my weekend in summary

This weekend was filled with babies. Lots and lots of babies. And it was marvelous.
my little monkey face; me and my monkey and her new boots; me holding my new little munchkin niece for the first time; my nephew playing piano for my niece - so. cute.; the 2 families; the sisters (auntie jamie, chantel and lisa), and the kidlets; baby shower for laura with katie; the proud mom and dad
Friday: hopped on the GO train right after work to meet my friend chantel, to head to a home sale party (one of those parties where they try to sell you products… clearly I was not buying anything…). We spent the night there, then grabbed harvey’s, and went back to chantel’s to watch the rest of kingpin with her husband slash my sort of brother ryan, and then dumb and dumber – “are you guys going to quote every line before they say it?” we have a problem. Went to bed early for a Friday, and vowed to tell everyone that we stayed up way later than we did.
Saturday: woke up SUPER early with the baby, and spent the morning with chantel, ryan, and the baby. We then packed up, and headed over to lisa and mike’s place (chantel’s sister Lisa), to see my new little niece* who was born on Tuesday. So nice to spend the time with them. Then, chantel and ryan dropped me off at my parent’s where I intended to meet up with high school friends. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, so I hitched a ride back to Toronto, and spent the evening eating homemade (vegan) macaroni and cheese, drinking wine with my landlords, and making jewelry for the upcoming sale. Watched horrible bosses, and friends with benefits (which I actually expected to be good, and was not. Couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just date right from the start. Dumb). went to bed. great night.
Sunday: woke up in time to coordinate with my sister and mom, to head to my cousin’s baby shower. Spent the afternoon looking at baby clothes, and chatting with family… couldn’t believe that it’s been a year since her and her husband got married (in December), and I haven’t seen her since then! Then, was dropped off at home, and left to make dinner, and clean/organize like crazy. Also managed to get in north country and 17 again (I know, shut up) while organizing. Loooove that feeling. Did a bit of reading (about halfway through veronika wants to die, a book by Paulo Coelho, which was the inspiration for a movie I’d love to see with my boyfriend jonathan tucker), and then off to bed.
*just in case anyone hasn’t recognized, there are a few of my friend’s children who I call nieces and nephews – three families. These are two of them.

care, kindness and understanding

image from imgfave.com/
to me, this is the perfect way to start a weekend... by rewarding ourselves and others for just getting through the days. this weekend, i get to spend with my family who i haven't seen in forever, friends, and their amazing kidlets - including my newest little niece, born on tuesday of this week. i. can't. wait.
extend some care, kindness and understanding this weekend - and enjoy it!

how do i know?

my friend sent this to me, and said it should be an addendum to my post regarding 'dating tips for boys'.
and i agree. because i think it's sweet. and though obviously variable from woman to woman.... i think it's points out the important aspects of what we should all believe in - in love. 
we should believe in laughing with the person who we love. we should believe in laughing frequently with the person who we love. we should all believe in dancing, playing, talking, and singing with the person who we love. we should all believe in listening to the person who we love. and we should - above all else - absolutely believe in loving the person who we love.
i haven't posted the full entry... so check it out here, to read them all. 
Question: How do I know if a girl loves me or not? —Ajay
Answer: If she knows what song is coming next on the mix CD you made her: She loves you.
If she hides your shoes when you’re late for work, and from a supine position on the couch plays “Hot/Cold,” and, finally, after 15 minutes of you ignoring her screaming, “Boiling! Burning up!” every time you stalk angrily by the dishwasher, gets up, flips it open to reveal the shoes, sitting there among the plates, and hands them over with a kiss and a giggle, and then laughs some more as you tie your laces in a silent rage: She loves you.
If she calls you at work that day to ask, “How are those shoes working out?”: She loves you.
If when you get home you try to hide something of hers, she finds it immediately, shaking her head, and when she pulls whatever it is—oven mitts or stretch pants—from behind the couch, she looks at you and without any attempt to hide her pity, says, “I love you”: She loves you.
If she dances with your friends: She loves you.

image from weheartit.com/
If she says, “I love you” on the roller coaster, right after you’ve puked down your shirt: She loves you.
If you go to a karaoke bar with friends and do a duet of “Endless Love,” and she insists on doing the Lionel Richie part if only so she can really belt out a big “Ooh whoa” near the end, and when you’re done she announces you to the crowd as “Miss Diana Ross, everybody,” and then gives you a high-five: She loves you.
If her parents love you: She loves you, probably. If her parents hate you: She might love you, too.
If she loves you, if she really loves you, you’ll know it. If you can wake up to her staring at you and it’s not even mildly creepy, if you catch her smelling the shoulder of the hooded sweatshirt you lent her for an autumn walk at the beach, and not for B.O., if she makes you a pancake in the shape of a shark, if she calls you drunkenly at four in the morning “to talk,” if she laughs at your jokes when they’re funny and makes fun of you when they’re not, if she keeps her fridge stocked with Guinness tallboys for when you come over, if she tells you how she wishes she were closer to her sister and that her dad makes her sad: She loves you, of course she loves you.
And with a love like that, you know you should be glad.

