As girls, we always try to figure out what signals a perfect guy. No one is perfect, but there are clues that signal that a guy can be a keeper and it’s not the usual qualities you look for in a guy.

1. A man that can help in the kitchen, instead of a man that can cook for you. A lot of guys don’t know how to cook, but are more than willing to help you cook dinner. If a guy offers to chop up onions and do the dishes, he’s a keeper. It saves your mascara from onion tears and your manicure from scrubbing those dishes.

2. Genuine compliments, over a guy who compliments you all the time. Anyone can tell you you’re hot or look fantastic in your new jeans, but a compliment that says something about you really says something about a guy.

3. A guy taking you on a creative dates, over fancy dinners. I recently went on a date to a retro bar in Chicago where they had games like Pac Man, pinball and Tron. We had a pinball tournament and grabbed grilled cheeses at a local place. That is a lot more memorable than dinner and movie.

4. A man who values your opinion when choosing an outfit, over a man who always picks out the perfect outfit. Yes, it is great when a guy puts together a nice outfit, but a guy who sends you a pic of two shirts asking which one looks better clearly values your sense of style.

5. A man who calls to check in once a day, instead of  a man who texts you 24/7. We all love when guys text us a lot, but the conversation can wear thin and constant texting can distract us from what is going on in the present. A 10 minute phone call at the end of the day shows a lot more effort than responding with two word texts during lecture. 

6. A guy who is a little nervous about meeting your friends and family, instead of the guy who is overly confident about meeting them. It is great to be with a man who is confident, but when they are meeting your friends and family, they should be a little nervous. It shows that he respects you and wants them to like him. I'm not saying he should be shaking in his boots, but he shouldn't assume that they will automatically love him.

7. The guy who wants you to have guy friends, instead of the guy who gets jealous if a guy even says hi to you. It takes a mature man to understand that in a healthy relationship each person should be able to have friends of the opposite sex. Its nice to know a guy is protective over you and doesn't want anyone else to have you, but he should respect that you have your own friends and trust that you wouldn't betray the relationship.