Summer Excursions...

You know how much I like to offer you cheap or free alternatives? Read on for some places to find information on cheap days out!

I'll start with the cheaper alternatives...The National Trust website lists hundreds of places, both historic buildings and green spaces, that you can visit for really low prices. So if you'd like to find somewhere cheap from the National Trust to visit, then click here.

Alternatively you can find some places to visit at this website, from Britain's tourist board, although many of them aren't free. That doesn't mean that they aren't worth the visit, if you're willing to spend a little money then I'm sure you'll think it's worth it!

Because we're all big kids at heart, this article has a list of 50 things to do with the kids at half-term that you could at least take inspiration from!

If you don't want to go far or put too much effort in then you could just splash out on lunch at a local cafe or teashop, you can find these in some really pretty surroundings so that's an added bonus!

Finally, the most romantic option (in my opinion!) is a picnic. You don't have to drive far (but you can if you want)= less money on petrol, you control how much you spend on food and you can do it in your own back garden = you don't have to be super organised because if you forget something, you can just go inside and fetch it! So if you want to have a look at the 3 ideas for picnics that I wrote about last year, then head over here.

And just for some extra reading, here's a list of the 10 most romantic places in Britain and some tips from the guardian on how to make your romantic trip even more romantic!


So have a look around the internet, find yourself somewhere to go, pack some sandwiches and off you go!

Love from lila xx


P.S. Don't forget to check the weather report!

I'm A Bad Blogger!

I have to apologise for not posting yesterday but instead of being sat at home, I spent the day out with Mr. Love From Lila...

You know how I'm always trying to show you that you can have a good day out or make something more exciting with little touches. Well yesterday was one of those days. There was no exciting trip to the zoo or a theme park planned, just a little wander around the shops and some lunch.

So that's what we did, a bit of a drive to the shops, a slow wander around and just some time enjoying each other's company. And because we're lucky enough to live at the seaside, we drove down to the seafront, took our sandwiches with us and sat on the beach and ate them. Then we spent far too long searching for heart shaped pebbles, only to find the perfect one when we started to walk back to the car! Typical.

So I'm sorry that this is late, but hopefully you'll see how little effort you have to put in to make a nice day out.

Love from lila xx

Mr. Love From Lila, Post 3 of 3: What Have You Got Planned This Summer?

Summer holidays are fast approaching and it’s the perfect opportunity to try and arrange a nice romantic getaway together.

So get planning! Here is a simple breakdown of the steps:

1. Before you even start booking things, you have to decide whether you’re going to organise it together or whether you’re going to surprise her.
2. Decide on the dates! Whether you’re arranging it with her or surprising her, make 100% sure that you know exactly when you’re free, a cancelled holiday is not worth it!
3. Next, decide your budget and if you’re going to be surprising her with the holiday, are you also going to pay? If not, you can still surprise her by agreeing on a price range and then coming up with an idea.
4. Choose your type of holiday. Are you sun bathers, city tourers or activity doers? Obviously you have to stick to your price range, but if you can’t afford to go abroad, it doesn’t mean that you have to stay home and do a typical British seaside holiday. In the UK for example, there are plenty of wonderful places to visit and exciting activities to do that don’t involve seasides! That doesn’t mean that you can’t go abroad of course! If your budget will stretch, you can find some fabulous locations and activities.
5. Next, pick your destination. Once you know what you want to do, it’s easier to narrow down potential locations. So if there’s a particular activity that you want to do such as skiing, you can often find location ideas from activity websites. If you’re not planning an activity, but are looking for sights to see, you can find information on places like tourist information pages.
6. If you’ve picked your destination but haven’t thought of any activities, head over to the tourist information site where you can have a little look around and see what’s on offer. Even if you don’t intend to have an activity packed holiday, you can still surprise her with a trip to a recommended tea shop or restaurant. If you don’t have to book activities in advance then make a list of potential things to do on each day and let your other half pick which one they’d prefer to do.
7. Try and keep it varied, both with location and activities. You don’t have to spend two weeks in a rural cabin in the woods unless that’s all you really want to do. Even if you just plan a walk or two, or prep a picnic, there’s plenty of variation to be had! You don’t just have to limit it to one location either, you could spend a few days somewhere and then move and spend a few more somewhere else to really make the most of your limited holiday time.

