Valentine's Day Idea - The Del

It's that time of year again and I'm happy to dish out some romantic ideas between now and the big day - Valentine's Day. No, not the SUPERBOWL, fellas...which is actually a bigger day in my world as well.

That's S'more` at Hotel Del

One of my favorite places in town The Hotel Del Coronado has some wonderful specials going on right now. My personal favorite is "That's S'more`"which includes a couples massage followed by a private bonfire on the beach with champagne and s'mores. And what girl doesn't love being indulged - massage, romantic fire, bubbly and chocolate, does it get any better than this?

Sunset at the Hotel Del Coronado taken by your's truly

And I personally have visited the Spa at the Del and can tell you the service is amazing, the view is spectacular and when not receiving one of their wonderful treatments you can lounge by the spa's private pool or relax in the hot tub. It is truly nirvana. You probably won't want the day to end so just go ahead and book one of the hotel's romance packages and stay the weekend.  My pick to compliment this wonderful day would be "A Night of Romance" which includes breakfast for two, a dozen roses, champagne, strawberries and valet parking.  A weekend she will remember forever and the Del does all of the work for you!

Foot Pop

I recently watched "The Princess Diaries" with Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway (the movie that actually make Anne Hathaway famous) and until now, a secret guilty pleasure. It's a wonderful little flick about a 15 year old girl who finds out that she's a princess and her transformation from tomboy to princess and from girl to woman.  She coins a term in it that I love! The "foot pop" - when a kiss that's so good, your foot just naturally pops up in the air. 

Sometimes its hard to get excited to go out on dates with new people.  There's the pressure...what if we have nothing in common, what if I like him and he doesn't like me, what if she's completely insane. The list of "what ifs" of all of thie things that could go wrong is incredibly long.  So why do we keep doing it? What gets you out the door for the next one? Because there is there is the biggest "what if" of all. What if this is the last first date I ever go on?  

I would like to offer one more bit of optimism - what if, on your first kiss, your foot pops?

$20 for $50 worth of Dating - Acceptable or No?

A few years ago a bunch of girlfriends and I were having dinner at Indigo Grill and the conversation I remember most was one that has sparked many a heated debate since - is it OK to use a coupon on a date?

My answer: Absolutely not on the first date! However, there are tactful ways to do it from the second date and on (although, truthfully, I would wait for at least date three).

Groupon has done a lot to change the perception of coupons and make it much more socially acceptable. Thanks to what they've coined, "collective buying power".  And thanks to a dozen or more copy cats you can find something fun, exciting and affordable to do almost any night of the week!

Sites to check out -

Groupon
Living Social
Local Twist
DiscoverSD
SignonSanDiego's Daily Deal
San Diego Magazine's Deals & Steals

How do you broach the subject with your date - tactfully? My suggestion would be to casually mention that you grabbed the latest deal and see if she has any interest in checking out this new restaurant, gondola ride, art museum, hot air ballon ride, etc.

Depending on how adventurous your date is you may want to scope out your plan prior to the actual date...We all know how Date Night's can go awry.

International Love - Delivered.

This morning I caught a segment on The Today Show, "From Russia with Love" and was reminded of my neighbor growing up, Sam.  Sam had two teenage daughters when I was in grade school and we had a party line (multiple families shared one phone line and yes, I grew up in a really small town). This worked out great for me because it was a constant source of entertainment - I was really good at eavesdropping. The sad part was there was always something going on in that house, because Sam could not keep a wife to save his life. Life was so chaotic in his house the cat walked a mile down the road and moved in with us.

That is until Sam met his Russian bride.  This was clearly pre-internet and "mail order" was right. To his credit, it worked. Sam never divorced again and boy did he give fodder for my eavesdropping!

I'm aware that the dating industry is booming amid tough economic times but what I was unaware of is that this particular portion of the industry has more than doubled in the last decade.  Code name "international matchmaking". And so the debate begins - is this human trafficking as some would call it or is really just expanding the horizons of sites like Match.com? Both industries appeal to a similar client - men who might otherwise have trouble meeting women. And the appeal to women - perhaps the unfavorable female to male ratio in some Eastern European counties, the chance to come to the US or a wealthy lifestyle.  But if you read their testimonials they are simply looking for love, just like the rest of us.

And who am I to judge? The path to finding love is not always an easy one!  But buyer beware - there are scams galore.  Between hidden fees and the safety concerns alone this is not an option to take lightly. Not to mention you might want to check the return policy :)