If you and your partner realize that your marriage or relationship is in need of some help that may be larger than a simple conversation to clear the air, you may want to consider going for couple’s counseling. People grow and change in life and the wants and needs of two individuals who were so in sync when they fell in love might suddenly seem worlds apart. This is when you need a professional to help you clearly communicate your feelings and your wants without getting emotional or judging. Counseling isn’t a taboo, bad thing. It just means that there is one person in the room who can keep a level head about the relationship and keep the conversation steered toward a successful resolution for both people.

No matter how bad your marriage was, it is simply in a child’s nature to harbor hope that one day their mom and dad will get back together. So, even if you think your children are fine with your divorce and have recovered well it may likely be another story all together when and if you start dating someone new. You must understand that your children may see this new person as stopping their family from being together, no matter how illogical that may be. It is crucial before you begin dating that you sit your children down and explain to them that mom and dad love them both and that won’t change, but they won’t be getting back together, ever. Also explain to your kids that they come first in your life and always will but that you would like to be happy as well. It will help your kids to know that this new person won’t change their lives or take you away from them. And if the children really have a hard time with the thought of you dating you should all sit down and discuss things with a professional therapist.

Kristen had a snooker table crafted by hand for her Brit boy and had it installed in the pool house of their Los Feliz home in time for his birthday on Monday, May 13. But Kristen wanted Robert to feel just as at home when he’s playing snooker as he would if he were across the pond, so she ordered a huge shipment of some of Robert’s favorite English goodies. She shipped over everything from tea bags to ketchup, and many of those items will likely be consumed by the many friends that will be celebrating with them at a birthday pool party Kristen is throwing for Rob. It’s pretty obvious that Kristen would be able to afford a sports car or a boat or something incredibly over-the-top for Robert, which for some reason makes her choice of a handmade snooker table even more special. It’s a thoughtful gift that’s based on something Robert loves to do.

There’s nothing wrong with holding back a gift for your wife or partner that she didn’t get to open in front of the kids earlier in the day. Lingerie is probably not quite the way to go here; that’s more of an appropriate Valentine’s Gift. But she will just adore beautiful piece of jewelry or, if you’re on a budget, a lovely antique photo frame with a picture of the family inside. Open some champagne or a bottle of wine and say thank you for being a fabulous wife and mother with some quiet time together. After you give her your wonderful and romantic gift, follow it up with a massage so she can end her Mother’s Day feeling relaxed, happy and loved.

This person is new and this relationship is new. You need to judge your new spouse and this relationship on its own merits. Not everyone cheats simply because you were cheated on once before. Just because your first spouse lied to you, or always had to be right in an argument or wouldn’t listen and communicate doesn’t mean your new spouse is going to do the same. It is wholly unfair to judge your new relationship based on your old one or live your life waiting for the other shoe to drop and for everything to start going badly simply because it did last time. Your new spouse deserves for you to go into this marriage with as much joy and optimism as you did the first one, with the added bonus of being wiser and knowing better what you may need to work on within yourself. You went through all the pain of ending your first marriage so you could move on and find a better life. Now you have a second chance at love. Take it and let go of the past.

If you’ve ever been stood up for a date you know that it can be an embarrassing and hurtful experience. If your fabulous new person ever stands you up, even once, they had better have a really incredible reason or they should not expect to see you again. Now that pretty much every person over the age of 10 is carrying a telephone with them everywhere they go there are very few explanations for someone to blow off a date with no call. If a person treats you this way it’s a pretty safe assumption that they don’t care for you or respect you too much. Also, you may want to be careful if your new love interest constantly changes plans with you at the last minute. Things come up and plans must change, of course, and you should be understanding. But if you begin to sense that you’re somewhere near the bottom of the priority list for this person you may want to end things now and walk away with your self-respect intact. If the new person you’re dating doesn’t treat you with respect now there’s no reason to think they will do so later.

Representatives from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services reportedly showed up at Brooke’s home, complete with a warrant in hand, and removed the 4-year-old boys because of what the department considers to be apparent unsafe living conditions. It is believed that ex-model Mueller, who has had a long battling history with substance abuse, is back using drugs again. You may recall that Brooke went to rehab yet again to try to get clean not too long ago, and when she checked in to get that help it was Charlie’s other ex-wife, Denise Richards who took in twins Bob and Max to care for them while Brooke was in rehab. And apparently that is exactly where the boys are now as well. Denise is caring for them along the two daughters she had with Charlie. It looks like, for the kids’ sake, it’s a very good thing that Charlie chose to marry one woman who has got her act together.

