Archive for February, 2010

Open your heart and wallet to your marriage by saving $5 a week for your romantic getaway.

Keep those sparks flying!

JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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February 12th is here and you are anxious to find out what you will be doing with all the items I told you to purchase for Valentines Day.

Here are the items you needed.  If you haven’t purchased these yet you will want to run out and get them before Valentines Evening:

  • Glow in the Dark Stars
  • Blank Valentines Card
  • 1 Flower Scented Candle – Wild Jasmine, rose, Lavender or Floral Garden (they sell this one at Kmart), etc
  • CD of Outdoor music

You will want to give your Valentines card to your sweetheart in the morning. Write inside of your card, “Let’s make love under the stars with the smell of a beautiful floral garden in the air.”  Before you go to bed you will have prepared everything so when you walk into the bedroom together your spouse will be surprise.

In the bedroom there will be the CD of outdoor music playing in the background, the candle will be lit and the glow in the dark stars will be stuck on the ceiling.

I gave this very romantic Valentines to my husband several years ago and it was a hit with him. We walked into the bedroom together and we both looked at each other and started to laugh. The atmosphere made us feel very childlike. Laughing and kissing at the same time. The funny thing about this is that after our romantic Valentines neither of us talked about it again until ……. About six months later we were in a bookstore and I was at the register purchasing a cooking magazine. The clerk looked at the front of the magazine and mentioned the bread looked really good and said “This reminds me of the bread served at a restaurant in town that has stars on the ceiling. I looked at her and agreed but neither of us could remember the name. The next thing I knew my husband had piped up with “It’s our bedroom.” I looked at him with my mouth wide opened and we both started to laugh and couldn’t stop. The gal at the register kept looking at both of us mystified trying to figure out what we were talking and laughing about. I told her it was and inside joke. Needless to say, we walked out of the bookstore still laughing arm in arm. Just when you think your sweetheart had forgotten something you did for them, they go and blow you away with a comment like that.

Also before Valentines, I had told a co-worker what I was planning on doing for Valentines and she liked it so much she did it too. Her husband loved it. Like us they laughed and made love under the stars with the smell of a floral garden that night. A couple of years later her daughter worked for me and she was married and had a child by then. I told her about my Valentines under the stars and her daughter looked at me and said “That’s why my mom and dad have the stars on their ceiling!”

Have fun, be childlike and have a very “Romantic Valentines Evening!”

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Every week you are reminded to save your $5.00 a week and at the end of the year you will have saved $260.00 so that you can stay at a very nice hotel or inn. When I talk to people about staying at an expensive hotel or inn what I hear most of the time is the comment that they would prefer to stay at a less expensive hotel because they hardly spend anytime in the room. I cringe when I hear this comment because we are talking about having a romantic rendezvous on your anniversary. For those who have never stayed at a higher end hotel or inn let me explain the difference.

Budget Hotels

The rooms are very basic, nothing fancy. I’m sorry but I want you to have something special to remember. It’s your anniversary after all! It is the date you got married and you should make it special. The beds are usually very cheap and uncomfortable. Who wants to be romantic in an uncomfortable bed and then wake up with a back ache in the morning? They have very inexpensive bedding, it is thin and the sheets are rough. O, ya just what you want when you are lying naked. Towels are cheap, small and very thin. Getting completely dry is a problem. Do you want to go to bed wet? The walls are thin and you can usually hear people in the other room talking or watching TV late at night or God forbid, doing the deed when you and your spouse should be. If you can hear people next door, do you want the people next door to hear you when you and your spouse are in the throws of your romantic evening? Get the idea?

Expensive Hotels

The rooms are usually well decorated. What a way to honor the special day you got married on. You are celebrating your commitment to each other. Shouldn’t that be treated extra special? The beds are comfortable. No back aches when you wake up, just bliss! Their bedding is well appointed and is thick with extra bed pillows and the sheets are of higher count which makes them very soft. Your bare bodies will say thank you. Towels are thick, large and soft. You body will be dry and cozy. The radio typically has an iPod connection so you can play your favorite romantic music. Ah! Romance and music, nothing goes better. The walls are well insulated and there is no noise coming from next door. You will have a quiet romantic evening. When you walk into the room you both will be singing “Let’s get it on….!”

Like always please, research online before you make reservations at a hotel or inn. What are the reviews for a particular hotel or inn you are planning on staying at? One place you could look at is Trip Advisor. Also, ask friends and family where they like to stay and why?  Like anything “Buyer Beware Before You Stay.”

