This Eco Friendly Date Ideas post has been sponsored by First World Trash but all opinions are my own.

Many, many years ago I met a wonderful man who wooed me with flowers, cute little love notes, walks through town holding my hand, and other romantic yet simple gestures.  We laughed, snuggled, and skipped a few classes while we relished our budding relationship.  Fast forward 20 years, 2 kids, a few jobs and a whole lot of stress and my husband and I have lost a bit of the romance we used to have in our relationship.   Weeks are long, the kids are annoying, the bills need to be paid and we often wonder what happened to that young couple that was so head over heels in love.  Sometimes, romance takes a back seat to reality when it comes to our marriage but everyone needs to take a break occasionally and focus on their relationship with their significant other.  Working a date night into your hectic schedule now and then is a great way to rekindle the spark in your marriage.  I thought I would share a few eco friendly date ideas if you would like to go green while reconnecting with your mate!

10 Eco Friendly Date Ideas

1.  Cook a meal together:  Couples that cook together, stay together!  I read a statistic a while back which stated that couples that spend time in the kitchen together have a lower divorce rate than those that don’t.  Hit the farmer’s market for some local produce, buy some organically raised meat and find a new recipe to try!

2. Get outside together:  Hiking and camping are great ways to enjoy nature and the company of your spouse!  Fill a backpack with some stainless steel water bottles, trail mix and a guide book of local trails and head out for a long hike.

3.  Find a pick your own produce farm:  Depending on the season, you can probably find a local farm that lets you pick your own produce.  Whether you pick apples in the fall or blueberries mid summer you can head back to the house and spend time together cooking and eating your freshly picked bounty.

4. Enjoy Some Eco-Tourism:  Eco-Tourism ideas can be as simple as taking a canoe out into your closest lake or as complex as visiting an off the grid hostel.  Taking a few hours or a few days to enjoy getting back to nature with your spouse will help you realize what is really important in life!

5. Dine at a farm to table restaurant:  If you are really craving a delicious meal made by someone that is NOT you try finding a restaurant that supports local farmers and artisans.  Many chefs are starting to realize how important it is to use local and seasonal foods in their menus.

6.  Plant a garden:  Whether you dig in the dirt of your own back yard or rent a space at a local community garden, digging in the dirt with your spouse can be a lot of fun.  And, of course, when you start bringing in the harvest make sure you find creative ways to cook it together on your NEXT date night!

7.  Support your local sports teams:  Many towns have sports teams and even the non professional ones can be fun to watch!  Take mass transit if possible to reduce your gas consumption and cheer on your town’s athletes.

8. Get together with neighbors: I remember when I was a kid my neighborhood had block parties and occasionally my parents would have the neighbors over for drinks and party food.  Nowadays, it seems like very few people even KNOW their neighbors!  Consider inviting the people next door over for cards, a game of trivia, or just a few snacks and some conversation.

9. Donate your date to a good cause:  Spend time with your significant other while also helping the less fortunate!  Find a local food bank, soup kitchen, or other charity that you both feel drawn to and volunteer together.

10. Go on an eco friendly picnic:  Pack up a reusable bag with some organic wine, a blanket, and some homemade food and head out to a field or local beach for a picnic.  Sipping an organic wine and lounging on a blanket with your spouse is a relaxing and inexpensive way to reconnect.  When looking for a bag to pack your picnic fixin’s into, a great idea is to find one made of recycled materials like the wine satchel from First World Trash.  Their wine satchel is very versatile because the collapsible divider lets you carry up to 6 bottles or collapses when you’re bottleless. It also has two inside zipper pockets for all the other stuff you want to bring on your picnic.  The First World Trash wine satchel is made of reused vinyl billboard, bicycle tire inner tubes, and car seat belt straps.  Car seat belt straps make carrying the satchel easy with either a hand strap or an adjustable/removable over the shoulder strap.  It has space to carry 6 wine bottles and with the reinforced rubber bottom made from bike inner tubes, it is strong enough to hold up to the weight.

My opinion: The wine satchel that I received from First World Trash is incredibly sturdy and well made.  The interior of the bag is very roomy and if you only put one or two wine bottles in the satchel, the separator will collapse easily to let you put the rest of your items inside it. The zippered section inside comes in handy for storing your cork screw, silverware, camera or whatever other small items you don’t want to get lost.  The rubber on the bottom keeps the bag from getting wet if you set it down on damp grass or decide to take it to the beach.  I like that the bag has both handles and an adjustable shoulder strap to make transporting it easier.  This is a nice bag to have if you plan on making a picnic your next eco friendly date!

If you want to learn more about First World Trash you can check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received product samples  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.