Looking Beyond the Screen

Not all long distance relationships work out. Distance can put a strain on a newly founded relationship, especially if the relationship is not a physical one. As popular as online dating may be, there are still some major concerns that are really too big to ignore or work through without meeting face to face.

Challenges Facing Online Dating

Online dating presents some serious challenges. Anyone looking to build a long time relationship might want to reconsider online dating as the most appropriate option. Why online dating will not work? There are a number of reasons, but the most crucial reasons are listed below.

Long distance relationships hardly work at all. Lack of time and many miles apart are at the root of online dating. Relationships require work. Unfortunately, there is the lack of time that puts even physical relationships in distress. Not spending any time at all together, except on a computer screen or in a chat room, does not equal quality time.

Trust is a major factor when it comes to starting a relationship in front of a computer screen. Does the person really look the way the profile shows or not? Is this person telling me the truth about his or her age? Is this person a predator, or does this person really want a relationship? The answer to these questions are hard to answer without meeting with the other person face to face.

Infidelity is a major problem among online daters. The ability to refrain from a physical relationship is tempting. There is nothing physically exciting to look forward to, no hugs and kisses, no walks on the beach, no late night movies, and no private time together; these are the problems associated with online dating.

The Person Behind the Screen

Online dating is special, and not everyone can accept the fact - that they cannot see the person they are chatting with through the computer screen. If sex appeal is a problem, online dating will definitely be a problem. People often misinterpret each other if they are not able to see each other. Online dating does not allow people to see each other, unless both parties have a webcam.

Online dating is not the best place to find a life-long relationship. There are more disadvantages to online dating than there are advantages. Many people find out quickly just how difficult it is to maintain an online relationship. The thought of possibly never laying eyes on the person behind the screen is usually enough to make most people think twice about online dating.

The biggest drawback is the misconception of how online dating works. Everyone is not truthful about their past or their present. Chatting with someone beautiful and intellectual is what most people are looking for from an online dating experience. This misguided thought leads many people to falsify their profile and upload fake images of themselves. These are just some of the most serious reasons why online dating does not, and will not work. The challenges of maintaining an online relationship is just too complicated and way too demanding.

Seven Small Gestures to Say "I Love You"

Do you think your significant other feels neglected? Perhaps you are involved in a long-term relationship and want to reignite the spark that’s missing. Or you may wish to keep your new love interest happy. Regardless of your situation, you should consider displaying your affection with the following seven small gestures to say “I love you.”

Cook Dinner

One of the most romantic ways to show your love for your partner is to cook dinner for her. Prepare something delicious for your loved one on a day when she has to work late and will be too tired to cook. Make the night special by decorating the table with nice linens, buying some flowers for a centerpiece, and lighting some aromatic candles.

Hide a Love Note

Many long-lasting couples have one thing in common: They shower each other with love notes for life. Who says sending mushy love messages has to end when you become adults? Write down something special for your sweetheart and hide it some place where he will definitely find it later. Some great places include a sock drawer, taped to the car steering wheel, or inside the refrigerator.

Brag About Your Partner

Make your special someone feel loved by bragging about him to others while he’s present. For example, tell your parents how he calls you each day during his lunch break. Or praise him for taking out the trash each afternoon.

Show a Little PDA

You can say “I love you” to your significant other and the world with a little PDA, or public display of affection. Grab her hand as the two of you walk into the grocery store. Give her a lingering kiss on the lips while walking in the park. Put your arm around her at the movie theater. Showing affection publicly will make her feel loved and secure in the relationship.

Surprise Your Loved One with a Gift

Show your partner how much you love him by surprising him with a small gift. You don’t have to spend a ton of money. You simply need to put some thought into buying something he would enjoy. For example, you could purchase him his favorite candy bar and tie a bow around it. Or you could make him a new picture frame; then, you could place a goofy picture of the two of you in it.

Dance With Your Mate

Does your partner tell you that you don’t spend enough quality time with her? If so, you should consider displaying your love to her by dancing with her. Surprise her by dressing up in your best suit of clothes, playing her favorite music, and asking her for a dance.

Complete a Chore for Your Loved One

An inexpensive way to display your love to someone is to work for him. Surprise your significant other today by completing a dreaded chore for him. Perhaps he’s been putting off washing his car for two weeks. While he’s away from home, get out a bucket, a rag, the hose, some car cleaner, and wash his car for him. Or you could volunteer to get the oil changed or clean out his aquarium.

