Communication Between Couples

Many things can complicate a relationship, whether it be money, sex or infidelity. However, some of these problems can be traced to a single, crucial element of all relationships: communication. Learning how to listen and clearly convey your thoughts and feelings could make certain issues easier to handle and solve.

Listening With Patience

If your partner claims you often misunderstand him, brush up on your listening skills. According to Eboni J. Baugh and Deborah Humphries of the University of Florida, bad listening habits are difficult to break, but you can do so if you notice your own patterns. Jumping to conclusions or thinking of your response before your partner is done talking is detrimental to understanding the issues your partner is addressing. No need to rush. Feeling like you need to have a comeback as quickly as possible turns a simple discussion into a competitive argument. The goal is not to "win" but to come out learning something about yourself and your partner.

Be Clear And Upfront

If you often feel misunderstood in your relationship, don't assume your partner isn't listening. The problem may be in how clearly you express your emotions and ideas. Negative words and combative body language can easily cloud an argument with feelings of hostility. Try using neutral words and statements centered on "I" rather than "you." When you point the issue at the other person, she can easily feel attacked. Calmness, neutrality and openness can make a difficult subject easier to hear.

When And Where

Life can often get in the way of open communication. The key is finding the right time to have serious discussions. Make an appointment if you have to, and rid yourself of all distractions (phones and TVs off, kids in bed). The setting is important as well. Arguments in public can lead to an embarrassing scene so keep it behind closed doors.

Other Tips

To ensure your arguments will come to a solution and will not run in circles, stay on topic. It is tempting to stray from the main issue and bring up past transgressions, but leave them in the past. Don't quibble over dates, times and other small pieces of the story. If it won't help your point get across, move on. Remember that your and your partner's opinions are the only ones that matter. Just because your mom agrees with you, doesn't mean she has anything to do with this discussion. Focus on your own thoughts and feelings.

The Aftermath

Now that the discussion is over, let it rest. Compliment each other on how well you were able to communicate. When you and your partner focus on enhancing your communication skills and arguing productively, it is the first step in solving hard issues. Great communication might not fix everything, but you won't have much chance to solve things without it.

Source: ehow.com

Why Is Dating Important?

In the past, arranged marriages were common, and families chose the appropriate husbands or wives for their children. As years passed, society has moved away from the arranged marriage concept to dating. Dating holds many advantages by allowing partners to evaluating both physical and emotional attraction between each other and showing potential red flags which may signal an unhealthy relationship . Dating may better prepare couples to make informed choices about long-term relationships and marriage.

Common Interests

One of the most obvious reasons people date is to find out what interests they share with the other person. The saying opposites attract doesn't hold much weight in the dating world. Each person should have their own interests, but if two people hate the activities the other one likes then they'll never find anything to do together. It also limits what a couple can talk about when interests fall on opposite ends.

Life Goals

Life goals may not seem important at the start of a relationship, but soon the couple should know what each person wants. Both short-term and long-term goals matter. For the short term, couples will want to know if both people want an exclusive relationship or if one prefers an open relationship. This in itself can make or break even a casual relationship. Later on if the relationship gets serious, couples should know what they both want to do in life. If a man wants children and a woman doesn't, this will cause stress on the relationship later on.

Views

Views on everything from religion to politics may play a part in a relationship. The important factor is not so much what each person believes, but how different these beliefs are and how devoted each person is to the beliefs. Two open-minded people from different religions may have no problems in a relationship. On the other hand, two people whose religions teach they should not date outside their religion may feel guilty or have trouble with the relationship.

Red Flags

Dating also shows someone what the other person acts like on a day-to-day basis. At the start of a relationship, a person may appear sweet and caring, but over time red flags can appear. An unhealthy relationship often shows more and more signs as time goes on, and dating allows people to watch out for these signs. Disrespect, emotional abuse, jealous tendencies and a person who angers easily and becomes aggressive are all red flags that signal an unhealthy relationship.

