This Weekend’s Splurge vs. Steal!

It’s been a long week, chickens. So, why not treat yourself with a massage? Couples massage is something Brett and I try to spoil each other with every so often. It’s so much fun, and you feel so amazing afterwards!

This weekend’s Splurge vs. Steal (thanks @MHedman for the idea!) highlights two fabulous places to get a rub down with your sweetie (get your mind out of the gutter!)… One spendy, and the other practically for free! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s Splurge vs. Steal!

Okay, let’s not mess around here. You want a good massage? Well?! DO YOU?!? Then head over to Vida Spa, located in Seattle’s Pan Pacific Hotel. This place is no joke.

The experts at Vida offer a range of body therapies, each offering a unique way to help restore your sense of energy and well-being.

They offer their unique COUPLES SIDE BY SIDE AYURVEDIC SWEDANA  which Detoxifies and Cleanses the system.

After an Ayurvedic massage, you are cocooned in their west coast cedar steam cabinet.

A deeply aromatic sensation enhanced by herbs customized to your dosha cleanses and detoxifies your system. A dry-flour brushing of your entire body stimulates and exfoliates your skin to prevent re-entry of toxins. Be sure to check out the Relaxation Room!

120 min / $520

You deserve to be pampered. Bottom line. But who in their right mind can afford to fork out $100+ every time you have a kink in your neck?

Luckily, every masseuse has to start somewhere. This where just happens to be Cortiva Institute (425 Pontius Ave N, Suite #100, Seattle, WA 98109) in the up-and-coming South Lake Union.

Massages are only $35 AN HOUR! and available by appointment only. To make an appointment please call 206-282-1233 during normal reception hours, Monday – Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Their clinic provides Cortiva students the opportunity to gain the kind of practical experience they will need to be successful as professionals, while still under the supervision of experienced Licensed Massage Practitioners. Cortiva supports the health and wellness of the local community by offering relaxation and treatment massage at a reasonable cost. By utilizing the student clinic, you can afford to maintain your health and wellness while supporting student learning and growth.

Save an extra $5 by booking online HERE! *(not sure they offer “couples massage” but never hurts to ask!)

Other awesome spas in Seattle offering Couples Massage:

Essential Life Therapy ($200/hour for side-by-side couples massage!)

Ananya Spa ($180/hour $220/90 min couples massage!)

Habitude ($212/hour per couple)

Spa at the Woodmark (Kirkland, $270/90 min)

Little Red Day Spa offers a TON of packages tailored for couples! And it’s affordable! WOW! ($200/2 hours and more!)

or! Take a Class! This way, you’ll never have to pay for a massage again!

Happy Dating! xo

*Any great couples massage spas I’ve left off the list? Leave a comment or shoot me an email and I’ll add them!*

Our Valentine’s Day Date Night

Valentine's Day Weekend 2010
Hotel Max and Campagne Restaurant

She Said:

Brett and I decided to stay in the city for Valentine’s Day this year.

Literally: Stay IN the city we did. At Hotel Max, an urban oasis down on 6th and Stewart.

Yes, we realize that we already live in the city, less than a mile away from this hotel. But there’s something fun about sleeping in a bed that is not yours. And not having to make it in the morning. And having a shower in one that’s not yours. And breakfast in bed. OOOOHHHH, BREAKFAST IN BED!

Hotel Max offered us all these amenities and more. It’s not your typical downtown Seattle hotel, so if you’re expecting a 1000 square foot bedroom with a giant flat screen TV, a love seat and huge desk for you to get all of your work done, well, that’s not Hotel Max. And they don’t want to be.

If you DO, however, want an extreme urban feeling (almost as though you are staying in someone’s studio apartment), comfortable beds, old-city architecture, unique and eccentric works of local artists adorning the walls of the room and the lobby as well as on each guest room door in the entire hotel (There are more than 350 original paintings and photographs found throughout their hotel in the lobby, guest rooms and corridors), with sweeping views of the city, blocks from everything you could ever want from Seattle, then Hotel Max is for you.

And, they were offering rooms for only $99 up until last week (They are always offering sweet deals like this!). This INCLUDED valet parking! So of course, Brett and I couldn’t pass up the chance to be a tourist in our own city.

We arrived and left our car outside, entered the historic brick building that is now the Hotel Max (blown away by the artwork and modern feel of the small lobby) and checked in. Heading up to our room on the 8th floor, we noticed the different art on all the doors. What a fun touch!

Upon entering the room, we actually thought there was someone in there – they had left the music on for us! Was a nice little touch, despite the scare of intruding on someone on Valentine’s Day weekend (that could've been BAD!)!

