Hey guys! How are you doing in the romance department? Wives love for you to continue to win and woo them! : )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog

      Subscribe to Blog Entries

Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show

      Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN).

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

]]> http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/monday-marriage-funnies-flowers-and-romance/feed 0 http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/mothers-day-gifts?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mothers-day-gifts http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/mothers-day-gifts#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 01:08:44 +0000 Laura M. Brotherson http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1865 With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to start making those gift purchases for the special Moms in your life. Finding the perfect present for these ladies can be a challenge; here are a few tips to help ease the stress of coming up with something a little more lasting than breakfast in [...]]]>

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to start making those gift purchases for the special Moms in your life. Finding the perfect present for these ladies can be a challenge; here are a few tips to help ease the stress of coming up with something a little more lasting than breakfast in bed.

1. Gift Baskets – While there are certainly a staggering array of pre-made gift basket options, putting one together yourself is both surprisingly easy and the best way of ensuring that each and every item is handpicked for the guest of honor.
2. Personalized Gifts – It’s possible to personalize almost any gift you can come up with; adding a birthstone, a monogram or any other signifying features is one of the best ways to give your selected item a personal touch.
3. Jewelry – There are entire lines of jewelry, all with varying price points, designed for the Mother’s Day gift-buying set. From necklaces with charms to symbolize each of her children to bracelets with each child’s birthstone, there’s definitely no shortage of precious adornments created with Mom in mind.
4. Flowers – Though it might be so common that it’s almost a cliché, flowers are the perfect gift for a friend or relative with children. While you might want to step it up a bit for your own mom or the mother of your children, they’re a time-honored tradition for moms that aren’t immediate family.
5. Day Spa or Salon Gift Certificates – The frantic pace of today’s world makes it difficult for women to fit a day of pampering and preening into her schedule. A gift certificate for just such a thing makes a spa day seem like less of an indulgence and more of a treasured gift.
6. Gifts Tailored to Her Specific Interests – Everyone is different, and harried moms are no exception. Taking your special lady’s interests and hobbies into account when selecting your gift is a good way to go the extra mile and provide her with something that she’ll actually use and appreciate.
7. Family Tree Artwork – Artwork that incorporates genealogical information can range from minimalist and sparse to very ornate, so there’s a style to suit any décor. Moms are sure to love a family tree painting or print, and there are several retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar, that specialize in them.
8. Luxury Items – “Luxury” items don’t have to be big-ticket purchases; they’re simply things that Mom might want but would never get for herself. For families that have been forced into serious belt-tightening by the economic climate of the last few years, a luxury item can be something as simple as a more-extravagant-than-usual dinner or a bottle of her favorite perfume.
9. Handmade Gifts – Moms of small children are sure to be moved to tears by a gift they helped to make, so giving little ones a hand in creating her gift can be a big hit. However, handmade gifts aren’t restricted to the smaller set; crafty or artistic grownups can get in on the fun, too!
10. A Day Off – Though it might seem simple, often the best gift that a mother can receive is to spend her special day alone, pursuing her own interests with no responsibilities. Sending her along the way with reassurances that the kids and household will be well looked after in her absence will give her a break that is likely to be much-needed.

Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all Mom, there are no one-size-fits-all gifts. Take the interests and tastes of the Mom in your life into account when choosing her gift, rather than falling back on the old standards. Even a small amount of effort will go a long way!

Reprinted from Ken at NannyPro.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner! — Sunday May 13th

Few things are more enticing than chocolate—especially as a gift for your wife on Mother’s Day. But the sweetness fades and the residual calories often remain. Give your sweetheart something different this year. What’s better than chocolate you ask? How about something from the heart.

Chocolate Substitute

A friend recently asked me to write “a prescription” for her husband to provide more of a certain loving behavior to help her stop eating chocolate so much. I promptly wrote out the prescription on a napkin and handed it to her with a smile. The husband later told me he was happy to oblige. I started calling him her chocolate substitute!

Heart Gifts

If we are honest with ourselves we can probably all think of something that we know our spouse would love to receive. We may need to sit and ponder for a moment, but I imagine there’s something you know you can do to strengthen the emotional connection with your spouse. These from-the-heart gifts may require you to stretch a bit, but that’s what real love is all about.

