Stormy Nights are great for talking and cuddling.

When you crawl into bed and notice the flashing of light that lights up your room. Followed by the huge boom of thunder that startles your soul. These makes for a great night to snuggle up your you partner and watch the light show that comes in through that window. The rhythmic sound of the rain tickling your roof. The sporadic fireworks and sound show make a wonderful back drop for some great up late talking. Sit up in bed and touch each other as you discuss things like how storms made you feel when you were little. You can even act like little kids by counting after the lighting strikes and continuing until the thunder booms to see how far away the heart of the storm could be. Hide under the covers and do a little more of the teenage stuff like making out. Storm like this also offer a great sexual mood enhancement and you might find that when the lightning starts so does your libido. Enjoy the storm and all the memories it can create for you.

Working together.

Some of you might think that working together is a wonderful idea, and some of you think that work is your separation time. Well it can be both. Recently my partner and I were offered a position to run a retirement neighborhood. The pay was really good and we would have gotten free housing, now a problem arouse that there were not enough bedrooms for our children, so we had to decline. The thought of working together was a wonderful challenge for us. The more and more I thought about it however I realized that even though we would essentially be working together we would spend most of that time apart. Doing different things and marketing would keep us busy most of the day. I feel like we would have still had lots to talk about later in the evening and would still have the coming home feeling. It is to bad this didn't work out I think that as in our relationship we would have made a great team in business. Where does your relationship stand as of work? It is okay if you need that space from you partner, however think about if you could work together with your partner and what that says about your relationship. A big question for working together is can you leave the work behind? Will you drag it into the bedroom or worse yet will it cause problems in your personal relationship. If you can keep business separate from your personal relationship there is no problem.

Can driving home from vacation be romantic?

We have covered a couple of times how romantic drives can be, however this one is a little different. The drive home from vacation is usually filled with sleeping and worn out company. You desire is to get home and not to be living out of your car anymore for a while. How can we make this romantic? Well by talking about the adventures you just had. Start recounting all the things you did and the ones that you remember the most. Ask each family member what was their favorite part of vacation and what was their worst. Getting the conversation flowing will help pass the time on your boring drive home. Not to mention have you partner laughing and poking fun at the things you did while on vacation. Get your digital camera out and have the passengers check out the photos of your trip and talk about what they are seeing. Just make sure the driver keeps his/her eyes on the road.

Dividing the Drive time.

When you are getting ready to take a long trip one thing I feel you need to do is divide the drive time up. Plan on certain places where you will stop and exchange drivers. This will give you both a little rest and relaxation so you will be fresh when you get to your destination. I also would suggest being good company when you are not the one driving. Unless you are driving through the night, keep you partner company as they drive. Good conversation is one of the best ways to make a long trip seem shorter. You might even find the time flying by as the miles pass as you talk them away. If you do need to rest then make sure you partner has the directions he/she needs and get them something to listen to on the radio before you doze off. These simple little things will make the task of driving to your fun destination as fun as it can be.

Have a drink ready!

Have you ever had a time where you partner is having a bad day at work? Maybe they called you at lunch or texted you during the day to tell you how terrible of day they are having. We all have these days where nothing seems to go right and every time you turn around it seems to get worse. This is where being a kind and loving partner comes in. You can turn their day around as soon as the walk through the door. Have their favorite drink ready for them and give them a big kiss as the walk through the door. Encourage them to sit down and talk to you about their day, let them get it off their chest so that they can put it behind them. Maybe, just maybe you will make their night a little better and they can forget about the terrible day they have had. Within each and everyone of us there is the power to lift our lovers up. Be it with compassion and praise, or listening and understanding, we can turn the tides for them. Make them feel special the rest of the night, make sure to touch them often as touch is a soothing reminder of the love you have for them. If the time is right have induce a little sexual release from them and let them enjoy your wonderful love for them. We cannot change the past but we can make the present a different place.

Friday night flings

Friday starts the weekend for most people yet it is not the big night to go out. Saturday dominates the party night while friday comes in a distant second. You can use this to your advantage. Friday night is a great night to go out if you are wanting to talk and find out more about your love. Find places that don't have bands on fridays or that don't get hoppin until Saturday and spend the evening over a few drinks and some good conversation. Another option here is to get out early before the party crowd hits and have your conversation and drinks and then do something a little more personal like taking a walk, going to a movie, or maybe back to one of your places!!

