≡ Menu

Review & Giveaway: Date Ideas from Datevitation

OK, I’ll confess: I’m a fairly sentimental person. It’s true! It never fails to thrill me whenever Peter leaves a little love note in his own handwriting for me (and I save every one of them!), or unexpectedly brings me flowers (though this happens far less now that we have three rambunctious cats living in our house!), or plans a special date for the two of us (something more than just, “I don’t feel like cooking – let’s go out for dinner”).

It’s the thoughtful, for-no-real-reason-except-that-I-love-you gestures of caring – actions that go above and beyond the day-to-day routine – that mean so very much to me, and that Peter is so very good at doing. But – and here’s my second confession – I’m not always great at doing them myself. While I love the idea of the romantic gesture, and certainly appreciate being on the receiving end of it, coming up with ideas and then carrying them out just doesn’t always come naturally to me. So I was delighted when I heard from Datevitation, who sponsored this post and offered me the opportunity to demonstrate my love for Peter in a fun and intentional way by giving me a free custom love coupon book.

Datevitation

Datevitation is a family business run by the husband and wife team of Alex and Olga Karpman. You can get to know them on the Datevitation blog, where they offer video guides to date ideas and romantic gestures…. and check out this sweet video of Alex proposing to Olga (and her daughter!):

Datevitation.com is the web’s first online platform to create a custom love coupon book. Unlike the pre-packaged love coupon books on the market, you pick the dates from the Datevitation library of over 500 date ideas. You can choose from over 100 book cover options to suit any occasion (including “just because”!), customize the coupon text to your liking, and even add your own faces to the cartoon characters when you make your book.

Datevitation Add Faces

Once you’re done creating your own custom coupon book, Datevitation will print it out and ship it to you.

I had so much fun putting together a “just because I love you” coupon book for Peter – picking a cover, choosing what I wanted to say on the introductory page, and then deciding on a series of dates that we would enjoy together (which in our case included dinner at a new sushi restaurant in our neighbourhood, a game of pool, watching a local hockey game, and evenings of “his choice” movies and dining, both out and at home).

I ordered my book from the Datevitation site on a Sunday and it arrived in my mailbox eight days later – a pleasantly speedy turnaround, considering that the book was custom-printed AND shipped from the US to Canada (which in my experience can mean longer-than-normal delays). I was very pleased with the quality of the paper and the professional printing, loved the fun illustrations, and appreciated the fact that as an added touch, a perfectly-sized gift envelope was included with the book.

Here’s the cover I chose for Peter’s coupon book…

Datevitation Cover

…and here’s a photo of the first page, which I was able to customize with some of the words to our wedding song “Never Doubt I Love” (which is also engraved on our wedding bands)…

Us

And the result? Peter loved the book, teared up a little when he read the words to our song, and was happy about the selection of dates I chose specifically with him in mind (he chuckled when he saw the “his choice” movie dates!). Success!

Although I chose to make my coupon book for Peter, Datevitation isn’t just for romance! They also have “boy” and “girl” characters with over 200 activity illustrations specifically for kids and parents.

Datevitation Dad Daughter Face Example Datevitation Love Coupons for Kids

Custom coupon books normally start at just $25, which makes this a thoughtful yet economical gift. But as a special treat for my followers, you can use the code ALPHABETSALAD for $10 off your purchase at Datevitation plus free shipping (total value of $13.50)… which means you can get your loved one a one-of-a-kind gift (pssst… Father’s Day is coming!) starting at just $15. The order cut-off date for guaranteed delivery by Father’s Day is May 20 (Canada) and June 5 (US), so make sure to get your order in before then!

Datevitation Father's Day Book

AND, as an additional bonus, Datevitation is offering one lucky winner (from Canada or the US) an opportunity to create their own custom coupon book. I absolutely love the one I made for Peter, and invite you to enter the giveaway for a chance to get your own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck!

Disclaimer: I received payment for this post and a sample of this product for free to review; however, all opinions are completely my own.

NaBloPoMo May 2014

Laurel Storey, CZT – Certified Zentangle Teacher. Writer, reader, tangler, iPhoneographer, cat herder, learner of French and Italian, crocheter, needle felter, on-and-off politics junkie, 80s music trivia freak, ongoing work in progress.