How to Plan a Green Date: Eco-Friendly Date Ideas

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Why Romance is Important in Your Dating Relationship

Every dating relationship needs romance to stay alive. Most couples have little issue with finding romantic ideas to share with their partner early on, but after the new relationship energy has worn off it may take a bit of time and creativity to get the romance flowing again.

Without romance, couples can easily fall into a rut of day-to-day living. What was once hot and steamy can become boring, routine or even sibling-like.

So how do you keep the romance alive, even when you've got a busy household with other responsibilities? You add one (or more) of these romance ideas every week to find the spark the two of you have been missing.

Offer Up a Massage

Talk Your Partner Up In Front of Others

Take Notes of What Your Loved One Likes

Send a Handwritten Love Letter

Find Romantic Things to Celebrate

Find Ways to Be Romantic Every Single Day

Emotional Clearing Exercise

By: Elaine Murray

1. Take a piece of paper and write at the top: "The reason I cannot have what I want is..."
Then write a list of thoughts that pop into your head to complete the sentence. Don't think too much, and don't take it too seriously. Examples: .............I'm too lazy.
.............I don't have enough money.
.............Mother said I couldn't.
.............I'm afraid to.
.............John wouldn't like it.

2. Do the same exercise, only this time write in a specific thing.
Example: "The reason I cannot have a good job is...."
Sit quietly with your list and see whether any of the thoughts you have written down ring true for you... whether in some way or degree, you believe them. Get a sense of what limitations you put on yourself, and your world.

3. Write a list of the most negative attitudes you can think of about yourself, people, life.
Again sit quietly and get in touch with which of these ideas may consciously or unconsciously hold emotional power over you. If at any point in these exercises you feel emotions coming up, just stay with that and allow yourself to experience it as much as possible, with total acceptance. You may get a flash of an early experience, or something your parents or teachers used to tell you which programmed your view of this world in a certain way.

4. Destory the paper.
Whenever you feel complete with this process, especially if you have gotten in touch with one or more of your negative beliefs that you hold, simply tear up the piece of paper. Better yet... burn it. This symbolizes how little power they actually need to have in your life. It is a good idea to say: "I release this negative belief" as you destroy your paper.

5. Sit quietly, relax, and do some affirmations to replace your constricted, limiting beliefs with more opening, constructive, positive ones. Examples:

* I now release my entire past. It is complete and I am now free!
* I now dissolve all negative, limiting beliefs. They have no power over me!
* I now forgive and release everyone in my life. We are all happy and free.
* I don't have to try to please others. I am naturally lovable and likeable no matter what I do.
* I now let go of all accumulated guilt, fears, resentment, disappointments, and grudge. I am free and clear.
* All of my negative self-images and attitudes are now dissolved. I love and appreciate myself.
* All barriers to my full expression and enjoyment of life are now dissolved.
* The world is a beautiful place to be.
* The universe always provides.

Release Toxic Emotions
Although we are all aware of the health-depleting effects of toxic substances and toxic foods, toxic emotions are often the most harmful accelerators of the aging process.

Whenever you carry resentment, hostility, regret, or grievances in your heart, your vitality is eroded. Try this simple practice:

- Find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and close your eyes.

- Now take a few minutes to settle your mind with a meditation.

- After a while, bring your attention into your body and scan it for any area of tension or resistance. If you identify a place of congestion, have the intention to let it go.

- Bring your attention into your heart and acknowledge all the things for which you feel grateful.

- Now listen to your heart and ask yourself the question, "What am I carrying with me from the past that is no longer serving me well in the present?"

- If you identify any encumbrances in your heart, have the intention to release them now. Let go of any resentments, grievances, or regrets that you find.

- As you release these toxic emotions, see if you can find the gift that this toxic emotion was hiding. For example, if you felt pain as a result of someone's behavior, the gift may be that you learned more self-reliance.

- Make the commitment to regularly acknowledge gratitude and relinquish all grievances from the heart.

Encumbering your heart with toxic emotions prevents you from fully experiencing the magic, mystery, and joy that is available to your right now. Make the commitment to release the resentments, regrets, and grievances that are causing more harm to you than anyone else.

The process of releasing emotional toxins is similar to that for releasing physical ones. You must first have a clear intention that you want to replace life-depleting emotions with life-enhancing ones. The metabolism of regret and resentment into compassion and forgiveness can dramatically awaken your body, mind, and spirit to your primordial vital energy.

