My Mother loved daisies. Chris’ Mom liked Forget-Me-Nots. I like pink roses, personally. I had a beautiful bunch of them in my wedding bouquet, and Chris brought them to me in the hospital each time one of the kids was born.

If you don’t know what your wife or girlfriend’s favorite type of flower is, ask! Or, to be less obvious, wait until you are shopping at a store that has an outdoor garden center, steer her in that direction, and pay attention to what kinds of flowers she looks at.

Not sure where to buy the freshest, nicest flowers? Look in the Yellow Pages under florists, or for convenient delivery, try using an online <a type=”amzn”>flower delivery</a> service like ProFlowers. When I worked in an office, I never saw a single female coworker NOT be thrilled at the site of a delivery person walking up to the reception desk with a flower delivery! We all secretly hoped it was for us

You don’t need a special occasion to send flowers, you can send them “just because”. Your special lady will feel spoiled by your attention, too.

There are so many ways to say “I love you” without ever saying the words. Have you tried any of these?

Say “I Love You” with food. While making breakfast this weekend, cut heart shapes out of the pancakes or waffles. The kids won’t be the only ones to enjoy the message.

Use time in the car to talk, and don’t forget to listen! Turn down the radio and use the opportunity to let others in the car know you think they’re special. Try phrases like, “I’m glad we’re together” and “I think you’re special”. These words not only tell others that you love them, but also serve to build their self esteem, especially to kids.

Take a walk together. When is the last time you spent time together, just walking? This is a way to not only promote health, but also a feeling of closeness.

Use hand signals or sign language. Every night since our daughter was very little, we’ve blown kisses, crossed our arms over our hearts and given a thumbs up as a way to say “I Love You”. We use these same signals whenever one of us is leaving another, whether it’s to go to school or off on a business trip.

Write a note. Slip a little love note into a lunch bag or briefcase. What a nice surprise to the recipient in the middle of the day! Is your spouse traveling? Send a text message, let them know you’re thinking of them.

Do you have non-verbal ways of saying “I Love You’?

I enjoyed entertainment by a comedian on Saturday. We were just about rolling in the floor because of his antics. He gave so many examples of raising children that struck our funny bones that we wondered if maybe he had once lived with us. He also told a story that got me thinking. You may or may not have heard about Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective.

Larry went about achieving his dream in an unconventional way but he was able to see his neighborhood from up in the clouds. You might want to check out his story by searching the terms Larry Walters and lawn chair. It is an odd and enlightening story. He got into trouble with the authorities but said that he felt it was worth the fines and hassles. When asked why he pulled his stunt, he replied, “you can’t just sit there.”

I wouldn’t recommend putting your life in danger but there are times when you have to step out of your comfort zone to keep your relationship with your spouse fresh and exciting. Spontaneity might surprise you. Do you think you would like to try to catch a fish? Would you enjoy ballroom dancing? There are times when we should do things just because we shouldn’t just sit there.

How NOT to spoil your husband:

10. Dump all the day’s problems at his feet the moment he walks in the door from work.
9. Whip his butt in arm wrestling.
8. Whip his butt in chess.
7. Know the football teams and their stats better than he.
6. Joke with your girlfriends about his nighttime intestinal problems… while he’s in the room.
5. Win every argument (or say that you win every argument).
4. Buy him a pink polo shirt and sulk when he refuses to wear it.
3. Wear flannel to bed.
2. Tell him repeatedly that he’s getting bald.

And now for the #1 way how not to spoil your husband….

1. Say “Oh, you again” when it’s “frisky” time.

OK, that was all in good jest, but you know that all things humorous have an element of truth to them! Stay tuned– I’ll be back with the Top Ten list with ways that you can actually spoil the big guy!

I asked my eleven year old son, if he had an assignment in school to write about how he would spoil me, he replied that first he would ask me what my “perfect day” would be, and then he would help me do whatever that was. Isn’t that sweet?

So then, of course, I set about thinking what I think would constitute a perfect day. I would enjoy waking up and going out for a full breakfast (good coffee, cheese omelet, fluffy pancakes or belgian waffles, crispy bacon, more coffee), followed by a long browse at the bookstore, then catching a matinee movie before heading home for an uninterrupted nap and then a good dinner. I also really enjoy taking road trips with my family. Packing up the van after breakfast, with a thick magazine to read on the way and heading to a park or a zoo, that’s a perfect way to spend a beautiful Spring day.

If you want to spoil someone and you aren’t sure where to begin, try asking them! Ask them to describe their idea of a perfect day, and then do your best to make it happen. Of course, if your husband is like mine and his answer to that question is “having peace and quiet for a whole day”, you might have to spend his perfect day out of the house! Putting together a whole day of favorite activities can be a great way to make someone feel like they are getting spoiled.

Mothers spend their days working hard for their families. Some work outside the home while others spend their days with their children. Either way, moms are doing everything they can to create a comfortable home for their spouse and kids and mold their children into strong, independent human beings. Being a mom is a year-round, 24/7 job with little to no time off for vacation, personal days or sick leave. Even so, the benefits of being a mom are too numerous to count.

As an adult, I find it very rewarding to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift for my mom. I know her tastes, her likes and dislikes, and can afford to purchase gifts that I am confident she will enjoy. But, how can young children make the day just as special for their mom? With Dad’s help of course!

Moms of young children don’t necessarily want or need expensive gifts (although they certainly won’t turn those down) to make them feel appreciated. Simple things can make a Mother’s Day special. Simple things like breakfast in bed, a foot massage, and my personal favorite, home made cards and gifts from the kids. Once I received a framed piece of my daughter’s artwork as a gift and it’s still one of my most cherished gifts.

