21 Dates of summer: Dates 20 & 21

So sad to have this series come to its end. Gabe and I were talking about how this series pushed us to do some of the things we have been wanting to do since we moved back to Atlanta. Thankful to have some pictures to hold them in our short term memories as well:)

We love the outdoors, and Atlanta is beautiful at the turn of the seasons. We went to an old favorite spot to listen to some music on their patio, take advantage of free chips and salsa, and of course feed our sweet tooth problem..

It wouldn't have been a complete date series without a little competition. Gabe and I thrive off a little competition with each other. When it comes to any game, it gets serious.

Mario Kart, basketball, and skee ball were all in the mix. We were rolling through that joint like high schoolers. $5.00 can provide an hour of fantastic entertainment. Its pretty cool to be married to your best friend. Can't get enough of that boy.

Thanks for following along this summer! If you are new here, you can check out all 21 dates here. If you blogged about one this summer, leave a link in the comment section below! (Was going to do a link up section but they expire:/) I can't wait to see some of the dates you all went on. 

Love, Anna

21 Dates of Summer: Dates 17, 18, and 19

I realized that each one of these dates revolved around food. That says something about us...

We love to stuff our faces at every opportunity we get. Truth.

(Scarf via Deloom Boutique)

After New York, Gabe got a severe case of poison Ivy (as you can see on his knee) and we couldn't so much as hold hands for days. Brutal I tell you.

It was a crazy week for both of us so when we got the chance to get away all we wanted to do was sit outside and have some time to catch up with each other - the kind of time when the little ones aren't tugging on your legs or trying to talk over you to be apart of the conversation;) 

Atlanta Bread Co. had this beautiful outdoor patio area - I was very impressed.

We had a movie night which was the perfect excuse to make up our own popcorn recipe.

We made caramel popcorn following Paula Dean's recipe, except we didn't bake it, just mixed it in a brown paper bag, and topped with fudge and marshmallow cream. Don't even get me started.....divine.

I am a morning person by nature (this could be argued since babies entered the picture), so it was cool to change up the time of day for a date and scope out a bagel joint we had heard about. It was in a random place, but true NY style. Loud and to the point, and the bagels being the size of my face.

A dozen cream cheeses and two dozen bagel flavors, Gabe and I stared for a good ten minutes before deciding which to commit to. We will become regulars no doubt...they were fantastic.

*Next week is the last two dates of this series with the 21st date being on the last official day of  summer on the 21st. The post will be open for you to link up your summer dates to as well! 

21 Dates of Summer: Date 15 & 16

We didn't quite make our 21 dates goal by Labor Day but we might be able to pull it off by the official end of summer on Sept. 21st. We will see! 

One of my favorite dates so far was this one....

This poor guy ended up on a stretcher...

Fried oreos... as amazing as they sound. 

Some of the best bull riders in the nation were at this rodeo. I had a heart attack at least 17 times watching all of these guys nearly get clobbered by a wild horse or bull. Thoroughly entertaining and frightening at the same time! Gabe loved every bit of it. Menfolk..;)

Most of our date photos together come out  blurry but they still capture the memory right?

Our friends generously offered their box seats for a bunch of us to watch a local baseball game. It wouldn't have been a complete summer without a baseball game, right? We cheated on this date and brought the kids;) We wanted Gabriel to see a game! A great way to end the summer.

Only 5 dates left in the series. A reminder that you will be able to link up your summer dates at the finale post! Have a great day ahead. Love, Anna

21 Dates of Summer: Dates 13 & 14

Sometimes, the best kind of date is when you get your favorite junk food (ice cream of course), grab your comfiest blankets, pile them up on the floor, and cozy up to an old classic. Lucky for me, Gabe is a movie guru who always finds a good flick on netflix. This time, he let me pick. Obviously, I chose Sabrina (the Audrey Hepburn version). We both fell asleep half way through in our makeshift campsite on our living room floor. I hope we can still do this when we are old and grey (mind you more pillows and maybe a matress will be required then). Also, this date means no babysitter, and its absolutely free:)

We couldn't find our lantern, so candles did the trick;)

Its always cool to explore your city. Atlanta had their annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival, so we checked out some local artists, and tried a few new food vendors. Popcorn in 20 something flavors was a huge hit amongst the crowds....and with us.

I would love to hear and see some of your fun summer dates, so if you post about one make sure and tune in for the final date post of this series. I will be having a link up:) 

Happy Wednesday!

21 Dates of Summer: Dates 11 and 12

Its no secret that Gabe and I love good grub, so our last two dates were to test out some local spots. We share a mutual obsession with guacamole. The best we ever had was on our honeymoon in Cabo where they had giant plates full for $5.00. Since being back in Atlanta, we have been testing guacamole at various Mexican restaurants to find the best guac. We still have a few places to check out, but Tin Lizzy's is on the top of our list so far. Served in a tin with seasoned crispy chips, their guacamole had just the right kick.....killer. Not to mention the rest of the food served was pretty fantastic. This is a well known popular place to go in the Buckhead/Atlanta area, so there is always a wait. Gabe and I managed to get beautiful weather and minimal wait for back patio seating on a Saturday night. A miracle.

(The one blurry photo we got together- notice a difference on Gabe from the last dates? ;)

(Top c/o Sheinside, Ring and Shades: HM)

Our next goal was to try out a local hole in the wall that was rumored to have amazing gyros. Well folks, lets just say I was not ashamed of the sauce dribbling down my chin as I gobbled the thing down in 5. Amazingness. You would never know by looking at this joint (which is practically hidden next to a Shell gas station) that it was a pretty nice pace inside with friendly Greek waitors and the best darn gyro you can probably get in the south. 

