Tag Archives: dating advice

5 Relationship Draw-Outs To Avoid

Do Not Date These Guys
12 guys you shouldn't date in 2011. Read More »
Dating A Douche?
Thirteen signs that you're dating a douche. Read More »

Draw-out \‘dro\ \’aut\ n. pl draw-outs : An event that prompts you, dear lady, to prolong a relationship you know you ought to end.

If there’s one sure thing besides death and taxes it’s that you, whoever you are, have, at some point in your romantic career, drawn out a relationship longer than was healthy. You’re not to be blamed. It’s a simple law of nature: Relationships never end when they’re supposed to. We all need food and water to survive, we all need a month or two or 20 between that first “Uh oh,” and the final trigger pulling, when we put the stiletto to the metal and fly the coup to Single Land.

But the Draw-Outs … oh, the Draw-Outs. They’re the delightful little excuses that keep us keeping the relationship on. A Draw-Out can be something like, “Oh, it’s Christmas.” Or, “Oh, I’m in a wedding this month.” Or, “Oh, I just endured a phone call with my mother in which she said the word ‘cystic’ and then ‘ovaries.’”

The question, then, is “For how long?” For how long will your Draw-Out keep you in the game? The answer is dependent upon you, of course, and your personal ability to cling. I, for one, am highly clingy. Nay! Expertly clingy. And a gal like me? Well, let’s just say that I can Draw Out these suckers like it’s my job. No one drums up Draw-Outs more absurd, more niche, more pathetically impressive than yours truly. So do I gift unto to you my top five Draw Out greatest hits that you may feel free to avoid. Keep reading »

5 Tips For Meeting Guys Offline

Dating Basics
5 ways to get back to dating basics. Read More »
Meeting Men
The 5 craziest ways that Anna David has met men. Read More »

My track record is as follows: three dates scored with men I’ve met at airports; one date obtained at the ATM; four phone numbers exchanged on the NYC subway; one boyfriend landed at the Apple Store. Also, there was the Trader Joe’s check out boy who showed up on my doorstep with a rose (I invited him over after he bagged my groceries), the spinning instructor whose class I sweated through every Saturday for a year before he asked me out. That was before I dated the dentist from my bootcamp class. And yeah, that guy I met at hot yoga.

The rest of my boyfriends or dates were discovered in more conventional social situations — at parties, events, or through friends. I’ve gone on four online dates in my life. All of which were COMPLETE flops. There was a guy who was obsessed with his cat, one who was in sex therapy, one wanted by the federal government, and one who stalked me. As an online dater, I am failure. I must not “present” well in a virtual setting and I certainly don’t know how to pick ‘em. But offline, I can’t deny I have a certain knack for meeting guys wherever I go. Why is this? I know women more attractive than me who don’t meet men. It’s not really about conventional attractiveness though. Some of my friends have suggested that it’s because of my hair. The wild, curly mane makes me approachable, they say. Maybe so. But I think there’s more to it. After the jump, a few simple tips to meet more men … offline. Keep reading »

5 Ways To Get Back To Dating Basics

Dating Resolution
Ami is going to try making the first move this year. Read More »
Texting Dangers
The dangers of being a flirty texter. Read More »

Recently, I met a guy that I liked at a party. When we were saying our goodbyes, he suggested we continue our conversation. I assumed he meant that we would do this by Facebook or email or text or Gchat — you know, the usual ways I communicate with potential love interests. When he wrote down his phone number and suggested that I call him, my response was, “On the phone?” He laughed. “Yes, on the phone.” My heart began to jackhammer at the mere thought of dialing his number. I couldn’t? Could I? Maybe I could? I felt, well, I felt like I used to feel back in my high school and college days. Back when there was no Facebook or text or email or Gchat and you had to talk to the people you were dating. 

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The Phrase Men Hate To Hear

It’s pretty obvious that men and women communicate differently—that simple fact has been the basis for many a tired sitcom or rom com plot. But the gender divide in communication is an interesting one to explore, especially in terms of relationships. Tokii investigated these differences and found some surprising results (see infographic below) that are worth paying attention to if you’d like to keep your relationship (and your sex life) intact. Yeah, we thought that might grab your attention.

