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Love in the 21st Century

As a young single woman I admire women who graciously juggle with a 50-60- hour working week, 2 young kids and on top of that they manage to go to the gym, take 2 yoga classes a week and look amazingly radiant despite the doubtlessly hectic lifestyle. How do they do it? For most women it is indeed a struggle and sometimes circumstances mean that they end up choosing one or the other – career or family life instead of being able to successfully combine both not to mention looking after number one. However, it is increasingly in demand for women to be able to do exactly this.

Drawing down the Moon has plenty of women (and men!) in this situation – career-minded with busy social life, active hobbies but one important thing is missing, the love of their life and potentially a family. If you are a woman who feels you’d appreciate someone to guide you through how to balance it all and how to make the right choices in the first place there are some options. A seminar called Female Balancing Act held by two wonderful women Sophie Sabbage and Pascale Ascher is something we highly recommend, covering the following topics:

As a woman in business, how do you balance the demands of your professional life with your other priorities outside the workplace – your family, your friends, your own well-being and your other interests.  How do you make clear and discerning choices and do so without suffering feelings of dissatisfaction, stress, guilt, grief or a sense of inadequacy or failure?

The Female Balancing Act training is a one-day seminar for women in business who want to master the balancing act and transform their ability to participate fully in the different domains of their life.  During this training, you will get clearer about what you really want from your life, learn how to make choices that are in alignment with who you really are and what you believe in and then act on them with confidence, And, you will leave with tools to take back into your professional and personal life to support you going forward.

Please see details on how to book here:

http://www.drawingdownthemoon.co.uk/lifestyle/self

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Dating, Dating Tips, Drawing Down the Moon, Events, General, Helpful Tips, Independent Women, Successful Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Men and their Ex-files

I have been on many dates where men have felt the urge to reveal all about their exes, how either awful or amazing they had been and what exactly they’re now looking for in a woman. Now I don’t know about you but if I hear this on a date I want to run… It’s not a first date conversation is it? You’re not there to find out about their relationship history but instead, get a little insight into what THEY are like and whether you possibly would like to see them again.

So why do so many men fall into this ‘trap’ of thinking we would find this an interesting topic on a first date? Of course there could be nerves involved which can cause people to sometimes say things they’re not meant to. However, I think more than often it probably is a case that a man has not had the opportunity to talk about his ex and how he’s felt about the break-up/divorce to anyone before. See men, unlike women, don’t often share these kind of stories with their male friends and are often left ‘brewing’ with those thoughts until the next female comes along. This is also often the reason why many men jump into a new relationship perhaps far too soon before they’re emotionally ready.

Of course, not every man is like this and I must say that on some first dates it’s been me who’s blurted out something I’ve not meant to, not because I’ve not been ready for dating but because of nerves, caused by fancying them a bit too much…!

What are you like on first dates?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Dating, Drawing Down the Moon, Flirting, Ideal partner, Independent Women, Meeting New People, Successful Relationships, Tips for Men. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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‘Serial daters’ Vs ‘One-at-the-time daters’

I have two good male friends and one female friend who seem to have a date pretty much every other day and they love the pace! I also have 2 friends of each gender who only date very occasionally i.e. once or twice a year, but when they do they seem to have very high expectations for that one date which can easily cause unnecessary upset.

So, which formula works better? Well, if you think of dating as ‘numbers game’ which it can be, it would have to be the former which Mary Balfour calls the ‘Domino-dating’ formula: the more people you meet the more chance you have of meeting the right one. This is especially effective when using an internet dating site where it’s easy to arrange dates for every single night of the week if you’ve got the time!

What agencies like Drawing Down the Moon can do is to help people who are busy professionals who don’t have time or the inclination to scroll through Internet dating sites – people who want someone else to do the ‘leg-work’ for them.

My opinion is the more avenues you explore the better!

What would be your preference?

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 at 11:39 am and is filed under Dating, Drawing Down the Moon, Mary Balfour, Matchmakers, Meeting New People, Online. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Blondes or Brunettes?

