Each woman is extremely different in her own ways. While one woman may be looking for a real manly man, another may prefer someone with a more modern look about him to match her own personal style. Before finding the man of your dreams, dating is an absolute must. Dating allows you to get a feel for the person and learn about their interests and way of life.

Over time, you may find yourself falling more and more in love with this person, giving you that happy ending that you have always dreamed of. For the everyday modern woman to succeed in the love department, it is especially important to stay safe, take precautions and be careful while on dates. You never really know what someone’s true intentions are while dating, so these safety tips will help you to steer clear of danger.

Meet in a Public Area

Meeting in a public space is by far one of the most important safety tips for dating. This is highly recommended whether you are meeting someone for the first time, second time or are on a blind date. By meeting in a public area, you are taking away some of the dangers that could occur. A public place puts you around many other people.

In the event that something was to happen or go wrong, there are sure to be others nearby who will be able to help you out. In most cases, men will not prey upon their dates while others are present. If the date is going well, you can always take it to a more intimate area after the initial meeting. If things do get a little more advanced – like the exchange of addresses – but you still aren’t quite sure it might be wise to invest in some home security measures. Locking the doors and closing your shades at night are fine – if you are especially concerned, however, it might be time to invest in a home security provider like www.besthomesecurity.com or any of the many services out there.

Do Not Drink Alcohol

It is best to not drink alcohol at all while on a date. If you must drink alcohol, only take it in small quantities and watch how much you have been drinking. It is easy for someone to take advantage of their date if they are drunk or even a little tipsy. Alcohol is also known to impair your judgment, leading you to do things that you may regret later. Always make sure that your drink is with you at all times and is never left alone with your date.

Have a Back-Up Plan

Before going on your date, talk with a friend or loved one and let them know where you will be and who you will be with. If something goes wrong on the date, you’re just not feeling it or something in your gut is telling you that you need to leave, contact your friend and let them know that you need to get out of the situation.

It is also recommended to have a friend call you about 15 minutes into the date to make sure that you’re doing fine. By saying a “signal word” to let them know that you need to leave, an excuse can be made up to get you out of the situation immediately.

Drive Your Own Vehicle

Taking your own vehicle on the date allows you to leave on your own when you feel it is necessary. Taking public transportation or a taxi can take time, making you stand outside waiting, subjecting you to more danger. Having your own transportation provides you with the freedom and ability to do whatever you want and to escape a dangerous situation if needed.

More than 1 in 3 relationships may end in divorce nowadays, and with the increasing popularity of internet dating it’s possible to shop for our partners online in the same way as we order groceries or browse for a new outfit. In our disposable 21st century world, is it even more important to make a fuss of special occasions like Valentine’s Day and anniversaries if we want to keep the romance in our relationships alive?

As journalist Lucy Beresford reminds us in a recent article about getting your relationship back on track, ‘love isn’t just something we “fall” into and stay in permanently’. We know that relationships have to be worked at and sustained in the same way that we would nurture any living thing. If you don’t pay attention to your relationship, just as if you fail to take care of a house plant, it won’t be able to survive indefinitely.

While celebrating anniversaries and Valentine’s is not necessarily the hallmark of a perfect relationship, how we approach special occasions can reveal a lot about the romance in question. Arguably, Valentine’s Day is more important to women than their male partners. Psychologist Dr Neil Clark Warren, the founder of dating website eHarmony, says this is down to men’s and women’s differing perspectives on what makes them feel good.

For women, when their partner remembers an anniversary or special occasion, it’s a sign they’re being kept in mind and cared about. For men, celebrating these occasions doesn’t seem so important as an indicator of their partner’s love. And for either gender, what really counts is not extravagant demonstrations, but the thought that goes into a gift or anniversary treat.

Buying Valentine’s Day presents and taking your partner out to celebrate are not crucial for keeping romance alive, but by marking occasions in this way you can show your partner how much he or she means to you. It’s a good way to demonstrate that you don’t take them for granted. In a long­-term relationship, once your lives have settled into a routine, things can start to seem ordinary and mundane, and either partner can easily start to feel that they are just part of the furniture.

This is really the key to why celebrating special occasions can help to keep the romance alive in a relationship. So if you want to let your partner know that they are still the most amazing thing in your life – even after many years together – make sure you mark these occasions in some way. Don’t let Valentine’s Day pass by without doing something to show your partner you still care. It’s little things like this that can make all the difference in a long-term relationship.

This is a guest post by Elly, who has a passion for writing about Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle across the world. She also tweets regularly on the latest updates in the fashion and retail industry, which can be found here (@Russell_Elly).

