Update May 1st, 2013:  I have linked up again to this week’s Encourage One Another Wednesday Link-up on Deep Roots at Home.  Linked up are my posts: Mini Road Trip Date Idea and Realizing My Purpose.

Update May 8th, 2013:  I’m making a habit of linking up to Deep Roots at Home again for this week’s Encourage One Another Link Up with my Even-Steven & Leprechauns & Unicorns post.

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I know I love to see fun-looking date ideas, and everyone seems to like when I post them here.  I thought I’d share one of my favorite dates.  I’ve posted about something sort of similar before.  One of our favorite things to do is go on a mini road trip.  We like to go places, mainly rural areas or places with a small town atmosphere.  If you like that as well, maybe you’ll pick up something useful from what I say in this post.

What I mean by a mini road trip:  For us, a mini road trip is one of two things.  Sometimes we go somewhere interesting within one or two hours of home.  Sometimes four hours.  Anything that doesn’t necessitate an overnight stay is a mini road trip.  It isn’t too terribly far way, or out of the way.  Not a lot of trouble and doesn’t require very much expense, but has all the fun of getting away for a bit.

There are two main ways to work in a mini road trip.

1. Drive somewhere an hour or two away.  I think this is the best option for most people.  If you live together, or close to each other, this will be the way to go for a day trip.
2. Going somewhere?  David and I are long distance.  He lives in Indiana and I live in Kentucky.  He comes to pick me up when I go up to Indiana to visit.  It’s a four hour drive.  This is a great opportunity for a date like this, because the drive, complete with its expenses, is already happening.  Adding in a little fun or sight seeing isn’t really much of a strain in time or expense.  This could also work for you if you’re going somewhere to visit family, or for business, or something of that nature.  You can find places to go along the usual route, or take another route, maybe a bit more out of the way than your usual.  Maybe sometime try going somewhere without getting onto the interstate   Just leave a little early and you’ll be creating a window of time for your date.

Day trip or weekend?

There are advantages for making your mini road trip a day trip, or spending the weekend away.  Either way of fitting in a mini road trip can be turned into a weekend away, either spending the night at your final destination, or halfway.

Day trips don’t require as much time or money as weekend trips.  They are easier to find time for.  They are easier to plan.  You don’t have to spend as much money; you typically won’t need to save for them, at least not for too long and you can do a lot with a lot less money.  This might also mean you can do this more often.

Weekend trips typically cost more money, and may require more planning.  But, they do have their advantages.  You’ll have more time for the two of you.  It will feel more like a vacation.  You might be able to take your time a little more; as a result, you might be able to see more,see something farther away from where you live, or do something that takes even as much as a full day, or two days.  Maybe attend some sort of event or festival.

Planned or unplanned?

Whether the trip is 1 hour away or 4, whether day or weekend, it can be a planned trip or an unplanned trip or somewhere in between.

Planned trips might be best if you have a steady schedule, especially if your life is very scheduled.  It can also be good when money is a bit tight, because you can save up in advance for the trip and know that it won’t leave your wallet empty.  You’ll know that you are going to have fun, and you won’t have to worry about whether you have enough money to do something when the time comes.  Basically, this gives you the advantage of avoiding unpleasant surprises.  If you plan where you’re going in addition to when, you can even be reasonably sure that you will enjoy what you eat, know that there are plenty of things you are interested in, etc.

Unplanned trips have their own advantages as well.  They’re great for when you don’t know your schedule, or for when you have some unexpected free time on your hands.  Sometimes things get very busy and you don’t know when you’ll get to spend a great deal of time just the two of you.  You can still get away for a while.  You just plan to go on a little trip when you get the time, and whenever that happens, you hop in the car and go.  There are also other advantages to unplanned trips.  You might discover things or places that you like which you wouldn’t have known about before, and there’s always that sense of adventure.

