Couple flying a kite together. Photo: tan4ikk / BIgstock.com
By Amanda Martin
Relax this weekend by flying a kite in the beautiful outdoors with your honey. It’s an inexpensive way to do something laid back while still being romantic.
Kites should be flown in an open, breezy area, making the beach the perfect location. Find out if there are any kite clubs nearby. Flying with other people will allow you as a couple to admire these embellishments that are said to have originated in China. Don’t worry about your beginner abilities or keeping up with the more serious people around you; just have a good time.
Couple with a bow and arrows in the wood. Photo: GekaSkr / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
Get out of your comfort zone this weekend by trying a unique sport with your other half. Summer is the perfect time to be adventurous. It’s warm outside and there are a variety of activities that can keep you and your partner learning something new.
For example, you can act like cupid and shoot arrows during an archery lesson. Or, spend time in the country and fire up some heat at a shooting range. You can make a game out of either of these activities and whoever wins gets to pick a romantic location for lunch. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture these very special moments.
Couple enjoying their time on the beach. Photo: karelnoppe / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
Enjoy the sun this weekend by hitting the beach with your babe. The clear blue sky is the perfect backdrop for you and your honey as you listen to the sound of the waves crashing and feel the soft sand beneath your feet.
This is supposed to be a relaxing day, so don’t put too much pressure on planning it perfectly. Simply pack a picnic lunch to bring along, and make sure it includes a lot of water so you don’t get dehydrated. Put together a fresh fruit salad with cantaloupe, honeydew and the sweetest assortment of berries for you and your significant other.
Couple hiking near the water. Photo: Maridav / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
Make this weekend all about you and your honey by spending time together in the great outdoors. Take Friday to travel to a romantic location that’s off the beaten path — and yes, that may mean no cell phone service, which will really make it all about the two of you. Use the commute as a way to discuss the activities you want to do once you’re there, and don’t forget to compromise if necessary.
On the night you arrive, set up the tent and use your natural resources, such as wood and branches, to start a campfire. Cuddle under a blanket while roasting marshmallows and telling spooky stories.
Stay in this weekend and test your skills in the kitchen with your significant other. Prepare the whole meal from scratch and don’t forget to set a romantic mood with candles.
Start with something simple for an appetizer. Put together a mixed green salad with fresh vegetables such as grilled eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. You’ll be eating healthy as a couple, so neither of you will feel too guilty about dessert.
Couple enjoying beer and food. Photo: Kzenon / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
If you live in the U.S., you and your honey can get a taste of foreign culture without traveling overseas this weekend. Traveling abroad is expensive and impractical for a short trip, but there are many places in the states dedicated to celebrating an array of various cultures.
Take a trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan for the Bavarian Festival, voted one of the top 5 festivals in the area. Running through the summer months, you’ll have a blast while immersing yourself in German heritage. Enjoy games and rides with your other half, dance to live Bavarian music, indulge in ethnic food and try ice-cold, imported German beers. The two of you will be getting a taste of Germany without having to spring for a pair of expensive tickets across the Atlantic.
Let go of your inhibitions this weekend and do something daring with your other half. Why not face your fears together? Experiencing a riveting, heart-thumping activity with your partner is a perfect way to bond, especially when you’re holding onto each other for dear life.
For truly brave couples, get off the ground and go sky diving. Many companies will videotape the whole experience, and although it’s an added fee, it’s worth the memory. While the actual jump may seem like too short of a date, you’ll be taking your romance to new altitudes.
Couple cuddling in a hammock and looking at the stars. Photo: Dudarev Mikhail / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
There’s nothing more romantic than lying with your significant other under a big, fluffy, cashmere blanket while stargazing in the great outdoors.
Since the best stargazing begins about an hour after sunset, you can have an early dinner and then head to your area’s best location for admiring the bright lights. If you live in a populated area, try to get to the outskirts of town so you and your honey can admire the brilliantly-lit night sky. If getting out of the city is impossible, you can try moon gazing instead. For some added romance, bring along a bottle of chilled chardonnay, music and light fare to nibble on.
