Is it a Sign?

So I came home and checked my mail only to find this inside my mail box...




Now, I don't subscribe to any magazines at the moment (a money saving idea) and I surely have no reason to subscribe to "The Knot." I was a bit confused. When I looked at the address label, it was my apartment so that was right. It was only the name that was wrong. Since I have moved into my new place, I have gotten mail for quite a few former residents. But this is the first magazine I have gotten. I thought that most people make sure their magazines follow them to their new place. Anyway, I promptly called my accomplice because I was laughing so hard that this of all magazines found its way to me (I mean a "People" or even "Us Weekly" would have been a welcome distraction!). We had a good laugh over the mistake and also wondered...is it a sign? My accomplice said it might be just that! Given that the girl who used to live here (and may want her magazine back) may have gotten engaged and moved out. Who knows? Does this mean that something is going to happen for LMG?

Baby!!

I just have to take the time to give a big Mazel Tov to my friends J & M who welcomed a beautiful little baby girl about three weeks ago. I went to visit little baby S this week and she is just an adorable little peanut. I held her for about an hour and just couldn't get enough (although I think she had enough of me and was ready to eat when I was leaving!).
Of course I took some pictures of me holding her and I sent them to my mom; who before looking at them asked if these were going to be my new dating profile pictures. Ha! Could you imagine?! I wonder what would go through a guy's mind if he looked at the profiles of his matches and scrolls to a woman holding a newborn baby.

See? Just a peanut!

Anyway, spending time with S and her mom really made my day. She is adorable and is one lucky little girl to have such amazing parents. Congratulations again Mom and Dad and to your families as well!!

Jewish Members Only, Please

So, as I said, I signed back onto Jdate. It is a site I was on for about a minute when I first moved to NYC and quickly realized I wasn't meeting anyone. But with their deal of 50% off, I guess I was the sucker born that minute. I signed on today so that I could try to rewrite my profile and maybe upload a picture of my new hair. I decided I would do a quick search just to see who some of the people Jdate thought could be my matches are. I clicked the search button and started to fill out the things I was looking for....

I am a woman (check) looking for a man (check) between the ages of 30-infinity (check). Okay maybe not infinity, but someone actually told me I should look much older because at this point, beggars can't be choosers. Awesome. All right, back to the checks, within 10 miles of 100XX (check). Show members with pictures (check). Show only profiles of Jewish Members (check).

What?! Wait a minute, isn't this Jdate? A Jewish dating website? And you are asking me if I want to see profiles of non Jewish members? Color me confused. Of course I only want to look at Jewish members!!! That was the whole reason I signed back onto Jdate in the first place. When I was doing match.com all the e-mails I got were from non-Jews. So I thought that by going to a place that was supposed to be meet my needs that wouldn't be the case. Now, I have said it before, I will say it again; I know many people (dating and married) who are Jewish and non Jewish and very happy (and I won't lie, some not so happy, but that happens regardless sometimes). It is just not something for me. Being Jewish is a part of who I am and I want to share that with someone. So Jdate, if you're reading (and I might even send you a letter to this effect) please realize the reason that many of your members are there (looking for someone Jewish) and don't become match.com, but be the place where a Jewish girl can go to try to find a match to make her and her mother happy.

What I Got for Mom

So Mother's Day just passed last weekend and I think I got my mom something very clever! Besides the Banana Republic shirts that my sisters and I got for her (which I am sure she loved), I went one step further in my quest to make my mom happy. I joined Jdate (again)!

Now, the main reason I didn't join before was because it was really so expensive. I mean, I am a nice Jewish girl working for a Jewish non-profit. I can't afford all these dating sites, events, and whatnot. But Jdate decided to run a special deal just for our Jewish mothers....half off! Seriously? Half off?! Okay sign me up! So, I did...six months at half off. Of course I told me mom about this gift and she has asked me everyday since if I am using it. "Are you using my Mother's Day present?" she always asks!

So far, I have signed on and taken a look around. I need to update my profile, I have no pictures of my new haircut which I need to add. And I really my accomplice to help me write me profile which is seriously out of date. Plus, doing the whole online thing is more fun with her anyway!

As for mom...I am going to be visiting her a few times this summer. Maybe we can use her gift together.

19 Things

So, I found this article today on Yahoo! about the nineteen things to not say to your single friends....so yes I am cutting and pasting it in all of its glory!

Why do we have so many sayings and maxims for dating? A single gal is likely to get slammed with them ad nauseam as soon as she expresses any unhappiness at her situation.
Since we could all use a good laugh, I asked some friends and Twitter followers to send in their most hated adages. I know you've heard them all before, but I just couldn't believe how many there were! Here's a tiny compilation. Enjoy -- today, they're not directed at you!
It happens when you're not looking. "This is just bull. Some people find people when they're looking; some don't. You're not doing anything wrong by going out and meeting people." -Beth

There are plenty of fish in the sea. "I dated a guy whose last name was Fish. People just had a BLAST with that one." -Kelly

So, why are you single? "I generally dislike this question. I mean honestly, if I knew why, I don't think I would be single right now, now would I?!" -Erica

You're too picky. "This may be true, but it feels like I'm getting criticized for my taste, vision, and close-mindedness -- when I'm already down." -Sarah

You'll find the right person for you. -Kelly

He's out there. -Kelly

It was just bad timing. "Like it's so easy to dismiss a guy on such an emotionless and objective reason." -Taryn

Just have fun with it! "Um, don't tell me how to date in my thirties when you got married at 24." -Maya

Have you tried online dating? "Duh!" -Elisa

He just wasn't the right guy for you. "I know! That's what I'm complaining about!" - Elisa

Well, when Steve and I first got together... "Wait, I still want to talk about me." -Elisa

