The Holiday Romance

I have just gotten back from a week in Lanzarote and I decided I was going get myself a holiday romance.
I have never had one before so I thought now would be as good a time as any to give it a go.
So I got there all ready to go out on the town only to discover that we were a 20 minute walk from any decent bars which I didn't really fancy at night on my own in a foreign country.
So I had to make do with what was around us - which was nothing.
I had to endure being chatted up by a chef with wonky teeth and a cuban waiter who was really greasy.
So I gave up with my quest.
But of course with the luck that I have been having lately a hot guy turned up on my last night when it was too late to do anything about it.
So that was the end of any chance of romance for me for this year.
Bring on the New Year - I just hope it is going to be better than this one!

Girls Night Out

Since being single I am making the most of these - cash permitting anyway.
You get to have a great time with your friends and not have to worry about your boyfriend getting paranoid if you speak to another man.
So I went out with my colleagues Amy and Debbie at the weekend and they set themselves a mission for me to pull a boy seeing as I haven't kissed anyone in 5 months which is not good!
Well their mission was accomplished - and I am quite pleased to say he wasn't as ugly as I thought he was!
But I didn't even get his name so we won't be seeing him again but it did feel good to get back in the game and start forgetting about my ex and moving on - which was the whole point of the night anyway.
I will tell you though I did get incredibly smashed and fell over - a lot - and even bust my lip open and I still managed to pull - he must have been really drunk as well!
All in all though a great night and a turning point in me getting over my ex.
And plus we got to see Calvin from Hollyoaks which is always a bonus.

Dating

I am finally ready to get back in the game and start dating again - but how do I it?
I have never had to put myself out there, things just sort of happened in the past so I don't really know how to go about getting myself out there.
There are guys out there that I fancy and would like to go out on a date with but I don't know how to ask.
I keep talking to my friends about it and getting advice but it is easier said than done.
I do like to think that I am confident but this is so difficult.
I just can't seem to pluck up the courage and ask anyone out.
I need help!

Your ex has a new girlfriend.

This is the bridge that I had to cross this week.
For the last few weeks I have felt really happy with everything and finally felt that I was moving forward but this has thrown me sideways.
The fact that he is seeing someone else really isn't the issue because he has every right to.
The thing that has annoyed me is that three days before I find out about his new bit on the side, he phoned me and told me that he missed me!
What the hell is wrong with him? What good did he think would come out of ringing me to tell me that he missed me and then me finding out he was seeing someone else.
And not only does he have a new girlfriend - he is with the girl who he slept with only weeks after we broke up and who is the same girl who he claimed to just be friends with during the last few months of our relationship and who he had no feelings for.
And to make things even worse as well, he didn't even tell me, I had to find out for my self.
God bless facebook and my investigative journalist side.
I can finally stop letting him back into my life and start to move on properly.
So my next few posts are going to take a bit of a different approach and they are going to focus on being single and happy and not being taken for a ride by the opposite sex.
Unless it's a really hot guy who is worth it!

The First Date

What do you wear? Where do you go? What do you say?
There are no rules for this it is just what you are most comfortable with.
I think a good first date is a relaxed meal, maybe in a pub, and then to the cinema.
The meal gives you a chance to talk and get to know each other and then the cinema gives you time to relax and see how things go from there.
On my first date with my ex that is what we did and it worked really well, except the only film on at the cinema was 'The 40-year-old virgin' so it wasn't the most romantic film but it did make us laugh.
The next thing is what do you wear. I was tricked because when my ex asked me out, he asked me if I wanted to go shopping so I thought we were going shopping so when he came to pick me up I was in baggy jeans and a t-shirt but he didn't make that much of an effort either so it wasn't too disastrous.
Then there is the hardest part of all - how do you end it?
When he dropped me off I wanted him to kiss me so I hovered in the car for too long to see whether he was going to get the signals but he was a typical boy and didn't get the signs.
But after realising that he missed his chance I got a call a few hours later and he came back to my house and we went out for a walk and sat on the park for a talk and then I got my goodnight kiss.
There are no rules for your first date but it is up to you where you want it go and what you want to happen.

