52 Love

Deck Your Halls

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New Year’s represents a time to commemorate the old and welcome the new, a chance for merry revelry and final indulgences before the clock resets. The final holiday of the year is often synonymous with wild ventures, massive gatherings, and grand extravagances, most of which lack the intimacy practiced during this series. Keep the excitement without the crowds and cover charges. For the 52 Love finale, bid farewell to the last twelve months with an in-home New Year’s celebration for two.

You don’t have to live in Vegas to catch the New Year’s party craze. Tidy your home as if you’re hosting friends. Decorate with glitz and glamour galore. Depending on your preferred atmosphere, dim lamps and line the walls with twinkling holiday bulbs, or hang a disco ball from the ceiling so it can twirl and reflect a multitude of colorful lights. Sprinkle sparkling trinkets, festive flowers, and colorful candles throughout your home. Dress in your fanciest digs, or treat yourself to new spangly outfits befitting the holiday. Whether confetti and crowns or poppers and party hats, your accessories highlight the experience.

Use all the space on a dance floor for two. Create a playlist of your favorite party music and dance jams. When your twinkle toes need a break, try couples karaoke with songs that require dual melodies. Belt your favorite tracks like it’s the last time you’ll hear them this year.

With the money you save by staying home, splurge on takeout from an upscale restaurant. Pull out the fine china and remember to include a lavish dessert.

If you’re a fan of the bar scene, get in the spirit with spirits. Stock up on your favorite beers, wines, liquors, and liqueurs. Use the evening to practice your mixing skills. Prepare holiday libations to toast the new year: Confetti Champagne Sippers, Peppermintinis, Jack Frosties, Mistletoe Margaritas, Jingle Juice. Or try your hand at Champagne Mug Cake. If you’re feeling particularly festive, leave a different set of cocktails (or mocktails) in every room of the house for a personalized New Year’s Eve bar crawl. You won’t have to wait in line for an overpriced drink, and you don’t need to worry about driving home.

If a relaxing celebration is more your style, order in, curl up together, and exchange quiet reflections. Read your couple’s journal together. Review your goals. Make a time capsule with your partner that commemorates your favorite books, movies, songs, podcasts, and TV shows from the last twelve months. Include tokens from the special times you’ve shared throughout the year.

Play board games. Or video games. Or make up your own game, like no lip-to-lip-contact until midnight, then plant kisses every place else on your partner. Start a new tradition, such as an edible countdown: treats and snacks to nibble at each hour approaching midnight. At the final hour, feed each other twelve grapes for good luck to bring prosperity in the new year.

Chill your favorite bubbly by the bedside and toast the New Year from between the sheets. Watch marathon movies. Stack the queue with your favorite holiday films or the entire Marvel Cinematic experience.

Whether you party hard or settle in for some low key cuddle time, set an alarm to ensure you catch the countdown to your midnight kiss. Celebrate the blessings and joyful moments of this year, as well as the hopeful anticipation of what’s to come for you and your partner. Much like the year, this night is for the two of you. Enjoy it to its fullest. Cheers!

Thank you for embarking on the 52 Love journey with me. I hope you found the tips helpful for your relationship. Please share your experiences in the comments. And if you enjoyed this series, stay tuned for The 52 Love Podcast, which airs its first episode January 4th!

52 Love

Double Bubbles

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Deck the halls with December madness. No matter what you celebrate this time of year, festivities flurry in a winter whirlwind.  As we approach the end of the month, take some time to wash away the stress that often accompanies these activities by getting wet, hot, and steamy with your partner. For week 51 of 52 Love, escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season with a bubble bath for two.

Unwinding with a hot bath soothes stress while kindling intimacy. With a few careful details, you and your partner can relax together in style. It’s okay if you aren’t blessed with a walk-in tub or your bath isn’t big enough for two. If you find your tub too snug for your comfort, try a whirlpool Jacuzzi or spa. Or take turns pampering each other from the edge of the tub then rinse together in the shower.

First, set the stage.  Create a cozy, intimate space as the perfect setting for your romantic soak. Whether hot tub or bathtub, decorative candles around the rim and throughout the room help create a boundary between you and the rest of the world. Placing candles in front of a mirror creates the illusion of more candles. Magnify the flickering candlelight by arranging groups on reflective chrome and silver surfaces. Augment the magical glow with twinkle lights.

