Nicole Kidman is more than just Keith Urban’s wife; she’s his lifesaver as well, according to Us Weekly.  Urban appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and opened up to DeGeneres about his drug and alcohol addiction.  He confessed that his wife deserves the credit for saving his life, as she was instrumental in getting him into rehab four months after their wedding.  However, the country crooner admits that Kidman wasn’t fully aware of the extent of his substance abuse problems when they got married. What are things you should know about your partner before marriage?

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It’s official: Katy Perry will soon be known as Katy Brand, according to People.   The 26-year-old singer told Ellen DeGeneres that since her wedding on October 23rd, she has been in the process of taking her husband Russell Brand’s last name.   She said that people already call her Mrs. Brand to “try to get my attention… Like if I’m at an event or something like that, and they want special attention, they go, ‘Mrs. Brand!’  And I go shwoosh [looks back].”

How do you decide whether to take your partner’s last name?

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How do you know when you’re in love?  That’s exactly the question new movie How Do You Know? is asking.  Filled with an A-list cast, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd promise to bring laughs and smiles to this romantic comedy.  When Lisa Jorgenson (Witherspoon, Four Christmases) begins dating Manny (Wilson, Marley and Me) she seems to hit a wall when presented with the opportunity to further their relationship.  Bring in George (Rudd, The Hangover), a former flame of Lisa’s, and the three of them make for a little love triangle.  Written and directed by James L. Brooks, How Do You Know?  leaves Cupid wondering:

How do you know when you’re in love?

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Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean the magic of winter has to end. Cupid’s got some date ideas for those who love to embrace the colder weather. Temperatures are ice cold, so there’s still time to sport your chicest coat or get all toasty warm by the fireplace. As your toes freeze, as icicles form on your eyelashes, and as the snow falls outside your window, you may be tempted to stay inside, but there’s nothing more romantic than taking your partner out for some fun in the snow!
…Don’t miss the rest of this winter dating advice!

Britney Spears’ boyfriend, Jason Trawick surprised the pop star with a romantic trip to Mexico for her birthday.  The couple touched down in Puerto Vallarta and headed to their private villa, where Trawick had a red velvet cake all ready for his sweetie’s 29th birthday celebration.  Despite allegations that Trawick had abused Spears, the couple was happy during the weekend vacation.  “They suntanned and did a lot of relaxing and decompressing,” says a source.  “They seemed very much in love. “

How can you make your partner’s birthday special?

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Kelsey Grammer was spotted in Manhattan doing something most guys dread, reports RadarOnline.  The 55-year-old actor went dress shopping with girlfriend Kayte Walsh, 29, and even helped her zip up a stunning black dress.  The Frasier star split from his wife Camille earlier this year amid rumors that he had a new girlfriend.  Grammer then publicly began dating Walsh, a former flight attendant.  The couple suffered a miscarriage in September.

What are tell-tale signs a guy is into you?

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As a father to three girls, country crooner Garth Brooks took time to dole out some good ol’ fatherly advice to women everywhere on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  “The truth is, it’s the reflection in the mirror.  That’s the one.  You can’t lie to that voice inside of you.”  After confessing “the only thing better than playing music is being a dad,” CMT reports that Brooks made sure to convey that he understands the pressure girls face when dating, especially when it comes to older boys.  “As a junior, if you’re dating a senior boy, sometimes that pushes you ahead of things you’re ready to handle.”How do you avoid becoming a reflection of your partner?

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Another celebrity couple has split!  According to Us Weekly, Scream star Neve Campbell filed for divorce from husband John Light in secret earlier this year, citing “irreconcilable differences.”  The 37-year-old actress married her British actor husband, 36, in Malibu in 2007.  This is the actress’ second divorce after being previously married to Canadian actor Jeff Colt.

How can you keep your divorce under wraps?

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Russell Crowe has a reputation for being brash, egotistical and even violent.  And now for the first time, his wife even admits he can be “volatile,” according to DigitalSpy.  Danielle Spencer, an Australian musician and mother to Charlie and Tennyson, said the media have turned her husband into a “caricature.”  Spencer said, “He’s quite a volatile person, sure, but he also has a very warm and soft and funny side to him, too.  He’s multi-faceted, as most people are, but the media doesn’t allow for shades of grey.”

How do you deal with your partner’s temper?

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Cameron Diaz and on-again-off-again Yankee boyfriend, Alex Rodriguez were caught canoodling in Mexico over the Thanksgiving holiday last week, according to Us Weekly.  The pair spent time in the sand showing off their beach bods and taking dips in the water.  The two were originally spotted together over the summer, but kept things cool in October.  “They break up and get back together all the time,” says a source.Is an on-again-off-again relationship healthy?

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Even though Taylor Swift is rumored to be dating Jake Gyllenhaal, she’s still enjoying her independence, reports People.  The 20-year-old singer recently appeared on Chelsea Lately to discuss the perks of having her own place.  “Living alone you can do so many fantastic things,” Swift told Chelsea Handler.  “You can walk around and have conversations with yourself and like, sing your thoughts…  I think I’m the only one who does that.”What are benefits to living without a partner?

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New couple alert!  Rumors are flying after Gabriel Aubry and Kim Kardashian were spotted sitting together at an L.A. Lakers game.  A source tells People, “They’ve been dating a little bit.”  Gabriel Aubry’s ex, Halle Berry has already moved on after their split earlier this year, and it looks like the Canadian model is doing the same with Kim Kardashian.  While the curvy reality star was enjoying being single, she had also complained about her lack of a love life. How do you take your time in a relationship?

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It’s official!  Former Biggest Loser contestant Stephanie Anderson plans on saying “I do” to fellow contestant Sam Poueu, according to Us Weekly.  Poueu popped the question at NBC’s Biggest Loser ranch in California.  “I wanted to go back to the ranch, because that’s where it all started,” said Poueu.  The two, who collectively lost 241 pounds on the show, are now ready to build a life together, and they want their Biggest Loser family to be there when it happens.  “They know what we’ve been through,” says Stephanie Anderson.  Though the groom’s brother will be his best man, his cousin and partner on the series, Koli Palu, will be a groomsman.  Between the announcement and the wedding decisions, the couple has been too caught up in all the excitement to set a date!

What are ways to decide who will be at your wedding?

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It looks like there’s at least one celebrity couple we can count on.  After two years of marriage to musician Ryan Adams, Mandy Moore is still very much in love.  The actress and singer recently told People, “I feel very supported and loved and at peace … I got my own little happy ending.”  And for Moore, happiness is found in the little things.  After mentioning how “nerdily obsessed” she and her hubby are with their two cats and dog, the actress added, “We’re big homebodies … We never want to leave [the house].”How do you have fun staying in for the night?

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After dating for only six months, Jessica Simpson and former NFL player Eric Johnson announced their exciting decision to walk down the aisle together.  The couple’s newest announcement?  According to PopEater, they’re doing it without a prenup!  This isn’t the first time Jessica Simpson will put on a wedding dress without signing the agreement. In her past divorce from Nick Lachey, who just days ago announced his engagement to Vanessa Minnillo, Jessica Simpson lost $10 million dollars for saying “I do” without a prenup.  The singer’s father, though very happy for the two of them, does not want to see his daughter make the same mistake twice and plans on trying to change her mind when the excitement dies down.  But for now, the couple is running on love!

Should you get a prenup when you get married?  Continue reading →

Former Dancing With The Stars pro Julianne Hough is finally speaking out about her relationship with Ryan Seacrest, reports Us Weekly.  On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hough gushed, “Oh my gosh, he’s phenomenal.  He’s really romantic.  He’s not even in town, and I got in my car and there are flowers everywhere.”  And it looks like things are getting serious because Ryan Seacrest has met her parents!  “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you met the folks!'” she says.  “It’s like, ‘I don’t know.  Both of our folks are like our best friends so when we hang out, it’s more like hanging out with friends.'”

What can “meeting the parents” mean in a relationship? Continue reading →

By Alex V. of The Urban Dater

Reality.  If reality was an actual person, I’d probably punch it in the neck.  Why?  Sometimes, or most times (depending on how much baby Jesus thinks I suck) reality really is a jerk.  Only sometimes, though.