dating rules for women - part 1

so. following my post on 'dating rules for boys - part 1' i received a TON of comments from male friends who felt that they had a lot to say about dating women as well.... and i was excited to hear. so. i asked a dear friend of mine, tyler, to compile what would be a top 10 list of rules for women. since we're both single, we talk until we're blue in the face about the people we date, and i can attest that he HAS in fact dated some of these weirdos.
so, without further adieu ladies... your top ten rules, straight from the mouth (or keyboard) of tyler.
1. Commit to the time/date: When I call to ask you out, if you can't commit to the time on the phone, make sure you get back to me in a reasonable amount of time. Too often girls, will wait until the day of to say they are or aren’t available.  
2. Be Honest: If you aren’t interested or simply aren’t excited to go on the date, don’t accept the invitation. Be open and up front and just say you aren’t interested anymore. Chances are I will survive. I don’t know if it’s the city I live in or the girls I seem to be attracted to, but they love heads games and these will get you nowhere. Eventually, I’ll move on and you’ll be left wanting more.
gif from fuck yeah bridesmaids on tumblr
3. If we’re on the 1st or 2nd date, don’t bring up past relationships or your ex-boyfriend: Red flag city. I can’t emphasize this anymore than that. If you bring up past relationships, relationship fears, ex-boyfriend issues, there’s a very strong chance you wont get another phone call from me. If I determine that you have more issues than Fantasy Football team, I’ll be done. It’s tough enough managing my fantasy football team, let alone your fears and expectations.
4. If you offer to pay, actually mean it.: A girl I used to date would offer to pay but would then hold it against me when I allowed her to pay. If I invite you out on the date, I’ll pay. However if we make mutual plans and you offer to pay, don’t get upset when I let you pay. There’s something about a woman that is confident in her ability to contribute and guys pick up on that. It’s one of the first things I’ll tell my buddies when I debrief on the night out. If you do it with confidence and its genuine, it goes a long, long way.
5. When we’re out, have an opinion: A girl I dated used to always say “whatever you want.” Although it sounds great to always have what you want, that phrase sends chills down my spine. For example, if we’re out for dinner and I ask you what kind of wine you want, tell me what you want. If Red Wine gives you migraines and you prefer white, say so. A girl that will stand up for herself and speak her opinion is incredibly sexy.
6. Thanks for stopping by, San Diego: Maintain some intrigue. Don’t talk about how you want me to meet your friends\parents\grandparents right away. Don’t tell me how much you want me to go on an all-inclusive vacation in 3 months. Let’s walk before we run. The more you try to show me that you see me in your future, the more I’m not going to want to be in it. Now, the more you get to know someone, the less truth this holds. But if you’ve only known one another for 2 months, stay classy. I like you. I’m not going anywhere. However, if you continuously talk about how you want me to go to Hawaii with you in April and we just met in September, you’ll lose me pretty fast. A while ago, I met a girl in August and we had dated for 3 weeks when she had made plans for me fly to Hawaii at Christmas with her. I looked like Usain Bolt running from that girl.
gif from fuck yeah cougartown on tumblr
7. But Mostly, Stay Classy San Diego: When we’re out on our 1st or 2nd date, don’t tell me about that one time when you went to the club, blacked out, and ended up in some random guys bed. Sure, you might sound like a fun time, but if I’m on a date with you, I want more than just random sex. You’re tales of disastrous nights where you are out until 6 am only serve as a warning. You’re thinking I’m going to love that you’re so much fun. I’m thinking you’re a liability. K, Thanks, Bye.
gif from failblog.org
8. Let me lead the way at the end of the night: If the date went well, chances are I’m going to at least kiss you on the cheek when we say our goodbyes. So when I do, let me take the lead. The first kiss is always awkward but it sets the tone for things to come. I’ve had dates where it’s been an amazing date but any time we went to kiss, it was awkward and it set the tone for our physical interactions going forward and ultimately led to us not seeing one another again.
9. Show me the money. Well, show me you like me. I just wanted to use a Tom Cruise line as a Title line (name the movie.): There`s not much better when you really enjoyed your date and you receive a simple text from her the next morning saying how she also really enjoyed her night. Show your appreciation for the effort we put in and you`ll continue to see more and more from me.
10. If our dating turns into something more, be confident in yourself: If we start getting more serious, don’t let your insecurities towards relationships/men come to the surface so quickly. The moment you start saying “don’t leave me,” is the moment I’ll start to mentally and physically check out of the relationship. A man wants a woman that will challenge him not put him on a pedestal. Be confident that if we didn’t like you or like spending time with you, that we wouldn’t be with you.
there you have it friends.... agree? disagree? have some more tips? for men, OR women? share. please. we're all at a loss.