11 ways to bring the sizzle back into your marriage

culled from:pulse.ng

A marriage left to itself will eventually die a natural death due to neglect by the two people involved.

As a husband, you may ask yourself: How can my wife and I be more romantic? We both know that we need to step up the romance in our marriage, but we are short on ideas to achieve this.

There are several creative ways to do this - ramp up the romance factor in your relationship - but remember you want to make sure your demonstration of affection is above all, authentic.

Don't do something just simply to show a grand gesture, or to show off to friends or family how loving you can be for your partner. Keep it meaningful between you and only the two of you.

Below are 11 ways to bring back the sizzle in your marriage:

1. Arrange to do something you may not love, but you know that your partner adores, is a big fan of, but maybe doesn't get to do very often. This says to them that their needs are important to you and you want them to be happy and you will join them in their passions - maybe not every time, but enough to show you care about their needs and desires.
2. Make a list of things you are grateful for in your relationship and hide them around the house to find like a treasure hunt, ending in the bedroom.
3. Plan a mystery night full of surprises. Surprises are exciting, build anticipation and when paired with romance, increase libido and arousal.
4. If you have kids, make arrangements for the next eight Friday or Saturday nights and present two months worth of available date nights to show you prioritise the relationship and spending time alone together.
5. Go out, but recreate the key elements of your first date and tell them about what you thought of each other on your first date together.
6. Go have fun and be silly together. Being playful reminds you each of the joy you share and why you choose to stay together, every day. Break from routine and go discover something new together to feel invigorated about one another. Try a trip to the zoo, an adventure day, do something touristy, visit a botanic garden, try mini golf or a new sport.
7. Write complimentary and loving adjectives about your partner and text, tweet, email or whisper them one at a time all throughout the day or even week.
8. Remember the days when you would make your loved one a mixed tape of all your favourite songs? Do it the digital way and create a romantic and fabulous playlist for them on their iPod or smartphone so when they listen to it they think of you.
9. Plan a bedroom picnic with food and toys to delight each other with for dessert.
10. Cook them a sexy dinner with ingredients that contain aphrodisiacs like oysters, tomatoes, pine nuts, spices, and wine.
11. Make homemade love coupons and present them to your lover to "cash in" when they choose.