Think of the last time your girlfriend surprised you with a visit at the office, or the last time your husband called you out of the blue in the middle of the day. Spontaneous displays of affection are a great way to remind your significant other that you are always thinking of them. And, with technology at our daily disposal, it’s easier now than ever to reach out and rekindle the romance. Here are a few reasons why sending a romantic email is a great way to say, “I love you”.

It’s Easy Peasy
Composing an email is as simple as accessing your email client, filling out a few details, typing up your message, and clicking ‘send’. Want to personalize your message with a little extra flair? Email clients make it easy to add picture attachments, insert cute little emoticons, and use other fun tidbits to make your digital love letter come to life. Because these services are usually offered for free, sending a romantic email is a wonderful, inexpensive alternative to text-messaging or placing a call during the day (though, by all means, do pick up that phone if your sweetie is so touched that they want to hear your voice!).

It Fits Into Your Schedule
Feeling pressed for time but want to let your significant other know that they’re on your mind? It literally only takes a minute to type up a quick but heartfelt message – “Can’t wait until I can come home to you!” or “Looking forward to seeing your beautiful face!” are just some short and sweet examples. On the other hand, if you’re taking an hour-long lunch break, why not write a detailed message describing just how much you miss your loved one and how much it means to you that they’re in your life? The beauty of email messaging is that there are no rules – no matter how much (or how little) time you have, it’s always possible to reach out to that special someone.

It’s Out of the Ordinary
Most inboxes are filled with the same kinds of emails day in and day out – newsletters, work-related correspondence, tons of spam. Imagine how surprised (and happy!) your significant other would be to receive something a little more exciting and personal than a sales flyer from Amazon.com. Because messages usually include a subject line, sending an email with a sweet (or saucy) header is the perfect way to add a little touch of romance to their day. Be spontaneous and creative – you never know what pleasantly unexpected messages you’ll end up getting in return!

It’s Good for Your Relationship
Communication is a very important part of maintaining healthy relationships. Listening to what your partner has to say, and sharing your own feelings, promotes understanding and openness. By communicating to your significant other that you care about them and appreciate them, you are strengthening the core of your relationship and nurturing your intimacy. Doing something as simple as sending out a romantic email can have a very deep (and very positive) impact on your partner – it lets them know that they are an important part of your daily life, and that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you will always be thinking of them.

The next time you’re away from your loved one (at work, on a business trip, even just a few rooms down), consider hopping on to the Internet and sending them a thoughtful, romantic email. Make it a funny anecdote about the first time you met, or copy and paste the lyrics to a song that reminds you of them. It can be as short or as long as you’d like, as light-hearted or as poetic as you can make it. As long as it reflects your feelings and makes your partner feel special and loved, there’s no limit to how much romance you can spark with the simple click of a button.

One of the biggest complaints from men is that they simply don’t know what kind of gift they should give on Valentine’s Day. Wealthy men have sometimes spend fortunes to buy an extremely expensive piece of jewelry for their lover, only to find that she is completely disappointed and unimpressed. Feeling disgusted with themselves, these men may be tempted to ask for the gift back, since it didn’t have its intended effect – but this is another grave mistake. The woman will become extremely offended if a man asks for an expensive gift back, even if she didn’t show the proper gratitude in the first place. The unspoken rules of Valentine’s Day can be extremely tricky to navigate, so all men are cautioned to tread lightly.

Instead, a great alternative is to create a homemade Valentine’s Day gift. This is a great idea for many different reasons and for almost any class or category of men. It is especially a good idea for the poor man, who may not have the necessary funds to spring for an expensive gift, dinner, or vacation. He can simply make a card or a poem, which indicates to the woman that he held the thought her in his mind for at least as long as it took him to make the gift. For this reason, the more intricate or time consuming the gift is perceived to be – the better received it will be.

This is also great news for the rich man. Men and women are often not on the same page in so many instances. The lover of a rich man is typically not aware of the great sacrifices that he made to acquire his fortune. She does not see the blood, sweat, and tears that he shed to become successful. She does not see the times when he worked for 36 hours straight, or the times when he sacrificed creature comforts in order to better put himself and his business on the path to success. All she sees is the finished, polished, rich man, and she takes his money for granted. When he spends his money on her, he knows what he sacrificed in order to acquire that money; and that sacrifice, often many years ago, is his gift. But she does not see this, and she merely turns her nose up at his “thoughtlessness”. This is a lose-lose situation for this unfortunate man. Instead, he can give her what she wants, without any great sacrifice on his own part. He might make a card for her out of construction paper, or maybe he could write a nice poem expressing his love for her. Picking flowers from a nearby field is also a great way to add a personal touch to a Valentine’s Day gift.