Planning Tips

• Find a place to start from.  Maybe you want to start with how long your trip will be or driving distance.  Maybe you have a specific place in mind that you want to go.  Maybe you want to start with what you’re most interested in doing…  Are you most interested in restaurants, outdoor activities, sightseeing, historical points of interest, museums, aquariums, amusement parks, or festivals?  These are all things to think about if you’re planning one of these trips, but you only need to know the answer to one to begin with.  They make a great starting point, because once you find one place you want to go, you can see what else is nearby.  This leads me to my next tip.
• Check out what is along the route to the place you choose.  What is within a short distance?  This is a great way to add to your trip without adding very much expense or hassle.
• If you’ve chosen a city or attraction in specific, see if they have a website.  Those sorts of sites will typically give you a list or links for local or regional attractions.
• Try using a search engine to find attractions near your city or the city you want to visit.
• See if there is a tourism website for your region.
• If you like the outdoors, nature, or just great views, I recommend state park websites.  Most states have one site where you can find information for all the state parks in your state.  Many times, they will also be searchable by region or even activities or lodging (which is good for a weekend trip).
• Try Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, or something of the like.  You can find attractions, restaurants, and lodging there.  If you type in something such as “restaurants in Kentucky,” you can zoom in, and as you do, it will show you the places closest to that area.  If you like little places that might not be well known, you’ll want to check out all the little dots, without letters.
• Websites like Trip Adviser, Urban Spoon, and Yelp can often tell you about places  you might not otherwise know about.  They also have reviews!  That can be helpful.  Just be advised to take what is said with a grain of salt.  Sometimes, I have seen terrible reviews for places I have actually been to before and been very satisfied with.  We all know some people just like to complain, and the internet just brings that out a bit more.  Use common sense.
• If you’re a fan of tiny towns or the road less traveled by, you may be having trouble finding what you’re looking for; sometimes these places will have a chamber of commerce website, a website for their main street, or a historic district.  Sometimes these sites have a list of businesses or historical sites you might be interested in.  These places may also be mentioned briefly in regional or state tourism sites.
• Check out blogs that are local, travel blogs or foodie blogs.  I recently saw a travel blog, here on WordPress, that you might want to check out if you live–or travel–in Kentucky, called My Old Kentucky Road Trip.  I think these types of blogs are great.  They can give you a fresh look at the place you call home, and keeping your trips local can contribute to local businesses.

I know David and I are planning to have a fun adventure on our way up to Indiana this next visit.  It’s one of our favorite things, as I have said in a previous post.  It’s something for us to look forward to while we’re apart.  We can make the most of our time together without interruptions.  We know we’re going to have fun, and these dates make for great memories.  It’s something to look back on and laugh about.  It’s something I hope we’ll be carrying into our future together for years to come.

I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.–Marylin Monroe

It’s all right for a woman to be, above all, human. I am a woman first of all.–Anais Nin

I am not a feminist, Hank. I am Peggy Hill, a citizen of the Republic of Texas. I work hard, I sweat hard and I love hard and I gotta smell good and look pretty while doing it. So, I comb my hair, I re-apply lipstick thirty times a day, I do your dishes, I wash your clothes and I clean the house. Not because I have to, Hank, but because of a mutual, unspoken agreement that I have never brought up, because I am too much of a lady.–Peggy Hill, King of the Hill

Some women were made. But me, myself, I like to think that I was created for a special purpose, and what’s more special than you? You feel me?–Ego, Beyoncé

We both like classic movies.  I have always loved them much more than modern movies.  Don’t get me wrong, I like modern movies, and there are a few I’d watch over and over, especially animation, but don’t get me started on that.  It’s not what we’re here for.  Classic movies are movies I watch over and over.  Movies I treasure.  I can tell you all about so many of them.  Growing up, I was strongly influenced by them.  I had the biggest crush on Clark Gable, I wanted to dance like Ginger Rogers, sing like Ava Gardner.  Most of all, I wanted to find a man someday who would take me in his arms and kiss me the way Humphrey Bogart kisses Lauren Bacall.  Without saying too terribly much, let me just say, mission accomplished.  So, you can see why I love classic movies, and they make a fantastic date night.

