If you're like every other workingwoman (or man) who is dedicated and hard working, your commitment to work makes it nearly impossible to meet anyone outside of work. You're probably not just a nine to five worker - you're that successful someone who works extra hours and weekends, and is trying to get ahead to be successful. And you know what that makes you? Sexy!
Both men and women are attracted to people who are confident, passionate and focused, with interests and areas of expertise. Who wouldn't be? Think about it-and there isn't an easier, simpler or more convenient place to meet them than at work.
Date at Work - But Work at Dating
Even though it's often advised against, dating people you work with makes practical sense - after all, we spend so much of our lives in the office, there's often no other way or time to meet anyone else. But you have to be extra smart about your choices, and take special precautions if you're going to venture into an office romance.
Water Cooler Gossip
The one overriding warning worth heeding--the one that should dictate all of your actions and words--is this: People talk. No matter how friendly your co-workers are, or how tight-lipped the object of your affection seems, secrets are almost always spilled, one way or another, whether accidentally or intentionally. Translation? Say nothing and do nothing that you do not want everyone else to know about. This means no chit-chat with the girls at the water cooler about his size or performance, and no pillow talk with him about how much you loathe your boss, and can't wait to take over his or her job. There's too much at stake, like your livelihood to take risks, and there's too much to lose, like a potentially great love, not to give it a shot.
The Rules About Dating Co-Workers
1. Don't mix business and pleasure on company time. Agree to date out of work hours, but don't turn a business lunch into a romantic lunch.
2. If you're a supervisor or employer you must stay fair. Don't give someone you're dating better work or pay, and don't punish someone you're breaking up with by giving him or her worse work or pay. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the receiving end of a lawsuit.
3. Make sure he or she is actually single. If they're not -- then keep personal remarks at work limited to sports, the weather and the kids. Don't gripe or listen to gripes about a spouse. "I'm sorry, I'm not comfortable talking about your wife. I want to keep our relationship all business because I value us as co-workers," is all you need to say and do.
4. Don't Boast. Your co-worker boyfriend or girlfriend may look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, and you may be so pumped up that you've got a hot date with the hottie -- but keep your feelings to yourself -- and your friends outside of work. Work gossip is inevitable, but you must practice good behavior by keeping the water cooler talk to work and the weather.
5. Don't Make Out At Work. Keep all affection outside of office parameters. It's okay to meet at the office, but don't smooch at the office.
6. Don't Have Love Spats At Work. If things weren't great the night before, don't bring your disappointment to your staff meetings -- no pun intended. You will have to practice wearing two hats -- even if you're mad, don't put the kabosh on their comments at the Monday morning meeting and act out your frustrations at work.
7. Do Put Rumors To Rest. If you hear gossip, don't fuel the fire by denying the truth. Everyone finds out that you're dating eventually. While you should not announce your relationship, you can say, "Yes, we're dating. We're both single adults and we're working very hard to keep our social life separate from our work life." And smile.
Both dating and working are natural parts of life, and it's natural to become attracted to people you work with. If you're both single and available, go for it! But be impeccable with your behavior and your work. You're going to be under more scrutiny in this relationship than you would be if you were dating someone you didn't work with.