Let me know where you’ve decided to go this summer and make sure you have a good time. It's your time together, so make the most of it, and make the most of each other, you're there to have fun! 

Enjoy, with Love From Lila’s Better Half xx

Mr. Love From Lila, Post 2 of 3: Present Buying for Men – A Male Perspective

When you repeatedly ask us if there’s anything that we’d like as a present, and we don’t give you any hints beforehand, it probably seems like we don’t want anything sometimes. This isn’t quite true but unless there’s something that we are thinking of getting then we don’t generally mind what you get us. We really do appreciate the thought as much as the present, even though you may not believe that!

Often, women tend to have their eye on one or two presents for themselves that they will hint about to their partner. Men on the other hand see present buying as such a daunting task that they spend more time worrying about what to get you, than thinking about what they might like themselves. Unfortunately that might leave you on your own searching in the dark.

If you’re getting stressed about present buying, take a scrap of paper and a pen and write down all of the things that your partner likes…

• Is he into music?

What artists does he like? Any new albums out that he would like? Is he a festival guru/does he like smaller concerts? Are there any upcoming gigs that you might like to go together to?

• Is he into sport?

Does he support a team – tickets to a match or merchandise might be a good idea?

• What films does he like?

It may seem like a bit of a cop-out but you can’t really go wrong, particularly if you go for less obvious ones!

• Does he like to keep himself looking good?

Old fashioned grooming/shaving kits are always nice. Suit related gifts are always welcome, anything that might help him look a little bit smarter.

Men tend to go for the affordable, standard version of things when they buy for themselves but it’s really nice to have the premium version. So if your money can stretch, premium is best. You know your partner better than I do, so get writing that list and your next problem could be narrowing down your ideas!!

If you need extra help, the following might be useful to note:

• Look at interesting events or days out that either he/both of you can go on. Just have a nose around the internet, you may have a good idea of the things he wouldn’t mind doing. I’m sure something will jump out at you.
• If in doubt, asking family or friends may give you big clues, but then again sometimes they’re clueless. It’s always worth giving it a go!
• Homemade presents are nice too – if you can cook or bake, we’d appreciate the effort, just make sure it’s edible!
• Obviously personalised gifts are a simple one – anything relating to your relationship would be a nice gift, (in a picture frame or photo album etc.) just don’t go overboard and get lots of these in one go.
• You could buy more practical things, like clothes – women tend to be more reliable with buying clothes than men so we’re more likely to take your judgement when it comes to these things. It doesn’t really seem to work the other way around though…

Filler presents are fine too, but only as a last resort and try not to get too many. Don’t be afraid to go over budget (if you’ve set one) either. It’s better to buy a really good present for a little bit more than use up your money buying too many filler presents.

We might like practical things but just like you, we don’t really expect them as a gift. So avoid buying things like a new games console or satellite box and strange gifts like that. And lastly, hopefully it should go without saying…please no gift cards! It just says “I’ve given up”. Other people can get gift cards - you really shouldn’t need to…

Anyway I hope this has been helpful, if so, let me know in the comments.

Good Luck, with Love From Lila’s Better Half xx

Mr. Love From Lila, Post 1 of 3: What Good Is A Talent If You Don’t Use It?!

Hi everyone, over the next three weeks I’ll be sitting my final exams for my degree so I’m taking a little break and letting my other half take over the blog! It’s a risky move, I know, but I thought you’d all appreciate hearing something from the other side. So now, it’s all down to him – good luck and I’ll see you all again soon, I have some great ideas lined up so make sure you pop back and read them!

