• If one of you has yet to get a tree up and decorated.  Spend time getting a tree and decorate it together.  Sharing the meaning behind those special ornaments that you have can bring you closer together.  Be patient with stringing the lights…that could say tons about you as well!
• Bake Christmas cookies, make candy (caramels, choclate truffles, etc…), or other treats together and deliver them to neighbors, friends, elderly ward members, send them to missionaries or to service men/women serving from your ward.
• Get outside in the snow and make snowmen or snow angels; go ice skating, go sledding, go tobogganing, or have a snowball fight.  Afterward, head inside to warm up with hot cider, wassal, or hot chocolate.
• If one of you has an open fireplace, light a fire and roast marshmallows (You can enjoy the marshmallows with hot chocolate, hot cider, wassal, or eggnog) while singing along to Christmas carols
• Drive or walk around your local neighborhood enjoying the Christmas lights.  If your local temple visitors centers, like Temple Square in Salt Lake City, have lights you can walk around and see; make the time.   Check with your community chamber of commerce or visitors center, your town/city might have have organized Christmas light tours that you can drive or walk to view.
• Have a picnic in the room where your tree is, turn out the overhead lights, leaving on the Christmas lights and listen to your favorite Christmas Carols.
• Go visit Santa and have a picture taken with both of you on his lap.  Then, tell him what you want for Christmas (bonus points if you can make him laugh – or blush!)  If you are in the stage where your children are spending time together, you can take your kids to see Santa together.
• Take in a performance of the Nutcracker at the ballet.  (This is a tradition I do with my oldest daughter because she is a dancer…makes for a great daddy/daughter date!)
• Take turns reading ‘A Christmas Carol’ to each other (or go see a local performance of the play. And this year, you can go see the movie!)
• Take turns reading the Christmas story from the Bible to each other.  One version of this is to get a group together, dress up and act it out.  (Again, this is something you can do with your children, if your relationship is at that stage.)
• Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen or a Toy Drive together.
• Shovel the drive way of some one in your area.
• Join, or form, a group and go caroling!  (Your ward or FHE group is a good place to start!)
• If it is offered in your area, take a horse-drawn carriage ride with a thermos of hot chocolate or hot cider.
• Make dreidls!  (You can find instructions on how to do this throughout the internet.)

For the movie lovers, have a Christmas-themed movie marathon at home. Here’s a list of some of my personal favorites:

A Muppet Christmas Carol (Kermit’s 50th Anniversary Edition)
It’s a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversay Edition)
Miracle on 34th Street
Home Alone
The Holiday
The Santa Clause

There are a ton more…

Remember:  We’re LDS! We’re Single!  And, we’re all in this together!

P.S. Do you have a great date idea for the Christmas season? Share it with us in the comments.

Related Posts

 101 Creative Date Ideas for LDS Singles
Great Date Ideas:  The Halloween Date
Great Date Ideas:  The Veterans Day Date
Great Date Ideas:  LDS Movie Night

“A gift membership at LDS Mingle is the perfect gift for a single friend or family member.  A unique and special gift that will give them access to a community of LDS singles just like them, and give them an opportunity to meet their one and only.  For friends, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, cousins and more – A subscription to LDS Mingle is the perfect gift!”

I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”  Now I will admit that it is not unusual for someone to admit that they joined an online site at the behest of (or experience of) a family member or friend.   Do you think that “encouragement” came in the form of a gift certificate?  Nor, is it unheard of for a friend to actual be the monitor for a particular profile.  (I remember a couple of profiles, specifically on LDS Singles.com, where one person was the moderator for the profile of a friend.  A little strange, but again not unheard of.)  Then, I wondered if there were other online dating sites for LDS singles that offered a similar service.  So I checked all of the sites listed in 7 Best Online Dating Sites for LDS Singles and discovered that LDS Mingle is not alone in offering their members the chance to give gift subscriptions to “friends, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, cousins and more…”  LDS Singles.com, Match.com and Yahoo! Personals all make the giving of gift subscriptions available to their members.

Ok, so the availability of gift subscriptions isn’t unique to LDS Mingle.  What about the giving process?  The giving the gift subscriptions is not the same for all of the sites, but relatively simple nonetheless.  LDS Mingle, LDS Singles.com, and Yahoo! Personals each allow you the option of purchasing the gift subscritptions online directly from the website.  Match.com on the other hand requires that you purchase a gift subscription by calling a toll free number.  (That number is availble from the site)  All of the gift subscriptions are, however, redeemable online when your gift recipients creates his/her profile.

Now, my mind was working.  I made a quick mental check of the people I know and still need to buy gifts for to see if there were any for whom I might venture.  I quickly ruled out all of my family because 1) they’re not LDS, and 2) they are married.  Next on my list were my friends, who, for the most part, are largely in the “happily married” category, and found none for whom I would be brazen enough to give them such a gift.  Then, I wondered.  Are there were any of my current (or future) readers who think that this might be a good goft idea for someone on their list.  Or, are there any who have actually been the giver or recipient of  a gift subscription to an online dating site. So, what about you?  Would you give your mom or dad a gift subscription to an LDS singles site?  What about your siblings?  Cousins?  Now friends…is there someone that you are close enough to that you would be willing to give them a gift subscription to an online dating site like LDS Mingle, LDS Singles or Match.com?  And finally, if you were the recipient of such a gift subscription to an online dating site, what would your reaction be?  Would you use it?

While you are thinking take a minute and let me know what you think by filling in the following polls.  And, if you have given a gift subscription to an online dating site or been the recipient of , share your experience with us in the comment section.  And if you are interested in offering a gift subscription, visit the homepages of the those sites that offer gift subscriptions.

Remember:  We’re LDS!  We’re Single!  And, we’re all in this together!

 

 Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 

 Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

When I got home from work last night and checked the mail box, I discovered that I had received the Holiday 2009 catalog from Proflowers.com.  I had been anticipating the arrival of this catalog; it usually comes in conjunction with several emails, reminding me that I need to place the order to send Christmas flowers for the special people in my life.  (This year that consists of my mom, my sister and of course my daughters.)

