Contrary to the belief that online daters are just losers incapable of meeting a mate in the real world, Dancing With the Stars judge and ex-fly girl dancer Carrie Ann Inaba says that she met her fiance, Jesse Sloan, on the popular dating site eHarmony.com. From ABC.com:

“I met him on eHarmony,” she said. “I was dating all these younger guys. I was like, ‘Maybe I need to change it up a little.’”

Inaba, 43, explained that she didn’t post a picture or offer any clues to her profession to make sure Sloan really was interested in her, not her fame.

“In his picture, I felt like I already knew him,” she told “Access.” “He took a risk because he didn’t know what I looked like or anything.”

The couple, who has been engaged since March, are in no hurry to get married, although Carrie Ann says they are trying for a baby.

“My age, at 43, I have to get moving on the baby,” she said. “The wedding can come later.”

If this beautiful, classy, and talented woman had troubles finding a guy at a bar, but had fantastic luck on a dating site, then shouldn’t we all be open to online dating? Here’s to hoping that Carrie Ann’s openness and honesty about her dating habits will inspire others to try a less popular dating method than just sitting at a bar, waiting for someone to pick up on you!

What do you think? Will online dating become totally mainstream soon?

img via harpersbazaar

According to NewsJunkyJournal, a new dating site has been launched that aims to connect “affluent” singles with their perfect “trophy date.” Cue the “what has this world come to” groan.

Via the source:

The site caters to those looking for any type of relationship; friendships, casual dates, sugar daddy / sugar mama / sugar baby arrangements, love, or marriage. “Whether someone is looking for marriage, just looking for people to date casually, or something in between, we can offer them the convenience of online dating with the high class service of a personal matchmaker,” says Phillip LaPorte, Co-founder of MytrophyDate.com.

Back to my “time to leave Planet Earth” moans, I guess I really should just shut my trap. Who cares what kind of relationships people are looking for as long as they aren’t doing harm to themselves or others? If a rich old guy wants a hot young lass on his arm and can find her on this site, then they’ve done their job, right? Who cares if it’s not the perfect “met in college, dated for years, married and had children (and then later had a horrible divorce)” that we’re used to?

My only worry is that people may claim they are looking for just a sugar-daddy/baby relationship, or someone MIGHT say they’re ready for a long term commitment, but may not be totally honest in those statements. A “trophy” may SAY she’s looking for marriage when in reality she’s just looking to score some free dinners, and an “affluent” older lady may be fibbing when she says she’s okay with just “casually dating.” Each of these situations could lead to broken hearts, angry breakups, or worse.

What do you think? Is MyTrophyDate just catering to a market? Or are they creating a vicious monster?

Anyway, her article raises an interesting question that is shockingly under-analyzed: what role does Facebook play in modern relationships? We’ve already discussed the fact that it can be the demise of a relationship and that it is now cited in 33% of divorce case hearings, but on the other hand, can it be the grounds for a new relationship?

Tobi’s article talks about the pleasantries of sharing your relationship openly through photos and public postings on peoples’ walls, and the ease of chatting and messaging while in the midst of a busy lifestyle. However, the relationship she uses as an example is between two Christian young adults who met at a music festival and then communicated via Facebook until moving near each other and then getting married two months later. This, of course, is not how most secular relationships work out. People want to know they are sexually compatible and usually live together for months before tying the knot. In such cases as that, carrying on a relationship via Facebook might not be the best way to forge a bond.

We would say that although Facebook permeates every corner of our lives these days, starting a relationships via the social networking site might not give couples the opportunity to create the real in-person bond that a relationships needs. How does online dating differ? Its main purpose is to create offline connections. One could potentially carry on a relationship on Facebook for months just by interacting via commenting and chatting (and that’s where the married folk get in trouble).

What do you think? Is Facebook a viable platform to meet and court a new mate? Or should new relationships take place face-to-face?

In the last week, we’ve seen quite a spike in celebrity break ups in the news, and it got us thinking? What’s going on? Coincidence? Is there something in the California water? Or is Spring just a time when couples decide to call it quits?

