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How to Make (and Keep) Friends

Making friends at any age can be difficult. As we grow older, we develop different hobbies and interests that distance us from school friends. We move to new places for college or a job. We grow apart from some friends and grow closer to others. It’s natural to find yourself in a place where you want to grow your social circle. But how do you make friends when you’re older? These tips will help you develop quality friendships. Friendships can improve our health and happiness, so they’re important to have! Rather than collect friends like coffee mugs, focus on making a few close connections with people that truly care about you. To do this, try a few of these activities and find the people that make you happiest. 

Start a new hobby with in-person meetings. 

Take up a social hobby that you can enjoy with others! Join a book club and attend meetings at a local coffee shop, to discuss the book of the month. Sign up for kickboxing classes at a nearby gym and meet other like-minded fitness enthusiasts or fitness beginners. Find a local hiking group and connect with other hikers. By trying a new activity, you’re opening yourself up to fun experiences and new connections.  

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Network with your neighbors. 

Host a small house party and invite your neighbors one weekend. Even if you’ve lived in your house or apartment for months, even years, it’s never too late to reach out and connect with people that you’ve only ever waved at from your mailbox.  

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Connect with co-workers. 

Take advantage of social interaction at work and invite co-workers to a Friday happy hour. You don’t need to make friends with everyone, but you have a great chance of connecting with one person to hang out with outside of business hours!  

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Stay in communication.  

The best way of keeping friends is to stay connected. But with a busy schedule, it’s hard to make time for friends. We recommend scheduling an alert in your phone calendar with a reminder to message a friend. The free Marco Polo app is another way to stay connected by sending video messages to your social circle. With this app, you can send video messages whenever you have time—without the pressure of texting back and forth immediately.  

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Volunteer at a local organization.  

Select a nonprofit you are passionate about and volunteer. This activity allows you to interact with others and, more importantly, give back to your community.  

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Bring a friend to a local event.  

Sometimes the best way to extend your social circle is to attend events where you’ll meet more people! If you bring one friend, you’ll be more comfortable socializing and striking up conversation with another group. Attend an event hosted by a brewery, like a live music concert, a comedy show, a summer festival or a bar crawl.  

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Join a group trip.  

One of the coolest parts about social media is the growing number of travel influencers who schedule trips with their followers! Find an Instagram influencer who is planning a trip you are interested in and sign up. Use this opportunity to talk to new people and make friends as you travel.  

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30 Anniversary Ideas to Surprise Your Loved One

Not sure what to plan for your anniversary? These ideas are perfect to create a special celebration, whether it’s your first anniversary or fifth wedding anniversary! Planning can be tough when you’ve been together for a long time. Do we do dinner at a nice restaurant? Did we do that last year, and now we want to do something creative outside the box? This list includes activities to grow closer together, new ways to enjoy your favorite things, and anniversary dates that offer new experiences. The most important thing on your anniversary is to spend time together. And whether you have the best time or the worst (like accidentally spilling the wine or getting lost on a road trip), you’re making memories that will turn into the best stories!  

Ways to Grow Closer Together

Surprise your partner with a personalized gift like the Book of Us, that tells your unique love story and celebrates your life together. 

Take a hiking and camping trip to grow closer together in nature. 

Attend a trivia night to work together and show off your talents!  

Volunteer and pick a charity you both love.  

Decorate your home to make it more “you” as a couple.  

Plan a surprise road trip for your partner.  

Adopt a furry friend from an animal shelter and grow your family.  

Visit a nice restaurant and stay overnight at a hotel.  

Bake and decorate an anniversary cake. 

Go for a sunset or sunrise walk.  

Enjoy Your Favorite Things

Recreate your first date or most memorable date. 

Enjoy an evening of laughter at a comedy club. 

Pamper yourselves with a couple’s massage. 

Play board games with your favorite wine.  

Attend a sports game.  

Stay in your pajamas for a movie marathon.  

Surprise your partner with concert tickets for their favorite band. 

Make a photo book to remember your best and funniest moments.  

Go on a dessert crawl and eat all your favorite treats.  

Embrace your inner mixologist and create a couple’s signature cocktail together.  

