Dating after divorce does not have to be difficult

Dating after divorce is an adventure that can be fruitful and funny. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Dating after divorce can actually be a very rewarding experience.

 

Too many people think that dating after divorce is difficult. When they talk about their dating after divorce experiences, they start getting depressed. “Dating after divorce is a real chore,” they say.

But why does it have to be that way? I think that anyone who thinks that dating after divorce sucks needs an attitude adjustment. Simple as that.

My mission while dating after divorce

When I was dating after divorce, I was on a mission. My mission was to have fun and find the love of my life. That was how I began my dating over 50 life, which I wrote about in a book called Confessions of a Middle Aged Babe Magnet: One Man's Brave Adventure into Dating Again in the 21st Century by yours truly, Chad Stone. Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet is a humorous look at dating after divorce and dating after 50. It contains 92 Babe Magnet Rules that help guide a dating over 50 man (or a dating over 50 woman) through the process of finding love.

After my marriage ended, I (Chad Stone) began dating after divorce in search of the last great love of my life. I was not afraid to jump into dating, because I was very clear about my intentions. I had my “eye on the prize.” I quickly realized that, in order to attract the Babe of my dreams while, I needed to work on myself a little bit. I had to be open to new ideas. While dating over 50, I had to be flexible enough to improve myself so I’d be a more desirable “catch.” I had to learn how to become a Babe Magnet so I could attract the woman of my dreams.

 

A funny story of dating after divorce

As my dating after divorce story unfolded, I wrote my thoughts and adventures down in a journal. Ultimately, my story because a humorous memoir that’s also an insightful dating and relationship guide for men of all ages. It contains lots of great dating after divorce advice--and lots of laughs for anyone who has ever been single.

My dating after divorce story became a humorous memoir/dating advice book called Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet.

 

During my dating after divorce adventure, I discovered that my soul mate was not going to knock unannounced at my front door. (Babe Magnet Rule #9: When in doubt, a Babe Magnet gets off the couch and goes out.) I learned how to woo a woman by paying attention to what women appreciate. (Babe Magnet Rule #36: Any time a man cooks a meal for a woman, he gets relationship points.) And during my dating after divorce journey, I learned how to stand apart from other single men. (Babe Magnet Rule #87: Be a gentleman. There are so few gentlemen left in the world these days, and being one is a great way to set yourself apart from all of the jerks that women have been dating.)

Dating after divorce success

I shared all of my new-found knowledge and awareness learned while I was dating after divorce. It’s all contained in Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet -- a journey of modern self-discovery that is laugh-out-loud funny in some places and poignantly tender in others. For women, the book offers a unique, dating after divorce look into the mind of a real man—revealing how a single man thinks and why he behaves as he does. Dating after divorce has never been so much fun! Middle-AgedBabeMagnet

I even wrote a follow-up book called The Babe Magnet Rules of Dating Over 50: 101 Tips for Meeting, Winning, & Keeping a New Love.

Fascinating, funny and heartfelt, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet is a triumph of the human spirit and proof that love is possible at any age while dating after divorce—as long as you’re willing to embrace it. My tongue-in-cheek “Babe Magnet” persona turned out to be the vehicle I used to find the last great love of my life. It’s a powerful, entertaining story with a happy ending that will make you smile and fill you with hope. Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet: One Man's Brave Adventure into Dating Again in the 21st Century 

Any questions?

Please “Like” the Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet page on Facebook. Thank you!

 

Dating Tips for the Holiday Season

I was just interviewed on a radio show to talk about dating tips for the holiday season.  It’s a popular topic this time of year because the holiday season is typically festive and filled with lots of social events. But the holidays can be a bit challenging for singles. If you’re single during the holidays it’s important to stay positive and say yes to holiday parties. Don’t start feeling sorry for yourself just because you aren’t spending the holidays with the love of your life.

 



Look on the bright side. If you're single during the holiday season you won't have to dress like this.

Holiday Dating Tips for Singles

Sure, there are lots of family-oriented events during the holiday season. And, yes, Aunt Mabel might corner you at a family gathering and ask you why you still aren’t married. But look at the positive side: the holidays are filled with social events that offer opportunities to meet someone new. Be open to meeting someone special and you’ll find yourself having fun. Follow these tips:

 

Holiday Dating Tip #1: Go Old School

You know what they say about the holiday season, right? It’s the most wonderful time of the year! This season is also the most old-fashioned time of the year, and that goes for everyone whether you’re single, dating, or married. The most popular Christmas song is White Christmas, by Bing Crosby—a  song that was recorded in 1942. There is no other time of year that you’ll hear a 70-year-old song on the radio. So keep that in mind, and lean toward behaving like an old school man or old school woman during your dating and social activities during the holidays.

