50 Ways to Love and to Romance your Partner by Myne Whitman

The top "how to" search in the United States is How to Love and, according to the recently released Google Zeitgeist, the top search is the same for Nigeria too, where the #2 is "How to Romance". My blog of course has got it's share of such searches including the following posts which I have interspersed in a list of 50 practical and inexpensive ways to show love to the one you're with, and be romance


1. Write "I love you" in the steam on the bathroom mirror after he takes a shower.

2. Offer a back massage with some good smelling lotion.

3. Write a poem. Then use Google Translator to translate a poem into either French or Italian. Then handwrite it out with the translation on the back side. Or better yet, greet your partner at night and read it to them with passion and then hand them the translation.

4. While in public, declare "I love you, Matilda!" (not Matilda, but your partner's name.)

5. Make a CD with a few songs that are meaningful to your relationship
6. Invite him to take a bath complete with bubbles, champagne, candles, and maybe a little Barry White. (the music, not actually Barry White in your tub.)

7. Surprise her at work and take her out to lunch, maybe take-out food in the park or maybe to a little diner, for a midday romantic interlude.

8. Put together a little gift on his pillow: chocolate and a note that says "Your love is like chocolate: sweet and delicious."

9. If your partner has a work presentation at an off site location, have flowers and a note of support delivered there.

10. Dedicate a song to him on the radio and send him an email telling him when to listen.





11. Cook a special love meal of your partner's favorite foods. Play his favorite music and turn the lights low for a romantic dinner.

12. Give your partner a pedicure and foot rub.

13. Send a text message or email that says "I love you!"

14. Mail a card and inside write down the top 10 things you love about your partner.

15. Give him a picture of you for his wallet that says "I love you."
16. Leave a love note in her car telling her to have a great day.

17. Carve your initials in a tree.

18. When your partner least expects it, give him a great big kiss, even if it's in public!

19. Go see a romantic movie, sit in the back row, hold hands, and cuddle.

20. King for a Day/ Queen for a Day. Declare that you will dedicate a particular day just to your partner to do whatever they want. Maybe start with breakfast in bed



21. Buy a tree and invite your partner to plant it with you explaining that this tree represents the love between you both that will grow over the years.

22. In the midst of talking about how your days went, the chores that need to be done, etc. interrupt and say "I have something important to tell you. I love you and here's why." Then list 5 things (or more) that you really appreciate about your partner. Finish with a kiss and say, "Ok, so you were talking about the water heater."

23. Write an old fashioned love letter and mail it. Be romantic and lavish. Have some fun with it.

24. Before going to a party together come up with some secret code words you can use during conversation. You can be telling each other "I can't wait to get you alone tonight!" without anyone knowing!

25. Find a hotel that has a jacuzzi and book it for a one night getaway somewhere close but fu
26. Place an ad in the classifieds declaring your love. Then take the newspaper, wrap it in a bow, and put a little note on it saying what page to look on.

27. Blindfold surprise. Blindfold your partner and drive them to the place where you had your first date, and have that date all over again!

28. Write a love poem for her.

29. Make an early valentine. Cut out some paper in the shape of a heart. Write something sweet on it in red and put it in her purse or his briefcase.

30. If your partner is going on a business trip secretly hide a love note inside their luggage



31. Offer to help them with some dreaded chore they must complete and make it into a fun time maybe with some music. (cleaning out the basement, raking the leaves, shoveling after a big snow storm, giving the dog a bath, washing the car, etc.)

32. Do something romantic and spontaneous, like picking a flower and giving it to her right on the spot.

33. Invent a meal and name it after him or her.

34. Buy some body paint and write your love message on your body.

35. Record yourself reading a romantic love poem for your honey. Then give your partner a CD and tell them to play it in the car on their way to work.
36. Make a small postcard sized love collage. Then cover it with clear packing tape. Write a love message on the other side and mail it!

37. Keep a box with mementos of fun things you've done together. Later when the box is filled, arrange them on a board and have it framed.

38. Buy some underwear with special messages on it. Or buy your own and paint a special picture or message with fabric paints.

39. Make a donation to charity in the name of your love for your partner. Give your sweetheart a card that tells how grateful you are to share your life with her.

40. Keep a box with special cards, letters, photographs, and other mementos. On your anniversary or on Valentine's day take a little time to share fond memories together as you review the contents.





41. Create a mindmap of all the things you love about your partner and make it into a card.

42. Take a walk on the beach together. Run up ahead and write a message in the sand, and then call your partner to see what you "found."

