Category Archives for Dating Tips

Need Something New To Do On Your Next Date Night?

Finding hobbies you can share as a couple helps make a relationship last.  Whether you’ve just found each other or you’ve been together for years, if you’ve not gone metal detecting together yet you should!  While it might not be the first “couples activity” that comes to mind, metal detecting together has a lot of benefits for a couple and can become an activity you enjoy together throughout your relationship whether you each have your own metal detector or not.

Great for Any Age

It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 80 – you can enjoy metal detecting.  There are light weight machines, long handled shovels and more to help make this a pass time that’s  comfortable and fun for everyone.

Experience the Outdoors Together

Heading outside together can take the pressure off a new relationship and can bring long-term couples even closer together.  Since you can’t go metal detecting indoors, you can experience a range of outdoor settings together when you both head out to find treasure.

Metal Detecting is Safest Using the Buddy System

If you don’t go with your significant other, be sure to take a friend.  Since you’re usually out exploring new terrain metal detecting is the safest using the buddy system.

Get Some Exercise so You Can Stay Together Longer

By the nature of the way you use your metal detector you’ll definitely get some exercise.  You’ll need to walk around nearly the entire time you’re searching for treasure.  Plus you’ll use your arm muscles to swing the machine back and forth while you’re walking.  And, you’ll end up doing some squats as you dig up your treasure onyour next date.

An Affordable Date

Once you have a metal detector (you only need one, although having two can be fun as well) and your metal detecting tools, you’re all set to have an affordable (read Free!) date any day of the week.  In fact, metal detecting may even be one of the only date night activities where you could actually make some money instead of spend it.

Boost Your Treasure Hunting Effectiveness

Metal detecting with your partner can also boost your  overall effectiveness by allowing you help each other with the metal detecting.  After all, two heads are better than one!  Working together you can –

• Help each other differentiate between treasure tones and trash tones.
• Share the labor of unearthing your treasure and save time by having one person dig while the other uses the pinpointer.
• And, if you both have metal detectors you can search twice the area in half the time.

Enjoying the Spoils Together is Better

The most exciting thing about metal detecting is discovering what’s underground and learning more about it’s history, and it’s worth once you’re back home.  The only thing that’s more exciting than that is to find these unique treasures with someone you love.

Find Other Shared Interests

As you’re out metal detecting together, you’ll have time to talk, discover more about each other, and find additional shared interests.  Not only that, through metal detecting you may be led to other interests that are totally new to both of you that you can now explore together such as hiking, history, antiquing, coin collecting, gold panning, geocaching, gardening, and so much more.

Finding activities you can appreciate together is the foundation of any successful relationship.  If you already have a passion for metal detecting, take your partner along with you next time.  If you’ve never been metal detecting – try it with your partner.  Whether it’s your first date or you’re just looking for something to do since the kids are gone, metal detecting is a perfect activity for any couple to enjoy together.

Featured images:

•  License: Image author owned

About the author: Michael Bernzweig manages MetalDetector.com in Southborough, MA. He has written extensively on the subject of metal detecting since the mid 1980’s. He has traveled world-wide in his pursuit of educating, exploring and advising others in the proper use of metal detectors. Outside of the business he enjoys mentoring students, being involved in the community and spending time with his family.

How to Build a Relationship Your Heart will Love

Love is an incredibly powerful emotion, even scientists can agree on that. But so called boffin wisdom goes on to insist that when we fall in love our bodies are aching and racing with hormones, adrenaline and pheromones – physical reactions driven by our oh-so smitten hearts.

Now wearing glasses doesn’t make me a scientist, so I’ll take their word for it. But after 26 blissful years with my husband, I can see why it’s way too easy for some people to undermine the very foundations of their loving relationship while innocently working their hardest to make it a long, strong, robust affair. Thankfully, we’ve always taken a different approach to ensure we build a relationship our hearts love which is why I want to share our secret with you.

