Month: September 2011

Cheap First-Date Ideas

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When considering going on a date with someone for the first time, dinner and the movies is a safe choice. While this is a nice idea, it can become costly due to the rising cost for movies and depending on the restaurant. Not only can this date be expensive, it can also be very predictable. Getting some inspiration for first date ideas can help you stand out to your date and make the day or night one to remember. In order to choose the perfect location or activity, it is important that you take into consideration the interests and personality of your date.

Outdoor activities are a great idea for a date if you and your date enjoy being active. A nice thing about these kinds of dates is that they are often very affordable and occasionally free. Taking a scenic hike up a mountain or by a lake can make a memorable date that is very romantic. Even a nice bike ride can make a wonderful date and be very inexpensive. Instead of thinking that you need to spend a lot of money for a date to be enjoyable, you can head outdoors and have a great time.

Many cities host free concerts and movies at the park during the warm summer months. Taking advantage of these free activities can help you and your date have a memorable time. Checking out your city’s calendar and seeing what events are coming up can help you plan the perfect date that is sure to be remembered for a long time to come. Even local museums are often free, allowing you impress your date with some culture and art without spending a dime. Following this kind of date with a nice meal is a smart way to impress your date.

Finding discounts on fun activities in your city can help you host a great date with a new special someone. Ice skating rinks often having discounts during certain times or days of the week, allowing you to snag a great deal. Movies also hold special discounts for matinee showings, making it very affordable to take your date out to the movies. Taking the time to check out events and restaurants that are discounted in your city and nearby will help you find great ideas to surprise your date with.

Taking a special somebody on a date doesn’t need to leave you broke at the end. While it is important to be thoughtful with choosing the location and activity, you can often find great deals or even go for free on a date. It is important to consider the interests of your date, as some people love being outdoors and others love relaxing with a glass of wine. Checking out the options in your local area will help you determine what kind of date would be the best fit for your date. Remaining patient to consider any discounts on local activities and free museums or even hikes can be a great way to set up a memorable date.

Post by Holly Adams, a writer for Coupon Croc. Looking for the perfect first date outfit? Save with an Asos discount code when you shop for clothes online.

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Why online dating scores better than conventional dating

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Online dating has definitely caught the imagination of many singles all over the world who are trying to keep themselves abreast of the latest techniques used in finding a partner for life. With dating gaining popularity online, it has managed to change the lives of so many people since it was first introduced in the early nineties.

The process simply involves connecting with other individuals or community   through a website which puts up a list of prospects who are seeking for a partner. Alternatively you can also put up your own profile for other prospective dating singles to browse and respond. Many singles have found lasting friends through online dating and many others have found a life partner suitable to their taste.

Factors which could inspire online dating are
1.    Need for an online friend to share
2.    Pursuit of a lifetime partner for marriage
3.    The craving for discussion and debate with other people
4.    A solution for loneliness and solitude
5.    Addiction to the internet leading to aimless spillover to dating and chatting.
6.    Mischief mongers and other internet abusers

The first four factors make up the huge numbers of the online dating industry and as such are responsible for the flourish of online dating. Among them the first two are credited with being the lifeline of the industry. I find that the need for friendship is of equal to the need for a life time partner in marriage as friendship is sought more online due to various factors which has made people seek friends through the internet. However the basic function of online dating is to connect two people mainly of the opposite gender to come together and explore the possibility of leading a life together in marriage . The dating process simply helps the compatibility issue and allows you to gauge whether the person that you are dating with is good enough to live the distance with you or not.

Online dating sites also provide you with many valuable tips and guidelines to ensure that your dating experience is not sour due to many factors which may be linked to it. Among these, Christian dating advice is pretty sound and can be even applied by singles from other denominations to their own dating experiences to enhance their sense of  dating and keeping themselves and their date content and happy by adhering to some simple dos and donts.

