Push stuff you need to do alone until later.

One thing I think can benefit any relationship is taking time to be together during the evening. Don't spend your time tinkering in the garage or reading a book in the other room. Make it a point to spend good quality time together. Do your reading or tinkering after you have spent some quality time with each other. I suggest setting time right before bed for you to do your other interest of if your like me do it after my partner has gone to bed. The downfall of many relationships is when we stop enjoying being together. Growing apart while still in the same household is more common than you think. Snuggle down in a chair to watch something, play a game, get a great conversation started anything that will get you close and talking is a relationship builder. The important thing is you are spending quality time together and take the time to listen to what is going on in his/her life outside the house. You will find that he/she is still as interesting as when you were dating and you spent all your time focused on each other.

Make your partner one of your buddies.

Can you make your partner one of your buddies? You sure can. The first thing you have to do is not act differently when you are with your buddies, if your partner is there. Don't spend all the time with your partner, and talk to your buddies as if they were one of them. All of you go to a ballgame or out for drinks. You can build a special bond with your special someone if you include them in events like this. You partner will feel as if you trust them to hang out with your friends and that you are not embarrassed by this. Sure there are times when you need to be away from each other and you have to set those boundaries. Say for instance a group of women are going on their annual Christmas shopping spree. Bringing your partner along on a tradition you have would be not a good idea. Vice versa if the man and his friends go on a fishing trip once a year, a partner would most likely chance the trip for the people involved. So set these boundaries and be considerate of your partners feelings in these matters. Going to a ballgame or talking in a show are great opportunities to get all the people you care about involved. Have cookouts and invite them over for drinks. Maybe with a little work you can integrate all your friends and have great get together with them. Just know where to draw the line and don't step on any toes.