27. Create a special way to say, "I love you" in public. A wink or a cough. A squeeze of the hand. Teach your children the signal, too!
28. List ten ways that you take your partner for granted. Sit down and think really hard about what you can do to show your mate how much you care. Then ~ and this is the hard part ~ put one new caring way into action each day for the next ten days. Then start the list all over again until it becomes a habit.
29. Spend some quiet moments together. Pick a "special place" (how about an outdoor cafe) and take the time to meet there after work. Call your mate as often as you can and ask: "Meet at our spot?" Once there, relax and enjoy the moment, however brief, over a quiet glass of wine or seltzer, iced tea, or coffee.
30. If your mate shouldn't or can't eat candy, the traditional gift of lovers, fill a candy box with something else that he or she loves ~ golf balls, mystery novels, cassette tapes, note cards, postcards, miniature race cars, beanies, nice pens, or a small piece of jewelry.
31. Make plans to have a regular date with your partner - a special engagement that you virtually never break unless there is an emergency. You could make it for the first Saturday of each month, or for the first night of a full moon. Take turns planning this occasion which might include a ferry trip, a canoe ride, a picnic, a bed-and-breakfast near your home . . .
32. Write your partner a romantic note on scented paper. How about the lovely French expression, "Qui vois fait rever?" ("What makes your dream?"). Tuck it into their pocket or purse on Friday morning as your part ~ a promise for the weekend.
33.Delight a child with things we normally take for granted. Most children are thrilled with a bus, ferry, subway, or trolley car rides.
34. Give someone a hug!
35. Bake a promise cake for your mate or child. Write out special messages, wrap the promises in foil, taking care to make the packages large enough to see, and add them to the cake batter just before you pour it into the baking pans.
36. Celebrate half birthdays. Bake half a birthday cake and decorate it with half a candle!
37. Give someone you love a list of "25 Reasons Why I Love You".
38. Send someone a basket of goodies. How about a tea basket filled with teas, coffees, good cookies and biscuits, chocolates, and canned delicacies. How about a special bath basket filled with bubble bath, a bath mitt, special soaps, a special towel, and powder. So many ideas!
39. Want to let someone know you are thinking of them? Send clippings and magazine articles to friends whenever you find something of special interest. A friend did this for me sending along an article regarding lighthouses she found in a magazine. How wonderful to know she thought of us when she found it and took the time to send it along!
40. Drop a dollar on the street and imagine the pleasure it will give someone to find it! Or add a dollar to someone's regular tip. Or donate it to the first cause you see in a small store or drugstore. When you're generous with someone else, the good feeling inside you expands until it bursts and touches those around you!
41. When your mate gets home from work, surprise them by handing them a glass of chilled wine, and without a word, lead them to the bathroom laid out with a warm bubble bath, fresh towels, soap, a small spot for the wineglass, and candlelight with "I Love You" written in lipstick on the mirror!
42. Send your mother-in-law flowers on your mate's birthday!
43. Take a walk together under a full moon. There's still something magical about a walk in the moonlight, something that makes the heart more tender and willing to express feelings. I know ~ that's how Roger and I started! :o)
44. Share a sunrise or sunset. We live near Acadia National Park where the summit of Cadillac Mountain is the very first point on the entire East Coast to be kissed by the sun. Be there, done that . . . and it is breath-taking - both sunrises and sunsets!
45. Instead of buying your loved one candy for Valentine's Day, make your own! Aw, come on - it's easy!! Check out our recipe page around Valentine's Day!
46. Plan a treasure hunt! You will be a pirate who has buried a treasure and has recorded its whereabouts in code. The one you love is the lucky explorer who finds the clues leading to the secret treasure - and the secret treasure is you!
47. Are you disappointed when a free day is spoiled by an unexpected rainstorm? Don't allow it! Remember as a child how much fun it was to go out in the rain? You would find the deepest puddles to splash in. Put on your raincoat, galoshes, and a hat, and make the best of a rainy day with the one you love!
48. Laughter is one of the more important ingredients to a lasting relationship. Find things to do with your mate that make you laugh - rent your favorite comedy movie, look at old yearbooks, etc.
49. Surprise your mate with an anniversary celebration! How about the anniversary of your first date? With a little calculation, how about an anniversary of your one-thousandth day together! Use your imagination!
50. You can say "I Love You" almost everytime you see someone if you sincerely complment them in some way. Compliments need not be directed only at appearance. People love to hear others say something nice about their sense of humor, work, or talents. Try to compliment the ones you love at least once a day.
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