The room was small but efficient, with a huge comfy king bed and little touches here and there to show careful thought was put into each person’s stay at the Max.

Magazines highlighting Seattle’s love and sex scene (February issue of both Seattle Metropolitan and Seattle Magazine), Aveda products in the bathroom, extremely comfy his/hers robes, and not ONLY a pillow menu offering over 8 different types of pillows for your comfort, but also a ‘spiritual’ menu, where they offer not only the traditional standard bible, but every other spiritual literature you can think of – from the Karan to the Book of Scientology!

Thoughtful indeed.

We started the night with a nap in the comfy bed (we had a looong day of snowboarding!) and then started getting ready. I love getting ready in a hotel!

Heading into the night, Brett and I were excited that we could walk ANYWHERE, and dinner was only about 8 blocks away (see the He Said below for Brett’s recap of dinner at Campagne).

The best part about our stay? Red Fin restaurant is just below us, and they deliver food to your room 24 hours a day. That’s right. 4am and you’re hungry? No worries mate.

We took advantage of breakfast in bed. 20 minutes after our phone call and we were eating frittatas and salmon bagels, while sipping on steaming hot coffee. What a way to start off a Valentine’s Day!

Definitely recommend staying here if you venture into the city for a date night. For around $100, you get a true urban experience that not many other hotels in the world are able to match.

Oh! And i found out that Hotel Max was voted #2 in Top 10 sexiest hotels in the AMERICA. If that’s not reason to try it out, I don’t know what is!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

xo,
Mandy

He Said:

Following on from Mandy’s great review, for tea that night we headed down to Pike Place and visited one restaurant you all need to visit immediately. Campagne Restaurant (not to be confused with Café Capagne, located below its sister restaurant [though that’s great as well]).

I have to say this is one of the most romantic restaurants our good city has to offer. Nestled in the European feeling Post Alley, Campagne offers a modern French cuisine, a wine list as long as your arm, a quant and romantic setting and service second to none. First date or 50th wedding anniversary, making a reservation here lads will definitely put you in good graces with your significant other.

Our visit was perfect. Greeted personably by Operations Manager Gordon (Brett! Mandy! Welcome!) we were immediately seated in a corner booth in the lounge, the owners’ favorite.

Kicking things off with 2 fantastic glasses of bubbly, Mandy and I shared the potato gnocchi with braised artichokes and truffle butter $11).

Now I’m gunna be honest, Campagne, well French food in general isn’t the thing you go for if you’re still clinging onto those new year resolutions but it is bloody beautiful. The gnocchi was cooked to perfection, seasoned well and extremely tasty.

For main I had the beef fillet with parsley crusted bone marrow, pommes frites (chips) topped with a red wine jus $37). Let me tell you, there wasn’t a scrap left on my plate. The marrow in itself is good reason to put Campagne on the list.

Mandy had the fish, fennel, apple, lentil ragoût and banyuls emulsion ($31) and it was stunning. Rich flavors of the ragout and apple complimented the light fish perfectly. We shared the mushrooms, spinach, and carrots as sides (each running about $8) and all were delicious, particularly the mushies. Bloody beautiful.

Finishing off the meal we shared an assortment of French cheeses. Not for the faint hearted, all of them were smelly and flavorful.

Basically, Campagne is date night.

Cheers,
Brett

RATINGS:

Campagne Restaurant
www.campagnerestaurant.com
86 Pine Street, Seattle
(206) 728-2800

Romance: 5: Epitome of romance! (That's why we have zero photos of food -- we didn't want to ruin the ambiance of the other diners, it was that nice

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 4: Lovely and very French! Great location in Seattle's kitchy Post Alley

All Around Service: 5: Spectacular! We felt like royalty!

Cost: $$$$ = entrees from $22+ - Pricey, but well worth it for a special occasion! Also, be sure to check them out in March for Dine Around Seattle, where they'll offer a 3 course meal for only $30! SUCH a great deal!

Would we recommend it? 5: Yes! And can we come with you?

Hotel Max - Seattle
www.hotelmaxseattle.com
620 Stewart Street
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 728-6299

Romance: 4: Music as you enter your room ... wide picture windows (you wonder who's looking in on you!) and cozy beds... funky sexy romance!

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 5: One of the coolest hotels I've been to -- definitely a unique design, complete with stunning art and fanciful touches.

All Around Service: 3: They were so busy, and only had one guy working the front desk so the wait was long, but it was Valentine's Day! I'm sure it's not usually that busy, and the poor guy had to work on Valentine's Day! He was very sweet to us.

