You do not need a lot of Money to do Something Thoughtful!

One of the things that I hear so often from people is if I had more money then I could do more for my husband/wife. I am hear to tell you that you do not need money to do something thoughtful for your spouse. Something that I do for my husband just about everyday is to pour him a glass of sweet tea (his favorite drink) in his favorite glass and have it sitting on the counter for when he walks through the door from work every evening.

You can do it too...you know your spouse the best, you know the simple things they like, so surprising them with something simple will probably mean more to them than a hundred dollars! I know is does to me and my husband.
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My Better Half!

This man and I just celebrated 19 years of marriage back in May. It started with a date to Taco Bell and a little street racing---yep, street racing!

I love this man!
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Ladies: It is Okay to Give Your Husband that Needed Push in the Romance Department!

Ladies, I am here to tell you that if the romance is missing from your marriage, it is okay to give your husband that 'needed' help in the romance department!

Here are 11 "Romance" starters that are sure to spunk up any relationship!

1. Go for the gusto, start off with a bang, just do it---run your fingers softly through your husband's hair--works everytime!
2. Give your husband a massage {back rub, foot massage, or full body massage!)

3. Light candles and have extra in the bedroom

4. Wear your husbands favorite perfume and spray the curtains and sheets too!

5. Plant a trail of rose petals leading to a low lit room

6. If you have a lamp in your bedroom, put a red colored bulb in and turn it on!

7. Chocolate, feed your husband chocolate (of coarse the kids shouldn't be around when you do this because there would be no chocolate left and probably no romance either!)

8. Strawberries---always have strawberries in the refrigerator. There's just something about strawberries that get you in that romantic mood---especially if you feed them to your husband!

9. If you are not used to wearing makeup, put some eyeliner or lipstick on---I guarantee that your husband will notice!

10. Listen to your husband, listen to how his day went---you, yourself do no talking except with your eyes...:)

Number 11 is for you, my readers to answer---excited to see your ideas!
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Is Your Bedroom Inviting?

Is your bedroom inviting? Is it stress free?

When you walk into your bedroom, do you feel like it’s a haven, or do you feel like it’s just a place to sleep or a place to store things that you didn't have 'time' to get done that day, i.e. the laundry! Let's face it, if your bed is collecting the unfolded laundry, and the dresser is collecting the mail from that day and last weeks---then your bed room is not stress free!

We tend to make it a priority to keep the kitchen and living room clean, because that’s what other people see when they come into our homes ( I never really have company, but for the sake of this article--I am going with it!). We tend to think, the bedroom is just for us, a place to sleep, so if it’s a mess, no one ever sees it; and so the bedroom is often last on our list to clean, organize or make it a haven.

Our priorities are all wrong. I think the bedroom should be one of the first places we decorate and clean; even before the kitchen, living room or baby's room {a baby doesn’t know or care if their room is filled with boxes or if it’s decorated straight out of one of those fancy baby magazines!

You, on the other hand, do know how your bedroom looks; and if you’re going to nurture your marriage, you need to have a room that you feel is a haven...an inviting place for you ... and your husband!

And for Heaven's sake do not put a TV in your bedroom, or bring your work to your bedroom (guilty here!) ---- there's no need to be watching CSI or America's Funny Home Videos, or checking the latest blog post (read Swapppin' Spoons when you get up in the morning! tee-hee!). Instead you and your husband should be talking at night....among other things!

My husband works hard everyday, so when he gets home I want one room to be just perfect for him, a room when he can go rest, get his thoughts together, alone time with me---no kids. And I truly believe this room, is the bedroom.

What are your thoughts, share them below in the comments.

Keeping the "R" in Romance

My husband and I will celebrate 19 years of marriage in a few months and I wanted to share some things that we do for each other that has kept that "R" in our romance.

I am sure there are a ton of other things that I can list but here are a few ways that we keep romance in our marriage.

1. Say I love you--say it, text it, email it

2. Kiss--we like to kiss, most people tend to kiss in the morning when leaving for work and when they get home from work, but do it unexpectedly like in the middle of a football game, before you put the kids down, at church, etc...

3. Write a love note and give to your spouse or stick a note in his/her lunch and tell them to have a great day.

4. Buy them a gift--something small, maybe his favorite chocolate and give it to him right before bed or stick it in his lunch bag with a little sticky note with words of encouragement, or better yet, write something steamy on it. My husband gave me 6 yellow roses a couple of nights ago, for no reason--other than he loves me.

5. Give your spouse a neck rub or back massage---or better yet a foot massage.

6. Have candles lit in the bedroom, and leave the electric lights off!

7. Prepare his favorite meal or dessert

8. Constantly surprise each other---you know your spouse best, so surprise them: out to dinner, do the dishes for them, overnight trip, take the kids to a baby sitters and spend the night alone, go shopping together, grab a coffee together, etc...this list can go on and on.

9. Hold hands--my husband and I still hold hands whether at home or out in public, when we sit by each other, he will always put his arm around me (until his arm falls asleep!) (OY!)

10. Forgive One Another and make up like there is no tomorrow!
*Early in our marriage my husband and I would sometimes argue over different things (yes, I know we were very immature), but "loved" making up afterwards. We do not argue anymore (there's no point in it), so every now and then one of us will say, "Want to go make up?"

How are some of the ways that you have kept the romance in your marriage? I would love to know...Leave a comment below.

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