Try New Experiences

Book a romantic evening at a B&B.  

Book a sunset dinner cruise for two.  

Take a cooking class together.  

Plan a local brewery tour and sample new brews.  

Try a new workout class together. 

Throw an anniversary party with your friends and family. 

Write a couple’s bucket list of activities to do over the years.  

Take a helicopter ride or hot air balloon ride. 

Book an escape room and work as a team.  

Get crafty with a paint-and-sip night.  

 

 

 

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7 Romantic Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with special activities to enjoy with the people you love—including yourself! There can be a lot of pressure for this holiday, like planning an elaborate dinner or scheduling a grand night out. But the most important part about Valentine’s Day is spending quality time with your partner. Whether you’ve been together for five dates or five years of marriage, we know it’s important to make this a fun and memorable holiday. To take the pressure off, we’ve created a list of Valentine’s Day date ideas that will bring you even closer together. Check out these unique couple’s activities to make this the best Valentine’s Day ever!  

Visit a comedy show.  

Look for local comedy shows in your area and have a night full of laughs! If you can’t find a live show happening close to Valentine’s Day, stream a comedy special online. This is a great activity to enjoy with your partner or solo.  

Surprise your loved one with a special gift.  

This Valentine’s Day, give your partner something extraordinary and personal, that shows how much you care! The Book of Us is a personalized Valentine’s Day gift that tells your unique love story. You can customize the book cover, characters and book pages to create a gift as unique as your relationship. Surprise your S.O. with a special book they will treasure!  

Test your teamwork skills at an escape room.  

Perfect for beginners or skilled masters at escape, this activity will help you build trust and communication. Plus, it’s a fun and exciting date that will get your heart racing! 

Schedule a date with yourself.  

No boyfriend or romantic partner this Valentine’s Day? No problem! Valentine’s Day is about every kind of love, so consider pampering yourself with relaxing activities. Take a bath and listen to music. Treat yourself to a venti coffee and get a massage. Splurge on a manicure and pedicure. Order your favorite takeout food and watch a movie. You deserve to shower yourself with love and celebrate your singlehood. 

Take a culinary trip to France. 

Skip the luxury (and expensive) trip to France and enjoy a romantic evening at home with a grand dinner! Cook a feast of French dishes like smoked salmon canapés, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, crème brûlée and chocolate éclairs. Serve it all with French wine and watch the French film Amélie to cap off the most romantic evening.  

Release your inner child for a day of games!  

Perfect for young and old, this ate will bring you closer together through happy nostalgia! Plan a whole day of games like bowling, mini golf, or video games at a video arcade. The sillier you can be the better. You’ll make the best memories and support each other to achieve high scores!  

Plan a “favorite things” day.  

Write your favorite things onto pieces of paper and add to a jar. These favorite things can include: eating your favorite food for lunch, watching your favorite movie, doing your favorite afternoon activity, and more. Take turns with your partner to select a piece of paper from the jar, and do your favorite things for the entire day!  

 

 

Holidates Based on Favorite Christmas Songs

Spice up your date planning and get inspired by classic holiday songs! We’ve chosen Christmas tunes that will set a romantic mood and help you plan the best “holidate” with your boyfriend, girlfriend or partner. With this list of date ideas, you can live out your Hallmark Christmas movie dreams—the cheesier the better! Take a sleigh ride, kiss under mistletoe, cuddle with a blanket under the stars, or decorate the tree with spiked eggnog. With every magical moment, you’ll make it a Christmas to remember. The most important thing this holiday is to spend time with the ones you love. We hope these Christmas dates will help you both stay cozy all season long!  

7 Holiday Date Ideas Based on Christmas Songs  

“All I Want for Christmas is You,” Mariah Carey  

This song gets us every time! Plan a romantic date night at home—because like the song says, all you need is each other. Get dressed up in red, dance among candlelight, kiss under mistletoe and toast with champagne to a romantic evening.  

“The Christmas Song,” Nat King Cole  

Get inspired by the most classic Christmas song and enjoy outdoor Christmas activities! Visit a Christmas market outside, cuddle together in the snow (as Jack Frost nips at your nose), snack on roasted chestnuts and listen to carolers. The simplest activities are often the best, because it’s a season of togetherness. 

