Fuss-Free Beauty – Things I Love

When it comes to my beauty routine, I’m kind of lazy. Add to that my general busy-ness and my hate of early mornings and what you get is a girl who either doesn’t have time or patience to spend hours in the bathroom every morning.
In an ideal world, one of two things would happen.
1) I would [...]

A Week of Beauty on $30 Date Night

Happy 201st Post, Daters! Just to mix things up a little bit, this week $30 Date Night is going to take a little deviation down the beauty route.
Why, you ask? What does that have to do with dating and relationships?
Plenty, it turns out.

Because if you feel good about yourself you’ll feel better [...]

Deal or No Deal, Baby!

Em’s and I have been keeping this one secret from you. G is for Game Show! DATE NIGHT on DEAL OR NO DEAL! The episode airs tonight (Thursday 15th July) – in Australia – 5.30pm EST on Channel 7.

F is for Football

With the high fever of the world cup that has been going on the past weeks, it was only logical that F be for Football in the grand scheme of Alphabet Dating.
After all, it’s only us Australians and the US that call it soccer. To the rest of the world, it is Football.

You [...]

Experts Confirm: Couples Need Date Night

Well, we’ve known it for awhile and every month or so we find more research and more expert opinions confirming the same: Couples need to find time in their schedules for date night, or risk ending up a divorce statistic.

This article from the Evening Tribune is a good one:
“It is not only important, it [...]

7 Great Date Ideas Beginning with G

G is for Green Date Ideas
Which we already discussed awhile ago. Click this link to see our Gorgeously Green Date Ideas list, compiled for us by Cate and Chris at GreenRenters.org
G is for Games

Like, board games. And such. Either hold a game night at home for the two of you or tuck [...]

6 Fruit-and-Flower (4th) Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Well I am completely taken aback to learn that the fourth wedding anniversary traditional symbols are fruit and flowers! I didn’t expect that. I thought after paper, cotton and leather we were certainly starting to head towards some sort of semi-precious something…
Go figure.
Okay, well – when you think about it fruit and flowers [...]

mX Column: Casual Sex? Not Always Casual.

In the age of the casual hook-up, I’d hazard to say most people have had a bonk-buddy up their sleeve at some point for times of need.
It’s a common belief that women, in particular, have difficulty adjusting adapting to a casual sex arrangement.
But it turns out that is not our biggest worry when it comes [...]

mX Column: The Etiquette of Dating

What has happened to manners?
It seems everyone is so busy these days that there is no time for niceties – returning emails, RSVPing to parties and even saying thank you have fallen by the wayside.
When it happens with friends, we can understand, kiss and make up.
In dating, however, bad manners are unforgivable.

I was out one [...]

mX Column: There Is No “Mostly Equal”

NB: This column has been altered slightly from it’s original publication as I have an infinite word count on this blog.

There are many things straight couples take for granted that gay couples have had to fight for.
And on Monday, Eliza Bern’s article in mX sparked even more conversation on the topic.
Bern suggested the [...]

Why We Love, Why We Cheat

In the midst of researching for my new ebook, I came across this great presentation given by Dr. Helen Fisher at the 2006 Ted Conference. We love Dr. Fisher’s research and I don’t know how this particular clip has eluded me for four years now.
In it, she explains the brain chemistry of the stages [...]

Melbourne Giveaway: Bride Magazine Expo Double Passes and Mags!

Hi Melbourne Daters! I have an extra special treat for our readers that are engaged, or are in a wedding party for a close friend that is getting married soon.
My dear friend Jason Grech is the talented fashion designer behind JASONGRECH White – and I’m not even exaggerating when I tell you they are [...]

6 out of 10 People Not Trying Hard Enough

Wow, Daters. Did you know that 6 out of 10 people are unhappy with their relationships? That’s a lot of people. 60% in fact (I should’ve done maths and stuff).
The Daily Mail reported last week that: “More than six out of ten adults in a relationship admit there is a lot they could do [...]

Man-Colds Proven to Exist!

Man-colds do exist!
I knew it! I’ve been saying it all along.

Says the Daily Mail in London:
“Half of men will upgrade a common cold to flu and describe headaches as a migraine to gain maximum sympathy.
They will also moan more than women when suffering a bug or virus.
This is despite the fact [...]

LoveStars Astrology Date Night Review

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I really, truly believe in astrology.
I’ve been scoffed at before for it, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m still a believer. I could not be more of a Pisces if I tried. I’m your typical dreamy (read: flaky), emotional (erratic) romantic (unrealistic) type with an [...]

Delight Your Partner with Inexpensive Nothings

Ahh… whispering sweet nothings is lovely, but handing over a sweet littIe gift to your partner for no reason whatsoever will melt them to a puddle of goo in a second.
As you know, we’re all about relationships with intent here at $30 Date Night. Break your usual routine and make your partner’s day by buying [...]

mX Column: Virtually Together

I’m sitting on a plane to Sydney as I write, on my way to visit my bestie, V.
I don’t spend much time on planes these days, though V does.
He moved to Sydney for work a year ago, while his partner still lives and works in Melbourne.

