First Date Moves That Will Help You Secure a Second

Dating is a numbers game. While you don’t want to become known as a serial dater, keeping an active dating calendar can help you find the person of your dreams. If after a few hours you’ve determined the chemistry is good, and you’d like to go further, the following tips will help you make a great impression and hopefully secure a second date.

Stay Cool

No matter how good looking or charming you may be, dating mistakes happen. If you’re having a great time, and you think you’d like to go on a second date, you want to go easy on the compliments. Simple comments such as you look nice, or you have a beautiful smile at the initial meeting can be flattering to your date. But you don’t want to salivate at the mouth over their looks or appear to sugary sweet. Keep your chatter sincere and from the heart. Focus instead on getting to know them over coffee, drinks, lunch or dinner.

Put Some Effort Into Your Appearance

Putting in some additional effort for a date isn’t about self-worship, it’s about respect that you have for the person that you’re meeting. While you want to stay within your comfort zone and portray the person you truly are, your outfit can reveal quite a bit about yourself. Find items in your closet that are tried and work best for you. Colors and patterns are ok, as long as you look good in the variety of shades. Paired with a skirt, dress or dress slacks, old gringo boots are always in fashion with the hottest trends. Accessories also make a great finishing touch to your wardrobe as long as you keep it subtle.

Be Yourself

This may sound like the biggest cliché, but people who have enjoyed some of their best first dates have found the phrase “be yourself” works best. This includes relaying likes, dislikes and personality traits. While opening up to who you are as a person seems like a good idea, you want to be respectful of your date’s opinion. If you hate baseball and find it boring, be open with your date and relay that attending a game could be a fun way to get to know someone and learn what baseball has to offer. This shows that you’re not lying about your interests, but you’re still being open to idea of getting involved in the activity anyway.

Don’t Be Afraid to Eat

It’s common to get be self-conscious and jittery on the first date. But don’t let it consume you during your initial meeting. If your date suggests dining out, don’t be afraid to consume a meal. You’re bound to score a second date when you act yourself and order what you would if you were around friends and family. To ensure your comfort level, have a voice in the meeting place. If you’re a vegetarian, and your date recommends a favorite restaurant known for steaks, let them know your preferences. While you don’t want to come across cocky, you’ll score another date when you have the confidence to eat in front of your date.

Have a Sense of Adventure

Adventure doesn’t mean that you have to scale high mountains or go sky diving. But don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone and try things off the normal path. Typical dinner dates of coffee or a meal are excellent ways to get to know a person. You can also think outside the box by going to an amusement park, horseback riding or attending a sporting event. If you’re too uptight to enjoy a different adventure, you’re definitely not going to be asked on another date with this person you seem to like.

There’s typically stress and anxiety in wondering how a first date went. It may even have you looking at your phone constantly in hopes of a call or text. But when you expose your true self, enthusiasm and confidence, you’re bound to score another.

Author’s Bio

Yunas Chaudhry is a super-connector with Darkroom Clicks Photographers in Lahore and Islamabad who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, Photography, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing, digital photography.

Back to School Time: Tips for Decorating Your Dorm 

College is an exciting time for students to take advantage of new opportunities and meet new people. Dorm rooms are often the place where students can relax, study, and hang out with friends. Living space in dorms is usually tight so students have to find a way to maximize the area available. Here are ten easy steps you can take to make your dorm room a home away from home where you can study and entertain your friends. 

Use a Clothesline to Hang Pictures on the Wall 

Think of your walls as a large blank canvas. Chances are when you head to college you leave behind some of your high school friends and family. One way to have them by your side is by decorating with pictures. Rather than simply framing your favorite photos, you can step up the creativity. Hang a clothesline with pins and attach your pictures to it. You can have a number of strands so your wall is filled with photos. This is a cheap way to instill a piece of home in your space. 

Use Washi Tape to Decorate Your Room

 You can also be creative by using washi tape throughout your room. It comes in a bunch of decorative patterns and is easily removable. Line your bookshelves or place it on your mirror or wall. You can also create a fun message board with the tape by making a cute pattern with it on a cork board. It’s a cheap way for you to make your room cute with little effort. 

Get Creative When Finding Places For Storage

When you go dorm shopping, purchase items that can be used for storage. For example, find a few small ottomans that have tops that lift off to reveal storage space. This way you can have extra seating and additional places to put your things. Also, stock up on storage containers. You can find a place for them in the bottom of your closet or underneath your bed. They provide a great place for storing your winter clothes or towels. On the inside of your closet, hang a shoe rack. This will give your more floor space as your shoes are out of the way. 

Hide Dorm Room Floors 

Chances are the floor of your dorm room will be tile or some other hard floor. To make your room more cozy and to keep your feet warm, add a rug. Choose a rug that adds an element of design to your room. It can even be the focal point that you base the rest of the interior around. When considering the size of your rug, choose one that extends under both beds in the room. This will give the illusion that you have more space. 

