Whether you are in a couple and need a time out from your normally hectic life or if you are single and looking for some casual date ideas, I have a few suggestions for your perfect date night. Couples often schedule a date night once a week in order to make time for each other, to be alone together, and to catch up on what’s happening in each other’s busy lives.  I recently watched two great movies and I also discovered a new restaurant (new to me) in Laval.

Go Out for Dinner Date Night

Univers in Laval is a “trendy” restaurant that serves pasta, sandwiches, burgers, and salads.  The menu at Univers does not have a variety of choices; but the food quality is good and the portions are large.  The actual prices are a little bit expensive, especially if you are ordering alcohol; but the meals are definitely worth the cost.  I ordered a plate of pasta with a diet coke and a side order of French Fries and my total bill was $21.

The atmosphere at Univers in Laval is almost like a night club with a menu.  The huge bar is lit up with pink neon wall lights, the wood furniture is very dark, and the music is very loud.  The service at Univers was very quick, efficient, and friendly; except for the hostess/bartender whose legs were way too thin to support her 95 pound body.  She didn’t speak English and she also didn’t really seem to grasp what was going on in the restaurant.  I guess you don’t have to be intelligent when you are that skinny, I mean pretty.

Go to The Movies Date Night

Last night I saw the movie “This Means War” starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, British actor Tom Hardy, and comedian Chelsea Handler.  This was absolutely a hilarious movie with an intelligent storyline and an unpredictable ending.  Chris Pine and Tom Hardy are two CIA agents who fall in love with the same girl aka Reese Witherspoon.  There is a little plot twist at the end of the movie, and all I am going to say is…she doesn’t end up with the man you think she will.

This Means War is a fun romantic comedy (but not too girly) movie.  Watching romantic comedy movies is a good idea on a date night because it lets you determine if your date has an outgoing personality and a sense of humour. Watching romantic comedy movies also reveals our date’s opinions on relationships and commitment.  This Means War is a must see movie if you want to go to the movies for your date night.

Stay in and Watch a Movie Date Night

Dream House is a suspense movie starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts.  At first I rented this DVD because I felt like watching a horror movie. However, it turns out that the movie Dream House is actually a psychological thriller.

The plot of the movie Dream House is definitely not typical.  There is a major discovery in the middle of the movie that completely changes the storyline, and the story (aka the why and how) really all comes together at the end.

Dream House is a great date night movie if you want to stay in and cuddle with your date on the couch.  Turn out the lights, pop some popcorn, light some candles and get cozy with your date while watching Dream House.

Happy Date Night Everyone.

Love Always,

Good Morning Everyone. I am dedicating this post to all of the hopeful singles out there who are in a relationship and who are hoping to someday get a ring.  This post is also dedicated to the hopeful singles out there who are still looking for their Mr. Right or (Mrs. Right).  I know that a lot of girls dream to be in a long term relationship, but let me tell you that the grass is not always greener.

I recently wrote a post on Dinks Finance titled “Should I Give My Boyfriend a Marriage Ultimatum?”  I love my boyfriend very much but for some time now we have been in a crossroad in our relationship and we are getting to the age when we have to decide to accept each other or make a decision to go our separate ways.  I am 31 years old, we have been together for 12 years, and we are still unmarried.  Marriage is not an option with my boyfriend.  I am not sure if I absolutely want to get married; but I think that I would at least like to have the option.

I hope you read my post about Marriage Ultimatums.  The thing that really interests me about this particular post is the comments that readers are leaving and the stories that they are sharing.  It is sort of comforting to know that so many other people have been in my current situation. It is also kind of interesting to see that so many people have so many different opinions on relationships, how they should be, and what qualities make a perfect relationship. It’s great to have a relationship that is full of love, trust, and commitment, but at the end of the day if we don’t share the same goals and if we don’t want the same things out of life is the relationship really worth it?

If I were to start over again in a new relationship I would definitely do some things differently.  I would definitely want to know up front how my future boyfriend feels about marriage, children, travel, and relocation; then I can decide if he has the potential to be a future husband.

What criteria are you looking for in a future husband or wife?

Love Always,

Photo by Peter Bellis

This is a post that I “borrowed” from DINKS Finance because it has the online world buzzing with the question “Should You Give Back The Ring?”  Readers are leaving comments on Blogs, Facebook Pages, and Twitter with their opinions about giving back an Engagement Ring when a couple decides not to get married.

Some people feel that an Engagement Ring is a gift, and therefore they don’t feel the need to give it back if the Engagement is broken off.  However some other people feel that an Engagement Ring is a promise to get married, and therefore they feel that if the Wedding Bells don’t ring women should be obligated to give back the Engagement Ring.

What do you think? Is the choice to give back the Engagement Ring a financial decision or a personal obligation?  Click Here to read the entire article on DINKS Finance.

