I’ve been meaning to bring back my sporadic Book Inspired Dates posts but I got lazy and was feeling pretty uninspired with all the wedding hoopla and then getting settled in as newlyweds! But I’ve been trying to get creative with the dates that Will and I have been going on now that we are a married couple and I feel my inspiration coming back! I also wanted to change the format so it wasn’t multiple dates in one post — we’ll see how that works out!
| My review of Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt | Amazon | Goodreads|
“When I read Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt back in February I KNEW this was going to be my first book inspired date when I got my crap together enough to do one of these posts again. I was talking to Will while I was reading it and said I COULD NEVER DO THIS (I barely made it through my social media diet for a week). If you don’t know what the book is about the basic premise is that a girl finds out that her boyfriend has some secret internet girlfriend and she decides to give up all things modern and make her life more simple. OBVIOUSLY funny things happen and she realizes all the ways she relies on modern luxuries that weren’t available in the 60’s and that maybe life wasn’t so simple back then either. I’m SO attached to my phone, the internet, my ipod, Netflix, etc. that I just can’t imagine life without those things and all the other things we use on a daily basis (Hello hair straightener!)
The Inspiration
Mallory’s plan to de-modernize & disconnect from technology
The Date
Step 1: Put your phones/ipads etc in a drawer, a safe or SOMEWHERE where you won’t touch them. I don’t know about you but I have a bad habit of checking Twitter or email even when Will and I are together. (He’s guilty of checking ESPN on his phone during date night). They won’t be coming out ALL day/night until the date is over.
Step 2: Start the afternoon portion of your day by breaking out some classic board games! Ideas? Yahtzee, Monopoly, Battleship, Mastermind, Sorry, etc. Enjoy each other’s company and conversation without the background noise of tv! Bonus points if you actually have vintage board games. Double bonus points if you have a record player and can play some music while you are playing!
Photo Credit: The Game Aisle
Step 3: Get out your mom or grandma’s cookbook (or search the internet before the actual date) and pick something that you’d like to make together. I feel like everything in my mom’s old Betty Crocker cookbook is BUTTER BUTTER BUTTER so we are going to be INSPIRED by a recipe and make something modified. The recipe I picked out? I’m either between Swedish Meatballs or a casserole — both such classic dishes that I could easily lighten up. I love this recipe for lightened up Swedish meatballs and this skinny broccoli mac & cheese! Bonus points if you wear a vintage looking apron. Double bonus points if you get your man to.
Photo credit: Casserole dish | Apron
Step 4: After dinner, rather than heading over to see what’s on Neflix, it’s time to get out! I’m giving options for this step due to the fact not every area will have every single one of these.
Photo Credit: Skates | Ice Cream | Drive In
* Find an old fashioned soda shop or ice cream parlor! We have a couple near us! (If you can’t find anything old fashioned any ice cream stand will do!) Bonus points for being romantic and putting 2 straws in one shake. That would never fly with Will — he doesn’t share well.
* Go to a roller skating rink ( I miss the really old one where I used to live — the one around here is too modern for me…no character!)
* Go find a cool vintage store and check out clothes and other fun things from different eras!
* Go to a drive in movie! I am SO stinking excited because we found two that are decently close! You can use this search engine to see if there is a drive-in movie theater near you! (If you can’t find a drive-in sometimes movies show at different parks or school in the summer outside.)
Step 5: Remove your phones from where ever you stored them. Kiss all of your technology because you missed it so much. Check your phone/email/social media sites and realize the world didn’t implode without you for the day/evening. It felt pretty good not to be glued to your phones/tvs/computers, yes?
What would YOU add that you think would make a perfect GOING VINTAGE date night? What board games would you play? Do you have any cool retro restaurants/ice cream parlors/arcades/drive in theaters near you? And just out of curiosity, do you find yourself pulling out your phone in social situation (like dates or hanging out with friends)? I’m trying to break the habit – I’m good with being polite and not doing it with other people but with Will I’m TERRIBLE at it.
