31 Cheap and Fun Date Ideas for Couples - Part 1 of 2

BY AMANDA BRADBURY

Spending quality time together with another person doesn’t need to cost that much, after all love doesn’t cost anything. Sometimes the most fun you’ll ever experience costs little to nothing. If you’re low on money or just tired of the same kind of dates over and over again, then try these ideas for a fun inexpensive change of pace.

 1. Go on a virtual vacation together.

Take a 3-D virtual tour around the world together with 360 Cities. Pick a different city to explore once a month together. You could even plan out a vacation together; even if you don’t go, it’s still fun to plan something together and spend time finding out what you and your partner would like to do or see.

2. Watch funny YouTube videos.

Compile a list of funny YouTube videos to share together or take a look at some lists people have already put together online: YouTube’s 50 Best Videos according to Time magazine, Top 20 YouTube Videos, 50 Funniest YouTube Videos of All Time.

3. Stargaze while laying on a blanket outside.

Grab a blanket and go outside in your yard, snuggle up together with some hot chocolate and watch for shooting stars. Use the free Sky Map app to see which constellations and planets you’re looking at in the night sky in front of you. This is an especially great idea whenever there’s a meteor shower to watch.

 4. Grab some water guns at your local dollar store and have a water gun fight.

Or you could always opt for water balloons and pelt each other with them. This is a fun outdoor activity in which you can play hide and seek, run around like kids, and generally have a fun time.

 5. Picnic at a local park.

Pack a lunch for the two of you and be sure to bring some bread to feed the ducks if there’s a pond. Enjoy a nice day outside walking around the park and pick a spot to sit down and share lunch. You could even bring a game along to play after you’ve enjoyed the park.

6. Game night with stakes.

Have a game night with stakes set ahead of time. The stakes could be anything you want, like something your partner has to do for you if they lose, or it could be something around the house, like they have to do all the chores for a week, or perhaps something a little frisky, like they have to undress for you and do as you say. You could play anything, a game of cards, board games, or even a video game.

 7. Share a milkshake, a Frosty, cookies, dessert or some other snack.

Grab just dessert together somewhere. It could be a cheap Frosty from Wendy’s, a milkshake that you share with two straws, two cookies, or a large piece of pie. Grab something that both of you like and split it with each other. Remember whipped cream on top of anything makes it even better. You could even go to the store and grab a small dessert or ice cream to indulge in together.

8. Have a spa night at home giving each other a massage.

Be sure to include candles, massage oil, and essential oils. Feathers make for a great add-on to a massage; just rub them over your partner before, during, or after the massage.

9. At home themed dinner and a movie night.

Choose which cuisine you and your partner would like to make together (Mexican, Italian, Asian, Thai, etc.) and pick a dish to make at home. Watch a free movie at home using Popcorn Time, or Hulu or Netflix if you have a subscription, or pick up a movie from Redbox (you can get codes for free or discounted rentals all the time).

10. Write a piece of fiction together.

Sit at a coffee shop or at home together and take turns writing lines.

 11. Volunteer together.

Make DIY homeless care kits or volunteer with a local organization.

 12. Do something together outdoors like walking, running, hiking, biking, or swimming.

Get outside and get some sunshine and fresh air together. Being active together and/or exercising together can help both of you.

13. Movie marathon weekend.

Pick a trilogy or a series to watch and marathon it all weekend.

 Source:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/31-cheap-and-fun-date-ideas-for-couples-2.html

Seven Ways to Inspire Love in Your Life - Part 2 of 4

by Traci Porterfield

2. Embrace Forgiveness and Appreciate Your Past

Mother Teresa once said, “If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” If someone has hurt you, betrayed you, or broken your heart, find a way to begin the forgiveness process, for this person has helped you learn about trust and the importance of being more discerning about the people you open your heart to. The physical benefits of forgiveness are undeniable. As researchers have found, while holding onto resentment contributes to increased heart disease and weakened immunity, letting go of old grudges reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. People who forgive tend to have better relationships, feel happier and more optimistic, and enjoy greater psychological wellbeing.

It is easy to be negative about past mistakes, unhappiness, and those we feel have wronged us. However, it is much more healing to look at ourselves and our past in the light of experience, acceptance, and growth. Some of us have emerged from the most painful circumstances with strong insights about who we are and what we want. If we look deeply, we will see that our mistakes have been absolutely necessary. Our frustrations, failures, and stumbling attempts to grow have been necessary, too. Each step of the way, we learned. We went through exactly the experiences we needed to become who we are today. Our past is not a mistake. The only mistake we can make is not learning from our mistakes. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. If what you are doing or the way you are being right now no longer serves you, you can wipe the slate clean and start again. It’s never too late.