I’ve always been the flower giving type.  I can remember the first time I gave a girl flowers in High School, I was sooooooo very nervous.  I’d had a crush on that particular girl for a very long time (and discovered after giving her the flowers that the feeling was mutual) and wanted to do something nice for her.  Perhaps it was her reaction (jubilant, would be an understatement) but ever since, I’ve been a flower giver.  I’ve given flowers for holidays like: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthday’s, Anniversaries and for the normal reasons that a guy gives flowers: to say, “I love you!” or to say, “I’m sorry, I’m an idiot!” and just because.  I don’t know why women like flowers, I’m sure that there is someone who can tell me, but I know that they do.  So, I give them.

When you send flowers you send two gifts: the flowers themselves, and the moment they arrive. There’s the knock at the door or the call from the front desk, “Flower delivery for you.” And the next thing that happens is your special someone’s heart races with delight as they receive their flowers.  –Proflowers.com

I don’t know remember why I started to send Christmas flowers.  I’m guessing that at some point, Proflowers.com sent me an email about their Christmas offerings. I thought that it sounded like a good idea at the time and it has been a tradition ever since.  I even still sent flowers to my (now) ex-wife last year for Christmas in the middle of the divorce—I hoped it might change things.

I do, however, remember when and why I started using Proflowers.com.  From 2000-2002, I was away at school in New York and my first wife and kids had stayed behind in Utah.  I came home as often as I could, but there were times that I just missed my wife and family and wanted her to know.  I learned early in life that flowers are a great way to say, “I miss you and am thinking of you!”  I knew that I could call a local florist and get flowers delivered, but I’m kind of a visual person (go figure, I’m a guy!) and like to have some idea of what it is that I’m sending.  So, I got online and remembering a radio ad for Proflowers.com, I sought out their website.  I ordered an arrangement that I thought would be awesome; the flowers were a huge hit and I’ve been hooked on Proflowers.com ever since.

There are several reasons that I like to use Proflowers.com.  First and foremost is their 7 day freshness guarantee.  They can do this because they have their own farms, you order, they pick, they send.  No middle men, no brokers, simply from farm to you (or the person you send flowers to).   The flowers arrive fresh, beautiful long lasting; they guarantee it.  I love that.  Personally, having been there when the flowers were delivered or seeing them after their delivery, I can attest to the quality.  But, you don’t have to take my word for it, if you check out the Proflowers.com website you can see what publications like the Wall Street Journal say about them. 

I also really like the reminder service that Proflowers.com has available.  I’m pretty good a remembering when special occasions are, it’s making the time to get out a get a gift, etc…that I’m not so good with.   Proflowers.com will send me an email reminding me about an upcoming event and I can quickly find the appropriate arrangement and I’m done.  (Plus I love the free vases that using the reminder service gives me.)  The reminder service has saved my bacon more than once.  One time, I remembered to order the flowers, thanks to the reminder service, but forgot.  The day arrived and suddenly I thought I’d forgotten to get flowers.  Not, so; I logged in, checked my account and saw that I had indeed ordered flowers.  I waited and a few hours later, the flowers arrived.  But even if you do forget and suddenly realize that it’s the last minute.  Proflowers.com has options to help you.  They have ways of getting flowers to your special someone today or tomorrow through their network of locally approved florists. If you are in a bind, check out the Proflowers.com homepage and click on “Need it Today or Tomorrow?”

You can send Christmas flowers from a wide variety of bouquets and arrangements.  The picture at the top of the post is an arrangement called “Holiday Tradition.”  It is 3 long stemmed red roses, 3 long stemmed white roses, 3 stems of red carnations and red mini carnations, and 5 stems of white mums.  This arrangement (and all of them) is available without the vase or you can choose to include one from a selection they provide that matches the arrangement.  To the right is the arrangement my tulip loving second wife received: “Ultimate Christmas Tulips.”  This arrangement consists of 15 Red tulips, 15 White tulips, and Douglas fir.  There are many, many other selections to choose from, check them out at the Proflowers.com homepage.

Another nice thing as you can see from the screenshot (click to enlarge) is that the product offerings from Proflowers.com don’t end with just being able to send Christmas flowers; you can get things for your own decorating as well.  Proflowers.com has a huge selection of wreaths, miniature trees, centerpieces, and table runners as well.  It doesn’t end there either.  Proflowers.com has a large selection of “gourmet gifts” like chocolates and truffles, chocolate dipped strawberries, Mrs. Fields Cookie Baskets and other such items.  (There’s too many to list and this is after all about sending Christmas flowers!)

Now, if you really want to make an impression with that special someone; Proflowers.com offers 3, 6, or 12 months of flowers.  For an all inclusive price, you can have a roses or a seasonally selected bouquet arrive each month (usually delivered on the 2nd Wednesday) to your special someone.  (A Christmas gift that keeps on giving after the season is over!)  Here’s the current list of flowers that are delivered if you elect to send 12 months of flowers:
• JANUARY: a mix of Asiatic lilies and blue iris
• FEBRUARY: fragrant Oriental lilies in assorted colors
• MARCH: 20 stems of fresh, vibrant tulips in various colors
• APRIL: 20 stems of bold, blue iris
• MAY: lilies, delphinium, asters, snapdragons, and mums
• JUNE: three dozen purple carnations
• JULY: 25 multiple-bloom stems of bright, cheery Peruvian Lilies
• AUGUST: 18 roses in various colors
• SEPTEMBER: mix of yellow roses, Peruvian lilies and more
• OCTOBER: one dozen red, orange and yellow roses
• NOVEMBER: mix of orange roses, Peruvian lilies and yellow asters
• DECEMBER: 8 roses, 6 carnations, 4 mini carnations, 3 white chrysanthemums, filler and greens

When you elect to send flowers for Christmas from Proflowers.com you can choose to include a teddy bear, chocolates and real Christmas card, instead of the little paper one.  The payment options for Proflowers.com include all major credit cards, PayPal (need I say more?), and a “bill me later” option that I haven’t played with.

If you decide to send flowers for Christmas, you can choose to send flowers directly to your special someone or you have them delivered to you so that you can hand deliver them yourself.  Either way, I recommend that you try Proflowers.com to send Christmas flowers.  Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

Remember: We’re LDS! Single! And, we’re in this together!

