Ashley Solutions

Re-entering the dating scene is rather scary, but as a single woman, mom of four, I decided it’s time to play the field. After all, who wants to grow old single and alone? So, I consulted a few friends, an online dating service, and several single women I knew - but ultimately most of them are “satisfied with single”. I decided to go straight to the source, the most interesting single person I know, who has interesting, challenging, and adventurous dates, knowing full well any advice I got would be direct, to the point, and daringly attractive to the kind of men I’m interested in: adventurous, intelligent, professionals, with a family oriented bent.

After a few moments of dating discussion, revealing conversation about the state of men who date, and laughter over the possible prospects in my neighborhood, she offered up some incredibly good advice.

Ten tips:

1. Don’t date. But, if you must…

2. Play hard to get - make your guy chase you.

3. Shock him with something daring - a new haircut?

4. Let it be known that you like to play the field and are not interested in commitment.

5. If he’s still around at this point: every couple of days call and ask what he is doing? Most will be busy the first couple of calls, but after the first calls, he will begin paying attention to you (small gifts, dinner, treats).

6. When he calls to ask what you are doing — ALWAYS be busy, explain but don’t tell him you will be alone.

7. Once you’ve reeled him in, on a nice ‘girly date’, compliment him a couple of times, but don’t give him a BIG head.

8. Throughout the entire time you’re allowing him to pursue you, fish for compliments. If he doesn’t compliment you profusely and with abandon, he isn’t worth your time. Dump him now.

9. Never call him, make him call you from this point on.

10. Ask the big question - what do you want from me? See if he answers correctly, based on what you want at the moment.

The challenge of dating as a full time mom who loves her children and desires to have an interesting personal life as well as a great family life is to find men who are interested in similar things, with like values. A challenge, not impossible, that I took seriously through a series of options that led to a few dates.

A few tips for those of us who are a bit older:

1. Verify his intentions in the first few conversations. (If he’s got different goals than you have, in the dating process, chances are he won’t change them.)

2. Be sure you know your own boundaries - and tell him.

3. Remember everyone has a life, all lives have baggage, and nobody wants to carry your load too.

4. Be yourself and be comfortable.

5. If he’s not your type, cut him loose and let him fly. If you’re not his type don’t take it personally.

More than anything, have fun, don’t get serious too fast, and pursue your own life interests - NOT his.

Copyright © 2005 - Jan Verhoeff

Dating can be a great social event. Challenge yourself to meet new people, have a lot of fun, and go after what you want. You only have one life to live too. Visit my site at Work At Home Mom’s Co.

When you have an acne outbreak, do you know how to take care of your skin? Unknowingly, many people tend to use acne skin care methods that aggravate their present condition further. Take for example the notion that a patient must seriously scrub his face to take away dirt. Is this the correct way for acne skin care? Not quite. Here is the scoop.

First, it is important to understand the cause of acne before knowing what acne skin care measures to use. Acne is neither a direct result of dirt or uncleanness. However, your acne problems worsen when dirt mixes with sebum and other skin debris to create a mixture which may settle in the pus of the pustules.

Medically speaking, acne is caused by many internal body factors such as a weak immune and digestive system, impaired internal detoxification system, and stress. Outside influences like weather elements, pollutants, humidity and the bacteria thriving on the human skin contribute to aggravate your acne. Ultimately, all these factors may not have effectively produced acne if it were not for the “Propionibacterium acnes”, which digest excess sebum. The effect results in inflammation, swelling and pain.

It is not easy to pin point the cause of acne on your own. It is best to solicit the help of a dermatologist to help you determine the cause of your acne and to recommend an appropriate acne treatment. Notwithstanding, there are a couple of tips on proper acne skin care that you should be aware of.

The first step to good acne skin care is to minimize the sebum production to a level to sustain normal skin. However, in most cases, to treat acne, more needs to be done.

If skin oiliness persist, it is best to keep the pores open. The principle behind this acne care is to release the clogs in the pores and wash them out. The only way to achieve this is to wash the face with extremely hot water. Repeat this procedure to help repel skin bacteria.

It is also recommended that you do not zealously wash your face with harsh scrubs or cleansers. By doing this, you may only aggravate the severity of your acne. Actually, washing your face gently two times a day is enough.

In terms of acne skin care products, choose the ones that work best best for you. Select the acne care product that gently clears away the oil and dirt without leaving your skin dry and irritated. In fact, ,mild acne care works best for all skin types. This will require some trials and consequently, some errors.

It is best to trust your dermatologist recommendation first. If his recommended product does not work, then shift to other acne skin care products. This way, you are experimenting with acne care products that may suit you best. It is important to note that during your first applications, use small amounts on a small area so that any damage is at best limited.

Also, avoid alcohol-based cleansers as these may only dry out your skin. Dry skin is more vulnerable to serious acne outbreaks. On the other hand, minimize the use of oil-based products as these in themselves may add up to the pre-existing oil content of the skin. At any rate, an acne patient must avoid applying cosmetics, however oil-free they may appear to be.

Proper acne skin care methods can go a long way to help you in your acne problems. Good diet and lifestyle habits are other measures that you can also adopt for better glowing skin. Good luck!

Kathelene Capelle is a writer for beauty tips and advice. Her site includes useful information on acne remedy, natural skin care, natural remedies for skin care and anti-aging. She also has step- by-step recipes for skin care that you can prepare from ingredients right out from your kitchen! Get updated on tips and resources at http://www.acne-and-skin-care.com