You don’t need a special occasion to show your significant other how much you love her. Remember, actions often speak louder than words. Try one or more of the above seven small gestures. You might be surprised at how far a little romance will take you.

How to Have a Good Marriage

You must be excited and busy planning your wedding. However, you should think about marriage. It may seem like you only met your future spouse a couple days ago, and now you are planning the wedding. It is completely normal to slow down and take a second to think about what you are getting ready for. 

Marriage is very serious. Some people rush into marriage or get married for the wrong reasons. You don’t want to be one of those people. Do you know that about 50 percent of marriages end in divorce? Those are horrible odds! However, 50 percent do prosper and succeed. So how can you have a successful and happy marriage?

Communication

The key to any relationship is communication. You want to be able to communicate with your spouse verbally, physically, sexually, spiritually, and so on. If something is bothering you, tell your spouse about it. Even if you don’t think he will care, you might be surprised.

Also, it is important for you to listen. If your spouse is telling you something, listen. Even if he is only talking about the new iPhone that came out, listen. Maybe he is hinting that he wants the new iPhone. Or maybe he will ask you about the conversation later. You don’t want to stand there with your mouth agape not knowing what to say. Even worse, you don’t want to say that you don’t know or that you weren’t listening. 

Listening to your partner shows that you care and that you are genuinely interested in what he has to say. If you aren’t a sports fan and your partner is a huge Lakers fan, you should still try to listen when he talks about Kobe’s three-point shot. It shows your partner that you care and that you are trying to show interest. Your partner will greatly appreciate it and love you more for it.

Do Not Play the Blame Game

If a problem or conflict arises, do not blame your partner. Even if it is his doing, you should not blame him outright. Talk about the problem, and work through it together. After you are both married, you have to get used to doing everything together. Also, since you both will be spending so much time together and living together, conflicts will arise. When there is a problem, make sure that you are both are calm. Then, talk about how to solve the problem. Never blame your partner or say something hurtful that you might regret.

Marriage will not be easy. However, if you cooperate, communicate, listen, and work together with your partner, you will have a happy and successful marriage. Also, keep in mind that the perfect marriage is not the same as having a good marriage. If you constantly try to keep everything perfect, your marriage will fail.

 If problems arise, fix them. If something is wrong, talk about it. Good luck planning your wedding! May you have a wonderful and happy marriage.

The Best Way to Approach a Woman in Public

Are you tired of being the only single guy in your group of friends? Perhaps you routinely strike out when you ask women for dates.

 If this scenario sounds familiar, you need to try a different method. By learning the following steps, you can begin to utilize the best way to approach a woman in public. You may even score a few dates.

Pick the Right Location

When looking for potential dates, location is everything. If you usually lurk around bars in hopes of gaining a woman's attention, think outside of the box. Grocery stores, coffee shops, malls, sporting events, museums, and places of worship are great places to meet interesting women. Try to incorporate a hobby or interest into your endeavor.

For instance, if you like to cook, sign up for a cooking class offered by a local college. In doing so, you will have opportunities to meet single women who share your passions. 

Check Your Appearance

Once you spot a potential date at the right location, you need to check your appearance before approaching her. After all, you want to make a good first impression on her. If you have spinach stuck in your teeth or hair that looks like it hasn't been combed in a week, you risk turning her off immediately.

Make Eye Contact

Before you rush across the room to meet the potential love of your life, you first need to make eye contact with her. Don't send a creepy, icy stare her way. Remember, you want to impress her instead of scaring her. Simply look at her with interested, expressive, and kind eyes. 

Smile

Once you make eye contact with a woman, immediately smile warmly at her. You don't need to flash her with a wide, toothy grin at this point. Instead, you should show her a kind, friendly, toothless smile.

Read Her Body Language

Once you've made eye contact and smiled at a woman, you need to read her body language. Did she smile back at you? Is she even acknowledging your attention? The way she is standing is also important. If she turns away from you immediately, you probably don't need to approach her.

 If she folds her arms across her body, she might be showing disinterest or boredom at your advances. Correctly reading a woman's body language can save you from the embarrassment of rejection.

Start a Conversation

If a woman's body language is positive, you should approach her and start a conversation. Don't immediately ask for a date. You must built up a sense of comfortableness and trust with her first. Tailor your conversation to fit the setting.

For instance, if you are in the produce section of a grocery store, you could ask her for help with selecting the best avocadoes for guacamole. By making your conversation appropriate to the venue, you can begin a friendly conversation that might lead to something more.