Make it a point to stay at a hotel or inn that cost a little more than you usually pay. Your marriage is worth it! It will have that afterglow weeks later and be saying thank you for such a special anniversary.

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th. If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with some sexy lingerie! What kind of couple are you? Different couples look at sexy very differently than maybe another couple. Do you and your spouse like sexy lingerie or do you both like a sexy bra and panty set? And then there are the couples who would prefer that their lady wear a tee shirt or pajamas. What ever works for you as a couple, wear it. Just make sure it isn’t something you wore last night and has holes in it.  You could decide to shop together to choose something special for that evening.

Sexy lingerie is very nice or you could do something like I plan on doing for my husband. I will have a sexy bra and panty set under a shirtwaist blouse for my husband to unbutton and discover what is underneath. Other couples like a tee shirt and maybe a cute hipster panty.  Or you could do what one couple did for their anniversary. One day they were at Wal-Mart just before their anniversary and her husband stopped in front of a rack of clothes and pointed out what he wanted her to wear for their weekend away. She looked at him and said honey I would fall out of this. He smiled and told her that was the idea. You see it was what I like to call a black wife beater’s tee shirt. You know the long sleeveless tee shirt that scoops down the front and the armholes. Needless to say they purchased the wife beater’s tee shirt and had a very enjoyable evening!

Men, you get off a little easier than we women do but do try to pick up a pair of silk pajamas or some of those silly valentines shorts. Whatever makes your sweetheart happy.  Shower, put on some cologne and comb your hair (if you have any).

Ladies, no matter what you decide to wear try to make yourself look good. Fix your hair, wear a tiny bit of makeup, maybe a little mascara and blush. Put on some jewelry. Keep everything light and simple. You want your man to look at you not one of those girlie magazines. Spray yourself and your outfit lightly with the cologne he enjoys you wearing.

Enjoy the evening together, make it memorable and bring out the romance in each other!

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th. If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Last Sunday night I was at the Fashion Bug giving a talk on “Helping Couples Remember the Romance” to a group of women. The assistant manager, Cynthia, had set a beautiful table with yummy goodies for everyone to enjoy. The stuffed chocolate dipped strawberries were the hit. I asked Cynthia if I could share her recipe with you and she said “Yes.” This would be a great recipe to make for Valentines Day for your sweetheart.

Cynthia’s Stuffed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 pint of fresh strawberries
6 oz really good dark chocolate
8 oz cream cheese (bring to room temperature)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange or almond flavored liqueur or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Wash strawberries and then dry really well. Completely remove the stems and core. Slowly melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, stirring often. Do not let the bowl touch the boiling water. There should be only about two inches of water or less depending upon the size of the pan. Once chocolate has melted insert a toothpick near the top of the strawberries. Then hold toothpick and dip strawberries into chocolate and twirl around leaving a little of the red showing at the top of the strawberries. Be careful not to get any chocolate in the center hole. Lift strawberries and let the excess chocolate drip off them. Lay the dipped strawberries on a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile combine softened cream cheese, sugar and liqueur or vanilla extract in a small bowl. Fill a plastic zip lock bag with the cream cheese mixture and clip corner at the bottom of the bag to use as a piping bag. Once chocolate has harden on the strawberries pipe cream cheese mixture into the top of the strawberries.

Enjoy! These are very sensuous, delicious and different from your ordinary chocolate dipped strawberries.

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th. If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the small things in your marriage and keep saving your $5 a week!

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th.  If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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The Oscars are coming up. They have announced the 2010 films that have been nominated for the Oscars. The excitement is growing. This year the Oscar overseers did something a little different. They expanded the category for “Best Picture” from 5 films to 10. Sunday, March 7th, the “Best Picture” for 2010 will be revealed. Are you and your spouse movie buffs? Do you enjoy watching the Oscars together but maybe haven’t seen all of the nominated films? Why not set a goal to see as many of the films that have been nominated as possible together?

Here is the list of movies nominated for an Oscar. You can rent the ones that have (DVD) next to them.

  • Avatar
  • The Blind Side
  • District 9 (DVD)
  • An Education
  • The Hurt Locker (DVD)
  • Inglourious Bustards (DVD)
  • Precious
  • A Serious Man
  • Up (DVD)
  • Up in the Air

How fun would it be to have seen all of the movies and then decide which one will win “Best Picture for 2010?”  (Some you may not be able to see because they are between being in the movies and being released on DVD) Once you have seen them all or as many as you can view, decided separately which film will win. The ones you can’t see research together and see what the critiques are saying then make the decision. Give a prize to the one who wins. Maybe you could give the winner a long massage, cook their favorite dinner or a day off from the normal chores. This could be an annual thing you do together.

