Somewhere in February I mentioned that I was partaking in a challenge with JustSingles.com called #3dates3mths where I had to get creative with three ways to find a date. Since then I have went speed dating in a nightclub with Blink 182 fans and guys that appreciate a girl who wears Converse on a night out. Then we had that time I went to yet another night club, but this time it was a vegan café during the day in an attempt to bag myself a hot, single and straight vegan man.

But now I have the final challenge, which was to find love through the JustSingles.com website. And just yesterday I went for an actual date with a guy I had been speaking to online (we'll call him Eric, which isn't his name but privacy and such - I slyly answered the 'what do you like to do?' question with netball, food and gigs rather than 'Well I narrate my life on the internet and tomorrow I SHALL BE WRITING ABOUT YOU!').

Like a lot of people and their ego I've always found online dating a bit, well, yeah. Despite having met some very close friends through the world wide web the idea of making up a profile that essentially went 'I've given up hope finding love within my social circles so I'm going to do it on my laptop instead' didn't feel very 'me'. I like being single and believe it's a magical time for self-discovery, filling you time with 300 hobbies and starfishing on one's bed. There's much worse things in life than being single and I've never actively looked for love.

But hey, I'm a 'try anything once' gal and this sounded like fun. Unlike my other challenges this one didn't involve a nightclub (though a nightclub is a perfectly acceptable venue for a date imo) but instead we met up for a simple coffee (Starbucks on Buchanan Street for particulars). A trip to Starbucks wouldn't make my heart flutter if I was going a date with someone I was already acquainted with but for a date with someone I only knew through my Plusnet connection it was simple and non-committal. If I decided after 10 minutes I'd rather be in bed nursing my hangover, I could down my latte (soya milk, shot of caramel) and mutter something about my leg hurting because I had drunkenly fallen down some steps in The Garage the night before and needed to rest my leg (which I wish was a pathetic excuse, but this really happened on Saturday night). But if I felt we were clicking I could order some other fancy coffee and agree to head out for some proper date activity.

Truthfully, I decided after an hour to nurse my hangover back my flat (alone). But I didn't quickly down my coffee either. We chatted. We learnt more about each other besides what we had written in on our profiles. But Eric and I didn't click on that level however we still had a good chat about where's he from (Spain, which I didn't realise until we met, his name - both Eric and his real one - didn't suggest anything non-British) and how much I loved eating. He was still a nice chap who some other singleton should be happy to go for coffee with. He wasn't creepy. He wasn't desperate. And I'm still alive. He was a perfectly normal bloke. (My biggest fear about online dating was my impressive ability to attract the weird ones)

Whilst this date won't be prompting my mum to start eyeing up hats in Marks & Spencer's, I'm now a lot less cynical about the whole internet dating thing. If you're looking for something real then I'll let you know that about 90% of the guys I came across were seriously looking for something special, and very few were looking for a casual encounter. I've spoken to three other guys aside from Eric who were all after a real romance and I haven't received one perverted slur in the three months I've been on the site.

This post does conclude the #3dates3mths challenge but I actually have the account until later in the summer and will continue to roll with it, so you never know guys, I might eventually be back with a further update further down the line.

Morag x

You probably know my negative viewpoints on cleanses but I enjoyed this piece on cleansing as a couple.

This should be the rules of all sidewalks, NYC or not.

The difference between should and must.

Would I go on Big Brother? No. Would I be a glamour model? No. Would I get a boob job? No. Would I leg it to an abortion centre if I woke up pregnant tomorrow? Yes. This, this, this and this explains why anyone who is truthfully pro-choice should support Josie Cunningham, or any woman seeking an abortion, regardless of their reasons.

Five quick grammar tips that are a bit different. (which answered, in a way I understood, when to use that or which)

Around the world in 80 diets.

Laci Green is awesome and I love her videos but her most recent is all kind of awesome!

What it's like to name products for a living.

I had never seen the new but much hated Cadillac advert (probably because I'm not American) until now, however it was terrible but the Ford spoof is brilliant.

I also pledge to not link Buzzfeed but I can't help it. Here is this week's best find: 29 life changing quesadillas you need to know about.

