Romantic Surprise Ideas 3

The Calendar of Love

Buy a monthly wall calendar featuring an appropriate theme for your partner (race cars, dogs, flowers), then fill in some of the days with planned surprises. Pick one day in each month and pencil in "Night Out." If you have purchased tickets to a sports event or a play, tape the tickets to the appropriate date. Write in any other plans you may have in the proper dates. This idea carries even more surprise when the calendar is given at the beginning of the year. This is because, for instance, your mate may not realize until July that there are vacation or show tickets attached somewhere in August. How ever, you can use this idea at any time of the year.

A Treasure Hunt

Most children dream of coming across a map for buried treasure. Steal this basic idea from childhood to set up a romantic adventure. If you and your partner have made plans to spend time on a beach or at a campsite, this idea is perfect. After buying or making a present for your lover, go to that place and bury the gift. Then walk through the area and map out the trail. Instead of an "X" marking the spot where your gift is buried, use a big red heart. Later on, hand over the "treasure map" to your partner, and watch the adventure begin.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Put together a scrapbook of memories from your lover's life that focuses on your time together. You might include ticket stubs, theater programs, photos, toys, awards, trophies, newspaper clippings, "remember when" notes, love letters, or florist cards from special occasions. (Always make sure to save these precious "scraps.") If you are really ambitious, you could enlist the help of friends or family and act out some special event in your partner's life on videotape.

This idea may be extensive enough to use as a birthday or anniversary present. Or you can make it a simple, unexpected surprise for no apparent reason.

The Limousine Escort

After you have shared an ordinary breakfast together, surprise your lover with a limousine to escort him or her to work. Don't do anything out of the ordinary during the day, but as your lover leaves the office, greet him or her with the same limousine-with you inside. Put on some romantic music, and open a bottle of wine to propose a toast. After a cruise through the city, have the driver take you to a fine restaurant for a romantic dinner. Afterward, have the limousine driver take you to an quiet, intimate place for a nightcap to end your wonderfully romantic evening.

Friday Suspense

Plan a surprise weekend getaway with your lover, per haps to a nearby resort or hotel. On the Friday you will be leaving, give your partner little hints and clues that alert him or her to your mysterious weekend plans. Have the first note waiting on the breakfast table. Without mentioning where you're going, this note should alert your partner to fact that you have a special weekend planned. Throughout the day, send a few more messages to your partner at work. These messages, which can be sent by fax or phone, should reveal a bit more information about the weekend-just enough to pique your partner's curiosity. By the time your lover gets home, have a suitcase packed and a taxi waiting to whisk you off to the hotel or the airport, where you will embark on a marvelous weekend getaway.

Starry-Eyed Wishes

How would you like to have a star named after you? Naming a star after your partner is a wonderful way of surprising him or her, and showing just how much you care. You can easily register a star in your lover's name through the International Star Registry. The presentation of this gift can be intimate and definitely romantic.

On a clear night, suggest a romantic walk in the moonlight. Point out some of the constellations, then casually point to the one that includes your partner's star. When your lover looks at you in confusion, hand over the registration papers, and ex plain that no star could shine as brightly as your love for him or her, but this was the closest you could come.

This is an original and thoughtful gift that shows how much your lover means to you. (For further information, contact the International Star Registry at 1-800-282-3333.)

Reach Out and Touch Someone

When you can't be with your lover, use the telephone to express your love. Put in a call to your partner. When he or she answers the phone, say nothing. Simply play a tape of his or her favorite love song over the phone, then hang up when the song is over. Your lover will know where the call came from.

The same idea can be used by reading your partner's favorite romantic poem. Either tape your personal reading on cassette or do it live. Whichever you decide, keep it emotional and don't allow any lulls in the reading.

Race of Love

If your partner has always fantasized about driving a particular car, rent one for a day (be sure to do this on your partner's day off). Park the car in the driveway before your lover wakes up, and leave the keys on the breakfast table with a note that reads, "Meet me outside." After his or her initial shock, hop into the passenger seat with a picnic basket filled with goodies, and take off for a fabulous day.

Crackerjack Surprise

Turn one of the rooms in your house into a romantic version of a Cracker Jacks box. You will need lots of bal loons (as many as it takes to fill a particular room), a trusted accomplice, a box of Cracker Jacks, and a small gift. Inflate the balloons and put them in large plastic bags. Bring your accom plice these bags, along with the gift, the Cracker Jacks, and a spare house key. While you and your partner are out, have your accomplice go into your home, hide the gift in the chosen room, empty all of the balloons into the room, and close the door. Have your accomplice tape the Cracker Jacks box to the door. On the box, attach a note that reads, "Have fun finding the prize!"

Hiding Spots

One way to have fun with your partner is to hide a gift, then give him or her clues on where to look. If your gift is small, like perfume or a piece of jewelry, you'll find that you can hide it in just about anything. Here are a few ideas:

Buy a new outfit for your partner, pin a dinner invitation to it, then bring the outfit to the dry cleaner's. Have the clerk simply wrap the outfit in plastic and write up a "phony" receipt for it. Later on, ask your partner to please pick up the dry cleaning for you. What a nice surprise will greet your lover when he or she is handed the new outfit, complete with dinner invitation!
Hide a small gift for your partner in some foliage some where near your home. Take your partner for a walk, then pretend to spot something in the area where you have hidden the gift. Urge your partner to inspect the area with you. Wait for the look of surprise when your lover discovers a box with his or her name on it.
Freeze a small gift in an ice cube. Later on, use the ice cube in your partner's drink. Heighten the surprise by making the drink a frothy tropical extravaganza that is festively garnished with pieces of fruit, and decorated with paper parasols. This type of drink will momentarily draw attention away from the ice cube.
Place your gift inside a gingerbread house and present it to your partner as though the house is the actual gift. Your partner won't realize that there is more to your gift until the house is half eaten.
Place a small gift inside a balloon. Inflate this balloon, then tie it in with a bouquet of regular balloons. Tape a pin to the gift card as a hint that the balloons should be popped.

Final Romantic Thoughts on Surprises

One of the nicest ways to express feelings of love and appreciation for your partner is to take an ordinary moment and some how make it special. Surprise loving gestures, no matter how small, serve as sincere messages of your heartfelt feelings. Your partner will appreciate and always remember your special efforts.

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