Romantic Christmas Presents

I was lucky enough to receive an art print in my favourite colour and a pair of shoes I've been hinting about all year from my man. As a little challenge to see how all of the other men did this year, why not post a comment telling everyone what your most romantic christmas present was - past or present!

Love from lila xx

Merry Christmas!

Love from lila xx

Christmas Wrapping Tips

Well, you know how much I like to help you all out so here it is...

To learn the essentials of gift wrapping, check out the video below to learn how to wrap a box-shaped object such as a book or dvd.

If you have a look on YouTube you'll find lots of videos with lots of different variations on how to wrap a present. This one uses double sided tape which, if you have it, makes your present look clean-cut. If you don't have it then it's not a problem but try to place the tape you do have neatly.

If you want to add a bow then watch the video below for an idea on how to do it.

If you've got any awkwardly shaped presents then the best way to wrap them would be to put them into a box so that you've got a nice square shape to wrap (and it's adds to the surprise of what's inside!). Sometimes plain wrapping paper can look the best, teamed with a nice pretty ribbon or just a shop bought bow! One easy, plain wrapping paper that you can keep handy for all occasions is brown parcel paper which is strong and looks really neat. Not only that, you can also write on it and stick things to it really easy making it perfect for personalising! If you're looking for some creative paper ideas then you could use tissue paper, old maps, sheet music, magazines and newspaper.

If you're stuck for present ideas then why not put together a movie night kit or start her a collection? If you haven't already read last week's post about gift giving then it's a must! And if you haven't started buying presents yet, don't forget to take this handy list of her favourite things with you and go shopping - time's running out!


All that's left to say is happy wrapping! (I'm sorry the video's so terrible but hopefully it should get you into the Christmas spirit!)

Love from lila xx

What To Buy Her For Christmas?

Are you having trouble deciding on christmas presents? Read on for a few ideas...


Present buying is always difficult but if you stick to the six 'rules' or categories below (and get a bit inventive) then you should find present buying a lot easier, with presents that she'll love! So think about buying her something...

1. she wants,
2. she needs,
3. she can wear,
4. she can read,
5. she can watch,
6. and hand/homemade.

That seems pretty straightforward right? Well, here's an explanation of each one (in case it wasn't as straightforward as it looks) and a few ways of being a little interpretive with the presents!

Something she wants: if you haven't read my post about reading her hints then it might be a good idea to check that out first, then you'll know when she's trying to hint about presents she might like for christmas. If you haven't picked up on any hints then you'll have to try and think of something she wants all by yourself!

Something she needs: means something she may (or may not) have mentioned as needing to buy at some point that's important for something she does. This could be a book she needs for her course, new make-up (choose wisely - take the old one with you if you can and check that she wants a direct replacement), something for her computer, some stationery or some chocolate!

Something she can wear: get inspired, something she can wear could include make-up, clothes (including hats, scarves, gloves), accessories (handbags etc), perfume or even shoes!

Something she can read: could include something easy like a book or it could be a framed love letter or some song lyrics. If you choose something like a book then you could buy her one that you know she likes, or you could buy her something from a similar author, a book related to her hobby, a book related to a new hobby (with some of the equipment she may need) or even just a book from a new genre that you think she may enjoy.

Something she can watch: is where you can get really inventive. You could buy her a cinema ticket or a ticket to a sports game or you could even just buy her a DVD but dress it up as a movie night kit. If you're feeling really creative you could make a video of pictures of you and some of her favourite songs and burn it to CD.

Something hand/homemade: is the section where you can get really romantic. The something homemade could be something that you've made and she can eat such as cookies, cakes or dinner. It could even be her card (check out this post for tips on what to write in her card), some love vouchers or 'love letters'. You can find lots of handmade things in shops these days so keep your eyes peeled. Oxfam have some handmade gifts such as aprons, pretty bowls and jewellery but you'll be able to find lots of things, especially around christmas. You can often find local crafts at christmas fairs which always make lovely presents. If you don't find anything in particular that you think she'll like then you could just buy her some quality chocolates from a local shop.

You'll notice that quite a few ideas cross over into two or more sections. That's absolutely fine as the 'rules' are really just ideas to get your present-buying juices flowing!

If you need any extra help then you can check out this post, where you can find a handy list to carry with you so that you know what her favourites are. You could also start her a collection, you can find a post here.

Don't think that these 'rules' only apply to girlfriends either, you can use it for absolutely anyone but I hope this has at least given you a few ideas to get you started on your christmas shopping so get out there and get buying some brilliant presents! Good luck.

Love from lila xx

Yummy Biscuit Recipe

You can't beat a good biscuit so if you fancy trying out some baking then why not make these delicious biscuits?

