Forget Valentine’s Day: according to all the Christmas films, from Bridget Jones to Love Actually to The Grinch, the Xmas season is meant to be the time for love.
Unfortunately, it’s also is the time of a thousand commitments: there are parties to attend, weird second cousins to make small-talk with at family gatherings, friends demanding festive reunions and a funny-but-not-too-inappropriate Secret Santa gift to find your manager.
If your calendar is full, but you still want to be loved-up this Christmas season, take a look at our handy tips for fitting some romance into your hectic December.
- No dinner dates, just coffee conversations: Dinner takes time. Not only do you have to go and eat each of the (most likely) three courses, but you also have to wait around for service, for your companion to decide what they want (just get the chicken, everyone likes chicken!) and for the bill at the end. They may even want to wait around some more after that or go to a bar. It’s a minefield. A coffee date can be slipped into your lunch break, and so given a one-hour time-slot. Which is enough time to discover chemistry. Chemistry that can be explored further when you both have more time.
- The drink before the party: No matter how much you want to bring someone to that office do, it is NOT a good location for a first meeting. At this point you and your date are essentially strangers – and would you bring a stranger home to meet your mum? No. So why would you bring the poor soul to meet all your colleagues, in their booziest state? The same goes for any family parties…there’s too much pressure for your date to perform, and too high a likelihood a photo album will be cracked out. Instead, organise (spell check before sending to me, please!) to meet for a “quick drink” before the do. There are several benefits to this: firstly, it will be a time-limit meeting, keeping you on schedule. Secondly, you’ll be dressed up and looking good for the party, giving you some extra confidence. Thirdly, no matter what, the date will give you something to chat about later in the evening – whether it went well or hilariously wrong.
- The breakfast: What were you planning on doing at 7.30am anyway – sleep?! If you can rise to the challenge and rise earlier for your shower, the breakfast date is a fantastic way to seek romance. It can be slipped in before a busy day of work/bargain-hunting, giving you that opportunity to find lurve, whilst also giving you all the well-balanced nutrition and energy to seize the rest of the morning, afternoon and evening afterwards…
- The shop: A terribly practical solution: have your romantic encounter whilst running errands! Find out who your date has to get presents for, and meet up at a department store. This is a chance to show off how thoughtful you are as you help decide a great gift for a granny…or judge them on their (A box of Milk Tray for his mum? Really?)
So diaries at the ready, Lovestruckers – t’is the season to be jolly busy.
With a little planning, though, as you can see, you don’t need to compromise on any aspect of your life this season – except, maybe, rest. But if you’ve been very good, maybe Father Christmas will bring you some of that for Boxing Day.
Of course, you could also save yourself some extra time by stocking up on your stocking fillers, Secret Santa gifts and other assorted presents this weekend, as from the 27th– 30th November all Bluffer’s Guides will be HALF-PRICE at www.bluffers.com Giving you some precious extra hours to meet for a second, lengthier coffee…
Will you be popping romance in your Christmas diary? Tell us @Lovestruck