Cost: There's a special going now for 10% off the best rate, if you book pre-paid! JUMP on that! It's really affordable for right in the heart of downtown, you couldn't ask for a better location!

Would we recommend it? 5: Yes! In fact, I did - my parents stayed there last week and had the time of their lives!

As a side note, follow @Hotel_Max on Twitter to find out all sorts of great deals you can score!

She Said: Okay kids, it's the age-old question: “Do I bring her flowers on our date? Old-fashioned or old-school romantic?”

Is it a good idea to bring flowers to a date? Whether to bring flowers to dates depends on what you think about the date (and what type of signal you want to send to her): who she is, where you’re going, and whether or not you really like her; if you want to play it cool, you might not want to bring flowers because it's a bit old fashioned (or if you’re planning an uber-casual date), albeit thoughtful. If you think your lady is into being pampered, you might want to take some, regardless of whether or not it’s casual.

In my personal opinion, you can never go wrong with flowers! It shows that you took some time out to stop at a store, think about the posies she'd like, and purchase them. Adorable. The best, too, is when they’re unexpected.

What kind of flowers should I bring on a date? The classical notion of bringing flowers to an event is sort of a European thing; one would bring a small bouquet that is hand tied. But really, anything goes. Even just a single rose, although sometimes that shows an even stronger signal than an entire bouquet of Gerber daisies. Get personal: try to find her personality in the flora you choose.

A cute alternative to flowers? Bring her a potted plant or posy. They last longer than flowers and are a bit unusual, unexpected, and silly. Go for a cactus!

Ladies: What do you think? Flowers? No? Cheesy?

Cheap Date Idea of the Week

Who doesn't love cheap wine and cheese? Well, the Tasting Room in Seattle has an event you won't want to miss.

Every Monday, The Tasting Room in downtown Seattle teams up with Beecher's Handmade Cheese to serve their hedonistic version of an old-time favorite, mac-n-cheese, which they pair with some wonderful wines.

Join these two Seattle institutions every Monday at 5 p.m. until they run out.

You can order the mac-n-cheese by itself, or try our it with their wine flight, yum!

How can it get any better tahn a tasting room full of wine... that serves Mac and Cheese! You get 3 half glasses of wine and the mac and cheese for only $12.

Check out @LovingLocalWine's website here for her review, or head over to The Tasting Room's website for more info!

Photos from @LovingLocalWine's fabulous blog!

Cheap Date Idea!

The Space Needle is bringing back their beloved Date Night! And with the weather being the way it has these past few days, this may just be the perfect night for it!

Enjoy!

xo, B&M

Olympics-style Date Night!

February 17, 2009:
Athina Grill and Highland Ice Arena

She Said:

If you’re anything like Brett and me, you’re obsessed with the winter Olympics. Like, OBSESSED. I never remember them being so good! But then again, four years ago when they were in Torino, my only memory of snowboarding was sliding down the bunny hill at Mt. Bachelor at age 16, cold, wet, uncomfortable, and all-together hating life.

Now, after 3 seasons of snowboarding under my belt, I have a newfound appreciation and respect for the skill that goes into some of the amazing feats these athletes (“athlete” is an understatement!) can do under pressure. I can barely do linked turns down a blue run, and Shaun White is taking home two gold medals for executing the most amazing double McTwist in snow sport history. Amazing.

Brett’s been snowboarding for ages and is VERY good, so he’s glued to the TV even more than i am. Which is why he thought it would be fun to have an Olympics-themed Date Night! Brilliant!

We started off with some Greek food (Olympics originated in Greece, you know!) at Athina Grill (528 Queen Ann Ave N, Seattle, (206) 284-3868), a fabulous Greek restaurant on Lower Queen Anne.

This is Brett’s and my go-to place if we want something fast, affordable, and delicious!

The meal began with a glass of house wine each (their house red and white are fabulous!). I always order the Chicken Souvlaki ($9.99), which comes with two chicken skewers (which i usually give to Brett), an amazing carrot and pea medley, pita, a healthy serving of rice, and Tzatziki sauce.

Yum! Brett got a Lamb Souvlaki Pita ($6.99) with a salad to start. Everything came out delicious (as always!) and the waitress there (Suzy, i think) was just fabulous. Very attentive. You can check out Athina's full menu here. Sounds yummy, huh?

After our bellies were full of great Greek cuisine, we headed up to Shoreline’s Highland Ice Arena (18005 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, (206) 546-2431) for a bit of ice skating! If Apolo Ohno can do it, we can do it! He IS after all a Northwest native (born in Federal Way!).

Admittance and rentals came to $19 for both of us – what a steal! The place was pretty shabby, but the ice was cold and frozen, and that’s all we needed!

