Mediterranean Casserole

Check out this really hearty dinner perfect for the whole family. I kind of threw these ingredients together to come up with this casserole but none the less it is really yummy and definitely worth trying! 

Ingredients:

12 x Meatballs
4 x Medium White Potatoes
1 x Onion
1 X Pepper
150g Chorizo Roughly Sliced/Cubed
2 x Garlic Cloves
1 x 400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 x 400g Tin Cannellini Beans
1 x Tbsp Paprika

Method:

1) Fry the meatballs in a little oil until brown then remove from pan and set aside.

2) Add onion, pepper, chorizo and garlic to pan and gently fry until softened. Add the paprika and stir.

3) Add the tin of tomatoes and about 1/4 of the empty tomato tin of water.  Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15mins.  Add the cannellini beans and stir through.

4) Meanwhile, while the sauce is simmering boil the potatoes until soft.

5) Add the potatoes and meatballs to the sauce and place in the oven to cook for a further 15mins.

Love Sophie...xxx

Ham & Cheese Sliders

Wow these look amazing don't they?! (Now if I only knew what Hawaiian Rolls are!)  I will be trying these at the weekend and I really cant wait they look fabulous!

Check out See Aimee Cook for this very tasty looking recipe and if you want a quick look at the recipe see below:

Ham & Cheese Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
12 Hawaiian sweet bread dinner rolls, split in half
1/2 lb thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 lb thinly sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp poppy seeds, optional

Preheat oven to 350. 

Evenly distribute the ham and cheese among the rolls and make sandwiches with each. Arrange them all in a 9x13 pan.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and poppy seeds. Bring to a boil and then pour over top of the sandwiches. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are browned and the cheese is melted. Serve warm.

This Week I'm Loving...Cold, Crisp Walks

Check out these great photos of our walk through Bournemouth Gardens the other day.  We were actually on our way to the park after doing a bit of shopping in Bournemouth town centre and I just couldn't resist capturing some of these wonderful autumnal colours on camera.  I must say since starting this Blog I have really started to appreciate capturing the moment and getting the camera out to 'stop and smell the roses'.

Is Santa Real??

Yes of course! Is my immediate reply to my six year old daughter! My three year old has quite rightly and somewhat obviously never questioned his existence...yet! But my six year old has asked on a couple of occasions now. I feel really disappointed when she asks as I feel like she is already beginning to lose her childhood innocence and I put it down to her poor fellow classmates who already know Santa is not real! To be honest I feel quite sad for these kids and wonder why their parents don't want to encourage the wonder and excitement of Father Christmas? 

I've quite rightly, in my opinion, told my daughter that he is definitely real and if she doesn't believe then he may not come and leave any presents.  I hope this is good enough and the magic will stay strong for a few more years yet! As a child I loved the excitement of Christmas and truly believed my Mum when she told me Santa was real - I really wanted to believe and feel it did no harm to me and does no harm to anyone else.  In fact I think I believed in father Christmas until I moved out of home! 

Well now I have finished with my feelings all I have left to say is GO SANTA!

Check out this great page from Netmums which gives you some perfect answers to all your children's difficult Santa questions! It also has contains links to some fab Santa apps! 

Sophie..x

Try The Stick Man Trail With Your Kids

Last weekend we thought we'd take the kids for an outside adventure and get a bit of fresh air while we were at it. We visited our local Forestry Commission Moors Valley to take part with their Stick Man Trail. At £2.00 per child you get a Stick Man guide book and also some pipe cleaners to use when making your very own Stick Man. There is a route guided by signs and hidden Stick Men which provide activities as you go and instructions are given on how to make your own Stick Man too!  We all really enjoyed ourselves and made sure we found each and every hidden Stick Man along the way!  The Hubby was engrossed in making the girls their own Stick Men with their hand picked sticks and we ended the day with a trip to the adventure park.  Of course no brisk winter walk is complete without a glass (or two) of mulled cider and hot chocolate and we all warmed ourselves feeling satisfied with our great day out.