You see, when you topple over the parapet and fall in love, you’re completely in tune with your heart. There’s no logic, no reason, no rhyme, nothing but your molecules communicating one on one with those of your heart’s true desire –the person with whom you’ll build a relationship your heart will love.

But then, disaster strikes. As human beings, all too often we go and screw it up!

Relationship mistake 101: having found our soulmate with our heart’s blind, raw emotion, we then try and build a relationship with our head’s logic, reason and rhyme.

Our hearts are immensely powerful, life-supporting bits of kit that only have two requests:
a) “Don’t clog me up by munching on too much fried cheese” – seems fair.
b) “Shut the brain up and let me do my job of ensuring you have a loving, committed relationship that lasts as long as I do” – seems a good deal, really.
If you want to build a relationship your heart will love, give it its head! That’s the secret.

And here’s the recipe…

Open isn’t the same as slightly ajar

A strong relationship that will endure anything and everything that it collides with in life relies on both partners being completely, wholly, totally open with each other. Sometimes, with the very best of intentions to keep from hurting the other’s feelings, it seems better not to say what we really mean – a nice sentiment, potentially. Unfairly though, all too often this leads to miscommunication which can pierce the hull of even the strongest relationship. ‘Open’ is strong because it says ‘I love you’ enough to tell you.  Not being truly open and genuine will fall very short in the heart’s expectations. Only the real, heartfelt ‘you’ speaking is going to satisfy the positive emotions of a forever relationship.

Build a relationship with honesty

There is categorically no room for dishonesty in a decent, loving relationship that has a future and no, I don’t need scientific data to back that up. Suspicion and insecurity will be rife when partners are deceitful or untruthful, even if this only happens a few times. The heart demands to know where it stands and any doubt will cause it to fall out of love very quickly. However, mutual trust built from honesty on both sides engenders feelings of security and commitment which is a better buttress to every heart than anything the Great Wall of China thinks it can show us about longevity.

Loyalty is blind, not love

Love isn’t blind – that’s just cliché nonsense. Love is priceless, not blind… loyalty on the other hand, oh now that’s wears a blacker blindfold than any knife thrower ever dared put on. Partners who build a relationship that’s truly loving and enduring are loyal beyond anything social customs, peer pressure or even authority could ever challenge. The person they fell totally in love with is still the one standing in front of them, five, ten, fifty years on. Hearts are strong, super strong but even they rely on the armor of loyalty for defense.

Commitment is the greatest freedom

Want to see a heart leap higher for joy than it did when it first fell in love? Easy. Tell it that your love is forever. That’s it, right there, nothing difficult, no hoops to leap through, simple. A truly committed partner understands this is the cornerstone of a lasting relationship. Eliminating doubt that your heart will be held forever is the greatest possible freedom from loneliness and feeling incomplete. That’s going to let every heart take gold medal in the high jump, every time.

Equality doesn’t rhyme with rivalry

Seemingly strong relationships can fail on the track of love through the fierceness of competition between partners. Vying for dominance, recognition, even greater attention all seriously over challenge the heart which is way too busy trying to keep us upright, breathing and talking to be match fit enough to constantly beat an opponent who’s supposed to be a team mate – that’s so not going to happen, think about it. Truly regarding a partner as an equal in every area of life will build a stage where you both wear the crown, your heart will see to that. It will even make sure you’re super fit in the love stakes, now that’s a good deal.

Fun is the cherry, cemented on top

Oh, life’s too busy. Way too busy, too filled with trying to get through the days, make enough money, put a roof over our heads, keep up with technology, blah, blah blah! And even though really decent, loving couples know that making time for each other is key to a lasting relationship, they can still fall short of satisfying the heart’s need for fun – pure, carefree, genuine fun. There’s no greater relationship stress buster, argument healer, love builder or memory maker than laughing and playing together. Fun is the ultimate detox than will keep a good relationship healthy forever. Seriously, you’ve got to go from the heart on this one.

Want to build a relationship your heart will love? Give it its head. I did and it gets better every single day.

