Surprise Kiss

Archive for July, 2010

Larry took a day off on Tuesday because his right eye was giving him some trouble. He went to the eye doctor and of course the doctor dilated his eyes to make sure he didn’t have a detached retina. Thank goodness he didn’t but his eyes were dilated so he couldn’t go to work because most everything he does needs to be done on the computer.

Late Tuesday afternoon his eyes were better so we decided to go to the movies. We enjoy foreign films and there is a theatre in San Luis Obispo that regularly shows them. We went to see an Irish film called “Ondine.” It is a love story/fantasy/mystery that will keep your interest throughout the film.

A fisherman is out in the ocean and as he is bringing his nets out of the sea he finds a woman caught in the net with the fish. He thinks she is dead but then she comes to life. His sickly daughter, Annie, begins to believe this woman is a mystical figure from the sea. But when a dark figure finds Ondine, you will find out where she came from. I don’t want to give you the ending so you will need to go to the movies and see it or wait until you can rent it.

Larry and I enjoy the film and it was a nice escape for a couple of hours, which we both needed.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

The daily stress of working, taking care of the kids and cooking dinner can seem like too much. So you are trying to decide what to have for dinner. You have forgotten to take something out of the freezer or you are just too tired to think let alone cook dinner.

Ladies, why not run to the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken and a salad from the deli on your way home. Guys, you know your wife is under more stress than usual so why not offer to pick up dinner for them. Grab paper plats, sodas, blanket and the kids and go to the beach or park and have dinner basking in the last of the sun’s rays while enjoying your beautiful family. You will feel as if you are on vacation! Let the kids play on the swings and jungle bars while you and your spouse sit back and watch them.

After you have picked everything up and everyone is in the car stop by the local ice cream store and buy everyone an ice cream. Sit outside and watch the cars go by and ask each child how their day was and what they did. When you get home help each other bathe the kids and put them to bed.

When our daughter was small we would take a picnic dinner on the beach all the time and then go for a walk along the strand with her. These are the special times I remember more than the expensive dinners out with just my husband.

A while back a friend was complaining about how much stress she was under and I suggested when she and her husband got home to grab the kids and have a picnic dinner on the beach. She responded with it is a half hour away. I said so! I told her that her family would never forget the night in the middle of the week they went for a picnic on the beach. She took my suggestion and sure enough every so often when I see her she said her kids and her husband bring up how much fun they had. They now try to do it every so often.

Once the house is quiet and you have gotten ready for bed why not pour a small glass of wine or sparkling cider, light a candle and enjoy a little rest and relaxation together with soft music playing in the background. Find out what kind of day you both had. By the time you both put your heads down on the pillow you will feel more relaxed than when you first came home from work. You will have enjoyed your family and each other. Your children will feel a connection to you and the stability of your marriage.

So go ahead and take the night off in the middle of the week. Your marriage and children will thank you.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Over the last year I have stressed the importance of having a nice home that is clean and clutter free but have you ever thought about the importance of having a man cave. That’s right a “Man Cave” a place where a man can call his own.  Whether it is for just himself or for several of his friends he wants a comfortable place for him to relax and renew himself.

Well if you have the room in a basement, garage or just an extra room, why not have a place where a man can go to and feel totally comfortable? Did you know six out of ten American men dream of having a “Man Cave?” What is on a man’s wish list? Men want a flat screen TV, their own refrigerator and comfortable seating.

There is a great article about how to fix up your “Man Cave” and the importance of having one. Check it out at ehow.com.

For Larry he wants a garage with a flat screen TV, a good stereo system, refrigerator, comfortable seating, and his favorite pictures hung up. An organized place to put all his tools for the Camaro he is working on. For my daughter’s husband it would be most of everything above but a place for him to work on his photography and watch the Dodgers.

Most women try to carve out a spot they can call their own. So start making a wish list and looking for a special place a man can have. Ladies ask your man what he wants and men let your wife know what you would like to have.

Communication and a wish list is a great way for people to know what is needed to complete a “Man Cave” for you or that special someone. It doesn’t have to be put together all at once. Slowly do it. These are great Christmas, birthday, Father’s Day, Valentines or just because gifts!

Who knows once it is all decorated ladies your man might invite you in to his “Man Cave” and have a very romantic rendezvous on his own terms?

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

I posted this last year and thought it was worth saying again.

Yes, have an affair…..it’s good for your marriage. Did you read that right, “Have an affair….. it’s good for your marriage?” You must think I’m nuts! Yes, I did write “Have an Affair” but let me finish that statement by saying “Have an affair with your spouse its good for your marriage.” After watching the news and hearing Gov. Mark Sanford admitted that he is cheating on his wife, I thought why didn’t he have an affair with his wife? After all, it would have been a lot easier and less messy to have an affair with his spouse. The effort and energy it took to have this affair is so sad when you look at the hurt and pain it has caused. Recently I read that infidelities are on the rise not only by men but by women also.

