I get frustrated at times with the idea we all get to determine how much our partner loves us by the size of the gift and whether the gesture of love went viral on YouTube. Yuck. We don’t need over the top. I think we just need a little something special for our men, presented in a slightly special way. Let’s learn how to love him with stuff in Day 2!
I wrote about this in my book The Marriage Project:
A tree ran into my car.
Yes, you read that sentence correctly.
I am blessed to live in Northern California where we bundle up in our winter woolens if there is a slight chill in the air, and the only snow we see is when someone forgets to use their Head & Shoulders shampoo.
So it was out of the ordinary when the storm rolled through town. Power outages were reported all over the city, fender benders littered the highways, and the Starbucks on our corner was closed.
Obviously, this was a desperate situation.
When I got home from my morning speaking engagement, I parked my van and ran inside, desperate to warm up and dry out.
I went upstairs to our bedroom, where my husband was working at his desk. Not five minutes after I got changed into dry clothes, Roger and I heard a big crack and looked out in horror and amazement as our giant oak tree decided to take up residence on top of my car.
All we could do was watch, laugh, and thank God that no one was in the car at the time.
Since then, I’ve been cruising around town in a series of rental cars until my van is fully functioning again. I’ve tried out hybrids and subcompacts, 4-runners and sedans.
Until yesterday. Yesterday, the rental agency ran out of the teeny-tiny cars I was renting to save money. They asked me if, for a few dollars more, I would like an upgrade to a nicer car that was available right away…a current model black Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Um…OK.
I knew, being in possession of that car, I had to turn our ho-hum, stay-at-home night into an out-on-the-town date night. You wouldn’t want an automobile like that going to waste, now would you?
Roger and I used a gift card to get a couple of lattes at a Starbucks drive-thru, and then took a drive into the mountains, sipping our drinks and enjoying the scenery and the company. A perfect date—all for the small price of an upgraded rental car.
There was just something so fun and adventurous about that car that it turned that silly little latte into a memory that will last us a lifetime.
So this week, I want you to get him a little something, but give it to him in a special way.
Here are some ideas for a little something to love him with stuff (all of these can be had for under $5):
His favorite candy bar (that he doesn’t have to share with you).
A magazine that he loves but is too cheap to subscribe to.
His favorite sports drink.
5 packs of his favorite gum.
His favorite Starbucks drink delivered to work.
A frozen yogurt.
A guy-flick movie rental.
Baking him his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
A small bottle of manly scented lotion with the promise of a back rub.
$5 iTunes gift card (or Google Play for our Windows guys.)
A video game rental.
$5 in quarters for the local arcade.
A new ringtone.
OK – now to give it to him in a special way. You could…
Leave it on the dashboard of his truck.
Hide it in his computer bag.
Tie it to the dog (as long as it’s not edible…)
Have one of your kids deliver it.
Put it on his pillow.
Have Amazon send it to his office.
What are you going to get him to love him with stuff – and how are you going to give it to him? Share your ideas in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!
And remember, tell me in the comments what you did (or are planning to do) to love him with words. (And post a picture to my Facebook Page so I can share your love with the world!)
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether we are doing THE HUSBAND PROJECT on the blog this year. As much as I would love to, we are pretty chalk-full around these parts with clearing out our clutter. So this year we are keeping it simple, but on purpose – four weeks – four quick challenges. Each week, just look for the challenge, and do it – it can take less than 5 minutes and your husband will love it.
And of course, each week there will be a little give away. So once you do the challenge, share in the comments and you’ll be entered to win.
Want to join in? Let me know in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win your own copy of The Husband Project.
Come on. You can do it. 5 minutes to show your husband the love. Let’s make everyone’s February a little love-lier…
Meal time can be one of the most hectic times in a mama’s day. With today’s busy schedules, it is easier to drive through than dive in to your kitchen.
These easy steps will help you make meal planning easy so that you can get to the fun part of connecting with your family and not just the food!
Step 1:
Create a master list of meals for the month. Click here for a list of FREEBIES where you can find a shopping/inventory sheet to make your meal planning easy! Keep in mind your family schedule as you create meals for each day. Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be less chaotic in our home, so I can plan a little more elaborate meal for those days. Now, some days, elaborate may mean that I just put a pat of butter on the green beans before serving, but usually it means that I can make something that might take a bit more time or preparation. The “What’s For Dinner?” Solution is a wonderful resource to create quick, easy, affordable meals.
Step 2:
Put each of the meals into categories for easy planning. A few that I use are Freezer meals – ones that I have on the freezer already, Slow Cooker meals – ones that I will need my crock pot for and create ahead of time, or LOOP meals – Left Over On Purpose. This might mean a turkey pot pie from the leftover turkey from the dinner the night before. Once you have the meals, you can organize what you need for each meal.
Step 3:
Create the calendar and make copies of it for the next couple months. Some things might change, but when you have a template to work from, it makes life a whole lot easier. After you use it, you can evaluate if the system is working.
Planning your meals ahead of time will help you feel more in control and less frazzled at dinner hour. Thinking ahead gives you the freedom to enjoy your day. To help you start planning right away, just subscribe to my blog right over there in the purple little post-it and get a free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Man Food. Easy Peasy!
Looking for a few ideas on how to keep things hot in your meal planning and your marriage?Need some summer inspiration for your meal planning?
First, go to our Summer Sizzle Page and get 5 of our favorite summer recipes!!!
Do you need to spice things up in the midst of the summer heat?
Take advantage of the Summer Sizzle Pack! A copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution and The Marriage Project. Signed (if you’d like!) Sealed and Delivered for $15 plus shipping. (Use the code SIZZLE to receive your discount at checkout! This is good through August 1st.
The What’s for Dinner Solution has all of my family’s favorites – and I’m sure you’ll find a few that will be part of your dinner menu as well.
The Marriage Project is a great read for anyone who wants a few ideas on how to have a closer, more connected relationship with their mate.
Today, Focus on the Family is rebroadcasting a show I did with earlier this year with Jim Daly and John Fuller (two of my favorite people to talk to in the world…) on one of my favorite subjects: How to Have a Happier Husband. You can listen here on Wednesday.
On that page you can download our fun 14 Ways to have a Happier Husband Cheat Sheet, and get a great discount on an assortment of my books about how to make that man happy.
But to give you some spot on encouragement, I want to do a give away for a little fun feedback. Tell me in the comments below what was the last thing you did to let your husband know you love him, we will randomly pick five winners to win the books featured on the Focus on the Family broadcast:
