• dating donts

Dating Don’ts: The 5-Minute Rule

Beth AmesJune 27, 2012 //
Dating Don'ts: Morning
Don't screw everything up the morning after. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Vag Killers
These things kill a vagina. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Negging
Just say no to negging! Read More »

I am officially, unofficially implementing a new rule for coupled people everywhere. Please, please, please if you are spoken for, you must mention it within five minutes of having a flirty conversation with me. I am forever meeting men in social situations (I’m sure ladies do this too, so feel free to chime in guys) who will sit and talk to me for 15 minutes, half hour, sometimes even longer, will go so far as to get my number or give me theirs and wait until the very last second that we’re saying good bye to inform me that they are in a relationship or even married. On occasion, these guys have neglected to mention said girlfriend/fianceé/ wife until our first — what I believed to be — date! Come on now, people! Not cool. Keep reading »

Dating Don’ts: 7 Ways You Can Blow It The Morning After

Ami AngelowiczJune 19, 2012 //
Dating Don'ts: Bad Partner
Here are some signs that he'll be a crappy partner. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Vagina Killers
These things kill a vagina. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Criticism
It's time to put a moratorium on beating yourself up. Read More »

Dear guys and gals. Sometimes we get so focused on the night of our date that we forget about the morning after. Don’t do that. Yes, it’s still important to make sure that your date goes well enough to hit a home run, but don’t start celebrating until you’ve successfully crossed home base … waking up next to that person in broad daylight. I think of this moment as the true test of how well the date went. The worst, very worst, thing to feel in that moment is that you’ve made a grave mistake. That the charming, kind and sexy man who wooed and wowed the previous evening no longer exists. In his place is this naked, grunting cretin who makes you feel nothing more than the urge to wash your sheets. After the jump, a few things to keep in mind the morning after. That is, if you hope for a repeat performance. Keep reading »

Dating Don’ts: 13 Signs That He’ll Be A Bad Partner

Ami AngelowiczJune 5, 2012 //
Reasons To Watch
Five reasons we're excited about Season 2 of "Love In The Wild." Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Negging
Just say no to negging! Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Criticism
It's time to put a moratorium on beating yourself up. Read More »

If there’s any deeper message to be extracted from “Love In The Wild,” which premieres tonight 9/8c on NBC, it’s that you don’t want to get stuck in a snake pit with a crap ass partner. Teamwork is key on the dating competition show, in which single men and women pair off into couples and compete for a trip around the world – finding a partner that can be trusted to be loyal is the best chance they have to at achieving victory in the end (and finding love to boot). The same can be said of long-term relationships in the real world. The nice thing about competing in life-threatening challenges is that a person reveals their true colors right away. These things are not quite as easy to discern at a wine bar as they are when bungee jumping off a mountain. But there are clues that you can pay attention to that will let you know if he’s the kind of guy you’d want to go kayaking through the rain forest with … or endure a weekend at his parents’ together. Equally as dangerous! After the jump, some signs that he won’t be a great partner — “Love in the Wild” contestants, take notes! Keep reading »

Dating Don’ts: 13 Vagina Killers

Ami AngelowiczMay 30, 2012 //
Dating Don'ts: Criticism
It's time to put a moratorium on beating yourself up. Read More »
Second Date Moves
These moves will probably land you a second date. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: In Bed
Never say these things to a man in bed. Read More »

Vagina Killer (vah-ji´nah kil′ər) noun: 1. The thing that an otherwise acceptable man can do or say on a date to ensure that he will never get into your pants. Ever.

Vagina killers will stop the mojo of any good date dead in its tracks. For example, say you’re on a date with a perfectly charming, perfectly smart, perfectly handsome, perfectly eligible man. Ah, you think. A normal man at last. A good conversation. A nice dinner. Things are going well! And then he drops the one bomb that will ensure your vagina is closed for business to him for all eternity. Like he tells you that all he needs in his life is his cat; in fact, they are best friends and they do everything together. For a non-allergic cat lover, that might be a vagina awakener, but for me, a very allergic, non-cat loving person: vagina DOA. I’m sorry, Guy — you were in the running before you KILLED MY VAGINA.The point being, vagina killers are very personal and specific, but we all have them. Remember, your goal is to keep that vagina alive so you can meet her in person! After the jump, some more deadly vagina killers to avoid at all costs. Please share yours in the comments.

