by Gabriel Brenner | Nov 24, 2019 | Date & Gift Ideas
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for additional info.
Tired of breaking your head over what to get your boyfriend or husband for Christmas? Getting someone a present that they actually like and enjoy is much harder than it seems. But fear not, I’ve got you covered!
These Christmas present ideas were selected with men’s particular desires and needs in mind. So there’s bound to be a gift here to make your boyfriend or husband happy!
I’ve ordered the items on the list according to their price, starting with the budget-friendly ones.
Every man knows that carrying a big bulky wallet in your front pocket is super uncomfortable. That’s why these slim wallets are a great alternative! This thin slip is made of soft genuine leather and comes in a variety of colors and textures. It can fit an ID/driver’s license, 6 bank cards, and up to 10 Bills. The wallet comes with an inbuilt RDIF card protection for extra security.
These checks are filled with witty and playful ideas of sexual as well as romantic trade-offs. They are divided into two types: IOU (I owe you) and UOME (you owe me). This set is designed to look somewhat like an actual old school checkbook. In addition to the love act trade-offs, the checks are full of other playful notes like “Nothing you say may be held against you in a court of love”. No other gift will make your boyfriend or husband happier, than a creative way of promising him some intimate quality time 😉
This is a perfect practical gift especially if your man tends to use his smartphone for navigation while driving. The magnetic mount is compatible with all smartphones. Thanks to the heavy-duty magnets and smooth rubber pad this mount will keep his phone safe and stable through the bumpiest and curviest car rides.
Every man needs a pocket knife he can rely on. This foldable tactical knife is fairly small and subtle, yet sturdy and super sharp. It’s perfect for camping or picknicks as well as all sorts of random everyday uses. This knife is made by a brand known for manufacturing firearms. Every time I use my tactical pocket knife to slice watermelon or something it instantaneously makes me feel more badass. It’s a gift any man will really appreciate.
This musical Beanie is a premium double soft knit hat with built-in Bluetooth headphones and a microphone. This hat will allow him to listen to music and receive phone calls during his favorite outdoor activities in the winter. It comes in a variety of styles and colors. The speakers are 100% detachable, making this hat fully washable. This beanie is a perfect gift for any winter sports lover.
Stephen King is undoubtedly the current um king of suspense and horror. His most recent novel is guaranteed to have your man at the edge of his seat. It tells the story of abducted children that have supernatural powers and are brought to ‘The Institute’. Here the staff is willing to go to any means to extract their abilities and claim them for themselves. Nobody has ever escaped, but the children are determined… He might need you to hold his hands as he suffers the terrifying cliff hangers.
I will divulge a shocking secret here. Men like to nurture living things too! 😱😉The succulents are the perfect plant for beginners, they are hard to kill and require little maintenance. Buying this particular set helps support a great cause. Plants for Pets help to find a new home for homeless pets at risk for euthanasia in Indianapolis.
This elegant felt sleeve will give his laptop a nice snug fit and drop protection. It has two back pockets that can fit a cellphone, earphones or a wallet, which are lined with flannel. If he wants to take a mouse or power adapter with him as well, there is a matching felt pouch. There are sleeves for laptops ranging from 12” all the way up to 15.4”, they also come in two different shades of grey.
It’s hard to go wrong with a handy bottle caddy that also happens to be well designed and functional. The Mealivos caddy will allow him to carry 6 bottles and has a metal handle and bottle opener right on its side. The natural wood and metal elements will give him a stylish and trendy look.
This lens kit features everything he’ll need to take unique pictures with his phone. It comes with a big telephoto lens, a fish-eye-, wide-, star- and a macro lens. So he can capture images in many creative ways. The set also comes with a tripod and a remote shutter, great for pictures beyond arm’s-length and capturing the perfect moment.
This leather keychain/organizer will allow him to neatly arrange his keys and will keep them from rattling in his pocket. In addition, it will protect all his electronic devices as well as his trouser’s pockets from getting scratches. This high-quality, genuine leather key holder can fit up to 10 keys. The sturdy carabiner will let him attach his keys to his belt loop for maximum security. Honestly, I have one of these and it really makes carrying keys in my pockets a lot more comfortable!
This laptop briefcase is made of high-quality water-resistant Vegan Leather. This thin and slim messenger bag is designed with an expandable storage compartment and has a separate cushioned sleeve for some extra protection for your man’s laptop. It comes with a detachable and adjustable strap with a shoulder pad to make it easier to carry on the go. It’s the perfect gift for any elegant man.
The perfect gift for any whiskey lover out there. The steel stones will chill his drink without diluting it with melting water. This set includes 8 stainless steel stones, 2 large size decorative whiskey glasses, 1 pair of metal tongs and a black velvet bag. All items are arranged in an elegant luxury wood display box.
This dynamite hot sauce set is a perfect gift for all the hotheads out there. It includes 7 different hot sauces inspired by exotic flavors and peppers from around the world. The bottles are individually wrapped and tied together to resemble dynamite. The presentation of this product is so creative and cool he will want to pop it open right away.
The addition of the 8″ HD screen and stereo sound has transformed the most popular wireless speaker from Amazon into a multifunctional tablet. Echo Show can be used for messaging and video calls, as well as for watching trailers and TV shows. It can connect and send announcements to all the other mobile devices in your home. He’ll be able to use voice commands like “Hey Alexa, play rock hits” totally hands-free. The assistant can also answer questions, read the news, check and display the weather, set alarms and control smart home devices for him.
This electric trimmer will allow him to take control and care for his gorgeous body hair. Aka manscaping gone cordless. It comes with various adjustable guide combs, 4 trimmers for nose all the way down to body grooming. A USB charger, a cleaning brush and is 100% waterproof. This set is a 16 piece all-in-one solution that can meet his versatile body-hair needs.