Enhance the ambiance by indulging more of your senses. Scatter rose petals along the path leading to your spa or bathtub, then sprinkle some on top of the water for a romantic and fragrant effect. Adding essential oils and bath salts to the water introduces aromatherapy to your experience. Pleasant scents can relax or invigorate, depending on your selection.

Music enchants the soul. Smooth jazz. Sultry blues. Seductive R&B. Make a playlist to affect the desired mood, be it couple’s escape, romantic bliss, provocative suggestion, or some combination.

If using a traditional tub, leave room to accommodate your bodies without spilling onto the floor. Start with the temperature a little hotter than comfortable. Use your elbow to test the water. While you wait for it to cool, offer a striptease or undress your partner.

Once you both submerge in your frothy tub, a couple’s bath allows ample opportunity to incorporate many of the year’s 52 Love tips. Listen during a peaceful heart-to-heart. Read aloud from a favorite book. Wash your sweetie’s hair. Get lost in each other’s eyes.

Fully enjoy your cocoon for two. If in a Jacuzzi, snuggle near the jets. If in a bathtub, offer your partner a therapeutic scrub with an exfoliating glove, mitt, or loofah sponge. With either locale, use the intimate setting to massage away your lover’s tension in shoulders, neck, head, legs, hands, and feet. Explore erogenous zones. Stimulate circulation. Edible scrubs exfoliate and taste great. Lick the excess from your fingertips. Tease your partner with underwater foreplay, then tempt with a show, gliding your hands over your smooth, glistening skin.

When you reach your limit of fun in the tub, prolong the experience with generous afterbath care. Have fluffy towels or bathrobes warmed and ready. Caress your partner with body butter, rich lotion, or almond oil to hold in the moisture. To hydrate from within, toast your rejuvenating interlude with champagne or sparkling cider.

End the night snuggling by the fireplace or practice naked cuddling in the clean sheets of a freshly made bed. From bubbles to bubbly, you’ll find a hot bath for two the perfect festivity to warm winter days and heat holiday nights.

If you try this intimacy tip, let me know in the comments. Check back next week for the last suggestion on how to show your partner love.

52 Love

Tactical Romantics

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New Year’s Day represents a clean slate, but waiting until the last minute to write resolutions means less time to consider your commitments and true goals. As we celebrate the holiday season and approach the end of this historic year, take a moment with your partner to plan upcoming resolutions.

Making New Year’s resolutions together energizes your partnership by communicating that you have plans for the future, and those plans include each other. And let’s be honest— resolutions tend to get a bad rap because people rarely follow through with them. Setting goals with your partner deepens accountability. Preparing your lists together will help you inspire each other to keep going when your goals challenge you in the new year.

As you work together, define and discuss your own individual goals. Being emotionally honest involves making yourself vulnerable. Foster a closer bond as you confess perceived shortcomings and wishes for self-improvement. Confide your dreams and secret desires for what you’ll accomplish next year. Listen with interest as your partner shares the same. Support those goals, even if they feel unrealistic to you. Be the voice of encouragement.

Help one another identify the best steps to accomplish these resolutions. Brainstorm ideas. Which obstacles can you help each other overcome? Determine what each of you is willing to contribute to the achievement of those personal goals. Commit to supporting each other when persisting gets tough.

Now that you’ve assisted each other, cultivate your connection by creating one or two couple’s goals together. Make intimacy a priority in the new year, and decide which strategies you’ll use to nourish your relationship.

Record your resolutions, and plan to re-examine them each month. Expect that there will be speed bumps and divots on your journeys. Outline steps to recover from expected challenges. Make a date of review night. Practice last week’s clothing-optional cuddles. Cut off outside distractions and cozy up to evaluate your progress.

If nothing else, your monthly powwow will serve as one more commitment in quality time and a reminder of what you mean to each other. And because you’re compiling your lists now, when the fireworks ignite, your midnight kiss will launch the new year with more than a heartfelt promise in the moment. You’ll have a blueprint for the best year of your relationship.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.

52 Love

Bare Necessities

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Hugging creates a sense of well-being and happiness. Put simply, it feels good. At a large party, especially one where you know few people, a friendly hug at arrival eases anxiety and makes you feel welcome. Even a stranger’s embrace envelopes you in comfort, releasing the same type of endorphins the body dispenses after a good workout. Yet, you find the ultimate solace wrapped in the arms of someone you love. This soothing sensation is improved with the removal of clothes. For Week 49 of 52 Love, cuddle naked with your partner.

