Ah.. How he/ she made your heart flutter every time you saw her/ him smiling at you! You were sure this is the REAL THING, and so you decided to spend the rest of your days together, vowing to make each other feel special. But as responsibilities kept piling up, you realized you had less and less time to do special things for the love of your life. The smiles came less often, and the spark faded... Something had to be done to reconnect with your spouse, and put the smiles back where they belonged; on your spouse's face, and in your lives. That demanded action, and you planned a vacation for your spouse. Now that you have all the details in place, the tickets booked, the packing done, baby-sitter found, spoken to your spouse's boss secretly about them taking leave, etc., you are waiting eagerly for your spouse to return from work so you can see the smile on his/ her face, when they hear of the surprise. Well, instead of just jumping on him/her with the news, why not find some innovative ways to tell them?! Tweaked your interest, did I? Go through the following ideas to get that beaming smile on his/ her face. Let the Ideas Flow. Organize a Small Hunt So your spouse is not a kid, I know I know! But treasure hunts are not only for kids! The first clue note will confuse them a little, but once they catch on, they will be excited just like a kid. Lead them with naughty, funny, romantic notes until they find the tickets you have booked, and you will get that smile and most probably a hug and a kiss too! Leave the Tickets where Your Partner will Find Them If your partner likes to read, then tuck the tickets into the book he/ she is currently reading. Or put them in the newspaper, or in a file you know they will be opening during the day! And then, wait for that call... Do Things His/ Her Way What better way to do things for someone than doing it their way? There is something about the football-and-pizza combination that (in most cases) gets guys going like nothing else, and of course a romantic movie and cuddling almost never fails with a woman... You know your spouse best, so it shouldn't be a difficult thing to figure out what their way is. And once you know that, get going. Order the pizza and get his favorite football video, or do the dishes and have the table set (with a couple of candles, if you wish), and dinner waiting when your spouse gets home! Serve the tickets with the dessert. Use the Mail! Another way to ensure that your spouse gets your message is by using the mailbox. Leave the tickets in the mail, for him/ her to collect, along with a note telling him/ her how you'd love to spend a vacation with them, falling in love all over again! Steal/ Kidnap/ Whisk Away Your Spouse! If your spouse is the spontaneous, adventurous type, then just show up at their workplace, say it's an emergency and whisk them away! When they ask what the emergency is, tell them you were missing them (never fails to elicit that smile, EVER), and wanted them all to yourself for a few days! Or say that there has been a kidnapping! At their shocked face, tell them they are the ones being 'kidnapped' for a while! Get a Little Mysterious Tell your spouse that you have a really important 'personal project' to work on in a certain place, and ask them to accompany you because you really need their 'moral support' for this one! Make them believe that this is something very important to you. Don't divulge the details, and declare it's a vacation once you are on your way! Twin Surprises Shop for your partner for the things they may require on the vacation. Keep the shopping where they'll see it first thing after returning, and when they ask the reason for the sweet gesture (or unusual, if you are getting him/ her a sweater in the middle of summer!), hand them the tickets and say that they'll be needing the stuff when they get there! Recreate the Effect Cook a dish which is a specialty of that place and promise them the real deal 'soon' (in the form of tickets, after dinner)! Or, if you've planned a beach vacation, set up an umbrella and a couple of recliners, with some cold drinks, with the tickets stashed in the ice-box! Get creative! Make a Small Tape Recording Record your message saying that you are waiting for him/ her outside the office and explain that you've already notified their boss, taken care of everything else, so the only thing left to do, is come straight to you! Rhyme the message (like the previous sentence), or make a short poem! Then have the tape delivered to him/ her in an envelope with "URGENT" written over it... Let Pictures Talk Go through all the photos you have of your spouse. Make a small book, of say 20 pages, with a photo on each page. Start with a photo of them daydreaming, then some pictures you took while traveling, arriving at a place, and then a few photos of the place you have planned a vacation to (you can get them off the net, no worries)! Like telling a story of a journey. On the last page, attach the tickets instead of a photo, and see them whoop with joy! Start Off with a Date Why not? Since you have almost everything taken care of, this is the perfect prelude to a romantic vacation! Don't spill the surprise early in the morning though. Build up the romance. Tell your spouse how good he/ she is looking when he/ she leaves for office. Then text him/ her saying you can't get him/ her out of your mind. Call a little later in the day to ask if they'd like to go on a date with you. Pick your spouse up and after dinner, have the waiter bring a pre-delivered note with some cute or romantic stuff written on it, say like, "By agreeing to go on a date with me, you have won us a vacation sweetheart!" (It is absolutely OK to say cheesy things if you can't come up with anything on your own!) Oh, that smile will warm your heart, believe me! It doesn't take much to do something thoughtful for your partner once in a while, but it goes a long way in building a solid marriage. It doesn't always take grand gestures. The small ones are equally important! These are just some of the ideas that popped into my head. If you have more to share, write them in the comments box below, and I could compile your ideas and make a new list! Put on your thinking caps! Oh, and good luck with the surprising!