Wooing your sweetheart doesn’t have to mean expensive trips and lavish gifts. This Valentine’s Day, try a date night that’s frugal and fun. Here are five ideas:

Love & Laughs
Enjoy an evening of laughs by seeing the Valley’s premier comedy troupe The Associated Mess, which performs every other Thursday at SteelStacks.

$8 | 7:30 p.m.
SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
610.332.1300 | steelstacks.org

Day Trip Tip
For those active, outdoorsy couples a hike up Hawk Mountain provides the perfect opportunity to take in the area’s beautiful scenery and snuggle with your sweetie. Pack a picnic basket (makes sure there’s hot cocoa), a camera and a cozy blanket.

$5 for adults | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 1700 Hawk Mountain Rd., Kempton
610.756.6961 | hawkmountain.org

Wine Time
Spend an afternoon sampling the wines at Pinnacle Ridge Winery. This local vineyard offers tours of their scenic property and wine tastings so you can try before you buy (enjoy a six-wine sample for $5 per person, free if you purchase wine).

$5 | Sun.-Fri. noon-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Pinnacle Ridge Winery, 407 Old Route 22, Kutztown
610.756.4481 | pinridge.com

Pub Grub & Trivia
There are many area restaurants and bars that offer free trivia nights, along with drink and food specials. Opt for a casual double or triple date night with your mutual friends and have a little friendly couple’s competition!

Tues. 8-10 p.m., Thurs. 9-10 p.m.
Braveheart Highland Pub, 430 Main St., Hellertown
610.838.6555 | bravehearthighlandpub.com

Skate Mate
Embrace the outdoor sports of the season with an afternoon of iceskating. Chances are the two of you aren’t Olympic-worthy figure skaters so this will be the perfect activity to hang on to each other.

$3 skate rental | $7 admissions
Steel Ice Center, 320 E. 1st St., Bethlehem
610.625.4774 | steelicenter.com

I’m not much of a golfer. Aside from a little mini golf every summer and a trip to the driving range once every couple of years, I rarely pick up a club. In fact, golf never crosses my mind unless I’m catching up in the latest Tiger scandal.

Growing up, I used to accompany my dad, who does golf from time to time, on his trips to the Wedgewood driving range. It was usually after he returned home from the office and just before sunset. My sister and I would roll around in the grass and feed golf balls to my dad after each shot. He even let us use his obviously oversized golf clubs to hit a few at the end of the bucket.

When my editor, Lisa, and I were approached by Diane Teti of Girls Gone Golfing at Allentown Municipal Golf Course in conjunction with Brew Works on the Green about attending an introductory class, I couldn’t help but think, “Hmm…this might be fun!”

And it was! After a series of cancellations and rain delays, we finally took a class on July 21. Unless you read the FAQs beforehand, there are no signs to direct you where to go. Lisa and I decided to hang by the driving range and watch the obviously better, more seasoned golfers until our instructor came down. Turns out, we were really supposed to sign in at Brew Works on the Green.

Diane was seated at a table with a cute little “Girls Gone Golfing” sign. After some chatting, becoming acquainted with some of the other ladies (who were taking the class for various reasons), and chugging a glass of water, we walked back down to the range where we met our instructor, Zach.

He handed out a sheet of golf terms and briefly explained each before showing us a proper club grip. This is when I started feeling pretty awkward about the whole thing. As if being plopped into a scene with a bunch of ladies who I didn’t know wasn’t weird enough, there I was trying to learn how to shift my hands around and position my thumbs correctly while still trying to look like I kind of knew what I was doing.

(Ladies, just a note, if you’re single I highly recommend taking up this sport. There are lots of men–lots of men! You just never know when you might get lucky.)

When it came time to swing, I started gaining some confidence. I felt pretty good about my performance. I was actually hitting the ball and it was actually going somewhere. As Zach came around, he pointed out that I needed to work on following through with my stance. Fair enough! Of course, I’m sure there were lots of other things I needed to improve.

Soon enough, dark clouds quickly rolled in and lightening pierced through the sky. We ended our class and hurried back to the restaurant for our glass of wine (every class ends with a glass of wine or beer). The skies opened up and a heavy rain fell for a few short moments before the sun showed its pretty face again.

Overall, I thought the class was informative. I now know where to correctly position my club before taking a swing. I’m more aware of my body position and how it’s supposed to move. I doubt I will take another class, but I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to try the sport for the first time, someone who wants to meet new people, or for someone whose husband plays the game and you simply just want to know why. If you’re one of those people, click this link for more info or visit Girls Gone Golfing on Facebook.

Have you ever taken a class? What did you think?

I can’t believe it, but the holidays are rapidly approaching and you know what that means. Holiday shopping madness! Every year, it seems like Christmastime sneaks up on me earlier and earlier. As I prepare for the gift-giving season, I have decided that I will try to complete the majority of my shopping at our wonderful selection of local retailers.

It has become customary that my dad, sister, and I bear the selfish Black Friday crowds at the Lehigh Valley Mall for a few deals and steals, but this year I want to focus my energy into seeking out unique gifts while helping our local economy at the same time. I already know where I’d like to begin, but first need to create my list.

So tell me, what’s on your holiday Wish List? Where do you shop for gifts? Happy hunting!