Dating Tips | Dating Service.com » Tips and Ideas http://www.dating-service.com/blog Advice and Tips for Online Dating Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:07:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Valentine’s Day – Love it or Hate it? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1248/valentines-day-love-it-or-hate-it/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1248/valentines-day-love-it-or-hate-it/#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:21:41 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1248 Ok, so I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day. I have one of those sappy stories that will make the perpetually single person nauseous. My hubby proposed to me on Valentine’s Day, even though I was deathly ill with the flu and in my flannel pajamas.

However, before I found my soulmate, I spent many a year dreading Valentine’s Day and all the romantic hoopla that went along with it. You see, when you’re unattached and you want to be attached, Valentine’s Day is the loneliest day of the year. (New Year’s Eve comes in a close second.)

So, if you love Valentine’s Day, you obviously have a reason to love it – likely a person who makes you love it, and you don’t need my encouragement. But, if you hate Valentine’s Day, here’s my advice on how to get through the day without hating all of your attached friends.

  • Make plans. Sitting at home on Valentine’s Day only makes it worse. This year, the date falls on a weekday, which makes it a little easier to tolerate, however. But, you should still make it a point to go out and have some fun with a friend. Skip the romantic restaurants that will be filled with couples, and opt for a fun bar, see a movie, go ice skating or go bowling.
  • Eat chocolate. If you love those beautiful heart shaped boxes filled with delicious candies, buy one for yourself. There’s no reason you should miss out on your favorite treats just because you’re single.
  • Be thankful for your life. You’ll never attract someone for next Valentine’s Day if it is your sole focus in life. Enjoy the life you have and be grateful for it. That makes you much more attractive to other people.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1248/valentines-day-love-it-or-hate-it/feed/ 0 Making a Resolution May Help You Find a Mate http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1227/making-a-resolution-may-help-you-find-a-mate/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1227/making-a-resolution-may-help-you-find-a-mate/#comments Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:20:59 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1227 A new study suggests that making dating a New Year’s Resolution may actually improve your chances of finding true love.

According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, making resolutions about how you approach dating and relationships can actually make you more successful at them.

For example, make a resolution to try new avenues for meeting people, such as taking classes or dating online. Or, make a resolution to be open to different types of people than you’ve dated before, such as people who have children or people whose education is very different from yours.

You may also want to make a resolution to stay away from the types of people you’ve dated in the past that haven’t panned out. You know, the bad boy rocker dude who can never commit, or the workaholic who never really has time for a relationship. While you may be attracted to these types initially, it might be time to say you’ve learned your lesson and move on to other types of people.

When you make a decision to change the way you think or act when it comes to dating, you have likely taken the step required to set yourself up for success. There’s an old saying that “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got”. This adage certainly applies to dating. If you haven’t been successful, then it’s time to change your approach – and what better time than the New Year?

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1227/making-a-resolution-may-help-you-find-a-mate/feed/ 0 Holiday Gift Giving for Daters http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1216/holiday-gift-giving-for-daters/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1216/holiday-gift-giving-for-daters/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2010 10:50:31 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1216 Let’s face it; whether you’ve just started dating, or you’ve been married for 10 years, choosing a gift for your significant other will probably be the hardest gift choice of the holiday season. If you’re in a really new relationship, even deciding whether or not to buy a gift can be tricky. Our advice on that one is, if you like the person and see yourself continuing to go out with them; buy a gift. If you don’t like them enough to want to buy them a gift, you probably shouldn’t be seeing them by Christmas anyway. Choosing the gift may be tough. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help choose the right gift:

  • What would he or she like to spend more time doing if they had the time?
  • What would he or she love to have but would never buy for himself/herself?
  • Pay attention to things he or she comments on when you’re out together. It could give you really good ideas.
  • Go places that will help you choose gifts. For instance, take him to a wine or beer tasting; make a mental note about which varieties he likes and come back later and buy some.
  • Talk to her friends. A woman’s girlfriends are usually full of ideas and quite happy to help.
  • Stay away from clothing purchases, especially for women, unless you’re absolutely sure she’ll love it and it will fit. Clothing is the single most returned category of Christmas gift.

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      ]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1216/holiday-gift-giving-for-daters/feed/ 0 December Dating Ideas http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1213/december-dating-ideas/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1213/december-dating-ideas/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2010 10:23:35 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1213 December is a great month for dating. Nearly every city, and even small communities have lots of activities going on that make for fun and often free, dates. And many of the winter activities you can attend are quite romantic. Here are some of our favorites.

