In honor of this holiday, the ladies of THEPOPFIX are recounting some of the worst advice we’ve ever received from our mothers in this special episode of BADvice. Because sometimes, mama doesn’t always know best.

Like this video? Be sure to subscribe, and share your worst motherly advice in the comments below!

Dating your ex is fun! But it can be tricky terrain to navigate. Luckily, you have Erin Darling – a bona fide expert in dating people she’s already dated, she’s got all the handy hints you need to know before firing up an old flame.

What’s the fun of dating a dick if you can’t do it all over again? Find out this week on BADvice with special guest Justin Martindale!

On this episode of BADvice featuring special guest Mark Ellis from Schmoes Know, we’ll show you tips and tricks you’ll need to get a boyfriend, and how to keep him forever and ever.

Thank you in advance.

When planning Valentine’s Day for the special lady in your life, there are a few simple things to keep in mind that will make your life a whole lot easier. Even those of you with the best intentions have probably messed up a Valentine’s Day or two, only to spend the night on the couch wondering why your girl was pissed off when you showed up at her apartment with a Ralph’s bouquet of roses and an adorable card with a puppy on the front. Amateurs.

Here’s how to not mess it up this year…

1. Plan Something

Plan something. Anything. Candelit dinner not your style? Perfect. It’s probably not hers either. Unless your girl is totally high maintenance, she’s probably not expecting February 14th 2013 to be the most romantic day of her life, she just wants to know that you remembered it. The best way to show her you did is to plan some sort of activity that lets her know you  actually spent a little bit of time thinking about it.

Want to know why we hate cards and flowers? Because we know you picked that shit up at 7-11 on your way home from the gym when you realized  what day it is. We’re not stupid.

2. Don’t Freak Out About The Day

When picking the perfect activity, remember that life doesn’t begin or end on February 14th. If your elaborate scheme requires you to plan something on a date earlier or later than Valentine’s Day, just tell her. She won’t freak out. If you’re anything like the average guy, chances are she’ll be stoked you even thought of anything at all. Good job.

3. “You Look Beautiful”

Listen up because this is as corny as I’m going to get. Compliments, when genuine, are always appreciated. Valentine’s Day, or not.

4. Rethink Your Present

Dudes, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The truth is, most girls don’t want what you think we want on Valentine’s Day. Most of us over the age of 5 have no use for stuffed animals, chocolate makes us fat, and unless you’re gay, your taste in lingerie is probably questionable. Think about the best gift you’ve ever given. Wasn’t it something you knew the recipient would love, regardless of the holiday? Is your girl athletic? Wrap up some Lululemon pants and a week-long pass to a rock climbing gym. Is she girly? Treat her to a blow out and a spa day. Movie buff? Surprise her with a Stanley Kubrick DVD box set. So skip anything that looks like it could be a prop at a V-Day theme party, and stick to the stuff you know she’ll actually like.

5. Sex Is Not A Present

Enough said. This one goes for her too. You can quote me on it.

You don’t have to be S.A.D. on Single’s Awareness Day – despite what the acronym so inconveniently suggests. Celebrate the fact that you’re not spending your time arguing over whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher, pretending that you enjoy spending time with his meddling mother, or missing out on countless nights out with friends due to the commitments of a time-sucking relationship.

Not only is it okay to be single, for some of us, it’s actually preferred.

If you’re unattached this Valentine’s Day, celebrate your singledom – and not by drowning yourself in pints of Ben & Jerry’s. Just because you’re currently flying solo does not mean you need to stifle your social life while everyone makes plans involving roses, candlelit restaurants, and romance. If you’re looking for a little inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

The Single Girls Guide To Surviving Valentine’s Day

1. Host a Party - If you’re single on Valentine’s Day, find strength in numbers and plan a party for everyone who’s as single and fabulous as you are. Prepare some h’or derves, pour some champagne, and let the party games begin. Personally, I suggest “Pin the Tail on the Jackass Who Cheated on You” because there’s nothing like a blast from bad boyfriends past to remind you why you’re probably better off single anyway.

2. Take the Day Off - If for some ridiculous reason your singledom is stressing you out, make like Ferris Bueller and take the day off. Go shopping, sky diving, spend it crying on your therapist’s couch talking about the terrors of past relationships – we’re not judging. But however you choose to spend your day, focus on finding activities that will reinvigorate your single-girl-soul. And if that means driving down PCH with “Spice Up Your Life” blaring at full blast, we completely understand.

3. Steamy Movie Marathon - Staying in on S.A.D.? Thanks to the Internet, anyone with a Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime account is just a few clicks away from a collection of sassy, seductive, or downright sexy cinema at your fingertips. If you’re feeling flirtatious, try the classics like “Pillow Talk” or “The Seven Year Itch.” If you’re more in the mood for some scenes that’ll really steam up the screen, try “Unfaithful” “Basic Instinct” or “Body Heat.”

Add an order of pad thai and a bottle of wine, and voila! That’s what I call domestic perfection.

4.  Try an Alternative Activity - Valentine’s Day is a great night to go out – even for the unattached. With every couple you know busy gazing into each other’s eyes over dinner for two, it’s the perfect opportunity to grab a fellow fabulous single and explore that museum you’ve been dying to check out, book a spa appointment for a top of the line pedicure, or watch the game at your favorite sports bar. Approach February 14th like it’s just another night – just beware of all the drunk-in-love drivers.