With most trails running until the end of January I would definitely recommend you give this a go! 

Love Sophie..x

Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Bloglovin for all the latest updates! 

OMG..It's December!

I don't know about you but I cannot believe how fast 2013 has gone! In case you didn't realise it is the 2nd of December today - wow! I started the Christmas preparations a little late this year (I'm blaming my new hobby - the Blog) but I am nearly there and feeling a little chuffed with myself!  We are going to the In-Laws for Christmas this year and I am really looking forward to it especially as all the responsibility is being taken on by them and not me (until our turn next year)! 

My children have been asking about the Christmas tree already and although I am a huge fan of Christmas this is one thing I try to put off for as long as possible.  

I'm not sure why I dislike the Christmas tree so much but I just can't stand having it up.  I guess the main reason is that it takes up too much space and just gets in my way.  It does however act as a good storage space for all the presents (not the kid's) I have bought and are currently piled up against the wall in my bedroom. I always aim for around two weekends before the big day and put it up then and try and get it down again before the New Year - I'm such a Scrooge! 

There is also the question of who will decorate the tree - ugh! This is a hard one for me as I am a bit of a control freak and like to have a stylish, neat tree however the girls like to stick on anything they can find!  My three year old likes to hang all of her decorations on one branch and my six year old likes to stick on A4 bits of paper with her drawings.  In the end I let the girls hang their decorations and then secretly move them when they are not looking (I know, there's that Scrooge again)! 

Apart from the dreaded Christmas tree I do like all the other Christmas decorations and have invested in some new ones this year so will look forward to putting them up.  My Husbands job is to put up the outside lights.  There isn't that many just a few icicles to hang up but last year they didn't make an appearance much to the girls dismay, this year I will be cracking the whip!

So here's wishing you all a great December! Please let me know what the Christmas preparations are like in your house - I'd love to hear from you!

Love Sophie..x

The Last Instalment For NaBloPoMo!

It's the 30th November and today is the last post for NaBloPoMo! I hope you have enjoyed hearing from me everyday!?  If not don't worry the torture has come to an end! Thanks to Vonnie at Nowt Special for hosting NabloPoMo 2013 for us and to answer her Day 30 prompt - The hardest part about blogging everyday for me is trying to come up with something interesting to say!

For this last post I thought I'd link to some of my favourite November 13 posts:

1. Turning 30!
2. Buns In My Oven
3. Job Description Of A Mum
4. The Book Of Bedtime Stories
5. Ode To Mummy
6. Pizza Rolls
7. Meet The Kittens
8. Give A Three Year Old A Camera...
9. This Week I'm Loving...
10. A Blast From The Past

I hope you enjoy reading these...if you would like to hear more from me please follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin!

Now let's wave goodbye to November and welcome in December!

HaHa! Kids Say The Funniest Things!

My kids are hilarious sometimes, the things that come out of their mouths can really make me chuckle! Take the time when I asked our six year old 'What were the names of the first people put on earth according to the bible?' and she answered "Bert & Ernie?" This one tickled me for days! Another one that remains prominent in my mind is when she saw daddy's Calvin Klein band showing above his jeans and asked "who's Kevin Clean daddy?"

 

Here's a few more to make you smile:

"Mummy I have a really important question for you....Do Africans go to Peppa Pig World?" 

"I can name all the countries Mummy: England, Scotland, France, Africa, The North Pole, Australia, Wales, America, Turkey, France, England, Paris and.........Butlins!" 

Two year old Daughter: "My chocolate milk just bit me!"

And here are a few from my friends children:

My friend's three year old Daughter: "What are the birds looking for? My Friend: "Worms." Daughter: "What flavour?"

Another friend's four year old: "What a handsome willy you have Daddy!"

Hopefully you have had a bit of a chuckle reading these! If you have any funny things your kids have said please feel free to share them below - I'd love to hear from you!