Skin-on-skin contact does more than fuel intimacy. Naked cuddling is good for your health. Touch relieves pain, both physical and emotional. Beyond easing the discomforts of trauma, a loving caress reallocates the focus of your nerves from the negative sensation to the pleasurable touch. Skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin, which reduces pain levels, lowers blood pressure, aids in healing, and decreases the production of cortisol, giving your immunity levels a boost.

Nude snuggling is linked to improved relational satisfaction. Cradling your partner in your arms is a non-verbal way to communicate her importance to you. It whispers the sweet words some find uncomfortable voicing. “I treasure you. I’m here for you. I want you intimately close to me.”

Many people struggle with body dysmorphia. That sense of vulnerability is countered by a partner’s loving embrace. Unguarded, yet secure in each other’s arms. Baring yourself to your partner builds trust. Spending more time naked together will help you both grow more comfortable in your own skins. As your comfort with your bodies increases, so does your self-esteem and confidence.

You may have guessed that nude snuggling can lead to other naked activities. Oxytocin is also considered the love hormone. Access to skin naturally encourages more physical intimacy. Cuddling leads to canoodling. And canoodling releases dopamine, which increases sexual desire. Yet, the oxytocin released means you are just as likely to fall asleep as you are to have sex. Whether you start your snuggle as precursor to a refreshing nap, as foreplay, or as a post-coital indulgence, naked cuddling affirms your emotional bond.

Look for ways to incorporate snuggling into your days and nights. Stand and hold one another or cozy up on a cushy couch. Spoon together, nestle your head to your partner’s chest, lightly touch or massage each other. The Cuddle Sutra by Rob Grader offers additional suggestions. Among them, I recommend Melting Butter, Breakfast in Bed, and the full-frontal classic Forking.

If you and your partner cuddle naked in the morning, you can start your day warding off stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, and even the common cold without having to leave your bed. As you embrace the full-body contact of inviting skin, you’ll feel more physically and psychologically connected with your snuggle bunny.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.

52 Love/Favorite Characters

Ballroom Bliss

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Dancing brings us together. Not just in the body, but in the mind and spirit. In previous weeks, we discussed the value of learning new skills with your partner and the joy of dancing together. For Week 48 of 52 Love, sweep your partner off his feet with a combination of both. Sign up for ballroom dance instruction.

To fully appreciate the benefits of ballroom dance, I defer to Sir Thomas Sharpe to illustrate my point. Under his masterful instruction, his partner morphs from unenthusiastic to enthralled within the short span of a song. The candle wasn’t the only flame burning after that scene. Fun fact: according to the trivia, that was no CGI trick.

Assuming you and your partner are less skilled than Thomas and Edith, you both can benefit from ballroom lessons. Dancing releases endorphins. Elevated moods boost the immune system by relieving stress and thwarting depression. As with many forms of exercise, dancing enhances cardiovascular health, increases circulation, burns calories, and improves stamina.

Organized ballroom instruction heightens cognitive performance and challenges your brain. By incorporating movements on several planes of motion and from many directions, the structured choreography improves strength, balance, and flexibility. Unlike when simply exercising at the same time or engaging in competitive sport, you and your partner are truly working out together. Instead of rivaling one another, you are a team of two—joined, face to face, whirling and twirling toward the same goal.

If your knowledge of ballroom dancing is limited to period films, you may have unrealistic expectations. This skill requires practice even for the most graceful novice. You will work hard, you will make mistakes, and you will overcome them together. Have plenty of water on hand and towels to dab each other between dances.

Choosing what to wear is an essential step toward success. Select unrestricted clothing that allows you to move. Comfort is best. This is equally important for your shoes. Even if you or your partner are experienced with five-inch stilettos, begin with a low heel to prevent injury. Eventually, you can add fancy clothes or even cosplay to the mix to create an entire experience.

Partner dancers must learn to think and move in sync by communicating with non-verbal cues. Start with basic routines so that you can rehearse patterns as a couple. Give each other time to master new concepts without rushing. For beginning dancers who find it intimidating to prance their two left feet in front of others, try an online option. Many studios provide lessons through live or recorded instructional videos. Whether you opt for online or in-person classes, line up a series of date nights to practice together.