This walnut wood docking station is handcrafted using high quality, natural materials. The elegant, minimalist design makes it fit into both modern, as well as classic interiors. It’s a great way for your man to organize and showcase his everyday use items. It can also be used as a stand for watching videos on a tablet!
If your husband/boyfriend is a beer lover, he will certainly enjoy the experiment of making his own homebrew. This kit from Craft A Brew shop will give him everything he needs to get started on a batch of his own beer. All the equipment is reusable, meaning he can enjoy other Craft a Brew fresh-packed ingredients with the same brewing starter kit! He’ll get about a gallon of beer from this kit, or about nine 12-ounce bottles. There are a lot of different recipe kits to choose from here, so you can really pick the one your man will enjoy the most!
This collectible LEGO set can be a great decorative addition to his desk. He’ll enjoy the nostalgic experience of unboxing and following the instructions to put the ship together brick by brick. The model is built with 962 pieces and features cannons, masts, sails & flag. It also includes an elegant stand on which the bottled ship stands.
Ancestry DNA is the clear industry leader in the consumer DNA testing market with more than 1.4 million people in the database. It’s an autosomal DNA test kit that will provide an ethnicity breakdown, as well as relative matches to anyone in their database who shares DNA with your man. It’s a great way for him to learn about his family’s’ origins and maybe even discover some unknown distant relatives.
Yes, a ridiculously large one-gallon bottle of original flavored tabasco. Whether he wants to add flavor to his pizza, spaghetti, garlic bread or toasties, this classic sauce is guaranteed to heat things up just the way he likes.
With this wireless speaker, he’ll be able to enjoy 360º sound with incredible bass and refined sounds at home or in the outdoors. It’s compact handheld design and mesh fabric feel great in the hand and he’ll never need to worry about damaging it, thanks to its rugged mud and waterproof design.
If he enjoys reading, Amazon’s newest ebook reader might be the perfect fit. It’s extremely light, compact and waterproof. With the free 3G connectivity he’ll be able to download his favorite books on the go. The Kindle can store thousands of books and when combined with Kindle Unlimited he can choose Amazon’s vast library.
For all the smart home lovers out there, these lights are perfect for a TV or monitor ambient lighting setup. They can be voice-controlled via Alexa, as well as manually adjusted with the Hue App. The Smart Lights allow for a highly adjustable range of colors. He can even sync the colors to automatically adapt to what he is seeing on his display.
Listening to his favorite music and taking calls with the simplistic and elegant Apple design. These feature active noise cancellation and a ‘transparency mode’ to hear what’s happening around him. The custom-fitted silicone tips also ensure a snug fit for all ear sizes. With these, he’ll enjoy the longest listening time, best bass and a high dynamic audio range wireless earphones can offer today.
Regardless of whether your man is already a fan of the Beats headphone, or you’re just about to introduce him to this popular brand, this gift is bound to make him really happy. These headphones deliver a premium listening experience with Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling to actively block external noise. The soft over-ear cushions feature advanced venting and ergonomic flexible fit, making them perfect for long term use. They come with a hardshell carrying case or easy and safe transportation. It’s a perfect hight quality gift for any high-value man.
Need a special gift for a gamer? Sony’s newest console is more powerful than its predecessor, with a 1TB hard drive for all the hottest games. He’ll have access to the most highly anticipated PlayStation AAA exclusives and be able to play his favorite games at a 4K resolution in the most vibrant color range.
With a camera kit like this, he can capture all of his outdoor adventures while carrying very light gear. The set comes with a GoPro action camera that features a touch screen at the back to view and manage his 4K, 60 frames/second footage. A 32GB micro SD card, a protective frame with a mount and a rechargeable battery. He’ll also be able to capture the best footage thanks to the inbuilt HDR video stabilization, time-lapse, face smile and scene detection and it’s waterproof even without the housing.
This virtual reality headset is by far the hottest toy of 2019. Thanks to easy setup and all in one package he’ll have everything he needs right out of the box. No complex setup required. It comes with inside-out tracking, two touch controllers and he’ll be able to move around freely without any wires and play the best VR titles anywhere he wants.
The features include an always-on retina display, a 30% larger screen, it’s swim-proof and he can take his cardiogram right on the watch to check on his heart. He’ll be able to personalize the watch face to his taste and see notifications right on the watch. While outdoors the GPS, elevation-meter, fall detection, and emergency SOS add benefits and safety functionality. The apple watch can also help him achieve his health & fitness goals with it’s ‘Closing Your Rings’ mini-game.
I hope you found some great Christmas gifts for your man in our post.
Merry Christmas
Gabriel
by Karolina Bartnik | Nov 1, 2019 | Date & Gift Ideas
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for additional info.
Photo by Joshua Coleman
Looking for fun and productive ways to spend a date night with your partner?
These games and quizzes might be just a perfect thing for you.
My husband, Gabriel and I recently pulled out a long-forgotten card game from one of our drawers, and we really had a blast!
These games and quizzes will raise questions that you normally would have never thought about. They’re so full of creative ideas.
Playing games like this is a great way to get to know someone better and feel closer while having fun!
We enjoyed ourselves so much, that it made me want to try out some other ones.
After extensive amazon research and a couple of fun date night tests, I’ve compiled this list of all the best card games and quizzes for couples out there!
All the card games on this list contain deep and thoughtful questions intended for romantic couples. They’ll help you get to know each other on a deeper level and are bound to make you feel closer and more connected too!
This card game used to be called Love Languages: The Card Game, they actually changed the name quite recently. Much like the famous 36 Questions That Lead to Love these cards contain powerful conversations starters designed to help you get to know and understand your significant other on a much deeper level.
This set consists of 150 cards with questions divided into five categories: Family, Intimacy, Couple, Individual, and Past & Future. Each of these five topics is labeled and marked with a specific color.
