DIY Gift - A Year Of Dates

It's day two of the 12 Days Of Christmas Blog Posts and I'm here with a DIY gift!

My boyfriend can be really difficult to shop for during the holidays. He doesn't like receiving stuff that he doesn't actually need so I've starting giving him gifts that were more about experiences and events. This past Christmas I gave him a gift of 12 pre-planned dates for us to go on each month of the upcoming year - and it was a huge success! Each month had a different theme, some we're more expensive and some we're practially free. It gave us something to look forward to each month and we made sure to fit in the date every time.

I tried to plan each month with a bit of a theme and something that would work with the many seasons of Minnesota. This was a great way to do things you usually wouldn't do. So if there's somewhere you two have been dying to go, make a date of it! Here is a list similar to what I used that you can use for your own date ideas!

January - Arcade Date

• Bowling

• Arcade Games

• Laser Tag

• Burgers + Malts for dinner (We like Snuffy's Malt Shop in Roseville)

February - Basketball Date

• Tickets to a Timberwolves Game

Tickets to a Minnesota Wild game would be fun, too!

March - Random Acts of Kindess Date

• Do a variety of random acts of kindness

It's easy to find lists of things to do online then try and cross as many items off the list as you can in one day! Pinterest can be your friend when planning for this one!

April - Geocaching Date

• A day of geocaching in a state park

You can download the app and find the onces closest to you! This is one of my favorites and we like to do it when we go camping in the summer too!

May - Dinner Crawl Date

• 1 restaurant for appetizers and drinks

• 1 restaurant for dinner

• 1 restaurant for dessert

Try and choose a location so you can walk to all the restaurants! Less driving will make it more enjoyable!

June - Summer Picnic Date

• Como Zoo

• Picnic Lunch

• Mini Golf

• Ice Cream Shop

July - Outdoor Adventure Date

• Paddleboarding on Lake Calhoun

• Rollerblading/Longboarding around Lake of the Isles

• Camping in the backyard

August - Disconnect Date

• No electronics - yes, this means cellphones! The exception is background music

• Board games

• Cooking together

• Fort Building (we're kids at heart)

September - Scavanger Hunt Date

• Make a list of places and things you need to find downtown and photograph

Examples - graffiti wall, beach with a downtown view, cobblestone walkway, etc.

This is another one where Pinterest will be your friend!

October - Fall Fun Date

• Pumpkin Patch / Apple Orchard

• Pumpkin Carving

• Halloween Movie Night

November - Minnesota Tourist Date

• State Capitol

• History Center

• Science Museum

December - Duluth Holiday Weekend

• Weekend hotel stay in Canal Park

• Bentleyville Lights

• Finish up Christmas shopping for friends and family at the cute stores in Canal Park

To make this gift just write the dates out on a notecard, put them in a cute envelope, and pair it with their favorite candy and you're all set! I hope you liked this DIY gift! Let me know of some other fun date ideas in the comments below.

Happy crafting,

Jaqui