When the time is right, you will meet someone. -Betsy

Wow, I wish I were single and in your shoes! "Really?! I'm pretty sure you CAN be single if you actually want to be. That there is an attainable dream, so if you aren't messing with me right now out of pity (which I suspect you are), please go for it!" -Kim

Your turn next [at weddings]. -Natlondon, via Twitter

It will happen when you least expect it. -dlegas05, via Twitter

Some guy is going to come along and ruin your career/life plans. "I am 32 and no one has ruined the last 10 years of plans." -frolicblog, via Twitter

But you're so pretty! Why don't you have a boyfriend? "There's just no graceful way to answer that." -earnesteats, via Twitter

It just wasn't meant to be. "Any of these platitudes are exponentially more annoying when coming from the mouths of smug marrieds." -Reberoodle, via Twitter

Sure, Steve rescues kids from abusive homes, donated my sister a kidney, and picks up fresh flowers for me daily on his way home from work, but will he QUIT IT with the sports on TV already? "Single people just hate to be complained to about petty relationship stuff. If you do this, I'm not going to want to hang out with you. (In fact, maybe I'll call Steve and ask him if he wants to watch the Yankees game?)" -Kim

Bottom line, if you're in a relationship or married and you don't have any specific, original advice or wisdom for your single friend -- and you must use an established saying -- we would prefer to hear neutral ones like, "This too shall pass" or "Take it one day at a time." They are so much more helpful and comforting -- you have no idea!

Also of note: not one person I polled mentioned they were tired of hearing, "He's just not that into you." I think that's because it's not condescending. And apparently, it's not overused. So that one is still OK to say. Thanks for listening!

Now to all my friends and family that are married and/or in relationships, I do appreciate your love and advice. I can't thank you enough for your support and honesty, not just with this, but with everything in my life. So please, feel free to post your original spin on these classics!

No Way!

So I think one big fear people have when doing the whole online dating thing is that you are going to see someone you know show up on your screen. Normally I might just laugh this off, but what happened this week was so hilarious I had to share it.

As some of you may know I work for a non-profit and part of my job is working with our young volunteers (young being 20's and 30's). I don't mind it when they are helpful and realize that our job is not to cater to them but to create great events that raise money for a good cause. There are some of these people that are so great and then there are some who treat us staff like nothing better than gum on their shoes. I am not kidding, it is a sense of entitlement and elitism I have never known.

Well, I am sure you can guess the rest....one of these gems showed up in my matches on match.com! Imagine my horror and surprise! I didn't know what to do. I quickly clicked "no" that I was not interested in this person. And all I can hope for is that I don't show up in their search. I did mention this little incident to some of my co-workers. I won't lie, we had a big laugh over it (so much so that I was crying from laughing so hard). Obviously, this is not someone I think could be a match (even if he has gotten better with us over the years) and running into him at events will prove to be fun. I mean, now I will have to look better than ever!

Spring Cleaning

Yes, it is that time of year, when people clean out their closets, get rid of old junk and make plans to start fresh. And I am no different, although I feel like I am taking it to the extreme. I feel like I have to (in a way) reinvent myself. Things have not been going all that well for me for a while now and I haven't really been doing much to change it. So all of that is starting to change!

Starting with my hair. Yes, as most women would attest to, I am very particular about my hair. I have rules about how it can look after a haircut and I get nervous every time the scissors head my way. However, I recently decided to let myself go and I got bangs! Or as my stylist called them "framing." And I have to say I LOVE them! I figured with my new hair, I have a bit of a new attitude, I definitely feel better about my overall look and am liking what I see in the mirror!

Next change....and its a big one! My apartment! Yes, in the last two days I have moved from my two bedroom that I used to share (with some nice and some not so nice roommates over the years) to a studio for just me and Poppy. After getting amazing movers who packed me up and moved me out I have pretty much gotten the place put together. I have a few more little things to put away, but I am starting to feel like it is home. I feel like it will give me a fresh start and I am already feeling lighter and happier (and it has only been two days!).

Okay, so maybe it is only two spring cleaning big ticket items for now. But I feel like it is a chance for me to start over, a chance to feel refreshed and begin again. So here is hoping to a new beginning and good things to come.

One Day Left!!

For an amazing giveaway...head over to a great blog called Saving the Best for Last! I won't lie, I hope I win, but you should enter anyway.

Also, just to clear some stuff up about my lest entry. Someone mentioned that there may not need to be a spark, but attraction. There was neither, so maybe I shouldn't have used the word spark? Although it doesn't matter anyway, I haven't heard form him and thats okay.

When Sparks Don't Fly

So I mentioned a few posts ago that one of my girlfriends wanted to set me up with a nice Jewish guy she knew. He and I e-mailed for a bit and finally set up a date for last night.

I have to say I had a great time, the conversation was easy, he was super nice, and the place was really fun. But there was just no spark on my end. I felt like I was hanging out with a friend. Now, I know I don't necessarily have to feel all crazy and lovey after meeting someone for the first time. I know that things can develop over time, I just don't see that happening.

Some people think that the spark, the butterflies, the whatever you want to call it can be fleeting and doesn't make a relationship last. But shouldn't you walk away from a date hoping he'll call, or wondering when you are going to see him again?

Sucked in...again

So in the last week I got a bunch of e-mails from eHarmony letting me know that I had matches that wanted to communicate with me. I thought I would sign in just to see what was going on and I saw a little tab that said you could purchase three months for $19.00/month. Well, that seemed like a bargain after their regular prices so I signed back up. And yes, I feel like I am have sucked in once again!
I checked out the people who wanted to communicate with me. Seriously?! What do we have in common, what twenty-nine levels of compatibility is eHarmony talking about?! Its ridiculous and I have nobody to blame but myself. Needless to say, I have the date in June marked on my calender so I don't forget to cancel!