Ferocious Flirting: Making Marriage Wonderful

A post called blackout suggested having a pretend blackout. It can be a lot of fun, especially if you tell family stories or stories of your childhood around a small light. Our children really eat it up. The tip for today is to go over one of the safety checklists from the Safety Tip page at Safe Kids . Be sure and make it fun. Maybe a practice fire drill with everyone crawling on the ground with blindfolds on to simulate a house full of smoke. Its not a very romantic topic, I admit. But saving a life or preventing an accident can be very romantic.

If you have a GPS a fun date or family activity can be geocaching . Never heard of geocaching? Think of it as a giant treasure hunt. People have "hidden" various objects all over and registered their coordinates on a wed-site like http://www.geocaching.com/ . You go to the web-site, put in your zip-code and get a list of objects hidden in and around your city. Each has the coordinates to find it using a GPS as well as a description like: Placed in a park stip in West Bountiful. Weary travelers rejoice! This small tupperware is in camo to hide it well. Shouldn't be too hard to find otherwise. While you'r around, stop in next door and grab a burger and some cheese curds at the A&W. Happy Hour is 3-5pm when drinks are half price. Or if you advnture down the road there's a great taco stand. Your task is to find the treasure from the clues provided. Be sure and leave the treasure at the spot for the next person to find.

I Corinthians 11:11 11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. On television and in movies we often hear the person officiating a marriage ceremony repeat the phrase "until death do you part". Does the relationship between man and wife really only last until one or the other dies? Are we not together as husband and wife in the here-after? During the Easter season we remember the resurrection of the Savior and the hope it gives for a better here-after. For me, that hope includes being with my beloved companion for all eternity. As it says in Corinthians, "neither is the man without the woman". When the time comes that one of us passes on, that parting is not forever. Instead, it is just a sort time until we can be together forever.

My last post on Audrey Hepburn reminded me of a problem we have had our whole marriage. The problem is trying to find a romantic movie at the rental store. As you probably know, a movie that is too violent or a movie that is too explicit or too offensive can really kill the "moment". What to do? I am starting a Romantic Movies database and placed the link on the right side-bar. The database will contain movies that my sweetie and I have watched together and both like. What it won't contain is: Any R-rated movies. Any movies that we found offensive. We like all kinds of movies from all genres. The list is fairly small today, but will grow as I get more movies add. Check it out!

Its usually not a good idea to talk about other women when you are trying to be romantic, however in this case I will make an exception. Audrey Hepburn was in a lot of classic movies like: Charade , My Fair Lady , Sabrina and Wait Until Dark . If you are looking for a great romantic movie to watch together with your sweetie, these films make great choices. The Amazon ad here should list a bunch of her movies that are on sale for a good price, but it sometimes doesn't seem to work. You can use this link to search Amazon for Audrey Hepburn movies.

We went out to lunch at a great Japanese restaurant that has wonderful chicken and reasonable prices. Then we went and got my sweetie's favorite dessert at a different place. The dessert cost more than the Japanese meal. Go figure. In the evening, we had dinner with the kids. Then we sent them to watch a movie on the downstairs TV while we went in our room, locked the door and enjoyed my sweethearts gift to me: Hogan's Heros: The Complete First Season . I had forgotten how much we enjoyed this show. We ended up watching a bunch of episodes. All in all a wonderful anniversary.

As the children get older, it can be hard to find time to be alone with your sweetie. Children have school, sports, friends, homework, and so much more. The parents end up spending a lot of time driving kids to events, watching sports and performances and encouraging them in homework. When is there time for each other? One way to be alone together is to have a lunch date. A previous post discusses sending a note to work in your sweetie's lunch. Today's tip is to make arrangements to have lunch together. If you work close enough to home, a lunch at home can be fun and inexpensive. If not, you can either pick up your sweetie at work and go someplace close to work or you can arrange to meet each other at a restaurant. It can be a lot easier to get together for lunch than for dinner, especially if the kids are in school.

