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Are You Facebook Friends With Your Exes?

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:44:00 -0800

An essay in this week's New York Times hit close to home. The author, mourning the breakup of a long-term relationship, used Facebook to keep up with what his ex was doing. I've covered this topic before in Tech Dating 101 posts; from using Facebook to get to know a potential date to how and when to change your relationship status. I've even offered my advice for how to cut an ex out of your digital life. He was pretty distraught over the breakup, but still couldn't resist the occasional peek at her page:

"Every once in a while, when I was feeling particularly pathetic, I would log on to her Facebook page and listlessly click through the photos of a life that was, somewhat disappointingly, continuing without me."

While I still feel it's best to avoid an ex on Facebook, especially after a tough breakup, actually pulling the trigger to delete an ex from your list of friends is tough.

Are Video Proposals Online Cowardly or Cute?

TresSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:42 -0800

Last night Tumblr users signed on to see "Marissa Nystrom, will you marry me?" bannered across their dashboards, whether or not they followed proposer Justin Johnson's blog. The link goes to this genuinely thoughtful, romantic, and well-edited video, but I presume his girlfriend follows his blog. So the only reason I can see to link the video to the world is to consummate its place in the controversial genre of public marriage proposals.

Public proposals seem unabashedly confident at first, but only the most heartless, unafraid-to-make-a-scene askee would say no. Put it on video and not only is he not asking her in person, but he's putting pressure on her to say yes in front of the largest stage of all. And when it's online, you can't leave your audience behind.

Say What? Leighton Always Hates Her Boyfriends

TresSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:30:27 -0800

"Honestly, I've hated every boyfriend I've had. . . I don't want to have a boyfriend unless I want to be with him forever. If I don't see an end, that's nice. Because I always see an end."

- Leighton Meester explains that she rarely meets someone she wants to be in a committed relationship with. Do you share her attitude toward relationships?

New Moon Star Nikki Reed Says Relationship Keeps Her Slim

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:49 -0800

If Kristen Stewart needs any help kicking her nicotine habit, she can look to her New Moon costar Nikki Reed for advice. In the last few months, Reed has given herself a bit of a lifestyle makeover, thanks in large part, as she told People, to her relationship with Greek shipping heir (and Paris Hilton ex) Paris Latsis.

Reed and Latsis have officially been out as a couple since Summer, which was the perfect time for Latsis to introduce Reed to all the outdoor sports he loves. The pair spent the season hiking, windsurfing, and water skiing, and as a result, Reed says, the pounds started dropping.

Besides having tons of fun, Reed was so inspired by her boyfriend's love of the outdoors that she became motivated to get into better shape. First things first, she quit smoking. Now Reed hits the gym for two hours a day and says that being active has made her "much happier."

Last week I shared with you some ways that your relationship might be making you fat, but keep in mind that as with Reed, relationships can have positive effects on health. I personally am healthier now that I'm with a partner who likes being active as much as I do. He and I love riding bikes, climbing, and going on long hikes together. Do any of you credit your relationship for making you healthier?

Ask an MBA Student: Is It OK For My Boyfriend to See His Ex?

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:44 -0800

Conventional Wisdom is a different kind of advice column. Your questions will be answered by people from all walks of life rather than by advice experts. This week, a guy working on his MBA tries to help out a woman nervous about her boyfriend's ex. If you have a question you'd like answered on Conventional Wisdom, you can submit it here.

Today's Question:
My boyfriend's ex-girlfriend just moved back in town and he wants to hang out with her. She's going to stop by his house this week so they can catch up. They broke up a couple of years ago, but they dated for a few years so this sort of makes me uncomfortable. Can I tell him that I don't want them to be friends? I don't know whether I should be upset or just let it go.

Signed,
Nervous

To read the MBA student's advice, read more.

