Top ten online dating tips

It's hard enough being single - for whatever reason - without friends trying to set you up on double dates or drag you along to the nearest speed dating event. Nowadays, with the growth of online dating, it's much easier to sit at home and chat via computer than meet people face to face in the real world and make that initial contact with them.

But if you want to get the most from online dating there are some key 'rules' and top tips that can really make the difference. If you're looking for friendship, love or companionship and are considering online dating (as over 30,000 other Kindred Spirits members already have) then you should follow our top ten tips for first time online daters.

The essential photograph

Online dating without a profile photograph is like buying a car from eBay without seeing a picture – pointless. You've got more chance of changing a traffic warden's mind before they give you a ticket than you have of piquing a potential date's interest without a decent photo. Therefore ask a friend or relative to help you out. Maybe you’re shy or worried people you know might find you (workmates, perhaps). If it’s the former, buck up. You’ve made a brave step by joining, but you’ve got to complete that step to make it worthwhile. If it’s the latter, then take pride, and make your profile the best profile anyone ever clapped eyes on.

Age of your photo

Your main photo should be no more than four years old. If you look preposterously more attractive in it than you do in real life, that's fair enough, if it really is a recent photo of you. However, to prevent a date's crushing disappointment followed by bitter resentment, you should include some more realistic shots in your extra photos.

Best strawberry on top

Write your profile. Read it through. Take the best bit and make it the first sentence, then re-write. Online profiles are like articles in a flicked though newspaper: if they don’t grab you immediately, you don’t read them.

Choose wisely

Pick a friend and get them to write a few sentences. Rather than picking the person who knows you best, pick a good writer or a witty friend (because this is an advert, not a confessional).

The truth will out

“I look 29, so it’s OK to say that I am.” claimed one 35 year-old. “I live in Birmingham, but I’ve said London because I go there often” said another girl. Women’s lies tend to be subtler and more easily rationalised than men’s blundering fibs about height etc., but that does not make them better. Just be truthful, white lies always come out in the end.

Activities

It's unacceptable to claim that you are still involved in activities that you haven't indulged in for years. “Keen gymnast”, for example, when you haven't vaulted a horse since your early teens, is not on. However, if you're just in a lull - perhaps you like swimming in the sea, haven't done it for three years, but are keen and able to do it again - then that's fine to include.

Once you have uploaded all your relevant pictures and information...

Your matches

Click ‘my matches’ on your home page, and you will see people who best fit your specified criteria (‘my ideal match’ in your profile), and the people that you fit best. The more specific you’ve been, the more specific the results.

How to deal with responses, or lack of them...

Some people get loads of mail and simply don’t have time to respond to every one. Some have abandoned the site but left their profiles on. Some just don’t feel compatible with you, even if they did initially... Basically, it’s complicated, but often people just don’t reply. You mustn’t let it put you off.

Take time

Taking time to get to know somebody with emails and a phone call before meeting is the key to online dating. Possibly patronising to include this, but, if you want to be certain about a person's intentions, hold back for a few dates. If they’re still around, chances are that it’s you, and not just the act, that they’re after.

When you finally do find that special someone and agree to meet up...

Meet somewhere interesting

Arrange to meet somewhere like a book shop, local monument or on a village green. The person who arrives first will have something to look at and do while waiting, and something to talk about immediately.

source : Telegraph.co.uk

Haven't Exercised for Awhile? Follow These Tips to Back in the Swing of Things

Okay, so you've decided to start exercising, but you are bewildered by all the types of exercise programs available. You see these machines, weights, people dancing, jumping, kickboxing and stepping. Then there are all the sports out there. It can be confusing finding the right mix of exercise for you. Actually, most exercise can be divided into three types: general physical activity, aerobic exercise or resistance (strength training) exercise.

General Physical Activity

General Physical Activity refers to the exercise one gets from simply increasing the effort we take to do daily tasks. Let's be honest as a society we have become sedate and, at least on a physical level, lazy. We reach for the remote to turn on everything from the TV to the stereo system. We circle a parking lot for 15 minutes trying to find a parking space close to the door when we could have walked from the back of the parking lot in five. We take elevators and escalators to go up one floor. We play video games with our kids instead of more active physical games.

