Sometimes the best dates are the ones that our grandparents used to go on... every once and awhile you have to revert to the classics. We all remember the scene in The Notebook when Noah and Alli meet at the carnival for the first time and Noah makes a fool out of himself to get Alli's attention on the Ferris wheel. Well it's time to act that out for yourself. Take a trip to your local carnival, county fair, or in our case board walk and have good old clean fun! Nate and I walked the boardwalk holding hands before ducking into an old photo booth to take a few pictures and steal a few kisses. Then we made it to the end of the pier where we played all of the classic boardwalk games. Nate finally won me a stuffed rabbit at the game where you shoot water into a clowns mouth until the balloon behind their head bursts and squirts water everywhere. (In case you were wondering I let him win of course because my squirt gun skills are far superior to his but don't tell him I told you so wink wink.) Then we bought funnel cake, candied apples, cotton candy and two tickets for the Ferris wheel. We looked at the whole boardwalk and ocean while we were stuck at the top and exchanged sticky cotton candy kisses. As we came down from the ride and the boardwalk slowed down as the night ended we walked on the beach watching the moon hit the ocean and enjoying every minute of it. You have to slow down and pay attention to each moment you have together or else the magic of it all will pass you by.
(this doesnt have to be by a pool just any where outside) put down a table cloth and my favorite placemats, set half of the tealights a float in the pool and the other half all around the table. Then I pulled the pedals off the roses and tossed them in the pool, on the table, and then made a path with them leading to the table. I put pretty throw pillows on the lawn chairs by the pool and then brought out the food as Nate arrived. He was stunned by the romantic setting that cost me under $20 to pull together. It made a normal dinner at home one of the most special times we've ever shared together. Once we were stuffed we layed in the lounge chairs to look up at the stars and hold hands. As we laughed and star gazed my brother snuck outside and lit fireworks that we had left over from the 4th of July and made it feel like a movie. Wether you have a sweet brother who will light fireworks for you and your loved one or not I highly recommend star gazing. Looking up at the vast ski's make you talk of things bigger than yourself and adds just the right amount of corny to the night. 
Although it is work pulling together a night like that it really only took an extra hour to go the extra mile and it was so worth it. Taking the time out to do something special for someone you love is what it's all about.
