Love Lesson

Top 10 Romantic New Year's Resolutions

Here are my top 10 Romantic New Year's Resolutions - I hope at least a few of them work for you and your partner - Happy New Year!

Start a Date Night
Set a date night at least once a month. Even if it's just dinner and a movie, make time for each other and get out and about.

Saying I love you
continually say "I love you," with both words and actions.

Remove the TV from the bedroom
Television is a huge intimacy-killer. Having a TV in the bedroom is like having another person there too.

Surprises
Spontaneity is the key here. Try sending her flowers "just because". Buy him / her 2 tickets to a game of his favorite sport or play.

Weekend Get-a-way
Take a romantic weekend away for no reason (no anniversary, holiday, etc) except to be together. Head to a cabin in the mountains, a local bed and breakfast, or a relaxing spa.

Show Your Love
Give your partner compliments, hold hands, open doors, and engage in public displays of affection. It's the little things you do to show your love that always mean the most.

Learn More About Each Other
There is always more to learn about your partner and you can have a lot of fun doing it.

Stay sexy
It's common knowledge that we tend to let ourselves go after time - not everybody does it, but when stress and time take their tolls, often how we look is what goes out the window.

Be creative
Shake up your romantic life with a little creativity. Think outside of the box. One of the easiest things to do is to create a coupon book for your partner and give him/her one coupon for every week of the year.

Create your own resolutions together
A list like this might be a helpful starting point, but the best way to create romantic resolutions that will stick is to sit down with your partner and create some that are meaningful to you both.

The Art Of Love - A Look At The Stages Of Love

Love can be broken down into three stages, which include the first, which is erotic passion or lust, the second, which is romantic passion or attraction and the third, which is attachment or commitment. Let us take a look at all three stages. Be aware that you are not going to experience all three stages with everyone you meet. It is possible to feel attracted to someone and to lust after them but to not ever fall in love with them. The more you date the more you will come to learn the difference between the three stages.

Lust first enters our lives after puberty. At this time estrogen in girls and testosterone in boys become active in our brains and we begin to desire love, only is it a very primal form that is more akin to lust. It is believed by researchers that lust and romantic love came about as a result of different things. Lust developed due to the need to find a sexual mate while romantic love is more connected with the need to bond with the child that comes about as a result of a sexual union taking place. It is normal then for someone to feel romantic love for a person but not feel lust, or vice versa. It is our appearance, our pheromones and the traits we look for in a mate that play a vital role in where lust takes us, however it is believed that it is a desire for romantic love that leads people to the second stage, which is attraction.

In order for a relationship to move forward, lust must give way to attraction or romantic passion. How long this takes to happen is different for everyone. Romantic passion often renders us incapable of thinking logically and at this stage we cannot stop thinking about the other person. As well we tend to romanticize every aspect of the object of our affection and we do not see that the person has any flaws whatsoever. At this stage the other person is perfect. When couples reach this important stage of a relationship, they will find themselves spending every possible moment together and they will enjoy the process of getting to know one another very well. The expression "love is blind" comes into play at this stage of love. If the romantic passion remains strong and intense then the couple will find themselves well on their way to the third stage of love, which is commitment or attachment.

The commitment stage is when love is for the long haul. The fantasy and romanticism of love has passed and now real deep love has been entered. Many relationships falter and fall apart at this stage, as it is not easy to endure certain problems once a couple has become deeply attached to one another. Researchers have found that the happiest couples are the ones where one partner idealizes the other, such as seeing the person in as favorable a light as possible. For example, believing that your partner is a better listener than you or more sympathetic to others tends to work towards a happier and more lasting marriage. It has also been should that certain chemicals are released in the brain during the commitment stage of love. These chemicals include endorphins, oxytocin and vasopressin.

About the Author - Dustin is owner of JustArticlesVIP.com and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about this topic Dustin recommends you visit Adult Easy Dating

How to Love Unconditionally

Giving unconditional love requires you to love without any expectations. It seems difficult to only love and not demand anything in return in todays world where everyone is selfish and egotistic. But even in this world we see many examples of unconditional love, for example the love a mother gives to her child, the love between two life partners and the love bestowed upon siblings. To love unconditionally you will have to learn to sacrifice your self, your desires, and most importantly your ego. Lets find out how to love unconditionally and give happiness to a person without demanding anything in return.

First of all you have to remember that you are not supposed to expect anything from the person you love. Its true that love makes its way itself. When you love somebody with so much passion and ardor, its sure to come round in one way or another. But if somehow you dont get as much as you give, dont complain or argue. Always keep in mind that loving others and giving them everything you have will make you satisfied and happy with yourself.

