However, annual holidays with traditional themes can only go so far. Since we’ve got human obligations to attend to for the rest of the day, we can’t go all-in on the doggie fun. So, we’ve adopted a new annual tradition that focuses more on the pup so we can have fun celebrating together. We’ve even been able to get some friends in on the celebrations for more fun with their pups as well.

The holidays are going to the dogs!

Our favorite new holiday to celebrate together is Wolfenoot. A few years ago, a 7-year-old boy in New Zealand made up a holiday that has since gained traction. He wanted to have a day set aside to celebrate dogs and the people who love them. His mom made a post about it on Facebook, and that’s how a new international dog-themed holiday was born.

According to “tradition,” there are a few key elements to a proper Wolfenoot celebration. However, the youngster and his mom seem to agree that any celebration is acceptable if it keeps with the spirit of the holiday. The official holiday is on November 23rd every year – the creator has been pretty clear about that.

Some common elements of a Wolfenoot celebration include:

• Cakes decorated like a full moon (extra cool if it’s a dog-friendly cake so the pups can eat it too)
• Roasted meat, since dogs love meat (vegetarians are welcome to sub their meat for something else)
• Presents for the dogs and people who love dogs
• Activities that are fun for the dogs as well as the people

Celebrating Wolfenoot

My husband and I were on board for this holiday immediately. We love our pup, and we love doing new things together. So this was perfect! We already celebrate Christmas together and cook her a special dinner on her adoptiversary, so Wolfenoot was a great addition.

The first year, we kept it pretty simple. We told a few friends about the new holiday, and we set up a play-date for all of our dogs at the local dog park. Everyone met at the dog park and brought dog-friendly snacks to share when the pups were done playing. All of the humans just hung out together and kept an eye on our furry children while they played. When they were done playing, we migrated back to the parking lot for snacks.

Everyone agreed: all of the dogs passed out in the car on the ride home. They had a blast! It was super fun for everyone involved, so we made it an annual tradition.

Last year, we decided to raise the bar a little bit. We both like to exercise, and our dog LOVES running. We’re part of a local running group (my husband walks, I jog, and our dog wishes that her humans were faster). So, we set up a running event with the club to celebrate Wolfenoot. We hosted a dog-themed run followed by pet-approved snacks for the pups and libations for the humans. Everyone also chipped in $5 as a donation to our local animal shelter.

Again, the dogs had a ton of fun and were completely worn out by the end of the event. All of the people who attended had a great time together as well. My husband and I loved hosting it and plan to do it again next year.

Making doggie dates fun

Creating a doggie date doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it should be a lot of fun and should bring you and your significant other closer together as a result. Here are a few tips to make Wolfenoot (and any doggie date) fun while celebrating with your partner and your doggo.

• Do an activity that you and your dog will enjoy. If the humans are unhappy or the dog is unhappy, it won’t be a good time. Pick something that all of you will like doing.

• If you’re going to include food, make it dog-friendly – especially if you’re celebrating with other people as well. It would really drag down the day if someone accidentally fed a dog something they can’t eat. Fortunately, there are plenty of foods that safe for humans and dogs.

• Get creative! Personalize the event and make it your own. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, check out the official Wolfenoot Facebook Page for plenty of suggestions.

Let us know in the comments below how if you decided to partake in Wolfenoot and any tips you have for making doggie dates fun. If you would like other doggie date ideas, check out this one on hosting a dog fashion show!

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Sometimes though, you might want something other than just bringing your dog out to a brewery or coffee shop to hang out. Sure, spending a nice afternoon outside together with your doggo is nice, but it can get a little mundane. If you’ve already checked out the local dog-friendly parks, trails, and restaurants, it’s time for more doggie date ideas.

Host a doggie fashion show

Though some dogs won’t tolerate wearing clothing, others love the attention! If your pup will let you dress them up, hosting a doggie fashion show can be a lot of fun.

