Life & Relationship Blog
23 Apr
If you have gotten to the point that you need help saving your marriage and identifying risk factors that are working against your marriage from the start, then you need the best information available now to save your marriage today from destruction and becoming another divorce statistic.
If you want to help save your marriage you must know that marriages either grow or they crumble, they don’t remain passive, meaning that a secure marriage isn’t one where things are always the same. A strong, solid marriage is a marriage where one never stops trying to make things better.
If you want to help save your marriage today and understand why your marriage has gotten to this point you need to understand the behaviors that will lead you to further destruction or will help you strengthen and help save your marriage.
If you want help to save your marriage today you must begin by identifying the top six risk factors of divorce today. Many marriages are challenged and start off with many risk factors, while others marriages begin with factors that are in their favor (good risk factors).
If you want to save your marriage today, you must also know that these are only risk factors, not determining factors for marriage survival. If you have more risk factors against you, this may mean you will need to seek extra help such as expert help or counseling to work through the issues in your marriage to be able to stop a divorce or separation.
These factors are the things you can’t change but…
You may need help to save your marriage if you married in your teens. Statistics show that if you marry before twenty that this may be the most powerful and consistent risk predictor of marital stability.
You may need help to save your marriage if you lived together before marriage. Despite the widespread prevalence of this belief, the evidence says living together before marriage considerably increases the chances of divorce, unless you were already engaged beforehand and marry soon after moving in together.
You may need help to save your marriage if your parents or your partner’s parents were divorced. Statistics prove that children of divorce are more likely to divorce themselves, this risk doubles if both partners are children of divorced parents.
You may need help to save your marriage if you had a child together before marriage. However, couples with children have a slightly lower risk of divorce than childless couples.
You may need help to save your marriage if you haven’t been married long. The longer you’ve been married the more likely you are to stay married. The first two years are the most critical, but half of all divorces happen by the seventh year of marriage.

22 Apr
A revelation came to me at the most unsuspecting time. During one of the most mundane things I do in my structured and routine lifestyle, while reading my redeye on my daily commute home from the city. A seemingly average man sat next to me on the train and asked if this was the train to Lemont. I assured him it was and went back to my business. He was of acceptable appearance in my opinion, and honestly resembled most of my ex’s, trouble I know, so I continued with my reading and kept my head phones on. Just as I suspected before our stop he struck up a conversation that lead to an invitation of a drink at one of the locals a block from the train station.
As we walked he told me his story, he was traveling from Sacramento to Boston to visit his friends and family and on the way back fell into some trouble that lead him to an extended stay in Chicago’s roughest neighborhoods, and seediest areas. I was intrigued by his adventure and the after work cocktail turned into dinner. Being that I am grounded in reality, I knew that after this evening I would never see this provocative character again. This never at one time through out the evening struck me as distressing. I enjoyed his company and his opinions on life, his experiences where fascinating.
Another unconventional portion of my evening was that I never worried about my appearance or how I conducted myself. I was more myself than I could remember being around any man in my past. It wasn’t that I was under the impression that this was purely on the friendship tip, I knew the second he smiled at me on the train that he was interested. It was the fact that I knew this was a Chance meeting of two souls just passing through that freed me from the pressure and pretences of traditional dating. Our time together was brief and enjoyable, and a pleasant memory I will always have of the traveling man who picked me up on my mundane commute home from work on a random Thursday evening in late May.
This chance encounter also made me think about dating in it self. Why is their so much pressure and drama involved? Why do we feel we need be and act a certain way to continue seeing some one? Men and woman alike carry on these stressful and tiring facades during the first stages of courtship. Why is that? Eventually our authentic self has to come out, or we just break up with out that revelation and start over. Are we afraid of our true self? Do we feel inadequate and unworthy of being who we really are? Why would we want to attract a man interested in something we are pretending to be? How disappointing is it to find out that the man we adored was simply a representation of his true self? A slick salesman of a company we really didn’t want to make any business deals with.