Say Something Substantive!
Go beyond standard ‘pick-up’ lines and do more than send a flirt, quick note, smile, spark, etc…Put some effort into crafting your own note.  It doesn’t have to be lengthy, but it has to say more than, “Hi, I’m John/Jane.  I liked your profile (or I think you’re cute).  Tell me more.”  My profiles have pictures of me with  my kids.  The email that I receive the most is: “Cute family! Tell me more.”  I appreciate that my kids are beautiful, but such a statement doesn’t make you stand out any more than my first example.  Emails like that are quickly deleted and not given a another thought.  An important thing to remember here is be yourself; don’t try to be something that you are not

Speak Directly to the Person
Some people will craft a single email letter, and send it to numerous people. I don’t know about you, but I’m generally unimpressed by the lack of effort on the part of an individual when I receive an obvious form letter.  Such lack of effort is rewarded by a lack of response on my part. I mean really, is that all the effort that you want someone to put into getting to know you?  Then, put some effort in getting to know someone.  It’s not really a numbers game (write 10, hear back from 1).  It is more a function of the effort you put forth. Speak directly to what s/he said in her/his ad.  As you are reading the ad, make notes and then directly compliment the things you thought interesting, funny or entertaining.  Some of the online dating sites have a “comment on my profile” box on each page you view; you could just type something that strikes you as you are reading that section.  One caveat: the titles to those are generally generic and may not get read the way a unique title will.  If s/he has a list of “qualifications” in the profile, let her/him know why you feel you meet all those ‘qualifications.’

Titillate a little
Everyone likes to be in the know and we all appreciate it when someone tells us something that may not be common knowledge.  When writing to someone considering sharing more personal information about yourself than is contained in your online profile.  Perhaps you have a unique talent that you didn’t put in your profile and something in his/her profile reminded you of that.  Tell them.

Essential Items
I know this probably sounds like a broken record, but if you want your emails, etc… to have a greater chance of receiving a response, be sure that your profile includes a photo.  It is probably wise to have your profile filled out with more than just, “I’ll fill this in later.”  Just saying.

Be Patient and Be Persistent
Don’t be too upset or anxious if you don’t receive an answer right away.  It could take a little while for someone to get back to you.  We all lead busy lives! You never know but what the person you wrote is out of town, his/her server went down, the computer crashed, the email account for this service is a secondary account and he/she doesn’t check it everyday or they are buried by kids and work.  Give it at least a week after you write to hear back. If, by then, you haven’t heard anything and are still really interested, then write back.  In your second email, briefly mention you’d written before, and highlight the fact that you are really interested.  If a second email doesn’t receive a response, you’re on your own as to whether it is wise to continue to write.  You could find yourself blocked if you come across as a stalker.

Be Positive
Someone shared this example with me, it was an email that she received: ”Hi, my name is Bob. Write back if you’re not a liar or a thief”.   That’s a pretty negative approach and not likely to garner a response.  I read somewhere that ”a pessimist is a person who is seasick during the entire voyage of life.” An initial contact like that would tend to show an attitude of pessimism and negativity.   You may have written hundreds of emails and gotten little response, but remember that you haven’t really written a hundred emails, you have written one email a hundred times.  Does that make sense?  What I mean is that you write to one person at a time and you may have done that one hundred times.  Each person is different and what you say to them is in essence a form of first impression, make it a positive impression.

Be Polite
Along the same lines of making your communications positive, be courteous and polite regardless of the outcome of any correspondence.  Consider including a  closing statement which conveys best wishes for happiness whether the other person chooses to respond to your email or not.  Doing so will say a lot about you.  And, you never know, it may be the one nice thing s/he has heard all day, and be just the thing to trigger a reply!  The idea after all is to have another LDS single reply to your email.

There are wonderful, kind, caring and loving LDS singles out there, and one of them is waiting just for you!  Put some effort into your correspondence, write to the person, be positive, be polite, be patient and be persistent; you will be rewarded. 

Remember: We’re LDS!  We’re Single!  And, we’re all in this together!

The Singles Ward
This affable and heartwarming romantic comedy follows Mormon comedian Jonathan Jordan who, after a painful divorce, returns in a depressed and withdrawn state to his local community. Jonathan is determined not to be cheered up, and avoids all organized singles activities as best he can–until he meets the beautiful and sweet activities director, Cammie. The movie ultimately embraces Mormon values while poking gentle fun at its charming characters. This is the original LDS Singles romantic comedy.
Buy It Now from Amazon.com

Singles 2nd Ward
We all remember the gang from “The Singles Ward” – Jonathan, Cammie, DeVerl, Hyrum, Eldon, Dallen?  Well, some years have gone by and Dallen is the only one who isn’t married.  It’s the morning of Zak’s wedding and everyone has gathered at the temple for the big day.  Before he can go in, he sees his bride come running out of the temple for all she’s worth, throwing an “I’m sorry” over her shoulder.  He promptly goes into a blue funk and takes up his video games again, determined to never leave his chair again.  Dallen in the meantime is feeling lonely.  Most of the guys are married and have a bunch of children, but he’s all alone. He teaches a Mormon Mythology class at BYU, and a beautiful red-head named Christine has just moved in and wants to take his class. He asks her out, they start dating, and become engaged. The only difficulty-she wants a temple marriage and neither of her parents are members. They can’t understand why they can’t see their own daughter get married, and it causes a huge rift in the family. 
Buy It now from Amazon.com  OR   Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Beauty and The Beast: A Latter-Day Tale
Eric Landry is a cold-hearted man that people have nicknamed “the Beast.” Years of anger and bitterness have consumed him, turning him into a selfish man. But, Belle Watson is the exact opposite. She’s caring and kind. She works hard to help her family, often sacrificing her own wants and desires to satisfy the needs of others. When her father accidentally breaks a valuable work of art at the Landry mansion, Belle is thrust into the life of Eric Landry.  And she’s determined to not only prove her worth, but discover what it is that has caused Eric’s sour disposition.  The process is a journey of self discovery for her and Eric. 
Buy It now from Amazon.com  OR   Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Jack Weyland’s Charly
Sam Roberts thinks he has all the answers: the purpose of life, the meaning of love, the plan for a perfect future. Until Charly walks into his life. As different as Salt Lake City and New York City, Sam and Charly are thrown together by circumstance and repelled by differences. He’s scheduled and idealistic. She’s spontaneous and cynical. He’s guarded and practical. She’s open and mischevious. He’s a Mormon. She isn’t. Differences spark interest, though, as Charly finds depth in Sam’s idealism and Sam seeks the vibrance of Charly’s joie de vivre. But all is not smooth in the Rockies, as their relationship accelerates – cultural differences, family issues, former loves and life-altering challenges threaten to shake things up.
 Buy It now from Amazon.com  OR   Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Baptists at our Barbecue
Frustrated by his mother’s attempts to set him up with all the “nice” girls she knows, Tartan, a 29-year old single Mormon, decides to leave Utah for the very first time. He accepts a forest services position in Longwinded, a small town (pop. 558) located somewhere deep in the Southwestern mountains. Upon arriving, Tartan is accosted by the county sheriff regarding his religious affiliation, which he soon learns is the determining factor of his social circle. Longwinded is a town made up of 262 Mormons and 262 Baptists — both groups completely biased against the other — and Tartan is the tiebreaker. Tartan is determined to find a solution to end the hostility between the two groups — especially since Charity, the beautiful visiting niece of a Longwinded resident, is less than eager to make her stay in such a religiously-prejudiced town permanent. 
Buy It now from Amazon.com