Ask for a Date

After you've gotten to know her better, you can casually ask her for a date.
The key to getting the answer you desire is to ask her out without ever mentioning the word date.  Continuing with the above grocery example, you could tell her about your need for cooking lessons and ask her if she could show you a few pointers sometime.

 If she says no, just remember that the next attractive lady you approach might say yes. 

Approaching a woman in public can be unnerving and defeating.  However, if you follow the above steps to meeting someone, you may end up planning a date with the woman of your dreams. 

7 Ways to Meet Women If You're Shy

When you’re shy, a lot of things seem more difficult for you than it is for others. Being shy complicates many situations, and meeting women is one of them. There are seven things that you can do to help overcome your shyness, or to remain shy but do things a little differently.

1. No Excuses!

Don’t make excuses a habit! There is probably more than one reason you are shy, but you don’t have to let that take over your life. If you’re shy, it may be difficult to pry you out of your shell, but the right women will make you comfortable and at ease.

2. Focus on the Woman

When you divert attention, you can make things about her, and take the spotlight off of yourself. This is not the way to get out of a conversation or interaction, but it’s the perfect way to collect your thoughts and think of topics for the next part of the conversation.

3. Introduce Yourself

Even though you’re shy, you can talk about yourself a little. Don’t focus on your shortcomings. Instead of focusing on the things that you are not good at doing, focus on the things that make you great. Talk about things that interest you and see if you have anything in common with your lady friend.

4. Be Confident

There is nothing sexier than a man who is confident. When you are confident, your shyness will fade away, and you will focus on other things. Good posture and body language is a great way to show a woman that you are confident. To send the right signals, stand up tall and straight and make sure you keep your hands at your side. Don’t forget to smile!

5. Be Polite

Instead of trying to remember 50 to 100 of the best pick-up lines, be polite. You will be surprised at how being polite and using your manners will attract a woman to you. Using pick-up lines may attract the wrong type of woman for your preference. When you’re polite, women will respond in a positive manner, and that’s a great way to begin a meaningful conversation.

6. Show Interest

Showing an interest in the woman you like or would like to get to know better is one of the best places to start. Most men don’t want to find themselves stuck in the “friend zone," so in order to avoid from falling into this category, discuss things that interest both of you. You don’t have to be Captain Obvious, but you do want to state the facts and make it known that both of you have a lot in common.

7. Use Social Media

You’re never too old to make great use of social media. If you have a woman that you have set your sights on, see if you can find her on a social media site, such as Facebook or Twitter. If you can find her, say hello! Start a conversation, get to know her better, and see where things lead.

The Top 10 Date Ideas of All Time

If you’re involved in a new relationship, you might be searching for exciting date ideas that will impress your significant other. Or you and your loved one of many years might wish to spice up your boring date nights. 

Regardless of your situation, the following top 10 date ideas of all time are bound to put you into a romantic mood tonight.

Play With Food

If you want to up the romance factor on your dates, you and your loved one should try playing with your food. Get in the kitchen together and prepare something gooey and decadent. If you both enjoy cookies, you could whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough and feed it to each other.

 If you want to actually cook the cookies, consider stuffing some surprises in them such as a mint, peanut butter, or caramel candies.

Play in the Rain

Whenever you suspect a rain shower, the two of you should button up your raincoats and put on your galoshes. Go outdoors and run around in the rain together. 

You might be surprised at how romantic getting wet, singing, and dancing in the rain really is. Of course, skip the rain date if the sky is full of lightning.

Look at the Stars

On a beautiful clear night, venture outdoors with your loved one and a blanket. Lie down together and gaze at the stars above. Take turns making a wish on a star. Then, try to guess what the other one wished for.

Take a Scenic Walk

Exercise is thought to put people in a naturally good mood, so you and your love interest should take scenic walks together. If you live near the ocean, walk on the edge of the beach while dipping your feet into the waves coming ashore. A hike in the mountains beside a flowing creek is also romantic.

Take a Surprise Trip

Perhaps your loved one is bored with the same dinner and movie every Friday night. If this sounds familiar, plan a surprise trip for your significant other. You could go to a festival in a nearby town, go fishing, or go to a sports event. Try to think of activities that you and your loved one enjoy together, and plan something special.

Visit a Spa

Are you and your love interest stressed out? Visit a local spa together. You will relax and bond over hot stone massages and facials.

Go to the Opera

If your loved one complains about how casual and laid back your dates have become, take him or her to the opera. You may not recognize each other in your formal clothes. At any rate, you will see each other in a different light and enjoy new experiences.

