Today’s post is inspired by my guy of 37 years. As many of you know he battled cancer last year. Finding ways to let the people we love know that we care seems to be more important than ever. ~ Suzie
I love you. . .
We don’t need a day to say I love you, do we?
It’s cool, I guess. There’s merit in buying chocolates and roses. It’s fun to receive flowers at your workplace, or a card nestled on your pillow. There’s also pressure! What if we decided to say I love you every day? Not in big splashes or over-the-top romantic gestures, but in creative ways that let that person know that they are noticed.
Today, let’s discover 30 creative ways to say I love you.
Don’t put heavy expectations on this. Just do it for the fun of it. You know your guy. Some of these things will delight him. Others will be “meh.” Choose those that will bring a smile to someone you love.
1. Pick up a card that says, “I love you,” on a day that isn’t Valentines Day.
2. Linger in that embrace 10 seconds longer.
3. Notice something he did (and maybe does everyday) for you, and say thank you.
4. Send a text for no other reason than to tell him that you are thinking of him.
5. Leave his favorite candy on his pillow.
6. Tell him that he is sexy, and one reason why you believe that.
7. Watch a game with him.
8. Go for a walk together.
9. Hold hands.
10. Pray for him and ask God to walk with him throughout his day.
11. Laugh with him.
[ctt template=”4″ link=”eVdN2″ via=”yes” ]30 creative ways to tell your guy that you love him. https://ctt.ec/eVdN2+ @suzanneeller[/ctt]
12. Pick flowers from the side of the road (or buy an inexpensive bouquet) and put them on the table for dinner.
13. Offer to do something adventurous, like zip lining or hiking.
14. Invite him to jump on the bed with you.
15. When you are angry with him, offer unexpected mercy.
16. Dance in your living room to romantic music.
17. Buy desert and get two spoons. Don’t say a word about calories.
18. Flirt.
19. Rather than use the words, “I love you,” come up with a creative way to say it. Some examples are:
- You amaze me
- You delight me
- I love the way you smell
- Thank you for being so kind
- I’m falling for you all over again
19. Put aside all the chores for a day and do something fun.
20. Stop what you are doing and listen to what he is saying. Look into his eyes as he speaks. Affirm that you hear what is being said.
21. Host a movie night with gourmet popcorn.
This is a Rachel Ray recipe for Maple Sugar Bacon popcorn.
6 slices (about 1/4 pound) thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons maple sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry popcorn
2 tablespoons oil
1 stick melted butter
In a sauté pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Once cooked, remove the strips of bacon but reserve the bacon fat. In small bowl, mix together the maple sugar and salt. Place the reserved bacon fat plus 1 tablespoons canola oil, in a large pot over high heat. Once super-hot, add in the popcorn, cover and let pop, shaking consonantly. Chop the bacon. In a large bowl, mix together the popcorn, maple sugar-salt mixture, chopped bacon and butter.
22. Put your phone away when you are with him.
23. Write a love note each morning for one week. Put it in different places, but where he’ll find it easily.
24. Kiss him like it’s a first kiss.
25. Accept his compliment graciously.
26. Be playful.
27. Host a day in his honor and fill it with things that he loves to do, and do it with him.
28. Make him a speciality coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or smoothie. Surprise him with it.
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate for two
Sixteen ounces milk or cream
Four ounces dark or milk chocolate
Four ounces chocolate caramel candy (Hershey kisses work!)
A pinch or two of sea salt.
In a small pot heat half of the milk and 4 ounces chopped chocolate and salt until melted. Continue heating and whisk in the remaining milk and 4 ounces chopped chocolate caramel. Continue whisking until the entire mixture is warmed through and smooth in texture.
Serve with a little whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt.
This recipe from A Beautiful Mess.
29. Create a zero-complaint zone for 24 hours in his presence.
30. Draw a hot bath for him. Add bath salts and muted lights. What happens after that is up to the two of you.
Suzie
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Thank you, Suzie! I love your ideas. They are simple enough to pull off spur-of-the-moment, yet profound enough to make a difference in his day. I’m so glad you shared. And I added my link above… hope I followed the directions correctly! Blessings!
