A blind date can quickly turn into a bad date. You need to learn when to cut your losses. Anything can go wrong -even from the very beginning. You could be stood up. If that is the case, have a glass of wine and go home and watch a movie, maybe even the movie “Blind Date”. There will be other dates, don’t waste your time wondering about that loser.

Sometimes you know at the get-go that he isn’t the man for you. Perhaps, like Pat Lunsford’s date, he’s taken you to MacDonalds. Not that there is anything wrong with fast food, but it isn’t ‘first date dining’.  Don’t be rude, or say you are going to the washroom and never come back. That’s just mean. You can let him know that you don’t feel that the two of you are a match, in a gentle manner. Maybe he is a wonderful guy, but doesn’t have money for a date, don’t rule him out. He might be a struggling artist or writer who is going to make it big one day.

On the other hand, if he wants to get food at the drive-thru and park somewhere, tell him where to go with his supersized drink and hamburger. If he is downright nasty, you have the right to leave, but tell him why, you’ll be doing him and future dates a favour, and you’ll get it off your chest.

Blind dates are usually arranged by well-meaning friends or family and more often than not, they turn out to be virtual nightmares. Ar first you begin to wonder if maybe it was a practical joke, until you realize, it’s no joke. Your friends either pawned the person off on you, or they honestly believed you would make a good couple.

I learned a lot about him on the way to the restaurant because he never once asked anything about me and told me his whole life story. He lived with his parents who were still supporting him until he invented something that would make him rich. And when we got to the restaurant, he opened my door and said that his mother had given him the money for the date. As we approached the restaurant, he told me that he was going to order the quarter-pounder meal and that I could order anything I wanted, and even super-size it. He then suggested a Big-Mac. It wasn’t exactly the kind of restaurant I had in mind, but I ordered a fish fillet and tea.
He carried our tray to one of the tables in the dinning room and asked me if I would get the drinks while he went to the bathroom to, as he put it, “make room for his dinner.” I had a pretty good idea what he meant, but certainly wasn’t going to ask him to verify it. And when I asked him what he wanted to drink, he asked for a suicide. When I hesitated, he said it was a mixture of all the available drinks.

The only way to end a bad blind date is with the truth, otherwise, it will come back to haunt you. Situations like that are highly possible when you accept a blind date. Therefore, if you are not prepared to gracefully back out of a bad blind date, you really shouldn’t accept it in the first place.

Click here to read the entire article by Pat Lunsford

We would love to hear how you handled a bad blind date.

What are your expectations of a blind date? Most of us go into these situations with trepidation. We almost curse the date by expecting the worst. Think positive! What’s the worst that can happen? Even if the date is a disaster, you may come out of it with a fun story to share with your friends. Sarah Summer makes some good points in her article on how to have a happy blind date. It helps to go into the date wishing for the best and preparing for the worst. You aren’t the only one on the date, if he senses that you aren’t giving him a chance, he won’t open up to you.

If you were set up on a date by a friend, you already have a recommendation. A man you have met online may be everything he says, or you may not recognize this person that you have been corresponding with. As Sarah points out, even if it isn’t a love connection, a blind date can lead to friendship. Or, he could be everything you were looking for in a man. Think how romantic your story will be if he is the one.

Imagine walking up to someone you’ve never met in your life and having to force a smile and share a happy conversation with them.

So if you want to ensure that you have a great time on your blind date, remember this basic etiquette tip. Learn to be genuinely warm the very second you meet your date for the first time.

When you warm up to your date, your date will feel more comfortable around you. And that would leave both of you feeling relaxed and happy to be with each other within a few seconds of meeting each other.

Be flexible in your expectations. Now I can’t tell you not to have any expectations at all, but instead, all I can suggest is to avoid having very high or low expectations from the date. Head to the date with an open mind, and try to think of it as if you were going to meet a friend.

If the chemistry clicks and both of you get smitten by each other, that’s good for you. Even otherwise, you won’t feel disappointed walking away from the date after meeting a potential friend.

Read the entire article by Sarah Summer

We would love to hear your blind date experiences

It used to be that a blind date was where a friend or relative set you up. These days, many of our dates start out “blind”. When you meet someone on a dating site, or social media, you are still going in blind, even if you’ve seen their photograph.

Don’t go into any date “blind”. Be prepared. Think about how you will react if the man sitting in front of you doesn’t meet your expectations. Plan an exit strategy, but remember to give him a chance, he might be nervous about meeting you, too!

Shallon Lester has some great tips for surviving a blind date and making it fun.

Throw out any and all expectations. The fastest way to kill a blind date is to walk in expecting Bradley Cooper and then feel nothing but disappointment when it’s someone other than Bradley Cooper (and I guarantee it will be). Even if you had an amazing, two-hour phone conversation and his online profile was custom written for you, do not expect Mr. Perfect. No one can live up to that. To make sure you don’t build up the date in your mind too much, stay busy beforehand. Also, I don’t mean you should have low expectations (“He’s going to suck”)-just have no expectations. Quick! Think about something else.

