| One of the things that works to keep | | | | 31. Go to a free outdoor event, perhaps a |
| relationships alive is spending quality time | | | | concert. |
| with each other. In this day of the | | | | |
| information age, it is becoming increasingly | | | | 32. Lie on a blanket outside and watch the |
| difficult to carve out the necessary time to | | | | clouds or stars. |
| nurture our relationships. What with long | | | | |
| work hours, helping kids with their homework, | | | | 33. Go on a picnic. |
| transporting them around to their | | | | |
| extracurricular activities, getting dinner, | | | | 34. Watch a fireworks display. |
| cleaning up and going through the bedtime | | | | |
| routine, what time is left? | | | | 35. Be creative and engage in sexual role |
| | | | plays. Be anyone you'd like to be for the |
| Unless you orchestrate the time for your | | | | night who is also exciting for your partner. |
| relationship, other less important things | | | | |
| will crowd in and take what precious little | | | | 36. Sit by the water somewhere. |
| time you do have. Pick a night that will be | | | | |
| "date night" with your partner and make a | | | | 37. Do a prolonged strip tease for each |
| game out of being as creative as you can be. | | | | other. |
| Try to see how many things you can do without | | | | |
| spending money. | | | | 38. Have a water balloon fight. |
| | | | |
| To get you started, I've come up with some | | | | 39. Sit outside and read poetry to each |
| suggestions to help you for the next year. | | | | other. |
| What follows are 52 ideas for how to spend | | | | |
| creative time together without spending | | | | FALL |
| money. Feel free to add or modify any of the | | | | |
| items on the list to suit your particular | | | | 40. Go for a drive together. |
| relationship and circumstances. | | | | |
| | | | 41. Go window shopping. |
| WINTER | | | | |
| | | | 42. Incorporate food into your love |
| 1. Take a drive to look at the Christmas | | | | making---chocolate syrup, whipped cream, |
| decorations. | | | | fondue, strawberries---anything you and your |
| | | | partner enjoy. |
| 2. Play cards---perhaps strip poker. | | | | |
| | | | 43. Call or write to someone you haven't had |
| 3. Watch a movie together. | | | | contact with in a while. |
| | | | |
| 4. Go outside and have a snowball fight. | | | | 44. Cook something together. |
| | | | |
| 5. Get some finger paints and create your own | | | | 45. Spend an evening just talking with each |
| body art with each other as your canvass. | | | | other. Talk about the things you have done, |
| | | | plans you have for the future, important |
| 6. Go sleigh riding. | | | | people in your lives or current events. |
| | | | |
| 7. Go ice skating. | | | | 46. Take a bubble bath together. |
| | | | |
| 8. Work out or exercise together. | | | | 47. Go to a free movie or museum. |
| | | | |
| 9. Stage your own improvisation show. | | | | 48. Take a drive and find the potential in |
| | | | old houses and their properties. |
| 10. Sing to each other. | | | | |
| | | | 49. Create an imaginary story |
| 11. Review or create a photo album or | | | | together---either orally or in written form. |
| scrapbook of your memories together. | | | | |
| | | | 50. Take turns being each other's genie in a |
| 12. Play a board game---perhaps chess, | | | | bottle by fulfilling your partner's every |
| Scrabble or Twister. | | | | wish and fantasy. |
| | | | |
| 13. Go to a book store, get coffee and read | | | | 51. Play in the fallen leaves. |
| for hours. | | | | |
| | | | 52. Create an exciting scavenger hunt that |
| SPRING | | | | ends in your bed. |
| | | | |
| 14. Work on a remodeling project together. | | | | Now you have 52 suggestions for things to do |
| | | | with your partner for every week of the year |
| 15. Plan and complete a yard work project | | | | divided by season. Certainly you don't have |
| together. | | | | to follow my suggestions. Feel free to add |
| | | | your own or to repeat your favorites as often |
| 16. Do the spring cleaning together---room by | | | | as you'd like. |
| room. When done, reward yourself by making | | | | |
| love in the room you've cleaned. | | | | The main point is not to see how kinky you |
| | | | can get. The idea is to keep your |
| 17. Put on old clothes and mud wrestle after | | | | relationship alive by making time together a |
| some drenching rain. | | | | priority. It is important that you find |
| | | | things to do as a couple that you can both |
| 18. Give each other a massage. | | | | enjoy. If you have vastly different interests |
| | | | then you can enter this with the spirit of |
| 19. Play catch---football, baseball, softball | | | | taking turns and each agree to happily |
| or Frisbee. | | | | participate in the activity chosen by the one |
| | | | whose turn it is that week. |
| 20. Go to a car dealer and test drive the car | | | | |
| of your dreams. | | | | As long as you make a habit of making your |
| | | | relationship a priority and allocating time |
| 21. Shoot basketball together. | | | | each week for rejuvenation of the feelings |
| | | | that attracted you in the first place, then |
| 22. Dance together. | | | | you stand a good chance of staying together |
| | | | for the long haul. |
| 23. Take a shower together and wash each | | | | |
| other---everywhere. | | | | Please don't let insidious boredom enter into |
| | | | your relationship through the back door. This |
| 24. Take a free adult education class | | | | is what frequently happens when we are busy |
| together. | | | | placing other things ahead of our time for |
| | | | each other. You know what I mean---the job, |
| 25. Go to a mall and have a contest to see | | | | the kids, our friend in crisis, etc. There |
| which one of you can get the most free | | | | will always be a competing interest for the |
| samples. | | | | time you've set aside for each other. |
| | | | |
| 26. Go rollerblading or bike riding. | | | | Other than natural disasters, threat of death |
| | | | or major crises, do not allow your time |
| SUMMER | | | | together to be invaded by any outside forces. |
| | | | Make sure to create opportunities for you to |
| 27. Build a campfire and roast marshmallows. | | | | do things together without outside influence. |
| | | | With more than 50% of today's marriages |
| 28. Go swimming or skinny dipping. | | | | ending in divorce, make this small investment |
| | | | in the longevity of your relationship. You |
| 29. Give each other a manicure or pedicure. | | | | have nothing to lose and everything to gain. |
| | | | What's stopping you? Start today. |
| 30. Go somewhere crowded to people watch. | | | | |
| | | | . |