5. Suck it Valentine’s Day : Opt Out of Celebrating Altogether - Because March 13th is “Ear Muff Day” and we bet you don’t celebrate that either. Luckily when it comes to holidays, participation is optional. Valentine’s Day is no exception.

Now that you’re equipped with some inspiration to surviving all things S.A.D., my work here is done.

Remember – be proud of your single status! The world is your oyster, even on February 14th, despite what chocolate and greeting card manufacturing companies would like to have you believe. So whether you plan to go out, stay in, or host a party to make voodoo dolls that slightly resemble all of your exes (we don’t judge), consider this your new mantra – “single is sexy!”

Happy Single’s Awareness Day!

*Originally posted on FabFitFit.com

Enjoy!

That point in a relationship when you stop going out to dinner every night and come to the tragic realization that your culinary knowledge is limited to opening a can of Campbell’s soup. And you find yourself in that terrifying situation where you have to actually cook something for your significant other and you can no longer rely on help from the professionals to whip up a home-cooked meal…or can you?

The bad news is if you found this article from a Google search, you probably have the cooking proficiency of a toddler, and that’s just sad. The good news is, we’re here to help.

How To Trick Your Date Into Thinking You Know How To Cook

Step 1: Step Up Your Culinary Vocab

Any good chef knows that prep work is crucial, and any good “chef” knows that if you’re trying to fool someone into thinking you’re more kitchen-inclined than you actually are, it’s going to take a little homework. Learn at least 5 fancy cooking terms, casually pepper them into conversation, and voila! Suddenly those aren’t just carrots, they crudités.

Oh that sauce? It’s just a red wine reduction. NBD.

If you’re not going to walk the walk, it really helps if you can at least talk the talk.

Step 2: Hide The Evidence

If you’re going to attempt to pass off some take-out as your own culinary work, go the extra mile. And by extra mile, we basically mean…take the garbage out.

We’re talking to-go containers, receipts, delivery bags, boxes, chopsticks…or any other items that might lead someone to believe that the dinner on the table came from Koo Koo Roo. Because the only thing more embarrassing than lying about knowing how to cook is getting caught because you were too dumb or lazy to properly discard of all evidence. Don’t be an idiot.

Step 3: It’s All In The Details

A wise man once said, “Go all out.” Or something like that…

If you’re going to do this right, we’re not going to let you half-ass it. Just know this. Presentation can either make or break your intended cooking chicanery. Here’s some next level shit to take your fake cooking skills from faux to, “Faux my God I can’t believe you made this!”

1. Putting your food into a pre-heated oven for 5 minutes before date-time not only warms up your dinner, but it also makes your kitchen smell amazing. Kind of like you actually cooked there.
2. If you claim to bake, invest in vanilla scented candles. Light them 5 minutes prior to time of arrival; just remember if you don’t blow them out when he gets there, you might just blow your cover.
3. Keep some strategically placed dirty dishes in the sink to give the illusion that you actually used them. This is your new mantra: A clean kitchen is an unused kitchen.
4. If you dare open the front door for your date and you’re NOT wearing an apron with a few strategically placed flour, breading, or mystery stains, you’re dead to us.

Step 4: Silver Platter That Shit

If you don’t own a silver platter, get your ass to Amazon, E-Bay, or Bed Bath & Beyond ASAP. Why? Because food is way more appealing when served on a shiny surface.

Don’t believe it? Close your eyes and imagine something on a regular plate: chicken, mashed potatoes, Nachos Bell Grande, whatever. Now imagine it on a platter.

It’s pretty much scientifically proven. Everything looks and tastes better with a silver platter. Even lies.

Step 5: Story Time

Story time isn’t just for bedtime anymore. In the immortal words of Scar from “The Lion King,” “Be Prepared.”

If your date happens to ask how you made this glorious meal, you better have some semblance of an idea how it was prepared, no matter who prepared it. It will always work in your favor if you at least know the main ingredients and whether it was grilled, fried, or roasted. When in doubt, just say it’s a secret family recipe that your grandma passed on to you, and she’d kill you if you told anyone. She may be like 93, but she’s serious with the death threats.

In Conclusion

Congratulations, if you made it this far, you can pretty much induct yourself into the culinary deception hall of fame. Not only do you know how to successfully trick someone into thinking you know how to cook, but more importantly, you know how to do it with finesse.

Thanks for checking out this installment of BADvice, if you want more tips and trick on how to win at life, leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Tough-love you, mean it.

Viva la summer!

10 Things To Do In The Last Month Of Summer (Just Because You Can)

1. Invest in a Slip n’ Slide, a DJ, and a snow cone truck, and watch as the best block party ever unfolds right before your eyes.

2. Purchase a Fanta Wild Cherry Slurpee and rock that red-stained tongue like the pre-diabetic battlescar it is.

3. Whip up some PB & J sandwiches and pack an old school picnic for a lunch in the park.

4. Run through the sprinklers (clothes optional, but not necessary).

5. Spend every last possible Sunday Funday by the pool.

6. Insist on making fruit-salad-eating-contests an August party staple. Because it’s more badass than bobbing for apples.

7. Grab your friends and play a game of tennis, regardless of whether your skills are on par with Serena Williams, or these people…

8. What happened to your summer reading list? Nothing? That’s what I thought. Get lost in one of these on a lazy afternoon.

9. Otter Pops. ‘Nuff said (yes, they still exist).

10. Listen to this song. On repeat.