Watch the alcohol. The Millionaire Matchmaker’s Patti Stanger says not to drink more than two cocktails because you need clarity. I agree about the clarity; you don’t want to sober up after a month and realize you’re not attracted to the guy. However, two drinks isn’t much, especially if it’s a long date. Depending on your tolerance, who’s driving, and whether or not you eat, I think it’s okay to have three or four.

Leave your insecurities at home. If I sense a guy is not interested in me, I don’t focus on that fact (it won’t help anybody). Just try to find out what does make him smile (Your jokes? Talking baseball?). (P.S. Why worry he’ll be too good-looking and won’t think you’re cute? Super hot people never go on blind dates.)

Click here to read the entire article by  Shallon Lester

Share your blind dates stories with us in the comment box below.

Dating and relationship coach Jonathon Aslay knows what men want… and what they don’t want: emotional baggage! Men have baggage also, yet women are more likely to take on their men’s problems. According to Jonathon, men respond to emotional baggage in different ways. They may ignore it and try to keep things on the light side, they may be turned off, or they may hold it against you and find someone who isn’t as weighed down by emotional issues.

A new relationship should be started on equal footing. If you are bogged down by emotional issues, it isn’t fair to place that burden on a new partner. Once he finds out that you are too needy, too greedy, or haven’t fully recovered from your last breakup, he’ll probably take a hike. If you both agree to leave your emotional baggage at the door and start fresh, you may surprise yourself, and you’ll feel a lot lighter. Here’s what else Jonathan in his 6 Ways Men Respond To Emotional Baggage:

As hearts travel from one relationship to the next, we’re bound to pick up a few souvenirs along the way in the form of emotional baggage–a term that has long permeated our culture with the image of a large suitcase full of pain and disappointment we carry with us wherever we go. We all have some kind of emotional baggage lying in our closets somewhere, and they come in all shapes and all sizes, from unrealistic expectations to problematic trust issues. Often times, we use this emotional baggage to set boundaries that will protect us from getting hurt again, but we also end up rejecting others from ever truly getting close to us. Is your emotional baggage doing you more harm than it is good? I guess that depends on what kind of man you are trying to attract into your life.

Click here to read the full article by Jonathon Aslay

We would love to hear how you left your emotional baggage behind and started your wonderful journey into a new relationship.

You’ve finally become comfortable with online dating, but now you can take that search for your soulmate even further. More people are meeting and dating through the iPhone or Android game Words with Friends. Frequent flyers are meeting up while waiting for their flight. If you don’t mind a long distance relationship, try “airport dating” through the website http://meetattheairport.com/.  Vampire lovers, dog owners, gourmet cooks or anyone with a shared passion or interest are meeting and matching up through apps. Join the dating revolution!

Why not think outside the box and come up with your own unique twist on dating? Instead of signing up for a dating site, join a forum on politics or art. Your intriguing comments may attract someone who has the same opinions, or it will make for a great debate. Opposites attract, and that opposing but passionate discourse may lead to another kind of passion.

With all the dating fads that emerged this year, finding love was quite the endeavor. From foodies to furries, here are the strangest dating trends of 2012.

2. Ghost dating

Single and ready to online mingle? If writing isn’t your forte, this new trend could be helpful.
“Ghost daters” assume the online identities of their clients—penning profiles, writing emails, and sometimes even engaging in online conversations with potential partners.  It may not be supernatural, but it’s still somewhat spooky.
…
4. Reverse commuting
In 2012, city-dwelling singles flocked to the ‘burbs in search of love. Dubbed “reverse commuting,” the trend was especially prevalent in New York City, where women took the train all the way to Connecticut and New Jersey to find available men.  But why flee the big city for romance? As one woman told the New York Post: “In Connecticut, they’re just very normal, very sweet, very unassuming.” As opposed to New York men, “they don’t have game. They’re steak-and-potatoes American.”

Click here to read the full article from msn.com

What is the strangest dating method you’ve tried? Share your off the wall dating ideas with us in the comment section below.

Skype dating has become so popular that someone has created a platform to use on Skype that allows you to date quickly and easily. You even get to rate your dates and the information is saved for future reference. If you both said yes, then there’s a possibility of reconnection.

It’s speed-dating for Skype. Check it out.

Meet Skyecandy, a brand-new way to online date using Skype. Skyecandy matches you to potential dates based on your answers to a few basic questions. Then, it connects you via Skype to real people for five-minute speed “dates.”

Click here to read the full article from GeekSugar.

Have you ever used SkyeCandy? Share your experience with us by commenting below.

Once you’ve been dating for a while, and have possibly done the deed in person you may end up in a long distance relationship with this guy. As Kelly McClure states in her article, you may end up wanting to do nasty things with each other on the computer. It happens.

