LOVEKIT MAGAZINE

These days between jobs, kids and the drama of everyday life, romance tends to get lost in the shuffle. Many couples say “It’s just too much work”, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
Some of the most romantic ideas are short and sweet.
To prove it, here’s a list of 5 romantic things that only take a few minutes to prepare but will leave a lasting impression with your lover!

1. Origami Love Express your feelings in a unique way by writing your spouse or significant other a love letter on an origami flower. Buy a few sheets of pink or yellow paper from a local copy shop and get started with these easy directions. It only takes a few minutes of folding to create a love letter that they will never forget.


2. Steamy Message
Tomorrow morning, while your spouse is in the shower, draw a big heart on the mirror with your initials (i.e. J + B) in the middle, or write a little note like “Beth is cute”. They’ll love it. 
3. Music of Your Lives
Take a musical journey through your lives by listening to the #1 song on your birthdays for every year you’ve been alive. See what your parents were rocking out to when you were in the cradle and laugh about the first songs you remember hearing. This is a great way to share childhood memories and funny stories. Start by pulling up this page at Wikipedia to find the top songs and then go to grooveshark and listen for free!
4. Automotive Treasure
Put together a little treasure hunt that takes place entirely within your signficant other’s car. Hide 3 or 4 clues, such as “It holds your change and the next clue”, to lead them around the interior of the car and trunk. Start the hunt with a little text message or by leaving the first clue out in the open. Make the treasure something small such as a few green M&M’s with a “Save for later” note, or bigger like a coupon for a massage.

5. Promise of Things to Come
Drop off or mail a gift to your partner’s work that hints at an exciting evening without providing any details. This could be a ripe strawberry with whipped cream, lingerie, a small vial of massage oil, or even a blindfold. Include a note that reads “See you tonight” and let them spend the afternoon wondering. They will probably try to call you. Tell them nothing.

These days between jobs, kids and the drama of everyday life, romance tends to get lost in the shuffle. Many couples say “It’s just too much work”, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
Some of the most romantic ideas are short and sweet.
To prove it, here’s a list of 5 romantic things that only take a few minutes to prepare but will leave a lasting impression with your lover!

1. Origami Love Express your feelings in a unique way by writing your spouse or significant other a love letter on an origami flower. Buy a few sheets of pink or yellow paper from a local copy shop and get started with these easy directions. It only takes a few minutes of folding to create a love letter that they will never forget.


2. Steamy Message
Tomorrow morning, while your spouse is in the shower, draw a big heart on the mirror with your initials (i.e. J + B) in the middle, or write a little note like “Beth is cute”. They’ll love it. 
3. Music of Your Lives
Take a musical journey through your lives by listening to the #1 song on your birthdays for every year you’ve been alive. See what your parents were rocking out to when you were in the cradle and laugh about the first songs you remember hearing. This is a great way to share childhood memories and funny stories. Start by pulling up this page at Wikipedia to find the top songs and then go to grooveshark and listen for free!
4. Automotive Treasure
Put together a little treasure hunt that takes place entirely within your signficant other’s car. Hide 3 or 4 clues, such as “It holds your change and the next clue”, to lead them around the interior of the car and trunk. Start the hunt with a little text message or by leaving the first clue out in the open. Make the treasure something small such as a few green M&M’s with a “Save for later” note, or bigger like a coupon for a massage.

5. Promise of Things to Come
Drop off or mail a gift to your partner’s work that hints at an exciting evening without providing any details. This could be a ripe strawberry with whipped cream, lingerie, a small vial of massage oil, or even a blindfold. Include a note that reads “See you tonight” and let them spend the afternoon wondering. They will probably try to call you. Tell them nothing.

You might think some of these famous love quotes are cliche, too, but stop and think about their meaning for a minute. There's nothing stale about universal truths and good advice. So read on for some nuggets of time-tested wisdom from the most famous people in history.

1. "All is fair in love and war." ~ From Renaissance English poet and playwright John Lyly's Euphues (1578).

2. "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. We do not
possess anything in this world, least of all other people." ~ Ancient Chinese proverb 

3. "Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies." ~ John Donne

4. "Tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

5. "All you need is love." ~ John Lennon/The Beatles

6. "To love another person is to see the face of God." ~ Victor Hugo


7. "Love is a grave mental disease." ~ Plato Read: 5 Reasons Men Love Crazy Women

8. "Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." ~ Albert Einstein

9. "The course of true love never did run smooth." ~ William Shakespeare

10. "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." ~ Mother Theresa

You might think some of these famous love quotes are cliche, too, but stop and think about their meaning for a minute. There's nothing stale about universal truths and good advice. So read on for some nuggets of time-tested wisdom from the most famous people in history.

1. "All is fair in love and war." ~ From Renaissance English poet and playwright John Lyly's Euphues (1578).

2. "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. We do not
possess anything in this world, least of all other people." ~ Ancient Chinese proverb 

3. "Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies." ~ John Donne

4. "Tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

5. "All you need is love." ~ John Lennon/The Beatles

6. "To love another person is to see the face of God." ~ Victor Hugo


7. "Love is a grave mental disease." ~ Plato Read: 5 Reasons Men Love Crazy Women

8. "Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." ~ Albert Einstein

9. "The course of true love never did run smooth." ~ William Shakespeare

10. "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." ~ Mother Theresa

Almost everyone I know, at one point or another, has tried a fad diet or the latest celebrity tricks to lose weight and look good. Some of us will continue on this path of trying to find a quick fix solution to being healthy. Unfortunately, however, none of these schemes really work, do they? The reality is healthy living needs to be a lifestyle; a lifestyle that is about making the right choices and being in balance…a lifestyle that is smarter.
What does this really mean? It means several things. But most importantly, it means that you are in control and you are the one who has the power to be happy and live a health-filled life. To do so, there are certain principles that you have to be mindful of to achieve and embrace living a smarter, healthier lifestyle. They include:

1. Consciousness. Being conscious of your actions and in tune with your body and mind. Being aware of how your decisions impact your health and how you feel. Being aware of what your body needs nutritionally and physically, and what your mind needs to be emotionally happy.
2. Moderation. Understanding that there will be times where you choose to indulge or take a day off from exercising. Not being obsessive compulsive of your weight or your health. Enjoying what you eat and enjoying the activities you do.
   
3. Self-Love. Embracing yourself and respecting you for who you are. Loving your body, loving your talents, appreciating your whole package. Believing in yourself and what you stand for.
4. Mind-set. Leaving the quick fixes behind and understanding that healthy living is a mindset, not a week or two of extreme behaviors. Embracing a lifestyle that reflects a longer term approach to health.
5. Rest. Getting enough sleep and resting when you need to. Not burning the candle at both ends. Building in the ‘you time’ that you need and so deserve.

If you have had a past that was riddled with unhealthy choices and you have begun a path towards healthier living, you should be proud. That said it is important to actually believe in the lifestyle changes you make. If you don’t, you are in fact…attempting a quick fix. And why is this bad? Because quick fixes are not sustainable. They are a temporary solution to a problem. Would you put a band-aid on the Hoover Dam if it was leaking? Probably not. You would need to make some well-planned structural changes to ensure that the ‘fix’ would last.
Lifestyle change implies permanence and consistency. Taking on a healthy lifestyle should be fun, comfortable and empowering. You are the one who is in control and you are the one who has the power to live a life that is smarter and healthier.
Have you made ‘lifestyle’ changes? How long have they lasted?