Physical Attraction

Finally, dating allows two people to judge their physical attraction to each other. Physical attraction alone will not make a healthy relationship, while a good personality alone does not guarantee happiness either. For a relationship to work, both people need to find the other interesting and attractive at the same time. Days may come where one person doesn't quite feel the spark, but it shouldn't go missing permanently.

(Source: ehow.com)

How to Create a Romantic Date

You know someone fascinating and beautiful, someone who ignites your desire for passion, and they feel the same about you. You've asked her out on a date, and she's accepted. Now you have to plan the details of your romantic date. No matter how much money you have, your personality and experience, or your limitations, it is possible for you to create a romantic and memorable date to express your love and appreciation for that special someone.

1. Check your budget. Calculate how much money you can spend and avoid going over that amount.

You may want to take your date to a five-star restaurant or out on the lake in a yacht. However, if your budget constraints means you can only afford a trip to the the movie theater or local coffee shop, with a little ingenuity you still have the opportunity to give your date a memorable experience.

2. Know your date's interests and personality. Extroverts enjoy crowded places and energetic conversations, while introverts often prefer quiet, intimate surroundings and activities that require a minimum of contact with strangers. If your date enjoys the outdoors, consider taking a hike through a local park or putting on some boots to go creek-hiking. If your date is an artist, consider a local poetry reading, museum or art show.

3. Set a location. Avoid the awkward, indecisive moment of deciding where to go after meeting your date by deciding a location beforehand. If you're going to a popular restaurant, make reservations at least an hour in advance. If you're going to a location outdoors, create a backup plan in case of bad weather. Consider staying at home and making a home-cooked meal, but only if you know your date well and you've established a rapport of trust.

4. Give a personal gift. Use your creative talents to make the date memorable. If you're a wordsmith, write a poem or a short story for your date. If you're a musician, compose a song. You can also try making a flower arrangement, baking a dessert or mixing your own margaritas. Your date will appreciate the effort and thoughtfulness gone into crafting a personal gift.

5. Lose all expectations. Get rid of any preconceived notions of what a romantic date should be and enjoy the moment. Avoid the mentality that your date owes you anything for your efforts or that a romantic outing should be a fairytale experience. Be prepared for any unscheduled changes in your plans. The focus should be on the person with you and not the surroundings.

(Source: ehow.com)

Love and Relationship Question

Asking questions to your significant other can seem a bit silly and a bit daunting. If you are already in love, shouldn't you already know them? At the same time, isn't it a little scary to see what they would answer about their past?

1. Asking the right questions is an important part of maintaining a successful relationship. Many marriage counselors stress the necessity of positive communication as part of handling arguments and as a way to get to know better your significant other. It can seem silly to ask straight forward questions that otherwise might never come up in a conversation, but it is an important part of building a strong relationship.

2. Many couples may not know the abusive or criminal background of their partners. Many may wonder why religion and church do not play a factor in their lives. Yet others loose themselves in the routine of relationships and forget their interests and passions that asking questions can bring out. Still, others wonder about each other's past and what the future holds for them as a couple.

3. It is silly to ask questions like what is your favorite food? Where is your favorite hiding place? But asking questions that relate to personal health, fears, emotional backgrounds, family, priorities, and love is a crucial step into finding out more about your significant other. Face it, many couples are happy with having the same favorite foods, TV shows, and friends. Yet many fail to understand that sharing common interests does not result in a successful long term relationship. Knowing what differences you have, beliefs, priorities, and desires is something that is not talked about on a day to day basis.

4. Ask each other, what about growing up is scary for you? What is the one thing you admire about your parents and our children? What is your favorite body part? When are you most confident? What kind of person should our children date?

5. Subjects that are not usually talked about in daily conversations, or subjects that have been in your mind are great topics for discussion. Remember, a successful relationship revolves around communication. Sharing and showing affection are all part of being a couple, but knowing your significant other better than anyone else in this world is what separates soul mates from routine relationships.

