THE FACE OF ROMANCE

    You may be in a loving relationship, but, you don’t know the first thing about how to romance from the heart.  Sure, you can say, “I love you,” just fine, but, all those wonderful, romantic ideas just seem to escape you.

    Below you can take a page from a true romantic’s book.  You can simply follow the guidance and do the do things, or, you can adapt the suggestions below to your own nature.  Either way, you will be well on your way to being the true romantic!  


A Week in the Life of a True Romantic

 Day 1:

    ~ Leave a note professing your love for your partner to find during the day. Put the note where it will be found, easily.  Try their briefcase, the driver's seat of their car, in their coat pocket, in their lunch bag, taped to the receiver of the phone, taped to their computer, or left taped to a doorknob.

    ~ As soon as you arrive home for the day seek out your partner and offer a big, loving kiss.  Tell your partner how much you love him or her and ask about their day. Make this a new, daily habit.

    ~ As an alternate idea, when your partner arrives home for the day, take their hand and pull them towards you aggressively.  Offer a huge hug, kiss and say, "I missed you today!”

Day 2:

    ~ While your partner showers, heat up his or her towel in the dryer.

    ~ Have flowers delivered to partner at work.

    ~ Surprise your partner by arriving home with their favorite drink, snack, or ice-cream.

Day 3:

    ~ Arrange for an intimate lunch date with your partner.

    ~ Afterward, send a virtual card. Tell them how much you enjoyed lunch together.

Day 4:

    ~ Call your partner in the middle of the day to discuss your romantic plans for that evening.

    ~ Print out some love coupons (find them on-line) and present them to your partner.  One might say:  this entitles loved one to a full-body massage, and sign your name.

Day 5:

    ~ For the kid in all of us!  Use multi-colored, sidewalk chalk to draw a BIG heart in red and write.  Print out the words, “I love you" in the middle of the heart.  Do this someplace that is prominent such as on your driveway so that when your partner comes home he or she will see it.

    ~ Cook a favorite meal for your partner and then eat it, slowly, by candlelight.

Day 6:

    ~When the weather is best, take a brisk walk through a nature trail with your love and talk about all the reasons why he or she is so special to you.

    ~ If the weather is dreary, have an indoor picnic.  Spend the time together, inside enjoying your favorite board games and just relaxing and talking.

    ~ Cuddle up in your pj’s and relish a romantic movie together.

Day 7:

    ~ Just sleep in and cuddle together.  Call into work and explain you are “under the weather” and need to rest a bit more before coming in.

    ~ Make a long list of the many reasons why you love your partner as you do and then have them framed and present it to him or her.

    ~ If you don’t live together, call your loved one just to say goodnight. Recite a favorite love poem over the phone and end with, “Sweet dreams, until we meet again!”

LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

"Should the sun refuse to shine, should romance run out of rhyme; you alone will hold my heart -- now until the very end of time.”
- Verses of Love

    The biggest myth in romance is that you must pull off something big and extravagant so that your efforts will matter.  The truth is that what will impress your loved one the most will often be the little things.

    Little things are rather simple things that you do for your loved one. Despite the fact that they are "little" they can mean so much.  Your loved one will be touched that you took the time to show him or her that you care so much.  You will be considered thoughtful.  All of this plays very well when wishing to be romantic.

    Consider your loved one’s heart to be a basket.  The basket wants to be filled.  When you shower your loved one’s basket with many, little gifts, the basket will be filled and your loved one will be content and feel loved.  It is as simple as that!

    Considering the importance of every day little things, think about some new romantic ideas.

Just for today:

    * Pay your loved one a compliment, such as how awesome they look.

    * Give your loved one a strong hug just because.

    * Pick a bouquet of wild flowers and present them with a kiss.

    * Massage their back and/or feet at the end of a work week.

    * Leave an "I love you" note on their pillow.

    * Call spontaneously at their work to say “I am thinking about you.”

    * Place your arm around your loved one in public.

    Remember, when you take the time to be thoughtful and attentive today, this can usher in more intense romance later on.

PRIMARY COLORS OF ROMANCE

    What is romance without a kiss?