The recipe's really easy to follow and the biscuits are absolutely delicious. They're so yummy that they don't even need to be decorated but if you do feel like brightening them up a little then some tinted royal icing (you can buy the powder from good supermarkets) would be perfect! My recipe is below and is adapted from one on BBC Good Food. To decorate them, pick a few different shapes for the biscuits and and a few different colours for the royal icing, pop the icing in a piping bag and get creative!

If you need some inspiration then there are some easy ideas below. You can find the original blog posts from the decorated cookie here and here.

I took inspiration from the first picture and made the cookies below - they're not perfect but that's why they're so great. It doesn't matter if your biscuits don't turn out as perfectly as the ones above because they're made by an expert. If you make biscuits for your girlfriend or anyone else then I'm sure they'll love them no matter how they turn out because it's true that it's the thought that counts!

If you want to make the little eyeballs to give your cookies some character then read on because they're really easy to make. Get some baking parchment, some white royal icing and some black royal icing. Then squeeze a tiny dot of white onto the parchment, then a tiny dot of black straight afterward (then they'll blend into 1 shape). To speed the process up then you can pipe about 20-30 white circles, then black and continue until you've used all of your icing. Leave them to dry for about 24 hours, peel them off of your baking parchment and stick them to your cookies with a little bit of royal icing. These cookies are really easy to make and look really cute - they make perfect presents too! If you want some suggestions for how to give them as presents then keep your eyes peeled for a future post...

Love from lila xx

Are You Really Sure You Know What She Likes?

Present buying can be difficult so why not use this list as a starting point to knowing what she likes?

Have you ever gone into a shop and not been able to decide between colour options or flavours for a present? Armed with this list you should be better prepared for deciding what she would love most when you start the dreaded present buying! Before you go asking her what she likes (so that you can complete the list!) have a read of the notes below so that you understand what I mean by each one and then have a look at the list of ways that you can find the answers without necessarily telling her what you're up to.

Here are some notes on the items on the list.

• Chocolate Flavour = Dark/Milk/White
• Chocolate Brand = Galaxy/Dairy Milk/Green & Blacks/Lindt etc
• Takeaway Style = Chinese/Indian/Pizza etc
• Designer (Clothing Store) = Ben de Lisi at Debenhams/Ted Baker etc
• Accessory Designer = Ted Baker/Radley etc for Handbags/Purses etc
• Earring Style = Hoop/Stud/Dangly
• Jewellery Material = Gold/Silver/Platinum etc
• Animal Print = Zebra/Leopard/Tiger etc
• Pen Style = Gel/Roller/Biro/Fountain

Hopefully all of the others are self explanatory. On top of those favourites there are also a few more essential things that you need to know before you go out shopping!

• Clothes Size - both top and bottom (sometimes they can vary)
• Shoe Size
• Bra Size
• Knicker Size and Style - thong/brazilian/short etc (this can vary from clothes size so ask specifically!)
• and Leg Length and Waist (in case you intend to buy her some jeans)

You can get her answers to the list in one of three ways.

1. Casually asking her one or two per day and filling in the list bit by bit.
2. Asking her outright for her answers to each one (or asking her to fill in the list). You can tell her that it's for your present buying assistance or not.
3. Making it into a challenge to see who can answer the most questions correctly about the other (don't forget to save hers with the correct answers!).

It's also a good idea to ask regularly as she's likely to change her mind frequently but I hope that armed with this list you will feel much better prepared for the dreaded christmas (and birthday, and anniversary and valentines) shopping now so get out there and get buying stuff that you know she's going to love! Good luck as always.

Love from lila xx

Spell It Out...

If you're having trouble thinking of a christmas present for a friend or your girlfriend, then why not make them something to put on display in their room?

You can use any words or name and decorate it in any way you like, making it perfectly personalised! The set in the photo below was a birthday present for our friend, called Joe who is a big fan of superhero films. If you wanted to make one to give as a present then you can buy papier mache letters (or shapes - a love heart?) from good craft shops and decorate them with paper, wrapping paper, photos, fabric, paint or anything else you can think of. If you choose letters then you could spell out their name, 'love', 'me & you' or just about anything at all!

So if you fancy making her something special and unique this christmas then why not spell out how you feel about her? She'll love that it's personalised and she'll love that you put the effort into making her something special and unique!

Love from lila xx

Doing Surprises

So you're planning to surprise her by turning up to see her? Read on...

If you've ever thought about surprising her after a lecture/work/at home/with dinner/with anything really that she doesn't realise is going to happen then I've got just 1 hugely important tip for you!

Turn up earlier than she's expecting.

Curious? Well, you may have to spin her a story to get her where you want her or to find out where she'll be at a certain time so that your surprise can actually happen. If so, she's going to be expecting you at a certain time. For the surprise to really work, you need to get there before she's expecting you otherwise she'll just get annoyed at you for being late - no matter how good your surprise is!


Too obvious? Whether you knew it already or had just never thought about it, I wanted to make sure that you knew because a tiny effort to surprise her can have a hugely positive effect when executed perfectly!