The good news is, as your kids grow older and become more self-sufficient it will eventually become easier to find time to sneak off to the bedroom together. It’s the first few years of your children’s that are definitely the hardest to find time for a sex life for mom and dad. And that intimacy is very important so you must work to find ways. Get creative with your scheduling and remember sex doesn’t have to happen at night. If you have a hard time finding babysitters at night and your kids are in daycare during the day and you work close to home, try and sneak home for a lunchtime date. A quickie during the noon hour can be quite hot and can give you both something to look forward to all week. If you can each take half a day off from work at some point that’s even better. Making the effort for dates like these can keep the spark between even the busiest of parents.

Relationships and marriages are exactly the same way. They thrive when the couple works consciously on them and they drift along aimlessly, sometimes towards trouble, when they’re not properly tended. Set goals for your relationship the same way you would for yourself. Talk through your short-term and long-term wish lists and prioritize to do what you need to do to make your relationship wish list a reality. Perhaps you want to clean up your credit, save money and buy your own house. Or perhaps you want to create a fund so you can go on vacation each year. And the goals for your marriage needn’t only be financial. Your goal may be to more communicative with each other and to feel closer to each other. Or maybe you want to get your intimate spark back again in the bedroom. Set goals such as time to sit down and talk or time to be intimate. It may seem silly to schedule it but it can help keep things on the right track.

So, if the person you’re dating chews with their mouth open or leaves empty soda cans in your car all the time, you may realize it’s not actually anything worthy of not seeing them any longer. If this is a person you really enjoy dating you shouldn’t end it over something so petty, right? But, how should you handle it in those early days? Do you put up with the annoying habit in silence? Or do you say something? There is no clear answer here; it all depends on whether or not you can tolerate it. If you can’t, your choices are to say something or stop seeing the person. If you say something just be careful how you do it. Try to be as tactful as possible and let the person know that you’re only saying something because you don’t want it to become an issue down the road. And it never hurts to use a little humor and to be as self-depreciating as possible.

After the humiliation already endured by Glanville, one of the stars of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” what’s one more ridiculous thing to throw on the humiliation pile, right? That is certainly Brandi’s take. By the time Brandi heard that the rumors that her ex, Eddie Cibrian, and Leann were looking to get a show, she was already so calloused to all of it that all she could do was joke. In typical Brandi fashion she spoke out about who should play her on the show. Her first choice? Denise Richards. Brandi says Denise likely understands what she’s been through, as Charlie Sheen’s ex, and besides, says Brandi, “She’s hot!” Brandi doesn’t really seem to have much time any longer to care as much as she did about Eddie and Leann and what they do, which is a GOOD thing. Rumor has it Brandi is seeing someone new and it’s obviously mellowing her and making her much happier. She even said “I am really happy where I am and wish everyone the best with everything.”

Couples who fall into a boring routine of sex and don’t talk about it with one another are playing with fire. A sex life that has lost its passion isn’t very satisfying and soon you may start to have sex less and less because it isn’t something either of you feels excited about. This can cause a divide and distance between two people who are used to being intimate and physical with each other on a regular basis. And once that distance is there, the relationship can easily fall into terrible trouble. Don’t let a sex life that has fallen into a boring routine pattern become a big problem simply because you’re too embarrassed to talk about it or you don’t want to hurt one another. It will hurt a lot worse if you split up because you lose your intimacy and closeness. So talk to your partner. Check your egos at the door and be honest about what is and is not working for each of you in the bedroom. Think of ways together that you can spice things up. Give each other reasons to be excited about sex again. The work will be worth it and your reinvigorated sex life will feel as hot as it did in the early days.

If this sounds like you, it may be a good time to step back and remember that it’s not the wedding day itself that is the ultimate goal; it’s having a long and happy marriage that really matters. The wedding will be just lovely even if every little thing doesn’t go the way you want it. If you’re going to have a happy marriage now is a great time to learn how important compromise is to a successful relationship. If one or both of you is truly becoming stressed out about the wedding to the point where it’s bad for your relationship perhaps you should get some planning help so you can relax and enjoy your engagement. Hire a wedding planner to help or, if you can’t afford to do that, ask a friend or relative to help out. Keep the wedding in perspective and don’t let the planning stress stop you from enjoying this special time.

