My husband and I have been married for 11 years. Of course there have been ups and downs along the way, but overall I must say I am ridiculously happy, and I believe he feels the same.
We look forward to time after work that we have together and love our weekends. I feel very blessed
In this short duration of a little over a decade I have found that some small things have made a huge difference in keeping the butterfly feeling going in my stomach. It is all the small romantic gestures that we haven’t let go of that seems to make the biggest impact.
Write a Note Every Morning
Think of it like a gratitude journal for your spouse
Every morning before I leave for my spin class, I take just a few minutes and write him a note. It generally involves thanking him for something that happened yesterday, or telling him how excited I am about something that we’ve planned for that evening.
These notes range from thanking him for making a great salmon dinner to telling him how cute he looked working in the yard. It starts my day with a reminder of how much I love him and truly sets the tone for my day.
Text Just To Say Hi
We think nothing of interrupting our husband or wife throughout the day to remind them to pick up the dry cleaning after work, but what about checking to see how their day is going? Like a text with a quick “I love you” or sharing a funny meme from Instagram. Just something to brighten their day.
It literally takes no time, very little effort, and could come through right when they need a laugh
Do One Daily Chore They Hate Doing
Maybe they hate emptying the dishwasher, scooping the cat box, or can’t stand the laundry. You’d much rather turn on Access Hollywood and catch up on Brad & Angelina’s Italian villa, than do “their chore”, but what if you took on that chore?
It would be like gold to them, and it really only impacts your down time by 10 minutes.
The key to making this idea work- don’t expect for them to do the same back
Just do it, know you’re being kind, and get back to Brad and Angie, who likely aren’t scooping cat crap. I’m just make an assumption on this one of course, but I think it’s a safe bet.
Give Them The Gifts They Want, Not What You Think They Should Have
Most American couples actually give each other quite a few gifts throughout the year. Between Christmas or Chanukah, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, Mother’s or Father’s Days, and little life celebrations like a promotion at work, gift giving happens more than you might realize.
Next time ask them what they really want and get it
I’m not saying a new car, but if they confide that they miss the Star Wars poster they had in their room growing up, find it online, frame it and give it to them instead of a new coffee pot. You’ll be the coolest.
Compliment Them
You know how good it feels when your partner tells you that you look amazing, or notices that you did something different with your hair?
Compliments are wonderful, make us take pause in gratitude, and are free
Take a moment to point out something cute about them. You’ll start noticing a pep in their step, and it will also help you to focus on the positive, instead of the fact that they forgot to pick something up at the store.
