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Once August hits, I get serious FOMO when it comes to summer vacations.

As a freelancer and piano teacher, it’s often hard for me to go on vacation, with student loans, rent payments and just the general cost of living in D.C. looming. Every August, when so many take vacations, whether it be to the beach or somewhere more extravagant like a whirlwind trip to Europe, I get serious fear of missing out. I decided this August, I’d like to try some staycation ideas with my boyfriend.

Here are 15 fun and sexy ideas for a fabulous staycation in your hometown with your significant other this summer.

1. Have an at-home spa afternoon.

You don’t have to have lots of cash to have a relaxing afternoon. Bath and Body Works has an aromatherapy line I love that’s perfect for massages—I use the Sleep: Lavender and Vanilla every night!

2. Have a date night to a drive-in close to you.

I loved going to the local drive-in when I was in high school. At that point, I wasn’t dating anyone but I always thought it would be super romantic to have a Grease–style date night there. Drive-ins are mostly a thing of the past, but if you look hard enough, you may find that your state houses one of the approximately 330 left in the country.

3. Go mini golfing.

Mini golfing is a great place to be extra flirty. Think about it—there’s lots of bending over, friendly competition and playfulness with your club. Add a cute outfit and some soft serve afterwards, and you have a perfect nostalgic date.

4. Unplug for a weekend and camp out in your backyard.

There’s something very freeing about not getting on social media for a weekend. Leave your phones in a bedroom and if you have a house, set up a tent in your backyard. Sit under the stars and talk to each other. Chances are, you may learn new things about each other despite years of dating. Afterwards, snuggle up together in your tent.

5. Create your own honeymoon suite.

If you’re married, recreate your honeymoon in a few simple ways. Head to the mall and purchase ultra-soft towels and fancy chocolates and sneak off to buy some new seductive lingerie. Light some candles and get ready for a romantic evening together. Doing something like recreating your honeymoon reignites a certain sense of desire.

6. Spend the day at your local pool.

I adore swimming with significant others. I miss it, as my longtime boyfriend unfortunately does not enjoy the pool and has very fair skin, making him burn nearly instantly. Anyway, in the past there has been nothing more fun and flirty than play wrestling in the pool with a boyfriend or lounging side by side on oversized rafts.

7. Role play at a local bed & breakfast.

One of my favorite shows is still Modern Family. Some of my favorite moments are Phil and Claire’s role playing as Clive and Juliana. Not only are they hilarious, but they also show that after years and years of being married, Phil and Claire are still very much in love. Book a night at your local bed and breakfast and role play a la Phil and Claire for a fun staycation overnight activity.

8.Go hiking then shower together afterwards.

The next gorgeous weekend that comes up, research local popular hiking trails near you. Go check out the great outdoors with your partner. After all, research shows that being in nature is a great way to reconnect with family and friends.

9. Tackle a home improvement project you’ve been meaning to do.

I know my siblings who own homes are always meaning to do certain home improvement projects. Even if you rent like my boyfriend and me, you can still use your staycation to tackle a home improvement project you’ve been putting off. If you have a balcony, redesign it and toast with cocktails together. When my partner and I found out we needed a riser for our new TV last year we turned it into a project. Our reward when we were finished was a snuggly night of Netflix and chilling.

10. Add a new furry friend to the family.

Adding a dog or cat to your home can be a great way to spend your time off this summer. Teaching an animal how to behave and live in their new home is a great bonding experience with your significant other. Sites like petfinder.com and adoptapet.com make it ridiculously easy too!

11. Volunteer for an afternoon with your local charity.

There’s nothing sexier than helping others. Spend the afternoon volunteering at your favorite local charity. My boyfriend and I are hoping to get involved with our favorite local dog rescue this fall and bring dogs on “dogventures.” There are also lots of clean-up opportunities in the summer for parks too.

