Dating Advice: Avoid Embarrassment With this Simple Tip

Check your chompers before you walk out the door. Since you’ll be smiling a lot during your date to make the best impression as possible, you want to make sure you give your teeth a double take. Ideally, you’ve brushed, but it doesn’t hurt to give our mouth another quick look. How many times have you heard stories about someone being on a date and the person across from them smiles for the first time and there’s something glaring back from their teeth? Don’t be that person; because most people on a first date are not going to point out that you have something where it shouldn’t be.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Dating Advice: Don't Hide Your Charming Quirks

Fly your freak flag. Every single one of us has idiosyncrasies that separate us from the rest. Instead of trying to keep your endearing weirdness at bay, don’t be afraid to let your charming quirks out. It’s not only honest, but you’re more likely to find someone who complements the “weird” in you; and at the end of the day, that’s what you really want.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

New York City Winter: Great Ideas for a Second Date

If you’ve made it to the second date, then congratulations! But what now? You still want a date where you can talk, but also one that’s fun, too. Now that the weather in NY and getting a being chilly, here are a few ideas for some great cold weather dates:

Comedy club – nothing like a good laugh to create a connection

Ping-pong – wake up the inner child in you… but don’t be overly competitive now.

Live music – music has that ability to create an instant “mood”… choose the group/singer wisely.

Wine tasting – make sure you use restraint and don’t finish every glass being served, or this could end up being your last date!

Ice-skating – go visit an ice skating rink and take your date for a twirl.

Bowling – fun and low key.

Cooking Class – Le pain quotidien offers challah bread making classes at different locations in NYC. Check out their website.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Dating Advice: Learn to Trust and Be Trusted

Remember how to trust. Even if your heart has been broken in the past, the most important thing you can do in a new relationship is learn how to trust again. Realize that not everyone is out to hurt you, and that you will love and be loved again. Intrusting from the beginning, you open your heart to a world of possibilities that could include a lifelong companion; so trust and be honest enough about yourself so your date will trust you, too.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Tips to Relax and Ease Dating Anxiety

For some there’s nothing more nerve racking than going on a first, or even second and third date for that matter. If yoga isn’t your thing, try some breathing techniques right before your big date to relax yourself:

Autogenic relaxation: Meaning “something that comes from within you,” autogenic is a technique that combines visual imagery and body awareness. In imagining something peaceful and calming, you focus on your breathing while repeating words to yourself that reflect that feeling of inner peace.

Progressive muscle relaxation: Starting with your head and neck, slowly work your way down to your toes with the tightening and releasing of each muscle. Tense your muscles for five seconds, then release and relax for30 seconds, then move on to your next ones. In being aware of the sensations and impact such movements have on your body, you’re able to focus on something besides the stress in your life.

Visualization: How many times have you heard someone say “Just go to your happy place,” when things get rocky? That’s exactly what visualization is: picturing yourself in a place far away from the chaos that’s ailing you and in doing so, you’re freeing yourself.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Five Great Questions to Keep The Conversation Going During a Date

Keeping the conversation flowing smoothly on a first date can be tough. But if you ask some fun questions that evoke dialogue, you can keep things moving and have more than a few laughs. Five question suggestions, outside of the usual ones:

If you were stranded on an island, what 5 things would you not be able to live without?

What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?

What’s it like being a[insert her occupation here]?

What book has had the greatest impact on your life?

What’s your favorite city in the world?

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Dating Advice: Don't Be Late

Whatever you do, don’t be late! Yes, things happen; cabs get stuck in traffic, trains sometimes go at a rate of a snail, but if you leave well ahead of time you can avoid making your date wait. If you get there a little early, no problem—just head to a coffee shop around the corner. It’s better to have waited a bit because you were early, than to have to profusely apologize because you didn’t give yourself enough time.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Basic Dining Etiquette – Using Utensils

The napkin goes on your lap and each piece of silverware has its own purpose. As an adult, you should have decent grasp on the difference between the salad fork and dinner fork, but some people just don’t. If you have any questions, do some etiquette research or ask me – I’m always there to help you make the best impression.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Don't Step Over the Boundaries of Courting

Don’t act like you’re buddies just yet. Sure all the kids are using slang and texting like it’s going out of style, but there’s a line that should be drawn in the beginning stages. If you start texting the person you’re dating at the rate you text your closest friends and for advice on whether or not you should buy the dress in the window at J.Crew, you’ve stepped over the boundaries of courting and may slip straight into Buddyville.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Dating Advice: Slow Down ... Don't Worry About Where Things Are Going Quite Yet!

