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Author: Jen A. Miller

  • Rocking As Fifth Wheel

    Catherine shares her tips on elevating your social status to “superbly single” when you find yourself as fifth wheel.

    The Glitter Guide
    The Glitter Guide

    There are some girls who hate being around couples; I do not. Despite being eternally single (or maybe because of it), I rather enjoy the company of friends who are in healthy relationships. Besides living vicariously through them and learning through observation of their relationships, I find it is another opportunity to shine socially. Who doesn’t love the superbly single girl?

    I love my girlfriends who aren’t in relationships, but remember that girls in relationships can also be “superbly single.” In a room full of girls, it’s easy by default to start wondering aloud why you haven’t met anyone special yet. In a balanced group of guys and girls, the temptation goes away. You also have a chance to learn from your friends and the way they communicate with their significant others.

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  • 10 Effortless Ways to Meet Mr. Right

    10 Effortless Ways to Meet Mr. Right

    Ten places to find a date without adding another to-do to that busy schedule of yours

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    As summer comes to a close, chances are any summer sparks you’ve ignited are about to reach the end of the wick. We at TSD say it’s time to let the summer flame burn out and set your sights on a fresh start.
    We all know that fall can be hectic and that none of us really has the time to go on the hunt for a good man. One option to solve that? Stay superbly single! Treat yourself to extra attention, set new goals, and focus on accomplishing them over the next quarter. We love that!
    For the rest of you, however, we know that the boy crazy-ness doesn’t disappear that easily. For you single girls, we started to think, how can we set ourselves up for potential matchmaking success without having to make time for it in our overloaded schedules? Are there situations right under our noses that we’ve been overlooking? Let’s rule out the places we intentionally go looking to pick up boys (the bar), and the places that we’d go only because we know they are laden with men (Home Depot, anyone?) and only consider the places we go in and out of in our daily routine. What are we doing day in and day out that we’ve never given thought to as potential situations for us to meet Mr. Right?

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  • Simple Ways to be a Thoughtful Single Girl

    Simple Ways to be a Thoughtful Single Girl

    Part 1 of 2: Staying close with friends and family when you’ve moved away

    card store

    Two years ago I decided to move Los Angeles, 2,000 miles away from my home in Cincinnati. The final decision was driven by a job, but there was also something deeper that had lured me out to the west coast. Without ever having traveled there, I knew it was where I wanted to be.
    From that perspective, heading to California should have been an easy choice. Weighed against my earnestness to move, however, was the difficult decision to deliberately move away from friends and family. For them, the thought of me leaving was nearly heartbreaking. Though I desperately wanted to leave Cincinnati, in some ways it felt selfish to do something that was so much about what I needed instead of what those closest to me wanted.
    In the end, I made that difficult decision to pack my bags and head west. As single girls we can be pretty independent, yet we have to remember that we do not reach our destinations on our own but with the support of those who love us. When I settled into L.A., I wanted to make sure my friends and family knew my departure did not mean I left them behind. Though I freed myself to live my own life, I needed to find ways they would know I was still thinking of them. It’s been two years since I made my big move, and I’ve come up with a few tricks.
    Read on for my tips for Simple Ways to Be a Thoughtful Single Girl.
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  • A Single Girl’s View on Learning to Embrace Fear

    A Single Girl’s View on Learning to Embrace Fear

    Taking Risks2

     

    Lessons from the Barre

    I started taking dance classes at the ripe age of four.  I remember putting my ballet shoes in my pink bag, pulling on my leotard, and being so excited to get to class. I also remember the butterflies I would get as my mom’s car took its spot in the parking lot each week. By the time she walked me through the door to the studio I would be in full-fledged panic mode, too afraid to step onto the dance floor.

    Week after week this cycle of excitement crashing into fear would recur. Each time my mom would hold my hand, walk me into class, and take her spot at the ballet barre next to me. She stood by me, urging me on, and refusing to let my fear get the best of me. She did this until I finally learned to take my place at the barre alone. Before long I not only learned to overcome my fear but had actually learned to love every dance class, parade, and competition.

    Deciding to Launch

    I think back on that time in our first few weeks of launching The Single Diaries. All those years ago my mom had taught me a valuable lesson in embracing my fear. As we pliéd side by side, she showed me that tackling fear doesn’t have to be done alone. She also made me recognize the value we can bring to each other simply by showing our support.

    For nearly one year I thought about launching the site before I took any action. While I was thrilled by the idea of creating a space where I could connect with like-minded ladies, the thought of going public with my personal stories was (is) intimidating. In my heart I knew it was what I wanted to do but my fear of failure held me back.

    It was my mom’s lessons that ultimately got me over that fear. I started to share the idea with friends (like Catherine!) and got their feedback to push forward.  Once again I was reminded that when you surround yourself with good people they are there to support and strengthen you, not to tear you down.

    There were many reasons for starting The Single Diaries but sharing this lesson – the true value in building amazing friendships with other aspiring women- ranks at the top of the list.

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  • I’d Rather Be Reading

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    PHOTO: Pinterest

    The love of reading came early for me. Speed reading classes, Scholastic book fairs, and afternoons perusing Barnes & Noble are among my cherished childhood memories. I finished the fourth book in the Harry Potter series the summer between high school and college, then reading for fun was put on hold.

    While Amazon almost pays you to purchase books they’re so cheap, it’s easy to run out of space in your 25-year-old self’s home. In my dream home, I’ll have my own office with walls dedicated to my collection of books. For now I’m embracing my inner single girl and saving money and storage space for shoes by visiting the library.

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