Romance 101 – Week 12

Romance Tip 12:

- Book Trade!

Single? Books are magical. If you already read and have friend who read, you probably exchange recommendations all the time already.  Book recommendations are a little different from book trades though—I’m not suggesting you give away your favourite books, rather that you loan them for a short period of time.

Choose a book that you think a friend would love—but one they wouldn’t necessarily read on their own. Something outside their favourite genre. Something that if you simply recommended it and they looked it over, they probably wouldn’t pick up. They do the same for you and you both commit to reading the book in a week or a month, depending on what works for the two of you.

It’s a great way to expand your literary horizons and it gives you both something new to talk about.

Dating? For me, sharing books with lovers has always been one of the most intimate, important acts I can do. Books are so important to me and the characters and worlds within them so special, that sharing my favourite authors and series is a way of sharing a very special part of my soul. I don’t let myself be disappointed if my partner doesn’t love the same stuff I do, we all have different tastes, but I’d be very hurt if they didn’t at least try and read it.

Sharing books about our passions, regardless of if those passions are sci fi, gardening, finance, romance or Pomeranian sledding teams, is a fantastic way for our partners to learn more about our interests. There is nothing better than giving a partner a book they are doubtful about, only to have them love it and recommend it to their friends.

Reading together is a great way to spend time together, being intimate, without feeling like you have to be fully attentive. It will give you something new to talk about and, who knows, you might find a new favourite author or hobby!

Remember! It takes most authors between six months and two years to write a book. If you’re loaning and borrowing books, the author isn’t seeing any extra profit, no matter how much you enjoyed reading it. However you can do the author a huge favour by popping on to amazon or goodreads and giving their book a star rating, as well as writing a short review. You don’t have to write a novel of your own, just a few lines about what you enjoyed can really make an author’s day and help boost their sales.

Romance 101 – Week 7

Romance Tip 07

- Visit a fair, market or festival together.

Single? Call up some friends for a cheap and entertaining day out. Markets are always free—though sometimes you have to pay to get into festivals or shows, so call or look them up online before you head out. Make the most of the food stalls and live entertainment. Talk to people, plan to take it slow and relax. You can find what is happening in your area by looking in smaller local newspapers, online community bulletin boards, by listening, or even calling, local radio stations and by googling your area and upcoming weekend dates.

Who knows, you might even make friends with some cute guys or girls who want to invite you out for drinks later! Always be friendly and bring an open mind. Fesitvals and shows can lead to all kinds of fun adventures!

Dating? Festivals, fairs, shows and markers are great places for couples. It’s a lazy way to spend a whole day, just slowly walking around together, chatting and relaxing. There is always food stalls and often there is live music and performances, local arts and crafts, small business stalls and interesting products and novelties. The whole day can be about the two of you, spending time together, with no need to rush or do much of anything except exactly what you feel like at the time.

The best thing about festivals and fairs is that most only come around once a year—so they are always a break from habit. Breaks from habit are very good for relationships! It will give you something new to talk about, and maybe a new interest to pursue.

Remember! While many festivals are annual and markets tend to be monthly, there are hundreds of different ones, running all around you, all year. In most areas, you should be able to find a fair, market, festival or show within a few hours’ drive of you, every single weekend. Don’t discount the trade shows either. Camping, farming, pet and bridal exhibitions are excellent, even if you don’t think you have an interest in those areas. Small town shows are great too—you always find the zaniest, most creative things! Not to mention foods you will probably never experience again. Which is probably for the best...

Romance 101 - Week 3

ROMANCE TIP 03:

- Take a class/do a workshop together.

Single? Grab a friend and find and amazing class or workshop you can take together. Most workshops will be related to a creative activity (cooking, art, craft goods) or a sport (dancing, fishing, self defence). You’ll also be able to find special interest workshops, such as wine tasting, cheese making or dairy farming. Check newspapers, community centre online notice boards, local council websites, universities, TAFEs and local arts centre websites to find courses that interest you, or just google your area and see what comes up.

Here’s a quick list of things I can think of that would be awesome fun to do.

- Life drawing classes

- Oil painting classes

- Photography classes

- Knitting classes

- Rock climbing classes

- Cooking classes

- Wine tasting classes

- Gardening classes

- Writing workshops

- Dance classes

- Self defence classes

- Wood working classes

- Pottery and sculpture classes

- Defensive driving classes

- First Aid classes

- Craft classes

- Martial arts classes

- Sailing classes

- Yoga workshops

- Better sex/couples workshops

- Digital art/photoshop classes

- Website design classes

- Landscaping workshop

- Renovating workshop

- Massage workshop

- Installing and maintaining a pond or water-feature workshop

- Pilates workshop

- Acting classes

- Singing classes

- Editing digital videos workshop

- Bookmaking classes

- Scrapbooking workshop

I could do this all day. There are so many classes and workshops around—if you can’t find one that interests you, you must be a very dull person!

Dating? If you’re dating, it’s important to find something that interests you both. Or perhaps you can broaden each other’s horizons by each picking a different class and surprising one and other with it. However remember it’s not a punishment, you want to find something the two of you can have fun at together. Getting out and doing something interesting and different will bring novelty back to the relationship and give you something else to talk about. And something like dance, massage or sex classes will likely spice things up in other areas of your life too!

Remember! New experiences and novel activities keep the brain healthy and active. With any kind of relationship, romantic or otherwise, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. We all have our habits and most of us have jobs that keep our schedule pretty consistent. If you don’t mix it up every so often, you might as well be a dairy cow. But workshops not only get us out of the house and somewhere new, they also teach us something and maybe introduce us to a new passion in life!