Write about the history that created the toxic emotion, describing both what happened and how you feel as a result of the situation. Studies have shown that journaling about upsetting emotional experiences can improve your immune function, as well as help you gain clarity and insight.

In his book, Nonviolent Communication, psychologist Marshall Rosenberg teaches an emotional vocabulary that avoids victimization. Steer clear from words like abandoned, abused, neglected, and mistreated; instead, describe the actual feelings of anger, sadness, loneliness, and fear that the circumstances evoked.

Once you have written about the circumstances leading to the toxic emotions, perform some physical ritual with the intention of releasing the hold these feelings have on your soul.

Do some deep breathing, get a massage, pound a pillow, dance with abandon, or go for a long run until your body has released the tension that is stored with the emotion.

Then, open your heart to feelings that generate the age-reversing emotions of forgiveness, harmony, laughter, and love rather than the entropy evoking onces of anguish, resentment, regret, and despair.

Toxic emotions are often the most harmful accelerators of the aging process. Commit to releasing them from your hear and mind.

- Grow Younger, Live Longer by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D.

What else? What else do you think will help?

- Do something every day to keep the awakened God within from falling back asleep. Remember that your feelings of excitement are the result of the way you think, and when your thoughts harmonize with Source energy, you begin to feel your passion. Therefore, you must keep a constant watch on your mental activity. Maintain a journal to record what fires you up - the more you write, the more you invite passion to live within you.

Go on the Internet and view sites that talk about and promote ideas you feel enthusiastic about. Telephone or e-mail someone out there who shares the same vision as you. Open a private bank account that contains seed money to fund a passion. Whatever you do, remind yourself that this is your passion and you're feeding and nurturing it every day. As this becomes your habituated way of being, you'll see the universe cooperating and offering experiences that match your desires.

- Develop a sense of awe that then leads to the creation of passion by beginning to look at everything as though you're seeing it for the first time. Don't let the concept of boredom even creep into your thoughts.

I've participated in thousands of interviews of all types over the past four decades. Frequently I've been asked, "Don't you find it boring to be asked the same questions over and over?" My response, which comes from the heart, is: "I've never been interviewed by this person, at this time, on this subject, under these circumstances before." Thus, every interview is a brand-new joyful endeavor, and this keeps my passion alive. I employ the same kind of thinking when I'm about to give a lecture for the tenth time in two weeks - each presentation before a live audience is a novel experience.

Look at your entire life in this way: Make love to your spouse like it's the first time. Read to your children like it's the first time. Go for your daily run like it's the first time. Every new moment is a gift from the all-knowing Tao, so when you act as if each experience and moment is a fresh one, you'll feel the passion I'm attempting to convey.

- Take a five-minute time-out today to repeat the following affirmation: I invite the presence of God to be with me in the form of my passion. This reminds you that every moment of excitement you feel is evidence that you have Divine guidance in the moment. By holding on to it, you'll enter the Excuses Begone! zone.

As Thomas Aquinas observed: "True peace consists in not separating ourselves from the will of God." All of your moments of excitement, enthusiasm, and passion are moments of connection. They bring true peace. Excuses, on the other hand, are what you employ when you separate yourself from your passion, or the will of God. Excuses are lifelong habits that take you away from peace. You always have the choice: passion, peace, and alignment with God; or excuses, excuses, and more excuses.

- Excuses Begone by Dr. Wayne W Dyer

What is Interracial marriage
(Article from WIKIPEDIA)

Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry, often creating multiracial children. This is a form of exogamy (marrying outside of one's racial group) and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation (mixing of different racial groups in marriage, cohabitation, or sexual relations).

Intercultural marriage complications

Oftentimes, couples in intercultural marriages face barriers that most married couples of the same culture are not exposed to. Intercultural marriages are often influenced by external factors that can create dissonance and disagreement in relationships.[106] Different cultures endure vastly diverse moral, ethical and value foundations that influence their perceptions of individual, family and societal lifestyle. When these foundations are operating alongside the foundation of different cultural roots, as in intercultural marriages, problems and disagreement oftentimes occur.[106] However, interracial marriages are not always intercultural marriages, as in some countries, such as the United States, people of different races can share the same cultural background.
[edit] Family and society

The most common external factors influencing intercultural relationships and marriages are the acceptance of the family and the society in which the couple lives.[106] Sometimes, the families of the partners display rejection, resistance, hostility and lack of acceptance for their kin’s partner.[106] Specific issues regarding the family; including generational gaps in ideology, and how the wedding will be held; which ties into how tradition will or will not be practiced. Many intercultural couples report conflict arising over issues of how to carry out child raising and religious worship as well. Dealing with racism from outside sources is also a common area of potential conflict.