Take action

As a big fan of the healing power of mantras, I often recommend using the simple mantra I thank you. I bless you. I release you. You can repeat this mantra silently to yourself, bringing into your mind an image of the person you are seeking to forgive. 

3. Focus on Doing Things That Make You Feel Good

What activities fill you with happiness and pleasure? Do you like to walk your dog, go to the gym, watch football, practice yoga, or go for a hike and be in awe of Mother Nature? Keep it simple: do what you love! If you meet a new friend or romantic partner when you’re enjoying your favorite things, it’s an added benefit.

Take action

Make a list of things you love to do and activities you’ve done in the past that made you happy. This week, choose one activity from your list and schedule time to do it. Even better, do one of these activities every day. If you are in a relationship, you can also make a list of the activities that you and your partner enjoy doing together and choose one to do this week.

4. Spend Time with People who Inspire and Support You

We are all influenced by the people we spend the most time with, including our family, friends, and co-workers. If they tend to be optimistic, loving, and supportive, we will benefit from their energy. On the other hand, if we spend a lot of time with people who are negative, critical, or draining, it will be much more difficult to remain balanced and happy. These are words from the introduction to a Chopra Center meditation:

“You are known by the company you keep. We inherit the beliefs of those we spend the most time with. These philosophies become part of our subconscious mind. Research shows we function largely with subconscious minds that have been programed by others, yet we have the amazing ability to change past conditioning, by releasing negativity, interacting with like-minded conscious people, enjoying inspirational sights and sounds, and engaging in uplifting activities. . . . What we place our attention on expands in our lives. Harnessing this power of attention and intention, you can change your life to reflect exactly what you envision.”

I encourage you to surround yourself with those who believe in your potential. Ask yourself: Will spending time with this person drag me down or lift me up?  Will he or she make me want to be a better person? A happier person? A more successful person? Will he or she make me achieve my most important goals? Anyone who inspires you to make your half-hearted attempts more whole-hearted through passion and love is an adored friend and teacher to be cherished.

Take action

This week, make an inventory of the people you surround yourself with and the experiences you are engaging in. Which relationships and activities are nourishing you and which are draining you? Are there any changes you need to make? Are there any conversations you need to have? Choose one small step that will help you fill your life with more loving relationships and experiences and schedule a time to do it within the next two days.

It’s Not All about Communication

By Francine Russo

If couples were paying any attention during the past few decades, they should be able to recite the one critical ingredient for a healthy relationship — communication. But the latest study shows that other skills may be almost as important for keeping couples happy.

While expressing your needs and feelings in a positive way to your significant other is a good foundation for resolving conflicts and building a healthy relationship, these skills may not be as strong a predictor of couples’ happiness as experts once thought.

In an Internet-based study involving 2,201 participants referred by couples counselors, scientists decided to test, head to head, seven “relationship competencies” that previous researchers and marital therapists found to be important in promoting happiness in romantic relationships. The idea was to rank the skills in order of importance to start building data on which aspects of relationships are most important to keeping them healthy. In addition to communication and conflict resolution, the researchers tested for sex or romance, stress management, life skills, knowledge of partners and self-management to see which ones were the best predictors of relationship satisfaction.

Not surprisingly, those who reported communicating more effectively showed the highest satisfaction with their relationships. But the next two factors — which were also the only other ones with strong links to couple happiness — were knowledge of partner (which included everything from knowing their pizza-topping preferences to their hopes and dreams) and life skills (being able to hold a job, manage money, etc.).

For today’s couples interested in improving their relationships, say the study’s authors, therapists might consider going back to the basics and incorporating more practical social skills into their discussions. And that may include referring those who lack these skills to money managers or career coaches. “Communication skills are necessary,” says Lisa Neff, couples researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, “but they’re not sufficient when couples are under stress.”

It’s important for couples to know how the outside world — whether they can get a job, whether their kids can play outside safely or go to a good school — will affect their relationship even if they have good life skills and good communication skills. Strong relationships, says Bradbury, recognizes how pressures outside of home and the relationship can influence, and even break down good communication skills.

“Outside,” Bradbury says, “there is a real world that impinges on us.” To deal with it takes not only communication, but also an understanding that even the strongest communication networks among partners can falter and when they’re under this intense external pressure. The strategy he suggests for couples he counsels is to join forces rather than turn away from each other. “It’s not you against each other; it’s you against the world,” he says.

Find the complete article at: http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/16/the-key-to-happy-relationships-its-not-all-about-communication/