TEN DATES / 07

for our seventh date with HowAboutWe, we took the whole clan down to the lower east side to check out economy candy for a fun scavenger hunt. family date! (of all the dates we've been on, this was one of brandon's most favorite.) it happened to be the day before easter, so not only was the place jam packed, it was also kind of exciting in an added, magical, "kid in a candy store" kind of way, remembering all our past easter baskets as kids as we poked through all the old-school candy i could have sworn you couldn't find anymore... not to mention all the harry + the hendersons trading cards...

HowAboutWe has been sending us on ten dates this year to help us celebrate our tenth year of marriage (can you believe how old we are, crap). we have had the time of our lives with this project. we always look forward to the next date on the calendar, and browse through the date listings here and there on our own to boomark dates that look like fun. brandon will sometimes come home from work after a day where i've been poking around on the site and say, "hey, archery lessons in queens! yes!" shopping for the date has been half the fun. and i just love how it's gotten us out of our comfort zone and into new situations and neighborhoods. instead of asking a bunch of our friends for their recommendations and making phone calls and trying to piece together an activity, you just surf around and click "book this date." it's like having a good friend in the city who's been to all the fun stuff, knows how to set it up perfectly, and then does it for you. 

like.... economy candy! we got there and the owners of the shop were ready for us. it was fun to meet them, i had no idea what a family operation the place is. it's recently been handed off to their son, who has his work cut out for him, the place is crazy busy, and mom + pop were there that day just to help out with the holiday crowds. they handed us our baskets and rules, and off we went. basically we were just poking through the stuffed aisles of sugar looking for specific candies that we then got to take home free of charge. (we also bought a good six pounds of miscellaneous candy that we haven't gotten to the bottom of yet.) while we were there we bumped into a few of our friends out on an easter candy run, huck charmed the pants off the owner and got himself a free t-shirt, plus chocolate covered marshmallow peeps. what more could you want out of a family date? (HowAboutWe has an entire section of family-friendly dates!)

once our candy quota for the entire year had been hit we went down the street to the meatball shop for an early dinner. and on the way there i was surprised to see THIS! (felicity nerds, get ready...)

EPSTEIN'S BAR! 

it's real! 

so. 

for dates eight through ten we're doing something extra special, kind of an early 11th wedding anniversary, in the catskills. i already can't wait. 

this post was sponsored by HowAboutWe. want your own date night? it's free to browse the dates on HowAboutWe. and if you want to give it a whirl, click HERE for $50 off your first date (new members in active markets only: NYC, SF, LA, Chicago + Seattle)

on me: jeans / sweater / shoes / bag