Online dating websites are here to stay and there may come a time in your life when you will find yourself considering the merits of finding your “perfect match” without meeting them first.
Perhaps you have been concentrating on building up your career for most of your young adult life and find yourself past your mid-thirties with very little experience of the dating game and even less time to spend socialising and waiting for dating opportunities to arise.
Maybe you are on your way down the other side of the “divorce mountain”, you have decided to trust the opposite sex again and feel suitably in control of your emotions to start to emerge from your protective cocoon.
Being single definitely has its plus points, especially when you are young with lots of mates to entertain you and occupy your time but you may find a time arrives when all your friends are pairing up, getting married and starting families.
If you are female you may possibly start to actually hear your biological clock starting its 12 O’clock chime and realise if you don’t take action now to find yourself a partner, you may end up on your own – the batty old spinster with 15 cats for company!
So, you have given yourself a good talking to and decided you are going to take the plunge and check out the dating scene. But why would you choose online dating?
It takes a lot of courage and confidence in your looks and personality to take the first step into dating but one or two nice comments from potential admirers can actually give your confidence a boost.  Online dating gives you the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ without revealing your personal contact details. You can sit in the comfort of your own home in your dressing gown and slippers with a glass of wine and a good friend and check out the photos and profiles of all the thousands of hopefuls who have already joined the dating site.
You don’t have to contact anybody – no one is pushing you into this, but you might just spot someone whose photo catches your eye and their profile makes you smile, then you have to make the decision whether to upload your own profile and photos and make yourself available to view.
You can narrow down your searches by personal criteria and lifestyle choice. Do you want to be matched to someone with the same religious choices as yourself? Are you looking for someone within the same ethnic group? Do you want to take on someone else’s children? Date a widower? Would you date someone who is separated rather than divorced?
There are so many choices to make before you have even contacted anyone, but life is full of choices – make the most of it – get out there and start dating!

Sharron Taylor gives her view on online dating, as she often writes articles on behalf of www.relationship.com.

We’ve all had this experience before: it’s Saturday night and you’re going to be late meeting up with your friends because you were stressing over which shirt to wear to the newest and hippest club that you’re all headed to. Finally you leave your house, meet up with your group, and get to the club where you find that the lineup and cover charge are both horrendous. Once inside, you realize that although you try to avoid being one of those single people that grind up creepily on the dance floor, you really don’t have any more tricks up your sleeve and using conversation is next to impossible because of the noise. Already, things aren’t going too well.

Finally it’s the end of the night, and after getting in a few dances with drunk guys or gals who you will never see in your life again and spending a fortune on drinks and cab fare, you arrive home alone thinking “there has got to be a better way”. And you were right. For the reasons you just saw, conventional “pickup” places like bars and clubs are actually not the best places for meeting that special someone. Let’s take a look at two places where you may have more luck.

License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://canstockphoto.com

Finding Love Alongside Literature

First of all, most places where there are people lounging around and not in a hurry are good ones for meeting single folks with time to kill. That being said, a bookstore would most likely be a better idea than a library because people are usually just browsing in bookstores, while in a library, many are actually trying to read or conduct research. You can still try starting conversations in libraries, just be forewarned that you may receive disapproving glances and shushes if you do. In a bookstore you are surrounded with conversation pieces much more interesting than the weather.

If you see a man or woman you would like to talk to, simply approach them in a laid-back manner and ask about the book they’re looking at. Books are a great conversation starter because you’re asking about something you know they are interested in and you come off as a guy or gal who is open to having a conversation with some intellectual content. Many bookstores now have coffee shops inside, and if the two of you are clicking, you can always offer to buy a coffee… which brings us to our next location.

Grab a Cup of Java and Meet a New Date

Coffee shops are another great place to meet new people. If you are a regular coffee drinker and you visit a local coffee shop somewhat frequently, odds are you probably recognize some familiar faces by now. If you don’t, take an hour and bring a book or some easy work to a coffee shop, order something, and just sit there. You’ll find there are lots of people there just relaxing and doing the same thing.

Oftentimes people prefer going to a coffee shop to do their work over staying in their own office or room because there’s that element of human interaction. Many people doing light work or relaxing at a coffee shop come by themselves, and most of the time will want to take a break from what they’re doing. There’s your opportunity. You can easily ask someone about their work as a conversation starter during one of these breaks, and in the relaxed atmosphere of a coffee shop, they will be more than likely to engage.

This is a guest post on behalf of Gravytrain – a top provider of custom-written online dating profiles. Visit them today!