Love from lila xx

5 Reasons Why Her Best Friend Should Be Yours Too!

Your girlfriend's best friend is your best resource for help with all things girlfriend related, from present buying to why she may be annoyed with you! Don't believe me? Read on for five reasons why her best friend is the best tool in helping to keep your girlfriend happy...

It makes sense doesn't it really? Everyone knows that all women talk (and moan) about are clothes, make-up and yes, boyfriends - we are a little more complicated than that but I'll keep it simple. That means that your girlfriend's best friend knows a lot about you and what things you may be doing wrong or right. Don't shy away from the best friend, ask for her help! There are five very good reasons why her best friend is useful to you;

1. She wants to make her best friend happy, just like you, so she's more than likely to help you out with any big romantic plans you may have.
2. Your girlfriend is highly likely to chat about things she would like to buy or receive with her best friend. Therefore the best friend is/should be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to buying presents for your girlfriend.
3. Girls talk. There's a very good chance that your girlfriend and her best friend have the occasional moan about annoying things that you boys do. There's an equal chance however that they will also say 'awwww X did this yesterday and it was so sweet'. If you ever want to find out what your girlfriend might be annoyed about you doing or what she may really love that you do, ask the best friend!
4. Women like shopping. They will also have lots of experience shopping together and will know each others' tastes well. If you're stuck for present ideas or would like to buy clothes but aren't sure what size or style - ask the best friend to tag along on a shopping trip.
5. It will make your life loads easier. You're likely to spend a lot of time going out with the best friend (and her partner) and it would make it a lot easier for everyone, including your girlfriend, if she knows that you get on well with each other. Besides, if the best friend wasn't an amazing person then your girlfriend wouldn't be friends with her!

So don't forget that if you ever need help, the best friend will always be there and ready to help you do anything to make your girlfriend happy because that's her job and she loves your girlfriend as much as you do. Just remember to thank her for all of her help because she is, and always will be an amazing best friend, to you and more importantly, your girlfriend!

Love from lila xx

Young Love

Sometimes we forget why we fell in love in the first place. If you've been missing some romance then why not try this really simple idea to bring back your very first loving memories.

In those first few days and weeks of your relationship what did you do to get to know each other and pass the time? Was there a particular pub that you visited? Did you stay up until 3 in the morning playing games? Did you spend your evenings/days watching a certain tv program? Were you party animals that got blind drunk and crawled home from clubs together? Or were you always going to a certain cafe for your favourite slice of cake?

Whatever it was, why not go back there and behave like you did then? Buy the entire box set of the tv program, dig out that game (or buy some new ones!) or take a few hours out of your weekend to go back to that cafe and sit and enjoy the cake and each other's company. Pretend that you've just fallen in love, flirt, giggle and mess around like you did at the beginning. Ignore everyone else and get lost in young love!


You could even surprise her with a date night that goes back to the roots of your relationship. She'll love it! Good luck and let me know how it went.

Love from lila xx

Share the Wisdom!

Sharing is caring - if you know someone that could benefit from this blog, then share it with them!

If this blog has given you at least one clever idea or enlightened you to one crazy woman thought process then why not share it with a friend or two? If you're on facebook then please like love from lila on facebook and make sure to share it with any friends that you think may benefit from it. If you don't use facebook then why not add yourself to the mailing list so that you receive each post straight to your email inbox (see right of page for the magic mailing list box) and if there are any things that you want to see written about then why not email me through lovefromlila@hotmail.com.


Most importantly, have a lovely week and I hope you'll be back here next week (don't forget to bring a friend or two)!

Love from lila xx

Writing Anniversary Cards

So you've got a big anniversary coming up and you were planning on just writing 'Happy Anniversary, ILY' in the card? Think again. The card may be less than half of the present but more than half as important!

You tell her that you love her everyday (don't you?), so on your anniversary she's expecting to hear a little more about how you feel! I know that it's hard to know what to write in important cards but if you only share your feelings about her once a year, let it be on your anniversary.

The main thing to remember is that she wants to know how you feel about her, how much you value your relationship, why she is and how she is important to you, whether you think about the future with her and how happy you are to be with her. So when writing the card imagine that she's asked you how you feel about her. If you're not sure how to answer that then have a look at my blog about answering the question, 'How Do You Feel?' because that will give you a good idea about some of the things you should be writing!

If that all seems a bit long winded then just write down all of the things that your heart tells you when you look at her, hopefully something along the lines of - how beautiful she is, how much you love spending time with her, how kind she is, how much you love the food that she cooks, how much you miss her when she's not there and how much you look forward to the future with her!

Have a lovely week and don't forget to come back next Friday for some more insights into understanding women!

Love from lila xx

How To Read Her Hints

Have you ever wondered why your girlfriend mentions something that she wants to buy repeatedly to you but never actually buys it? Wonder no more...

