Making Love Last...and Last...Part IV

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This is it. The conclusion. The grand finale. The last excerpt from the article that I found in my last Glamour magazine. It offers little and big things that you can do either for each other, or as a couple, to help make your love last and last. I hope that you enjoyed Part I, found here and Part II, found here and Part III, found here.

Once again, I don’t want to plagiarize anyone, so here’s the link to the online version of the article...which will also give you a sneak peak since I’m not going to do the whole article in one post!

(**Update! A reader did inform me that the link provided back to the article isn't taking you to the exact article anymore...I will keep the link posted, in case Glamour reposts the article, but you'll have to just wait for the ending in my posts I guess - sorry for the inconvenience. I did receive my latest copy of Glamour in the mail, so maybe they only leave the articles up during the current month.)

The article focuses on things that you can do once a week, once a month, once a year and once a lifetime to help make your relationship better. Whether you’re just getting serious with that special someone, or if you’ve been dating a while, or if you’re like us and taking your relationship to that next level by marriage, or if you’ve already been married 2, 5 or 20 years this article will offer you some good advice.

Once a Week...
Let something go. Argue over stuff that matters, but once a week let him (and yourself!) off the hook for the things that don’t: Yes, he chews his popcorn loud. No, it won’t kill you.
Laugh so hard. Laughter is a relationship’s Krazy Glue: It bonds you. (My own tip – be yourself: crazy and silly and a whole lot dorky in the middle of a store – it’ll get you both cracking up!)

Once a Month...
Disappear alone. We’re not advocating game-playing, exactly. But in this world of 24/7 availability, it can be good for your relationship to each have some solo time. Afterward, you’ll feel recharged, like the free-spirited single girl he fell for once upon a time.
Go to a party! And mingle separately. It screams confidence and makes the after-party rehash even sweeter.
Have sex some way you’ve never had it before. A worthy challenge, whether you’ve been together 10 days or 10 years. Try a new position, buy a toy, play out a fantasy. Doesn’t matter whether it’s really new to you, as long as it’s new to you as a couple.

Once a Year...
Re-kiss your first kiss. All timid and hopeful...and hot.
Write each other. Little love notes. Long love letters. Just something to express your feelings in other ways.
Think back on all the reasons you fell for him, whether you’ve dated for a year or a decade. Some will be big (his extra-dry sense of humor); some will be small (his love of argyle). Make sure you tell him, and remind yourself. Hello, butterflies! There you are again.

Once a Lifetime...
Together, convince a skeptic pal to believe in love.
Have a poor phase. Maybe a rich phase, too.
Count the stars. Know your love is one in a billion.

Insert sourced from here.

Well, that was it. I hope that you enjoyed it, and I would like to thank the writers at Glamour for putting together something that really caught my eye and sparked an interest for me. I hope that you gained a tip or two that you can take into your life and your relationship to make it last...and last...and last...

Making Love Last...and Last...Part III

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Here’s the next excerpt from the article that I found in my latest Glamour magazine. It offers little and big things that you can do either for each other, or as a couple, to help make your love last and last. I hope that you enjoyed Part I, found here and Part II, found here.

Once again, I don’t want to plagiarize anyone, so here’s the link to the online version of the article...which will also give you a sneak peak since I’m not going to do the whole article in one post!

(**Update! A reader did inform me that the link provided back to the article isn't taking you to the exact article anymore...I will keep the link posted, in case Glamour reposts the article, but you'll have to just wait for the ending in my posts I guess - sorry for the inconvenience. I did receive my latest copy of Glamour in the mail, so maybe they only leave the articles up during the current month.)

The article focuses on things that you can do once a week, once a month, once a year and once a lifetime to help make your relationship better. Whether you’re just getting serious with that special someone, or if you’ve been dating a while, or if you’re like us and taking your relationship to that next level by marriage, or if you’ve already been married 2, 5 or 20 years this article will offer you some good advice.

Once a week...
Shower together. You’ve both got to get in there anyway, right?
Get into bed and...sleep. “Sometimes the best thing a couple can do to ignite their passion for each other is sleep,” says Hillsborough, New Jersey sleep expert Carol Ash. If you two aren’t in the sleepover stage yet, co-napping has been known to work wonders too.

