'Married & Mortified' asks Love Kudos a Question.

Written by Lauren K. and Lindsay K.

Dear Love Kudos,

I was talking to a girl for a while at an event, just chatting it up when a friend of mine came up and blurted out, "Oh, by the way, he's totally married and has a kid." It was mortifying especially because the conversation was totally innocent, at least from my perspective. That said, I don't wear a wedding ring because I lost my original one and have not replaced it yet.

At what point in a conversation does a married guy, who innocently doesn't wear a wedding ring, have to disclose his marital status? Can't a guy just talk to a girl?!

Can you help me out?

-Married and Mortified

Don't Judge Me By My Color (Code) or Should You?

The Jdate Color Code Test Analysis 

Written by Lauren K. and Lindsay K. of Love Kudos

Recently, Jdate felt the need to add some "hard" science or psychological testing into their online matchmaking methods. Therefore, about a month ago, they introduced to the site Dr. Carmen's Color Code Personality Test.

Here is how it works: there is a series of questions about the reactions you had to situations when you were a child and you choose “the best” answer, which may or may not accurately describe you. It creates a personality type that, instead of a Myers-Briggsian “ENFJ,” assigns you a color. 

Rekindle your Romance for Valentines day

Stumped over what to get that special succulent lover in your life?

Reuben Munoz book review comes to the rescue with the perfect solution. 

 Check today's post for info on how to get your own copy of 'Succulent Container Gardens' by Debra Lee Baldwin ... it'll be love at first sight! 

ranchoreubidoux.wordpress.com

Also, Check out a new free mini-book from NY Times Best-Selling Author 

Dr. Ian Kerner, sponsored by K-Y Brand.   

Gender Bias in Dating ... Does it still exist?

Written by Lauren K. and Lindsay K. of the Love Kudos

Do girls just want to have fun?  We are second guessing the lyrics to Cyndi Lauper's 1983 hit sound "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."  When it comes to online dating, it seems like most of the guys out there are just trying to have some fun by dating around, and have no intention of settling down with one girl.  Why do these men play around? Because they can without major consequences. 

After you get past the first "winks" or "flirts," then come the email questions.  The type of questions which are appropriate depends on who's asking them.

A Valentine's Treat for your Sweet!

Valentine's Day Romance Guide

Written by Lauren K. and Lindsay K. for Couples and Singletons

Valentine's Day can be an even trickier holiday to handle than Christmas or Hanukkah. We want to address a few questions that might come up as you are shopping for your Valentine. When is it appropriate for a guy to give that naughty lingerie? Can a girlfriend give a Hallmark card that says, "I love you," if you have not even said it to each other out loud?  If you just started dating, can you ask her to be your Valentine?

We would like to help you out with those burning questions, but first here is the Valentine's Day guide for couples and singletons.

Fatties, Flies, and Botox

Written by Lindsay K. of the Love Kudos duo

I don't like to admit it, but we live in a superficial world.  There have been televisions shows like "Dating in the Dark," in which a couple's first date is in complete darkness.  The purpose is to eliminate the physical aspect of the initial get to know you stage.  Unfortunately, as we age, our metabolism slows down and if we don't  increase our physical exercise and/or lower our caloric intake, we will become all to familiar with the freshman fifteen or twenty, thirty or forty, etc.  And how can we maintain that taut, glowing skin, full of collagen that is so appealing to our suitors? Unless you resort to botox, resilin, or swear off the sun from the age of 16, you are bound to succumb to having wrinkly, sagging skin.

Is this happening to you?

Online Dating Advice: Content Matters ... Who knew? Love Kudos did

From the OkCupid Blog by Christian


OkCupid analyzed over 500,000 first contacts on their dating site. Their program looked at keywords and phrases, how they affected reply rates, and what trends were statistically significant. The result: a set of rules for what you should and shouldn’t say when introducing yourself online. Let’s go:

Rule 1

Be literate

Netspeak, bad grammar, and bad spelling are huge turn-offs. Our negative correlation list is a fool’s lexicon: ur, u, wat, wont, and so on. These all make a terrible first impression. In fact, if you count hit (and we do!) the worst 6 words you can use in a first message are all stupid slang. 