Author Bio: Laura J Tong blogs passionately and entertainingly about life and relationships at Beyond The Pussydrome  and is author of Beyond The Pussydrome book

Top 10 Valentine’s Day Wedding Style Ideas

Valentine’s Day is probably the most common day to be chosen by couples to when they’ll hold their wedding ceremony. And what’s even more fun in celebrating the wedding on a valentine’s day is having the utmost privilege to create a very romantic and sweet wedding style. Specifically, here are ideas on how to embrace a Valentine’s Day wedding style.

 1. Invitation Cards

For the invitation cards, a heart, dove, butterfly or bell shaped card may be used for creativity. Add red and pink shades as well for the design in the card and use cursive font for the text. If you’re more innovative and want a cheaper way of publishing and distributing your invitation cards, use a digital one or an e-card. This is where you may even add your pictures together or a video as a teaser and invitation for the wedding to be sent through e-mail or shared in social networking sites.

2. Red or pink themed attire

Valentine’s Day is all about pink and red so you may opt to wear the usual white wedding gown with floral designs and diamonds while holding a bouquet of red roses. You may also clip a red rose on the side of your hair bun for a more passionate and romantic feel. Then let the bridesmaids wear pink or red dresses while the groomsmen may wear red bow ties or neckties.

3. Romantic and warm venue

A Valentine wedding would be perfect to be held at a warm and calm place like a beach or a garden. This is to accentuate the atmosphere of the bride and groom’s love and warmth for each other.

4. Pink and Red Decorations

Light some scented candles with red or pink roses for the centerpiece of each table. Install warm lights or pink lights for a more Valentine’s Day ambiance. Put a red carpet for the entrance and exit of entourage as well and spread petals on the floor for a sweet dinner setting. You may also place heart shaped balloons for a dreamy feel in the wedding.

5. Light music

If you want diversity and a cooler wedding then you may choose upbeat songs to be played during dinner. This may set a lively mood to your guests for entertainment as well. But if you want to be more traditional, you may prepare a set of romantic and light music to be played in the background. You may also hire an orchestra or a jazz band and singer for a live music.

6. Exquisite menu

You would never go wrong in serving a fine dining set of food to your guests. Hire a restaurant that offers catering services with a menu that the attendees might like. For the dessert, chocolates and sweets are given so you may even provide a chocolate fountain where heart shaped marshmallows may be dipped.

7. Cake and champagnes

The cake may be designed with flowers and hearts but you may also ask a cake shop to create a cake that is shaped and designed like a heart or any other significant symbol or item that is relevant to your relationship to be more unique. Red wine and pink cocktails may then be served to toast for the great event.

8. Personalized wedding vow

It’s Valentine’s Day and this is the perfect time to exchange some cheesy lines for the wedding vow. Share some memorable stories you’ve had with your partner and confirm your love for each other to be promised forever.

9. Games for singles and couples

What better way to entertain the guests but to also prepare games where everyone may participate. For the singles, your wedding/Valentine’s Day may become the day they meet their future partners through the games like a match-making one. The invited couples should also take part by allowing the games to give more excitement to their relationship like testing their knowledge about each other or by asking them to reaffirm their love for each other.

10. Sweet and useful souvenirs

Figurines are already quite old-fashioned and do not bring much happiness to guests. So decide on a souvenir that would both let the guests remember your wedding day and give them something useful for them. An idea is to give an item that is meaningful to your love relationship like an umbrella if you got to know your spouse-to-be on a rainy day. Then put a tag on the item to signify that it was the souvenir for the special occasion they attended. A box of chocolates will also do for a simple yet sweet remembrance for the guests.

Conclusion

Having the wedding on a Valentine’s Day is truly a common setup yet still a great idea for couples. Some may think it’s corny but wait until they experience and attend a romantic and inspiring occasion you’ll hold with these tips and styles. It will not only be a special day for you but also for the guests to realize the worth of celebrating the gift of love.