“Underneath the Tree,” Kelly Clarkson  

This is the perfect tree decorating song! Put this song on full blast and decorate the Christmas tree with your favorite ornaments. You can turn this into a couple’s tradition and decorate together every holiday—adding a new ornament each year.  

“Jingle Bells”  

Find a location to take a horse-drawn sleigh ride because “oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.” You’ll be laughing—and maybe hanging on for dear life! —as you dash through the snow on a winter adventure! 

“Frosty the Snowman”  

Some of the best parts of Christmas are acting like a kid again! Rekindle your childhood spirit and build a snowman together. If you don’t have snow, visit the beach and build a sandy snowman. We love the idea of taking a couple’s photo with your Snowman and using it as your Christmas card for this year or the next!  

“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” 

If the weather is especially frightful, enjoy a backyard bonfire and bring some corn for popping (or make it easy with the microwave kind)! The two of you can cuddle up together to stay warm and cozy.  

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”  

Wish your partner a merry Christmas by baking up some figgy pudding and drinking cups of good cheer! We don’t recommend baking the traditional British version, which is made with suet (raw beef or mutton fat). Instead, try baking a sweet sticky pudding that’s made with dried dates and figs. Make sure to drink lots of “good cheer” as you experiment baking this traditional Christmas dessert! You can laugh at your failure or cheer at your triumph and have a very merry time in the process.   

 

 

 

 

 

7 Halloween Activities – Fright This Way! 

Celebrate Halloween with the best activities that you can do with your friends, your partner or solo. We’ve got you covered with all-day spooky fun that will slay your guests (not literally)! Whether you want to host a Halloween party to ghoul-for or spend the day like a fall Hallmark movie heroine, these ideas will put you in a harvest moon mood! We love the idea of turning an activity into a romantic fall date. But if you need some weekend self-care, treat yourself to an activity solo. Most important of all, make some hauntingly good memories this Halloween season!  

7 Halloween Activities for an Epic Autumn 

Have a reel good time with costumes.

Turn your Halloween costume silliness into a video reel moment. Dress up in the most spooktacular outfit, add make-up and dance to a trending tune—probably a new version of “Chrissy Wake Up.” We also love the idea of turning your video into a Halloween costume runway and strutting in couple’s costumes with your best friend or partner.  

 

Host a ‘Drop-Dead Fabulous’ Halloween party.

Invite your best ghouls to a Halloween bash where everyone dresses up like a fabulously dead famous person. Choose a celebrity, a person in history, a book character—get creative! As an ice breaker, ask each guest to answer the question: Why am I fabulous? The other guests can then guess who they are dressed up as. Because the theme is “fabulous,” decorate your party room in Halloween glam style, with black and gold. Remember to snap lots of pics, because you’ll take those memories to the grave!  

 

Hold a pumpkin-carving contest.

Pumpkin carving is a classic activity that’s also budget friendly. Hold your own pumpkin carving contest with a romantic partner or a group of friends and see who wins the “best steady hand” award. Just moved and want to make new friends? Pretend you got an extra pumpkin for free at the grocery store and invite a neighbor over for some friendly carving competition. It might sound dumb, but there’s something so satisfying about lighting up your pumpkin and taking a picture in the dark.  

 

Enjoy a night under the stars.

Invite friends over for a bonfire where you can listen to music, tell silly or scary ghost stories, and roast s’mores. Chilly October evenings set the mood for the perfect bonfire. This activity is a great way to connect with friends, make new ones, and get in the Halloween spirit.  

 

Spend an entire day doing all the best and basic fall things. 

We’re planning the perfect October day with our favorite activities! Start your morning wearing a cozy plaid flannel and grab a PSL and a pumpkin muffin. Drive to the closest apple orchard, video a TikTok or two, and get enough apples and spiced donuts to last until Halloween. Pick up orange lights and hang them in your bedroom. Light a pumpkin spice candle, put on the perfect Halloween flick like Hocus Pocus, and dine on pumpkin butternut squash soup (courtesy of Trader Joe’s).  

 

Trick or treat yourself to a wine and dine night.

