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Laura: “What do you want to do?”

Kris: “I don’t know, what do you want to do?”

Laura: “Do you want get something to eat?”

Kris: “Sure, where do you want to go?”

Laura: “I don’t know, where do you want to go?”

Kris: “Doesn’t matter to me…”

Laura’s Take: I know you’ve heard this conversation before. This is me and Kris nearly everytime we go out! We’ll sometimes even take up to an hour just to figure out what we’ll do for the rest of the day. Kris and I are both pretty organized and well-prepared people. When we couldn’t even decide on what to do for an afternoon, we decided that we needed to make a change.

So here’s what we did. We began writing a list of all the activities that we can do in our town, and I mean every activity, even the ones we probably wouldn’t do. Then we made another list of all the restaurants in the area and grouped them into categories according to price and cuisine. So now when we ask each other about what to do or where to eat, we can easily browse through all of our possible choices.

Kris and I have actually even take this one step further. We’ve completely planned out specific days from start til end. Not everyone can handle this kind of planning, but for Kris and I, it’s just what we needed. With our busy schedules, it’s hard to think of ideas off the top of your head. Planning things ahead of time takes a lot of stress off us and leaves us to just enjoy our time together.

Kris’ Take: I can’t count the number of times that we’ve had that conversation, but we’ve got everything pretty well planned out now so that we don’t need to even worry about what to do. Just look at the schedule and enjoy your day! It’s tough when you’re making the schedule because it can be somewhat tedious, but once it’s done it really makes the rest of your days so much easier. I even know what we’re doing tonight! It’s nice to know what to wear and what I’ll need to do. I highly suggest trying out this idea, especially if you have conversations like the one above!

Date Idea: Mini Golf!

Laura’s Take: Seriously, How awesome is Mini golf?! It’s fun and makes me feel like a kid again! That has to be my favorite thing about miniature golf. Kris and I love going to play some mini golf because we don’t have to be serious at all, it’s just good, clean, childish fun! And childish can be a good thing. For instance, it’s your first date and you’re both having trouble opening up and being yourself. Mini golf lets you both lighten up and get to having some fun!

It’s fun, easy, and pretty cheap… I’ve never seen a mini golf course that charges more than $15.00 per person. A few things to remember about this date: make sure it is a nice course, not one that just looks like a few holes and a random clown, make sure that it’s one of those adventure themed courses. Congo River Golf is our personal favorite. It really makes the whole experience! Also, don’t forget to make plans for a nice lunch or dinner afterwards. I’m positive that this date will be a hole in one! Sorry for the cheesy phrase, I just had to!

Kris’ Take: I really enjoy playing mini golf. It’s like being at a random small piece of paradise. You have pirate ships, waterfalls, good tropical music. Of course, that all depends on which course you go to. No use in wasting your money, pay the bit extra and go to a nice one. This is a fun day out and it’s not too short or too long. You can still fit other things into your day also, like dinner. I think this makes not only a wonderful first date, but a wonderful date for just about anytime.

Hot Tamales rates this idea:

4 out of 5 Hearts

Sharing Each Other’s Hobbies

Laura’s Take: Hobbies. Some of them are fun, and others, well, not so much… but the fact is that nearly everyone has one. When you’re in a serious relationship, it’s important to make an effort to share in your honey’s hobbies, whether it’s painting, collecting something, or taking pictures. Who knows, you might find out that you love collecting coins. That hasn’t really happened for me quite yet, but when Kris buys a new coin, I try to act interested. I’m just kidding of course. He loves sharing his hobby with me, and honestly, I love when he does. It’s nice being able to share our hobbies with each other. I don’t ever want to say, “Oh, that’s his thing.”

I don’t always like doing what Kris likes to do, but I still make an effort to seem interested. Why? Because when the time comes around for me to pick out that cute outfit for the his company’s Christmas party, I expect him to be anxiously waiting outside the dressing room. By the way, Kris doesn’t have a problem going shopping with me, but I know many men who can’t stand shopping with their women, so I thought it would be a suitable example.

Keep in mind that sharing in someone else’s hobby isn’t necessarily a game of give and take. Sometimes you learn to enjoy the hobby just as much as they do! I sometimes catch myself sifting through the change I get while shopping to see if there are any old coins that I think Kris might like.