      • Holiday Light Displays – Lots of areas have drive through or walk through holiday light displays. If yours doesn’t, find a neighborhood that really does a good job of decorating for the holidays and go for a drive there.
      • Ice Skating – You don’t have to live near Rockefeller Center to have romantic ice skating dates available. Lots of areas, especially where the weather is really cold, have winter skating rinks.
      • Christmas Plays and Pageants – Churches and communities always put on Christmas shows. They can be a fun and inspiring way to spend an evening, just be sure to take your date’s faith into consideration before picking one.
      • Volunteer – Spend a Saturday working with an organization that is helping provide toys or food to needy families during the holiday season. You’ll have fun and feel good about your time spent.
      • Stay home and build a fire. Winter is also the season for hibernating. A warm fire with some hot chocolate and a great old Christmas movie is also a great way to spend a holiday evening.

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      ]]>       http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1213/december-dating-ideas/feed/ 0       Blogging about Your Online Dates – A Good Idea? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/636/blogging-about-your-online-dates-a-good-idea/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/636/blogging-about-your-online-dates-a-good-idea/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:16:54 +0000 Julie http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=636 People blog about everything and everyone it seems these days. From politics to their cats, it seems the blog has become the best way to communicate your feelings about every possible subject – even if no one is listening.

      But with this ability to converse comes a little responsibility – after all, if you’re blogging about your dates, you might end up with unwanted attention and a long line of suitors that might run away before you even meet them.

      If you’re going to discuss your online dates online, you need to know a few things:

      • If you found your date online, they can find you – Don’t think that your blog is as innocent or as private as you might think. Everyone Googles their dates these days.

      • Use pseudonyms – Don’t use your real name or their real names if you’re going to vent about your online dates.

      • Consider keeping your opinion to yourself – While the business of online dating can be quite comical, often it’s better to stick to writing in a tangible journal instead of an online one.

      • Only discuss the ‘bad’ dates – When you limit your talks about the bad dates, you might actually teach your future dates how to behave around you. But saving the good dates will allow your potential long term relationships the opportunity to grow uninterrupted.

      Blogging can be a great way to release stress during the online dating process, but it can also hurt you. When you think about blogging, think about what you want a prospective date to read – because they will find you out. Eventually.

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      ]]>       http://www.dating-service.com/blog/636/blogging-about-your-online-dates-a-good-idea/feed/ 0       Is the Real You Good Enough? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/190/is-the-real-you-good-enough/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/190/is-the-real-you-good-enough/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:01:44 +0000 Julie http://www.dating-service.com/blog/190/is-the-real-you-good-enough/ When it comes to dating, most of us are a little skittish. After all, we’re talking to someone we hardly know and hoping they like who we really are.

      Well, most of us, anyway.

      For the rest of the daters out there, you might not be skittish because you’re projecting a completely different personality than the one you wear during your dating off-hours. Yes, you are faking it during your dates, but it seems to work, so what’s the harm in it?

      Let’s sit down for a moment and think about why being yourself is the best way to date:

      • It’s easier
      • It takes less energy
      • You don’t have to constantly second guess your every word, action, and expression

      When you are just ‘you,’ you get to show your date what they’re in for – like it or not. And would you really want to waste your time with someone who isn’t truly the person they seem to be? No, you’d call them a liar and something that was just trying to get something from you.

      So, why are you doing it too?

      Becoming more comfortable with yourself is not an overnight process, to be sure. But it is something which will help you hook up and match up with a person who likes you for who you are – on the date and down the road.

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      ]]>       http://www.dating-service.com/blog/190/is-the-real-you-good-enough/feed/ 1       Dating While Dieting – A Problem? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/189/dating-while-dieting-a-problem/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/189/dating-while-dieting-a-problem/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:57:50 +0000 Julie http://www.dating-service.com/blog/189/dating-while-dieting-a-problem/ You finally got motivated to lose those last 5 pounds – you didn’t think it was possible before, but now you’re well on your way to shedding the extra weight. You’re feeling terrific…until you get asked out to dinner by the hot guy in your office.

      What do you do? You know he wants to go to that hot new restaurant in town, the one with the 3000 calorie dishes.

      Should you say no?

      No.

      Dieting doesn’t have to take you out of the dating game until you’re hit your goal weight – in fact, why not use it as more inspiration to keep your new figure?