Scavenger hunts have been discussed in a previous post on Valentines Scavenger Hunts . With new technology, we can up date the scavenger hunt by using a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. A GPS can tell you within 10 feet where you are anywhere on earth. They have a lot of uses and can be real fun. For the scavenger hunt, get the GPS position for several memorable places from your courtship and marriage. Examples include where your first date was, where you first kissed, where you were married, and your favorite restaurant. Once you have the location of each place, there are several ways to do the scavenger hunt. Leave your sweetie the GPS and a note to go to the first location. At that location, have another note directing them to the second location and so on. Be waiting at the last location which could be a restaurant, theater or even back home. Do the same as above, but rather than having each location be some spot from your past, make each location part of the evenin

In Matthew 5:41 it says: 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. This is often referred to as "going the extra mile". Do more than is necessary or asked of you. How does this apply to romance in marriage? There are several aspects that could be explored, but a simple example will suffice for today. I am serving as "Toastmast" in the Toastmasters club I meet with. With St. Patricks day, I decided to decorate the room with a pile of gold coin candy. My sweetheart was headed to the store and asked if I needed anything. I mentioned that if she came across some of those candies to pick them up for me. Well, she was at the store for quite a bit longer than I had expected. Turns out she had to go to half a dozen stores to find the candies. She also got other St. Patricks day decorations for me to use. Thanks sweetie! You are great at going with me twian.

A previous post discussed a romantic date centered around watching the sunset. Today, I continue the idea using a different approach. Most cities have restaurants that have great views of the sunset. A fine meal in a romantic setting can lead to sharing a memorable evening together. Maybe even surprise your sweetie with a small gift or card expressing love and gratitude. Give your gift as the sun sets. Finding a good sunset-viewing restaurant is not all that hard. Hotels and other tall building in town are good places to start. Ask friends and family for good restaurants with a view. Sometimes out-of-the way restaurants have a nice west facing window. Finally, sometimes these restaurants are "go there for the view" restaurants. The food does not have to be good if the restaurant has a great enough view. If that is the case, consider going there for dessert. That way to whole evening is not spoiled but a poor quality meal.

Do you have a passion in life? Passion, like most English words, has several meanings. When you are passionate about your sweetheart, it could mean ardent love . People can also be passionate about other things. In this sense, passion can mean boundless enthusiasm and that is the meaning for today. What are some of the things you are passionate about? For me, my passions include family history, my sweetie and offspring, physical fitness, chess , improving my marriage, Toastmasters and computer programming . These are the things I like to do, enjoy doing and choose to do when I have some spare time. This blog is part of my passion in making my marriage great. What does all this have to do with romance in your marriage? Just this: sometimes in marriage we abandon the things we are passionate (boundless enthusiam) about in favor of passion (ardent love). For a healthy relationship, each partner needs to develop their individual interests and talents. Also, each needs to wholeheart

To add romance to a meal, try adding candlelight. We associate candlelight with special occasions so when you add candlelight to an ordinary meal, it becomes special. Of course, using the fine china, a table cloth and preparing a special meal (or getting take out) adds to the sense of romance. Don't forget to dress up, even though the meal is at home. Why do we like fire? Whether it is the flicker of a candle, the warm glow of a camp fire or the blaze of a bonfire, most people love fire. The flicking flames add a dramatic flare to a meal. The dancing shadows add a sense of energy to the meal, a romantic dynamic if you will. The glimmer of the candle catches the eye while it casts a flattering glow upon your sweetheart. All these visual clues equate to an enhanced sense of wonder and mystery. Everyone seems to look better in candlelight. Every notice how a flame seems to make your sweetheart's eyes twinkle as they smile? The natural light of a fire seems to draw out a natural b

For years we have heard that laughter is the best medicine . I even wrote about laughing in a previous post entitled Laugh a Little . Now there is some research on why laughter is good for you. An article, Laughter May Be Good for the Heart, Study Finds , in the news states: A daily dose of laughter may be good for the heart because, like exercise, it makes blood vessels work more efficiently, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. While not a replacement for exercise, laughter, it seems really does have some physical benefits to it. Of course more research needs to be done in this area, but the conclusion of the study is still interesting. The study only included 20 participants so drawing any conclusions at this time is premature. Yet, it does serve to remind us to laugh together as a couple and a family. Not a funny person? Need somewhere to find funny anecdotes? One of my favorites is Reader's Digest. Each issue has a lot of humorous family-friendly stories. They have

