Blog Posts by YourTango.com

They say everything is more relaxed in California. Maybe it's because they have so much sex.With the extreme sexualization of pretty much everything in our culture - from toddlers in beauty pageants to commercials about eating salad - I'd think it's safe to assume that America cares about sex.

But alas, it's true what they say about making assumptions. Thanks to an investigation from Chemistry.com, it was discovered that people in certain geographic areas value sexy time much more than in other regions of the country. Sadly, as someone born in one of these unsexy cities, the odds are not ever in my favor. The dating website took results from more than 10 million surveys and determined which areas felt sex was the most important, and which could seemingly care less.

Here are the top 10 cities that value sex as an essential part of a relationship:

1. Venice, CA
2. Santa Monica, CA
3. Newport Beach, CA
4. West Hollywood, CA
5. West Los Angeles, CA
6. Woodland Hills, CA
7. Miami Beach, FL
8. Redondo Beach, CA
9. Hoboken, NJ
10. San Francisco, CA

For those rough on

A recent survey says singles date more in the spring. So get out there and have some fun!With the scent of spring in the air, single people everywhere are starting to feel a familiar itch. No, it's not allergies - it's the itch of longing for a relationship... or at least someone to go on a hot date with.

Spring is a great time to begin a new relationship. Sparkology, an online dating site for young professionals, recently polled its members and found that 81 percent date more often in the spring. This makes sense. Sure, the chill of winter may have everyone longing for a cuddle buddy, but warmer weather calls for more adventurous dates than your "dinner and a movie" (or dinner and Netflix) standby. Related: 10 Best Spring Date Ideas

So, what should you do to celebrate the season of sunshine and hooking up? Find a date and celebrate, obviously. If you're running short on ideas, here are a few springtime staples to jumpstart your love life.

Eat outdoors. 'Tis the season for picnics in the park, outdoor seating at quaint cafes and plenty of ice cream, so spread out a

What's your condom IQ?No matter what you call them-rubber raincoats, love gloves, etc.-condoms come in pretty handy. Scratch that, they come in incredibly handy. What other piece of latex do you know that helps prevent disease and pregnancy while simultaneously stimulating "for her pleasure"?

The "how to" for condoms seems pretty simple, but as with all sex-related necessities, some complications may arise. Luckily for all of you who didn't get a complete rundown of "Captain Condom" in your high school health class, here are a few must-know facts about those little love gloves to keep your sexual sailing as smooth as possible.

1. Allergies? Psh. Yes, most condoms are made of latex. And yes, some unfortunately-unlucky people are allergic to latex. But such a medical sensitivity does not condemn one to a life of risky sex! Rather, polyurethane and polyisoprene condoms exist as a latex alternative. Plus, condoms made from these materials are thinner than normal, meaning they increase your

Planning a wedding should be fun, don't let it ruin your relationship. You met. You dated. You fell in love. He proposed (or maybe you did!). You started planning a wedding and suddenly found yourself wondering why. Screech! Stop! What!?

As couples plan a wedding, they all too often let the wedding details take precedent over the relationship. Once upon a time, there were dinner dates, texts to say "I love you," and hand holding. But, now, dinner means menu tastings, texts are sent to the wedding planner and hand holding is out of the question. Instead, a bride's hands are full of clipboards, wedding notebooks and smart phones.

A couple's life can be quickly overtaken by the world of weddings. The last thing you want is for one of you to feel neglected while the other feels "he just doesn't care!" Each and every couple needs to make their relationship a priority to avoid feelings of burn out, frustration and exasperation. Take a moment. Take a breath. Take time to make some magic that has nothing to do with wedding planning.

Here are six ways to keep

The key to happiness is conversing with your partner. Recently, Psychological Science published a study saying that people are happier when they spend more time discussing meaningful topics than engaging in small talk. Seventy-nine college students had their conversations recorded and analyzed by researchers, who distinguished between chit-chat about the food or the weather from discussions about philosophy, education, or religion. Subjects who reported the greatest amount of satisfaction spent only 10 percent of their conversation on small talk, while the unhappiest subjects kept 28.3 of their talking time in the shallow end.

Granted, the study is still in its infancy, and researchers have yet to conclude whether people are happy because they can talk deeply, or whether they talk deeply because they are happy. Either way, we started thinking about relationships and how closely we converse with our partners. In an interview with The New York Times, researcher Matthias Mehl said,

"By engaging in meaningful conversations, we manage to