Thai Personals

African singles

Romanian Singles!

German Singles Live

Singles in France!

How to Date a Vegan
By eHow Contributing Writer

No meat and no dairy sounds like a recipe for no fun. You don't have to give up your undying love for hamburgers just because the new love in your life has. Dating a vegan does require a little understanding and consideration.
#
Step 1

Know what you're signing up for. Vegans don't eat any animals products and maintain very strict diets. If cheeseburgers and milkshakes are your idea of a romantic dinner, you might want to rethink your choice in a mate.
#
Step 2

Respect a vegan's lifestyle. One chooses to practice an animal-free diet based on personal beliefs. While you may not agree with or understand the vegan diet, don't question or challenge the decision not to eat meat or dairy.
#
Step 3

Recognize your mate's eating habits have no direct impact on your life, so don't focus on their veganism. Drawing attention to her decision not to eat meat and dairy will only make her uncomfortable and defensive.
#
Step 4

Continue to maintain your regular eating habits. Just because you're dating a vegan doesn't mean you have to become one. There's always room for improvement when it comes to diet and exercise, but don't adapt to a vegan lifestyle to gain your significant other's affections.
#
Step 5

Acquaint yourself with non-meat and dairy delicacies. Vegan diets aren't void of all flavor. Meat and cheese substitutes are abundantly available and taste great. Whipping up a delicious vegan feast is sure to score you some points.












Original article can be found at http://www.ehow.com/how_2123409_date-vegan.html

Where Can I Buy Vegan Condoms

By Cory Silverberg, About.com Guide

Before figuring out where to buy vegan condoms, you should make sure you understand what it means when a manufacturer or retailer tells you that they sell vegan condoms. There are efforts to create meaningful definitions and systems for vegan certification but currently there are no internationally, or even federally regulated standards or definitions of what makes a product vegan. This is true for vegan condoms.

The main issue for vegans around condom manufacturing seems to be about the use of casein. Casein is a milk protein that is used in the manufacturing of latex for condoms. Vegans on the whole don’t use milk products or by-products.

There are three latex condoms on the market that don’t use casein in the manufacturing process.

RFSU is the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, a very old sexual health organization that has a line of condoms which are vegan. The U.S. distributor for RFSU condoms announced in 2009 that they are now certified vegan by the Vegan Action Foundation in America. To find a retailer near you contact the distributor through their website.

Condomi is a large European condom manufacturer that uses cocoa powder instead of casein. Unfortunately these condoms are not currently available in the U.S. or Canada. They were for a time, but I have heard that the manufacturer is now working towards meeting U.S. requirements for sale (this is not a safety issue as I understand it).

Glyde condoms are available in the U.S. from several retailers and they are also vegan. So for now this seems to be your only option.
Another Concern for Vegans?

I also wonder about whether or not vegans need to be concerned about the lubricant in condoms. In most cases, this lubricant will contain ingredients that were, originally, tested on animals. While the condom companies will not have necessarily done this testing, I presume that some vegans would prefer to stick with non-lubricated condoms, to avoid this possibility.

Chocolate Tantric Tart
a Care2 favorite by Annie B. Bond

This luscious chocolate pie is guaranteed to add some sweet heat to a romantic meal. Of its six ingredients, four of them are thought to be aphrodisiacal: Chocolate, almonds, ginger and chile. Powers of attraction aside, this recipe for Chocolate Tantric Pie is unusual and delicious, and is as easy as pie to prepare.

This is a sweet chocolate pie with the spicy bite of ginger and cayenne pepper. It’s guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth, internally warm your belly, and give you that unmistakable tantric glow. There is very little work to creating this dessert. For a gluten-free version, omit the pie shell for a no-bake flourless torte. You can also pour the pie mixture into a baking dish, just cool before cutting into squares and serve like fudge.

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups organic half-and-half or whipping cream
3 cups semisweet organic chocolate chips
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped candied ginger
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
9-inch pie crust

1. Over medium heat, bring half-and half or whipping cream to a simmer in a 1-quart saucepan, stirring to prevent scorching on the bottom.