Do something for your sweetie with "no strings attached". Let me give you an example of "strings attached". First, the wife cooks the husband's favorite dinner to butter him up so she can ask him to take her shopping. Also, the husband get very helpful with the chores so the wife will feel better about him going out with the guys. Admittedly, these are stereotypical examples but they help to illustrate the point. The point being that we often try to manipulate our sweetie by doing things for them so they will do something for us. When we do things this way, what happens? Your sweetheart feels manipulated. They will begin to start asking, "What is it now?" every time you try and do something nice for them. You will feel that your sweetie owes you the thing you want. If they don't give you what you want you will feel cheated. It works to douse the romantic flame of the marriage. Now, consider doing something special without any expectati

Imagine you were going to meet someone very important. It could be someone famous, your boss or someone else you would like to impress. How would prepare for such a meeting? You would go all out to look your best and make a good impression. Isn't your sweetie a very important person? Every now again, prepare yourself for your sweetheart like you would for that person you wanted to impress. Let your sweetie know how important he is to you.

Some feel that when the children arrive, the romance of marriage is over. Children take so much time and attention that it is hard to even find a spare moment to be together for anything. Romance seems out of the question. As the kids get older, the demands change and its becomes harder and harder to be romantic. Yet hope is not lost. Think of the kids as your little romantic army. When you are doing something romantic for your sweetie, plan a way for the kids to participate in at least part of it. An idea of how to do this is mentioned in Family Romance . Another idea is that if preparing breakfast in bed, let the kids do some of the cooking or write a "We love you" card. By including the kids you will emphasize the message you are trying to send to your sweetie. When you take all the effort of getting the kids to help it adds to the feeling of love and gratitude. Beside, the kids love it. If you have included the kids in a romantic gesture, why net send it to me?

Spring is blooming, what a wonderful time of year. I should write an Ode to Spring but there are lots of them and those better than my attempts at poetry. I digress. Spring is a great time for you and your sweetie to watch the sunset together. The sun goes down late enough to get home from work and still have enough time to prepare. But it goes down early enough to not make a too late of an evening. There is still a hint of chill in the air to make snuggling very pleasant. Instructions for watching the sunset: * Find out when sunset is going to be. * Find a suitable location. Some ideas might be up on a hill with a good view to the west or over some body of water. Its not that important. * Bring a some treats like chocolate or cookies and milk. Something small and portable. Maybe a picnic dinner. * Bring a blanket to sit and snuggle on * Plan to arrive and have everything ready 15 minutes before the grand event. * Sit, eat, talk, snuggle and enjoy the show!

I found this floating around the internet: Studies indicate that a man who kisses his wife good-bye when he leaves for work every morning averages a higher income than those who don't. Husbands who exercise the rituals of affection tend to be more painstaking, more stable, more methodical, thus, higher earners. Studies also show that men who kiss their wives before leaving in the morning live 5 years longer than those who don't. Isn't that amazing? It seems that just by kissing your wife you can make more money and live longer. However, I could not find the actual study that shows this relationship between kissing and money. As always, anything found on the internet must be checked . Even if it does not raise your income or make you live longer, kissing your sweetie in the morning is a great habit to get into. Since you are going to be apart from your sweetheart for most of the waking day, make sure that the thing that happens last before you part company for the day i

For special occasions my sweetie gets breakfast in bed. This happens maybe twice a year for Valentine's and for her birthday. My sweetheart really likes the attention and the kids like to help in the surprise. Because it happens so rarely it is extra special. What would happen if she got breakfast in bed everyday? It would stop being special. It would become commonplace and maybe even boring. Soon she would come to expect it and feel disappointed when it didn't happen. You and your sweetie share some special events and occasions. Keep them special by keeping them rare. In that way you ensure that the special things stay specials.

