Mansyur S - Benci

Every Sunday I post a new Romantic Tidbit on my About Skylar page (www.maseysplace.com/about_skylar) to give readers ideas to express their feelings. So in honor of the romantic holiday speedily approaching where Cupid zings some arrows into lovers, I pulled out my top 14. You don’t have to use these word-for-word, but hopefully the notions will give you food for thought about something special you can do to “show” your love.

Love Notes: Write 3 reasons why you love your partner on three separate pieces of paper. Place your love notes where she/he will find them unexpectedly during the week. For instance, how about a saucy invitation stashed in the freezer over top of the ice cubes? Or maybe a compliment tucked in a suit coat pocket to make his/her day a little brighter!

Florida RT Con Recap: Turn one room of your house into a tropical paradise. Got a back porch made for sinful escapes or want to liven things up in the boudoir? Deck the stage luau style with hibiscus leis, crank the ukulele music and serve up an appetizing coconut drink or two. For some special entertainment do a hula dance for your honey, them teach him/her the moves to create a story of your love.

Wolverine's X-ample: Simply say "I love you." Those three little words often go unsaid, so make sure your honey hears them today. If an ultimate bad boy can break down and gush to his heart's desire, what's keeping you from showing the power of your love?

Come-hither Code: Does your partner secretly wish he/she was a spy? Here's your chance to give him/her a mysterious assignment. A code can be made any number of ways, but the simplest is the Caesar Cipher. For example A=Y (where the 26 letters of the alphabet are moved over 2 spaces) to create ECR DCGQRW! If you want to burst the ho-hum pen on paper boundaries, spell out your missive in lipstick on the bathroom mirror for a bedtime tete-a-tete where you hold the key. Or you could drizzle a syrupy hint on his morning waffles to kick-start his day and have him rearing to go for your unsupervised night-time interrogation in the bedroom. GET FEISTY!

Snail Mail Me: Send your partner a puzzling message via the USPS. You can set it up to be something simple, like four hastily jotted sticky notes that reveal I Love You Joe! when placed in the right order. Or go all out and use whole lines of text that won't make sense until they're lined up with the other halves. This could be an invitation to a movie or a romantic dinner you've cooked up. To build tension you can mail one each day, or for fun send them out at the same time. Chances are they won't all get there at once. If you're a spend-thrift by nature (or necessity) and can't spare the 39 cents for stamps plus mailing supplies, try postcards with scenic adventures or hearts on the flipside. If you opt for the Plain Jane variety from the post office doodle something yourself. The gesture will make those paper scraps extra special and heartfelt.

Grill Him/Her Up: When you serve up burgers to your beau/babe add a fun message in mustard and/or ketchup. For example: Luv U, Hot Stuff, Kaboom, Hot 4 U or U R Hot. If you're not up on your squeeze bottle cursive spell it out by carving letters in the cheese patty. Get creative using those condiments to tell him/her you want to make fireworks of your own!

Sweet Serenade: Compose a short song for your honey. It doesn't have to be more than a chorus, and can even be structured around a familiar song (Happy Birthday, Row Your Boat) with substituted words. Comedy, like that shown in restaurant ditties are passable, but the emotions conveyed should be true renderings!

How Do I Look: Tired of your loved one looking like a bag lady or street waif? Then this week's your chance to polish them up until they shine. Pick out an ensemble for them. Men if you want to go the extra mile choose your lady's makeup and jewelry to accessorize her transformation. And if either sex wants to splurge, take your work of art out on the town. Any cat-calls or looks of admiration they glean (even if it's from you) will reinforce their new selves and may have them pulling the switcheroo for good. Since you had a hand in laying the foundation, don't forget to offer your services to keep their renovation on course!

Read to Me Baby: Got a favorite keeper? Get your hubby or beau to recite a random passage (maybe he'll even pick one that's dog-eared). Or if you want to get in on the game take turns bringing the hero and heroine to life by speaking their immortalized words.

Movie See, Movie Do: Need an activity to fill a few hours of your day? Act out a scene from your favorite movie. You don't necessarily need props, but it would make the adventure much more fun if you wanted to record it for posterity's sake. In fact try scoping out a similar locale in your hometown to provide the backdrop for your home-movie masterpiece. That way five+ years down the road you can look back and see how much you lived, laughed and loved.

Ring Around the Posey: Give your gal or guy a small bouquet of flowers. You don't have to break the bank, just a simple $3-$5 bundle from your local Wally World will do. What matters is that you're acknowledging how special your partner is to you. You don't even have to tell them why, since you might not be able to pin down exactly one reason you love them. Say, "Just because." It's that simple. But remember not to snag blooms under guard, like those huge roadside arrangements, that'll garner you a staggering handwritten receipt in the form of a ticket.

Candy Striper: What's the way to a man's heart? His stomach is the tried and true answer. But how about mixing up those hearty meals with something sweet. It's always more fun to cook together, so why not come up with some creative candies to share during pillow talk later? And
if you have leftover chocolate, use the warm, paintable medium to slather something besides a plastic mold. *wink, wink*

Cheap Date: Does your partner complain about the cost of taking you out? Why not grab a quick bite courtesy of the fast-food dollar menu? True, it's likely not to be the most fabulous meal you've ever had (unless you're a french fry freak like me), but it will give you a chance to spend time together. Another bright side is that neither of you have to cook or clean the dishes, which leaves ample time for after-dinner activities.

Pet Name for V-day: Need a pet name, but aren't ready to gag over Snuggle Muffins? Why not incorporate something you like to do as a hobby such as Rose Petal? Or link in your job like Plow Guy on MEN IN TREES. Maybe you have an interest in little furry animals which would be good for Bunny or Puff. Whatever it is, make sure it represents you, unlike my brand--Pookie--which tons of people use!


Did you single gals think I forgot you? Here are 2 ideas to make your Valentine’s Day one to remember:

Gala Glamour: Know how girls used to play dress-up in their mother's clothes? Well put on your big girl finery, like a sparkling tiara from your beauty pageant days or that one-timer bridesmaids' dress that's lounging in the back of your closet. Even if you don't have anywhere to be, get dolled up (or decked out you guys) then go for a spin to the local Mickey D's for a Happy Meal.

Bibbity-Bobbitty Do: Every woman wants (or wanted) to be Cinderella. Why? Because they wanted a wish to come true via the Fairy Godmother. Today select one simple dream you'd like to make reality and fulfill it all by yourself. It might not be as magical, but it will make you feel empowered (and love yourself).
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Are you a romantic movie buff? Make sure to check out my Valentine’s Contest at www.maseysplace.com/contest for the chance to win a giftbag of romantic goodies.