The rink was crowded, but by no means OVER crowded that we couldn’t have a good time.

I of course have to spread all my limbs out as wide as i can while skating (for balance and fear of dying) so i was happy to find some space on the ice that would allow me to do that. This is what i looked like:

Brett, being from the southern hemisphere and not in direct contact with ice unless he was ordering a snow-cone at the shops, took a little longer to warm up. This is what he looked like (adorable!):

We spent a good hour skating until our ankles hurt. We took turns racing a bit, but realized that all that tricky stuff should be left to the pros like Ohno.

Great food, great fun, FABULOUS people watching (such a diverse crowd at the skating rink, was so much fun to see!)…

We ended the night at home watching Shaun White take home two golds in the half-pipe performance of the century. What an amazing show he puts on!

Now, while we’re no Ohno or White, we still had a blast pretending, and definitely made the US and Australia proud with our feeble attempts!

We HIGHLY recommend this date to any of you looking for something fun and different to do without breaking the bank (but maybe an ankle or two!)!

Go red white and blue!

xo,

Mandy

RATINGS:

Athina Grill + Highland Arena

Romance: 3
Athina isn't the most 'romantic' restaurant, and Highland is CERTAINLY not romantic, but there's something about ice skating with your sweetie that is. So that's why this gets a 3.

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 3: Athina is cool inside. Although it's small, the decorating makes you feel as though you're on the streets of Greece.

All Around Service: 4: Service at the Athina was and always is AWESOME! Highland Ice Arena, well, it's an ice rink. What do you expect?

Cost: $$ = entrees from $8 - 13

Would we recommend it? 5: Yes! We had a blast! It's always fun to do a theme night and this was no exception!

CALLING ALL BABYSITTERS!

Date Night is SO important, but it's not always easy to break away from daily chores, life, and especially KIDS to have some time alone with your honey!

WE WANT TO HELP!

Brett and I want to collect an awesome and credible list of babysitters in the Pacific Northwest so you folks with wee ones have a great resource of reliable help to call to help you out when you need that night away.

So! If you have a great babysitter and are willing to share his or her name with us so others can benefit from a night out with their sweeties, please EMAIL US!

Please include a phone number or email of the babysitter so we can contact them for references.

No one will be listed unless we double check that they are a credible and reliable person to leave your bubbahs with. Trust me.

Thanks all, and happy dating!

Follow us on Twitter!

Hello dear readers!

Can't get enough of Date Night?


Make sure you follow us on Twitter!

You'll find out all the latest and greatest happenings around Seattle -- from restaurant openings to sweet Tweet deals on weekend hotel stays... or even some dating tips we find along the way!

Even some awesomely embarrassing videos of Brett ice skating. Oh yes, they're posted on Twitter.

All the goodies can be found HERE @SeattleDateNite!


xo

This Weekend’s Splurge vs. Steal!

Hello lovely readers! How was everyone’s Valentine’s Day? Ours was fabulous! Just finishing up the post on it this week and will have a recap for you shortly.

Just because Valentine’s Day is over doesn’t mean you’re allowed to stop spoiling your sweetie. Some of the best surprises – whether they’re dates, flowers, romantic texts or greeting cards – are the ones that are the ‘just because’ dates, flowers, romantic texts and greeting cards. Moments of care that are thought-out in advance and given ‘just because’ you happened to be thinking of your special someone, and because they deserve to be treated and spoiled. Those are the best!

Why not start this weekend? We offer you two ways to treat your hunnies – one that will cost a bit of cash but will be well-worth it, and another that is easy on the wallet but thoughtful and creative. So, pick one (or both!) and have a blast of a weekend with our Splurge vs. Steal!

IT’S MY LIIIIIIIIIIIIFE, AND IT’S NOW OR NEVER!

That’s right, BON JOVI BABY! Their third stop on the 2010 – 11 world tour is here in SEATTLE at the Key Arena!

This Friday and Saturday, come witness the amazing voice of one of America’s most legendary bands, led by [the dreamy] Jon Bon Jovi!

Tickets range from $45 to $540 and can be bought HERE.

Make it THE Ultimate Rock ’n Roll night by heading to the newest Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Seattle for a bite to eat before the show!

Just opened last week, and is already a smashing success!

Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, the Hard Rock Cafe Seattle strikes the perfect balance in a city that boasts one of the most diverse and influential alternative music scenes in the world, a city where Jimi Hendrix performed his first headlining gig, where upscale coffee was perfected and where countless visitors flock each year to see the sights.

(Brett and I will see you at the show on Friday Night!)

