Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

The Couples Adventure Guide This super fun book disrupts the dating scene in that you get to measure the success of each date as you go.  Plus, there is a section to include a photograph, movie ticket, receipt or other paste-ons in the book.  What I Loved About the Book: The author, Jennifer Ocean, offers straightforward dating ideas; no wading through reams of pages desperately searching for 'the one.'  Simple, achievable date ideas.   Not only that, the dates are divided into three segments:  at home,  outdoors,  places to go   You get to choose. What I Didn't Love About the Book: This is subjective, I'll admit, but I felt the dating suggestions were primarily aimed at younger adults.  🏎️🏎️ For example, I wouldn't go go-karting on a date, however, in my thirties I did go on an Advanced Driving Course date, so there's that. Why I Would Recommend this Book: Each segment is guided by cost, with plenty of free, affordable, or extravagan...

Dating Risks https://unsplash.com/@marqquin Let’s have a chat about taking risks in the dating world. Dating Risks  - as you click on the video, the first 15 seconds are awkward silence while I waited to go live 🤣 Can you think of a dating disaster that still makes you laugh today? [To be clear we’re not talking dangerous dating mishaps, I don’t have the qualification to help but am including  THIS LINK if you need professional help from anywhere in the world]. https://unsplash.com/@krakenimages In retrospect, with my "far too many wines of glass already," line, it could have been risky, but we were a party of six and I was with my best friend. I think that's where we draw the line at taking chances with people we don't yet know, it's always wise to go in a group with someone you know and to be in a well-lit public space. Back to the funny things that can go wrong on a date.  On one particular date, my wedge cork shoe broke at the strap - I spent the date BAREFO...

🎁 Happy Relationships and a Merry Christmas Image credit @KatieAzi My gift to you this holiday season, is one of happier times with your loved ones. I have a giveaway for you; a booklet of Date Year Ideas for you to use at your leisure. Completely free, no strings attached, a giveaway of pure loving intention. The date ideas are fun and relaxed and can be used in any relationship you wish to deepen. Healthy relationships cover all aspects of our lives, so you can quite easily adapt my date ideas to your friendships, family relationships or partnerships.  Your style, your way.   I have included a page for each month of the year with some ideas for you to think about. But, this is YOUR date year, YOUR way. You can change them up, add your own or include anything that gets you closer to understanding the person you are with in that moment. Your free booklet is at the link below: Date Year Ideas Image credit @OlesiaHnatkevych Have fun and do share your own date ideas with me in t...

Turns Out You Don’t Need to Go Far At All Dating in the comfort of your own home is a thing! https://unsplash.com/@heftiba There are many reasons to stay home for a cozy date night in. Tired Lockdown Too cold Kids Couldn’t be bothered. That last one is a real doozy! If you can’t be bothered to make an effort, you need to ask yourself why. But that’s a post for another day. Date Night In The beauty is that it can be as glamorous or as casual as you want it to be. I've made some suggestions below, but of course, imagination is your only limit . https://unsplash.com/@joshstyle Dance night - thanks to my happily married cousin, this has become a hit in our household. I've curated a carefully selected range of songs for a quiet night in:  Date Night In Lounge floor picnic - rugs, cushions, classical music; who says picnics are for the outdoors only! DIY Day - revamp a dull corner of your home, and your relationship with a bit of titillating. As seen in the bright yellow image above ...

How to fix dating shortfalls Image credit Tyler Nix via Unsplash The 3 Dating Tendencies Quite honestly, I think all relationships have a combination of Logan's 3 dating tendencies. The trick is to juggle each of them in equal measure. The Romanticizer: The reality is that there are no perfect relationships. Period. We have to accept that there are ups and downs in every single relationship on earth. Once we can accept that fact, it is easier to move towards improving the quality of our interactions without striving for perfection. The Maximizer: Whether it's you or your partner who has unrealistic expectations of the other, it's important to state your boundaries. That is the secret sauce to maintaining integrity in your relationships. Respectful boundaries deserve respect. The Hesitater: If your self-doubt is based on either of the above tendencies, you need to look at your 'why'. Once you appreciate your personality for its strengths you will have a deeper unders...

The Three Dating Tendencies https://unsplash.com/@heftiba Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project , and researcher of human behavior, habits and happiness, interviews Logan Ury, author of How Not To Die Alone: The surprising science that will help you find love.  Logan says, "While love may be a natural instinct, dating isn't." Read on to find out why and what you can do about it. Gretchen :  You've done fascinating research. What has surprised or intrigued you – or your readers – most?   Logan :  The Three Dating Tendencies:  As a dating coach, I discovered that while all of my clients are unique, many of them suffer from dating blind spots—patterns of behavior that hold them back from finding love, but which they can't identify on their own. https://unsplash.com/@timmossholder Inspired by Gretchen (who was inspired by Freud!), I've categorized the most common blind spots into a framework called The Three Dating Tendencies. Each group struggles with u...

 Welcome and enjoy finding a whole new you. Image credit to Toa Heftiba at Unsplash It is so wonderful to have you in our reading room. We are delighted to share with you, our discovery of intricate connections that we made on our year-long dating project. Though we have been married for A Very Long Time, there is always something new to learn about each other and ourselves. This is the secret sauce to keeping your relationship alive - moving with the changing environment that we constantly find ourselves in as we progress along our daily lives.  Our daily lives become our years together. I do hope you enjoy reading about our fun and quirky dates. You'll find it  at this link.  I'd love to hear date ideas of your own, as well as your feedback once you've read 'Creating Sparks That Last'.