Once familiar with the basic concepts, you and your partner can synchronize with less effort. Eventually the two of you will move as a single unit. Embracing the sensuality of the dance, your bodies will take over, leaving your minds to focus on each other. Concentrate on your partner’s proximity, his body heat, and his touch.

Wrapped in each other’s arms, shake off the outside world, lock eyes, and let the music pulse through you as your bodies speak to one another, angling, shifting, connecting through a shared rhythm. Find that special zone where all else disappears, leaving you and your dance partner as the only two in the room—a concept shown brilliantly by Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

Couple’s dance lessons can lead to a more satisfying physical relationship. Enjoying the joint exhilaration of nailing a quick-quick-slow combination can lead to tandem celebrations off the dance floor. At its core, ballroom dance fosters an appreciation for synchronized, heart-racing, hip-thrusting action. When mastered, it provokes two bodies in close proximity into meeting each other’s rhythm in aim of a shared climax. What a wonderful way to keep the flame burning.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.  (Please choose at-home options until it’s safe to implement this elsewhere.)

52 Love

Thanks from the Bottom of Your Heart

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Challenging times remind us of what’s truly important. Acknowledging our blessings lets us release the chokehold on old grudges and unmet desires, to focus instead on the joys life has provided. When we stockpile our wins, they serve as reinforcements when reserves are low. For Week 47 of 52 Love, take inventory of those blessings by harnessing the power of gratitude.

Research shows that communicating gratitude improves health and boosts happiness. Giving thanks is equally beneficial to your relationship. Connecting your spiritual gratitude as a couple can help you reach a level of tandem meditation that surpasses that of Week 18.

It’s easier to voice thanks when you’re already happy, but even if you’re struggling, sharing this expression can lift your spirits and increase your bond.  Painful circumstances can ease in favor of hope. And if you and your partner do start from a place of joy, your gratitude session can raise you to new happy heights. The rest is gravy.

Gratitude starts with the heart. Even though we use our minds to remember, a thankful attitude stems from affectionate recognition. How fitting that the person you’ve given your heart to shares this experience with you. Join hands with each other and speak your gratitudes as a connected unit.

Begin with the basics. Give thanks that your level of health allows you to participate in this exercise, for the minds that guide your thoughts, and for the bodies that keep you going. As anyone who’s ever tread endless water or run a marathon can attest, it’s possible for your body to quit on you. Remind your physical selves that you appreciate the effort that sustains your very being.

Next look outside of yourselves to acknowledge the blessings all around you. Voice appreciation for loved ones: families, friends, pets. Reflect on your recent opportunities and whatever work you’re privileged to do. Give thanks for a warm place to sleep, food in your bellies, and other necessities. If you’ve required assistance in those areas, now’s the time to speak gratitude for those who helped keep you afloat. If you’ve managed on your own, give thanks for that and for the abundance to help others.

Once you’ve recognized the blessings outside of your partner, shift your focus to one another. Often, the time and energy invested toward a successful relationship can go unnoticed. Spoken gratitude protects couples from the toxic effects of conflict, from the external stressors that can tear people apart. Your partnership means a built-in companion during troubling times and a cheerleader to celebrate successes. Share your appreciation for your partner’s contribution to your life by exchanging one to three ways your life benefits from each other’s presence.

Articulate why you love your partner, the ways she makes you feel appreciated, the things you’ve learned from her, the times she made you smile. Then truly listen to how you benefit her, the blessings you’ve gifted, and the reasons she loves you.

Once each of you has spoken, maintain the connection within each other’s arms. Embrace that state of peace and contentment. Bask in the glow of the blessings from your life together, the year you’ve shared, the moments you now preserve. Allow these reminders to flow through you as a dynamic vibrational experience that elevates your awareness of your past blessings and opens you to a more fulfilling future together.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.

52 Love

Just Dessert

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Tongues serve as one of our most sensual organs. A tool of the mind as well as the body, our tongues encompass multiple simultaneous senses, both giving and receiving. With the right voice or word choice, flawless elocution whets many an appetite. As does the tactile satisfaction of a well-placed velvet stroke. A long languid lick also appeals to the eyes. And a burst of satiable flavors surging over taste buds sparks paradisiacal pleasure. Embrace this paradise by sharing a sweet treat with your partner. For Week 46 of 52 Love, tantalize your tongues with dessert for two.

