Archive for July, 2013

Are you feeling like you have lost the spark in your relationship? Then you will want to watch the Today Show Video on how to bring that lovin feeling back.

Sex Counselor, Ian Kerner and Sex Counselor, Janet Taylor talk how to connect in small ways you may not have thought about.

How to Get the Spark Back in Your Relationship

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I thought they had some great ideas to help you find some alone time with your sweetheart.

1. Show affection and kindness.

2. Make sure the kids are active during the day so they will go to bed early so you and your partner can have some quiet time together.

3. Bring a babysitter along with the children and play miniature or bowling and try to get away with your sweetie pie for a little bit and then regroup with everyone.

4. Don’t forget to put a lock on the bedroom door that way there are no little munchkins trying to walk in on your fun time.

5. Go away for a weekend with another couple who have children around the same age as yours that you enjoy being with and trust. Take turns getting away with your honeybun.  The kids will have fun with their friends and you don’t have to give them 100% of your time. They probably won’t even notice you left them for a little bit.

These are great suggestions to help you figure out how to put that spark back into your relationship. Make it a point to try one, two or all five and see if it helps you get in sync with that special someone you married.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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new $5 billSaving $5 a week for a romantic weekend away is built on love and kindness. Keep saving your $5 a week!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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European Couple WalkI published this date day/night idea in May of 2010 and thought you would like to revisit it again.

Do you feel like your marriage is in a rut? You do the same thing every week. Boring!!! You have forgotten what it feels like to do something different. You have gotten into a comfortable routine. Well why not have a min-adventure?

Did you know studies have shown mini-adventures can fire up the senses? Try something different, something you haven’t done in a long time or something completely new. When you do this it creates a new neural path that can activate the production of dopamine (the attention hormone) which can help you appreciate each other.

Larry and I had an unexpected mini-adventure this weekend. Larry went to work in the morning and I worked on straightening up the house and fixed lunch for the both of us when he got home. After we ate lunch Larry suggested we run up to Arroyo Grande to get some fresh fruits and vegetables. I had plans we would work on the house and our small vegetable garden but figured why not. Let’s drive up to the Arroyo Grande Village and listen to the free entertainment under the gazebo. Purchase the fresh produce from our local farmers to use in our dinners this week. We hopped into the car with our cooler in the back R & B playing on our XM Radio with us deciding what we needed to get to compliment our meals for the week.

Sounds like fun? We did have fun but it didn’t stop there. After we went to farmers market we went to Starbucks for coffee. While we were enjoying our coffee our daughter called us to see if we wanted to meet them with the kids and have dinner at an inexpensive little Mexican restaurant and after go to see the movie Rocket Man. We decided to opt out this time and instead decided to drive up to Baywood Park for dinner. It is about an hour drive from our house along the coast. There is a great little place where they serve Thai food. It is called Noi’s.

When I say little I mean tiny. When you walk into the place you immediately see Noi standing there stir frying up all these delicious aromas. There is a small counter with two bar stools overlooking all the activity or a bar that runs against the wall for about six people. You can eat outside too. Most people order ahead and pick up the food to take home. We were lucky enough to sit at the bar overlooking Noi and her workers make magic with some vegetables, chicken, shrimp or tofu. Larry went across the street to purchase a large bottle of beer to share while we ate Pad Thai with chopsticks. Yum! We hadn’t been to Baywood Park and Noi’s in forever. It was a nice unexpected treat, totally unplanned and a nice way to relax and have a mini-adventure that didn’t cost too much.

So when is your next mini-adventure? Fire up your senses, get out of your routine and discover why you enjoy each others company.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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I published this on 7/15/2010 and thought it was worth revisiting. Enjoy!

Family Dining Al Fresco At The BeachThe 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

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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new $5 billLove every moment with your spouse & keep saving $5 a week for a romantic weekend away.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Did you know it is National Moon Day on Saturday, July 20th? It celebrates the day that man first walked on the moon. What a great excuse for you and your sweetheart to eat moon pies and watch your favorite space movie.