Welcome to the other side!! The dark side!! AKA Love From Lila’s better half…

Whether you’re a man or woman, you can always rely on what you’re good at when it comes to doing something nice for your other half. I’m not just talking about presents on special occasions but as men, that tends to be when we actually do something! You know, when the pressure’s on, and everything…

But if you’re just sat around doing nothing and somehow you’re hit with the urge to do something creative then there is nothing easier than doing something you’re good at. Why spend so many agonising hours wandering from shop to shop in a desperate search for something nice to give to your girlfriend (and yes most men find shopping agonising regardless of how much they enjoy hanging out with their girlfriends – P.S. you should already know this women!), when you can make or do something for her using the things you’re good at!

Now I’m not saying that most men are particularly sentimental and creative, but most men are practical and we all have talents. Of course this doesn’t just apply to men; women can make use of these ideas too.

Here is a small selection of things you can make or do for your partner...

1. Hand Crafted

Women tend to be better at making things look nice and frilly – men don’t tend to do this… if we end up making something, we’re better actually making an object and this isn’t really too difficult, just time consuming!

Whether it’s card, woodwork, metalwork, or high-tech, men are good at building things. This could be pimping out your girlfriend’s computer, making her jewellery, or simply making something out of wood. Here’s one I made earlier.

When this was finished, it was a sanded, buffed and varnished section of log with the dates of our three year anniversary on it. I’m glad to say that she absolutely loved it!

2. Look, I’m an Artist!!

Sometimes we’re gifted with the ability to draw or create an image, be it drawing, painting, photography or graphic design. We may be exceptional or just simply good but when in doubt, something important to your relationship or a memory from it is normally a good place to start.

3. Music Maestro!

Singer songwriters might sound cheesy with their love songs for the other half and it can be a painful experience for all involved if you’re about as eloquent as doorknob. The best bet unless you’re good with words is to adapt or cover a favourite song of hers, record it on video or mp3, and maybe surprise her with it (you can find some potential ideas from this youtube playlist). Sometimes composing something without lyrics is a good way to go, you can’t do anything wrong if there are no words, and interpretation is a wonderful thing. A lesson learnt, stick to something that at least sounds like there’s some feeling in it – thrash metal is not a good way to go, unless she’s into that sort of thing!

4. Are you a Wordsworth?

If you happen to be an eloquent writer, sometimes a poem is better than having to say something directly. Although horrifically tacky in the wrong hands, a poem is normally regarded as a good thing when it’s about someone you love, regardless of how good it actually is.

5. The way to the heart is through the stomach…

You don’t need to be a professional chef to bake or cook up a dish that she’ll love (check out these other posts for Berry Tartlets, Box Mix Cupcakes, Basic Biscuit Dough and Easter Eggs). Baking can be a surprise gift and with everything you need to know online, even an amateur could do it. My favourite’s Banana Bread…pity she doesn’t like it. Remember whatever you do, don’t burn it!

I hope this has been helpful. Just stick to what you’re good at and you’ll find loads of cool present ideas. And make sure you comment below, don’t be lazy now!! If you can read, god knows you should be able to write, even if it’s just to say “Fudge”. Let me know what you think and maybe you’ve already made use of your talents. Click that lonely “No Comments” link below and write a comment, you can be an anonymous stranger or you can add a name, whatever you feel like doing.

Best Wishes, with Love From Lila’s Better Half xx

Female Body Image

Have you ever wondered why your girlfriend doesn't believe you when you tell her how beautiful she is? This post may help you to understand why.

I'm sure you've always wondered how your girlfriend, being as beautiful as she is, would never fully believe you when you tell her how beautiful she looks. Dove (the skincare company) conducted a social experiment to look into female body image and the results are fascinating (if you've been on youtube recently, you may have already seen or skipped the video).

If you only have a few minutes then there's a shorter version of the video...

But if you have a bit longer (6.30) then I'd really suggest that you watch the longer version (or even both!).

