Men's First Date Pet Peeves!

Women have certain standards of what a first date should entail.. so of course men do too! Here are some of the biggest first date complaints from men!

1) Being late without any warning. Honestly this is one of my pet peeves too. If you're going to be late, let me know! It isn't hard to send a text or a phone call to let me know that you are running late. If I'm supposed to be picking you up (this goes for hanging out with friends as well.. sorry, just a majro pet peeve!) and I'm trying to call you for details but you aren't picking up or responding to my texts or calls, I get impatient and mad. Usually they are just away from their phones, their phone has died or they are napping with their phone on silent, but we have plans at a time we both decided! Common courtesy, please! If you show up to a date late, chances are that the date will not start smoothly. Good manners and common courtesy go a long way.
2) Being dressed inappropriately. This goes for being underdressed, overdressed or just inappropriately dressed. If you know you have a date right after work, bring a change of clothes and a small travel bag of beauty essentials with you to the office then. Look good, feel good! Don't change into something that really isn't anything either... just because he or she can't take his eyes off you (or your other body parts that may be hanging out) doesn't mean that he or she likes you... they just may appreciate what you're showing off for free. Dress appropriate for the situation too! If you're going to the movies, no need for a cocktail dress.
3) Little to no eye contact and fake smiles. You're sending the wrong messages! Making eye contact makes you seem confident to your date as well as open to communication. It is also fairly easy to differentiate a fake smile from a genuine smile. Listen and communicate with your date or else it won't seem like you're having a good time, when in reality you're having a great time with your date!
4) Glued to your phone. I'm guilty of being on my phone when I'm hanging out with my family or friends! I really enjoy it however when my friends and I play that phone game (when we stack our phones on top of each other and the first one to give in to get their phone has to pay for everyone's meals or being publicly shamed) because it forces us to socialize to each other rather than being in our own mobile network. On a date, keep your phone in your purse or pocket on silent or vibrate if you must. You're here to get to know your date, not to check your email and messages!
5) Poor manners. This goes with #1! If your date sees you being rude to your waiter or other people, it gives off a poor impression of you. First impressions are everything and if I go on a date where my date is shouting at the waiter because he forgot to get more water, I'm not going to want to go on a second date. It will make your date wonder if this is the way that you will treat him or her in the future.. if you even have a future together!
6) Talking about your ex. No one wants to hear about your ex flame on a date together. Trust me. Just don't bring it up. Even if your date is the most caring and understanding person on earth, a first date is not the time to live in the past! If you're still talking about your past problems, you may not be ready for a new relationship.

So men, do you agree with these first date complaints? Women, do you think these are ridiculous or can you relate? I can say I definitely relate to all these first date pet peeves!

Did You Know About This??

Today I bring you some more shockers about dating and relationships!

Some not so shocking but interesting data:
1) Couples usually wait around 6-8 dates until they are both willing to enter into a monogamous and exclusive relationship. I agree with this. However, people do enter into relationships within maybe 2 dates but each person rolls their own way, right? I can completely agree that this seems average though.
2) The most common time for a break-up of a relationship is around 3-5 months. I also agree with this. A good amount of relationships end up being over after the "honeymoon period" where one person in the relationship may start getting annoyed with the other's habits that they may have glossed over before. There are also other reasons of course.
3) 92% of single parents would rather date other single parents instead of singles. Honestly, if I was a single parent, I would also want to date another single parent. I just feel like the other person would understand what I have been through or am going through. There's also always that chance that if the person I was dating, hadn't mentioned that they did not want or like children. There is no future in that and ends up being a waste of time for the both of you.

Here comes the shockers:
1) 33% of online daters form a relationship, 33% do not end up in a relationship and 33% end up giving up. Those numbers made my eyes open wide... also the fact that all the numbers are 33%. However, those numbers also seem plausible as well. It makes me sad that some people could end up with nothing though.
2) There are 95.9 million unmarried people in the United States. 47% of that 95.9 million are men and 53% are women. Nothing to say except that 95.9 million is a whole lot of people.
3) If you want to create an instant link with a date, say his or her name at least twice in the conversation. It will show that you are paying attention to your date and flatters the other person.
4) HOT DEBATE: What is the appropriate time to call after you meet someone? It is usually 2-4 days but does not go beyond 4-5 days. However, calling too soon can seem desperate but calling too late can seem like you're playing a game.

What do you think? I honestly thought the factual data was interesting but found it relatively true and not-so-shocking. I also found the shockers actually surprising. I agree that #4 is a hot debate between people though... I personally prefer for a man to call me sooner than later but to each their own right?

Friends, Friends with Benefits, or Friends Zoned?

We've all heard about friends with benefits and being friend zoned, right?!

For a movie example concerning friends with benefits, let's take "Friends With Benefits" starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. It was a hilarious rom-com (aka romantic comedy) and tugged at our heartstrings when Timberlake rejected the idea of him being with Kunis with her overhearing it. Do you believe that you could be in a strictly friends-with-benefits relationship?

