By Marni Battista

In this day and age, females aren’t expected (nor do they want) to be that delicate flower patiently waiting for the object of their affection to ring them up and ask them to the drive-in. We’re making more money and finding fulfillment in ourselves, so by golly, we should be able to make the first move with confidence every once in a while!
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By Marni Battista

The holidays are always an awkward time to start a relationship. There are few people who proclaim to be great gift givers and can wander through stores to pick out the perfect presents for everyone on their list. It’s difficult enough to give thoughtful gifts to close family and friends and not be swayed by the latest and greatest gadgets that everyone wants but aren’t necessarily thoughtful.

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By Marni Battista

Serious relationships, a status most singletons strive for, present their own set of complicated issues that naturally arise when two people are on the precipice of sharing the rest of their lives together. And then, life throws a crossroads into your partnership’s trajectory: the dreaded move.

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By Marni Battista

You’ve won over the guy, but winning over his family is even more daunting. While your feminine wiles and witty repartee may have tugged at his heartstrings, making a killer first impression and getting the stamp of approval from those closest to him takes a slightly different strategy. Much like a first date, the first time you meet the family doesn’t always elicit fireworks. But there are ways to prepare, calm your nerves, and set the stage for a wonderful relationship with your fella’s loved ones. So take a deep breath and let these five Dating with Dignity tips help you relax:

Related Link: Taking Your Partner on a Family Vacation 

1. Understand his family landscape: Relationships between family members are often the most deeply rooted and intricate of them all, so gaining a solid understanding of existing tensions or unconventional family arrangements beforehand will save you from surprise. Schooling yourself on your boyfriend’s step-siblings or tense background with his aunt will eliminate awkward situations and allow you to navigate some major conversational pitfalls.

2. Learn their likes: Ever fretted before a first date about what the two of you will talk about? You may be experiencing similar anxiety before meeting the family, but in this case, you have your boyfriend to help you prep. Don’t be shy about pumping him for information about the personalities and interests of those you’re about to meet. Not only will you naturally engage in more thoughtful and free-flowing conversation, but your genuine interest in your partner’s loved ones will score you brownie points with him too.

3. Avoid controversy: No matter how vehemently you and your partner may agree on certain hot button issues, it’s best to err on the side of caution when meeting his family. Sensitive subjects like politics or religion carry with them scores of touchy nuances that could make the conversation treacherous. If you’re worried a certain subject might come up, plan to pre-vet opinions on the issues in question with your boyfriend beforehand in case you need to prepare a PC response or gently nudge him in the ribs to jump in and change the subject.

Related Link: Meeting Your Partner’s Family Over the Holidays

4. Mind your manners: Hold that sailor’s tongue, roll up the sleeves of your sensible yet stylish cardigan, and start setting the table. Your language and overall interaction with his family members will all roll into one well-formed opinion of your character. Of course, don’t go overboard with the manners or sensible clothing to the point where you feel stiff and unnatural. You just want to create a sterling (and well-deserved) first impression.

5. Be yourself: You probably saw this one coming: The best way to succeed in any social situation is to relax and let others get to know the real you. Any time you find yourself getting nervous, remember that the whole reason you’re meeting these people in the first place is because your mate is enamored with you. The more naturally you act, the more likely his family will follow suit.

Marni Battista, founder of Dating with Dignity, is an expert dating and life coach with a 10-step system to manifesting love for yourself and others. You can contact Marni at marni@datingwithdignity.com.

By Marni Battista

As much as we’d like to think of ourselves as relationship experts and place all the blame for failed attempts at love on pure male stupidity, women may unknowingly make crucial slip-ups that land them back in the singles pool time and time again. If you find yourself chronically heartbroken, it’s time to take an objective look at your past relationships and ‘fess up if you’ve been guilty of making some of these common missteps. To help you do so, here are the top three mistakes women make in relationships and how to avoid them.
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By Marni Battista

The reason for our culture’s collective obsession with The Bachelor franchise is obvious. What single, soul mate-seeking dater wouldn’t dream of being presented with 25 gorgeous single men or women and a period of 6 weeks to strategically whittle down that group to a proposal at the end? The all-expenses-paid fairytale dates, exotic destinations, and expensive sports cars probably don’t hurt either.

The conducive environment of ‘The Bachelor’ makes finding relationships and love seem like a breeze. But the real question is, are the happy celebrity couples really as in love as they look? 

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By Marni Battista

It may sound cheesy, but listening to your heart is essential when navigating the path to a happy ending. And as important as this may be, doing so can be especially difficult with input from loved ones clouding your true feelings. Be it a long-term boyfriend, a new prospect, or a re-ignited flame, here is a simple, step-by-step guide to drown out other’s opinions on your love life and follow your intuition.

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CupidsPulse.com is proud to announce and be part of the first-ever Dating With Dignity telesummit hosted by internationally acclaimed dating expert and founder of Dating With Dignity, Marni Battista! The five-week telesummit will launch on Tuesday, September 24th! For more information..click here for the press release or open the read more button below:
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By Marni Battista

In recent months, there have been a couple of sudden, celebrity deaths that have no doubt left family, friends, and significant others reeling. Both Glee star Cory Monteith’s fatal drug overdose and former Bachelor contestant Gia Allemand’s tragic suicide opened up much speculation about how their partners, Lea Michele and Ryan Anderson respectively, have been coping.

These tragedies got me thinking: All of us will experience heartbreak in our lives — whether in the form of a difficult breakup or the death of a significant other — and will surely find ourselves desperate for ways to move on with as much grace, ease, and dignity as possible. Here at Dating with Dignity, I’ve developed five simple practices that certainly won’t eradicate the pain of your loss but will give you the tools to begin healing.

…Read on for Marni’s tips for moving on after heartbreak!

By Marni Battista

Moving on after a breakup can be tough. At Dating with Dignity, we don’t think the best way to get over your ex is to get under someone else! Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest are one Hollywood “It Couple” that recently ended their relationship, and it looks like at least one of them has moved on. Rumors have it that Seacrest has already bagged himself a new lady friend, while Hough still wants him back. If we could advise the bubbly blonde on how to pick herself up again, here are the tips we’d give her:

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