Valentine’s Day is about a month away so it’s about time to start planning for the day dedicated to love. If you’re not so hot in the kitchen, or would rather leave it up to someone else, here’s a list of five great restaurants in and around Philly to celebrate the holiday with your sweetheart.

Bistro Romano will be serving their regular menu as well as Valentine’s Day themed dishes including heart ravioli, lobster, Cupid’s crab cake, cherubs chop, perky pasta fagioli, and seductive swordfish. Call 215-925-8880 for reservations.  They are located at 120 Lombard Street in Philadelphia.

Bliss  has a contemporary cuisine and many options for a romantic dinner.  In addition to their regular menu they’re offering a four-course Valentine special with a glass of champagne for $45 or a five-course menu that includes a glass of champagne and Bliss’s signature black pasta and lobster. Reservations are going fast so call 215-731-1100. Bliss is located at 220 South Broad Street in Philadelphia.

The new Bonefish Grill in Newtown Square is offering indulgent specials for a steamy Valentine’s dinner including a free Lindt chocolate bar on February 14^th. Call 610-355-1784 for reservations. Bonefish Grill is located at 4889 West Chester Pike in Newtown Square.

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From blowouts to poofs, you’d think the world has seen enough of the juicy fashion coming from New Jersey. It’s not “Juicy Couture”, or Jersey Shore , but the newest reality series from the Garden State is Oxygen’s newest reality show “Jersey Couture.”

The new fashion-based series features a dress shop in Freehold, New Jersey called Diane & Co. that will share their dirty fashion ideas with the world. The store creates dresses from designers to help young girls and women with events from proms to weddings with a garauntee that no other girl will be able to buy the same style.

With all the face painting and tanning it takes just to hit the clubs and boardwalk at the Jersey Shore, we can only imagine what goes into their event planning. In my opinion, Jersey Shore is all I can handle, but it could be funny to see someone like Snooki get ready for the prom. Do you think “Jersey Couture” is fist pump worthy?

One of the hottest new ways to have fun and get in shape is by pole dancing. Women of all shapes and sizes are welcome to learn sexy and strenuous ways to strengthen and tone their bodies at Platinum Dance Studio.

 Learn to pole dance tonight, Tuesday January 12^th from 6:30-9:30pm. Platinum Dance Studio’s mission is to “remind women to explore sensuality and help re-ignite their passion.” The studio is located at 4529 Germantown Ave on the third floor and provides a fun, safe, and encouraging environment to expand your fitness horizons. View the schedule or contact the studio at 267-582-3778.

It’s been one week since the New Year’s resolutions were made and for most people that means about one more week until they go back to their old ways. Instead of resolutions and unrealistic expectations, it’s smarter and more beneficial to make simple goals to keep with you all year. I’ve made a list of some goals that men and women can easily keep in mind each day and examples of how to go about meeting those goals.

1. Get enough sleep. You might like to stay up and watch Family Guy or stay out for one more drink with your friends at the bar, but you will notice a nice change in your energy and concentration by making sure you get a full six to eight hours of sleep each night. Reading helps me fall asleep and there is a book to help you get better sleep called  Ten Natural Ways to a Good Night's Sleep.

2. Expand your style horizons.  If you’re tired of wearing the same colors or wearing your hair that same old way, it won’t hurt to take some risks and make a few changes. For ladies, try highlighting or coloring your hair with Clairol Hairpainting Radiant, Natural Looking Highlights. Guys try a new stylish jacket like the G by GUESS Bronx Hooded Cross Jacket. Small and fun changes will reinforce your fresh attitude.

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Drinker's Pub wants to get you past the mid-week hump with drink specials including $2 Lions Head drafts, $5 Lions Head pitchers, and $3 Three Olives drinks all from 7-9pm.

Located right in center city on Chestnut Street, Drinker's Pub welcomes you with a warm ambience with nostalgic Elvis memorabilia and juke box. Sports fans make great use of the flat screen plasma TVs and games. Speaking of sports, the Flyers are playing tonight and that means $1.00 tacos and hot dogs.

