Written by Candace on May 10, 2013 | 4 Comments

The Cheapest Date Ever

Vitaliy and I once spent less than $3 for a date night.

We spent the evening at a local Peet’s Coffee and ordered a pot of our favorite Lemon Rose tea. We sat across from each other, sipped, and talked. It was nothing elaborate, but we still comment that it was one of our favorite date nights ever. And the funny thing, it was our cheapest date ever.

They’re not all going to be brilliant. There may be weeks when one of you has the time to invest in a detailed plan for the evening. And there may be seasons where you will be able to invest more financially into a night or weekend away. But there will also be times when you are physically or financially depleted. Does that mean date night gets kicked to the curb?

Date nights will look different depending on the season of life. But your relationship always deserves an investment. Because no matter the season, your spouse needs you. And no, it can’t wait for the schedule to slow down or for the bank account to replenish itself. Date night is not about the investment you make into the activity, it’s about the investment you make into each other.

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Written by Candace on March 20, 2013 | 4 Comments

Umami Burger

America is well known for it’s hamburger, but unfortunately, it is grossly misrepresented by McDonald’s.

I grew up eating McDonald’s and every other food chain, but thankfully my palette matured with my age. I am now somewhat of a foodie and much more selective of my beef patties. While on a lunch date in the city last year, we were recommended by a good friend to check out Umami Burger. Let me just tell you, it was love at first bite!

Umami is one of the five basic taste sensations along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. But I swear dictionary.com has it all wrong because to my taste umami seems to be a combination of all the basic taste sensations exploding with a new found sensation of pure awesome-sauce. Speaking of sauce, theirs are all homemade. We recently rummaged through google to find their ketchup recipe to make at home. But nothing I say is going to quite define how incredible this place is so go check it out for yourself.

It’s a perfect spot for a lunch date or dinner date in SF. You can stroll the neighborhood which has lots of cute shops. Umami has even become part of our itinerary when we play tour-guide to friends and family coming for a visit. Here are a few photos we took during a double date with my cousin and his girlfriend when they were in town last.

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Written by Candace on March 13, 2013 | 6 Comments

Play in the Snow

Now that we’re all starting to adjust, I think it’s safe to say that we’re excited about the time change.

Growing up in the Midwest, “springing forward” always meant warm weather was around the corner. The longer days only added to the excitement. But without fail, there was always one more winter storm that would blow into town and remind us that it was still March. And still winter.

If you find yourself in that last dreaded winter storm, here’s a little date idea to help you make the most of it. Soon enough you’ll be in flip flops and splashing in a pool, but until then, enjoy what little winter you have left. I can just hear my mom now – this coming from the girl who lives in California where the average temperature is 60 degrees. I get it!

But nonetheless, if snow arrived on my doorstep today, I’d grab Vitaliy and go outside for a good ol’ fashioned snow ball fight. I suggest you do the same. It just might be your last chance of the season.

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