52 Free Things to Do with Your Partner on Date Night

One of the things that works to keep relationships alive is spending quality time with each other. In this day of the information age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to carve out the necessary time to nurture our relationships. What with long work hours, helping kids with their homework, transporting them around to their extracurricular activities, getting dinner, cleaning up and going through the bedtime routine, what time is left?

Unless you orchestrate the time for your relationship, other less important things will crowd in and take what precious little time you do have. Pick a night that will be "date night" with your partner and make a game out of being as creative as you can be. Try to see how many things you can do without spending money.

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To get you started, I've come up with some suggestions to help you for the next year. What follows are 52 ideas for how to spend creative time together without spending money. Feel free to add or modify any of the items on the list to suit your particular relationship and circumstances.

WINTER

1. Take a drive to look at the Christmas decorations.

2. Play cards---perhaps strip poker.

3. Watch a movie together.

4. Go outside and have a snowball fight.

5. Get some finger paints and create your own body art with each other as your canvass.

6. Go sleigh riding.

7. Go ice skating.

8. Work out or exercise together.

9. Stage your own improvisation show.

10. Sing to each other.

11. Review or create a photo album or scrapbook of your memories together.

12. Play a board game---perhaps chess, Scrabble or Twister.

13. Go to a book store, get coffee and read for hours.

SPRING

14. Work on a remodeling project together.

15. Plan and complete a yard work project together.

16. Do the spring cleaning together---room by room. When done, reward yourself by making love in the room you've cleaned.

17. Put on old clothes and mud wrestle after some drenching rain.

18. Give each other a massage.

19. Play catch---football, baseball, softball or Frisbee.

20. Go to a car dealer and test drive the car of your dreams.

21. Shoot basketball together.

22. Dance together.

23. Take a shower together and wash each other---everywhere.

24. Take a free adult education class together.

25. Go to a mall and have a contest to see which one of you can get the most free samples.

26. Go rollerblading or bike riding.

SUMMER

27. Build a campfire and roast marshmallows.

28. Go swimming or skinny dipping.

29. Give each other a manicure or pedicure.

30. Go somewhere crowded to people watch.

31. Go to a free outdoor event, perhaps a concert.

32. Lie on a blanket outside and watch the clouds or stars.

33. Go on a picnic.

34. Watch a fireworks display.

35. Be creative and engage in sexual role plays. Be anyone you'd like to be for the night who is also exciting for your partner.

36. Sit by the water somewhere.

37. Do a prolonged strip tease for each other.

38. Have a water balloon fight.

39. Sit outside and read poetry to each other.

FALL

40. Go for a drive together.

41. Go window shopping.

42. Incorporate food into your love making---chocolate syrup, whipped cream, fondue, strawberries---anything you and your partner enjoy.

43. Call or write to someone you haven't had contact with in a while.

44. Cook something together.

45. Spend an evening just talking with each other. Talk about the things you have done, plans you have for the future, important people in your lives or current events.

46. Take a bubble bath together.

47. Go to a free movie or museum.

48. Take a drive and find the potential in old houses and their properties.

49. Create an imaginary story together---either orally or in written form.

50. Take turns being each other's genie in a bottle by fulfilling your partner's every wish and fantasy.

51. Play in the fallen leaves.

52. Create an exciting scavenger hunt that ends in your bed.

Now you have 52 suggestions for things to do with your partner for every week of the year divided by season. Certainly you don't have to follow my suggestions. Feel free to add your own or to repeat your favorites as often as you'd like.

The main point is not to see how kinky you can get. The idea is to keep your relationship alive by making time together a priority. It is important that you find things to do as a couple that you can both enjoy. If you have vastly different interests then you can enter this with the spirit of taking turns and each agree to happily participate in the activity chosen by the one whose turn it is that week.

As long as you make a habit of making your relationship a priority and allocating time each week for rejuvenation of the feelings that attracted you in the first place, then you stand a good chance of staying together for the long haul.

Please don't let insidious boredom enter into your relationship through the back door. This is what frequently happens when we are busy placing other things ahead of our time for each other. You know what I mean---the job, the kids, our friend in crisis, etc. There will always be a competing interest for the time you've set aside for each other.

Other than natural disasters, threat of death or major crises, do not allow your time together to be invaded by any outside forces. Make sure to create opportunities for you to do things together without outside influence. With more than 50% of today's marriages ending in divorce, make this small investment in the longevity of your relationship. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. What's stopping you? Start today.

