45 Fun Ways to Add More Love and Romance to Life!
including romantic reads, how to be more attractive, and 20 lessons on marriage
Welcome to the February edition of Happy on Purpose, with an extra special hello to this month’s 1,927 new readers: I’m so glad you’ve joined our warm, thoughtful, fun crew!
Around here, the days are lengthening, and we’ve finally had some above-freezing weather. While it’s been fun embracing the cold (we made a backyard snow bar!) I can’t wait to shed my winter layers.
Another fun way to warm up: romance! With Valentine’s Day approaching, love is on my mind. My husband, Jim, and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in December, and while I’m superstitious about writing about our marriage (I don’t want to jinx it!), I wanted to mark the milestone with the lessons I’ve learned so far.
Read on for heartwarming ideas, including the best romance novels, 20 lessons on love and marriage, athletic socks that guarantee wins(!), and good things to watch, read, and click on.
How are you feeling this month? Do you celebrate (or avoid) Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day? I’d love to hear what you’re reading, watching, and cooking!
My 20-year marriage is one of the things I’m most proud of, and the thing I’m most afraid of writing about. What if, this time next year, I’m famously that person who wrote an essay about marriage advice and then got divorced?
The truth is, two decades later, I still don’t understand the alchemy of it.
Believing in marriage is like believing in religion or democracy: it’s a lofty goal fueled by stamina and commonly held beliefs. It’s a miracle to know each other’s faults and to choose, over and over again, to stay anyway. Figuring out, together, how to be happily married is one of the greatest honors of my life.
Click here for what I’ve learned so far…
Dopamine dressing, or embracing color to enhance happiness, makes getting dressed fun. I often opt for a pop of red: it’s cheerful, helps you win at sports (a study of Olympic athletes found “wearing red is consistently associated with a higher probability of winning”), and multiple studies have shown that wearing red makes both women and men more attractive to a potential partner!
Silk/cashmere polo sweater in a jaunty stripe from one of my favorite brands.
The hand soap currently gracing our powder room: fiery pink pepper! There’s body wash, too.
Cute, saucy kitten heels.
Cherry athletic socks for a pop of winning color!
A rosé scented candle in a beautiful pink jar. I am obsessed with these high-quality, $30 candles and have them all over my house!
📺WATCH. Last weekend, on my daughter’s recommendation, I binge-watched 11.22.63, the time-travel show based on a Stephen King book, starring James Franco as a high school teacher trying to prevent JFK’s assassination. It’s excellent. Glitter & Gold is a fun behind-the-scenes documentary about the world’s top ice dancers, their journey to the Winter Olympics, and “twizzling.” Love Story, the new limited series about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, is out today, and for the Brontë fans, Wuthering Heights is in theaters.
📚READ. Some great novels about love and marriage: Crossing to Safety, Nora Goes Off Script, Eligible, How to End a Love Story, Book Lovers, and Family Happiness. For Heated Rivalry fans, here are 10 steamy hockey romances!
💘MAKE. 6 fun “dinner and a movie” ideas for an evening at home.
4 silly ways to make marriage more fun. I love the supermarket game!
A sleepaway camp for making adult friends. A special place “where women can come as strangers and leave as friends.”
A new book argues that feeling loved is the key to happiness.
Here’s what paid subscribers have received since January’s cozy edition:
An easy trick to stop doomscrolling.
How to use neuroplasticity to manifest the life of your dreams.
Surprising, simple ways to become more creative (and happier!).
🎁Nicole I. was the lucky winner of January’s prize (all paid subscribers are automatically entered): a cheerful crimson Alex Mill sweater!
Says Stephanie on How A Simple Password Can Change Your Life! “Twenty years ago, I went on a singles retreat. Most of my friends were married, and I was worried I never would be. The woman running the retreat asked us to visualize how we wanted things to go and write it on a Post-it. Mine read “He will find me and I will welcome him.” I thought it sounded corny, too. But I did as she said, posted it in my apartment, and read it every day. A year later, I met the love of my life!”
Says Jojo on 6 Surprising Ways to Become More Creative, “I have kids in the house, and I tell myself it’s really good for them to see me be creative, work at improving, but also not be fussy about being perfect or a certain level. In the past few years, I’ve re-taken up piano, started guitar lessons, and played with watercolor, drawn journaling, and general drawing (I don’t have any art experience), and it’s been so fun!”
Says Nancy on How to Make Your Own Rules for Midlife Happiness, “At 69, I choose very carefully what gets my attention. I wear comfy clothes only. No more dressing up, more outfits that look good enough w/out all the fuss. And, I swear, in the last week, I stopped reading 7 or 8 books just because they didn’t appeal to my mood!”
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Coming up: the February giveaway, tips on beating procrastination, and how to kindly say no. If you’re curious about the weekly paid issues, here’s an unlocked example. You can click here if you’d like to upgrade!
✈️The next free issue will be out in March, and I’m thinking about an escape-themed edition, as many of us will be heading off on spring break trips. Take care, and I’ll see you then!
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Yes to red. It makes me happy to think Canadian althletes might have a winning edge in red 🍒
How did I not know you were on Instagram??! Just followed, that snow-cold-weather bar is right up my alley!