Head to a local park or someplace where there is plenty of grass and wide open space. Bring along a Frisbee, a croquet set, a lawn bowling set, anything that the two of you can set up and play easily without a ton of effort and without having to learn a lot of instructions if one of you has never played before. Some friendly competition is always fun and having a fun activity to focus on while you get to know each other will make both of you feel more at ease. After you’ve had your fill of sports fun and fresh air, find a quiet spot to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee or an ice cream. This will all add up to the perfect first date.

Sean reportedly wants a medieval wedding to his fiancée, Alexandra Lenas, so he rented the Ventana Inn in Big Sur, California, and is spending $9 million JUST to have a temporary medieval style backdrop constructed of giant stones and arches for the ceremony. The altar site will be surrounded by fake ruins, bridges, waterfalls and ponds to create an entire medieval set. And the fake set will be decorated with a reported $1 million worth of plants and flowers. In addition to the imitation medieval world being created, Parker has hired the actual costume designer from the “Lord of the Rings” movies to make costumes for all of his guests to wear. Sounds like this wedding will be a good old-world time.

Know that you will not move on if you’re stuck in the past. So first, you must create (or allow) separation from the person. If they have disappeared from your life, let it be, no matter how hard it is. Don’t contact them. If they want to be friends, let them know you can’t do that until you’ve gotten over your feelings. There’s no way you can honestly be friends with someone you’re still in love with; you’re lying to yourself and to them. Next, move forward, not backward. Don’t rehash the past and how you could have done things differently to make the person still love you; it doesn’t work that way. Try your best to think about yourself as an individual without that person. Do things you enjoy. Reconnect with old friends or rediscover old interests. It sounds cliché, but find yourself again. Creating new happiness for yourself that has nothing to do with that person will make you feel a tiny bit happier and stronger each day.

Everyone hates to be around couples who bicker all the time. It might have become such normal behavior for them that they barely notice; for them, constant bickering might be their way of communicating. But, it sure shouldn’t be. Constant bickering happens when neither person in the relationship is willing to let anything go for the sake of some peace and happiness. If you both agree to let things go more often and don’t even start an argument, even if you have to walk out of the room sometimes, you’ll find your overall happiness in the relationship increases. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Remember, no one can lose an argument if an argument never occurs.

Teens, if you like someone and you’re interested in going out with them, don’t play games. Don’t bother with asking your friend to ask their friend to find out if they like you. Just get to know the person you like in your own way and take your time. Be yourself and strike up a conversation at a mutual event like a dance or a sporting event. If it’s meant to be and you like each other, you’ll know. If it doesn’t work out, move on and don’t cause yourself more pain by chasing after someone who isn’t interested. If you both like each other and you get a first date, relax, the hardest part is over! Now you can enjoy going out and spending time together and remember again, it’s important to be yourself. Don’t dominate the conversation or try to impress the person. If they liked you enough to go out with you, it’s because they like you for who you are.

You may wonder why Jay-Z and Beyonce chose Cuba as the spot for their anniversary celebration, especially since Americans aren’t allowed to travel to the country for tourism purposes. An embargo put in place 51 years ago greatly limits American travel to Cuba but thousands Americans travel there every year to study, for journalistic purposes or they can travel to the country on something called a “cultural exchange” license. Sources are reporting that the suspected reason may have something to do with Jay’s new career. The rapper and music mogul has recently entered the world of sports by starting his own athlete representation agency. And there are few better places than Cuba for sports agents to scout new talent for sports such as baseball. So maybe this jet setting couple is in Cuba combining business with pleasure.

Role playing lets you and your partner become different people and take on completely new personalities, allowing you to be bold and lose your inhibitions. Re-ignite your passions by playing doctor and nurse or delivery man and housewife; if you use your imaginations and really get into the scenario role play leading up to sex allows you to feel the same excitement you feel when you have sex with someone for the very first time. Take your time, flirting and toying with each other; drive each other wild with the anticipation of sex instead of quickly getting to the same old act. The key is to fully commit to the parts you play and try not to get embarrassed or feel self-conscious. After all, you should be able to let loose with the one you love.

