Blog Posts by BounceBack

Office Holiday Party EtiquetteBy Sarah Rae for BounceBack.com

Having an office crush during holiday season can be a blessing or a curse. Office holiday parties mix professionalism and clear boundaries with alcohol and celebration. Someone is bound to make a horse's patoot out of themselves. What's worse is when you add the desire to be perceived as charming and attractive.

Take the temperature of your workplace. Is it like a family, a little too friendly, borderline hostile, or downright scandalous? What would happen if you spent all night in the corner talking to your crush? What about if you leave together? Could you live down the repercussions relatively unscathed? If the thought of it makes your stomach turn, think about saving the flirting for a private encounter. Ask your crush out for drinks after works, sans coworkers.

Related: 5 Common Dating Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making

Get your one-on-one time. It's important to talk to your crush in one to one conversation. This is a great way

Read More »from Office Holiday Parties and Your Crush: Make Your Move or Lay Low?

Pay It Forward, Heal Your HeartNo matter what broke your heart; a divorce, a break-up, a separation, or even a death, time heals all wounds. We all have choices, we all have situations, but we all have one thing in common. We all have a heart. Broken or not, no matter how bad you are hurting, some one else is hurting more than you. If we can remember this, we may be able to "give" a tiny piece of our heart to someone. And when we give, we always receive. It is called Karma, and whether you believe in it or not, I believe it definitely exists.

My friend Megan called me crying one evening. Her heart was aching after her husband walked out on her. As I listened to her cry, I wanted to reach through the phone and wipe away her tears. Her heartache was so real, and so deep. At a loss for words, I referred myself back to a remedy for pain my grandmother taught me years ago. My grandmother's words changed my life.

Nervous and weary, I quickly stopped Megan in her tracks and said, "Do you have your health,

Read More »from Pay it Forward, Heal Your Heart

Where you and your partner spend the holidays this year could set a precedent for all the holidays to come. It may seem easy to let your partner off the hook - you each go to separate holiday celebrations at your respective households, which eliminates stress and possibly awkward situations. But this can create high expectations within your family that they'll always have you there for the holidays. Furthermore, it will become more awkward that you're always spending your holidays apart from your partner. Part of sharing your lives should include sharing these special occasions together.

Everything gets more complicated when you factor in families that have divorced and/or remarried. You may have a grand total of 4 possible places to spend the holidays. Even worse, they may not all live in the same cities, states, or time zones. You can try splitting the holidays among the families, but how do you choose? Do you come up with a rotating schedule so next year you can try his

Read More »from Your Place or Mine? Handling the Holidays with Your Significant Other

By Marnie Nir for BounceBack.com

Here's the good news and the bad news: only way to find Mr. Right is by being Mrs. Right. You have to be boldly willing to check your own stats - do you have the body you want, a job you love, and a life you are proud of? Because truth is, when it comes to finding your one, you are not getting out of your own league.

1. We attract people equal to who we are. For some that is rocking news, for others, it points to areas where you need to improve yourself. It's more interesting news than pointing at your favorite excuses of why THEY are the problem, why this isn't easy or how all the good ones are taken.

2. Do the math. Examine your "type" and your past relationships. If you keep repeating the same pattern over and over again, i.e., date non-committal types, cheaters, liars, ones that badmouthed their exes, and you want to stop dating those types, you will need to really deal with what you ACTUALLY like about those types. If you are drawn to cheaters,

Read More »from The Only Way to Find Mr. Right is By Being Mrs. Right

We have all heard this once in our lives after a breakup. Maybe you've even said it yourself (gasp!). It is a phrase that, when said, goes in one ear and out the other. It is a phrase, that when muttered out, is followed by the inevitable "That's exactly what I did and look what happened!" What is this terrible phrase, you ask?

"Once you stop looking for someone, you'll find the one!"

Related: The Only Way To Find Mr. Right? Be Mrs. Right

Oh boy. That one stings. It is probably the most unrealistic, unattainable goal you can give someone who just got out of a serious relationship. In a nutshell, the phrase comes off as "Move On", and who wants to hear that?! Is this individual even ready to move on? Even if they are, isn't it part of our instincts to want a companion to spend our time with? It's against human nature to just "stop" looking for someone.

Related: Pros and Cons of the "Right Now-er"

This phrase always comes out of an individual's mouth who is in

Read More »from The Single Worst Piece of Breakup Advice You Can Get

By Lindsay Ross for BounceBack.com

As humans, most of us believe we have the greatest intellect of all the creatures that roam the planet earth. Although we may be intellectually superior to our earth-dwelling friends, there are still many life lessons we can learn from our fellow wildlife.

Related: 5 Common Dating Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making

Here are just 5 lessons we can learn from other species to help us humans with our relationships:

1. Follow Your Instincts

The Monarch butterfly makes an incredible 3,000 mile journey south in the fall season to escape towards warmer climates. The Monarch only makes one round trip during their lifetime. That means butterflies making the trip have never done the route before nor are they with other Monarchs who have made the voyage. For some reason these butterflies just know the way to migrate as done by thousands of generations before them. Like the Monarch we must learn to follow our instincts of where life is

Read More »from 5 Love Lessons Taught by Squirrels…and Other Nonhuman Species

By Sarah Rae forBounceBack.com

We've all heard a story about smelly dates. Maybe you heard through the grapevine that Ann's new boyfriend is cute, but he smells. Hygiene is so important that it's impossible to talk about. We take for granted that once a person became an adult nobody needed to tell them to bathe anymore. You're left wondering, was his breath bad when we started dating? Has he washed that sweatshirt since you met him? Women can be stinky, too. What about the girl that doesn't shower after she goes to the gym? Other people, mainly your friends, will also notice. Before you know it they've dubbed your partner some secret, unflattering nickname like "Stinky Jessie."

Related: The Relationship Talk: Is It Always Necessary?

You want to avoid talking about it as much as you possibly can. The best idea starts with showering together. If the problem lies with bad breath, get them a new electric toothbrush. Most people at least want to try it out. Tell them you love the

Read More »from How to Tell Your Partner They Stink (Literally)

By Erica Conte for BounceBack.com

In regards to women on Halloween, the infamous quote in the movie 'Mean Girls' says it all. "In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Somehow almost every costume available these days has the ability to look, well, "slutty." Nurses, cowgirls, sailors, pirates, you name it. All you need to do is put the word "sexy" in front of it and there's your costume.

Halloween is a holiday of self-expression, yet it has morphed into an incentive for women to look as sexy as possible, resulting in wearing as little as possible too. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing the sexy nurse or policewoman outfit, as long you feel comfortable in it. Outfits like these certainly attract attention, but it turns out that the Halloween costumes out there that involve more fabric and creativity are actually the ones that receive the best attention.

Related: Why Is "Hard to

Read More »from The Real Truth About the "Sexy" Halloween Costume