12. Visit somewhere campy.

No, I’m not talking about places in the woods. Campy, as in exaggerated and humorous, often with a sense of irony. Check out any outdoor movie festivals in your city, or make a day trip to a bizarre museum nearby—like the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. Here is a list of 51 weird museums across the country.

13. Have a sexy or romantic movie marathon.

Log on to your favorite streaming service and pick a couple romantic or sexy movies to watch together. Pop some popcorn and settle in together underneath your favorite blanket. Act like teenagers in your parents’ basement and get handsy underneath the quilt for some old-time fun.

14. Spend the entire day in bed, experimenting with new positions.

If one of your staycation days ends up being rainy, spend the entire day in bed. Google some new sex positions or try some of these for a lazy, perfectly snuggly day.

15. Have your own at-home wine tasting.

Visit your local liquor store and grab some wine you haven’t tried yet. Don’t forget to stop at the grocery store for cheese, crackers and some prosciutto. Grab your favorite wine glasses and get tipsy together at home with a relaxing at-home wine tasting.

Have an epic staycation with these 15 summer staycation ideas.

You’re scrolling through Instagram and come across a photo of a friend and their significant other. They’re holding hands, looking so in love, with the ocean in the background—and the lighting is perfect.

You might wonder how they got such a great photo, you might even envy it. Maybe you get the idea that you and your partner should go out and take some photos too.

In this age of social media, when it’s so easy to show off photos of your loved ones, it’s nice to have a few good pictures of you and your honey. Maybe you want a cute shot to post for Valentine’s or you want some really nice engagement pictures. Maybe you want photos to celebrate your anniversary or you just want some nice pictures to remember this time in your lives.

If you’re ready to dust off your camera and organize a couple photo shoot, consider these 8 themes to make your photo session even sweeter.

1. Visit the location of your first date

For your first date you might have gone to a special restaurant, a movie theater, or maybe you two just went to the dog park with your pups. No matter where you went during that first hangout, you probably feel some special connection to that spot. Why not use it as a photo location? Think of all the cute photos you could take recreating that first coffee date or driving go-carts together like you did way back when.

Of course, if you don’t feel a special connection to the place you had your first date, or if it would be too hard to travel there, this idea could be applied to any location that’s special for you two, such as the place you met, or where you got married, or where you first kissed.

When it was time for my husband and I to take engagement photos, we decided to have our photographer take pictures of us at our old high school, which is where we met and spent much of our time together early in our relationship. It was fun walking around our old school and thinking back on our time there—and the memories made our pictures even more special.

2. Get back to nature

Photographers can build beautiful sets and put up fabulous backdrops, but there’s nothing quite like the beauty of nature. From fields of wildflowers, to mountains, to the ocean: nature can be the perfect spot for your romantic shoot.

The best part is, no matter what part of the world you’re in, you’re probably not far from a great natural background. You might not be close enough to the coast to take pictures on the beach, but if you’re near green forested areas, take advantage of it. If you find yourself in the dessert, use the golden sand and open landscape for glamorous wide shots.

One great tip is to find a spot that has different natural features. You don’t want to take all your photos in front of the one beautiful tree, you’ll want to use different backgrounds to give your photos a good variety.

When my sister-in-law took maternity photos, she picked a location by the beach that she knew would give her a few different looks. She and her husband took some photos by the water, some by rock formations on the sand, and a few on a grassy field nearby. With each location they were able to change the feel of their photos, plus, they took the change in scenery as an opportunity to change their clothes and use different props.

3. Take a trip to the fair

While some think romantic photoshoots should be filled with soft colors and long, meaningful looks, sometimes it’s better to show a more playful side. If you’re looking for a fun, vibrant shoot, consider having photos taken at the state fair or a theme park. You can take pictures walking through fun houses or playing fair games. You could pose for photos as you ride the merry-go-round or take candids in the petting zoo.

