Life Advice
/Health

Erika Ettin: Is minding the gap just for subways?
Whether you’ve been to London or not, you’re probably familiar with the phrase commonly associated with the city’s underground subway system: “Mind the gap.” While you should absolutely be careful about the void between the train and the platform, minding the gap is much less of a worry when it comes to ages and dating.
During my ...Read more

Swipe, match … now what? Crafting the perfect opening message
You know the feeling: You’re swiping on Bumble, Hinge or any other dating app when boom -- it’s a match! Now comes the hard part: figuring out what to say.
There’s a unique art to crafting the perfect opening message, one that will stand out from the crowd and then lead to a response. If you take anything from this article, remember this:...Read more

Are the holidays a good time for your partner to meet the family?
In not-so-breaking news: The holidays are a crazy time of year. As lovely as the lights around town look and as exciting as your social calendar is, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day also brings on a lot of extra stress. And while exploring a relationship as the calendar is on its last page can be magical, mixing a new partner...Read more

The art of the kind rejection -- and graceful acceptance
Dating is hard. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but it’s worth the occasional reminder so you can always approach every related situation with kindness and compassion (while also being truthful).
This should be especially top of mind when it comes to rejection, a subject no one likes but happens to be a big part of ...Read more

I tried a breakup simulator video game. Here's what it taught me about the myth of 'moving on'
In the world of video games, there are plenty of so-called dating simulators, a.k.a. "dating sims," in which players can craft a personality, meet potential partners and try to win them over. "Thirsty Suitors" is not that, and makes it clear what we've been missing in video games: the breakup simulator.
Despite a title that implies sexual ...Read more

The Lucky 13: Avoid these first date mistakes to make a great impression
First dates can be a whirlwind of emotions — excitement, nervousness and hope all wrapped into one. It's a chance to make a great first impression, but it's also an opportunity to make mistakes that can quickly derail the potential for a meaningful connection.
So, what are the common pitfalls to avoid on a first date? Here are the "Lucky 13" ...Read more

There are plenty of fish in the sea… but you won't catch one without message bait
We’ve all heard the phrase “There are plenty of fish in the sea.” (As you might know, there’s even a dating site called Plenty of Fish). And sure, there are. But ask any fisherman or fisherwoman if their catches just throw themselves in the bucket and cook themselves for dinner — obviously not! It takes a good pole and reel, lots of ...Read more

Why you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket when dating
Ask anyone who has tried it, and they’ll tell you that online dating is a roller coaster of emotions. When you match with someone and the conversation is flowing, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the potential.
That’s exactly what happened to one of my clients recently … let’s call him Ben. Ben had a first date planned with “Julie” ...Read more

Is it ever OK to date your friend's ex? What 'Love Is Blind' gets wrong
Throughout its five American seasons, Netflix's "Love Is Blind" has been packed with dramatic moments — everything from a runaway bride, to one man chucking his fiancée's engagement ring into a hotel pool, to a woman leaving her fiance for another man on the show, and multiple folks second-guessing their engagements after seeing their pod ...Read more

Tired of swiping? 5 ways to beat dating app fatigue
Deciding to get into the dating pool can be exciting — you’re just setting out and the possibilities are endless. But after perhaps some less-than-ideal first dates, unanswered messages, or the feeling that you’ve already read every dating profile within a 50-mile radius, those feelings can easily transform into frustration and self-doubt....Read more

The "How are you?" cleanse
If you are reading this article and you’re currently on an online dating site/app, then I am putting you on a “How are you?” cleanse.
All too often on the dating apps, even if you have a fantastic profile with lots of “message bait”—information in your profile specific to yourself that makes it easy for someone to ask a question or ...Read more

'The Golden Bachelor' is the antidote we didn't know we needed
To say I’m obsessed with “The Golden Bachelor” on ABC is an understatement. In my 12-plus years of running my business as an online dating coach, the largest demographic of clients I work with is people, specifically women, over 60 years old. (In fact, Match.com says 37% of its users is those aged 50 and up.)
Among my clients, most have ...Read more

Tinder is launching a $500-per-month subscription service. What does it get you? (Hint: No guarantees)
I’ve seen my fair share of head-turning headlines when it comes to news in the online dating world, but this one definitely caught my attention. First reported by Bloomberg with the title “Tinder Offers $500-a-Month Subscription to Its Most Active Users,” the new service from the popular dating app is called “Tinder Select” and is only...Read more

How a decade of dating apps has changed our dating lexicon
Believe it or not, Tinder was introduced to the world in 2012. Hinge followed shortly behind in 2013. And Bumble entered the scene in 2014. (Plenty of other dating apps entered the scene around that time too, but one only has so much time!)
With the introduction of these apps, who knew that our entire lexicon as it relates to dating would ...Read more

Dirty talk can be fun … but not in your profile
The primary aspect of my job as an online dating coach is scrolling through online dating profiles all day long, selecting potential matches for my clients.
You might call it an occupational hazard, but after reading one too many profiles — often from men — that discuss sex in some form or refer to parts of their anatomy, which I'd rather ...Read more

They found love in their accounting classroom. Ten years later, they got married there
DENVER -- Lexxa Kever and Trevor Bazley did the impossible: They extracted romance from an accounting class.
The newlyweds met in 2013 during their first accounting class while working toward Master of Business Administration degrees at the University of Denver. Running late, Kever rushed to sit in the first empty chair she saw, unknowingly ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Erika Ettin: Is minding the gap just for subways?
- Swipe, match … now what? Crafting the perfect opening message
- The art of the kind rejection -- and graceful acceptance
- Are the holidays a good time for your partner to meet the family?
- The Lucky 13: Avoid these first date mistakes to make a great impression