The single life is something we mock. We talk about how horrible it is to celebrate holidays on our own, how terrible it is to walk into a party without a date, and how awful it feels when our families ask us (once again) if we’re ever going to find the right person.

But maybe those already in couples don’t understand.

Being single is an exciting time, a time in which we have more choices, more independence, and perhaps even more fun than when we’re in a couple. We get to learn about ourselves, who we are and what we truly enjoy. This is a time we all should embrace, rather than a time to try to avoid.

Instead of making a New Year’s resolution to find your true love, maybe it’s time to fall in love with your single life first. Not only is it going to help you enjoy the moments you experience now, but you’re also going to be able to embrace that future partner with the confidence of knowing who you really are.

When we simply focus on finding someone else, we can forget to think about what we like, what we want, and who we are. And that’s when we end up in relationships that are unbalanced and just wrong for our needs.

For today, be okay with being single. Be okay with being by yourself. After all, you do have options and you do have a life outside of dating. Don’t you?

Family Couples, Family, Love, Relationships, Single

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.

Tips and Ideas Blogging, Relationships, Stress

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