Surprise Kiss

Archive for February, 2011

Be the silver lining in your marriage’s cloud by saving $5 a week for your romantic anniversary getaway.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

What are you doing with your sweetheart this weekend? As for us it is suppose to rain on the Central Coast today and tomorrow. We might get snow as low as 500 ft, which doesn’t happen too often. It is so pretty to see our beautiful foothills blanketed in white.  So we Californians will batten down the hatch and probably say in. It won’t stop us from doing something together though. Remember we think and look at things a little different.

When people think of a date they think of going out but as you know I talk about having dates at home too. But have you ever thought of a date when there is a house project you need to get done? When we work together on something we will sometimes think of it as our project date. It makes it so much easier to get things done sometimes.

We are talking about putting up our new drapes we purchased for our formal living room and stay in for dinner. As for dinner I think we will have a roast chicken dinner. I always keep a whole chicken in the freezer and when I want to have a simple dinner with not a lot of fuss I will cook the chicken in the Crockpot. It is so easy to do.

Crockpot Chicken Dinner

Whole Chicken
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Baked Potato

2 Russet Potatoes
Olive or Vegetable Oil
Kosher Salt
Butter
Sour Cream
Chives thinly chopped
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salad of your choice

Chicken

Defrost the chicken, wash, pat dry and season with garlic salt inside and out. Put in a Crockpot and cook on low, for 10 to 12 hours. Your house will smell wonderful! Once cooked take the chicken out of Crockpot with a large spatula. FYI, it will fall apart but it comes out so moist and delicious.

When I tell friends how I like to cook my chicken they all say “That is all you do is sprinkle garlic salt and pepper on it?” After they have tried it they will call me and say it is delicious and it will be the only way they will cook their whole chickens from now on.  They can’t believe how easy it is.

Baked Potatoes

Meanwhile scrub potatoes and dry them. Poke holes all over them with a fork. (This allows steam to escape while cooking.) Lightly coat each potato with oil and sprinkle with salt. Put in a preheated 350° oven directly on rack and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on size. They should come out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like you get at a restaurant.  Top baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and cheddar cheese. (A person has to splurge sometimes)

Serve chicken, potato and a small salad of your choice. Turn on the music and light the candles. Of course, wine, beer or sparkling cider goes well with this.

Not only are we completing a project we have wanted to do but we are enjoying our time together and a feeling of accomplishment. After we can sit down and enjoy our simple feast together. That is what simple dates are made of sometimes.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Have you done your taxes yet? We have an appointment to meet with our CPA next week. If you have already have seen your accountant are you getting any money back? Do you have the money spent before you’ve gotten it? Hold on a minute. You may want to listen to this short video from the Today Show with Nicole Lapin of CNBC. She has some great suggestions on how to utilize your returns to their best advantage.

Click on the link below and watch the video. There are things to do with your hard earn money you may not have thought of:

5 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

I really liked the idea Nicole had to take 10% of your tax return and enjoy something for yourself. If you are one of the lucky couples who will be getting the 2011 average return of $3,036 and if you put aside 10% of your tax return that would be $300! You could add it to your $5 a week fund for your anniversary. Think about what you and your sweetheart could do with the extra amount on your romantic getaway. Or does your bedroom need more romance? Then redecorate it. You can do a lot with $300. It could buy paint and maybe a new bedspread and some accessories. A new look could bring more romance in your master bedroom.

What do you and your sweetheart plan on doing with your tax refund?

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

You can’t have a positive marriage with negative thinking. Saving $5 a week for your anniversary weekend could put you in a positive frame of mind for your marriage.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Winter is different where we live we don’t have to deal snow and all the work that goes with it but that don’t mean we never get rain. We still feel the coldness outside and all we want to do is to stay inside and do nothing. Do you live in an area where it feels like winter will never end?  The snow is falling and you want to go on a date but you don’t want to deal with the weather and you are tired of the snow. All you need to do is change it up. Enjoy what nature has brought you. Have a date you normally don’t do, go ice skating together!

Whether you live where the snow is up to your knees or the sun is shinning all around you and there is no snow, head to the local ice skating ring for a fun date. Don’t live near an ice skating ring, head to the roller skating ring. No skating ring? Then dust off those old roller blades and skate down the street or on the strand along the beach. When was the last time you did something like this together without the kids? After you are done skating go to your local coffee house and have a cup or hot chocolate or apple cider.  Sit back, relax and laugh about all the falls you had while skating. You will both feel like kids.

Dates don’t always have to be dinner and a movie. Do something different. Enjoy winter and all its beautiful glory no matter where you live. If your date is during the day take skating lessons together. You will both have fun laughing and learning something new. The next time you both go skating you may be able to show off your new moves to people around you. Oh and don’t forget to give your sweetheart a little surprise kiss here and there while skating. It does a relationship good!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Did you know when you do a home improvement project together you will feel closer with your partner? Want to have the feeling of fulfillment with your sweetheart? Grab a paint brush, move furniture around or go to a garage sale, flee market or thrift store and purchase something that needs a little tender loving care.