Author bio:

Julieane Hernandez is a freelance writer and a hotel and restaurant MANAGEMENTgraduate turned designer. She’s an advanced tri-athlete during weekends. She’s been in the industry for about 6 years now and She’s learned so much from all the experiences she’s been through. Follow her on twitter and google+ .

Tidying Up Your Life for the New Year

With New Year fast approaching, chances are life has gotten a little messy of late, what with all the excitement and seasonal get-togethers. It is also a time for fresh starts – including your love life. Whether it’s finding a new partner or reinvigorating your long-term relationship, change begins with tidying up your living space and scrubbing up your appearance. After all, a long year takes its toll on all of us, and facing the New Year is easier when you look and feel refreshed. This is the beginning of making an active change.

Looking sharp

In general, actively seeking to look tidy and clean can affect your entire outlook and give you a positivity to carry you through the New Year. The Christmas break gives us all a little breathing space to make the changes we’d been planning to make all year but never got around to, like booking in a haircut or sprucing up our wardrobes. While none of things will actively make or break a relationship (that’s on you, we’re afraid) it can give you that boost of confidence you’ll need to approach a new interest or take the next step with your current partner.

You might also take some time to rethink your current look and make some changes. For example, 2014 was the year we reached ‘peak beard’ – and 2015 looks to be the year we’ll once again embrace the shaven visage. No one wants to be dismissed for a dodgy beard or told to remove it by a partner, so start the year by getting prepared. A good start for men would be to trim that beard into shape and face the upcoming year with neatened face fuzz, rather than a Mr Twit extravagance – after all you can always download a replacement beard from the Roald Dahl site if you really miss it.

Cleaning house

Your surroundings will also play an important part on your outlook. A tidy living environment helps you keep a tidy and focused mind – and makes an immense difference to how your partner (or prospective partner) feels about spending time there. Plus, if you’re co-habiting, you probably already know how easy it is to bicker about even little household tasks, so a comprehensive tidying up session can actually do wonders for your relationship. Here are a few tips:

• Not naturally house proud? Once you have a little tidying up know-how, it will no longer feel like such a bother to keep your space tidy – don’t hesitate to Google a problem to hunt down a useful life hack here and there.
• Also, try to look at your house as if seeing it for the first time. If you’re living alone, it can sometimes be hard to spot the issues that have built up over time and might (potentially) frighten off houseguests. Bad smells from the kitchen, stains in the bathroom, and a home that has hints of belonging to a hoarder are all massive turnoffs.
• When tidying up clogged up or overflowing wardrobes, find what you don’t wear anymore and donate these items to charity.
• Funds allowing, get rid of those old beaten up pans and cooking equipment and invest in something better – good equipment can improve your cooking, and culinary skills are a good way to impress a love interest.
• To deal with stubborn smells, like nicotine, bring in some reed diffusers or another similar product. If you’re dating a vehement non-smoker, the smell won’t do you any favours.

No relationship is based entirely on the state of your home or wardrobe, but by building up an all round strategy for self-improvement, you could start up or continue a relationships with renewed vigour – and face the new year with a lasting positive mind set.

Evolution of the Wedding Dress Infographic

Perfect Ring

Cleaning Tips for a Romantic Night In

Get Dating Tips for Successful Marriage

Everyone loves a bit of romance, but it can be expensive to keep going out all the time. More and more, people are finding ways to create that romantic feeling at home instead. From a candlelit meal in the kitchen to a snuggle on the sofa, the home is increasingly becoming the preferred site for a date.

So how can you create a clean, clutter-free space to ensure the focus is entirely on your potential partner? Well, here are some top tips for cleaning your house before Mr or Miss Right comes over.

1. Make space for candles and flowers by removing unnecessary items from table tops and kitchen counters. If you’re short on time, just put everything in a cupboard for now, but don’t forget to sort it properly later.

2. Nothing kills romance like a bad smell, so freshen the place up with potpourri or scented oil diffuser sticks. Wrap up anything in the fridge that might make a stink (think onions and cheese) and use fabric freshener on sofas and carpets.
   