Once a Month...
Declare something “this stays in Vegas.” A silly nickname, or a crazy sex mishap. Share something intimate, then pull the bubble completely around you tightly.
Be the man. Not literally, but if your guy always initiates dates, sex, whatever, take the lead for once.
Disappear together. Hike somewhere AT&T can’t find you (and thus your mother, your boss and his needy friend Bob can’t find you either). No woods? Any time spent totally alone together – a long drive, even – will do the trick.

Once a Year...
Fall Apart. You can’t schedule this. But it’s important that you each know; via experience, that you can completely, utterly lose your grip – weep over a bad haircut, threaten to leave your job after a nutso day, have a wrenching fight with your mom – and not lose each other.
Don’t. Get. Up. At least once a year, break open some bubbly, disable the Wi-Fi, and don’t get out of bed for the weekend.
Talk birth control. Not so sexy, but potentially life-changing. Would a different method work better? Is it his turn (or yours) to take primary responsibility? And where are you on the whole kid issue, anyway?

Once a Lifetime...
Go to each other’s “fun” high school reunions.
Pay off the mortgage!
Come back from the brink of a breakup even stronger.






Insert sourced from here.

Stay tuned for the conclusion to this series that I’ll post about next week. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of things that I could totally work into our routine...especially if it helps keep our appreciation level for each other up!

Do you have any other tips that you’d like to share with me? Post about them below so that we can all benefit!

Making Love Last...and Last...Part II

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Here’s the next excerpt from the article that I found in my latest Glamour magazine. It offers little and big things that you can do either for each other, or as a couple, to help make your love last and last. I hope that you enjoyed Part I, found here.

I don’t want to plagiarize anyone, so here’s the link to the online version of the article...which will also give you a sneak peak since I’m not going to do the whole article in one post!

(**Update! A reader did inform me that the link provided back to the article isn't taking you to the exact article anymore...I will keep the link posted, in case Glamour reposts the article, but you'll have to just wait for the ending in my posts I guess - sorry for the inconvenience. I did receive my latest copy of Glamour in the mail, so maybe they only leave the articles up during the current month.)

The article focuses on things that you can do once a week, once a month, once a year and once a lifetime to help make your relationship better. Whether you’re just getting serious with that special someone, or if you’ve been dating a while, or if you’re like us and taking your relationship to that next level by marriage, or if you’ve already been married 2, 5 or 20 years this article will offer you some good advice.

Once a week...
And have before-work sex – Put down the straightening iron and heat things up this way. “Weekday morning sex is the secret sauce in a relationship,” says Tristan Coopersmith, 33, coauthor of Menu Dating.
Compliment each other. This one’s a daily to-do, if you can. There’s no nice thing that’s too small to mention: his excellent taste in music, the way he always opens the door for you – it’s all worth a verbal love tap.

Once a Month...
Talk about money. Whether it’s “Should we open a joint account?” or just, “Hey, let’s split the bill tonight.”
Brag publicly about him: his fearless pursuit of the mouse in your kitchen, the armful of hydrangeas he surprised you with, the raise he landed even in this economy. Surely once a month you can think of something that’ll make him blush in front of your friends. He’ll probably get you back too!

Once a Year...
Say the tough thing. The dark family secret. The crazy career dream. If you can’t confess to your significant other, then who?
Cancel Valentine’s Day and invent your own lovey-dovey holiday. Lobsterfest 2009, anyone?

Once a Lifetime...
Have sex someplace that you might be discovered.
Suffer through food poisoning together.







Insert sourced from here.

I’m not really certain about that last one...maybe it should be just suffer through an illness together – food poisoning sounds a little harsh to me!

Once again, I’ll keep posting the rest of this article’s advice in upcoming weeks. Are you enjoying this feature? Or would you rather I go back to talking non-stop about myself? J

Making Love Last...and Last...Part I

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I saw this article in my latest copy of Glamour magazine and thought that it would be a great one to share with my readers. It offers little and big things that you can do either for each other, or as a couple, to help make your love last and last. I don’t know about you, but I was thrilled to find a few things on their list that B and I already do!

So that I’m not plagiarizing anyone, here’s the link to the online version of the article...which will also give you a sneak peak since I’m not going to do the whole article in one post!