When we think something is fun, cool, or interesting, we want to tell someone right? What if you absolutely loved playing piano… (as I do) and wanted to play a song for your sweety, but he or she didn’t care… Wouldn’t you be a little hurt? Now I’m not saying that they need to take up piano lessons, but just a mere “That was lovely Sweety,” could prove that they care about you and respect what’s important to you.

Kris’ Take:  Yes, this is very important.  It can be alienating when you feel like the person you love has absolutely no interest in your hobbies, and that’s why people should make an effort to share in it.  I collect coins, as you’ve probably gathered, and many people find that to be terribly boring.  I enjoy it because of all of the history behind them, and Laura understands that.  After all, it is pretty neat holding a coin that’s 125 years old, or even 2,000 years old!  It means a lot to me when I get a new coin and I can hurry up and show Laura my latest find; it’s like finding buried treasure.  It would make me sad if I rushed home to show Laura and all she said was “OK.  That’s boring.”

The same thing goes with shopping.  Now, I don’t hate shopping, but there are other things that I prefer doing sometimes.  This doesn’t change the fact that if Laura wants to hit up the mall, I go.  I don’t drag my feet either!  Many men will go just to appease, but they make it painfully obvious that they don’t want to be there.  This isn’t supportive, in fact it might be more damaging than not going at all.  Why should I take Laura somewhere that she really wants to be, then make it miserable for her?  It doesn’t make sense, and I would even call it an oxymoron.

It’s all about give and take.  Laura spends the time to listen to me about my hobbies, and I spend the time assisting her in her hobbies.  It can’t be one sided, or someone is losing out.  Relationships are about building each other up and growing together.  Segregating your hobbies from one another just makes time for the two of you to grow apart, and that seems contrary to the idea behind a relationship.

10 Ways to Catch a Cheater

Laura’s Take: Sometimes you just have that intuition that something’s going on and you need to find out what! Snooping is almost a necessary action in this case, but it can be quite difficult to snoop till your heart’s content while still being discrete. It’s important to make sure that your snooping isn’t visible. Why? Two reasons… 1. Because when he or she knows that you’re a doubting Thomas, if there’s something they’re trying to hide, they’ll have the time to. And 2. If they’re not cheating and find out you don’t trust them, there could be some serious relationship troubles to follow. Here are a few ideas that will hopefully give you the piece of mind you’re looking for.

1. Check their cell phone. Sometimes a very difficult task, especially when it seems like they can’t be apart from that thing for a minute! But when they finally put it down, browse through it… all of it… Numbers, Recent Calls, Messages, Texts, Events, and Pictures.
2. Go through their computer. Usually e-mail programs are only accessible on the user’s computer, so when you’ve got the chance, turn their computer on and start reading! Also, check their browsing history to see what they’ve been up to.
3. Log onto their myspace. Or whatever social network they might be on. If you don’t think they have one, think again. With over 300 million accounts on myspace alone, odds of them hiding one is pretty high.
4. Sneak through their dirty laundry. It’s called dirty laundry for a reason. Look through your spouse’s clothing, looking for stains, like the infamous kiss on the collar image shown above. Also check for unusual smells that may be unfamiliar to you, like a different kind of perfume or cologne.
5. Monitor their schedules. Try monitoring how long it takes him or her to get to work and home. If the times aren’t adding up, ask them why. If they hesitate or answer with “Bad Traffic,” check the local traffic report because there could be something funny going on.
6. Follow them around. Still not happy? Follow them! It’s definitely at the top of the snooping list, but should certainly give you some of the answers you desire.
7. Call them while you’re watching. Even though you know what their doing, call and ask them what they’re doing. If they’re lying to you, you’ll know right off the bat!
8. Go through their car. A person’s car tells a lot about them and their daily habits. You may come across a lipstick that’s not yours, empty food or drink containers (for more than one person), or even love letters that you didn’t write.
9. Watch and Listen carefully. This way, their incriminating themselves. Pay attention to changes in appearance, like clothing styles or grooming habits, as well as characteristic changes, new thoughts/ideas/techniques, and different interests, because they all could be a sign on a cheater.
10. Check financial statements. Bills, bank statements, and credit card statements can all have some pretty interesting info in them. Look at what purchases they’ve made recently. Do they involve mysterious dinners you didn’t eat, fancy lingerie you never saw, or hotel rooms you didn’t stay in? I know someone personally who discovered a cheater by these means.

