New Valentine Banners

This week I have been working on banners. I can't figure out which is my favorite though to hang up. I might just have to print them all. They are now in my Printables shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/pdprintables

Love 'em as if you're going to loose 'em

Today we're going to do some pretending.

First off though a little back story so you understand where I'm coming from.

I was looking at some stuff today on the Make a Wish Foundation. To me their mission is pretty awesome--allowing kids with life threatening illnesses and their families a super happy and fun experience to remember for always.


Their website and the stories on it got me thinking about life and death and I started to think how I would treat my husband if I knew he was dying. I try and treat him really well as it is but I imagined how much sweeter I would talk to him, how many more massages I'd give him, how I would dote on him and probably never leave his side. 

Life is life though. I may have him the next 50-60 years or he might go tomorrow--or me for that matter. Why not treat him now like I would if I thought I'd loose him. Why not kiss him more passionately, hug him more, sit in his lap when we talk, stroke his hair? Why not tell him how much I appreciate him and his hard work, his attitude, and his love for me. 


Why not? 


Why wait? 

So think about how much you'd miss 'em and then show 'em! Show your spouse this week how you would treat him/her if he/she was dying. Dote on him/her. Treasure him/her. Treat him/her like a king/queen. None of us know how long we have. Why not make more moments count. More moments that bring smiles to the lips and tears of joy for living a good life and less regrets. Go NOW! Give him/her a kiss that tells him/her how much you really love him/her and would miss him/her. Seriously. GO NOW! Don't wait. Don't wait for more time. It ain't comin! Don't wait for better health. It ain't comin either. What is more important than the relationships you have with the people you love most?

EASY Tip to Improve Relationships With Your Kid(s) TODAY!

Don't you wish you had a hug like that right now?

I wish I remembered to do this easy tip every day. Maybe it wouldn't be as special if it were a habit. I'm not sure BUT I do know that this tip in practice has immediate, awesome effects. Are you READY for my super top secret tip???

***Hug your kid(s) as often as possible today.***Grab them when they walk by, stalk them from behind, cuddle up on the couch while you watch his/her favorite show--make it excessive. If you have teenagers excessive may be one side hug with loads of protestations, but chances are they will secretly love your increased attention!

You may want to add a little note every week or so to your calendar to remember to do this on a regular basis. I hope to hear lots of success stories!


Kidless? Use this on your spouse--I dare you!

Look at this sweet Daddy hug.

Now go and get your hug on! :)

Marriage Helps

I'm no expert but I love sharing ideas that work for me in case it might benefit others. Here are a few things you can do to help enhance your marriage.

SUPER EASY IDEA #1:

Go grab a piece of paper and a pencil. Don't wait. Do it RIGHT NOW. Now write something that your spouse does that you love--could be something simple like: "I love your smile." or "I love it when you do the dishes for me." or it could be something romantic. Now go hide it somewhere only your spouse will find it. (I put notes in my husbands pant pockets before he wears them). Get in the habit of doing this once a week for a nice little treat for your spouse to know you care!

COMBINED EFFORT IDEA:

This is best if you get your spouse in on the activity. You'll be making a list. Title it something like this: "A guide to loving _____ (your name here)" or "The Things ______(your name here) Loves" or "I feel loved when:"

Then list everything you can think of that your spouse currently does and especially what you wish they would do. If you've never done this before, chances are your spouse will have no clue about some of the things on your list and you'll probably be shocked about their list. Be specific.

When I did this, I included a list of treats that would brighten my day (like hard Runts and Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream- YUM!) and also things that I consider Romantic. I was shocked my husband really wanted me to serenade him. I never knew!

CHANGE YOUR MINDSET IDEA:

So for most of our marriage, I had it in my head that whenever my husband did something I didn't like--i.e. leaving his socks on the floor, that it was personal. It was as if his leaving his socks on the floor was an expression of "I don't care about you enough to pick these up." I would get irritated over all the little things. Somewhere along the way, I decided to change my attitude. I somehow got through all the nasty little lies in my head and told myself the truth: "My husband does love me and he loves me a lot and he isn't perfect because look at how imperfect I am!" Once I realized this and got it into my head I started noticing all of the amazing things he DOES do! He does the dishes every night. He gets up with the kids more often during the night than I do. He gives me a break from the kids whenever I ask for it and he often encourages this. He DOES throw his clothes down the laundry shoot and only occassionally forgets a sock or two. He does try to bring home suprises to show his love for me. The list goes on and on.

I can't tell you how big of a difference this has made in our marriage and for me personally! Rarely does he do anything now that truly bothers me and if it does, I tell him and he usually tries to change immediately. OK, so maybe I have an amazing husband but I think most spouses would try harder and do better if we got off their case and let them be human. Accept your spouse for who they are. Love them despite their faults--you have plenty of them too! :) Forget about the little things that bother you. It may take time. Catch yourself the next time something bothers you and tell yourself to get over it. Once you've gotten over one issue, move on to the next. Make an effort to notice the good things they DO do and praise them for it. A LOT!

I hope these ideas help someone!