I’m not asking if you’re right for each other, let’s assume you are. I’m asking whether or not now is the time for marriage. It’s not unheard of for couples to get engaged and married simply because they’ve been together for years and it “seems like the thing to do.” But first, be certain this is the best step for both of you right now. Perhaps one of you just finished school and started a busy career. You might want some time to adjust to the job first before making this life change as well. Perhaps one of you has debt you need to clear up. This is very important to do before marriage. There’s nothing wrong with taking a few more months or a year to make sure it’s the right time for marriage and perhaps buying a house together if you’re not already living together. If you need time, remember – if you’re both okay with waiting it will all still be there when the time is right.

But, what if you do have to see them again?

What if the person with whom you didn’t hit it off is in your social circle? Worse yet, what if you work together? You’re going to be seeing this person often, perhaps even every single day if you’re co-workers. You can’t very well get out of the situation with the old “never call back after the first date” move. If you work with this person, or if you’re friends, you’re going to have to face it head on. It’s best to be as honest as possible and to be so as soon as possible. Don’t avoid the person the next few times you see them and by all means don’t make things worse by agreeing to a second date you have no intention of going on. This sort of fibbing and disrespect will make things worse. Let the person know that you don’t see a relationship growing for the two of you and you don’t want to ruin your friendship or working relationship for something that might not work. They’re liable to respect you more for being up front, and if they hate you then at least you know you handled it honestly.

Tiger deserves a second chance at happiness and shouldn’t be judged forever for the mistakes of his past. However, a new ad by Nike might not be sending the best possible message. Nike placed a picture of Tiger on its Facebook page shortly after his win with a caption that reads “’Winning Takes Care of Everything’ Tiger Woods #1.” The ad is brand new but is bound to get plenty of attention as people debate the validity of this sentiment. While it may be crass but true that those with the most money, power and success, “win” in this world and can get away with anything, does that make it right? Nike is really okay with saying that being good at golf justifies destroying your marriage and family? Worse yet, is Tiger okay with his children seeing him in an ad that says it’s okay? I know, it’s meant to be lighthearted and funny, surely. But he’s been given a second chance. Maybe he should be a little smarter this time around.

You need to ask yourself some questions and answer them honestly. For example, how safe you do feel with this person? Deep down, do you feel you can tell them absolutely anything and that they would stand by you no matter what? If it’s true love you’ll feel easily that you could trust and commit to this person for life. How do you feel after you make love? Do you spend time cuddling and being intimate and close? Or, does the sex feel simply like a physical act as opposed to bringing you closer together? Also, how do you two handle conflict? Do you threaten to break up during every fight, or are you committed to being together and working through the tough times? Picture yourself with this person during something really horrible in life. Do you really think you’ll have each other’s backs, no matter what? It’s easy to feel like you’re in love when things are great. It’s feeling love for someone during the bad times that means the love is truly real.

Don’t be in such a rush for the next step if you don’t need to be. If you’ve been together for ten years, have lived together for a while and are concerned about your ages in having children, then that’s a different story. But a younger couple who has just gotten married should take some time enjoying their newlywed years and build some memories as a couple before having kids. It’s true that many people never think they’re financially secure enough or “ready” to have kids and that they just need to take the plunge, but for many couples that plunge should come after they take some time just for the two of them. Go on vacations together; go out to concerts and events where you won’t be going as often once you have a family. Forming a close bond as a couple for a while first will make your family stronger down the road.

If you really like this new person the relationship can only benefit from taking things slowly and getting to know each other while you have some fun going on dates. Don’t complicate things with sex too soon; the emotions that come along with a sexual relationship are best reserved for when you’re ready to express deep feelings with each other. New couples who love being together can quickly establish a pattern of spending more and more nights together and before long moving in together sounds great. This is exactly when you should slow things down and enjoy dating each other before you take this major step. Moving in together turns fun dating into a real relationship with the pressures of housekeeping and joint bills. Don’t ruin a good thing by taking this step before you’re ready.

Sure, Liam is off living the movie star life and filming the newest installment of “The Hunger Games,” while Miley works on her new album and parties it up hard in L.A. But, we all know that being physically apart sure doesn’t mean a couple is broken up, especially in Hollywood where people are so busy working on their separate careers. According to recent reports, Miley never really wanted to end things, she merely wanted to let breakup rumors surface and fly around as a means for making Liam feel guilty about those cheating stories. Well, if Miley does really want to tie the knot this may not be the healthiest way to go about setting up a solid foundation for a successful marriage. A happy relationship can’t really survive with a couple keeping score and trying to punish each other. This behavior may mean 20-year-old Miley isn’t ready to settle down.

