She is back, my darlings! This post is written by a reader-favorite at HoneyGood.com, Guest Contributor, Lisa Copeland. With a few of her suggestions, you’ll be able to light the flame with the right man this summer!
Warmer Weather And Spending Time Together
Summer is just around the corner. Everyone’s starting to head outside to enjoy fun events and the warmer weather, which makes it a perfect setup for you to meet a good man in your local area.
Men are everywhere and these 15 spots are some of my favorites for meeting single men who live near you. The right man this summer could be right around the corner from you! Plus, I also share some tips about how to approach men and what to say to them.
15 Spots To Find Love
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Festivals or outdoor events
Everyone attends events like these to have fun, whether it’s a wine festival, an art show or a concert. Grab a friend so you don’t have to go alone. There are usually lines for everything, which makes conversations even more likely since you can talk about the band, someone’s favorite wine or remark about what a beautiful night it is.
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Dog parks
Borrow a dog from a friend if you have to. Dog people are really friendly! Ask for a vet recommendation or compliment his pup to get the conversation started.
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If you travel to work on public transportation
Look up from your Kindle and check out who might be a potential suitor. First, make eye contact with a man and then smile. An easy ice breaker is to ask what time it is and then compliment his watch, his sweater or his briefcase. Men love compliments as much as you do.
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Restaurant bars
A friend and I went to a local restaurant and sat at the bar for dinner. A man sat next to us who ended up asking me for a date. The interesting thing is, it all started with my friend asking him a question about the salad he was eating.
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Wine shops
Often they have classes and tastings where you’re sitting at tables with other people. Instead of walking to different stations with an empty wine glass, table configurations make it easier to get the conversation going. You can always chat about the wines you’ve been tasting. A tip for entering any venue: when you first walk in, look and see if any of the men attending are sitting alone. If a potential suitor is alone, go up and ask if the seat next to him is taken. One of my clients did this at her local license bureau and ended up meeting her future husband.
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Whole Foods or your local grocery store
Men have to eat and unless their mom still cooks for them, they have to buy food around dinnertime. I see men at the grocery store all the time shopping between 6 and 7 pm. You can always look in his cart and if something looks interesting, certainly you can ask him what he’s making. As an added bonus, maybe you’ll find a man at the grocery store who will cook for you too!
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Singles cruises and resorts
More then ever before, both single men and women are traveling solo. Cruise lines like Celebrity and Norwegian are marketing to singles, creating programs for travelers to mingle with others on board. You also might want to consider resorts or vacation tours. You can ask the planners the average age of who’s traveling so you’re not stuck with lots of kids and families. The secret to meeting men when you’re away from home is to talk to them first. If you wait until they approach you, the vacation might be over.
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Venues that have live music on the weekends
Men will often go and have a drink at the bar while listening to a group that is playing. The best music bets are jazz, blues and good ol’ rock and roll. Between sets, you can chat with the person next to you about the music.
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Starbucks or your favorite local coffee shop
Smile at people when you’re at your local coffee shop. It makes you look happy and approachable. You can also strike up conversations about current events if there is a newspaper lying around as you’re in line, although I’d suggest staying away from politics. The weather is always a good way to get the ball rolling because it’s something everyone experiences or you can tell a man you’d like to try something new. Does he have a recommendation?
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Meetup.com
They have all kinds of local fun activities going on every day of the year. I had a client meet her future husband at a Meetup. She used the flirting skills I taught her and started a conversation with a man she thought seemed interesting. They started as friends and as they got to know each other found attraction and love that’s leading to marriage. Great Meetups for meeting men are social ones like happy hours, dances and hiking groups. The first time is the hardest. It gets easier every time you go.
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Your hair salon
You might laugh at this, but men come in for haircuts and even manicures! I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sat next to a man getting a pedicure without the colorful polish. Tell him he’s brave for coming in and see where that takes you.
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Hardware stores
Home Depot and Lowe’s are popular during the weekends. Men have to go somewhere to buy the materials they need for fixing things in their lives. This is the perfect time to ask them for help picking out the tool for your project around the house. Men love to help you!
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Upscale casinos
These upscale casinos are popping up everywhere and many men enjoy gambling. Hang out near the roulette table or the craps table and be his lucky charm. If the casino is attached to a hotel, sit at the bar with a friend and start talking with men who come in for a drink or dinner. You can always play into his DNA by being a damsel in distress and asking him for gambling tips.
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Major or minor league sporting events
Whew, you can just feel the testosterone in those stadiums! They are everywhere and the cool thing is you already have something in common to talk about: the game you are watching.
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An oldie but good is still meeting men on an online dating site
Men are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s like college was, but here everyone is single and a little bit older. Send interesting men winks or favor them and see what happens!
Push Yourself To Get Out There
You want to be proactive with your love life. Start by writing a list of places in your area to meet the right man this summer and a few things to say to him that get the conversation flowing. Then make sure you get yourself to at least three events or venues every week where you can talk to men. Yes, some will not be single but you can still practice your conversation skills with them. Every time you go out of your comfort zone and talk with men, meeting them in real life will get that much easier. And who knows, you just might meet your Mr. Right.
Lisa Copeland is a leading internationally recognized Love Coach and Dating Expert for women over 50. She inspires and teaches women how to feel confident, empowered and joyful dating after 50. You can get a free copy of her eBook “The 5 Little Known Secrets to Finding a Quality Man” at www.findaqualityman.com. Find Lisa on Facebook & Instagram.
Great suggestions and many of these suggestions are good in general to stay away from loneliness. My mom, well in to her 60’s met a bestie girlfriend in a diner, after chatting for a minute as my mom walked by the ladies’ table. We all need to get out and also look for people who may become friends or acquaintances or to just brighten each other’s days.