   Cleaning Tips for Romantic Night

3. Make sure you don’t give anyway any guilty secrets: take out your bins and recycle those empty ice-cream cartons so they’re out of sight before your date arrives.

4. Wash up! If a long-term commitment is on the cards, this person might be judging your environment for indications of what you’d be like to live with. Anything that suggests laziness is a big turn-off. Get plates sparkling clean, or if you’re in a rush, just hide them somewhere he or she won’t look!

5. Everyone judges people on the cleanliness of their bathroom, so don’t forget to wash your sink, shower and toilet. Use fast-acting bleach and a tough bathroom cleaning spray to make sure everything sparkles.

6. Focus on the rooms your date will be visiting. If you’re short for time, no need to do a full-house overhaul, just clean up the kitchen, living room and bathroom. You can save the rest for when he or she moves in…

7. Sweep and vacuum. As boring a chore as it might be, your date won’t be impressed if they step on something painful in the carpet. Do a quick once-over of the important rooms with your vacuum or broom and pick up anything from the floor that could easily get under-foot (upturned plugs are particularly bad for this).

8. De-spider and de-mice. While you might like the idea of playing the hero and killing the pest for your date, it’s best not to have any distractions from the flirting. If your house has had mice in the past, set down ethical traps – you’ll get brownie points for being nice to animals. Check corners for spiders and use the old glass-and-cardboard trick.

So, by just following a few simple cleaning tips, you’ve made a fitting backdrop for romance and a home ready to welcome your date. Keep up the cleanliness and who knows when those wedding bells will start to ring…

Love: Does It Come At A Cost?

Our lives today mean that we’re so focused on our careers that many of us find the path to true love doesn’t always run smoothly. We’re so focused on other things that we blink and find we’re suddenly in our thirties and the things our own parents had by that age just haven’t materialized. Sometimes it isn’t through lack of trying; sometimes it is just because we haven’t had the time to commit.

More people are turning to dating websites to find their partner, or simply sometimes to find a companion or someone to socialize with. As far back as 2012, it was being reported that dating sites were coining it in the UK alone, with as much as £2billion is being spent on them, by people who were desperate to find the love of their life.

Not all dating sites are the same; anyone who has used them will know this. There are ones to avoid and ones that have great reputations – but what suits one person really might not suit another’s needs (or their pocket, if we’re talking in financial terms).

You don’t necessarily need to pay a lot to find love, but, if you want to weed out the shysters – the men and women who are perhaps only just after one thing – from the people who are truly serious about finding a long term partner to cherish, you will have to grit your teeth and fork out some cash.

The general consensus is that free sites are not all bad – but…you must be prepared to come across a larger pool of people, and within that pool there might be more than a few weirdoes. That’s the nature of the game.

You’d actually be amazed at how many people don’t use these types of sites safely or are surprised when they run into trouble. Having an idea of the types of sites out there and what they can offer is a good idea – as knowing how to be smart and savvy when you log into them too.

Before you commit, think about your profile too. Think about what you want to say, how you want to show yourself. Choose a decent headshot, or more than one, one really important thing that a lot of dating experts agree on is that your chosen profile photo shouldn’t show you drinking. Many people make the mistake of adding in a shot of themselves in a pub or in a bar with an alcoholic drink in their hand – this is a bit of an unwritten no-no. Use a full face shot, make sure the background is as neutral as possible and smile!

Some sites offer a free trial period, so you can see if you like the way they operate, before you commit. These tend to be quite user friendly and give you the opportunity to see how you can communicate with men or women you’re attracted to.

Lastly, there are paid sites – the ones you must join fully and pay upfront to get the most from. Most opinions seem to agree that these sites will have the more “seriously minded” daters on there, the ones who really are out to find someone to fall in love with.

The choice really is up to you at the end of the day, it doesn’t have to cost a bomb, but – if you want to be considered a serious dater, it might be best to bite the bullet, put your money where your mouth is and pay a fee to find fun and frolics with a like minded person.