I knew a couple who had an impromptu photoshoot at the fair. A friend with a photography class assignment met the couple at the state fairgrounds and took out her camera whenever she saw a cute moment. They ended up with a ton of beautiful ferris wheel photos and photographs of sweet moments eating snacks.

While the location made for a fun theme, what really made the photos special was the fact that they were all having a blast that day. If you’re having fun when you’re taking pictures, it’s sure to show up in your photos.

4. Include your pets

If you’re going to take photos together, why not include everyone in the family? Of course, I’m talking about your pets. Adding a dog or cat (or even your pet snake) adds another layer to the photoshoot.

My cousin and his wife are all about their dogs so they decided to include them in a pregnancy announcement photo shoot. They got the dogs little signs to hang around their necks and posed with them in front of their house. The photos were a hit.

Consider making a photo shoot out of a walk with your dog or plan to gather your pets in your living room for a quick half hour of picture-taking. Heck, maybe you’ll go all out and get matching human-pet sweaters.

Of course, you should prepare for excited pets and possible “accidents” but including your animals is worth the trouble and will make the photos all that much more special.

5. Themed for the season

Seasonal photos have been in style for a long time: families posed by the Christmas tree or gathered in a JCPenny studio wearing their holiday sweaters. But, you don’t have to save your portraits for just that one time of year.

When planning a photo shoot, think about the time of year and use it to your advantage. If it’s fall, embrace the crisp air by putting on some brown and orange sweaters and take pictures with the changing leaves. In spring, consider a  flowery theme by getting yourself a flower crown and taking photos in a field of grass. Summer time? Plan a silly shoot by the pool, complete with swim suits, colorful sunglasses, and drinks with tiny umbrellas.

I know one couple who planned a wedding photo session six months after they got married so they could have photos in their wedding location, but in a different season. While they enjoyed a summer wedding with lots of bright flowers and colors, their winter anniversary photos had a whole different flavor. The bride got herself a bouquet made of red and white roses and they snuggled up in warm winter accessories.

6. Recreate old photos of yourselves

While taking new photos is fun, you and your sweetie probably treasure older photos too. For a fun photoshoot, find some of your favorite photos together, perhaps some from when you were first dating, and recreate the photo.

Maybe you have a picture of the two of you at a costume party or a candid picture a friend took on the night you met. Play with the idea of wearing the same clothes (especially if the look is so outdated it’s funny or if you’re recreating a past Halloween). Also, think about going to the same spot the original photo was taken. It might be fun to see what that place looks like now.

I have one friend who takes a photo with her husband every year in the same spot at their old college, wearing the same university sweaters. It’s a sweet tradition and each year the photo they take is even more special than the last.

7. Recreate scenes from your favorite movies

While recreating your old photos is super sweet, it can be just as exciting to have a photoshoot inspired by famous scenes from movies or TV shows. It can make for a fun, and usually silly, photo shoot you’ll both love.

Pick a movie that’s important to the two of you, or that you always watch together, and consider dressing like your favorite characters and play the part yourselves. Your photos can be lightly inspired or you can go for accuracy with your costumes and makeup. Either way, you’re sure to have a lot of fun with it.

I know one couple who dressed up as Juno and Bleeker for a cheeky pregnancy announcement. Another couple I know dressed as their favorite movie couples for a series of engagement photos. Both couples had a great time taking the pictures and their photos ended up looking amazing.

8. Take photos at home

Pictures capture a moment in time, and what better way to capture your relationship, and your season in life, by capturing your home as well?

For photos you’ll love to look back at, take some pictures in front of your house or on your doorstep together. If your home’s exterior isn’t especially photogenic (or if you’re in an apartment), consider posing for photos on your couch or sitting on your stairs. It will let you capture cute pictures of the two of you, and help you create a memory of where you live and what your life is like at this point in time.

When my husband and I moved into our first condo, we decided to celebrate by taking pictures in our new home. We didn’t do anything fancy, just made sure we were both wearing something nice and set a timer on our camera. Still, we loved taking photos in our new home, on the steps leading up to our door, and even on the patio. It made for one of the best early memories we have in that condo.

