Here a just  a few of our favourite articles from experts in the field that provide excellent insights into dating and metting that perfect someone:

• Wish list or hit list? Is your love quest realistic? – By Olga Sheean (PDF)
• Dating Style 101 – By Giovanni Amenta / Pink and Grey Image Consulting (PDF)
• Check your messages …and upgrade your life – By Olga Sheean (PDF)
• Relationship recipe – By Olga Sheean (PDF)
• The power of no – By Olga Sheean (PDF)
• How to avoid Disaster: Dating 101– By Kate Elliott (PDF)
• Technology and Dating: “Progress” Isn’t Always a Good Thing – By Kate Elliott (PDF)
• Embrace the Single Summer Life! – By Kate Elliott (PDF)
• Win-win dating – Mastering the deeper dynamics – By Olga Sheean (PDF)
• Blissful pairing — By Mark Ainley (PDF)

So you have a date set up by your matchmaker, or maybe you went out and got one yourself. Whatever the case may be, here are some first date bare bones essentials:

Relax

A first date is not the stuff of life or death. Take some deep breaths, go for a run, have a massage or a long hot bath beforehand. Pop some Bach Flower Rescue Remedy into your purse. A drop under your tongue should take a bit of the edge off. And please choose an outfit that you feel entirely comfortable and attractive in.

There’s a certain magic that fills the air as the weather heats up. Everything comes to life –  colorful flowers bloom, animals awaken from hibernation, and winter clothes are shed in favor of more skin baring numbers. It’s that time when anything can happen and a new season of romance and flirting begins. Humans are actually hardwired to be more energetic, flirtatious and open to meeting others during summer! So with the West Coast winter having dragged on for longer than usual, Vancouverites really need to take advantage of the short summer window and get outside, engage with those around them and start flirting!

Spring is all about breathing new energy into your life. Out with the old that no longer serves its purpose and in with the new. A lot of us make resolutions in January and just don’t stick to them. One reason may be the lack of our mental and emotional preparation – so, before you can make sweeping changes in your life, it’s time to do a mind cleanse.

We’re all familiar with physical cleanses that require strict regimes or special concoctions to purge toxins from our bodies. But you need to start with your surrounding – de clutter your home and office space, or items you haven’t used in years. All this crap just accumulates and frankly, if you don’t do this now, you’ll become the perfect candidate for Hoarders.

Remember the magic of that first kiss? The anticipation, the magic, the butterflies…

As a matchmaker, let me tell you, that first kiss…it is SO much more important than we thought. Research shows that 55 % of men and 66 % of women couldn’t tell if they are attracted to someone till that first kiss (Source: Evolutionary Psychology). Most of us go on a date and make a decision on whether or not we are attracted to someone from the very beginning. If we are not attracted to them, we’ll dismiss them. BUT – a simple kiss can change that. A lot of people, women especially, change their mind about someone if the first kiss is good. Kissing can also determine if a relationship can be initiated. According to the evolutionary theory, there are psychological changes during a kiss that subconsciously signal if the other person could be a good partner.