6. Ask each your significant other any questions that have been on your mind about their past, present, and future. Remember that both of you should understand that communication is a key part of staying in a healthy relationship. Then ask them to ask you. Remember, growing old together involves honesty and respect.

(Source: ezinearticles.com)

Adventurous Date Ideas

Go to a shooting range

If you know someone who likes guns, you can easily convince them to take you shooting. There are usually indoor shooting ranges if you live in a place where you don’t have an outdoor range nearby. You can take it one step farther and do some sort of “gun safety” class before shooting as part of the date.

Go toiletpapering.

This is another thing that you can do MUCH better now that you’re older. In High School, we’d toiletpaper our teachers houses and people we didn’t like. But it’s a good trick even for people you do like.

Build and fly a model rocket

This is another big hobby for a lot of people. Flying a model rocket can be done for under $20 (but obviously, some people get much more elaborate). If you are lucky enough to find an event, you can see hundreds of these of varying complexity. But if not, it’s still fun to pick up a starter kit at a hobby shop and build one together then fly it a few times.

Play with a remote control airplane (or watch others)

If you don’t have access to a remote control airplane (I know I wouldn’t let you fly mine if you didn’t already know how!) you can go to mini-airports where enthusiasts gather all of the time to fly these things. It’s a pretty big hobby for some people, so it’s cool to see what they’ve done with it.

Ride in a hot air balloon

There’s a lot more in hot air ballooning than you would think (they’re harder to fly than an airplane) so it’s hard to get someone to take you up. But if you’re lucky, this can be a really fun adventure. If not, they have hot air balloon events where you can watch dozens of them take off at once.

Go to the sand dunes

Lots of people get in to riding ATVs and Motorcycles and camping for days on end at the Sand Dunes. It doesn’t hurt AS bad if you wreck on sand, so there are some pretty crazy people you can watch (or be)

Go across the border in to another state/country (Mexico!)

There are lots of cool things to be seen if you’re a tourist outside of your state/country. In Arizona we like to go to Mexico because it’s not too far away and it’s quite a cultural experience.

Go hiking

You probably thought of this one without our list, but here it is anyway. Here in Arizona there are lots of little hills and mountains nearby that can make for a decent 2-3 hour hike

Build and shoot a potato gun (more for the guy than the girl)

Again, a date that’s probably more for the guy than the girl. You can buy all of the parts you need to build a potato gun for less than 20 bucks (ammunition included!) which is a couple of PVC pipes and an ignition source (like a lantern lighter and hairspray). Good fun — a decent potato gun will go 50 yards. You can find instructions all over the internet.

Play on a rope swing (preferrably in to water!)

Rope swings can be great fun. Lots of lakes and rivers have already built rope swings (make sure they’re safe!) but you can build your own pretty easily. It’s especially fun if it’s in to water (you could do it when you go cliff diving)

Build a fort or tree house (best over multiple dates)

Now that you’re older, you can probably engineer a really cool treehouse or fort. Wood isn’t TOO expensive, and if you already have the tools, you can make a pretty sweet club house either in your back yard or even out in the woods somewhere.

Go paintballing

It takes the right kind of girl to go paintballing with you, and it helps to have the gear, but this can be a highly adventurous and fun activity. And you definitely need a group.

Sneak in to a ritzy hotel to go swimming in their pool

Most places don’t care as long as you’re quiet. It’s pretty easy to stroll in and park as if you are checking in and then sneaking back to the pool area. Have your swimsuit on under your clothes, then just strip down and hop in! Many “ritzy” resort style hotels have some really sweet pools.

Go cliff jumping

Ask around and you can probably find a nearby lake or river that’s well known for cliff jumping. Usually better in a group and definitely a daytime activity. Combine this with a picnic or barbeque and you have yourself a party!

Go boating

Most people don’t think of this as a date, but it’s great for a group. If you know someone with a boat, you can go water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, knee boarding, etc. etc. at a nearby lake.