One way to slim down is to simply rev up your daily physical activity. It is also a good way to get started. Here are a few tips to get you started. I'm sure you can think of others:

- Take three 10 minute walks a day: This will burn 100-150 calories a day depending on your weight, gender and how fast you walk. Be sure this is a brisk walk and not a stroll. Also don't stop and sit down part way through it. You can increase the workout by adding light weights. Carry two 1 or 2 pound weights and swing your arms while walking to add a little resistance.

- Take the Stairs: If you only have to go up one floor, try taking the stairs. Stair climbing is great aerobic exercise and is good for the leg muscles. You can even make it a game of trying to get to the next floor before the elevator arrives. Most of the time you will be faster than the elevator. Of course, be careful you don't slip and fall so don't run up the stairs or skip stairs on your way up. Since you burn twice the calories going up stairs as going down, you could moderate this one by using the stairs going up and the elevator coming down.

- Park further away: Super simple way to add a mini workout to your daily life. Don't park right by the door of the place you are going. Park at the other end of the parking lot or park 2-3 blocks away. I live just 5 blocks from the college. So when the weather's good I walk to school each day. It gives me about 20 minutes a day of exercise. And considering the parking situation at the school, especially during the first few weeks of the semester, I probably get to my classes sooner than if I spent all day circling the parking lot looking for a parking space.

- Play with your kids: Talk about an enjoyable way to get some exercise and improve your family life at the same time. Put away the video games and TV, pick up a ball and bat or a badminton racket or even a croquet mallet. Get anything which gets you and your kids up and moving. Run with them. Throw the ball to them. Play hide and seek. Let them wear you out. It's good for you and it's good for them as you spend time with them and teach them by your example the value of regular exercise.

- Take up a sport: Someone described a football game as being 22,000 people in dire need of exercise watching 22 people in dire need of a rest. Why not stop being a spectator and become a participant? Join a tennis club or a city league sport team. Learn to golf, play basket ball with your friends, coach a little league team. Let the fun of competing also help you get the exercise you need.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic Exercise is any exercise which raises the heart and respiration rates. Aerobic exercise is good for the heart and is the type of exercise which builds endurance and burns the fat.

Aerobic Exercise can be sub-divided into two types. High Impact and Low or No Impact. High Impact exercises are those which involve jumping, stomping, running, etc. So, exercises such as jogging, running, playing sports like basketball or tennis, step or dance aerobics and some forms of kickboxing are examples of High Impact aerobics.

Low Impact aerobics are those where you do not hit the floor with a good deal of force. This would include walking, swimming, water aerobics, elliptical trainers, cross-country skiing machines, rowing and bicycling.

Obviously, if you have knee or ankle problems you should consider a low impact option. Even something simple like taking a 20 minute brisk walk a day can prove highly beneficial.

Experts say you should do at least 20 minutes a day three days a week of aerobic exercise.

Resistance Exercise

Resistance Exercise burns less fat, but it does build muscle and "sculpts" the body. If you want to lose the inches in the right places resistance exercise is essential. Another good benefit of building up muscle is that muscle metabolizes calories more efficiently than other types of tissue. Thus, developing your muscles helps your body burn fat all day long. Examples of resistance exercise include floor exercises (like crunches, leg lifts, Pilates exercises, etc.), weight training, lunges, "Nautilus" machines, push ups and pull ups. Doing resistance exercises for about 20 minutes a day 2-3 days a week is a good regimen.

Some experts suggest alternating aerobic and resistance exercise by doing aerobics Monday, Wednesday and Friday and resistance on Tuesday and Thursday. Personally, I do an hour of aerobics on Monday and Wednesday and an hour of resistance on Tuesday. The other days I walk or do exercises at home for about 15-30 minutes a day.

As with any type of weight management regimen, check with your doctor about any personal health concerns which might affect your choice of exercise.

Source : FreeDietTips.com

Nail Care Tips

Your nails form a very important part of your hands and they too need to be well taken care of. Well-kept hands, with neat, clean and healthy nails, are a pleasure to behold. On the other hand, dirty and poorly kept nails will make your hands look ugly, even though the latter are healthy and well cared for. In other words, we can say that for your hands to look beautiful, your nails need to be strong and healthy. For the purpose, you need to undertake certain steps, such as cleaning your nails on a regular basis, treating the cuticles properly and keeping the nails well moisturized. Go through the hand nail care tips given below and know more on keeping you nails well nurtured and full of healthy shine.