The article focuses on things that you can do once a week, once a month, once a year and once a lifetime to help make your relationship better. Whether you’re just getting serious with that special someone, or if you’ve been dating a while, or if you’re like us and taking your relationship to that next level by marriage, or if you’ve already been married 2, 5 or 20 years this article will offer you some good advice.

Here’s how Glamour introduces the article:
“Finding the guy is up to you, but we can help with all the rest. These pointers will encourage your love to grow, bloom, survive frost (yes, even the big-stress, no-money frost of ’09) and bloom again – maybe forever.”

I’ll post a few tips from each category each week. Here are the ones for this week:

Once a Week...
Fight (a little) – Getting your grrrs out keeps small annoyances from snowballing.
Have sex (obviously!) but have generous sex – You need at least one sexual connection a week that’s all about pleasing the other person

Once a Month...
Be do-gooders – Volunteering together (or even just helping a friend move) bond you because you’re ID-ing “common values” says Elizabeth Lombardo, a psychologist in Wexford, Pennsylvania
Do something scary – Been together a while? A pounding heart mimics the rush of brand new love, says Patti Wood, an expert on non-verbal communication in Atlanta. Fly in a balloon, or order the sweetbreads for two!

Once a Year...
Build a Doghouse – Or restore a Firebird. Or, OK, sew matching Star Trek costumes. Any team project “is fantastic bonding,” says Wendi Forrest, owner of Time for Nine, a golf dating service.
Now, get the dog. Or at least a plant. Anything that’ll grow with your love.

Once a lifetime...
Get lost together in a foreign country.
Damn the cost and go do the dream.

Insert sourced from here.

Once again, I’ll keep posting the rest of this article’s advice in upcoming weeks. Maybe it will help prepare my mind for that next big step that I’m taking...and help keep all of appreciating the one that we’re with!

Our Anniversary...

Today is a VERY special day. To me, at least. And probably to Mr. CC. I think that I’ve finally got him brainwashed, I mean, convinced that April 30th is our actual anniversary. Or, he’s just learning that it’s easier NOT to argue with me…LOL!

Yes, folks, today is our TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY of dating. So my post today is directed at one very special man…Mr. CC. Any man who is willing to be called Mr. Cotton Candy just HAS to be special! Or maybe that just goes to show how much he loves me? That's what I think.

There are so many things that I would like to say…I hope that I can do your love letters justice here, because you are SO good at writing me love emails…

First of all, I want to thank you for loving me. You honor me each and every day, in big ways and small ways. You shower me in love, the likes of which I never thought that I would personally experience. I met you at a time in my life when I had decided that I didn’t care if I stayed single forever, and I didn’t believe that true love actually happened in places other than books and movies. But you came into my life, first as a friend, someone to make me smile or laugh during a really difficult and emotional time after I had dissolved my previous marriage. You offered me nothing more, just a shoulder to cry on, someone to vent to, someone to help me laugh, someone that I could just be myself around, and you became so much more to me. But you became so much more. You became my best friend. I can’t imagine a day going by where you’re not the first person that I want to talk to (even when you hit snooze three times instead of getting out of bed!) or the first person that I want to share news with – good or bad.

From our very first date two years ago today, to the very first kiss, to our engagement and so many special moments along the way we’ve built our relationship to the point where we are now. You treasure me, you make me feel special, and you help me be the best person that I can be each and every day.

You allow me the freedom to just be myself. I think that I love that the most about us. Each of us are our own individuals, and we respect the similarities and differences between each of us, and love each other because of them or despite them, however you want to look at things. I’ve never just been ME when I’ve been in a relationship, and for the first time in my life, I’m able to do that. I can be a dork - I often crack myself up at my own jokes, stop in the middle of the store and start lip-synching the song playing over the loudspeakers and I know that instead of making fun of me for being that way that you’ll laugh along with me or you’ll be my back-up air guitarist without a word spoken to tell you to do that. That’s just how well we fit together.

I love that we laugh so much. We laugh ALL THE TIME. Everyday. In the past two years, I’ve never had so much fun in a relationship or laughed as much. Yes, there are fun days when you do things that are cool to do as a couple. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about rolling on the floor, clutching your sides because you have a stitch in them from laughing, or racing to the bathroom because you laughed so hard you’re afraid that you might pee your pants kind of laughing. That’s what we do. I like to think that we do that every single day; and it sounds untrue, but there are very few days that we don’t laugh like that. I love that we laugh in the car, we laugh while watching tv, we laugh while we’re being goofy at the store or when we hang out with the kids, and that we lay in bed and laugh with each other on a daily basis. I honestly can’t think of anyone that I have ever had this much fun with in my whole life. If laughter’s the best medicine, then we’re gonna live for a long time…that’s for sure.