43. Say "I love you" often, slowly, and with feeling.

44. Play hooky together. You work hard. Now today take a day to work easy at just sharing some fun time together. Call it an "I love you day."

45. Send an e-card to your sweetie to brighten his day. Here are free e-card resources: Apple iCards, BlueMountain, Hallmark.

46. Make little "I love you" posters with either crayons, markers, collage, paint, whatever. Post them in surprising places: the bathroom, the closet, the car, under her pillow, on her pillow.

47. Create a small website or blog dedicated to your partner. Write a short love message each day for a month...or forever.

48. Complete that chore or favor that your partner has wanted you to do for a long time.

49. Be super kind for a whole day. Act like you would with a new love, a child, or a frail person. Show lots of kindness, generosity, and love no matter what for a whole day.

50. Take an interest in your partner's interests. For a woman it might be watching a football game with your guy. And for men it might be going to see a chick-flick. Do it with a spirit of enthusiasm and love. Have fun.
Print this out and do one each day. Make up your own. You don't have to tell your partner that this is something you are doing. Just do it. Who knows, maybe you'll establish a positive habit of expressing your love on a daily basis.

10 Keys to a Successful Romantic Relationship

In romantic relationships, as with so much else, it’s the little things that count. Just as a mis-spoken word or odd look can throw a couple into a weeks-long feud, small and seemingly insignificant gestures can help keep a relationship on track. A little gift, an off-hand compliment, a moment of physical contact can vastly strengthen a relationship.
 

1. Tell your partner you love them. Although it’s true that actions speak louder than words, words often speak more clearly than actions. Take a moment every now and then to verbalize your feelings for your partner. A simple “I love you” or “You mean the world to me” can go a long way towards making your significant other feel wanted, cared for, and secure in your relationship.

2. Show some affection.

Small acts of physical intimacy – the hand on the small of the back as you brush by in the hallway, your arm around their shoulder on the sofa, your hand on their thigh when seated side-by-side, holding hands while walking down the street – give your partner a warm feeling and convey the love and affection you feel for them. The littlest touch can be as important, or even more important, than the longest night of sexual intimacy.

3. Show appreciation for your partner.

Let your partner know on a regular basis what it is that you like most about them – what you admire, what makes you proud, what their strengths are in your eyes. Building a romantic relationship isn’t jsut about the initial bonding – it’s about encouraging and supporting each other’s growth over the course of your lives. Help your partner achieve his or her potential by constantly building them up.

4. Share yourself.

Don’t keep your likes and dislikes, dreams and fears, achievements and mistakes, or anything else to yourself. If it’s important to you, share it with your partner. More than that, be sure to share more with your partner than you do with anyone else. While there is certainly a need for some personal space in even the closest relationship, give as much of yourself and your time as you can bear to your partner.

5. Be there for your partner.

It’s obvious what you need to do when your partner faces a major life challenge like the loss of a job or the death of a loved one. But it’s just as important to be supportive when your partner faces life’s little challenges, too – an argument at work, a rough commute, a misplaced check. Don’t let yourself be a doormat, and definitely don’t stand for physical or verbal abuse, but thicken your skin a little and be the voice of calm and reason when chaos strikes. Listen to what’s bothering them and offer whatever help – even if it’s just sympathy – you can.

6. Give gifts.

Take advantages of opportunities to give material tokens of your love. Just the right book picked up at the bookstore, a special dessert, a piece of jewelry or clothing you noticed at the store – anything small or large that tells them you were thinking of them. Leave a love note for them, or send them an SMS at work to “I love you” – again, the little reminder that they’re always on your mind will help your partner feel better about themselves and secure in your relationship.

7. Respond gracefully to your partner’s demands and shortcomings.

A big killer of relationships is unreasonable expectations. Unless you married a robot, your partner comes pre-loaded with a whole range of human failures and foibles. These are features, not bugs! Learn to recognize and appreciate your partner’s quirks for what they are: an essential part of who they are as people. Since our weaknesses are often at the core of our deepest insecurities, make sure you don’t pick on or otherwise go out of your way to highlight your partner’s flaws.

8. Make "alone time" a priority.

No matter how busy both of your lives are, make sure you commit at least an evening every week or two to be alone together. Have new experiences, share your stories, and just generally enjoy each other’s company.

