Posted tagged ‘relationships’

50 Shades of Fun for Couples

March 17, 2015

Here are a list of activities that you can do to have fun as a couple.  Some of them may seem silly or quirky, but the point is to do something out of the ordinary to “shake things up” and have fun.  Hopefully, this will also inspire you to come up with your own list (see #50)!  (These should be done together unless noted otherwise.)

  1. Give each other a back massage (or foot massage).
  2. Cook a meal together (not your usual weekday meal).
  3. Go out for ice cream and try your partner’s favorite flavor.  (If you both like the same flavor, then each of you tries something new.)
  4. Read a passage from a book (hint:  think romantic and/or “spicy”) to your partner.
  5. Try (or learn) a new sport or hobby together.
  6. Put on some music and dance while you do the chores together.
  7. Just put on some music and dance!  (If you have children/grandchildren, show them the dances you grew up with—Jitterbug, Hustle, Electric Slide, Macarena.)
  8. Go on a date, BUT pretend that you don’t know each other.  Use your best “pick-up” line and flirt (shamelessly) with each other.
  9. Have breakfast in bed and read the Sunday comics together.
  10. Work on a puzzle.
  11. Play a board game.
  12. Leave “love notes” (e.g., Post-It notes with a note on it) for your partner to find in various places (e.g., clothes drawer, briefcase, purse, dashboard of car, etc.).
  13. Make a “Top 10 List” of the funniest moments/events in the history of your marriage/relationship.  Frame this list or put it in a scrapbook.
  14. Find a volunteer activity to do together.
  15. Take a drive to somewhere out of town neither of you have visited and go exploring!
  16. Try a new restaurant.
  17. Take a bath/shower together.
  18. Go to a playground and play!
  19. Create your own “bedtime story.”  Give a new meaning to “pillow talk.”
  20. Have a picnic at home—in your living room, in the backyard—lay a blanket to sit on, have finger foods.
  21. Go fly a kite!
  22. Go to Karaoke night and sing a duet together.
  23. Challenge your partner to a video game (e.g., sports or dance games).
  24. Do a “challenge” together (e.g., 90-Day Fitness Challenge, 3 months to meet a goal etc.).
  25. Have a pillow “fight.”
  26. Bike, hike, jog, run, or walk through a park.
  27. Go the beach to watch the sunset (or sunrise).
  28. Have a moonlight picnic, in the backyard, under the stars . . . with a flashlight.
  29. Go on a walking tour of your city/town.
  30. Visit a museum and later talk about what you liked/disliked or learned.
  31. Create new memories:  Take pictures of yourselves having fun and create a scrapbook of memories—actual album or on your computer, tablet—to look through from time to time.
  32. Share jokes or funny stories with your partner, or watch comedy shows or funny video clips together.
  33. Find your “theme song” as a couple, or write your own together.
  34. Recall what you did as a child for fun (e.g., hopscotch, jump rope, roller skating, hula hoop, etc.) and do it together.
  35. Have movie night at home—with popcorn, box of candies, etc.
  36. Have a meal with only finger foods, and feed each other.
  37. Buy a bottle of bubbles and blow bubbles.
  38. Bake bread—knead, roll, punch the dough together.
  39. Finger paint or create a piece of artwork together, frame it, and hang it in your bedroom.
  40. Visit the zoo or aquarium.  Pick out your favorite attraction and share it with your partner.
  41. Give each other a manicure/pedicure (nail polish, optional).
  42. Spend a morning in bed just cuddling.
  43. Have a couples’ “spa day”—pamper each other at home, or go to a spa.
  44. Go to a flea market and hunt for “treasure(s).”
  45. Create your “couples playlist” of favorite songs.
  46. Do something exhilarating (rock climbing, sky diving, zip lining, etc.).
  47. Take a pottery class (a la the movie “Ghost”).
  48. Go to a wine-, beer-, coffee-tasting event.
  49. Take dance classes (e.g., Ballroom, Salsa, etc.) that you can do as a couple.
  50. Create your own “50 Shades of Fun.”

Give the Gift of Kindness

December 18, 2014

The holidays are here and most people are doing their last minute shopping for gifts.  As you are shopping for the “perfect gift” for your family and friends, consider giving the “gift of kindness” this season.  The gift of kindness is not costly and it will not put you in debt, and what you receive in “return” (i.e., making others feel good) will be priceless.  The point is to give this gift to those who may not be in your usual social circle.