With Valentine’s Day here, I thought I’d share a list of some classic movies with you that I like.  Some we have in our collection, some I hope to acquire in the future.  If you’re still looking for last minute date ideas, this just might work for you.  Maybe go out for dinner and then snuggle up and watch a movie afterward, or just order in and stay snuggled up.

Romance:

Suspense:

A little something for the men:

And it’s entirely possible we will be watching…

On Netflix you can find:

• Sabrina
• Funny Face
• Monkey Business
• Charade
• Penny Serenade
• Kiss Them For Me
• The Grass Is Greener
• I Was A Male War Bride
• Move Over, Darling
• McLintock!
• Top ‘O The Morning
• Breakfast At Tiffany’s
• Angel and the Badman

You can also just check out the classics on Netflix.  Instant date with no extra money spent.  If you don’t have a Netflix account, you might be able to do a free trial.

On Hulu you can find: Anything Goes (for something more lighthearted) and The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (for those who like a little excitement).  This will be both instant and free.  There are also some classic television shows available.

You might also want to check out TCM’s schedule, although tonight I think Gone With The Wind will be on soon after I post this, which is not really the movie for men and quite long.  You might want to skip this if you’re looking for a couple’s movie tonight.

If you’d like, you can check out the rest of my Pinterest board where I’m keeping a list of classics I like.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post.  I really do love classic movies, as you can see.  If you haven’t watched any, maybe this will inspire you to give them a try.  If you do love them, maybe you’ve found a new one you’d like to watch or to add to your collection.

If you’re still looking for that last minute date suggestion for Valentine’s Day, you can still get started on this one.  Some of the movies listed from my Pinterest board may be available to rent on Amazon, you’ll just have to check.  But if you’re not looking to spend or just don’t want to bother, the movies I’ve listed from Netflix are all movies I’ve watched and enjoyed, and there’s always Hulu.   Hope this helps.

If you’re in a long distance relationship, you can still have that date tonight.  Pop some popcorn, stream a movie, and chat as you watch.  Make sure to have a blanket to keep things warm and snuggly.

Who knows, if you enjoy yourself, maybe you can make this date a regular occurrence.  David and I have.

All my best wishes for the couples and the singles on Valentine’s Day and throughout the year.

I thought I’d post a little collection, all in one place, of some posts I have written in the past that I think might be of interest with Valentine’s Day approaching.

• Inexpensive Gift Ideas:  Valentine’s Day:  I made a little list of suggestions for very inexpensive Valentine gifts for both women and men.  These are gifts that I honestly would appreciate, or would honestly give.
  
• Inexpensive Valentine Date Ideas:  This is just what it sounds like.  A list of inexpensive date ideas I compiled in anticipation of Valentine’s Day.  Just because you are short on funds doesn’t mean you can’t give your time and attention to that special someone, and show them that you have put some thought into making it a special day or night for the two of you.  In this case, I really think it’s truly the thought that counts.
• Making a Valentine Card:  Leave the Macaroni in the Pantry:  In this post I explain how I like to make cards as an adult, and give some suggestions and ideas for making one yourself.
• 10 Not-So-Lovely Love Songs:  When you think about it, and really listen to the lyrics, some “love songs” just aren’t very loving at all.  I made a list of some.  I think this could be a good post for those who are single on Valentine’s Day.
• Late Shift Date Night Ideas:  This post is recent.  I thought I would include this post for those who may be working late this Valentine’s Day.

I suppose I could have written some new posts for Valentine’s Day, but I’ve been very busy getting ready for it this year!  Hopefully this post will be interesting, maybe helpful.

I also encourage you to check out her blog by clicking this button, taken from her blog.

David tends to work late shifts.  He has enjoyed a few jobs in which he worked a later shift, and his current employment has him leaving work most nights between 8 PM and 9 PM.  His schedule really works well in a lot of ways, but it does present some unique considerations in terms of spending time together, especially going out together.