Here are some suggestions:

Star Wars

Star Trek

Apollo 13

The Right Stuff

Avatar

Space Cowboys

Cuddle up on the couch with your sweetheart and celebrate National Moon Day on Saturday evening.

And to get you both into and even better mood:

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Do you and your sweetheart have a group of friends that you enjoy being with? Where everyone gets along and there isn’t a lot of drama going on, just lots of laughter. You might want to consider doing a couples weekend away.

The Today Show had Dani Babb, Real Estate Analyst, on the show and she talked about why you might want to consider renting a house instead of a hotel when traveling with everyone.

Summer Rentals

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Here is the list of the places Dani talked about:

1. Wildwood Crest, NJ – AIRBNB.com
$1600/week – 6 people (3 couples)
$1600/3 couples = $533 a week/7 days = $77 a night

2. Nags Head, NC – VRBO.com
$2420/week -8 people (4 couples)
$2420/4 couples = $640 a week/7 days = $87 a day

3. Perch Lake, MI – rentalbug.com
$1200/week – 8 people (4 couples)
$1200/4 couples = $300 a week/7 days = $43 a day

4. South Lake Tahoe, CA – VRBO.com
$1575 – $2275 a week – 8 people (4 couples)
$2275/4 couples = $569 a week/7 days = $82 a day

5. Huntington Beach, CA – VRBO.com
$2000/week – 12 people (I decided to do only 3 couples for this one)
$2000/3 couples = $667 a week/7 days = $95 a day

This is a great alternative to staying in high priced hotels particularly when you are going away with a group of people. The price is right, plus you can take turns making breakfast and dinner during the week. Lunch can be done on your own while out enjoying the area.

I am always talking about getting away alone but it is good to also include some of your away time with friends you have known for a long time and feel very comfortable with. It is important to feel connected with other couples too.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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new $5 billTake a moment to be with your sweetheart everyday and keep saving $5 a week for a romantic weekend away.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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County Fair-Ferris WheelOur County Fair is in town this week and everyone talks about bringing the kids but few consider going to it without the kids in the evening. It is a once a year event and it can bring the kid out in your relationship.

The County Fair is relatively inexpensive and there is so much to do there:

• Eat all the junk food you want, i.e.:

Corn dog, garlic fries, fried Oreo cookies; funnel cakes, cotton candy, chocolate covered bacon, ice cream, barbeques, etc.

• Enjoy the rides:

Ferris wheel, roller coaster, bumper cars, carousel, pendulum rides, tornado, etc.

• Look at all the vendors selling their wares. Last year we bought a black frame with a special saying I wrote myself and had it put on glass for our bedroom. (You will see it another time when we are done with the room)

• Look at the all the cute animals

• Enjoy one of the paid or free concerts

• Stroll through the plant, art and food competitions

• Watch the tractor pulls

Enjoy the County Fair under the stars, it is a fun evening date with your sweetheart and it brings out the kid in your relationship which is so important to making it feel continually new.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Are you and/or your sweetheart into American History and like to plan trips that are steep in history?

The Today Show had Jeanenne Tornatore, Senior Travel Editor for Orbiz talk about historic places that are off the beaten path that you may not have thought of going to.

5 Beautiful Places Every American Should Visit

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Here is the list Jeanenne talked about:

Charlottesville, VA

• Boars Head Inn – $160.00

Huston, TX

• Johnson Space Center

St. Luis, Mo

• The Moonrise Hotel – $170.00

Durango, CO

• Double Tree Hotel – $209

San Juan Islands, WA

• Sorrento Hotel, Seattle – $222.00

These places all look like fun and interesting places you can take your family but more important have a romantic weekend away with just the two of you having the quiet time together you both need while enjoying a walk through our American history.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

**My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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