Sophie..x 

P.S This is My NaBloPoMo Post #29 only one more to go! If you would like to keep updated with all things Yummy Mummy Survival please follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Bloglovin (Links on your right!).

Goodbye Cone Heads!

Hurray! We can finally say goodbye to the Cone Heads who have invaded our house for the last ten days! 

No I'm not talking about aliens from outer space but actually of our kittens who recently had an operation and came back looking like Queen Elizabeth 1 and feeling very sorry for themselves! 

As part of the conditions of adopting a cat from the Cats Protection we were required to get the kittens neutered which is of course best all round.  We don't want an influx of kittens and neither to the Cats Protection. With almost 9 million cats in the UK the only effective way to reduce the numbers of unwanted cats is to have them neutered at an early age.

The operation is quite painless and the Vet makes a really small incision to the left side, pain relief is administered and the surgery is quick.  I must admit that BeeBea and Betsy were not themselves for a few days after the surgery and keeping the plastic collars on them for 10 days was hard but now they are absolutely fine and almost ready to be trusted outside in the big wide world.  

So now we have made our contribution to keeping the cat population under control we can rest easy.  I urge all cat owners to consider having their cats neutered as they will be less likely to wander, stray, call (if female), spray (if male). The chance of contracting some infectious cat diseases will be reduced, as will the likelihood of developing mammary tumours (breast cancers), pyometra (life threatening womb infections), testicular cancer, and many other illnesses. Male cats in particular will improve in physical body condition and their urine will smell less pungent!

Thank you for reading my NaBloPoMo post #25! 

Sophie..x

Give A Three Year Old A Camera...

Morning Everyone - It's NaBloPoMo #23 today!

My daughter Sasha is three years old and decided she would like a go at using my camera.  The results are quite amusing and gave me and my Hubby a good giggle so I thought I'd share them with you!  

This is what happened...

You've got to love them! 

Please follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Bloglovin for daily updates!

The Easiest & Tastiest Lasagne!

This is my absolute favourite go-to recipe and I make it all the time whether it is just for me, hubby and the kids or whether I am having a bigger get together with friends and family.  

It is perfect served with breads and salad and its' a real winter warmer.  It is also the most easiest meal to make and so tasty too! You should really give it a go!

Ingredients:

500g Minced Beef

1tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion

1 Carrot

1 Pepper

Jar of Italian Tomato Sauce

Tin Condensed Mushroom Soup

1/2pint Milk

Lasagne Sheets (Dried)

Grated Cheese (Mozzarella or Chedder)

Method:

1) Add olive oil to a frying pan and fry chopped onion, carrots and peppers. (You can add other veg too if you like i.e. mushrooms or celery).

2) Once the veg is softened add the minced beef and fry until browned.

3) Add the ready made Italian tomato sauce i.e. Dolmio and stir.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins.

4) Whilst the meat and sauce is cooking prepare the white sauce by adding milk and soup to a jug and stir well to mix. 

5) When the beef is ready add half of the mixture into a casserole/lasagne dish and top with a layer of lasagne sheets.  Pour half the milk/soup mixture over the top of the sheets evenly.

6) Repeat as above adding a layer of beef then a layer of lasagne sheets and top with the remainder of the white sauce.

7) Top the lasagne with the grated cheese of your choice and cook in the oven for 45mins at 200C/Gas 6 until golden.

I hope you like this recipe! For more recipes please visit my Food & Baking page! 

This Week I Am Loving...

This week I am loving... reading to my 6 year old daughter as she is especially into the Clarice Bean books by Lauren Child.  These books are fab and it's not only my daughter who can't get enough but me and my hubby love them too! 

Check out the amazing interactive official website of Lauren Child who is also the writer of Charlie & Lola too.

Don't forget its NaBloPoMo #16 - Please visit http://nowtspecial.wordpress.com for more Blogs taking part! 

