Sure…roses, diamond rings and sappy love songs all convey unmistakable messages of undying love; but who has the time and energy to go to those kinds of lengths on a daily basis?  Not me–that’s for sure.  Fortunately, there are far easier (and yet still very effective) ways to keep the love and romance alive in our relationships–all we need to do is use our voice and utter a few simple phrases that will communicate just how much we care. Try out a few of these loving phrases the next time you want to make sure that your honey is feeling the love.

I am a planner by nature. I have several months of FabYOUlous Life posts planned in advance because I like to have plenty of time to do my research and gather my thoughts.  

This post is not one of those planned posts. In fact, I had pretty much planned to not write this post…like ever.

However; I was recently contacted by one of my FabYOUlous readers and I simply cannot ignore the question that she asked me and frankly, even though this post wasn’t planned–it is one for which I have done plenty of research…we’re talking years of research.

My sweet reader had read my About Me page and wanted to know how I knew that it was time for me to leave my first marriage. Her question wasn’t cloaked in any judgement or condescension–in fact, I could sense the genuine struggle in her email as she told me that her own marriage has been on rocky ground for a while now but she just can’t decide whether or not she should stay or leave.

Do you know what to look for when it comes to picking the ideal romantic partner?  Do you know the qualities that are truly important when seeking to establish a lasting relationship?  

I’ll admit–I haven’t always been great at picking winners when it comes to love.  I’ve fallen for great looks/no brains, charming personality/no job, great job/self-absorbed…you get the picture.  It wasn’t until my first marriage fell apart that I finally took the time to look at the qualities that truly mattered to me in a partner.

When it comes to weddings, I’m pretty traditional. I prefer unity candles over the newly popular sand ceremonies and I have no issues with a woman taking her husband’s last name. I always get teary when the preacher finally says “you may kiss your bride” and I adore cute little flower girls and ring bearers. I also appreciate the simplicity and sincerity of the traditional wedding vows where husbands and wives promise to love each other for better or worse, through sickness and in health and for richer or for poorer. I do however feel that these vows lack a bit of practicality when it comes to actually living with and loving one person for the rest of your life. Though I recited these very traditional vows myself when I married my Superman, I now feel like they were somewhat insufficient and I have a few additions that I would now include…