His first dinner at your place. (From The Editor).(Brief Article)(Editorial)

* Most of us seem to be staying in a little more these days, but that doesn't mean that we're holed up with our knitting needles. We're relaxing and pampering ourselves at home and also entertaining there, which can be loads of fun and so much more intimate than the party or bar scene. If you're dying to do your own dinner for eight but are nervous as hell about pulling it off, check out "How to Host a Dazzling Dinner Party," on page 188.

One of the trickiest dinner parties is the first one you do for a new guy. You want to dazzle him, not scare him to death. A Cosmo colleague told me a painful story the other day: A friend invited over a guy she was hoping to get more serious with. She whipped up an elaborate four-course candlelit meal and even included a printed menu at his place setting. Under dessert, it read "At your discretion." He flew out of there right after the main course. I winced when I heard it because I can remember the time I went overboard.

So how do you strike the right balance? Here, a few Cosmo readers share their tips on how to make a guy feel totally at ease chez vous.

"I've found that guys get totally freaked out when they walk into a completely candlelit lair. Keep the lights low, but not too low. You don't want to push that kind of intimacy right off the bat."

--Stacia, 28

"The most uncomfortable moment is when he first gets there and you're scurrying around, trying to get things ready for dinner. I suggest that he play deejay and put some ...