Some of the best picks for romantic foods are those that are termed aphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiacs supposedly contain chemicals that enhance feelings of love and romance. From Cleopatra’s age, people have been eating certain foods to achieve this means. Examples of purported aphrodisiacs include almonds, avocados, bananas, mint, chocolate, eggs of all sorts (including caviar), figs, foie gras, and oysters. Although there is not a lot of scientific evidence to support the effects of aphrodisiacs, other characteristics of these foods could lead them to inspire romance. Some of them, including bananas, figs, and eggs, are symbolic of sexual organs or fertility. Others, such as caviar, oysters, foie gras, avocado, or almonds, provide an attractive contrast or sensual mouth feel. Just imagine the crisp texture of caviar pearls bursting in your mouth, or the smooth, rich feel of ripe avocado. Whether or not these foods have chemical properties, they are certainly worth a try for a romantic dinner.

If you are not interested in giving aphrodisiac foods a try, another great option is to set up an intimate menu involving finger foods. Using your hands to feed yourself, or your partner, is a very intimate and private experience. Examples of good finger foods include grilled shrimp, sliced cheeses, olives, caviar, crackers, sliced baguette, crab cakes, or thinly-sliced pieces of steak. For dessert, you could serve sliced fruits. A fun way to present a romantic dinner of bite-sized finger foods is to use a fondue set. Dipping your bread, apples, bits of chicken and vegetables into a cheese fondue can make for a fun evening. Make it even more exciting by feeding each other. You can do a chocolate fondue for dessert, or do something simpler that doesn’t need a lot of clean-up.

While there are a lot of options for romantic foods that can make the night fun, there are some things to avoid. Foods that are strongly-spiced or smell overly of onion or garlic may not be the best option. Gaseous foods, such as beans, broccoli, or cabbage, are also best avoided. When planning your meal, try to think of something that will be simple to clean-up, or that you won’t mind leaving until the next day. If your meal leads to more, you will not want to interrupt a romantic interlude to wash dishes.

When setting the table for your romantic food, try to keep things close. If possible, use a small table or situate your place settings so you will be touching your partner. Dim the lights and set out candles. However, be sure to use fragrance-free or lightly-scented candles and flowers so they will not overwhelm the foods you have prepared.

Whichever foods you choose to serve for your romantic meal, remember to have fun and let go. Eating can be a wonderful experience, and sharing this intimate act with a romantic partner can be one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Respect is the first sign of a healthy relationship. Do you respect your partner, and do they respect you? Do you value each their opinion? Do you seek their advice? Respect is essential in any relationship. If you do not respect someone, or they do not respect you, then there will be problems down the road. You should never feel like you are being taken for granted, used, or constantly put down. Those are unhealthy behaviors in a relationship. Again, you may have a fight and insult may be used. The key is talking about it and trying to find out if there is a deeper issue. At that point, you can see if the respect for each other is still there.

Reliability is another key part of a healthy romantic relationship. Can you count on your partner? If you had a bad day at work, would they be there for you? If their car broke down on the highway, would you stop everything to go help them out? If you’re in a healthy relationship, you absolutely need to be able to count on each other. If you tell your partner that you will be somewhere or do something, you need to do it. If there is a pattern where one of you is constantly letting the other down, that is a sign of a bigger problem.

Trust is essential in a healthy relationship. Do you trust each other? If your partner is out, are you constantly worrying that they are doing something bad? Do you feel like you need to conceal things from them? Being open and honest is the most important part of a relationship. If you cannot trust the person you are with, you shouldn’t be with them. If your partner goes out for a night on the town, you should be able to relax and know that they are simply having a good time, not doing something to sabotage your relationship.

This one may be simple, but do you enjoy each other’s company? If you are going to be in a relationship with someone, you should enjoy being with them. This means all the time, rather you are on a vacation or simply sitting at home watching television. You shouldn’t feel awkward around them, nor should you feel the need to force conversation all the time. You just genuinely need to feel comfortable with each other. This means doing things together, relaxing together, talking about your day, and countless other little things. It should never feel like a chore to be with someone if you are in a healthy relationship.

Lastly, you should feel excited about the relationship. When your partner calls you after a long day at work, does it make you smile to see their name on the Caller ID? Do you look forward to plans you make together? Do you like sharing stories with each other? These are all signs that you enjoy spending time together and talking to each other. Every relationship has a honeymoon period that ends, but that doesn’t mean that you lose the feeling of being happy to be with someone.