Couple kissing during a picnic. Photo: rbvrbv / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
Spend this weekend enjoying the beautiful outdoors with your honey while making photo memories that last a lifetime.
Visit a park or local garden and soak up the surroundings while enjoying the company of your significant other. Smell and identify the flowers, pack a picnic lunch and spend time throwing around a Frisbee. This is no time to be camera-shy. Be sure to capture these photogenic moments by asking passers-by to take pictures. You can even turn this into a mini photo shoot. Style your boyfriend or girlfriend how you think they look sexiest and then have them pose.
Couple eating chips at a Mexican restaurant. Photo: garren / Bigstock.com
By Amanda Martin
This weekend is Cinco de Mayo, a day commemorating the Mexican army’s defeat of the French at the Battle of Puebla. The holiday is celebrated by people of many different backgrounds, so why not use this as an opportunity to have fun and spend some time with your significant other. Here are some ways to get close with your partner while celebrating Mexican culture and history:
From Disney movies to romantic comedies to romance novels, most of us have grown up with the belief that a “happily-ever-after” ending is commonplace in reality. Not only are these endings not guaranteed, but anyone who finds true love will admit that sustaining a serious relationship is no easy feat. Arielle Ford, author of Wabi Sabi Love: The Ancient Art of Finding Perfect Love in Imperfect Relationships, talked to us about her new book and how to master being in a relationship without trying to attain perfection. Wabi Sabi is an ancient Japanese art form that honors the beauty in imperfections, and according to Mrs. Ford, it’s the key to the expected happily ever after.
We had a chance to speak to the author herself, and here’s what she had to say:
Couple volunteering together. Photo: Wavebreak Media Ltd / Bigstock.com
The holiday season is filled with celebration, family time and giving. And, there’s no better way to give than by volunteering to help the less fortunate. Find a cause that both you and your significant other think is important, and enrich the lives of others.
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a smart, talented and driven attorney at a top law firm in New York. She spends most of her free time with her best friend Darcy (Kate Hudson), who is a bride-to-be … to-be married to Rachel’s longtime crush from law school, that is. Friendships are tested when a series of unexpected events lead Rachel to sleep with Darcy’s fiance (Colin Egglesfield) after celebrating her 30th birthday. Rachel sucks her good friend Ethan (John Krasinski) into the mess, and the three of them try to clean things up while Darcy finds something old, something new, Something Borrowed and something blue.
What should you do if you find out your friend is being cheated on?
After being dumped by her sugar daddy, outspoken junior high teacher (Cameron Diaz) starts making drastic attempts to woo a studly colleague (Justin Timberlake). The Bad Teacher’s approach to getting his attention takes an unexpected turn as she slowly starts to get better at her job, and the decision causes her to be up against a highly respected co-worker.
Is it healthy to be in a relationship with a colleague?
Jason Trawick and Britney Spears. Photo: KM/FAMEFLYNET
While most people are sitting around imagining the celebrity lifestyle as wild and crazy, Britney Spears is getting coffee with boyfriend Jason Trawick. According to UsMagazine.com, Spears told Ryan Seacrest that her and Trawick’s life “isn’t that crazy” on his KIIS-FM radio show this past Friday. “We’re really normal,” the 29-year-old pop sensation insisted. “We work out a lot. We love to work out. We do stuff together like that. We take walks.” The couple has been together since early 2009 and continue to enjoy each other’s company … even when Trawick is ‘kicking her butt’ in cardio.
What are some everyday things you can do with your partner?
Two married men (Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis) are given free week passes by their wives to do whatever their hearts desire with other women. The dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare when their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) start abiding by the rules of the Hall Pass as well. It doesn’t take them long to discover that this agreement was more imperfect than ingenious as they realize that their marriages are put to the ultimate test.
Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo. Photo: Bob Charlotte / PR Photos
Letting your partner go to Sin City without you is one thing, but letting him go with a bunch of supermodels seems a bit risky. Apparently Vanessa Minnillo doesn’t think so! Minnillo recently let future hubby Nick Lachey go to Las Vegas alone Thursday to host a Sports Illustrated swim party while she stayed behind for auditions. Talk about a cool fiance. Even though Vanessa wasn’t on Vanity nightclub’s list that night, she was on Lachey’s mind. “She looks as good if not better than any of the models you see behind me in a swimsuit,” he told E! Online. And as far as the wedding plans go, Lachey assures us that they’re “getting there slowly but surely…we’re inching our way along.”
