Top Date Ideas for Foodies

Christian Singles

Looking for something to impress that amazing someone who loves a good meal? Finding the perfect date for foodies requires a little extra planning and thinking to make it the perfect night out. A lifetime of memories start with that perfect date that impresses that special someone with their unique interests.

Take a Cooking Class

Taking a cooking class as a couple is not only a great date idea; it will actually result in long-lasting memories that carry forward for years to come. A cooking class might only last for one day or it might have classes for a few days. Either way, working as a team to create that delicious gourmet meal will result in food related enjoyment that is longer than simply eating in a restaurant.

Classic Picnic

Packing a picnic lunch is a sweet, fun and romantic date idea. For a new twist, take time browsing in a local organic farmer’s market or organic store to buy fresh produce like strawberries or any other favourite fruit that is then added to the picnic basket. It will not only result in a fun afternoon spent enjoying conversation under the open sky; it is a healthy alternative to many restaurants.

Cook at Home

Spend the evening cooking a meal at home with the freshest ingredients available from the local farmer’s market. A meal created at home is not only romantic, it is more economical and shows off those cooking skills for the ultimate impression made on a foodie who enjoys a great dinner.

Try Eating a Sample Platter

When taking a foodie to restaurants, opt for that sample platter instead of buying a full course meal. The sample platter will give a range of different tastes and is the perfect solution when trying something new like a restaurant from a different country. It makes the meal less of a risk while also giving an idea of what to order the next time.

Go to a Food Festival

Foodies can rejoice at the fun environment of a food festival while still getting a taste of great meals. The food festivals often come around annually and are a great way to celebrate food and try something new while staying close to home.

Planning a date around that foodie in your life is about more than a night at a local restaurant. It can mean cooking a meal together, taking cooking classes or even enjoying that great food festival coming up in the area. Regardless of the plan, foodie date ideas are a great way to impress and build new memories together.

Article provided by Parship UK, One of the top 10 UK dating site providing a serious dating alternative for British professionals.

What To Wear on The First Date

Christian Singles

What you want on the first date is to be subtle while also keeping in mind that first impressions count a lot. Going for something sassy and stylish is always good for a hot first date. Outfits you can wear include a sexy skirt and well fitted cashmere sweater, a nice dress with an agora wrap or even the ever classic white shirt and jeans. Just be sure not to overdo the make-up or perfume.

You need to realize that men also like using their imagination so leave them something to fantasize about. Showing too much will just take the fun away and being sexy is more than just about what you are showing off, no matter how hot you look. Don’t try too hard and just be natural.

Skip on the sleaze

Even if you are tempted to grab his attention fast by dressing naughty, you won’t keep it for long after he sees everything as early as the first date. Try dressing peekaboo style using items such as slit skirts, crocheted sweaters or sheer tops over a tank, these leave something for the imagination as well.

The reason behind this is that men just adore soft fabrics like angora and cashmere. So protect yourself from cold weather while pleasing your guy too by wearing a cashmere throw or angora shrug. Any outfit that subtly shows your curves is a winner, like a white shirt or a pencil skirt that gently hugs your behind.

Choose something that expresses who you are

No matter what you wear it should enhance the way you look and never make you look worse. Whether it’s the latest trend or something really funky you’re in the mood to wear, only wear it if you’re sure you can pull it off. If it doesn’t make you look any better just don’t wear it. A perfect example would be hipsters, while they might be in the trends if you have ample hips you really don’t need any more attention drawn to them. Instead try a dress or a top that doesn’t cling to your hips.

When it comes to accessories you need to choose something that will really make you stand out, like a groovy pin or your lucky charm bracelet, make sure your accessories reveal more about who you really are. Here’s some advice on choosing the right ones:

  • Choose some that are your favorite color, colors tell a lot about a personality
  • Try wearing a piece of jewelry that has sentimental value
  • Try a familiar style of dressing and improve upon it a little

Don’t show too much flesh

Research shows that the perfect percentage of flesh to expose is around 40%, as women who showed off this amount were found to be the most attractive to men. The study carried out by Leeds University in the United Kingdom reveals a few simple rules, for example showing skin up top means it’s best to cover it up in the bottom half. A good choice for staying in the 40% rule would be a short mini dress with long sleeves.

When all else fails simplicity is the answer. The classic little black dress will make any figure look good and picking the right accessories can enhance that even further. Throw in some mid-height heels and you are ready for an exciting first date.

