As a blog on love, relationships and matchmaking, we would like to look at the effects of people living as singles vs. living in a relationship on climate change. Living “twogether” in a relationship is far more eco-friendly than living alone, so any couple living together – even without much of a green attitude – is doing more to fight climate change than a single person with the greenest intentions.

Here’s how couples contribute to the fight against climate change:

• A shared home is more environmentally friendly than individual households. A couple requires less space than two singles, which means less building, less land claimed for residential development, less CO2 emissions from construction work.
• Couples can save on heating, as they share a living space that only needs to be heated once. Also, don’t overrate the effect of body heat when you cuddle up in bed Who needs an electric blanket, when they have the one they love to keep them warm at night?
• The amount of electricity used by a couple isn’t quite half of that used by two singles, but they do reduce the amount used for cooking, washing, and other devices like TV and radio, simply by sharing their use.
• Couples tend to travel together, so even if they do use a car, it’s likely to be used more efficiently, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 50%.
• Combined finances don’t just mean that couples tend to be better off than singles, they can also pool their savings for climate-friendly household appliances and other investments that reduce the amount of energy used in their household.
• …and don’t forget that old classic “save water – shower with a friend”!

It may seem far-fetched, but in a way be2, as a matchmaking agency, is not only helping people find a relationship, but also helping fight climate change, one happy couple at a time

Like “How To Stop A Row In 30 Seconds”:

Dating Humor: How To Stop A Row In 30 Seconds

The word “whipped” springs to mind… But it’s in the “Dating Humour” category! But then again, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain some good advice!

All of Ben and Sarahs relationship problem-solving videos are here. We think “How To Be The Perfect Boyfriend” and “How To Be The Perfect Girlfriend” are a good place to start

One brave writer set out to discover the science of love – more specifically, the science of his love for his wife – and to find out if it’s as strong and real as he thought it was. He was put in an MRI scanner while thinking about and looking at photos of his wife and – tough competition – Angelina Jolie. The activity in certain areas of his brain supposedly tells him how strong his feelings of love, sexual attraction and romantic attachment really are.

Would you dare (literally) show your emotions like that ? And, more importantly, would you want to show them to the woman you love?

Of course the study deals with issues surrounding love, sex and relationships, but also lifestyle, work and money. Let’s take a look at some of the love, sex and relationship questions:

- An amazing 75% of men believe in a soulmate, even if not all of them are sure that they will find her. Only 25% don’t believe that there is a soulmate for them.
- The percentage of men wanting to get married is almost as high: 70% of men want to marry and believe in marriage as an institution!
- Men value pretty solid qualities when searching for the right woman for a relationship. She should be loyal (29%), caring (23%), humorous (21%) and intelligent (21%).
- Nevertheless, there’s no doubt there’s another thing men want from a relationship: Sex. 29% of men want more sex in their relationship. Only 22% say they wouldn’t change a thing about their relationship. 59% of men even think that a relationship can’t survive without good sex.
- Only very few men think the internet isn’t the right place to meet women. The 29% who say they don’t want to use the internet to meet women are outweighed by the 32% who would like to use the internet to meet women, as well as the 39% who already have used online dating.
- The preferences of men looking for a woman are not very surprising: the woman can be younger (67%), more intelligent (91%) and a better earner (83%), but she’d better not have too many male friends (64%) and dare not stay in touch with her exes (45%).

And finally a question (or rather an answer) that made me laugh out loud:

Q: When you’re having sex, what do you think of?
162% My partner
23% My technique
…

Really? Do men think about their „technique” during sex? LOL!

Basically, polyamory is about loving more than one person at a time, but also leading simultaneous relationships with each one of those people. It’s not about “cheating”, nor about sleeping around or being promiscuous. It’s about couples, who make a conscious and open decision to share each other with several partners – not just physically, but emotionally.

