Ahh,
A Romantic
Adventure...At Home
April
in Paris, a candlelit tête-à-tête in an
intimate café… a barefoot stroll, hand in hand,
on a tropical beach, ocean breezes rustling the palm trees… A
cozy fireside snuggle in a mountain ski chalet… So
romantic, so expensive, so out of reach for most of us! But
that doesn't mean we can't have just as much romance – there
are plenty of ways to create it at home.
Heat Up Your Environment
Take a look around you. Now is the perfect time
to heat things up by making your home more romantic. Play soft
music during dinner, add flowers to the dining room table and
candles everywhere. Turn your bedroom into an intimate little
getaway. (This doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. Sometimes
just tidying up makes a difference.) Try a new bedspread, or
fresh thick towels for the bath. Install a dimmer switch for
some romantic magic. And oh yes, don’t forget a “DO
NOT DISTURB” sign for the door!
The
first impression we got from our trip to Hawaii was the
scent of flowers --- pungent and very sexy,
especially the
leis around our necks. We’re home now, but we’ve
brought with us the magic of the Islands --- fresh flowers
in the bedroom are like an aphrodisiac.
Do the Usual… Differently
Romantizing a relationship can be as simple as breaking the
routine - take something you do all the time and do it in a
new way -- eat dinner out of the kitchen and enjoy it by the
fireplace; or why not breakfast in bed. Drink from crystal
instead of the everyday glasses. Sleep under the stars instead
of in the bedroom. Take a shower, but do it together. Celebrate,
but for no special occasion. Whatever you do, the change alone
will be refreshing.
Follow
This Five Step Recipe For a "Perfect Night of
Passion"
With a little planning,
you can have one of those really memorable “Big Nights” right
at home. Set aside an evening for just the two of you, and
follow these
simple steps:
-
Remove
the distractions! If you have young children, arrange for
a family member or close friend to
take care of them for
the night. And turn off the TV – it's the number
one destroyer of romance.
- Issue
an Invitation! "Invite" your partner to spend
a private evening with you – a note on attractive paper
is just right for that invitation. Be a little mysterious – for
example, “Would you please set aside Saturday night for
me…I have something in mind for us.” Make sure
the invitation says where to meet you (the bedroom) and what
time.
- Set
the stage! Prepare or purchase your favorite foods and
drinks, and set them up in your bedroom. Put on soft music,
and light some candles. And to add to the mystery, suggest
that your partner get dressed in another room.
- Plan
an Ice Breaker! When your partner shows up, you’ll
want a way to get you both "in the mood.” For some
couples it’s an invitation to dance (very slowly), for
other couples it’s a romantic board game or a “sexy” movie.
You know what your partner enjoys, so go ahead and indulge
yourselves.
- Extend
the magic! Include a “thank you” note
at breakfast. There’s nothing more romantic than your
partner knowing how appreciated he or she is.
A Romantic Example
Here’s a story
from The
Book of Love, Laughter & Romance that shows that with a bit of imagination and some effort, wonderful
things can be created:
We live
in Alaska, where the winters are long and cold. After months
of snow, ice and dark afternoons, we needed something to
change the mood. Actually, what we needed was a beach – but
without the time or money to go to Jamaica or Hawaii, romance
in the
tropics was out of our reach. Or was it?
We pushed
the dining room furniture over to one wall, spread two
beach towels on the floor, and plugged in a
sunlamp.
I set our rum and cokes, fruit, cheese and crackers, and
put on a reggae tape. We both changed into our bathing suits
and snacked, talked, and danced under the sunlamp…and
yes, it turned into a fantasy romantic evening.
For
many couples, it’s not just the experience of an evening of romance that makes such
a difference, although it certainly helps. But rather it’s
the thought and effort that went into making your partner feel
special and appreciated that will truly linger long past your “date.”
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