This article has been contributed by Aishwarya Vohra from Offshore Ally. She is one of the many talented virtual assistant and link builders of the company. She has various interests ranging from fitness to music. Connect with her via Twitter.

The Best Places to Flirt at Work

Christian Singles

A decade ago you weren’t supposed to have an office romance but today, some companies encourage them, saying that office relationships increase company loyalty and business productivity. As a result, you might see more than just the birds and bees coupling this spring. Instead, you’ll start to notice a few office romances starting to bloom.

However, even though office romances are gaining more acceptance, you still need to act professional. That doesn’t mean that you need to hide your relationship but rather there is a time and place to sneak a minute or two of flirtation.

Here are five great places to flirt with your “colleague” that won’t get you into trouble:

The Kitchen

Food is the way to anyone’s heart – especially your coworkers in the middle of a long day. Consider bringing in a healthy sweet treat on a random day, and then send an email to let your coworkers know there are delicacies in the kitchen. Before you know it, everyone will jump up and gather in the kitchen, giving you an opportune time to chat with your crush.

Remember when you were in high school and a simple “hello” from the captain of the swim team made your day? Same rule still applies; a quick chat could be the pick-me-up you needed to finish up the report you’ve been working on all week.

The Office Copiers

You probably didn’t even realize it but you make your way to the office copiers 10 times a day. Whether you are sending a fax, scanning a document or printing out a report, your business’ copier is a well-visited machine.

As a result, use this machine to your advantage; next time you know you need to print something out, send a quick email to your office crush and tell him or her to print something out too. That way, you have some company as you wait for your documents to print.

Tip: color documents tend to print slower.

The Water Cooler or Coffee Machine

The water cooler and coffee machine save professionals daily. It’s crucial that workers stay hydrated and it’s important that professionals stay awake. So the next time you need a cup of either, wink at your office interest to follow you over to the coffee machine. This will give you an opportunity to catch up on how their day is going.

Likewise, take a break by the water cooler. The most important thing to remember, however, is don’t take too long of a break and don’t put your other responsibilities on the back burner.

Outside the Bathroom

Depending on where your bathroom is located, your walk to the bathroom is a chance to meet up with your office fling. Although not the most romantic idea, it is subtle – the key trait to have in an office romance.

Places NOT to flirt at work

It’s neither professional nor wise to parade your relationship around the office. Yes, everyone might already know about it but that doesn’t mean you should steal kisses in the middle of the lunchroom. In addition, sneaking in a few minutes of flirtation here and there is what makes the relationship exciting.

The two places you should not flirt at work include:

Your Cubicle: You know how distracting it can be to have your coworker on the phone with someone for long periods of time. In the same respect, it’s not the best idea to flirt with someone in front of your neighboring cubicles. It’s distracting as well as unprofessional.

The Lunchroom: You might think that lunchtime is the perfect time to sit down and have a break with your office romance, but in reality, it isn’t. Lunch is the time when you should be socializing with many of your coworkers, not just one. The one thing you don’t want to do at work is seclude yourself from the overall work environment.

You shouldn’t feel guilty about having an office romance but always keep it professional. These five places are good to have a quick chat and won’t take too much time away from your work responsibilities.

 

Sylvia Rosen is an online writer with a background in newspaper journalism. She enjoys writing about dating, relationships and healthy lifestyles.

A Great Date And He Was Cute, Too

Single Parent Dating

Sometimes a great date isn’t about the guy. Not to say that this is always the case, because it isn’t- I love a cute guy just as much as the next girl. But I can appreciate a great date even if they guy isn’t my type.  Take for example this date I went on just last week. It was amazing and I think it would have been great with anyone, but as an added bonus he was adorable. All I can say is that I keep waiting for the phone to ring again.

He picked me up and was actually on time which is always a plus. Then we went out to the new Italian restaurant for dinner. I had some of the best spaghetti that I have eaten and their garlic bread was to die for. As dinner was wrapping up I suggested that we split a dessert, but he said that he had something else planned for after so we didn’t. He paid the bill and we left.

Then he took me down to the park. It wasn’t that late and there were tons of people out enjoying the beautiful night, so it wasn’t creepy at all. He built a fire in this little fire pit and pulled all the makings for smores out of a bag that he had brought along. We just sat there roasting marshmallows and talking. The melted chocolate-y goodness of that delicious dessert was just what I needed. I probably ate way more than I should have and was a little embarrassed when we easily ate the entire bag of marshmallows.  Then he took me home and said goodbye.

