discussing master-googling or google-bating, whichever you want to call it. Basically – its where you google yourself to see what comes up.
And so, I’ve just googled ThirtyDollarDateNight.com to check out who’s talking about our date ideas site and what’s being said. And [...]

Thank You, Nurse Denis

Date night this week was postponed, due to unforeseen illness…

I woke up Saturday convinced I was dying of the swine flu. You might think I’m saying that to be funny, but quite honestly – I had all the right “flu like symptoms”, and was packing a migraine in just for good measure. My throat was [...]

Michelle Obama Talks Date Night

NB: Video after the jump!
The Obamas are undoubtedly the busiest couple in the entire world, with the weight of global responsibility squarely on their shoulders… we’re sure that their weekly schedules would be enough to put us mere mortals to shame. And yet…
And yet they still find time for regular date nights (and not just [...]