2. Whisk as you slowly pour the chocolate chips into the cream and continue to stir until the chocolate has melted. Stir in half the almonds and half the ginger. Stir in cayenne if using.

3. Pour mixture into a pre-baked 9-inch pie shell. Sprinkle and remaining almonds and ginger on top. Cool until firm, slice, and serve.

Serves 8

Adapted from Esalen Cookbook, by Charlie Cascio (Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2006).

Sexy Scents: Romantic Oils For Love and Romance

Try something new and different with your lover. Combine the art of
massage with the magic of aromatic massage oils. This sensual mix
stirs the senses and can send sparks flying between sweethearts. Also
try diffusing any one of these oils in the air to spark the senses

First and foremost, it's important to remember that some smells send
certain noses into ecstasy and others into furious twitches. Check in
with your partner to find out which scents allure, and which sends
their nostrils flaring.

Some sexy essential oil are:

Jasmine: is a bold, sweet scent. Jasmine is the greatest aphrodisiac
of all. These night blooming flowers are picked at their hieght to
bring out one of the most sexy scents. Associated throughout history
with the compassionate Goddess of the Moon, Jasmine, grown along the
Nile in ancient Egypt, is represented Isis, the Egyptian Mother
Goddess who held the secrets of fertility, magic and healing.

Patchouli: is a sweet, earthy scent. Its smell is intense and spicy.
From an energetic point of view, Patchouli, like Jasmine, is warm and
yet anti-inflammatory in action. It combines a calmative property
with a gentle stimulating effect that uplifts the spirit! Patchouli
is a sweet and grounding harmonizing fragrance!

Neroli: is distilled from bitter orange trees. It has a refreshing,
spicy aroma and is known for its sensual, exotic effect. Neroil oil
is emotionally unifying and soothes with harmonizing effects.
Described as both sensual and spiritual, Neroli helps to restablish
the link between a disconnected mind and body. Neroli paves the way
for a gradual release and allows us to recall hope and joy!

Ylang Ylang: is a rich fragrant oil that means "flowers of flowers".
A scent to perfume the body or use for an euphoric massage. Ylang
Ylang is relaxing, sexualizing and euphoric. The ecstatic sense of
merging is inherent in Ylang Ylang. Like Jasmine, this oil helps to
reunite our emotional and sensual natures, aspects of our being that
need to contain each other and unite.

Rose: The Mother of All Flowers, the Rose has amazing powers of love,
trust and self acceptance. Roses are representative of faith, hope
and love and has the qualities to restore the very center of one's
being. A gentle tonic of the heart, the compassion of the Rose is
seen through it's ability to heal emotional wounds. When loss,
rejection or sorrow has injured our capacity for nurturing and self
love, Rose oil brings a sweet and gentle comfort, binding the "heart
strings" from the Heart to the Mind. Rose oil's psychological
properties lie mainly in its effect on the mind, the center of our
emotional being. Rose oil calms and supports the heart and helps to
nourish the soul!

Choosing a scent is half the fun. Use these oils to perk up any room
with natural fragrance. Use them in the bath water for a sexy and
romantic experience. Diffuse them in the air in the bedroom. Massage
one or two oils into your pulse points at the wrists, neck and tops
of the feet. Burn these oils in the form of incense. There are lots
of creative ways to work with essential oils!

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac
http://www.peacefulmind.com/oils.htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit

One of the big mysteries in life is the experience of loving somebody. For centuries, human beings have tried to define and comprehend the deepness and the simplicities that are involved in being in love.

The actual definition of love can make us confused sometimes, because we may have the propensity to mistake passion with love. Sometimes is difficult to separate the "sexual impulse" from the realm of "feelings'. Passion excites the personality, while love elevates the spirit. Love is the only force that can win over the strength of passion because love can garnish a soul with the everlasting sensation of plenitude.

Love can put together all the pieces in the puzzle, and solve the enigmas of one's mind and being. Nevertheless, it is the only force in the universe which is capable to place a human being in a spot where he can be in peace with himself.

Only when one has acquired the understanding that there is inside of you a matrix of harmony and the connection between you and all the living beings, can one can perceive that it is possible to be returned to the original state of being, where a Soul is a Divine spiritual entity connected in a Universe that truthfully just vibrates love.

One cannot truly feel the true love for another if you do not love yourself first.

When you are feeling completely ready and feel integrally connected with someone else, there is a third party, or energy, that includes itself on the relationship: the Universe.

