Now that Valentine’s Day is over and done with, a new season is quickly approaching: Wedding season! And let’s face it – you need all the help you can get. However, according to the WE tv Networks Wedding Report, the average wedding in 2010 cost $24,000, which is a 23 percent increase from 2009. For many people, especially in today’s economy, that budget may not always be realistic. And even if it is, why spend money when you don’t have to? That’s where the Fields come in. Alan and Denise Fields have been called the “wedding watchdogs” for their consumer books that offer advice to couples about to tie the knot. Needless to say, top dogs in the wedding industry didn’t take kindly to the Fields’ money-saving tips, and the couple was publicly ostracized for their efforts. Luckily, Oprah Winfrey (yes, the O herself) suggested the Bridal Bargains to her viewers, and the Fields went on to sell 400,000 copies. The authors recently released the 10th edition of their best-seller, which includes tips on how to save up to 40 percent on brand new, big name wedding dresses, ways to save 70 percent on wedding invites, and even advice on how to plan a green wedding. The Fields can show you that cheap doesn’t necessarily mean tacky, and there are always ways to save on your dream day. Now you have more to spend on your honeymoon!
We spoke with Ms. Fields via email last month. Take a look at what she had to say:
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Cupid’s Pulse has teamed up with New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak to offer a Brenda Novak canvas tote to TWO LUCKY READERS! But don’t think you’re getting just the tote bag; included are Novak makeup bags with THREE lip glosses named after her HEAT triology (retail price: $21 each) and an autographed set of all three books!
To enter, tell us your next lip gloss-worthy occasion – whether it’s a steamy first date or a cool and comfortable night with you beau. The best answer wins! Please be sure to use your real email address so we have a way of contacting you if you’ve won – don’t worry, your address won’t be shown and we will never spam you. This giveaway will run until 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, Feb. 17. Check back on Friday, Feb. 18 at 10 AM EST for a post announcing the winners. Good luck!
This giveaway is now closed.
In the meantime, check our Brenda Novak’s special Valentine’s Day guest post: 10 Tips To Keeping Your Valentine. For more information, visit her website at www.BrendaNovak.com and follow her on Twitter: @Brenda_Novak.
With the Superbowl right around the corner, people all over the country are wearing their lucky jerseys and making their usual party arrangements, while others are looking up rare diseases to use as their newest excuse not to attend. To those in the second category, the thought of a room full of crazy fans screaming about things they don’t understand is a living nightmare. They see the words “touchdown,” “goal,” and “strike” as nothing more than signs to immediately excuse themselves from a conversation. If you’re one of these people who consider “sports talk” another language all together and are desperate for a translator, we found the expert. Melissa Malamut’s book, She’s Got Game: The Woman’s Guide to Loving Sports (or Just How to Fake It!), guides you through the rules, slang, history and even appropriate apparel for sports events in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. Malamut was kind enough take some time out of her vacation to talk to us about her book via email. See what the accomplished author had to say:
If you’re single, February might be the month you dread your family’s seemingly harmless (but nevertheless annoying) questioning of your lifestyle, asking if you have a special someone to spend “that holiday” with. Or, it may be the month you take out your reserved pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and watch sappy movies, wishing you had someone to cuddle with. Either way, the “love” month shouldn’t be for couples only – singles need some love, too! And who better than yourself to give you the love you need? That’s the idea Celeste Friedman hoped to inspire with her book, Single 101: 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single, which explains why you should embrace your singleness, instead of looking at it like a a burden. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter claims that she has achieved more success flying solo than when she was married or dating. A fun, easy read, along with personal anecdotes anyone can relate to, Single 101 shows you that you can do it alone (and enjoy it – really!) if you want to. In addition, Friedman has created a Single 101 music CD, including original songs that were inspired by her book. She even has a one-woman show that celebrates the single life live on stage.