Raft or tube down a river

There are rivers of varying speed and rapid-ness just about everywhere. Grab a tube or raft, some drinks and maybe some music and hit the river! Make SURE to bring sun screen.

Visit a nearby, quaint little town (like Sedona, AZ)

Every state seems to have a small town that is well known for tourism. In Arizona, it’s Sedona where you can see red rocks and check out all kinds of neat little shops and trails. There are others in other places – go look for them!

Go camping, if not overnight then at least to a bonfire

Camping is a blast with friends. Be sure you’ve got all the gear you need, and bring along card games, board games, snacks and lots of wood for building a giant bonfire. If you don’t want to camp overnight, grab a campsite (or if you’re in arizona, the desert works fine!) and build a giant fire for a few hours.

(Source: www.ideasforafundate.com)

Dating Do's & Don'ts: Tips for a Successful Date

If you want to turn a first date into a second, there's a few guidelines you may want to follow:
DO take her to a cozy coffee shop or out for a drink and appetizers on your first date. These spots allow you to actually talk and get to know one another over a few drinks or bite to eat. There's nothing worse than taking a first date to a movie where you can't talk or a 5-course meal that you can't get out of if the date goes badly. Go into the date with thinking positive that it will go well, but with an out in the back of your mind in case it doesn't.

DON'T take him/her to a place you've never been previously. Select a place that you're familiar with ahead of time, which will allow you to fully focus on your date rather than worry about the food, the ambience, or the wait staff.

DO get creative with your date ideas. Plan something out of the ordinary rather than your standard dinner date. Find out what he/she is interested in and take that into consideration. Look in your local entertainment guide for ideas on upcoming events. If you're stumped for ideas, check out our huge list of romantic date ideas.

DON'T be late. Whether you're picking up your date or meeting there, make sure that you arrive on time. Arriving late (unless there are unavoidable circumstances) is a good way to ensure that a first date does not turn into a second one. If you are going to be late for any reason at all, call your date ahead of time and let them know.

DO pay attention to your appearance. Research shows that within three seconds of meeting someone, you are evaluated, even if it's just a glance. Once a first impression is made, it's virtually irreversible, so make it a good one. Pay attention to your clothing and general cleanliness, making sure that you appear put together, clean, and neat.

DO compliment your date. Women (and men for that matter) appreciate complements. Tell her that she looks pretty or that you like her smile. Tell him that he smells nice or looks great.

DON'T look away during the conversation. Keeping eye contact is a sign that you're interested in him/her and what they have to say.

DO turn your cell phone off or on vibrate. Answering your phone will on a date is the epitome of rudeness.

DON'T talk about yourself the entire time. Ask your date questions about him/her self and share your own thoughts and stories when appropriate. Remember that balance in conversation is the key. The point is for both of you to get to know one another.

DO insist on ordering and sharing a dessert. Most women won't order dessert, but sharing one with a date can be super sexy. Go for something chocolate -- it's a favorite among women, plus it's an aphrodisiac.

DON'T go overboard with jokes. Everyone appreciates a little humor -- it lightens the mood and makes you smile -- but too many jokes makes it seem like you're trying too hard.

DO touch and flirt. Give a smile, gently touch her arm, or hold his hand. These acts show that you're interested and bring about a sense of intimacy.

DON'T be overbearing. Ask what he/she wants whether it's a drink, a movie, or a restaurant.

DO be a gentleman -- open the doors, pull out her chair, and be polite to the wait staff. A little old fashioned chivalry makes a woman swoon.

DON'T talk about past relationships. This conversation is often a first date killer for both women and men.

DO suggest continuing the date if it's going well. If you went out for a drink, invite him/her to dinner or a club. You may want to suggest going for a short walk afterwards. If your date is going well, a walk under the stars holding hands only adds to the romance.

DON'T get too touchy-feely. Holding hands is perfect for a first date. Anything more than that may be a bit overbearing.

