I never get flowers on Valentine’s Day.  I made the decision long ago that I’d rather a bouquet every month for no reason than an overpriced bunch of roses on February 14th that won’t last long.  Really, what do men and women need?  To feel loved and cared about.  Flowers, chocolate and all of the commercial trappings pushed on society once a year don’t always translate into a feeling of being loved.  Why not try some of these ideas that will cost next to nothing but make your partner feel truly cared about?  Here are some Easy Ideas for Year-Round Romance.  Feel free to add your own.

1.  Slip a note into his pocket that he will find later in the day.  A simple: ‘I love you, I’m proud of you’ will do.
2.  Prepare the coffee maker the night before so all he has to do is hit the button.  Or bring him a coffee as he gets dressed.
3.  Send him a text out of the blue about a special memory that you have shared.
4.  Make his favourite dinner and set up a card table in your bedroom to eat it once the munchkins are in bed.
5.  Offer to put the kids to bed so he can watch the hockey game.
6.  Get a henna tattoo on the small of your back sporting his initials.
7.  Find out if he likes thongs or boyshorts, jammies or nightgowns.
8.  Register him for a weekly activity that he loves (soccer, mountainbiking?) and don’t complain when he leaves you alone with the kids.
9.  Download a few of his favourite songs and tape a flash drive to his iPod.
10.  Find a nice photo of the two of you, at a special moment or on a special vacation, and send him an email (or update the wallpaper on his phone).
11.  Personal touches are best: make a personalized ringtone!  Choose something personal and intimate, make a recording, and update his ringtone before he leaves for work.  Even if he’s in a meeting and can’t take a call, a few quick rings are all it takes to remind him that you love him.
12.  The next time you’re killing time on ebay, get him an old hardcover copy of his favourite classic.  Have it sent to him at work.

And don’t forget to make real eye contact in order to open your soul to your partner.  Breathe each other in just like on the day of your first kiss.  Happy Valentine’s Day.

– Jill Amery is a bit of a romantic.