So ladies... we're on the countdown!  ONLY 12 MORE DAYS until The 12 Days of Christmas... SHMILY style!  I'll be posting with some helpful tips and ideas, so keep checking back!... 

As you think about what it is you could be doing over The 12 Days of Christmas, take a few minutes to watch the following link to a video about Rekindling Romance.  It has some great tips and ideas about romance and how to keep it alive.  Some focus points:

• Remember what got you here - don't forget what made you fall in love
  
• Recover the relationship first - heal any hurts first
  
• Romance is intentional - it takes effort and is worth your time
• Set regular dates - make your spouse a priority
  
• Hit 2-3 "home runs" in a year - significant time alone with just you and your spouse 

Now... go ahead and ask your hubby what makes him feel loved.  I'm serious... give him a piece of paper, write at the top, I FEEL LOVED WHEN YOU... and have him write down things that he feels loved by when you do it.  (You can even click on the following link to print out a pdf one for you... I FEEL LOVED WHEN YOU printable.)  You may be surprised at some of the things you do that you think go unnoticed (and don't be upset if he "misses" something that you already do for him.  Instead, you might have been putting your time in something that meant more to you than him...  Don't let your pride be hurt.  Men and women are different, and The 12 Days of Christmas is about loving him how he wants to be loved.)   Tell Ask him to write down everything he can think of that makes him feel loved... you could even leave the list in a place where he can continue to add to it.  This list will give you a great start as to some of the things that you can be intentional about doing during The 12 Days of Christmas as well.  (This can be a great thing to do with your kids too!  It's great to know what makes people (and kids) feel loved... and then do it!)

I had made a list for my hubby, and when he read it, it actually made him feel great.  He said, "I've done all of these things..."  See, the point is not to dream about things you wish happened... but what already has.  Now, some of the things on my list hadn't been done in awhile, but when my husband looked at the list, he didn't feel as if I was asking for something that would never happen because they already had. 

Just to leave you with a few ideas to give to your husband (so that it's not "your" list that you're giving him... and if he winds up asking you to make a list... GREAT!... but remember, that's not why you're doing this).