Cupcakes, Soda Pop, and Fishing....Oh My!!!



Cupcakes+ Soda Pop+ Fishing = Love



Its so much fun when married couples go away for a relaxing weekend of loving and reconnecting. The best part of it is when you start and end with a theme. During our Valentines mountain retreat of "rest, relaxation and romance we decided that we would repeat our grouping in April. Instead of going back to the mountains we wanted to go to the beach. The only problem was that the weather would not be warm but we would have the entire area basically to ourselves. We knew that the boys could not handle another weekend as we had before. They enjoyed it but made it clear that they wanted to be out and about. What they wanted just as much as us was a group Fishing adventure.

So we created a new theme. One that would embrace the ladies and cheer on the men and still end with romance. I have been working with a talented young lady who would be creating exclusive products for our webstores. I told her that I wanted a great weekend that would set the couples on fire. At the same time I wanted something sweet. We put our heads together and then came up with a perfect theme. Cupcakes, soda pop and fishing.

We had milkshake soda pops made in lovely scented candles....cupcake bath fizzies in enticing flavors that if you didn't know better you would want to eat them. We decorated the tables and areas with cupcake scenes. We had the candles and bath salts with small gift baskets of scented lotions and body sprays. I found matching lingerie that would make the men blush as it allowed the ladies to feel at the height of their sexiness. All the ladies had them in pretty pink bags with cupcake decorations on them.

We burned melon scented candles and had plates of real cupcakes in all flavors and soda pop. We produced a wonderful dinner and turned on piano love songs. Around the table was an assortment of fishing rods and fishing gear. We then called the men to come to the table. We had the doors opened and you could see the bay and see the waves and the smell of the salt bay air blended well with the melon scented candles. We had the guys full attention when they came in and saw their gear all around and a cupcake party for the girls.

That's how the weekend started and we had a ball. The men were so excited about going out fishing the next day that they came back with gifts for us. We each were given the cutest fishing rods in pink, orange and yellow. They lite up when you started to reel in the fish. They brought us hats  with matching tee shirts and sweatshirts. They were like little boys excited to be with each other and their girls.

Likewise the ladies got a kick out of playing with their cupcake theme as they opened their sexy gifts and we laughed at how and when we would wear them. We ate cupcakes and drank soda pop as our guys fished off the pier right outside of our patio. They became slightly upset when we turned down the music because they were enjoying it as well. So we kept the music going and the cupcake party going and just had a wonderful time.

Later that night we played music couple charades and just laughed and laughed. No one noticed that one by one the men excused themselves to go to the rooms. The ladies were having so much fun that we didn't pay it any attention. Soon it was time for the couples to retire and we notice that the men wanted the love songs to continue to play. When each couple went to their room they found that the doors were closed. The men opened the door for each lady and once the door was opened we could not believe our eyes. Each husband had gone to their room and set up the most romantic scene ever. There were candles burning all over the room. Sweet incense and plates of cheese crackers and fruit. Sparkling cider in grape and apple chilled.

The piano music playing in the background as the full moon lit the night sky and the waves hitting the surf from the bay. Suddenly all you heard in the entire suite was the sound of the ladies screaming with joy and surprise. Then it was our turn as we made all of the men go back to the common living area as we prepared. Each lady put on their matching tangerine nighties and called in  their husbands.

This time all you heard was the men making noise!!! Music played all night and we rejoiced in each other as we fellowshipped in the way that God created just for the married couple. The next morning the guys got up and made breakfast and then ran out to the fishing area with smiles on their faces. The ladies went to the boardwalk and road a group bike, took old times pictures for our great men ( all saloon girls with attitudes....ha,ha,ha,)we had a ball dressing up and laying on the bar. We shopped and had lemonade, cotton candy, frenchfries, and corn dogs.

The guys loved their sexy saloon girl pictures and we had more fishing gear waiting for us. We had a wonderful time. So moral of the story...if you want your guys to romance you then include something that they really like to do. Put that together with something that we really like to do then gather up some great married friends and plan a weekend to remember.

If you can't think of a theme then try ours there is nothing like:

CUPCAKES, SODA POP, AND FISHING....Oh My!!!

When the music stopped so did the Love!!!

Where is the Love?

I am a child of the early 50's. Growing up there was one thing that was very consistent and that was music. It was all around us. We as children and through out our teens even into our early adulthood there was music. We learned to appreciate all types of music. Gospel, jazz, rock and roll, country, classical, hard rock , and contemporary. It didn't matter. What mattered was that this music had words that inspired and seemed to generate love.