There's a good chance that she's trying to suggest it to you as a present idea. If she keeps bringing up something that she wants to buy, very loudly and clearly in front of you but never actually buys it, then it's my bet that she's repeating it in the hope that you'll pick up her hint and buy it for her.

One thing to remember is that you need to be careful when buying presents that she's got her eye on already because she probably knows exactly which one she wants and if you don't get that exact one then she may be a little disappointed. If you've picked up a hint about a present, try and find out as much about her preferences for it as possible without looking like you're going to buy it for her. If you're really lucky she may have saved her favourite in an amazon wishlist or browser favourites folder (tread carefully, she may have saved present ideas for you here too!). If not then you could casually ask her if she's done any research on the thing she wants to buy and whether she's got some ideas about what it is specifically that she wants. If she hasn't done any research then why not suggest that she has a look now so that when she wants to buy it, she knows exactly what she wants.

So the next time she talks about something that she wants to buy but hasn't bought yet, try and pick up her hint and buy it for her before she gets bored and buys it for herself! You could wait until an upcoming birthday or anniversary (although anything longer than 1 month away is probably too long) or you could surprise her by buying it in the middle of the year for absolutely no reason (or make up a reason, everyone likes presents just because it's monday!). Regardless of when you buy it for her (although the sooner after she's said it, the better) she'll love that you were listening to her and what she wants and you'll earn super boyfriend points!


Good luck and get present buying!

Love from lila xx

Remember the Date

Always wonder what to buy someone to remember a special day or date? Why not make them a photo frame with the date and something to note what happened?

This was an idea I used to celebrate my boyfriend's graduation so I chose the date and his name with the letters he'd earnt from graduating. You could also use this for an anniversary, a wedding, a birthday or even an achievement. It's simple to create but looks really effective and is a lovely way to remember the date.

Here is the design of the page before it went into the frame. His name is blocked out for obvious reasons!

Because I'm so good to you guys I've designed some backgrounds that you can use for your frames. As they're all quite heavy on the colour you may prefer to print them onto card or photo paper to make them look their best. If you're using publisher then you should be able to recolour the picture to anything you want. It would work brilliantly if you could tint the background to her favourite colour - just a little suggestion!

 

To make it look even more professional I backed the printed page with some black paper (to coordinate with the text) before putting it into a frame with a mount. The mount really makes it look all the more special. I bought the frame for a really good price at Wilkinson here (with mount).

If you like the idea and put some effort into it, this is what you should end up with. I hope you'll agree that it looks quite impressive and is a great present that can be put up on a wall so that a special day is never forgotten. The blanked out section shows his name with the new letters he achieved after graduating. You could put both of your names with your anniversary date or the names of the bride and groom with their wedding date. The possibilities are endless and the results are fantastic (if I do say so myself!).

If you're curious about how it looked when it was wrapped then have a look below for the simple wrapping paper I designed.

As I always say, good luck and please email me if you have any questions or want to show and tell me how you've done!

Love from lila xx

National Cupcake Week

You may or may not already know that this week is national cupcake week. What you may not know is why I'm talking about it and how it relates to romance! So why not read on and see how cupcakes can bring a little romance to your relationship?

You know that I like to make life easy for you guys so I'm not going to give you a huge long, complicated recipe for making cakes. Just head to the supermarket and pick yourself up a packet cupcake mix and get inspired. I've made six easy cupcake designs that shouldn't need too much effort to create but should wow your girlfriend!

These are the cupcakes that I made using a Betty Crocker chocolate cupcakes packet mix. I bought some pretty cupcake cases and after cooking the cupcakes in the plain cases from the box I added the pretty cases. Now I'll run through each cupcake individually to show you how easy it is to create beautiful looking cupcakes!

• The front left hand side cupcake is just topped with the white chocolate chunks from the packet mix. You could even cut out a little heart shape from cardboard and sprinkle the topping into a heart shape.
• The front right hand side cupcake is topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
• The middle left hand side cupcake is topped with dried strawberries (from Waitrose or specialty cake decorating shops).
• The middle right hand side cupcake is topped with a curly wurly that has been refrigerated and cut up. You could use any chocolate bar at all though and using her favourite bar would be particularly clever!
• The back left hand side cupcake is topped with a crumbled up cookie but you could use any of her favourite biscuits or cookies.
• and the back right hand side cupcake is topped with a single strawberry and sprinkled with icing sugar.

So if you can take an hour out of your day to make some beautiful cupcakes for your beautiful girlfriend then I know that she'll be impressed and think it's incredibly romantic! Good luck.

Love from lila xx

Another Present Idea!

Feel a little lost when it comes to present buying for your lady? Read on for a quick and easy present idea...