 

Holiday Season Tip for Singles #2: Dress to Impress

The holiday season is a fancier, more formal and more festive time of year. So dress nice. Leave your crappy clothes at home and wear your grown-up clothes. Throw that old sweatshirt and frayed sweater in the laundry and leave them there until after New Year’s. Be classy, not trashy if you want to stand out and attract new love during the holidays.

 

This outfit sounded like a good idea after 12 glasses of eggnog. Can you spell E-P-I-C  F-A-I-L?

Holiday Dating Tip #3: Use Your Best Manners

Again, think Old School. Maybe saying “Yes Ma’am” and “Yes, Sir” is going a bit too far—but maybe not. If you’re a single person meeting your boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s parents for the first time, it’s really hard to be TOO polite. And the same thing goes for meeting someone on a first date. During the holidays, we just expect people to be nicer, friendlier, and have better manners.

So guys, DO NOT wear mistletoe on you belt buckle thinking you’re going to get some action. That’s an epic fail during the holidays.

 

Holiday Dating Tip #4:  Don’t be a Schmuck—Spend Ten Bucks

The holidays are full of parties—office parties, cocktail parties, dinner parties. Whether you’re a man or a woman, show up bearing a gift. Small and thoughtful is best. Poinsettias. A bottle of affordable wine. Homemade cookies or sweetbread. A small holiday décor item. Be a wise man (or woman) and play the role of Santa’s little helper. Spending 5 or 10 bucks keeps you from looking like a schmuck. And generosity is VERY appealing to singles of both genders.

 

Holiday Season Tip for Singles #5: Relax and be Your Best Self

The holiday season is a great time to relax, enjoy yourself and stop trying so hard to impress the opposite sex. If you’re a man, leave your tired old pickup lines at home. If you’re a woman, leave your slutty clothes in your closet. This is the time to be comfortable within you own skin in a comfortable, natural way. There is nothing more appealing than that. (And this holiday dating tip works all year long.)

 

Relax and enjoy the holiday season whether you're single or part of a couple.

 

Bonus Holiday Season Tip for Single Women

Ladies, DO NOT dress up your dog in a cute little Santa outfit, thinking that’s a great man magnet. You might think, “That’s so cute!” But men think, “Look at the crazy lady who dressed up her dog like Santa Paws.”

Double Bonus: The Holiday Season is a good time to remember:

Babe Magnet Rule #14

Babe Magnets are confident and sure of themselves. Even if they have to fake it.

Babe Rule #1

Be the Babe. Make him earn your affections. You’re worth the effort.

(NOTE: For more dating and relationship tips, read The Babe Magnet Rules of Dating Over 50: 101 Tips for Meeting, Winning & Keeping a New Love by Chad Stone.)

 

Have a terrific holiday season!

 

 

The Top Dating Over 50 Dealbreakers

If you’ve been dating over 50 for a while, chances are you’ve got a list of your own dating dealbreakers. Even if you’ve never written them down, you know what they are. A woman named Valerie told me her dating over 50 deal breakers are men who lie about themselves on their online profiles, men who are shorter that she is, and men who lie about their height on their online profiles because they are shorter than she is.

 

A single friend of mine named Cliff was once looking to date only supermodels who weighed no more than 125 pounds. He seems to have relaxed his standards after spending so many nights alone. Now he’s looking for women “who have their own teeth.”

 

Dating Over 50

It turns out that there are almost as many dating over 50 dealbreakers as there are daters who are over 50. (And that’s also true for other age groups.) A website called OurTime.com, which is targeted toward singles over the age of 50, has released a survey of its members. They didn’t ask for my opinion—probably because I am not a member of the website, I call myself the Middle-Aged Babe Magnet, and I am now happily married. Nevertheless, the results of their survey show the top three deal breakers for the dating over 50 crowd.

 

All single people have dating dealbreakers. But do you know what the top deal breakers are for dating over 50?

The dealbreakers are….. (drumroll please!)….

