Have you been neglecting your partner?

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we are personally doing that we forget about the person that means so much to us. We run out of time to enjoy his/her company or we are just to tired, once we get all the things done for ourselves. While he/she tries to understand they just don't get it and although we want to have that time we are just to drained. When this happens it is your responsibility to make it up to your partner. Sure it is not a requirement, but if you love that person you really need to go out of your way to show them. The words, "I Love You" don't hold a lot of merit if the actions don't mirror them. So, when you notice that you are blowing your partner off a little it is time to spring into action. Set up something special for them. A candle light dinner, a night on the town, or just a romantic intimate evening at home. Believe me your partner understands that you sometimes get worn out and don't have the energy for your relationship. That doesn't mean you shouldn't make it up to them take some time to put as much effort into your relationship as you do everything else. You will soon find that the return on that investment of time is worth much more than anything else you are doing. Love can conquer all you just have to give it a chance.

...and the Holiday is!

Want to have a special day? Why not create your own special holiday. Declare you holiday early in the day so your partner has time to react to the holiday. Send you partner a text or email expressing the holiday and see what kind of reaction you get from them. These self proclaimed holidays can be romantic or even help get chores done. Some examples might be, "National Paint the Garage Day", "Pizza and Movie Night", or "National Try a New Sexual Position Day" Make your holiday crazy and out of the normal. Encourage you partner to make up the next crazy holiday then make it a special event between the two of you. I personally like this one "National Massage Your Partner, Turn the Light Down, and Make Passionate Love Day" I am going to try to get this one through congress.

Couples Sports.

There are lots of things you can enjoy together as a couple. Many of those things involve sports. Participating in a sport together can bring you closer and also be a fun activity to break up the everyday struggles of life. There are lots of sport to choose from, like golf, tennis, or dancing. However you might want to break away from the normal sports that the two of you can participate in and look for something different. Hiking, snorkeling, or weight lifting are sports that you don't do every day but they can build a relationship as you learn and become better at them. Turn it into a passion for the both of you. Research the gear you need compete in your new found love. Once the two of you are comfortable with your new activity you might want to look for other couples to enjoy it with also. Join group functions for you activity and get the big picture of how many others love it also. Not only will you forge new friendships but you will build the one between the two of you.

Dreaming Together

Dream board are simple things that the two of you can put together that will keep you focused on your dreams. You simply put things you want or desire up on the board then hang it up where you can see it every day. Put up pictures of where you want to live, cars you want to have, and places you want to go. Doing this keeps these objects in your mind and seeing them everyday will bring them closer to you then you think. If you want an amazing camera, or a yacht then put it up on your board. Don't worry if you feel that the item is out of your reach because if you believe in yourself you soon will find yourself shopping for that item. Once your board is up, make sure you spend time looking at it everyday and do it as a couple also. Put your arms around each other and talk as if you already have the things in the picture. Say things like I think, "I will take the Cadillac to work today", or "After work lets set out on the deck and listen to the ocean waves" By imagining the things you desire you bring them closer. It might seem silly at first but believe me those desires can become reality you just have to believe.

Don't be the old couple watching television in matching recliners.

This image haunts me to this day, the image of older people in their matching recliners wasting away the rest of their lives watching television. Don't fall victim to this trap. As we age it is true we can't do as much as we can when we were younger. However that doesn't have to be a death sentence to sit mindlessly watching television for the rest of our lives. As a couple it is your position to spur each other on and not get trapped in that recliner of death. Turn the television off and read a book, that way at least you are stimulating your mind, now a days you can even use a reading device such as the Amazon kindle so that you don't have stacks of books laying around. Make sure you exercise your body, also. Take walks, do simple exercises if you are unable to do others. Make the commitment to each other to not let the sedimentary lifestyle set in on either of you. Think of things to do go out and watch your kids or grandchildren play sports, soak up some sun, and enjoy all of your life you can. No one ever remembers how many episodes of Dancing with the stars you watched during your life, but they do remember how much life you had in you, so live it up.

Yard Work

Yard work is usually something that is dreaded, but as a couple you can take great pride in your landscaping. Plan out a project together, maybe it is putting a rock garden in or putting in some shrubbery. No matter what you do, even if it is just mowing try to make your yard a work of art. As a couple take pride in your yard, make it a point to work at it together. Take turns mowing and weeding the flowers. Make you landscape an extension of your relationship. Let it thrive and grow and be a model for others to follow. Landscaping has many other benefits. It is a form of exercise and is way better than sitting inside watching soap operas. Landscaping and gardening can also be therapeutic for many people. Plus it can make all your property worth a lot more money not only because of your landscaping. Once your neighbors see your yard they will feel the competition and start making their yard a showplace also. This might increase property values in the entire community. Most important, use your landscaping to get closer to your partner. The passion that comes from keeping the immaculate yard might spill over into your relationship.

What to talk about.

One great thing about being in a special relationship is that you always have someone to talk to. What happens when you just don't have anything to talk about. Maybe you have been together so much that you just can't think of anything interesting to say. You can talk about work or the children, but maybe you want a little deeper conversation. You want to tap into your partner deeper feeling about life in general, but how? What we do when we need to find some interesting conversation is get out some of our old board games and use the questions. Any trivia style game or situation game will do. Just take the cards and find a comfortable place to fire questions back and forth to each other. One of my favorites for this is a game called "Loaded Questions" it is basically just simple questions to ask each other there are not right or wrong answers but they let you know where your partner stands. Another game very similar is Table Conversations, or What Would you Do. Actually I have through out all the boards and spinners to these games and just have kept the questions. I have them quickly on hand for times when we have alone time so that we have plenty to talk about always.