Taking photos with your sweetie is sure to be a fun and memorable experience. And when it’s done, you’ll have some sweet photos to look back on. Hopefully these eight ideas will help you capture amazing photos you and your honey will love.

2018 study found that people form an opinion about someone in just 27 seconds. And boy, does that sound harsh. You’ve barely finished saying “how do you do,” when already, you’re judging each other? Yikes.

Now, of course, this study isn’t saying that it only takes 27 seconds to get to know a person. That would be ridiculous. We’ve all seen enough rom coms and teen flicks to know that sometimes, longtime enemies become friends, and vice versa. First impressions are not always right and it takes way longer than 27 seconds to judge someone’s character.

But in the dating world, sometimes all you have is a first impression.

Think about it: the way modern dating works, first impressions are everything. If you’re on a dating app, you swipe right or left based on an image and a short bio. That’s a 27-second decision if I ever saw one… and that’s if you’re really taking your time.

If you meet up for a blind date and you’re not immediately charmed by your sister’s-friend’s-cousin’s-barber in the time it takes to sip a latte, you’ll probably never call back.

Generally, there isn’t a second chance.

We’re not in one of those rom coms where the cute stranger sits next to you in chemistry every day and eventually, you start to understand his/her charm. This also isn’t a Jane Austen novel where, apparently, there are only about seven eligible men in the town and you and Mr. Darcy keep bumping into each other at parties.

In real life, when a first impression isn’t good, you don’t waste your time. You look for love elsewhere.

On one hand, this quick decision-making is probably a good thing. You know who you’re attracted to and what kind of person you want to date. A strong first impression (especially if it’s negative) can save you a lot of time. Then again, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t make a good first impression, you could be missing out on love.

While that 2018 study gave us all kinds of anxiety about quick judgements, luckily, the study also gave us a cheat sheet so we know what makes the biggest impression in that first 27 seconds.

Here are seven things to focus on in order to make a good impression for your next date.

Staying humble

62 percent of those surveyed reported that strangers who acted arrogantly made a bad first impression on them.

Surprise surprise.

We didn’t exactly need a study to tell us that no one likes spending time with an arrogant person… especially on a date. There’s nothing worse than a dinner date where the person across from you only talks about how awesome they are from appetizers to dessert.

Of course, sometimes after a particularly good day at work, we all might get the urge to brag now and then. But if you’re looking to make a good impression, and maybe even land a relationship, it’s important to show your modest side, especially on that first date.

Sure, you can mention your achievements (especially if your date asks), but try to stay humble. It’s okay to show off the great things about you, but remember that your goal should really be to learn about your date—and find out if you two have a connection.

Smiling

Audrey Hepburn once said, “Happy girls are the prettiest” (and that goes for gentlemen too). A smile can be your best friend when it comes to first impressions: it makes your face look warm and friendly. It brightens your eyes and makes people feel more comfortable with you, plus, 53 percent of people said it contributed to a good first impression.

Of course, don’t try too hard and end up with a forced smile (a creepy grin held for too long will probably have your date calling for an Uber). Still, remember the power of your pearly whites.

To enhance my smile, I like to use an at-home teeth whitener. It’s cheap, easy, and if my teeth are looking a little yellow one day, I can get myself looking like the star of a toothpaste commercial—fast. But, if you really want to invest in your teeth, lots of people go professional and get their teeth whitened at the dentist’s office.

Also, before you go out, put on some lip gloss (or chapstick) to bring attention to your lips. Your grin will surely make your date smile too!

Being polite

Don’t you hate it when you’re at dinner with someone and he or she doesn’t say “please” or “thank you” to the waitstaff? Do you cringe when a date burps and doesn’t say “excuse me?”

Apparently a lot of people are bothered by bad manners, as the survey found that 53 percent reported that politeness contributed to making a good impression.