April Masini is the author of the best selling books "Date Out of Your League" and "Think & Date Like a Man", the critically acclaimed Ask April advice column and AskApril.com online magazine. Interviewed for over 2300 national and international articles and opinion pieces, radio and television shows-April writes what Dear Abby will never print and what your shrink doesn't have the guts to tell you! Check out www.askapril.com for more info
Unique Ideas to Celebrate Valentines Day this Year
Want to celebrate Valentine's Day in a different way? We'vecollected a bunch of unique ideas - special ways to show how muchyou care about your spouse, family members and friends youcherish.Heart-Felt Valentine's Meal~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Make up a batch of heart-shaped pancakes for a yummy Valentine'sbreakfast or brunch. Just pour the batter in the frying pan in afree-form heart shape and serve with strawberries and whippedcream.Balloon Goodies~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Insert candy surprises into balloons before inflating them - adda folded-up Valentine's message then inflate each balloon. Tiewith a red ribbon and attach to your loved one's chair for themto find Valentine's morning.Family Affair~~~~~~~~~~~~~Have the children help you prepare red Jello with cinnamon heartsmixed in, mashed potatoes colored with pink food coloring, heart-shaped cookies and any other creative ways to present yourValentine's Day meal.The Gift of Time~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Give a hand-made coupon for some work you can do to free-up sometime for your spouse or parent. For example, a coupon good forcleaning Dad's garage or for a full-house vacuuming for yourwife. How about a coupon for your best friend - you can walk herdog or baby sit one evening.Coupon Day~~~~~~~~~~Each of you can create individual notes, say 4 or 6 each, todescribe a special surprise - a back rub, a bubble bath, kissesfrom head to toe, a special meal - fold up the notes and tossthem into a jar. You can take turns having fun plucking a couponfrom the jar and doing what it says.Scavenger Hunt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You can prepare this one for your spouse or for your children toenjoy. Write up little notes about how you feel and what theymean to you and place them around the house along with a candyheart or other treat. Add a riddle at the end of each note aboutwhere to find the next note. At the last note, have somethingspecial waiting there. For example, you can be waiting for yourhubby in a candle-lit bubble bath with two glasses of wine. Foryour children, then can find a teddy bear or other toy or treat.Less Fortunate~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Visit a hospital or chronic care home to pass out small Valentinesurprises to the residents. They will enjoy the care andattention from something so unexpected.Alone?~~~~~~No one special to share Valentine's Day with? Sure you have! You!Why not pamper yourself with a candlelit bubble bath, thenprepare your favorite gourmet meal and rent the latest comedyvideo. Or treat yourself to a day at the spa, or a day at thegym with a step or aerobics class. Plan for Valentine's Day atleast a week in advance - you'll find yourself looking forward toyour special treats and your quality time with yourself, bychoice.Picnic Fun~~~~~~~~~~Place a blanket on the floor near the lit fireplace with candleson the mantle and have your Valentine's meal as a candle-litpicnic with a bottle of your favorite bubbly.Italian Romance~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some soft Italian love songs on the CD player, a lusciousFettucini Alfredo with a bottle of your favorite Italian vino,then some fresh canoli from the pastry shop and cups of amaretto-flavored coffee for a taste sensation - top it off with asensuous scented bubble bath for twoA Cereal Surprise~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sneak in love notes and chocolate kisses in your sweetheart's orchildren's cerealNotables~~~~~~~~Little notes in their lunch boxes, on the bathroom mirror, in hisbriefcase, stuck on the car windshields, in his underwear drawerI'm fortunate to have you!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mix up a batch of fortune cookies (seehttp://www.whimsies-online.com/valentine.htm for recipe!) andadd your own little words of loveMessy but Marvelous~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Make sure you wear old clothes for this one and plan thisescapade where cleanup will be easy (no carpets, please!) Makeup a batch of chocolate pudding. Feed each other and wind uphaving a food fight! Ideally, this is more fun in your birthdaysuits, then the pudding won't go to waste where it lands! Guaranteed for loads of giggles between the two of you -take a shower-for-two after this one and wash each other'schocolate-flavored hair!Take a Letter~~~~~~~~~~~~~Take turns writing a love letter or love poem to each other.Read them out loudValentine Sharing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plan some community work - help out at the local shelter,volunteer at your local church, work with other volunteers tospread some caring amongst your community.All in the Family~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Spend some quality fun time with your niece or nephew or otherchild in your family.Long-Distance Caring~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Call your favorite aunt whom you haven't seen since she moved faraway, or your best friend who transferred to another country -let them know you're thinking of them this Valentine's DayJust For You~~~~~~~~~~~~Have you wanted that delicate pair of earrings for awhile butkept putting off the purchase? Give yourself a specialValentine's Day giftPoetry In Motion~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Write him or her a poem - can't write? Try out the poemgenerator on http://www.whimsies-online.com/valentine.htm forfun! Print out your creation and place it on your loved-one'snight table for when they awake!Author Resource Box:Heather Diodati, is the owner of Whimsies! by DDesign, one-of-a-kind personalized cartoon designs for all occasions. Sign up forour free ezine, On A Whim, for your fr~ee time management gifts!http://www.whimsies-online.com
3 Romantic Ways to Propose on Valentine's Day
Many men use Valentine's Day as the day to propose to their loved one.
