10 Ways to Surprise Your Spouse

Maybe you want to say you’re sorry. Maybe your spouse has been feeling down. Maybe you just want to create more fun in their life. Whatever the reason, surprises are a great way to show your love.

1. Change. Think of something you do that annoys them. Make an effort to stop doing it. If they don’t seem to notice, you can still feel good that you are working to make your relationship stronger.
2. Make a candy gram. Buy a handful of candy bars and a poster. Create sentences expressing your love using the names of the candy bars. You can use a marker to cross out any unwanted words or letters. For example: “Baby Ruth, you make me smile.” The point is to be so cheesy that they can’t help but smile.
3. Write consistent love notes. Choose a weekday and make a commitment to write a love note every week on that day. Make them short and sweet. Put them in places like the bathroom mirror, a pillow, taped to the windshield on the inside of the car, etc. Keep rotating locations so that your spouse will never know where the next one will show up.
4. Make them their favorite meal. If you don’t know what that is, find out through sneaky conversation. Don’t forget the little touches like music and candlelight. If their favorite meal is complex, practice first.
5. Re-live your first or favorite date. You don’t have to go to all the same places and do the same things. Just mimicking them in your living room is fun enough and rekindles your love for each other. Try to include as many of the little details as possible.
6. Plan something that you wouldn’t normally do, but you know your spouse loves. You score extra points if it’s something your spouse thinks you would never be willing to do.
7. Smother them with affection. Find more reasons to give your spouse an extra kiss, embrace, or that special look. Catch them off guard with your timing. In the middle of an ordinary conversation, plant them with a wet one. Just make sure your actions thrill your spouse rather than annoy.
8. “Kidnap” them. Plan a date for a day or evening that appears to be absolutely busy. Fill your schedule with important things and be sure that your spouse knows that you are super busy (all lies, of course). If you can, have a friend or someone give your spouse a pretend important task that they have to do as well. Then when your spouse goes to do the important thing, “kidnap” them by blindfolding them (but let them know it’s you so they don’t freak out). Take them to their surprise date.
9. Make their dreams a reality. Write down a few of their unattainable dreams and make them a “reality”. If their unattainable dream is to travel the world, make your home the world and give them a pretend travel experience. If they want to be rich, do things to make them feel rich like giving them massages and serving them 10 course meals (even if the courses are simple).
10. Escape. Take that big trip you’ve been putting off. Book it now, even if it’s months away. Keep it a secret. You’ll have to let your spouse’s boss and associates know of your plans, but chances are they would be more than happy to play along.