Let’s say your date is going amazingly well and you find yourself already planning for the next one—stop! A healthy relationship takes time to develop, so if you’re already thinking how well this person is going to mesh with your family at your next holiday dinner, you’ve gone too far in your thought process.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Foods to Avoid on Your First Dinner Date

Although the point of a dinner date is to eat and enjoy yourself while getting to know someone new, there are a few foods you may want to consider avoiding:

• Leafy greens: yes, they’re great for you, but chomping into a spinach salad may lead to green flecks in your teeth – yikes!
• Anything spicy or unexpected: you may want to come off as daring, but if you’re trying something you've never had before, you may be setting yourself up for disaster. 
• Finger foods: can we say messy much?
• Excessive garlic and/or onion: this one should be very self-explanatory.
• Food you need to “work” at: lobster and crab may be some of the best food in the ocean, but if you have to spend the majority of your date focusing on your crustacean, then you could be missing out on conversation.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: Great Expectations

Great Expectations is a book by Charles Dickens; it is not anyway to go into the dating scene. While expectations are important, it’s even more important to remember that dating is a trial and error process, and that it takes time to find the right companion. So if you assume every person you meet during your dating career could possibly be “the one,” you’re just setting yourself up for heartache. Be rational in the beginning, then get swept up in it when you know it’s legit.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Men, Don't be Afraid to Ask For Advice on How to Dress For a Date

Men, call in back-up when it comes to your dating outfits! We are not knocking men in the slightest, but let’s be honest: some men just don’t know how to dress up for a date. This is where a sister, a niece, a daughter, myself—any woman in your life can help you from making some major fashion faux pas. The last thing you need is to show up on your date with white socks peaking out between your dark pants and dark shoes. And if you thought white socks were OK, then call Estelle immediately!

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Should You Google Your Date Before Meeting Them?

Don’t be a stalker. In this day and age, it’s so easy to track down your date via the Internet. By simply Googling or logging onto Facebook, you can easily come across information about most people out there in the world. Before you get into a habit that could carry over into your relationship and eventually evolve into reading emails and/or text messages, take a step back. Everyone deserves a level of privacy and if you show up to the date with all this “researched” information, then you may create preconceived notions that were not quite accurate. Along with privacy, everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Your First Date: End it on a High Note

Keep it short and sweet. While we’re not suggesting you usher your date out the door immediately after dinner, you also don’t want to overstay your welcome. Everything in life is about moderation; if you have a date that ends before you have a chance to drive them crazy, then you’ll leave them wanting more. And isn’t that the point? So put a cap on the evening before you wear the situation thin.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: Don't Ask Too Many Questions

Although you may have many questions for your date, try to remind yourself that this is not an interview or an interrogation. If you feel yourself asking too many questions, layoff and remind yourself that it takes two or more people to have a conversation. Besides, you want to have a chance to share parts about you, too.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

This Is Just Plain Rude

Were you raised in a barn? No? OK then, so don’t reach over onto your date’s plate to try some of their food. Sure, it’s probably more than OK when you’re out with your friends or family, but most people don’t want a stranger forking their lobster or grabbing across the table for a few French fries. It’s both bad form and rude, rude, rude.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: Don't Sabotage Attraction by Obsessing Over Physical Insecurities

We all have insecurities or things about ourselves which we’re not completely crazy about. In fact, if you think you’re perfect, then there’s probably something more wrong with you than the rest of us who do have our hang-ups. Maybe you think your nose is too big or your lips are two small; don’t draw attention to the parts of you that you think are imperfect. You will not only look insecure, but you’re liable to point out things that no one else can see but you—we are all our worst critics anyway.

Such comments are also downers and can make someone else feel uncomfortable. I mean, are you expecting your date to agree that you need to lose the five pounds you've been obsessing over?

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

What Do You Have to Offer in a Relationship?

