As the snow begins to melt and the flowers bloom, happiness and love will surely be in the air. Nothing says spring like tulips, sun-toasted cheeks, and fingers warmed by someone’s hand wrapped around your own.

With the melting of snow and the emergence of longer days, warmer evenings, and cheery spirits, there isn’t a better time for emerging romance. So if you find yourself strolling into springtime with a new sweetheart by your side, or a special someone you’ve been with for many seasons, surprise them with a thoughtful, all-out dreamy date they’ll remember long into next winter.

1. Afternoon Picnic

This is a classic date for several reasons. It’s sweet, charming, and can be tailored to any couple's individual style. On a sunny afternoon, pack up a basket, grab a blanket, your favorite pair of sunnies, a poetry book and a deck of cards, a notebook and a pen, or some sort of leisurely activity materials.

Make a picnic playlist ahead of time (I recommend lots of Michael Bublé, Norah Jones, and John Mayer… keeping it classic for sure) and don’t forget to charge up your speaker! And the most important part… the food! This can be whatever you find yummy, whether it’s pb & j sandwiches and coke, or a bottle of sparkling wine and a cheese plate. Just make sure to bring ice or a way to chill anything that needs to be refrigerated (nothing would ruin a date like stinky warm sammies, eww)!

If you really want to step up your picnic game, hand write an invitation and pick up some fresh flowers before hand… your date will be so tickled, there are sure to be some stolen kisses and picnic blanket cuddles!

2. Dinner & Dancing

Another old-fashioned date here, but with a little twist! Before you head downtown for dinner, pick a spot along the way and tuck away a speaker and a bottle of champagne with a couple of glasses somewhere quiet and sort of private, where your speaker won’t get stolen preferably, lol (in Hamilton I’m thinking of the gazebo on the village green).

On your walk back from dinner, venture off the sidewalk and if you’re brave (and also if it’s late and there’s no traffic) lay in the street and watch the streetlights change, just like they do in the Nicholas Sparks movie “The Notebook.” If you’re not familiar with the scene I am begging you to YouTube it immediately because it’s probably one of the most innocently romantic scenes, arguably, of all time. After your little detour, head up to the gazebo, hit play on some romantic music and pull your partner into a spontaneous moonlit dance… *Sigh.* Pop the champagne and let the sparks fly!

3. Antique Shopping

If you’re the nostalgic type, grab your darling someone and pick up some coffees, then head to the nearest antique shop. Snap a polaroid for each of you to hold onto to capture the theme of your excursion. Then, split up and each of you should find the least expensive antique you can find in the shop, buy it, and then exchange with your partner.

Make up a story about where the antique came from and who it belonged to, or some kind of tale about the value of the item. After this date, each of you will have a fun memento, a great memory, and a silly story to symbolize a date sure to make history with your darling dearest.

4. Sports Game

All of the above activities a little too cutesy and mellow? Get tickets to a sports game at your school, slip on your favorite jeans and a school t-shirt and arrange to meet your date or pick them up. This is a great one to plan with a group of if you’re in the early stages and still getting to know each other.

Play your own game from the stands and see who knows the school cheers best, pick your favorite players and see who’s can score the most points (loser buys drinks or pizza afterward!) and enjoy the excitement of the crowd. The best part about being at a loud and crazy game? Stealing glances, quick kisses, slipping an arm around your honey and pulling them a little closer, even whispers in their ear while the stands roar around you. This kind of courting will definitely make the top 25 plays of the week…. score!

5. See a Movie

Take the mundane movie date to a new level this spring by making plans to see the highly anticipated “50 Shades Darker” sequel in the “50 Shades of Grey” series when it’s released in February. This date night just got a whole lot steamier already! Dress in something alluring (with a little sexy something on underneath for later maybe…) spritz on your favorite scent and let the playful thigh brushes and side glances begin!

If you’re feeling really dangerous, sit in the back row of the theater and see how long you can make out before someone catches you or gives you a dirty look. Make a mental list of some things you see in the film that you might want to try later or write them down and save them for a day when you need a new idea to mix it up. However the evening unfolds, end it with a killer goodnight kiss, pressed up against the wall and a quote from the movie (props if you can use a Christian Grey line without laughing) pull away and sneak out quick, leaving your date lusting for another kiss while they replay this legendary night over and over.

6. Attend a Lecture

If intellectual discussions and learning new things is what makes you tick, try attending a lecture together. This will provide a great buffer for the initial awkward silence of a date, especially if it’s a first one, and provide some awesome material for conversations afterward. Find a spot for some tea and some talk after the lecture and share your thoughts on it. If you really want to woo your boo, look up some trivia about the lecture topic and share some in a little guessing game.

