I’ve always said that dating is not for the faint of heart. It takes guts. There is rejection, patience, stepping outside your comfort zone… and that’s all with trying to figure out if the person you are with is the right one for you. It can be a lot.

Most people have these fears and date anyway. What’s the alternative? For a select few, however, dating can cause some serious anxiety. Following are common dating fears that singles have shared with me, along with a few tips that should help.
Fear of Rejection
This is the biggie. …read more

Interested in meeting someone, but tired of going the online personals route? 
If you are ready for some fresh ideas, you might try something form this list:
*Blind dates or the fix-up. Blind dates have a bad rep, but sometimes they work out great. When I was in my early 20s, a friend fixed me up with a guy I probably would not have looked twice at if I had run into him on my own. Meeting him while in the company of other friends relieved the pressure enough that we were able to really be ourselves. I saw that he was a good …read more

Today, Kelly Sonora sent me the link to a helpful article for people involved in a long distance relationship.  50 Ways to Make Long Distance Dating Easier, by Christina Laun features some great advice.
Some examples:
*Have an end goal.  Someone is going to have to relocate in order for the relationship to flourish. This is a problem in my relationship right now. The end goal is pretty fuzzy currently. 
*Share the traveling time and expenses.  My boyfriend and I have taken turns with the traveling, but for a large part of the time he’s had to do the bulk of the traveling.  In …read more

I found an interesting new relationship column at MORE Magazine.  More Magazine is a publication for the mature woman, 4o and over.  The columnist is described as:
Sherry Amatenstein, LMSW, is the author of Love Lessons from Bad Breakups and Q&A Dating Book. She runs dating seminars around the country and does private coaching — not to help singles marry in 60 days, but to uncover their blocks. She has given relationship advice on the Early Show, Regis, Inside Edition, CBS News, VH1, BBC, and many other programs. Her philosophy is that the most important relationship you’ll ever have is with yourself.
The …read more

Okay, so I’ve had a lot of first dates. There are a few things that well… while they shouldn’t be avoided completely (as in, no, this is not an excuse to lie to your potential mate) they don’t necessarily need to be brought up on a first date with a woman. Men tend to be a little more ehm…open minded, when it comes to certain things, but take these from a woman’s perspective, guys.

“I used to be addicted to (insert drug or “bad thing to be addicted to” here), but I’m okay now.” Fellow Dating Dames blogger Michelle let me …read more

Whilst most may disagree and find these points highly subjective and limiting, I see no harm in highlighting certain considerations, which may very well prove beneficial to both parties.
Another thing is that I am certain that there are more than five points in which you should consider before entertaining his advances but I’m only limiting my list into these points for now.
Disapprobation at home
It may not be the case for some individuals but here in my country, it’s widely practiced that the person you do choose to date or enter into a relationship with is or should …read more

In my daily internet meanderings, I’ve stumbled upon a very entertaining read that talks about, er, you guessed it — A Girl’s Guide to Geek Guys.
Here are some of the points raised in the article written by Mikki Halpin and Victoria Maat.
Why Geek Dudes Rule
Where The Geek Dude Lurks
Imprinting
The Trek factor
Once You’ve Nabbed Him
Geek Cuisine
Geek Lifestyle
Geek Buddies
Post-It Note
One Last Thing
Go on and read up! I reckon I’m onto something. Hehe. Look at the kind of discussions I’ve started:
Dating: Gamer’s Style
10 Reasons Why Geeks Make Good Boyfriends
Will you date an average joe?
Speed Dating Through the Eyes of a Mobile Blogger
Why You …read more

A while back, I had asked the question, “Just How Much Should A Typical Date Cost?“ in the hope to define this important aspect of dating — the poll is currently up, by the way. I just want to gauge just how much (pardon the pun) you value a date.
Now, it’s so timely to feature a creative list of date ideas, which enumerates ways on how to go about dating which will only cost $20 or under. Thanks to Sarah Pierce and her article, 20 Dates for Under $20, Who says romance has to cost an arm and a leg?
The …read more

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
— Charles M. Schulz
In relationships, gift-giving is something of a common occurrence, er, for some. I don’t want to go into the reasons why some people don’t give gifts but I know some do and women need it — sort of.
It’s what I’d like to call “romance”.
It’s like I’m being materialistic, ok? It’s just that there are some situations where in a gift is appropriate. It doesn’t have to be a 6 carat pink diamond ring (Egad. What’s that?! J.Lo’s engagement ring?) or a car …read more