You need to develop a strong will power to be able to love unconditionally. At some point in our lives we all demand some kind of love and want to express our own love for someone. Believe in the principle of giving more and demanding less. When someone asks you for a favor always be ready to give it. Never complain that you don't have enough or you have other tasks to do. Set your priorities in such a way that everyone else comes first and your own demands come last.

When you love somebody unconditionally you want the best for that person. Think positively about them even if they make mistakes or do not return your feelings. Give them sincere advice about their future and other decisions. Always look around for the betterment of your loved ones without any envy on your part. If you have to sacrifice something of your own for them, dont hesitate to do so. Only then you will truly be able to love unconditionally.

Remember that unconditional love is given without any expectations or limitations. You dont define any scope of your love or that how long will you love a person. This is an eternal feeling which should be kept alive in all circumstances and all situations. Never lose hope and keep on loving people who are dear and close to you, only then you will be able to live a completely satisfied and emotionally balanced life.

About the Author - DatingShare.com is 100% free dating site and matchmaking service for singles with dating forums

How to Keep Her in Love with You

It’s the saddest thing to listen to a man who has lost his heart’s darling. The hardest part is when they don’t know why, and I hear this more often than you would imagine.

The plaintive, “But I loved her,” is followed by, “I have no idea why she left.”

It’s bad enough to lose your love, without being stupefied on top of it all. Generally there are two explanations for this, both of which you can work on.

The first is denial, like the gentleman who told me he’d lost his wife and didn’t know why but when pressed said it “might” have been because he had an affair, but “it shouldn’t have mattered” because “she knew it didn’t mean anything.” The answer to this one is to quit fooling yourself. No one can pull the wool over your eyes except you. Rationalizing something you do that you know has about as much chance of hitting a home run as swinging at bad pitches, and then blaming the other person because you struck out is the victim stance. Get out of it and get responsible for what you do.

The second is from general cluelessness. If you often can’t figure out what’s going on around you, you may be in this category and it, too, has a remedy.

Staying in either place will insure you’ll love again and lose her again. Or worse, because you’re confused, you’ll be afraid to love again and will choose women who are inappropriate and unavailable and then complain that it never works out. You’ll stay safe, which is nice, but you’ll be miserable, which isn’t nice.

If you’d like to minimize that possibility, here are some tips.

DEVELOP YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

EQ is emotional fluency. It’s the opposite of cluelessness. It begins with being aware of your own feelings, and extends to include understanding the feelings of others – the world of feelings.

The worse this possibility sounds to you, the more you probably need it.

Many men start thinking about what’s in their heart because making it a mental thing feels better, but the end result is that you’ll end up confused. Women don’t like to be with a man who’s confused about them. They want it straight and true.

In order to relate to the woman you love, and to keep the relationship alive, you have to know about this “confusion.” If not, it will die, and you can claim you don’t know why, but is that what you want? Learn to know why.

DATE HER

The second solution is to date her.

“I did,” you’re saying, confused.

I mean date her continually. Continue to date her.

Most men are so good at dating, it must be innate. The trouble is, it’s aimed toward the initial conquest, or getting her in bed, and then they think it can be abandoned.

“Whew, glad that’s over,” you think. “Now I can get back to the ball game.”

Wrong! I think there’s an explanation that you’re a super-dater when the hormones are raging. If you interpret this as “feelings,” and they die down over time, which they always do, you may not “feel” like dating her any more, though you now live with her, or are married to her. The key is to not quit doing it.

Now let’s define dating. What is it you do so well when you’re dating? You pay attention to her. You call, you email, you send cards and flowers. You hang on her every word. You look deep into her eyes. You express your emotions verbally (“I love you.” “You’re beautiful.”). You hang around, in fact you can’t be away from her. You remember what she tells you, and you remember her birthday. You’re trustworthy and you’re there for her, listening endlessly and effortlessly as she talks about her emotions, her day, her dreams and plans, or your relationship. In fact it doesn’t matter what she talks about, you listen and you listen as if you care, because you do. It a means to an end that you want so you’re highly motivated.

If it worked so well, why don’t you continue doing it?

KEEPING IS HARDER THAN GETTING

If you want to not just get her, but keep her, you have to generate this sort of behavior not constantly, but enough. It means acting and showing your love, not just thinking about it, or worse, assuming it’s no longer necessary.

