This Valentine's Day will make eighteen years since I met my husband for the first time. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday... He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina at the time and we met in a chat room online. Neither one of us had ever done that before but we really seemed to connect and had so many things in common. That weekend, he had called me to tell me that he would be unable to take leave and drive up to New York with his roommate because he had been assigned guard duty. Of course, I was extremely disappointed that I would not be able to see him but I resigned myself to the fact and just tried to keep busy. Sometime in the evening, I received a call from Ben telling me that his roommate would be stopping off at my house on his way to Jersey to drop off my Valentine's Day present. I could hear a lot of noise in the background during the call and he assured me that they were just running drills on base. Shortly after, his cousin, who … [Read more...]
Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas
Let's face it, while most of us really enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day with our sweethearts, it can sometimes turn out to be a pretty expensive holiday. The problem is that it lands less than three months after Christmas so many are still recovering from all the money they spent in December buying presents. It's important to remember, however, that making time to show your partner how you feel about them and enjoying some romance together is a necessary part of having a good relationship. The good news is that you can show your honey how much you love him or her without spending a lot of money. Make a love coupon book Love coupons are a great way to surprise your special someone on Valentine's Day. You can create or print ones that are filled out already and also include blank ones that your partner can fill out with whatever task they want you to complete. Some of the tasks that you can include on the coupons are enjoying a home cooked meal, getting a massage, cuddle time, … [Read more...]
Keeping The Romance Alive In Your Marriage
Wouldn’t it be awesome to still have a romantic relationship with your spouse, even years into your marriage? The good news is that it’s very possible to keep the romance alive in your marriage. Here are several tips for helping you to achieve this. Late Night Dates Sometimes it can be difficult to hire a sitter for a date night. That’s why late night dates work out so well. You can have a date with your spouse, way after the kids go to bed. Sure, you’ll be sacrificing sleep, but it’s so worth it to have some one on one time with your spouse. Do Unexpected Things for Your Spouse A lot of times people get “bored” in their marriage because life and bills take over. Keep the romance alive in your marriage by doing unexpected things for your spouse. Get up early to make them breakfast or a hot cup of coffee. You can even do a surprise date night to keep things really spontaneous. Always Say “I Love You” Don’t let the mundane everyday life keep you from loving your spouse. … [Read more...]
Tips For Spending More Time Together As A Family
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to spend more time together as a family? What’s stopping you? There are ways you can spend more time together as a family without breaking the budget or driving each other crazy. Don’t Forget the Ride Home Although you may all be in a car together, riding in a car home together is one way to spend more time as a family. It’s a great time to talk and discuss how the day went. You may not be sitting face to face, but this is a nice way to unwind and catch up as a family. Push Back Bedtime 30 Minutes Okay, so not every family can push back bedtime by 30 minutes, but if you can it’s a great way to go. Why? Well, many families don’t get home till 6 o’clock at night and it can be difficult to get anytime in together. Pushing back bedtime can help give a little more “time” together. If you can’t push back bedtime, then consider getting up 30 minutes earlier and eating an unrushed breakfast together. Spend Time Eating Dinner Together In today’s busy … [Read more...]
Unspoken Truths About Parenthood…
Last night, I took my family to the movies to see the new Captain America movie. My husband and I had planned it all week and I waited with my boys for Hubby to get home from work so we could head out to the multiplex. We were all looking forward to this outing and we chatted excitedly in the car on the way over there. To add to our excitement, I had picked up my nephew that afternoon and he was accompanying us to see the film. As usual, we were running a few minutes late and arrived at the theater just in time to quickly purchase our tickets and head to find some good seats while the coming attractions were playing on the screen. About ten minutes into the movie a couple walked in with a stroller containing an infant and two toddlers in tow. They proceeded to sit right near us and, I have to admit, I predicted that bringing such young children to the movies would not turn out well for them or for the rest of us who were trying to watch the movie. Sure enough, one of … [Read more...]
