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  • are you attracted to feminine men?

    Singles & Dating - 4 hours ago

    Additional Details

    i tend to like gay men, i like a guy that can dance. well, that dresses nice, smells good, is intelligent. not all about his muscles. is clean cut, i tend to like gay men. what are you attracted too?
  • Ladies only? Would you find me attractive?

    Singles & Dating - 5 hours ago

  • What should I do now after I told him I like him?

    Singles & Dating - 5 hours ago

    Additional Details

    We've liked each other a long time and I just thought I'd tell him and get over it but he didn't do/say anything. What would you do if you were in this situation? I've waited 2 weeks! I'm thinking it's time to move on.
  • Dating rules in the USA?

    Singles & Dating - 5 hours ago

    Additional Details

    I am getting a divorce and I am wondering if there are any "dating rules" in the USA.(I am originally from Germany).
  • I just came up with another question! Who should I talk to about this?

    Family - 5 hours ago

    Additional Details

    I have a situation (That is explained here- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuA07LpmAMQOBK5CW8QxuAjsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091107140823AAefcGP ) in which I would like to talk to someone about. If you read it you'll know I obviously can't talk to my mom about. My dad and my grandma are just out of the question as well. So who would you guys think to be a good person to talk about this between the following: My sister who knows (younger sister) My older and much more reasonable sister (She doesn't know and I am afraid if I tell her mom might figure out I told her and that would not be pretty) My youth minister (I am a bit unsure about him because I don't know if this information should only be circulated in the family) Or should I only rely on people I don't know online like I am now? I would really love to talk to someone who won't leak the info that I told them back to my mom and who would be understanding and willing to talk to me about this, because this really hits me hard. This is like one of the biggest things I have ever learned of in my life. When I say younger sister I mean younger of my two older sisters
  • i have to go out alone tonight?

    Singles & Dating - 6 hours ago

    Additional Details

    long story short, i absolutely need to leave the house tonight. i am 17 and i have access to a car. the only thing is i cant find anyone to hang out with so i guess it will just be just me. what can i do alone that will be fun and i wont look like a total freak/loner?
  • he told me to text him. but idk if i should?

    Singles & Dating - 6 hours ago

    Additional Details

    Basically we were talking about my stalker. me and this guy flirt alot. he trys getting me jealous. he has a girl. he calls himself a man. he complains about his b i t c h to me. he picked me up for our work meeting. i guess we flirted a little bit. usually hes not like this. like he wouldn't even walk next to me. he kept walking really fast and stuff.and then he said he had to take me home because his friend whom lives 2 hours away is coming over or w.e. im not sure if he even likes me anymore. he seems WAY conferable texting me. like he talks a lot more to me. and he asks me what im doing if im cold ect. idk what to think. i told him see ya weds(that's when i work) he didn't say anything. all he said is text me. i said only if you want me to he laughed and i said bye. WHAT THE F U C K DOES THIS MEAN. should i text him??? and what do you all think :(
  • Why does my girlfriend nag nag at me to get a job?

    Marriage & Divorce - 6 hours ago

    Additional Details

    I dont want her playing.... I dont work , we have been together 10 years off and on and I like to play my game wow and she nags that I need to help her pay bills ...plz u were doing it all along before me and have but she throws his im a single mom shit up in my face and frankly, I just dont care...just useing her. How can I make her shut up and still just sit here and play wow? Im retarded I cant work
  • Is it normal that the only guy that I find attractive is my EX?

    Singles & Dating - 6 hours ago

    Additional Details

    I'm 17 and I broke up with my BF of one year a few months ago. I'm not gay but for some reason he is the only guy that I find attractive. He was such a cutie that I feel like no other guy would ever compare to his cuteness and physical quirks. Is this normal or not normal?
  • Can girls be friends with guys?

    Friends - 6 hours ago

    Additional Details

    I am friends with a lot of guys and all that but some of my friends say that you cant be friends with guys! Is it true that you can't be friends???

10 habits of happy couples

Simple ways to keep relationships strong

By Laura Bickle
1 | 2 | 3

As I toss the empty heart-shaped box in the trash, a thought occurs to me that I dare not share with my husband: I would love him even without the double-chocolate Valentine's Day truffles. It's not the predictable expressions of love that make a relationship endure, but the day-to-day efforts (like truffles on a nondescript Wednesday, for example) that keep couples happy.

First of all, let's state the obvious: There are some things that good relationships just have to have - it's no secret that without trust, honesty and attraction, you're waging an uphill battle. And let's not sugar-coat what we mean by "happy." Even the most blissful of spouses get the urge to fling the occasional forkful of mashed potatoes at each other for leaving crumbs in the butter.

But all that aside, happy couples make a conscious decision to be just that: happy. And they do simple, practical things to keep the spark bright.

Talk, talk, talk

With a heavy family schedule, it's quite possible for a couple to get to the end of the week and realize they haven't communicated much more than to say, "Why is there a Tonka toy in the fridge?" It's a dilemma Lori and Marleau Belanger faced. Their solution? Game night. "A few nights a week, after the kids go to bed, we sit down at the kitchen table and play a game. That way we can just focus on each other."

And to connect between games of backgammon, the Winnipeg couple relies on email. "It sounds weird because we're in the same house and we use the same computer," says Lori. "But if I want to tell him something's coming up, like a family event, I'll email him and remind him about that, and that way I know he's seen it and he can put it on his calendar.... Sometimes he'll just send me little jokes and stuff."

Date

... each other, of course. "Date night" is a constant refrain of couples who describe their relationship as happy. "You know you've got the babysitter, so you know the time is yours," says Joan Marsman, a Toronto marriage and family therapist. "You can dress for it, you can look forward to it, you can fantasize about it. People need that adult time."