Don't be one of those guys who say, "Of course I love you. I married you didn't I?" unless you want to hear one sad day, "Of course I don't love you any more. That's why I'm leaving."

How do you do this when you don’t feel like it? The same way you do your job. It matters to you in the long-run, so you do it well even on a day when you don’t feel like it. It’s “taking care of business,” and you know how to do that.

So apply this same logic to keeping the woman you love and generate the behavior you know will win you what you want.

As someone said, “You don’t love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her.” The relationship between the two of you needs your care and attention too. You can make it beautiful and lasting as well. It’s never too late to start learning how to do that.

Good luck!

©Susan Dunn, MA, Personal Life & EQ Coach, susandunn.cc Offering coaching, Internet courses and ebooks for your personal and professional development.

Here are my Top 20 Free Romantic Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Sometimes, there is no better way to say “I love you”, than with a thoughtful gift from the heart rather than the pocket book. I guarantee it will be the gift they will be telling all their co workers about and still remember many years from now!

1. A self-composed love poem (See my post on writing a love poem)
2. An assortment of wildflowers that you have picked yourself
3. A homemade card.
4. A piece of clothing scented with your cologne or perfume.
5. Give a romantic bath. (With candles of course!)
6. A painting, drawing or sketch
7. A day of pampering 
8. Give something sentimental to you.
9. Sing a love song and post in on youtube!
10. A web page or blog dedication.
11. An hour of doing whatever they want.
12. A love journal.
13. Take your partner on a midnight picnic
14. Homemade coupon – It can have any of these items on it
15. Read to them a few of your favorite love poems or quotes
16. The classic, make them dinner with a great dessert
17. Create a photo album with pictures of you together
18. Make a compilation of favorite love songs and burn to CD with custom CD box
19. Name a star after them (Not the paid scams) Just create your own certificate
20. The ultimate coupon where they “fill in the blank” for what they most desire!

Do you have a great idea that belongs on this list? Please send your comments to share with the world.

Quick Tips On How To Be More Romantic (For Him)

In a relationship, more often than not, you can blame it on the guys to be inactive in the romance department. Thoughtfulness is the main ingredient to keep a relationship alive. There is really no exact formula on how to be a romantic person and being romantic would naturally come out if you really care and love the person you are with.

Rule number one is to add your own style and personal charm in romancing. If you are backlogged when it comes to romance, here are some simple ideas that you can use:

Personalize It
Giving a woman a jewelry box is an ordinary thing. But if she sees that the jewelry box you bought her is her favorite color, her kind of style and with her name on it, then she might give the jewelry box a second look and cherish it forever. The point is, no matter how ordinary a thing is, if you give it a real thought before buying, then the efforts of choosing a gift that you think would please her would count as being romantic.

Surprises
Do something out of the blue. If your usual night out would mean a dinner date at McDonald’s then a fine dining restaurant of her choice would absolutely surprise her. If you are not used to giving small token of appreciation like flowers or chocolates, then do so once in a while.

Quality Time
If you’re out of the budget and can’t afford to buy gifts or treat your partner to some fancy restaurants, then you must be thrilled that there is a great alternative to all these materials things. Yes, your quality time would be enough. Spending time lazing on the couch in front of some good TV would do the trick. Your sweet gestures and kind words like “I miss the smell of your hair” can even lead to some serious romancing.

The Magic of Touch
It is always a good sight when you see couples walk hand in hand. The sensuality of one’s touch can do wonders. Of course, be sincere and touch only a woman’s “safe” parts like her hair, chin and shoulders.

Being romantic should be a natural thing for someone who’s in love. If you are having a hard time thinking of romantic ways to please your partner just think of something that can make her smile. If you can do that, you would consequently find a way to make her heart jump.

About the Author - Ron Zvagelsky has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2006. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of PlanJam - where you can plan a date and find romantic date ideas.

The Romantic Striptease!

Have you ever fantasized about being a stripper? Have you ever thought it would be cool to do a striptease for your lover? Well, guess what? You're not alone!

Truth be told, many women have this same fantasy. Many more have even "busted a move" for their lover. Sound like fun? It sure is! Plus, the Romantic Striptease is an awesome way to show your lover just how sexy you're feeling. And take it from me, he will agree with you 100%.

Of course anytime you remove your own clothes in front of your lover there's sure to be "fireworks". But lets do something special. Let's treat your lover, let's plan an actual Romantic Striptease.

So, what's needed to make the Romantic Striptease a success? Let's have a look.