Have you ever met someone who dominated every conversation? Do you know a person who has the gift of being able to talk for extended periods of time without taking a breath? How do you feel after trying to hold a conversation with a person who keeps changing the subject? What about one who interrupts other people's conversations? It can be a very frustrating experience trying to talk to a person who doesn't listen and won't allow other people to converse without interjecting. Surprisingly, most of us invite such a one into our home everyday. Who is it? It is the television of course. The television talks non-stop all day long, is great at capturing one's attention and refuses to listen to anything anyone says to it. Many times my sweetie and I will be talking and one of us will be distracted by the television. At that point a couple of things happen. If it was the person speaking, they will lose their train of thought and become frustrated. If the listener i

The post on swimming mentions that exercise is good for a couple. This post will delve into that idea. When we exercise, we create endorphins in the brain. Endorphins have many benefits including: More constructive responses to disappointments and failures Decreased overall feelings of stress and tension Increased perceptions of acceptance by others Add these things up and what do you get? A great way for you and your sweetheart to spend some time together. The endorphins make you feel better about yourself. Then they will make you feel more accepted by your sweetie. Your sweetie, on the other hand will be feeling the same way. You will both feel better about yourself and your sweetheart. Wait, it gets better. The feelings of stress are diminished and your ability to deal with stress is improved. Also, your problem solving abilities are improved as well. Marriage and family are stressful. There are a lot of demands on our time and energies. By exercising regularly, you

Have you ever heard of Burma Shave ? They sold shaving cream from the 20s to the 60s, which is not very interesting in itself. Lots of companies sell shaving cream. What made Burma Shave different was its advertising. Even today, 40 years after the last ad, people still know Burma Shave ads. A Burma Shave ad consisted of a 4 line verse like: IF YOUR PEACH KEEPS OUT OF REACH BETTER PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH Each line of the verse was placed on a large poster and staked into the ground along the road. As a driver was driving down the road, they would read one line. Then a short while later, the next sign, then the next and finally the last. There was then a fifth sign with the Burma Shave logo. The first sign got your attention but then you had to wait for the whole verse. What has this got to do with romance? Anticipation. We all love a sense of anticipation. Create the anticipation with a small verse of your own. Write 4 lines of love and gratitude to your sweetie. Place eac

You can send an electronic greeting card to your sweetheart for free. Just go to Hallmark and press the Free E-Cards link. Look for it in the second column under the picture. The column header is "OUR PRODUCTS". I've sent a couple of these to people and they are fun. They have all sorts of cards. Its a lot of fun to look at all cards. Also, the cards are personalizable so that you can add your own romantic message. Even though you have to enter both your email and your sweetie's email, I have not noticed any increase in spam. Hallmark seems to not be collecting these for mass-marketing purposes. The other slight drawback is that the card requires Flash to read, but that shouldn't be a problem unless your sweetheart uses an older browser.

Share a laugh with your sweetie. Need a laugh to share? Here are some sources: * That guy at work who is always doing funny things * The humor section of a magazine. Think Reader's Digest, "Laughter is the best medicine * Recall a silly thing that happened on your honeymoon. * The kids are almost always good for a laugh. If you don't have any, there are other peoples

Among other things , I got my sweetie a dozen red roses and tickets to a play . My sweetheart gave me a large Mylar heart-shaped balloon that plays "You're the one that I want" when you tap it. The kids love it! What did you sweetheart do to make the day memorable? Did you do something special that was appreciated? If so, add a comment to this entry and share with everyone. If you would rather not share it so publicly, email it to me using the link on the right and I might be able to share it anonymously in a later posting.

The night sky is full of wonders and one of them is The Heart Nebula also known as IC 1805 - The Heart Nebula in Cassiopeia. A grand cosmic valentine for the whole world to enjoy given by the great Creator who loves us. I John 4:7 reminds us: 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

I came across this quote from the Quote of the Day page: A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin Through the course of my marriage, both me and my sweetie have grown and changed. Things we once thought were important now seem so trivial. While things we once overlooked or never really considered have become central to our lives. How can we keep in touch with who our sweetheart is as we both change? Dating. Isn't that how you first fell in love? Dating, therefore, is as important, if not more important, to married couples as it is to single ones. Dating is how you got to know your sweetie in the first place. Dating is how you can continue to know your sweetheart as you both change over the years. Take time to get to know that incredible person you are married to. Take time to do it over and over again. Chances are your sweetie is pretty wonderful.