I had a chance to speak with Friedman via email about her book, as well as her partnership with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign, which launches on Valentine’s Day. Take a look at what she had to say:
Have you ever felt hopeless when it comes to dating? Do you feel like you are doomed to date men who are wrong for you? Do you look back on past relationships and cringe? According to professor, author, speaker and life coach Dawn Maslar, the solution to all your dating problems is simple: You have a broken GPS, or Guy Picking System. Failed relationship after failed relationship, Dawn knew she had to make a change. She decided that in order to fix her broken “picker,” she needed to go on her own journey of self-discovery – without a man. In her book, From Heartbreak to Heart’s Desire: Developing a Healthy GPS (Guy Picking System), Dawn outlines a plan to help women discover why they pick the wrong men and how to stop in order to go “from heartbreak to happiness.” See what the author had to say about her experience:
You’ve seen them on TV, at work, or maybe in your own home. You’ve dated them, worked for or with them, and have screamed at them from the comfort of your couch. Yet, women everywhere still put up with their crap. That’s right – I’m talking toxic men, the men who have you feeling sad, angry and confused about who you are. Even worse, you may not even know that you’re dealing with a toxic man! Lucky for you, Lillian Glass, PhD is here to help. In her latest book, Toxic Men: 10 Ways to Identify, Deal with, and Heal from the Men You Make Your Life Miserable, Dr. Glass helps you figure out what types of men are toxic to you, and ways to handle them when you have to, and dump them when you don’t. What’s more is that her training in body language can help you see the warning signs that are often masked with words. After reading the book ourselves, we have to say that Dr. Glass is spot on – we’ve even figured out the types of toxic men we should avoid at all costs (aside from the scary-sounding The Socio-Psychopath)! Dr. Glass took some time out of her busy schedule to chat with us over the phone about her book. See what this best-selling author had to say:
Kristen McGuiness is your average 30-something woman – she has a great career working at a non-profit in Los Angeles and a great boyfriend who might just be The One. But what’s different about McGuiness is how she got to where she is today. As a recovering alcoholic and addict, she knew she had to think outside the box to sort out her priorities. Single, newly sober and exploring a new city, McGuiness decided to try something crazy – but possibly brilliant – to find the new love of her life. A sympathetic boss, a spiritual healer and a handful of blind dates helped her reach her goal of 51 dates in 50 weeks, and which ultimately the unique experience depicted in her book, 51/50: The Magical Adventures of a Single Life. Equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching, this book takes readers on McGuiness’ personal journey of self-discovery as she imparts valuable wisdom on life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Cupid was lucky enough to talk to McGuiness about what those 51 dates were like, what it’s like to date sober, and how while looking for a man, she ended up finding herself:
David Good got a bad rap when he appeared on The Bachelorette: Season 5 (Jillian Harris’ Season) in 2009. Most infamous for his altercation with former contestant Juan Barbieri and the negative way he used the phrase ‘Man Code’, Good had the opportunity to redeem himself earlier this year on the all-star, spin-off competition Bachelor Pad. Not only did Good surface from the show as the house favorite (and leader), he won the grand prize of $250,000 with partner Natalie Getz. Now, the 29-year-old first-time author is using a portion of his winnings to set the record straight about the true meaning of “Man Code” in his new book, The Man Code: A Woman’s Guide to Cracking the Tough Guy.
Good gave Cupid a view of his softer side, while opening up about his country boy roots in West Alexandria, Ohio, and the importance of bringing back more of what he calls the “John Wayne” types. Of course the interview wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t ask about his relationship status, too. So, here’s what he had to say:
From representing pharma to cooking chicken parma, there’s no telling what best-selling author Jamie Reidy will do next. One thing that remains consistent is that his books are results-oriented and focus on sealing the deal, whether it’s in pharmaceutical sales or winning over a new love interest. Reidy’s new book, Bachelor 101: Cooking + Cleaning = Closing, is a cookbook and lifestyle guide for “idiot single guys like me,” he told Cupid in a recent interview.
A former pharmaceutical salesman, Reidy is best known for writing Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, the basis for today’s movie release, Love and Other Drugs starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Cupid had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with Reidy last month, and he filled us in on his new book, which boasts 30 idiot-proof recipes for men who want to wow” that special someone:
It’s no wonder that relationship therapist and healthy living coach John Gray, Ph.D., is the best-selling relationship author of all time. His enlightening, instructive and hugely popular Mars-Venus series has sold more than 50 million books, including 1992’s groundbreaking Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, which was the New York Times‘ number one best-selling book of the last decade. But Dr. Gray’s quest to help men and women understand and appreciate their differences is far from over. The latest addition in the series is Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice: Hormonal Balance – The Key to Life, Love & Energy. Dr. Gray says, “This is not only a fun book, but highly informative, explaining the importance of hormone balance in order to have good relationships.”
How can hormonal balance help improve your relationships?
What do medicine, meditation and Madonna all have in common? For author Wendy Shanker, they were all supposed to be cures for a rare autoimmune disease that struck her right when she was at the top of her game. Shanker, who had given advice to thousands of women in her hugely successful first book The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life, was now searching for someone to help her with the difficulties of dealing with a chronic illness.
From reality dating shows to speed dating events to eHarmony commercials, it seems like everyone is in a race to the altar. Today’s society might make it seem like being single is not an option and that it’s just a phase until you find “the one.” Michelle Cove documented people on their journeys to find love in her new film, Seeking Happily Ever After, and inadvertently found gourds of proud singles out there.
In her companion book Seeking Happily Ever After: How to navigate the ups and downs of being single without losing your mind (and finding lasting love along the way), Cove explores why there have been more single women than ever lately, while allowing single women to reclaim their own stories. With wit, humor and sage advice, Cove uses others’ stories to answer questions raised during filming and creates a self-help book expressly for women who are single and loving it.