 

Poor Health

Number One: The person is dead. Just kidding. Dead people didn’t even make the Top 10. But the number one dealbreaker is closely related to death—people who are in poor health. 78% of the dating over 50 respondents said they were not willing to go out with someone who was in poor health.

 

I'm thinking this guy does not get many winks on Match.com.

That’s a pretty good call if you ask me. Good health is so fundamentally important to a good relationship that it almost goes without saying. Who would want to start a relationship with someone who isn’t physically well? Plus, there’s the underlying cause of the poor health. If someone isn’t healthy because he or she doesn’t take good care of themselves, that’s a huge red flag. Babe magnets take good care of themselves. So do babes. Do you really want to start a relationship with someone who cares so little about himself that he puts himself at risk? I think not.

 

Poor Financial Health

The Number Two dating over 50 dealbreaker is financial instability. 76 percent of the www.OurTime.com members cited financial issues as a deal breaker. By the time you have reached middle age, you don’t want to get involved with someone who hasn’t gotten her financial act together. The bohemian poor starving artists that have some appeal at age 25 don’t look so good at age 52, when it’s time to get serious about stashing away money for a long and happy retirement.

 

The sign says it all, huh? I wonder if you can get this put on a t-shirt.

One of the reasons I think that poor physical health and financial instability rank #1 and #2 on this survey is that both of these are long-term issues. If you’re unhealthy and your finances are a mess in your over-50 years, it is unlikely things are going to get significantly better anytime soon.

 

Physical Attraction

Coming in at Number Three on the survey is lack of physical attraction (with 75 percent of the survey respondents listing this). This is an obvious dealbreaker for single people of all ages. We’re all looking for someone who can spark our flame of passion. But of all the Top 3 deal breakers in this survey, the lack of physical attraction is the one that offers the most potential for short-term improvement.

 

Oh, baby! Do you love this guy's style, or what? He thinks he's a middle-aged babe magnet, but his only friend is the Domino's delivery guy.

By the time we hit 50, many of us have gotten complacent with our physical appearances. We might be wearing clothes that were fashionable in a previous decade. (I am talking to you, men.) We might be wearing our hair in the same, familiar style that we fell in love with as young adults. We might be pretending that we have more hair than we actually do. (Key word: comb-over.)

 

Update Your Look

One of my most common bits of advice for anyone who is dating over 50 is “update your look.” Find a friend who has good taste in today’s clothes and go shopping. Get yourself some new clothes that fit you well. Take a long, honest look in the mirror. If you’re stuck in a hairstyle rut, go to a salon for a new look. If you haven’t been regularly exercising—start. Begin by walking or biking. Join a gym and start getting your body in shape. You’ll look better and feel better, too.  

 

Today’s over 50 singles are more active and more vibrant than middle-aged folks were in the past. The ones who succeed in dating over 50 are those men and women who keep themselves healthy, take care of their finances, and deliberately don’t get stuck in a rut.

 

There’s one more thing: the best way you can make yourself happier and more physically attractive is to smile more. Try it—starting right now.

 

Chad Stone is the author of The Babe Magnet Rules of Dating Over 50.

 

Middle-Aged Dating and the Gag Reflex

Yeah, I know. Middle-Aged Dating and the Gag Reflex is the weirdest title I’ve ever used for a blog post. But stay with me—it’s not what you think.

The idea for this story about dating over 50 came to me earlier this week at the dentist’s office—which is the first time I ever got an idea for the Middle-Aged Babe Magnet blog while sitting in a dentist’s chair. I was in for my six month cleaning, and it was time to get those “bite xrays” taken. You know the kind—you bite down on this cardboard thing and the dental hygienist runs out of the room so she won’t get zapped with radiation. Then she runs back in and takes the cardboard contraption out of your mouth.

I don’t know about you, but I hate the whole bite xray process. Those cardboard things stick into my gums and make me gag. I have what can be described as a strong gag reflex, and I hate having foreign objects in my mouth.

I know I’m flirting with TMI here, but stay with me. When I told my new dental hygienist about my tendency to gag during the dental xray process, she asked me if I had ever tried salt. She said putting a little salt on your tongue can interrupt the gag reflex.