“We need to talk.” We call that the “phrase that launched a thousand breakups.” It’s pretty easy to dread the conversation that follows once someone speaks those four words. Tokii’s results show that 89 percent of men assume the worst when their partner says “Let’s talk,” only 61 percent of women do the same. The takeaway? Find a new way to initiate difficult conversations. Read more …

5 Ways To Change Your Romantic Type

Do Not Date These Guys
12 guys you shouldn't date in 2011. Read More »
Guys To Date
Here are 18 guys you should give a shot in 2012. Read More »
New Year, New You
Everything you need to kick 2012 off right. Read More »

When it comes to men, I have a type. Physically, he’s tall and lean. He’s also the soft-spoken intellectual and creative type. And more often than not, he’s emotionally unavailable and self-absorbed. And yet, I date him over and over again, like a broken record stuck on one false note.

This might be why there’s an entire dating industry geared toward women. And as much as you might want to blame it on “Sex and the City,” the truth of the matter is that many women, myself included, don’t always go for the right type of guy. You may now cue the latest romantic comedy that you don’t want to believe is loosely based on your life. But in honor of New Year, New You Month, it’s time for a change Keep reading »

Dating Don’ts: 5 Online Dating Types To Avoid

Online Dating Lies
The top 10 white lies people tell on their profiles. Read More »
Your Profile Photo
The dos and don'ts of the all-important online dating profile pic. Read More »
How NOT To Kiss
The worst smooches ever. Read More »

Your passive-aggressive aunt bought you a Match.com subscription for Christmas. While your first impulse was to hit her with a brick, you’ve always been curious about online dating. “What the heck?” you figure. “I’ll write an ad and take a look around.” But when you’re on your own in virtual reality, the search for computer-generated love can be daunting. Here are the top online dating types to avoid. Keep reading »

27 Things Guys Said That Totally Turned Us Off

Guys' Pre-Date Nerves
The guys on our IM share! Read More »
Random Turn-Ons
Eight random things that are guaranteed to rile him up. Read More »

Guess who I’m not hopping into to bed with? The guy who just moments ago confessed that his dream in life is to “live in a yurt.” No offense to his dream, but my dream is never to go camping, never to interface with wild animals, and never go without running water or poop in a hole unless emergency dictates it. Just moments earlier, I was digging this fellow and now all I can see when I look at him is a vision of what he will look after a few years in his yurt — a little bit like Tom Hanks in “Castaway.” “No thanks,” says my vagina. After the jump, some things that guys have said to us that killed our attraction to them in two seconds flat. Keep reading »

10 Things Not To Do At Your First Holiday Dinner With His Folks

Whether you’ve been dating for weeks or years, the first holiday meal you spend at his family’s house is unnerving. Hopefully, you’ve met his family before this big day, though maybe you haven’t. Regardless, the premiere Thanksgiving at his parents’ house is an entirely new adventure –who knows what you’re walking into? Each family has its own set of rituals, customs, and holiday expectations, not to mention unique ways of communicating, joking — and making stuffing. Here are 10 tips to help you minimize any potential awkwardness so that you won’t feel like the odd (wo)man out, and can instead focus on the marathon eating. And if you’re a liberal vegetarian and his parents are meat-worshiping Tea Partiers, maybe read this list twice.
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Girl Talk: Dating Isn’t Personal

About seven years ago, when I had just gotten out of two back-to-back, serious relationships, my good friend Sadie* was eager to get me to dip my toe back in the dating pool again. I was 26 years old and single for the first time in many, many years. So, basically, I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I had never really “dated” before.

I’d met my last two boyfriends randomly through friends. I wasn’t looking to meet them, I just did. We got to know each other slowly, there wasn’t any pressure, and I knew they both really cared about me. I thought this was just the way people met; that falling in love was something that happened easily. Looking back, I realize how terribly naive I was.

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Dating Don’ts: How Not To Cancel A Date With Lady

Ask Me Out
Ask us out on a damn date! Read More »
First-Date Fears
Common first date fears you don't really need to worry about. Read More »
No Ghosting
Thou shalt not ghost your love interests. Read More »

I find one of the most stressful parts of dating to be the whole “scheduling” thing. When you’re on the dating scene, one thing you learn very quickly is that every person seems to have a different idea of how dates are made … and broken. Because I am a type A, very busy schedule, everything planned, values manners kind of girl, I get bristly when cancelled on rudely or abruptly. A few weeks ago, a bloke sent me a text two hours before our date saying that he couldn’t meet up because “his friend needed him.” Who even knows what that means? Not that I cared. I was just pissed because I could have gone to yoga and I didn’t have my mat with me! I understand that things come up. I’ve even had to cancel dates myself. But there is a proper way to cancel a date with a lady, especially if you intend to see her again in the future. After the jump, some date canceling etiquette for the kind and conscientious man. Keep reading »