Pride and Prejudice
Elizabeth Bennet is a hard-working, intelligent college student who won’t even think about marriage until she graduates. But when she meets Jack Wickham, a good-looking playboy, and Darcy, a sensible businessman, Elizabeth’s determination is put to the test. Will she see through their exteriors and discover their true intentions? Based on Jane Austen’s timeless tale Pride and Prejudice.
Buy It now from Amazon.com  OR   Rent It from Blockbuster.com

Remember: We’re LDS!  We’re Single!  And we’re all in this together!

P.S.  If you are looking for more creative date ideas be sure to check out 101 Creative Dates for LDS Singles and these posts:

Great Date Ideas: The Halloween Date
Great Date Ideas: The Veterans Day Date

“Hey, Dad! LTNS! GTSY!  What’s been happening?  Give us the 411!”

Huh, say what?  Is that English?  The answer is yes, sort of.

Deciphered it says:

“Hey, Dad!  Long Time No See!  Great (or Good) to see you!  What’s been happening?  Give us all the details.”

These acronyms and abbrevations are not only used in chat rooms, you will see them on Twitter, in text messages and they are making their way into emails as well.  The LDS Singles in the chat rooms on LDS Mingle are very friendly and were very willing to decipher acronyms for anyone who didn’t quite understand what is being said.   However, it is a pain to have to constantly ask.  Some of the acronyms are going to be familiar.  There are those, however, who are going to feel like Tom Hanks’ character in “Sleepless in Seattle” who had no clue what his son was trying to say when the boy (or his friend) spoke in acronyms.  So, I thought in the spirit of helpfulness, I’d share with you a list of some commonly used acronyms to help as you make your foray into online chatting.  If you’d like to print this out to use as a reference when you are online, here is a pdf file of these commonly used online acronyms. 

AMBW!  HTH!

Remember: We’re LDS!  We’re single!  And, we’re all in this together!

 
List of Commonly Used Online Acronyms

411  – Information
AAOF – As a matter of fact
ADN – Any day now
AFK  – Away from keyboard
AISI  – As I see it
AMBW  – All my best wishes
ASL – Age, sex, location (also A/S/L)
ATST  – At the same time
B4    – Before
B4N  – Bye for now
BBIAF – Be back in a few
BBL  – Be back later
BBN  – Bye-bye now
B/C – because
BRB – Be right back
BS    – Big Smile
BTW  – By the way
CID  – Consider it done
CSL  – Can’t stop laughing
CTS – Changing the subject
CUL8R – See you later
CWYL  – Chat with you later
DGT  – Don’t go there
DHYB  – Don’t hold your breath
DIKU – Do I know you?
DKDC  – Don’t know, don’t care
EG    – Evil Grin
EOM  – End of message
F2F – Face to face
FCOL – For crying out loud
FOAF  – Friend of a friend
FTTB  – For the time being
FWIW  – For what it’s worth
FYEO – For your eyes only
FYI  – For your information
GAL  – Get a life
GBY – God Bless you
GL    – Good Luck
GMTA – Great minds think alike
GR8  – Great
GTG  – Got to go
GTSY  – Glad to see ya
HAGO  – Have a good one
HAK  – Hugs and Kisses
HB    – Hurry Back
HHOK  – Ha, ha only kidding
HTH  – Hope this helps
IAE  – In any event
IDC – I don’t care
IDGW – In a good way
IDK  – I don’t know
ILY  – I love you
IMHO – In my honest opinion
IMO  – In my opinion
IRL  – In real life
IYSS  – If you say so
J/W  – Just wondering
J/K  – Just Kidding
KIT  – Keep in touch
KWIM  – Know what I mean
L8R – Later
LD    – Long distance
LMBO  – Laughing my butt off
LMK  – Let me know
LOL  – Laughing out loud
LTIC  – Laughing ’til I cry
LTNS  – Long time no see
LYL  – Love ya lots
M8    – Mate
MRS  – Meet real soon
MWBRL – More will be revealed later
MYOB  – Mind your own business
N2M – Not too much
NBD  – No big deal
NOYB  – None of your business
NP    – No problem
OBTW – Oh, by the way
OIC  – Oh I see
ONNA  – Oh no, not again
OOC  – Out of Character
OT    – Off topic
OTOH  – On the other hand
PLZ – Please
POV  – Point of view
RBTL  – Read between the lines
RN    – Right now
ROFL  – Rolling on the floor, laughing
ROFLMBO – Rolling on the floor, laughing my butt off
ROTFL – Rolling on the floor laughing
SF    – Super friendly
STBY – Sucks to be your
STYS  – Speak to you soon
SWDYT – So what do you think
TAH  – Take a hike
THX – Thanks
TIAIL – Think I am in love
TIC  – Tongue in cheek
TM    – Trust me
TMI  – Too much information
TTFN – Ta ta for now
TTYL  – Talk to you later
TYVM  – Thank you very much
URAQT – You are a cutie!
VM    – Voice mail
WE    – Whatever
WG    – Wicked grin
WTG – Way to go
WYRN  – What’s your real name
WYSIWYG – What you see is what you get
YAFI  – You asked for it
YDKM  – You don’t know me
YNK  – You never know
? – huh?
*G* – grin
*H* – hug
*K* – kiss
*S* – smile
*W* – wink

YOUR LDS MINGLE PROFILE

A profile on LDS Mingle is broken up into sections.  The introduction, basic information, about me, fun facts, match preferences, the essays, and of course photos!

