Although human courtship is a year-round enterprise, there’s still something special about summer. Maybe it’s the childhood memory of those long days of freedom, or maybe it’s a biological throwback to a time when spring babies had the best chance of survival. But whatever it is, the air is warm, the days are long, and love is in the air.

Summer is a wonderful time for romance–whether you’re embarking on a new journey or breathing some extra life into a long-term partnership. To take full advantage of that summertime magic–my apologies to those in the southern hemisphere who will have to file these ideas away for a few more months–here are five unforgettable dates to experience with someone special.

1. Fireworks! Many nations and cultures celebrate various holidays with fireworks throughout the summer season. Never miss a chance to take a date to a fireworks show. Last year I spent the Fourth of July on a lake in a kayak with my own special someone, watching as the fireworks exploded almost overhead. Talk about unforgettable! I can’t even begin to describe the sheer awe of the experience.

2. Picnics. People don’t seem to picnic much anymore, but I don’t for the life of me know why that is. Perhaps in our world of convenience–from fast food to mall shopping–picnics just seem like too much work. Or maybe they’ve simply fallen out of fashion so they don’t often come to mind. But a picnic is much simpler than it may seem, and it’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Pack a blanket and some simple foods, slow down, and spend a summer day back in a time when we weren’t ruled by cell phones and time management systems–when people still took the time to dream. The menu is completely up to you: sandwiches are always easy, fruit and cheese can add a romantic touch, antipasto and pasta salads are classic favorites.

Remember, a picnic doesn’t have to be fancy to be worthwhile, and a rooftop can be as romantic as a day at the park with the right person. The key is to pick somewhere relatively quiet where you can really talk with one another, preferably with an interesting view. But you can always work with whatever’s available. The human heart has a tremendous capacity to see beauty just about anywhere, if you’re willing to look through loving eyes.

Just as an example, I once had a New Year’s date for which our plans fell apart completely at the last minute. Instead of giving up hope for a special evening, I bought fruit, cheese, deli meats, cookies, and a bottle of champagne from a grocery store and put together an impromptu picnic that we ate on a bedspread in our hotel room. To this day, it remains one of my most cherished New Year’s Eve celebrations.

3. Art Exhibits. Even if you’re not big on “culture,” don’t write this one off just yet. Many fine art museums feature tremendous photography exhibits that appeal to a wide audience. You don’t have to know anything about art or art history to be fascinated by photographs. Check the “Arts & Entertainment” section of your local newspaper or visit the websites of your local museums to find out what’s currently on display.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of an art exhibit as a date is that it gives you a guaranteed topic of conversation. Even if you’ve been in a relationship with someone for years and communicating is easy and natural for you, an art exhibit is always something new to talk about.

And guys, especially if you’re with someone new, this is a perfect way to share an emotionally bonding experience–which we women simply swoon over–without needing to talk about anything too personally sensitive. It will start to build that bridge of emotional trust in an interesting and emotionally safe environment. Best of all, she’ll feel that you’re really treating her to something special, which is a major key to any woman’s heart.

4. Fairs and Festivals. Summertime is the season for fairs and festivals of all kinds. Whether you live in the city or out in the country, I can almost guarantee you that there are art festivals, craft fairs, or state fairs within easy reach.

These are slightly less “romantic” than either picnics or art museums, so they can represent a nice choice for those early days of courtship when you want to do something special without coming on too strong. They also represent a wonderfully lighthearted change of pace for a long-term relationship that sees its share of daily routine. Like art museums, they provide plenty of fodder for conversation, and like a good picnic, they’ll get you out together into that magical summer sunshine.

5. Meteor Showers. Meteor showers make marvelously romantic excuses for sharing a blanket together on a late summer night. Another of my own most memorable evenings was spent in the middle of a country field, snuggling up to my favorite cowboy in the bed of a pickup truck, watching as one “star” after another streaked across the night sky.

Of course, you don’t need a full-blown meteor shower just to sit outside together and watch for falling stars. It’s a romantic thing to do on any summer night. But there is something downright mystical about watching one “shooting star” after another, especially when you can catch the natural drama of a fire trail or two. If you’ve never seen a true meteor shower, it’s a phenomenon you really shouldn’t miss. What could be better than a night full of wishes to make a dream or two come true!

Posted by EM Sky, on blog.mindunbound.com/business” target=”_blank business, blog.mindunbound.com/life” target=”_blank life, and blog.mindunbound.com/society” target=”_blank society for the whole human being.