There aren’t any rules to this game. You can decide to play with cards from one particular category or you can choose to mix everything up.
This game is my personal favorite for two reasons:
Firstly, the questions in this set are really creative and deep.
These cards have been designed by a couples psychologist Arthur Aron and he did a really good job. This game really sparked our interest and lead our conversations to some unexpected places. Even after 10 years of being together, we learned new things about each other while playing this game and it made us feel more connected emotionally.
Seriously, you’re really gonna find some great questions here!
My second reason for liking this date night card game best is the fact that the cards are divided into five categories.
When I ordered this set I really didn’t expect it to matter that much, however, once we tried this out, we realized that having the option to choose a particular topic brings a whole different dimension to the game.
The whole experience of playing with the cards becomes a lot more playful and suspenseful. The person picking the cards gets to feel a bit like a tv quiz presenter. “And the next category will be..”
Playing Love Lingual: The Card Game was lots of fun and it certainly brought us closer together!
Click Here to see Love Lingual: The Card Game
This is a set of 135 square cards with one question each. Much like the previous pack, there are no rules to this game. You just pick a card and ask away.
The questions on these cards are a bit more lighthearted than in the Love Languages Card Game. Moreover, this set includes some questions about sex.
It’s a great choice if you’re looking for an easy and flirty activity for a date night.
The brand – TableTopics – is well established and offers many sets all for different occasions. They have a general conversation starter pack, a family pack, etc.
It’s a popular product with lots of positive reviews. They even updated the couples edition to includes questions suggested by their customers.
This game gets to be my second favorite because of the flirty playful questions.
Date night without flirting is not a proper date! It’s a must when it comes to couple quality time!
These cards provide ample opportunities for some serious flirting, without being overly naughty. It’s a perfect mix of deep and playful questions.
You can spend a great and fun evening with your boyfriend or husband playing this game and you’re bound to discover new things about each other!
Click Here to see TableTopics Couples: Questions to Start Great Conversations
Our Moments Couples is a set of 100 cards. Again, there is no set gameplay, you just pick a card and ask away.
This set is the one that we got as a present and had forgotten about for a year. After rediscovering this card game, we had lots of fun playing it.
Much like the Love Languages Game, these cards contain some seriously deep and thought-provoking questions. There are some cards related to sex, but they’re fewer than in the TableTopics: Couples set.
This is a perfect pick if you’re looking for a deep, almost philosophical way to spend an evening with your partner.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t have easy-going playtime with this game. We had lots of fun with these cards! It’s not all THAT SERIOUS. It’s just slightly more serious than the other set.
Overall, it’s a well-designed product and an awesome game. Personally, I think it’s slightly less intense than the Love Languages Card game and a bit more serious than the TableTopics set.
It’s a great middle ground, if that’s what you’re looking for.
Click Here to see Our Moments Couples
Intimacy deck is an extremely popular card game for couples. It can be a great date night activity that will definitely help you get to know your partner better.
It contains 150 cards that come all packed in one neat box. The cards are color coded and (similarly to Love Language: The Card Game) divided into six categories: Past, Life, Intimacy, Relationship, About You and Random.
You’ll learn and will also get a chance to share your past experiences, family values you were brought up with, as well as your sexual desires and preferences.
This deck has lots of very varied, thought provoking, deep questions.
While playing this game, we’ve learned new things about each other and connected emotionally.
This card game was designed to make couples feel closer and more intimate. There are some really good questions in the intimacy category here.
Overall, it’s a great product. It’s very similar to the Love language: The Card Game. It’s just got a bit of a different feel and design, plus there are actually more questions in this set.
The fact that cards are color coded and divided into categories makes it more versatile too. You can remove all the intimacy cards from the set and you’ve got a whole new game you can also play with friends and family.
Click Here to see Intimacy Deck
This is a set of 200 cards with questions to help you get to know someone better.
This game is a Kickstarter project created by a married couple, who were so busy with their everyday lives, they didn’t have enough time to nurture their relationship.
You can learn the personal story of this game’s creators from their kickstarter about video.
Here they outline how exhausting the everyday reality of having a family was for them.
At the end of each day, by the time they were done with work and their kids were finally in bed, they didn’t have the capacity for thoughtful conversations anymore.
That’s why they started a habit of writing down questions for their spouse throughout the day.
They would then read the questions to one another later in the evening.
This has become their method of reconnecting their marriage and keeping it alive.
Eventually, it turned out that their friends and relatives became interested in their method and wanted to try it too. That’s how the uncommon questions card game was born.
The questions in this game are more general than in the other ones. That’s why they are also suited to be used with bigger groups of friends and family.
The set is much bigger than all the competition. This will ensure that you can play it multiple times without the questions repeating much.
I find the personal story of the creators of this game very inspiring. Keeping the spark alive in not an easy feat in long term relationships. These cards have been designed to help out with that.
Click Here to see Uncommon Questions
So cards are a deck of 52 cards that have been designed as a connection game for multiple people. You can use it both as a couples card game on a date night as well as a connection game for the whole family or friends.
The set is recommended for players 12 years old and up, so you’ll only find PG13 questions here.
So Cards can be played in 5 game modes:
Classic – where all players answer the same question
Raffle – where everyone picks a different cards and take turns answering
Solo – a mode that encourages you to use these questions as a writing prompt for a journal entry
If I were you – everyone tries to answer the question as though they were you, the person closest to the truth wins the round
Lightening – try to answer as many questions as you can as fast as you can
There are even more game mode ideas on the game creator’s website.
The different modes are certainly what differentiates this set from all the other ones, however, you could choose to apply the same principles to all the other cards game too.
This set is full of really deep and creative questions too. The fact that’s it’s not a game exclusively designed for couples makes it more versatile.
Click Here to see So Cards
This is a variation of the previous game designed especially for couples to help them boost intimacy and deepen emotional connection in their relationship by getting to know each other better.