“Do you have any salt?” I asked. She said yes, and put some on my tongue. Well, Holy New Pontiff from Argentina, the freakin’ salt worked. No more gagging. I’m 58 years old, and somebody just taught me a new trick. From now on, I’ll be putting a little salt on my tongue before I get dental xrays—even if I have to bring my own salt.

I love it when I learn a new trick, and I’m a firm believer in continuing to learn new tricks no matter how old you are. I certainly learned a lot of new things after my mid-life divorce, and a lot of them were about dating, women, and relationships.

In fact, I even wrote a Babe Magnet Rule about that topic that appears in Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet:


BABE MAGNET RULE #7

Babe Magnets are not afraid to learn new tricks.


One of the things about dating after 50 for a lot of people is being in a situation that’s unfamiliar to them. They’ve probably just gotten divorced, and they’ve forgotten how to go out on a date. They have to relearn the whole courtship process. And sometimes they have to learn new things—such as online dating.
If you’re not willing to learn new things, you’re going to crash and burn in the dating world. You’re going to approach dating as if it were 1983, and you’re going to look and act like a doofus. (This is equally true for both men and women.)

The best thing you can do is to be open to learning new things. Read books about dating. Talk to your single friends. Talk to your recently married friends, and find out what worked for them when they were single. Be open to new ideas and trying new things.

Dating over 40, or dating over 50, or dating at any age can be a time of new growth and new learning. Please don’t be one of those people who says, “dating over 50 is so hard” or “there aren’t any interesting women” or “all of the good men are already taken.” None of those things are true—and there are millions of later-in-life relationships to prove it.

So, learn something new. Try something you’ve never done before. Even if that means putting a little salt on your tongue.

Best Senior Dating Sites

I just found out about a great website for folks who aren't afraid to proudly claim that they are old enough to be "seniors." I'm not sure what the age requirement is for seniorhood-- AARP says 50, my local movie theater says 62, and most people think of 65 as retirement age.You decide.

Anyway, the site is bestseniordatingsites.org. Visit the homepage and you'll see a roundup of the 25 best dating sites for seniors. Delve a little deeper by clicking on one of the Latest Posts links (on the left side of the Home page) and you can read some great stories.

I liked Top 100 Senior Dating, Relationship and Lifestyle Blogs. The Top 100 list includes blogs that cover Dating and Relationship Advice, Travel, Fitness, Lifestyle, and Fashion. Evidently, Joe Atkins, webmaster and editor of bestseniordatingsites.org couldn't just stop at 100 blogs to list. He's added another section-- and the current Top 100 list (as of this writing) now includes 108 top senior dating and relationship blogs.

Now, those of you who are regular readers of this blog and my book site, middleagedbabemagnet.com, know that I cover all kinds of dating and relationship topics--including dating after divorce, dating over 50,  and dating advice for people of all ages. This blog isn't just for people who are "seniors." But one of the things I discovered in my dating after divorce and dating over 50 life is that so much of good dating advice transcends a person's age.

Take Babe Magnet Rule #87: Be a gentleman.There are so few gentlemen left in the world these days, and being one is a great way to set yourself apart from all of the jerks that women have been dating. That's good advice no matter how old you are-- whether you're in your 20s or you are dating over 50.(By the way, that Babe Magnet Rule is from Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet.)

So, I hope this blog gets mentioned on the best senior dating sites website. After all, I AM a member of AARP already--although I'm not yet old enough to get the senior discount at the movie theater.

Chad Stone, the Middle-Aged Babe Magnet, has left the building.

Dating Over 50 and Babe Magnet Rule #17

You know that old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks? That may be true for old dogs, but not for single men. When I was single and dating over 50, I definitely learned a few new things about women.

One of the things I learned was Babe Magnet Rule #17, which appears in my book, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet: One Man's Brave Adventure into Dating Again in the 21st Century. It goes like this:

BABE MAGNET RULE #17

A Babe Magnet knows when to hold ‘em, knows when to fold ‘em, knows when to walk away, and knows when to run like hell.




Whoa. This guy might be a candidate for a "run like hell" date.



Some dates are made in heaven. Everything clicks. The conversation flows. You lock eyes with your date, and you listen to every word. You’re both witty and fun and fun to be with. Even if it’s your first date, it seems like you’ve known each other for years.



Some dates go pretty well, and the two of you have some common interests and experiences. It’s still too early to know if this is a match made in nirvana, but you and your date are hopeful. The connection you are making seems promising.

