One of the things that works to keep relationships alive is spending quality time with each other. In this day of the information age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to carve out the necessary time to nurture our relationships. What with long work hours, helping kids with their homework, transporting them around to their extracurricular activities, getting dinner, cleaning up and going through the bedtime routine, what time is left?

Unless you orchestrate the time for your relationship, other less important things will crowd in and take what precious little time you do have. Pick a night that will be “date night” with your partner and make a game out of being as creative as you can be. Try to see how many things you can do without spending money.

To get you started, I’ve come up with some suggestions to help you for the next year. What follows are 52 ideas for how to spend creative time together without spending money. Feel free to add or modify any of the items on the list to suit your particular relationship and circumstances.

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Unfortunately there is no magic formula for surviving a dumping. However, to find someone you want to spend your life with, you have to move on and plan a realistic time scale to move forward. Dating tips are just that, as everyone is an individual, and what works for one does not work for another. However there are fairly standard steps you can devise to succeed. There is no reason that you have to spend the rest of your life going out on your own, and eating solitary TV dinners.

1. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY.

You may have been dropped, but it may not be your fault. You may have a holistic approach to your emotional life, but maybe your date did not. Even if you accept that the break up is coming, it still hurts, it is traumatic. Age is not a great help here, it is always difficult to accept rejection.

2. WALLOW AND GRIEVE FOR YOUR LOSS.

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There are untold riches in the form of female companionship waiting for you online if only you’ll change one thought regarding how you’ll find success there.

Most men have this idea that they are “winning” when they take a woman to bed. Somehow, they’ve won the prize.

Think about how this works in your own mind. What are your own thoughts about winning the lottery? One in a million? Worse?

How often have you actually won a prize in a contest or drawing? Not many, I’d assume.

And so, if you think of “getting a woman” or even “getting a date” as the prize, your mind will automatically cause you to play in the same defeatist, resigned way you look at a contest.

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Sometimes, relationships run their course. You may be at fault or not, but when its time to bring your relationship to an end, you want to do so cleanly and effectively. Here are some suggestions:

1) If you have personal items at your lover’s place, you want to begin getting them back. This is much more difficult to do after the breakup. If your lover has things around your home, put these in a box and have them ready to move. Be thorough - you don’t want to have things left around for him/her to need to come back for later.

2) Don’t involve your friends, family, co-workers, etc., in the breakup. This is only between you and your mate. Adding others to the breakup just increases the humiliation factor.

3) If you’re afraid of a scene, break up at a public venue such as a restaurant. However, don’t “lure” your soon-to-be-ex lover there under false pretenses. Explain that you want to “talk about your relationship.”

4) Don’t wait until a “good time.” Do it as soon as you make the decision. Waiting only prolongs the inevitable and makes it even more difficult. Be bold!

5) However, don’t breakup on a day with special significance. For example, don’t breakup on Christmas Day, Easter, or your ex-partner’s birthday. This is cruel, and may spoil that day for this person for many future years.

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You may not agree, but it seems to me that blind dates are high on the list of things that everyone loves to hate. I have just one question – why?

Apparently, there are a number of myths about blind dates that are ruining their reputation. If you’re interested in exploding those myths and learning how to make blind dates productive and even enjoyable, this article is for you.

Myth #1: Blind dates are silly because you can just as well meet someone spontaneously.

Fact: Let’s face it. If you’re working full time, how many opportunities do you have to suddenly meet a potential dating partner? The majority of married couples will tell you: They did not meet at a club or in college. Someone introduced them. The sooner you accept that a blind date can be the most valuable tool in searching for your soul mate, the sooner your whole outlook on blind dates will take a positive turn – and so will your ability to utilize them.

Myth #2: Your first impression on a blind date is usually correct. Go with it.

Fact: The area where first impressions count least might just be blind dates. Anyone can be nervous on a first date, or have had an awful day at work. Be honest: Do you show who you really are inside on that first, blind date? Well, neither does your date. Instead, look at it as an icebreaker. Don’t make any decisions if they’re based on mere impressions. Just relax and enjoy the evening as much as possible. Don’t let first impressions get in the way.

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