In case you need a little head start, here are a half dozen or so romantic ideas to get you going.

1. Flowers I’m a huge fan of flowers of all kind, and the more the merrier.  Head to a Fresh Market or Whole Foods and grab two dozen roses, Gerber daisies, or just grab bunches of flowers.  And do this at the most random of times, like a Saturday morning or Thursday afternoon.
2. The Night Away This is one of our favorite things to do, and it’s something that requires a little work on your part if it is a surprise.  Get a babysitter you trust, and negotiate a good rate to come by at 4:00 on a Friday and stay with the kids until 4:00 Saturday.  Plan the menu for the kids, and work on anything required to keep them having fun while your gone.  Make sure your lady’s schedule is cleared the following day.  Then find one of the nicest or most interesting hotels in your city and book a room for the evening.  Pack your overnight bag for her and for you, then sneak it into your trunk.  Add a terrific restaurant for Friday evening, head to your normal dinner place, then tell her that you’ve arranged a new place.  Then let the rest of the 24 hours unfold, whether it be a show, movie, concert, art gallery, whatever she likes to do.  We’ve done this at Ritz Carlton and the W, and it has been both a romantic and relaxing time.
3. Massage This can be a his-and-hers massage or just for her.  If you’re ambitious, then you get a little skilled up on how to give a massage yourself.  The feet are a great place to start (see below).  Giving a good massage is actually hard as you want to move quicker than you should.  Take your time and focus on her.  Add oil and candles to complete the mood.
Instructions for Beginners : Swedish Massage for the Feet — powered by ExpertVillage.com
4. Breakfast in Bed Tried and true.  It requires some preparation the evening before (make sure you have whatever you want to make.  This might mean a quick trip to the market on the way home to get berries, flowers, eggs, juices, and breads.  Sneak out in the morning and put your breakfast together.  I think smaller quantities and more variety works best, so maybe some fruit, berries, an egg or two, croissant, hot tea or coffee, some granola, a couple fresh juices.  Then share the breakfast with her while still serving her.  Once she’s done, draw a hot bath for her, adding some rose petals and other great bath products (just a little).  Then give her some time alone with her iPod and favorite book.  Get the kids out of the house (maybe take them out for breakfast after cleaning up your breakfast mess).
5. Touch Her This is something I struggle with constantly.  How do I approach my wife in a novel way?  If my touch was for the first time, or if my hand brushed a woman’s arm who I worked with and was infatuated with, emotions and hormones would surge through me.  When you have been with the woman of your dreams for five or ten years, her hand becomes too familiar.  You may have to come up with your own artificial tricks to renew the excitement and mystery of touching your true love.  Take her hand in both of your hands.  Run your hands through her hair and massage her scalp.  Sit behind her on your sofa and wrap your arms all the way around her.  Close your eyes, imagine her arm or side or thigh, then move your hands along them.
6. Create a Love Note I am no writer, but some of the greatest words I’ve ever penned have come in the form of love notes to my wife.  Some have come on an occasion, while others have been moments of spontaneity.  I would suggest praying about and for her before you start, as well as having photos and artifacts to inspire you.  Then just let it all out.

These are just a few ideas, but hopefully they can help you to add a little romance in one of the least romantic times of the year, the dog-days of summer.  Any other ideas?

Tags: romance

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 5:26 am and is filed under Loving. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.