Archive for March, 2012

My friend, Maria, was telling me about an evening she had with her husband recently that was spontaneous, fun and relaxing.  I thought this might be something you would like doing with your sweetheart.

Maria was telling me her life has gotten very stressful between work and her very ill mother. One day work was exceptionally stressful so that evening when she walked into her home the first thing she did was pour two glasses of wine one for her and one for her husband. Then she opened her computer up and went to You Tube and found her favorite song.

She sat down with her husband and took a sip of her wine then decided to get up and started to dance spontaneously she grabbed her husband’s hand and said “Come dance with me”.  Her husband doesn’t like to dance but for some reason he decided to get up and join her.  When one song would end they would look for another song on You Tube. The jaundra they choose was from the seventies and eighties which brought back memories of younger years.

They giggled, laughed and twirled their way to a stress free evening. After her husband said this was fun and we don’t dance too badly either, we need to go to a nightclub and dance one evening. Now this is from a person who always says he doesn’t like to dance.

Thanks Maria! What a great idea for all my friends at SurpriseKiss.com to do. Maria, you turned a very stressful day into a fun and memorable evening for the two of you.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Do you want to get away with your sweetheart for a romantic weekend but don’t know where to go and where to stay? You are not alone; most people really don’t know where to begin. It is too overwhelming.

Where do we want to go?

Where do we want to stay?

Does this sound like you?

Last week I had dinner with my friend, Maria, and she was asking me if I had any recommendations on where to go for her anniversary.

Here are the questions I asked her to help determine what inns or hotels I would recommend to her.

Do you want to stay one night or two nights?

  • One night keep it under 1 to 1 ½ hours away
  • Two nights keep it under 3 hours away
  • What cities/towns are you interested in

Once we determined she wanted to getaway 1 to 1 ½ hours from home helping her find an inn or hotel was a little easier. I gave Maria a couple of inns off the top of my head that I thought would be nice for her and her husband but I also did some research and sent her a list of places for her to look into.

Here are the steps you need to take to determine the perfect inn or hotel that fits your budget and desires:

  • Think about the places you have already stayed at and is it a place you would like to go to again?
  • Ask friends what is their favorite place to stay in the particular area you have chosen to go to.
  • Call the local Chamber of Commerce in the city you plan on visiting and ask them the names of inns or hotels they have gotten the best reviews from.
  • Research on the internet. Type in the top 10 inns or hotels for the area.
  • Search on Trip Advisor and read the reviews.

One you have broken everything down it is a lot easier to find the perfect place for a romantic weekend away that you will both enjoy.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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If you keep saving your $5 a week you and your sweetheart will have the romantic weekend you have been dreaming about.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Have you ever wished you could build your own home or have a beautiful yard? Plan your date this weekend with your sweetheart dreaming about the possibilities of building your dream home or designing a beautiful yard. You may not have the money right now to do it but it is always fun to dream.

One way you can do this is to:

 Go to your local library and check out books with home and/or yard designs.

• Buy design magazines for homes and yards

• Visit model homes and keep the floor plans you liked. Don’t forget to bring a camera to document what you liked in a particular floor plan.

• Go on-line and research home and/or garden plans

After gathering everything enjoy a cup of coffee with your sweetheart at your favorite coffee house and go through the design ideas you gathered and tag your favorite designs with little notes written on post-it-notes and when you get home start a file with your ideas.

The following week sketch out your plans together.

This is a great project to go back to periodically and review together and make changes as you see something else you like or your taste changes. Planning and dreaming together keeps you connected as a couple because you are building dreams for the future.

Remember dreams can come true but you first have to identify them and your “Dream a Little Dream Together” could happen.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Larry and I just celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary on Sunday! Now you would think I would have planned something special but I am sorry to say we didn’t get a chance to go out of town for our romantic weekend.  We had planned on getting out of town for a 3 day weekend but my father-in-law is ill and we spent our time in the hospital with him.

Larry’s dad has been ill since Jan 4, 2012. Before Jan 4th this man was walking 2 miles a day and still driving. He had a little bit of dementia but he recognizes everyone and was just a little forgetful which is allowable considering he is 91 years old. Since Jan 4th he has survived 2 major surgeries, was in the hospital for 3 weeks. He was moved to an extended care facility to learn how to walk again and swallow but was put back into the hospital for another week. Then he was moved to another extended care home for 6 weeks and last Thursday got to spend the night in his own home. It was something to celebrate about but on Friday he was back in the hospital and he is still there.

Not only are we worrying about Larry’s dad but his mother is 90 and wants her husband home. She doesn’t understand all the medical difficulties in taking care of her husband. My husband, his sister and brother all have full time jobs and so do their respective spouses (including me). Everyone is trying to help but Larry and I are the only ones who live in town. So if someone doesn’t come up to help we can’t leave town.