Who was Saint Valentine and why is he causing this uproar every year? According to the Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on St. Valentine's Day the reason for having St. Valentine's on February 14th is: The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had their origin in a conventional belief generally received in England and France during the Middle Ages, that on 14 February, i.e. half way through the second month of the year, the birds began to pair. Thus in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules we read: For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate. For this reason the day was looked upon as specially consecrated to lovers and as a proper occasion for writing love letters and sending lovers' tokens. It seems that Valentine was a real person. From Catholic Online's St. Valentine page: Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emp

One idea that has worked, get the kids together and trace their foot prints on pieces of paper and lay them out like some has walked to a room in the house where you and the kids can all hide. At the head of the foot prints put "Follow the Footprints". Now make a simple card and have all the kids put "love you mom" or "love you dad" and you put something about how much you love your sweetie and how grateful you are for them. When you hear your sweetheart coming, run and hide at the end of the footprints. Then jump out like its a surprise party and yell "Welcome Home!!". Let the kids give her the card. It takes very little time for everyone involved and sets a great tone for the whole evening.

Crunch time folks. If you haven't done anything for your sweetie yet, now is the time to get moving on it. Some of you, or maybe lots of you will be giving flowers this Valentine's Day. Flowers are an appropriate Valentine's gift for your sweetheart. The problem with flowers is that, while romantic, they are a bit common place this time of year. What can be done to make flowers more exciting? Most of the time when you give flowers, you include a little note. Instead of the note, include something else that is small and paper. You could include movie or play tickets, a gift certificate or coupon to be used at a favorite restaurant with a note asking them to go out with out. As always, its not the amount you spend, but the thought you put into it. As an example, if getting movie tickets, get them for that movie your sweetie has been wanting to see but you have been not enthusiastic about. The folks at 1800flowers have Flowers from $24.99. Same Day Delivery available

Turn a simple gift into a more meaningful and memorable gift experience. Instead of getting a single gift, get several smaller gifts. Make the gifts things that your sweetie real could use. Often, the gifts we need aren't that romantic. To give the gift a romantic touch, include a small note with the gift. For example, if the gift is long johns then the note might say "Because your smile gives me the warm-fuzzies". I think you have the idea. Now wrap each small gift individually with the accompanying note, then place all the wrapped small gifts into a larger box and wrap it. By putting a little effort and creativity into your gifts, you can turn a mundane item into a romantic experience for both of you. To involve the children, have each kid contribute a gift and a note into the box. They will love to watch as the gifts are opened and appreciated. If one or more of the gifts your sweetie is getting are not "kid appropriate", create two boxes. O

Once after my first child had gone to the doctor for a healthy baby check, my mom asked, "Did the doctor tell you how cute your kid is?". She then told me that she would never take her child to a doctor who did not compliment her baby. Of course, she was just joking with the proud new father. But little conversation has stuck with me because my mom ended up teaching me an important lesson. As parents, we are highly invested in our kids. Their successes are our success and their failures are our failures. It's natural that parents feel that way because we sacrifice so much for their training and up bringing. When someone compliments the child, they are also complimenting the parent for doing such a good job in raising the child. Today's tip, then, is to compliment you children. Compliment them sincerely for things they do well. Also, compliment them in ways that reflect well on your sweetie. Each of us see certain aspects of ourselves in our kids. Compl

Take a moment and thank you sweetie for some romantic gesture you really appreciated. Do not couch it as a "you used to do nice things but don't anymore". Instead, just thanks them like "It was so much fun when ... ". This will do two things. First, it will let you both share the moment again. Second, it encourages your sweetie to do romantic things by showing that you appreciate them long after the fact.