The first major portion of your profile is the Introduction.  In this section you tell people a little about yourself in your own words.  Remember, this section combined with your picture goes a long ways towards giving people insight into who you really are.  This is where your personality should and does come out as you tell people the things that you think they ought to know about you.  Take some time. Put some thought into what you put here.  (This section is easily edited, so write. Read, rewrite, etc…until you are happy with what is written.)

Basic information
This includes a member’s: Gender, Location, Age and an indication of the type of relationship that you are looking for by selecting from dates, friends, or marriage (gasp!)

About Me
By selecting from drop down lists and checking those that apply a member shares: height, build, hair and eye color, relationship status (No, “separated” is not an option! It is an LDS online dating site!).  The about me section also includes information about: your occupation, education level, how frequently you attend church, temple status, what languages you speak, your ethnicity and whether you served a mission or not and if so, where.  LDS Mingle asks you to indicate whether you have children or not and whether you would like more or not.  I know that having kids and whether or not you want more can be a deal breaker for some people, I personally hate this question. I think that is a very personal question and is better prayerfully discussed rather than put on the front page of an online profile. But, that is just me!

Fun Facts
The fun facts section is about your interests and the way that you spend you times.  This section ask you to quickly describe yourself and to share musical taste, movie and television likes, the types of outdoor activities you enjoy, what other activities you enjoy, how punctual you are, how trendy you are, what type of food you like, your favorite restaurants, your political leanings, and what schools you’ve attended.  Some of these items you choose from a list, others you list yourself.

Match Preferences
Is used to identify the kind of person you are looking for on LDS Mingle.  You can and should review your preferences often, this helps with the two-way matching they do to put people into the recent match section of your homepage.  You indicate your preference by age, location, height, body type, education, relationship status, church activity, temple status, mission, and ethnicity.  For each of these you can indicate how important each individual characteristic is to you (not important, desirable, somewhat important, important or very important).  You can choose whether you are shown matches by how closely they match your criteria, if matches are emailed to you and whether or not your match criteria appears on your profile or not.

Essays
LDS Mingle gives you the opportunity to let your personality show through in more than just the introduction.  There are 6 essay questions that you can give answers to which will tell other members more about you and what you are looking for.  Those questions include: the top three things I enjoy doing; the three things I least enjoy doing; If I had ten million dollars, I would; describe my perfect day; the area that I need the most improvement in; a few more things I would like to add.  These essays are easily edited, so that you can change them and the impression that you leave people with as they visit your profile.
  

Photos
A profile on LDS Mingle (as with other online dating sites) can, and should, if you are serious about meeting people, a profile photo and a photo album.  A profile picture is one of the key elements in making your profile more appealing to those browsing and search profiles. The guidelines for posting a profile picture on LDS Mingle are:
recent photo of you (duh!) distinctly shown and modestly clothed
no cartoons, graphics, collages, photos of celebrities or swimsuit photos
photos should be JPG, GIF, PNG or BMP format that is between 40KB and 5MB

LDS Mingle reviews all the photos which are posted within 48 hours of being uploaded and they reserve the right to remove any photos they feel are not appropriate or violate the guidelines.  And, speaking from personal viewing experience, the photos on LDS Mingle are usually very tasteful and modest!  I personally appreciate that.

One quick note: You can customize the theme (color scheme) for the pages that you view.  The choices are interesting and don’t really make much difference in the experience.  I changed mine to the passion fruit theme.  It thought it was a little brighter.

NAVIGATING LDS MINGLE

The Dashboard on your home page makes LDS Mingle simple, easy and fun to navigate.  From your homepage (or from anywhere on the site) you can quickly navigate to all the features of this site.  You navigate by selecting from four main areas:

• Your Home Page
• Connect: Inbox, Chat, IM, Message Boards
• Search: Quick Search, Username Search, Advanced Search, Who’s Online, Photo Shuffle, Recently Updated, Photo Gallery, “Think You’d Click?”, Today’s Birthdays, Question of the Week.
• My Profile: (primarily for editing purposes) Basic Information, About Me, Fun Facts, Match Preferences, Essays, Color Code, Photos, Question of the Week.

CONNECT WITH OTHER LDS MINGLE MEMBERS
Above and beyond the normal ways of connecting with people that other online dating sites offer (mail, flirts, message boards and instant messaging), LDS Mingle offers its members the opportunity to connect directly with other members in real-time in their chat rooms.  There are 5 chat rooms available: a Main Room and then four rooms broken down by age group (20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s).  In the several weeks that I have been using the chat rooms, I have found the people who frequent them to be very friendly and quick to help you learn the chat room lingo (it’s like texting, there’s a “speak”) and how the rooms work.  The rooms are really easy to use though if you’re not paying attention, it can quickly become very difficult to follow the conversations when there are a lot of people in the room and several different topics being discussed simultaneously.  LDS Mingle does provide one basic guideline for using the chat feature: “Member engaging in sexual, vulgar, abusive, or inappropriate behavior in chat and IM will be deleted from the site.”  LDS Mingle scans chat and IM conversations and encourages its users to report inappropriate behavior.  I’m mentioned it before, but I’ll repeat it here: the message boards and chat rooms are a great way to get to “know” someone without the “risk” of contacting them directly.  (A quick note: I’ve complained in some of my other online dating site reviews about not having pictures when reading messages, LDS Mingle doesn’t have this problem.)