An affair is about the newness and excitement of it all. You remember when you first started to date your spouse and all you wanted to do was talk and talk. You listened to one another. Now that you are married you know all about your spouse. Neither of you are listening to what the other is saying. Also, in an affair there is an illusion of spontaneity but if you think about it you have to plan your secret rendezvous. So why not plan a secret rendezvous with the person you promised your life to and make it a surprise for your partner. The fun and anticipation for the person planning the rendezvous is very beneficial to your relationship. When you plan a secret rendezvous for your spouse you are greating feel good hormones about your marriage. You are smiling on your relationship. What better way to say “I love you” and care enough about you to have an affair with you!

You may say this is not spontaneous. My answer to that is, if you have an affair with someone else you have to plan when you will meet and where. Before you were married to your spouse you had to plan when and where you were going to be together.

Now you don’t have to make reservations at a hotel or inn every time you want to have a romantic rendezvous but you do need to think outside of the box. SurpriseKiss.com is here to help you do that. This weekend plan a night out with your spouse. Make arrangements to have a babysitter for a couple of hours. And then go for a walk on the beach or in the park, a place where you can talk and reconnect.  When you get home put the kids to bed and close your bedroom door. Light the candles and have some soft music playing in the back ground. Let your affair begin!

The following week have your spouse plan something.

Yes, have an affair with your spouse its good for your marriage!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Just being there and listening means a great friendship in a marriage. Saving $5 a week will not only add to your friendship it will also deepen your love and connection with each other.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Sunday is my husband’s birthday and besides his gift I want to surprise him with an evening delight he won’t forget. He has been under a lot of stress lately with work and I want to make sure he gets plenty of rest and relaxation over the weekend.

Saturday and Sunday I’ll let him choose what he would like to do. What special dinner he wants me to make him and where he wants to go. It is his weekend to do absolutely nothing or be on the go all day.

On Sunday morning I will leave him a note telling him he is going to have a “Very Happy Birthday Tonight” and telling him what he has to look forward to. Here is a list of items I plan on having ready:

• Toy Car
• Candles
• Soft Romantic Music
• Something Sexy to Wear
• Massage Oil

In the morning, on his dresser I will leave him the toy car with his card telling him “Happy Birthday Sweetheart, I plan on giving you a massage all over your body to get your motor purring tonight.” In the evening, when he walks into the bedroom, the candles will be lit with soft music in the background. I will be in the middle of the bed with sexy lingerie on and the massage oil in my hand telling him “Happy Birthday Sweetheart, get into your birthday suit and lay down beside me while I get your motor purring all night long.”

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Want to go to a fancy restaurant and save money. If you make reservations with DinnerBroker.com you could save up to 30% off your bill and best of all it is free to join. You get rewarded for making reservations to eat during off-peak hours. Please read “How it works” before you decide this is something you might be interested in.

You book the reservations on-line through their website, DinnerBroker.com. In addition, you can earn points to purchase a gift certificate to the restaurants registered on their site. So when you are planning on traveling to a new city or want to go out to eat at a nice restaurant check out this website and see if there are any eateries you might be interested in trying out. You could have a nice romantic dinner at a discount.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

You have booked an airline flight and want to have a comfortable seat. If you visit SeatGuru.com they will let you know where the best seats are on all airlines. Wouldn’t you know it is a subsidiary of TripAdvisor.com, my favorite site to go to for information on hotels.

You can find the best seats, in-flight amenities and airline information. They will give you a detail map of where the seats are and color-code them to help identify good seats and seats you don’t want to sit in if at all possible.

If you are planning a flight for your romantic getaway in the future go to SeatGuru.com. You and your sweetheart will have a pleasant flight to remember because you will have the best seats in the airplane and will be ready to enjoy your vacation once you arrive. You and your spouse will not be cranky or sore because you had an uncomfortable seat.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

What if you could make your spouse’s favorite restaurant meals that tasted as good as going to the restaurant? There are three websites that will help you do just that. What makes this so great is maybe you and your spouse are craving a certain dish at your favorite eatery but don’t have any money to splurge on eating out.

These websites helps you control the cost and control what you are putting into your body. As you know home-cooked meals cost less than eating out. So why not look at these three websites and see if you can find the special recipe you both have been craving for.

Larry loves the Olive Garden’s salad dressing. I looked it up on one of these websites and made it for him. He thought I went to the Olive Garden and purchased it there.

Why not surprise your spouse or talk with them and decide what you both want to make together. You can go to:

• copycat.cdkitchen.com
• recipes.robbiehaf.com
• copykat.com

Set the table, light the candles and add some nice music for a romantic dinner with your favorite restaurant meal at home. The money you saved can be put away in your anniversary envelope or account. Just another way to have more money for your romantic getaway!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

If you keep saving $5 a week, you will be able to have a romantic getaway and when you get back people will wonder what you’ve both been up to with that smile on both your faces.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.