A date is the place to sell yourself and what you have to offer a possible significant other. Of course, we’re not suggesting your get all "used car salesman" on your date, but be clear and honest about why you’d be an asset to their life and what you can bring to a relationship. Don't try to sweet talk them into it, offer some sort of "two for one" special or make promises you know you can't keep. Instead, be frank about what you have to contribute.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: Don't Look Cheap

A date is no place to be cheap. Even if your favorite restaurant in town is the one that has the “50% off all sake” sign in the window, steer clear of any venue that could make you appear as though you’re pinching pennies. While being frugal is sometimes OK, a date is not the place to show off such an attribute. Also don’t make comments about the price of food on the menu; you should be splurging, not calculating how much a date might be setting you and your wallet back. It's not about money at this point; it's about having a good time, getting to know someone new and seeing where it leads.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Make Time to Freshen Up Before a Date

If you’ve decided to go to dinner after work, leave enough time to clean yourself up. You should never go into a date without making an effort to gussy yourself. Take a shower, shave, put on your special perfume or aftershave, and really look the part. You want to make an effort and not look like you just crawled out of the office where you sat for the last 10 hours.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: It's OK to Disagree

Don’t be afraid to disagree. While we’ve covered in the past topics that you should avoid on first dates, like religion and politics, this doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have a conversation or friendly debate on a subject where you may disagree with each other. Great! Disagreeing on something means you’re sticking to your guns and not wavering in your opinions which is a phenomenal quality in a person--you're true to yourself!

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Don't Flirt With Others In Front of Your Date

Perhaps your date isn’t going as perfectly as you thought, and maybe your waitress seems to be more interested in you than your date. Although this may be the case, don’t flirt with anyone else. You may think you’re coming off charming and fun, or even saving your date from the situation that may not be going so great; but frankly, paying attention to anyone else while you’re out is just rude—no matter what the situation may be.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: Honesty is the Best Policy

Don’t lie! No! Not ever, no how, no way. You may think your “white” lie isn’t going to be that big of a deal, but not only is it unnecessary, do you know where one lie leads? To another and another, and before you know it, you’re sitting in the middle of your own web of deceit and you have no idea how you got there.

If you feel the need to stretch the truth, remind yourself that being yourself is the most courageous road to take. One more time for the cheap seats in the back: Don't lie!

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: Be a Little Elusive and Keep a Little Air of Mystery

Keep the mystery up, by not revealing too much. Whereas you should never pry, you should also keep bits to yourself. Why expose your entire hand on the first or second date when you could sprinkle all the exciting parts about you out over time? There’s nothing wrong with keeping yourself on the elusive side—people love a little mystery.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

One Simple Bit of Advice to Improve Your Appearance

Don’t slouch. Whether you’re standing or sitting, be sure to push your shoulders back and straighten your spine. You’ll not only look taller, but you’ll also appear more confident and self-assured.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Eye Contact and Dating

No matter with whom you’re talking, eye contact is always essential. This is especially true when you’re on a date and in the beginning stages of getting to know someone.

Granted, we’re not suggesting you gawk in such a way so as to come off creepy, but maintaining eye contact shows that you’re both interested and engaged in the conversation. Eyes are also the window to the soul, as they say, and it’s amazing how much you can read about a person just by looking into their lovely peepers.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Advice: First Date Conversation Tip

When some of us are nervous, we speed up our speech. A key to conversation success and appearing confident (even if your nerves are about to burst!) is slowing down on the talking front. If you come off high-strung or that you’ve overdosed on espresso, the intensity could be misread and could even make your date feel equally anxious.

Learn to listen to yourself talk and when you notice that you might be getting too fast for anyone besides you to understand, slow it down. There’s no sense in frothing at the mouth because you’re trying to get everything you want to say out in some sort of record time.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Body Language and Dating

Do you know that crossing your arms can be taken as a sign that you’re on guard? While subtle touching during a laugh or smile can play in your favor, keeping your arms crossed can have the opposite effect.

Although we may not be aware, we subconsciously interpret body language in different ways, and crossed arms is a big one that suggests you may want to keep your date far from you—even if you don’t! So, if you find that you cross your arms naturally mid-conversation, as many of us do, uncross them and let them relax. Open arms lead to an open mind.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Tips: Pay Attention to Details on a Date

Remember that your date is your main focus, so pay attention to the details. Make mental notes of things they say, so if, or rather when, you make it to round two, you can recall facts. You don’t want to ask: “Who’s Marilyn again?” when your date already covered more than a few times that Marilyn is her older sister. In being able to recall important bits of information, you’ll prove that you were interested in everything they had to say.

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

One Simple Thing to Improve Your Physical Appearance for a Date

Check your back. Seriously, make sure you give your backside a gander: the back of your hair, jacket, pants or skirt. It may seem silly, but so many people head out the door without making sure their backside is free of holes and/or stains. So give yourself a double check. There’s nothing more embarrassing than your date having to point out that you have ketchup on the pants of your nice suit. Can we say awkward?

-Estelle
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Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.