Arnold and Maria Shriver were the first couple to call it quits, ending their 25 year marriage earlier this week. Considering the very well-known fact that Arnie has a bit of a problem fondling the ladies, this one wasn’t a huge surprise. What was a surprise was how long it took to happen! We wonder if it had to do with Arnold’s move from the entertainment industry into politics – scandals like a divorce can often harm chances of election. Perhaps with Arnold’s term coming to an end they felt it was finally okay to publicly split.

Hayden Pannettiere and her boxer beau Wladimir Klitschko reportedly broke up, and according to Wlad (is that the nickname for Wladimir?), it had a lot to do with managing a relationship from separate continents. DUH ALERT, everyone. We wonder if Hayden was just tired of answering questions about how they “do it,” when he is over a foot taller than her.

Last but not least, on-again, off-again couple Bar Refaeli and Leonardo DiCaprio are officially off, again, according to The Herald Sun (and everyone else). We always wonder about couples who break up and reunite several times. Does it mean they are meant for each other but the timing is always off, or does it mean they are trying too hard to make something work that is so obviously wrong? The two are very attractive and will surely meet new lovers (Leo reportedly already has), but we wonder if we’ll be seeing this couple again in the future.

So what do you think? Is spring the season to split? Or it just a coincidence that three long-term relationships ended within a week?

Despite their 17 year age difference, a source says that the couple are a “perfect pair,” and that Paul’s children love her as well.

It’s always surprising to me when a person who has gone through an extraordinarily difficult split ends up getting married again. Sure, the problem might be that you two weren’t meant for each other, but it also shines a spotlight on the underlying issues in marriage as an institution. Paul lost an unheard of $50 million dollars in his divorce with Heather Mills, and yet has decided to jump into another with no prenup?! YIKES.

What do you think? Is the problem with marriage the two people who are involved, or is there a problem inherent in the institution?

The above chart might be a funny jab at marriage and the stereotypical  idea that when people get married they become angry sexless bores, but it is also a visual representation of all the things wrong with marriage and how you could hypothetically create a happier one (assuming marriage is an equation, which obviously, it is not). It comes from the book and blog “Spousonomics” by Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson, which provides a humorous, but fairly factual look at contemporary marriage and its mathematics.

The “existential dread” included, much of this chart is pretty accurate… married couples do tend to begin concentrating on trivial things and ignoring the important stuff. So how can you use this chart to ensure you don’t find yourself in a Hulu-filled, sexless marriage? By actively working to not let that happen. Many studies have shown that, for example, having sex a couple times a week (even if you’re “not really in the mood”) can improve a couple’s intimacy and relationship.

So what is this chart doing on a dating advice site? Well, it is especially important before you get married that you haven’t already fallen into the marriage-mindset. Dating is supposed to be the most exciting part of a couple’s life together, so as you get into a relationship, keep Spousonomics in mind, and flip that chart upside down!

via newhomesbolton.ca

I realized that the world was becoming more progressive when my mother, a devout Spanish Catholic, said that it was a “smart idea” for a boyfriend and I to move in together before we started talking about marriage. Of course I already knew that, and we had plans to move in together anyway, but it was a shock to hear it from my mother, who I assumed thought I was still a innocent virgin who had never even seen a boy’s bed.

So it was only a bit of a shock to me this morning when I read that 92% of British newlyweds already live together. This number is a stark contrast to 25 years ago, when only 10% of couples cohabited before getting married. This information was discovered from a poll by eHarmony.co.uk. Dr. Gian Gonzaga, Director of Research & Development at the company, said of the results:

“Whilst a lot has changed in the journey couples take to marriage, one thing remains true. It is important to take the time to understand if you and your partner will be compatible across the long haul.”

The survey compiled a few other stats that were fairly interesting, including that half of newlyweds had spent time “on a break” before getting married, and that more than a third were already raising a child together before marriage. This is far different than 25 years ago, when only 20% had ever broken up before getting married, and a minuscule 9% that had a child before getting married.