This deck is full of deep, heartfelt questions. It’s a perfect date night activity for all those who are ready to venture into vulnerable, emotional topics.
A few of the questions in this deck are known to be a bit touchy for some couples. They might bring up some old problems and even trigger negative feelings.
Tackling difficult topics is always a good thing in relationships though. It’s a great way to break some walls and address unspoken problems.
Much like the regular So cards, this game can be played in all the different modes: Classic, Raffle, Solo, if I were you and Lightning.
This deck contains 56 cards: 47 questions, three non-verbal prompts, one blank card and three instruction cards.
It’s basically a deeper version of the previous game. It’s been designed to make your date night a more vulnerable but also a more memorable experience.
Click Here to see So Cards: More Than Friends
This date night game is a spin-off the old time classic: truth or dare. Just that instead having to choose between two categories, here you have three choices: talk, flirt or dare.
The cards in the talk category contain questions that will test you on how well you know your partner.
The cards in the flirt category are full of playful questions that will make you reveal your sexual desires and preferences.
Dare cards (you might have guessed this one already) contain dares of sexual nature. Nothing too crazy or explicit but definitely fun and flirtatious acts of kindness.
This game is definitely different from all the other ones, it’s much more playful and flirty rather than deep and emotional.
The set contains 150 cards in total (50 cards per category).
What’s really great about this deck is that it’s three games in one. You can just grab the talk deck, if that’s the only part that you feel like doing. Or you might want to choose to use the dare deck only.
The questions and dares in here are not too x-rated, they’re even suitable to be played together with other couples. It’s gotta be played with close friends though…
Click Here to see Talk, Flirt, Dare!
And if you’re looking for ways to really dial up the heat with each other, we’ve got a post on 5 Naughty Card Games for Couples that you’ll definitely want to check out.
The ultimate game for couples is a deck of 200 cards. They are divided into two categories: ‘guess’ and ‘challenge’. The really unique thing about this set is the competitive nature of this game.
It can be played in two modes: you play it just with your partner or you can also team up with your significant other and play against other couples.
It’s a great card game for couples that will make any date night fun. The cards are formulated in a way that lets you and your partner compete on how well you know each other and do lots of funny, almost kid-like challenges.
It’s a great fit for couples who like acting silly and enjoy a bit of competition.
There are no particularly naughty questions or challenges here so it really can be played with a group of friends too.
This card game has a bit of a drinking game vibe to it.
Despite all the playfulness and lightheadedness, it can definitely help you boost intimacy and get to know your partner on a deeper level though.
Click here to see The Ultimate Game for Couples
Deeper connections is another deck of 200 cards with questions. They are divided into four different categories: personal, relationship, miscellaneous and past.
What really sets this set apart from all the other ones is it’s happy, colorful design.
It’s very similar to love language: the card game and the intimacy deck. But it’s a brighter, happier version of the same date night game.
Maybe, it’s just about the color palette of this set, but the whole deck just feels more easygoing and lighthearted. Some of the cards are about topics related to intimacy but nothing too naughty or explicit.
It’s a perfect card game for couples who like keep a more easy going, light hearted vibe on their date night.
There are some funny questions here too. You’re bound to get some good laughs out of this one.
Click here to see Deeper Connections
All of these card games are a great way to feel closer to your partner and get to know them better. They’re all really solid, thought through products.
Some decks are bigger, others are smaller. But, in my experience, the number of questions doesn’t matter that much. Sometimes one card is enough to start off an hour long conversation.
They’re all very similar in price range too, so you should really choose whichever one fits your personal taste and mood the most!
Date night card games do have their limits though, since they’re mostly designed for a one off experience.
If you’re interested in trying out a different approach and learning how to create more lasting changes in your relationship, be sure to check out our popular online course for woman: Rebuild Your Relationship.
Here we’ll teach you how to permanently restore love and connection with your man. You’ll learn why so many couples grow apart over time and what to do to reverse it.
We’ll give you a step by step, easy to follow method you can apply right away to bring him closer and also get more of what you want from him.
Click here to check our Rebuild Your Relationship
Also, in case you have any questions about the games or want to share your personal experiences, let us know in the comments below!
Karolina
by Gabriel Brenner | Aug 19, 2019 | Date & Gift Ideas, Relationships
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for additional info. Photo by Ben White
There are many relationship advice books for couples, some great some not so much.
Over the years, we’ve read plenty of them and we’re highlighting the books we consider to be the 6 BEST!
Meaning, the ones who’s authors clearly had an understanding of relationships, their inner workings and which provided solutions that actually worked for us!
If you feel like you’re not getting what you want from your man. This might be your book.
Let’s imagine a scenario where he totally misses what YOU’RE ACTUALLY NEEDING and does something entirely unrelated.
You just got back home from an exhausting day at work and he tells you that he noticed that the air pressure on your car tires are low, so he leaves you at home, jumps in your car and heads off to the nearest gas station.
There he verifies and adjusts the tires to the exact specifications of your car.
Thirty minutes later, he drives back home and is delighted to tell you
“Baby, your car now has the best possible tracktion on the road.”
Then he’s back to the couch and on his phone, browsing away.
How do you feel about that?
Do you feel loved in this scenario?
I mean it was sweet of him to have made the effort and his concern for your safety on the road can’t be discarded.
But did you really feed LOVED though?
Most likely not.
Why not though?
Well, he’s gone ahead and tried to make you feel appreciated and loved.
But he’s done it in a way that HE WOULD appreciate somebody doing for him.
Because in his world, that is how he feels loved.
In fact, to him, that might even be all that exists!
But what if what YOU WANT is something completely different from him adjusting your tire pressure?
What if his act of service actually makes you feel EVEN LESS understood and alone with yourself?
Maybe, what you actually really want from him, is to spend quality time with you and validate your feelings?