I love that you want to be part of my life. You honor me with your ring and the promise of marriage. And I mean that - I am truly honored to accept your marriage proposal. I want to be a part of your life with your family and I know that you feel the same way about my life and my family. You want to be a step-father to my child, and you want to have more children, and the thought warms me from the inside out that we will build a family together. You put forth an honest effort to be involved in my life, getting to know my family and as many of my friends as you can (since they’re scattered over everywhere!) and you don’t realize how much this means to me. I feel so lucky.

You make it easy for me to love you. I just want good things for you. You just want good things for me. In that way, we balance out each other and compliment each other perfectly, never leaving one person doing all of the work or getting all of the rewards. I’ve always been the giver in my relationships in the past; never really knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of that equation. Maybe that’s the secret to a good, healthy relationship, because I can honestly say that there have been very few, if any, days when I’ve felt like our relationship is hard work. It seems like such a simple solution to a complicated situation, but it works for us. You look after me, and I look after you, and neither of us is lacking for anything. That’s the way that it is, and I hope that it will always be between the two of us.

I can’t wait to start my life with you. I can’t wait to say the words “I do” in October. I can’t wait to have another child with you, if that’s in the cards. I can’t wait to grow old with you. With you by my side, I know that my life will be good. There will be love. There will be laughter. There will be good times, and probably some bad ones too, but you’ll be there for me during those times doing what you do to be my rock and support. You’re a good man. And I consider myself a lucky woman.

So here’s to another two years. And two more. And two more after those two. Two more years for the rest of my life…I love you.

Accountability...it's a BEACH!

Allright ladies. The countdown has begun. What countdown you say? No, not that one. The one that MOST brides think about is the countdown to their wedding day…and that’s not the one that I’m referring to. I’m referring to the weight loss countdown.

Yep, I said it. I just ordered a size 8 bridal dress, and even though the girls at the shop assure me that the dress will fit when it gets here in 8 more weeks (give or take), I really don’t want to risk it. Plus, when trying on the dress, there were certain aspects of my body that I wasn’t exactly pleased with. Not that I’m grossly obese or heavily overweight, but still I can be honest and say that I could use some toning and trimming.

Enter Mr. CC. He’s a Marine. (Yes, he’s still a Marine even though he’s actually not in the USMC anymore…don’t get me started!) So he takes his physical fitness VERY seriously. Now, with that being said, he’ll be the first one to tell you that since his release from the USMC he’s let that area of his life get a little lax shall we say. So, with both of being disgusted at the thought of putting on swimsuits this year we made a pact.

We WILL start working out and taking care of ourselves so that by the time the wedding rolls around, we both feel good about how we look.

To be perfectly honest, although loss of weight would be nice, it’s not my actual goal here. I want to fit into my clothes again (Barbie doll size or not!) and I want them to fit well. I don’t want them to be tight, I don’t want them to leave marks at the waistline. I want to be able to wear all the clothes in my closet – not that ALL of my clothes SHOULD be worn (I know there are things that need to go to Goodwill!) but having the option to wear them should I choose is what I’m after.

More than likely, during this process, I will lose weight. But I’m more interested in the inches shed. I want to be tone and yes, a little bit buff, a lot more than I want to be a certain weight. Muscle carries weight, so if to get toned and trimmed I initially lose weight and then gain it back I’m ok with that as long as I’m gaining tone and definition and more muscles, not lose and jiggly fat.

Because let’s be honest ladies – the jiggle is NOT pretty. And I’ve got some jiggle right now to be perfectly honest.

And since everyone knows that it’s easier to have a work out buddy (or a trainer) Mr. CC and I have agreed to do this together. He shopped around for a fitness program that we could both do at our various levels and he decided that our tool to get us into the shape that we want to be in was this program called P90X. We ordered it two weeks ago, it got here this past week, and we’re ready to begin. Except that in our enthusiasm to do something, we went about it a little bit wrong.