Online dating is more advantageous to conventional dating since you can get to know a bit about the person in advance  although the same may not be accurate. Nevertheless you are informed a bit about the person’s likes and dislikes which can enable you to decide whether the date interests you or not

Compare that to conventional dating and you are in a complete blind alley where you don’t get to know whether the person you are meetings is even a vegetarian or not. Besides no physical attributes or details of the prospect is known to you and you have to meet before you can decide. Often such dates end on an embarrassing note and further communication is uncomfortable on both sides. Online dating does away with this major handicap.

Also online dating is no restricted to one community but spans across communities, regions and religions . you can have a wide choice. From regions to religions and languages there is one for everyone when it comes to dating online. The following dating communities are currently very active on the internet

•    Christian dating service
•    American Singles
•    Jewish dating service
•    UK dating
•    Filipino dating
•    Asian dating
•    Chinese dating
•    Hindu dating
•    Indian dating etc

In many Asian countries as well as some European and American states which have various classes and castes in society and separate communities within a broad religious head, there are separate dating groups to select from. This helps to narrow down choices and one can sift through various profiles of people who are closely related to your own community and then reduce the gap while checking the interests, hobbies, preferences, likes, dislikes etc so that the person that you choose for  a date is the closest to the one whom you would like to have as your friend or a partner.Despite the above checks you may not get the exact person that you were looking for but then at least you are making a studied  decision and not wasting your time aimlessly on all and sundry to get to your desired partner.

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Getting Over Your Ex-Partner

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Breaking out as a newly single person can be an exciting time, especially if you’re emerging from a stale or unhappy relationship. Flying solo after a long period as the other half in a partnership requires a change in perspective, plenty of patience and a large dose of courage, but there’s no reason to worry. You have the chance to make a whole new start, becoming refreshed and reinvigorated and ready to take on whatever might come your way.

The opportunities for adventure, meeting new people and making new friends are almost limitless when you’ve left a relationship that’s going nowhere, but it’s important to make sure that you really have left the past behind before embarking on the next phase of your life. And that means being certain that you are over your ex. Dating other people when your ex still looms large in your life or in your mind simply isn’t being fair to yourself, or to any potential partners.

Even if the break-up was at your instigation or came as no surprise, it can be understandably difficult to leave a failed relationship in the past, especially if you were married, or lived together as de factos for a long period of time. That person was an integral part of your life, a friend, lover and confidant, and they can often prove to be a hard habit to break – even if your split was less than amiable.

So how do you walk through the doorway of a new life without that emotional baggage slowing you down? One of the most crucial things to do is to drastically limit any contact with your ex. Don’t feel tempted to call or email them to see how they are doing, and don’t return their messages if they try to do the same to you. Ideally you want to have no contact at all, but that can be impractical sometimes – especially if there are children involved, in which case you should restrict any conversations to matters concerning the kids and nothing else. Whatever you do, don’t try to support each other through the break-up – making it clean and final might seem harsh, but it’s the best thing for both of you.

Nostalgia can be a powerful thing and not always in a positive way, so gather up any photographs, along with any possessions or mementos that might remind you of your relationship, throw them in a box, seal it and put it away somewhere – the back of a cupboard or in the attic is a great place. The same applies to any hang-out spots you and your ex might have had. Steer clear of that special restaurant or favourite nightclub and start looking for new venues in which to spend your time.

Do a friend audit. If many of your friends are actually your ex’s friends or people you both used to socialise with, it might be wise to give them a wide berth and concentrate on those buddies who are exclusively yours. While you’re at it, build yourself a support network of people you know and trust who can share your burden, offer a shoulder to cry on when things get tough and keep you distracted with loads of fun activities.

No matter how intense that old relationship was, and how painful the break-up might have been, remember that time heals all wounds. Stay strong and adopt these few simple techniques and you’ll find the healing process happens so much quicker than you could have imaged. Before long, you’ll be ready and raring to get back into the dating scene.

Dave Steffens is a professional dating webmaster who runs www.datingonlinecanada.ca. His site is one of the great free dating sites in Canada, providing insightful dating advice and singles chat rooms for men and women.

