Sarah Cook

After that exciting honeymoon period sadly winds down, it can be a bit difficult to keep the spark ignited in your relationship. Luckily, you live in Chicago, where there are plenty of tantalizing things to do. Here are a few ideas for keeping your relationship hot and heavy long after it begins.  Conquer a fear together: Afraid of something? Everyone is. How about conquering that fear with someone you love? Grab cocktails at the Signature Room in the John Hancock Center, and get buzzed enough to make 360 Chicago's Tilt attraction feel like a walk in the park. Take a cute class together: Coursehorse, a great site that allows you to look up classes based on your interests, is filled with interesting date ideas. Show your significant other that you care and have been listening to what they are saying their hobbies are by picking out a fun class. Be a tourist in your own city together: Haven’t been to the Bean? Haven’t made it to see Sue at the Field Museum? Is there a neighborhood or a place that you have always wanted to explore? Heading to a tourist-filled location that you've never visited can be a great way to spice things up. Make a list of kitschy places that you want to explore and have an adventurous day indulging in both of your interests. Join a meetup group: Meetups can be a perfect way to broaden your free or cheap event horizons. If you're sick of the same old routine and can’t find anything fun to do with your significant other, Meetup could be your new best frien

Think dating in Chicago is a breeze? Think again. Whether you'd like to admit it yourself or not, there are certain things that are considered serious deal breakers in the Chicago dating realm. Check out the list below to see if you've ever unknowingly (or, let's face it, knowingly) ended things because of these deal breakers. 1. In order to go to their place, you have to take a train, a bus and another bus Why should you have to walk alone on a dark street to get to your date's apartment? Talk about needing some city funding for lights. It's not that you don't want to make the trek. Except in reality, you really don't. Also, why do bus and train schedules never seem to overlap? 2. When they tell you they live in Chicago, but it's actually "the burbs" Chicago and the suburbs are not synonymous. When a potential date tells me they live outside of the city, I wonder whether they live with their parents or if they've preemptively bought our future home. The pressure from either of these scenarios just causes me to move on. It's sad to say, but dating in Chicago is all about "location, location, location." 3. They're a Packers fan I don't think I need to explain this one. If they root for that team in Wisconsin, they need to be cut out of your life. 4. When they take you to a Cubs game and they want a pretzel and craft beer Come on, it's baseball. Order a couple of hot dogs and Old Styles, the best way to watch the game. 5. They take you on a first date to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba I've