Withholding information until a certain amount of time has passed is one thing. You defiantly don’t want to share your past relationship scars on the first few dates, and you probably want to leave out most of your annoying secret single behavior until your stocks have matured. So many of us take it to the next level by covering up our true selves or in some cases completely masking our individuality for another’s approval, what is the point? I have learned through experience that the physical flaws are usually the last thing most men are concerned with when the moment of unveiling occurs. For the most part, in my vast experience, men are too wrapped in the moment to be concentrating on any of your “problem areas”. So generally it is our personalities and mannerisms that we are most avidly concerned with. If the true goal of dating is to land a life-time role, or maybe even just a mini-series, why play a role other than ourselves?

22 Apr
Writing a personal ad and responding to one is something that only a handful of people did in an age when personals were strictly offline. You probably didn’t even respond to one then. Nowadays, though, online dating is soaring as an industry, and almost everyone has responded to a personal ad via the internet, even if they’ve never taken the step to post one themselves. You may have responded to a few dozen and posted one or two yourself.
Single in the States Ain’t What It Used to Be…
Being single is not what it used to be. Today a single person doesn’t tend to go out to the local bar, club, or coffee shop in the hope of meeting a potential spouse or life-partner. For a number of reasons, this whole scenario works but rarely in modern American society. It’s not fair to blame American women exactly, but they have, it seems, grown more reserved; reluctant to give the benefit of the doubt to men they meet who appear interested in a date.
Men are less inclined to find women in the conventional ways. How many women are you going to meet in a coffee shop; is it worth trying when you can meet literally millions of singles online and enjoy an even greater likelihood of establishing something meaningful?
Online Dating: Tips and Trends
The virtual world is expanding at a rate few predicted. Ok, maybe some people got it right. But did many think online dating would become such a hit?
It is a hit and it does work, particularly because we have little time for offline dating. Dating online gives us full control over the amount of time we spend on the initial process of interaction. As we enjoy something of a safety net being online, rather than being face to face with a relative stranger, we are also encouraged to communicate and interact more openly than we might in an offline environment.
Online you date at your own pace. You always have the option, what’s more, to withdraw from a relationship if something goes wrong. You can be less preoccupied with the potential failure to do and say the right things. Some online dating environments also provide background information about dates, so you have some information to go on: what kind of person they are and what they’re interested in. Yet more fears, about badmouthing “Lord of the Rings” to a die-hard fan, for example, are thus eradicated. You can enjoy drawing out communication; taking time to respond and get to know a potential date.
From casual dating to marriage-minded connections, there is a general shift setting a new trend in the online dating world. Online dating is being taken more seriously, as it should be; and the emphasis of online dating is changing. Before people tended to go online to find casual relationships or so called “intimate encounters”. Now, more and more people are using the internet to find a soul mate or life partner; which, to some extent, explains the evolution of mail order brides and websites like Match.com, eHarmony.com, and Loversplanet.com.
Aging and the Internet
The age range of people using the internet has broadened. The older generations, say the 30 to 50 year olds, have gotten to grips with the basics that the current generation of 20-somethings picked up when they were kids. The 30 to 50 year olds are less interested in the casual relationship in general; veering towards long-term commitment and marriage, in tune with their instincts and social conditioning. As we grow older, online dating may become the only affective means for us to bond with others, and look to forming lasting relationships. Unless you want to be on your own, it’s certainly advisable to get acquainted with online dating as soon as possible. The sooner you realize that the virtual world can work for you, the better.
It’s a Jungle: What and Who Is Out There?
The internet is available everywhere: at home, in cafes, on airplanes; you name it. Approximately 1 billion people use the internet worldwide. For anyone venturing out into this virtual world that’s grown up so suddenly, it’s daunting to review the number of sites catering to the American singles. Some of the best, however, don’t allow you to go far wrong. They include Loversplanet.com, Match.com, Yahoo! Personals, AmericanSingles.com and JDate (primarily Jewish). You can find some useful reviews of online dating websites in the following Forbes.com article: Forbes.com Best of the Web – Online Dating.
