There is always excitement in the air at the beginning of a new relationship. Spending time together is a fresh experience; familiar things we've done in the past become novel and thrilling. But as relationships age, other stresses in life eclipse the simple pleasures of enjoying each other's company. We tend to fall into routines, perhaps even taking the other person for granted.
It's important to keep the relationship healthy by allowing yourselves the time to rediscover each other and renew the passion. Courting each other all over again is a great way to keep the fires burning. If you're stumped on what to do, our date night ideas should set you in the right direction.
Getting Outside
Avoid couch potato syndrome like the plague; it will only breed apathy in your relationship. Sitting in front of the TV night after night is an easy enough rut to fall into.
Here are some fun and unique date ideas to get you both off the sofa and into the great outdoors.{relatedarticles}
Classic dinner date re-imagined - Instead of eating at the local pub you've been to a million times before, try an adventurous ethnic eatery. Korean BBQ or Brazilian churrascaria, for instance, offer a truly interactive dining experience.
Dust off those dancing shoes - Busting a move on the dance floor is a great way to let off steam. Too shy or uncoordinated to shake it? Take a dance class together. Become cinephiles together - Bored of the same old dinner and a movie? Skim the local listings for film festivals showing shorts, documentaries, or indie films. Or go the drive-in and make out like teenagers.
Join the gym - Having a workout partner will motivate and challenge you. Keeping yourselves in decent shape will also tell the other you are still trying to look hot for them. Surprise him - Sectrely plan something you both enjoy doing, but maybe haven't had the time to do in a while. Or pretend it's his birthday and set up a date that is all about him. He may just return the favor. Smarten up - Visit a museum, science center, zoo, planetarium, art gallery, and expos like food and wine shows and consumer electronics conventions. Learn something new and discuss your impressions.{relatedarticles} Make it a staycation - Get a newfound appreciation of your hometown. Check out touristy activities in your locale and take lots of pictures. Keep an eye on local events - Festivals and fairs will come to your location, so don't miss the midway games, Ferris wheel rides, and other exhibitions that that will only be around for a limited time. Live entertainment - Watch a play at the theatre, check out a live band perform at a bar, giggle at stand-up comedy shows, attend a sporting event, or go see a poetry reading.
Knock it off the bucket list - Go skydiving or zip-lining, take a hot air balloon ride, try parasailing, participate in indoor rock climbing. Indulge in any one of the things you've always wanted to do. Here's your chance! Go bowling - Bowling is an old-school activity with a great casual vibe. The two of you can have a beer or a slice of pizza while engaging in a friendly competition. Just about every town has a bowling alley. It's a low-stress environment, so your date is guaranteed to feel relaxed and comfortable, which is important. Dating on a budget
You don't have to break the bank to spend some quality time with each other. The emphasis here is not what you do, but whom you are doing it with. Take a hike - Put on some good walking shoes and explore the natural wonders of the scenic routes in your community. Pack a lunch and make a whole day of it.{relatedarticles} Pretend you're rich - Put on your fancy clothes and test-drive your dream car, go to an open house showing, or attend a swanky auction. You won't have to spend any money and will get a rare glimpse into how the other half lives. Be spontaneous - Make no plans. Take a walk or a drive together and see where the day takes you.
Take a free tour - Many factories and production facilities offer free tours with samples. Learn a little something about the manufacturing process and get a chance to taste some gourmet wines, beers, cheeses, and chocolates. Play Bingo - Invest in a couple bingo dabbers and have some fun listening and paying attention. If you have the good fortune to yell out "Bingo," you can spend your winnings on a nice meal afterwards. Go to the beach - Bring a Frisbee, pack a picnic and watch the sunrise or sunset.{relatedarticles} Be kids again - Bowling, mini golf, batting cages, driving range, arcades, and billiards are pretty cheap activities that are fun for any age. Same goes for snowball or water gun fights. Staying home
Maybe you both work all day long and the last thing you want to do afterwards is go back out into the world. Here are some romantic date ideas for the homebodies out there.