9. Take nothing for granted.

Cultivate a daily sense of gratitude for your partner and the thousands of little blessings he or she has brought into your life. Remember that, if you’re happy in your relationship, your partner is doing a thousand little things for you every day to make your relationship work (as, hopefully, you are for them). Never take that for granted – a relationship is work of the highest order, and the second you stop it starts to slide away.

10. Strive for equality.

Make sure you follow the Golden Rule in your relationship: do unto your partner as you would have done unto you. Strive for a fair division of household duties and other tasks, and don’t expect or demand special considerations you’d be unwilling to offer in return.

TIPS TO MINIMISE SPENDING SO MUCH ON YOUR HAIR. by Bukola Adeolu-Dele

From a level of  deep thinking, I 've found out that our hair as ladies consumes even more than our tuition fees, feeding and even investments as the case may be. Is our hair a worthy investment? In as much as we are expected to be neat from the crown of her heads, there are ways we can minimize the amount of money we spend on our hair while we channel most of our resources into worthy investments that can yield reasonable dividends for us.

The funny thing is that some ladies that claim to lack one thing or the other are carrying  the capital of what will make them financially independent once and for all, on their heads.

Really, if you don’t sit down to deliberately calculate, you might not realize the fortune you are spending on your hair which can be cut down if you must be a good investor and not a terrific spender.

Let’s see how the money goes, using Tope, a university undergraduate and Victoria side by side as case studies. Mind you, Tope relies on her Parents, older friends, Uncles and Aunt’s for her upkeep. She’s got  nothing doing that brings in money for her but she no doubts looks smashing day in day out while spending a fortune on her hair, while Victoria’s story is the same but has plans on starting a business of her own by May.

JANUARY

Retouching...(2nd week)Tope: with Kit and service... 2,500

Vivian: With Ozone relaxer and service....350

After retouching, Vivian leaves her hair for two weeks, while combing and using accessories to dress it.

Tope fixes immediately after retouching... 1,400(weavon)+1,000(service)= 2,400

NOTE: If the same amount is at their disposal for hair purposes, at the end of January, Tope has spent 4,900 while Vivian has spent 350 thereby saving 4,550.

FEBRUARY

Tope loosens her weavon, washes her hair, and then braids it, all summing up to 4,500

Vivian washes her hair and fixes for 2,000 and then does a simple hausa weaving by the end of the month for 400, all summing up to 2,400.

By the end of February, Tope spent 4,500 while Vivian spent 2,500. Vivian has succeeded in saving 2,000.

MARCH

Tope saves up some money including the ones she had sourced for, from various quarters which she claimed to need for her ongoing project to buy a brazillian human hair for 60,000( you know, she needs to level up with her clique) She fixes for 1,500.

Wow! With the same amount of money at vivian’s disposal, she buys a standard and smashing wig for 5,000( At least she don step up small)which she used all through the month of March, while keeping her hair neatly woven (500)

At the end of March,Tope had spent 61,500 while Vivian spent 5,500 thus saving the sum of 56,000.

TOTAL ANALYSIS: By the end of March, Tope has spent a total sum of 70,900 on her hair while Vivian spent 8,350 while saving 62,550.

Now, please note that the Salons and products they use for their hair is different. It is not that Vivian wouldn’t mind a good kit but could still make do with another at least for the moment.

In as much as I’m not advocating that we should treat our hair anyhow and use poor quality products, I’m trying to say that we should live our level per time while making sure we have good investments that can produce more thus being less of a burden but a blessing to others in need.

At the end of this analysis, Vivian has a whole 62,550 to invest into a long standing idea while Tope is still in square one. Sooner, Tope will still have to borrow money from Vivian while Vivian has traded the days of pleasure and high standard for a worthy investment and could afford to make any kinda hair she wants later! Note that this still does not mean that we should spend unreasonably on our hair.

For instance, it’s not every time we must have something glued to our hair. Our hair needs Air and we should cultivate the habit of leaving our hair for some time without attaching anything to it. It is healthy as well as economical.

We should also try to buy wigs that can be used at various times and for various reasons. At times, you might not have much and you need to appear good, your wig comes in handy. However these days, most weavons are thrown away after the first use! At least, you can’t throw your wig away after the first use.

Also, we should try as much a s possible to be content with what we have on per time and not covetous! Ladies go as much as loosening a kind of hair that is being carried for just a week because they just found out a new kind of hairdo on another.

In conclusion ladies, let’s be wise and take a stock of how much we spend on our hair and then, adjust where necessary. Always remember that it pays to be prudent and to go through the pain of discipline than the pain of regret.