DON'T invite them back to your place on the first date. Even if the date went really, really well, it's better to save this for at least date number three.

DO walk her to the door when the date is over. If it went well, give her a kiss, but keep it light. It will leave him/her wanting more.

DON'T ask for his/her number if you're not going to call. It's rude and can leave your date with hurt feelings.

(Source: www.romancestuck.com)

Types of Hugs

From a friendly hug to a passionate squeeze, hugging is the universal language of love, comfort, and friendship. Read through this list of different types of hugs and pick a few to try with your sweetie. If you have an different type of hug that you'd like to see here, submit it and we'll add it to the list. 

'I Love You' Hug
A close cheek-to-cheek hug that says "I Love You" even more with an added kiss on the lips.

'I Want You Now' Hug
A close hug with a bit of rubbing and grinding.

Big Bear Hug
Pull your partner in really, really, really close, put your arms completely around them, and squeeze tight.

Butt Squeeze Hug
A sexy, passionate hug. Pull your partner in close, lift your leg around their legs and give their butt a passionate squeeze.

Ecstatic Jump-n-Hug
Run at your partner and jump into their arms with excitement!

Encouraging Hug
Pull your partner close and give them a gentle squeeze with a light pat on the back.

Friendly Hug
Put your arms lightly around your partner's shoulders and give a gentle squeeze.

Group Hug
A hug involving multiple people - family or friends - where you all put your arms around one another.

Half Hug
A quick wrap, lightly touching your partner where your arms only go halfway around (hence, half a hug).

Hello & Goodbye Hug
A quick, semi-close hug paired with a kiss on the cheek.

Hug of Joy
A semi-close hug with excitement and movement that often times includes a bit of excitement jumping.

Passionate Squeeze
Pull your partner in closely and give them a passionate squeeze as you gently kiss along their neck.

Snuggle Hug
Usually works best when sitting on a couch, etc. Drape your arm around your partner's shoulders and snuggle up in close!

Spoon Hug
While not normally thought of as a hug, the 'spoon' is essentially your arms wrapped around your partner -- a hug! While lying in bed on your side, pull your partner close and wrap your body around theirs in a 'spoon' position.

Sympathy Hug
Pull your partner close and lay their head lightly on your shoulder as you give their back a light rub.

Tree Hug
Find a large tree (perhaps while picnic-ing), and each partner wrap their arms around the tree to meet the other partner's hands.

(Source: www.romancestuck.com)

Kissing Tirvia

A Liftetime of Kissing
The average person will spend an estimated 20,160 min kissing in their lifetime.

Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians never kissed with their mouths. Instead they kissed with their noses.

First Kiss
50% of all people kiss have their first kiss before they are 14.

Healthy Kissing
Kissing helps reduce tooth decay because the extra saliva helps clean out your mouth.

Kissathon Record
On Valentine's Day 2004, 5,122 Philippine coupes gathered together at midnight and locked lips. This kissathon beat the previous world record of 4,445 couples set in January in Chile.

Kissing
The Chinese didn't kiss until the practice was introduced by Westerners, and they're still not very keen on it.

Kissing & Calories
You burn 26 calories in a one minute kiss.

Kissing Chemicals
Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) as those that are released when you engage in intense exercise such as running a marathon or skydiving. This causes your heart to beat faster and your breathing to become deep and irregular.

Kissing Colors
Some theorize that when you kiss a person with the same hair color as yourself, the result is a more passionate kiss.

Kissing Many People
On September 15, 1990, Alfred Wolfram from New Brighton kissed 8001 people in just 8 hours, over sixteen people a minute, at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

Kissing Muscles
You use only two muscles on your face when you give a peck kiss but you use all of your facial muscles and burn more calories during a passionate kiss.

Kissing Simultaneously
More than 4,400 couples poured in the streets in Chile for a 10 second kiss, setting the world record for the largest number of people kissing simultaneously.

Kissing Throughout Your Life
On average a human will spend up to 2 weeks kissing in his/her lifetime.

