Love Tune-Ups: Fun Ways to Open Your Heart & Make Sparks Fly

The premise behind LOVE TUNE-UPS by Matthew McKay,Carole Honeychurch and Angela Watrous is simple; i.e., thereare simple things we can all do to improve any relationship . . . however, that is often easier said than done.Yet the authors make it seem doable and present (using thesubtitle): "52 Fun Ways to Open Your Heart & Make SparksFly."I view the book as a cookbook of sorts . . . that is, you canpick and choose what you wanted to try from such sections asShow Me Love, Get a Little Closer, Work Out the Kinks, Add Some Sizzle, and The Best of Times.There's nothing overly profound here--or perhaps even original . . . yet that does not stop me from strongly recommending it . . . we all need some reminders, from time to time, and you'll get them here--presented in a loving and playful fashion.Among the many memorable passages:[to get more detail when asking, "How was your day, dear?"]The next night while they were cooking dinner, Marc asked Allen how his day went, and Allen replied, "Oh, it was pretty good, I guess." "What were the best and worst moments of your day today?" Marc asked, not looking up from the spinach he was washing. "Oh, I get it. Is this a new tradition we're starting?" Allen teased, but when Marc just nodded and smiled, Allen said, "Well, let me think. The low point was probably when I got stuck in traffic for an extra forty-five minutes on my way to work, and I almost missed this really important meeting and I was all stressed out. . . . And the high point was when I went to lunch with Sue. She's so funny!"[steps for accepting behaviors that drive you crazy]* What things does your partner commonly do that really bug you? What do you try to change about your partner? Choose one.* Now try to acknowledge that your partner is different from you, and, as a result, will naturally do things differently. Consider that there is no "right" way to do things, just preferences formed by many different factors.* Finally, make a conscious decision to accept the behavior that had been bugging you. Acknowledge the difference and accept it. And, the next time your partner does this behavior,make an effort to think back to your decision and accept with love.[making a creativity date]Many people feel that they do not have enough time for theirrelationships or for exploring their creative spirits. Why not combine these two deficits and have time for both by enjoying a creativity date with your partner? You can either do one activity together, or each spend time engaging in a different favorite creative activity side by side. Creating with your partner can make you feel alive, because you're nurturing a part of yourself and your relationship that may often be neglected--the creative side. And as you share the creative part of your relationship, you'll be nurturing your relationship too.

I just loved this book. I've been with my boyfriend for five years, and our relationship's strong -- but sometimes we get into ruts or start to take each other for granted. This book gave us practical, immediately usable activities to help bring us closer and enjoy time together in new ways. I've been learning stuff about him that I didn't even know! I'm so grateful to the authors for coming up with this idea. Thanks!