I tell you its the local mom and pop places that turn out to be the best!

Experienced any in your area lately?

21 Dates of Summer: Dates 9 and 10

Summer is slipping through my fingers! This was our last date in St. Louis. We got to go out for dessert with my mom and dad. Since we only see them a few times a year, it was such a treat. I ordered a dessert that was apparently was sized to feed the masses. (I love Cheesecake Factory.) It was so nice to talk with the older and wiser, married for 31 years couple whom we look up to so much.

(Top: c/o Windsore Store, Shorts: H&M)

We have a local antique market that opens only one weekend a month. We love to treasure hunt. Gabe looks for a good pocket knife or an old history book, and I usually hunt for a good furniture piece to fix up. Its awesome to share mutual interests with your spouse, but even when we don't, its good to get into the practice of seeking and encouraging their interests to grow in friendship. Gabe has done a chivalrous job of doing so in our marriage and I am forever grateful to him for it:)

And some fun links for your weekend!:

I am kind of stoked for the olympics. I go crazy for them. That is why I geeked over this infographic.

Quite possibly the coolest ice cream packaging.

Love discovering new blogs like such.

This totally do-able and super cool DIY serving tray.

These ideas for displaying large scale photos are fantastic.

Frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Pie. Enough said.

Happy weekend!

P.S. August sponsor spots are almost full! Email me if you would like a sponsor info package:)

21 Dates of Summer: Dates 6, 7, and 8

(Outfit details here.)

(My love for dancing comes from my dad. He's got the moves. My husband loves to dance as much as me as you can see. )

Our vacation got to start with a big wedding in the family. One of my cousins (I have many!)  got married in Ohio, and not only all eleven of my brothers and sisters and I went, but so did most of my cousins, aunts, and uncles. It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was a party to say the least. Since it was a late one, my sisters and I got a sitter for our babies, and we all got to go sans kids. I highly recommend going to a wedding once in a while with just you and your hubby. (Not always easy to achieve but so worth it!) Its a chance to renew your vows, remember the newlywed love, and then you get to dance and celebrate with family and friends. We had a blast. Wish I would have captured a few more pics of us dancing. We practiced our rhumba moves of course;)

The simplest dates turn out to be the ones we enjoy most. While we were in St. Louis for the rest of the week with my family, my mom encouraged us to sneak out for a bike ride. Just twenty minutes of cruising through their beautiful neighborhood. Not much needed to be said, we just enjoyed the ride.

When my family all gets together, its crazy fun. With 24 people in one house, there is always something going on! Not much sleep happened. ;) We managed to organize a night where all the adults went out to celebrate my sister Madeline's graduation from highschool. If you are from St. Louis, you already know the spot....if not, add The Hill to the top of your list of places to try in St. Louie. This infamous spot has several Italian food joints, and the one we hit up (Cunetto's House of Pasta) was out of this world! I am still dreaming about it...

It has been rough coming off of post vacay and back to reality, so this post was a great escape from my work load, and dirty laundry;) What are you all up to this weekend?? Hope its long and restful!

21 Dates of Summer: Dance Lessons + Front Porch Coffee

Dancing is one of my passions. It runs in my blood. When my sisters and I get together, there is always a dance party involved. Lucky for me, Gabe loves to dance too. I knew Gabe was planning a birthday surprise, but when he told me it was Rhumba dance lessons, I almost cried I was so excited. We have talked about taking dance lessons together since we got married! When I dance, I just move with the beat. Following formal instructions is a whole different experience...

21 Dates of Summer- Date 3: Book Hunting + Trader Joe's

Before we were dating in college, a small group of us friends would plan study time at Barnes and Noble. It would always involve a lot of laughter and ruckus. I dared Gabe once to take a few books and pretend to trip and fall in front of the middle clerk desk. I cried laughing because he pulled it off quite successfully, and the clerk's reaction was priceless. Gabe earned major points that day.

We still love to visit used book stores and Barnes and Noble - we both have an appreciation for a good hard copy book, and consider it treasure hunting...

21 Dates of Summer

My husband Gabe and I were talking over the weekend about all the things we wanted to do this summer. Little things and big things. Outdoors and indoors. So instead of talking about it and maybe only doing a quarter of it, we decided to make it a challenge. 21 dates of summer. This challenge is going to stretch all the way till Labor Day weekend (I am all for making summer as long as possible). Since he is a teacher, the summer gives us more time to spend together. I can't tell you enough how valuable it is to even get a few hours alone together now that we have little ones (I am sure you mamas can relate!). We really try to set aside the time each week for just us, since it helps keep our marriage strong, and in turn, helps us to be better spouses and parents. We will share the fun adventures we have here on IHOD, and hope you will follow along! Maybe it can provide some fun ideas to do with your lovah. ;)....

Date 1: Tennis. When we first started dating, Gabe found out that I loved to play tennis, so despite the fact that he had only played a few times in his life (he is more of a rugby guy), he showed lots of interest in learning. He wanted to find out ways to spend time with me that I enjoyed. One of the first signs I knew he was a keeper. Tennis continues to be a fun thing we enjoy and don't get to do often, so we called our lovely sitter and snuck out for tennis and post-match smoothies:)

Date 2: Farmer's Markets. (Gabe on the far left getting our brown bag full of peaches that are nothing but a memory now..) There are some pretty amazing farmers markets around Atlanta. We wanted to explore a few new ones. Lucky for us, this spot had the best peaches I had the grace of gobbling tasting. 

(Market tote via Fabric & Handle)

What are some of your summer date ideas? We would love to hear!!

P.S. $100 Gift set giveaway for the men in your life on the facebook page today. Head on over!