Valentine’s day is fast approaching and you may be scrambling around trying to find the perfect gift for that special person in your life. Making a mix CD is a thoughtful (and cheap!) way to express how you feel about your loved one. However, you should keep a few things in mind while creating your mix.
Ahh yes, the pickup line. Always cheesy, rarely successful, and never tasteful. Pickup lines always boggle my mind. Why not just strike up a conversation? Do you really think I’m going to fall for the same pickup line that’s been used on me eight times tonight? Wrong! Come on guys, give us a little credit. It doesn’t take much to sweep us off our feet, but a degrading line you grabbed from Maxim just isn’t gonna cut it.
Photo by Pavlo Araujo
While dishing with my roommate about our most recent failed relationships, we came to a staggering conclusion: the first few dates mean everything. They truly do define the course of your relationship. Sure, there is such a thing as a bad first date that will eventually lead to a meaningful relationship, but in dating, first impressions tend to be everything. Don’t believe me? You will after these stories.
Photo by Martin Boulanger
Your Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be the same as last year’s! Spice it up with some different sure to please ideas!
So, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and I’m single (yet again). While previous years have resulted in a wine-fueled, high-calorie pity party, I feel way too good to let this holiday get me down this year. I’ve come up with a cool list of fun things to do if you’re single on Valentine’s Day (or if you’re in a relationship but refuse to give in to this Hallmark Holiday!). Here are some fun ideas that will let you actually enjoy the day without feeling sorry for yourself:
Photo by Julia Freeman-Woolpert
Lets face it, all of us have fallen for a jerk at some point (some of us more than others). They may not even be the “bad boy” type but whatever they’re doing (or not doing, for that matter) has got you hung up. No matter how many times they screw up or how emotionally out of reach they are, you just can’t get enough. Here’s a list of some of the most memorable jerks of television and film:
Photographer: Steve Woods
Last weekend, I went over to a close girlfriend’s apartment for a night of wine, gossip, and romantic movies. She had rented all the perennial favorites: Titanic, The Notebook, An Officer and a Gentleman. As we popped open the first bottle of Chardonnay and put in a movie, I found myself rolling my eyes at the ridiculous events that unfolded during the course of the film. Do women really fall for this stuff? The cheesy lines, the lame romantic gestures, and totally unrealistic “happily ever after” endings? As I looked over to my friend, tears welling up in her eyes, I realized that yes, women do believe that movie relationships are real. And that’s just not healthy.
Photo by Sonja Mildner
Is that the name of a song? If not, it most surely should be! Ever had sex in a place you probably shouldn’t have? How about publicly in broad daylight? 
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Photographer: Miles Gehm
If you want to blow your man’s mind, try planning a date. I’m not trying to be unfair, but it seems as though we guys get set up to be the sole providers… of romance. Every romantic movie or TV moment has some guy making some grand romantic gesture. Do I really have to stand out side your building in the rain screaming your name? Is it so bad if I call you on my cell from the diner right across the street? Ok, my point is, our views on romance are just different. We think it’s romantic that you pick up our socks for us and don’t understand why you don’t see the romance in it when we change your oil. Granted, there’s no reason any dude couldn’t have “Romance for Dummies” and a cheat sheet of anniversaries, birthdays and favorites hidden somewhere in the back of his closet. But most of us men flat out suck at the planning part of anything. Look at the difference between a maid of honor planning a Bridal Shower, and a man planning a Bachelor Party. Months of planning and paperwork vs 24 hours notice and a beer run. So if a woman buys in to our brand of romance once in a while and sets something up, she can prepare for a very grateful guy.
After a recent break up, I am back on the market. After eating my weight in Ben and Jerry’s for awhile, the time has come to move on! Although, I am not ready to start seriously dating anyone, any distractions are welcome. I have heard the saying “The easiest way to get over someone is by getting under someone else”. Until now, I haven’t necessarily agreed with this statement, but I guess with age and..um…new “needs” my mind has been changed. This of course opens up another can of worms; the trials and tribulations of “hooking up”. “Hooking up” is how my generation so fondly refers to casual sexual encounters, and when not handled correctly things can get messy. There are a few important rules to remember when taking part in a “hook up”.