I’m a dork, I gigantic geek bag!  It’s true.  No, really, it is!  I was a nerd before it was cool, dammit!  However, there’s just no helping a person’s uninformed perception aka ignorance.  You see, being a dork and an odd ball, dating women was often lost on me.  No women wanted to date a geek like me, I thought.

You never heard about Dustin Diamond dating a hot girl, now did you?  If you did, surely you chuckled at such a ridiculous rumor.  However, the coolness of nerds and geeks has sky rocketed over the years, with shows like Beauty and the Geek and the rise to stardom of actors, like my hero, Seth Rogen.

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Tamra Barney has a surefire plan for getting over her breakup blues, and it involves two new b’s: a boyfriend and a BMW.  The Real Housewives of the O.C. star recently told Us Weekly that she’s been seeing a man, Eddie, who bought her the new car for her birthday.  Tamra Barney began her new relationship about a month after her and her husband, Simon Robert Barney, filed for divorce in January.After an ugly divorce, what are some things you should consider before dating again?

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Former Bachelor winner Jesse Csincsak and his pregnant wife, Ann Lueders, still find ways to stay active and healthy together, People reports.  Lueders, who used to jog daily pre-pregnancy, has swapped her jogging sneakers for hiking boots as her and her husband take their two Siberian huskies on two mile walks.  Now in her third trimester, Lueders and Csincsak have toned down the level of exercise in their lifestyle, but they haven’t cut it out all together.

What are some fun ways couples can exercise together?

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Duffy’s new album Endlessly, out Dec. 7, shows a new side of her: the hopeless romantic.  The 26-year-old Grammy winner told People she was looking for love when she wrote the title track on her album.  “I had a piece missing.  I thought, ‘Who am I going to have those special moments with?’  I needed some arms around me.”  Duffy found what she was looking for in September 2009 when she began dating rubgy player Michael Phillips.  “The story is yet to be finalized,” she says, “but it seems like a happy ending.”

How can you tell if your romantic notions are realistic?

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By Kari Arneson

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?

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By Taylor Cast of The Urban Dater

First impressions are incredibly important, and even more so when it comes to dating.  People make a snap decision when they meet someone if that person is going to be a friend or potential date.  Instant decisions are an innate process in us, and most of the time we don’t change our mind.  I have met men who in theory are exactly what I want, but they failed to impress, and I lost the urge to pursue dating them.  Or men who in their dating profiles are good looking, they have great “stats,” and then they misspell something.  For example, the last guy to message me said in his profile that he is “very intelligant.”  Afraid not pal.

When we first meet a person we size them up, make judgments and decide if this person is going to get us naked.  My roommate will not date a man who shows up with dirty shoes.  So if his white sneakers have the slightest tinge of dirt on them, she is done with him.  I eliminate men based on their literary knowledge.  It may be silly, but we all do it.  A guy friend of mine wouldn’t even entertain the idea of dating a brunette, because blondes were his “thing.”  We decide that a person isn’t for us based on that first minute or so.

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Hearts are breaking all over the world.  Us Weekly reports that “after eight years of dating and two brief splits, Prince William and love Kate Middleton will finally tie the knot next year.”  Due to Prince William’s wedding jitters, Kate Middleton agreed to wait after making a secret pact to marry three years ago while the royal couple were on vacation in the Seychelles.  While the palace representative refuses to comment on the matter, sources are claiming, “The engagement will be announced in 2011.”

What are the benefits to a secret engagement?

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After her divorce from pro golfer Greg Norman, tennis champ Chris Evert needed some time to get back on her feet.  The two were married for just 15 months before separating last year.  Chris Evert told People, “I spent the summer in Aspen healing.”  The athlete’s whirlwind romance with Greg Norman left little time for her family.  “I was traveling a lot and just not around…  My kids are dynamos and needed their mom,” she said, referring to her three sons from a previous marriage.  “Things are back to normal, and my sons are my first priority,” she says.How can you heal after a divorce?

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