To listen as you talk about your day at work and help make sense of the chaos in your head.
If this were the case, his act of service – as thoughtful as it was – wouldn’t actually be meeting ANY OF YOUR NEEDS.
How crazy is that??
He would be totally missing the point without even realising it!
And this is exactly what this book deals with.
It will help you understand that you likely both have very different “Love Languages”.
That you have different ways in which you’d want to be treated, in order to feel loved.
For him it might be acts of service, for you it might be quality time and him validating your feelings.
After reading this book, we personally gained a whole new perspective on why we were fighting and frustrated.
It also helped us develop a vocabulary to more effectively communicate our needs.
And ultimately finally have our needs met!
Click Here to see 5 Love Languages
Do you know what love really is?
I certainly thought I did.
Hell it was clear as day, nobody needed to explain what love was to me! I felt it, it was intuitive and deep in my bones.
Well, turns out I didn’t have it all figured out.
This book put a question mark over that certainty and made me realise that a lot of what I thought was real love, turned out to be ‘Imitation Love’.
Love that presented itself as real, but at closer inspection turned out NOT TO BE.
I thought that praise, pleasure and safety were what made me feel appreciated and loved.
But nope.
Because these were all forms of imitation love, which ultimately left me longing for more…
Something I couldn’t quite formulate or grasp.
This book captured what that missing thing was:
In order to feel truly loved, I needed to
1. Tell the truth about myself (something that was vulnerable and hella uncomfortable)
2. Be Seen (a loved one would SEE that)
3. Be Accepted (they would not judge it, but accept it)
4. And ONLY THEN did the feeling of being truly LOVED arise.
In other words, you’ll only feel loved when you can present yourself as you are (with all of your wonderful imperfections) and be accepted as such.
The book does a GREAT job of breaking all of this down explaining why it’s so difficult and vulnerable.
BUT that it’s a fundamental necessity to build a loving relationship.
What I really appreciated about it as well, is that the author then goes on to explain HOW to get real love in your life!
I always give bonus points when somebody can not only clearly define the source of a problem, but offer practical solutions!
Otherwise you’re just left feeling stuck and shitty about yourself.
Click Here to see Real Love
Do you feel like your man takes you for granted? That you bend over backwards for him and he doesn’t appreciate or even notice all your crazy efforts?
It’s a pitfall that a lot of women fall into in their relationships.
After all, us girls are expected to be endlessly caring, giving and kind.
I’ve been there too, endlessly giving in the hopes that the person I’m with will reciprocate my efforts. Putting everybody else’s needs above my own.
Do you know where that got me?
It got me nowhere! That attitude left me depressed, disappointed and absolutely exhausted.
If you too feel discouraged and exhausted by all the fruitless efforts you’ve been putting into your relationship, you might need a good “pick me up” book.
‘Why Men Love Bitches’ might just do the trick!
It’s a humorous and captivating relationship book. It dispels the myths about what makes a woman desirable in men’s eyes and teaches that success in love comes not from good looks but from developing the right attitude.
This worldwide bestseller will help you reconnect with your “inner bitch”.
The word bitch here isn’t used in a pejorative way.
The author uses it to describe an empowered and independent woman.
A bitch is kind yet strong. She is confident, she knows what she wants and stands up for herself. She doesn’t suffer in silence, she challenges her man and takes charge.
This relationship book is funny and light. Reading it helped me feel more confident and sure of myself. It encouraged me to take risks and to put myself and my needs first.
Click Here to see Why Men Love Bitches
I got Get The Guy from a friend who was making it out to be full of secret cheats and tricks on how to get men to act the way you want them too.
Sort of like “The Game” but for women.
And that’s partially true…
If you find yourself a bit powerless in your relationship. That your words just don’t land and don’t produce the desired effect with your partner, this book will be a perfect fit!
It sheds a lot of light on male psychology. I will help you understand why your man acts the way he does and what he is thinking.
Get The Guy is written by a guy who has a really good understanding of the drivers and motivations behind men’s choices and behaviors. That’s why it’s so insightful!
Even though the book focuses on dating and early stages of a relationship, I read it in the 4th year of being together with Gabriel and it was very helpful.
That’s because the author Mathew Hussey explains what kind of mindset a woman needs to develop in order to get what she wants from her man.
It’s an easy read that will build you up and give you guidance on how to successfully influence your partner’s behavior without trying to control him.
Click Here to see Get The Guy
Do you ever have those moments, where when you say something to your man in the hopes of being heard and acknowledged, it just seems to go right over his head?
And that no matter how many ways you try to express yourself, it just keeps falling flat?
Which of course leads to an ever growing frustration and eventually apathy towards even trying to communicate anymore?
If yes, then this book can help you just like it helped us dramatically improve our communication!
You see, what we discovered was that communication is actually quite a tricky thing because it’s really easy to get wrong without even realizing it!
The book explains what makes it so difficult:
- We all have emotional needs
- We often unintentionally communicate them in emotionally “violent” ways
- Your partner will go on defence and the argument spirals
- This process repeats itself, which gradually builds a wall between the two of you, which further REDUCES your communication efforts and INCREASES emotional distance.
The author explains how to break this cycle and effectively communicate your needs to your partner so that you FEEL UNDERSTOOD and RECEIVED!
Which in turn will help you get what you NEED from your partner!
What’s great is that you’ll get a lot of predefined sentence structures, which you can fill out and it’ll DRAMATICALLY help you express your needs.
Here’s an example:
“When you [don’t hear what I say], I feel [really frustrated] and what I would really need in this moment, is for you to [truly listen to me]. Are you willing to do that?“
Compare that to:
“You’re always ignoring what I say, you’re so damn frustrating! What the hell is WRONG WITH YOU?! Can’t you just listen for once, uuhhg!!”
