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 may try to seem above it, there’s no denying that photos are a major factor when choosing whom to pursue in the online dating world. While I always encourage women to look beyond a man’s physical characteristics and delve deeper to determine overall compatibility, online dating presents a whole different animal.

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By Marni Battista

Choosing a mate involves enough numbers to make the process a math equation, but daters of both genders place the most importance on a lot of the wrong ones. From a bird’s eye perspective, it doesn’t make sense to prioritize such an uncontrollable physical characteristic as height, but as superficial as it may seem, biology is at work here. Women tend to go for taller men because of the masculinity and protectiveness it implies, while men seek out more petite girls who make them feel like a strong lumberjack of a guy.

I could tell you all day long that height is irrelevant in the long run and that, by following this primal urge, you’re effectively ruling out a painful number of worthy potential partners who could make you feel just as meek or manly as someone who meets your height requirement would. But since it would be fruitless for me to simply suggest we all fight Mother Nature, here’s a Dating with Dignity guide to how men and women who weren’t blessed with traditionally ideal genes can exude the right qualities.

Related Link: Why Hating Your Body is Destroying Your Love Life

How Short Men Can Measure Up

If you’re the guy who was always chosen last to play basketball in gym class and are a regular at the tailor to have new pants hemmed, you may have low expectations for your love life. If you hone other parts of your appearance and personality, however, you’ll communicate power, presence, and an ability to protect no matter your magnitude:

Confidence: Many men express confidence by overcompensating and acting like a jerk, but simply being comfortable and carrying yourself accordingly will do. Don’t forget that confidence is also associated with ambition and an overall happiness with your looks and personality. If you’re not quite there yet, perhaps you’re better off working on yourself for a while before hitting the dating game hard; it’ll benefit both you and your romantic prospects.

Appearance: Height aside, overall appearance is an undeniable attraction factor — especially when attempting to snag a lady’s initial interest. Take care to dress well but also in a way that suits you, both size- and personality-wise. A well-groomed man with an eye for fashion can make a lack of height unnoticeable. Similarly, maintaining your physical shape can gives a solid sense of that protective quality women seek in men.

Personality: While you may feel as though you have to embrace an abrupt and coarse demeanor to make up for your lack of height, kindness still matters and is especially desirable in a long-term mate. Believe it or not, kindness can still be considered masculine, so long as you express it with that confidence you’ve honed and refrain from becoming a doormat. Simply treat others, especially your lady, with respect, consideration, and compassion and stand up for what you believe in. That’s sexier to us than being able to slam dunk a basketball.

Related Link: Guys Edition: How to Behave like a Gentleman

How Tall Women Can Appear Down to Earth

Many men find height in women imposing, no matter how charismatic and warm you may be. The key to attracting a man who may normally shy away from taller gals is to exude femininity and appear approachable, even if that means doing the approaching yourself.

Confidence: Though making the first move may seem like the opposite of appearing less intimidating, it may be your job to break the ice. Use your feminine wiles and approach him in a flirty, natural way to avoid seeming forward or “ballsy.” Once he’s had the chance to talk to you for just a few minutes, he’ll likely see what a warm and welcoming person you are, and all the rest will fall away.

Appearance: You may be inclined to slouch to appear shorter, but improving your posture makes you appear more self-assured. Be sure to smile often and openly. Don’t be afraid to sling a smile at the cute guy in the next aisle at the grocery store or across the bar; it’s the most surefire way to express your effusive personality and make someone feel more comfortable and open to approaching you.

Personality: If you’re into soccer and fly-fishing and have an active career, by all means go for it — but try to balance it out through your relationship’s dynamic. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and maybe even have your new guy take care of some of the fix-it tasks around your apartment early on, even if you’re fully capable of handling them yourself. Making your man feel needed and giving him ample chance to take care of you will make your height difference irrelevant.

Marni Battista, founder of Dating with Dignity, is an expert dating and life coach with a 10-step system to manifesting love for your self 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.

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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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By Marni Battista

In recent years, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have had quite the whirlwind romance. The two pop stars were in a much-talked-about long-term relationship before they broke up and have subsequently reunited multiple times…although as of publication, their relationship status could easily have changed again. One thing we do know: breaking up and getting back together multiple times is mostly a good indicator that you should NOT get back together. So should you get back with your ex?

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By Marni Battista

Demi Moore, Mayor of Cougarville – Population: 1?

Demi Moore has done it again. Earlier this year, she scooped up a hunk of a fellow, and this time he is even younger than Ashton Kutcher. In January, Moore, who is currently in the middle of her divorce with Kutcher, was seen out doing nothing but drinking and partying with the younger set. She was photographed with art dealer, Vito Schnabel, who is 26 years old – which, in case anyone is counting, is half of her age. …Don’t miss the rest! Click here for more.

By Marni Battista

The latest news in Hollywood is Britney Spears and Jason Trawick’s somewhat long-anticipated breakup. The couple met when Trawick was Brit-Brit’s talent agent, and he gradually transitioned to her beau post-Keven Federline divorce. The two had been engaged for just over a year, and we presume one of their resolutions must have been to start off 2013 single.

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By Marni Battista

Taylor Swift has been splashed across almost every magazine in the past few weeks, telling story after story about yet another failed relationship and her tendency to get over someone by getting “under” someone new. The twenty-something country crooner is beautiful and successful, but it seems she can’t break the three-month relationship cycle.

Perhaps it’s because she has a “broken picker,” or maybe it’s just that she’s 22 years old and has no idea what she really wants. Whatever the case, Swift is repeating the same mistakes in each and every relationship. Her romantic trysts are unable to move past the infant stage. With actors and boy-banders alike (even a Kennedy!), the songstress dives in head-first each time — and comes out like a drowned rat within a few months. …On the edge of your seat? Don’t miss the rest!

This post is sponsored by Marni Battista.

By Marni Battista

Elizabeth discovered the secret to having it all: a successful career AND a passionate relationship…

When Elizabeth first came to me, she was a 32-year old divorcee with a super successful, high-powered career. She was gorgeous, intelligent and ready for love — or so she said. She shared with me that she was desperate to fall in love again but honestly didn’t believe she would have chemistry or passion with anyone else. Although she proclaimed her desire for a relationship, my coach intuition told me there was something else going on beneath the surface — something bigger that was keeping her stuck and single. …Don’t miss the rest! Click here for more.

By Marni Battista

There is a certain philosophy that touts the best way to get over someone as getting under someone else. When we peruse the headlines and photos that cover those magazines at the check-out line, it seems clear that most Hollywood celebs certainly subscribe to this way of thinking.

Although Kim Kardashian’s divorce from Kris Humphries isn’t even finalized, there’s talk about Kanye West designing her engagement ring. Plus, we’ve seen photos of their romantic trip to Italy for her birthday and heard rumors of them moving in together. Her recent marriage, albeit a short one, should have still been a significant part of her romantic life. It seems as though it’s long forgotten – almost as if it didn’t exist at all. …On the edge of your seat? Don’t miss the rest!