Does you sweetie want an iPod? If so, here is a sweet deal for you:free. This is one of those things that you think, "This must be a scam". I know I did when a friend of mine introduced it to me. The funny thing is now he has gotten his free iPod and now I see its not a scam because he really got his. How does it work? From the free ipods wbesite Check out this great site that is giving away totally FREE iPods! I've joined and I think you should as well. It's a completely legitimate offer, and this company has already given away $4 million in FREE stuff! All you have to do is join, complete an online offer, and refer friends to do the same. That's it! Here is my referral link. To help me get my iPod, click this exact link to join, or copy and paste it into a browser: http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=9096650 Ok, I know its pushy. On the otherhand, if your sweetie has been wanting an iPod, here is a way to get it without breaking the bank. They als

My sweetie was in the hospital for Valentine's Day one year. Not how one would choose the spend the day most of the time, but those things happen. I also had a friend in a barbershop choir and they were raising money by doing singing telegrams. So he brought a barbershop quartet to my sweetheart's hospital room and sang a couple of songs for her and gave her a rose. Even now, several years later, she still talks about how wonderful it was. Of course all the nurses stopped to listen and enjoy. The other people on the hospital floor, when they saw my sweetie, told her how nice it was and how lucky she was to have such a thoughtful sweetheart. When I arranged it, never occurred to me how it would affect the other people in the hospital. She just beamed when people told her how sweet I was. The point of this story is two-fold. First, when presented with an unexpected situation come up with an unexpected way to show your sweetie how much you care. Second, its more

Every so often I come across a Sweet Deal to pass along. As I mentioned before, HearthSong is a fun site that provides all sorts of ideas for romantic surprises. They are now offering a special $10.00 off coupon code! Find Valentine's Day items at HearthSong!

Picnics are great fun for couples and for families and I'm sure that picnic ideas will find their way into this list later, maybe when it warms up. However, today I wanted to share a great romantic, picnic which one reader shared with me: Even though we are very happy, I must admit that we have been sometimes broke. A few years ago, my hubby and I found ourselves in just that situation... stuck at home with not enough money to go anywhere special for a nice date. I don't remember who's idea it was, but we ended up deciding to go on a picnic to a nearby park. We made ourselves some tomato soup with a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and packed our basket along with a jug of hot chocolate, and a soft quilt for us to lay on. I remember that we sat at the top of the play area, and laughed and talked about everything that was going on in our lives. I enjoyed it so much!!! This was by far the best date I've ever had. Did I mention that our date was on a Cold Winter

I got my wife an early Valentine's present. It was a solid milk chocolate fish with packaging that looks like its ready to to be mounted on the wall. The name of the candy is "You're a keeper". She laughed and then went to show off the present to her friends, who also laughed. My kids thought it was the funniest thing ever. Although I didn't buy it, at the mall I saw a chocolate nose on a stick that said something like "If I hadn't PICKED you, nobody KNOWS what I would have done!". Having already given her a fish, I thought a nose might be too much. Valentine's tends to be a serious holiday with lots of romantic and pricy shows of affection. So a good gag gift is unexpected and is therefore more effective. Your sweetie will appreciate a good laugh, along with whatever romantic ideas you have. I will pass along to you my wife's advice to me, through the laughter: This had better not be my whole valentines!

Each week have a Family Night . What is Family Night? Family Night is a special time set aside each week that brings family members together and strengthens their love for each other, helps them draw closer to Heavenly Father, and encourages them to live righteously. How is Family Night romantic? Romance is all about communication. Family Night is a chance for the couple to discuss things that might never get discussed. As you each prepare and teach a lesson, you share a part of yourself that often remains hidden. Its great! What about the kids? Family Night is all about the whole family. It will help every member of the family feel more a part of the family and more confident in other aspects of life.

Leave a note on your sweetie's windshield. If possible, do it away from home so that it is even less expected. Try leaving the note on the car at your sweetheart's work or while they are at the store or running some other errand.