When this happens, the couple is able to find the sense of Purpose and its manifestations will inevitable guide them both to the journey back to the Original Integration.

What costume to wear on a date depends on the type of relationship you've established. If it's relatively early in the dating process, you will most likely each plan your own costume; if you're pretty closely linked by now, you may want to come up with a couples' costumethat you can wear together. Unless you agree on it beforehand, it may not be best to wear one of the extremely sexy costumes available—doing so could bring up some jealousy issues you'd probably rather avoid!

We searched Halloween Costume Shopping, the ultimate Halloween costume guide, to find the top 10 costumes to wear on a date of any sort. Ranging from funny to fabulous, these costumes are guaranteed to get you some attention—hopefully from your date!

Officer Frisk Me

If you're feeling frisky, wear this costume on a Halloween date—just make sure your date is the one doing the frisking! This costume isn't too tight or skimpy, so it won't seem inappropriate for someone in a relationship, and it comes with a badge, policeman's hat, baton, and even handcuffs that you could find some creative uses for!

Sexy Police Officer

The female counterpart to the male police officer costume is a little bit skimpier, but not too inappropriate. This could make a cute couples' costume—enforce the law together!

Priest Costume

If your date doubts your fidelity, put on this priest costume to prove your faith! It's a funny way to show that you're—if not quite celibate—at least faithful to your one true love.

Invisible Man Costume

If your girlfriend wishes you would just be a little bit less loud, the invisible man is a great costume for Halloween! Stay silent and invisible in this silly costume including oversized trenchcoat, hat, and glasses. Once you prove you're willing to listen and hang out in the background once in a while, you'll be a hero in her eyes!

Perfect Husband Costume

For serious but silly relationships only! Don't offend someone by wearing this on the second date, but if you're already married or serious enough to have talked about it, this perfect husband—aka a puppet—will make for a funny joke on Halloween.

Miss Millie Flapper Costume

A flapper costume is a fun way to be flirty and sexy without taking it over the top, and while also paying tribute to a fabulous era in our nation's history. Learn a few dance steps to make your costume more authentic, and make sure the fellow you dance with most is your date!

Sorceress Costume

Slightly sexy but not too trashy, this sorceress costume is a fun way to keep the magic in your relationship. A silky blue dress with big sleeves and collar give you a fantastical appearance. Cook up some love spells to win—and keep—your date's heart!

Couples' Costumes are a great way to go all out with a theme for Halloween. Dress up as the same or similar thing so everyone knows you're together!

Silverware Set

A fork and spoon set is a hilarious costume for a cute (and cutlery-obsessed) couple. Just make sure the dish doesn't run away with the spoon!

Washer Costume and Dryer Costume Set

Good clean fun will be had by all when you wear this washer and dryer costume set! A cute way to keep it clean on Halloween, these costumes will have everyone laughing all the way through the spin cycle.

Hot Dog and Burger Babe

Would you like fries with that? You can take orders all night long, but make it clear that the hot dog is all that's on the menu for you tonight.

There you have it—some saucy and sexy couples' costumes ideas! Visit the Halloween Blog for more great costume tips and articles. To buy a Halloween costume visit Halloween-Costume-Shopping.com.

Using the Language of Flowers to express Love


The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most commonly communicated through Tussie-Mussies, an art which has a following today.
The nuances of the language are now mostly forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love and pink roses a lesser affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion. Also commonly known meanings are sunflowers, which can indicate either haughtiness or respect - they were the favorite flower of St. Julie Billiart for this reason. Gerbera (daisy) means innocence or purity. The iris, being named for the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, still represents the sending of a message. A pansy signifies thought, a daffodil regard, and a strand of ivy; fidelity.
In the early 18th century the Turkish "Secret Language of Flowers" was introduced to Europe by Lady Mary Wortley Montague, wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople. Flowers had long been a sign of romance but now lovers were able to send secret messages to each other by means of sending a posy of flowers. Each flower had a specific meaning and the order of arrangement had much to do with the intended "message". The French seem to have taken this idea to heart. In 1819 a French woman writing under the pen name of Madame Charlotte de la Tour (Louise Cortambert), wrote and published "Le Language des Fleurs" which offered seasonal floral and anecdotal advice to those wishing to send "secret" messages to each other.

The following list of flowers comes mainly from that original book but has been augmented to include some common flowers of today as some of those from yesteryear are unknown. Enjoy this glimpse into the past and keep this in mind the next time you send or receive flowers!