If you want to make this a special event just for you and your significant other, a costumed photoshoot at home is always a good time. You can either dress to match your pets and make a whole production out of it, or you can keep the pups as the stars of the show. Being the photographers and costume designers can be plenty of fun without dressing up too.

If a group date sounds more fun, you could get a few friends together to parade with their pups. Encourage everyone to dress up and have their dogs don their best costumes. This is a great way to show off all of the creativity, let the dogs have some fun, and enjoy a unique afternoon together.

Making a doggie costume

For some costume inspirations worthy of Mardi Gras itself, check out the Mystic Krewe of Barkus. Each year during one of the biggest Mardi Gras weekends, New Orleans boasts a parade for dogs and the people who love them. Complete with costumed dogs, decorated wagons, and pup-approved throws, this parade has it all. For some great pics, check out the official Mystic Krewe of Barkus Instagram page.

Remember that dog costumes don’t have to be super tricky. If the goal here is having fun with your partner and your dog, don’t make it too complicated. Keep the costume intricate enough to entertain you both while making it, but don’t make it so difficult that it gets annoying. For the doggo, keep some treats handy for bribery. Even if your dog doesn’t love the idea of wearing a costume, you can probably convince them with treats.

To make your date night fun and interesting, decide on the costume and design it together.

If you want to keep the evening super simple, just use a bandana and eye patch for an easy pirate costume. Then toss on a pirate-themed movie and tell all your best pirate jokes.

• What did the pirate name his dog?
  • Give it some thought, the answer will be a little later on.

If you’re feeling a little more crafty, bust out the hot glue gun and sequins and create a costume that’ll really pop! While you’re at it, design yourselves a couple of outfits that will make your photos dazzle. If you need some ideas on pup-tastic costume setups, check out the Indestructibles craft article on dog costumes or check out the YouTube videos for additional instructions and inspiration.

Fortunately, you can make your doggie fashion show as calm or as bold as you want it to be. You can always head back to the basic dog-friendly date locations again later. Make this event fun and memorable for you, your partner, and your doggo.

• So, what did the pirate name his dog? Patches!

Did you decide to dress up your doggo? Share a photo with us through our contact page and get featured in this article. Also, share your tips in the comments below. If you enjoyed this article, please share on social media using the buttons below and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice straight in your inbox.

What is it that draws us to love stories? They’re everywhere! From fairy tales to action movies to romantic comedies, love stories seem to be enmeshed in every plotline. It’s almost as if love stories were inescapable. There must be a reason that we’re so drawn to them and come back to them throughout our lives.

Let’s take a bird’s eye view of love stories and find out what’s so great about them.

What makes a good love story?

There are a few key elements that go into every good love story. Whether it’s a heartwarming, sappy tale of romance or a rom-com, you’ll find these elements intertwined into the story.

Chemistry

There’s always palpable chemistry between the love interests. It’s like they’re pulled to one another. Just by watching them, you know they’re meant to be together. Even when they frustrate each other beyond all reason, their love remains. Like opposite ends of a magnet, they’re inseparable despite how much life might try to rip them apart.

We love the idea of chemistry between the couple because that’s how we want to feel. We long to be drawn to another person, possibly even completed by them. Without them, we’re just one element on our own. But when we join with them, we’re something completely different. Together, we’re better and stronger than either of us would ever be apart.

Overcoming Obstacles

In the best love stories, the couple has to overcome some kind of obstacle that ultimately brings them closer together. In fairy tales, the prince has to rescue the princess from an evil sorcerer and set her free. He may have to tame dragons (or perhaps tame himself) before winning her hand and living happily ever after.

In more modern drama-based love stories, the couple has to overcome something a little more realistic. Maybe one of them loses their job, or they have to deal with some unresolved issues from a past relationship. No matter the plotline, the couple has to overcome something before their love can truly flourish.

We love seeing couples overcome obstacles. For just a moment, we wonder if they’ll stay together. We all know real-life couples who have faced struggles and broken up because of them. So it’s satisfying to feel the tension of the struggle and ultimately know that the love-story couple makes it through. We want to have a love so resilient that nothing can break it, just like the couple in the story.

