I have mentioned several times that my goal for 2015 was to stay more “connected”. A major part of this was going on more date nights. And not just “hey let’s go to dinner and the movies” (not that we don’t LOVE that), but dates filled with fun, carefully planned out activities.
One thing that we love to do in the spring and summer is go to baseball games. It is really the only sport we both love watching and because it is affordable and we are blessed to live near the local ball field, we tend to go often.
Even though this is a fun activity/date night we enjoy often, keeping with my goal for the year, I wanted to transform one of our regular baseball dates into something more special. As I thought and planned, I discovered that Buffalo Wings and Rings, was coming out with a special seasonal “ballpark” menu. This was perfect for our baseball themed date night! Not only is a ballpark menu the perfect thing to fill up on before heading to a baseball game, Buffalo Wings and Rings, has plenty of TVs, always tuned into some sporting event or another. This was great for catching some baseball action while dining on great baseball themed food, and getting up amped for the game! And because baseball games and ballpark dinners are more fun with friends, we invited our good friends out on a baseball double date!
In addition to being the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat and catch up on some sports with friends, Buffalo Wings and Rings, always has fresh, not frozen, food and a chef on staff to assure quality. We had so much fun trying the ballpark menu at Buffalo Wings and Rings on our fun date night! This special menu consisted of several creative twists on several ballpark classics. We tried the Ballpark Pretzel Bites AKA The Dipster, The Mound AKA “C Dog”, Jack’d Up Wing AKA “THE BOSS”, and the Battered-up Funnel Stixx AKA “Shugga” for dessert. My personal favorite was the Jack’d Up Wing AKA “THE BOSS” – boneless wings, tossed in sweet Thai chili and salted caramel sauce. Then topped with applewood-smoked bacon, sesame seeds and scallions, and the garnished with – get this – caramel corn! This was such a fun, tasty and unique dish that we all loved!
Other things I did to make our baseball date night extra special was create a custom baseball themed gift basket, which acted as my invite to the date night, as well as a custom baseball picture frame.
One thing that my husband has made several comments about was that we have really slacked on doing things with all the “selfies” and other photos we take on our adventures. I used to scrapbook and/or frame our photos regularly, but have really slacked off with this in recent years. Making a custom baseball picture frame (check out the tutorial below) not only added a personal touch to my gift basket, it gave us somewhere to put a photo from our date night!
Another personal touch to the gift basket was personalized baseball. All I did was take a baseball and used a permanent marker to write our names on it. To personalize it even further, you could write the date of your date night or anniversary on the baseball.
Not only would this baseball themed gift basket be a fun and creative “invite” to a baseball date, it would be a great birthday or Father’s Day gift for any baseball lover in your life.
Below are suggestions on what to include in your gift basket:
DIY Baseball Gift Basket:
Buffalo Wings and Rings Gift Cards
Baseball cap (for favorite or local team)
Baseball (customized with name, date and/or birthday/anniversary date)
Tickets to a local professional, college, or high school baseball game
Baseball themed snacks (peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc.)
Custom baseball picture frame (directions below)
We had so much fun on our baseball date night and can’t wait to do it again soon!!!
What do you like to eat when you are watching a baseball game?
DIY Baseball Picture Frame
Printable Version
Project Time: 30 minutes (plus drying time) Cost: $10-$15 Makes: 1 frame
Transform a basic wooden picture frame into a weathered looking baseball frame.
Supplies:
Wooden picture frame with glass and backing (new or old)
Blue acrylic paint (or color of choice)
White acrylic paint (or color of choice)
Crackle paint
Paper plates or bowls
Sponge brush
Wooden baseball decorations
Wood glue or hot glue gun with glue
Newspaper or brown paper, for working
Directions:
1. Gather supplies.
2. Remove glass and backing, set aside. Set frame on newspaper.
3. Pour several tablespoons of blue acrylic paint onto paper plate. Using sponge brush, paint the front and sides of the wooden picture frame (it doesn’t have to be perfect, a rustic look is ok!). Set aside and dry completely. Meanwhile, wash sponge brush for another use.
4. Once blue paint is dried completely, pour several tablespoons of Crackle paint onto paper plate. Using sponge brush, brush the front and sides of the painted picture frame with a generous amount of Crackle. Set aside and dry until tacky (still a little wet and sticky). DO NOT dry completely. Meanwhile, wash sponge brush for another use.
5. Once Crackle is “tacky”, pour several tablespoons of white acrylic paint onto paper plate. Using sponge brush, paint the front and sides of the Crackle coated picture frame with the white acrylic paint (it doesn’t have to be perfect, a rustic look is ok!). Set aside and dry completely. Meanwhile, wash sponge brush for another use.
6. Once dry, glue on wooden baseball decorations. Use pre-made decorations, or create your own by painting wooden balls to look like baseballs.
7. Once frame and decorations are dry, clean glass with glass cleaner, and insert glass, picture backing into frame.