Thanksgiving is upon us, and this time of year can be a little tricky if you’re seeing someone new. Some people tend to avoid inviting their new flame to any personal or family events for fear of overwhelming them or of implying an intimacy that they may not yet feel. Yet, even at the earliest stages of dating, it’s hard to let Thanksgiving pass by unremarked. Here are some ways to enjoy November even if you’re not ready to take your new flame to a huge Thanksgiving celebration.

• Cook a traditional dinner before or after the holiday. If you’re a whiz in the kitchen, whip up a holiday dinner before or after the holiday to share with your new love interest. You may not choose to include all the fixings, and you may not even choose to cook a turkey. But a nice home cooked dinner together as your own Thanksgiving celebration is nice. It might be fun to cook it together, too.
• Consider a more laid back “fall” date. Enjoy a drive in the country to take in the fall color or go on a fall hayride with a group.
• Build a fire in the fireplace and watch a great classic movie together, complete with some pumpkin pie and apple cider.
• Eat Thanksgiving dinner together with a group of friends. If neither of you are planning to visit relatives for Thanksgiving, spending the day together is far less stressful. Consider hosting or attending a Thanksgiving dinner for friends instead with your new love interest. If no one wants to host, remember that lots of restaurants offer a traditional Thanksgiving buffet that requires no work at all.

There’s no reason to be stressed out about how to appropriately share the holidays with a new flame. Just take some time to plan ahead and you’re sure to both enjoy the holidays stress free.

Family Date Ideas, Food, Holidays, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here already, reminding us to cherish the things we have in our lives as well as the people we have in our lives. It’s a time to gather with family and friends, eat, and simply be merry.

So, where does that leave your new relationship?

Typically, this is the point of the year where couples bring home their significant others to meet the folks. And as a result, it’s a tense time of year, filled with arguing, discomfort, and often post-turkey breakups.

To avoid this kind of mood killer for your holiday, you have a few options.

• Go for it – That’s right, take your new online date to the table for turkey dinner. After all, you have a great story about how you met, assuming the dating site isn’t anything too risque.
• Go for part of it – If your family can handle it, take your date over for just a dessert plate. This way, your date will be able to meet everyone, without it being a full dinner situation.
• Go separately – If the relationship is still a little new, simply go your separate ways on this special day and commit to seeing and meeting the families at the next major holiday. No pressure, no tension – just more time to see if this person is truly someone you want to bring home.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Conversation Topics, Family Family, Food, Friends, Holidays, Relationships

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.

Tips and Ideas Dieting, Figure, Food, Weight