Everyone Likes Reassurance

Laura’s Take: It’s not that I have low self-esteem, but I love the frequent “I Love Yous” that Kris sends my way. Kris and I never let the other just assume the fact. Some people may disagree with this, saying that the frequent “I Love You” will eventually turn meaningless. Not the case. Reassuring someone about how you feel also helps them feel more secure in your relationship together, creating a more solid foundation that can withstand doubt. Meaningless?! “I Love You” is the most meaningful phrase you can say to someone, and when you love someone, why wouldn’t you want to tell them all the time?

Kris’ Take:  Yeah, I’ve heard those people too.  So while they’re being frugal with their “I Love Yous” I’ll make sure that Laura never rests her head on her pillow at night and wonders if I love her.  I’ve heard so many tragic stories where a person is quoted as saying “I never got to say I love you” or “I hope they knew that I loved them.”  Why leave it to chance?

Date Idea: Flying Low

Kris’ Take: So the other day we decided to take a shot at flying a kite, it seemed windy enough. This wasn’t a regular kite, it is made out of this wire and fabric but the wire is foldable and flimsy; you can bend it with all of your strength and it just snaps back to shape. So when you take the kite out of it’s bag it just unfolds itself like one of those really cool camping tents.

So as we attempted to fly this kite we realized how hard this really was. I determined there was no problem with Laura and I, the problem lay with the kite and the wind. In Florida we have really gusty wind, not a constant wind. So the kite would start to get high up, then a gust of wind would come and bend the kite (because of the bendy frame) and it would fall down. It was tough, Laura and I tried everything, throwing it up in the air, running with it, asking it, yelling at it, and nothing worked.

It might seem like I didn’t enjoy the kite flying, but in all honestly, we still managed to have a good time. This is probably because we love spending time together, it doesn’t really matter what we’re doing. It would’ve been neat getting the kite to fly, but the weather is a bit out of our control. If you’re planning on trying to fly a kite, try to remember to check your local weather first.

Laura’s Take: I actually thought this one was kind of fun, well more like funny. It’s ok to look stupid when you’re trying to fly a kite, and boy did we succeed at that! lol. But honestly though, I would do it again. I felt like a little kid again!

Hot Tamales rates this idea:

2.5 out of 5 Hearts

Date Tip: Be Yourself

Laura’s Take: After much review, Kris and I have decided that the most important thing for someone to remember on a date is to be yourself! People tend to over prepare themselves for a date and then forget that they need to be themselves! It is smart to prepare, that’s something we always want people to do before a date. But if you’re focusing too much on little details and forget about being yourself, you can forget about ever getting a second date. We hear so often how people change after you get married and move in together. Not to scare you off, but being upfront with someone from the beginning will give them a little insight into what they could expect if all goes well.

Guys, We want to get to know the real you, not who you think we want you to be! Tell us what’s important to you, what you care about, what do you like to do, and things you like and don’t like. On a first date, yes, the little details are still important to keep in the back of your mind, but it’s more important to give a clear representation of who you really are. This’ll give your date the information she needs to know to decide if you’d be right for her.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Laura’s Take: Hi There! We just wanted to say Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! This is such a fun holiday that you get to spend with your sweety. It’s nice have a day to completely devote to them, to show them how much you truly care and love them.

So what are Kris and I going to be doing on Valentine’s Day? Well I plan on making a romantic dinner for just the two of us. It should be really sweet. We talked about it earlier this week and decided that a nice candlelight dinner at home just sounded much more pleasant than going to a busy restaurant that doesn’t honor reservations, you know that Valentine’s Day traffic.

Anyways, have a very Happy Valentine’s day and we hope you all have an wonderful, loving, and safe Valentine’s day!

Top ways to show you love and care

Kris’ Take: This list is going to cover the top ways that I feel someone can demonstrate that they love and care for someone. This list will include simple and obvious things in theory, but sometimes these are the hardest things to remember to do.