Somewhere between a one night stand and an official relationship is the mercurial and often dangerous label of “sex buddies.” These are two single friends who are not committed to each other and who enjoy a no-strings sexual relationship together. This can be an ideal situation for two friends looking for sex with someone they trust and feel close to, without the commitment of dating someone. However, as you can imagine, this agreement often sounds a lot better in theory than it ends up being in real life. If you’re attracted enough to someone to sleep with them there’s a good chance that you may have underlying emotional feelings for them and you may be in denial about it. Those feelings will most certainly come out though when you see your sex buddy flirting with someone else at the bar or they end things with you to start “really dating” someone else. Then the injured party feels used and it ruins the friendship. Make certain you are prepared for every eventuality before you ever get in a sex buddy situation with a friend.

Perhaps you find yourself in a dead-end job and you realize there is something you are passionate about that you would rather do for a living. Your partner will hopefully support you emotionally and perhaps even financially while you return to school to get the requisite degrees or training to enter your dream career.  Some couples will take turns working overtime or even two jobs for a couple years while the other goes to grad school. For others, it might not be as monumental as a career shift; it might be about supporting your partner through a spiritual journey or in their pursuit of a new interest. The point is that happy couples will take turns making the sacrifices they need to make so their partners can chase their dreams. It may well lead to more success, money or happiness for your entire family down the road.

Perhaps the two of you spend a couple nights a week together going out on dates, but are those dates the only time you see each other and the only things you have in common? At some point when you’ve begun seeing someone new, it’s natural to want to bring that person around your friends, family or co-workers. If you find yourself not wanting to bring your new boyfriend or girlfriend around the other important people in your life, you may want to ask yourself why that is. And if you’re the one who is anxious to be included in the different parts of your new partner’s life and it just isn’t happening, you may want to see that as a red flag and ask why that is. If this new relationship is real and good you should be excited to share all of the aspects of your lives with each other. If you’re not, this might not be the person for you.

Swift has been interviewed for a new Vanity Fair cover story and she speaks frankly about her dating life. She’s quick to point out as a “big revelation” that she has, in fact, dated only two guys since 2010, referring to Conor Kennedy and Harry Styles. She also goes on to complain that when a woman shares her feelings about failed relationships she’s labeled, as Swift has been, as clingy, crazy and desperate. It is true that when you look at some of John Mayer’s songs about his well-publicized relationships (and there are quite a few of those types of Mayer songs) he gets no such label. So, say what you will about Taylor and her teeny bopper pop tunes; she has a very good point about the treatment of men vs. women when it comes to dating. Maybe everyone should just back off a bit and let her do her own thing without so much judgment.

An over-share for a man might be telling his best friend about an area of your sex life that you might have recently explored that was outside of your comfort zone. If you are just getting comfortable to try this new thing with the person you love, you might be mortified if he tells his best friend about it. For men, it may well be the intimate emotional details that they want kept private. If a man reveals a secret or talks to his wife or partner about an intimate issue in the bedroom, that might be very difficult for him to do. And he may understandably be very upset if she then told her friend. Ask yourself if you should share before you blab to your friend and remember – the trust between you and your spouse is more important that any gossip between you and a friend.

You must express all of your (very understandable) hurt and anger in a safe space like couples counseling, say everything you need to say to your partner. It’s unrealistic to say “I’ve decided to forgive you and fight for our marriage” one week after you find out. You can say that, sure, and it may be your ultimate goal. But it’s a pretty safe bet you’re not feeling that much at peace with it yet. You have to get it out if you’re going to move forward. On the other hand, once it’s all said, you don’t have to keep saying it. Your partner knows how much they messed up and hurt you. Making it the topic of everyday conversation will never allow the relationship to heal. And above all else, don’t blame yourself. No matter what problems in your marriage led to the affair, cheating is NEVER okay. Recognize the problems that may have caused you to lose your closeness and work on those. But blaming yourself for the cheating is wrong and will guarantee resentment. It’s got no place in forgiveness and moving forward. Finally, be honest with your spouse and yourself about what it will take for you to be able to trust again. If you’re not both willing to be accountable 24 hours a day and ready to do the hard work of rebuilding trust, it’s better to know that now.