#19- Put aside all the chores & do something fun! We both work alot of hours and on weekends have church, chores, food prep ect. We need to forgo those things (even though we’ll fall behind) and enjoy a day off together. Together therapy~
This is a great list!
Thanks for hosting this linkup!
I love writing messages to my husband on the mirror with lipstick. I’ve taken his work shirt (he is self employed mechanic) and I write “Superman” or “my wife loves me” or the like on the back of his shirt in black marker. I also have written things in his undies….a little message just for him. I once created a notebook for him using short statements of affirmation; why I love him; how he makes me smile; something special he did long ago that I remember; told him I liked his rear end; but a whole binder of clippings of all positive endearing things throughout our marriage. He keeps it in his nightstand!
I just did #1. It’s been a rough couple of weeks as we are both grieving the loss of his sister. I thought a card that just said I love you and I’m sorry my words haven’t always been best was a good idea
So sorry for the loss of your sister in law. That was very special to do-sometimes when we grieve we get so lost in our own grief that we don’t share in the grief of others-your card said your understood and you acknowledge this difficult journey! Praying for God to comfort and strengthen both of your hearts!
Thank you Suzie for sharing these fun ideas with all of us. My favorite idea is making his favorite dish for him. God Bless!
#29 not a single complaint for 24 hours! What a treat that would be!! Why stop at 24 hours?? Why not make it a daily choice?? I think he might be able to put aside defensiveness and feel more loved…and free to love. Thanks for some great ideas 🙂
At this point in my life, marriage has nothing to do with romance, and I’m leaning in to what God is teaching me during this season of my life.
Thank you for sharing your love of 37 years here with us.
It’s inspiring, and gives my heart hope.
Happy Thursday!
Megs
Food is usually a good way to show a man you care. I also like to tuck notes in his suitcase or in his pocket when he has to be gone overnight.
Love this list!! Suzie you bless me in so many ways. As per me I leave or left sticky notes of affirmation letting him know how thankful I am for his service to our country. Telling him I Love him, thanking him for all he does for his Family. Even though we are in a dark place In our Marriage at the moment I continue to pray daily and do see Gods grace. Blessings Suzie
These are great tips! I’m not much of a texter, but he definitely is. He would love the text for no other reason than to say “I love you!”
I thought by now you knew better than to jump on the bed Suzie (hehe) …I have to be romantic oceans apart…the struggle is real but Sharon helped prompt me to send an email listing 5 things I love about my hubby💗
A favorite idea that I haven’t done yet though is to write 52 special things on lives of paper…things you love about your spouse, special memories, ect and put them in a jar and then let your husband pick one out each Friday. I have a friend that did this and she says her husband looks forward to every Friday💗
What an awesome idea!!
Mine is travel. We go off for a day at Disney or for a few days away. We are retired so we can do that. It’s amazing what a change of scenery can do for us. It seems to renew us because we are experiencing a new view on life together. Then when I mark it on our calendar it gives us both something to look forward to. Some of these ideas we have been given today should be nice to do in between our get away’s.
Love this!
Suzie, I enjoyed your tips and recipes. I agree they are good to practice everyday. Cute pictures!
With my husband working accross the country each winter, time apart and navigating marriage can be tricky. Last year when we were visiting him and it was time for the kids and I to leave, I put post-it notes in various spots throughout the house for him to find that told him how much I love him and would miss him. Examples: when he opened the fridge to grab his lunch, he found a note…when he went in the bathroom drawer to grab his toiletries, there was a note…when he opened up his laptop, there was a message…when he went to bed and pulled the covers back, he found a note. He thanked me and told me how much he loved it. He was wondering if he would find more as time went on. It made my heart warm knowing he felt the love I was trying to show him and he knew how much I didn’t want to be apart from him. I hope to do it again when we see him in March. 😊
How sweet and special!!
