28 Ways to Say ‘I Love You’

by Carol J. Alexander 

Remember the wonderful glow you felt soon after you began dating your spouse and knew this might be The One? If the glow has faded a bit, though your love and appreciation have grown deeper, take time to make sure your spouse knows it.
Try some of these 28 ideas to show your spouse your love – that’s one for each day in February and plenty to recycle throughout the year.

1

Take a walk without the kids, as often as you can. Ask about her day. Do not bring up what happened at your office. Do not bring up what you want to get done on the house. Do not talk about your bowling league. Just listen.

2

Go to bed early, lay in the dark, and talk. Cuddle without expectations of anything more, and just share your hearts. Fall asleep knowing that your best friend is right next to you.

3

Work on a project together. Whether cleaning out the garage or painting the bathroom, working together gives you the opportunity to communicate in a non-threatening way.

4

Establish a regular date night. Take a drive, walk the mall, or go to the park and swing. Stay home and watch a movie cuddling on the couch. Share babysitting with another couple.

5

Send loving text messages throughout the day – a verse for encouragement, a quote, or just an “I Love You.”

6

Surprise your spouse with a special date by trying a new experience. Take a ride on Atlanta’s Skyview Ferris Wheel (skyviewatlanta.com) or hop on Atlanta’s new streetcar system (atlantastreetcar.org) for two different views of the city. Go for a hike in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (nps.gov/chat), rent roller skates or bikes for a tour of Piedmont Park (skateescape.com) or visit a new restaurant in your neighborhood.

7

Remember the first song you danced to? The song that was playing on the radio when you asked her to marry you? Whatever is your song, learn it – then sing it, play it or dance to it, often.

8

When your spouse complains about his day, about how the guy in the next cubicle talks too much, how her computer crashed three times, or that nothing went right, do not offer solutions. Simply encourage the best employee in the world. Build up your spouse without trying to solve the problems.

9

If you are a person of faith, pray for her daily and tell her that you are. In fact, ask her what her prayer needs are so that you have something more than “God, please bless my wife today.”

10

Bake his favorite dish or buy her a favorite sweet. Don’t serve it to the family. This is just for your spouse. If your spouse takes lunch to work, make it for him or her.

11

Take your spouse for an intimate drink to your favorite neighborhood spot, or try a new place, such as Ormsby’s in Atlanta (ormsbysatlanta.com), Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur (vicsandwich.com), Fontaine’s Oyster House in Virginia Highland (nightcapfoodandspirits.com), Shuck’s Oyster and Wine Bar in Brookhaven (h2sr.com.shucks) or one of the Marlow’s Tavern locations around Atlanta (marlowstavern.com). Or treat your spouse to coffee or hot chocolate in a local shop, morning or night.

12

Make a gift. Do you carve wood, fashion metal, or paint? Are you a crafter? Can you make a card with a special message? Create something specifically for your spouse.

13

Give her one of your T-shirts to sleep in. Let her know that it’s one of your favorites. Or, give her one that reminds her of a special place you went together.

14

Ask your mother or sister for a piece of family jewelry (or another heirloom) that your wife would like to have. Give it to her. Have your mother write the history of the piece so that your wife can pass the story on to one of your children someday.

15

Send the kids to Grandma’s for the weekend. Turn off the phones and the computers and spend time together. Whether you work in the yard or watch back-to-back movies, just be together.

16

Spend the night away from home – take a quick retreat to the North Georgia mountains or book a hotel room in town, and get Grandma to stay with the kids. Find an inexpensive cabin to rent at one of Georgia’s State Parks (gastateparks.org), build a campfire and make s’mores.

17

Collect a few pictures of yourself as a child and make a little album for your spouse. Write a caption for each picture sharing your memories from that time period.

18

See the mold in the shower? Scrub it. Sticking to the kitchen floor? Mop it. Need clothes for work tomorrow? Throw in the laundry. Look for what your spouse didn’t get done that day and do it, without saying anything.

19

Don’t complain about all those little things that need doing. Do them yourself. Oil the squeaky door. Re-attach the toilet paper holder to the wall. Caulk the bathroom tub. Take the car for an oil change.

20

Watch the children so your spouse can have an evening out with friends, and do this on a regular basis.

21

While your spouse is at the grocery store, clean the kitchen. Nothing is worse than coming home to a messy kitchen with a car load of groceries. If you have the time, clean the refrigerator, too.

22

Clean out the garage; take out the trash; or vacuum the car. Whatever chores he does on his day off, surprise him by having them done. Even if you just do it once in a while, your husband will love you for it.

23

Kiss good-bye in the morning, every morning. Kiss hello in the evening, every evening. Kiss goodnight, every night.

24

Whether you are walking for exercise or just shopping the mall, walk with your spouse, not 10 feet ahead. Hold hands so you stay together.

25

Give him or her a massage. You don’t have to be a professional massage therapist to help out an achy back. After the kids go to bed, put a comfy mat on the floor and give your undivided attention while massaging out all the kinks.

26

Reconnect with Atlanta’s movie scene – yes, people still have fun at the movies. Go for Martinis and IMAX at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, or make a reservation for dinner and a movie at AMC Fork & Screen in Buckhead (amctheatres.com), CineBistro in Brookhaven (cinebistro.com), Studio Movie Grill in Alpharetta (studiomoviegrill.com) or the Movie Tavern at Northlake Festival in Tucker, at Horizon Village in Suwanee and at Sandy Plains Village in Roswell (movietavern.com).

27

Do not walk through a room where your spouse is without touching in some way – placing your hand on a shoulder, stroking a cheek to say “I care about you.”

28

Watch your wedding video together. When the part comes up where you say your vows, say them out loud to each other again.