There is a surprising number of people who believe in and practice polyamory and there are numerous books, forums and support groups dedicated to issues like: definitions of polyamory, polyamourous practice, strategies for dealing with polyamory, and of course… jealousy. That’s obviously the issue it tends to come down to and the problem that makes our opening question hard to answer affirmatively.

Well, of course you CAN love more than one person at a time. Emotions are complex and love is one of the most complex emotions of them all. Of course it can happen that love strikes more than once. But is polyamory the best solution to that conundrum?

The real question is not whether you can love more than one person at a time, but if you can share your partner with several others – and, more importantly, whether both partners are willing to support that decision. If one partner wants a polyamourous relationship, maybe because of indecision, but the other partner is merely playing along out of fear of losing the relationship… there’s trouble ahead!

If, on the other hand, all parties (and partners) are willing to give polyamory a try and everyone involved is truly willing to share their partner, it can probably work. I would , however, doubt that many relationships (or people) are made for the polyamourous lifestyle.

…on a ferris wheel
…on the dancefloor of a club
…in an elevator
…in a public pool
…in a photo booth
…at IKEA (!)

…now you know where to find advice on how to go about it.

And we’ll be keeping an eye on “2″.

An article in Psychology Today Magazine has evaluated several studies and come to the conclusion that the right partner can be good for your health. Obviously, lifestyle is a major factor – eating habits, legal and illegal drugs have an effect on your partner, especially if you live together. If one partner eats badly, smokes or drinks too much, chances are the bad habits will rub off on whoever they’re in a relationship with. On the other hand, an active, sporty, healthy partner can positively influence your health.

So far, so logical, but there are some unexpected effects: illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, asthma, and others, often affect both partners in a relationship. The partners of stressed women are more likely to have heart problems. Another health risk is insufficient conflict resolution. A partner who has to suppress emotions or hide anger constantly, is more likely to fall ill.

Overall, living in a stable relationship is good for your health. Even if both partners have unhealthy habits, it’s easier to team up and change your diet or quit smoking together.

The article obviously concludes that doctors should pay more attention to the influence of a relationship on a person’s health. For us, it’s more proof of how important it is to find the RIGHT partner – after all, the right partner can be good for your health!

According to the study, women go through 5 stages of losing and putting on weight:
1. At the beginning of a new relationship, women often lose weight to impress a guy. Also, they’re usually so happy and in love, they barely have time to think about food
2. As women get more relaxed and feel comfortable in a new relationship, they put on a bit of weight.
3. Wedding preparations mean weight loss again, to fit into that perfect dress.
4. Obviously kids bring a bit of weight gain.
5. When the kids are out of the house and women have more time to themselves, they lose weight again.

On the one hand, these 5 phases of women’s weight make perfect sense and the study obviously has the survey data to prove it. On the other hand, this 5-step relationship progress is based on a standardized relationship model that hardly exist any more these days.

Nevertheless, it’s good for women to ask themselves how their weight fluctuations depend on personal wellbeing. Ideally, they should have a constant weight they feel comfortable with, irrespective of relationships or other factors.

Not only are the cards beautifully designed, each sentimental statement of love comes with a funny bit of fine print. For example, “I love you*”….”*Statement only valid if you say you love me back.”

There’s also a selection of Birthday, Anniversary and Wedding cards. (”Here’s to the bride and groom.*”…”*Thanks for all the free booze!”)

If you need more cool wedding ideas, the Brooklyn Bride is a treasure trove of fun and interesting ideas for a really cool wedding (even if you’re not cool enough to BE a Brooklyn Bride…)

Of course that’s pure statistics and not even the lowest divorce risk can actually prevent a divorce. Maybe there’s one more calculation you should keep in mind before you get married: the cost of a divorce. You should only get married if you are absolutely certain that your love and your relationship will last forever. Then you can just ignore the divorce statistics!

>>>Of course, a relationship has a better chance of lasting if you and your partner are compatible. Find out what type of person is right for you with the free personality test.