The experiment looked at how women perceive themselves and how others perceive them and the results found that women were much more critical of their looks and described them very differently to how others described them.


You may never understand why your girlfriend doesn't believe you when you tell her that she looks beautiful, but please don't ever stop telling her. We seem to be programmed not to see the true image in the mirror and that bleeds into our everyday life. That means that when we say that we aren't looking good, we truly think that we don't look good and we really do appreciate all of your work in reminding us how beautiful we are! Thank you, we love you!

Love from lila xx

One Year Anniversary!

If you're a religious reader, you may have noticed that you've been reading this blog for almost a year now. And to celebrate, I thought I'd tell you all a little story...

It was a warm summer's day back in June 2010 (ok I may be exaggerating, it was in Wales so it definitely wasn't warm!), and my boyfriend and I headed off to the supermarket for our weekly shop. While we were there we were also looking for a present for our flatmate whose birthday it was. We were students, don't judge us! A running joke in our house was how much of a baby our flatmate was so we decided to buy him some baby things like bottles and dummies. We arrived at the supermarket, did our shopping and started perusing the baby aisle looking for the perfect present. As we looked up and down the aisle a purple colour caught my eye (if you don't know me very well then you won't be aware of how obsessed I am with purple!). That purple colour happened to be a box full of purple monkey toys and I just can't let something like that go! A cute purple monkey toy - I had to have it! So I turn to my boyfriend and flutter my eyelids and he asks, 'would you like it?'. As if he had to ask. And nine months into our relationship, that it how we found 'our teddy'.

You may not know it, but your girlfriend probably has a teddy which she associates with your relationship - either because you bought it for her or because she associates it with a memory of you. If she doesn't have one, then hopefully soon you'll find your story and the teddy to go with it.

Our teddy has ended arguments (she asked mummy to stop being mad at daddy back in our first year together) and because we're in an LDR (long distance relationship), she's a reasonable replacement for cuddling up to at night when the other half is away! She even gets sprayed with my boyfriend's aftershave sometimes, when we separate. She also wears a necklace which was a present that he bought back from a holiday he had without me in France!



There are two reasons why I told you that story...

1. To show that presents don't need to be expensive. The purple teddy that has been so important to our relationship only cost about £3! The secret to presents is to make them personal. As one half of a relationship, memories also make fabulous presents and if you're ever stuck then just think of a memory or a thing that sums up your relationship and you have a winning present!
2. And because if you've ever wondered who lila was...wonder no more.

This beautiful purple monkey is a very special monkey and she also has a very special name!

I still think that my very first post was one of my best, so if you'd like to check it out, then click here. As for all the rest, you should definitely take the time to read through them all because I hope that at least one will either explain the female mind to you or give you good ideas for presents as well as keep you entertained.

To all who have been religious readers of my blog: thank you!

To all those who have only recently discovered my blog: please keep reading!

With love from me and lila xx

10 Things I Love About You...

Sometimes we forget how much, and why, we love each other. Today's the day to remember and then tell her what you love about her!

It's easy to do. You get stressed with life and then the other person does one little thing that just drives you absolutely bananas (nothing to do with your already high stress levels at all!) and you forget why you love each other for just a minute.

So today, all I'm going to suggest is that you take a piece of paper, or better yet go and buy a nice card from the shop, and write down 10 reasons why you love her. Then give it to her along with a huge hug!


It couldn't be easier so you have no excuse not to do it.

Love from lila xx


P.S. If you've ever wondered who Lila was, you'll find out next week so don't forget to pop back then!

Let's Talk About Massage

When was the last time you gave her a proper massage? With massage oil and your full attention?

We all love a good massage and I think girls especially love them as a treat from their boyfriends so I thought I'd find you a video or some online tutorials to help you give her the best massage in the world! I don't know an awful lot about massages but I found two videos online which I thought were really useful. The first tells you how to do a swedish back massage and although it's aimed at someone trying to perform a salon style massage, it tells you how to warm up the muscles, gives you some techniques for the main part of the massage and tells you how to warm down the muscles. The second also uses swedish massage techniques but is much longer although it seems worth the watch!