To get started, here are some ideas:

  • Purchase a few $5 or $10 gift cards to give to strangers.
  • Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless/women’s shelter.
  • Spend a day or a few hours doing household tasks or running errands for an elderly neighbor, or providing childcare for a single mother.
  • When you are purchasing your meal in a drive-thru line, purchase or give money toward the meal for the car in line behind you.

Get creative and find other ways to give this gift!

Love Notes

February 14, 2012

Last evening, I ended up at the local Wal-Mart store, frantically looking for Valentine’s Day cards for my kids (each child needed a box of cards for their class), in addition to the “treat” that would be attached to each card.  As I was standing in the “seasonal section” (you know, the aisles devoted to a particular holiday), I noticed how crowded it was.  We needed to maneuver ourselves around shopping carts and let people pass just to get through the aisles.  There was a mix of people grabbing stuffed animals emblazoned with hearts or heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, men carrying bouquets of roses, and moms like me sifting through boxes of Valentine’s Day cards trying to pick the ones my kids would like (Toy Story characters and extreme sports pictures).  Add to this, trying to find the right treat (lollipops or chocolates) to go with the cards.  I was stuck in a Valentine’s frenzy of sorts.  Aargh!

Once home, it was now time to assemble everything.  My children were intent on making sure that each classmate was included.  They took the time to sign their names, and once all the cards were “addressed,” they meticulously (of course I helped) attached the treats to the cards.  It took us some time to complete this task, as my kids seemed to take pride in what they were doing.  Watching them, the thought then occurred, “Why is it that we focus on one day to tell our loved ones that we love or care about them?”  We look for the perfect card, gift, restaurant on this one particular day in February.  Shouldn’t we be doing this on a regular basis?  That is, not only on a special day?

As Valentine’s Day 2012 comes to an end, how about starting something new?  Send your loved ones (e.g., spouse/partner, parent, children, friends, etc.) Love Notes.  In this age of technology (e.g., e-mail, texts), a written love note is unexpected, and perhaps a pleasant surprise.   All you need is some note paper.  Post-It notes are great for this.  If you want to get creative, use notes in different colors.  Write a simple sentence conveying how you feel about the person (“I love you), or a compliment (“You’re a great friend”).  Looking at some of the Valentine’s Day cards my kids gave out, how about sending someone a note with “You rule!” or “You’re extreme!”  Place the notes in unexpected places, of course you want to make sure that the recipient of your note finds it.  For your spouse/partner, it may be the bathroom mirror, purse/briefcase/wallet, or clothes drawer.  Your co-worker may appreciate a note placed on their desk.  For your kids, the notes may be placed in their book bags, in their student planner, in a book they are reading, or where they sit at the dining table.  This simple gesture will uplift your loved ones.   You’ll let them know that they are loved and appreciated all year round.

Feeling Lonely? Cheer Someone Up

July 11, 2010

Today, July 11th is “Cheer Up the Lonely Day.”  It’s an opportunity for you to make a lonely person happy.  Or, how about just make someone else happy–it doesn’t matter if they’re lonely or not!  So, think about what you can do.   Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

  1. Spend some quality time with someone who is alone such as a co-worker.  Invite him/her out for a meal or for a cup of coffee.
  2. Visit with a neighbor who lives alone.
  3. Volunteer to visit patients/residents in a hospital or nursing facility and read to/with them.

Now, some of you may be asking, “What if I’m alone and feeling lonely?”  Well, the first thing is to get out of your home.  When you feel lonely, the tendency is to keep to yourself or isolate yourself.  This, in turn, will further increase your feelings of loneliness.  So what can you do?  Interestingly, the suggestions mentioned above will also be effective if you feel lonely.  Additionally, keep in mind the following:

  1. Take your mind off of yourself and onto others.  By helping others, your focus is on their needs rather than continuing to brood about your feelings of loneliness.   Let’s face it, whatever you focus on “expands,” so continuing to think about being alone will further increase those feelings.  In addition, when you’re helping others, you’re basically “connecting” with them.
  2. Go where there are people.  Sometimes just “being around” others, even if you don’t necessarily interact with them, helps you to feel connected.  Go to the mall, a park, a coffee shop, etc.  and sit amongst others.  The “energy” of the people around you can help you realize that you’re not alone in this world.
  3. Make an attempt to connect with others, no matter how small.  Smile at someone walking by or say hello to people who you meet (e.g., store clerks, other customers, etc.).

Use these suggestions, not just today, but regularly.  Cheer someone up and in the process you may even uplift your spirits.