Can you walk the talk?

How often do the two of you just go out for a walk to talk. Getting out of your normal setting and speaking to each other as you stroll along is a great way to stay connected. Find a not so crowded place to walk in your neighborhood and get some exercise while you converse with the person you love. It seems a little easier to converse when you are out in the open as you are not facing each other and you already have your blood pumping from the exercise. Here is a great way to strike up a conversation if you don't have anything to speak about during the walk. Pick something out of the newspaper or find a article in a magazine and then discuss it during your walk. Think up ideas about the subject they can be serious or silly as long as they get the two of you thinking and/or laughing. Stimulating your minds is a great activity to do together now you are adding exercise into the mix so you can't go wrong. Think about it spending time with the person you love, exercising and diving deep into thought what else do you need?

It's okay to be a couple.

If you are like me when you are out with the members of your same sex, all they seem to want to do is bash on their partner. They talk about how they don't do this or how this annoys them. I am challenging you to break out of this mold. Next time you find yourself in this situation instead of joining in to bash on your partner to the opposite. Find something that you really enjoy about your partner and tell your friends about that. Maybe it was the great birthday present you got or how when you were sick how your partner took care of you. See if you can change the tides and get the water flowing in the opposite direction. Stay away from telling them about your sex life, for that is private even with your best friends. Who knows maybe you can help improve another relationship by helping them find good things instead of focusing on the things that bother them.

Photo form Olliethebastards photo stream on Flickr

Have your own little Thanksgiving for the two of you.

If your like us, you spend your Thanksgiving going from one partners parents to the next. Eating and roaming the country side. While I am not in the least bit saying you should skip these family gatherings, I am suggesting you make your own little Thanksgiving dinner on the night before or after. Pick on of the nights and make a little dinner for the two of you, heck you can even use left overs if you brought some home. You could also make a specific dish for the two of you to enjoy this time of year. Sit around and tell each other why you are thankful for their being in your life and don't just say the big things, use the little ones to show how much you value them. Things like "I am so thankful when you get up a little earlier to let me sleep in" or "I am thankful that you pushed me to apply for my new job" Spread them out through out the whole day and retrace the entire year. Sure being thankful shouldn't happen just once a year but when the word is in the title of the day you can't help but make it a focal point.

Give a late night call.

Have you ever laid awake thinking about the person you love. Well next time you are sitting their wondering about them, give them a little call. Pick up your phone call them and tell them you were thinking about them and just wanted to call and say Hi. Don't do this if you know they have to get up early the next day. Most likely they will feel great that you called and a smile will grace their face. This works great if you are on a business trip or away from home for a long period of time. Springing a call on a person at the spur of the moment tells them you really care and makes them realize that your mind is on them. You can even do this when you are in the same house if one of you stays up later then the other pick up your phone and call them just to tell them you love them. You will most likely get extra snuggles once you get into bed with them. Don't keep them on the phone long let them get back to sleep and there is a good chance they will dream about you.

Debate.

Some of the greatest and most passionate conversations I have ever had during my relationships is when the two of us have debated an issue. I love trying to get my point acrossed to the my partner and I enjoy listening to their side. Debates are fun because they are a controlled argument. You may not agree with the other persons view but you don't get upset with them. Some great topics to discuss are the economy, health, spirituality, and sex. They allow you to express yourself and talk in a manner of calmness. Here is what I like to do crack open a bottle of wine and just sit on the deck or porch and talk til the wee hours of the morning. I love it because I get to experience someone else's point of view and sometime that special lady in my life has swayed me to her side. It is a form of education if you will and all you have to do is look on the Internet for something to debate about. Give it a try tonight I believe it can bring you closer together as a couple and gives your partner a little more insight into you.

Zoo it up!