11 Reasons He Dumped You

One of Marie Claire's dating bloggers shares some of the reasons why he's bailed on relationships in the past.

By Rich Santos (for the full article: MSN.com)

I was flipping through a Women's Health recently (I admit it), and I noticed an interesting poll. Women cited the following reasons as the most common breakup reasons: He changed. We weren't compatible. He cheated on me.

When I was little, it drove me crazy when my parents supported "No" with "Because I said so." I always wanted a reason. I'm not sure if knowing why always helps, but perhaps if you know common reasons guys break up with girls, you'll at least be able to see it coming. So, here are mine:

The First Down and Two Minute Warning in Dating

First and Last 10 minutes of a First Date - The Love Kudos Analysis


Written by Lauren K. and Lindsay K.
 

It has been proven that the first and last 10 minutes of a date are the most crucial. How you begin and end your date can determine your relationship fate.  Will there even be a 2nd date? A study conducted by Artemio Ramirez and Michael Sunnafrank with college students on the first day of class, suggests that within just 10 minutes of meeting, people decide what kind of relationship they want with a new acquaintance. We definitely bring all of our past experiences and stereotypes with us when we meet a person and size them up. To put things into football terms, we are calling the first ten minutes of a date, the opportunity to get a 1st down and the last ten minutes of the date, the "two minute warning" time.

Top 10 Commandments of Online Dating

Written by B. Katz of SingleEdition.com for JPeopleMeet.com
Graphics added by Lauren K. of  Love Kudos

Turning the Ten Commandments into a comedy routine. We apologize in advance if anyone is offended. Lauren says, "Remember to laugh and know that all rules are meant to be broken at times."


Let's face it. Internet dating can be like you're suddenly living in Sodom or Gomorrah - there are few rules to live by, good deeds to perform or books with lessons to teach us. To help you fulfill your obligations when there are essays to fill out, pictures to upload and Internet etiquette to remember, here is a helpful list of commandments to guide you:

Dating Overlap Scenario: In Depth Analysis

Written by Lauren K. of Love Kudos

So, we discussed what possibly can happen as a result of the dating overlap problem, but let's take a more in depth look at why this occurs in relatively urban populations.

First off, when you post your profile on a niche dating site like Catholic Singles or Jdate, you are bound to have at least "interest overlap" due to the limited local population with your religious requirements. However, are we supposed to completely eliminate this option to meet people if ultimately we would like to end up with someone from the same religion? I don't think so. Although I have taken holidays from the online dating world, I have found that when I meet people offline they are not always looking for a relationship. Often times, the number one thing we have in common is physical attraction or a specific sport.

Top 3 Dating Commandments

Written and compiled by Lindsay K. of Love Kudos - LKx2

There are tons for tips and rules, written and unspoken, about how to behave and treat others when it comes to dating.  Do this, act like that. There are so many possibilities and behaviors to take into account.  Here's a quick survey of 3 top dating commandments from willing participants.  Please add your own in the comment section. 

This is just for fun!

Lindsay K.
1. Be Honest.
2. It's him/her, not you.
3. Have fun.

Tangled Web of Love: Dating Overlap Problem

Written by Lauren K. of Love Kudos

I live in a city of approximately 1 million people according to the Austin Chamber of Commerce. However, it seems like I live in a tangled web of about 5000 people that I constantly see at bars, clubs, restaurants, grocery stores, the gym, and even on the street. It is appealing to be in a place where everyone knows your name, but this concept lacks some charm when your pool of single men is limited to about 200 people. As most of our Love Kudos readers already know, I am a member of both Jdate and Match in the pursuit to find one male to enhance my life. Well, lately I have found that this is becoming an increasing more difficult task due to a "dating overlap" problem.