Use one of those trivia facts and something about your lovebug to write a clever note on a napkin like, “Shakespeare may have created over 500 words, but there’s none he could have made up to describe the splendor when you smile” or something corny that would totally make their heart melt, then slip in in their bag or pocket during a goodbye hug. They’ll be bursting with curiosity to learn more about you after this adorable outing!

7. Try Something New

if you like a little adventure, try something totally new for you and your smitten someone! Sign up for a club together, like ballroom dancing or a volunteer club, see what the latest workout trend is and sweat through a class together, try learning to play an instrument, or take a photography course.

Experiencing the unfamiliar together is a great way to bond, and even if you discover you have two left feet in ballroom dancing or they can’t take a picture without their finger blocking the lens, you’ll have something to laugh about and won’t be afraid to explore each other and put yourself out there around them.

8. Go to a Party

This one is super-duper easy and crazy fun too. Get a group of friends together and have your friends do the same, and plan to meet up for some Friday night shenanigans! If there’s a theme party of some kind happening, get dressed up in all the goofy gear you can find, grab your squad, and meet your cutie and their crew to play some games and get pumped up before the party.

Then get your dance on, get your drink on, take silly pictures, and crash the party with your date and your squad by your side (have your buddies keep you in check so you don’t get your drank on too much… your date may have worn going out shoes but that doesn’t mean you should upchuck on them). Dance the night away with your date, then giggle about all of the weirdness as you drift off to sleep with mussed up costumes and messy hair. You can laugh at the pictures and the blurry memories that give you butterflies the next day; even if they’re technicolor and hazy, they’ll be good memories nonetheless.

9. Go Stargazing

This one might require a little effort, but it will be well worth it to see the twinkle in your beloved’s eyes. If you can get your hands on the keys to a pickup truck, you’ve accomplished the hard part! See if you can borrow a friends truck for an evening or rent one from a campus service like Zipcar, get creative in your quest. If you can find one, fill the truck box to the brim with pillows, blankets, sleeping bags, anything soft and cushy! Grab a lantern, some popcorn, mugs with hot cocoa, and an extra blanket (a sweater or hoodie is even better) for your date.

Pick them up and drive somewhere peaceful and clear. Park where there’s a view of the night sky, put on some dreamy music (Sam Hunt’s song “Speakers” is impeccable for this occasion, and for some reason Passenger and stargazing pair perfectly) and hop into the cozy pillow-pit you created for some premier cuddling and stargazing. If you can’t find a truck to pull this one off, some blankets and warm clothes will do just fine, the most important part is having a clear night and someone to share it with. Either way, the thoughtfulness of this date will have your cuddle buddy seeing stars every time they see you for many nights to come!

10. Cook Dinner Together

Make an event out of cooking dinner together! Choose a recipe (go with spaghetti for some “Lady and the Tramp” style dining) and a kitchen, or if you live in a dorm room check out kitchens around campus with student access (at Colgate, there's ALANA and the Chapel) and sign up for a slot. Go to the store together and get the ingredients you’ll need… then cook away! Make sure to start early enough just in case there’s an epic cooking failure and you need to order takeout instead, you never know. Alas, light some candles, uncork the wine and put on some smooth jazz, set the table and enjoy your team effort of deliciousness!

Clean up together, splash your co-chef while you do dishes, and finish up the bottle of wine before retiring for some chill time in your food/wine coma. Snuggle up in the chair together and read, curl up in bed with an old black and white movie, or run a bubble bath for two. Let the night roll however it will… maybe you’ll be waking up to make breakfast and doing the whole thing over again! They say the way to the heart is through the tummy, so this date is bound to leave you totally full… and hungry for more all at the same time. Bon appétit!

Once spring has finally sprung, don’t hold back in planning something special for your special someone. Most importantly, get creative and be thoughtful. Great dates don’t have to be expensive or extravagant; spontaneity and sincerity are equally as valuable. Take it back to “The Notebook,” the mecca of romance films and romance itself (which provides a ton of excellent summer date ideas if you need a few more). Some of the most tender moments happened on a canoe date out on a serene lake, after a movie on a surprise walk home, and sneaking around an abandoned house late one night with candlelight piano playing.

Go on date after date after date until your heart is alight with blossoming love! Ahhhh the joys of the springtime. I cannot wait to see all the glimmering fondness all over campus…. the green grass returning… the smell of fresh rain and rosebushes drifting on the sunny breeze…

Really though, spring could come any day. Yesterday it was -26.1 degrees F, without windchill. My heart is slowly freezing solid instead of flourishing with the warmth of new love and flowery feelings. Also, my hair is now white… so either Queen Elsa is working some serious winter magic on me or I’m turning into a literal ice block.

This is an S.O.S for spring, if you see it flitting around please send it this way. At least I have the dreams of some delightful spring dates to hope for that are saving me from this wintry nonsense. Stay warm and stay lovely, I’m going into hibernation until the season of fresh tulips and sunny romance begins budding. Au revoir!

xoxo- Abby