After all, it is the most romantic day of the year and it is a day you will
always remember as the special day that you decided to become one. So,
what are some romantic ways to propose? Here is a list of three ways to
propose on Valentine's Day that will definitely thrill your girlfriend.
1. Do it in front of her familyThis all
depends on how traditional your girlfriend is, of course. If she does not
get along well with her family, this is a bad plan. But, if you know she
is very close to her mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins, etc., this
can be a great idea. Have them help you plan the special day.
Assign one of them to ask her to come to a family reunion on Valentine's Day
in order to get everyone together. Inform them of the real plan, but have
them keep the secret from your girlfriend. When she tells you about the
reunion, complain a bit about the reunion being on Valentine's Day, but do
not over do it to the point where she decides not to go.
If that happens, remind her that family is important and even though you
would rather take her to a romantic dinner alone, you will go to the
reunion. If you are very traditional, ask her parents for her hand in
marriage before the party. Let the reunion go on for a while, so she
really believes it is real. Designate a time when you are going to pop the
question and inform the others beforehand (so they know it is going to happen)
like when you put on a certain song or say something in particular.
Then, drop to one knee; tell her how special she is and that you've already
received her parent's permission to ask for her hand. Tell her you love
her, ask her to marry you and give her the ring. Chances are she will say
yes and the whole room will burst into applause. Make sure in advance that
you have spoken to someone in the family about taking photos or a video when you
ask so you will have the moment preserved on film. 2. Plan
a weekend getaway If Valentine's Day is on the weekend, plan a
getaway destination such as Las Vegas or Miami. This is a great way to
propose if she likes doing spontaneous things and loves to travel. Don't
tell her until Friday afternoon when she gets off work. Pick her up at the
office and say she has 30 minutes to get packed, that you have planned a weekend
trip. To do this you will need to plan several things in advance.
You will need to get either airline tickets, train tickets (traveling by
train can be very romantic), or get the driving directions. Make sure you
have reservations at a romantic hotel. For example, if you are going to
Miami, try to get a room on the beach. If you are going to Las Vegas, try
to get a suite on the Strip at one of the nice hotels. You will have to
have the stuff you will need for the weekend packed - including the ring.
Hopefully, she will be so excited by the trip, she will think that is what the
weekend is about. But, at a great romantic moment, like a walk on the
beach or in front of the Bellagio when the fountains are going off, propose to
her. If you are in Las Vegas, you can even get married there the same
weekend. 3. Borrow from her favorite click
flickMost women love romantic click flicks and many include a
proposal. If you know a movie she loves that has a romantic proposal
scene, reenact it with her. If My Best Friend's Wedding is her favorite
movie, just holler out "Will you marry me?" as she is getting in her car to
drive away. It is even better if she is getting on the train (which is how
the movie version actually goes). If An Officer and a Gentleman is her
favorite movie, walk in to her office, just pick her up in your arms, and carry
her out. As you are carrying her out, ask her to marry you.
For this, you should probably consult her boss first. If she loves Sex
and the City and you have a dog, take the dog out for a walk with her.
When you stop to bend over and scoop the poop, pull out the ring just like Aidan
did for Carrie. If you are not sure what her favorite chick flick is,
ask. You can always use the premise that you are thinking about buying her
the DVD copy for Valentine's Day. Be sure to ask for a few of her
favorites to be sure to find one that has a romantic proposal.Proposing
on Valentine's Day is a great idea and one that your girlfriend will surely
love. If you have the right setting, it can be very romantic and something
that you both will tell your grandchildren about one day.
Sara Fox is the owner of St Valentines Day Gifts. Get more Valentines day ideas by reading her newest tips on "How to Create a Romantic Valentine's Day Evening at Home".