It’s not money we need in actual sense but wisdom to manage and harness the little that comes to us per time. Soon, you ’ld be a distributor and not a borrower. Watch it! Hope the Capital you ’ve been looking for all the while is not on your head!

Please, feel free to add your comments and further suggestions or adjustments. We really need to rub our minds together.

B-L-E-S-S- A GUIDE TO PRAYING FOR YOURSELF OR OTHERS

BODY – Lord, thank you for my health. Please strengthen me physically today. Ease the tension in my shoulders and head. Give me wisdom to take care of myself wisely. Help me to be disciplined in what I eat and give me determination to exercise today. Protect me as I go about my day. Thank you that You are a shield around me. I need Your help today especially with _________

LABOR – Father God, I give You all my efforts today. You know where I work hard and You know where I slack off and procrastinate. Help me focus today. Help my mind to retain what I study. Bless my efforts today. Help me to prioritize the important things in my life. Multiply my efforts and may my accomplishments be fruitful. Thank you that my weak points are the very entry point for Your strength. Fill me with Your Spirit and help me today to _____________________.

EMOTIONS – Lord, You alone know how I can so easily be dragged by my emotionsinstead of being led by Your Spirit. Today I bring to You the areas within my heart that feel unstable and shaky. Thank you that You are my Rock today. You give me a firm place to stand. Give me self-confidence that is rooted in You. Help me to feel encased in Your peace today and to trust You completely with __________________.

SOCIAL – Father God, bless my friendships and lead me into purposeful friendships with others who seek You. Give me strength to distance myself from social situations that could draw my heart away from You. Fill my lonely places with the assurance of Your presence. Be with the woman You have chosen for me and bless and protect her today. Help her with whatever she is facing and draw her close to You. Bring me a friend to encourage and one who will encourage me. Today I pray a blessing on ________________.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH – Lord, help me to trust You and to depend on You. It’s so easy to try to lean on my own understanding. Help me to sense Your presence with me today. Give me a strong desire to read Your Word. Help me to understand what You are saying to me. Show me what needs to be cleansed in my heart and life today. I ask Your forgiveness for ____________________. Give me a deep desire to draw near to You and to make time to quiet myself so I can hear You speak.

Thank you Lord, that You are in my life. I depend on You today. Thank you that, with expectation, I can trust You with every detail. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

  

FEELING FEARFUL? READ THIS

  
 Your heart is the well-spring of all of your life. It is the place from which your reactions, your attitudes, your actions all bubble up from. All that you are as you walk through this day, with whatever it holds, will spring from your heart. That’s why God tells us specifically to guard that well-spring.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
We are wise to check what is residing in that well-spring. Among the many things we find in our hearts there will always be one of two very specific things in the lead – faith or fear.

One will always be on the top of the heap. They cannot both occupy the same place. If faith resides there your well-spring will pour out peace and confidence in God’s care for you, even in the midst of uncertain times. If fear resides there anxiety and depression will be the natural outward flow.
Faith or Fear. Every day we choose. Many times a day we choose. When the evening news brings signs of foreboding unemployment, financial crisis and uncertainty tomorrow, fear is the natural response. That well-spring will pour forth worry and stress. When relationships are on edge and illness or hardship looms, anxiety churns within us creating it’s own downward cycle. Faith over-rides fear. Fear over-rides faith.

God tells us exactly what to do when fear grips our hearts and takes over our minds. Left unchecked it will scatter our faith like confetti in the wind and leave us anchor-less in the storms of life. Listen to God’s very specific instruction from Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.”

What a simple formula! Not easy – but simple. Worry is a call to prayer. The moment you become aware of that churning anxiety over ANYTHING, go immediately to your Heavenly Father. Present your requests to Him. Then turn your thoughts and prayers to thanksgiving.
Thank Him for His promise to never forsake you. Thank Him for the power of His name and for His intimate knowledge of every detail. Thank Him for His track record in your life when He has been there for you in the past. Thank Him that He works all things together for your good as you trust Him. Thank Him that He is at work establishing His kingdom in your life.
Your faith and trust in God will over-ride your fear and His peace will actually put a guard around your heart and mind so fear cannot over run you. It’s supernatural and it’s real.
Father God, I confess that fear is often my first response to challenges that come my way. May I be conscious today of choosing to trust You with every detail of my life. Help me to have faith to leave the question marks in Your control and to trust You to carry me and sustain me with your peace that is beyond understanding. Today I choose to put my trust in You. Fill my heart with child like faith today I ask in the strong name of Jesus, amen.

God bless you