Again, you want to have fun with it. Don’t plan it out. Allow it to just flow, and if it happens, it happens. You want things to be spontaneous and if you try to plan Skype sex it’s going to backfire. And when it does happen, just enjoy it.

The Sex Date

After you’ve been Skype dating with someone for awhile, and perhaps even had sex in real life on one of your visits, you’ll want to do nasty things with each other on the computer. Sex dates via Skype always come out of nowhere. They’re never really planned out like, “oh, what are you doing on Thursday afternoon? Well I was thinking maybe we could both stay home and show each other our private parts and then touch ourselves and pretend that it’s the other person doing it.” Sex dates are all about suspension of disbelief. Like Gossip Girl. It’s best to not over-think why you’re gyrating your pelvis at your MacBook, or why these rich teenagers are so poised and flawless, it’s beautiful, it’s art, just close your eyes and surrender to it. Ew, I just texted a friend and asked her to contribute a few sexy Skype tidbits and she replied with “I’ve never had one. Do people do that?” Fuck this story.

Click here to read the full article by Kelly McClure.

Have you ever had Skype sex? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

Skype dating has become very popular in the last while. It helps with long distance relationships and can be a lot of fun. It can also be a little weird. If you’re online dating and you meet someone on the other side of the country it might be a good idea to have a couple of dates on Skype before you fork over the cash for a plane ticket; not knowing what you might be getting yourself into.

Kelly McClure explains the first date on Skype in a way that will make you chuckle below. The most important thing is that you just have fun with it. You may never meet this person in real life; so enjoy yourself. And wear a hat.

The First Date

For a good first Skype date to reach its full potential, it’s important to treat it the same way you would a real date. A flesh date? We’ll nail down the terminology later.

Leading up to the first date, make sure to set a specific time, being mindful of each other’s time zones. Write the time down in your planner and make a little notation that says “first date with whoever” and draw some hearts around it. Don’t tell any of your friends about it, because that’s embarrassing.

On the night of the date, start getting ready a few hours beforehand by cleaning your body from the waist up, and putting on a hat. The hat will serve as sort of a conversational safety, because eventually your date will ask why you’re wearing a hat indoors, and then you can respond with something funny like “because I have dandruff” or, “because it makes me feel fancy.” Make sure to ask lots of questions and nod when she/he is talking so they know you’re listening. You may have to exaggerate the nods because, depending on the quality of a person’s Internet connection, sometimes it’s hard to tell what from what. Once you’ve gathered all of the information you need to gather, initiate a longish block of silence where you just sit and stare at them with what you feel to be a sincere facial expression and then say “I have to go” and log off. Always keep them wanting more. Maybe call up a friend and tell them “I just did the funniest thing ever” and expect them to laugh while quickly realizing that they’re very concerned about you.

Click here to read the full article by Kelly McClure.

Have you had a first date on Skype? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

Always make sure that you’re being responsible with texting. If you’re involved in a texting conversation, leave him wanting more by ending the conversation after a few texts back and forth. This will leave him wanting to text you again, and leave him curious. But if you’re getting text messages from unsavory men; ignore them or respond the next day if you absolutely must.

DO

Stop texting first. Some phone rules never change, but it sucks to be left hanging, so after 5-6 texts, make an excuse to get off. Or just say you have to go somewhere, walking into a meeting/class/movie, etc. Make sure he’s the one to send the last text so you’re not sitting around waiting for a response. Also, it keeps you from only having epic texting sessions with him that lead nowhere.

DON’T

Respond if an ex texts you, ignore it. If a guy you’ve slept with texts you after 11pm, ignore it. Responding the next day, only if you have to, makes you look a hell of a lot cooler, and it reduces the chance of you being some guy’s afterthought, again.

Click here to read the full article by Claudia Maittlen-Harris.

Do you get the late night booty texts? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

When someone sends you a text it’s considered rude to leave people hanging. You want to be polite and even if you’re busy you can send a quick text back letting them know you will text them later when you’re not busy. However, if it becomes an issue it’s best to hash things out in person. Don’t let an argument start through texting as it will NEVER go well. It’s next to impossible to express feelings through text and it almost always turns into a disaster.

DO

Be timely. Leaving people hanging is rude. If you can’t text, say so. A quick “I’m busy at work, but will text later!” is all that’s required. Be courteous and others will (most likely) be courteous with you.

DON’T

Hash out issues on text. If communication starts to collapse, epic texts are not the way to go. Also, until they come up with a sarcasm font, it’s sometimes hard to express your intentions or ideas well. Jokes can really fall flat, and miscommunication is a date killer in the early dates. So steer away from things that sound bitchy, boss or weird. Unless the guy is an asshole, at which time, bitchy is entirely appropriate.

Click here to read the full article by Claudia Maittlen-Harris.

Have you ever had a texting argument? Share your experience with us by commenting below.