Longest On-Screen Kiss
The longest on-screen kiss was the 3 minutes, 5 second liplock between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in "You're in the Army Now."

Lovapalooza 2 Kissing Record
More than 5,300 couples locked lips for at least 10 seconds in Manila, Philippines to kick off Valentine's Day 2005. This breaks Chile's old record of 4,445 couples.

Night Kissing
Our brains have special neurons that help us find eachothers lips in the dark

Science of Kissing
The science of kissing is called philematology.

Strange Kissing Laws
There are many strange laws regarding kissing that are still on the books. In Indiana, it is illegal for a man with a moustache to "habitually kiss human beings". And in Hartford, CT, it is illegal for a man to kiss his wife on a Sunday.

The Kiss of Death
In Naples, Italy in the 16th century, kissing was an offence that carried the death penalty.

Turning Heads while Kissing
Onur Guentuerkuen of Ruhr-University Bochum in Bochum, Germany, studied hundreds of couples kissing. In his study, he found that two-thirds of people turn their heads to the right when kissing.

Valentine Kissing Record
On Valentine's Day 2004, an Italian couple made their way into the record books with a 31-hour 18-minute Valentine kiss. The couple beat the previous record by 18 minutes and 33 seconds, however, the man had to receive oxygen afterwards.

World's Longest Kiss
April 5, 1999: Karmit Tsubera and Dror Orpaz kissed for a record 30 hours and 45 minutes to win a kissing contest in Rubin Square, Tel Aviv, Israel.

(Source: www.romancestuck.com)

Don't Date These Dolls and Girls

10. The woman who is obsessed with getting married

You know the type. Desperate to be married...jerks are ok so long as they are marriage material. 

She's the woman who had her whole life laid out like clockwork and with a timeline to give her the perfect life, only to find she hasn't met the perfect man and her biological clock is counting down in seconds. 

You know she's going to suddenly discover as soon as she's married and gotten the two kids that you are a stinker...but now, you're going to have to deal with her the rest of your life. 

She's so scary that any man in his right mind would run away....so run.

9. The woman who is always looking for a fight

You will be able to tell if your woman is this type if everything with he is a battle.

Anything that is said by anyone will be quickly taken out of context to become some sort of insult or some reason to wage war against the world. 

She will make you an angry and bitter person too as there will be nothing but misery with her. Avoid her like you would a shrieking alarm.

8. The woman who needs to be handled with kid gloves

Everything in life hurts this type of woman. You feel like she should be wrapped up in bubble wrap so she doesn't break.

The tiniest criticism, the most innocent of comments will have her dripping in tears and big sad dog eyes.

Before you know it, you will be spending your whole life apologizing, saying sorry for all the things you did, didn't do and for the mere fact that you came into her life. 

It's easier if you just get out of her life, as if she doesn't commit suicide because you leave her, she will sure threaten suicide because of something your did when you stayed. Avoid her like you would moldy bread.

7. The woman who really needs to cover up

I understand there are many women out there that still feel as young on the inside as they did when they were teenagers, but there does come a time when they need to stop dressing like they have the body of a lovely young lady. 

To me, almost nothing is as gross as looking at the jiggling flesh of aging skin put out for display by a woman as if they are at the prime of youth (other than the behavior of leering men too old for them I am told by my wife - guess which doll is inspired by her). 

If you are involved with a woman who shows a bit too much, she has issues that are not going to get smaller with the decay of time so issue her a kiss off letter and vamoose.

6. The woman who is a constant drag

God, there a million of these types of women aren't there? 

You know the type? Everything around them is a total drag. There is always something that could go wrong and she can never be happy, no matter what you do. 

You could have won the lottery but with her worrying and kvetching, it will soon feel like it was the worst thing that ever happened to you.

This type of woman will slowly seep the will to live out of you, so stay away. Avoid her like you would an old used shoe.

5. The woman who can't shut up

I get attracted to women who can carry a conversation and has a good sense of humor. But there is a fine line between being a good talker and talking too good. 