They fly back and forth as often [...]

5 Gorgeously Green Date Ideas

We’re up to week ‘G’ and in addition to the list of date ideas beginning with ‘G’ I’ll be posting later (when I’ve written it!), the wonderful Cate and Chris from Green Renters have guested today’s post, giving us five great, green, sustainable date ideas for you to try! Challenge yourself to a month’s worth [...]

mX Column: Damn Smug Morning People

I hate morning people. They’re always so freakin’ smug. Me? I am, categorically, not a morning person.
I resent getting out of bed before 9am. It takes me hours to wake up properly and God help you if you try anything smart with me before I’ve had a coffee.
Nothing is more annoying than a chirpy early [...]

9 Fabulous Date Ideas Beginning with F

F is for Ferris Wheel
Ah, the romance of being trapped in a small, swinging compartment with the love of your life, your lips all sticky from fairy floss as you gaze out at the view. This could either be very romantic, or in the case of people like Den – absolutely terrifying. Try and [...]

Using the Mere Exposure Effect to Your Dating Advantage

I wrote in my column a few weeks back about the theory behind Office Romances and why they are so prevalent these days. The idea is that the Mere Exposure Effect dictates your hormones here… the more time you spend around someone, the more attracted you will become to them.
And – obviously – vice [...]

Win a Date Night at The Movies!

Hey Daters! We have a fun giveaway for you. The delightful crew at Sony Pictures have given us 10 x double passes to give away to go see Jennifer Lopez’s new movie The Back Up Plan. It opens in cinemas May 20 and it looks like a hell of a lot of fun. What a [...]

mX Column: What Mothers Teach Us About Love

Thank goodness for mothers and their unconditional, all-enveloping love.
I know my mum is the one person in this world who will pick up the phone every time I call, and she’ll be glad to hear from me to boot. I can also depend on her to be the first by my side if I’m unwell [...]

An Interview With HitchedMag.com

Hey readers, as you know we love anything to do with couples, love and marriage that is available as a resource on the interwebs. We sent a few questions off to the founder of HitchedMag.com to see what inspires him and his marriage. The site is online, magazine-style and written by a team of experts [...]

The Better Marriage Blanket

I am still giggling as I write this post from watching the commercial. In short, an American company has come up with the ‘Better Marriage Blanket’ made from the SAME CARBON FABRIC THE MILITARY USES TO PROTECT AGAINST CHEMICAL WEAPONS (I couldn’t make this stuff up, it’s that funny) to stop the odour of farts [...]

mX Column: The Sperm Shortage in Australia

Men once worried that advances in IVF and female independence would render them obsolete.
Of course there are lots of things women need men for but, biologically speaking, sex and babies are the main things.

But it turns out that women do still need men in the babies department.
Sperm donations are at an all-time [...]

6 Exciting Date Ideas Beginning with E

Ooh – we knew there’d be some sticky letters on this Alphabet Dating business of ours… but I didn’t expect one so soon! And to be honest, I was hoping Den would get stuck with them. X, for example, will be a killer. O might be a bit difficult.
But they’re weeks away yet. Let’s [...]

mX Column: Office Romances are A-Ok

Ever found yourself exchanging flirty glances over the water-cooler with a colleague? Signing off your emails to each other with a cheeky “xo” on the end? Sneaking out to coffee breaks together?

The office – you spend most of your waking life there. Australians, in particular, are at work an average 1855 hours a year. [...]

Newsflash: Couple Dates Each Other, Finds It’s Good For Relationship

I just found this article in The Sun about a couple who took on a one-month date night challenge (sounds suspiciously familiar) only to find that dating each other once a week was – GASP – good for their relationship!
Okay, I’ll stop being snarky now.
Because it’s great.
It really is great that we [...]

Love Plug: Hello You Fool, I Love You

I just saw these gorgeous prints featured in Shop Til You Drop while I was having a pedi (coral pink, thanks for asking) and immediately had to run home to Love Plug them for you guys!
Blacklist Studio, a tres chic Sydney art and design company is selling these great love-inspired prints that aren’t cheesy [...]

5 Date Ideas Beginning with D

Well we’re up to week D and Den seems to be stuck on what to do. So I’m posting this not least to give him some ideas of where to take me for date night this week! Stay tuned for our date review of whatever this particular alphabet date will end up being.
D is [...]

Marriage is Good For Your Health!… Until It’s Not

Marriage: When it’s good, it’s very good. But when it’s bad, it’s… deadly?
New York Times Magazine recently published this long piece on whether marriage is good for your health or not. Very early studies into the matter, circa 1858, concluded that marriage is a healthy estate and that single people died from disease “in [...]