Apparently the world has become obsessed with sex. In a recent Men’s Health article Raquel Welch – one of the top 100 sexiest women in the world – recently made a comment about our current society quoting: ‘we’re all sex addicts, literally’ and that we equate happiness with the frequency of sexual activity we participate in. This made me think about how we all like to define our ‘ideal partner’ when in search of one. Does it really come down to the external factors like ‘fair hair & blue eyes’ or ‘tall, dark & handsome’ as opposed to ‘a loving, caring and intelligent equal’? Has dating become a way to find the most suitable sexual equal as opposed to an equal in every other level?

We have noticed that some Drawing Down the Moon clients, when it comes to describing their ‘ideal partner’, have become more and more specific with their requests. Men are often saying ‘I only am interested in meeting brunettes’ and women ‘I couldn’t imagine going out with someone who is only 5’8” tall (when they’re 5’2” themselves)’. Does hair colour really matter guys? And ladies, does one or two inches really make that much of a difference..?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 15th, 2012 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Body Language, Dating, Drawing Down the Moon, Flirting, Ideal partner, Meeting New People, Successful Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Didn’t we do well!

Last week we received some more fantastic news: two couples happily matched by Drawing Down the Moon are expecting babies and another couple are due to wed – all in the month of March! Now that is what we call job satisfaction! It’s not only the colourful dating stories we hear which enhance our working day – these genuine happy endings not only makes us feel that we’ve done our job well, but also give us an excuse to open a bottle of bubbly! Our office is absolutely buzzing when we hear of yet another dating success story.

Even with our decades of matchmaking experience, ultimately it all comes down to that elusive chemistry.  The members mentioned went on a few dates before they met their ‘significant other’. Some of those previous dates were great matches ‘on paper’ but there was that special something missing.. It’s that ‘something’, that ‘chemical thing’ that makes it work. And it’s that special reaction that it creates which makes our job as matchmakers the best in the world.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 at 7:15 pm and is filed under Dating, Drawing Down the Moon, marriage, Matchmakers, Successful Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Valentine’s Day…

So January is now over and, for one reason or another, most New Year resolutions have by now been broken. Be honest. Are you still going to the gym as planned? Are you still abstaining from having that glass of wine? Has chocolate crept back into your diet? Well don’t beat yourself up over it as over 75 percent of the country break their good intentions by now!

But wait, we now have to think about that one particular day a year when a) if you’re in a relationship or dating you’re probably going to need lots of extra cash to impress your partner/date or b) if you’re single or you may well be wishing you weren’t! Yes I’m talking about Valentine’s Day and it’s only 7 days away! The world of dating doesn’t get much busier than on 14th of February.

So how are you going to be spending your Valentine’s Day? If you are happily coupled up then your choices really are endless – a romantic dinner for two, a weekend in Paris, a Spa day for two – one thing is certain, you’ll be spending far more on everything (especially in London) than their normal price the remaining 364 days of the year! But when it comes to love, does cost matter?

And what if you’re single? Do you stay at home feeling sorry for your self whilst couples are out enjoying themselves? Well that could be an option, but not a very tempting one. Valentine’s Day is the one day when bars may well be full of other single people (forget restaurants, you’d be the odd one out!) so why not organise a night out with your single friends or better still, organise a singles party and get in the dating mood? If however you prefer not to celebrate with others, why not treat yourself and be your own Valentine! Have a night in with a good film and delicious food enjoying your own company. As a singleton on Valentine’s Day you do have plenty of options and with the added bonus of no need to worry about the dent in a wallet!

If however you’d prefer to spend your next Valentine’s Day with your own special someone, being whisked away to an overpriced dinner (!) why not contact Drawing Down the Moon, the professional dating service in London, as we have a special Valentine’s discount for you: 020 7224 1001 We look forward to hearing from you.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 11:42 am and is filed under Dating, Dating Tips, Drawing Down the Moon, Flirting, General, Meeting New People, Valentines Day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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iDate – Dating Conference, Miami – January 2012

Hi, Pier Reid here, the general manager of Drawing Down the Moon. I was lucky enough to go to Miami last week to attend the iDate conference 2012 where I met up with other personal matchmakers from all over the world and lots of great people who own online dating sites. It was really interesting to hear all about the latest online dating technology and also ideas from those who , like Drawing Down the Moon, provide a personal matchmaking service.