A couple’s wedding is one of the most memorable days of their life, an experience that should be held dear forever. Planning a wedding, even a small wedding, can be difficult, considering the vast number of details to be handled. Before handing over the reigns to someone else to plan the most important day of your life, here are a few things you must consider.

Although one option of planning a wedding is to muddle through the process alone, or even ask friends and family to assist with some of the details, another possibility is to hire a professional wedding planner. Interestingly, while many brides and grooms love the idea of having professional help, it is also common to feel hesitant in turning the responsibility over to another person, usually a complete stranger!

For this reason, it is imperative that you do your homework when hiring a wedding planner, choosing someone with experience but also someone who is willing to listen to your specific wants and needs. By doing this, you can enjoy the fairytale wedding of a lifetime without nearly as much stress.

One of the main complaints heard by brides and grooms is the level of sheer exhaustion by the time the ceremony has ended. After all, the perfect wedding does not just happen by itself but is the result of time, hard work, and finances. Now, if you could have a gorgeous wedding but feel relaxed and energetic at the conclusion of the ceremony, going on to enjoy the honeymoon, would you be interested in knowing how? The right wedding planner can provide services so you have that peace of mind.

The perfect wedding planner would be someone who has coordinated hundreds of weddings. Okay, so you might find someone quite capable who has planned just a few weddings, but in general, the more experience the better. Obviously, this wedding planner would have already gone through many of the challenges and pitfalls associated with weddings, thus having learned quick solutions.

The wedding planner you hire should be able to take your dream wedding and make it a reality through good planning, streamlining, and modification. This professional would have preferred caterers, florists, cake decorators, limo services, DJ’s, live bands, tailors, and other professionals who also have the required experience. If you were going to plan each aspect of your wedding, you would have to go through tremendous research and tons of interviews to select someone for each aspect of the wedding. Using a wedding planner eliminates most of this because they already have established relationships with those contacts!

We recommend you begin your search with references from friends, family members, co-workers, or neighbors recently married who used a wedding planner. If you do not know of anyone, then you can start by calling professionals in your area found in the local yellow pages or online. Choose a minimum of six wedding planners, scheduling time with each for an in-person interview.

The wedding planner should come prepared with a portfolio of the services provided, photographs of other weddings planned, and a list of references. Information discussed during the interview process would include the type of wedding, budget, preferred location, menu items, number of guests, taste in music, photography needs, and so on. As the interview progresses, the wedding planner should listen and take notes, after which questions are asked. Once each professional has been interviewed, you can then choose the one that meets specific standards, but also the person with whom you feel comfortable.

In summary, remember, hiring a wedding planner is not a foolproof solution to an error free wedding, but if the right person is hired, you certainly eliminate significant stress from your wedding preparations. To some couples, hiring a wedding planner may seem like an extravagant expense, but once you realize the magnitude of services being provided, you will see the cost as an investment that quickly pays for itself. Most importantly, get everything agreed upon in a signed contract. Chances are, the experience will flow smoothly, but remember, this is a business transaction and therefore, it should be treated as such.

L Hayes is a wedding professional and owner of WeddingFavorsEmporium.com Wedding Favors Emporium. They carry an extensive line of unique weddingfavorsemporium.com wedding favors as well as bridesmaids, groomsmen, and bridal shower gifts. For more information about wedding planning and wedding reception ideas, visit their website at: WeddingFavorsEmporium.com Wedding Favors Emporium.com

Many women feel like their man just doesn’t like to communicate to them. This is because they believe that in order for him to be communicating to them; he has to communicate the way they think he should be communicating.

A woman may not even realize that her man is, and has been, communicating to her, but she hasn’t been hearing him.

When men communicate, they do it the way they are primarily made up, and that is logically.

When women communicate, they do it the way they are primarily made up, and that is emotionally.

And as I have said before, one is not better than the other, they are just different.

Since he is logical, he is going to be solution oriented. So, what he is trying to communicate to you must pass through his mind. In other words, he must think it through first. And this process usually takes some time.

But if you don’t understand this about men, a man’s way of communicating may become frustrating to you. Plus, you could end up pushing him to communicate like you do.

For example, since you are a talker you want him to be a talker, too. So, since he is not communicating to you like you think he should; by talking, you write him off as being insensitive or uncaring. And you figure that, if he is so insensitive and uncaring to your needs, you are better off either by yourself or with someone else.

And, because you did not invest the energy and time to get the right knowledge, you simply jump out of one relationship and into another, only to find yourself in the same predicament again.