Meet The Kittens!

Earlier in the year, just as the summer holidays began we adopted two new kittens from the Cats Protection. We already had two older male cats named Frankie & Sonny but as they came before the kids they were never interested in our children in fact they would run in the opposite direction!  After much begging from the children especially Brooke asking for a dog we decided that although a dog would be too much responsibility for us we could take on another cat.  So off we went to visit one of the many litters of kittens at the Cats Protection in Poole.  During our visit we had many cuddles with all the kittens and decided to adopt a little girl named Betsy subject to a house check made by one of the Cats Protection volunteers.  As we drove home after our visit the girls were talking in the back of the car and my hubby and I exchanged 'the look' after hearing the girls discuss whose bed Betsy would be sleeping on...it went a little like this..."She's going to sleep on my bed..no she's going to sleep on my bed...no she will want to sleep on mine" etc etc.. As Betsy was part of a litter of four we decided to phone the Cats Protection as soon as we got home and ask if we could adopt Betsy's sister BeaBee as well.  Well they said yes and now we have four cats! (Just call me the crazy cat lady!

I can't recommend the Cats Protection enough, the kittens are healthy and incredibly friendly. They have fitted into our family incredibly well and are now confident and happy!  They are also incredibly cheeky and mischievous, as I write this BeaBee is walking across the lounge with an empty biscuit packet in her mouth which she has retrieved from the bin - I do feed them btw although they don't act like it!  

Now we couldn't be without them and even though they can be trouble, the benefits you receive from owning cats are huge and I must stress that they are especially good if you like cuddles! 

Sophie.x

P.S: Thank you for reading today if you would like to comment please do as I love to hear from you! 

This is post #15 for NaBloPoMo!  You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter just click on the Links to the right! 

Pizza Rolls

These pizza rolls are incredibly easy to make and really taste good.  As chief lunch box maker I do sometimes feel despondent  at the thought of another daily lunch box making sesh, so these are great to make at the weekend and store in the freezer.  When you need to provide an easy yet scrummy lunch all you have to do is whip these bad boys out and send them on their way (the family and the pizza rolls)! 

1) Make your dough, I make mine using a bread maker all you need to do is tip in the correct ingredients, press start and wait for 90 mins.  If you don't have a bread maker you can easily make your own dough using a recipe on the net.

2)  Once the dough is ready to handle, roll out into a large rectangular shape using a rolling pin (see below).

3) Using ready made pizza sauce or red pesto or even your own home made sauce cover the dough thinly. Grate some cheese and sprinkle over the top of the pizza sauce (Quick Tip: Don't be tempted to add too many toppings - less is more).

4) Roll the covered dough carefully into a swiss roll shape and cut into sections around 1-1/2" wide.

5) Place the cut rolls/sections onto an oven proof tray lined with baking paper and cook in a oven set to 200C/Gas 6 for around 20 mins or until golden and firm.

It's NaBloPoMo #14 today! For more Blogs please visit Vonnie at http://nowtspecial.wordpress.com.  You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter just click on the Links to the right! 

Ode to Mummy (Me)!

Isn't this lovely?! I was tidying up the lounge the other day when I found this drawing among a pile of paper work.  At closer inspection I realised it is a drawing by my eldest daughter Brooke (aged six) where she has written down all the things I do for her and her sister!  I must admit after I deciphered what she had written it pulled at my heart strings hence the photo I took and this post! 

If you are also finding it hard to read (I don't blame you) let me decipher it for you now:

Brushing our herre (hair).
Taking us out to fun playses (places) with are (our) frends (friends).
Takeing (taking) us on rides at theme parks.
I like playing skiping (skipping) - I don't think this one is relevant to me! Lol!
Helping us all.
Ceeping (keeping) safe.
Doing chors (chores).
Helping me not to be late whenever I need to go enewer (anywhere).

