How to Create Surprises for Your Spouse

"You're the cat's meow."

Surprises may not be necessary, but they sure do add a splash of romance and excitement to a relationship. Surprises ignite interest and transform mundane routines into celebrations. Sometimes, parents get into the bad habit of pouring all the positive energy onto the kids, and without intending to, they neglect each other. When a marriage is neglected, partners start taking the relationship for granted and end up feeling lonely and unappreciated. Surprises show appreciation and send a positive message that "I'm here for you." Here are nine ways to get into the habit of giving loving surprises.

Things You'll Need

• Imagination
• A tiny bit of courage

Instructions

1. Send Love Tokens
   Occasionally send a greeting card, a love note or some other small gift to your partner's workplace. An unexpected remembrance can transform a difficult day. Gifts for no reason brighten our hearts and bring us joy. I know a husband who sent the mother of his children the pink silk scarf she had admired in a shop window. I can testify to the fact that it turned her stressful day at work around.

2. Whisper in your Sweetheart's Ear
   While sitting in the audience at your daughter's school play or at your son's baseball game, take a moment to acknowledge your partner by whispering, "You're the cat's meow." A playful word between the two of you keeps your connection sizzling.

3. Throw an Indoor Picnic
   Put a blanket on the floor, light candles, play a game of cribbage, read Mary Oliver's poetry out loud. Feed each other strawberries and chocolate.

4. Sleep Around the House
   I know a couple who whenever the kids spend the night at friends, take advantage of the private time. They put a mattress in front of the fireplace and spend the night there. Sleep on the floor in a different room in the house. Sleep in the backyard. It's amazing how little change in sleeping routine refreshes your body and soul; not to mention the spice it adds to a relationship

5. Act Out Fantasies
   Find out about your partner's secret fantasies and make one of them happen. I know a woman who bought her first pair of cowboy boots and wore them to dinner in the city, just because her husband, the father of their three children, dreamed of living on a ranch. Her willingness to go beyond the expected, certainly made the dinner lively.

6. Provide a Fresh Angle
   Change your daily routine in one tiny way. Go to a new place that no one in your family has been. Pick an activity that no one has done. Invite a new person to your house. Drive a new route, shop at a different store, try new foods. Research a subject nobody in the family knows anything about. Share the information.

7. Offer the Touch Cure
   When you see your partner looking stressed and emotionally strained, ask if you can take his stress away. Place your entire hand on an area of the body, like shoulders, head, back, for at least a minute. Do this voluntarily when you see your honey has had a bad day. I know a couple who give each other quiet hand rubs while sitting in church.

8. Give a Morning Boost
   Say "good morning" with a smile. Write a note or draw a picture about one thing you appreciate about your partner. Put the note next to breakfast to surprise her. A morning note delivered with a smile is like a vitamin that helps their day begin in a good direction.

9. Plan a Day in Silence
   I know a couple who once or twice a year spend the day in silence, communicating only in glances.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish