6 Ways to Improve Your Relationship

You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day or your partner’s Birthday to make them feel special. All you need to do is just show some love and give some attention to your partner everyday. There’s soo much more you can do to deepen the bond and add some zest to your relationship. Read on to find out how…

1. Appreciate them
You could compliment your partner, acknowledge them when they’ve been thoughtful or hug them more often in a loving way. These are little things that can make a huge difference and make your partner feel really special and loved. You keep them happy and you can expect the same in return.

2. Take Some Time Out
We understand when you are at work, you can’t keep thinking about your partner but you can surely take some time out and call them up during your break just to ask, “How was your day?” This can enhance your connection and make your partner really happy. It feels great to know that your special someone thinks of you even at work.

3. Workout Together
This is a great idea, plus you’re getting to spend more time with your partner. You two could join a gym or any other acitivity at a place that’s convenient for both of you. Instead of sipping cold coffee or other unhealthy drinks after work, you could instead work out together. This will not just keep you and your partner in shape but also imrpove your bonding, as you end up spending more time together.

4. Plan a Special Evening
You don’t always need a reason to take your partner out for dinner. Surpririses work wonders, especially for women! Planning a day in a special way for your love, will always be remembered by them. Keep it a surprize and plan a day out. You could take your partner out for a film and then go out shopping, followed by dinner at their favourite restaurant. Some personal time, just you and your partner, away from your family and friends once in a while, really helps! Don’t trust us? Try it!

5. Plan a Weekend Getaway
“I’m Broke” can no longer be a reason for not planning a trip. No matter what your budget is, there are lots of websites offering you great travel deals to your choice of destination. All you need to do is some research online on various destinations and website deals and plan your trip in advance. Ask your partner to block the dates well in advance, without revealing the plan. Keep that a surprise and see how happy it will make your partner.

6. Gift a Spa Voucher
Who doesn’t like unwinding and being pampered after days of hard work. It’s the best gift you can ever give your partner. Choose a good spa deal online for a body massage and if you’re a couple, you could go for the couple spa. The massage relaxes your mind and rejuvenates you. It leaves you feeling fresh and beautiful. Anything that makes you and your partner happy is healthy for your relationship. If you’ve never tried this before, I suggest you do.

- Vipasha Pillai

Study: 70% Women Prefer a Tall Partner

About 70 per cent of women respondents recently surveyed by an online portal, said they preferred taller men. Almost one in five women said men who are between four and six inches taller are the best match. The poll also shows that just a quarter of women and 35 per cent of men said height was irrelevant when seeking a partner.

At 6 ft 3 in, Prince William, 31, is 5 inches taller than wife Princess Kate, 32. Other couples that come close to the ideal difference include Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, 50, and Angelina Jolie, 38 and Bollywood Actor Abhishek Bachchan, 38, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 40.

The survey reveals that size does matter to couples. And the height of romance appears to be when the man is five inches taller than the woman.

Courtesy: MSN Lifestyle

You Can Now Filter ‘Preffered’ & ‘Broader’ Matches

Members can now filter their ‘Preferred’ and ‘Broader’ Matches from their phone, based on whether or not the profiles have been viewed before. This can be done using the filter available on the Matches listing.

Users now also have the option of shortlisting members with the option ‘May be’ available to them. All the members added to ‘May be’ list by you can later be accessed when you wish to check their profiles.

Funny Things People Say After a Break-Up

Breaking up is never easy. Whether you are doing the breaking up or not, aren’t there times when you have said weird or even quirky things, thanks to the awkwardness? Well, you aren’t the only one. Here are some of the weirdest things people say after a break up.

Can we be friends? This one is the most common, and is mostly an awkward statement. Are you even sure you are ready for a friendship with your ex? Bet you are just saying it not to hurt his feelings.

I still love you. Then why are you breaking up with me in the first place? When said by the person at the receiving end, it is sweet initially, but starts getting creepy if he/ she keeps telling you that everyday hoping you will change your mind.

Your sister is hotter. Ouch! That is simply mean. Any guy who says that to you after a break up is no good. So, good riddance, girl! Smile!

I’m sorry, come again? (with knife in hand) So, you’re really shocked that your guy broke up with you. The knife bit might just convince him to run for his life!

If you still do any of these, you aren’t over your ex as yet.

Where’s the tequila? This is a good one if you are relieved that it’s over. It may hurt your ex’s feelings but if you said something like this, bet you didn’t care anyway.

Don’t cry too hard. Are you kidding me? Break ups are always hard and the person you love asking you not to cry too hard only makes it worse. Sob!

I’m going shopping. Show him you have better things to do. And what’s better than some retail therapy, right? But don’t expect him to care too much.