But before you jump ship try applying these 5 keys to getting your man talking… to you:

1. Don’t ask you’re man what he is feeling, ask him what he is thinking

When trying to get your man (or any man for that matter) to communicate to you, don’t ask him ‘what he is feeling’. Instead ask him what he is thinking. Feeling is an emotion that does not compute with him. (Note: I did not say he doesn’t have feelings.)

It’s just when communicating a man must process what you are saying through his mind (his logical side), and you are trying to get him to talk through his feelings or his emotional side. When this happens, a man will most likely clam up, short circuit, and decide to not say anything.

Or, he will do like most men do, either he will get angry and walk away or get angry and attack.

But it is imperative that you do not come to any conclusion about what he is feeling until you find out what he is thinking.

2. Give him the space and time he needs to think his thoughts through.

A man needs time to get his thoughts together. This could take a little while or a long while. How long this may take really depends on your man. But a good way for you to give him the space and time he needs to get his thoughts together is to ask him when he thinks it will be a good time for you two to get together and talk.

Notice I said, when ‘he thinks’. If your man feels like you are trying to control or push the idea on him, it will cause him to back away from the idea.

3. Set a time and date

Set a time and date for the ‘talk’. Setting a time and date is important to a man because it appeals to his logical side. But don’t set a time and date too far into the future because anything after a few days, most men will simply forget or put it out of their minds.

4. Set boundaries Before the ‘talk’ even begins set boundaries which you both agree can’t be crossed. For example, start off by agreeing that there will be no yelling, no name calling, and no finger pointing. And, there will be no use of words like ‘never’ and ‘always’. In other words, you wouldn’t want to say things like, “You never listen to me”, “You always wait for me to pick up after you” or “You always do that”.

5. Write down your questions and concerns

If your man continues to put off the ‘talk’ then write down your questions and concerns and ask him to read over them at a time that is convenient to him. This is good because even though he knows the ‘talk’ is important to you he also feels comfort in knowing that you are not pushing it on him. Which makes him feel like he is still in control. And also gives him time to process (think about) your concerns as he goes through his day.

Plus, as an added bonus, by you writing out your concerns and organizing your thoughts, you are learning different and better ways of communicating.

Remember, that is what this is all about, you being in control of you. You can’t control other people but you can control you. And the more you learn what it takes to be a better you, the wiser you become. And as your wisdom increases so does your value – to the point where you become priceless.

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As the first rule of thumb, a bride should present her bridesmaids with a gift that reflects the bridesmaids individual character. Finding the perfect bridesmaids gift does not have to be difficult. When you consider the fact that your bridesmaids are the closest girlfriends that you have, deciding on what to give them can be a piece of cake! It is best to give your bridesmaids a gift that is practical, inexpensive, and unique.

A fashionable choice among brides is to give each bridesmaid a set of jewelry. A coordinated pair of earrings and a matching necklace to wear on the wedding day is a special way to show any bridesmaid how much they are appreciated. If you are a bride that likes uniformity, that’s okay, but keep in mind that the more unique the gift is to each bridesmaid, the more special it will be to her. If you decide to make every bridesmaids gift the same, consider individually wrapping each gift in its own unique gift paper, box or bag. If you don’t mind varying each gift a little, a popular new trend is to give each bridesmaid her own personalized tote bag. The bag can be personalized with her favorite color and/or embroidered with her name. The great thing about giving a tote bag as a bridesmaid gift is that it can particularly be used the day of the wedding to house all of the items she will need to get through your wedding day. You can go a step further and fill each bag with a snack, toiletries, a pair of slippers, or anything else that your bridesmaids may need the day of your wedding.

No matter how small the wedding, planning it is no easy task. If you have ever been engaged in planning a wedding, you know that it holds the longest “to do” list that you will encounter ever again. Regardless of how many people are involved in the planning phase of the wedding and no matter how short the bride’s “to do” list, she will always encounter some form of stress. Fortunately, as the bride you have the privilege to delegate some of your responsibilities to your bridesmaids. Bridesmaids are the backbone of the planning phase of a wedding through the eyes of the bride. Whenever you need help completing a task you can depend on your bridesmaids to get the job done. This is why finding unique bridesmaids gifts are so important.

A wedding is a special time for any bride as well as for the special people who will share the wedding day with you. Finding the perfect bridesmaids gift should be the least of your worries. Just remember to keep it practical, inexpensive, and unique.

Maria Romain is a writer for Silverland Jewelry & Gifts a family owned company that offers quality, fashionable sterling silver products.

Maria Romain is a writer for silverlandjewelry.com Silverland Jewelry and Gifts, a web-based company that offers unique bridesmaids gifts and bridal jewelry.

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