Alphabet Dating - B

This month’s date was down to James to organise and although admittedly we did them in a strange order, I looked forward to seeing what the day would bring. We started off by going to a Birthday BBQ, completely unplanned but it did fit in well with the ‘B’ theme. It was a lovely day and we ended up leaving after 5pm in the end so I did wonder where James was planning to take me.

We got in the car and away we went. James then told me we were going to Cromer Beach for a walk. We parked up and the sun was low in the sky. It was still a lovely warm summer evening and we walked along the seafront. We hadn’t had any tea so James treated me to some chips (and mushy peas of course!) and we sat and ate them.

We then had a slow wander back to the car whilst the sun set around us and the air started to cool.

I had a really lovely evening and thought it was such a nice idea to head to the Beach after the mad rush and just relax and take in the sea air. I slept a treat that night.

There isn't much more I can really say about this, I think you had to be there to appreciate it. Stay tuned to see what I had in store for date C.

Alphabet Dating - A

Alphabet dating is something I came across on Instagram recently (I wish I knew who to credit!) and decided to do a bit of research into it. When looking for answers on google, I discovered that is was quite a common thing and something that I thought was a fantastic idea. I broached the idea to James and he was also up for it and thought it sounded like a great thing to do once a month.

Alphabet dating is where as a couple or even a new person you are just starting to date, you choose a ‘date’ beginning with a particular letter. We decided that one month I would choose and arrange a surprise date and then the month after James would choose one. When March began, we decided to start with A and as it was my idea I offered to go first. You could of course do this every other week, bi-monthly or whatever suits your dating pattern.

‘A’ was a really convenient letter for me as I had already pre-planned an Alton Towers trip for James’ birthday. After recently attending Scarefest with Kim and telling James about it, he mentioned he had never been and would love to go. I really wanted to take him for his birthday weekend but found out that it only opened a few days before and I didn’t want it to be insanely busy. I forgot about the whole idea when an email landed in my inbox telling me about the service day, 2 weeks before the official opening. The service day is open to all emergency services and armed forces at a heavily discounted rate and with free parking. Perfect! I booked the tickets there and then. Unfortunately this then got cancelled due to the weather we had so I had to come up with another idea!

I decided to plan something for a couple of weeks later. We couldn’t make it to Alton Towers the replacement weekend as James had work so I thought I would plan our date more locally. The first thing that came to mind was Afternoon Tea, and to stick with the ‘A’ theme I thought we could have it in Aylsham. It was between here and The Assembly House but due to having been to The Assembly House before, I went for Aylsham and booked us into Biddies.

We both had Afternoon Tea and were stuffed by the end of it. I had to take my brownie home with me as the sandwiches and scone had filled me up. It was really nice just to get away and chill out and enjoy our meals.

We did also attend Alton Towers at a rearranged date and had a really nice time so I am incorporating that into the A date too.

The idea of alphabet dating is to encourage you to think outside the box and have fun and try new things with your partner. There are so many options that could suit so many budgets and I am already plotting things for date ‘C’, it could be anything to a coffee and cake to a curry or even a cinema trip! In the meantime I will await next months ‘B’ date which James will be planning. Let me know if you want me to continue sharing these! Do you have any ideas for ‘C’?

Five First Date Ideas on a Budget*

Dating can be expensive and when you first meet someone, you may not want to commit to spending a lot of money in case things don’t work out. I have come up with five ideas for dates that won’t break the bank, but at the same time give you the opportunity to really get to know someone. You never know, it could lead to extravagant meals in nice restaurants, but whilst starting out there is no harm in doing it on a budget.

Home Movie Night
I know it may seem a bit strange on a first date to invite someone round to your home, but some people may be comfortable with this. If you wanted a casual opportunity to “get to know someone” then why not invite them over for a home movie night. Get some popcorn in, maybe cook some nachos and stick Netflix on. You don’t have to spend a lot and you also don’t have to sit in silence like you would if you went to the cinema. You may also feel more relaxed in your own environment.

Games Night
Similar to hosting a movie night, you could also host a games night. You really get to know someone over a game of Monopoly – this is when true emotions are really shown. It can be a fun way to lighten the mood and if you’re nervous or run out of conversation you always have the games to talk about and keep you going. Ask your date to bring over any games they have, it could be a chance to get nostalgic with old favourites such as Jenga or Snakes and Ladders. Make it interesting by turning them into drinking games, loser takes a shot.

