8 Tips to Spice up Your Date Night ...

Lady Gaga may not be the go-to expert for relationship advice, but she's got this one right. If you've always wanted to learn to dance or if you already know how, what could be better? There's lots of potential for spice when you're spending time pressed up against one another, moving to the rhythm of a song you love. If you decide to take dancing lessons together, then you also have the option of going out to practice what you've learned.

Writing each other love letters before you meet up for a date has lots of potential as well. You can get risque, romantic, or both. However, this is not the only option. You might try passing each other little love notes full of suggestions and flirty message while you're at the movies, having dinner with another couple, or seeing a show together. Anything to heighten the anticipation of getting together at the end of the night is a good thing. Text messaging makes this easy as well – but make sure your phone is on vibrate or silent!

Planning dates around the full moon can be incredibly exciting. Maybe it's just me, but I do often feel friskier and more excited when the moon is full. This option is especially excellent during warmer weather, because you can go skinny dipping or just for moonlit swims. Moonlight strolls are equally romantic, and frankly, there's nothing like stealing kisses beneath a big, bold moon.

Have you ever had a truly perfect date with your partner? It might have been your first date, your third, or your sixteenth. Surprising your partner by recreating your most romantic and/or spiciest dates can really light a spark. You probably shouldn't relive any of your dates more than once though; copying it too often will make it lose some of its luster … unless it was really, really good, of course.

Without planning anything, give your partner a hint about what kind of date you want. In one of the articles I used for research, a woman revealed that she and her husband would use their his-n-her towels as secret messages. On their date night, if he laid out the “her” towel, he intended to orchestrate a date doing some of her favorite things. How sweet!

I'll be honest, whenever I went parking in high school, I knew nothing serious was going to happen because I wasn't ready – but making out sure was a lot of fun! Visiting a lovers' lane when you're older, and parking with your partner, can recreate that thrill and excitement – plus you're free to take it all the way, if you want to! Even if you just steam up the windows a little, you can guarantee that the excitement will linger until later.

Sometimes, when you don't plan anything, you can have the best experiences ever. And sometimes, when you plan things too much, it gets easier and easier to fall into a rut. Every so often, smuggle some spontaneity into your dating life. Don't plan any activities, just see where the evening takes you.

I'm not talking about anything kinky here – although there's nothing wrong with that, and if you're into it, feel free to incorporate that into your date night. Did any of you see Four Christmases? It starts out with Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and Brad/Orlando (Vince Vaughn) in a bar, pretending they've just met for the first time, as Daphne and Kent. This leads to a very special scene in the bar bathroom. That kind of roleplaying can really spice up a date night. It's like playing adult dress up!

You have to keep the passion alive in any relationship, especially if you've been together for a long time. It takes both partners to keep things thrilling and spicy, but it's really not that hard. What do you do to keep the spark thriving? Have any secrets you'd like to share?

Top Photo Credit: lorilea