SEARCHING WITH LDS MINGLE
Searching for your match on LDS Mingle isn’t as complex or complicated as other sites.  Realistically, there are only three true search options offered by this site:  quick search, username search, and an advanced search
The quick search allows you to search for someone of a specific gender and age range.  You can determine whether you want to include keywords in your search (and no, a search for “root beer” didn’t net me any results) and whether the results show only members with photos.
The advanced search (do I really need to discuss a username search?) allows you to add additional parameters to your quick search.  For instance: where someone lives, height, ethnicity, education, relationship status, body type, whether they served a mission or not, current temple status, church activity level, and whether or not they have children or not.  This search also allows you to narrow your search to people who have recently been active and how recently their profile was created.
Despite having limited, though effective, search options, LDS Mingle does have quite a few “browsing” options.  You can browse who’s online, you can check out random photos based on an age range of the opposite gender, you can check out profiles that have recently been updated in someway (new photos, new essays, or updated information), you can view the latest member photos filtered by gender, age range and how recently the photo was posted.  Another interesting “search” category is the “Think You’d Click?” feature.  The idea is that LDS Mingle randomly shows you profiles of the opposite gender within an age range and you indicate whether or not you are interested (no, maybe, yes).  When you select “yes” LDS Mingle confidentially finds out if that person might be interested in you as well.  If there is mutual interest they will “introduce” you with a Click! alert.  Don’t worry with this feature, it’s not just about looking at the photos and making your indication.  The process shows part of the profile and gives you the option of seeing more of the profile before you make your selection.
The final “search” category allows you to see who might be having a birthday today.  If you see someone you know (or someone you’d like to know), you can then opt to send them a card.  (For more information about the cards see below)

FLIRTING ON LDS MINGLE
There are several ways to flirt with other LDS Mingle members and I thought I would quickly highlight these because for the Guest Members these flirts are the only way you can contact other LDS MINGLE singles in whom you are interested while you are trying the site out.  However, if that person emails you back, all you are going to know it that you received an email you won’t be able to know who sent it or even read the email.  (So, if there is someone you really like, you are going to have to join.  The Flirts on LDS Mingle are broken down into three categories: sparks, smiles, and cards.

• Sparks are designed to begin a dialogue with another member.  They are questions you send which have a list of possible answers. The sparks are broken down into the following topics: analogies, comparisons and metaphors; casual; dreams/wishes; opinion/taste; personality; practical/financial; seasonal; situational; and Dating/Relationship.
• Smiles are little notes that help you quickly and briefly communicate something to another member.  The smiles you send can be casual (Hey, What’s up?), Flirty (How YOU doin?), about sending and receiving emails, about profile photos, a pick up line (Cupid called.  He says to tell you he needs my heart back), about their profile, a response to something another said (I’m flattered.  Thank You.), to tell you more about them, a Thank you (Thanks for the smile, it made my day!) or about getting together (Can I take you out to dinner?).
• The cards are creative graphics (they’ve actually put a lot of time into designing them) with customizable messages.  You can send cards for special occasions like Birthdays, the seasons and Holidays, to express care and concern and to say thank you.  There are cards for expressing friendship, love and just to flirt.  The Pick up Line cards are funny.  And being the movie buff that I am, I like the Movie Quote Pick Up Line Cards: “I think I’d miss you even if we’d never met!” (The Wedding Date)

EVENTS
LDS Mingle posts notification of LDS singles events on your homepage.  These events include things like Singles Cruises, Dances, and Singles Conferences.  I did notice that many of the events listed seem to be located in the mountain west or California; that may simply be reflective of the general population of the site or who is actively posting to the event board.  (If you are aware of an event that you think might be of interest to other LDS Mingle members, you can post the event yourself.)

PROFILE MATCHING

LDS Mingle offers its members the opportunity to take the Color Code Personality Test.   The intent of the color Code Personality Test is to define what makes motivates you (makes you tick).  The different colors have different motivations. I’m a blue and therefore my core motivation is intimacy.  That’s not physical intimacy; I need connection – the sharing of rich, deep emotions that bind people together. Reds core motivation is power, for whites it is peace and for yellows it is fun. (As a note, I took the Color Code Personality Test years ago at a seminar that I was at.  I was a Blue then as well.  The author maintains that your core color is intrinsic and doesn’t change.  There seems to be some evidence of that in my retaking it more than a decade later.)   Taking the Color Code Personality Test is totally voluntary.  While the test is a series of comparative questions, it’s relatively easy and takes just about 15 minutes. After taking the Color Code Personality Test, you can see how you and other members who have taken the test would match up.  LDS Mingle provides a message board where you can discuss your colors and ask questions about the Color Code.  If you would like to learn more about the Color Code and its author, you can also visit the Color Code Website.

COOL EXTRAS BY LDS MINGLE

There are a couple of other things that LDS Mingle does which separates it from some of the other LDS sites.  The first of which is that LDS Mingle has set up a beta version for mobile viewing.  As a member of LDS Mingle, from your phone, and thus anywhere that you have service, you can read messages, view friends, search profiles, send mail, view matches and play with the “Think You’d Click? feature.  You can have LDS Mingle send you a text every time that you receive an email.  As an additional feature -or separate if you prefer- to the phone browser viewing, you can elect to receive a text message anytime that you receive mail, a smile, a card, a profile, an IM and/or a “Mutual Yes Alert.”

ANNOYANCES

The big glaring annoyance with LDS Mingle is how busy the pages are, especially the homepage.  Take a look at the screenshot again.  Talk about visual overload.  There are advertisements (I will rant about those in a minute), profile activity, matching information and pictures, your links, searches, friends, events…ahhhh!  I wish they’d tone it down just a little bit.  The other thing that annoys me is the placement of the pages.  Why can’t they be centered?  Why do they have to be all the way left? (Am I being too picky?)

As with the other sites I’ve reviewed, a really bothersome issue with LDS Mingle is the third party advertisements (sponsored links they call them) that are placed throughout the site.  I appreciate that by having those links, the site is able to offer memberships at a more reasonable price.  However, the placement of them, especially on the homepage is irksome at best and as annoying as fingers on a chalkboard at worst; especially with the homepage being so busy already.  I also really don’t enjoy reading someone’s profile with a big ad taking up half the introduction page.

SIGNING UP FOR LDS MINGLE

There are several subscription options to choose from.  You can choose to sign up on a month by month basis for $14.99 with a monthly renewal at the same price.  You can pre-pay 3 months in advance for $35.97 with a monthly renewal rate of $11.99.  You may also go for the gusto and pre-pay 6 months for $59.94 (a 33% savings from the monthly subscription) with a monthly renewal rate at the end of the 6 months of $9.99.

