Question: I'm more romantic than my partner. Examples: I make them breakfast in bed, gifts for anniversaries, hint when I want to cuddle or make love, etc. She never seems to act on instinct as I do. She really hasn't surprised me with a romantic evening (I'm talking the works). This is really getting me down. Shawna's Answer: It sounds like you're a really wonderful man who can't seem to get his hints or needs met. Treating people well is so wonderful, and the best way to have a relationship, but can get old if only one partner is doing ... Read More ...

How do I know if he (or she) is interested? Good question. From the email I'm getting, this is something on lots of people's minds no matter the age or gender of who is asking. How do you really know if someone likes you? What are the signs you should be looking for? How should you act, what should you do, and so it goes. These questions are as complicated as the people asking the questions are and that's pretty darn complicated! The honest answer is that there is no way to really, 100%, know how another person feels. Sometimes ... Read More ...

I've written several articles on dining dilemmas for GetRomantic.com and they seem to be the most popular so I'm doing one more on some of the basic do's and don'ts that I haven't yet covered, so get ready to eat! This is a no frills information article when dating and dining. Just remember to keep your elbows off the table! Do watch your manners! Remember this is the time to impress! Watch yourself and eat with your mouth closed and don't be picky. Do scoop soup away from you. Scoop your soup from the front to the back. This does ... Read More ...

I once saw a guy take a lemon wedge off the plate provided and begin to squeeze the lemon so that the juice would go into his iced tea. As he cranked down on that wedge one of the lemon seeds popped out of the lemon, travelling at the speed of light, and hit his date smack on the middle of her right breast. Mortified, this poor guy dropped the wedge into his glass, which overflowed for a minute onto the table, popped up to help his date without pulling his chair from the table which unsettled the table. As ... Read More ...

When he looked into her eyes over the breakfast counter she was immediately hooked. Deep brown eyes, perfect brows and lips, oh lips just right to kiss! When he asked what she was doing later that day her heart went crazy in her chest and she lost her breath for a moment. So this is what it's like she thought, love at first sight! When he left the restaurant she noticed his wide shoulders and narrow waist. He has on jeans and a T-shirt and she didn't even ask him his name. Later that day as she waited for him ... Read More ...

Question: The guy I'm dating doesn't open doors for me, in the car or at a restaurant and it's bugging me. How do I let him know I'm a lady and want to be treated special when we go out? Shawna's Answer: You can handle this in a variety of ways. First, act and dress like a lady if you want to be treated like one. I don't mean all stuffy and covered up either. But there are lots of messages a person sends with their apparel and body language. Second, if you want him to open the car door ... Read More ...

It's not the first date, it's not even the second date, but after you've been dating a person for awhile and you are finding yourself really consumed, wondering if this could be "The One" and thinking about the future. This is the hot and hazy time in dating and I think so much fun! Wanting to be with the other person, loving every little thing. This is the time the dreams start showing up. Not the good dreams of naked bodies and all that stuff, though you have those dreams too, but the lifestyle dreams. This is when you begin ... Read More ...

What would you do in the following situation? You are on a date with a new person. You feel like you are in the hot seat because this person is attentive and asking you lots of questions. You're trying to make a good impression, you want to put your best foot forward and you may be required to answer, or at least be asked, some questions you'd rather not discuss. How do you handle this? Let's go through a multiple choice! Choice A: (This really isn't a choice it's a reaction to being put on the spot and it happens ... Read More ...

You like him, he likes you so you decide to go out for a bite to eat. Now the problems start. Poor eating and etiquette habits turn off more people than almost anything else except personal hygiene. So here's the skinny on some of the most common dining dilemmas that couples encounter and how to work around them. Dining Dilemma 1: Where to go to eat? This of course has to do with who is doing the inviting, where you met the person and other considerations like if there are certain foods the other person can't eat. The best way ... Read More ...

Going out with someone has enough stress associated with it that no one wants to worry about doing math at the meal. Besides the most important question on your mind, (does my date like me and do I still like them), your mind is also now consumed with tipping questions like how much of a tip should I leave? Also, did I tip everyone I was supposed to tip? The questions add up quicker than the bill in some cases. Following are the answers to these questions and a few others you may run into when you are out dining ... Read More ...

So you've settled down to eat a fine meal for the first time together but everything your mother taught you about courtesy around cuisine has completely left your mind. The only thing you know for sure is to keep your elbows off the table and eat with your mouth closed and that's not a bad start, but it won't score you any points either! Listen, people have such poor eating habits that if you can keep your elbows off the table, chew with your mouth shut and not talk with your mouth full you're already ahead of the game. Here ... Read More ...

This person is the one in your dreams! They are absolutely perfect in every way. You love they way they look, talk, sit and scrunch up their nose when something seems odd or off the wall. The clothes they wear are the exact clothes you would pick if you were them and they seem to like all the same bands, restaurants and you even both like to spend long hours walking through the city. You can't believe your luck and you are in a dating frenzy! Every possible moment is spent with this person or thinking about this person! You've ... Read More ...

The trials and tribulations of sticky dining situations can make or break a perfectly good dinner date! Besides the worry of using the right utensil and not dropping anything down the front of your clothes, there are a few other things that people should be aware of. These little habits I'm about to expound upon may seem minor when compared to the big picture of life but they can have a deep impact on the impression you make and the future of your dating history, trust me on this. I was conducting one of the luncheon seminars I do on ... Read More ...

Glamour galore! There are more beauty products peddled today than the number of stars in the Little Dipper and if it keeps going like this the Big Dipper won't be far behind. With all the choices of perfumes and potions to make a woman beautiful, appealing and polished it seems almost unnecessary to go over great grooming tips for dating girls. In last weeks column I hammered on the guys so this week the girls get some tips that a person can take or leave but from the mail I get grooming is definitely on the mind of those who ... Read More ...

I was just at a conference for professional speakers this last week where the goal is to continue to learn about communication and the business and skill of speaking. One of the general session speakers was Gary Smalley who is an expert on relationships. Mr. Smalley has several books as well as audio and videotapes to help couples communicate better. His main point when he spoke was one that I've been supporting for all the years I've dated and been involved in relationships of all kinds. The main ingredient to success in relationships Mr. Smalley advises is this: Honor. Honor ... Read More ...

Unless you live in an area where public transit is the norm there's a good chance that you will be using some sort of an automobile to pick up and transport your date. Before you take your date for a ride read the following guides to make certain you don't give your date good reason to make it a one way trip. This isn't just for the guys either, in the society we live in today there's no reason why the female can't drive, especially if she did the asking! Let's face it, whichever gender does the asking, that's the ... Read More ...