Late shifts lend themselves just as well toward going out for drinks, going to clubs, and going out on the weekends.  However, David and I don’t really have much use for clubs.  They’re just not our thing.  I believe he may have outgrown them, and run out of use for them now that he has me.  I just never was interested in them.  We like places that are conducive to conversation.  I also do not drink, and David is more a drink with dinner sort.  I’m sure there are more like us, so with that said, I have some advice.

You might suggest that one could have a date together before work.  To some extent that is true, but, I find that doing anything before work can feel more rushed than doing something after work.  Even if, as with many jobs, there isn’t a great deal of time then.  The schedule is typically a bit more forgiving.

Of course the obvious solution to an odd schedule and late, sometimes long, hours during the week is to just have dates on the weekend.  Weekend dates are great, and I have plenty to say about those.  But, we like to try to find time together during the week.  The best way we’ve found to do this is to have dinner together.  It’s not usually a glamorous dinner, but we don’t really care about that to be honest.  We just sit down and eat a good dinner we both like, and have plenty of conversation and laughs.  This is great fun, but not everywhere is open by the time David has left work, made it through his commute, and freshened up from a long day at work.  Lucky for you, I have a list of places we like that are open if you have a schedule like this, in order of the ones we like most or visit most.

• Denny’s:  Open 24/7:  They have breakfast food all day, and also some nice dinner options.  Can I just say that breakfast for dinner is right at the top of my list?  We almost always get breakfast, and I’m very picky about my breakfast, but they do it right.  I don’t care for their sausage, though, so I typically substitute bacon.
• Steak ‘n Shake:  Open 24/7:  Inexpensive, perfect for odd hours, and I think this restaurant appeals to my affection for the 1950′s.  I was surprised that I actually like their chili.  That’s saying something for me.  I haven’t had anything I didn’t care for at all.
• Little Caesars Pizza: The one we go to is open until 10 PM except on Friday and Saturday, when it is open until 11 PM.  This food isn’t everyone’s idea of a good date, but it’s great for a movie night, and you can get a pizza for $5.  Their hot and ready pizzas are great for making the most of your time if you don’t have much of it, and it’s great on days that a date might night otherwise be in the budget.
• Domino’s Pizza:  The one where he lives is usually open until around 11 PM.  Some are open–or deliver–until midnight.  The advantage here is that they actually have pasta.  If you want to have a nicer dinner, you can get pasta, put it on actual plates, and have dinner.
• Qdoba Mexican Grill:  The one we go to is open until 11 PM Mon-Sat, 10 PM Sundays.  Filling, not too expensive, and better quality than Taco Bell.  However, just saying, Taco Bell is open later.
• Texas Roadhouse:  Peanuts on the floor, but they’re open until 10 PM Mon-Thurs and Sundays and 11 PM Fri & Sat and they do serve a very good dinner.  I love their rolls, and my steak is always right.  That’s very good in my book.
• Applebees:  The one David takes me to is open until 2 AM Mon-Sat and 12am Sundays.    They have hamburgers, but they also have steaks, seafood, and pasta.  Their maple butter pecan blondie is delicious, but honestly very over priced.  I recommend skipping the dessert.

It’s also fun to cook together if you have the house to yourselves.  If you do this, though, I suggest you make sure you’re prepared to start cooking right after work. Make sure you have all your ingredients handy.

There are a few things David and I like to do during the week to spend a little more time together relaxing and having fun in addition to dinner.

• Go for a drive without a destination.  Talking and sing a longs are the best.  I can’t see much scenery in the dark, but honestly, I think that only makes us like it more, as we really focus on each other.  Still, sometimes we do find interesting things for a day trip this way.
• Have a picnic, weather permitting.  This is especially nice during the summer and is nicely combined with our drives.  We just find a nice place outside to park, hopefully with a picnic table, and eat together.  I love the fresh air.  It really helps me feel grounded and settled when I’m up north in the city with him.  (I jest a bit, but I’m sort of serious.)
• Movie night.  Watch a favorite movie or rent a new one and cuddle up together. Netflix is also great for this.
• Game night.  Choose a favorite board game or video game and play just one game, or if you’re more competitive, best two out of 3.