Nail Care Tips

• To harden soft nails, soak them in warm olive oil for about 20 minutes, on alternate days.
• To remove stains from your nails, mix one tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of water and soak your nails in this liquid for a few minutes. Then, wash off with warm water and apply a hand moisturizer.
• It is not a good idea to remove the cuticles from your nails, as it will make the nail susceptible to infection. Rather, you should make use of good quality cuticle oil and gently push back the cuticles, with the help of an orangewood stick.
• Try to stay away from acetone polish removers as much as you can and stick to the one that make use of acetate. Still, try not to use a polish remover more than once a week.
• In case you wear nail polish, make sure to give your nails a break from time to time. In other words leave them without polish for a few days, every now and then. Otherwise, they will develop an ugly, yellow tint.
• If you want to give a natural sheen to your nails, just like the colorless base coat, rub petroleum jelly on your nails and then buff them, with the help of a soft cloth.
• If you have brittle nails or split or dull nails, then increasing your consumption of Organic Silica, Vitamin B (especially B5) and MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane) will surely help.
• Never ever resort to nail biting, as it is extremely destructive for the nails as well as the cuticles. If you are in the habit of biting your nails, drop it as soon as possible.
• Whenever you wash your hands, while bathing as well as otherwise, make sure to dry the nails properly and apply a hand cream or lotion, using it on the nails as well. This is because soap makes the nails dry and brittle.
• The best time to file your nails is when you are already wearing a polish. This will prevent splitting or breaking of nails.
• If you have brittle nails, it is advisable to wear a nail polish, or at least the colorless base coat, as much as you can.

Source : iloveindia.com

5 Healthy Skin Rules to Live By

Our skin goes through so much on a day to day basis including environmental pollution, harmful UV rays, smoke, oily makeup, and many more. These all take a dire effect on your skin either making it dry, break out, or age faster,and that’s why we need to take care of our skin pronto! Here are 5 golden healthy skin rules you should really live by!

#1. Wash Off Your Makeup

Never go to bed before at least removing your makeup. If you’re super tired, just grab a makeup removing towelette and wipe your face with it. But always remember to thoroughly remove your makeup before hitting the sack!

#2. Protect Your Skin

Before heading out the door, makeup sure your moisturizer or foundation has at least an SPF 30. Even if it’s cold outside, the sun is still powerful enough to wreak havoc on your skin.

#3. Keep Your Skin Healthy

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to take Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and will help clear away those pesky zits as well as keep your skin looking fresh and young. Take a maximum of 2000 iu of Vitamin C a day.

#4. Exfoliate

Exfoliating is very important because it sloughs off the dead skin cells that build up on your face. Either use a gentle, daily exfoliating wash or do an exfoliating treatment once a week.

#5. Keep Hydrated

Last but not least, drink lots and lots of water! If you’re not a water fan, make sure you keep your skin hydrated by eating plenty of water-rich fruits such as watermelon.

By Aniela

Get a Messy Bun

Sexy, messy buns are extremely hot right now, and so easy to pull off. Perfect for bad hair days, lazy days, and pretty much any day you want! They look great during the day, at night, at work, school, whatever you want! Here’s how to pull off a messy bun.

Start off by sweeping the front part of your hair to one side as to create a fuller crown area. Use your fingers along with a paddle brush to direct both sides to the back of the head.

Gather your hair into a loose pony and secure with an ouchless elastic (sides and back). The base of the pony should rest in the middle of the back of the head. Push your pony up slightly to create fullness at the top of your head. Add some hairspray.

Separate the pony into one inch sections, curling each section loosely. You don’t have to do this very carefully, as it is a messy bun, and you just want to get some waves. Holding the curler for about 3 seconds should be enough, depending on the hair thickness.

After each section is curled, use a bobby pin to secure the curl loosely against your scalp. When pinning the curls, make sure that you pin some at the top as to form an even and balanced shape.

Once you’ve finished pinning the curls, use your fingers to gently loosen up the curls, making it look messy. Finish off with a little bit of hair spray and you have a sexy, messy bun!

By Aniela