The payment options are not as limited as some of the other sites that I have reviewed.  You can pay by credit card, by mail (if you pay six months) and, by Pay-Pal (Wahoo!). Both the pay by mail and the pay-pal option require that you select the 6 month option and subsequent renewal rate.  (And just in case you are brazen enough to not only believe that one of your single friends should be using online dating, but have the moxie to get them there, you can buy them a gift subscription using with above options!)

Despite my frustrations with LDS Mingle, I enjoyed the reviewing the site.  With all of the features, it took me a little longer than I wanted it to. I really enjoyed the chat rooms (so, you may catch me there sometime) the people were really fun and it was a great way to make friends.  And after the initial learning curve, I was able to maneuver around pretty easily.  I don’t know if I would have thought that LDS Mingle was so complicated, it I hadn’t reviewed it after I reviewed LDS Planet.  (Planet is by far a cleaner and easier to use site.)  I love some of the features that LDS Mingle offers that her competitors don’t (the chat rooms for instance and the Cards).  I’d easily recommend LDS Mingle to anyone who wants to have online dating as part of their repertoire for finding their eternal companion.

Click here if you are ready to try LDS Mingle out for yourself.

Remember:  We’re LDS! We’re single! And, we’re all in this together!

Related Posts:

LDS Singles Online Review
LDS Planet Review
7 Best Online Dating Sites for LDS Singles

Given that, I was a little less than anxious to open an email from my sister with the subject line: “Lessons of Giving Thanks!”  I’m now glad that I did and more importantly, I’m glad that I read the story that she shared.  So much so in fact, that I thought I would share the story with you.

Lessons of Giving Thanks
 
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door.  Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole that from her.
 
During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren’t enough, her husband’s company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come for the holiday. Then Sandra’s friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. She has no idea what I’m feeling, thought Sandra with a shudder. Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?  She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her?  For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?
 
“Good afternoon, can I help you?” The shop clerk’s approach startled her.
 
“I….I need an arrangement,” stammered Sandra.
 
“For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving “Special?” asked the shop clerk. “I’m convinced that flowers tell stories,” she continued. “Are you looking for something that conveys ‘gratitude’ this Thanksgiving?”
 
“Not exactly!” Sandra blurted out. “In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.” Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, “I have the perfect arrangement for you.”
 
Just then the shop door’s small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, “Hi, Barbara…let me get your order.” She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.
 
“Want this in a box?” asked the clerk.
 
Sandra watched for the customer’s response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. “Yes, please,” Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. “You’d think after three years of getting the ’special’, I wouldn’t be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again,” she said as she gently tapped her chest. And she left with her order.
 
“Uh,” stammered Sandra, “that lady just left with, uh….she just left with no flowers!”
 
“Right,” said the clerk, “I cut off the flowers. That’s the ‘Special’. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.”
 
“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me someone is willing to pay for that!” exclaimed Sandra.
 
“Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today,” explained the clerk. “She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery.”
 
“That same year I had lost my husband,” continued the clerk, “and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.”
 
“So what did you do?” asked Sandra.
 
“I learned to be thankful for thorns,” answered the clerk quietly. “I’ve always thanked God for the good things in my life and never questioned the good things that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask questions! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the ‘flowers’ of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God’s comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we’re afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others.”
 
Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. “I guess the truth is I don’t want comfort. I’ve lost a baby and I’m angry with God.” Just then someone else walked in the shop.
 
“Hey, Phil!” shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.
 
“My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving Special…. 12 thorny, long-stemmed stems!” laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.
 
“Those are for your wife?” asked Sandra incredulously. “Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?”
 
“No…I’m glad you asked,” Phil replied. “Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord’s grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from “thorny” times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific “problem” and give thanks for what that problem taught us.” As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, “I highly recommend the Special!”
 
“I don’t know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life.” Sandra said. “It’s all too…fresh.”
 
” Well,” the clerk replied carefully, “my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God’s providential care more during trouble than at any other time.  Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don’t resent the thorns.”
 
Tears rolled down Sandra’s cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. “I’ll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please,” she managed to choke out.
 
“I hoped you would,” said the clerk gently. “I’ll have them ready in a minute.”
 
“Thank you. What do I owe you?”
 
“Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year’s arrangement is always on me.” The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. “I’ll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first.”
 
It read: “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the difficulties I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have drawn closer to You  along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant.”

There are some valuable lessons in this story.  For me personally, it was a not so gentle reminder that through his experiences in Gethsemane and on the Cross the Savior has endured many of the “thorns” my life, (ironically while wearing his own crown of thorns) so that I don’t have to experience them quite so harshly or fully.  For which I am eternally and unfathomably grateful.   Contemplating that led me to see more and more things for which I am grateful; not the least of which is the gratitude I feel for the Savior, his teachings, his mission, his sufferings and his sacrifices.  It doesn’t change the fact that I’m single.  But, being LDS gives me greater understanding and thereby a greater sense of gratitude.  And truly, that makes all the difference.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember: We’re LDS!  We’re Single!  And, we’re all in this together!

