Romance is one of those things we all wish we had a little more of in our lives. Often, we make the mistake of thinking that romantic gestures need to be big, grand, sweeping statements bursting with red roses and violins. They don’t. Incorporate some romance into your lives with these simple romantic ideas that will make your lover swoon.
Here are 5 simple romantic ideas that will make your relationship better instantly:
1. Give a back rub
It’s no secret that at Melt, we think back rubs are the bomb. A recent study entitled The Normal Bar found that there was one surprising thing ‘extremely happy’ couples had in common – 74% of them gave each other back massages! Yes, even we were pleasantly surprised by these findings!
As it turns out, the kind of attention you lavish on each other during a back rub can be a crucial ingredient for a fantastic relationship. Get more massages from your partner by learning how to rub them the right way. The more massages, the happier the couple. It’s practically guaranteed.
Massage increases your intimacy and trust, is a fantastic way to get closer together and show your partner some appreciation and you can make it a very romantic evening or just a bit of chilled out fun, depending on how you play it!
2. Plan an impromptu getaway
This is super important. It doesn’t have to be the holiday of a lifetime. Plan ahead and aim for a relaxed, romantic weekend getaway. Budget, say, $300. If you start now and put away $25 per week, you’ll be set to go in just a few months’ time!
Do the fun work now of deciding where you’d like to escape to with your sweetie. A city getaway in a nice hotel room? A remote log cabin in the woods? A beachside B&B? Pick somewhere that excites you both, so you have something to look forward to.
If you know your partner well and you think you can nail it without their input, keeping something like this a surprise is another way to make a big impact that they’ll love! Give them some anticipation by dropping hints a few weeks out and teasing them with information. They’ll be blown away.
3. Organise a clever date night
Something magical happens when you try new experiences together. It reignites the same chemistry as when you first started dating. And the feeling is even more heightened when there’s an element of anticipation, exploration, learning, fascination or achievement. When it comes to a date night, try organising something unusual and completely out of character for the two of you.
For something completely different try one of these date ideas:
- Geocaching: This is like a global treasure hunt! Once you initiate yourself into the geocaching club, you’ll realise that there are caches hidden everywhere and you probably walk past a bunch of them every day! https://www.geocaching.com/play
- Life Drawing: There are two takes on this saucy date idea. First, you could find a local Life Drawing session nearby you and pick up some sketch pads and pencils on your way there. Den and I did this one night in Sydney on the spur of the moment when we had some time to kill before a flight home and it was great. Our artistic skills leave a lot to be desired, but that didn’t stop us having an amazing date night with it. The second take is to be the model for each other at home! Take a look online at some basic life drawing tutorials and pick up any tips you can, then take some time at home to sketch each other over a platter of food and perhaps some wine.
- Drive In for the New Millennium: Your own private outdoor cinema! Load up a movie to your laptop or tablet and set yourselves up outside after dark with a picnic blanket, large pillows and a host of snacks. Set everything up while your partner isn’t looking and surprise them with your little backyard makeover. Pick a movie you know they’ll love and relax together under the stars.
Once you’ve realised how much fun it is, consider scheduling a regular date night in 2015. Date nights are such a treat for any couple. One that your relationship deserves!
Decide that from now on, regular date nights will be part of your lifestyle as a couple. Pick a day either every month, fortnight or week. Set a firm date ahead of time – is it the last Friday of every month? Is it every Wednesday? Is it every odd Saturday night?
Once decided, put it in your calendar for the rest of the year – now. With reminders and alerts. Scheduling it ahead of time is key. You now have a year of date nights locked in, and they are now an utmost priority.
Other things may come up to clash with your date night – do you really need to go to them? Really, really? If so, politely inform your partner as early as possible and reschedule them immediately to another suitable night. Both prioritizing your date nights and treating them like an important event on the calendar signals to your partner that they are important to you, and that you will make time in your schedule to honor them.
4. Say ‘Yes!’ more often
This is great for your relationship – and your life! I did a year of this once and I had such adventures! I learned to ride a motorcycle, I took spontaneous road trips, I flew in a hot air balloon… take this further and make an effort to say ‘yes!’ to your partner more often and watch your relationship blossom.
When your partner makes a proposition, an offer or a suggestion, just say yes. Don’t criticise. Don’t tell them it’s a silly idea. Don’t pout. Just say yes!
As a couple, when other people invite you places, just say yes! If you both have a sudden brainwave to go away take an epic holiday or drive all night until you get to Disneyland – say ‘yes!’ and jump in with two feet!
Life is so much better with more ‘yes!’ in it. You open yourself to more energy and momentum. More things get done. Fun things!
5. Kiss for longer
Passionate kissing often falls by the wayside in longterm relationships. But it has a host of health benefits, as well as the added advantage of keeping you more connected to your partner. Some studies have found that it’s the frequency of kissing, rather than the frequency of sex, that is an excellent indicator to relationship security. It’s just something happy couples do a lot of.
10 seconds is a good benchmark to start you off – this ensures you’re not just giving each other chaste pecks. If you have to get to your 10 second time limit, you’ll probably get a bit creative with your kisses.
You might have to start with timed 10 second (or so) kisses, but soon enough – if you make it a habit – it will feel very natural and spontaneous for you to indulge in a bit of a hallway makeout session together whenever the mood takes you.