Starting a collection for your girlfriend is a really cute idea that can become a bit of a tradition for the two of you that she'll absolutely love! If your girlfriend already has a collection then it can be a nice touch to continue that collection, showing that you really know her and pay attention to the things she talks about. Whether she already has one or not, it's nice to start a new one, just between the two of you. It doesn't have to be something expensive but should be a nice reminder of your relationship or how well you know each other. If you start a collection for her then continue it whenever you get the chance, it's a great way of knowing what present to buy her before the occasion comes around (I know you boys worry about present buying!). You could even get inventive and see whether you can find something different and unique but still within the same theme every time. The best part is that you can start a secret collection of the present so that you have a supply ready for every present-giving occasion meaning that you don't have to panic every time you need to buy a present because you already have some ready to give! So whether it's purple or heart shaped or dedicated to cupcakes, get collecting and start a new present tradition.

As always, good luck!
Love from lila xx

How Do You Feel?

Does that question fill you with fear? It shouldn't do! Read on and I'll give you a few ideas about how you should answer the question.

Why does that question seem to freak men out so much? If it freaks you out because you don't really know how to answer the question or what she wants you to say then I may have a solution for you. There's nothing confusing or difficult about the question, she just wants to hear how you feel about her, whether you think she's attractive and whether she's important to you because women need to be reassured regularly that you love them and are happy with the relationship. It's even better if you tell her how you feel without being prompted (hint hint).


Here's a few questions that she may be implying with 'how do you feel?' and that you could use to answer her with...

• Do you think I'm attractive?
• Do you love me? (if you've got there already)
• Do you miss me when I'm gone? Do you look forward to seeing me after we've been apart?
• Are you proud to show me off in front of your friends? Do you think that they think you're lucky?
• Do you see me in your future? Do you look forward to it?
• Do you think you're lucky to be with me?
• Are you happy with me?
• Do you enjoy spending time with me?
• (For those with kids) Do you think I'm a good mum? Are you proud of our family?

The main thing to think about when she asks you is - What does your heart tell you when you look at her? If you keep that in mind and answer that, then you should be able to give her an answer that will make her happy. If you want to know how to phrase some of the things that you might want to tell her then take a look at this post from a few weeks ago.

And a little heads up, just in case. If she's telling you how she feels about you, this would be a really great time to tell her how you feel about her because she's probably sharing her feelings as she's feeling a little insecure and is hoping that you'll share yours too.

So I've sent you off armed with some ideas about how to answer the dreaded 'how do you feel?' question which I hope now isn't quite as dreaded as before. As always, good luck!

Love from lila xx

The Six Stages of a Relationship

If you've ever thought about how a relationship develops, read on for the six stages involved.

I found this article in the News of the World (I know, it doesn't really sell it but bear with me!) about a year or so ago and it's by Tracey Cox who writes a lot of sex and relationship books. If you want to have a look at her work then you'll find more information on Google and Amazon. I've typed up the article word for word but unfortunately I don't have the date so I can't reference it properly. This is how the article went...


'While each and every relationship is unique, most of them move through the same love stages. Knowing what to expect, and when, can help you through potential pitfalls.

• Honeymoon: Anywhere from the first date to three months. The gooey, soppy, lovey-dovey stage. You're driven by primal urges and your brains are flooded with love and sex hormones.
• Fantasy: Around two months in. Heavy idealising is still going on. Neither of you can find fault with each other and imagine you're the rare couple who don't have any problems.
• Coupledom: Three to six months in. The bit where things start going wrong. Friends start to give true opinions, white lies get exposed. You start to see reality, rather than airbrushed versions of each other.
• Confusion: Six months to one year. Instead of focusing on good points, you now focus on each other's faults. You feel less smug. Both of you think the other has changed. You haven't - you're just seeing each other from a different perspective.
• Readjustment: One to two years in. You finally see each other as "wholes", made up of good and bad parts. If commitment's there, you start compromising.
• Commitment: Three to five years. Most will make a public statement of togetherness (marriage, kids, moving in). Real commitment based on experiences rather than fantasies.'

I hope this has been helpful and given you a little insight into how relationships progress so that you can understand what's happening and deal with the different stages as they come.

Love from lila xx

Berry Tartlets

Fancy a yummy summer treat? You could even make them as a surprise for your lady! Read on to find out how...

These yummy tarts are made up of a shortcrust pastry base covered with a white chocolate ganache and topped with berries (and strawberry sauce).


Here are the ingredients you'll need to make 6 tartlets:

• 1 Pack of (Sweet) Shortcrust Pastry - either ready rolled or a block.
• 200g White Chocolate
• 175ml Double Cream
• 400g Strawberries
• 200g Raspberries

You can also serve it with strawberry sauce or spread some jam on top of the ganache if you like.

For the strawberry sauce you'll need:

• 400g Strawberries, stalks removed
• 50g Sugar
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

The instructions are really easy to follow and with pre-made pastry, even easier and quick to make! Here we go...