Life sometimes gets complicated and we are currently in the middle of one of those times and it just happened to fall on our anniversary weekend.  We did find time to have dinner alone though. Sunday night we went out for a very special dinner and enjoyed our time with each other. We know that the difficulties will pass but right now we need to take care of family. Eventually we will be able to get away for a very special weekend.

I guess what I am trying to say  to you is life isn’t always perfect and you just need to find a way to still let each other know the other is special to you and if it means just time away for dinner then be grateful for your alone time. There are a lot of people who think our life is perfect but it isn’t we have the same trails as you do but it is the way we handle these times that keeps us together.

While we had dinner we laughed and talked about the day we got married and how his mother lent us her new car for our three day honeymoon in Solvang. (Larry’s car was too old to make the 2 hour trip from Los Angeles) We were young and in love, clueless to all the challenges life can bring.

We laughed about how he stopped in Malibu to get gas and rice poured of his suite when he stepped out of the car. The gas attended looked at him and said “You just get married?”  We were so naive about life and thought we knew it all.

We giggled about how in 1967 after 6:00 pm there was nothing to do in Solvang. No movie theatre and very few restaurants were open. Trust me we did find something to do in our hotel room but we wanted a little more action than what was offered at the time in this quaint Danish town.

Even though Larry’s dad is not well we managed to have a very special evening together.

45 years later we are a little older and wiser but still crazy in love with each other. During the good times and bad times we know we will always be there for one another. Life may not be perfect but we are perfect for each other.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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The greatest asset in your marriage is the both of you. Saving $5 a week for a romantic weekend away proves it.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Hi everyone! Did you pick up the items I told you to get for your romantic St Patrick’s Day? If not here is the list of things you will need:

• St Patrick’s Day Card

• Celtic Music (You can usually get a Celtic CD near the candles at Wal-Mart or Target)

• Sexy lingerie

• Green Ribbon

• Candles

Ladies:

Write inside your St Patrick’s Day card:

“Happy St Patrick’s Day Sweetie, when you unwrap me we will have our own memorable Irish celebration to the point that we will be doing the Irish Jig of bliss tonight!”

Sneak into the bedroom a few minutes before your sweetheart does. Light the candles; turn on the music, slip into that sexy lingerie your sweetie likes to see you in and tie the green ribbon around your neck with the card attached.

Men:

Write inside your St Patrick’s Day card:

 “Happy St Patrick’s Day Sweetie, I would like to unwrap you tonight and make our own memorable Irish celebration were we will be doing the Irish Jig of bliss tonight!”

Pick up a rose and tie a ribbon with the card attached and then lay it on the bed. Light the candles; turn on the music and walk into the bedroom with your sweetheart.

Romantic surprises are always the most fun and memorable.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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St Patrick’s Day is on Saturday this year and instead of going out and celebrating with friends or family why don’t you plan on having a very sexy and romantic evening with your sweetheart.

Gather the items below and you will have a romantic St Patrick’s Day neither of you will forget.

• St Patrick’s Day Card

• Celtic Music (You can usually get a Celtic CD near the candles at Wal-Mart or Target)

• Sexy lingerie

• Green Ribbon

• Candles

The big reveal will be on Friday, March 16.

Romantic surprises are always the most fun.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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You’re marriage is not just any marriage. It is something special! Saving $5 a week for a romantic weekend away is proving how special it is.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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The Today Show had Sarah Spagnolo from Travel & Leisure Magazine on before Valentine’s Day to discuss last minute getaway deals for Valentines. Now I know we have already passed Valentine’s Day but this shouldn’t stop you from looking into one of these places to bring your sweetheart for your anniversary. Remember these beautiful romantic places are not just for Valentines.

Watch the video and see if there is a place not too far from where you live and find out what the prices are on your anniversary date. Then do the math and figure out much money you need to put aside each week to make it happen for your  anniversary.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Salish Lodge & Spa   Washington     
http://www.salishlodge.com/

Postcard Inn    Florida  
http://www.postcardinn.com/

Inn & Spa at Loretto   New Mexico 
http://www.innatloretto.com/

Public Chicago    Illinois  
http://www.publichotels.com/chicago/home/

The Andiron Seaside Inn & Cabins  California  
http://www.theandiron.com/

Travel magazines are a great way to discover romantic places to go to and where to stay but don’t forget to look at Wedding and Bridal magazines too. There are always articles on wonderful places to stay on a honeymoon just remember you don’t have to be newlyweds to go there.

Decide where you want to go for your anniversary, choose the hotel or inn, plan how much to put away, set a date and your dreams of a romantic weekend will happen.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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