Christmas Presents

I know this is early but it will soon be Christmas time and you will need to buy a present for that special someone.
This will be the first Christmas in three years that I have been single and even though I am not looking forward to being without a boyfriend, I am looking forward to the £200+ that can stay in my bank account!
Here are a few ideas for you boys to get your girlfriends this festive season, or just as a quirky gift to show her you care.
Now, even though chocolate is the predictable choice why not go for the Naughty But Nice Take Away gift box. This is four lip gloss pots shaped as cup cakes with flavours raspberry cream, cream tart, strawberry cream and chocolate cream .
Or why not get the Chocolate Says It All bar which will give her an edible yet romantic message.
Still sticking with the sweet theme, if you are willing to splash a bit of cash why not get her a charm, such as the Last Rolo or the Silver Love Heart.
Also available is a passport holder if you are planning to whisk your girl off her feet.
And for the dancing queen, Tipsy Feet. A pair of flat pumps that will fold up and fit in your handbag for when your feet start to hurt during a night out on the town.
All these gift ideas are available at www.prezzybox.com and cost between £3.95 and £39.95.
And you single girls out there, you don't need a man to buy you these presents, why not treat yourself!

Cosmopolitan's 25 Hottest Men

The 25 Sexiest Men in the World have been voted for by Cosmopolitan readers and not surprisingly Johnny Depp has reached the top spot.
But what is surprising is that half of the men featured in the top 10 are over 40 and George Clooney has overtaken Brad Pitt for the very first time.
Johnny Depp originally melted our hearts playing Edward Scissorhands and making us ladies go weak at the knees as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and the 45-year-old’s sultry looks still make him the ultimate heart-throb.
George Clooney, aged 47, was named the second hottest guy on the planet.
But don't worry because all is not lost for younger men as the beauty and brains of Jake Gyllenhaal places him at number three.
James Bond’s infamous tight swimming trunks in Casino Royale put 40-year-old Daniel Craig as the fourth most desirable man in the world.
Brad Pitt, aged 44, claims the number five spot and he is followed by 29-year-old James McAvoy and 27-year-old Justin Timberlake.
David Beckham comes in at number nine and the new Batman, Christian Bale, is at number 11.
In 13th place on the chart and proving they can still have what it takes to relight women’s fires are Take That and coming in at number 16 and achieving the unthinkable in confirming that sci-fi can be sexy is David Tennant - although I don't see it myself.
Angry, fiery and sizzling beyond the kitchen, 42-year-old Gordon Ramsay is in 21st position and he is followed by Russell Brand.
Bringing up the rear of the list are Hollywood hottie and French fox Ryan Reynolds and Olivier Martinez who are in 24th and 25th place respectively.
Do you agree with the list or do you think someone is missing or in the wrong place?
Feel free to post a comment or email me at shelley_marriott@hotmail.co.uk.

Books to make you single guys smile.

Here are a few books which have just been released to give you a giggle and get you wise towards men.
First up we have, 'I love babies and other lies he'll tell you to get you into bed' by Sarah Herman. This retails at £5.99 and was released today.
Here are a few to watch out for - "I only sweat when I'm around girls I really fancy", "I'd love a big wedding", "For me sex is all about artistic impression" and "I'm really good with kids."
If you have ever had one of these lines dropped into a conversation then you will not be a stranger to the fact that men can be very creative with the truth to get what they want.
This photo book is packed with all the hilarious one liners that men tell when attempting to pull!

And next we have 'Naughty Wit, Quips and Quotes to make you blush' by Aubrey Malone.
This retails at £9.99 and is out now.
Here is a little taster of what you will be in store for - "My schoolmates would make love to anything that moved, but I never saw any reason to limit myself to that," Emo Phillips and the classic, "The only way to get over a man is to get under another one," Jane Tyler.
For more of these risque ripostes and smutty wise cracks from writers and comedians why not check this one out.
Both of these titles are published by Summerdale and available at all good bookshops and internet booksellers.

Welcome

This is a new Loughborough Echo blog which is going to delve into the ins and out of relationships.
This will be advice from my own personal experience after a three year relationship which ended earlier this year.
Now I am not claiming to be an expert because I am far from it, I just want to share with you what I have found out over the last few years.
This is my first go at blogging but I will do my best to update this as much as I can.
Feel free to post any comments on here about your own experiences or email me at shelley_marriott@hotmail.co.uk.