Love Always,

Photo by Liz Marie

Good Morning Everyone.  Today I feel the need to discuss a topic that keeps popping up in my life…the world of online dating.  I have to admit that I have never tried online dating, but I absolutely understand the appeal to fall in love with someone (or the personality of someone) whom we have never met.

One of my favourite movies is “You’ve Got Mail” starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.  It tells the story of two adults living in New York City who are currently in relationships, and they start communicating with each other online through AOL email.  I am not even 100% convinced that people can be in a relationship online, but I do believe that two people can have an online relationship.  I believe that people can connect with each other online, but I am not sure that it’s a relationship. Eventually Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks leave their current relationships and meet each other in person.  By the time they meet up in real life they have already fallen in love with each other’s online persona.   Their in person meeting just confirms the already existing attraction that they have developed online.

I love this movie because Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are such a cute couple together and I also love this movie because it takes place in New York City.  But mostly I love the movie You’ve Got Mail because it’s about falling in love. Every single time I watch this movie (which is very often) I feel happy and I get butterflies in my stomach, I absolutely love the idea of falling in love.  There is a point in the movie You’ve Got Mail when Meg Ryan is breaking up with her current boyfriend and he asks her “Is there someone else?” Meg Ryan responds “No. But there is the idea of someone else”.

I think that this one sentence sums up the reason why people connect so well with each other online…because they are whoever we want them to be.  We are not falling in love with a person, we are falling in love with a personality…an online personality.  There is something comforting about the idea of imagining our perfect boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s reassuring to know that the perfect person for us is actually out there somewhere in the world thinking about us too. Our online relationships can bring us happiness about everything that we are unhappy with in our current relationship.  Everything that we don’t like about our current boyfriend or girlfriend just disappears with the click of a key and the arrival of an email into our inbox.

If I decided to start an online relationship I wonder what my dating profile would look like, what would I say about myself?  “I am a 31 year old girl looking to fall in love and live happily ever after (preferably in New York City) with her Mr. Right. Smokers Need Not Apply.” I am not asking for a lot of unreasonable qualities. I just want to be in a relationship where I am considered and appreciated. I don’t want a boyfriend who worships the ground I walk on, I just want a boyfriend who considers me in his choices and appreciates me and our relationship. I don’t want an immature boyfriend, but I do want a boyfriend that I can have childish fun with…is that too much to ask?

Of course people have their personal reservations about meeting a potential girlfriend or boyfriend online because we can never really know (or trust) someone whom we have never met.  There is always the fear that the person whom we are falling in love with could turn out to be a total psycho…or worse, they could turn out to be 17 years old. That would definitely be heartbreaking because even though we have never met the person we are already emotionally invested into our online relationship. The great thing about starting a relationship online is that it is based purely on raw emotions, there is no materialistic or superficial stuff involved.

If we fall in love with an online personality and we start to plan our future lives with someone whom we have never even met does that make us crazy, desperate, or just optimistic?

Dear Diary,

Do you remember my friend Gabriella? She recently got engaged to her Prince Charming and she is finally on her way to living happily ever after. Gabriella is a really great person and she deserves all of the happiness in the world.  Gabriella is my age and she has always been a great friend to me, even though I haven’t always deserved her kindness.  Gabriella had the courage to follow her heart and fortunately it led her right into the arms of a great man with whom she is going to spend the rest of her life.

Gabriella and her Prince Charming have been dating for just over a year, but they have known each other for many years; actually they have been friends for many many years. Her story is truly a fairly tale and this is exactly how relationships should be.  Relationships should be full of love, caring, compassion, and commitment.  In an ideal relationship two people will meet as adults, they will date for a few years, they will fall in love, and then they will eventually get married.

The benefit of meeting our special someone when we are older is that we have already grown into the person that we are going to be.  When we are younger we are still maturing and there is still so much growing that we have to do personally, emotionally, intelligently, and mentally. I don’t think that my boyfriend sees me as the woman I have become. I think that my boyfriend still sees me as the young girl who I used to be.

My boyfriend and I met when we were younger and we grew up together into adults.  We couldn’t get married after dating for a few years because we were still very young; our parents would have had a heart attack if we got married at 21 years old.  Although now our parents aren’t too happy that we still aren’t married after twelve years of being in a relationship together.

My relationship mistake was that I already give my boyfriend everything and we already live together so now (in his opinion) he has no reason to marry me.  My boyfriend doesn’t see the point in getting married now (that we are at the marrying age) because it won’t change anything in our relationship.  If I had to do it all over again would I change anything? Absolutely!

If ever something happens and my relationship comes to an end I will never live with someone else out of wedlock.  If my next boyfriend wants to spend more time with me and if he wants to live with me, then he will have to marry me first.  Not give me a ring, and not get engaged…actually get married.

Love Always.

Photo by Eccentric Scholar