The secret to many lasting, happy relationships is that two people enjoy the same simple pleasures. While it may not be sexy to plan together time (let’s face it, a spontaneous trip to Paris for a romantic getaway far outweighs planning dinner and movie), but the reality is that if you’re a in a relationship, you’ve got to carve out together time, no matter if it’s in Paris or in your living room.
Making dinner together
As banal as this might sound, this can be special and very romantic (especially if you don’t get to do it that often). From choosing the menu, to the shopping and prep time together in the kitchen, it gives the two of you a chance to talk, catch up, and interact with no interruptions while working toward a common goal. Why not try making Sunday night dinner a night for just the two of you?
Try different cuisines once a month “ you never know what you might cook up.
Gift giving
Play scavenger hunt: Purchase each other small gifts that are clues for each other and leaving them in places for each other to find. A toy figurine that symbolizes a movie you saw together, a tiny jar of honey to represent a sticky situation, or anything else that the two of you can share. This romantic game indicates that the two of you are thinking about each other even when you are not together.
Private language
Private jokes, nicknames, gestures, all of these make up the language of lovers. It symbolizes that the two of you are a unit, a team with romantic secrets all its own. I know one couple who would brush their fingers down their nose during group outings. This meant I love you without the two of them ever needing to say a word.
Plan your ultimate escape
Even if neither of you has the vacation time or the money right now, spend some time dreaming up a place you both want to go. Talk about the hotel you’ll stay at, or the cruise ship you’ll sail on, and where exactly you’ll end up. Then plan in detail what you’ll do while together, right down to the romantic evenings.
Lazy weekends
Once a month, plan a lazy weekend together. Sleep in, order out, rent movies, spread the Sunday paper out on the bed while sipping coffee. Don’t do anything that requires you to even leave home. Make sure you stock up on silk sheets, candles, and other necessary items for spicing things up as well “ I said lazy, not boring.