To give a gift from the heart—one that’s better than chocolate—requires thinking outside of the box. This is no one-size-fits-all Mother’s Day gift. What can you do to be your spouse’s chocolate substitute? Maybe your gift would be:

• Holding her hand more often
• Getting the babysitter for Date Night
• Tackling the garage that she’s been longing for you to de-clutter
• Helping her do things that allow her to have more time and energy for intimate time together
• Writing a heart-felt letter of adoration and appreciation
• Kissing her each time she/you get home from work
• Sharing a dream you have for the future
• Fixing the sink that’s been broken for weeks
• Packing a lunch for her to take to work
• Responding to her on a heated topic with patience and a desire to see her perspective instead of resorting to anger or the silent treatment
• Saying the words, “I love you,” even if it’s hard for you!

Gifts that Stretch Us

Sometimes the best gifts from the heart are those that may be a little bit difficult for us to give. The sacrifice or stretching the gift requires makes the gift that much more meaningful. And don’t forget to include a written or verbal note to express your love along with your chosen gift, just so no connection is lost between the two! : )

Make a Top 10 List

I’d love to see couples sit down together and create a list of the top ten things that make them feel loved, so that each of them know the specific keys to each other’s hearts. Why not make it as easy as possible for each other to be successful at love.

I remember one woman asked her husband to tell her some things she could do to be a more loving wife. After he did so, she confessed that she had never known the importance of some of the things he suggested. She wished she had asked him that question many years earlier in their marriage.

You can become an expert at loving your spouse in the way they need to be loved. What a wonderful gift to be the chocolate substitute in your sweetheart’s life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

Just had to share this super cute Valentine’s Day gift I found at the store! You gotta share it with your sweetie! : )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

Guys you only have one day left…! : )

Hope y’all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

Just 3 days left ’til Valentine’s Day!

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to be sure you know about the many resources here on Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog for Valentine’s Day ideas and other Gift Ideas.

• Valentine’s Day — Click here for a list of all blog posts on this site with some fun Valentine’s ideas for you to choose from! (You can also just click on the “Category” — “Valentine’s” on the lower left-hand side of the page.)
• Gift Ideas — Click here for a list of all blog posts on this site with some fun gift ideas for you to choose from! (You can also just click on the “Category” — “Gift Ideas” on the lower left-hand side of the page.)

Hope y’all enjoy this wonderful holiday of love! : )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

Here’s a perfect future Valentine’s Day gift for your spouse…with plenty of time to plan and prepare! Our next Couples Valentine’s Cruise will be February 2014. This will be our 5th Couples Cruise and is sure to be another fabulous marriage-strengthening experience for all!

Check out all the fun photos from previous cruises here!

We’ll have details for the 2014 Couples Cruise next Valentine’s – just one year from now! So plan now to join us! Get ready for some fun in the sun…and all kinds of other fun too! ; )

Here’s what previous cruisers had to say:

“The cruise was fantastic!!! I only wish next February was already here. This had to be the most fun vacation I have ever had. It felt like I was out on a really fun date for seven nights in a row. I loved the seminars, the entertainment, the food, excursions, friends, clean rooms, everything was so excellent!!!!!!!!”

“This cruise was a blast! I highly recommend it to any couple that wants to build a better marriage…and come away with a better relationship with your husband as your best friend and lover!!”

“The cruise was GREAT, not only for the for the seminars alone, but it was so much fun getting to know other couples, socializing, and the on-shore tours. In fact, I think the cruises with Laura are the best cruises I’ve ever been on. It was the ultimate “Valentine’s Cruise,” and I highly recommend the tradition! The investment in your marriage will be returned MANY times the investment!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

Less than a week left til Valentine’s Day! Do you have plans?!

Valentine’s Day is one of my very favorite holidays! It’s a wonderful opportunity to make sure your sweetheart knows how much you love them, and to create a fun family tradition for your children as well. I hope you all will make Valentine’s Day a special day for showing your love!