When parents attempt to text.

4 ways parents teach their kids that consent doesn't matter

There's a week long vegan bake sale starting tomorrow (and I still need to research if there's a G-town one happening)

The Vegan Kind has announced they will be starting a Beauty Box soon!

This is relatively new to me so I can't say if this is factual but I'm planning to do more research on whether paper bags are just as damaging as plastic bags.

Another Buzzfeed post, this time for adventurous cooks: weed guacamole and olive oil.

Know when to walk away.

Creative wedding RSVP response cards.

Morag x

Something new on the subscription box market: My Geek Box

Some people still don't realise how common vibrators are.

What's the best record store in the UK?

There's a Jurassic Park themed Taiwanese restaurant in Los Angeles.

A study on the beard trend (because beards really are a great question of life)

I hadn't heard of half these films but here's a list of the scariest bunnies in pop culture

19 creamy and delicious vegan pasta recipes (that avocado one is so my dinner this weekend)

If you're given grief for being child-free from someone who is vehemently anti-tattoo then this is for you to print off and hand over to that person.

Florida is my favourite American state (okay, I've only been to four and they were all over a decade ago) but there's so much more to it than theme parks.

An American digital agency released the results of their blogger survey - and I agree with every single word.

Jen has a few words about growing up online.

Instagram nail art accounts you need to follow.

Morag x

This week I finally finished watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had always been a fan but had never seen all the episodes and made it my goal over a year ago to go through all seven seasons whilst also watching Angel, as needed, in between (always set your goals high, kids). And last week I was in Lush for the first time in ages - after months of forcing myself to try other bands and such - and just felt strongly compelled to buy the Buffy Body Butter. I didn't really care about the smell, what it did or how much it was, I just knew I wanted to buy it. Because of its name.

(I've also seen it be called Buffy the Backside Slayer on American sites hahahahaha)

The product itself is a solid body butter which is used in the shower. It also has very small exfoliators that I didn't realise were there until I started using it. The main ingredients are lavender oil, cocoa butter and shea butter so it super moisturising but also has a chocolatey smell to it. It had a very similar effect to baby oil whilst in the shower in the way that the water would almost sit on my skin (or the same affect when running water over an oily pan) and my skin almost had a layer of protection over it. My skin is super soft after using this but unfortunately that somewhat chocolatey smell put me off as I'm more a light floral gal and whilst one of the best things about using a Lush product is the after-smell in the bathroom I just can't quite say this ticks that box for me.

Pros: skin really really soft, shares a name with one the greatest tv shows ever known

Cons: makes my shower smell of chocolate.

Willow was my fav anyway.

Morag x

Saturday afternoon I took a small stroll up to The Flying Duck on Renfield Street for their Vegan Fete. I had seen posters for this the few times I have been in The Flying Duck but hadn't looked into it until Karris advertised her attendance through her Vegan Kind Facebook Page.

I've been The Flying Duck a few times, but mainly to the club at night which meat-eating friends are more inclined to attend (and you get free toast at the end of the night). I hadn't really had much chance to try their food or attend any events. I already knew The Vegan Kind would be there but I also got to sample some treats from Missy's Vegan Cupcakes, an Easter egg from Considerit Chocolates and some sushi created by The Flying Duck itself. And I stopped by the Vegan Society for Glasgow and Edinburgh and was educated a bit more on what commonly found brands are vegan (even those that aren't intentionally so) and also picked up some leaflets for their restaurant trips.

I also decided to grab a quick bite to eat in the café itself - the restaurant does have a 'okay to eat here yourself vibe'. The menu is definitely on the 'bar food' side (not somewhere to take someone if you're looking for a slap-up meal somewhere) but is all cheaply priced especially given that it's a niché place. Though they do use quite a few substitutes rather than foods that are naturally vegan - annoying if you're trying to navigate veganism with a soya intolerance.

Me and Karris were having a chat about veganism and how great it is that it's gaining mainstream acceptance just like vegetarianism, and how the past year alone has been a great year for vegans. I also loved how many different types of people were there, and how many of them didn't fit a hipster or hippie stereotype.