These things don’t necessarily mean staying up later than intended.  They leave time to just be lazy together.  One thing that I find is true about spending time together during the week is that I typically don’t like to do things that keep us out or busy right up until time for bed.  I like to have some time to unwind and just sit in the quiet or cuddle before it’s time to go to sleep.  I’d even go as far as to say that it makes for more restful sleep and a better feeling of closeness for me.  We are so pressed for time, I really like to spend it wisely.

The weekends are the best way to spend our time together wisely.  David works one or two Saturdays a month, but he gets off in the early afternoon those days, which does leave time for some nice dates.

• If the weather is right, we sometimes like to have some lunch and spend the better part of the day at the park, then maybe watch a favorite DVD and go out for dinner later on.  If the weather is hot, there might be ice cream involved.  In cold weather, we’ll often grab a coffee.
• The thing that we really love to do, which keeps things exciting for us and helps us spend quality time together without interruption, while building fantastic memories is to pick out a place near us and go for a day trip.  For more information about that, check out this post about a day trip we took one weekend.  If you’re concerned about the money for something like this, set aside even as little as 10 dollars from each pay check, and you’ll be able to do something different, and maybe a little bit special, without worrying.  Smaller cities or towns often offer better prices for things.  As well, try eating lunch rather than dinner at restaurants that might cost more.  Often, it will be considerably more inexpensive.

Date nights are a little different for us for a lot of reasons: his hours at work, his commute, and our long distance relationship among them.  It really makes good use of my frugal nature, and helps us find plenty of creative ways to make the most of our time together.  I hope this post is interesting or helpful for someone.  I know people tend to like my date idea posts.

I’m talking about cold cream.

Cold cream was very popular in the 1950s.  My grandmother used it throughout her life.  My mother used it at one time.  In recent decades, however, cold cream has not exactly been popular with the younger generation.  Still, I am a sucker for good old fashioned beauty and fashion tips and tricks.  More and more, I just love these ways of doing things, and really believe in them.  The women of the past were beautiful, and had such pretty skin.  My grandmother had soft skin well into her old age.  I always admired how beautiful she was and hoped I would be too.  If these things worked for them for all those years, I just have to believe they could work for me as well, and I have not been disappointed.

So, I was inspired to try cold cream.  I did a little research online.  I went to Dollar General (a great place to go if you like the old fashioned beauty products) and saw a 15 ounce jar of Jergens All-Purpose Face Cream.  I read the label, smelled the product, decided to think about it a bit more, did some more research, read reviews, and finally decided to try it.

Image from DollarGeneral.com

Now that I’ve shared how happy I am with the results I’ve gotten from using this face cream, I’ll share some information about it.

First, I will talk about the size and price.

The jar of face cream is 15 ounces.  To give you some idea of how big the jar is about 4 inches tall, roughly four inches across, and approximately 12 inches around.  My jar of cold cream cost $3.75.  I do believe the same jar is $3.50 at Walmart where I live.  From what I understand the cost is usually somewhere between 3 and 6 dollars.  The price on drugstore.com is $3.99 and the price on walgreens.com is actually $5.49.  This face cream is also sold in a 2 pack on Walmart’s website and in a case elsewhere online.  I think this is a really great value.  It’s a multipurpose product and if you don’t use it as liberally as I do, you can keep it quite a while.  You get a lot of product for your money.  I recommend checking the price at your local Walmart or Dollar General, however.  While the price will still be lower than other creams, with more product, at other stores, it would be silly to overpay by as much as 2 dollars if you don’t have to.

Next, from the back of the jar:

Description/Uses

Deep cleans your skin to remove makeup and dirt and provides a radiant, dewy base for makeup.  Also softens and moisturizes to help smooth skin and fight dryness.

I can say that for me, this is absolutely true. What I really didn’t think about when I decided to try this is that it truly does give a smooth, dewy base for makeup. I would describe it as a healthy glow. My makeup doesn’t look at all oily, but I just feel that it brings life to my face.