Keep reading »

5 Ways To Screw Up The First Date Before It Happens

Diana VilibertMay 25, 2012 //
Dating Don'ts: Negging
Just say no to negging! Read More »
Dating Don'ts: In Bed
Never say these things to a man in bed. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Criticism
It's time to put a moratorium on beating yourself up. Read More »

You meet online. You have the same favorite book and it’s not The Fountainhead. You exchange emails multiple times a day and bond over your mutual love of cats, Frasier, and pretending you like to spend Sunday in bed with the New York Times crossword puzzle. It’s meant to be! The first date is around the corner. You’re bringing your lucky socks to the laundromat when…oops, you screw it up. They cancel the first date and now you’re dead to them. You spend Saturday night with your cat and a Frasier marathon. You use your Sunday crossword puzzle to line the litter box and spend the morning in bed, hugging your body pillow. Where did you go wrong? You may have made one of the following pre-first-date faux pas… Keep reading »

Dating Don’ts: Putting A Moratorium On Beating Yourself Up

Jennifer GaramMay 15, 2012 //
Dating Don'ts: Negging
Just say no to negging! Read More »
Dating Don'ts: In Bed
Never say these things to a man in bed. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: Ghosting
Thou shalt not ghost your love interests. Read More »

“You’re really mean to yourself,” my friend said after I’d finished listing all the ways I’d messed up a date with a guy I really liked. What did I do that I found so unacceptable? Here’s the list:

1. I didn’t offer to pay. I always offer to pay, but then I feel resentful because I don’t really want to pay and I want the guy to decline my offer, so I was just trying to experiment with letting myself feel treated. But now he probably thinks I’m using him and just in it for a free meal!

2.I botched the kiss goodnight moment. He went in for the kiss and I kissed him on the cheek, then gushed about what a great time I had to overcompensate for the missed kiss, then jumped out of his car. Because I wanted to kiss him, but I also wanted to take it slow, but I was nervous, and could I have been more horribly awkward?!

3. I talked about an ex. Absolutely unforgivable!!! Why, why, why did I do this??? Keep reading »

Dating Don’ts: Just Say No To Negging

Jessica WakemanMay 8, 2012 //
Types To Avoid
There are a lot of great guy online -- just not these five types. Read More »
How NOT To Kiss
The worst smooches ever. Read More »
Dating Don'ts: "Girls"
Allison Williams on Girls photo
Five dating don'ts from the "Girls" premiere. Read More »

His teeny little profile picture was cute. He was the right age range and city. But when I opened the online dating message from this random dude, this is what he said:

Isn’t feminism a little obsolete? Men and women are equal nowadays. In fact, the balance is tipped in your favor.

Of all the things for a man to comment upon in my profile, he chose to kinda-insulted me by calling my belief system “obsolete”? I rolled my eyes. I hit delete. Another one bites the dust.

I’d been “negged.”  Keep reading »

Take These 5 Phrases Off Your Online Dating Profile

NewserFebruary 20, 2012 //

Single this Valentine’s Day? Then perhaps you’ll be interested in this advice from an eHarmony senior director. Grant Langston tells Time the five most overused, meaningless phrases you should take off your online dating profile right now. Read more…

Share Your Worst Valentine’s Day Stories!

Julie GersteinFebruary 9, 2012 //
V-Day Survival Guide
For all your Valentine's Day needs. Read More »
Stop Hating V-Day
How one woman stopped hating Valentine's Day. Read More »
Bad Dating Patterns
10 Unhealthy Dating Patterns And How To Break Them
Break these 10 unhealthy dating patterns. 11 Photos »

It’s often thought that Valentine’s Day is the worst holiday for single people. But not if you have a crappy boyfriend! Then Valentine’s Day can suck major balls. Like, take the time I was dating Jason*. We’d been together for several months, and prepared for our first V-Day together. I am not a particularly materialistic kind of lady and often paid the bill on our dates, but I like a little romance. Even though I am hyper feminist, I do feel like Valentine’s Day is the one time of year when you are supposed to shower a little extra love on your lady. Though Jason was typically rather analytical (bordering on anal) and tight-fisted, I figured the holiday would be my one night of being wined and dined. We went to a nice Greek restaurant, and he ordered the most expensive dish on the menu — a fish dish coming in at more than $20. I ordered a less expensive pasta dish. But when the bill came, my anal retentive boyfriend split the bill — down to the tax. I was majorly annoyed. He didn’t want to treat me, but he was willing to spend big bucks on himself, and that’s when I knew I’d never really be a priority with this dude.

So that’s my worst Valentine’s Day. Share yours in the comments!

*names have been changed to protect the utterly craptastic

The Dos & Don’ts Of Emailing Online Dating Matches

Wendy AtterberryDecember 31, 2011 //
Types To Avoid
There are a lot of great guy online -- just not these five types. Read More »
Your Profile Photo
The dos and don'ts of the all-important online dating profile pic. Read More »
Online Dating Lies
The top 10 white lies people tell on their profiles. Read More »

When a friend of mine who’s dipping her toe back into the world of online dating recently asked for three quick rules to remember when emailing potential matches, it occurred to me that if she needed a bit of a refresher course, some of you probably do too. After all, as convenient as it is, email is rife with opportunities to shoot yourself in the foot and hurt your shot at making a real connection. So after the jump, eight dos and don’ts to remember when emailing a potential online dating match. Keep reading »

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