No matter how long you’ve been dating or married you need to work at keeping romance alive in your relationship. Sometimes we tend to take people — especially those we dearly love — for granted. Here are a few tips to help couples keep that special fire kindled.

1. When your soulmate is going on a trip without you, write a love note and tuck it into his or her suitcase. When you go away on a trip without him leave sticky notes in unusual places he might just happen to be to remind him he is very special to you.

2. Once when my husband was going away on a trip he left a teddy bear under the covers on his side of the bed with a note attached saying “I’ll keep you cuddled and safe until Walter gets back. signed, Huggy Bear.” (Eight years later I still have Huggy Bear!)

3. Women, take your man out on a date — plan it well, treat him very special just like you want to be treated. I do this on occassion and it makes my dear hubby feel like the King of the hill (which he is).

4. Men, buy your lady a dozen red roses — eleven of them beautiful, live plants, the twelth rose is an artificial flower. Place the artificial flower in the middle of the bouquet and attach a note saying something like, “I’ll love you until the last rose fades away.”

5. Go for a long, leisurely walk through the park or through the woods.

6. Plan a weekend to go somewhere — just the two of you. Leave your laptop at home and just enjoy shopping, beach combing, hiking — whatever, so long as it is just the two of you.

7. Say I love you often. Touch. Talk. Communicate your love and respect with words and expression.

These are just a few tips to help keep the romance alive. You can think of lots more. Just do it!

~Linda