Food-play is akin to foreplay. The same sensations trigger when you work them right. Desserts delight the palate and boost endorphins. That enjoyment multiplies when shared with a loved one. Sweet treats are festive and fun, with lavish options to explore joint pleasures.

Often linked to increased sexual desire and prowess, honey serves as a natural aphrodisiac. Drizzle it over dessert and then each other. Suck droplets from your partner’s fingers. Dab your pinkie in a gilded pool and glide it over his mouth. Lick the nectar from his honeyed lips as the foreplay before a magnificent sticky kiss. Repeat with other body parts. For more tips on how to enjoy honey, check the Kamasutra.

Add a sense of sinful pleasure by garnishing your chosen dessert with sliced apples or pomegranate seeds. No guilt involved. Only carmine antioxidants to nibble to your heart’s desire. Choosing other fruits in vibrant colors will liven the scenery and add a sweet bouquet of aroma. Rest your partner’s head on your lap and feed him grapes from the vine. Dip strawberries in whipped cream or melted chocolate, then slip the delectable tips between his lips. Lean in to share those flavor combinations with your tongue, you know…in the interest of science.

For a bonus sense of delayed gratification, prepare your dessert as a couple. It need not be difficult for you to enjoy the preparation process. Rejoice in the simplicity of boxed mixes and premade fillings, or get fancy with extravagant make-together pastries.  If you truly thrive on challenge, add a blindfold. For once, I’m not adding kink to the mix. When researching this week’s topic, I stumbled upon this fantastic idea. I can’t claim it as my own, but I definitely recommend it.

With or without the blindfold, preparing and decorating your treat as a couple fosters a sense of teamwork and closer intimacy, which extends the reward beyond the end goal. As always, working together toward this shared mutual pleasure builds anticipation toward the moment of culmination. Whether your dessert of choice is the magnum opus of your night or the prelude to a later crescendo, indulging in such rich decadence together will lead to a wealth of bliss that rewards more than your tongues.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.

52 Love

Discover Your Lover’s Lexicon

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Good communication is essential for a healthy relationship, yet the way communication is received varies even when the information is the same. Take cats and dogs, for example. Tail movement conveys very different messages, both for sender and for receiver. The same applies to experiencing affection. When it comes to your relationship, avoid mistaking a warning twitch for a welcoming wag, by learning which love language your partner speaks.

In 1992, counselor and speaker Dr. Gary Chapman penned The Five Love Languages to help couples determine their spouse’s specific love styles. His studies found that expressing affection in the way your partner best receives it is the “secret to love that lasts.” For Week 45 of 52 Love, identify your partner’s love language and apply your new knowledge toward greater intimacy.

In his book, Dr. Chapman details five categories: Acts of Service, Gifts, Physical Touch, Quality Time, and Words of Affirmation. When you focus on the ones less meaningful to your partner, the message may cross wires and miss its target. If you bring home an expensive gift when what your partner wants is to cuddle, you both feel unappreciated. Learning the love languages helps you communicate your affection as intended.

Expressing love in your partner’s native tongue delivers the message loud and clear. It also shows you care enough to tailor your affections toward your partner’s preferences. It’s fair to dabble in all the love languages, but if you focus on your partner’s favorites, the others will accentuate them like delicious side dishes to a hearty main course.

The best way to learn the love languages is to read the book. Full disclosure: while I stand behind the theory, the book was written with traditional spousal partnerships in mind. For a less extensive overview, review this website to get a grasp on the concept without the full heteronormative narrative or the sexist lens of its era. For the purpose of this week’s topic, I’ll list a brief definition of each.

  • Acts of Service – Whether you’re assisting with chores or building a backyard gazebo, actions speak louder than words.
  • Gifts – Presents signify that your partner was on your mind when you weren’t together. This may be as simple as an unexpected bouquet of flowers, or as extravagant as a luxury watch. The thought really does count.
  • Physical Touch – Though lovemaking definitely falls into this category, touch doesn’t have to be sexual. Frequent contact reassures your partner of your connection.
  • Quality Time – This is less about the amount of time and more about the level of focused engagement during your period of interaction.
  • Words of Affirmation – Verbally assert your affection. Use words that boost your partner’s confidence.

After reviewing the definitions, analyze your partner’s responses to affectionate gestures and categorize each one. If you notice a pattern, chances are that’s your answer. It’s possible for your partner to lean strongly toward two love languages. That’s great. It gives you options. Though not explicitly stated, many of this year’s 52 Love tips fall into these five categories. When looking for suggestions, click on the tags to sort by love language.

