Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

Sparks That Last Forever https://unsplash.com/@whynottogoforit It seems improbable that a relationship can maintain it's passion through decades of wear and tear from life's ups and downs. But I'm here to tell you that it is possible. Not easy. But possible. It's not the same passion as newly falling in love, as we've discussed before, but I can testify that it is even better than that dizzy feeling of heading into a relationship with uncertainty for the future. Because by now, I'm in the future of my relationship.  Three and a half decades later of being with the same partner has brought some sobering perspectives to our outlook. The comfort of knowing each other relatively well; knowing that your are loved; knowing how to love in return - these are the joys of longevity in a relationship. Further reading suggestion It Just Keeps Getting Better It’s important to remember that nothing stays the same. Not even when you've been together seemingly forever.  We...

Turns Out You Don’t Need to Go Far At All Dating in the comfort of your own home is a thing! https://unsplash.com/@heftiba There are many reasons to stay home for a cozy date night in. Tired Lockdown Too cold Kids Couldn’t be bothered. That last one is a real doozy! If you can’t be bothered to make an effort, you need to ask yourself why. But that’s a post for another day. Date Night In The beauty is that it can be as glamorous or as casual as you want it to be. I've made some suggestions below, but of course, imagination is your only limit . https://unsplash.com/@joshstyle Dance night - thanks to my happily married cousin, this has become a hit in our household. I've curated a carefully selected range of songs for a quiet night in:  Date Night In Lounge floor picnic - rugs, cushions, classical music; who says picnics are for the outdoors only! DIY Day - revamp a dull corner of your home, and your relationship with a bit of titillating. As seen in the bright yellow image above ...

I Have Good News for You So far, you have followed mine and James' progress into blissful mid-life marriage. You've read of our ups and downs through our relationship success, and now I'm overjoyed to share that I've created an ebook for you from our Date Year experiences! https://unsplash.com/@valentinantonucci It's the sequel to my memoir, out later this year, but gives the backstory to our tumultuous young beginnings and into keeping the spark alive through three and a half decades together. It has the same title as the blog, Creating Sparks that Last by Elora Canne. It's available for preorder today, at the link below. I want in!   Here's a Cheeky Joke to Make You Smile It's an old joke that people tell: Women need a  reason  to have sex, men just need a  place . - From Tonja Vallin in her article The Surprising Benefits of Holding Hands - Including Better Sex Here's the full article if you're interested   It's an informative look at the ...

Fast Track Your Relationship Success I’ll admit straight off that relationships are complex, but I can guarantee  one secret weapon you need, for relationship success. https://unsplash.com/@coopery “We do not see the world as it is, we see it as we are.” Anaïs Nin You are your own secret weapon in every relationship you encounter. The deeper you know yourself, the happier your relationships will be. Know your triggers. Know your boundaries. Know your deal breakers. If you know those things intimately about yourself, you have the power to steer your choices in the direction of your happiness. When you know yourself so well, you understand your own perspective more clearly. You understand why you are hurt by someone’s words or actions because it originates in your psyche. Your thoughts about that situation. I’m not discounting the fact that there are hurtful people in the world, I am exemplifying your strength of character to navigate your perspective inwards. Understand that you ca...

Self Care Ideas https://unsplash.com/@taiamint [The last in our Self-Love mini-series] “You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.”   Diane Von Furstenberg Last week our post was a little on the long side. I really didn’t want to leave anything out because I felt it was all so important for our wellbeing. This week though, we have a 1 minute self-care video to watch. Enjoy the soothing music and simple self-care suggestions. Show yourself a little love    If you’d like to read last week’s post in snatches, here’s the link: The Art of Restorative Self-Love https://unsplash.com/@avasol How do you know when you're starting to need a little extra self-care?  For example, I get very sweary and I don't normally speak like that, so I know that it's time to pay attention to my stressors and find healthy ways to eliminate them. Do you have a self-care routine or ritual?

That Depends on YOU Dear Reader And by you, I mean how you are treating yourself Yes, you have responsibilities and commitments and people who depend on you, BUT, you have to care for yourself first if you are to have anything left to give - Elora Canne https://unsplash.com/@quincoetzee I wrote the following article to help with my recovery, after an out-of-the-blue mental breakdown at work. So I know that the tiny steps I have outlined WORK. They will significantly impact your mental state positively and your outlook for the day ahead: The Art of Restorative Self-Love As a recovering Meltdown Survivor, this is what I’ve learnt.   No-one can love another, male or female, until you love yourself entirely. Not with the vanity of feeling better than anyone else and not by exerting power over another. Self-love involves being gentle with yourself in all interactions, even when you are gently letting go of a person who no longer embraces your desire to live calmly. No human bein...

How to Heal Your Own Heart and Still Be Kind to Others Welcome to the second instalment in our new mini-series Our Relationship with Ourselves                                                                     https://unsplash.com/@bartlarueeppler Spiritually, the four chambers of the heart represent: ♥  Compassion:  Kindness, c oncern, consi deration, c are      ♥   Love: F ondness, rev erence, r espect, v alue ♥   Understanding:   Thoughtful, a ltruistic, a ccepting, p atient ♥   Emotion:   Feeling, s entiment, p assion, s ensation https://unsplash.com/@snowidesignz                               ...