Suzie, I totally get this idea to show love everyday, not just on one man made holiday. My sweetie and I were in what should have been a fatal motorcycle accident in Sept 2004 but God allowed us to survive and then I had cancer in 2010-both incidents have prompted us to love more fully, linger a little longer and say I love you everyday. One of the ways I show my love for my sweet Bill is to stay up a little later, make sure the kitchen is in order and get the coffee pot ready to go in the morning. In this way, if he wakes up first, all he needs to do is push the button to start brewing his morning coffee. I have been altering my eating habits to a more healthy way and my sweet husband has shown his love for me by passing up the dark chocolate he sees in the store and letting me know he did, measures the ice cream so I only have one serving and also measures the honey he puts in the tea he makes me every night. We rarely argue because we accept each other’s ways and opinions-life is way too short to waste it on negative stuff!!
You have been given the gift to know how precious life is together. Thank you for your sweet post.
I love your story and you are a survivor Nancy!! Love you and your heart.
Oh Nancy, what a story! I love your outlook!
I love this Suzie!! I am very much a girl who would rather do this than the big one day full of expectations that are hard to meet. i think one way I love my hubby is that I let go of expectations. We have had some pretty hard seasons financially and I find it is more romantic to me or loving to me when not just my hubby but friends do things for me because they want to and not because there is an expectation on a certain day. I really loved #29 – not a single complaint in a 24 hour period of time. I complain without even a thought just venting but sometimes he needs a break right ;).
YES! That one got me too!
I am single now, so my suggestions won’t hold much water since I didn’t do so well keeping my marriage together when it was necessary. However, I am a love language person. I try to figure out the love language of the person and then “communicate” in a way that hits home. This applies to a mate or child or family member or friend or co worker or someone I really don’t care for –
Your suggestions hold a lot of water. You are a person who knows how to love, and I absolutely love the love languages. Figuring that out is an adventure, and eye opening.
I was single for 11 years after a messy, emotional divorce. It took some time, but I came to the place where I realized God put those love languages in me for a reason. He means for them to be met. It’s okay to meet your own language.
Gifts- buy something for yourself, even if it’s just a new headband or something from a garage sale.
Affirmation- say God’s word in the mirror over yourself. It’s true to you whether you feel like it or not. Learn to pick up the phone and talk to friends. Don’t wallow in “nobody is here to ask how my day was.” Take the initiative to meet that need.
Time- don’t let the time you spend with God, reading for pleasure, exercise, etc. be taken away. I remember thinking I should volunteer to do so much because I didn’t have a family to be accountable to at home. But not so! Your time for refreshing is valuable- protect it!
Acts of service- the one who gives, receives. Begin by doing this, yourself. Eventually, others pick up on it and do for you. Also, make your needs known. Since there is no one to “see” the deck needs fixing, mention it. Someone may have suggestions or even volunteer to help.
Physical Touch- this is mine, and probably the most difficult to meet. I began dance lessons a few years ago, and it made all the difference. To those who understand, this is not sexual. But even dancing with an instructor who may be male or female (I never knew from one lesson to the next), just learning to follow a lead was enormous fun. Also, again you have to ask. When you need a hug, you have to ask, but they are most always available- especially at church!
Love your thoughts, Regina!
Nancy, your thoughts absolutely still hold water… in fact, you can be a testimony to others whose marriage may be struggling, offering advice and “what not to do’s” from your experience. Never sell yourself short!
I love this list!! So many great ideas (something I’m not the best at coming up with!) I will be revisiting this post and definitely taking to heart some of these suggestions! Thank you for sharing!
Loved this list, too! I love the idea of having a day especially for him!
Dear Suzie, I love the” 30 Creative ways to say I Love You. ” It sounds fun and will make me be intentional about showing love to my husband. You are a fun loving creative lady who I admire greatly! I am so sorry about your husband and his battle with cancer he has had to deal with. I will keep you both in my prayers. I love the pictures of you both. So precious! The Lord’s blessings to you as you face this new year together.
The Lord truly is good! I really hope and pray I can meet you some day soon!
Aren’t they adorable?!
Linda, you are the winner of Sharon Jayne’s book!
Please send me your mailing address and I’ll send it to Sharon! suzieeller@gmail.com
May I add a suggestion for single people, whether divorced, widowed, or never married?