One of the most romantic places to take a date early in your relationship is the zoo. This may seem a little silly but think about it. You get to walk around all the time, with no agenda you don't have to be a the lion cage at seven o'clock for your reservation. You have lots of things that can visually stimulate a conversation, with the animals, obviously. You can also talk about the crowd and the children as well as other things around the zoo. As you walk you have many chances to get away from the crowd and get some one on one time. Just find an exhibit that not many people find interesting and you can sit there and talk about what ever you feel like. Being at the zoo also gives you and your date a feeling of freedom. You are not enclosed like the animals and you are free to roam about the entire facility. You can even find a bench just to sit and enjoy the day. The next time you are wondering where to take a date early in the relationship don't look past the zoo, it might just be the place where the two of you will hit it off.

Keeping Romance Hot

I think most everyone knows that romance is about making your partner feel special. There are several ways to do that, be it bringing home flowers, surprising them with a night out, or maybe even taking a trip. We need to also keep romance alive in our bedrooms. Maybe that wasn't a good statement as some of you might be having intimacy outside of the bedroom. To be truly romantic in your love life you have to make your partner feel like you think they are special. Sex is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this feat. For starters put your focus of foreplay on your partner, make their sensation the best it can be. Use different items and toys to bring their excitement level to the top. Speak to them during your activities, tell them how much you love them and how great of lover they are. This little things are a big turn on for most people. You might be wondering about now when is it your turn to be the center of sexual attention. Well you can't force someone to act this way, but if your partner truly loves you then the both of you will find ways to take turns pleasing the other person. I suggest however making your partner the total focus once in a while, meet only their needs and see what happens. Now everyone deserves a chance at this and if tonight is your turn to lay back and enjoy, you need to make plans to reciprocate the actions.

The Classic Movie Moves!!!!

Hey next time you are at the movies take some time to make those classic moves your learned in junior high school. Do the stretch and put the arm around your date, or slowly move your hand onto his knee. If something happens that startles you in the movie, jump into your partners arms. Simply touch their skin rub it gently and stroke the inside of their forearm. Hold hands , share drinks and popcorn make it seem like one of your first dates. If you both feel a little adventurous, sit in the back and make out if no one else is in the theater. You can purposely pick a movie that is old or not a big draw to try and get the theater to yourself. Feed each other popcorn and talk through the movie. Make comments to each other during the show and laugh. Some people might shhhs you but that's okay just try to be a little more quite. Leave the movie hand in hand and when you get home stand outside your door and kiss. Even if it is both of your house it still feels like a good night kiss.

Use only candles in the house.

Let's make our house or apartment a little more romantic today. Make a pact with your partner not to use any electric lights. Only candles tonight, obviously safety is an issue but just be careful and get some good quality candles. Spread them out around the house and imagine what it was like went their was no electricity. Think about how sexy everything will look in candle light. Dinner will be more romantic, as well as just sitting around either talking or relaxing together. Now think about kissing each other and how much more exciting it will be in candle light. Bedtime can be another treat using candles, especially if you are going to have a little fun in bed that night. Just make sure all the candles are secure and can't be knocked over during the coarse of the evening.

Shower Talks

Here's a little test in self control. Next time your partner is taking a shower, and you have the time, just slip into the bathroom, sit on the stool and talk with them. It is a big test of your self control because you know he/she is naked on the other side of the shower curtain, and you know you want to peak in on them (at least I know I want to see my wife.). Strike up a conversation about something other than your relationship; it could be about your kids, work, church, or anything other than them being naked. This exercise raises trust as your partner is naked and in a vulnerable state. You are trying to mind your Ps and Qs, and not just ripping open the shower curtain and attacking. To me this feels like when you used to talk on phone as a teenager. You were wondering what the other person was wearing or what he/she was doing at this point of day. Talk to your partner for a while, but make sure that once he/she is ready to get out of the shower and dry off you are out of the area. Give him/her some privacy. If you were in the middle of an in-depth conversation, make sure to pick it back up when he/she is finished. You can also do this activity while your partner takes a bath, shaves or grooms himself/herself in some fashion. Conversation is good for the relationship. If you can focus on the conversation when your partner is completely naked, then you have a sound foundation in your relationship. Special note: Don't try this while you are trying to be intimate. Think of intimate things to talk about during that time. Talking about your mother during sex is a real buzz kill. Focus on the task at hand in this situation. :-)

Now, head for the shower and some good conversation.