Play With Puppies

Are you and your significant other dog people? If so, you will probably enjoy a puppy play date. If you don’t have dogs, you can always volunteer to help out at a local animal shelter. Or you could ask to walk your friends’ furry friends.

Go to a Dinner Party

Like the opera, going to a dinner party will provide the two of you with an opportunity to dress up and be around other adults. If you have kids, enjoying a night of grown-up conversation and food is important sometimes.

Play a Childhood Game

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, fun date, play a childhood game with your loved one. You can spend the night playing Monopoly, poker, or Twister while eating junk food and lounging around in your pajamas.

Dating doesn’t have to be boring and ritualistic. If you need to improve your date life, try one or more of the aforementioned top 10 date ideas of all time. You may find yourself having difficulty ending a date more often.

Top 10 Skills That Impress Women

For some men, impressing a woman is a challenging feat. Fortunately, many women appreciate a few common accomplished skills in a man.

 By working hard to attain a few of these skills, you should be able to impress more and repulse less.

Playing a Musical Instrument

Some women search for artistic and sensitive men. By learning how to play a musical instrument, you can showcase both of these qualities to the female you desire. 

What could be more romantic than playing your love interest’s favorite song on the piano, the guitar, or even the saxophone? Even better, you could write an original song to play for the special lady in your life.

Excelling at Sports

While many women prefer men who appear sensitive and can effortlessly share their innermost thoughts, they may also desire a man who excels in sports. Some women enjoy exiting a sports arena on the arm of the guy who hit the game-winning home run or scored the game-ending touchdown in overtime.

If you are gifted in sports, you might impress your special someone by showing her how to play a favorite game. For instance, if you bowl in a league, you could share your expertise during a bowling date. Most females also like men who are confident. You shouldn’t have any trouble exuding confidence during a date planned around your sports strengths.

Cooking

Cooking is one of the best ways to impress someone of the opposite sex. Cooking for your significant other will show her that you care and aren’t afraid to work. If you’re short on time, pasta dishes such as spaghetti are a great option.

 Are you a champion grill master? If so, you could grill up a tasty filet mignon and pair it with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Before cooking for your love interest, you need to determine if she has any food allergies or dietary restrictions. For instance, she won’t be too thrilled if she’s a vegetarian and you present her with a juicy steak for dinner.

Speaking More Than One Language

You may have always failed at discovering the language of love. Well, the reason might be that some women prefer a man who can speak multiple languages. 

The ability to speak more than one language displays a level of intelligence, culture, and refinement that appeals to some women. Also, whispering sweet phrases in a foreign language is tantalizingly romantic to some women.

Working on a Car

Many women prefer men who are problem-solvers. Therefore, when her car breaks down, your lady will likely be impressed if you know how to fix it. You can also show her how much you care by offering to attend to regular vehicle maintenance such as oil changes, tire rotations, and car waxing.

Being a Handyman

Regardless of whether your significant other is skilled in attending to things around the home, she will probably be impressed if you offer your assistance. For instance, you might win her over by installing a light fixture, hanging wall art, unclogging the kitchen sink, or painting walls.

Dancing

For some guys, dancing is torture. If you have two left feet, you might wish to take some dancing lessons. Many women prefer a man who can effortlessly lead them around a dance floor.

Conversation

In order for a guy to impress a woman, he needs to be gifted at conversation. The ability to talk endlessly about yourself does not qualify you as an excellent conversationalist. Perhaps more important than talking, you need to be a good listener. On a date, ask her questions about herself, and allow her to talk without interrupting. 

Look for opportunities to show her that you are listening. For example, if she mentions an addiction to chocolate ice cream, show up at her home one night with a quart of her favorite brand.

Pleasing in the Bedroom

The desire to impress a woman shouldn’t end after the marriage vows are said. One of the best ways to impress your loved one after marriage is by being skillful in the bedroom. In order to explore different possibilities, visit a reputable resource online or invest in a book. 

More important, talk to your spouse about sex. Find out what she enjoys most and might be interested in trying.

Dressing and Grooming

Like men, women are attracted to someone who is pleasing to look at. On your dates, always dress to impress. Don’t worry about overdressing for the occasion. She will probably feel more comfortable if you are overdressed than if you are underdressed. 

For instance, imagine her displeasure if you were to show up for dinner at an upscale restaurant wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops. Don’t forget to groom your hair, either.

Trying to impress a woman might seem like an overwhelming task. However, if you work hard to become accomplished at some of the aforementioned skills, you should start to enjoy success.