I’m sure you’ll agree with me, that the first example will more likely lead to a constructive conversation.
In other words, it helps you tell him what you need without blame, accusations or judgement.
I know that trying to speak within a predefined structure is admittedly awkward and might seem very artificial at first.
But I promise, it actually WORKED for us! And over time, you’ll get better at it and won’t need the support structure because it will become more of an attitude you internalise.
Click Here to see Nonviolent Communication
Now this one’s not everybody’s cup of tea, since questioning parental authority can be a scary thing.
BUT we wanted to highlight it here, since it seriously deepened our understanding of why we struggled with certain aspects of our relationship!
And it gave us new perspectives, which helped make sense of certain emotional matters we outright REFUSED to acknowledge or discuss because they were so threatening to us at the time.
In reading it, we understood that not every daughter has the luck of a loving and supportive mother.
And that this can define and maybe even limit your perception of what love is and how it should look and work in a relationship.
(Yes, even with your man)
In fact, we both realised that there were qualities our mothers lacked, that we would have desperately needed, as we were growing up.
It helped us see that they were NOT PERFECT and had at times been unfair, overly-enmeshing, controlling and even narcissistic.
Even though this process was SUPER SCARY at first.
It helped us unload responsibility that was not ours as children and place healthy boundaries to protect ourselves and our relationship.
This in turn brought us so much CLOSER!
Because we were no longer protecting or justifying unfair behaviours from our mothers.
One of our ongoing messages to women in relationships is, if you are serious about it, you have to PUT YOURSELF and YOUR RELATIONSHIP FIRST!
Yes, EVEN above your relationship with your mother.
Click Here to see Mothers Who Can’t Love
We hope you found these book recommendations helpful!
If you have any questions about these books or we haven’t listed one that really helped you, let us know in the comments section below!
We’re also always eager to hear from you guys!
Best
Karolina & Gabriel
by Karolina Bartnik | Jun 20, 2019 | Date & Gift Ideas
Photo by Briona Baker
1. Do An Archery Parkour Run
If you’ve never tried this one, you’re really gonna love it and it’s not as exhausting as it might sound!
You rent a bow & arrows from the facility and go shoot rubber animals on their grounds.
These grounds are usually in a forest and are a well thought out path, which leads you from one archery challenge to the next.
It’s common to have many 3D rubber animals that you shoot at.
What’s nice about this, is that you don’t rush. It’s super peaceful, with the birds chirping in the trees and little creaks you cross.
Karolina and I had so much fun and it felt like getting in touch with your inner cave-person and going on a “hunt”.
2. Get Your Tan On As A Couple
There’s something so primal and relaxing about just lying in the sun and doing absolutely nothing.
Pack your essentials (towels, sunscreen, and a blanket) and find a nice green spot, preferably near a water source.
Karolina and I like grabbing some grapes, cheese and a baguette to go with it.
After you’ve settled, there’s not much more to it.
Just lie there, relax, soak in the sun and take a refreshing cooling dip when you’re skin’s getting a little toasty.
If you’re concerned about being bored, bring a book along or your favorite tunes.
3. Adopt Some Plants For Your Home
Here’s an unusual one. Yes, go get some lovely plants!
This might not seem like much of a “date” for a couple, but believe you me, this will be a GREAT bonding experience!
Personally, neither of us had much experience with plants, but we thought it was time to have more green in our home.
So we went to our local hardware store that had a garden section and there we discovered countless beautiful plants that we fell in love with!
It was such a pleasure browsing and learning more about the individual plants! (keep your phone handy).
We took it all in and eventually settled on 6 plants (two types of fern, two types of wandering jew, a peace lily and a dumbcane)
Clay pots (cheap and beautiful), fertilizer and some soil, were also on the shopping list.
At home, we repotted the bigger ones and then placed all the plants around our flat to see where they best fit.
You wouldn’t believe just HOW MUCH of a difference it made!
It brought so much life, relaxation and hominess into our lives.
So try this together, because the experience of going into a store full of green, picking 1-2 plants each and repotting at home is unbelievably FUN.
It totally makes for a perfectly unique couple date!
4. A Meal Together With Fresh Local Produce
Sharing food and meals are a cornerstone of how we humans connect.
It’s a very intimate thing in some ways and can be made extra special as a couple.
This isn’t a meal you’re preparing for the sake of eating, think of it as an act of taking care of- and treating yourselves.
A special occasion where you take your time and mindfully pick what the two of you want.
Then find the fresh fruit, vegetables or meat ingredients from a farmers market nearby.
Wash, peel, chop and cook together and balance the responsibilities evenly.
You’re both master chefs here. 😉
This is something Karolina and I like doing time and time again.
To us, it’s not ‘Just another meal.’
It’s a special occasion to listen to each other’s wants and work together on creating something delicious for ourselves.
So happy cooking and bon appetit!
5. Aerial Forest Adventure Park
Yes, this is as awesome as it sounds and is one we highly recommend!
It’s a unique climbing experience among the trees, that you’ll never forget.
You’ll take part in a series of routes along zip lines, that are self-guided and have various challenges at different difficulty levels.
All of this happens amongst the treetops and at the end of a line, you often have a flying fox that takes you all the way back down.
SUPER FUN!
You’ll get a helmet, a harness and two hooks that will keep you totally secured at all times!
This is so fantastic to do as a couple because you’ll need to work together as a team to traverse the obstacles and encourage each other along the way.
6. Walk Along A Creek
Search on google maps for any creeks nearby, this is a perfect date idea if you’re in the mood of being outside, but having cool and ample shade.
Creeks commonly have a lot of green growing on either side and walking along them on either side is SUPER relaxing.
What we enjoy about it, is hearing the constant gentle running of water as you walk and let your minds wander.
From time to time, we then stop by the creek and cool our feet off in the water.