There is something special when you are doing something together that you both enjoy. The only connections most couples have are the children. They have forgotten to be a couple. Don’t forget to be a couple, find your connection. Who knows it could be movies!

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th.  If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Last night my husband and I were sitting in our office and talking about my blog. He mentioned.  ”Why don’t you do something romantic for Super Bowl.”  I said, “What a great idea!” The big game is almost here and I know lots of people are looking forward to watching it. Some for the game and others it’s the commercial or both. They get funnier and zanier every year. What are you doing for Super Bowl? Will you be watching it with friends and family or will it be just you and your spouse? Why not kick it up a notch and have a Super Bowl party after hours or during halftime.

If you are planning on spending time with family and friends then after everyone has left plan an after “Super Bowl Party Au Duex” whether your team wins or not. Give a card to your spouse in the morning that reads.

After everyone is gone tonight meet me in the bedroom. Our bed is our playing field. Whether our team wins or loses we will have our own after hour’s touchdown and score with a pass only we know how to do.

If it is just the two of you why not have a  “Super Bowl Party Au Duex” at halftime.

Meet me in the bedroom at halftime. Our bed is our playing field and with your pass we will score every time.

So have a “Super Bowl Party Au Duex!” You both will be yelling “Touchdown!!!”

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th.  If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Do you like to have candles in your home? I love to light a candle when I am in the mood for romance. Candlelight can give a beautiful glow to your room and you. I was talking to friend recently and she shared with me the only candles she likes to burn are soy candles. She calls them “sex candles.” Well of course that caught my interest! I had never heard soy candles called by that name and asked her to explain what she meant.

I was told soy candles burn at a lower temperature and because of this you can use the wax that is melted to massage into your skin. Always extinguish the candle first, she said. It is important to never put your fingers in the wax while the candle is burning. Once the soy candle flame has been blown out you will find it to be a wonderful way to give your special someone a massage.  When applied, the melted soy wax is warm, soothing, and can be directly massaged into the skin. It will leave your skin soft, nourished and lightly scented.

Once you have determined the soy wax isn’t too hot you could pour the melted wax onto your partner and massage it into their skin. My friend said the warmth of the soy is wonderful while being poured onto the body. I am also told if you massage a small amount of soy wax on your cuticles and those dry spots on your feet it will help soften them.

Do NOT use other candles in the same manner! They burn at a higher temperature and will burn you or your partner. Always be safe when using a soy candle. First test it to make sure it is not to hot. Sometimes soy candles are mixed with other waxes and it is not written on the candle. After you have extinguished the flame lightly dip your finger into the wax and rub a little on the top of your hand. If the wax doesn’t look clear on your hand it may have other things it and it may burn at a higher temperature. It may have a white waxy look. DON’T use the candle if it has this look. Also, make sure the soy candle isn’t overly scented. It can irritate your skin. If a candle can scent your entire room effectively, it contains more than FDA approved amounts of fragrance for bath and body products.

*With anything that is warmed by flame always test it first to make sure it won’t burn you or your partner.  Use caution and commen sense when burning any candle.

Once you know your soy candle is safe to use have fun with your sex candle and enjoy a very warm and sensual massage.

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th. If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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A friend of mine asked me to give a recommendation for Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, CA. After much research and sending her several places she might want to stay at I thought you would like to see what it would cost you if you wanted to stay there too. The place I choose to write about is in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. Our daughter and her husband stayed there about four years ago and liked it very much. It is called the Argonaut Hotel.

Here is a breakdown of what it would cost you to stay there for two nights during Valentines weekend:

February 13 through February 15, 2010

King Room @ $175.00 per night:      $350.00

Taxes & Service Charge                                54. 25

Valet Parking $45.05 per night:               90.10

Total:                                                              $494.35

If you saved $15.00 a week for 52 weeks you would have saved $780. You would have $285.65 leftover!

As you can see it doesn’t take that much money every week to plan on staying at a beautiful hotel in San Francisco. Please note if you stay during the week it could cost you a little less, depending on the season and what is going on in the city.

Our daughter and her husband found it very convenient. It is right across the street from the trolley cars and walking distance to Ghirardelli Square, The Cannery, Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39.  They did say the rooms are tiny but very clean and it can be noisy if you get a room overlooking the bay and Hyde Street.

The possibilities are endless if you do your research and decided where you want to stay. You just need to plan ahead and know how much you will need to save to stay at a hotel or inn of your choice.

Romance is possible for that special celebration!

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th.  If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

*Please note rates are subject to change.

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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