Ok, so we’re just a couple of weeks away from Valentine’s Day. What plans do you have for your spouse or significant other? Some of you may be like Ron and I where we’ve chosen not to spend a lot over the years for Valentine’s Day, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make it a special day for your special someone.

I have a book called “52 Ways to Wow Your Husband-How to Put a Smile on His Face” written by Pam Farrel, her and her husband Bill are well known for their marriage seminars “Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti”. I’d like to share portions of one of her WOW’s with you that you may want to do this Valentine’s Day (in blue).  Men, if you’re reading this blog, this is something you can do for your wife as well.  Here goes…

WOW 43 – Play It Again, Sam!

We were interviewed by a magazine on how to keep the fun and laughs in marriage. We didn’t realize how much we have invested in this area until we were approached as “experts” in finding fun! Here are a few tips on making fun higher on your to-do list of ways to wow your man:

Be a Pal: What did you do with friends while growing up? Maybe you enjoyed things like bike rides, skateboarding, water or snow skiing, jet skiing, camping, rock climbing, hiking, board games, dancing, kite flying, frisbee throwing, miniature golf. Anything you loved when you were young could bring some fun back into your love life today.

Be Prepared: Get some things on hand to serve as ticklers of your mate’s funny bone: joke books, the Sunday comics, squirt guns, silly string, whoopee cushions–you’re getting the picture. Put a few things in your desk drawer that could help lighten the load of your mate by providing comic relief.

I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but stock up so you can be spontaneous. If you are prepared, you can seize the moment! And a spontaneous attitude has its payoff…

Be Proactive: Schedule in fun as you would dentist or doctor appointments. If you have light at the end of your responsibility tunnel, the daily load is eaiser to bear. Another benefit of being the cruise director of your hubby’s fun is that his heart will look forward to seeing you and spending time with you. Who would you rather see, the dentist or the cheerleader, an IRS agent or the masseuse? Easy call–you want the one who renews you, revives you, or releases your pain, not the one who inflicts it.

Be a Parrot: Make it your goal to remember those humorous things you see, things you say, jokes and stories you hear, signs, billboards, and bumper stickers you read. Some of our best laughs are when we run in from a lunch, a trip, or a meeting with a joke or story “you just have to hear.” If you need to, write these down or use the recorder on your smartphone to help you remember the punch lines.

WOW Assignment
Set aside some time and some money to stock up for amusement. Make a list of activities your spouse enjoyed as a boy, as a teen, as a newlywed. You might need to interview his family and friends or casually ask your man about some of his happy memories. Pile up some books, magazines, toys, and novelties that might bring a smile to his face (garage sales can be a great source for guilt free enjoyment).

WOW Wisdom
Fill the storefront! Joseph was elevated to second in command of Egypt because of the wisdom he shared to save for seven years so there would be a surplus in times of famine (Genesis 41). If you store up happy memories, when tough times come, your husband will find it easier to see the cup as half full and picture you as a friend not a foe.

WOW Date
Take your mate back to his boyhood. Invite your man out by attaching a note to a fishing pole, ping-pong paddle, or wrist rocket. Spend the afternoon skipping rocks while you tell stories or take a dip in a local pond after a picnic. Skate at a local park and take pleasure in sharing a banana split. Tousle his hair as you tickle his soul…

Go play!  Make it your goal to laugh until his sides split.

This of course can be a great thing to bring out and do spontaneously, not just for Valentine’s Day.  Especially when times seem exhausting, overwhelming and tiring.  Life can get stressful, with so many things to do and take care of, at times we forget to stop and have FUN.  So, if you haven’t had FUN in quite a while because the busyness of life just seems to get in the way, start having FUN this Valentine’s Day — take your spouse out for a fun time of childhood play — go fishing and share jokes or funny stories, rent a funny movie, play hide ‘n seek in your house or backyard — laugh and play and enjoy your Valentine’s Day together.

If there are any fun things you did as a child that you’d love to do again that aren’t listed here, please feel free to put them in the comment section to give all of our readers more ideas.

Thanks for reading my blog, and I wish you and your special someone a very

Happy Valentine’s Day!