There’s nothing like feeling the cold stones under your feet and spotting fish swim downstream.
7. Join An Outdoor Dance Class
There are lots of local dance events happening in lots of places. We have accidentally stumbled upon a couple of such events just by walking around the city center in Vienna on a summer evening.
I’m sure outdoor dance classes are taking place in your neighborhood too!
Outdoor dance classes are super fun!
First of all, the atmosphere is a lot less formal.
It’s not like a regular class, nobody is teaching you moves and correcting your steps, you just grab your partner’s hand and join the crowd!
Seeing a regular street filled with music and dancing people is just such a great escape from all the seriousness of everyday life. It just creates this atmosphere of fun and celebration!
Once you’ve done your share of dancing, sitting down and observing other couples who are still on the dance floor can be a great entertainment too.
8. Drive Out Of The City On A Starry Night
A lot of us city dwellers don’t get to see the stars very often.
If despite all the light pollution, you can spot some starts in the city night sky, it means the skies are clear that night. It’s a great time to grab a car and drive out into the neighboring countryside to do some stargazing.
You don’t even need to go very far, a 30 min drive is completely sufficient.
Stargazing dates are just one of the most romantic date ideas for couples! All the ambiance, the moonlight and the crickets.
Enjoying the peace and quiet together might make the rest of the world vanish for a moment. It’ll be just you, your partner, the moon and the stars.
Who knows, you might even spot a shooting start, make a wish that will then totally come true.
9. Go Kayaking
Kayaking is a great team building exercise. You’ll have to coordinate with your partner.
No, worries though. It’s quite intuitive and doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.
Whenever Gabriel and I rent a kayak, we always go in a bit of a zig-zag in the beginning. However, half an hour of paddling gives enough practice to have full control of the boat.
Kayaking is a great way to explore places, that aren’t accessible from the land like tiny islands, or wild shores and beaches.
Almost every water basin has a kayak rental place. It’s a great activity for couples to do together at the beach, along a river, or on lakes.
Kayaking on lakes is my personal favorite, it’s easier than the sea (no waves), you can really relax and just explore your surroundings.
10. Watch A Movie At An Outdoor Cinema
The indie film scene is in full swing in the summer, with outdoor screenings happening frequently across cities.
Take the opportunity to try watching something new and different!
Even in the smallest outdoor cinemas, you’ll often find the most common amenities such as popcorn & pop and often even blankets.
Since it can get cold towards the evening.
Plenty of romantic cuddle opportunity here 😉
11. Rent A Boat On A Lake And Go Swimming
With the hot temperatures of the summer, there’s nothing better than being near a freshwater source!
We personally love to prepare a small picnic, take our swimming things and we’re off.
There are usually various boat types you can rent.
Some have a large platform which is perfect for sunbathing. Additionally, they come with ladders.
This makes dipping in and out of the cooling water easier.
If you’re not so much into the whole swimming thing, you can get a low powered electric boat and just cruise along.
Hold hands, take in the sights, the peace and quiet and just relax.
12. Try Your Luck At A Casino
Karolina and I aren’t much of gamblers, but we do enjoy placing a small bet or two every once in a while.
We just get 15$ worth of chips each and play until we’ve made a little more, or until we’ve lost.
Either way, it’s just about having fun and we often win a little and treat ourselves to a movie or a film at the cinema!
If you have a tendency to be a little over-enthusiastic with the spending, feel free to skip this date idea. 😉
13. Go To An Animal Nursery
Animal nurseries are a great place to see wild animals from up close.
It’s a very educative date idea. You and your partner can learn about our impact on ecosystems and animal life.
It’s also a great opportunity for taking pictures with cute wild animals that are recovering there.
Gabriel and I recently went to a sea turtle nursery. It was super interesting to see these fascinating creatures from within a hand’s reach.
While you’re there, you will most likely get a chance to make a small donation to the nursery. A good deed is a great way to end this amazing and cute summer date.
14. Immerse Yourselves At A Renaissance Fair
Ever wonder what life was like when the black plague was still around?
Well, wonder no more!
A renaissance/medieval fair has you covered! With lavish costumes, sets and plenty of fun activities to do.
Karolina and I initially just stumbled into one at -what used to be- an armory near us.
And boy were we underdressed.
Fear not though, it’s not like you have to be in renaissance garb to attend, some folks just enjoy really getting into character.
We discovered many participants run actual businesses based on the time periods!
You’ll find sword smiths, hat makers, tailors, musicians and much more.
There are also plenty of activities you can take part in (including dancing or archery) and events to watch, like lancing and sword fighting!
So it’s bound to make a very exciting couples date and be sure to taste some mead if there happens to be a brewer.
Karolina and I bought a delicious bottle and can highly recommend it.
15. Make Your ‘Date’ Into A Week
If all of the above date ideas, don’t speak to you and feel like they aren’t enough.
Then maybe you need something MORE.
How about turning your ‘date’ into a weeks holiday?
Sometimes you just need to get away and put distance between yourselves and everything.
Karolina and I just couldn’t take the city after a while.
No matter what great dates we had, things were just weighing down on us.
Spending a week at the Canary Islands did the trick for us!
We came back feeling refreshed and energized.
So consider this as an option if nothing else seems to work for you.
Care to share your favorite summer date ideas? Let us know in the comments section below.
We’re always looking to try out new things too!
Karolina & Gabriel
by Karolina Bartnik | Jan 6, 2019 | Date & Gift Ideas
Photo by Matthieu Huang
Winter, the most wonderful time of the year.
Or is it?
When it’s cold and dark outside you and your partner might find yourself stuck on the couch in front of TV more often than you’d like it.
After a while we eventually get bored of all the onscreen entertainment and try figure out something different to do.
These are the best spontaneous winter date ideas we’ve come up with to have some real couple quality time.