What we should have done was sit down, read the book that clearly said “Read Me FIRST!” and made sure that we were ready for the hard-core intensity of these workouts. We should have followed along in the book to see what tools that we would need to have ready and available in order to meet our fitness goals. And then there is the all dreaded before shots. Yep, pictures, weights and measurements need to be taken so that you can clearly see where you started and how much progress you’re making along the way.

The program is a 90-day program consisting of 12 various workouts. And apparently there’s an order to the workouts, since we randomly chose one that didn’t require the tools that we didn’t have handy the day that we decided to start this whole thing and that program just about killed us. Yeah, it was an hour long workout…we lasted for 20 minutes. And could barely move the next day. And yesterday was even worse. I swear that with every single step that I took a curse word was either muttered out loud or screamed loudly throughout my head…lots of curse words.

So last night, we decided to be smart about our workouts. Better late than never, right? We outlined our plan, picked our days on and off for the week so that we know we’ll be consistent, purchased all the tools that we need to do the workouts and made a commitment to do this. We also did something that I’ve never done before. We went to GNC. Now, Mr. CC being a Marine, he’s been down this road before where you take supplements to help your workout. Miss CC has never done this, and to be frank, I’m not sure that I’ve ever been in a GNC before…

There is a whole world out stuff out there that you can take. Sure, they carry regular vitamins and holistic medicines, but the bulk of GNC’s business comes from their work-out supplements. There are pills and shakes and drink mixes that you can take that can help your workouts. Now, I didn’t live in a plastic bubble for the bulk of my life, so I knew that there were shakes and protein drinks that guys took when they wanted to bulk up. What I didn’t know was that there were other reasons to take these things besides building mass to your muscles.

There are actually drinks and shakes and mixes out there that help your muscles heal. There are things that you can take that promote calorie burning, that encourage your muscles to burn the fat cells attached to them. There are things that you can take to boost your energy and give your workout a new level once you might reach a peak. I just didn’t know about all of this. So when Mr. CC started talking about supplements, I have to admit to being skeptical. But once we visited the store and he showed me what he was talking about, I began to see what he was talking about. As you work out, there are things that your body needs that you might or might not get from your daily food intake. These things can help your body adjust to the workouts that you’re starting and actually promote the muscle healing process (and since I was still muttering curse words under my breath when I climbed any type of step, I was ALL about the healing muscle stuff!).

This has just opened up a whole new world for me. I’ve worked out before to lose weight or trim my waistline, but I’ve never worked out with someone who knew what they were doing. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever worked out like this with a buddy. There were friends that took the same kickboxing or aerobics classes, but that’s all that we did. It wasn’t like this where I’m accountable to someone. We’ve made ourselves be open and honest with each other about what we want to accomplish and how we each plan to get there (he’s cutting carbs for 30 days and I won’t even TALK about cutting out pasta!) and the lines of communication are open and free flowing.

And I’m excited about this! I see that this could bring a new level to our relationship. We’re learning how to set goals together and accomplish those goals through research, dedication, hard work and persistence. We’re going to be each other’s cheer leader to encourage good choices on the hard days. And if need be, we’ll be each other’s support when our legs won’t carry us up the stairs to our bedroom! Whatever is needed.

Thank you Mr. CC for doing this with me. I truly appreciate it and am excited to start our workouts tonight.

And tonight the moment of truth comes in. Yes ma’am. It’s picture night. We’ll take our “Before” shots, step on the scales and whip out the tape measure. We’ll record these stats and do the weighing and measuring on a weekly basis (Mondays) and we’ll take new pictures at the first of each month to note our progress. So just to add one more level of accountability to myself, I’m going to share this information with you, my readers. I know that you’ll be excited for me too as I start this process to looking my best and feeling my best on my wedding day.

And to be honest, I started this process two weeks ago when I ordered my dress. So, I’ll share with you what little I have done to this point, and you can bear with me and watch me “bloom” with our new workouts and follow my progress. The morning after I placed the order for my dress, I weighed in at 158 pounds. After two weeks of watching what I eat, cutting out sodas, and trying not to eat as much sweets…I was down three pounds when I weighed myself over the week. Not a lot, but something at the same time.

Tonight we’ll get an official number to go with, and start working on this in earnest. Wish me luck, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted – although the pictures might be kept private as I’m SURE there are just some things that your friends DON’T need to see!