We have all heard the "golden rule". Its found in Matthew 7:12 : 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. We have think about it as treating people the way we want to be treated. There is also an implied corollary to the golden rule. It is that people reflect back the treatment they receive. A couple of examples to illustrate the point. 1 - Smile. When you smile at someone they will smile back. Try it. It works on perfect strangers walking down the street. 2 - Expectations. If you expect someone to fail they often will. If you expect someone to succeed, they often will. Why? Think about it. How do you treat someone whom you expect to fail? How do you treat someone whom you expect to succeed?

People often complain about their sweetie. They say "he is not romantic enough" or "she just takes me for granted". That is usually followed by "if he would only ..." or "if she would just change ...". There is so much wrong with that attitude you could write a whole book on it and I'm sure at least 1 someone has. The best way to change someone is to change how you act to adjust their reaction. As marriage goes on we fall into patterns and roles. We often act a certain way not because we think its the best way to act, but because it is part of the role we are playing. Maybe an example will illustrate the point. In the evening when the hubby comes home from work the home may be a bit chaotic. The kids are going every which way with school, homework, sports, etc. The wife is a bit frazzled with all the demands of kids and housewifery. Hubby of course is stressed due to work and frustrated due to traffic. What happens when hubby

This little kit and 13 little valentines you can also buy and a mail box to keep them in. For valentines you wrap and give your sweetie the mailbox. Inside the mailbox place a note that the rest of the mail was lost and scattered around the house. Write something romantic on the others and hide them around the house. The kids will have a good time helping you hide them.

In Ephesians 5:21-33 we read: 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his

You say there is nothing all that unique about flowers on valentines? If all you give is a dozen red roses, you are right. But check out these guys for some unique ways to send flowers and some interesting ideas of other things to include with the flowers. I like the "bucket of love".

Do you have a lock on your bedroom door? Of course you have a lock on the bedroom door. For a date one night put a sign on the bedroom door that reads " Mom and Dad are on a date tonight and will be home around 9:00 p.m.. Pretend they are not home ". Then go in the bedroom, lock the door and watch a movie together. Don't have a TV in the room? Even better! Play a game , have a pillow fight, or make big plans for fantasy vacations ( Spa Finder for ideas). Just talk and laugh together. Kids not old enough to watch themselves? That's ok, just get a babysitter like you would if you were really going out.

A lot of schools are doing plays at this time of year. School plays make a great inexpensive date. You are not going to see great Broadway acting and props, but you will see something interesting. Its a great way to support the school and get out at the same time. We have taken our older kids and made it a fun family outing as well.

Without any fanfare and without having to be asked, do some chore or task that your sweetie normal does or has been avoiding doing. It need not be something big, just a small thing like doing the dishes, helping with homework, or changing a light bulb. By doing this you will be giving your sweetheart the greatest gift of all: extra time to do other things.

An aphrodisiac is a mythically magic pill that will put the fire back into a realtionship. Although many things are rumored to have this effect, however the most effective aphrodisiac is to remove all the anti-aphrodisiacs in the relationship. A big anti-aphrodisiac is boredom. As a marriage progresses, it naturally finds a routine. It is then easy to move from the routine to the taking each other for granted. Both those tendencies combine together to create boredom and a feeling that your spouse is not grateful. To avoid boredom, do something to break the routine and express gratitude at the same time. Surprise your sweetheart and let them know how grateful you are for her. This list has many ideas for getting out of the rut. Try holding hands for a start. Is a single romantic gesture going to be a magic pill? Probably not. But what comes close to the magic pill is generating a sense of closeness and appreciation with your sweetie by not allowing them to feel that they are be

Although it is marketed as a children's product, the IlluStory Book Kit can make a great romantic gift for your sweetie. The book is short only allows for about 20 words per page. Some of the things you can do are: Make a book about how you met and fell in love. Create a story with your sweetie as the hero. Have your sweetheart do the things they have never been able to do Create a family history album with each page being a different person from your family tree Make each page something you love about your sweetie Make the book together as a short joint auto-biography Use you imagination and create a book unique to you The kids will love reading this book over and over again. It will be even more fun for them if at least one page includes them. No matter how silly it turns out, this book will become a family favorite.