Just because the weather outside is frightful, that doesn’t mean your love life has to be. Don’t let the cold temperature deter you from getting to know that special someone. In fact, chilly air and falling snowflakes can provide a very romantic setting. All you need to do is make your plans more winter-friendly and you’ll be on your way to creating a heart-warming romance in no time. Here are some ideas for cold-weather dates:
First Date
The first date is like the initial job interview: if you don’t impress during that first meeting, the odds of getting any more opportunities to display your greatness are slim. Also like a job interview, the first date should allow you to get to know one another. Long gone are the days of going to a movie, where you are unable to talk at all.
Think about a setting which will allow you the opportunity to talk freely and without pressure, while still enjoying a structured activity. Having a plan (any plan!) is important, because nothing is worse than finding out that the person who asked you out has absolutely nothing in mind. Aimless wandering can often lead to awkward silences and uncertainties.
A prime first-date activity may be ice-skating—which also can provide an opportunity to hold onto one another. Bundling up in warm clothing and visiting the zoo is another option. You won’t want for conversation while talking about favorite animals or funny stories of past zoo visits as a child (everyone has at least one). If you want to plan something more original, surprise your date with the gift of a warm scarf or hat (as well as a travel mug of hot cocoa), and take a walk through a Christmas village, corn maze, or just around your city. If the chill is not your ideal setting, move indoors to a coffee shop for warm beverages.
Second Date and Beyond
By this time, you have both acknowledged that you’re at least kind of interested in one another. The atmosphere can, therefore, be a little more relaxed and casual. If you’re adventurous and want to be outside, try building a snow fort or sledding. If you prefer to enjoy the cold weather from inside a warm house, plan for a fun, cozy evening: watch movies and drink hot chocolate; bake cookies or other goodies which can be given as holiday gifts; or, build a jigsaw puzzle while listening to music.
If you feel awkward about inviting your date over for the first time (or worried about giving him or her the, um, wrong idea), try organizing a game night. Invite a good mix of friends to come over—four or six would be the ideal game-playing number. Ask each person to bring at least one board game and one appetizer (or dessert). The crowd will ease the pressure of spending an intimate evening alone, while still giving you time together (especially if you play a game which requires teams).
Congratulations! You have finally secured the phone number of the man or woman of your dreams. All you have to do is come up with a fantastic first date to blow him or her away. But if you are like millions of other Americans right now, you don’t exactly have dating worked into your tight budget.
Good news, though: Mr. or Ms. Right is probably struggling too, and will likely prefer a low-key date, as well. However, if you feel strange about “cooking” a meal of peanut butter sandwiches or fishing for pennies in a fountain together, create such an elaborate date that he or she will never realize how little you spent.
Cook for Your Date
This is easily the best way to avoid spending money without seeming cheap. Ask friends for suggestions on their favorite recipes or search through your own. While you will have to buy ingredients, the overall cost will be much less than if you were to dine out. A spin-off of this idea is to prepare all the fixings for a picnic and dine in a park.
Look Around Your City
Large metropolitans often have public gardens, art museums, outdoor movie viewings, or other events at a discounted rate for residents. Start with your city website, check on its calendar for possible ideas. If you can’t find any scheduled events, just walk around the city and take the sights in.
Take a Hike
This is a good way to not only save money, but to also get a lot of one-on-one time with your date. While walking along a quiet trail, you can have a great conversation without feeling like you are at an interview. A word to the wise, though: your date will need to know of your plan beforehand, lest she shows up wearing high heels and a mini-skirt.
Bring Your Own Date
Is a friend having a party that night? Take your date with you. However, this option can be tricky, if you are not careful. Don’t abandon your date to talk with your friends. Wherever you go, he goes. Also, while a dinner party or barbeque would be a splendid place to bring a date, a kegger or frat party is not. Be mindful that you are, in fact, on a date at all times.
Coffee Time
Coffee dates have increased in popularity over the years, tying with “grabbing a drink” for the best informal type of date. Either you are meeting in the afternoon when hard liquor is just not as appealing, or you have already eaten and are meeting for a nightcap. Whatever the time, sitting at a coffeehouse is ideal for getting to know someone. There is no pressure to hurry, it is usually quiet, and it won’t strike your date as an odd place to meet. Finally, you will both be so hyped up on caffeine (and a good dose of nervous energy), that the date will never experience the usual awkward pauses.
As the years crept by, something else was creeping even more subtly: your hairline. Maybe you have been watching its progress with growing horror or maybe it snuck up on you seemingly overnight. You see the increasing surface area on your scalp and you worry about it making you look older or undesirable.
However, that is not the case at all. You have now joined the ranks of sexy balding men, such as Christopher Meloni, Billy Zane, Jude Law, and even the young Prince William. So what do these men have that manage to draw hordes of women to them (besides money and fame)? Self-confidence. They don’t hide their receding hairlines. They don’t hide their scalps under toupees. And neither should you.
Toupees and comb-overs can be very tempting for the balding man. For the man grasping at straws, a toupee can seem very realistic. However, they rarely look real and can be more trouble than they’re worth. Think of all the horror stories you have heard about a man’s toupee blowing away, falling off, and even being grabbed during a passionate moment. Comb-overs are even worse: they call for a man to have long hair in some areas (which sharply contrasts his bald spots) and they require a lot of creative maneuvering—something men should avoid where their hair is concerned. Most importantly, a comb-over is not subtle. It does not hide your embarrassment: it exaggerates it.
You have undoubtedly heard the phrase, “Fake it ‘til you make it” many times. There is a reason this line is so popular. It is essential to gaining confidence. You may not feel great about your appearance right now, but nobody knows that. Make them think you welcome this change, that you have never felt sexier. If you feel it, others will too.
Take this opportunity to change your hairstyle. For the most part, very short hair is ideal for balding men. This takes the emphasis away from the sparser areas. Try trimming the overall length to less than or about 1.5 inches. The shorter the better, with the exception being smooth shaven—Bruce Willis may be able to pull this look off, but not many others can.
Try to have a sense of humor about it. Donald Trump, who is famously known for his outlandish comb-over, once let Larry King touch his hair on air, proving that it was not a toupee. There are websites dedicated to the “science” of his comb-over. Yet he laughs about this. If you make jokes about going bald, others will see that it doesn’t bother you. However, know when enough is enough. Too many bald jokes and it’ll come across as insecurity. Find the balance between good-natured humor and self-deprecation.
Finally, remember that balding is not an uncommon occurrence. Women are not turned off by a bald head. On the flip side, it can enhance your appearance or give you an “edge.” But the most important way of making sure a woman knows you’re hot is to believe it yourself.