Another option is Craigslist’s personal ad section (if you live in or near a major city) as people regularly post and it’s free. If you haven’t already come across the network www.craigslist.org is your first port of call; you can navigate the side bar to find your nearest city and most major US and European cities are listed and have their own branch (e.g. www.newyork.craigslist.com).
There are also vast numbers of specialist sites – searches on most dating sites allow you to find singles with interests common to you – sometimes common only to you! There are specialist sites for pet lovers, Lord of the Rings enthusiasts, and professionals; doctors, lawyers, writers. Catering to people’s notions that like-minded people are the right ones to surround yourself with, you can be as particular as you like, and you’ll still find a personal ad catering to your wants and desires.
The virtual world truly is becoming the oyster of the American Singleton! Become part of Online Dating on Loversplanet.com!
Discover loversplanet.com online dating at loversplanet.com Loversplanet.com!

22 Apr
Hair style, makeup and fashion accessories are a vital part of any successful wedding beauty process for your wedding. Your wedding should be the most glorious and special day of your life, and you will of course want to make sure you look and feel your best.
==Achieving The Perfect Look For Your Wedding Day==
Part of achieving your perfect look for your wedding is creating the perfect hair style and the right makeup.
The right hair style and makeup can take some time to get right, and it is important to experiment with several different styles to ensure that you can achieve the perfect look on the big day.
Making arrangements ahead of time with your favorite hair stylist and makeup artist is the best way to ensure you have plenty of time to get the perfect look.
==Make Sure Your Wedding Beauty Products Complement Your Wedding Dress==
It is also important to be sure that the beauty products, such as makeup, you choose complement the color and style of your wedding dress, as well as accenting your natural features such as eye color and hair color.
A well trained makeup artist will be able to tailor your makeup to highlight your natural beauty and enhance it without being overly made up.
==A Good Hair Stylist Will Be Able To Take Advantage Of Your Natural Beauty On Your Wedding Day==
A good hair stylist will also be able to take advantage of your natural beauty when designing the perfect hair style for the big day. Many brides to be choose a hair stylist who is experienced in doing hair styles for weddings.
These stylists are often better than others at working with your deadlines and dealing with the inevitable stress of planning a wedding.
==Getting Recommendations To Find A Great Makeup And Hair Stylist==
If you don’t already have a makeup artist or hair stylist in mind, it may be a good idea to get recommendations from married family members and friends.
Soliciting the advice of people who have already dealt with hair and makeup issues at their own wedding is often the best way to decide who is qualified to handle your own wedding beauty preparations.
Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding planning topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at
best-wedding-plan.com/bridal_beauty_checklist.html best-wedding-plan.com/bridal_beauty_checklist.html

22 Apr
You are wondering how much do wedding favors cost, well it all depends on the type of wedding favors you are talking about. Their are expensive wedding favors, cheap wedding favors and discounted or clearance wedding favors that you can take advantage of and save a lot.
If you are wanting to know the basic prices of some popular wedding favors then that is exactly what you are about to get. So below I have listed some of the most popular wedding favors and their prices.
Crystal long stem rose wedding favor. The price ranges from $2.00 and up
Photo glass coaster favors. From $1.50 plus
Snowflake glass coaster favors. $2.50 plus
Love glass coaster wedding favors. $2.40 plus
Amor glass coaster favors. $2.75 plus
Sterling heart bottle stopper wedding favors. $2.40 plus
Chrome heart luggage tag favors. $3.00 plus
Two peas in a pod ceramic salt and pepper shakers. $2.75 plus
Crystal heart shaped bottle stopper favors. $3.50 plus
Crystal ball wine stopper favors. $3.00 plus
Beach flip flop place card holders. $3.50 plus
The love boat candle favors. $1.70 plus
These are just a few of the many different wedding favors that you have to choose from. The prices of wedding favors vary from favor to favor. You can purchase some elegant and upscale wedding favors that usually will cost a lot more than just a regular run of the mill favor that you can purchase for a $1.00 or so.
The more elegant and more detailed the favor the more it will cost period. So if I was you, I would follow that old saying “You get what you pay for.”