Ahh bless her, the six year old teenager can be so lovely when she wants to be (cue tear to my eye)!  

Please feel free to comment - Take care everyone!

Remember I am taking part in NaBloPoMo and this is #13! For more Blogs please visit Vonnie at http://nowtspecial.wordpress.com.  You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter just click on the Links to the right! 

MumsNet Book Review -The Book Of Bedtime Stories

Do you and your children enjoy reading bedtime stories together? If the answer is "yes" then you should give The Book Of Bedtime Stories by Walker Books a VIP space on your book shelf and be prepared for some quality family reading time! 

Thanks to Mumsnet my family and I were given the chance to read and review The Book Of Bedtime Stories and we really enjoyed getting the chance to do so*.  Each story has been individually chosen by Michael Rosen from over 400 entries submitted to the Mumsnet and Gransnet children's story competition. 

With ten beautifully written stories taking between five and ten minutes to read (please see the list of stories below), when I asked my girls to choose their favourite story they had trouble doing so but when pushed my six year old chose 'A Parcel For Theo' and my three year old chose 'The Dancing Bear'. Personally my favourite's were 'Allie To The Rescue' and 'The Night Thief And The Moon' which in my opinion should be made into a short film as the narrative is unbelievably descriptive and really provokes the imagination!  If I was to say anything negative the only thing missing from this book are some more funny stories! Although each story included is beautifully written and most are very classic in their nature we do like a bit of a giggle in our house as well.  Never the less this doesn't take away from the fact that we all really enjoy reading these stories together and The Book Of Bedtime Stories is currently on top of the pile!

The ten prize winning stories are listed below with a brief description of what you will find:


Time For Bed - A story about a little boy and his adventures before bed.
When Polly Jumped Over The Moon - A young cow who achieves her dream.
The Sheriff Of Rusty Nail - A sheriff who won't ride a horse but chooses a pig instead.
Bedtime At The Lighthouse - A story of two children staying with their grandparents who live below a light house.
Celeste, Who Sang To The Stars - An intriguing tale of a little girl who rescues the stars.
Allie To The Rescue - The adventures of an alpaca at her new home.
Princess Imogen's Independent Day - A princess who wants to do it all herself only to find that story time is best spent with others.
The Dancing Bear - A tale of an unusual friendship between a bear and a little girl.
A Parcel For Theo - A great little story about a boy and his lost toy jaguar.
The Night Thief And The Moon - A story of a blue creature who rises once every 100 years.

The Book Of Bedtime Stories is available from most book shops and if you need some new children's stories should definitely be on your shopping list. 

* All opinions are my own and I have not been paid to write this review.

Job Description Of A Mum

Its NaBloPoMo #8 time and I am really trying my best to remain positive today but it has been trying I must admit.  I have been really busy this morning, I literally haven't stopped.  I've done the housework, worked out, been to the doctors done the school run and popped into the shops, I have also just picked up Sasha from nursery and have finally got home.  So imagine this...I finally manage to get myself some food when I hear the dreaded words; "Mummy I've spilt my drink"! An entire cup of orange juice is now sinking through my favourite rug and I have to stop any idea of lunch while I clean up.  Whilst cleaning up I am actually carrying around my lunch back and forward from the lounge to the kitchen in order to stop the kittens descending on it like vultures (ridiculous sight I know)! Once I have finished cleaning the spillage I reach for my plate and go to sit down but stop and sniff the air only to find the kittens have used their litter tray - Nice!.  Lunch? Hold that thought! 

My tale of woe goes on but I will spare you the boredom - I know you've all been there too! However after sitting in yet another traffic jam later this afternoon I work out that I have been driving back and forth for 2 hours! I feel like a taxi driver, only I don't get paid!  

This leads me to ponder how much would you charge to be a mum if you could? How much would we be worth if we could get paid for all our services? A mum's responsibility is huge and the amount of tasks we accomplish day to day are insane! 