The best case scenario, of course, is if two couples were previously part of a big group of friends and have individual friendships already where everyone knows and likes each other. If this isn’t the case, though, often two friends want to double date and are hoping their significant others get along. If this is your situation, make sure to envision the evening through your partner’s eyes. Will he or she have things in common with the other couple? While you and your friend are laughing and having a great time, will your partner be comfortable talking to their partner? Help the conversation along and try to point out interests they may have in common. But, it doesn’t go well and if all four people don’t click and like each other, you may not want to subject your significant other to a second double date.

Yes, that is exactly what Ben Affleck said to wife Jennifer Garner Sunday night during his acceptance speech for his film “Argo” as Best Picture. Instead of proclaiming his undying love and gratitude to his wife who, by the way, pretty much ditched her own acting career to raise their daughters, Affleck thanked her for “working on our marriage for ten Christmases.” That was a little odd, but not so bad. When that drew a laugh he continued to shove his foot in his mouth and said “It’s good. It is work, but there’s no one else I’d rather work with.” Well, at least he was honest, marriage is work. But perhaps the Oscar podium isn’t the best place to bemoan that fact.

If one of you wants to spend every night entwined on the couch watching rom coms, while the other wants plenty of alone time in separate rooms before catching the basketball game together on TV, you may need to compromise a bit to find a happy medium. First, PDAs are the exception to compromise. If one partner is uncomfortable with playing tonsil hockey in public the other partner should respect that with no argument. Some people are shyer than others and consider PDAs to be uber embarrassing. At home, though, you should both give a little. A little more time on the couch together can be offset by some time for each of you to do your own thing. As always, love is about compromise and both people being happy.

Yes, if possible, you and your significant other should take one week, or even a few days, out of each year and go on an adults-only couples vacation. There are many resorts around the world that only welcome adult couples, and even many resorts who welcome families have designated areas that are adult only. There’s nothing wrong with visiting a family friendly spot, but if you’re going to take a trip just for the two of you and get away from the kids, go ahead and get away from ALL kids so you can truly relax and be pampered grown-ups for a change. Don’t feel guilty; just like a simple bath or date night can recharge your batteries, this type of trip will bring you closer as a couple and will make you better parents. Go ahead, do some research and find a resort to visit with your special someone.

No one wants to come on too strong and appear too eager when they first meet someone, and that’s fine. But you should take it slowly only because you’re still getting to know the person, not because of some “rules of dating” you learned from a friend or read in some book. The truth is, if someone likes you, they like you. Guys, no woman who really likes a guy is going to not like him because he called “too soon.” On the contrary, she’ll be thrilled. And playing those games can be dangerous. What if someone else asks her out while you’re being too cool to call? She may go out with someone else because she thinks you’re not interested. And ladies, what if you run into your new guy on Friday night at the store while you’re in your sweatpants after having told him you had plans? He’ll think you blew him off and he’ll move on. Don’t be too eager; take it slow when you’re first dating. But don’t tell lies either. In dating, as in everything else, honesty is always the best policy.

So, Brad must have totally blown her out of the water with gifts in return, right? A Liz Taylor-sized diamond? A vacation home in the mountains? Um, nope. Brad bought Angie some… breath mints. Yes, you heard correctly. He got her breath mints for Valentine’s Day. And the “adorable” inside joke that was the reason why he bought breath mints is even worse. Apparently Brad always teases Angie about having bad breath. Wow, how romantic. Never fear, he will also reportedly be buying her a more “serious” gift after giving her the mints as a joke. Hmm, you know what else is a hilarious joke, Brad? Sleeping on the couch, buddy.

Sure, it’s always nice to give each other a lovely gift on Valentine’s Day and this year should be no exception. But in addition to the gifts you surprise each other with, why not go shopping together and buy some Valentines treats that will be hot gifts for both of you in the bedroom?

Before you head out for a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day, swing by a lingerie store so your man hand pick an outfit he’d love to see you in. That way he can picture you in it all through dinner. Next, head over to the toy section where each of you can pick out something you’d like to take home and fun with in the bedroom later that night. From flavored oils that stimulate both of you to vibrating toys that will drive you wild, you’ll have so much fun shopping together for the items that will make this a Valentine’s Day neither of you will ever forget.

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away and with any luck you’re likely in the midst of making plans for a romantic holiday with the one you love. Remember, though, that Valentine’s Day isn’t only a great night for romance, it’s also a great chance to reconnect and give your relationship the TLC that it needs as well.