Yolanda is the owner of Yolandas Wedding Favors. She sells many different types of yolandasweddingfavors.com wedding favors such as, love glass coasters, two peas in a pod salt and pepper shakers and many many more. Yolandas Wedding Favors also carries many different yolandasweddingfavors.com wedding accessories and yolandasweddingfavors.com wedding gifts such as guest books, unity candles, ring pillows, bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts and many many more.

21 Apr
During love making or passionate kissing, an accident may happen, and a passionate kiss can lead to that telltale mark of love: a hickey.
By definition, a hickey is the result of an overzealous set of lips suction-cupping themselves to an area of skin and sucking until surface blood vessels break.
A hickey is nothing more than a bruise, and like all bruises it just needs some time to heal. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about this affliction. You can, however, try a few tricks to make it fade faster. Here are the tricks you can use.
1) If you catch the hickey soon enough, your can minimize the mark by immediately applying ice. Apply a cold compress Keep the compress on 20 minutes, off 20 minutes. The cold from the ice will constrict blood vessels and help keep the bruise from spreading.
2) Surface stimulation will help disperse the blood. Gently rub and massage the area.
3) If the hickey lasts for more than 48 hours, apply wet, warm compresses to decrease any pain or swelling. Once the blood has stopped spreading around the bruise, apply heat, which dilates blood vessels and thus speeds up the sweeping away of blood cells. In most cases, moist heat is more effective than dry heat, because the moisture helps wick the heat beneath the skin.
4) Using any tubular object with a domed end, apply steady pressure over the hickey and twist. It will hurt, but it will help. Such objects may include Lipstick caps, pen caps, and blistex caps. The goal is to work the blood deeper into the skin.
5) Apply concealer in a shade that’s lighter than your natural skin color and discreet enough to fend off unwanted attention.
6) Remember that if all else fails, nothing beats a turtleneck sweater, a scarf or makeup to cover it up in summer.
However, there are other things you can do that can help you avoid a hickey. To get Muhammad Lubowa’s recommended 500 tips that will help you to avoid getting a hickey click on this link: softerdreams.org/500tips.html softerdreams.org/500tips.html

21 Apr
What are your chances when you go to Ukraine in search of the perfect date and love? They are much more than you can imagine.
There are many women who are looking for love just like you. Some of them are in the little known Ukraine and are waiting for their knight in shining armour. If you have surfed thousands of profiles before making up your mind who you want to meet when you finally get to Ukraine, be sure that they have done the same, looking at the details under each profile photo and calculating compatibilities and similarities.
Your Ukraine date will want to know as much about you as possible. Just like you about her. You are in good position because you can always arrange a small investigation about her without her knowledge. In the game of flirt there are no rules and it is always good to know as much about your partner as possible if you do not want to be disappointed when it is too late.
Before going to Ukraine and seeing each other face to face, you can request more information about your dates from specialized agents. They are companies which offer detective services. They will be able to provide you with a detailed investigation: if the girl who you plan to see really exists, what is her family situation, is she single or divorced… everything you can think of.
Actually there are not many agencies like this because this work is very specific. These Ukraine dating detectives actually have a very well developed network of agents who are supplying them with information. They can trace back somebody’s life to early childhood and tell you details that can be shocking.
We are referring to cases when dramatic lies are told to foreigners just to make them feel like defenders and protectors. Of course men love to feel this way, but traveling so many kilometers just to see that you were lied to in order to feel good is definitely an unpleasant experience. When you hire an agency like this, be very open minded and do not try to pretend that you do not have feelings or interest towards your date. Surely you have some feelings if you are contacting them, so it is better if you help them as much as you can.
You will be surprised how many little lies women use in order to keep men in their net. The list includes traumatic loses when they were children, a family member whose death changed their life forever or unexciting relationships where they were victims of rude and uncivil men. Of course there are cases when these stories are true and some ladies have suffered much in their past which provoked them to look for love abroad and far from the places where they have cried so much. Unfortunately large parts of the stories turns out to be invented and imagined. Sometimes a slight enhancement can change the whole impression of the story.