Whether it was love acquired, love desired, love lasting, love wanting, or love that had been lost but wanting to be regained...the point was it centered on love. This music seemed to keep couples united. Caring and sharing how they felt. Many men didn't know just what to say to a lady but they could hear words to a song and get a line or two that would win the heart of their lady love.

Men would listen to the words of a song by Smokey Robinson and he would say " I will build you a castle with the tower so high it reaches the moon. I'll take a melody from birds that fly and compose you a tune. Everyday we will play on the milkyway and if that won't do then I'll try something new". Knowing that your man could not do any of these things didn't matter but just the thought that he would try something each day to win and keep you would just lighten your heart and keep you loving him.

The words to the songs were always up lifting and presented women and love in a respectful way. Classics such as Elvis Presley's Can't help falling in love with you when he sings "wise men say only fools rush in but I can't help falling in love with you. Take my hand and take my life too but I can't help falling in love with you". These songs in my opinion kept love alive and marriage strong. It focused on love and togetherness. If you were having a difficult season you could put on the music and it would soften your heart.

Even when the marriage was in trouble you could hear songs like the Chilites when they sang "oh girl I'll be in trouble if you left me now. Cause I don't know where to look for love and I just don't know how." Or Johnny Mathis as he sang "chances are you believe the stars that fill the sky are in my eyes." Or the Temptations when they sang "the girls alright with me you know the girls alright".Or even the rock bands like the Rolling Stones when Mic Jagger sang " I can't get no satisfaction..and I tried and I tried and I tried." You have the gospel with "Falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I've ever done."

So when did we loose the love? When did couples stop looking dreamy in each other's eyes? When did marriage and relationship take on such a negative connotation? Personally I think when the music stopped. When the love songs were replaced with pounding demonic sounding beats from hard rock. Or negative adjectives about ladies and their anatomies by rap groups. When women's-lib decided that it was too demeaning to receive love in this way and more and more songs about "I am woman here me roar."

I have no problem with women being treated as equals where work is concerned but I do have problems when society tends to forget to give us our respect. When the world mistreats us just because they feel that we are the weaker sex. We are still the hand that rocks the cradle. We are still the ones that set the love tone. We are still the ones whom God created to be a help to man. So we deserve to be loved and cared for in all ways.

I'm not saying that music or lack of it is the entire reason that our society is crumbling and marriage is in jeopardy. What I'm saying is that music, art, poetry and books all have an impact on how we live. When kids constantly hear that woman are whores, that lets sacrifice our lives to the enemy, and money is king and the most important thing that we have then they look at our old values as just that old. When couples constantly hear that marriage is nothing but a piece of paper and that it should not be exclusive. That being with one person is old and out dated creates the image that marriage really is not worth all of the effort.

What the love songs did was keep the love in the air. It kept the melody alive in your heart. Think about it...how many times have you heard one of those great songs and it stayed in your head all day. You walked around humming it or singing the chorus or just a word or two. Each time you sang it you began to smile.

We have to bring the love back. We have to put goodness back in our spirits. We have to place focus back on the things that will keep us together in harmony. I really feel that we must start with the music. Why? Music is a universal language in itself. It reaches all. Just singing a love song that supports women and men in relationship helps strengthen the union. Something that allows lovers to dream again. Something that will make the young take notice and see that its easier to win the heart with love then with demeaning words and gestures. It allows the strong woman to understand that its alright to be strong and its just as good to be loving and lovable.

My theory is that when the love songs stopped the words and music changed then slowly without notice love just left. Replaced with all sorts of dysfunction and malice. It is said that music is the soul of God that's why we react the way we do. Likewise man has allowed what was put here for our good to be destroyed and manipulated to a point that we no longer respect each other or what is good and wholesome.

I would like each one of you reading this blog to go home and put on a oldie but goodie love song. Take your spouse in your arms or by the hand and just slow dance. Listen to the words and feel the music go with it. I can guarantee that before the night is over you will be so deep in physical intimacy that you will wonder where that burst came from (wink wink). Then when you recouperate from this experiment drop us a comment and let me know if my theory was right or wrong.

Finally I leave you with these words:"Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8. What Paul is telling us is to find whats good in this world and put our focus on that to get us through. Marriage as God created it is under attack. I feel that by loosing the music the love songs that our focus has moved away from love. Only we can bring it back.

One of our favorites is by Frankie Beverly and Mazie...I've quoted from this song so many times but I just love it..."everyone must make their own kind of love in their own kind of way...your own kind of love is what you feel..."

Now with that said I'm going to go and find my spouse and put that song on and well..........