Walk in the Park
You don’t have to spend any money to go for a walk and if it’s the right time of year, a trip to the local park can make for a nice first date location. Choose a central location and meet up for a walk and maybe a take-away coffee. This is also a great idea for dog owners as you can get to know someone whilst also seeing what your dog thinks of them. Dogs always seem to be able to judge character I am sure of it. If you live near the coast, the beach is also a good option. A portion of chips and an ice-cream will cost you about £5 and you’ll benefit from the fresh sea breeze.

Pubs with Extras
The pub can make for a great first date location due to the atmosphere and the flowing drinks you’re bound to avoid any awkward silences. Choose a pub that has some extra facilities, perhaps a pool table or darts. You can then add a bit more fun to your date and also get a feel for how competitive they are. It’ll also help settle any first date nerves and help you to pace out those drinks so you don’t make a fool of yourself.

Bingo
As strange as it sounds, I recently went to bingo and had an amazing time. It cost me less than £10 for my game and meal with a drink. You can get to know one another between games and generally have a good laugh. You may even win something which would be an added bonus! I didn’t win anything when I went but we still had a great time and a few hours’ worth of chatting can be just what the doctor ordered!

If you want to try some of these ideas out and want to go on some dates then why not visit senior dating. The great thing about these date ideas is that you can do them regardless of where you live including Aberdeen dating and Hampshire dating. There are some lovely pubs in Kent if you fancy Kent dating and for the perfect beach date why not try Norfolk dating.

What have you got to lose?

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Wedding Plus 1's, Find Yours With Badoo*

As you may know, I am getting married next year so I have had the fun task of putting together a rough guest list of who I want to invite. When it comes to single friends, it is difficult to know whether to add a +1 to their invite or not. On one hand, you want them to have someone there so they don’t feel alone but on the other hand you don’t want them inviting someone they’ve known 2 weeks for the sake of having someone there with them. It is difficult, and even more so if you are that single friend trying to decide on whether or not to bring someone alone to such a special occasion.

I have come up with some ideas on how to combat being single at a wedding if you do happen to be in this scenario. On the other hand, when you get the invite through and you see that dreaded ‘+1’, there are options and you do still have time to find the one! If you haven’t heard of Badoo, then I am not sure where you have been! Badoo is the biggest dating app in the world, and is open and exclusive to everyone. With over 360 million registered users worldwide, there is bound to be someone out there for you. Avoid being single at a wedding and sign up to Badoo today, you never know – it could be you next!

Chat to People
When it comes to attending a wedding, be friendly and outgoing. This is an opportunity to meet new people not only on your table but on other tables too. Make conversation on the dance floor, or at the bar. If you look like you are having a good time then people will be more attracted to you and more likely to come over for a chat. You are there to celebrate and support a friend so why not have a good time doing so regardless of whether or not you are single.

With Badoo's sleek new design, chatting to new people couldn’t be easier. Your messages are kept in one place so you can see your conversations with ease. You can even send stickers and emojis. There is now a 2 message limit so if you haven’t replied to someone after 2 messages then the feeling obviously isn’t mutual. A block is then put in place so that no more messages can be sent so gone is the annoyance of having someone constantly spam you with messages. If someone does make you feel uncomfortable then you  can very easily block or report them if needed.

Don’t catch the bouquet
Just because you are single doesn’t mean you have to line up and take part in the traditional “catch the bouquet” scenario. Take a breather and don’t allow yourself to be put in that situation where you feel under pressure. Personally, if you’ve seen the price of bridal bouquets recently then the bride will certainly not be throwing it! I think this a tradition that needs to be squashed.

Instead of being outed as single to the whole wedding party, being on Badoo means you can see if any other users are nearby. There is a feature that allows you to discover people who you have walked past or bumped into that day so if any other guests are online, you’ll know about it. That man on the bus that always give you a smile, maybe he is also using Badoo. You won’t know until you download the app.

Take Mental Notes
So you may not be getting married in the near future, so what? Use this time to take in the environment, think about what you would do at your own wedding. Soak it all up and picture what things you would like to incorporate in your big day, and those little things that you wouldn’t bother about. This is a time to get excited about your future! Don’t dwell on the past about relationships that never took off, look towards the future and think “this could be me one day!”

Badoo is easy to set up, simply set up your filter and match with those that catch your eye. If you like someone on the app and they like you back they will appear in your match list. You can also see who has recently visited your profile and who has added you as a favourite. People who have verified their profiles by providing a phone number or social media account will appear with a blue tick, so you know they’re genuine.

So you know what, maybe after reading this you may not have to survive being single at a wedding. You may have found the one with Badoo! Let me know what you think of the app.