Visit Drinker's Pub

It’s a new year and Valentine’s Day is approaching so it’s time to add fresh ideas into your boring and nerve-racking dating approach. Just relax and have fun and your date will feel comfortable and interested. If you have no idea what to do on a date, but you know you don’t want to over-do-it, here are a few ideas that are fun and easy.

1.       Go bowling at North Bowl.  The 21,000-square-foot nightlife haven has retro benches from bowling allies of the ‘50s, a swanky bar and glass enclosed pod overlooking the lanes from the lounge. Bowl, eat, and enjoy a few cocktails. Score on a first date while being respectful.

2.       Visit Tria Cafe, the specialty beerhouse. This café serves cheese, wine, and beer crafted by passionate people. Thanks to a plethora of candles, Tria is a great place for intimate get-to-know-you conversation. If you aren’t a wine, cheese, and beer connoisseur, no worries. The friendly and knowledgeable staff will guide you through this unique experience.

3.       Fool around at Dave and Busters. Eat, drink, and play at the only restaurant serving anything from wings to New York Strips, a bar with the best happy hour, complete with interactive video games.

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Two of the biggest holidays of the winter have passed and up next is Valentine’s Day. If you don’t have a date and have joined the latest trend in looking for love, you may have signed up for an online dating website. If you haven’t had any luck, there are a few simple changes you can make that could help you find a mate in time for the holiday of love. Evan Marc Katz, “Your Personal Trainer For Love,” has four tips for improving your average online dating profile.

1. Tell stories instead of listing adjectives. Everyone and their mom thinks they are kind, caring, and fun-loving, so be a bit more unique when describing yourself. The dating coach suggests telling stories to illustrate personality traits. For example, you could tell that you are intelligent by saying something along the lines of, “I could answer all the science and nature questions on Trivial Pursuit." That is more specific and interesting than simply saying, “I am smart.”

2. Focus your photos on you. Outdated or misleading photos are the reason many people are skeptical about finding love online. We don’t want to meet your aunt or your cat just yet, so have a friend take a few close-ups of just you.

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The cold seems to go to some people's brains when it comes getting dressed in the winter months. Some choose to brave the cold in the name of fashion, while others go a bit over the top in order to keep warm. From skirts paired with Ugg boots, to hot pink zebra striped leggings, we've seen many interesting style choices that unfortunately creep back in with Jack Frost each winter.

Taylor Momsen, who played Cindy Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," was seen sporting a pantsless look with garters in New York on the way to the set of "Gossip Girl." This is a far cry from the adorable snow-people look of Who-Ville.

On the opposite of the winter wardrobe spectrum is Pixie Geldof, who was captured in London in what appears to be her return from hybernation. She decided to keep warm with an oversized furry coat. It wouldn't be a surprise if her stylist was Sully, the big furry monster from "Monsters Inc."

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There are many year end lists floating around and this one will take you away from your daily tasks too but at least you'll get a laugh out of it. I've compiled my top 5 SNL shorts of 2009.

5. Shy Ronnie

4. Update: Snookie

3. Immigrant Tale

2. The Lawrence Welk Show

1. MotherLover

 What are your favorites?

The year of 2009 is still sqeezing out not-so-shocking news that seems pointless yet entertaining. The ugly truth is that a recent survey shows that more women would prefer to look like Kate Winslet than Victoria Beckham, and over a quarter of a million women in another survey said that fitting into an old pair of jeans would feel better than sex.

In a recent poll of 2,000 British women, conducted by weight-loss company Slimming World, Kate Winslet came out on top with 16% as the star whos figure was "most desired." Some say that it shows a positive shift in the ideal body type, while others are saying that it is still unhealthy because women are continuing to compare their bodies to that of a celebrity.

Another Survey showed that 28.9% of women said that fitting into an old pair of jeans would feel better than a promotion and even a marriage proposal. A ring on your finger, or that old pair of jeans fitting over your ass? Take off the jeans and get busy.

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