On the other hand, there are also some dates that are disasters right from the start. When you ask, “What’s your favorite book of all time?” she replies, “I don’t like to read.” When you inquire about what she loves to do for fun, she says, “I work all the time. I don’t have time to do anything fun.”

Dating Over 50

When you are dating over 50 and you're on a date like this, you are tempted to ask her if this date is work, but you bite your tongue. It sure feels like work to you. Right at the moment, you aren’t having any fun at all.


My advice for singles, no matter how old they are, is this: If a first date crashes and burns, let it go. Cut your losses and move on. If a second or third date reveals that what you thought was the Babe of your dreams actually harbors one of the character flaws on your “deal breakers” list, move on.

When I was newly single and dating over 50 after my divorce, I was lonely and looking for companionship. I was too patient with women who just weren’t right for me. I thought that any date was better than no date.

As I grew in wisdom and confidence, I realized that some dates were a complete waste of my time. After all, I was looking for the last love of my life. So what was I doing going out with a woman who I already knew wasn’t The One for me?

Like Kenny Rogers said in his classic song, The Gambler, “know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.

And when a date turns into a disaster, run like hell. That's true when you are dating at 20, dating over 50, or dating at 100.

Visit middleagedbabemagnet.com for more great tips about dating and relationships from Chad Stone.

Dating Advice You Can Use from the Babe Magnet Rules

There's no shortage of dating advice on the Internet. How do I know this? I've created a Google alert that sends me links to new stories that contain the terms "dating advice."

Consequently, I get multiple links every day to stories that offer dating advice that ranges from Dating Over 50 tips to Dating After Divorce advice.

But the quality of the advice leaves much to be desired, so today I decided to go to a source that I trust--myself.  This advice comes from Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet by Chad Stone.


Babe Magnet Rule #87


Be a gentleman. There are so few gentlemen left in the world these days, and being one is a great way to set yourself apart from all of the jerks that women have been dating.

The world doesn’t need any more a**holes. There are enough male jerks and narcissists in the world. Take a vow right now to be a gentleman. Treat women with the respect that they deserve. If it weren’t for women, men would have blown up Planet Earth a long time ago. So treat them with common courtesy (which, sadly, isn’t as common as it used to be).

• When you tell a woman that you’re going to call her, then call her.

• Hold the door open for her. Walk over to the passenger side of the car and open it for her. Then close it when she’s safely inside.

• Pull the chair out for her when you’re getting seated in a restaurant.

• Ask for her opinion and listen to the answer.

• When you’ve had a wonderful time with her, thank her.

• If you haven’t had a wonderful time with her and you don’t want to see her again, gently tell her that, too. Don’t make her wonder if she’ll hear from you during the next week or two. That’s torture.

• Tell the truth.

• If she’s cold, let her wear your jacket.

• Treat her with respect. Treat her as you would like to be treated. Not only will you help make the world a better place, but you’ll get the Babe.

Now that, gentlemen, is dating advice that you can actually use. Although these tips might sound old-fashioned, behaving like a gentleman will increase your odds of getting the Babe you want.

AARP Enters Online Dating Over 50 Marketplace

I read with great interest the recent announcement that AARP, the huge organization comprised of American senior citizens, has now officially entered the online dating over 50 world.

The organization has launched the AARP Dating website, which gives single adults over the age of 50 a place to meet—and hopefully connect and fall in love. Yep, AARP is getting into the online dating business.

“More and more 50-plus singles are using Internet dating sites, and we want to provide a comfortable environment for them to get out and take a chance on love again or go on fun dates,” said Myrna Blyth, editorial director of AARP’s media division.

Although it sounds like a logical move for AARP, to yours truly, Chad Stone the Middle-Aged Babe Magnet, it’s a surprising announcement. In the past, AARP hasn’t paid much attention to single Americans who fall into the “dating over 50” demographic. Furthermore, AARP takes itself very seriously. I have sent several editors at AARP the Magazine copies of my humorous memoir, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet: One Man’s Brave Adventure into Dating Again in the 21st Century. They have ignored the book, probably because it’s too much fun and it doesn’t fit into the money-centric focus of the organization.

That’s too bad, because there are lots of AARP members who are dating over 50 years old—and they are probably as clueless as I was when I started my dating after divorce adventure. Those folks could benefit from the lessons I learned and the hard-won dating wisdom that I acquired about everything from online dating to how to have a great first date.