When you start dating it can be a minefield of things to do, things not to do, and everything else in between. However, if you follow a few tips, which can apply in general as well as in dating, it can help you in love and in life.

Look your best – always

It’s really important to try to look your best when you’re meeting someone new. And this doesn’t mean just putting on your best shirt. If it’s a first date, buy some new clothes and don’t dare forget those shoes. Women can tell what a man is like just by looking at his footwear. So make sure your footwear suits your style and make sure it’s not old and grubby.

Don’t rush from work – take your time

Next on the list is hygiene. You may wince at the thought of having to be told about personal hygiene standards but it’s something which has to be said. If you haven’t been to get a hair cut in a while now is the time. Next, make sure you bathe or shower just before going on the date. It’s not a good idea to arrange a date straight after you’ve been to work. Make sure you arrange that important first date when you’ve got lots of time to prepare. If you use aftershave apply it subtlety. Don’t be tempted to splash half a bottle of the strong stuff all over your body – this is a definite turn off. Next is the ‘Do I shave or don’t I shave?’ question. Many Hollywood actors now don the ‘rough’ look and many women think this looks great. But the best advice for a first date, if you’ve not got a beard, is to go clean shaven. If things progress, you can wear that ‘sexy’ look on subsequent dates.

Don’t like your job? – it’s time to move on

This might be a more long term point, but it can really make an impact – if you don’t like your job get a new one. If you’re unhappy at work this will translate to your home life too. If you’re grumpy because of an excessive workload or a have the wrong work/life balance, this will be reflected in your dates. Remember, you’ll be talking about work on your date and if your apathy about your job is expressed in detail to a new date it will harm your chances of another meeting.

Read the newspapers – you might learn something

If you are not one for current affairs it’s time to get interested. It doesn’t matter if the subject matter bores you to tears, you’ll need to keep the conversation flowing and you’ll only be able to do this if you have some up-to-date knowledge. You might be asked your opinion on a current topic, and not knowing about it is not an option.

First dates can be difficult and take a bit of practice, but if you are true to yourself and try to engage, whilst not being over the top, you should make the desired impact.

Damien Green writes articles on love, life and online dating on behalf of clients such as www.relationship.com.

Top 10 signs that your relationship isn’t a keeper

‘I didn’t see it coming’ is a common complaint, but the fact is that most relationship breakdowns do not come as a surprise. There are some very clear indicators that your relationship is not as strong as it’s supposed to be.

Contact

In the first throes of new love, it’s impossible to stop talking to each other. If you’re not talking to each other, then you’re talking about each other to your friends. It’s quite usual for this intensity to fade over time, but when you start to go days without speaking, then you know that something’s amiss.

Future talk

Making plans for the future is a big part of a relationship. You talk about holidays, houses, jobs – anything that shows that you are making plans together. Then it stops. You can barely talk about where you want to go on holiday next year, let alone what you’ll be doing ten years down the line.

Effort

When you first start seeing each other, your dates are well-planned and you took time arranging the perfect romantic gestures. After a while, this descends into nights spent watching television in your pyjamas, or nights at the cinema, where you can avoid having to talk to each other.

Pushing the buttons

When you are in love with someone, any arguments that break out tend to be short lived. As the relationship deteriorates, you start to fight dirty. You know all the little weak spots and you’re not afraid to use them in an attempt to pull them down and make them feel truly horrible.

Flare ups

You used to be forgiving to each other, giving each other the benefit of the doubt when it came to little digs and jibes. Now, the slightest quip sends you into a full blown battle. When neither of you can say anything without the other starting a fight, it’s time to say your goodbyes.

Out in the open

Arguments used to be the things that you did alone, in the privacy of your own home. When the relationship is on the way out, these arguments start to spill out in public, as you are unable to let things lie until you get back. When you don’t care who hears you arguing, it’s a very clear sign.

Longing for singledom

If you are happy together as a couple, your thoughts tend towards thinking about life as a couple. When, however, your thoughts start to stray back to how free and happy you were before you got together, you know that things are not right. Starting to make plans that don’t include your partner is another sign that should not be ignored.

Keeping secrets

Loving couples should be able to tell each other everything. Trust forms the basis of a good relationship, but when you start holding back information because you feel that that trust is gone, you might want to start thinking about packing your bags.

Changing how you see them

Everyone does it. The cute gestures that are endearing, the laugh that you think is sweet. Then, the gestures become an annoying habit, the laugh starts to grate on your nerves. When we stop forgiving all the little foibles that our partner exhibits, then love is on the way out.

No more sex

There may be one or two medical reasons for a lack of interest, but often it’s just down to the fact that the spark has gone and the relationship has run its course.