One tried and true method is to have a picnic. You can pack a basket or backpack with some cheap food from the grocery store: it’s best to choose food that doesn’t require cooking, such as sandwiches. A great idea to lengthen this into a full day is to combine the picnic with a hike. Hiking doesn’t cost any money, and it can kill many romantic hours of talking to each other and pointing out the beautiful plants and animals that you encounter.

If you really want to push the hiking idea to the next level, you might want to try a camping trip. This is a great opportunity to show your lover that you are capable of taking care of yourself and her even in remote regions away from civilization. You should sell it as if it is a dangerous adventure. The downside to this is that many women don’t like bugs, and you may find her whining and complaining a lot – she’ll say that this is the opposite of romantic. To avoid this, you may only want to do this in areas where there aren’t a lot of scary bugs. On the other hand, if she is a whiner and complainer, then it is probably better that you find this out sooner rather than later so that you don’t marry her.

Another great romantic gesture you can give to your lover is to pick some wild flowers for her. This is best when it is combined with another cheap activity that she may not really think is too romantic in and of itself. For example, perhaps she is coming over to your house for the evening, and your only plan is to cook some macaroni and cheese and to watch a movie that is set to be broadcast that night on cable television. Instead of settling for an uninteresting night, you can simply take a walk around your neighborhood before your lover shows up at your door. Find some pretty flowers and arrange them in a bunch. Then you can present them to her when she arrives at your door. She will be surprised and delighted by your thoughtfulness.

You can probably think of many other ways to have a romantic time with your lover for practically no money at all. Not only will you save money, but it’s a great opportunity to show off your creativity.

One great romantic way to get engaged is to pick a spot that is significant to both of you. This could mean the place you had your first date, the place you first went on vacation together, or just a general place that is important to both of you. Picking a place like that symbolizes how far your relationship has come. Of course, if you first met at a bar, that probably is not the most romantic place to get engaged. If that is the case, see what is close to that area. Is there a park or monument nearby? If you first met at a restaurant or you went there on your first date, call the place ahead of time. Mention your plan and request a table that is more private if possible. You can use that opportunity to make any special requests, such as music.

Another great thing is to pick a place that is significant to one of you. This could be going to a nearby park, or going to the jungle gym where you attended elementary school. Pick a time when the place will be quiet and intimate. This will make for a romantic story for the girl to tell all of her friends. It also gives you privacy to tell her how you feel and ask her in the proper way.

The time of day is also significant. If you can swing it to propose at sunset, that is a great idea. The best time is usually about a half hour before the sunset time. That is when the sky is orange. Pick a place that has a scenic background, like a beach or a park. Get there a little early and go for a walk so that your girlfriend will always remember what the place looked like. Propose at sunset and you have a perfectly romantic proposal. Plan a romantic dinner afterwards and you will have a great engagement night.

When it comes to the actual proposal, don’t just hand over the ring. Take the time to tell her how you really feel and why you want to marry. Say something that will melt her heart. Even if you are sure she will say yes, odds are you will feel incredibly nervous. Take a few moments before asking the big question to collect your thoughts. You want the moment to be perfect, so think about what you want to say ahead of time.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money or come up with an elaborate scenario in order to have a romantic proposal. The moment is more about what you say than where you are. Often times, a simple proposal in your own home can be the most romantic. Women love spontaneous displays of romance. You could slip the ring on her hand while she sleeps. Wake her up with a romantic poem or letter and give her some flowers. It is harder to surprise a girl more than when she first wakes up, and it is an act of romance she will never forget.

For this reason, it is a good idea to make the first birthday gift quite modest. This is especially true if your relationship isn’t yet serious: you don’t want to send the wrong message. At the same time, you want your gift to convey a bit of romance, as opposed to a purely practical gift. Many hapless men have found themselves the butt of jokes for an entire year because they decided to buy their girlfriend that new DVD player that she had expressed interest in.

One simple and budget-friendly idea for a romantic birthday gift is to get something personalized for your lover. For almost any product on the market, you can usually have a personalized version made for a small additional fee. If your lover is a big coffee fan who never misses her cup of coffee in the morning, then you may think that a coffee mug would make a great gift for him or her. This is an example of a very bland and uninteresting gift. On the other hand, if you have that same coffee mug personalized – then you have now come up with a gift which will be considered both romantic and thoughtful. You could have a coffee mug made that contains both of your names embedded within a heart, or perhaps you could write a few lines about what a great person your lover is.

