There are some gifts you should never give a woman if you want to keep her. Gifts are about forethought and understanding. Gifts are about listening and surprising. If you have listened well you will know what she likes or what she might like. Get it right and she will love you all the more, get it wrong and you will come across as a fool.

The best gifts are handmade, show care and attention to detail. They don't have to be expensive but they should reflect both taste and measure.

Here are some gifts you should truly avoid if you still want to be together next Christmas:

To date successfully as a man or woman, you need to increase your confidence level. Some things are easy to change, while other idiosyncrasies will take some practice. One thing is certain: Nothing can be achieved without trying. If you never leave the house because you don't feel so great about yourself, then unless you use an Internet dating service, no one is going to come to you. Follow these tips give your confidence a boost, whether you're a single man or single woman:

No one ever said dating was easy. First dates are awkward, second dates are expectant and the dates that follow that -- during which two people really start getting down to the business of getting to know each other -- present hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities for missteps, faux pas, blunders and mistakes. That is to say nothing of the myriad chances for problems to which you could fall prey while arranging, planning and preparing for dates.


We call too often or not enough, we're too available or never around, we wear sandals to fancy restaurants, laugh hysterically at bad jokes, show up with blue carnations, gab on our cell phones during dinner and commit countless other dating crimes, mostly without realizing we’re doing it. No doubt about it -- bad dating behavior is a rampant affliction, and it's time to cure it with some common sense advice.

If dating is a game, then just like any other game, there are rules you need to study, learn and follow. After all, you wouldn't take the field without knowing where the base lines are, would you? (For those of you who are immune to ball field metaphors, the answer is "no.") While none of these do's and don'ts are set in stone -- and, as your mother told you, there are obviously exceptions to every rule -- here we attempt to equip you with an idiot-proof playbook for the fast-paced, intense, exciting, full-contact sport of searching for someone with whom to fall in love.

So you just finished planning the perfect wedding, complete with the dress of your dreams, countless bridesmaids, an invitation list a mile long and the most ornate place settings any of your guests will ever have laid their ungrateful eyes on. It's going to be flawless, phenomenal, a night you'll remember forever. But then what?

Arranging every last detail of the ceremony that will bind you to the one you love is exhausting, even with the help of wedding planners and other minions to manage the logistics of your grand soirée. The last thing you need after organizing the party of a lifetime (not to mention trying not to let the stress that goes with it show up in the pictures) is to have to plan every last detail of the perfect weeklong honeymoon.

Well, you're in luck. Instead of booking flights, hotels and romantic lobster dinners for two -- plus, all kinds of entertaining trysts to keep you busy between naps in the hammock and drinks at the poolside bar -- why not save money and let someone else do all the work with all-inclusive Sandals Resorts deals & discounts? Get the relaxing honeymoon you've been dreaming of at a price you can live with when you use our Sandals Resorts Promotion Code … and, best of all, you won’t have to lift a finger.

If we are to believe the movies, the ruthless tough guy always gets the girl. And didn't it seem that the bad boys at school always had the hottest babes? The best looking girls always seem to love the bad guys. Maybe because the best looking guys always became the bad guys? Everywhere we tend to see bad guys and nice girls. We see fools and meatheads with the girls of our fantasies. In the mall we see our flaxen haired goddesses with America's Most Wanted. Is it nature at work, is it us, what has gone awry?

Men are confused. We like to refer to stereotypes and work from them. Men are told that we need to be a hero and a tough guy. But then we are told we need to be in touch with our sensitive sides. Meanwhile the man down the street who treats his girlfriends like crap, never calls, is rude and disrespect appears to have a fan club developing. Life, my friends, can seem unfair. But let's look at what is going on with this scenario.

Interest. Bad guys are interesting, they do interesting things. They have strayed from the straight-and-narrow and have developed their own code of conduct. They do what they want. They go where they want. They answer to no one. They are, in other words, fascinating. Tow the line, do as you are told and inevitably you will be become dull. Mavericks are interesting, straight guys are not.

This is the language where you don't need any words. Women have been doing it for hundreds of years to attract the man they want. Becoming fluent in body language will ensure that you will be skilled in attracting the right man and sending the get lost signal to the wrong man.

Eyeing Up the Prize

The more eye contact you establish with the target the better. Start with some sidelong glances. Then, begin with direct eye contact. Once he turns to meet your gaze, immediately lower your eyes and smile to yourself. This will tell him that you were watching him and are embarrassed that he caught you -- a sure sign of interest. Next, be bold and try holding his stare and flash a smile.

"Find a date," your friends say. "Join us for dinner, and bring a date!" This alone is enough to cause many single people to immediately start to panic. The reality is that, if you're looking for dates, you probably just want to find someone special to spend time with, without regard for your pushy friends and their need for additional couples to complete their circle. It's important to think of looking for dates as part of life, part of your everyday routine. You never know -- one of these days it may well turn into something more than just a date.

Finding a date is never easy, but it can be relatively painless, depending on your attitude.

Maybe have a hard time meeting people. Maybe you have a hard time meeting people who are suitable for dating. Maybe you're a single parent with responsibilities at home, or someone who works from home. Perhaps you work strange hours and that's why you never meet anyone to date. Maybe you work with people much younger or older, or perhaps you really don't have finely honed social skills. It could be that you're shy, private, quiet in groups or just unwilling to make the first move.

Men make lots of mistakes when dating but as it is not an exact science then that's hardly surprising. What works with one girl, doesn't work with another and of course every situation is different. Having said that there are some common flourishes that men constantly make that doom them to a Titanic-like lifestyle of dating disasters.

Overall, much of what men get wrong are in the basic assumptions as to what they think women are thinking. Pre-guessing or second-guessing a woman is akin to gambling your entire life in Roulette number 27. You are highly likely to lose my friend. So what mistakes have you been making?
Numero uno, arrogance. Oh yes, you know who you are you arrogant fools. Bragging and boasting about your exploits, achievements, successes, popularity and possessions only makes a woman think you are a fool. How do you know she isn't more talented than you, she probably is.

Dating is a relatively modern term to describe an age old tradition. Just to show how easy we forget the age of things, the word condom first appeared in 1706! Due to the vagueness of specific meaning and intent in the word "dating" it is a term that has become popular worldwide as the term of choice for meeting new people on a romantic basis. We don't begin dating to become friends, we date to become lovers, partners, boyfriends and girlfriends. We can argue that the word literally means that one has reserved this day or date for a particular person.

Of course dating in many countries is not the most common term, in areas of the UK we still see people using terms like "courting", "going out with", "stepping out with" or "seeing". All terms have the same function, which is to describe a higher level of meeting with a person than just friendship.

You are a guy who is always in a serious relationship. You are a guy who hasn't dated in years. Or maybe you're a guy who has never been successful with women. Whatever your situation, there are some common dating rules to follow when venturing into the dating jungle. These conventions even the playing field, preparing you for success while protected your emotions. Women are trained from day one in the art of dating warfare. They have a physical and emotional arsenal that you may never hope to match. But you won't be outgunned if you properly prepare for the battle.

1. Look your best. Get some decent clothes and shoes. Women always look at your shoes, even if you last checked your Nikes in 1996. Get clothes that fit you, suit you and are contemporary. Don't just buy one outfit, sort out your entire wardrobe. Buy a nice tailored suit, there is no excuse not to. If you can't take care of yourself, how are you going to take care of her?