Every one of us has felt the pain of betrayal at some point, but Julie Metz’s came in the wake of her husband’s sudden and untimely death. Just as she was beginning to heal and return to a normal life months after she was widowed, Metz learns her marriage wasn’t what she thought it was. Through letters and correspondence, Metz’s memoir recreates her most difficult moments as she struggles to bring her life back to perfection.
How do you deal with the shortcomings of your spouse?
In honor of National Singles Week, Cupid interviewed Nicole Porter, the self-published author of The Break-Up Cookbook. This witty collection of recipes, stories, and quotes, is a must-read for singles everywhere. Though it is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to a woman’s broken heart seems to have always been through the same vital organ. Being from Minnesota where the temperature can hit 40 degrees below 0, comfort food is in Porter’s blood. Don’t be fooled, however, because this book puts the “party” back into the phrase “pity party.” In spite of dealing with issues such as the tragedy of a broken heart, The Break-Up Cookbook is nothing, but funny and optimistic. Continue reading →
Lovers, losers, and a whole lot of linguine are at the forefront of Giulia Melucci’s new memoir, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti. Whether a kindhearted alcoholic, a novelist with a Peter Pan Complex (there were two!), or the classic commitment-fearing Manhattanite, Giulia has been courted by, cried over, and has cooked for them all. But this woman’s tale is far from woeful. After each romantic letdown, she recovers by indulging herself in the comforting concoction of a good cry and a bowl of pastina. Recipe–along with a heap of other delectable dishes–included. Melucci’s I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti is a personable, at times laugh out loud adventure of a strong woman who knows the importance of nourishing her stomach, and even her soul, no matter how many times her romantic flames fizzle faster than what’s cooking on the stove.
What is the number one thing you should do to attract the right partner?
The road to love is sometimes littered with potholes, and the bumps don’t always end once you’ve entered a committed relationship. From the beginning stages of courtship all the way through marriage, men and women often find themselves in conflict with their lovers. Howard J. Morris and his partner Jenny Lee were no different when it came to being brandished with insulting credentials like “major nut bag” and “total dunce.” But they took the age-old claim that women are crazy and men are stupid, and examined its relevance in their own love life. The result? A laugh-out-loud, he-said she-said book that chronicles personal and identifiable love troubles in a completely honest, absolutely hilarious, and very practical way. In Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid, Morris and Lee take readers on a wit-filled journey to help them figure out things like why men suck at being romantic, and why women view even the most mundane events through some emotional prism. Ultimately, they reveal ways for couples to break dysfunctional patterns and become more happily in love together.
How can you avoid coming across as stupid or crazy in your own relationship?
Everyone’s seen the row of marriage self-help books on the shelves of the local bookstore. With so many to choose from, how can you pick just one? That’s where Sherry Amatenstein comes in. This license master social worker decided to take the guesswork out of picking just one expert, and combined the country’s best marriage counselors into one place. The Complete Marriage Counselor: Relationship Saving Advice from America’s Top 50+ Couples Therapists offers a one-stop shop for all things marriage-related, tackling 101 of couples’ most-asked questions, getting to what America’s couples are really thinking.
What should you do if you’re unhappy in your marriage?
A deadline for love? According to Dr. Diana Kirschner, it’s possible! This love expert, media psychologist, and author has helped both singles and couples on their road to love. Based on clinical research and personal experience, Love in 90 Days guides you along your journey to self-discovery with good advice, and of course, tough love. The author also addresses common mistaken beliefs about relationships and dating, and shares stories from women who have been successful in their own 90-day path to a great relationship.
Rachel Solomon is a young Manhattan photographer who wanted out from her Jewish Midwestern roots. Enter Elizabeth Mann: WASP friend, career mentor, and future sister-in-law, who’s about to marry Rachel’s brother, and fully integrate herself into the Solomon family – complete with four babies all named after Rachel’s dead Yiddish-speaking relatives.
What’s a girl to do when she realizes that the domesticated life she has shunned is suddenly the one she wants to live?
Relationship expert and dating columnist Andrea Syrtash dishes out some non-traditional advice to singles trying to find a perfect match: simply date your “non-type.” After playing the dating game for several years, she says women tend to fall into a relationship rut, attracting the same type of guy that never seems to work out. Syrtash says that it’s not that she’s not into them — the guy is just not their type. In He’s Just Not Your Type (And That’s a Good Thing), Syrtash entices readers to date outside their norm, discard their dating rules, and start fresh. With stories from real women who found happiness with their non-types (NTs) and a practical approach to dating, Syrtash shows that true love can be found.
More than 40 million singles are dating online. With around 2,500 online dating sites to choose from, how can you navigate your way safely and find love on the Internet? Julie Spira’s tell-all memoir, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online, can help. You’ll follow her on her 15-year journey — which included 250 online dates — as she navigated the web in hopes to find an Internet mate to replace someone she thought was the love of her life. Through her romances, heartbreaks, and personal rules of “netiquette,” Spira shares invaluable first-hand knowledge on the best ways to date online.