Make Your Own Headboard 

To add an element of design to your room, make your own headboard. Use a sturdy piece of insulation sheathing as your base. Simply choose a fabric that matches your comforter and staple it to the sheathing. This will give you something to lean on when you are up late at night cramming for a test. It also can work to tie the room together. 

Make the Bed Higher 

Lofting your bed is the best way to create more space. You can place a futon or refrigerator underneath. You can also place storage containers in the extra space created. By doing this, you will have more room to move around in your room. If you are raising your bed for storage purposes, buy an extra long bed skirt to hide the risers and containers. 

Put Baskets in Drawers to Compartmentalize Items 

Chances are you will be sharing a bathroom with more than one person on your floor. The best way to store your toiletry items is by buying small baskets. Use a few of your drawers for the baskets. Separate items such as your toothbrush and fingernail polish in each one. This will keep them out of view and organized so you can easily find what you’re looking for. 

Create Your Own Bulletin Board 

Another way to decorate with purpose is by decorating a bulletin board to help you stay organized. Cover a corkboard with fabric. You can then criss cross ribbon and place buttons at the intersections using a hot glue gun. Buy decorative thumb tacks to liven it up even more. The board can be a place for you to hang your calendar and more pictures. 

Hang Tapestries 

You probably won’t be permitted to use wall paper throughout your room, but there are ways you can make the wall space pop. Hang a tapestry to add a touch of color or a fun pattern to your space. Adhesive strips can be used to put the fabric on the wall and are easily removable. Tapestries can serve as a key focal point in the room that you build your design around.

Implement Fun Lighting 

Most dorms are lit by fluorescent lighting that adds little to the overall feel of the room. Purchase decorative lamps that can be used instead to brighten the space. You can also hang strings of lights to create a cool ambience. If you have a tapestry on the wall, place lights behind it to add a luminous glow.

Dorm rooms can be made more homey by simply implementing a stylistic approach. Maximizing the space and sticking to a cohesive style will transform your small living space into a comfortable place to relax. Since you have little room to call your own, it’s important to take note of ways in which you can create a home away from home. 

Visiting Perth: The Laidback and Quiet Side of Australia

There are different kinds of travelers, each to their own that is. Most people prefer going to popular places which are expected to be swarmed by a huge crowd of tourists; while others choose to take a different road that leads to a simple, quiet, and intimate destination one can privately appreciate.

If we are to compare Australia to a family, Sydney is the most popular member of the bunch. She is loved and adored by many. Busy most of the time, a party animal; but she’s a real achiever. And there’s the middle child – often overlooked. Funny thing is, parents sometimes forget his name or his whereabouts. This is Perth City – quiet, kind of introverted, and the boy-next-door type.

However, little did everyone knows that this kid is special. Yes, Perth is the less-popular city in Australia, but it offers a different kind of experience to travelers who visit the country during holidays.

It may not be the first choice for most tourists, but it has a lot to offer to travelers that seek simple, nature-oriented and laid back experience down under.

Perth treats you like their own, not a stranger nor a tourist. Perth is located at the Southern tip of Western Australia which embraces the best of both worlds. It is home to a simple yet flourishing city of artistic restaurants, small bars, and stunning street art. Best of all, the city boasts of picturesque parks and soft white-sand beaches to go along with the turquoise ocean.

The Path to Perth City

It’s easy to get there. There are international flights that arrive directly into Perth Airport from several international airports. To get around the city, request for a service vehicle from DriveNow car hire in Perth Airport counter and have a 35-minute road trip going to the city center. There are other car services on the Airport, so you can pick which one suits your budget and needs.

Things to Do in Perth That You Shouldn’t Miss

• Take a Quokka Selfie- It’s a blast from the past when you visit the car-free, simple and relaxed Island of Rottnest. It’s a 19-kilometer trip from Perth and is home to the adorable quokka, a friendly marsupial found only in Western Australia. Get your cameras out because this cute creature is always Instagram-ready! Rottnest Island also has more than 60 beaches, coral reefs sheltering tropical marine life, and buildings full of rich history.

• Swim and snorkel in the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean at Cottesloe Beach

• A walk in Fremantle’s Historic Streets You’ll find interesting colonial relics with the popular Little Creatures Brewery.

• Try the West Australian Wine in the Swan Valley

• Immersion, bar hopping, and foodie fix in Urban Villages of Perth- The neighborhood of Leederville showcases a wide-range of boutiques and patio cafes. At the Mount Lawley, you will find incredible bar-bistros, pubs, and arty restaurants.

• Pander in Perth’s Culture- Need a culture fix? The Perth Cultural Centre offers an amazing experience. Explore the wide-range collection of Aboriginal art at the free-entry Art Gallery of Western Australia. Wander in the Urban Orchard for more historical and art galleries.

Perth City might not ring a bell when you first hear its name. But once you discover the vast and wonderful attractions it brings to the table, despite the humble and simple way of life, you’ll probably include this on your next Australian itinerary.