How To Show a Girl That You Like Her

The world of dating advice can be often confusing. On the one hand, you shouldn’t seem too interested in a girl. On the other hand, you can’t really avoid showing interest at all. So what’s the right thing to do?

Showing a girl that you like her is important, because otherwise she’ll ask herself the question – “if he doesn’t like me at all, why is he dating me?!?!”

In this post, I’ll share several dating tips for men on how to show your interest in a girl, and how to tell her that you like her.

Don’t Compliment if She Doesn’t Deserve It

Let’s begin with what you shouldn’t be doing, and this is complimenting a girl when she doesn’t deserve it. What do I mean?

Men often give women compliments on how they look, or other kinds of generic compliments – such as “You are cute” and “Love your shirt”.

These types of compliments sound fake and seem like you’re trying to impress and bribe a girl using your compliments. It doesn’t work and isn’t attractive.

If you want to compliment and show interest in a girl, do it when she deserves this.

When to Compliment Her

After we figured out when not to give compliments, let’s ask the next question – when and how is it OK, and even attractive, to compliment a woman?

Women, like men, love to get compliments for doing something good – when they “deserve” it. This is actually the basic principle for giving attractive compliments.

Give her your compliments based on her behavior. For example, if she tells you a funny joke – you can say “The joke you told me was funny. I like your humor.”

Or if she tells you something impressive about herself, such as that she studies engineering; compliment her – “Wow, that’s pretty impressive when a girl studies engineering. I like intelligent girls”

Give women compliments that they deserve, and you’ll never be seen as needy or over interested.

Find Reasons to Compliment

Showing your interest in women is important. If you don’t give her any signals of interest It seems like you’re either desperate and ready you be with any girl, or that you only want to sleep with her. Either option isn’t very attractive to women. So you simply must find reasons to compliment her.

Therefore, you don’t have to wait until she gives you reasons to compliment. Instead, you can qualify her, and make her give you reasons to compliment her.

Qualifying women means that you ask or check if she has the qualities and traits that you want in women. So you should better have some qualities that you look in women (beside physical looks), because women are attracted to men who are picky.

So, with this list of traits that you want in a woman, go on and qualify her, by checking if she possesses these qualities.

If you want a girl who knows how to cook, tell her: “Do you know how to cook? Because I love when women make me my favorite meal, which is…..”

Most of the chances are that her answer will positive (because most women in fact know how to cook, and because she will want to impress you), and now you can give her a decent compliment – “Wow, that’s cool. I kind of like you. I like women who are good cookers.”

Showing your interest in a woman while qualifying is the perfect way to tell that you like her. After doing this, she’ll be actually expecting you to ask her out on a date.

Sarah Williams is a freelance writer that is passionate about psychology. After several relationships and a LOT of dates, she shares her honest female perspective about dating, sex and men’s health on Wingman Magazine . After all, she is just a hopeless romantic trying to figure it all out.

Ways of Finding Love: Ethnic Dating

There is no way of accurately predicting the place, date or time when true love will make an appearance. It could be on a day you are looking your best or on a day that has tested your patience to the maximum. Still, if you are single and are ready for love, you can do a lot more than just wait for life to bring you love. You can make love happen for you by taking concrete action. The perfect start to this love quest is to figure out what you are looking for, the physical attributes, qualifications and social standing a potential partner absolutely must have. You may also want to spend some time thinking about the preferred background of a future mate. Continue reading

Why Ethnic Dating Is More Safe?

The chances of crossing paths with potential partners, without any efforts on your part, are limited. Even making a conscious effort to meet interesting singles does not guarantee that you will meet the love of your life this way. Ethnic dating tilts the balance in your favor, as connecting with potential partners from your cultural group can bring the partner you are looking for right into your life. Be it Haitian women, Albanian women or Pakistani women, signing up with a site dedicated to a specific ethnic group helps you connect with singles from a particular ethnic background. Armenian singles can improve the chances of meeting a romantic partner from the same culture through Armenian chat.Continue reading