1. If you didn't buy pre-rolled pastry, roll out your pastry to 3mm thickness.
2. Grease six 9cm tartlet tins.
3. To line the tin with pastry there are two options. One piece - cut out a 13cm circle of pastry and place over the tin pressing it carefully into the corners and grooves of the tin. Two pieces - draw around the bottom of the tin, cut that out and press down. Then cut out strips of pastry and cover the sides, pressing the edges together carefully.
4. Prick the bases and chill for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to fan 180°c/conventional 200°c/gas 6.
6. Cut out foil circles to the size of your tartlet bottoms and grease.
7. Place into the tarts and bake for 7-8 minutes.
8. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 3-4 minutes until the tarts have browned nicely.
9. Let them cool in the tins. When they are cool, remove from the tins (to make sure they will come out!) and replace them.
10. Whilst the tarts are cooking, chop the chocolate into very small pieces and place into a bowl.
11. Place the cream in a saucepan and heat until it's almost boiling.
12. Pour it onto the chocolate and stir until everything has mixed.
13. Place in the fridge for 8-12 minutes without stirring it.
14. Pour this into the tarts and return to the fridge until the ganache has solidified (this could take quite a few hours).
15. Remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before required and allow to come to room temperature.
16. If you're serving with jam, spread the jam before you leave it to come to room temperature.
17. Wash the fruit, leaving the raspberries whole but cutting the strawberries into quarters.
18. Add them to the top of the tarts.
19. Drizzle with the sauce if you've chosen to make it!
20. Serve to a delighted girlfriend/boyfriend!

If you want to make the strawberry sauce then follow these super easy instructions!

1. Place all of the ingredients (from above) into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Puree the ingredients either with a hand blender, small blender or a food mixer.
4. Strain the sauce and transfer to a bowl/jar.

The tart recipe was adapted from a BBC Food Recipe and the sauce was adapted from Group Recipes.
Want to see how mine turned out?

I hope you and your partner enjoy them.

Love from lila xx

Love Vouchers

If you think your girl deserves a treat, why not write her some love vouchers?

I've been thinking about this post for ages now and decided that now is the time to get these vouchers out there. So I'll make it nice and easy for you. Here's what you need to do.

1. Decide what she deserves from the list below or think of your own treat.

Things you could treat her to include...

• A Massage
• A Hug
• A Kiss
• Control of the Remote
• Breakfast in Bed
• Home-cooked Meal
• Romantic Stroll
• Dinner Date
• Movie
• A Guilt Free Night Out with Friends
• Slave for the Day
• Not Having to Wash Up
• Bag Carrier for a Shopping Trip
• Snuggle on the Sofa in PJs
• Bubble Bath
• 1 Hour of Undisturbed Reading
• Wild Card - let her decide!

If you decide to think of your own then the only requirement is that you need to pick something that she doesn't normally get to do or have. I like to point out the obvious!

2. Print off the design that you like.

As usual I'd suggest printing them onto card and if you don't like the size then resize them before you print. To download them just right click the picture and choose 'save as'.

3. Write her treat onto the voucher.

Once you've decided which treat(s) you're going to give her and printed off your favourite design, all you need to do is write the treat onto the voucher. I told you it was easy! If you're giving her a card for the occasion or moment then you could slip them inside the card. If not, buy a nice envelope either coloured or plain from a stationery shop and present them to her in that.

Good luck and I hope she loves her treats.

Love from lila xx

You Look Nice!

Have you ever said that and been met with a relatively unsatisfied and probably very sarcastic 'thanks' from your girlfriend? No girl wants to be described as looking 'nice' after she's just spent hours fixing her hair, make-up and outfit! If you think you need some ideas on how to phrase what you want to say then read on!

So your girlfriend has spent all afternoon showering, shaving/waxing, doing her hair, fixing her make-up and trying on, taking off and finally deciding on an outfit. She comes downstairs to show off her effort and see what you think and you say 'You look nice' (as you look up from and then quickly back to your XBox) and she seems more than a little annoyed by that statement. Cue an argument and a rather unhappy evening? If she's come downstairs with a smile on her face looking really confident then she's happy with her outfit and thinks she looks really pretty. If you then say 'you look nice' then she's going to be a little disappointed and it's going to throw her confidence a little. If she's not looking too confident and isn't satisfied with her outfit, a little assurance from you could really help her out so as long as she's not wearing anything really hideous, then make sure you tell her how good she looks!

What words should you be wary of then? Nice is definitely a no go but cute is also a word that you should use sparingly. When a woman's spent all day getting ready, she's not going for 'cute'. She's a woman and wants to be seen as one! What does she really want to hear then? On an everyday basis, she needs to know that you think she's beautiful, because she is, isn't she! From first thing in the morning through to last thing at night when she's so tired that she can't even keep her eyes open, when she's sick, when she's crying and when she's just generally having a down day (*coughs* don't forget to tell her that too!). For those times when she's put in extra special effort she needs to feel that she looks exceptionally beautiful. If you're not sure whether she's put in extra effort then here are some clues - she's asking what you think of her outfit or how she looks, she's spent hours in the bathroom, she's standing there in something other than her daily outfit waiting for you to say something or she's pre-warned you that she's spent all day getting ready!