      Here are some tips to dating while dieting:

      • Order smaller dishes – Choose appetizers instead of entrees to help keep your portions small.
      • Eat light during the day – This way, you can afford to eat a little more during your date.
      • Call ahead to see what the restaurant offers – You can check to see what dishes will still work within your diet plan.
      • Start with soup and salad – These are generally lower in calories and they fill you up before a fattening main course, helping to slow down diet damage.

      But in the end, one meal is not going to stop your weight loss. In fact, letting loose once in a while might just keep you on track.

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      ]]>       http://www.dating-service.com/blog/189/dating-while-dieting-a-problem/feed/ 0       Need Halloween Costume Ideas? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/188/need-halloween-costume-ideas/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/188/need-halloween-costume-ideas/#comments Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:40:37 +0000 Julie http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=188 When it’s time to head out for a spooky date on Halloween, you need to match up with your date – especially if you’re going to be going to a party with a contest to win.

      Thankfully, there are plenty of websites dedicated to ideas for couples, but why not turn costume shopping into a date too?

      Head to your local costume shop in the afternoon and start trying on costumes that appeal to the both of you. That way, you can try on even the silly ones to have a fun time without having to spend a cent until you find the costume that works for you.

      You can even ask the clerks to point you to the couples section (every shop should have an area like this). Here, you will find your perfect costume matchup.

      But if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, there’s always the local thrift store.

      Here are some ideas you can take with you:

      • 80′s prom couple – think aqua dressed and thin ties
      • Zombies
      • Nerds

      Think about what might be funny and what might be easy to find. And as you walk around, you’ll probably have even more ideas.

      Halloween is a fun time, so why not share it with a fun date?

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      ]]>       http://www.dating-service.com/blog/188/need-halloween-costume-ideas/feed/ 0       Is Online Dating the Key to Your Inner Vixen? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/186/is-online-dating-the-key-to-your-inner-vixen/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/186/is-online-dating-the-key-to-your-inner-vixen/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:36:51 +0000 Julie http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=186 Just when you thought online dating was dead, another success story emerges. A once shy woman turns into a dating diva – and finds love along the way.

      It’s the new American/Worldwide dream, isn’t it?

      By being able to surf around dating websites and truly learn what parts of yourself are positive and worth mentioning, you can begin to see just what a valuable person you are to your prospective dates.

      Instead of having to hang out at a bar with other women/men who are more attractive than you (or, at least, it seems to be that way), you can go online and be anyone you want. Or you can be exactly who you are, but with more confidence than you might have in person.

      From learning to chat with others online to posting a profile that sings your praises, you can turn a dating slump into a time when your calendar is full.

      If you’ve been feel depressed about your dating mojo, it’s time to start heading online to rediscover the fox you really are.

      Online dating helps you:

      • Be confident
      • Announce your dating preferences
      • Meet people from all over the world

      The odds are stacked in your favor, no matter what dating website you might choose or what networking site you might list yourself on.

      Stop feeling like a dating disaster, and find your inner diva once more!

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      ]]>       http://www.dating-service.com/blog/186/is-online-dating-the-key-to-your-inner-vixen/feed/ 0       Can a Summer Romance be TOO Hot? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/178/can-a-summer-romance-be-too-hot/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/178/can-a-summer-romance-be-too-hot/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:32:34 +0000 Julie http://www.dating-service.com/blog/178/can-a-summer-romance-be-too-hot/ Now that we’re entering the sweltering days of summer, it’s time to rethink your current dating plans.

      After all, it’s a little too hot for the beach and even hotter for that long romantic walk you had planned. So, it’s time to go to Plan B, C, D, E….

      There are plenty of ways to stay cool and have a great time on a date.

      • Go to the movies – Try heading to your local movie theatre for some back to back flicks. Each of you can choose one movie to see and hang out in their air conditioned rec area between the show times.
      • Head to the bookstore – Since bookstores often have much more than just books these days, why not take a date there. Split up to look at things you might want to buy and then find one of those comfy couches to read until the sun goes down.
      • Try the museum – If you’re looking for a little culture, head to the museum. It’s generally free for the regular exhibits and it’s always cool. They also tend to have great eating spaces where you can discuss your favorite artists.
      • Go for a drive – If you one of you owns a convertible or isn’t opposed to renting one for a day, take a drive around the town or to any nearby tourist areas. Sure, gas is pricey these days, but one day on the road might be just the right way to start a relationship. And that’s worth it.

        Dating in the heat doesn’t have to make you sweat!

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