Here's my job description - not my actual paid job, but the other job (the one I do for love):

Cook - Shop and plan ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner oh and snacks in between making sure healthiness and goodness are monitored (if time permits)!

Cleaner - Bathrooms, beds, hoovering, dusting, dish washing, ironing, general tidying and picking up the same toys over and over again!

Hairdresser - PE, swimming and ballet hair styles all covered, other styles available upon request!

Personal Stylist - Buy clothes, pick and lay out ready for the next day on a nightly basis, helping children get dressed in the morning in order to stop pants being put on back to front and trousers/skirts worn on heads etc.

Personal shopper - Clothes, food anything that is asked for and required - I'm on hand to provide it!

Taxi Driver - Coordinating school runs, after school clubs and play-dates   Sit in car for crazy amounts of time whilst safely battling way through traffic to get everyone where they need to be on time or at least within 5 mins after due time. 

Nurse - Patience and sympathy given with well stocked first aid kit and soothing words of 'it will be all right'.

Maid - Run baths, make beds find lost items - also see 'cleaner' above.

Receptionist/PA - Make appointments and arrange all extra-curricular activities at convenient times to all involved.

Mind Reader - Know exactly how each person is feeling at any particular time of day and respond as needed.

Teacher - Answer any given question with proper knowledge (ahem) and help with homework.

Counsellor - Be a shoulder to cry on with helpful words of wisdom whenever needed even when you haven't sat down for five hours and all you need is 5 mins of 'me time'.

Friend - Play with the children including board games and make believe role play, sing songs, dress up and lose all inhibitions for as long as you can bare!

Body Guard - Be ready at all times and watch children like a hawk saying words like, pick your feet up, don't trip, stop at the road, be careful, watch that, slow down, don't run...the list goes on!

I'm sure there are many, many more services required of us!  Please fell free to comment below - I'd love to hear what you have to say! :) x

You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter & Bloglovin - Please feel free to follow me! 

Blondie Brownies - Lovely!

For NaBloPoMo #7 I thought I'd bake a batch of these lovely sweet Blondies and store them in my freezer for (pretty much) instant gratification!  

I thought you might like to try these for yourselves as they are incredibly tasty!

Ingredients:

125g Butter
200g White Chocolate, chopped
2 Eggs
100g Golden Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
130g Plain Flour
1 pinch Salt
50g Glacé Cherries

• 
  

• Method:

1) Heat oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line or grease a baking tin.

2) Melt butter and white chocolate in microwave or over a pan of simmering water and allow to cool slightly.

3) In a separate bowl whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla then add to chocolate and butter whisking well.

4) Sift in flour and salt and add remaining chopped white chocolate and cherries, stir to mix.

5) Pour mixture into baking tin and bake in oven for 20-25 mins until set and golden in colour.

6) Once cool cut into squares and ENJOY!

Girls Hairstyles - Double Braided Buns

Welcome to my contribution to NaBloPoMo #4 - This is a great hairstyle to keep hair away from the face and one which I use when Brooke has her Modern dance lessons.

1) Create a straight centre parting and pull each side into a tight pony tail using hairspray or gel spray to keep away fly-aways and hold hair back.

2) Plait/braid both pony tails individually and tie at the bottom.

3)  Carefully wrap the plaited/braided ponytail around itself and pin in place with bobby pins.

You can also add a bit of decoration to this hairstyle by using brightly coloured hair clips or bows.  I do this for a bit of interest sometimes by clipping bows under each bun or just one bow to the front of a bun which gives a cute Hello Kitty look - I will take some photos next time I do this and post them so you can understand what I mean a bit better! Thanks for checking out this post! 

Keeping The Spark..?

Welcome to NaBloPoMo #3 - I was browsing one of my favourite blogs called The Freckled Fox the other day and came across this post called '75 Little Ways To Keep The Spark' - you can read the full post here and I have copied the list below.  

