Read With Her

Recently, my wife and I began reading books together. This has proved to be very enjoyable for the two of us. We like the quiet that it offers and we just get to listen to one another. We will often take turns reading so our throats don't start hurting. Instead of wasting away in a movie theater spending two hours sitting next to each other and not really interacting we, for the same price, can buy a book and spend well over two hours reading and learning about each other. Right now we are reading "The 5 Love Languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman, and it is a real joy for us.

More: Make sure that you choose a book that can help you two out. There doesn't need to be a problem in your relationship to read a book about strengthening marriages and relationships. This is often the problem in failed marriages, people waited for a big problem before they tried to work on their relationship.

Thank Her

My wife does lots of things around the house, and lots of things for me. I do my best to thank her for everything. There are times that I forget, but I feel that I am pretty good about it. This is important because it shows that you are paying attention and appreciative. I know that the way my wife tries to show her appreciation for me is mostly through actions, and it is this reason that it is so important that I recognize what she is doing.

When she heats a frozen pizza, I thank her for it. She even will sometimes say things like "I didn't do anything" or "All I did was heat something up." It doesn't matter to me though, I thank her for it. I want her to know that she is appreciated no matter what she does. One way to think of it is that if she did not do it, then I would have. By that reasoning, not only did she make food for me, but she saved me the trouble of having to do it myself.

People express their affection in different ways. Some people do it by words, and other people do it by actions but no matter what they do, it should be acknowledged appropriately.

More Tips: Make sure that it is genuine. Really make her feel like you are taking some time away from what you are doing to thank her. You can either get up, give her a hug and thank her while hugging, or giver her a sentimental kiss. Either way, it will be far more special for her if you can take your eyes off of the paper work, the television, or the computer for a minute to acknowledge that you truly appreciate what she is doing.

Take Care of Yourself

Take a look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. Are you proud of what you see? Maybe you need to lose weight, maybe you need to put on deodorant, maybe you need to shave, maybe you need a haircut, maybe you need to put on some cologne, or maybe you need to just do your hair. This is not meant to be offensive or vein sounding, but there is always something that someone can do to improve their appearance, or presence.

We are not suggesting that you get self-conscious, but it is quite common in a marriage to stop doing certain things that someone used to do. Often this is referred to as "letting yourself go." It is terribly important that you do not fall victim to this. If you do, no big deal, the great thing about this is it can be fixed. Doing some of these little things shows that you care, and you want to impress the one you love.

You could be in the absolute best shape, but if you wreak of body odor then you will turn her off. It's amazing what some small changes can really accomplish. If you have a great body, and you smell amazing, then all bets are off.

More Tips: If you are a little over weight, don't worry about it. Working weight off is a slow committed process. Start working on the weight, but take into consideration some of the other ideas. Do your hair, put on a nice cologne, and dress in an outfit you know she'll find irresistible. Don't concentrate solely on the weight because that will not be an overnight fix.

Work on the weight honestly by eating right and exercising. For some immediate and impressive changes try changing your outfit, doing your hair, and putting on cologne. Don't believe the "get skinny quick" scams, the only way to lose honest weight is by working out and eating right.

Hold Hands

Many couples let simple things like holding hands just float off into the recesses of grade school history, but the simple act of holding hands can really make an ordinary moment just a little bit more special. I see many married couples walking around nonchalantly as though they were just friends. This is generally fine and acceptable, but I think that grabbing her hand, especially if you do not do it often, is a great way to just further enjoy the ordinary walk through the mall or park.

More Tips: When sitting together you can hold hands or just bring her closer to you to cuddle. It's just a nice way to physically express your love and appreciation for her.

Don't Forget Things!

We have seen it a million times in sitcoms, commercials, and movies. The wife is doing something that could be construed as special, like making a nice dinner and immediately the guy needs to run down a quick checklist of important holidays and events. This doesn't need to happen! Get your cell phone out right now and start setting reminders (which you can make occur annually) and program it with these important dates. It's easy, it might take you an hour, but the hour is well worth never missing another important holiday, or event.

Some women think this is cheating, and it should be important enough to remember. While that is a kind thought, the fact is that life is happening constantly, and there is no crime in getting a reminder. And if you're anything like me, your wife will understand that you have the worst memory on Earth, second only to me.

Open Doors

Chivalry is dead, but resurrect it!
A very popular quote that I hear from women is "Chivalry is dead." I have to admit that I can see how that idea could be arrived at. With this thought process, women have naturally lowered their expectations to the current status quo. Don't get me wrong, nearly all men have opened doors for their girlfriend or wife, but at some point they stopped. How easy is it to start again? If you no longer open doors for the one you love then start! They'll be surprised at first, but it's just another easy change you can make to make your special loved one feel like just that; a special loved one.

More Tips: Don't forget the car door, it may seem inefficient to run around to her side of the car when you've got keyless locks, but the additional effort will most likely be recognized and appreciated. My wife usually tells me not to do it but I usually do still just because.