A bubble bath for two - Unwind after a long day with a sweet and sexy bubble bath. Light some candles, play some soft music, pour some champagne, scatter some rose petals, and make an evening of cleansing each other. Play a board game - Go from bored to board. Games like Jenga, Scrabble, Twister, Chess, Battleship and Trivial Pursuit will engage you in a little flirtatious trash talk. Prepare a meal together - Plan a sumptuous meal side by side. Incorporate ingredients you both enjoy, experiment with new flavor combinations, and breathe new life into an ordinary task.{relatedarticles} Improve your home - Tackle a home improvement project. Perhaps a room needs a fresh coat of paint, you've been considering making the house more energy efficient, or you've been dreaming of that walk-out deck. Completing these projects with each other will be satisfying and give you a sense of accomplishment. Role-play - Don something sexy and explore your deepest fantasies in tandem. Push each other's limits and be open to new experiences.
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Almost every couple has to go through periods of time when they're apart; people have to work, and business trips are just a fact of life for many couples. For some couples, that constant separation can eventually take its toll on the relationship.
We all know that romance is essential for a successful relationship, but just because you are not in the same room as your boyfriend or husband doesn't mean you can't get him hot. Honing your long-distance romance skills can keep the romance alive during the times when you and your partner are apart. But before you start sending him dirty texts, you need to keep a few things in mind.{relatedarticles}
First, you have to respect your partner's boundaries. Being a bit naughty is fun, and it can add some heat to your romance, but if your partner seems uncomfortable, stop and talk about what is OK and what isn't next time you're together.
Second, use common sense. Texting racy photos of yourself to his iPhone in the middle of the day when he's likely to be in a business meeting? Bad idea. The idea is to send him seductive messages that will build up a desire for you like water to a dam that breaks the moment he sees you again. Make him want you more and more throughout the day, but don't get him too hot and bothered during his morning staff meeting.
Sexy Texting
One of the best ways to connect from any place on the planet is with a text message. You can let him know easily that you are having a great time and keep him hot with a few seductive messages.
Remember, men are creatures with very vivid, active imaginations. The trick to long-distance romance is to give him a few hints about how much you look forward to some hot, welcome-back action, rather than just bluntly stating it. Text about your great new tan. Follow up with a text about how much you love the new bikini you bought at the mall and let his brain do the rest.
Long, Lusty Letters
When short bursts like texts on your trip start to feel less like seductive messages and more like teasing that he cannot do anything about, think about switching to email. If you have a partner who is a total romantic, he will really get into the idea of you taking time to step away from your business meetings on a company trip just to remind him that you find him sexy.{relatedarticles}
These letters should strike a perfect balance between talking about your trip and letting him know that you miss him in bed. Too much pining for his hands on your hips starts to sound desperate and sad, two things that should have no place on your vacation or business trip.
Mention things that you see or learn while away, things that make you miss his caress. Describing scents that remind you of him - scents that get you hot, no matter how far apart you may be - will help plant ideas about how you cannot wait to get home, catch that scent and then have your way with him.
Talk Dirty and Flirty
Give him a call and let him know what dirty thoughts you are having every night that he is not there. This will appeal to his ego and remind him that long-distance romance helps rediscover your desires.
Do not worry about being shy when you chat over the phone about his body pressed up against yours, or how your lips are practically quivering with anticipation for that moment when they can explore his body, or how much you are looking forward to having his lips and fingers all over you after setting a land speed record on the drive home from the airport.
If you are not comfortable getting dirty on the phone, then vocally seductive messages may not be the best way for you to spark up your long-distance romance. It may help to just let him narrate your imaginative sexual encounters over the phone, especially when you love how his voice sounds.{relatedarticles}
Teasing with Video Chat
Cameras are practically standard equipment on most laptops and mobile devices these days. That means you can be on separate continents, yet still you can get a rise out of him with your naughty dance moves or revealing vacation wardrobe.
Be sure that this only happens when you are both able to get into it. In other words, trying to have a sexy video chat while one of you is on a train, plane or bus is going to lead to some awkward glances. Plan your sexy video chats around your schedules so that you can go somewhere private, preferably your hotel room. This way, you can do everything you would if you were actually together, short of actually touching. This is a great way to ramp up the lust level beyond seductive messages, as you tease to please while he awaits your return.
Leave a Surprise
A simple way to help you keep him desperately awaiting your return is clever planning. If there is a pair of panties he goes wild over, you can tease him by leaving them under his pillow or in his sock drawer. He will see them and immediately flash to visual memories of how they look hugging your curves.{relatedarticles}
Combine little surprises like this with seductive messages, and he will be sure to keep on wanting you and feeling the long-distance romance, no matter where you go or how long you are gone. Just like your seductive messages and other long-distance romance tricks, however, be sure that you keep it practical. Sticking a thong in his suit jacket pocket, for example, could go horribly wrong if he does not discover the thong until he is in a meeting.