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Why Christian Singles need to Pay for a Date

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Thousands and thousands of Christian singles on the internet all over the world are immersed into searching for the right single partner to spend their life with. However many of them end up on dubious sites of which they have little information nor any critical reviews. The challenge for them is therefore not about finding a Christian dating site as much as it is about finding the right one. If you are a Christian single serious about finding a partner for life  who shares your faith and your ideals then you should always consider signing up with a good Christian dating site.

Christian dating sites vs General dating sites

Christian singles find it much comfortable to link with prospective partners on christian dating sites other than general sites because christian dating sites offer them an opportunity to share something in common with other members of the same community and they can be subtly assured to be close to getting a partner who shares similar interests. Therefore the opportunity of such websites is huge and their reach, worldwide.

However the problem here is that christian singles often have the temptation to use free dating sites in preference to the paid ones. The thought of finding a partner being a serious one, it is not possible to achieve this objective on free sites which many Christians do not actively consider. People who register on free sites cannot be as serious as  those who register on paid sites. However in a bid to get a free listing many Christians ignore this hard reality and pursue some freebies on the internet in the hope of finding their lifetime partner

Paid sites vs free dating sites

Paid subscribers registered with any Christian dating website are obviously more intent on finding a partner for life and this can be gauged from the fact that they are willing to spend money on something which will define their life ahead. Christian singles need to consider this aspect before going headlong into online christian dating. So although you might have to pay some money to seek a partner, it is the most wisest thing to do instead of wasting time on free sites which have members who may be there just for fun or with little seriousness about marriage.

On free sites the added risk of being shown fake profiles is also a potent risk. Often, the free sense of the site allows for the thrill of many people to list out fake details about themselves as there is little deterrent against it.However on genuine sites with paid subscriptions such an eventuality is very rare as the people registered in most cases are genuinely interested in marriage.

This same scenario is also applicable to social networking sites which lure you into a chat even more faster and make you believe in their profile and it can be very difficult in such cases to identify the genuine people from the rest.

So while scanning on the internet it is better to seek a good christian dating site which has a good reputation and take a paid subscription which can give you a measurable chance of finding the right partner. Check some reviews on the site and go through some forums to confirm its reputation.However it is best to pursue your dating ambitions with christian dating sites rather than the others.

For a start, many christian dating sites offer a trial window to put you through the paces and also to check the efficacy of the dating system on their site. This is another indicator of the site’s confidence in their ability to retain you as a paid member on the basis of the merit of their services.So in case you wish to get started you could first take the free trial and subsequently decide on opting for the paid subscription.

A good profile is the key

For your dating passage to be smooth ensure that you make a good profile of yourself by listing out all your positives.Do not indulge in self flattery but be positive. Also be truthful in all that you state and do not copy somebody else’s profile although you may want to check other profiles to get a rough guideline on how profiles are built. But essentially be yourself.

So if you are indeed seeking  to find that elusive  Christian dating single for your life the first thing to reject are wholesale free websites which are useless in the long run and instead migrate your thoughts over to the paid sites which will reward your time and money and hopefully help you find the right partner for you to build a happy life together.

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Flying Solo: 5 Things to do For Not so Desperate Singletons

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In modern society the world has placed a large emphasis on love. The media and ancient traditions have gently cultured us into believing our life goals should be focused on finding our soul mates and settling down. This is great for those who have found ‘the one’ and spend their lives indulging in Valentine’s Day and cosy weekends, but not all of us are that lucky in love.

If you’ve reached ‘the age’ with no ring on your finger or children at home, don’t avoid answering questions regarding your love life whilst desperately chasing your happily ever after. Simply tell them that there’s too much you’ve got to do before you start all that settling down malarkey.

Whether you’ve just left a long term relationship, are waiting to find that perfect someone, or you just don’t believe in fairy tales, there are plenty of things you can get your teeth into before walking up the aisle.