Hope

Most importantly, love stories give us hope. Love is out there somewhere! It’s big and overwhelming and outside of our control. Even if we’ve been searching for love our whole lives, it’s not too late to find it.

The big city girl who goes home and meets Mr. Right? That could be us one day!

The ogre who lives in a swamp and accidentally finds his soulmate? We’re in! If Shrek and Fiona can be that happy in a swamp, then we can be too!

No matter what your life is like, there’s hope that everyone can have their own love story.

Most of the big love stories end with a “happily ever after.” We read, watch, and love those stories because we know they’re going to end well. Even if the couple has gone through something horrible along the way or their relationship almost didn’t survive, we know that they’ll be together in the end. Their love will triumph over everything else.

Becoming the lead in your own love story

So, how do you take what you know about great love stories and turn it into real life? Is there even a way to live out a real love story?

Of course there is!

Love stories only exist because love is real and exciting! Couples throughout history have set examples for the rest of us on what true love can look like. But it’s not always what you think it will be. Real-life love stories can be a little different.

Here are some things to remember as you start the journey into your own love story.

• Real-life love stories take longer than in the movies. Movies make it seem like true love happens overnight. It’s as if you get to meet your soulmate, know it immediately, and then marry them within a couple of months and be happy forever. It doesn’t usually work like that!

Relationships start with a flood of happy feelings. Like Cinderella at the ball, you’ve escaped the drudgery of everyday life and you’ve met someone who makes you feel ecstatic! Then you go back home and your carriage turns back into a pumpkin, and real-life sets back in. You were hoping that encounter would be the one moment that changed everything, but it wasn’t.

That’s because an individual moment rarely changes everything! Those big, life-altering love-story changes actually come from a lot of little moments strung together over time, and they’re not always easy.

• “Happily ever after” isn’t really a thing. Remember how we talked about the love-story couple needing to overcome some obstacles along the way? In real life, that happens over and over again. When you’re in a loving relationship with someone, you can expect to go through life with them. And life gets messy.

The good news is, your love story gets deeper with every obstacle you overcome together! As long as your story continues, you can expect new challenges and new happy endings. Remember, the final page of your story doesn’t close as long as you still love each other.

• Your “prince” or “princess” might not be what you’ve always envisioned. This is something that plenty of love stories get right, but we tend to forget in real life. We like to create a sort of checklist for the person we think will complete us.

• Right age
• Right income
• Right education level
• Right career path
• Right hobbies
• Good-looks

If they check off every box on the list, that will clearly mean they’re “the one.” Right?

Not always. The person who makes you happiest and brings out the best in you might not check off every single box you’ve got in mind. Sure there are some deal-breakers, but it can’t all be a deal-breaker. Think through some of your favorite love stories. Were the leads ever taken off guard by the person who completed them? The answer is almost certainly, “yes.”

Make sure you stay open to new opportunities for love. Stay true to your deal-breakers — you’ve set those for a reason. Otherwise, don’t worry if someone doesn’t check every box on your list. Don’t miss out on love because you’re stuck to a checklist.

What is your favorite love story? Let us know in the comments below. And sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice straight in your inbox.

Don’t forget to read submissions from reader’s like you here of their real life love stories. And fictional short stories here. Would you like to share your story or write a fictional piece? Submit your story here.

We want songs that describe a longing for love or the head-over-heels, crazy-in-love feeling of finding the one person who completes us. When love goes wrong though, we need something with a little more angst to alleviate the feelings of heartbreak and rejection. Sometimes you just need to put on the right music and let it all out.

What love song category would be central to your soundtrack?

Like any good soundtrack, there’s probably a mix of genres throughout the songs. If the whole album consisted of only one style, it would get pretty boring. And love is anything but boring!

Your love life soundtrack would probably be sprinkled with numerous love song categories. But which one would be the central focus of your soundtrack?

