Written by Candace on February 7, 2013 | 3 Comments

10 Ways To Laugh Together

A couple of days ago we talked about the importance of laughter in a relationship. I didn’t want to leave you hanging so here are 10 ways that Vitaliy and I get down with the giggles together. We hope it will inspire you to stop what you’re doing and laugh with the one you love. Then hug the one you love. And top it all off with a nice long kiss!

Here we go.

1. Watch a comedy, a comedy act, or romantic comedy together. (Examples: Office Space, Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe, When Harry Met Sally…)

2. Check out Dad’s Are The Original Hipsters. (Website: http://dadsaretheoriginalhipster.tumblr.com/; We particularly love the book.)

3. Watch You Tube videos together. (Examples: My little girl Amaya, Driving in Russia and Single Ladies Skit)

4. Have a dance party at home. (And it ain’t about bringing sexy back! In my experience, the worse you are at it, the funnier. And yes, I’m referring to Vitaliy.)

5. A good ol’ fashioned wrestling match before bed. (Be sure to let him win!)

6. Tickle, tickle! (A tickle fest always ends in a wrestling match and a whole lot of laughter.)

7. Play the part. (I’ve definitely made myself look like a grandma to get a good laugh out of Vitaliy. And he has been known to hike his pants up and play a nerd from time to time.)

8. Reminisce about embarrassing stories you’ve had with one another. (No, I’m not sharing those with you!)

9. Tell your love story to someone. (It will make you laugh and make you fall in love all over again.)

10. Tag – your it! (Why do you think we played this in grade school? It’s fun and flirty! No reason to stop now. This could easily result in #5 and #6.)

What makes you laugh? Please share some ideas below!

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Written by Candace on January 30, 2013 | 2 Comments

Date Night Idea:
Beer Tasting

Vitaliy and I often let our environment inspire date night ideas for us.

On a recent trip to Portland, we couldn’t help but notice the plethora of pubs, lounges, and tap rooms. We realized that if we truly wanted to experience Portland as a local, we needed to do a little beer tasting. And let me tell you, it definitely rivals wine tasting in my book.

We started our tasting at Bailey’s Tap Room. We opted for the smaller glasses so that we could taste in moderation. I loved the big windows at Bailey’s, which gave us street side views of the city while we sipped and savored our drinks. They had board games to enjoy which always keeps a date night fun. And here’s our little tip, bring along your own bar snacks just in case. We had some left over roasted peanuts from our road trip that I grabbed from the car. They were the perfect complement to our brew!

Though we enjoyed Bailey’s, Deschutes Brewery took home the Best Beer award for the night. Our waiter suggested we try the Red Chair, stating that it was the best beer in the world. In the world? We were intrigued by such a statement and after just one taste we could see why. It was fantastic! I paired it with a pretzel with cheese and Vitaliy got a sausage link with sauerkraut. But unlike the beer at Bailey’s, we could have drank the Red Chair without any accompanied snacks. It was that good!

Here are a few other date ideas inspired by Portland:

Enjoy a bike ride downtown.
Try out a hipster hotel.
Visit your city’s famous food joint.

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Written by Candace on September 21, 2012 | 4 Comments

Armenian
Food Festival

This past week, Vitaliy and I attended the Annual Armenian Food Festival & Bazaar in San Francisco.

My BAF (Best Armenian Friend) Tamar invited us and I happily accepted. There are two things that I love in life – food and culture. Combine those two things and you are destined for a great evening. And let me tell you, the Armenian Food Festival did not disappoint.

I had warm sandwiches outside and followed it up with a cafeteria style dinner inside. Of course, I don’t remember any of the names that correspond with the dishes, but I do remember the flavors. We ended the evening at their dessert bar and took ours to go so we could have a little slice of Armenian when we arrived home.

Besides the good food, you could easily see that the festival was really about the people. We enjoyed traditional Armenian dance. And as I scanned the area, I couldn’t get over the beauty of the Armenian people. But what was even more remarkable was how connected everyone seemed to be. You would have thought it was one big family reunion. And though we were outsiders ourselves, they made us feel like we were party of the family.

If you are local to the area, you must check out the Armenian Food Festival next year. It’s a unique and fun date idea. And even if you’re not local, cities all over America have cultural festivals. I’m positive there’s one in your area. Check it out! You’ll enjoy some new food and get to experience a new culture.

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