Successful marriages and long-term relationships take commitment, hard work and communication. It’s easy for your relationship to slip out of its rhythm when both people are busy with their own lives. Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to spend some time together talking, reconnecting and giving your relationship a communication tune-up. That might not sound like a very romantic notion, but romance won’t matter much if you don’t have a relationship any longer. Intimacy is about much more than Valentine’s Day presents and sex. In addition to spending some time in the bedroom, spend some time reminding each other why you fell in love in the first place and why you appreciate each other. Those words mean everything when they come from the one you love and can help make this Valentine’s Day truly special.

When it comes to dating someone new, everyone has got their list of things that would turn them off and cause them to stop seeing this new person – everyone’s got their deal breakers. If someone is super messy and you are neat, if someone is bad with money and you are frugal, if someone is commitment-phobic and you are looking for a relationship – these are all good deal breakers.

However, there are also some ridiculous deal breakers out there. So, before you end yet another potentially good relationship because of a small nuisance, you may want to re-evaluate your deal breakers. Major personality differences can’t be helped and can be tough to get over, sure. If you love movies and go every weekend and the person doesn’t like movies (if that’s possible) then that may be a deal breaker. But think twice before you end things because they don’t like “Star Wars.” sometimes we get far too picky in our search for the perfect person. The truth is there is no perfect person. Unless you have fundamental differences, if you’re having a good time together give it a little while and see if those differences don’t bother you less and less as you get to know each other and possibly fall in love. Some of the best couples stay happy because they’re not exactly alike and they celebrate their differences.

Chris Brown may be in a new round of trouble since the Los Angeles District Attorney believes Chris falsified the reports he turned in that claimed he successfully completed his community service hours he received for beating up girlfriend Rihanna a few years back. And the probation trouble is just one problem Brown is facing. He’s also been taking a lot of heat since he and some of his boys got into a fight with Frank Ocean at a recording studio. In fact, according to Chris, his life is pure hell right now. But he has one thing going for him. Girlfriend Rihanna is by his side and isn’t going anywhere apparently.

You may recall that Rihanna left Chris after he nearly beat her to death in a car a couple years ago. Since that time she has made slow moves back toward hanging out with him again, careful to not incite too much anger in fans who were outraged that she would even speak to him again. By late 2012 Rihanna and Chris were pretty much back together and now Rihanna is speaking out to make it clear she’ll be by his side as he goes through hard times. Liking bad boys is one thing, Rihanna. But not understanding that this guy’s problems are all of his own creation because of his immature temper is quite another. Not sure what will have to happen for Rihanna to see this guy as he really is, but I hope it’s not something that gets her seriously hurt…again.

We all know that after couples have been together for a while it’s easy to get into a “routine” in the bedroom. That’s putting it nicely; some people might call it a routine, while others might call it a rut, but it basically all means the same thing. Sex is happening with less frequency and when it does happen it seems to have lost some of that spark.

Your first instinct to put the magic back in your love life will likely be to reignite your sex life, and yes, that is important of course. But in addition to having hotter sex and having it more often, you may also need to return the intimacy to your relationship, not just the sex. If you’ve been in a rut, you and your partner can’t suddenly be expected to flip a switch and get all hot and bothered all the time. It must be cultivated. Something that may help is to think of your entire lives as foreplay. Hold hands when you’re walking together, cuddle on the couch when you’re watching television. Hug or kiss when you walk past each other. The intimacy of touching each other will keep you feeling connected and loved all the time and can make you want each other in the bedroom more as well.

Thanks to our computer obsessed world we pretty much never have to spend a moment truly alone. We carry with us digital devices us that connect us to anyone anywhere in the world immediately. With this type of communication at our fingertips, it’s easy to develop online friendships, and unfortunately it can be just as easy for those friendships to cross a line from being harmless and appropriate to being something inappropriate that can wreak havoc on our relationship or marriage.

It’s called emotional cheating. Some even call it emotional sex. And it can destroy a marriage just as completely as a physical affair. It can happen quite easily. Sure, maybe you would never haunt the kind of chat rooms where people go when they’re looking to flirt online, or worse. But, these days it doesn’t even take a chat room like that for something to get started. Thanks to social media such as Facebook, we’re in touch with old friends, maybe even old flames and it’s awfully easy for an innocent exchange of messages back and forth to take on a flirtatious tone. Then that flirting starts to feel exciting and can lead to an emotional level of sharing with this person that you may not have with your spouse or partner. Basically, anything you wouldn’t want your spouse to see, you should probably be worried about. These types of online flirtations and emotional affairs are definitely considered a betrayal by the wounded spouse and should be avoided. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t want your spouse doing it, don’t do it yourself.