Please check your voice mail. We don’t really get this one, do you? Unless it meant something like I already broke up with you over the phone (read: it went to voice mail). Sounds like a sore loser who’s trying to say ‘Ha! I thought of it first,’ doesn’t it?

Courtesy: iDiva

Study: Women are Better at Forgiving than Men

Parents forgive more than children, while women are better at forgiving than men, according to a study. The study into the emotional differences between the sexes and generations in terms of forgiveness was conducted by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Maite Garaigordobil, co-author of the study and a senior professor at the Psychology Faculty of the UPV said, “The study has great application for teaching values, because it shows us what reasons people have for forgiving men and women, and the popular conception of forgiveness.”

The study shows that parents find it easier to forgive than their children, and that women are better at forgiving than men. “A decisive factor in the capacity to forgive is empathy, and women have a greater empathetic capacity than men”, Carmen Maganto, co-author of the study and a tenured professor at the Psychology Faculty of the UPV, said. The results, which were measured using a scale to assess the ability to forgive (CAPER), and a scale of forgiveness and facilitating factors (ESPER), show that there are differences in the reasons that encourage forgiveness according to people’s age and sex.

The authors of this study say that parents who have forgiven most over the course of their lives have an increased capacity to forgive in all areas. Parents and children use similar definitions of forgiveness. Not bearing a grudge, reconciliation and understanding-empathy are the terms most used by both groups to define forgiveness. However, there are greater differences between men and women. Both see “not bearing a grudge” as the best definition of forgiveness, but men place greater importance on this characteristic.

The study, which was carried out with the collaboration of 140 participants (parents and children aged between 45 and 60, and 17 and 25), highlights two key conditions for a person to be forgiven. One is for them to “show remorse” and the second is for the person who has been offended “not to bear a grudge”. The study has been published in the Revista Latinoamericana de Psicologia.

Courtesy – msn.com

5 Habits Men Need to Change

We know, you love your partner a lot but still, there are some things about him that just drive you crazy. And we also know, you can actually come up with a long list of habits that you think your man needs to change. But let’s not expect them to be someone else. You can help your man change ‘a bit’ but not totally! We list down five common habits about men that women find super annoying…

* Boring Hairdo
Not all men are interested in different hairdo’s like women. Most men just go to a nearby salon and say, “I need a hair cut.” They don’t wait for an appointment from a hair stylish to cut their hair, like women do. So, if you find his hairdo crappy, take him to a good salon and decide a hairdo for him with the stylist. It doesn’t need to be super high-end, but chances are he’ll get a much better cut there and he’ll appreciate you for it, once people start complementing him.

* Dressing Sense
Most men don’t like to throw away their old pants and tees and then they think women only know how to waste money after shopping every month. But, men don’t understand that new outfits make you look nice and appear more confident. If you’re earning, why not spend after yourself, right? We’re sure every man has one ripped denim that he’s obsessed with, but if he has a closet full of them, create occasions that will make him dress up a little more. We mean, you can take him out for dinner to a nice place once in 15 days or host a private party at home with close family and friends, etc. Take him shopping beforehand and rave about how hot he looks.

* You’ve Found Him…
What? digging his nose when your friends are around? or burping out loudly in front of you and your friends? If yes, we totally understand how embarrassing that must have been. Your partner may be dressed to kill, smelling of a sexy perfume, but as soon as his little finger makes its way up his little nose, the real him is exposed. You got to tell him its gross. And why would he want to do that to his poor nails? It’s a cardinal sin to be seen with a finger in your nose, anywhere in the world. All you got to do is explain to him in a nice way and say that if you must clean the insides, go to the loo. But also wash your hands after doing the dirty deed. The same goes with burping, tell him that it’s bad manners and that he need not prove it to people how full he is.

* On His Day Off, He’s Only Glued to the TV
This can bug you all the more if you’ve got only one TV at home. If he only watches TV on his day off, you got to find a solution to this. This is the only day when you get time for each other and it should be utilized in a better way. If he wants to watch his favorite show in the evening, plan your day accordingly, so that you’re back home before his show starts. Or if you want him to join you for a party or a concert next week, blackmail him by saying you’ll happily sit at home and watch TV with him all day if he promises to be there for the occasion with you, or whatever.

* He Forgets to…
Trim his hair in his nostrils. What? Yes, we know hair is a sign of vanity, but not when it’s growing out of your nose. Nothing is a bigger turn off than seeing those ugly curls playing hide and seek from under your partner’s nose. We suggest, you gift him a manicure kit and please tell him to use the slimmest pair of scissors in it to get rid of the unwanted hair. Blackmail him and get him to do it anyhow. Also, tell him that this is not meant to be a festive makeover. This needs to become a weekly habit, and if need be, make sure he does it even more frequently.