All the dates require little to no preparation. Creating this list I focused on all the little things you can just decide to do even on some random weekday evening after work.
I divided the ideas into three categories: “Food and Drinks”, “Outdoor Fun” and “Indoor Fun” to help you browse and find the things you might be currently in the mood for.
Food & Drinks
They say a way to a man’s heart is through their stomach, but the truth is, women enjoy good food just as much as men do. Yummy treats and tasty cocktails are a super easy way to cast away those winter blues.
These are some ideas we’ve tried recently that totally put us in a fun, festive mood:
1. Have Fondue For Dinner
All you need for a fondue dinner is to go to a grocery store, get some fondue cheese, baguette and a bottle of wine. You don’t even need to own a fondue set. Our fondue set takes FOREVER to warm up, so last time we decided that instead of waiting, we’re gonna just use our kitchen stove instead (Everybody knows the real party is always in the kitchen ;)). It was awesome!
2. Share A Grill Platter At Your Local Pub
We love breaking rules. So having a typical summer dish in the middle of the winter tickles our rebellious instincts. It just instantly transfers us into a more energetic, festive mood.
3. Go To A Fancy Cocktail Bar
Have you guys seen the Netflix original “A Verry Murray Xmas”? Sitting at a fancy cocktail bar during Xmas time (with some remixes of the typical Xmas hits playing in the background) made us feel like we’re on the set of that movie. It made that one evening feel pretty special somehow.
4. Make Your Own Mulled Wine
Having a glass of mulled wine at a Christmas market is lots of fun. Making your own wine at home and drinking it while being wrapped in blankets is in my opinion even better. It’s will make the two of you feel so warm and cozy.
5. Treat Each Other To Your Traditional Foods
Even if you and your partner come from similar backgrounds, all families have their own, special traditional Xmas foods. Sharing these treats in a more intimate setting (just the two of you) can be a great way to bond and get to know and understand each other’s past better.
Outdoor Fun
We live in Austria, it gets quite cold here and is often extremely windy, therefore we tend to spend much more time indoors in the winter, than during the rest of the year. These date ideas are for the days on which the weather is not quite as bad. They are perfect for spending an evening or an afternoon in a more active way.
6. Pretend To Be Tourists In Your Own Hometown
All the Xmas lights and decorations make any town or city look and feel so much more magical. Being in a picturesque place and be surrounded by tourists is enough to make you two suddenly feel like you’re on holiday on a regular workday.
7. Ice Skating
Ice skating can be a really lovely way to let out some steam and have some fun after a long tiresome day at work. We tend to prefer doing it in the evening because the setting is just so much more romantic at night. On top of that, ice skating rings tend to be much less busy on weekdays.
8. Winter Walk In The Snow
Going on a walk in the winter wonderland can be the most magical experience. Everything is so white, bright (even when it’s dark) and peaceful. Plus all the snow can provides ample opportunity to nudge somebody into a cushioned poof of white! You can also build a snowperson of any gender(s) or having a classic, playful snowball fight.
9. Play In The Snow As If You Were Kids
Let’s be honest here. Who doesn’t have a little kid living inside of them? No matter your age.
This idea will require more preparation. You better dress up real warm for this one. Putting on your skiing/snowboarding pants might be necessary. Warm and waterproof your clothes can allow you and your loved one to go all nuts and have just as much fun as when you were kids. If you have a little hill and own a sled, be sure to go there for this date.
10. Fly A Drone
This idea might sound a bit unusual. If you happen to own a drone and both of you or one of you is a total newbie, winter is a great time to learn how to fly. Just need to make sure it’s not too windy and your good to go (Don’t forget gloves). The snow will cushion your landing, so you’ll be much less likely to break anything. (Don’t forget some gloves though)
Indoor fun
These are perfect ideas to switch things up and have some fun especially on days when the weather is so bad you don’t want to stay out longer than absolutely necessary.
11. Go To An Arcade
I personally really love playing air hockey. Gabriel and I get so competitive sometimes, we make the puck fly far out of the table. Arcades are just so much fun! They’re a great way to escape the ordinary and feel younger and more energized.
12. Check Out A Virtual Reality Cafe
This is a rather unusual idea that a friend told us about recently. We didn’t even know that a VR cafe existed in our city. It’s a really great way to experience this new tech without having to invest and set up all the equipment yourself. Our VR evening was super fun and exciting! Try google earth, beat sabre, vr painting and if you have time some multiplayer! There’s nothing stranger seeing and hearing each other in virtual reality as alien avatars!
13. Go On A Spontaneous Shopping Spree
We recently spent an afternoon at a mall picking clothes for each other. Both Gabriel and I got to try on clothes we would not have picked ourselves. It was such a great experience because we were both encouraging each other to experiment with new styles and more daring outfits. All that fun lead to some impulsive purchases that we both ended up being happy with. On top of that, you can make the most of those winter sales.
14. Listen To Live Music At A Jazz Bar
There’s nothing like the chill atmosphere at a jazz bar. I personally find it really relaxing. With a little table to ourselves, a few of drinks and a couple of musicians freestyling away. You can just drown out the world and all of it’s worries for an evening and enjoy yourselves in a little festive, safe cocoon.
15. Visit The Hot Pools
Fortunately for us, we live in an area with quite a few hot springs within an hour drive of our place. Warming up in a sauna and then going for a swim in an outdoor hot pool on a cold winter night is very refreshing! It is a great place for relaxing both your bodies and your minds. On top of that, the peace and quiet, starry winter nights, thick clouds of water vapor coming from the outdoor hot pools create the perfect romantic setting.
If you found this article helpful, you might want to save it to pinterest for later or share it on your preferred platform via the social media buttons below. It supports us in creating more exciting content for you!
Did we manage to inspire you to try one of these winter date ideas? What are your personal favorite winter dates? Let us know in a comments bellow.
Karolina