Group dates have become more and more trendy and are proving to be a really good way for single people to meet. If you’re tired of the pickup scene in bars but you’d like something more face-to-face and active than online dating, a group date may be a great option for you.

Somewhere between a one-on-one blind date and a huge social mixer you’ll find the group date. These events consist of a group of singles that is large enough for everyone to feel comfortable and be able to mingle, but small enough so that people can meet and spend plenty of time talking one-on-one. A group of around 10 to 16 people meets up at a restaurant to have dinner together and get to know each other. There is usually time for the whole group to chat, which is very low-pressure and nice, and then there’s also time later on for people to chat with each other more privately if they wish. Organizations that arrange group date outings can be found online and can really be a fun way to meet new people.

You know you’re in relationship trouble when the person you’re “dating” won’t acknowledge the relationship. And when you’re a celebrity that guys should be clamoring to date and you find yourself in that situation, well, that’s even worse. Welcome to the world of Lindsay Lohan.

Lindsay has apparently been hanging out lately with the singer of The Wanted, Max George. The two have been getting cozy and a few days ago Lindsay decided to post a photo to Instagram of them hanging out and being silly together. Max’s fans reacted with crazy anger, tweeting their responses to the singer and saying things like “If you date Lindsay, I will die!” Max was then quick to do what a lot of guys do when they’re hanging out with girls they’re not proud of – he denied the whole thing. He said that any speculation about their relationship was just 100 percent rumors. Lindsay didn’t seem too hurt by Max’s reaction, she’s been telling her friends that they have a casual “hook-up thing” going on and that Max can call it whatever he wants. Really, LiLo? Even if it calls it a big lie?

It is commonly believed that when it comes to getting in the mood, men and women work differently. Put plainly, it’s commonly believed that men like porno movies and women do not. This is not actually true at all, gentlemen. The truth is, women like erotic movies very much. They just need to be the RIGHT erotic movies.

Let’s face it. Most of these films are made with men in mind, obviously. This means they are often filmed with women as the main focus. Since men have traditionally been the ones to watch porn the camera is usually stuck on the woman, which may be part of why these films don’t do so much for the ladies. Women want something with a little more fantasy and romance, sure, but once things get hot and heavy, women enjoy seeing that too, just not all from the guy’s perspective. If you look around you’ll find plenty of erotic films these days that are made with women and couples in mind. Find some movies you can both enjoy and watch how it heats things up in the bedroom.

Couples can’t be expected to spend all of their time together without going a little stir crazy from time to time and needing to hang out with some other people. Most couples tend to thrive when each person has friends of their own to go out with and to confide in. It’s important, though, to strike a balance when it comes to time and attention given to your friends and your significant other.

You may have a best friend or a few best friends that you’ve known for many years. But, your partner or spouse may well become your best friend now and that’s natural. If your close friends resent you being closer to your partner then there’s something wrong in that friendship. You can still remain close to your friends, but hopefully you’re in a relationship where you feel like you can tell your partner everything. If your friends know more about your life than your partner does, that’s a problem as well. Keep your friends close, but understand that this is your partner for life and it’s natural to want to feel closest to them.

So, you finally secured a first date with that person you’ve had your eye on. Great! Now, the all-important question…WHERE are you going to go? Making a good first impression on date number one is pretty darn important: things you well and you just may remember what you did on your first date forever. Things go poorly and you may not ever get a second chance.

When it comes to picking the right spot for a first date, remember the same advice that people give about how to behave on a first date – be yourself. Don’t go somewhere super formal and stuffy if that isn’t who you are. Setting yourself up to be highly uncomfortable on your first date is a reeeeally bad idea. You may be surprised that when asked where they’d most like to go on a first date, many people said to a coffee house. This is because the date is less about where you go and more about getting to know this new person. You don’t want to be somewhere too loud or where you’re not allowed to talk, that rules out loud nightclubs and movies or the theater. If things are going well after the coffee house, perhaps go for a walk if the evening is nice. A stroll can be very romantic and can give you things to see and talk about so you don’t have to come up with all the topics. If you’re going for a meal and you don’t want the pressure of a fancy dinner, go out for lunch or even brunch on a Sunday. You can get to know each other without any pressure of what the end of the night will bring like there is with dinner. Be yourself and good luck!