His name pops up on caller ID, you get giddy. He’s on his way to pick you up for a date, you triple-check your outfit and make sure to wear something red – his fave. He knocks at your door and instantly, the butterflies in your belly go berserk. Is it love? Or are you just a very very very smitten kitten? How can you know for sure? “They” say, when you know, you know. But we think that there are some sure-fire ways to tell when you’ve got it bad. Below are eight tell-tale signs that you are falling in L-O-V-E.

1. You enjoy silent time together.  With people we just like, quiet time is avoided like the plaque; we will do whatever it takes to fill awkward silence. But, with someone we are undeniably comfy with, someone we are borderline in love with, quiet time is not just ok, it is welcome as it brings peace and even an opportunity for mystical bonding between the two of you. If calms prevails in the face of silence, you are definitely falling.

 2. You root for him to win… when playing games together!  Solid partnerships are comprised of two people who are ultimate fans of each other. Even the most competitive types, when lovestruck find, that despite their innate desire to win themselves, they cheer their partner on, even if it means an “L” on their own score card. If that ain’t love, I don’t know what is

3. You find his quirks cute, not annoying.  If you notice that the things that may have irritated the begeezus out of you in countless other men (i.e. a picky eater, an early riser on the weekends, etc) you find charming in this one, you’ve got it bad! Not just being able to overlook, but actually embracing peculiarities as endearing, is a serious symptom of adoration.

4. You are excited to introduce him to your family.  Bringing a boy home to overly excited mom, suspicious dad, protective big brothers and judgmental sisters is an experience usually wrought with anxiety. But if you can’t wait to bring Mr. Wonderful home for the holidays and not a pang of nausea waves over you at the thought of it, you are definitely knee-deep in heart-pumping love.

 5.       You daydream about him.  As junior high as it may feel, daydreaming is actually a very really indicator that a someone in your life, is someone special. Daydreaming about a person shows that the person is literally all over your mind, in a very positive, very real way and that you are anticipating your next interaction. So if you find yourself regularly needing to “snap out if it,” this is a fantasy worthy of long-term reality.

6.     A big fight doesn’t equal the end of the world. When you aren’t secure in a relationship’s potential, every little disagreement feels like it could be the end of the relationship… and the big arguments, they can feel like the end of the world. However, when you are in a relationship with true potential, fighting is no big deal because you have security in each other and in the relationship’s foundation. If you are brushing off your disagreements, confident that there will be a happier tomorrow because of them, say hello to true love. 

7.     You proudly go makeup free around him. It is only natural to “dress to impress” when we feel like we need to sell ourselves but when the selling has gone beyond the outer and into the depths of our personalities to a level where we feel supremely confident that our partner likes, or maybe even loves, us for who we are beneath our exterior, we no longer need to hide beneath a mask of perfectly applied makeup. Strutting around product-fee means you are confident being entirely YOU which is probably the truest kind of love of all!

8.     You forget your phone for a day when you are with him and could care less since he is your #1 call. Enough said. You are head over freaking heels.