Upbeat love songs

Whether you’re excited about looking for love or thrilled with your current relationship, upbeat love songs are for you. They jive with a great mood and make you feel even happier than you already are. Songs with poppy riffs and catchy lyrics make us feel happy and optimistic. They resonate with feelings of young love, first crushes, and finding someone who makes all your worries fade away.

If your life’s soundtrack would be full of upbeat love songs, you are probably:

• In love and excited about it
• Hopeful that love will come along
• Having a great day

Example songs:

• Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake
• Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher by Jackie Wilson
• It Takes Two by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston

Slow, soulful love songs

If your life’s soundtrack would be full of slow, soulful love songs, you are probably:

• Deeply in love with someone
• Recently experienced a loss of love
• Really want to have a deep, meaningful love life

Example songs:

• Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
• At Last by Etta James
• I’ll Never Love Again by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga

Sappy love songs

These love songs come in a variety of tempos, but they all have the same message: My partner is great, and I love them! The lyrics celebrate love and all the quirky things that come with it. Imagine a couple who always goes on cute dates and constantly holds hands and never fights. This is their song to each other.

If your life’s soundtrack would be full of sappy love songs, you are probably:

• In a happy, loving relationship with someone
• Just started dating someone new
• Hopeful for a fun kind of love

Example songs:

• Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
• You Are The Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne
• Your Song by Elton John

Sad Breakup Songs

These are the songs we listen to on repeat after a bad breakup. Sometimes, even when you’re devastated, you just need some music that matches your mood. Misery loves company, and these artists have been through it as well. They know the pain of a bad breakup and that pain is palpable in their music. Go ahead and turn on these songs when you need a good post-breakup cry.

If your life’s soundtrack would be full of sad breakup songs, you are probably:

• Going through a bad breakup
• Feeling sad but still wanting love
• A combination of hopeful and devestated

Example songs:

• When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars
• The Ice Is Getting Thinner by Deathcab for Cutie
• Let Her Go by Passenger

Angry Breakup Songs

Angry breakup songs are basically the opposite of sad breakup songs. These are the songs you listen to after being wronged, being cheated on, or finding out that your partner wasn’t who they said they were. You may have broken up with them, but you’re way more mad about it than sad about it. The music and lyrics in these songs are laden with anger, and it’s exactly what we need to get through the breakup.

If your life’s soundtrack would be full of angry breakup songs, you are probably:

• Rebounding after dumping someone
• Angry about getting cheated on
• Trying to release your anger through music instead of real-life aggression

Example songs:

• Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood
• I Hope by Gabby Barrett
• You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette

Rebound songs

If your life’s soundtrack would currently be full of rebound songs, you are probably:

• Completely over your ex
• Finding your self-confidence again
• Ready to look for love but OK with being single until you find what you want

Example songs:

• I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
• Since You’ve Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
• Love Yourself by Justin Bieber

Remember that the soundtracks of our lives can change from phase to phase, and they don’t go in any particular order. Maybe you used to bounce from new relationship to new relationship but now you’ve found “the one.” You can expect a soundtrack change!

The breakup phase soundtracks can really be all over the place. Some folks move straight from a breakup to the rebound without ever needing sad or angry breakup songs. So don’t worry if you ever skip a phase or bounce around. There’s sure to be a love song that rings true with every phase of love.

What phase are you in, and what’s your favorite love song? Let us know in the comment section below!

A spur-of-the-moment flight to Italy to eat authentic pizza at a fancy little “ristorante”? Sounds great!

Then perhaps a quick jaunt over to Paris for a moonlit kiss under the Eiffel Tower. Easy peasy!

But for all of us regular folks who don’t go on quick trips to Europe for dinner and smooches, we’ve got to get a little more creative with making our dates fun. Let’s save those extravagant dreams for later and plan something with plenty of fun right now!

