The weather outside has dropped to a crisp 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The overeager have been blasting holiday music for months now. You posted a boomerang of you in the snow with the caption, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
Scientists have coined this time of the year cuffing season, and this year, my friend, you are cuffed. Everything is more romantic when it is cold outside and that is a fact. It is the idea that they will offer you their coat. It is having another body to keep you warm. It is the interlocking of gloves knowing that the only thing keeping your palms apart is a thin centimeter of fleece.
And while Netflix and chill is the easiest date idea when it is cold out, we want you to fully submerge yourself in all that this season has to offer. Strengthen your relationship with any of the ten date ideas below.
Pasta Making Class
Something about the cold weather deludes me into thinking that it is acceptable to eat pasta at every meal. Summer salads have been tossed out the window in favor of carbs. But I want you to eat and I want you to eat fresh pasta that you have rolled with your own bare hands. Throw flour in each other’s faces for a romantic effect. Every night could be like this if you wanted it to be — get matching aprons for the holiday card. Eataly and Sur La Table offer some great classes. If attending a proper class is out of your wheelhouse, Kraft Mac and Cheese works too.
Ice Skating
Channel your inner Tonya Harding and challenge your partner to a race. You may be tempted to hold hands during this excursion, but that multiplies the chances of you both falling down. The loser has to buy the hot chocolate afterward.
Bonfire on the Beach
He told you that he was a Boy Scout. You believed him. This is a litmus test to determine whether or not he is lying. Head over to your local beach and fire it up (make sure you secure a permit). But it does not need to be a beach. Any space that allows for campfires works just fine. Chestnuts roasting over the gas flame in your kitchen work great too. As long as s’mores are involved, anything works.
Build a Fort
Why is it that getting older forces us to abandon everything that once brought us joy? I remember the sheer happiness I felt using a hair tie to turn my blankets into fortresses on the stairs. Recreate that magical feeling by building a fort in your home. Then play a movie (Disney+ just launched) and cuddle under the protection of your linens.
Attend a Book Reading Together
Sometimes the cold air makes it incredibly hard to be active. I always read far more in the winter when the sun sets earlier and the FOMO is mitigated by the sheer laziness of having to put real clothes on. Share your favorite book with your partner by attending a reading together at your local bookstore. If no readings are available, sometimes it is nice to just comb through books together, get lost and share a kiss among the aisles. Intimacy can be defined as sharing what you love with the person you love. Grab a hot cocoa and talk Jia Tolentino.
Indoor Skydiving
For all you daredevils out there, fret not, you can still get a rush of adrenaline in the wintertime thanks to indoor skydiving. Tiffany Haddish is notorious for using Groupon — she booked a swamp tour with Will and Jada Smith through the app. Indoor skydiving often has Groupon deals available. Nothing sexier than a two-for-one deal.
Apple Picking
Out of all the apples in the orchard I picked you! There! I have given you a cheesy line to drop when picking nature’s candy. This excursion often involves driving somewhere quite far so we won’t judge you if you just go to the grocery store. For two times the fun, make an apple pie with your pickings later.
Train for a 5k
Every year people tweet, “I would rather die than be the family that runs on Christmas,” and every year I block them. There are plenty of charity runs during the holiday season and couples who release endorphins together are often happier together. If your relationship stands on shaky ground maybe you can lure them in with the symptoms of physiological arousal.
Unique Stays
On Airbnb, there is a feature that allows you to scour through “unique stays.” Might we interest you and your lover to a weekend in a yurt? What about a treehouse? Perhaps a houseboat? The options are endless. As you explore the world together you are able to see your partner in a new light. Travel often strengthens relationships and ignites romance — especially when your travel plans involve staying in the castle.
Drive Around and Look at Christmas Lights
In almost every city there is a wealthy neighborhood that goes above and beyond when it comes to decorating their lawns. Get in your car, sip on an eggnog latte and crank up the Justin Bieber Christmas album. Talk about your own future or play a game: guess what the person in this house does for a living! What is their story? What do we think they argue about?
