Every girl needs to have a few excuses ready to go in case she changes her mind about a date. Sure, you can just be a straight-shooter, but what if you don’t want to hurt his feelings? What do you do if you want to go out with him again, just not tonight? What if the real reason that you can’t go is too unbearable to leave your lips? A little white lie never hurt anyone, and a few of them can definitely help you cancel a date in only five minutes or less without ruining the future of your relationship potential.

1. Give no excuse. Just ask to reschedule nicely.
No guy likes to have an anticipated date canceled, especially not last minute. Sometimes, it is effective to remain mysterious and stingy on the details, leaving him curious about your reason for ditching him. Is there someone else? Did you change your mind about him? Do you have something more important that you’d rather be doing with your time?

2. Tell him you accidentally double-booked.
While men do not like women who play games, they are competitive by nature. If you tell him that you said yes to the date without checking your schedule, it will make you a hot commodity. Canceling your date will let him know that there is competition for your attention. It does not matter whether it is from a good friend or a love interest.

3. You don’t own a cell phone, your watch’s battery died, and you had no idea what time it was. Rain check!
Most people own cell phones, so when a woman claims to not have one, it will intrigue her prospective love interest and cause him to take a double take on the woman who he would like to date—in a good way. She will seem different, and he will start to wonder about her hobbies, likes and dislikes. For example, does she read hardcover books vs. kindle-formatted books? Also, how many women still wear watches?

4. One of your friends just went into labor!
There’s no way a guy can get mad about your friend going into labor. Babies trump dates. Just never tell him your friend’s name because he might bring it up later in conversation. For the best results, keep this excuse short and sweet. After all, you have a hospital to get to pronto!

5. Your grandma is sick, and you have to stay in with her for the night.
Blame it on your grandmother’s health. There’s not much he has say about your grandma without coming off as a total jerk. He can’t insist that you blow her off or try to bargain with you. Just make sure that your grandmother lives locally to cover all of your bases in the future.

6. You have a work deadline that you overlooked in your calendar, and it needs to get done as soon as possible!
Be the ambitious career woman who puts herself first before any man. This attitude may sound conceited and self-absorbed, but men really dig confident women who know what they want. This little setback will only make a man want you more.

7. You’re really sick and don’t look or feel your best for a date.
Avoid putting on your “work call-out” sick voice with the extra cough to seal the deal. A fake sick voice will only make the situation more dramatic than it needs to be. Keep your voice low and just tell him that you are feeling under the weather. Say that you were looking forward to getting to know him more, but hopefully you guys can still do that another night. If he asks you what is wrong, tell him that you have a touch of the flu and refrain from going into details.

Canceling a date can be tricky. There is no right way to cancel. The only guide that you have is your desired outcome. If you don’t care to speak to the person again, you obviously don’t have to pay too much attention to what you will say to him. If you would like reschedule the date, extra measures have to take place. Whatever you do, always say it with a smile. Put a smiley face via text messaging, and most men will be less reluctant to blow you off for the next woman.

Dating Essentials Excuses, First Dates

So you’re finally ready to go on that first date, complete with your newly purchased outfit and perfectly coiffed hair. Your heart is likely aflutter with excitement! Now make the most of your new dating opportunity by impressing your guy. It’s best to be yourself in a relationship, but a first date is the time to show off your very best qualities and make a good impression. Avoid being these gals on your first date, and you’ll have a much better shot at that second date.

Meager Bird
This just in: men are becoming wise to the fact that women also need to eat to stay alive. The secret is out; eating two grapes and some lettuce without dressing is not nearly enough to provide the proper nutrition you need to sustain a healthy body. Nevertheless, women often order the most meager selection on the menu for their first date. Contrary to popular belief, this actually makes many men uncomfortable, feeling self-conscious about what they have ordered and wondering if it’s perceived as too much. This doesn’t mean you need to order the biggest steak and potato dinner on the menu, but at least order something you actually enjoy. Your date will notice you enjoying your dinner, and will likely feel you are a confident woman who can order and eat whatever she wants, whether you are a size 2 or 22.

Chatty Cathy
Women have a natural tendency to talk far more than men, and this is only magnified on the first date because of nerves. Because men process information more quietly, they need a break from all the chatter to digest what you are saying. So before your first date, practice allowing moments of silence in your conversations, so you are not perceived as a Chatty Cathy, which can be overwhelming to a man. Practicing these moments of silence and then using this skill on your date may even result in your date taking the opportunity to talk more!

The Princess
So maybe your food is not perfectly prepared, or it’s too humid outside which makes your hair horrible, or perhaps your feet hurt from the four-inch heels you are wearing. Your first date is not the time to complain about every single thing that bothers you slightly. Instead of focusing on the things about your day or week or year that have gone wrong, focus on all those things that have gone wonderfully, and mention those things to your date instead of complaining. Making a list beforehand will do wonders in helping you prepare, so you don’t come off as The Princess to your date.

With a little preparation before your first date, you will be ready to avoid being these types that send your brand new guy running for the door, and it may even lead to another date and another down the line.

Dating Essentials Chat, First Dates, Women

When we meet someone we really like, the focus is often on getting a first date. Once you go on that date, the relationship either goes further or it usually ends pretty abruptly. So, how do you handle a first date in order to make it more likely you’ll get a second? Here are seven things you should do if you’re really interested in getting that second date.

• Plan something to do – A first date activity makes both of you feel comfortable and gives you an automatic topic of conversation. Skip the cocktails idea for something more engaging.
• Don’t expect too much – This date should be about getting to know each other and nothing more.
• Be yourself – Don’t try to impress your date. Just look for common ground and enjoy yourself.
• Keep it short – It’s much better to have a short first date that leaves both of you more interested, than to have such a long evening that you run out of things to say.
• If you’re interested, let them know – If you had a good time and would like to see them again, say so. Just don’t be a clingon.
• Nothing more than a kiss. No matter how much fun you both had, anything more physical than a kiss risks putting the other person off.
• Ask them out. Don’t assume that the other person will take the lead. If you want to go out again, and you’re pretty sure the other person had a good time, too, it’s ok to ask at the end of the date. Or, call in a day or two.

Getting a second date should only be your goal, of course, if you really see a connection that at least leads you to believe that you’d have fun again. But, if you see that connection; don’t hesitate.

Dating Essentials First Dates, Relationships, Self Confidence