Everyday Adjectives: beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, good-looking, lovely, pretty.
Exceptional Adjectives: exceptionally beautiful, stunning, amazing, sensational, incredible, breathtaking, mind-blowing, drop-dead gorgeous, irresistible, ravishing, awesome, fabulous, fantastic.

Just remember not to seem surprised that she looks so exceptionally beautiful. Of course you can say wow and look impressed, but it shouldn't be so unbelievable that she looks so good. Although obviously if you thought that she couldn't get any more beautiful then you're allowed to be a little surprised, just make sure that you tell her that!

If she's having one of those days when her hair, make-up and outfit just don't seem to be perfect (to her) make sure that you reassure her that she still looks beautiful because as a female there are days when she'll never be satisfied with her outfit even though she still looks amazing, and she needs you to make her believe that she's looking brilliant. If she's wearing a really hideous outfit then you need to tactfully suggest that she wear something else and reassure her that she looks even more beautiful in the new outfit.


I hope this helped you out and as always, good luck!

Love from lila xx

Female Indecisiveness

Do you ever wonder why your girlfriend refuses to make decisions? As far as feminism has come and as much as your girlfriend values being treated equally, sometimes it's nice for her to have the decision made for her.

Have you ever had a situation where your girlfriend seems like she doesn't want to make a decision and keeps throwing it back to you to decide? Perhaps she's trying to tell you that she's happy for you, or even wants you to make the decision. She might even secretly like you to make the decisions all the time but doesn't want to lose that 'modern emancipated female' thing.

Be brave. The next time you have one of those, 'no, you choose' moments, choose! If you're worried that she won't like your decision, don't be. She's probably already made up her mind and will tell you if your decision doesn't match hers. If she happily agrees then score one for male decision making and mind reading! If she says she'd rather go somewhere else then she's probably just having a chicken day rather than a pizza one, or a cinema one instead of a zoo one, so don't be disheartened. Keep trying - after all, practice makes perfect!

Love from lila xx

Are Men From Mars?

Although many of you may not be a big fan of the 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus' philosophy, John Gray's ideas at least form a starting block for understanding each other better. Read on for a (very) small look at the different 'love needs' of men and women.

What women need...
1. Caring
2. Understanding
3. Respect
4. Devotion
5. Validation
6. Reassurance

What men need...
1. Trust
2. Acceptance
3. Appreciation
4. Admiration
5. Approval
6. Encouragement

The two sets are also listed to correspond with one another. So where women need care, men need trust. Where women need understanding, men need acceptance and so on.

I'm guessing that you're all a little confused about why I've chosen to natter on about this today? Well I thought that it might give you a little insight into how men and women work and how you can use that to improve your relationship and communication. To give you a little idea I'll explain a bit more about the 6 pairs of needs, all of which work in a cyclical way where a man caring for a woman increases her trust for him and this trust for him increases his care for her.


Caring - Trust
Women feel cared for when men ask after a woman's feelings and show concern for her well-being. A man feels trusted when the woman shows him that she understands that he's doing everything with her best interests in mind.

Female mistake: trying to improve him or offering unsolicited advice.
Male mistake: not listening to her or getting distracted.


Understanding - Acceptance
Women feel understood when their opinions and feelings are listened to and a man makes an effort to make sure that he understands them. Men feel accepted when a woman doesn't try to change him.

Female mistake: trying to change him by expressing negative feelings.
Male mistake: taking her feelings literally and offering solutions to her problems.


Respect - Appreciation
Women feel respected when a man prioritises her rights, wishes, needs, thoughts and feelings. When a woman acknowledges that she has gained from a man's actions, he will feel appreciated.

Female mistake: not acknowledging things he has done and complaining about things he hasn't done.
Male mistake: listening to her feelings but then blaming her for bringing you down.


Devotion - Admiration
Women feel a man's devotion when he commits himself to supporting and fulfilling her and prioritises her needs and feelings above all other aspects of his life. A man feels admired when a woman is amazed by his characteristics or talents.

Female mistake: correcting his behaviour as if he were a child.
Male mistake: not prioritising her above everything else.


Validation - Approval
A woman feels validated when a man accepts her feelings and does not argue with them. A man sees a woman's approval when she acknowledges the goodness of him and his reasons.

Female mistake: expressing her upset feelings indirectly with rhetorical questions like 'How could you do that?'
Male mistake: when she is upset, telling her why she is wrong and shouldn't be upset.


Reassurance - Encouragement
When a man repeatedly shows his care, understanding, respect, devotion and validation to a woman, she feels reassured that she is loved. A man feels encouraged by her trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration and approval to be the best that he can be.