I wanted to learn more about the AARP’s Internet dating site, so I visited. www.AARPDating.com. My web browser redirected me to www.humpbackjunk.com. This site offers a “Full-service local junk removal” service. (I am not making this up. Really.) So the poor, unsuspecting over 50 singles who type in www.AARPDating.com get the not-so-subtle message that they are not only over the hill, but they are junk to be hauled away.

Sorry, but that sounds like an episode of The Simpsons to me.

I re-read the AARP news release and discovered that AARP Dating was a “new dating content channel” on www.aarp.org, so I went there. Sure enough, the dating link was right at the top of the site. (But the image of the “full-service local junk removal” service still lingered.)

The introductory story gave a short overview of the new dating over 50 service. Basically, it sounds a lot like match.com. You’re allowed to poke around for a while, but to communicate with another member you need to sign up for a subscription. It’s $17.50 for one month for AARP members or $53.94 for one year for AARP members. If you’re an AARP member, you can also get a seven-day free trial.

I’ll post a more extensive review of the site in the future. But for now, let me officially welcome AARP into online dating. I hope they don’t try to be so serious about AARP Dating that they totally mess it up. After all, looking for the love of your life—no matter how young or old you are—should be fun!

Holiday Dating Survival Guide

The Holiday Season is the most wonderful time of the year. But maybe not so much if you’re single and your mom, Aunt Gertrude, best friend, and maybe even (if you’re single again for the second or third time) your kids are bugging you about still being single.

“Have you found anyone nice?” they all ask.

So what do you say in response?

Here’s my Holiday Dating Survival Guide, which offers some great holiday dating tips that will get you through the holiday season with a smile on your face—and maybe even a new sweetheart in your life.

Stay Positive

Singlehood is not a disease. You are not afflicted with a contagious virus, so don’t beat yourself up over being single during the holidays. Don’t think of being single as a misfortune. Don’t let anyone bring your mood down.

Say Yes to Holiday Parties

Even if it’s probably going to be primarily a couples event, put on your best smile and your festive holiday clothes and go to the party. Go simply for the adventure of it. Decide in advance that you’re going to have fun. You never know, there might be a great single man or woman there for you to meet. If so, and you’re outnumbered by couples, you might find yourself bonding over your singleness.

Deflect and Distract

When someone nosy asks about your love life, deflect and distract. If you don’t want to talk about yourself, just say something like, “There’s no news on that topic yet, but stay tuned to CNN for further developments.” Then launch into a summary of your latest accomplishments at work, or ask a question about them.

Be Open to Meeting Someone Special

Because there are so many parties and social events during the holidays, it’s a good time to meet someone. In fact, this is a great time of year to meet a new love. There is romance in the air and mistletoe hanging everywhere. Take advantage of it, and strike up a conversation with that cute guy or that adorable babe over there. But use your best manners, because the holiday season is an old-fashioned, old-school time of year.

Leave the Cheesy Pickup Lines at Home

The best ice-breakers are light-hearted and spontaneous. Talk about your favorite-- or least favorite-- Christmas songs. Compliment a person on her holiday dress or his holiday sweater. You could even say, “Hey, it looks like we’re, the only singles here, so the rule is we have to talk to each other. My name’s Chad, what’s yours?” Almost anything said with a genuine smile can be a great opening line.

Invite Someone to a Holiday Party

A holiday party offers a great opportunity to get to know someone better. If you’re dating someone now but you haven’t yet crossed over into full couplehood, a holiday party can be a great bonding experience for the two of you. Tell your date ahead of time who is going to be at the party and what kinds of things they might talk about. If it’s a family event, warn her (or him) about the family members who are likely to ask the most intrusive questions. You might even want to establish a “rescue sign” that you can flash from across the room if your date needs you to rush over and be her knight in shining armor.

Use Your Very Best Manners

 The Holiday Season is the best time of year to dress up nice, say please and thank you, and use your very best old-fashioned manners. You almost can’t be too polite—even if it borders on corniness. We all get a little mushy and nostalgic during this time of year, so remember to arrive bearing gifts for the host/hostess and genuine compliments for everyone!

There’s more dating advice and tips at www.middleagedbabemagnet.com. If you have any single people on your holiday gift list, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet by yours truly, Chad Stone, makes a great gift! Clickhere to buy it.