•  License: Creative Commons image source

This article was contributed by Lloyd, a freelance writer and blogger, on behalf of Switalskis Solicitors.

That super-hot ‘catch of the night’ could end up being a frightful minger in the cold light of the regretful morning, when the booze has worn off.  Sexual inhibitions can sometimes drop like yesterday’s underpants when one goes on an alcohol fueled rampage, also known as having ‘beer goggles’. But what makes this so?

Attractiveness and Facial Symmetry

The degree to which one side of a person’s face mirrors the other, is called facial symmetry.  Humans have evolved the ability to discern this quality as it signifies good genes, and therefore ability to produce good-looking offspring.

A person with a highly symmetrical face then, has a higher attractiveness factor and therefore ability to pull; compared to someone with a less symmetrical face. However put some beer goggles on, in the form of a couple of strong drinks  – and the game changes completely.

The Beer Goggles Study

Researchers at Roehampton University got male and female participants to take a whole range of tests and then consume some vodka and gin drinks. The tests involved looking at images of 20 paired faces, that had been manipulated, so that one face was more symmetrical than the other.
The test group drank alcohol, and made significantly more errors discerning between symmetrical and asymmetrical faces; than the control group who drank only soft drink. Interestingly, the women in the drinking group made far more errors than the males.  After drinking a large amount of alcohol, the ability to detect symmetry decreased further in both sexes.

So what does this mean and why do women get beer goggles easier than men? Roehampton University Lead Researcher, Lewis Halsey Ph.D, gives this explanation, ”Men are more visually oriented, on average, than women.  So their ability to perceive symmetry is less attenuated by drinking alcohol.”

What is it about alcohol that makes people go a bit mad? According to Halsey, the ethanol part of alcohol, reduces our “contrast sensitivity, particularly for visual information like face perception.”

The Fall Out

This could have far reaching consequences for single men and women everywhere.  Men’s magazines everywhere enthusiastically sung the praises of history’s greatest social and sexual lubricant in getting the hard-up or shy of the male species to pull on a night out.

This study confirms what we already knew: that the demon drink will only ever be a blessing the night before.  Come the day after, when the beer goggles have worn off in some random person’s house, what happens next?  A lot of people meet their partner when they are drunk.  But are these relationships shorter or longer as a result? Does it change the nature of a relationship? Perhaps further research is needed.

With an interest in all things lifestyle and dating, Athena blogs for Direct Sight.

This article gives advice and guidance to men on buying thoughtful and inspirational gifts for your partner this Christmas.

Out With The Old

The first thing all of you men need to do is lose all of the old ideas for presents from your memory bank. If you are one of these lazy shoppers who will stick to the perennial “female favourites” year after year, then 2012 is the year that you are going to cut this out for good.

Off you go to the perfumery to buy yet another luxury fragrance, however your woman still has the other 20 bottles that you and various other people have bought her in recent years for a number of special occasions. Or better yet, you get really original and forward thinking and buy her some pajamas. Please!

I think you have the message now – or at least I hope so, heaven help your woman if you haven’t!

You are not going to buy her anything that you normally would. It is time to change up your gift purchases and be a touch more thoughtful.

For the Bathroom

There have probably been times when you have bought your woman moisturizers or cosmetics products: this year take it a step further and buy her some luxury products for the bathroom.

Luxury bath salts can be a great way to melt her stresses away after a tough day at work, or on a Sunday evening before the dreaded Monday return to the office. There are a whole range of indulgent products you can buy, from the bath salts to indulgent luxury soaps, incense sticks, scented candles, and even a nail brush! Why add to the perfume collection when you can get her something she doesn’t already have and would really appreciate?

Foodie Heaven

Even between couples, food is becoming a more popular gift than ever before. Part of this is driven by the current economic problems and people making their own products, such as homemade jams and spreads. Admittedly, we wouldn’t dream of encouraging you to do the same thing, however you can always buy your own organic varieties, either online or locally, and try and pass them off as your own work!

Interior Inspiration

While buying something for inside the home will be of a benefit to both of you, there is nothing to prevent you buying it for your girl as a thoughtful gift. Whether it is a piece of artwork, an ornament, or something else that will add to the atmosphere of your bedroom or living area, there are bound to be options that your woman is sure to appreciate.

Cachette is an online store selling things of simple beauty for everyday use, perfect and thoughtful Christmas presents for women.

Image Courtesy of Gagliardi Shirts

With the recent global obsession with the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, men everywhere have been perplexed and intrigued as to what is it exactly that is making women so transfixed.

