Planning Special Moments

In the past two weeks I’ve looked at planning romantic moments for your spouse, making them feel special, and how to cope with missing your spouse even when he or she is more or less around. How do all of these things come together? In me trying to plan special things for my husband. Now that Jon has completed grad school I want to do something special for him. Parties he hast to host are too draining for him, so that’s out. I thought of the perfect idea: I’d bake him a cake. Not just any cake, but a black … Continue reading →

My Unconventional Valentine’s History

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but as you might be able to guess, Jon and I don’t really do anything for Valentine’s Day. The holiday does mean one thing: candy hearts. The weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are the only time of the year I can find them. Their close companion Necco Wafers just aren’t the same. So I suppose one might say Jon gets me a Valentine’s Day present, because he usually buys me candy hearts. However, even this practice has two exceptions that probably exclude it as a Valentine’s celebration. First: Jon usually brings home … Continue reading →

Quality Time with Your Spouse

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the importance of getting away with your spouse. We were about to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary and despite original plans to take this romantic vacation to Maine, it had all blown up because of finances. But in the end I was grateful since it was during the time of the hurricane that we would have been there. The day before our 20th wedding anniversary we went back and forth with ideas on what we could do. We wanted to get away for the entire day but not spend a lot of … Continue reading →

Dating Your Spouse

Most of us can remember the very first date we had with our husband. I know I do. I will never forget my “Bangladesh” pants that I wore. At least that’s what my husband used to call them. I had these big, red-framed glasses and big hair (remember the perm?) Well, I guess for that time period I looked kind of cute. We went to see Willy Porter play at a bar/restaurant. Afterwards we walked around the East side of Milwaukee and eventually had our first kiss. From that point on, we couldn’t wait for the next date. Why? Because … Continue reading →

Date Night Ideas

It is important for married couples to get away by themselves on a regular basis. Lives often get in the way of marriages, from the responsibilities of jobs and kids, to individual interests. Couples starting out usually have a good number of date nights, but the ones that need it the most may just be the couples who have been together for a while. I know it isn’t always easy to get time alone, but planning something, even if it is a quick movie while the kids are in bed, is always a good idea. Here are some date night … Continue reading →

12 Creative Date Night Ideas That Won’t Break the Budget

Is your marriage feeling stale? It’s easy to get so caught up with the everyday that we forget to make time for each other and to make each other feel special. To bring the romance back, here are some suggestions for date nights that won’t break the budget. 1. Turn off the lights and light candles. Turn off the TV and put on some romantic music. Curl up on the sofa with perhaps a glass of wine and listen to music. 2. Pack a picnic dinner and head for a favorite beach. Watch the moon rise over the water. After … Continue reading →

Creating a Date Night

I regret the demise of wine and dine – those intimate little candle-lit restaurants that used to be around when Mick and I were young. You could have a meal,enjoy listening to someone sing romantic songs and play the piano, or get up and dance. I’m talking, the old time dances where partners actually held each other in their arms. Never having much money we only went to such places for an anniversary, birthday or special evening out. These days the win and dine seems to have disappeared. So the other night we created our own. We went out to … Continue reading →

Recession Benefitting Your Marriage: Quality Together Time

The other day I got to thinking about an article I wrote earlier this year where I wondered if recession might actually benefit our marriages. I had visions of turning the concept into a mini-series. Alas, so far I only offered suggestions on ways to recession-proof your marriage with dinner. But recently I was reminded about this forsaken series of articles I’d planned to write. Thanks to our trip to Alaska, we’ve been trying to conserve resources. Therefore, more and more I’ve been considering ways Wayne and I could spend quality time together, be active and have fun, yet not … Continue reading →

When Was the Last Time You Enjoyed a Shower Together?

I’m not talking about the kind of shower you take in your bathroom, but, rather, a meteor shower. The Perseids The question of when was the last time you enjoyed a shower together came to me because earlier this morning was supposedly the peak time for best viewing of the Perseids meteor shower. However, the shower activity period spans from July 17 through August 24. Depending on where you live, tonight might also be a prime viewing night, but even until August 24 there’s still a chance you can spot a “shooting star” or two. (In doing research for this … Continue reading →

Summer Fun for Couples

Summer is showing its face strong in many places across the country. It will not be long until school children get the chance to sleep late and play all day. Very soon, the laughter and splashing of swimming pool enjoyers will be heard and legs will be tanned with a golden brown. Summer can be a wonderful time of the year for many fun and exciting activities. Couples should not be exempt from the thrills that the summer can bring. There are many activities that you and your mate can enjoy together this summer. While some of them may not … Continue reading →