I know that smores sound a little unconventional on a date, but if he can plan that for a first date, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the second.

7 Tips For Putting Together A Winning Valentine’s Day Card

Christian Singles

Have you visited the greeting card section in your local Walmart or food store lately? Chances are if you have, you may have noticed how over whelming it can be to pick out a greeting card. There are so many different genres of cards now ranging from the most outrageous or obscene to the romantic and emotional cards, there’s even cards that sing and record voices!

Well its that time of the year again where roses are red and violets are blue, some poems rhyme others don’t. Don’t be one of those people that says, “I hate this holiday, it just makes me feel that much more single”. This is the holiday where life gives you lemons…an excuse to find that special someone or a reason to ask the girl of your dreams out on a date.

During this time of year, a way to a woman’s heart is romance. I know guys, this can be a word with many meanings but for the next few weeks, its all about flowers and romantic words, oh and chocolate, lots of it! The easy part is the chocolate and flowers, most of us can get away with just those two things however if your looking to go above and beyond this year, tell her how you really feel and make sure to get those reservations to her favorite restaurant.

Romantic cards can be quite a challenge for some people, but the beauty of this holiday is, many of those cards on the shelves know just how you feel! If your significant other means that much to you, try writing your own card full of love. The internet provides you with a large selection of DIY valentines day card templates. If you need a push in the right direction here are some tips to get you started.

  • Use sentimental rubber stamps such as “I Love You” or “Be Mine”. You can find them in any craft store.
  • Write or print a few suitable words on your valentine’s card. These are a great alternative to rubber stamps. (Men leave the hand writing to the women, find a suitable font in Word and go from there, its for the best!)
  • If you going to hand write, use a quality pen.
  • Write slowly and evenly.
  • Write naturally.
  • If your a poet at heart, then you should definitely include some romantic words that rhyme. (women eat that stuff up!)
  • As cheesy as this may sound, use lyrics from a song. Preferably a song your significant other doesn’t know, but if you must, say something like, Michael Buble says it best, “You know your some kind of wonderful…”.

There you have it, a bunch of ways to have a successful and romantic Valentines Day. Indulge yourself in that ridiculously large heart filled with your favorite chocolates. Go make lemonade!

Pat Shebby’s friends often refer to him as the “Love Doctor” because of his expertise and creativity when it comes to matters of the heart. He is also a big fan of custom gifts like a unique printable calendar.

Online dating background screening

Single Parent Dating

With today’s Internet age, anyone can have access to vital information about an individual. Employers can check on the background of job candidates, landlords on their potential tenants, and business entities on their vendors, suppliers, and business partners. Believe it or not, you can even make a background check also on a date you’ve been seeing before you decide on going further than plain dating.

More and more people are getting themselves into online dating to find a potential mate, partner or spouse. This essentially holds true to the busiest cities where most employees are on the go and allotting even a few minutes of their time to spend with a new acquaintance may become unsuccessful. Some people are more confident in making reports at home, for example, while waiting for a reply on the chat room. Also, there are instances when a new acquaintance at a party begins sending you e-mails almost every day showing you that he or she has interest in you. If you have mutual feelings, some type of background screening service is beneficial. Take note that when you have n enough knowledge of a new acquaintance, you may be opening yourself up to potential stalkers, thieves, sexual predators, and ex-convicts out to catch his next victim.

Don’t be fooled right away by a date’s flowering words and impressive remarks. Do your own research. There are plenty of background screening agencies that mastered the art of checking people on online dating sites. It would be best for you to check him or her out before doing moves other than dinner or movie dates.

You can find out who he or she really is by getting access of the person’s civil records, bankruptcies, tax liens, small claims judgments, previous addresses, property ownership, business ownership, aliases, relatives, neighbors, vehicle registrations, professional licenses and many more. You may find some screening companies that claim to provide you with all the information you need. This may not be the case though. There are some data that cannot be accessed though especially when they are not updated. Focus on the data you need the most. Your conversations with your date should be your basis. Whatever he or she tells you, like occupation and name, can be verified through an online dating background screening company.

  • Online Detectives Can Unmask Mr. or Ms. Wrong (nytimes.com)