DannyBookworm says
Oh how I love this post Jamie!!!! I think I’d probably play Siedler…
but, I’d be so lost without my phone, at least I think I would be. I am obsessed with technologie such as my iPhone, iPad and Macbook. Totally scary for me to think I would live without them!
Jamie says
I’ve never heard of Siedler!! Must check it out! Always love finding new board games!
Right?? We are the same way with our technology! We use our phones for everything and I’m obsessed with always taking pictures with it. But I think I’m going to incorporate our “no cell phones” day every once in a while for us to disconnect and not be distracted!
Christianna says
I think I’m going to love these posts! Drive Ins really are the best. So now that you’re planning dates for me I just need to go out and find a guy to do them with!
Jamie says
You should check out my 3 other dates I did before! Super fun! I mean, really, some of them you could just do non-romantically with a good friend and still have fun! And YAY I’ll plan the dates…you snag the guy! 😛
Ashley says
Awesome post!! 😀 I love this so much!
My boyfriend and I play Monopoly all the time! He actually has a really old version of the board game. It rocks! But it’s kind of hard to play with two people, so when we’re just the two of us we usually play the PS3 version, where it’s me, him, and two “AI” players LOL. We usually team up to whip the AI players’ asses.
I don’t think we could live without our phones and technology though. We’re both constantly checking our e-mails or whipping out our phones to Google things or whatever. I don’t mind it though. We’re both very techie people and it’s part of why we love each other!
Jamie says
I am so jealous that you have an old version of Monopoly! I WANT! I’m going on this kick of wanting to buy all the vintage board games. I wish we lived near so we could double date and play Monopoly!!
We are SO the same way! It’s going to be a test for us but I think having a “no phone/technology” day date would be refreshing for us every once and a while! I think I will be going through withdrawals though. And like practical things like you said…googling things or using GPS or checking the time lol. I am so reliant on it and I seriously sit here and try to remember my life without all this technology and I’m like BUT BUT BUT how did I do this??
Angie says
I love this Book Inspired Dates! Way fun… I just went and looked through all of them. I want to go on some.
Sharon @ The Book Barbies says
What a cute idea! I love it!
Sara says
Me and my fiancée spend a lot of time in the summer going to the drive in :). It’s a ton of fun plus the one near us is dog friendly so the puppy joins us.
Molli says
HEHEHE SUCH a cute idea. I think I raved to you (I hope I did) about this book, so I adore that you adapted it for a bookish date idea. 🙂
Rosie says
have you been to this old fashion soda shop? http://www.franklinfountain.com/
I have heard it’s awesome! Also, Going Vintage is on sale on Amazon for your Kindle for the time being, not sure for how long. Still debating whether or not to get it. I just downloaded The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell AND Between the Lines By Jodi Picoult and her daughter. If it’s still on sale next week, and I’m feeling less book guilty, i may buy it.
You could also go bowling! That’s a fun date night, even though I hate bowling.
Jennifer aka YA Book Nerd says
Awesome post!!!! LOVE IT!
Wendy says
Oh this is such an awesome idea!! I am honestly so attached to my phone that I just feel naked without it. Fiance has totally gotten on my case about my constant phone checking. =\ I totally want to try this out! Although, I looked up drive in movies and we don’t have any close by. =( I will think of a fun alternative though! Great post!
Kay @ It's a Book Life says
I love your book inspired date idea. I can’t wait to read this book and I feel like you were spot on with what to do on a date that is vintage. Who doesn’t love going to the Drive In? I feel like no one does that enough anymore. Have fun!
Alexa Y. says
This post is so darn adorable! I love that every single date night idea involves letting go of technology and making sure that it doesn’t interrupt. It allows for more face-to-face interaction. Plus, a lot of these suggestions sound plain fun! My favorite is the board games, as I haven’t played any in AGES.
Kris (Imaginary Reads) says
This is such a cute idea! I love board games, and it’s always nice to return to the classics sometimes and remember the good old days when my family and friends, whoever I was with at the time, would gather round and challenge each other. It’s been a while since we pulled out the board games. You’re making me want to make my friends play with me now <3