Romance and Singles

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.
- Buddha

Romance is NOT just for couples. However, it's not always easy to remember to pay attention to finding the romance in our everyday lives when we're not in a relationship. Yet, that is exactly when we should devote a little extra time to adding little romantic touches to the ordinary tasks of the day.

When you’re single, whether by choice or circumstance, it can be difficult to not feel “less than”. We are so conditioned by society and marketing to feel inadequate at not being one half of a couple.

Yet the fact is that single people outnumber couples! In spite of this, many single people seem to live their life on hold, waiting to meet Mr. or Ms. Right. What a waste of time! What a disservice to yourself!

Think about it… like attracts like. If you don’t accept yourself and know that you are someone special, you are likely to attract others who don’t love and accept themselves, either. You are, in effect, setting yourself up for relationships that cannot survive, let alone thrive. You are setting yourself up for an unhealthy, unfulfilling relationship. And why on earth would any sane person want that kind of relationship?

Believe it or not, when you deny yourself love and acceptance, you are setting yourself up for getting and receiving less than you deserve. This simple fact applies whether you are single or in a relationship. So, why not set yourself up to receive the kind of partner and relationship that you deserve?

Perhaps you know, or have met, someone who people are magnetically ‘drawn’ to. This is someone who radiates a special ‘something’ that others find fascinating and irresistible. That ‘something’ is ‘self-love’. And by self-love, I don’t mean being self-absorbed. I mean a person who knows their own self-worth and treats themselves with as much respect, consideration, and affection as they give to others.

When you live love and feel love, you’ll create love. And when you love yourself, you will find happier, more fulfilling relationships.

In the end, no matter whether you're single or not, the most romantic thing you can do is to first give yourself the love and respect you deserve.

Valentine's Day Breakfast in Bed

Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday this year, so most of us will have the chance to linger between the sheets and enjoy a romantic breakfast.

These delicious lemon muffins can be prepped the night before, and come together in minutes.

Easy Valentine's Lemon Love Muffins
Makes 8 -9 large muffins

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade, thawed
* 1/4 cup milk (not skim)
* 1/3 cup cooking oil (for richer muffins, use melted, unsalted butter)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375ºF

- Lightly grease muffin pan, or lightly spray with cooking spray

- Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl (You can do this the night before)

- In a separate bowl, stir together 1/2 cup lemonade (reserve the rest for later), egg, milk, and oil. (If you want to do this step ahead of time, too, mix the egg, milk and oil the night before and set aside. Add the lemonade in the morning.)

- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened

- If adding walnuts, gently stir them into the mixture

- Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan, distributing evenly

- Bake for 15-20 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean

- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 min

- Gently remove muffins from the pan and place on a rack over a plate or baking tray

- Prick tops of warm muffins with all over with toothpick. Brush tops of muffins with the remaining lemonade. Sprinkle tops with white sugar, if desired.

- Serve warm or room temperature.

While the muffins are baking, whip up some scrambled eggs and sausages. Add fresh-squeezed OJ, with or without a dash of sparkling wine.

Serve in bed, snuggle up, and enjoy!

Valentine's Day 911

Valentine's Day is right around the corner - and you still haven't figured out what to get your sweetie?

Fear not! Check out these ideas for last minute Valentine’s Day gifts that look like you spent months searching and planning for them!

Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gifts You Can Buy Online

You still have time to buy a gift online and have it arrive on Valentine’s Day. Just go to an online store like Amazon.com and select from hundreds of great ideas. Some fabulous picks from Amazon include:


Red Heart Shaped Mini Digital Picture Frame






Customized Message In A Bottle with Key to My Heart





"What I Love About You" book










Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown DVD (Remastered Deluxe Edition)



If you still can't decide, purchase a Gift Card they can redeem online.

Is your sweetie the cuddly type? Then how about giving 'em a warm bear to snuggle up to (when you're not there, of course!). This one,

from Spa Comforts is microwavable for cozy comfort.

Seduce With Sweet Nothings

If you're going to go traditional with chocolate, make it truly excellent chocolate.

Leonides Belgian Chocolates come in a full pound of assorted gourmet chocolates,
or their acclaimed Signature Assortment, or their sophisticated Dark Chocolates Assortment. Any (or all) of these are seductively irresistible to chocolate-lovers!

Down To The Wire Gifts

Too late for any of the above? Here are some truly last minute grab and go ideas:

- Heart-shaped cake from your local bakery. If they're out of whole cakes, get a dozen cupcakes and have the bakery pipe "I Love You" (one letter per cupcake). Arrange on a pretty platter and go.

- Stuffed animal from the closest stationary store. Add a box of chocolates, and tie a pretty ribbon around them both.

- Find a beautiful flowering plant (orchids or some other exotics are good) at your local garden outlet. You can also try Home Depot's garden center for this. Tie a big, beautiful velvet ribbon around the pot.

- An assortment of scented oils and bath soaps from the drug store. Walgreens or Rite-aid usually have a good selection. These days, even WalMart will likely have a pretty good choice of bath products. Add a basket from the crafts section, and you're in business. (Ladies, a couple of massage oils accompanied by a half-dozen hand-written massage coupons is a sure pleaser for your guy!)

Of course, any of these ideas will get much more mileage with the addition of some flowers and a card. So don't forget to add the extras.

Remember, even if your gift is last minute, your thoughtfulness and generosity will be appreciated. Because Valentine's Day isn't really about giving "stuff". It's really about taking some time to let the special person in your life know they're special to you.