If you and your lover are already living together, then a great item to have personalized are your bath towels. Perhaps you need a new set of bath towels in your new home, because your old bath towels have worn out. One idea is to purchase a standard set of bath towels for your lover. This probably won’t go over very well. Your lover will wonder if you just looked at the stuff that you bought on a daily errand and asked yourself which of them you could pass off as a gift. If you have your names engraved on those same towels, then they take on a whole other meaning. Now you are showing a deep respect for the love that you share with your lover. You are indicating to him or her that you don’t consider your bathroom or your home complete without your lover.

There are many other examples that could go along with these. What was once a simple, practical gift becomes something with a whole other level of emotional significance when it becomes personalized. Your lover will be very pleased with his or her birthday gift.

LEARN TO COOK

Cooking for your partner is one of the most romantic things you can do, and is often a sign that you truly do care. Learning to cook is not hard, and cooking can actually be a very therapeutic experience. The more you can do to learn how to cook for your partner, the more you will be appreciated. Also, you don’t have to be Wolfgang Puck in order to cook a decent meal; start slow, learn the basics and always remember that failure is the only way to learn and grow as a cook.

GO ON DATES

Many people find that once they have been in a relationship for a long period of time, the concept of “dating” goes out the window. Becoming too comfortable in a relationship is one of the worst mistakes one can make, and is a major reason why many relationships fall apart after a while. To avoid this, it’s best to continue going on dates. Remember how fun it was when you first started dating? It’s not difficult to rekindle this. A date doesn’t have to break the bank either; a simple “dinner and a movie” situation makes for a great date, and won’t run you into the ground financially. The more you can continue to go on dates that break up the monotony, the less stale your relationship will feel.

WORK ON YOURSELF

Many people find that their relationship begins to fall apart because they spend almost every waking minute with their partner. While this can feel comfortable at first, it can become caustic over time, and can really ruin a relationship. One of the most important lessons someone learns after a failed relationship is to never stop living for themselves. If you don’t take the necessary time to work on yourself as a person, you and your partner will inevitably become a homogeneous blob. Working on yourself can be anything from spending time on a hobby, project, or hanging out with friends. The most important thing you can do is remain an individual, which inevitably will help to bring more romance into your relationship.

SURPRISE YOUR PARTNER WITH GIFTS

It seems cliche, but surprising your partner with gifts is actually one of the best ways to show that you care and that you still have a lot of romance inside of you. Gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money; just showing up at the end of the day with flowers is enough to get the point across. Doing this on an everyday basis will defeat the purpose, however giving your partner a gift “just because” every once in a while is one of the best ways to show them that you still love them. Flowers, cards, and personal, sentimental items all make great, inexpensive gifts. The more you can align your gifts with your partner’s interests, the better they will be received.

*Sparking a Romantic Flame
When we boil romance down to its smallest factor, we find that it shares a couple of similar traits no matter who is involved. A romantic encounter or action will reinforce the bonds of a relationship as it is meant to show the other they are thought of in a unique, special way. The best way to accomplish this is by finding the parts of your partner’s personality that they value most and appeal to that. When meeting someone for a first or second date, putting forth a greater effort into showing that person you think more of them than others will help set the tone for the encounter.

*Create a Memorable Moment
Our lives are filled with memorable moments. They can range from events that one looks back and smiles on to events that fill one with regret or sorrow. To make a lasting, romantic impression find a way to create a memorable moment in your partner’s life. Put yourself in your partner’s world for the evening and you will cement that moment into their memory for years to come. A great way to do this is to plan an activity or date around something you know your partner loves, but you might not necessarily like. Taking this step will reinforce in your partner’s mind how highly you think of them since they are likely to know this isn’t necessarily an activity you enjoy.

*The Little Things Mean the Most
A nice little surprise for your partner or interest can be an excellent way to reinforce and express one’s affections. Sending a thank you note for a good evening after a date with some flowers is an excellent way to catch your partner’s attention. Small gifts do not have to be expensive or extravagant to make a lasting impression on the person receiving it. Tap into the other person’s likes and find a creative way to help bring those likes to them. All it takes is a little bit of research on the topics that fascinate them to begin to formulate a way to appeal to their unique nature.

*Real Romance Today
Many of us were brought up with tales of white knights and perfect harmony in relationships. These tales were often used to conceptualize some form of romance and love that turned out to not be realistic. Real romance is about building the bonds between two people. Strong enough bonds allow the couple a chance to weather the storms that life will undoubtedly send. One can begin laying the foundation for those bonds at the onset of the first date.

Use your imagination to create a unique experience your partner will not soon forget that speaks to them. No blanket set of advice will help craft that experience realistically. We are all different, with different likes and interests. Keep it simple. Ask yourself, “Will this activity strengthen the bond I share or want to share with my partner?” If the answer is yes; you are well on your way to creating a unique, romantic experience the two of you may look back on and cherish years later.