series

online dating

Diary of an Online Dater: Signing Out

Editor's note: Welcome to our weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl.

Editor's note: Welcome to our weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl. In her final week she shares the lessons she's learned through this series . . .

This series has been so much fun to write, and thank you for your support and sweet comments! However, I've decided with all I've been juggling offline in my life, online dating is going to have to sit on the back burner for a while, so this is my final entry. Even though I was only a Match.com member for a month, I learned some lessons about online dating (and maybe even myself) that I'd like to share with you.

online dating

Diary of an Online Dater: Too Many Balls in the Air

Editor's note: Welcome to our weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl.

Editor's note: Welcome to our weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl. This week things got complicated . . .

Week 4: Seriously, when it rains, it pours. I couldn't make up the events of the last week if I tried.

Things started out normal enough: I had a second date planned with the Intellectual, and I had begun emailing with a new Match guy, the Euro-dresser (e.g. lots of scarves). Offline, I had also met someone who was distracting me from my Internet interests — the Enigma — an intriguing fella with the uncanny (and irresistible) ability to cause spontaneous smiling. And in the midst of this I get an unexpected call.

online dating

Diary of an Online Dater: Game, Set, Match — First Date

Editor's note: Welcome to our weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by an anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl.

Editor's note: Welcome to our weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by an anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl. This week she went on her first Match date, see how it went!

Week 3: This week started out well. I was emailing with two guys, one younger than me, the Italian, and one a few years older, the Intellectual. I lost interest fast with the Italian, for a few reasons. The first was that his profile seemed a little too good to be true. After reading his long list of accomplishments, my bestie hit the nail on the head when she said: "He also invented shoelaces, did the voice of Simba in The Lion King, widdled JFK's coffin out of an oak tree, and never blinks." But mainly, he just didn't make me smile or laugh like the Intellectual. It's hard to put effort into getting to know someone when there's something sparkly over here . . . I get distracted by shiny things, what can I say?

I also got a response back from one of the (many) guys I sent emails to last week, the Normal Guy. So maybe I didn't suck at emailing as much as I thought I did? Maybe they were all on business trips or just moved and don't have Internet yet or got lost on a hiking trip? In his response he mentioned going for drinks, which I'm all about, not necessarily because of the alcohol, but because I'm discovering that meeting people in person is like ripping off a Band-Aid: get it over quickly and it's (mostly) painless. He wasn't in my top faves, though, and after a few back and forth emails about riveting topics like the weather, our jobs, and our neighborhoods, there is no further talk of meeting. Bye Normal Guy!

online dating

Diary of an Online Dater: To Email or Not to Email

Editor's note: Welcome to our new weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by an anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl.

Editor's note: Welcome to our new weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by an anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl. Today she's sharing the lessons she's learned about emailing potential prince charmings.

Week 2: So I took the plunge and signed up for a month on Match, dipping my toe into the sea that is allegedly filled with plenty of fish.

Right away I am allowed to see the emails that had been sitting in my inbox for the past week. As expected, most aren't from guys I'm interested in. And I'm troubled by a few things, namely, the many typos and/or mistakes in the short notes. I'm sorry, but if I mention in my profile that I have an editorial profession, and you open with "your so cute," I think you either didn't read my profile, or you're lazy. Also, WHAT IS UP WITH ALL CAPS? I feel like you're yelling at me. Tone it down, buddy. All that said, the emails were surprisingly very sweet and not creepy.

With all my wink failures (no bites), I decided it was time to start putting my subscription to use — and begin emailing. After starting and deleting an email about 50 times, I finally sent one to the guy who I liked the best. I kept it short and sweet, and used some tips I found from an online dating "expert," like including something we have in common (obvs).

To see what happened, keep reading

online dating

Diary of an Online Dater: A Wink Is Free, True Love'll Cost Ya

Editor's note: Welcome to our new weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by an anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl.

Editor's note: Welcome to our new weekly guest series Diary of an Online Dater, written by an anonymous 20-something blogger matchgirl. Today she's giving us the scoop on creating an online dating profile for the first time.

Week 1: So without going into too much detail, after spending several years in a serious relationship that ended abruptly, I found myself single somewhere in between the "so many guys, so little time" college mindset and the, "crap, all my friends and exes are married and I'm almost 30" freak-out. You build a skyscraper of a relationship up for so long that when that bulldozer comes, and your photos, memories, dreams, and plans are now shattered fragments on the floor, the thought of starting over from the foundation is exhausting. Is it worth it?

And this is where online dating comes in.

daycare

Tending to Baby, Part 1: The Daycare Option

After a year of staying at home with my lil one, I'm back to work and loving it.

After a year of staying at home with my lil one, I'm back to work and loving it. The decision to work was easy, but babycare was my big dilemma. I searched for daycares, nannies, and nanny-share options. I'll share my journey with you in this three-part series.

This week: The Daycare Option.

I wanted my daughter to attend daycare to learn how to be a social being and be stimulated while I was at work. Daycare would teach her that she's not the center of attention, how to share, and how to take a lick and keep on ticking.

At the same time, I would be opening the door to colds, earaches, and biting! And, you need to factor in the time it takes to drop off and pick up your kid. Most daycares that I looked at closed around 5 p.m. "Excuse me boss, I am going to have to leave at 4:30 p.m. every day so I can pick up my baby on time." Not a good way to start a new job. And, all of this is assuming you have the option to attend daycare. read more