by Johanna Osborne

I’m writing to you from sunny Brisbane this week and I must say, there’s nothing quite like escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life and leaving your cares behind. Soaking up warmth and sunshine is good for the soul and it’s amazing how much you instantly relax. There’s nothing like a little romantic get-away (or in our case, a family trip with a rambunctious toddler and baggage galore!). But obviously as wonderful as holidays are, we can’t just jet off whenever we please. Ideally every day routine should entail touches of the pleasures that colour our happiest moments, so that we can inject a little joy on any given day.

But that’s easier said than done sometimes. Love is special but life is busy, and with time those spontaneous little surprises that were oh-so-frequent at the beginning seem to wane a little. Put a spark back in your everyday life with small but incredibly meaningful gestures, to make your special someone feel like the king or queen of your heart always!

Some of our favourite ideas to put some snap crackle and pop back into your relationship …

Hide a little love note in your fiance’s wallet or work bag. The fact they will discover it when you are not around is sure to put a smile on their face and put you at the forefront of their mind all day long

Make a little scrapbook of all those special moments you have experienced together over the years. If you have old movie tickets, concert brochures, old love notes, birthday cards etc assemble them to document your journey and create a wonderful keepsake

Create a photobook. With modern technology your love story can now be a book that will be treasured forever

Send your love a cupcake! Obviously if you are sending one to a man, it will need to be slightly more masculine… or you could opt for a mini-chocolate cake? Or perhaps even a gourmet pie? Think outside the square!

Send a cute and sweet text message saying what you love most about him/her. Easy, spontaneous and sure to get a positive reaction

Hold hands, cuddle, make time to sit and chat and share a glass of wine

Listen – regardless what it is. If your partner is telling you something, it must be important (and be sure to stifle that yawn if it’s about the footie!)

Book a surprise weekend getaway – a change of scenery is sure to put a spring your stride

Take a candlelit bath together

Play a game – backgammon or something similar… fun! Amazing how simple things can make you feel like kids again

Go on a date. Wine and dine each other – you will be amazed how good the conversation and connection is, if you don’t have the distractions of home to steal your attention

Revisit the spot of your first date and where you first kissed. Relive/re-enact it and you will instantly feel 10 years younger!

Name a star after your lover! It’s easier than you think and it’s a very special gift that will be part of history forever

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
― Robert A. Heinlein