Female mistake: correcting or criticising his decisions or initiatives.
Male mistake: after listening, saying nothing or walking away.


Like always, I hope this post has been useful to you and at least provides a starting point for you to think about your communication with your partner and how different your needs are. The ideas aren't mine but come from 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus' by John Gray. If you want to have a closer look at some of his ideas then I'd recommend it and you can find it on Amazon here. Good luck!

Love from lila xx

Summer Reads

If your girlfriend's planning a holiday this summer, with or without you, why not send her off with a new book and a cute bookmark? Read on...

I'll start with the bookmarks that I made for you to download and then I'll give you a few suggestions of good books that she might enjoy.

I'd suggest printing the bookmarks onto a thick card so that they will last a long time. If you think that you'll have trouble printing onto thick card then you could print onto thin card, cut it out and then stick onto a slightly larger piece of thick coloured card. Whichever you choose the cut out line is the outside one with rounded edges. The box around the rounded edges is just so that you leave enough space should you print more than one. If you have access to a laminator then it would be even better if you could laminate the bookmarks so that they last even longer!

If you wanted to make it extra pretty you could punch a whole in the top and tie a thin piece of ribbon through it. To make this knot get a small piece of string/ribbon/twine and feed it through the hole. Bring the strands together so that the punched hole is at the middle point of the ribbon. Now loop the strands around a finger or two to make a circle and feed the ribbon through the centre of the hole. Following the instructions should leave you with something that looks like the picture below. If you wanted to add a little bow then punch two holes and tie a standard bow in the middle.

Now as promised is a list of good books that your girlfriend might enjoy reading while relaxed on the beach! All of them are ones that I've read, some are romance, some are comedy and some are thrillers. The author's name is in brackets. I've linked each book to its listing on Amazon so that it's nice and easy to find!

• Poppadom Preach (Almas Khan) - a funny but dark book about life in a dysfunctional family in Bradford. There's some bad language in places but that doesn't make you think any less of the book because it's just hilarious!
• Private (James Patterson) - this is the first in a series of books about a detective agency with some nice twists and turns along the way. 
• How To Kill Your Husband (Kathy Lette) - an entertaining book about one woman getting accused of murdering her husband. The twist at the end is brilliant!
• Perfect Timing (Jill Mansell) - a woman meets a guy whilst out on her hen night, calls off her wedding and moves away to London.
• Why Do We Have To Live With Men? (Bernadette Strachan) - after a failed romance the main character moves into a huge farmhouse in the countryside with a group of women for a 6 month break from men.
• Mad About The Boy (Maggie Alderson) - after moving to Australia with her son and husband, her husband comes out and moves in with his boyfriend. She then meets James at the gym and is intrigued by his mysterious activities.
• Playing James (Sarah Mason) - a reporter is sent to shadow a detective in order to write a column. The detective however is not too excited about the prospect!
• Be Mine (Laura Kasischke) - a respected college professor receives a note on Valentines day saying 'Be Mine' and the book follows the chain of events that happen as a result of her response.
• I Take This Man (Valerie Frankel) - after attempting to run out on their wedding, the bride's mum knocks the groom out and imprisons him in the attic of their mansion.
• Sweet Temptation (Lucy Diamond) - after joining a weight loss group the main character meets two other like-minded women and the book follows their laughs and friendship.
• Alphabet Weekends (Elizabeth Noble) - a story about a woman, recently dumped by her boyfriend who makes a plan with her male best friend to try new things for each letter of the alphabet every weekend.

The following list are all Kindle books and are either free or relatively low priced (<£3). It might be nice if you surprised her by downloading them onto her Kindle without her knowing.

• The Fix-It-Man (Donald Wells) - a chick-lit story written by a man! It was entertaining, really cute and interesting to see things from a man's perspective.
• Kissed In Paris (Juliette Sobanet) - a woman finds herself in a Paris hotel room missing her suitcase, passport and travel documents a week before her wedding. With the police after her she teams up with a local to try and make it back home to America in time for her wedding.
• Pear Shaped (Stella Newman) - if your girlfriend likes baking then this book is brilliant. As an employee in the food industry her job is to come up with new recipes (every girl's dream job!), work with the factory to produce them and then taste test them. One night she meets a guy in a bar and thinks she's found Mr Right. At the end of the book is a mini recipe book containing recipes discussed in the book.
• White Lies and Custard Creams (Susan Alison) - a funny story about lodgers, long lost brothers, fortunes and thugs with some nice twists along the way.

I hope my really terrible descriptions (which really don't do the books justice) spark your interest and you find a book that you think your girlfriend will love. I promise that all of the books on this list are really brilliant, even if my descriptions aren't so give them a try! If you have any others that you'd like to suggest then drop me an email at lovefromlila@hotmail.com because I'd love to hear them!

Love from lila xx