1. Listen – This is one of those obvious but sometimes difficult things to do. Sometimes you just get lost in thought, but when the person you love is pouring their heart out it means a lot when you’re able to give them meaningful responses. It upsets me when I will be in conversation with Laura, and something happens around me that causes my attention to be diverted. It makes Laura feel less special. I like Laura to feel like she is the most special person in the world to me, and I can’t do that if I’m not listening properly.
2. Support – There’s a lot of crazy ideas out there, but if the one you love feels a need to do something (as long as it is morally correct) then you should give them your backing. It’s a terrible feeling when you have an idea that you believe in, but the person that you love makes you feel like you’re ridiculous or completely insane for thinking it. If it doesn’t pose some kind of disaster to the relationship or security of the family than give them the support they need to accomplish it. If there is a huge risk then it needs to be throughly discussed and weighed out. But whatever the idea, no matter how big or small, try to offer support because there are too many critics already.
3. Be Equal – Men want to be treated like men, true, we like to have the masculine roles in the relationship, but that doesn’t mean that anyone needs to be treated in an inferior manner. Just because the guy takes out the garbage and fixes the car doesn’t mean that there needs to be an inferior status it just means that he’s good at what he does and she’s good at what she does. A brain surgeon might be great at doing surgery but I don’t want him working on my car. A relationship includes having a mutual respect for the work that the other does.
4. Share – One thing that my parents did which I still don’t understand was they kept all money seperate, I guess this was an advantage once they got divorced. It’s okay to keep track of your finances but keeping them seperate creates a division in the relationship. By saying, “This is mine and that is yours” is kind of going against the idea of a marriage making two become one. And the only reason I can see people doing this is in preparation for divorce if that occurs. If you’re preparing for divorce, don’t get married. Some people might do it for accounting purposes, but it escapes me why the accounting can’t occur as a whole, it would make it easier that way anyways. It’s easier to look at one income and one outgoing rather than tracking two.
5. Team Work – Tackle tough tasks as a couple. While you’re at it, tackle the easy tasks as a team also. Laura and I wash the dishes together and she always thanks me and lets me know how much easier it makes it for her. And Laura will always help me with some of my extra work because she knows the work load that I’m currently handling is pretty big too. If we did this in everything then it might dramatically cut down on the stress one feels in a relationship. Support each other in the tasks that you might not be able to do together and use team work in the ones that you can help each other in. By doing the bare minimum in a relationship you’re ensuring that the one you supposedly love has to pick up the slack. By doing that little bit extra you can turn a mundane task into a nice conversation while taking ome of the work load. I like doing the dishes with Laura because we seem to always have nice conversations while we do it.

Date Idea: Strawberry Parfait

Laura’s Take: Kris and I absolutely love parfaits! They’re delicious and refreshing! Mmmm! So anyways, I found this recipe on Yahoo! Recipes and thought it sounded quick, easy, and delicious so I figured I’d share it with you all. We haven’t tried this recipe out yet, however it’s definitely on the list. Kris and I love cooking together! We’ve made some pretty awesome coconut shrimp, of course with the help of my cooking connoisseur mother.

It’s always fun spending some quality time together in the kitchen, cookin’ up something yummy. Whether it’s making a romantic dinner for two or just making a ice cream sundae, it’s just nicer doing these things together. Even clean up is a breeze when you’re both helping out. I’m not saying that you should force your date to do dishes, but if you’re married or in a long-term relationship, cleaning up together can actually be just as enjoyable as the cooking itself. Now keep in mind that this alone would not be enough to fill up a whole evening, so make sure that you plan your date accordingly.

Kris’ Take: Can we do this tonight? Please? That looks and sounds so good! This would be perfect for a movie night.

         Ingredients:

1. 2 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2. 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
3. 1/4 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
4. 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, divided

        Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and jam until well blended. Gently                                  stir in whipped topping.
2. Spoon 1/4 cup strawberries into each of 2 parfait or                             dessert glasses.
3. Top with cream cheese mixture.

Hot Tamales rates this idea:

3 out of 5 Hearts

Special thanks to Kraftfoods.com and Yahoo! Recipes for providing this one!