Make your own pumpkin cocktails and create a Halloween charcuterie board. For the snack board, include cranberry cinnamon cheese, pumpkin seed crackers, cinnamon-spiced almonds, apples with caramel dip, and an assortment of meat. Once your adult lunchable is ready and a drink is in hand, put on a Halloween movie and you’re all set for a bewitching night.  

 

Surprise your boo with a Halloween day date.

Take your partner on a surprise date like visiting a corn maze, taking a fall hike, or going to a haunted house. They’ll love that you thought of them to plan the day! One of these activities can also help you grow even closer, as you spend Halloween together.  

 

 

 

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10 Fun Activities for November

Get a head start on holiday fun with these November activities! There’s so much to look forward to—Black Friday shopping, Thanksgiving, cool weather, and cozy sweater season! Try a few of these festive activities with your friends, family, or romantic partner and make the sweetest memories. November is the perfect time to do some end-of-fall closet cleaning (to make room for Christmas shopping), indulge in self-care, and start a new holiday tradition with your S.O. These winter activity ideas will get you excited for the months ahead!  

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Host a football party for friends.

November means football is in full swing! Kickoff your winter fun with a football party for friends. This event could also double as a Friendsgiving party. Serve a tray of barbeque turkey sandwich sliders and sides of tater tots, stuffing muffins, deviled eggs, and sweet potato hand pies.  

Clean out your closet.

We’ve all heard about spring cleaning, but what about an end-of-fall clean-out? In early November, before holiday shopping begins, consider cleaning up your spaces. Find items you are no longer using and donate anything in excellent condition to your local thrift store. It’s the perfect time to hand off unused sweaters or coats to someone who will give them a loving second-hand home.  

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Start holiday shopping.

It might seem early, but Black Friday weekend offers the best shopping deals! Shop online and find a sweet gift for your romantic partner. A personalized gift like Book of Us tells your love story on every page. Customize pages with loving messages and inside jokes, to make this an unforgettable holiday gift! 

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Make chili and watch holiday movies.

Get cozy with a warm bowl of chili and a movie! Holiday movies will get you in the festive spirit. Our favorites include When Harry Met Sally, Holidate, You’ve Got Mail, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and every Friends Thanksgiving episode.  

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Host a soup exchange party.

Cool November days mean it’s finally soup season! You’ve probably participated in a cookie exchange or even a pie exchange—but how about an exchange that’s all about varieties of soup? Ask each friend to make a unique soup and divide it into take-away containers for each person. Pick a weekend to exchange soups and you’ll have 5 or 6 varieties of soup in your fridge for every night of the week! 

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Start a gratitude journal.

Begin every November morning with gratitude journal practice. Expressing gratitude can help boost your mental health, by improving your mood and lessening stress. When you express gratitude for things around you (big and small), you focus on the good and see things more optimistically. Begin a gratitude routine today that will have lifelong effects for a brighter future!  

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Enjoy a cold-weather activity.

If you live in a cold-weather state, plan a day of ice skating, snowboarding, sledding, or tubing. These are perfect activities to do alone or with a partner. Plus, you’ll combine fun with exercise! Don’t forget to end the day with a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider.  

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Plan a game night.

Play your favorite board games all night long—with plenty of snacks! This activity is ideal for an especially cold day, so you can spend cozy time inside. Turn this into a fun date night or host a board game party with family.  

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Participate in a Turkey Trot.

Get your steps in and join a race that gives back to a worthy cause! Find the closest turkey trot near you and encourage your S.O. or friends to join you. Even if you aren’t a runner, this event is a fun way to make holiday memories and try something new!  

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Plan a “never have I ever” day date with your partner.

Do activities that neither of you have done before! Maybe it’s an at-home activity like baking a homemade sweet potato pie or an outdoor outing like skiing. As you try new things, you’ll grow closer together in your relationship. Day dates are the best when they are filled with laughter and joy!  