The 3 ingredients for making dates fun

To plan a fun date, you’re going to need the right ingredients. Just like a cake won’t be good if you forget to add the flour, a date won’t be fun if you forget any of these ingredients. The 3 ingredients for making dates fun are:

1. The right mood
2. The right location
3. The right activity

Since you can’t just go to the grocery store for these ingredients, how can you get them? Let’s talk a little more about what each of these ingredients really means and how to make sure you’ve got them.

The right mood

Have you ever tried to do something fun with a friend, but they were in a funk and ruined all of the fun? That is NOT the mood you want for your date. If your significant other (or the person you’re hoping to make your significant other) is in a crummy mood and won’t snap out of it, the date won’t go so well.

When you’re getting ready for the date, take into mind what their mood might be like. If you’re new to dating, this could be tough. You haven’t gotten to know the other person very well yet, so you probably won’t have a great gauge of their moods. Learning their moods could take a little trial and error, but don’t worry! No good recipe comes out perfectly the first time you make it.

If you’ve been married for a while, you probably have a decent read on your significant other’s moods. Are they exhausted after work and won’t want to do anything on a weeknight? Then don’t plan the date on a weeknight. Are they going to be in a great mood if their team just won a big game? Then the day after that game might be a good time for a fun date.

Keep in mind, this applies to you too! Check yourself to make sure you’re in the right mood to have fun on this date too.

The right location

This is a kind of tricky ingredient. Choosing the right location for your date can be really easy for some couples and really difficult for others. Some people are ready to have fun wherever they are — indoors, outdoors, alone, crowds, wherever. Other people really dislike certain settings. If you plan a date in a setting that your significant other hates, you aren’t following the recipe to make dates fun.

Here are a few things to consider when planning the location:

• Temperature. Do they get hot or cold easily? If so, pick somewhere with a neutral temperature. Try not to make your partner shiver or sweat a lot on the date. Sweaty dates are only enjoyable when you’re having fun playing outside. Otherwise: gross!

• Sunlight. Does your significant other get sunburned easily? If so, make sure you’re either indoors or in the shade. Getting sunburned on the date will suck the fun right out of it! You don’t want to end the date with a trip to the drug store for some aloe vera.

• People. The number of other people around only matters if you’re trying to make it a romantic date or if your partner dislikes crowds. If your partner doesn’t mind crowds and you’re set on having fun without making it especially romantic, you’ve got plenty of options for locations.

The right activity

Finding the right activity for making dates fun can be tricky if you’re dating someone new, but it should be a lot easier if you’ve been together for a while. Ideally, plan an activity that relates to something you both already enjoy. Though it can be exciting to try new activities as well, there’s no guarantee that brand new activities will be fun for you both. And if either of you hates it, that can wreck your mood (see ingredient number 1).

Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean that you should always do the same thing! Doing the same thing all the time will get monotonous, and monotony is a fun-killer. It just means that you should find some new-to-you activities that are similar to things you already know you like. That way, you won’t have to branch too far out from your known fun zone while trying new activities.

For example:

• If you already like going hiking together, plan a day trip on a new trail.
• If you already like listening to live music, go check out a new band.
• If you already like eating out, find a new restaurant with a new food type to try.

These are all really basic date examples, but you get the idea. Try a new activity that falls in the same vein with something the two of you already like.

If you’ve been together for a while and have already tried a lot of activities together, you’ll have a lot more room for date activity exploration. You’ll already know what’s fun for both of you, so the world is your oyster!

If you’re new to dating this person and you don’t know each other well, ask them what they like. Find a similar interest and plan an activity based on that interest. As you spend more time together and try new things, you’ll find more common ground and expand your date-idea repertoire.

Once you’ve nailed the basics of how to make dates fun, you can build on your recipe. Keep the primary 3 ingredients and add whatever else you want. Spice it up with a little romance if you want a romantic date night. Add some adventure if you want an adrenaline-fueled date. Go on double-dates with friends if you want more social dates. As long as you and your partner are in the right mood, go to the right location, and plan the right activity, you’ll have a fun date.