With dad’s help, children can help with cooking the day’s meals. Having a day off from the daily duties of housekeeping and cooking and simply being given time to just relax for the day can make any mom of any age feel extraordinary. Kids can perform many duties around the house such as sweeping, dusting and making a bed. Will it be up to mom’s standards? Of course not. Will mom appreciate the effort? Absolutely!

With some effort on dad’s part the kids will be allowed to feel like they’ve been a significant part of that special day with very little expense. Mother’s Day; a day for everyone to feel special.

Recently, I ran across a blog where the writer was impressed by the fact that her husband had written “I Love You” in the mildew on their deck. I think she may have been more impressed that he was going to clean said mildew off the deck but who am I to say? There are so many ways to say I love you.

One of the ways my husband lets me know that I am special is when he tiptoes around the bedroom to try and let me sleep. This was not always the case. When we first married he would flip the overhead light on and declare it was time to get up. That habit was changed quickly. My favorite hobby is sleeping and if he wants a non-cranky wife he had better ensure me a good night of sleep. We took turns getting up when our children were babies and needed us during the night. That was unless vomit was involved. I dealt better with that and unless I wanted a bigger mess, I dealt with that crises. Marriage is a give and take proposition. He gives and I take. Just kidding!

There have been many nights that I have become engrossed in the latest Harry Potter book and it means the world to me to be able to leave my night stand light on without someone making sighing noises. My heros, Harry Potter and my hubby. Going to sleep with a good book and getting to sleep in. True love.

“You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace. How fair is your love…” Song of Songs 4:9, 10

When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, there was a television advertising blitz of “greatest songs” albums. Those old TV ads were something like the Ronco Ginsu knife– actually, I think the same guy narrated both kinds of commercials! There was the ad for “Greatest Disco Songs of 1978,” “Greatest All-Time Favorite Polka Hits,” and “Greatest Piano Solos by Liberace.” As a burgeoning young lass at the tender age of 14, my favorite was “Greatest Love Songs of Soft Rock.” My favorite song was, and still is, “You’re the Only Woman” by Ambrosia. The lead singer’s silky smooth voice swept over my heartstrings and literally left me swooning. The song is still one of my favorite songs, and makes me do crazy things! From time to time I ask my husband to sing it to me. (In case you’re wondering, asking him to sing is not the crazy thing I’m referring to). I’ll take the liberty of quoting the most thrilling part of the song:

When the pain of love surrounds you
And the world may be unkind
I’ll put my lovin’ arms around you
Take you far from this place and time

Because you and I’ve been in love too long
To worry ’bout tomorrow
Here’s a place where we both belong
I know you’re the only woman that I’m dreamin’ of
You’re the only woman that I really love

More than the softly sung words and gentle lull of soft rock, it was the meaning of the song that got to me: you’re the only one.

Every woman wants to be the only one to her man. Adversely, this is summed up in that proverb, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” There’s some truth to that! Women are emotional, affectionate creatures. We need to feel loved, and we revel in your undivided attention. Gifts, goodies, and flowers are so wonderful, but it’s more meaningful when they come accompanied with warm kisses, googly-eyes of love, and the assurance that you, man, can’t live without your woman. So if you want to spoil your girl, make her the only one. You’ll have her wrapped around your finger if you do.

Now that March is turning to April and the snow is finally melting in Eastern half of the U.S., women’s thoughts will soon be turning to sandals. We can finally pull off our boots and our thick socks and slip our feet into all kinds of strappy, thong-y, letting-our-feet-breathe sandals. Aaaahhhhh.

But first, we have to get our feet ready. We have to have layers of thick winter skin pumiced off, cuticles pushed back and nipped, and our toenails buffed and polished so that they look pretty and soft. And that, gentlemen, requires a pedicure.

Surprise your wife or girlfriend with a gift certificate to a nail salon for a relaxing pedicure and I promise she will be thrilled. Dads, don’t even hesitate when she asks “what about the kids?” Just tell her “the kids and I will be fine, don’t worry”, and send her out the door.

She will return with a smile on her face wearing disposable flip-flops and sporting lovely toes and feet. Make sure to compliment her on how pretty her feet look, say something nice about the color of the nail polish. Want to score even MORE spoiling points? Tell her you’d like her to go buy a nice new pair of sandals to show off the pedicure.

And Dads, don’t forget to give her newly pedicured feet a massage after the kids go to bed

Tonight I got home from a long day of life and my wife and children were in bed. My wife and I had agreed that we weren’t going to spend any money this Valentine’s Day. That doesn’t mean you don’t give a gift to your wife for Valentine’s Day. It just means that you have to be more creative in the gifts that you give her. Tomorrow I’m going to give her a CD mix and redo the ones I gave her previously that have gotten scratches. Should be a nice touch.

However, I’ve wanted to do something more. When I got home tonight the house was quite the mess. See the pictures to see what I’m talking about.

Bathroom Before

Living Room Before

Kitchen Before

In popped the perfect idea. Clean the house. What better Valentine’s gift or any gift could my wife wake up to than a clean house? So, I went to work picking up all the crap my children had spread throughout the house. The bathroom was a particular joy. My children had enjoyed themselves so much in there I couldn’t even walk into the bathroom because there was crap everywhere. I’m sure my wife was looking forward to cleaning it up tomorrow, but instead she’ll have a nice Valentine’s surprise when she sees it all cleaned up and organized. For good measure I also did all the dishes and put the laundry in. Here’s the after shot:
Bathroom After

Living Room After

Kitchen After

Now I just wish that I could get a picture of my wife’s face tomorrow when she sees it all clean. The amazing thing is that seeing her happy actually turns out to be a great gift for me too.