Bro Blog: Winter Date Ideas

Welcome to the Bro Blog! With all the ice and snow, it’s finally time to admit it’s winter. But all the cold weather doesn’t mean your heart can’t be warm! Our bros give you some great winter date ideas. 

Check them all out and enjoy:)

Looking for a specific blogger? Click on their names to navigate to their post!
J.P. Bowgen
Mike Mallazzo
Brandon Wilson
Ben Eisenberg

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Dudes, trust me when I say that you don’t need to fret. I know Evanston winters are miserable and that it’s hard to find creative dates in this Midwestern tundra, but there are solutions.

Let’s begin with the standard female attire for the winter: spandex. That’s it. I could just stop here and let you mull that word over, but lucky for you, I’m a gracious Bro Blogger. But really, spandex is enough of a reason to get excited for dating in the winter. Who doesn’t like to see the wonderful curves that a beautiful lady has to offer? It’s a beautiful sight, trust me. Plus, with the colder weather setting in, girls are going to look for extra sources of warmth. You know what that means? Snuggling, and lots of it. If Evanston gives us one gift during this season, it’s the opportunity to get closer to someone through the majesty of a good hug. So don’t feel that you need to come up with some elaborate date in these winter months. Sometimes the best solution is a few hours sitting by the fire and talking about life. Girls love to be listened to, so show off your listening abilities in this very romantic setting.

But if you are that guy who likes thinking of creative winter dates – I am one of them – then there are options for you, too. As Northwestern students, we are lucky to have our very own ice rink. Now this is a good date idea. It fosters lots of laughs and casual conversation, so go that extra step and make a fool of yourself on the ice. It’ll certainly get her to laugh and you may even get a second date out of it.

If you’re man enough, take a walk along the lake while it’s snowing. It’s the perfect recreation of a clichéd chick flick. Lake Michigan, snowfall, a pretty lady – it’s a recipe for romance that all should take advantage of.

Some may see this season as a curse, and to those people, I strongly disagree. It’s a time to get creative with your date ideas and cherish the little things that some don’t have – like snow. So all you Florida kids, stop being scared of a little frozen water and get your butts outside.

 
Go to the next page for Mike’s bro blog!
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Baby it’s cold outside,
Happy winter wonderland ladies!  It’s days like these when I wish I just had Nat King Cole sitting next to me by a fireplace singing smooth songs and warming my soul.  Though I will never have a face or a voice as beautiful as Mr Cole’s, I can also warm your heart and soul with my keyboard as I present you with this list of cold weather dates:

1. Cuddle-  For thousands of years, men had it great.  We were never expected to cuddle as girls just accepted the fact that it wasn’t our thing and moved on.  However, since the rise (and tragic decline) of the feminist Ryan Gosling blog, men have had the moral responsibility to include cuddling in their routines.  When Ryan does something, we have no choice but to follow suit as he’s already more suave than we’ll ever be and we can’t afford to give up any more ground.  So take advantage of that, and force your boy toy to keep you warm.  On a side note, the decline in quality of the feminist Ryan Gosling blog has been one of the great tragedies of the past two years, perhaps eclipsed only by Syria.
2. Have Maybe Just Half a Drink More- It’s common knowledge that alcohol warms you from the inside out so get together with your guy or girlfriends for just a little extra indulgence.  Hot apple cider with a little bit of rum is my go-to here but there are scores of options.  And be sure to put some records on while I pour.
3. Pizza, Movie, and Sex- The American classic.  Perfect for any weather.
4. Go Ice Skating-  Guys are just abysmal at ice skating so this could be the perfect date where you prove your supremacy and make your guy feel hilariously self-conscious which I know you ladies love.  Nothing is more rewarding than watching your boyfriend clutching the sides of an ice rink like he’ll die is he lets go.  Enjoy it.
5. Jump in the Lake Together-  This is definitely the way to go for the bold, adventurous types out there.  Just beware of the shrinkage.  
6. Do homework and complain about how cold it is-  because it’s Northwestern and that’s what you’re going to do anyway.

Someday, the sun will once again shine and you can don a bikini and show off that beautiful, pale Chicago body.  But until then, we are stuck with winter so get over that old out cause baby it’s cold outside.
California Dreamin’ on such a winter’s day,
Mike

Read Brandon’s warm ideas. 
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Sometimes I feel like it’d be a nuisance to ask a girl on a date in this kind of weather. There’s the crisp wind blowing snow into your face, having to pocket your hands so they don’t turn to ice, getting a runny nose, not wanting to talk because mouth movements hurt—it sucks. And there’s no way to go on a date without at least once meeting the outdoors. Almost.

A friend of mine tells me she has to be forced to go out with friends let alone on dates during the winter, mostly because she hates the way she looks puffy coats and winter gear. I told her that’s an easy way to make winter a depressed and anti-social hibernation. For her and any other girl who feels The North Face doesn’t do her figure justice, I have some pretty cheap and obvious advice.

Make warmth your priority. If I had a reader for every short-sleeve, skirt-wearing girl I’ve seen vehemently rubbing her arms with her chins tucked to her chest this winter, my blog would be trending. What’s better—wait ‘til you get where you’re going, hang up your coat, then show it off.

I went to a (festively) themed party last week and showed up at the door in a bland trench coat and sweats. As expected, a few of my bros gave me the ‘are you serious’ eyes. Some girls scoffed. Then I unbuttoned, pulled off the warm pants, and screamed “Let’s party” without saying a single word.

Ladies, don’t give winter what it wants. Put some gloves on and date like it’s college.

-Brandon

New blogger Ben’s got something to say… keep going!!!
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Hey everyone!  

 

This is my first bro blog so first I just want to introduce myself.  My name is Ben Eisenberg and I am a senior at Northwestern.  I hail from the great city of Minneapolis.  Here at school I am studying Learning and Organizational Change, Economics, and Leadership.  I enjoy reading great books, sleeping a lot, playing a ton of sports, having real and authentic talks with friends, and most of all – Chipotle.  

 

Now to what you really want to know about me – what I care about for Cold Weather Dates!

 

First, I know a lot of people like to think of cold weather dates as being ones where you’re inside and can cuddle up with the other person, but I think that should only come after an adventure outside.  Going sledding (OK maybe not in Evanston), taking a brisk walk, or having a snowball fight are all fun things you can do outside.  Afterwards, it makes getting that cup of hot cocoa and snuggling up on a couch that much better when you’re coming inside from the cold.

 

I also think cold weather dates are great windows into some things that may be important if you are looking at the possibility of a long-term relationship with someone.  Do you both like cold weather?  Does this lead to one of you wanting to eventually move somewhere warm while the other wants to end up living at a ski resort?  Does cold weather make each of you more willing to be inside or outside?  Even though these may seem like really intense questions to consider after making snow angels and then grabbing coffee (and they probably are a little too intense), they may add some insight to how compatible you and your snow bunny are!