Once you identify your lover’s specialized vernacular, list the ways you usually communicate your affection. This will help you determine if your efforts are in the right areas. It may also highlight your own love language, as many show love in the way they like to receive it.

Better yet, take the website’s couple’s quiz together. Sharing answers will clear up uncertainty and solidify awareness of each other’s preferences. Learning together offers another chance to explore the fun of Week 16. More importantly, your new proficiency will bloom into more skillful applications when expressing your love to one another. The message will root deeper and stick longer for a strong bond that endures beyond 52 weeks.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.

52 Love

The Ayes Have It

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Election season may not be the most romantic time of year. No Valentine’s Day. No May flowers. No summer weddings. Much of 52 Love is about building long-term intimacy with your partner. In Week 4, I encouraged you to go for a walk. For Week 44, take that romantic stroll to the polls.

Reasons to vote go beyond determining the presidency. Election results impact your livelihood and that of future generations. Voting is your chance to stand up for issues that matter to you. You share the responsibility to influence change. Exercising your right to vote empowers you from within and emboldens you to actively make a difference.

As with other activities that feel good, your pleasure increases when you do it together. While placing your ballot demonstrates your investment in your future, voting together connects that long-term investment to your relationship. Align as a couple while you prepare for Election Day. Review ballot questions and investigate candidates as a team. Some first-time voters may find the process challenging. Share what you discover to navigate the learning curve as a couple.

Voting together speaks to your solidarity as a couple and your commitment to each other first, irrespective of political party. Love transcends politics. Although you are a unit, your partnership consists of two individuals with independent opinions. This isn’t the time to try and persuade your partner into voting in line with your choices. Hear each other’s perspectives but leave the debating to the candidates.

Reshape the dialogue around civic duties. Discuss the importance of using your voice. Rejoice in your right to participate in democracy. Differing opinions can add a layer of passion to a relationship. So long as you and your partner discuss your ideas without demeaning each other, you can channel that passion into a post-vote celebration.

Make this social cohesion a date-night. Dress for the occasion. Don patriotic colors to the voting booth. Proudly wear your “I voted” stickers and snap a selfie to preserve the memory. Then thank the volunteers, go home, pour champagne, and toast each other for performing your civic duties.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.

52 Love

Sun Sets, Love Rises

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For this week’s tip, we return to Lucian Blake’s approach to wooing his lady. In the scene referenced in Week 39, he whisked his reluctant love interest to the park for a sunset picnic. During this magical cinematic moment, both characters let down their guard and grow closer than either intended. For Week 43 of 52 Love, enchant your partner with a mesmerizing sunset.

Sharing a stunning sunset can slow your perception of time. As evening embraces the day, ease your minds. Relax your spirits. Give your brains the chance to recharge. Let peace permeate you and your partner while the golden rays warm you from the inside out. Watch shadows lengthen as the sun sinks below the horizon. Break from fretting over the past or worrying about the future. Untangle from the complexities life brings with the simplicity of nature’s golden hour.

Make it an event. Bring snacks, a cooler for cold beverages, or a thermos for hot. Hold hands from your favorite foldout chairs, or snuggle on a plush blanket and savor the time in each other’s arms.

Entwined with your partner, witness the ever-changing beauty of the sky at dusk. Gaze into the vast, color-splashed horizon as the sun cuts across a sea of blue sky. Vibrant magentas swirl into deep ambers. Rich purples explode across nature’s pink canvas. When the sky lights up in electric orange and takes your breath away, it’s okay to snap a few photos, but stay present in this moment with your partner. Take advantage of the incredible show nature offers and luxuriate in the romantic backdrop for your time together.

Meditate on the miraculous as you connect with nature. When it comes to reminding you of what’s important, never underestimate the power of awe. During the glorious grandeur of your sunset rendezvous, let the silent majesty of the planet’s orbit put your relationship into perspective. Appreciate life and who you have in yours. As the sun kisses the horizon, embrace your partner and do the same.

After the splendor of the setting sun, stick around for romantic stargazing, or plan your dusk date before an expected meteor shower. Beneath a brilliant glittering sky, relive teenage fantasies by making out under the stars. Reflect on the increased bond between you and look forward to chasing golden sunsets into your golden years.

If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.