Like it or not we’re still weeks away from the end of winter. Although picnics and long romantic strolls are out of the picture for a while longer there are plenty of other dates to take to win her over.

Try hot chocolate. There’s even a special trick to this one. When you drink caffeine your body gets a little bit of a buzz. It signals your body to release a number of chemicals. Some of these chemicals make you feel good, some make your heart rate pick up, they make your pupils get bigger and your muscles tighten up. The brain needs a way to explain all these changes. If you’re running from a ragging bull – boom – there’s your explanation, you’re afraid. But if you’re sitting across from a cute date your brain’s explanation is, wow I must really like this person. The fancy word for all of this is misattribution of arousal, if you feel like getting technical. But the basics are make her feel excited and there’s a chance she’ll think it’s you that excites her.

Admittedly, it’s a little sneaky, but it’s worth it to have an ace up your sleeve when it’s so cold outside. It also works a bit better with coffee since this contains a higher caffeine content, but if you’re not used to coffee you could wind up looking like a lunatic and talking a mile-a-minute from your caffeine jitters. Make a day out of it by going ice skating together before or afterwards and get ready for this budding relationship to last well into the warmer months.

Bottoms up!