After you have all the information about your Ukraine date, it will be time to decide whether to go to her home country to see her or not.
Check out our reviews of all of the top

21 Apr
One thing I have learned from talking to other women is the fact that no man is the perfect lover. No woman is either for that matter. What is interesting is that due to people lacking the necessary communication skills when it comes to sex, silence becomes the tool of choice many couples use when communicating about their sexual needs, wants and overall sexual satisfaction.
But it doesn’t have to be that way!
True – the road to sexual bliss can be a rocky one. It is not always going to shake the rafters or make the earth move. BUT, if you are willing to work at it you can find the path to an amazing, adventurous and rafter rocking sex life… There is nothing worse than a lover who does not care about their partner’s sexual and emotional satisfaction. Not only is it considered bad bedroom manners, but having that kind of attitude will not inspire a woman to make a return visit to your boudoir.
By keeping in mind a few simple rules of what I call sexual etiquette you can you can go a long way to pleasing your partner and making her feel that you genuinely care about her pleasure. Just making the effort will show her you are willing to learn about what makes her feel good and will show her the potential sex life you two can have as time goes on.
What follows are five things many men are doing wrong during sex and some tips for how to fix them.
1. Thinking you are a mind reader. Don’t assume you know what she is thinking or wanting while you are making love. Good sex starts with good communication. If you know someone well enough to have sex with them then you should know them well enough to ask them what they like, what they want, and what they DON’T. But don’t overdo it either. There nothing more annoying than having a man ask you every two seconds if something feels good. It breaks the concentration and you can’t focus on what you feel, much less whether or not you like it. There are three types of sexual signaling. Verbal, non-verbal and para-verbal. Pay attention to all three. What she says, what she does, how she moves and the moans and groans she makes to indicate pleasure or displeasure.
2. Glossing over the erogenous areas. Women are more than two breasts and a vagina. There is pleasure to be had by including the whole body! The neck, inner thighs, stomach are just a few areas women may like to be touched and kissed.
3. Not enough foreplay. We all have instances where the passion is just too great and you both just want to rip each others clothes off and the primal urge to “just do it” takes over and when the mood is right – that is great! But – whether she’s telling you or not, women need some serious foreplay to get ready for actual intercourse. It is just one of the differences in the way men and women get aroused sexually. A woman doesn’t just need to lubricate before intercourse – she needs to expand and open to be ready for a penis. Some women need more time than others.
4. Stopping foreplay at the crucial moment. I had a friend ask me, “Why does my boyfriend stop performing oral sex on me right when I am ready to come?” The answer is because men see foreplay as a means to intercourse. Yet, most women do not orgasm from intercourse. So if you follow the “Ladies First” rule where you give her what she needs to orgasm before you have actual intercourse you will go a long way to providing her pleasure. Plus she will undoubtedly be impressed!
5. Thinking the clitoris needs the same kind of stimulation as the penis. Most men want women to be a little aggressive and firm when they touch them. But women need to be started off with gentle stimulation. Slow down and take your time. Be attentive. Try gently making little circles and then try going back and forth and up and down gradually increasing the intensity. Trust me, even if she’s not telling you otherwise – this addition to your bedroom skill set will go a long way to getting what you want too!
So there you have them! Five mistakes and how to fix them. If you keep these things in mind and heed the advice here, you are well on your way to better sex, more sex, and in all likelihood, a more fulfilling relationship overall!
Kelly Connell better known online as “SexPert Kelly” is a contributing author to many sites dealing with Human Sexuality, Dating and Relationships. Her newest project covers thetruthaboutonlinedating.org online dating and how the newly single amongst us can maximize their thetruthaboutonlinedating.org online dating experienceswhile minimizing the disasters..:-) thetruthaboutonlinedating.org click here to read more!

21 Apr
Sex is a wonderful thing and you should not restrict yourself to only having sex at a particular time or day. It should come naturally and passionately no matter it is at night or in the early morning.