I know that people say they are satisfied with a "hook-up only" relationship with no strings attached. No cuddling, no having to commit, no "real" relationship. However, a lot of these friends-with-benefits-only relationships end up with one person having feelings for the other but the other person may not reciprocate the same feelings, ending up with hurt feelings and a damaged relationship. This may not be the case for everything but rarely have I seen a friends-with-benefits relationship that has yet to work out but then again, not many friends of mines have done just a friends-with-benefits relationship.

On the other hand, I've seen a million and one of my friends get friend zoned. It's really hard once you get into that area to get out of it. It stinks that one person works up the courage to tell their friend that he or she has feelings but the feelings are not reciprocated as well. Some people just keep hoping and wishing that maybe someday, their feelings will be the same for each other. However, when is the time to either move on or to keep hoping? There is no real answer that I can give you; if you two are friends and happy, then that's what you should remain with for now. It may or may not happen but if it is supposed to, then it will. Sooner or later, you never know but everything about being friend zoned is unpredictable!

We're Back & Better Than Ever!

Hello my Blogspot people!

For your enjoyment, we will be having this blog up as well as our blog on our website (<-- click to go there!). There will be different reading material on each one so visit both to learn! ;)

To welcome you back, I just wanted to ask: did you know? I learned some interesting facts from the Internet about dating and relationships so I'm going to share them!

1) The most common time for a relationship to break up is between 3 to 5 months. Not too surprising to me honestly... from my experience, a good number of couples end up breaking it off after their "honeymoon phase" slowly dwindles down.
2) MSNBC.com and Elle Magazine collaborated on a survey and discovered that more than 31% of men confessed to breaking it off with an overweight partner. This compared to 12% of women that confessed to doing the same thing... a bit shocking but definitely an shake of my head for me. Appearances do have power in the relationship.
3) Wear blue! If a man cannot decide what to wear when going on a date, wear blue if in doubt. Studies have shown that women are attracted to men that wear blue. I love blue so it works in my favor! Blue is also an attractive color for both men and women, albeit not the only color.
4) A matchmaker in Manhattan charges $20,000 as a starter. If the match is successful and ends up in marriage, a bonus is expected. What?! A good chunk of people make less than that a year... reminds me of the millionaire matchmaker though.
5) Dating was started from a courtship ritual where young women entertained male callers under a chaperone's watch during the 20th century. Later on by the 1960s to 1970s, dating was replaced by "hooking up", considering the standard/socially acceptable age for marriage started increasing. It sounds a bit sleazy to me but I also appreciate the fact that women were finally given the right of marrying whenever they wanted to, rather than at 16 years old like back in the past.

So did some facts shock you? I can tell you that I learned a couple of new things from this!

HAPPY LAUNCH DAY!

We have finally officially launched!! Please come celebrate with us at FeaturedDate.com!

P.S. Check out the prices! ;) Hint, hint.

Since we have officially launched, I'll be writing at the blog on that website. Just go visit the website and click on the "Blog" tab to read my ramblings on relationships. Thanks for being readers of this blog and I hope you continue to do so. :)

VISIT US AT FEATUREDDATE.COM !!

What are some turn-offs and turn-ons of pursuing a possible relationship with someone?

I know some people are picky about what type of person they want to get involved with. There’s someone looking for a quick, no strings attached hookup. There’s another person who wants to have a boyfriend but not even trying to look ahead to the distant future. Then there’s another person who wants to find true love and can’t wait to start thinking about the future, what house to live in, and how many children to have.

What are some turn-ons and turn-offs that you have from approaching somebody? Looking online, some top female turn-ons* are: 1) a man who can make you feel like a woman (respect is a big turn-on- a man who can respect a woman and appreciate her for who she is), 2) a man who is not afraid to take charge (mental, physical or spiritual strength), 3) a successful man (needs to be able to support himself and his family; ambitious, passionate and confident!), 4) a man with a brain, a sense of humor and can hold a conversation (smart, funny, intellectually challenging!). Some top male turn-ons** are: 1) women who leave something to the imagination (women who maintain a certain degree class are more attractive than women who bare and share everything), 2) has a strong sense of self-esteem (women who can think for herself, believe in herself and has the confidence to speak her mind), 3) loves her body (confidence! Men love a woman who appreciate what she has and isn’t afraid to show it. Embrace your body!), and 4) independent women (self-sufficient, can have fun, not needy. You can live your own life and share with your man!).

Be confident, be smart. Be able to laugh at yourself! Love yourself because you are who you are meant to be. Remember that you do not need someone to feel completed, but you want someone who will love you for who you are and only make life better.

*For more top female turn-ons, visit: http://socyberty.com/sexuality/top-10-female-turn-ons/
**For more top male turn-ons, visit: http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/top-10-male-turn-ons-77.html