Becoming Facebook Friends with the Guy You're Dating

One of my friends just started dating a new guy. She thinks he's cute, funny, charming and also really enjoys his arm muscles. He calls when he says he will and plans fun dates. As far as new dudes go ... the whole scenario has been pretty close to perfection.

Until she became friends with him on Facebook.

After a few weeks of getting frustrated that his privacy settings didn't allow her to properly stalk, she sent him a friend request. And he accepted (which by today's standards means they're practically married).

Like a kid in a candy store, she excitedly viewed his profile for the first time, but was hit with a sinking feeling. His online persona did not match the real one she had grown accustomed to. Questions swirled around in her mind:

• Why does he take so many pictures of himself in the mirror with his phone?!
• Why does he post soooo many status updates?
• Pleated khakis? Really? His date attire never showed signs of something like this! What's next, a silk shirt?

The only silver lining: there were a few pictures of the arm muscles.

She said to me, disheartened, over g-chat, "Ignorance is bliss, Jess."

I told her to just focus on the good times ... and stop looking at his mobile uploads. In the grand scheme of things, she should just be thankful his hair does not look like this:

Is a bad Facebook profile a dating dealbreaker?

More on Facebook Etiquette from The Savvy Mrs. here:
Facebook Breakup Etiquette 
Facebook Faux Pas
Me, My Husband ... and Facebook
Googling Crushes

Weddings 2.0

Thanks to social media, the video my friend recorded of me falling off the chair during The Hora at my wedding will live on in YouTube history forever. (Not only was I tossed out of a chair in front of 180 people, but my overprotective dad caught me in midair. Yep.) Because I’d rather not relive the humiliation (once was enough, really), I won’t share it here. But, embarrassing flip cam videos aside… social media is revolutionizing wedding planning. From commenting on blogs to following celebrity wedding planners on Twitter, brides now have access to an unprecedented amount of wedding resources.

Weddings 2.0
Social media can help you hone in on the right vendor in no time, especially photographers. Many are active on Facebook and Twitter, and constantly share their latest work. Simply going online can help you determine if their style matches yours, before sitting down for a meeting IRL (in real life). Plus, seeing other people’s weddings on photographer blogs is great inspiration for your own décor, flowers, dress styles, even food. And you’re not the only one benefiting. Thanks to social networking and wedding blogs, vendors can easily expand their reach, clientele and bottom line without a whole lot of legwork.

Big Day in 140 Characters or Less
Twitter is a fabulous resource for brides-to-be. Not only can you follow your favorite wedding websites, blogs and experts … you can join the conversation and become part of a huge online wedding community. Commiserate with other brides on pre-wedding workouts, re-tweet great tips, or gush about peonies with your favorite blogger. From @bridaltweet to @theknot, the Twitterverse is bursting with big day ideas and inspiration. Search hashtags like #weddings, #bride and #flowers to see what others are tweeting on the topic. Check if your vendors are on Twitter to keep tabs on their latest work. Just don’t tweet during your actual wedding. Keep your eye on the prize (new hubby!), not the character limit.

Click here for more tips from my article, "Wedding Bells Will Tweet" on WEtv.com. 

How have you used social media to wedding plan?

The Kale Kraze

Kale is a vegetable I always ignore at the supermarket, and for good reason. It looks like it belongs in a flower pot at the entrance of an office building, not as a side dish on my plate. But much like the Kardashian sisters (bewildering and sort of scary at first), everyone is now completely, head-over-heels obsessed with kale. (I'm 100% the only person in the world that has compared kale to the Kardashians, but just go with it...)

here's a pic of my kale. yum.

After seeing recipes for baked kale chips on my fave food blogs (Smitten Kitchen, Made by Michelle and Stiletto Chef), I decided to give it a try.

I bought a large bunch of kale, washed and dried it, cut the leaves off the stalks (throw the stalks out), and then sliced the leaves into smaller pieces. Then I put them in a bowl, drizzled a little olive oil, sprinkled some sea salt and pepper, tossed it around to evenly coat, and placed on a baking sheet. I let those little leaves bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, as I willed them with all of my might to taste like Kettle Chips. (All the blogs have different cooking times and temps, so I picked one in the middle.) Just keep your eye on it to make sure it's not burning.

The result: these ladies know what IS UP. Baked kale is great! It's remarkably lighter and crunchier than it's raw form. And it does in fact make a tasty little chip. I also sprinkled some red pepper flakes on top, because my husband can't eat anything without his mouth being on fire.

You can make this as a super healthy snack, or as a side with dinner. Bon appetit!