 

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20 Fall Activities to Do with Family, Friends, or Solo

Enjoy every minute of the fall with these twenty bucket list activities! We’ve compiled a list of activities for everyone—whether you are looking for fun with family and friends, or some self-care time solo. Fall comes with some of the best seasonal activities, like pumpkin carving, drinking hot apple cider in a flannel, or eating apple cider donuts in a corn maze. And it’s a season when we start getting excited about Halloween and happy haunts! With cooler days ahead and a limited number of days in the season, it’s the perfect time to explore, relax, and celebrate. Try a few of our favorite autumn activities and enjoy every minute of this season! 

20 Best Fall Activities to Put on Your Bucket List  

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  1. Visit an apple orchard for chestnut crab apples and apple cider donuts. 
  2. Make apple cider milkshakes and watch a movie with fall vibes like Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, or When Harry Met Sally.  
  3. Visit a brewery for live music, food trucks, and pumpkin beer.  
  4. Go on an autumn hike at a local state park.  
  5. Plan a romantic fall date with your partner. Plan a wine and cheese charcuterie picnic, and surprise your S.O. with a special gift like the Book of Us. Book of Us captures your love story on every page, so you can celebrate your relationship milestones. 
  6. Pick up your own pumpkins and enjoy jack-o-lantern carving.  
  7. Start a backyard bonfire and roast s’mores.  
  8. Tailgate a football game and make honey barbeque wings.  
  9. Bake a homemade apple pie. 
  10. Host a cozy fall party with mulled wine, chili, and pumpkin pie muffins.  
  11. Watch the sunset at a park.  
  12. Visit a corn maze and snack on caramel popcorn.  
  13. DIY your own Halloween costume. 
  14. Go ziplining and take in the gorgeous fall colors.  
  15. Celebrate Oktoberfest at a brewery or a city-hosted event.  
  16. Visit the farmer’s market and pick up ingredients to make a fall-themed dinner, like butternut squash carbonara.  
  17. Run a fall 5K or 10K.  
  18. Host a murder mystery party.  
  19. Spend an entire day that’s all about pumpkin spice. Drink a pumpkin spice latte, light a pumpkin candle, make pumpkin soup, and sip on a pumpkin spice cocktail.  
  20. Go for a bike ride. 

 

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9 Relationship Milestones That Couples Should Celebrate

Show love and appreciation for your partner all year long with these relationship milestones to celebrate! Whether you’ve been dating for one year or married for five years, it’s always fun to spend quality time together. Celebrating can bring you closer together, giving you a sense of unity in the relationship. We’ve included big and small milestones, for every kind of couple. All of these chapters in your journey will lead to a happier life as a duo. Celebrate the hard work and dedication you put into the relationship now and into the future!  

9 Relationship Milestones That Couples Should Celebrate  

Sharing Your First Kiss 

Whether your first kiss was awkwardly bad or downright magical, put this milestone at the top of your list! It marked the beginning of being intimate and took your relationship to the next stage. We love the idea of re-creating the date that led to your first kiss! You can even surprise your partner with a “happy first kiss” gift, like the Book of Us. Book of Us tells your unique love story on every page! Write out your first kiss story, to be printed on the back cover, and edit every page with loving messages and inside jokes. Your partner will love a gift that commemorates this sweet milestone. 

Having Your First Big Fight

Healthy relationships come with the good and the bad. Your first big fight is a doozy. But fighting can help you problem solve issues and improve your communication skills. (Note that domestic abuse should never take place in a fight and must be handled differently.) After you’ve cooled off from your first fight, treat yourselves to a “well that happened” drink (or mocktail) and do something that you both enjoy to get closer again—listen to jazz music and slow dance, hold hands and watch a movie, or cook your favorite meal.  

Attending a Family Event Together

One big relationship milestone is when you attend the first family event together! At this event, you’ll introduce your S.O. to your family members. This introduction shows a great deal of love and trust. This is the first time you’ll be stepping out as an official couple to extended family. It’s a time when your partner can bond with the family and be treated as “one of the family.” Treat this occasion as a milestone anniversary, and celebrate it every year by remembering the fun and awkward memories!  

First Couple’s Vacation

Your first vacation will help you both plan, problem-solve, communicate, and spend romantic time together. Plan a vacation every year, perhaps in the same spot as your first trip, as a special way to commemorate this milestone.  

