This year my husband and I said goodbye to costly gifts and hello to handcrafted romantic dates in our pursuit to prove that thoughtfulness is the reason for the season. Last week we decided to host a competition and here were the rules: We both had to plan a date for each other from scratch (not on the website) and for under $50 (wallet friendly). We have posted our date nights below and you get to vote for the winner!

MOLLY'S FRIDAY NIGHT FROLIC:

Planning a date for under $50 in San Diego is easy because there are so many free outdoor activities in our sunny city! And with all the coupons floating around for venues trying to get people in the door on a slow night… this will easily be a home run. Oh, wait. My pre-selected night of play is a Friday night… and it’s supposed to rain!

It didn’t just rain- it poured.  Could I call the game due to weather?

Ok, so my original wallet-friendly date night strategy was a little more “thoughtful” than how it played out in reality... it involved a picturesque picnic on the stage of the Spreckel’s Pavillion with wine, sandwiches and the sounds of people filling Balboa Park for an evening stroll (alcohol is allowed in the park from 8am – 8pm! But no glass.) I even gave Adam a small gift- a customized travel mug with my picture and “Molly’s #1 Fan!” printed in bold! I expected that we would be walking hand in hand (with hot chocolate in the other hand) as we enjoyed the holiday lights from Laurel Street bridge.

But even with the last minute switch, I feel like my date night should take home the trophy!

As soon as Adam got home from work we threw on comfortable clothes and headed to a new cupcake lounge (these are very trendy right now), Babycakes in Hillcrest. Tucked away on 5^th Avenue right before you get to the main strip, its inviting storefront is just as tempting as the tasty treats awaiting you inside.  My idea was that we would split a cupcake and get a hot chocolate for Adam’s new mug (also a coffee mug for work… and a constant reminder of how thoughtful I am)… but after giving him his gift- we both ordered a glass of wine, true to form.  What a sweet start to our date. (The Chocolat Cremerie on the corner of 5th and University looks incredible... a little more upscale than Babycakes- think clean lines and trendy ambiance, but we haven't tried it yet... so let us kow your thoughts!)

I couldn’t wait to show Adam the highlight of my game plan because it was truly tailored for him… Fridays at the Fleet!  Every Friday night the Rueben H. Fleet Science Center shows IMAX movies for only $8.50 a person. Before we got there I was very excited for Adam because he loves science- but glad I had a glass of wine because I was sure I was going to be bored- Science? Yuck. Movies? Yawn… boy was I wrong! If you’ve never been to an IMAX film you are missing out. You feel like you are flying- it’s like a movie theatre on steroids. And the movies are only 45 minutes to an hour long, perfect for my short attention span.

Thank you Prado Restaurant for conforming your happy hour to my date night! Next, we went to the Prado’s late happy hour from 8pm – 10pm for wallet conscious wine and food. With $3.50 drinks, free hummus and flatbread, and a deal-icious lounge menu… we spent the evening escaping the rain and having great conversation cuddled in the warmth of festive decoration. The only thing missing was a functioning fireplace!

Total:  $51. Really $49 if you don’t count the $2 I gave a lonely looking homeless man braving the cold, wet weather in the park. I guess I just felt lucky to have had the opportunity (and the $50) to plan a romantic Friday night in the rain… Game. Set. Match.

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