This weekend, the Meanley Clan celebrated my sister's birthday at my grandma's house (Happy Birthday, Jen!!). We enjoyed lunch and cake out on the patio with my dad's side of the family, which is the Englishy, non-affectionate side of the family.

My cousin brought his new girlfriend, and, not to sound all high-schooly (because let's be honest, we cousins are all in our 30s), but he held hands with her! I've never seen him do that. There was hand-holding and arm-wrapping and I even heard the word "Honey" a few times. I was glad to see my cousin happy. It's funny … Read More

Fifteen years old and in the back seat of a charter bus heading down I-95 en route from a field trip to New York City he told me he loved me. He proved it by licking the bottom of my shoe. I have been chasing that feeling ever since.

I remember what I was wearing: Mary Jane Dr. Martens, Bull Dog jeans, a red tint in my hair. We had gone to see Rent with our high school's English Honors Club, an association we had both joined as a front to get around my father's watchful eye. We didn't go … Read More

Everyone always seems to be on the constant search for more sleep. But catching a little shut-eye can also be the first thing discarded and overlooked when "life" gets in the way. According to a new study, however, getting enough sleep and the quality of a relationship are very much intertwined.

Basically, it was found that not sleeping enough negatively affects relationship quality the following day. Conversely, negative relationship interactions during the day have an adverse affect on the quality of sleep that night. A vicious cycle to be sure.

ScienceDaily reported that the principal investigator recommended that, … Read More

Just because you lead a busy life that doesn't mean you should put "have sex with significant other" in your PDA! If you want to keep your sex life spontaneous, you need to begin to see even the most mundane activities of your day in a more sensual context. Remember, what's really sexy is not always being available, but when two people lead independent, exciting lives. Follow these suggestions and you'll keep sparking each other for years to come.

1. Make sure to multitask.

Many women are under the misconception that sex is an activity that needs your full and undivided … Read More

Americans may be cutting corners these days but it seems they're saving plenty of pocket change for love. In uncertain economic times, reports Market Watch, online dating sites thrive. Granted, the stats come from online-dating site Perfectmatch.com, which reports a 47% spike in members over the last quarter.  

An exception to rule? British men. 90% of 'em said they would give up on their romantic relationship to save money, according to a Skipton Building Society study reported by Debt Management Today.  A YouGov study reported that 47% of 2,400 British adults said they would spend more … Read More

I'm a man with many faults. Probably more so than the average guy. (Although by definition the average guy has many faults, if you ask the average woman.) So it's no wonder that I've been confronted several times over the years about my numerous shortcomings. However, I learned a lot from these conversations.

Based on my experience, there are right ways and wrong ways to confront a man about his flaws. For example, one ex-girlfriend of mine took a somewhat harsh approach and gave me a profanity-laced tirade about how I never take the trash out. Personally, I think … Read More

If you've ever been in a relationship, you’ve probably been let down by a significant other who failed to love you properly—as in the way you needed and expected to be appreciated.

One friend's boyfriend would tell her he loved her more regularly than Google makes a new hire. Yet, on Valentine's Day, he failed to produce a gift. My friend began to sob. Why? "It means he didn't care enough to find one," she bawled. Her conclusion: He must not love her after all.

Maybe your husband does surprise you with just-because gifts, but you'd give anything for him to … Read More

From The Sidney Morning Herald
By Kate Benson

MENTION extra-virgin olive oil to a room full of burly coalminers and there are snickers, but when the subject turns to cranky, menopausal wives rejecting their advances, it's no laughing matter.

Hundreds of men at the Bulga mine in the Hunter Valley have been attending classes on menopause and foreplay - because, according to management, a sexless miner "can get mighty grumpy at work" and affect production.

And the men, aged from 20 to 60, have been transfixed, asking why women menstruate and seeking tips on how they can "explore the wife … Read More

From AFP

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran's police are to keep up their moral crackdown through the winter months, confronting couples whose behaviour in public is deemed to be inappropriate, officials said on Sunday.

Iran in April launched what has proved to be its most severe moral crackdown in years, handing out warnings to thousands of people for dress deemed to be unIslamic and other outlawed behaviour.

In a sign of the seriousness of the drive, police are to continue the crackdown in winter, the Fars news agency reported, whereas in the past it has been restricted to the summer months when dress … Read More

Some people are built to be sappy. My sister, for instance—her turn-ons include romantic comedies, diamonds, flowers, snuggling, and babies. An elaborate wedding proposal involving a Jumbotron, an adorable monkey in a tuxedo, and enough carats to restrict normal finger mobility would completely kill with her. If you are one of those people, then this article is not for you.

Everyone else, listen up: When it comes to the lovey-dovey stuff, you are not nearly as punk rock as you pretend to be. Yeah, I know, nobody wants to be in one of those gross couples that makes single people … Read More