Christine and Dave Wilson of Victoria have put a spin on date night. Two years ago, they joined a coed curling team and now, every Thursday night, they leave their two sons with a sitter and hit the rink. Christine says the team aspect ensures they won't miss a night because they know that people are counting on them. And, she adds, "the communication is definitely a lot better. Whether it's the drive out there, while we're standing waiting for our turn or having a drink afterward, we have that time when we're not being interrupted by 'Mom, I want juice,' or 'Dad, I want a story.'"

Spend time apart

OK, this one may seem a little counterintuitive, but it goes back to that old cliché that you can't make another person happy if you're not happy yourself. And pursuing friendships and interests outside of your marriage can make you more fulfilled and rounded, both as a person and a spouse. "As much as I'm a partner, I'm an individual first. And he fell in love with that individual, so maintaining that is part of the relationship," says Orillia, Ont., mother of two Lisa Day, who makes sure she regularly goes out with friends and to the gym.

Let small things slide

1 | 2 | 3

Average (119 Ratings)4.43 out of 5 stars

  • 1. Posted by Tuscanbelle on Thu, Oct 29, 2009

    Fantastic article, I'm proud to say I know I am one of those happy couples. And I agree and practice each item on the list. Awesome :)

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  • 2. Posted by Rabi on Fri, Aug 21, 2009

    How i wish all what is said can be practised, i loved my husband but now adays he is my worst enemy.sometimes i feel i married the wrongest "person".with all these sugesstion i now having hope i can nowhave a new life with him praying and hopeing things will work out as planned.

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  • 3. Posted by Rockrib on Wed, Aug 5, 2009

    I and my wonderful wife Gail have been married for 27 years. Here are some suggestions or those of you hoping to sustain your lifelong comittment. Do not go to bed mad, either at each other or singularly. When you go to sleep for the night a kiss means everything to sleep on. When you wake in the morning a kiss means everything to carry you through your day. It can be when you leave the house for the day or as soon as you wake. Shared household duties is a must. Be diplomatic even though you may think otherwise. Time to talk with each other is critical. I try hard to ask my partner " how was your day honey"? And actually listen to her/him. I love my wife the same way I did when we were young adults and it will never change. Sounds sappy to some of you, but it truly takes two achieve a successful marriage. Thank you

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  • 4. Posted by Crissp on Mon, Aug 3, 2009

    We all know that action speaks louder than words. If your partner is unable to show his love and is having difficulty saying it as well, what else is there to hope for?

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  • 5. Posted by Candylyn&e on Sun, Aug 2, 2009

    I believe that two people have to have things in common - opposites do not necessarily attract because the differences become tensions and points to disagree on. A man is governed by logic and women, by emotions and the softer side. A person considering marriage may think about what they can do or say (everyday) to make their partners life more enjoyable. It's about what you put into a marriage, not what you can get out of it. A good moral standard is imperative to make a relationship last for the long haul. Emotional maturity is another plus. It is a commitment we make before God and not to be taken lightly. Too many people suffer when divorce happens. Love can make us feel on top of the world or send us into the pit of despair. Infatuation is not love, sex is not all there is to love, beauty is not love - it is a meeting of the minds and hearts to be cherished by each other for a lifetime - a hard bill to fill - especially in this world when most people are out for themselves.

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  • 6. Posted by VIVEK on Sun, Aug 2, 2009

    with all the facts being taken care of for keeping your marriage life successful, there are times which need to be passed with great patience like swallowing the most unwanted thing, and this face may take more then longer.

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  • 7. Posted by Kakirindi on Sun, Aug 2, 2009

    marriage is a circus-embrace your clown----by Ingram Kampe

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  • 8. Posted by GetOverIt on Wed, Jul 29, 2009

    Just don't get married. So much easier that way.

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  • 9. Posted by S on Thu, Jul 23, 2009

    THANK YOU Marichka for posting 'The ten secrets to Abundant Love'...what you wrote is thoughtful and beautiful, ond most of all true...I am a middle aged man I am going to copy this and hand it out to a group of people that are special to me... You are greatly blessed with wisdom. Keep the faith!

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  • 10. Posted by S on Thu, Jul 23, 2009

    Thank you #21commentator who calls themselves "nobody", but really is "somebody special'" in making such a beautiful and wonderful comment that is THE TRUTH...when you have God's love in your heart FOR your husband/wife and when you NEVER forget this, you will learn to better forgive one another and always love one another deeply and eternally. I read in Dr Phil's book 'Relationship Rescue' that couples that PRAY TOGETHER have a practically zero divorce rate of 1 in 10,000. How's that for God working in your (love)life!! I am afraid that I lost my marraige, to the beautiful love in my life named Kathy. I tried so hard to save my marraige, but she remained with an unforgiving and hard heart in spite of anything I ever did or said. We did at one time have a strong bond when we prayed together, even over our sick cat, whom almost died. We prayed for her, and the vet said it was a miracle that she recovered. I KNOW that it was God who answered our prayers. I don't think that Kathy is as close to God as she once was, I would like to please ask that you say a prayer for Kathy and I even as you read this please that God may work a miracle and turn this divorce around, that our hearts may be brought together once again in love, in being together again in love. All things are possible in God's love. May I ask that you pray that Kathy's heart be touched by God's love , and that she may know how really sorry I am, and in how much I miss her and love her. Please say a prayer that God may change Kathy's heart in this divorce. Please pray for all couples who are facing separation or divorce, that God may help in fixing the situation, in healing with His Great Love. Thank you for reading, and God Bless, Sincerely , joe dacosta

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