So here are the videos...
The first, shorter option:

The second, much longer option:

Now I hope you feel armed with some good techniques that you can use to give her a semi-professional massage which I'm sure she'll love. At least once in a while it would also be appreciated if you went all out and laid out a 'massage table' and had some nice massage oil to give her a proper massage. What are you waiting for? Get massaging!

Love from lila xx

Romance.

Have you ever googled romance?

Why not do it now. But don't just google romance, try love, couple, romantic and relationship too. Then scribble a few ideas down and try and recreate your own picture which you can use for future presents.

You could also get your girlfriend involved too and ask her to come up with some ideas or keep it a secret so that you can surprise her with a day of romantic photography!

You probably won't be able to take most of the photos yourself so try and get a friend to help you out. If you can't find someone to help then you could try self-timer although it's definitely not as useful as having a friend to help! (One of the times when being nice to her best friend will pay off!)


Just to get you started, here are some of the pictures that google came up with...

You don't have to have your faces or whole bodies in the picture, there are plenty of ways to communicate love in a picture, so just try it and most importantly, have fun with it!

Love from lila xx

The Dangerous Book for Boys

It's always interesting to get different points of view in life so the following excerpt is taken from Conn & Hal Iggulden's Dangerous Book for Boys.

You may already have noticed that girls are quite different from you. By this, we do not mean the physical differences, more the fact that they remain unimpressed by your mastery of a game involving wizards, or your understanding of Morse Code. Some will be impressed, of course, but as a general rule, girls do not get quite as excited by the use of urine as a secret ink as boys do.

We thought long and hard about what advice could possibly be suitable. It is an inescapable fact that boys spends a great deal of their lives thinking and dreaming about girls, so the subject should be mentioned here - as delicately as possible.


Advice About Girls

1. It is important to listen. Human beings are often very self-centred and like to talk about themselves. In addition, it's an easy subject if someone is nervous, It is good advice to listen closely - unless she has also been given this advice, in which case an uneasy silence could develop, like two owls sitting together.
2. Be careful with humour. It is very common for boys to try to impress girls with a string of jokes, each one more desperate than the last. One joke, perhaps, and then a long silence while she talks about herself...
3. When you are older, flowers really do work - women love them. When you are young, however, there is a ghastly sense of being awkward rather than romantic - and she will guess your mother bought them.
4. Valentine's Day cards. Do not put your name on them. The whole point is the excitement a girl feels, wondering who finds her attractive. If it says 'From Brian' on it, the magic isn't really there. This is actually quite a nice thing to do to someone you don't think will get a card. If you do this, it is even more important that you never say, 'I sent you one because I thought you wouldn't get any.' Keep the cards simple. You do not want one with padding of any kind.
5. Avoid being vulgar. Excitable bouts of wind-breaking will not endear you to a girl, just to pick one example.
6. Play sport of some kind. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it replaces the corpse-like pallor of the computer programmer with a ruddy glow. Honestly, this is more important than you know.
7. If you see a girl in need of help - unable to lift something, for example - do not taunt her. Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, whilst surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation.
8. Finally, make sure you are well-scrubbed, your nails are clean and your hair is washed. Remember that girls are as nervous around you as you are around them, if you can imagine such a thing. They think and act rather differently to you, but without them, life would be one long rugby locker room. Treat them with respect.

Well I hope you enjoyed the change in perspective, although I do agree with many of the things written, at least you may appreciate that it comes from a male perspective and therefore may be more inclined to listen to it rather than what I say!

Love from lila xx

Easter Treats

Well as you know, I'm a big advocate of the 'women love chocolate' philosophy and with Easter coming up, now's the time to go mad for chocolate!