Bon Jovi not your thing? No worries… you don’t want to be stuck in a crowded music hall when the weather this weekend is supposed to be OFF THE WALL amazing! So, why not take advantage of it with an outdoor picnic?

Head over to Blue C Sushi in Fremont and pick up $10 - $20 worth of some fabulously artful rolls.

Grab a bottle of red (or sake!) at the PCC Natural Foods Market around the corner, and pack it all up with your sweetie and head over to Seattle’s Japanese Gardens for an authentic Japanese picnic (admission is $5).

Located just off the Seattle Arboretum, this is a 3 1/2 acre formal garden is rich with Japanese flora and fauna, designed and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer Juki Iida in 1960. The First Viewing and Opening Blessing happened last weekend, so the garden is ready for visitors!

Image source: Bon Jovi, Hard Rock, Japanese Garden

Cheap Date Idea of the Week!

Reconnect with your inner-child with an adrenaline rush at the roller-skating rink! I don’t know about you guys, but nothing gave me butterflies more than when the slow song came on and my crush skated up to me and asked me to join him in the ‘couples skate’ … after, of course, buying me one of those TACKY smelly light-up roses.

Recreate the feeling with your sweetie at one of our many local skating rinks!

For only a couple bucks, you can have a great evening, and get some good exercise at the same time!

Skate King: 2301 140th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue

Lynnwood Bowl and Skate >: 6210 200th St. SW Lynnwood

Have fun!

German Date Night!

February 9, 2010:
Tag Nacht! [Date Night]

He Said:

I’m not gunna lie. For me, the best thing to do after a hard days work is to sit in front of the TV with a nice cold beer (or 3) and a well cooked steak.

Sound like you? Let’s face the facts lads, it’s not the most romantic thing to do in the world and trying to pull off something like this for a dedicated date night will likely land you in the dog house with the missus for a week. Luckily for you though, I’ve got a sneaky little maneuver to get something similar past the goal keeper.

You may remember a couple of date nights back, Mandy and I had a French night. Before that we had an unpublished Indian night. Both sweet little home dates with great drinks, better food and a themed movie.

Thinking about this further and taking a quick look at a map of Europe, one country stuck out that could both take the edge off a tough day and still be fun enough for a date.

Germany!

What, bloody German I hear you say?

Germany with the boring, well made cars, boring soccer and hard working people. Yes, the very one. You see there are two things out of Germany those meshes perfectly with the aforementioned goals. Oktoberfest and Weiner Schnitzel (though technically out of Austria).

This week Mandy and I whipped up some schnitzels (veal and chicken), dumplings, picked up some premade sauerkraut and some ice cold German beers.

[Mandy’s home-made dumplings our beer-tasting selection Brett’s home-made chicken and veal schnitzel!]

With a date like this, half the fun is making the meals themselves with both of us taking on different tasks.

Washing the meal down we had our own mini-beer tasting. Most good markets will have a few German beers in stock that can make it that much better.

The only trouble with a date like this is, good luck finding a German film to pair with it that isn’t set in 1946 and filled with death and destruction.

To alleviate this, we heard that Vince Vaughan went to Germany once, so we figured that watching Couples Retreat from On Demand was an appropriate choice. Not a bad flick!

Cheers, Brett

She Said:

You, too, can have your own German Night! It's super easy and SUPER yummy! Who knew i could make my very own dumplings, but they actually turned out OK! (well, that's according to Brett. And he's always WAY too kind when it comes to my cooking!)

Here are some of the recipes we used to create our own Tasty Deutsch Fest!

German Dumplings 2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 c. milk 1. Mix all ingredients so no lumps remain. 2. Drop small bits from a teaspoon into boiling beef or chicken stock. 3. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes. (could it BE any easier??)

Chicken (or Veal) Schnitzel

1 lb. chicken breasts or tenderloin (or veal!)3 eggs, beaten 1 c. all purpose flour 1 c. cracker meal oilSalt & pepper 1. Beat chicken [or veal] with a mallet until thin. 2. Roll chicken in flour. 3. Dip chicken in egg and then roll in cracker meal or breadcrumbs4. Fry in hot oil until brown, or bake at 350 for about 25 minutes(this is the low-fat version, and tastes JUST as amazing!)5. Salt and pepper chicken and serve with gravy, dumplings, and sauerkraut.

For gravy, we cheated and bought one of those packets from the supermarket. You HAVE to have gravy!

Then, to top it off, Brett went to the market and bought an assortment of yummy beers for our very own beer tasting! Was so good, and fun to try some suds that I'd never had before!

Oh, and ladies? Make it a TRUE Deutsch Tag Nacht by donning one of these! PROST!