- Vipasha Pillai

Survey: Things Indian Women Dislike About Men

Shaadi.com recently conducted a survey to understand what Indian women dislike about men and most women said they are put off by ‘Men posting ‘selfies’ on social networking platforms.’ When women were asked about the one thing they dislike the most about men, 23.1 per cent of the respondents said they dislike “men who post selfies on Facebook”.

The poll was conducted online with over 6,500 urban youth across India. On the other hand, when women were asked about what they disliked about a man upon meeting him for the first time, 60.60 per cent of them said that they dislike “men who are constantly tweeting or messaging on WhatsApp during a meal”. As many as 80.70 per cent of them said “rude behavior with the waiter at a restaurant” was a big no, and according to 27.13 per cent women, they dislike “men who are obsessed with clicking food pictures.”

“The results reaffirm our belief that the modern Indian woman knows exactly what she wants,” says Gourav Rakshit, chief operating officer of Shaadi.com. He further adds, “She has her own beliefs, principals and wouldn’t compromise on her choices.” The poll is a part of the constant research that Shaadi.com conducts in its attempt to gauge the preferences of its members.

Men are More Romantic than Women, Says Study

They may forget anniversaries and buy last minute gifts, but men are more romantic than women. A survey found that while 48 per cent have fallen in love at first sight, a mere 28 per cent of women could claim the same. The research, published in a book – The Normal Bar, questioned 10,000 people worldwide about their attitude towards love and relationships. The Normal Bar is the brainchild of entrepreneur Chrisanna Northrupp.

Using data collected from their online survey, the book aims to dispel the myths surrounding relationships, shed light on what a real 21st century relationship entails and helps make your relationship more satisfying. The survey, contains 1,300 questions and touches on everything including, right from the most attractive physical features to personality traits a prospective partner looks for. Other interesting figures from the survey included the finding that only 74 per cent of people are happy in their relationship and 66 per cent of those questioned believe their partner is their soulmate.

While only 15 per cent of those asked admitted to having had an affair, the number confessing to being unfaithful shot up dramatically when the question was phrased as ‘sex outside your current relationship’. A third of men and 19 per cent of women said they had indulged in extra-marital relations. The book goes on to explain that for many, the secret to a happy relationship includes having regular date nights, using pet names, holding hands, passionate kissing, back rubs and frequently saying ‘I love you’. But the most important factor, that almost everyone surveyed agreed on, was communication.

Courtesy: Dailymail.co.uk

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5 Tips on Dating a Younger Man

Dating a younger man can have its rewards, but there are also the challenges. If it’s your first time, we list down some tips to help you successfully maintain a relationship with a younger man. We know its not easy to manage a younger partner, but here’s what you can do to make it successful…  

1. Understand The Difference in Maturity
It’s no secret that guys tend to be immature at times, but the younger they are the less experience they’ll have. It’s important to remember that he generally won’t understand the problems you’re dealing with, and won’t take them as seriously as you. Take a step back and look at things through his perspective instead of getting frustrated. Also, keep in mind their age — if they are a lot younger than you!

2. Be Prepared for a Lack of Experience
Everyone knows it takes time to adjust in a relationship. Be it about understanding each other or general communication, it takes a few tries before really getting it right. Be patient while your man learns the dos and don’ts of dating, and don’t be afraid to be honest with him if he crosses a line. It is far better to be honest than to keep all your problems to yourself.

3. Enjoy The Goofy
Remember, he’s younger and he’s acting his age. So don’t be surprised if he says he likes spending time at a park or at a game parlour, etc. Try to have fun even if you think his idea of fun is boring. Don’t straight away refuse. You never know, you might enjoy his company and time spent with him. Young guys can really have fun anywhere, such as a pillow fight all the way to play wrestling.

4. Communication Is Key
You can expect everything to be just perfect in a relationship. It’s necessary to communicate with your man and let him know what is bothering you. If you don’t say anything, how is he supposed to know? Also, keep the lines of communication open always — even if he is younger.

5. Learn Something for Yourself
Life is all a giant learning experience. Take everything for what it’s worth. Along the road of life we tend to forget to enjoy ourselves, let your younger guy help you see that again. Don’t be afraid to drop to his level and have some fun! It’s the time to loosen up and really let the inner kid in you come out! Who knows what you can learn from that person.

Match Found: Aditya and Swati

It was Aditya who sent me a request on Shaadi.com and I liked his profile. I just couldn’t decline his request. We soon started chatting online and then on the phone. We finally decided to meet and fell in love. In our case, it was love arranged completely by Shaadi.com. Today, we are a happily engaged couple, above all our families are happy

A big thanks to Shaadi.com! It’s only because of you guys I found my soulmate. He’s the man I have always wanted in my life. I have no words to express how happy I am to find someone like him on shaadi.com. Thanks once again!