10 Small ways to spread some extra holiday joy

Sometimes the smallest gestures mean the most. Just a bit of your time or a few dollars from your pocket can completely make someone’s day, week or month! Remember: The karma police are always on patrol. Counting to 10, here are some cute ways to make someone smile. 1. Slip a Starbucks gift card into your mailbox for your mail carrier. If you don’t know his or her name, simply draw a smiley face and write, “Happy Holidays!” Read more

Moving in with your new dude: Secrets from experience

Moving in with your dude is a huge step. Massive! Major! Stop the presses and report on this because it’s big! Seriously, this is a whopping commitment. Really, it's one step away from getting engaged. You all know that I believe the ring should come first, but since many people feel rules are made to be broken, I have tips for you rebels too. Don't go into it lightly. This isn’t just the next step in a relationship after saying, “I love you.” It’s a step that involves a lot of planning, talking, compromise and some serious patience. For cohabitation to be successful, you should take advice from an expert or a friend you trust. Here are my thoughts: Read more

Passive-aggressive behavior: How to deal with men who have it

Passive-aggressive behavior. Ugh. I really have no patience for it. If you know me, you know that I’m the opposite of passive-aggressive. I’m more aggressive-aggressive. I say if you’ve got a problem, deal with it. Don’t dance around it with silent treatments and eye rolls. Talk it out. Yell. Scream. Send a bullet-pointed email in all caps. Just deal with it! But I know that I’m not the norm. Passive-aggressive behavior runs rampant in our society. Read more

Charitable dates ideas: 10 LOVE-ly ways to give back this season

Charity can be a great excuse to go on a date with the new guy in your life! Giving back is great, and it's even better if you can make it part of a date. It’s sexier than you think, and here are 10 ways you can jump-start a season of charitable dates. 1. Invite a cutie for a walk, run or bike ride through your local park. Before you head out, download the Charity Miles app onto your phone. For every mile, donate money (10¢ for biking, 25¢ for walking or running) to the charity of your choice. Whether you pick the same good cause or two different ones, it’s a great icebreaker and will show your guy that you’re both fit and charity-minded. Win-win! Read more

How to make sure your relationship survives tragedy

Any of you dear readers still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy? I have some loved ones who have been displaced, and lots of my buds spent days in the cold without heat or power. It was terrible to watch on the news and feel like there was nothing to do to help. I hope that you felt the love that I was sending the East Coast’s way. In watching all of the coverage and listening to the experts talk about how to deal with the aftermath of the storm from governmental, economic and infrastructure perspectives, I thought to myself, I wonder how people are dealing from a relationship perspective? The holidays are here, and that may only be adding to your complicated situation. Extreme stress and unexpected situations can be trying on a relationship. Here are my tips for making sure your relationship can weather any storm, plus the stress and the tragedy that comes with it. Read more

How to turn a fling into long-term romance

You met a guy and took him home and, well, you know... one thing led to another. No biggie. It’s just a fling. Every single woman needs to let loose once in a while, and if it comes from a fling or a one-time thing, that's your choice. But if you’re starting to think this fling could be the real thing, that’s when it starts to get sticky. It’s a tough transition from a fling to a long-term romance because you led with sex, but it can happen. Here are my tips. Read more