52 Free Things to Do with Your Partner on Date Night

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Do It Yourself Concrete Staining: Things to Know Before You Begin

Do it yourself concrete staining is the cheapest and easiest way to enhance the appearance of your concrete surfaces. The alternatives, tearing out existing concrete and replacing with new or decorative overlays, are not recommended for do-it-yourselfers and can be very expensive. But before you begin your staining project there are a few things you need to know.

There are two types of concrete stains to choose from, acid stains and acrylic stains. Acid stains work by chemically reacting with free lime in the surface to produce a natural looking, translucent color. They create a mottled, variegated, multi-hued coloring. Every concrete surface reacts differently to acids stains making each job unique. Acrylic stains are waterborne and have pigments that seep into the pores and adhere to the concrete, therefore creating a more consistent, semi translucent color like that of a dye. Acrylic stains will help mask imperfections and discolorations whereas acid stains actually accentuate them.

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For many surfaces, acid and acrylic stains will work equally as well, but which one you choose depends on the look you want. However, there are situations where one type will work better than the other. For older, exterior concrete (more than 15-20 yrs old) acid stains may not work because much of the free lime has leeched away. Acrylic stains are great for old concrete because of its increased porosity over time. Acid stains work well with newer concrete because of the availability of free lime. If repairs need to be made such as patching pop outs or scaling, then acrylics may be the better choice to help disguise the repairs. Any patching materials will stand out with acid stains. For smooth trowelled interior surfaces with less porosity, acid stains are usually better because they don't require as much penetration to color the concrete.

Before beginning it's also important to have realistic expectations. Staining can turn dull, gray concrete into a beautiful and colorful finish, but it's impossible to know exactly how the finished product will look, especially with acid stains. Every concrete surface is different and so will accept stains differently. The exact same stain will have two different appearances with two different slabs. Even seasoned pros can't predict the exact outcome of a staining job. For this reason, it's not a good idea to try to exactly match the color of concrete to anything else such as brick or siding. There's a very good chance you won't be successful. Instead, choose a complimentary color or shade for your concrete. For instance, if you have light brown siding, then choose a dark brown stain.

The most critical part of staining is preparation. Take time in deciding how you want your concrete to look and getting the surface ready to apply the stain. You get one shot at getting it right unless you want to do a major overhaul to the surface. Do it yourself concrete staining is not a difficult process but does require an honest effort to be satisfied your finished product.

Do It Yourself Concrete Staining: Things to Know Before You Begin

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LED Recessed Lighting - All Things Old Are New Again

Remember that 1970's style house you lived in once upon a time? Or perhaps you have just moved into one from that era? There are certain signature architectural clues left behind with every generation of home styles. One of the most recognizable from that particular time is the "can light" or recessed lighting, as it is now termed. Well as it happens with fashion and music, so it goes with bits of architecture - all things old are new again. You now have the option of utilizing these as LED recessed lighting applications with all the benefits of low energy consumption and cool burning technology. Or even better, add some recessed lighting if you do not have any at present.

You can retrofit the old ones with new fixtures in about an hour. Or, if electricity makes your hair stand on end, try out the latest inventions that allow you screw a new housing directly into the old for updated LED recessed lighting. Although LED has not caught up with compact fluorescent for brightness there are options for countering this. You can add more lights or purchase LED bulbs that have a reflector housing component to increase illumination output. Also, choose frosted lens for a more even distribution of light. If you are someone who likes to "dim the lights," this is also an option.

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One of the main benefits to LED recessed lighting is that this particular kind of bulb's construction makes it emit a focused beam of light. Lighting up the inside of the recess with an incandescent or CF (compact fluorescent) seems a bit silly! LED's make recessed lights desirable for many rooms in your home. They work wonderfully under the cabinet, over the sink, above the island and around the ceiling. Their direct beam is also useful above workbenches and in the laundry room. Another option is to purchase a swivel type bulb that increases your flexibility to approximately 30 degrees in all directions.

LED recessed lighting is a beneficial addition on your deck or patio. These can be wired or solar to extend your enjoyment of the great outdoors way past your bedtime. The use of this style has long been an integral part of marine craft and continues to be to this day. The options come in indoor and outdoor specifications. Be sure to match the right one with your intended use. Since these amazing lights last for years on end, you will not be climbing any ladders to change bulbs for a very long time!You can learn more about lighting by visiting the authors website at LED home lighting.

LED Recessed Lighting - All Things Old Are New Again

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