Make the Holidays More Romantic

Get in the Spirit

With all the craziness of the holiday season -- from shopping to decorating to baking -- it's easy to put romance on the back burner. Instead, try one -- or more! -- of these ideas to add some festive fun to your relationship.

1. Serve your man a steaming cup of hot chocolate -- with extra marshmallows -- when he comes in from shoveling the snow. Or better yet, join him outside to play in the snow.
2. Arrange for a romantic sleigh ride through the streets of your city or a nearby field. Cuddle up under the blanket to keep warm.
3. Celebrate crossing items off your holiday shopping list by stopping for a steaming cup of flavored coffee and some conversation.
4. Fill each other's stockings with sexy gifts like massage lotion and lingerie. Carve out some time to actually use them!
5. Share a hot bubble bath on a cold winter night. For extra bubbles, sip champagne while you soak.
6. Start planning a trip somewhere warm. Whether you actually go or not, it's fun to fantasize about escaping the cold and lying on the beach.
7. Hang mistletoe in a spot you have to pass frequently -- and don't go by without a smooch!
8. Rent classic holiday movies like It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol (or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, if you want a laugh), build a fire in the fireplace, and share a cozy evening at home.
9. After decorating the house and Christmas tree, turn off all the lights, and admire your handiwork in the glow of the tree lights.
10. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. You'll get to spend quality time together, plus you'll realize how fortunate you really are.
11. Bake your husband's favorite Christmas cookies -- and ask him to be the "chief cookie-tester."
12. Put on a CD of holiday music in the car and drive around your neighborhood to check out the lights and decorations. Pick your favorite and vote on the "most over-the-top" display -- every neighborhood has someone who really goes to town!
13. Mark the end of the old year and the beginning of the new by opening a bottle of wine and reminiscing about the events of the past year and sharing what you hope for in the coming year.
14. Get creative (and silly!) and compose your own Christmas letter to friends and relatives. Challenge your mate to see which of you can come up with the funniest, most outrageous letter -- and then don't send it out!
15. Play secret Santa and leave each other little gifts (movie tickets, candy, a CD) in unexpected places like a briefcase, the car, or on his pillow.