Frankly speaking, there is no best time to have sex, every time and places that you can think of can be used for having sex. Let me just share with you some of the times of a day that you can initiate sex with your partner:
1. Early in the morning. When you have just gotten out of bed, try to initiate sex with your partner. It will be very energizing and fulfilling to kick off a brand new day by having a passionate sex with your partner.
2. When your partner is bathing. Sneak into the bathroom and surprise her. Cuddle her from the back and start planting soft kisses on her neck. It can even act as foreplay before the real thing kick starts in the bed.
3. When the both of you are tired after work. This is one of the most neglected times to have sex. People always think that they are just too tired to have a quickie whatsoever. But in reality, they are only limiting their minds by thinking that they are too tired. Do not limit your mind, go out and try it. Sex can help you to relax after a day of hard work.
4. When both of you are in a car. This work best if you are going to drive for a few hours, for example driving between countries or states. Stop between journey and drive to a deserted area. Have a good quickie to release the tension and make you more refreshing to drive later on.
Just bear in mind that having sex with your partner is always a good thing. Do not take it for granted. Treasure anytime that you can get to be intimate with your partner, and you will not be neglecting your partner anymore.
Crid Lee is the webmaster of thekamasutraonline.com TheKamaSutraOnline.com
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Crid Lee also also owns the site WhyWomenPlayHardToGet.com WhyWomenPlayHardToGet.com, where you will find out what are the reasons behind women playing hard to get, and how you can turn the tables against them.
Please feel free to republish this article on your website, or distribute it to your friends or clients, as long as you leave the resource box intact.

20 Apr
Well, you’ve done it. You’ve gotten engaged and now the real fun starts. Planning a wedding should be done around a few key factors: the church/temple/or other location of ceremony and the location of the reception. Once these key factors have been decided, everything will begin to fall into place.
The location of the ceremony and the location of the reception are two decision makers as to what day the marriage ceremony will happen on. If you want a spring/summer wedding, know that these are very popular times of the year to get married; therefore booking your chosen location on your chosen date may not be as easy as you think. Really any time from about May through October is more popular months, but the peak is generally between May and June. Wedding bookings tend to fill up at least a year before the scheduled events. If you are willing to or had already counted on at least a year before the actual event, it will not be as difficult to book your locations, but it is not something you should wait on either.
Once you have decided where you’d like the ceremony to take place and have at least some ideas where you’d like the reception to take place, it is time to start calling around. Call to find out what dates are available in the time period in which you’d like to get married. Hopefully, the availability will be the same for your ceremony location and reception preference. If this is the case wonderful, book it without delay. If you’re a little more particular about the date, be ready to shop around. Unless you are calling well in advance of the date, at least a year, possibly two, be prepared for disappointment. The location that you’ve chosen may already be booked by someone else. It’s hard to believe, I know, but there are other brides out there with the same agenda as you. If you’re absolutely set to a date, you may have to compromise on the location of the ceremony and/or reception.
Be wary of reception locations that add into their contract that a fee per dish may changed in a certain time period. That’s their way of letting you know that prices may, and often will, go up before your event so that the price you’re being quoted now may not be the price you receive on the day of the event. There are plenty of restaurants or halls that you can choose to hold your reception in and you want to be sure that the one you choose gives you the price they are quoting whether the ceremony is 12 months or 24 months into the future. If a reception hall is pressuring you by saying that they don’t know if they can hold the space or pressuring you by having only your day available and don’t know how long that day will stay open, they are not worth your time.
With three major decisions knocked out, ceremony, reception, and date, you are well on your way to planning a beautiful event. This is an exciting time in your life and the planning process should also be exciting, not stressful. Once these important decisions have been made you can put your feet up and rest for a little while anyway, the rest should go quite smoothly.
Yolanda is the owner of Yolandas Wedding Favors. She sells many different types of yolandasweddingfavors.com wedding favors such as, love glass coasters, two peas in a pod salt and pepper shakers and many many more. Yolandas Wedding Favors also carries many different yolandasweddingfavors.com wedding accessories and yolandasweddingfavors.com wedding gifts such as guest books, unity candles, ring pillows, bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts and many many more.