Now that's romantic!

8 Great Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day - Or Anytime!

Yeah, Valentine's Day is just a few days away. If you haven't found that perfect gift yet - don't despair! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a Valentine’s Day gift.

Even if you're concerned about the economy and trying to hold on to our ready cash (aren't we all!) it doesn’t mean you can’t say “I love you” on a budget. And you don't have to look cheap. There are lots of creative and inexpensive ways to prove your love for that special someone. Here are some great ideas from the heart that are sure to please and impress, and they won’t drain your bank account.

Gentlemen, if you haven't already figured this out, the trick is to give her a gift that looks like you put a lot of thought into it. (And if you use one or more of the ideas below, I promise your secret is safe with me!)

Deliver flowers to her office: Forget 1(800) DEADFLR. The trick here is to deliver them yourself. The fact that you took time out of your day to do this will score big with any girl. And the fact that everyone at the office can see them gives you bonus points for making her co-workers envious. Best of all - delivering them yourself is more personal and you just saved $10 - $15.

Stay in for the night: Unless you can reserve your own private restaurant, how romantic is Valentine’s Day, really?

I mean, you’re usually surrounded by lots of other people, in a small, crowded room, where your sweet nothings can be overheard by the couple at the next table. So do something different: invite her to dinner – at your place.

If you love to cook, great! Even a simple roast chicken dinner tastes different when accompanied with a good bottle of wine. If you're not a great cook, or don't have the time, take the pressure off yourself by whipping up a fantastic meal using store-bought ingredients.

Don’t forget to set the scene, either. Lots of candles, a nice tablecloth, linen napkins, and soft background music will raise the romance temperature to smokin’ hot!

Play her song: You both like music? Then make her a compilation CD of songs that make you think of her.

Print a custom cover from a photo on your hard drive, and dedicate the album to her. This is a gift that is sure to impress her with the time and thought you put into it.

Send her on a treasure hunt: This is another budget-friendly way to impress her. Take a trip to your local dollar discount or party supply store and get 3 – 6 inexpensive items. For each one, come up with a clever clue that sends her to the next item. Then hide the items all over your house or apartment (hint: it doesn’t hurt to have the final item in the bedroom). The last thing she finds should be something cute, like a teddy bear, or very personal, like lingerie.

Coupons he’ll covet: You know he’s going to ask for those special… mmm… “favors”. So why not make it fun? Give your guy a coupon book filled with clip-outs for his favorite things. Don’t be afraid to be a little wild and crazy: Breakfast in bed, served by you in his favorite lingerie. Or a 30-minute massage with edible oil of his choice. Or… you get the picture.

Serve him something sweet, warm, and gooey: Your grandma may have been right about the way to a man’s heart. Guys love home-baked goodies. So whip up a batch of his favorite cookies, brownies, or a big, luscious frosted cake.

If you’re not the “little-woman-in-the-kitchen” type, you can cheat a little. Buy refrigerated cookie dough and, before you bake the cookies, press a message into each cookie. If you’re really pressed for time, buy cookies from a bakery, warm them up for a few minutes in a 350F oven, and serve them on a heart-shaped platter. Don’t forget the milk!

Practically perfect: As further proof that men and women are from different planets, most men actually like useful presents. So while his thoughtful gift of a steam iron may have left you cold, he will probably be thrilled with a drill.

“Practical” extends to clothing, too. If your guy has a sense of humor, he’ll probably get a laugh out of some playful and cute underwear. What’s more, he’ll probably wear them with pride!

If you’re cash-strapped, or just trying to save a little, you’ll have to put in a little more effort. Try one of these creative ideas for your Valentine’s Day gift, and you’ll save money and your relationship.

And if you want more creative ideas for romance, grab a copy of this book by best-selling, Oprah-recommended author Michael Webb:

Inside, you'll find hundreds of quick and easy ideas for keeping the spark in your relationship - most cost less than $20! Plus, you'll find plenty of inspiration for bringing romance into your life every day of the year.

It's Time To Put Romance Back Into Your Life!

Life puts pressure on us from all sides. Work, children, social commitments and other responsibilities, fill our days to overflowing with obligations and tasks. If you’re like most people, you, too, shudder at the thought of trying to squeeze even one more thing into your days.

Which means that most of the time, romance gets pushed aside. In truth, it’s hard to find a time or place for romance between the doctor’s appointments, rushing to the office, remembering the laundry, and picking up the milk.

So, for many couples, romance begins to seem like a luxury, and sometimes, a chore. And before we know it, we’re wondering where the romance went. But it doesn’t have to be that way…

Living more romantically every day is easier than you think. You can create a life filled with romance, regardless of your time or budget. Because romance isn’t just about flowers and champagne – although that’s what most people think of first.

Instead, romance is about the way we choose to live our lives. It’s about staying open to the wonders and surprises of the world around us. It’s about showing your partner respect, loyalty, generosity, compassion, honesty, and integrity.

And ultimately, romance is about living your life without reservations.

Because romance makes us feel special. There’s nothing more wonderful than knowing that you are loved – and loving in return. What’s more, romance brings out the best in us.

To truly love someone requires maturity and strength, generosity and compassion. Romance lifts us beyond our own concerns to think of and care for, someone other than ourselves. And by doing so, we weave these special qualities into our daily lives, and the lives of those we touch.

So you don’t have to whisk your lover off to Paris. And you don’t have to write romantic love sonnets every day.

You can begin your new romantic life by simply finding little ways to make your lover (and you!) feel special every day.

Starting right now…