To prove it, here are a few ideas to get you started…

Make time for friends

Okay so you probably do make time for them when you’re in a relationship too, but it’s very common for your focus to change when you’re in love. Try and do the things that you probably couldn’t in a relationship such as going away for a weekend, partying until dawn, or even trying a bit of fancy dress. Remember there’s no one to tell you what not to do, or chasing up where you are, so enjoy the freedom, rebuild your friendships and remind them of your fun side.

 

 

Go on holiday (alone)

However scary it may seem, traveling whilst you’re single doesn’t mean spending your days going crazy on a remote island, like a scene from Cast away. There are plenty of travel companies offering single holidays with the benefits of group travel. This means you can meet up with other solo travelers on your trip whenever you like.

Step out of your comfort zone and visit places you’d never dream of going normally. You could go camping in New York, have fun in Las Vegas or see the sights in San Francisco. The opportunities are endless and you may even find your soul mate in the process.

Focus on your career

Now’s the time to do something you’ve always wanted to. You’re free to dedicate long hours, work on the weekends, take an evening course, or even get involved in some volunteering. Whatever you choose to do, you have the chance to work at being successful.

Feeling success will have a huge impact on your confidence and happiness which will in turn also affect your approach to relationships and finding that special someone.

Spend time with yourself

Only when you truly understand yourself will you begin to know what you want in life and from a potential partner. Being single allows you to explore your ambitions, what you enjoy and don’t enjoy doing and also teaches you how to forget about what other people think.

You can rest your happiness and self-esteem on yourself and with only you to care about, it’s time to take advantage and savour your singleness.

Do something that may otherwise need negotiating

That doesn’t mean rushing out and buying a Ferrari or spending thousands on a new pair of shoes. But buying a pet that you’ve always wanted, or focusing on your fitness with a few extra hours at the gym wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Have fun, keep your mind active and don’t worry about being single. Embrace it instead.

Hey, I’m Dave and I’ve been a single traveler for 3 years

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How to Be Romantic

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Raising kids and holding down a job can put a damper on anyone’s love life, but these tips on how to be romantic are designed as simple suggestions for rekindling a bit of the old passion. And even if you’re not married with children, you’ll find the ideas listed below worth trying out.

Five Suggestions for Being Romantic

Give Flowers – Guys will usually do this for Valentine’s Day, but giving flowers for no reason is even more romantic. There are a number of services that specialize in delivering roses, but bringing them yourself can be even more meaningful.

Frequent Eye Contact – Try staring into the eyes of your partner without saying a word. This simple gesture can speak volumes.

Doing Chores – While it may not be sexy, helping out around the house can be a romantic gesture in its own right.

Saying “I Love You” – When your partner least expects it, lean over and whisper “I love you.” When it comes to being romantic, there’s nothing more powerful than those three little words.

Candlelight – Atmosphere and romance often go hand in hand, so turn off the lights and fire up some candles.

More Tips for Increasing the Romance in Your Life

Poetry – Writing your partner a heartfelt love poem is a great way to express your emotions. If you run into too many problems, you can always recite works from the masters. I suggest Lord Byron and Shakespeare.

Unexpected Kisses – Getting kissed is popular with either gender, so surprise your partner with a kiss on the neck or mouth. One short kiss could lead to many more.

Holding Hands – We all held hands with our date when we were teenagers, but who says you have to stop when you’re an adult?

Steamy Movies – If there are no kids around, curl up on the sofa and pop in a steamy DVD to set the mood. I suggest films such as Body Heat and Wild Things.

The Power of Music – Have you ever put together a compilation of romantic songs for your significant other? Try it again and see what happens. Nostalgia can be a powerful tool.

Everyone has an idea of how to be romantic, but they often forget to follow through. I hope the tips in this article can serve as a gentle reminder of how easy it can be. The next time you’re alone with your significant other, give one or more of these a try. You may be surprised, and delighted, by what happens next.

Violet Van Cleef writes for the Deliver Roses website. Many of her articles are geared towards people who want to become a florist.

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