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Recreating Our First Date*

One of the first posts I wrote about on this blog when I revamped it was all about my first date with my fiancé. Where it all began. It’s hard to believe that was over 4 years ago now. He took me to the zoo to show me how to use my camera (well that was his excuse anyway!).

Recently we decided to recreate that first date and head back to the same zoo. It was such a nice experience to go back. It brought back memories from the first time we went. When we first went, James brought a picnic along with him so we did the same again. I packed sandwiches for us, sausage rolls, grapes, crisps and drinks. A bit more elaborate than the first time we came!

We wandered around the zoo pointing out things that we did last time and places that we looked around all those years ago. I remember thinking this was such a fun first date, a lot different to the types of dates that you see on TV. Having never really ‘dated’ before, it definitely was one to remember. I think first dates definitely set the mood for the rest of the relationship. A rubbish first date may mean that you won’t see the person again.

First dates can be anything from a meal, a quick drink or something a bit different like a zoo trip. If you are looking to date then a good place to start would be trying out some of the best dating sites. Depending on where you live there are plenty of sites available such as Cumbria dating site, Wiltshire dating site or dating agency Shropshire.  There really is something out there for everyone, you could even date divorced singles. Why don’t you give it a go - you never know where it may lead!

Where would your ideal first date be?

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Being Engaged and How to Find the One?*

If you don’t already know, I recently got engaged and thought I would put into words a few things that I have noticed along the way over the past few weeks.

Firstly for the first week at LEAST you will not be able to stop staring at your hand. I found myself looking at my ring at every opportunity. Driving home I’d catch a glance at it, even at the printer at work I would be standing there admiring it. Everyone else will want to look at it too, I had to get my nails done purely as so many people were looking at my hands. You’ll think it’s fallen off so you’ll have to keep looking to reassure yourself. For the first week I would wake up in the night and check it was still on my finger! The first question people will ask is “how did they propose?” so be prepared to tell your story over and over again. I think in the end I copied and pasted it onto a word document so I could send it on if anyone asked.

Not my actual ring!

Everyone will want to know if you’ve set a date before you’ve barely settled into the idea. If anyone you know gets engaged and you are reading this, please just let them enjoy the moment and don’t pester them for dates! Saying that we booked ours after just a few weeks, but I had been secretly browsing for months so had a few ideas. People will also have an opinion on how you should do things. Just remember it is YOUR day, what you do is completely up to you. I only want one bridesmaid as I can’t afford to have more and don’t want to cause arguments amongst friends and whilst this is not particularly traditional I have to think it is not about anyone else. Don’t feel the need to invite people that you haven’t seen or spoken to in years even if they are family, at £45 a head on average it’s not cheap and I can’t afford to have anyone and everyone attend. You do what you want to do. I have started planning some of the finer details using my gorgeous Jardine of London Suffolk Leather Journal. I was lucky enough to win this journal in the East Anglian Wedding Magazine Giveaway! I am in love with it. It fits my wedding theme perfectly and retails at £75 if you were looking to get one for yourself.

Friends that are married (especially recently married) will become a god send for advice and tips. I wouldn’t have known where to start if it wasn’t for a couple of people who’ve just got married telling me all of the tips and tricks. Take all of their advice on board, it really is useful. Find out what they thought was worth the money and things that were not so worth getting. You will feel a different kind of love for your partner. No matter how long you have been together, being engaged means this shit is real. Someone actually wants to be with you for life. I felt a massive surge of love after I got engaged, I was on cloud 9 and felt like the luckiest girl alive. There’s no feeling quite like it.

Weddings are expensive. When you do start looking at different venues you will be shocked at how expensive weddings really are. I mean, sure they can be done on a budget so shop around where you can. I find myself thinking, do I have beans on toast for a year so I can afford flowers for my wedding? And it is a tempting option! You will find that friends and family with certain skills will be very generous in offering their services so grab the offer with both hands. I really do feel grateful for people that are willing to help.

Me and my fiancé know each other by association at sixth form but rekindled our friendship online. I think it can be a really effective way to meet someone, especially if you lack confidence talking to people face to face like me. If you are looking for the one then why not try out a dating site? Depending on where you live there are plenty of sites available such as Exeter dating, Highlands dating, Plymouth dating, Birmingham dating and for the more mature audience there is over 50s dating.

For those who want a ‘no strings attached’ relationship there is the option to sign up to an adult dating site. This site is more suited for people who want a quick fling rather than a long term relationship. It then leaves room for people who are serious about the long term to join the other sites I mentioned above. Why don’t you give it a go - you never know where it may lead!

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