Making a Big Purchase Together

Whether you’re buying your first couple’s couch for cuddling or your first house together, this relationship milestone deserves a fun celebration! Because you’ve made a big purchase, celebrate this milestone with budget-friendly date ideas like a bottom-less mimosa brunch, a happy hour special at a restaurant, a free concert in the park, or a bike ride and a picnic. Celebrate every year by challenging each other to plan a date with the smallest budget!  

Spending a Holiday Together (without family)

Most major holidays are spent with extended family. But on the rare occasion that you opt out of traveling to the family get-together, make this holiday extra special with just the two of you! This is a perfect opportunity to make memories and begin new traditions. Maybe you skip the traditional big dinner and order takeout, or maybe you plan an activity you both love. No matter what, the best times come from building a life together. 

Your Wedding Anniversary

A wedding anniversary is perhaps one of the biggest milestones to celebrate every year! We love the idea of re-creating your favorite moments from the day. Play your wedding song, cook or bake your favorite food from your reception, and watch wedding videos.  

The First Goodbye in a Long-Distance Relationship

Long-distance relationships are hard, and it may seem counterintuitive to celebrate a devastating goodbye. But it’s a difficult hurdle and you did it! You deserve to celebrate the accomplishment of making it through the hard times as well as the good ones. Once you are both back home, celebrate this milestone with some much-needed self-care time. Video chat your S.O., eat something yummy, and watch your favorite movie in comfy pajamas.  

Crying in Front of Each Other

Love isn’t just about flowers and gifts, it’s also about sharing intimacy and painful feelings. Love is about accepting all parts of your partner and supporting their hurt. For these reasons, it’s important to acknowledge and honor the first time your S.O. cries in front of you—and we mean, really cry, like open floodgates. When this happens, celebrate their vulnerability with praise which will encourage them to be more emotionally open with you in the future. Then do something together that will provide comfort and intimacy: watch a soothing movie together, go out for a comfort food meal, or schedule a couple’s spa day for massages.  

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How to Make Friendships as an Adult

Making friendships is difficult at any age, but even more so when you’re an adult. If you are struggling to make meaningful connections with friends, don’t worry! Most experience this same difficulty, even before the pandemic. Adulthood introduces many difficulties and complications. Maybe you moved across the country for a job or grad school, now living in a city where you don’t know anyone. Maybe you lost touch with high school or college friends. Maybe adult responsibilities (job, school, cleaning, exercising, cooking meals—the day-to-day needs) fill up your day and you struggle to find time for friendships. We’ve put together some fun ways to make adult friends and expand your social circle. Making friendships is a numbers game. The more you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to find friends who match some of your interests and values. Instead of saying “I should,” repeat to yourself “I can” and try a few of these methods to make new and lasting friendships!  

7 Ways to Make Friendships as an Adult 

Join a new activity group.

Look for local groups or clubs or form your own! Join a cooking class to meet others who enjoy your hobby. Participate in a bi-weekly book club. Attend a weekly fitness class and get there early to join in some pre-workout conversations. When you’ve identified one or two members who could be friend material, invite them out for coffee or lunch afterward and exchange numbers to meet up in the future. If you have a dog, visit the local dog park once a week and strike up a conversation with fellow dog lovers. You can also arrange doggy playdates, where the humans can bond too! Try a few activities and see where you can find friends. Not every group will yield friendships, but don’t give up! Keep trying new things until you find friends you click with.  

Try an app to make friends.

Use apps like Bumble BFF, Meetup, Nextdoor, Peanut (an app for moms to make friends), Meet My Dog, or even TikTok. Start conversations online and then plan a meet-up in person. The best part about an app? You can strike up lots of conversations online, without the awkward in-person interaction, and see who you connect with the best. Even a broad social app like TikTok can be a platform for great friendships—but you have to take the lead first! Try posting a dance challenge, asking anyone on the app to dance battle you via video. See who responds and start a conversation in the app to begin a new friendship.  

Look for connections you already have.

Sometimes friends are right in front of you! Do you find you always have great conversations with your hairstylist, manicurist, or fitness trainer? Maybe they’re just being nice…or maybe they really like you. Invite them for a friend date like coffee or cocktails at the end of your session. You’ll never know unless you initiate an invitation. And keep in mind: great friends can be of any age.  