I will not launch into a review, analysis or synopses of these books now, have no fear.

I will however offer you some insight into how the main character has been able to grip the hearts and loins of over 40 million female readers in the last year.

Deep down we all still crave being swept off our feet by a real gentleman who knows exactly how to treat a lady.

I quizzed a number of my friends on the subject of first dates and what characteristics came out on top. It was interesting to find that there were four main winning traits that were mentioned over and over again.

Confidence

A man who walks awkwardly into a restaurant, reads the menu with shaky hands, doesn’t know what to order, leaves all the decision making up to you and never actually expresses a concrete point of view on anything, will have many of us ladies reaching for our coats as quickly as possible.

If you take a woman out on a date, be confident and let that belief in yourself shine through. Walk confidently with a straight back, give her lots of eye contact, smile warmly and hold your own in the conversation.

Listening skills

So many men trip over this vital skill and you must know that with women, it is absolutely essential if you want to win the first date brownie points.

Many men sit there and nod while she chats about her pilates classes, while secretly wondering what she looks like in her underwear.

We know when you’re not listening and we immediately make a mental note.

Some mischievous ladies (myself included) will trail off and say something completely absurd and unrelated, to test the listening skills.

If I still get the glazed over expression and inane nodding, I’m mentally deleting that phone number there and then.

Good Manners

A man who chews with his mouth open, doesn’t hold the door for me and asks me to pay half the bill on the first date is going nowhere near my bedroom. Ever.

Gallantry is still a sought after trait in a potential mate, so think long and hard about your manners and how you can improve them to show this lady what you’re made of.

Chew with your mouth closed, do not talk with your mouth full, do not lick your knife, hold the door open for her, walk on the road side of the pavement and take her hand when you’re crossing the road.

Style

Your style is what speaks for you before you do. Consider your outfit with care; do not overdress, do not drape yourself in visible designer gear (it tells us that you’re a bit vain and trying too hard) and do not attempt a hugely daring style at the beginning.

Simple but classic is the best way. Go for a well fitted pair of tailored jeans with a stylish button down shirt, with a couple of undone buttons but not too many. And don’t wear a medallion. It will bring back memories of holiday romances with Greek waiters.

A respectable pair of shoes, a clean shave and a nice watch will all give a very good first impression as well.

These are small things that a woman will notice. It means you care about your appearance but are not obsessed with it.

Follow these tips and you can’t go too wrong. Let me know how you get on and feel free to share any other first date tips below…

Susannah Perez is an insatiable fashion blogger with a certain level of expertise in the dating world. She writes for Gagliardi Shirts, enabling her to advise the men in her life on the latest designer trends

Has this ever happened to you? You are so excited at the thought of joining an online dating site because you’re sure it’s the way you’re going to meet your soul-mate. You expect that the second you put a profile up that you’ll get tons of emails and have your choice of dates.  You can’t wait to get started.  But things don’t always go according to plan, and maybe isn’t as much interest as you thought. Maybe you just can’t meet the right people, and your confidence starts to plummet.
Online dating can be hard on your confidence if you aren’t ready for it.

There are some things you can do to ensure that you don’t end up taking down your profile too soon in frustration and will promise that you will sign off line feeling good about yourself.

First, it’s important to manage your expectations.  Don’t pressure yourself to fall in love within a certain time frame.  With online dating, the best thing to remember is that so much is outside of your control.  If you don’t get as many email messages or winks as you’d hoped, don’t give up.  It only takes one to sweep you off your feet.

Another way to keep your online dating confidence up is to keep a busy life outside of online dating.  If all your happiness stems from whether or not you get asked out on that particular day, you’ll always be in a state of flux.  If you maintain your life full of friends and activities you enjoy, you’ll have natural confidence built up and your relationship status won’t matter as much.  Plus, when you have a full and busy life that is downright fun, you naturally attract the right kind of people, so you should expect to get more attention.  It’s definitely a win win.

The best way to make sure your online dating confidence skyrockets is to take matters into your own hands! Instead of always being someone who is waiting for someone to email them or waiting to be noticed, put yourself out there first. Email someone who’s profile was particularly interesting or wink at a cute guy you see who is a new member. The more you do it, the easier it will get. When people start responding positively, and they will, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this all along!

Online dating isn’t any different from traditional dating. There are highs and lows and bumps in the road. Sometimes you might want to give up, but keep your head up and remember that things always get better!

We Love Dates is a worldwide online dating site. Join for free using code WLD GUEST and download a copy of their free Guide To Online Dating eBook.  For more dating advice and tips, visit their popular We Love Dates blog.