I personally can't decide whether I found this list sweet or just a bit too sickly for my English constitution. I must admit as I first perused the list I muttered something distasteful but after I had discarded it as American cheese the list remained with me. 

On one hand I think some of the ideas on the list are quite worthwhile and made me think of my own relationship with my hubby.  On the other hand are these suggestions too hard to achieve and unrealistic when we are busy being Mummies, working at our jobs and keeping the household running? But if these actions are one sided would it make any difference to your relationship any way? - should we print off this list and leave it lying around for our other halves to see? 

Let me know what you think about it!  

75 Little Ways to Keep the Spark
1. hold hands as often as possible
2. write notes and letters often
3. dance in the kitchen
4. take time to read together once in a while
5. do their chores for them
6. thank your spouse for efforts, even when they were expected
7. have them pick out your cologne/perfume at the store, and wear it
8. watch sunsets,
9. leave your phones in the car on date nights
10. know when to talk and when to just listen 
11. exercise together whenever possible
12. bring your spouse a favorite treat or drink just because
13. buy her flowers- just because
14. touch them on the shoulder, arm, waist, etc throughout the day
15. ask how their day went
16. take time to talk before lights out, even if just a few minutes
17. turn their alarm off and let them sleep in once in a while
18. have breakfast in bed once in a while
19. be excited about their accomplishments
20. kiss each other every day
21. do something spontaneous at least once a week
22. take or have pictures taken of just the two of you
23. send sweet text messages during the day, even when you're home together
24. tell her she's beautiful, especially when she's feeling ugly
25. take dumb/silly pictures
26. surprise each other
27. be affectionate
28. bring up favorite old memories and reminisce together
29. meet them at the door when they come home
30. take their car out for an errand, take it through the wash and gas it up
31. educate yourself more on something their passionate about
32. cook together whenever possible
33. eat at least two meals together everyday if you can manage it
34. call them at work to just say you miss and appreciate them
35. make plans and schemes together
36. defend your spouse when friends start to bash theirs
37. never be cutting or hurtful
38. do yourselves the biggest favor and stay away from any sort of debt
39. spend some time apart once in a while, it will make you better appreciate them
40. interrupt a sentence to say how handsome or strong he looks
41. always be the first to say i'm sorry and forgive
42. tell others of the virtues of your spouse when they're not around
43. talk about budgets and expenses, and decide together on items over say $50-$100
44. if you can, visit landmarks in your relationship (where you got engaged/first date, etc)
45. remind yourself often about why/how you fell in love in the first place
46. have a little mini date every night you can, eat a little treat together, watch part of a movie, etc
47. don't nag
48. read book on how to be a better wife/husband/lover
49. have a vacation together at least once a year
50. hold hands under the table or hold their knee
51. don't brush compliments off, accept them with blushes and gratitude, or they may stop
52. don't go to bed angry, give it a good effort and 
53. always kiss goodnight
54. have a wedding or couple picture of just the two of you hanging somewhere
55. be affectionate in front of your kids
56. men: always put down the freakin toilet seat dude
57. woman: never underestimate the power of a little extra physical attention to your man
58. makes birthdays and holidays special, always
59. surprise each other once in a while
50. pick your battles
61. try to go to bed together as often as possible
62. be the best of friends
63. roll play a bit-pretend you're on a first second date and ask inquisitive questions etc
64. go on road trips together every once in a while
65. read marriage help books, just for fun
66. wear his t-shirts and pj pants
67. pay attention before birthdays and Christmases, buy them at least one gift they've been wanting
68. have little arguments and than kiss and make up:)
69. send your spouse on a scavenger hunt once in a while
70. sit next to each other at the table and in restaurants 
71. don't ever do things you know annoy them because its funny, it'll stop being funny
72. light candles after the kids go to bed
73. give them little neck/back/foot messages just because
74. hide little gifts or favorite treats in their car/sock drawer/desk/under their pillow
75. go on regular date nights