I like shopping at the discount stores. You know the ones that carry designer clothing, high end furniture and accessories at discounted prices. I not only look at the regular merchandise but I make it a point to look at the reduced priced items too. For the last few months I have been looking for a round beveled mirror and everything I like was priced at $80 to $100+. I just couldn’t justify paying that price right now but it didn’t stop me from looking at all the mirrors every time I went in a store. Well recently while shopping at one of these discount stores low and behold waiting for me was the mirror I wanted and it was in the reduced priced bend. It had several nicks and a crack in the frame but it was only $18 (the original price was $80) and I knew I could fix it with a little help from Larry.

I purchased it and brought it home. When Larry first saw it he looked at me and thought I was nuts but I said all it needs is a little loving care and I know when we are done no one will know it looked so trashed. Guess what, we worked on this weekend? Yap, we ran to the hardware store to get an ebony wood marker and some wood glue. We glued the crack and touched up the frame. We still need to glue the brown paper backing on the back and add a wire string to hang the mirror but when it is up no one will be able to tell it looked so bad. I wished I had taken a picture before we started to work on it to show you but “sorry” I didn’t think of it.

The mirror is something most people would pass up. Boy was I glad they did because I have something I can be proud of hanging in my den. Most importantly Larry and I did it together. Every time we look at the mirror we will think of a Sunday afternoon we both loving repaired our little rough jewel in the making.

Want to feel closer? Grab your sweetheart and do a home improvement project. There will be a sense of accomplishment that you both did something together. Little things like this are what help to have “that loving feeling” toward each other. Just like the trashed mirror your relationship needs you both to find ways to keep it glued together to make it look like a million dollars. When you do these little maintenance projects you are not only repairing something but also making your relationship stronger. You will both know that no matter how tattered your relationship is you can fix it.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

A few weeks ago I mentioned to you that I would be writing on SurpriseKiss.com three days a week as oppose to the five days a week so I could move forward with my plans to add another dimension to the website for you. My Amazon Store is now up and running! If you look at the top tabs you will notice a tab that says “Store”. If you click on it you will notice books on Cooking, Relationships and Travel. These are all related to romance. Please take the time to review the store and if you see anything you might be interested in purchasing please click on the link and it will take you to Amazon.com.

Keep checking on the “Store” tab because I will be continuing to add more things to it for you. In the near future you will notice you will be able to purchase candles, lotions, CDs, etc. Surprise Kiss is there for you, making it easier to find information and items to help you keep the romance in your relationship alive!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

You will have that loving feeling all year long if you keep saving $5 a week for your romantic getaway.

Are you ready for your romantic Valentines evening? If not you will need to read “Priceless Valentines”.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Valentines is on Monday! Are you ready to surprise your sweetheart with the items I told you to get? If you haven’t gotten anything yet you will want to read my blog “Priceless Memories” and pick everything up over the weekend.

On Valentines Day Evening you will want to follow these directions:

Ladies

Light the candles, put on that sexy little lingerie you got, turn on your favorite romantic music and grab the ribbon and card.

On the card you will want to write on the front side “Priceless!” and on the back of the card write “Happy Valentines Sweetheart you can unwrap me anytime!”

Then wrap the ribbon around your neck with a big bow and attach the card to the ribbon. Sit on the bed together and enjoy your drink of choice and let your sweetheart slowly unwrap you.

Men

Light the candles, put on your boxer shorts with the hearts on it or wear nothing at all, turn on your favorite music and grab the ribbon and card.

On the card you will want to write “Happy Valentines Sweetheart! You are priceless to me and I would like to unwrap you and then show you all the love I have for you!” Put the card in the envelope and wrap it up with the ribbon.

Enjoy your drink of choice and hand her your wrapped card. After your sweetheart has read the card slowly unwrap her and show her all the love you have for her.

May your Valentines Day be a happy one together with lots of laughter, playful kisses and memories of a special evening together.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Valentines is almost here! As you know Valentines is my favorite holiday, after all I am hopelessly romantic. This year is no different so get you pen handy and start writing down the things you need to pick up before the big day.

Here is what you will need for your special day:

1. Candles
2. Something sexy to wear for the ladies and a pair of boxer shorts with hearts for the men, or maybe nothing at all!
3. For the ladies to get: Blank Pink Index Card & Heart Stickers
4. For the men to get: Blank Valentines Card
5. 1”Red or Pink Satin Ribbon approximately 2 yards long (Men you can get the ribbon shorter, just enough to tie around your blank Valentines Card)
6. Sparkling Cider, Wine or Beer

Gather everything and I will tell you what to do with them on Friday, February 11, 2011!

If you want to have a memorable, funny and sexy Valentines Day have everything ready.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.