Is it OK for your partner to go on a wild trip without you?
Give online dating another try. Photo: conrado / Bigstock.com
By Jenna Barbieri
Some people spend Valentine’s Day doing extravagant things with their loved ones, while others spend it alone in front of their computers. Does the latter sound like you? Well, what would you do if I told you that this year, sitting in front of the computer might actually be the start to your ideal Valentine’s Day? Would you think I was lying? Yeah, so would I. Which is why I did some research after hearing all the hype about HowAboutWe.com.
Before I say anything else, let me point out that HowAboutWe is a dating site … but it’s not actually a dating site. Most people are hesitant to attempt online dating, but the only part of the actual dating that takes place on this site is the proposal. According to their homepage, “It’s a site all about dates – inventing dates, scrolling through dates, asking people out and going on the dates you really want to go on.”
Though the rumors about Jennifer Aniston adopting have finally died down, she’s having a hard time killing the biggest rumor out there. “That I’m unhappy,” the actress tells People. The actress insists, “I’m really happy. Really!” Between the rumors of Jennifer dating, adopting a child and getting a dog, she just can’t catch a break! “I think people honestly just want to see me as a mom and married and barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen,” the actress says. “I just want to say, ‘Everybody, relax! It’s going to happen.’ ” But the star is in no rush. For now, she’s busy promoting her new fragrance and her romantic comedy Just Go with It, which hits theaters today.
Despite what you may have heard, Jennifer Aniston is not having pups of any kind! Since Aniston’s rep issuing a denial statement to People had little to no effect on the rumors, the 41-year-old actress decided to shoot them down herself during a taping for Thursday’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show. When DeGeneres asked if she was adopting another dog, Aniston jokingly replied, “I think you’re confusing that with the Mexican child I’m supposedly adopting.” When the laughter died down, she reassuringly answered, “No, I’m not adopting any children” and added, “And no doggies right now.”
What are ways to keep family and friends from pressuring you to have a child?
Nick and Vanessa Lachey. Photo: BOZFF/FameFlynet Pictures
After getting engaged, most couples practically race down the aisle like there’s a finish line at the end. That’s not the case for soon-to-be married couple Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey. Minnillo, 30, and Lachey, 36, are savoring their engagement. According to People, the two were engaged in November and have been enjoying it ever since. “We’re enjoying being engaged,” Minnillo says. “Everyone rushes to the next step and I like this step. I’m in love and we’re happy, so when it comes and it happens organically I will welcome it with open arms.”
With the Superbowl right around the corner, people all over the country are wearing their lucky jerseys and making their usual party arrangements, while others are looking up rare diseases to use as their newest excuse not to attend. To those in the second category, the thought of a room full of crazy fans screaming about things they don’t understand is a living nightmare. They see the words “touchdown,” “goal,” and “strike” as nothing more than signs to immediately excuse themselves from a conversation. If you’re one of these people who consider “sports talk” another language all together and are desperate for a translator, we found the expert. Melissa Malamut’s book, She’s Got Game: The Woman’s Guide to Loving Sports (or Just How to Fake It!), guides you through the rules, slang, history and even appropriate apparel for sports events in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. Malamut was kind enough take some time out of her vacation to talk to us about her book via email. See what the accomplished author had to say:
Kelsey Grammer and Kayte Walsh. Photo: Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Kelsey Grammer’s eldest daughter, Spencer Grammer, recently announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend James Hesketh, but will she have to pick out a dress for her dad’s wedding before her own wedding dress? Kelsey plans on marrying girlfriend Kayte Williams in February, even though his divorce from his wife Camille is not yet final. Thanks to California divorce law, if a judge agrees to “bifurate” the proceedings, he will be able to remarry while continuing to battle over the assets. According to RadarOnline, Spencer has yet to pick a date to walk down the aisle.
Why should you get married sooner rather than later?