Directions for Use

Smooth generously over your face and throat.  Remove with a tissue or leave on overnight.

Ingredients: Mineral oil, water, beeswax, magnesium aluminum silicate, sodium borate, fragrance, isopropyl myristate, DMDM hydantoin, and red 4.

Mineral oil, water, and beeswax are, traditionally, the three main ingredients in cold cream.  Mineral oil and water cleanse the skin.  Mineral oil moisturizes the skin.  Beeswax forms a protective barrier on the skin and makes skin care products longer wearing.  Mineral oil is the most important active ingredient.  You may or may not know that ingredients are listed on packaging in order from the ingredient present in the greatest to least percentages.  I consider it to be a very good sign that these are the most prevalent ingredients, listed first on the label.  I also consider this to be a better choice than some other cold creams listing alcohol early on in the ingredients.

Here is a closeup from Christmas Eve. Here, I had used the cold cream as a cleanser, moisturizer, and makeup base. I know it isn’t Christmas anymore, but this is a recent photograph.

How I Use Cold Cream

Face:  I use cold cream on my face as a cleanser, makeup remover, moisturizer, makeup base, or face mask.  To use as a cleanser or makeup remover:  I apply the cold cream generously all over my face (including my eyelids), the front of my neck, and my earlobes the way you’d normally wash your face with soap, in small circles.  I then use a facial tissue to remove the excess cold cream.  If I’m using it as a makeup remover, I gently rub until I see the makeup dissolving and mixing with the cold cream, and then wipe clean.  If you do feel unsure after you wipe it off, you can repeat this process, but it’s usually unnecessary for me.  For use as a moisturizer, or makeup base: I apply a small amount in a thin layer and allow it to penetrate the skin for a minute or two before doing my makeup or going to bed.  I just take this time to do something else.  As a facial mask:  I apply a generous layer of cold cream and wear it during my bath and then wipe it off.  You can also wear it to bed, though I don’t recommend doing it that way if you like your pillow cases.  Also, a note:  Some people like to rinse the cold cream off, I don’t do this as water can actually be drying to your skin–odd, I know–and I want to keep that protective layer that is left behind when I wipe off the cold cream.  As well,  some like to use cotton pads rather than facial tissues to remove the cold cream, but I have tried this and did not find it as effective.

Hands:  On my hands, I use the cold cream as a moisturizer sometimes when I need something very moisturizing or want my hands to be extra soft.  I simply apply a very small amount to my hands, it doesn’t take much.  A little goes a long way, so I only use enough so that my hands glide across each other smoothly.  I have a lot of trouble with the skin on my hands cracking and bleeding, and this really honestly helps without burning and hurting.  However, I typically wind up washing off the excess if I’m going to be eating, going out, or touching things that are fabric.  Again, the cold cream makes a great makeup remover, and I don’t know about you, but I often have makeup on my hands when I’m finished applying it, so I will rub the cold cream on and remove it with a tissue or wash it off.  (It’s actually very hard to get eyeliner or mascara off your hands, and especially out from under your fingernails with soap.)

Feet:  When I use this to moisturize my feet, I typically massage it into my feet, wait just a bit for my skin to absorb it, and then put on some thick fuzzy socks.  (Be careful what socks you use as this might stain.)

Body:  Very rarely if I feel extra ambitious or have a whole lot of skin irritation, I will use this as a body lotion.  When doing this, I allow plenty of time for it to be absorbed into my skin before dressing.  You can put a towel down or wear a bathrobe while you wait.

Cold cream is not just for the ladies.

At one time, cold cream was on men’s faces as well. They used cold cream for pre-shave with a hot towel in order to smooth and clean the skin and soften the hairs. They used it as shave cream. They used it for a moisturizer to keep skin soft and healthy.

I hope this will be interesting for someone, and perhaps it could be helpful for someone who is curious about trying cold cream or who needs to find a gentle, moisturizing cleanser.