First and foremost, as outline in my book "the Romantic Tips Guide" you do not have to be a professional dancer to do this. This is for fun between you and your sweetie. Enjoy the time together.

Next, is music selection. Keep in mind you and your partners taste. The music you choose needs to be a bit on the slow side. Not too slow and draggy, but slow enough so you will be able to take your time removing your clothes one piece at a time and really Tease.

Speaking of clothing, you'll have to plan what to wear. And, you won't need to go shopping either. Well...not unless you want to. ;-) It is best to start off fully dressed. After all it is called a "Strip TEASE". Removing layers is much more fun, and exciting. A sexy dress, or blouse and skirt, choose an outfit that always turns your partner on. You know, the one where he just can't keep his hands off you. Then for underneath that, choose a couple more things. A pretty camisole, over a sexy bra. On the bottom put a pair of sexy skimpy panties over a pair of thongs. Eventually you'll be removing it all, one piece at a time. Remember, anything that drive's your sweetie wild, and whatever makes you feel sexy and desirable is in order here. You can pretty much choose whatever's in your closet for the outer layer. A good, "naughty" choice is always the schoolgirl look, or you could go for the button-down business look. A tie would later make a great prop. Just think about looping it behind his head to pull him into your breasts.

Then accessorize. This includes anything like glasses, hats, ties, as well as the all-important thigh highs, (or garter belt and stockings) and stiletto heels. Just make sure you can actually move around and dance in those stilettos. If you don't have any in your closet, borrow a pair from a friend. Also long necklaces look amazing when you're down to the bare essentials, plus long gloves and feather boas are great accessories too.

Place a chair some where in your bedroom where you will have easy access to move all around it. Of course it's for your sweetie to sit on and watch as you dazzle him with your StripTease. Also, chill some of your lover's favorite beverage. Wine or champagne would be great. You could have some fresh fruit like strawberries or grapes to feed your lover as you dance up a storm. Just remember to take it slow and easy.

When the time comes to do your Romantic StripTease remove one piece of clothing at a time, making sure to linger on each piece. Give it a try, I promise you and your lover will have great fun. Oh yeah and great sex as well!

About the Author - Marie Clare specializes in writing about Dating, Relationships and Romance. Check out her lastest eBooks plus reviews of the Best Online Dating Sites, FREE Articles, Tips and Advice at lifematesnow.com

Romantic Things To Say – Heart-Warming Romantic Lines

So you don’t have Julia Roberts’ script writers to provide you with romantic things to say, neither does the rest of the world; but that shouldn’t deter you from pursuing love anyway. Romantic things to say aren’t set in stone, but like every lucid realization, they just come to you from out of the blue, ready to be deployed at the right moment. If not, then there’s always this article for you to read, and hopefully, learn from.

Although these lines are more applicable to men, women may find them useful too.

1. “You look amazing.”

When was the last time you complimented your partner on her looks? A heartfelt comment such as this can be a powerful and instant ego booster, can help her forget a bad day at work, and most of all, can make her feel loved and appreciated. You can never go wrong with a few choice words, but be careful not to overdo it. Nothing ruins a moment like the threat of routine and reducing it to something so commonplace. Plus, you might come off as insincere if that’s all you ever tell her.

2. “Come here.”

If you are in the middle of a fight and you feel that there is still a long way to go before you kiss and make up, asking her to “Come here” and giving her a tight squeeze may just be the starting point of resolving your differences.

3. “I never knew what I did good to deserve you.”

There is no need to consult a dictionary or a big, fat self-help book if you are looking for romantic things to say. What you need to do is look into your heart instead. With this line, you are admitting that you do own up to your shortcomings but you appreciate having her in your life.

4. “Holding you just feels so right.”

Physical intimacy is a big factor in any relationship. By telling her how right you feel whenever you are together, your closeness as a couple will be enhanced.

5. “Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

If you feel like you’re running out of romantic things to say, a random sampling of your feelings every now and then is definitely the way to go. This is a common romantic line that will not make her think you got it straight out of a movie – because it is so simple; but if you say it in a heartfelt way, it will definitely melt her heart.

6. “I miss you.”

Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder and if you have not seen each other for some time, saying, “I miss you” in person or even over the phone is necessary.

7. “Do you even realize how much I love you?”

This line, or a simple “I love you” is still the simplest romantic line that you can ever think of. Why do you think a lot of people make a big deal out of saying it?

It’s not only a matter of knowing what romantic things to say, but knowing how to say them is just as essential. Now that you know, perhaps the most important yet, is to whom you say them.

Author - Mike Lee