Volunteer and meet new people.

Volunteering is amazing by itself, because you are giving back. It’s also a great way to meet new people and make friends along the way! Try volunteering at a charity, a library, a nonprofit serving free meals, a school, a nursing home or a hospice care location. You’ll meet other adult volunteers in your work, where you can strike up conversations. You’ll also meet residents, at a nursing home for example, who may likewise be looking for friends.  

Host a bring-a-friend party.

Throw a small house party where you ask each guest to bring another friend. In adulthood, it’s common for friends to have different social circles. Some of your friends will have made other friends from work, activities, or their neighborhood. By encouraging your friends to bring one of theirs as a plus one, you will expand your social circle and meet some great people!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Attend interactive events.

Find local events where you can meet and interact with new people. Visit a brewery for trivia night. Attend a charcuterie-making class at a local shop. Join a community pilates class outside. Sign up for a cocktail-making class at a restaurant. These one-off activities offer, at the very least, interesting conversations, and ideally new friends!  

Boost your own self-esteem and confidence.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, it’s crucial to boost your own confidence to make friends. Do things that make yourself happier and healthier, whether it’s exercise, eating healthy, getting more sleep, or enjoying a hot bath every week. Confidence shows up in the way you walk, talk, and interact with others. When you are more confident, you will attract people to you. Make time for yourself first, and then grow your social circle.  

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11 Free Date Ideas You’ll Love

There’s no need to spend a cent because we’ve found the best date ideas that are free! Dropping a lot of money on an expensive dinner is no guarantee you’ll have a great time. Dating is all about spending romantic, quality time together. When you take money out of the equation, you’ll find some creative and unique ways to make lasting memories. The next time you’re planning date night, try one of these free date ideas. Your partner will be seriously impressed at how much you can do when you save!  

11 Date Ideas That Are Completely Free  

Spend the day at a free zoo.  

Many states have funded zoos and conservatories that have completely free attendance. Plan a free day date watching the animals and bring your own snacks to save on food cost!  

Hike at your local state park.  

Hike the trails and enjoy each other’s company. Nature provides a romantic backdrop for your date, where you can hold hands and kiss among the forest trees like a cheesy rom-com movie couple. There’s usually free street parking along the highways and you can bring your own energy snacks. Take lots of pics for the ‘gram and make a silly TikTok video to capture the moment.  

Take a scenic drive. 

Visit a place you’ve always wanted to go like a cute beach town, a flower farm, a historic monument or a sculpture garden. Pre-make iced coffee at home and hit the road with a killer playlist. The car ride adventure to get there is half the fun!  

Host a game date at home.  

Challenge your boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner to game-palooza! Play a variety of board games, dice games, and video games. Then end the night with a sexy game for two.  

Visit a comedy club.  

Attend open mic night at a comedy club, where attendance is free as long as you find a seat. There’s no better date than laughing together…or cringing at the bad jokes!  

Attend a university concert.  

Take in a free concert at your local university! Look at the college’s schedule of music events and attend your local university’s symphony orchestra concert that’s free to the public. This is a great way to take in beautiful music and enjoy a romantic music date.  

Enjoy a free fitness class.  

Find a free fitness class in your area. Many cafes and breweries host free barre or yoga classes throughout the year. Get your sweat on and have fun!  

Make something together.  

Get crafty and make or bake something together. A few ideas: bake a cake, cook a new meal, put a Lego set together, make a photo book, or whip up fun cocktails for an at-home happy hour. You’ll make something new and make happy memories too!  

Watch a movie in the park.  

Check out your city’s parks and recreation board site to find programs like “Music and Movies in the Parks.” Plan a romantic picnic date and watch a free outdoor movie in the park.  

Enjoy spa day at home.  

Bring the relaxation of the spa to you and enjoy a spa day for two. Light candles, play soothing music, and give each other back massages. Then get cozy in your pajamas and access free movies from your local library to watch at home.  

Ride bike together.  

Take a long scenic bike ride together. If you need a rest, stop at a local park and share headphones to listen to an audiobook from your phone.