For the last ten years I’ve boycotted Valentine’s Day. Watching those around me getting flowers, cards, candy, talking about what their spouse or significant other did for them would cause jealousy feelings to come up. Also make me feel less than….important, beautiful, etc. This has really weighed on me. Tremendously. Especially this past year. Especially being a part of Suzie’s Live Free ministry. So when she started talking about ways to “show love” I started thinking about what Valentine could stand for. I was going to do a blog post (and I still might) but I decided to share it here first.
This is what I came up with. Valentine could stand for someone who is vital in my life, someone who is important, someone who is necessary, someone who is essential to me. When I went through my fight with cancer, those people really stood out. Without them, I think my battle would have been much different. So this year, instead of wishing I had someone special to share a romantic holiday with, I’m going to reach out and share love with those people that have been such a blessing to me in my life. I’m going to try to be someone special to someone else.
I want to thank the ones who are involved in this ministry. The love and community shared here are simply amazing. And a special thanks to Suzie for always sharing her heart, her passion for Jesus, and for loving people she only met through the computer.
YES YES YES!!!! Love this!
Absolutely!
JR God Bless you I love this so much!!
You are correct!
What a wonderful idea, JR! We should show love to all our “neighbors,” not just our “significant other.
Showing gratitude is a wonderful way to express love.
That is REALY REALY good!
This is beautiful JR!! Thank you for sharing!
I adore this post! Recipes for food, drinks, AND love… THE BEST!
Every month, I pick random days to leave love notes in his truck. Since our anniversary is during the month of February, I leave one every day of the month. These can be funny, appropriately inappropriate (you know because we’re married), mushy, and more. He loves them, and I love finding fun ways to share my love for him!
PS: LOVE the list above… just be careful w/ number 14, Suzie, LOL! 😉
When hubby finally gets home from being gone for three weeks…I long to do #19!!! We are adventurous even in colder weather so February doesn’t frighten me. =) Thanks so much for sharing. I first saw this book at Kelly Balarie’s place and it sounds great. This list is good too!
Hi Suzie, these are great ideas. Thank you for thinking them up and sharing. I’m going to make it a goal to do #5 soon!
I love how practical and low cost some of these ideas are. As a mom of four, ages 4-13, and one who has special needs, we are often not up for doing big things on one big day. Thank-you. God bless.
I love the practicality and cost-efficiency of these ideas, as well! Suzie’s REAL!
Watch something (not necessarily a sports game) about something that interests him more than me and discuss it with him.
Love all these ideas!! Will definitely have to put some of them to use!! Thanks Suzie!
My husband LOVES Tim Horton’s coffee! So when I bring him home some he knows he is loved!!!!
I like number 28. And I love the 2 recipes mention in the article.thank u for giving us this opportunity to win
Tomorrow is my guy’s 40th birthday. The kids and I will be making him his favorite chocolate chip cookies in lieu of cake, and we’re having birthday steak for dinner. These are a few of his favorite things, and I hope that he will feel how much we love him tomorrow and every day.
Number 24 spoke to me. I’ll surprise him with this tomorrow morning. Thank you, Suzie!
My husband and I have always tried to put each other first. We are not perfect at it. However,when it does work neither feel left out. Of course, sometimes you need to compromise. Truly loving each other is more satisfying than just getting your needs met. The kid in likes me likes the idea of jumping on the bed together. Another key factor is laughter.
Such a great post! And y’all are so cute 🙂 <3
Aw. These are thoughtful, creative ways to express love.
Love these recipes too. I’ll surely try Salted Caramel Hot Choco.
Happy Valentine’s Day and keep spreading good vibes!
I like this suggestion:
16. Dance in your living room to romantic music.
What a great list!! I did something like #16 last night with my sweetie, only it was electronic dance music. He got all shy at first, but then we had a lot of fun! I’ll have to start doing more of what’s on this list!
Suzie, this is a wonderful list. Now that I am retired it is difficult to not argue with him over the little things but this morning I was convicted that I am not praying enough for him. Anyways this morning I spent time praying for him and I just sent him a text. Blessings Diana