Of course, if you’re not the kind of person who keeps your pinky out or puts your napkin on your lap, don’t feel like you need to do an Emily Gilmore impression and follow every point of etiquette for the benefit of your date. Who knows, maybe your perfect match has the same habits as you, and asking for a salad fork might freak them out.

Still, it’s important to be polite, which means being kind and courteous. The rule is simple: be nice and your date will probably like you more.

Making eye contact

49 percent of those surveyed found that eye contact was very important to that first impression. This, of course, comes as no surprise.

Making eye contact means that you’re focused on that person, you’re talking directly to them or listening intently. Eye contact can be intimate, meaningful, and powerful. Failing to meet someone’s gaze can make you seem standoffish, cold, or disinterested.

Keep in mind though, too much hardcore eye contact can be intimidating, so don’t over do it. Make eye contact, but give your gaze a break, too. Sometimes looking away coyly can be flirty. When you’re telling a story or making gestures, it’s okay to look up or around a bit. Plus, if you’re on a dinner date, you should glance down at your food every so often too. After all, you’ll both have to look away at some point if you want to make sure you get your meal to your mouth, and not on your lap.

Dressing to impress

While personality is much more important than looks, when it comes to first impressions, it’s hard to not judge appearance. It might not be fair to judge a book by it’s cover… but sometimes we just can’t help it. Appearance is one of the easiest thing to judge quickly, and as this study shows, people put a good amount of focus on looks: a whopping 49 percent of people were put off by poor clothing choices.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to wear a ball gown or start buying designer everything (in fact, for some people, brand names and too much focus on appearance could be a turnoff) but it’s still important to make yourself presentable. Know which colors look good on you, pick out clothes that fit well, make sure that everything you wear is clean and unwrinkled.

Personally, I’m guilty of some sloppy dressing. I wear jeans and jackets too many times in a row without washing them, and am always embarrassed when I find a ketchup stain on my sweater from the day before. I’m also terrible at finding clothes that “go together” and often find myself texting photos of outfits to friends to get their opinion.

If you’re like me and have trouble with style, you might consider putting together a few good-looking outfits to wear on first dates ahead of time. Remember that if you look good, you’re more likely to leave a great impression.

Being a good listener

Wait, what?

Just kidding. Of course you should be a good listener! In fact, the study found that 48% of people think it’s an important attribute when making a first impression. You might be thinking that there won’t be much to listen to within just 27 seconds of meeting, but there’s nothing worse than introducing yourself to someone, saying something pleasant or making a joke, and realizing that they weren’t paying attention to what you were saying.

Whenever I meet someone new, even if I only talk to them for a few minutes, I try to remember something about them. It might be that their birthday is coming up or that they’re planning to go camping. Then, when I see them next, I ask them about that thing I remembered.

It makes people feel good, knowing that someone cared to remember something about them, and it’s always nice to feel like you’re being listened to. Doing this on dates will let your partner know that you’re truly interested in getting to know them.

Smelling good

Say sorry to your Tinder profile for me, because any work you do to make corrections in this category won’t matter there. Still, this will be a big one when you two love birds finally meet in person. As it turns out, 46 percent of people really care about how someone smells and are turned off by someone with a stench.

But don’t take this as permission to lather on the cologne or spritz perfume high and low. A heavy, artificial aroma can be just as bad as B.O.

Your best bet is just to bathe regularly, use deodorant, and pop a mint every so often.

It’s also important to mention that some strong reactions to body odor could be due to pheromones, and if this is the case, there might not be much you can do to help it. If someone smells bad to you, this might be a sign that your immune systems are less suited for healthy reproduction (Smithsonian). I know, I know, this might not be the sexiest thing to talk about on a first date… but it’s science.

You may only have 27 seconds to make a good first impression, but now that you know which features to focus on, you’re sure to rock that first date from the moment you walk in the door. One great first impression can turn into a fabulous first date, and perhaps, the start of a future together.