Avoid the wise-cracking woman who always has to make a comment about everything. If you don't watch out, you'll wake up one morning to find yourself next to your nightmare version of Rosie O'Donnell.

4. The woman who takes and takes and takes

I've known only a few women like this because I don't have the money to attract more of them. 

These are the women that are lovely on the outside, but really inside are a bunch of money hungry takers who are just with you for your wallet. 

Your woman usually looks likes this when you first meet her and then you slowly realize it's all a cunning shell designed to lure you to her like a sirens' call.

Watch yourself as the types of ladies will just suck you and your wallet dry and leave you emasculated. Avoid them like you would avoid a mosquito nest. (See it here .)

3. The woman who has nothing to say

There are woman who talk constantly and say nothing. 

This type of women can go on and on about what her friend told her other friend about the shoes she bought on sale, but were really not on sale as her other friend found them cheaper at another store and on and on.

These are the women you just what to yell "Shut the F#### Up" on a daily basis but don't say anything to as they will then spend the next hour grilling you as to why you aren't happy today. ARRRRRRGH!!

2. The woman who is one big freak show

This is the woman who will quickly drive you to your untimely death by having a stroke induced by frustration.

She can't make a decision about anything and doesn't know whether she is going forwards or backwards. Too wracked by anxiety about making the wrong decision, she drives you up the wall as you sit there patiently as she for the millionth time tries to figure out what to do, where to go, what to eat and what to wear.

1. The woman who is all out evil

These women are rare but the most scary and destructive to be involved with. 

They usually come in very normal packages, but as the layers of normality peel off with familiarity, you one day discern that your woman is just plain evil. 

Get away if it's not too late....but make sure she can't track you down, because she's the type of person to find you and send you to prison on some false charges to become Bubba's pet dog. 

(Source: inventorspot.com)

Fun Date Ideas

Where do you go when you want to inject a bit of fun into a date, or are not quite ready to introduce a romantic date setting just quite yet? You hit one of these eight locations for some lighthearted, youthful excitement to share with someone special.

1. Amusement Park
Roller coasters, cotton candy and anti-gravity machines are a riot no matter who you are with, so bring a date and explore the merry-go-rounds, old fashioned photos, tilt-a-whirls, and water rides together. 

2. Arcade
Your favorite old school hangout may offer an inexpensive yet entertaining way to get to know someone better. Most arcades today offer a wide variety of games to play both new and old, providing the opportunity to run a space mission together, whack-a-mole, or even duke it out Mortal Kombat style. An added bonus is when you trade in your arcade tokens for a prize at the end of the night that your date can take home to remember the occasion.

3. Bowling
It may sound like a typical date idea, but when is the last time you went bowling? Many alleys now offer night bowling events specially geared towards dating couples such as laser bowling or singles leagues. Rent a pair of shoes, let the scoring machine do all of the hard work, and see who can strike out first. 

4. Comedy / Improv
If breaking the ice is a concern with your date, a comedy show or improv group may offer a solution. Spending the evening together laughing at the live antics in front of you can be a bonding experience, and you'll have plenty to talk about in between acts and after the show.

5. Dinner Theater
An interactive murder mystery-type dinner theater show is the perfect second or third date get-together. This way, you can interact with each other while participating first-hand in a memorable date neither will soon forget.

6. Interpretive Center
Depending on where you live will determine what kind of interpretive center you will have access to, but most cities and towns have at least one to choose from, such as a duck sanctuary, fur trading camp, salmon spawning center, wetland interpretive center or natural hot springs.

7. Planetarium
Not every town has a planetarium, but if yours does it is a fantastic place to hold hands, sit in the dark and explore the universe around you. Some also host weekend star-gazing events, where tour guides will show you and your date how to spot the major constellations. Then, use this information for a romantic date later on down the road – just the two of you on your balcony or in a park, trying to find the big dipper together.

(Source: dating.about.com)