Dear Nervous,

My advice is to let them hang out and catch up initially. It's natural for friends who haven't seen each other to meet up; there is nothing to worry about. I think it might be a good idea for you to be there, if your boyfriend is OK with that. If this is truly a friend situation, he shouldn't have a problem with you being there, and if the ex-girlfriend is moving back into town then she should want to get to know you. After they catch up, the novelty might go away and they might never see each other again as people change. However, if they continue to hang out and see each other a lot, you can let him know that it makes you uncomfortable. He should respect your wishes and tone it down.

Signed,
An MBA Student

Man-gagement Ring - Love It or Leave It?

TresSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:46 -0800

Glancing at a man's ring finger to see if he's taken can only get you so far. While the presence of a ring tells you he's married, there's no way to know if he's engaged, since women don't typically get to put a ring on it. Well that's apparently changing.

According to ABC, man-gagement rings - engagement rings worn by men - are getting more and more popular. As one soon-to-be-groom says: "Now your game is over even sooner." Presumably many of these men are excited about showing off their "taken" status.

"What Is His Deal?"

Tres Community — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

This post comes from Group Therapy in our TrèsSugar Community. Feel free to add your advice in the comments!

My friend (let’s call her Laura) recently introduced me to a good male friend of hers (let’s call him Mark) at a Halloween party. Mark and I had a good time talking to each other and he emailed my friend a day later to tell her that he thought I was really nice. He then found me on Facebook and asked me out for the following weekend, to which I said yes.

We texted a few times and flirted a little bit. However, when the weekend came he got sick (I was sick too so I didn’t mind that we weren’t going to meet, although I didn’t tell him that). But now it’s been a week and I haven’t heard anything from him, no texts, no nothing. I think this is a little strange since he was the one who initially pursued me. Plus he’s friends with my friend so I didn’t think he would just ditch our plans. There is such a thing as politeness and I’m a little surprised that he hasn’t called me to let me know that he’s still sick, or busy, or whatever. So, I don’t know what to do if and when he calls. Should I go out with him? He’s already demonstrated that he can’t keep me in the loop.

There's lots of fun stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups and maybe we'll feature it here on TrèsSugar!

Women Buy the Underpants in the Relationships

TresSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0800

When it comes to a man's underwear, not only do women have a strong preference, they also have a lot of influence. New research shows that men purchase their own underwear for only 17 years of their entire lives. During the other years, it's either their mothers or significant others who do the buying.

If men have no one to do their shopping, they usually wait to buy new skivvies until they're starting a new relationship. So it might help to hint to your new guy whether you prefer boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs (in fact 54 percent of TrèsSugar readers prefer boxer briefs). And if you're looking for a place to meet an available man, you might want to hang out around an underwear department - according to the research you can predict whether a man is looking for a partner by the number of underpants he buys. (I may take their advice - if those guys look like David Beckham!)

Have you ever bought underwear for your man?

Ways Your Relationship Is Making You Fat

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:18 -0800

Being in a relationship has a lot of perks, but spending all that time with your honey can make you forget to take care of yourself, which can translate to an expanding waistline. If your clothes feel a bit more snug since you started getting serious with that special someone, here are some ways your relationship might be bringing on the pounds.

View Slideshow ›

Has Parenthood Brought You Closer Together?

babysugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:30:00 -0800

Magical as they are, the first few weeks of parenting are no cake walk. They are wonderful and full of life changing moments but the shift from couplehood to parent life is drastic and a never-ending learning process. For many moms and dads, the addition of a new family member takes a toll on the romance, making it tough to maintain the closeness in the relationship. Others are finding quite the opposite effect. And by others, I mean married parents. According to a new study, children boost happiness for married parents. Unmarried parents? They don't fare as well. The research found:

Single, separated, and cohabiting people, by contrast, report negative experiences.

Evidence suggests that couples who are married are "ready" to have children where those who are not, may not have been prepared for the lifestyle change. Are you and your partner happier since becoming parents? And, are you married?