Originally saw this in Readers Digest Canada online

50 Ways to Woo Your Lover
By Gregory J.P. Godek
from "1001 Ways to Be Romantic"

Read this list or better yet print it out. From the school of thought that relationships and marriages do not have to be dissolved as often as they are, if we just put some real effort into building and sustaining them. I subscribe to this school of thought. Choose from ideas that are Creative, Outrageous, Affordable, Quick or Classic. Link for book takes you over to book site where other similar books are suggested. Godek has a sequel out as well-1001 More Ways....

Creative

Looking for some fun ways to add romance your relationship? Try these creative romance tips:

Give your lover a dozen roses - and do it with a creative twist. Give eleven red roses and one white rose. Attach a note that reads: "In every bunch there's one who stands out - and you are that one."

Fake a power outage at home. (Loosen the fuses or throw the breaker switches.) With no TV to tempt you . . . with
no computer to occupy you . . . with no furnace to heat you . . . you pretty much have no choice but to get out the candles, huddle around the fireplace and be romantic!

Get your partner a wristwatch. Inscribe it with: "I always have time for you."

Attach a one-hundred-dollar bill to a Victoria's Secret catalog, along with a note to him saying, "You choose."

Identify that one pivotal event that brought the two of you together. Celebrate that event every year.

Practice "Even-Day/Odd-Day" Romance: On even days it's your turn to be romantic, and on odd days it's your partner's turn.

Following a bubble bath you've prepared for her, wrap her in a towel that you've warmed up in the dryer.

Write your partner a love letter or poem on one sheet of paper. Glue it to thin cardboard, cut it up into puzzle-shaped pieces, then mail all the pieces. Or, mail one puzzle piece per day!

Remove all the paper strips (that say "Kisses" on them) from a couple hundred Hershey's Kisses. Fill a jewelry box with them. Wrap 'em up and present them to your partner. Write a certificate explaining that the slips are coupons redeemable for one kiss each.

Doesn't your partner deserve a trophy for being the "World's Best Lover"? Trophy shops have a wealth of ideas waiting for you. Just think of the romantic possibilities of plaques, medals, ribbons, nameplates, certificates and banners. And they all can be personalized, engraved, lettered or monogrammed.


Outrageous

To make a big impression, consider these outrageous romance tips:

Visit a karaoke bar and surprise your lover by getting up and singing "your song" to him/her.

Kidnap her! Blindfold her. Drive her around town until she's thoroughly lost. Then reveal your destination: Her favorite restaurant, or maybe a romantic inn.

Make a GIANT greeting card out of a big cardboard box, (such as the type used to pack a refrigerator).

Does your partner love M&Ms? Fill a one-gallon glass jar with them as a gift.

Want to jazz up the presentation of a special meal? Buy a little hunk of dry ice from a local ice house. Put it in a bowl of water and place it on your serving tray. You'll create wondrous, billowing white clouds!

Call your partner from work, every-hour-on-the-hour, just to say "I love you."

Slow-dance at a restaurant-when there's no music playing.

It's romantic-but commonplace-to eat dinner by candlelight. So here's a change of pace: Eat breakfast by candlelight.

Take your lover on a surprise two-week vacation to Paris.

Many couples have "His" and "Hers" matching towels, but here are some other ideas: "His" and "Hers" matching silk pajamas, motorcycles, T-shirts, overnight bags (have them packed at all times), jack-o-lanterns at Halloween, rocking chairs, Porsches (millionaires need love, too), heart-shaped tattoos, Christmas tree ornaments, tennis rackets, beach towels.


Affordable

Short on cash but big on love? Try these affordable romance tips:


Spend the entire day watching romantic movies.

If you'd like to spend a romantic summer night making wishes on falling stars, mark the second week in August on your calendar. The earth passes through the Perseides Meteor Belt around August 12th every year, which usually results in spectacular shows for two to three nights.

Buy a lottery ticket. Give it to your partner with a little note attached: "I hit the jackpot when I married you!"

Pick flowers for your partner from the side of the road.

Write a short note to your lover that's spread out over several postcards, then mail the cards one at a time. You'll build anticipation for the romantic conclusion on the final postcard. (Maybe deliver that last one in person.)

If you're not much of a writer, create an audio love letter. Sit down with a tape recorder and just talk to her for ten minutes. Then giftwrap it and mail it to her.

Don't just go out to a movie on Saturday, like always. Call your partner from work on Wednesday and formally ask for a date.

Call a local radio station and request a special love song to be dedicated to your partner. Make sure he or she listening!

Make a custom certificate for your lover. (You can get blank certificate forms at a stationery or paper store.) Here are some suggestions: A certificate "For Putting Up with Me Over the Years", an award for "The World's Best Wife", a ribbon "For Hugs & Kisses Above and Beyond the Call of Duty"

Mail your partner a Rolodex card with your name and number on it. Write on it: "Your instant resource for love. Call when lonely."


Quick

If you don't have as much time as you'd like for love, try these swift but sweet romance tips:


Write "I love you" on the bathroom mirror with a piece of soap.

Place a little love note or poem under the driver's side windshield wiper of his or her car.

Every once in a while, kiss her hand with a flourish. Note: The proper way to kiss a woman's hand is to lower your lips to her hand. You don't raise her hand to your lips.

Have "your song" playing on the stereo when your partner returns home from work.

When out together in public, wink at your partner from across the room.

On your partner's birthday, send a "thank you" card to his/her mother.

Unplug the TV. Put a note on the screen saying, "Turn me on instead."

Make a toast to one another every time you hold a wine glass. Make eye contact. Take turns making the toast. Whisper it.

Get the whole "family of products" in the fragrance of her favorite perfume (bath powder, soaps, cremes, candles, etc.)

Call your partner from work for no other reason than to say, "I love you."


Classic

Looking for a tried and true method for declaring your love? Consider these classic romance tips:


Spread rose petals all over the bedroom.

What could be more classic than a fine gold locket with your photo inside? (Maybe a photo of the two of you.)

Bring home one small, unexpected gift each week.

Write a classic, romantic, passionate, handwritten, heartfelt love letter. Most adults haven't written a love letter since high school. (Why not? Have we lost our youthful idealism, or have we just gotten lazy?)

When traveling, give your partner a bouquet of roses; one rose for each day that you'll be away. Attach a note that says something like this: "These three roses represent the three days I'll be away from you. They also symbolize the love, joy and laughter we share together."

Say "I love you" at least three times a day.

Guys: Surprise her by performing one of her chores for her. (And not something easy like carrying the groceries in from the car, something that requires some time and effort - like cooking all the meals over a weekend, or cleaning the entire house.)

Ladies: Send him a letter sealed with a kiss. (Use your reddest lipstick.)

Hold hands.

On your yearly romantic checklist, make plans for Valentine's Day - well in advance!

"1001 Ways to Be Romantic," copyright © 2000 by Gregory J. P. Godek, is published at $14.95 by SourceBooks, 1935 Brookdale, Road, Suite 139, Naperville, IL 60563