Valentine’s Chocolate Nuggets Labels

I’m so glad I learned about this wonderful blog “Love Actually” that has tons of great romantic ideas to keep the spark alive in your marriage. It provided a perfect, fun idea for me to add to our romantic Valentine’s Day festivities this year! My husband’s favorite candy is those Hershey Nuggets with toffee and almonds, so the cute Valentine’s Day labels were perfect.

I even took the idea a step further and created my own little mini labels to add on top of the Valentine’s labels. My mini labels had messages like “Hot Stuff,” “Sexy,” “Want You,” “Stud” and “Oh Yeah!” to make the treat even more personal like those candy conversation hearts.

Very fun!

Chocolate Bowls

Another fun Valentine’s Day idea for your family might include making chocolate dessert bowls. This is a new family tradition of ours (though I don’t remember where I first got the idea–somewhere online!)

We enjoyed our second year of delicious chocolate dessert bowls filled with sugar-free ice cream, whipped topping, oreos and strawberries. There’s a bit of an art to getting these bowls to work with dipping balloons into the melted chocolate, but it’s worth the effort!

You gotta have some chocolate dipped strawberries while you’re at it!

As far as I’m concerned Valetine’s Day lasts all through February, so there’s plenty of time to have a little extra love and fun in your family this Valentine’s season!

(Thought we’d repost this post from last Valentine’s Day to share some fun ideas you might want to try this year!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

 eBook — And They Were Not Ashamed –
just $4.99 til Jan 10th, 2012! 

We have eBooks! We’re thrilled to finally have our book And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment available in eBook format for all you eBookers out there!

Click here for our eBook if you have the Amazon Kindle and click here for our Nook Book if you have a Nook from Barnes & Noble.

New to eBooks?

For those of you who are new to the world of eBooks, an eBook is an electronic book in a downloadable digital format readable on computers, cell phones (through eBook apps), or other electronic devices or tablets such as the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes & Noble Nook reader, or an iPad tablet.

Amazon.com is where you would get my eBook if you have a Kindle or Kindle app on your cell phone (iPhones, Smartphones, Droids, etc.) or if you have an e-reader tablet (iPads, Droid tablets, etc.).  Barnes & Noble.com is where you would download my eBook for your Nook tablet.

You can learn all you need to know about the world of eBooks in this informative article if you are just now entering (or contemplating) : “Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-Book Reader Should You Buy?”

To purchase the eBook And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment by Laura M. Brotherson:

• Click if you have the Amazon Kindle
• Click here if you have a Nook from Barnes & Noble 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
     Subscribe to Blog Entries
     Subscribe to Blog Comments

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
     Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). 

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!

We are thrilled to announce that The Anniversary Inn is now offering our StrengtheningMarriage.com fans a fabulous discount at all their Anniversary Inn locations in Salt Lake City, Utah, Logan, Utah and Boise, Idaho!

You can now enjoy a 25% off discount on any romantic, luxurious Anniversary Inn suite (any night, any location, Sappire level suites excluded)! Check out all fun themed suites by Clicking Here!

To reserve your romantic getaway you can either call 1-800-324-4152 to reserve your suite and ask for the “StrengtheningMarriage.com” discount or make your reservation online then call to have the “StrengtheningMarriage.com” discount added to your account.

Some of my favorite things about The Anniversary Inn:

• The sparkling cider!
• The delectable cheesecake desserts!
• The jacuzzi!
• The fireplace!
• The warm delicious breakfast delivered right to your door at the time you specify…in case you want to sleep in! : )
• The big-screen TV with free movie rentals!
• The romantic ambience of the Anniversary Inn suites! : )

Fun Anniversary Inn Photos

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!

FACEBOOK PAGE Strengthening Marriage, Inc.

FACEBOOK PAGE The Marital Intimacy Show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog
      Subscribe to Blog Entries
Subscribe to Blog Comments 

Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show
      Receive Email Updates for Each Episode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “The Marital Intimacy Show” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN).

Visit her website StrengtheningMarriage.com to learn more and to sign up for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.

StrengtheningMarriage.com is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!

© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Ways to Connect with Laura!