Whilst sitting in one of the seminars, I was telling everyone about some of our ‘happy endings’ who are going to be filmed shortly so that they can share their stories with you on our website. Well, practically everyone broke into hysterical fits of laughter to my complete surprise! I asked why there were all laughing as we obviously believe that there is no better advert for Drawing Down the Moon than our ‘happy ending’ couples and again this caused even more hysteria. Comments started to be shouted out ‘oh if only this was on video, she’d go viral’ and ‘oh Pier I need to take you for a massage’.

Thankfully all was finally made clear by one of the lovely American matchmakers who whispered in my ear that in the States a ‘happy ending’ is something which certain masseurs offer to chaps at the end of their massage! I don’t think I have ever wanted the ground to open up and swallow me faster.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 4:09 pm and is filed under Drawing Down the Moon, General, iDate, Matchmakers, Online. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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A couple – two halves or two wholes?

Throughout history, simply in order to survive, people have nearly always had to live in some sort of group. In most societies it has been difficult for women to own property and live independently. As late as the 1960′s, a woman couldn’t usually take out a motgage or even hire a television in Britain without a man acting as guarantor. Professional women in the West now take it for granted that they will be responsibe for themselves and buy or rent their own homes, cars, pensions and holidays. Indeed, I still remember the exhilaration of walking through my own front door for the first time.

It is at last economical viable for women to live alone from choice, and many women feel good about being single for a substantial chunk of their lives. They know this doesn’t mean they are psychologically stunted or unable to make relationships. Not so long ago, most women would have felt that they were incomplete without their ‘other half’. The word ‘spinster’ has always had negative connotations of on-the-shelf failure, whereas ‘bachelor’ has virile associations and is seen in a much more positive light.

In spite of media messages urging coupledom, many women have blossomed into emotional and economic self-sufficiency without a partner.

This means that when two people do decide to come together, it’s a fusion of two wholes rather that two halves. This seems to be one of the keys to a happy and more fulfilled relationship.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 at 8:21 pm and is filed under Dating, Drawing Down the Moon, Independent Women, marriage, Successful Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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Play Cupid to your friends this Valentine’s Day

We’ve all got matchmaking ability and have friends who’d like a partner but haven’t found the right person yet.  Why not check out your address book and start matching now?

Perhaps throw a “just for singles” party on 14th February – each guest must bring another single person of the opposite sex.

In the past they’d have met through the extended family, the church, balls, friends, the village green, etc. –  but now our privatised lifestyles offer few chances of meeting new people  – especially after thirty.  So give them that nudge they need!

Or if your friends all  say they need a wider choice, tell them about Drawing Down the Moon. Suggest they come to my Singles Seminar next Wednesday 2nd February at Waterstone’s in Piccadilly. They can learn about dating strategies that work and  mingle with other single professionals  -  and maybe even leave with a date!  Click here to register.

 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Drawing Down the Moon, Events, Valentines Day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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Why Career Women Reject Internet Dating

The internet is creating a growing asymmetry of expectations between men and women in the dating market. Men are increasingly turning away from personal introduction agencies in order to take advantage of the cheaper, more techy and more impersonal medium of the internet agencies.

Women, on the other hand, want the greater security, ID checks and selectivity of personal agencies. That’s why there is an increasing gender imbalance in both kinds of services. And that’s why Drawing Down the Moon, adopting HR industry techniques, now headhunts for men to introduce to their high flying women members. Their team of ambassadors, working on handsome commission, seek out high calibre, relationship-minded men (and some women) in all sorts of venues: gallery openings, book launches, professional associations, sports events, gatherings of one sort or another.

MD, Mary Balfour, is ‘never off-duty’ & even recruited a lovely guy via the airport check-in queue and another via Freecycle.com – where she lost no time in enquiring whether a handsome TV director was single – she was seeking a new home for a vintage film projector!

Call us on 020 7224 1001 10.30am – 11pm 7 Days a week.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 11:50 am and is filed under Dating, Drawing Down the Moon, Mary Balfour, Meeting New People, Online, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.