If you're new to the blog then you might not have read my very first post on how to reinvent chocolate and flowers, so my first suggestion is to head over there to get some ideas on how to do things a little differently.

Then you have to decide whether you're going to be brave and try and make her an easter egg (or chocolate treat) yourself or whether you're going to go out and buy one.

I'll start with the easiest option, so if you're not intending to make an egg/treat yourself then I really really recommend that you try and buy her something a bit more special than a generic Cadbury easter egg. If you don't know of any local chocolate shops where you could buy a good quality handmade egg then I strongly suggest that you splash out on the quality eggs at the supermarket. Failing that, you could just put together a box/bag of her favourite chocolates alongside some eastery treats like creme eggs or mini eggs!

If you're up for the challenge then you could even make her...

• an easter egg (here's one recipe or an alternative and visit a local cake decorating/cookery supplies shop for chocolate mouls)
• a chocolate krispie chick (here's the recipe and again, you'll need to buy some moulds)
• chocolate nests (the recipe uses shredded wheat but you could use cornflakes or rice krispies)
• decorated easter eggs (have a look here for one idea but google decorated eggs for others or come up with your own personalised idea!)

As always, try and package it as beautifully as the present itself is otherwise it won't have the same effect!


But most importantly, have a lovely Easter weekend and make sure you eat lots of chocolate!

Love from lila xx

The Present Bible

Always stuck for present ideas?
Start a present bible!

If it comes around to your girlfriend's birthday/christmas/anniversary/valentine's and you've forgotten things she's suggested to you or that you've thought of throughout the year it can be pretty annoying.

I always keep a little book filled with present ideas so that I'm never lost for presents. This is also helpful because it will avoid her getting upset when you've forgotten to buy her something that she's asked for (repeatedly)! It also means that you can save ideas for future occasions and be a bit more organised!


So why not give it a try? I promise, it's worth it!

Love from lila xx

A Gentle Push...

Sometimes when we're working hard or have lots to do, it's hard to stop and take some time out. Here's where you come in...

Have you ever watched your girlfriend working non-stop and can tell that she really needs or would really like to just take a break but can't bring herself to stop? Sometimes we just don't think we have time to prepare the relax but sometimes we just need some gentle encouragement or reassurance that it's ok to take a break. So why not help out your girlfriend and prepare her a little break so that all she has to do is stop for 30 minutes and relax!


If you need some ideas then you could;

• run her a really warm, bubbly, inviting bath
• buy her some chocolate and sit her down with a film/tv program
• take her out for a walk around the park/along the beach
• buy her a packet of cake mix so that she can have a little baking session
• take her to the cinema or for dinner
• or just get her to put on her pyjamas and snuggle and snooze

It doesn't take much to do, but will mean much more. So if you think your girlfriend's stressed and needs a break - plan a little relaxation time for her!

Love from lila xx

Why Being Romantic Is Important...

If you're one of those guys who doesn't think that being romantic is all that important, this post is aimed at persuading you that it's not so unimportant!

Now this is just a theory of mine and we all know that theories are often disproven so all I'm hoping with this theory is that you have a little think about the ideas that I'm proposing, the implications of them and what they mean for romance and relationships.

People think with both their hearts and heads depending on the situation. In most situations, women think with their hearts which is why they are loving, caring and kindhearted. For women, the hearts tend to control the positive decisions and the head controls negative decisions. In the female world, the heart can take over the head. To do that, the heart needs to have enough power to do that. How can that happen?


Love and Romance.


The heart collects all of those gestures of love and romance, stores them up and locks them away, ready to fight away logic.



Take the following example...
Your girlfriend is mad with you again because you've done something wrong. If her heart doesn't have enough power then her head will win and her decision will be based on right vs. wrong, based on the situation - what you've done wrong and how badly. If her heart has enough power then it can say - all of these (romantic) examples show that although he's done this wrong, they don't matter because normally he's like this.


So the next time your girlfriend is mad, try and win over her heart, not her head! Good luck as always!

Love from lila xx