1. (Look at his / her shirt label) When they ask, “What are you doing?” respond with, “Checking to see if you were made in heaven.”
2. Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see around here”
3. Do you consider yourself prayerful?  ‘Cause you are the answer to my prayers!
4. Can I borrow your cell phone? I want to call my mom and tell her I just met the girl of my dreams.
5. Excuse me; can you please give me directions…to your heart?
6. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?
7. Did they just take you out of the oven? Because you are hot!
8. Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?
9. Do you have a map? I just got lost in your eyes.
10. Do you know why the sky is so gray? All the blue is in your eyes.
11. Do your legs hurt from running through my dreams all night?
12. Don’t stop! I don’t usually get to see beauty in motion.
13. Falling for you would be a very short trip.
14. Hershey factories make millions of kisses a day, but I’m asking for only one from you.
15. I can’t find my puppy; can you help me find him? I think he might be wandering the temple grounds.
16. I hope you know CPR, ’cause you take my breath away.
17. I lost my phone number. Can I have yours?
18. I suffer from amnesia. Do I come here often?
19. I think I’ve just found the angel I would like to be touched by.
20. What’s your parent’s phone number? I want to call your mother and thank her.
21. It is a good thing I have a library card, because I’m checking you out.
22. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.
23. If you were a new hamburger at McDonald’s, you would be the McGorgeous.
24. Is it hot in here or is it just you?
25. Is your name Summer? ‘Cause you are HOT!
26. Mind if I talk to you until it’s safe down there where I farted?
27. My name is [your name]. That’s so you know what to thank God for in your prayers tonight.
28. Hey!  Remember me? Oh, that’s right; I’ve only met you in my dreams.
29. There must be something wrong with my eyes, because I can’t take them off you.
30. That must be the new space suit NASA is testing, ’cause you are out of this world!
31. Which is your favorite temple?  I need to know which sealing room to reserve.
32. When God said, “Let there be woman,” He created you.
33. You don’t need car keys to drive me crazy.
34. You look a lot like my future wife.
35. You’re so fine, you make me want to go out and get a job.
36. Your name must be Visa; because you’re everywhere I want to be.
37. Your daddy must be a thief, because he stole the sparkle of the stars and put it in your eyes.
38. Ask “What’s your favorite temple?”  When they respond say, “That’s nice, because you’re mine!”
39. I was sure that I’d feel the spirit at this meeting, but I never thought I’d see an angel!
40. Last night I went outside, and for every star I saw I said something I like about you.  But then, I ran out of stars.
41. Excuse me, but my Liahona points to you!
42. Are you a Gadianton Robber?  Because you just stole my heart!
43. If you were a vegetable, I’d want you to be my sweet pea!
44. Could you pinch me?  I think you might just be a good dream.
45. If stars fell every time I thought of you, the sky would be empty.
46. Ask him/her “Would you mind holding something for me?” If s/he answers affirmatively, put your hand in his/hers and say, “Thanks!”
47. I’m not an environmentalist, but if you were a tree, I’d quickly become a tree-hugger.
48. Ask him/her “What time is it?”  When s/he answers say, “Thanks – I want to remember forever the time I met you.”
49. Are you a parking ticket?  Because you have fine written all over you!
50. What’s a celestial girl like you doing in a telestial place like this?
51. If I were a gardener, I’d put your tulips next to mine!
52. If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone as beautiful as you, I’d have exactly five cents.
53. Are you lost? Because heaven is a long ways from here!
54. Can I take your picture?  I want to show Santa what I want for Christmas.
55. What’s your name?  I need to know who to be grateful for in my prayers tonight.

If you decide to use any of these, you do so at your own risk.

Remember: We’re LDS!  We’re Single!  And, we’re all in this together!

Click to enlarge

As you can tell from the screenshot (click to enlarge), this isn’t just the ability to search profiles for a specific keyword.  You can refine your keyword search to a particular age group, the gender, and how far someone lives from you.  I don’t know about you, but, personally I’m not looking for a long distance relationship.  (It’s tough even admitting I might actually be looking for a realtionship at all.)  So it doesn’t bother me in the least, that LDS Planet limits the distance parameters to 25, 50, or 100 miles.  If, however, you are looking for other LDS Singles that are further away from you than that, then the keyword search may not be for you.  To help you out, LDS Planet also given lists some choices of popular keyword searches that you can try.  These include: travel, dancing, movies, sense of humor, hiking, dining out and pets.

Click to enlarge

Obviously, if you have been reading this blog for very long, you know that I am an avid fan of rootbeer.  So, I used rootbeer as my first keyword search.  I thought that I would find out if there were any women, ages 38-43 within 100 miles of Salt Lake City who were fond enough of rootbeer to put it into their profile. As you can see from the screenshot, the message from LDS Planet was that I need to open up my possibilities.  (What do they know?)  Next I tried a differnet age group 32-37; same answer.  I tried again with the next older age group and finally with the “of any age” and got the same response each time.  Luckily,  having a potential partner be a rootbeer fanatic is not a deal breaker.

At the time I am writing this, I was thinking that Mexican sounded like a good idea for lunch, so I thought that I would search for women (incidentally, I always search for women), ages 38-43 within a 100 miles of Salt Lake City who like Mexican food enough to list it in their profile.  This search was much more successful.  It netted me three pages of result (approximately 30 individuals).  Which was awesome, until I started looking at the pages of profiles.  The last 2 pages (or 20 results) were of women who had not logged in to LDS Planet in over 30 days.

I tried a few other of my own keyword searches with similar results.  I even tested it with a keyword that was specific to the profile of the woman who sent me the message this morning to see if the keyword search was accurate.  Indeed, it is.

Finally, I gave the keyword suggestions that LDS Planet provides a spin.  I quickly discovered that whatever other parameters you want included in your search you should select first.  So if you want to find women, ages 38-43 who like movies within 25 miles of where you live, then select those options prior to clicking on “movies.”  (For you ladies, if you are looking for a man, age 32-37 who lives within 50 miles of you who enjoys hiking, then make those selections before selecting “hiking”).  I was actually happy to discover that the other criteria apply.

I will admit that I was a little leery about trying out the keyword search.  Mainly because the way that LDSSingles.com does their keyword search it creates little hyperlinks on the profiles of all the members.  And if you will remember from my review of LDS Singles, that was a huge annoyance to me.  I am happy to say however, that is not the case with LDS Planet; they have seamlessly incorporated the keyword search.  Kudos to them.

Now, that being said.  The issues I have with the keyword search are two and they are pretty minor.  I’m sure that I mentioned in my initial review of LDS Planet that not having the ability to define my own age group rather than select from predetermined ones or the ubiquitous “of any age” was an annoyance.  (If I didn’t I should have.)  That annoyance carries over to the keyword search feature as well; but admittedly it’s minor.  The other annoyance that I have is that I would like the option to filter out inactive profiles and perhaps profiles with no photos either.  Again, however, these are minor annoyances and don’t really affect the overall quality and enjoyment of the keyword search.

Really, you can have a lot of fun with the keyword search.  I wasted the better part of an hour just playing around.  For instance it was eye opening to read what women within 100 miles had to say about spiders!!  So, wanna have some fun and learn more about LDS Singles within a short distance of you?  Then head over to LDS Planet and check out the keyword search!

Remember: We’re LDS!  We’re Single!  And, we’re all in this together!

LDS Planet Review
LDS Singles Online Review
7 Best Online Dating Sites for LDS Singles