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Dating after a divorce can be exciting. You're on your own for the first time, rediscovering yourself and your needs. You're meeting new people and forming new relationships, and you're finally happy. If you have kids, though, it's important to note that you aren't the only one to think of when you begin post-divorce dating.
There are many obstacles you have to overcome when introducing a new boyfriend into your children's lives. Kids are fiercely loyal to their parents, and a new man can make them feel threatened, like it's a betrayal to their father and the life they've grown up with. It also threatens the time and attention they get from their mothers, making them feel neglected and left out. In addition, children are always holding out for their parents to reunite; a new boyfriend just cements the fact that it's not going to happen.
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Make sure you take time in introducing your kids to your new mate. It won't be a quick or painless process, but if you take it slow and are calculated in how your kids are exposed to them, a good relationship will develop over time. Here are some tips for introducing your children to your new man:
Make the Initial Meeting Fun
It's important that the first time your kids meet your boyfriend, they don't feel pressured or threatened. Introduce them in a fun, light-hearted environment, like the zoo, a park or a game of laser tag. Make the outing something that's enjoyable for your kids, so when they think of your new guy, they equate it with happiness and fun.
Don't get too serious in the first couple of meetings. Your boyfriend should talk to your kids as friends, taking interest in their lives, having fun with them and developing a good solid foundation. There should be no serious or future-related conversations in the beginning. Keep it light.
Reaffirm your Love for them
Kids often feel threatened by the presence of a new man. Not only does this man mean their dad is definitely not coming back, but it also means that they aren't the only ones in their mom's life anymore.
Children often feel neglected or replaced when their mother starts spending time with a significant other. Going out without them and showing love for someone else makes them feel like less of a priority in your life. Affirm your love for them while you're dating. Make sure they know you will always be there for them and that you do not love them any less just because you have a new man in your life.
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Stray from the PDA
PDA (public display of affection) is an outright threat to children. Until this point, your kids have only seen you kiss one man - their father. To see you kiss a new man whom they barely know is just going to confuse and frighten them.
Save the PDA until your children know your new boyfriend and are comfortable around him. Once your kids are comfortable hugging your new man or holding his hand, you can be, too.
Don't be the Dad
Make sure your man doesn't play into the "father" role when meeting your kids the first couple of times. That means no discipline and no overt signs of affection. Pressuring them to see your new boyfriend as a father is only going to backfire, bringing up feelings of loyalty to their father.
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Give your children time to get to know your man before letting them see him as a father-type figure. Over time, they will adjust to your guy's presence and this will fall into place.
Focus on Small Doses
Don't overwhelm your children. Let them meet your boyfriend in small, short doses - not for full days at a time. Give them time to process this new person in their lives and form their own opinions and ideas about the relationship. This will allow them time to ask you questions and discuss any concerns with you.
This also ensures your kids don't feel left out or neglected by all the time you're spending with your new man.
No Arguing
Children are fiercely protective of their mothers, so make sure your man keeps this in mind when spending time around you and your kids. One unkind word or mean look sent in your direction could anger and upset your children, forever changing the way they see him.
Tell your guy not to argue with you in front of them. If he needs to discuss something, ask him to save it for later, when the two of you are alone. Doing so in front of the kids will cause them to come to your defense or attack him. Neither of which are good for a budding relationship.
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Give Gifts
A little bribery never hurt anyone. Encourage your new guy to bring gifts or treats to your kids the first few times when meeting them. This will give them good memories of him, and make them want to see him again.
It could be a small toy they've been wanting, their favorite candy, or just buying them dessert at dinner. Anything that equates a "good" or "fun" feeling with your new guy is a smart move.
Have Candid Conversations
Let your kids know they can talk to you about any questions or concerns they may have. In turn, make sure your kids know what your needs and wants are, and what your motivation for beginning to date again is. Tell them what your end goal is - happiness for both you and them.
If you're recently divorced and are starting to date, it's important to take time in introducing your children and your new boyfriend. Kids often feel threatened and angered by the presence of a new man in their mother's lives, so take steps to prevent that.
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Make introductions fun, and don't overwhelm them. Have frank discussions, and make sure they know you're there for them and love them unconditionally. Give them time to process the changes in their lives, and soon enough, the pieces will fall into place.
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