These numbers show many things, one being of course Gr. Gonzaga’s conclusion, that people are taking the time to prepare and ensure they are ready for marriage, but also that we as a whole might becoming more progressive about sex and relationships! Here’s to fingers being crossed that this trend can help us stem the flow of teen pregnancies, divorces, and child neglect.

What do you think? Would you prefer to live with a boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage, or would you rather wait until you are officially husband and wife?

Via Googlenews

In a recent OkCupid blog post (yep – there they go again being all perfect and stuff), they detailed some crazy stats about sex and dating in our technology-flooded world. From whether or not people put out on the first date to how often they masturbate, we learned some interesting (and uncomfortable) statistics about the members of OkCupid and the world at large.

The most interesting stat thus far, though, was the one saying that Twitter users are less likely to be in long term relationships. There are so many comparisons it’s impossible to choose just one, but obviously the most important is that it makes sense that people who flock to a website that demands 140 characters or less wouldn’t be looking to put too much work into a relationship!

Furthermore, as OkCupid points out, it’s impossible to know who is the dumper and who is the dumpee, which raises another point: Are frequent tweeters too ADHD to stay in something long-term, or are they just so unbearable that they’re more likely to be dumped earlier on in the relationship? The world may never know…

What do you think? What makes Twitter such a relationship killer?

We got to thinking about it, and it makes sense. There is a reason that so many dating profiles say they’re looking for someone with a great sense of humor. Or why guys who otherwise might not be given a second glance become sex symbols because they are just so funny you’re drawn to them.

But we got to thinking, once you’re in a relationship, why is laughter so important?

We thought of a couple reasons:

1) Gives you something in common

We’ve all been around the couple that constantly makes little inside jokes together. It’s almost irritating because you’re like, “why can’t I be involved?!” However, these kinds of small inside jokes can help to keep a couple bonded and close.

2) Gets you through tough times

Remember when SNL wasn’t sure if they were going to air the week after 9/11? And then they decided to? And it was great, because people were able to laugh despite a horrible tragedy having just happened? At an obviously much smaller scale, that’s what laughter can be to your relationship. The good times can be made better with a funny joke, but the bad times can be improved with a laugh as well.

3) Builds trust

Laughter releases endorphins and the hormone oxytocin, naturally occuring chemicals which relieve stress and give the laugher a feeling of well-being and belonging. A great relationship full of laughter will keep the couple happy and close for a lifetime.

Read more about the importance of laughter in a relationship at PicktheBrain.com.

A friend of mine and her boyfriend recently moved about 200 miles north of us to a town where they didn’t really know anyone. They both work for the same company and live in a one bedroom, somewhat out of the city with not much to do in the vicinity. They moved there 6 months ago. They have broken up twice.

Many of our other friends supposed the time together made them realize how incompatible they were for each other. I had a different opinion – I think it was the close proximity and the lack of outside friends or hobbies that took a perfectly great couple and drove them INSANE. There is a common term, “Cabin fever” which doesn’t always have to do with staying inside. Sometimes it has to do with being with one person, almost 24 hours a day, with no release in the form of other friends or even just ALONE time.

So how can we make this better? There are a couple ways that you can find time for yourself, even in a busy lifestyle:

1. The gym: not only will it better your health and physique, but it’s a great time to put on some headphones or read a book and just be inside your own head.

2. A class: local community colleges often offer very cheap or even free classes in art, photography, writing, and more. You might be hesitant to go back to school, but it’ll feel like a nice escape and you’ll learn something!

3. Get outside: as the seasons turn to warmer weather, take the opportunity to go for walks outside in the morning or afternoon to clear your head. You’ll be more stress-free without spending a dime!

4. Call someone: if you live far away from your friends and family, find sometime to give a parent or close friend a call and just GAB. Sometimes there is nothing more important than just getting some stuff off your chest. Surely someone you trust will spare a few minutes to let you vent.

5. Write in a journal: if your friends and family are busy or out of your time zone, try picking up a journal and WRITING your feelings out. In a journal there is no one judging you or how you feel, just pages and pages of space for you to talk about things that perhaps your significant other wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) want to hear. Combine this with the “get outside” part and you’ll have a nice relaxing alone time day!