The Vegan Fete was a one day thing but apparently the last few have went well and they're looking to increase the regularity of them. Keep an eye on The Flying Duck Facebook page in order to hear about forthcoming dates.

If you've ever had opinions on engagement rings you can take part in this survey.

I remember a campaign to get a sushi joint in Dundee back in 2010, and now we're getting it.

This week in 'blogs that need more followers' is Amanda's Blog.

How to tell the difference between flirting and sexual harassment.

15 zoomed out photos of famous landmarks.

A quick vegan guide to Glasgow.

You won't catch me doing a juice cleanse anytime soon, but perhaps a Ramen cleanse? (Kidding, cause of the vegan thing)

42 things all noughties teens will remember. (Also: great new blog find of the week)

Very important history lesson: the history of the Converse sneaker.

Kate from Gh0stparties has some very wise words for flat-hunting of the rented variety.

I didn't know there was so much to know about periods, but The Period Store's company blog has completely sucked me in (and from a marketing point of view this is content marketing done perfectly - on what is a narrow topic)

In case you didn't spot it, today was national sibling day. Back in 2007 some only children tried to get an Only Child Awareness Day going (but it didn't seem to go anywhere).

A quick guide to growing lavender.

To eat/adapt this weekend: macaroni cheese waffles.

One of uni dance team pals is now a freelance fitness instructor and his Facebook page is full of sensible and realistic non-faddy health tips which are right up my street. No juice cleanses here!

International fashion blog find of the week.

Check Cosmetics helps you work out the expiration date of make-up that's sitting at the back of your closet.

15 common mistakes designers make 

What to do if a prospect client threatens to badmouth you? Or anyone, really.

Looks like I'm not the only blogger getting green-fingered recently.

Ladybird Likes is getting their independent jewellery pieces added to next pay days wishlist.

Morag x

The best fucking thing I've read in ages sums up exactly how I feel about a certain Marilyn Monroe quote.

I'm not sure if the UK has a similar law but I thought I'd bring it to my American readers attention that your employer can't demand you don't discuss your pay with colleagues.

The biggest chortle on the internet this week: Copenhagen Zoo kills four healthy staff members to make way for new employees (satire news site guys).

More chortle, but this time from my old university: police called to to Dundee library over noise disturbance.

You'd probably guess I'm not all that huge on the Grand National.

I never watched How I Met Your Mother much but always appreciated the inclusion of a positively-portrayed child-free woman in mainstream TV.

Some nail art for the musically inclined.

Something weird to eat: seaweed cupcake wrappers

A guide to tofu variations.

Indoor plants which are hard to kill

5 really bad reasons to start a blog

Living with autism as an adult.

A beer lovers guide to Glasgow.

10 painfully obvious truths.

13 things I'd buy purely for the beautiful packaging.

NYC has a guide to the best places to cry within its city border.

Did you know you can feng shui your vagina? Yeah...

I like Justine Musk's words on the ban bossy campaign (for the record, I'm indifferent)

I love teen-movies and I loved this interview with the creator of Beyond Clueless.

If you've donated to Lady Gaga's charity it might be worth knowing that the money might not have been actually donated.

I've spent far too much time today watching Darren Hayes judge Australian Idol.

10 steps to surviving your first autopsy. Just in case...

Morag x

It's taken me over a fortnight to get round to it but believe me this restaurant/blog post was worth the wait. What I'm going to introduce you to is one of the best restaurants I've stuffed my face at within Glasgow so far. I say introduce as this isn't a city centre or West End bitty, but something nestled a little bit deeper into the southside in the Queens Park/Battlesfield area and fucking delicious.

It's a small, black in decor, Greek and is called Frosoullas.
 




Because my mum had went for the 'Sunday Roast' menu she got a dessert included in the price and I wasn't going to sit and watch her stuff her face so I ordered my own (on her paycheck hehehe). Whilst she opted for the basic chocolate cake, I decide to holla at the Kataifi (again, I never knew of such a thing) - the best way I can describe it is a sweet and nutty tasting version shredded wheat (this is why I'm not a food writer).

Morag x