4 tips for spicing up date night

What a great article. This kind of hits home because in my last relationship we use to have problems figuring out what to do on any given weekend. If there wasn't something going on, NBA/NFL games, random parties, etc.... we usually did the dinner and a movie thing. After awhile that began to get old.

For those of you who also share this problem, read the article below. Hopefully it will give you some ideals on how to keep your dating life exciting. I especially like numbers three and four. Going out without a plan can be an excellent way to have a great spontaneous night. Its kind of a hit or miss though, because something you can go out with a plan and still be bored. But if both parties enjoy having fun this could really be a blast. 

Number four worked well when I first moved to Raleigh. In the beginning, we use to go to numerous places around Raleigh and even set up an "adventure day" on Sunday where we use to visit the local museums around the area. This was pretty cool because it was free and educational. Raleigh being the state capital, a lot of different cool things like that are free. When I moved to Charlotte all of that changed. There's nothing, I mean nothing in Charlotte that's free....lol. I'm joking but I did miss that part from Raleigh. Charlotte is a sports town, so I've been to way more sporting events in Charlotte than museums or educational events.

Enjoy the article....



4 tips for spicing up date night


By Theo Pauline Nestor

When love is new, it’s hard to imagine that it ever won’t be — that a time might come when the question, “What do you want to do tonight?” could be met with a stare of boredom. But the truth is that as electric as your relationship might be in those first initial months, you will inevitably become more comfortable with each other, which is a good thing. That comfortable feeling indicates that a couple has moved into the “attachment” phase of their relationship in which feelings of intimacy and safety deepen. But it’s also the time when couples can slide into thrill-dampening Friday night routines. Falling into the cycle of repetitive “date nights” that play out like old reruns is an easy trap to fall into as a couple. But recent research on how the brain changes when you’re in love suggests that adding novelty to your date nights helps keep both of you feeling the same excitement you did when you first fell for each other.



“When we fall in love, one part of the brain that becomes activated is the area that produces dopamine, a natural stimulant that produces feelings of excitement, craving, motivation and elation,” says Dr. Helen Fisher, author of Why Him? Why Her? How to Find and Keep Lasting Love and Chief Scientific Advisor for Chemistry.com. Brain scans of couples that have recently fallen in love show that the reward systems where dopamine is produced are activated. And for new couples, time together is often characterized by intense feelings of joy and excitement. But can these feelings be maintained over the years? Fisher and her colleagues also scanned the brains of happy couples who have been together for over 25 years and discovered that the reward systems of their brains were similarly activated when they were together. So what could newer couples do to make sure their feelings of love and excitement for each other stay fresh over time? Browse Local Singles at Match.com on Yahoo!



I am a: Man Woman Seeking a: Man Woman Near: 1. Variety, variety, variety

One secret to keeping your love alive may well be adding some variety to your date nights. “Novelty drives up dopamine production in the brain,” says Fisher, “and gives you the same feelings associated with romantic love. In fact, doing any activity that is new, dangerous or exciting will raise the brain’s dopamine levels.” Mixing things up is one of the easiest ways to keep a relationship exciting. So if you’ve got a favorite sushi place, it’s still OK to eat dinner there… just not every Friday night. “It is important to share your favorite places with your partner, but don’t go to the same spots over and over. Choose new things to do — a museum, a picnic, a bike ride to a new part of town,” suggests Fisher. Couples can brainstorm a master list of date night activities together that are new to both people, like tango classes, ice skating, visiting an art gallery or attending a lecture at a local college or library. Even mixing things up in small ways — like taking a new route or making plans with new friends — creates an air of date-night novelty.



2. Take turns planning your date nights

Another way to keep monotony at bay, suggests Fisher, is to take turns planning dates. If one of you always plans the dates, it’s easier to be lulled into a routine. When it’s your turn to plan date night, think of small and big ways to weave the unexpected into your evening. If you normally drive to a restaurant, try walking somewhere closer instead. If you have a standard movie night out, check your local listings for plays and concerts. If staying in and watching rented films is your go-to date, invite friends over to play board games or take turns finding new recipes to cook and enjoy together.



3. Go out without a plan

In the head-spinning start of a relationship, everything feels like an adventure as you discover your new partner’s world — their friends, favorite haunts, most beloved books and movies. Unplanned date nights can help couples foster this attitude of adventure throughout the course of their relationship. “Head out the door without a plan,” says Fisher, “and just see where the evening takes you.” Start by heading to a new neighborhood and taking a stroll, which might lead to dinner in a restaurant neither of you knew existed. Often, our most fun and memorable evenings are born from spontaneous and unexpected choices.



4. Go where no man has been before…or at least, neither of you

It’s only natural to take your new love to all of your favorite places and vice versa. But for at least one of you, these places will be lacking in the novelty associated with dopamine production. After you’ve visited your mutual hangouts, head off to discover fresh locations together. Check out restaurant reviews and try that new Thai place. Hike along on a trail that’s new to both of you. Find a guidebook for your city and read it together, scanning for adventures for you two to embark upon. Remember: keep it new, fresh — and keep the excitement of being in love alive!