    When wishing for romance, your kisses had better be good to make a favorable impression. It may not be fair, but some will judge you on your first kiss as to whether or not they will want to see you again.

    In other words, there needs to be good chemistry when kissing.

    A good kiss delivers a powerful impact! If you're a great kisser, you're going to turn your date on and you will have a definite edge.

    What distinguishes a good kisser from the kisser we all want to forget? The key is to be soft and gentle and follow their lead.  Here are some good romantic kissing tips to enhance your love life:

STEP ONE

    **Be careful not to startle - watch and wait for the signal to proceed

    **Avoid the ‘ambush’ kiss (although these can be exciting as your relationship progresses.)

    **Look deeply into your partner’s eyes.  This will send the message that you like them and want to be closer to them.  Look for their signals as well.

    **Look for a warm, kind smile (even a slight smile is good; it doesn’t have to be BIG.)

    **Pay attention to the look on your loved one’s face.  This will indicate where they want to go with this kiss.


STEP TWO

    **Look for good balance.  As you move closer to that magical kiss, you don’t want to be leaning too forward awkwardly to get there.

    **As you move closer you are sending signals. You want your body to be in a comfortable position during the kiss, so you can enjoy every moment of it.

    **Go for a light touch just before the kiss. While a hand lightly on the face is a definite signal of intimacy, holding hands combined with eye contact and a warm look can indicate the beginning of a great kiss to come.

    **Make sure you are aligned correctly at this point. This means not only getting your lips on track with theirs, but getting the head tilted correctly as well.

    **Tilt your head slightly to one side first.  Your partner will likely react and tilt the other way. This is a mutual sign that the kiss will be very welcomed.

STEP THREE

    **Relax your lips, close your eyes.

    **Move in slowly. During step number two you made sure the two of you were aligned correctly, now you can close your eyes as you’re just about to make contact.

    **Relax your lips, not tightly pressed together. Give your partner the pleasant experience of feeling your lips softly against theirs.

    **Your lips should be recently moistened, but not wet.

STEP FOUR

    **Relax your lips, tilt your head and breathe evenly.

    **Moving in, you can part your lips slightly just before contact. Keep your lips relaxed, your tongue in your mouth.

    **Keep your head tilted so both of you can still breathe comfortably on contact and as the perfect kiss is held...

    S A V O R every moment ... be slow, gentle, easy.

STEP FIVE

    **Keep it sweet, not too long and not too wet.

    **Don’t pull away too quickly or make any quick movements. Savor. Savor. Savor. Feel the power and romance of the kiss.

    Enjoy the moment!

STEP SIX

    **Take your time and don’t rush. Make eye contact, nonverbal and verbal messages.

    **To end, pull away slowly and make eye contact again. Show a satisfied, warm smile to reinforce how you feel.

    **Enjoy the closeness, relax, and finish the kiss with a warm embrace.

    A few, thoughtful words, such as, “That was nice,” can be whispered.  Try to reinforce how you felt about your kiss with positive words.  Your partner will appreciate this and this can break the ice a little.

    Now that you have mastered the romance of a kiss....you are well on your way to learn even more about how to enhance your romance life!

THE ROMANCE AND SCIENCE OF KISSING

    What is that feeling people get from a good kiss that's so hard to explain?  How does kissing come into play when being romantic?

    Women often compare a good kiss to "melting butter" and like being "hit by a wave," according to a recent survey. Men often describe it as similar to "vibrations at a concert" or a "three pointer at the buzzer to win the NCAA basketball tournament," according to the same survey.

    Experts have proven there is a lot of physiology behind the warm and fuzzy feelings that come from a good kiss.

    Feelings of romantic love, and kissing, stimulate the same type of brain activity as many sports, such as: parachuting, bungee jumping and distance running, for example.
          
    These same types of activities cause the brain to experience a surge in norepinephrine, dopamine and phenylethylamine (or just PEA to some.) These neurotransmitters attach to pleasure receptors in the brain and create feelings of euphoria, giddiness, elation and such.

    So, next time you feel romantic and want to show your love to someone special, go for that wonderful kiss -- it will definitely leave a lasting impression!

    A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. ~ Ingrid Bergman

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