Sexy Christina Hendricks Has Advice for Men

A wonderful open letter to men, from the Best Looking Woman in America (So Esquire says. I might just second that after reading the following advice from Christina Hendricks to Men of the World.)
“We love your body. If we’re in love with you, we love your body. Your potbelly, everything. Even if you’re insecure about [...]

mX Column: Dating Games

Out with a group of girlfriends the other night, one sidled up to me when we were touching up our gloss in the bathroom.
“I just sent a text to my ex,” she confided.
“Do you think that was a mistake?”
Not just once. It turns out she had sent him two messages. Once to [...]

How to Save a Marriage

Laura Munson’s new book This Is Not The Story You Think It Is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness
has just been published, containing the account of the time her husband walked in the door one night, after 20 happy years of marriage and two children, and told her it was over. “I don’t love you. [...]

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

Happiness expert Sophie Keller wrote this great piece over at Huffington Post about whether you and your partner are “Incompatible, or Refreshingly Different”
“My husband loves the middle of a quiche and I love the outside. He hates exercise, I love it. He knows everything there is about music, I know very little. Does that mean [...]

10 Leather (3rd) Anniversary Gift Ideas

They say that by the 3rd wedding anniversary you should be aware of the durability of your relationship together, which is why the traditional gift symbol is leather. The material is strong, durable, warm and resilient.
There are some gorgeous leather-based anniversary gifts you can give your partner on your third anniversary that they may [...]

mX Column: Starting Over at 28

My friend, Y, has a problem. She has just broken up with her boyfriend of six years.
It’s a massive change, but she has coped remarkably well with the separation, and has re-established herself as an independent woman – new house, new job, new outlook on life.
Now, after months of painful healing, her ex [...]

C is for Comedy Festival

And so our alphabet dating streak continues. C, for us, is for Comedy Festival which was a wonderfully spontaneous date we decided to go on last night.
What I love about the Melbourne Comedy Festival is that they run a box office from the Town Hall that you can walk into at any point during the [...]

“Me? Oh, I’m Naturally Gorgeous…”

I had just jumped out of the shower this morning and was in the office, pre-make up when Den suddenly asked me what was on my face. “It’s all shiny” he commented. I’d just moisturised. It was nothing different to my usual daily routine, but he’s usually at the gym still when I’m getting ready [...]

Will Marriage Always Have a Place in Society?

It’s pretty much common knowledge by now that the marriage rate in the Western world has been on a steady decline since the 1950s. Even moreso in Europe than in the US, people are electing again and again not to get married.

The divorce rate is insane, and divorces are easier and cheaper than ever [...]

Alphabet Dating: 9 Date Ideas Beginning with C

C is for Casino
Ever played roulette? No? Perfect. Set a budget for your date night (it’s no secret we like ye olde faithful $30 limit) and head to a low-betting table at a casino to learn the ways of roulette and (hopefully!) win some money. If you pick a table where there are no [...]

Unleash Your Inner Bunny!

Happy Easter, Lovers! It’s going to be a fun weekend… if you’re feeling like doing something sweet for your sweetheart then send them on a personalised Easter Egg hunt!
Imagine the look on their face when they wake up in the morning to find the house strewn with chocolate eggs! Or send them into the [...]

5 Cotton (2nd) Anniversary Gift Ideas

Given everyone loved the paper anniversary post so much, I thought I’d continue the series of Traditional Wedding Anniversary Present Ideas for couples. We’re at 2nd year anniversary – cotton!

Clothes – It’s obvious, yes. There are a few ways to execute this present though. You can either:
1. Pick up some great threads for your [...]

mX Column: Man-Hot vs. Girl-Hot

It’s all about new-season fashion as we hit the shops, inspired by last week’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival – but how much of what we see walking the runways during the shows will show up in our own wardrobes? And what will the men think of it all?

I’m wearing a dress today that I [...]

The Same Four Tracks

You learn a lot about a person when you work and live with them all day, every day.

I am fast learning that my husband is a creature of habit. He gets very comfortable with the things that he knows well. For example: All day every day, we hear the same four music tracks over [...]

Mistresses vs. Wives – The Showdown

A survey conducted by the Women’s Weekly shows that nearly half the 1115 respondents that answered the survey report that when they were single they had had an affair with a married or otherwise-committed man.
While these affairs rarely led to the break up of the man’s marriage/relationship, over a third of them lasted for [...]

Alphabet Dating: 10 Date Ideas Beginning with B

B is for Breakfast (or Brunch)
The perfect date if there’s just not enough time in your week or you suddenly find all your nights booked up. Get up a little early and have breakfast with your sweetheart, whether you take them out or cook for them in bed is up to you!

B is [...]

Real Life Couples: Brett and Mandy

Brett and Mandy have to be one of the most fun-loving couples we’ve come across in our web-travels!
They are daters in their own right on their side of the world, writing for Seattle P-I about their adventures on the town dating in Seattle, as well as on their own Brett and Mandy Date Night Blog, [...]

mX Column: The Age of the Bromance

I think my husband may be having an affair.
G. – the object of his affection – is tall, good-looking, and also happens to be our next door neighbour.
They see each other every day. They are members of the same gym, take frequent coffee breaks and if they can’t be in the same room [...]