How to Make Your Lady Happy

Say you did something stupid. It’s not hard to imagine. Guys do things all the time. We might leave the toilet seat up, never wash the dishes, forget birthdays or anniversaries, or hide your favorite foods so she doesn’t eat them all before you get a chance to EVEN HAVE JUST ONE! Regardless, when this happens, here’s what you can do; You make your own card!

I recently had a special occasion in celebrating my four year anniversary with my wife. And for that I made my own card. It’s something I’ve been doing since we started dating. Here’s how it’s done:

Start with a basic poster board. You can either buy a large one and cut it in half or buy a smaller one.

Fold the piece you’ve chosen in half to make a card.

Make up a little rhyme with three verses, one for each page. Try and save the best verse for the last page. Write out the poem on the card. I try it out with pencil first, then go back over it with a marker.

Make a few doodles and add a little color. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just do your best and stick to what you know you can do.

For an extra measure of cuteness have your kids color on the back of the card. Here’s my boys making out their card to mommy. If you don’t have your own, try to borrow them from someone else. Family members will throw kids at you at the drop of a hat.

Sawyer and Lincoln (mostly Sawyer) coloring

And that’s it! You’re done. Don’t be tempted to go back and change things or add to it. Keep it simple. Remember that craftsmanship isn’t key, effort is. Just doing your best and letting it show says more than the finish product. Now you’ve completed a card she’ll cherish. Present it when she least expects it and you’ve done it.

Here’s a quick study I did to show this lessons effectiveness.

Wow what an increase in happiness! That’s effective! If you found this post helpful please leave a comment or share with others. Men need all the help we can get.

Two At A Time

I read a good bit. I try to read as much as I can, but sometimes I get in a rut. Sometimes books move slowly. Dialogue that goes on forever but gets nowhere or pages are spent paragraph after paragraph describing one thing. Even in nonfiction books when authors tell stories that really aren’t interesting at all.

 

When this happens, I usually turn to something else. For the past few years this means reading a second book. I recently did this with A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller and The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells. One was a non-fiction memoir dealing with Christianity and living the story you want told. The other was a classic science fiction novel. One was $4.99 and the other was free. Both were on the Kindle.

 

Doing this may not be for everyone, but to me it has been useful. Instead of forcing myself to read, I’ll take a quick break and read something else. Then I’ll come back to it. In doing this, I’ve picked up a few tips I thought I’d share.

 

• Pick different genres-If you are sick of eating McDonald’s you don’t normally head to Burger King. You want something different. If you are reading a thriller that seems to go cold, don’t pick up another thriller. Find something different. This could be as simple as fiction and non-fiction. Reading a different genre will make sure that you are actually changing meals and not just changing flavors.
• Keep it close-Make sure the book is somewhere you will read it. Whether it’s on your phone, on your nightstand, or sitting in the magazine rack next to the throne, make sure your book is within reach. Remember you are changing books to keep you reading, not to stop.
• Remember to come back-Don’t get caught up in one book and neglect the other. Remember what’s going on in each. Switch back and forth as much as possible between them. A little time apart does good, but waiting too long can easily turn into a book you never finish.
• Make time to read-Schedule a block of time that you know you’ll be reading. Some prefer to read before bed or during commercial breaks. For me it’s breaks and lunches at work. Just like anything else, you have to make time to have time.
• Keep it a hobby-I read because I like to read. I don’t do it for anyone else. I don’t do it because I have to. Pick something you’ll like to read and will keep your interest. Don’t jump between one book you don’t like for another you hate. Make it something you’ll enjoy and you’ll keep reading.

I hope this list helps if you are forcing yourself to finish a book that you’ve already grown tired of reading. If you need a few suggestions on reading, let me know. Here’s a list of my reads from last year. I’ll be posting a list of what I’ve read so far this year when we get more towards the middle.

In Honor of A-day

Today is the Alabama Crimson Tide’s Spring game. In honor of the game I’d like to share a little something. Watch this and think about Proverbs 22:6.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (King James Version)

That’s right. God’s basically telling you not to let your children grow up to be Auburn fans. Just kidding! Keep your hate mail and enjoy the games.

If you like this post you may also enjoy CFB Questions. 

Covers Recovered

I’ve recently posted a few of my favorite book covers. I decided to revise two of my own covers. I think these new versions better apply to the story they each hold. If you haven’t checked them out before you may want to give them a quick read. At only  $0.99,  they are at a price that I don’t think will leave you with much buyer’s remorse.

• ‘Til Morning One man lost his wife. One man lost his lover. This short story explores how someone can be remembered by the secrets they keep and leave behind.
  
• Ticket for Two This is a short story about a man and the sacrifices he would make for his wife. It follows the journey of Jasper as he tries to make it back home. He’s made the walk from town several times and he’s hoping this won’t be the last.

Uh-Oh Haiku

A haiku is basically a poem with three lines comprised of 17 syllables. It has five on the first and last lines with seven in the middle. I had to look it up on Wikipedia to remember. I’d heard it said that they are a great exercise for writers so I decided to come up with a few. Unfortunately I could only come up with ones that reflect some awkward moments from my own life. I call these Uh-oh Haikus.

So there it is. My first attempt at poetry. If you like it leave a comment. If not, well thanks for stopping by.

Five From Don Draper

This  is a series where I’ll feature five quotes from a few favorite characters.

I like Mad Men. This is an understatement. I’ve watched each season since the show began and plan on watching season six when it kicks off. A little known fact is that the DVD cover for season two inspired the cover for my own novel, Gather Sticks Along the Way. 

There are several reasons I like the show and not just because I’m white, like I’ve seen suggested here. The characters are flawed and real and the writing is amazing. The main character, Don, might not always do the right thing, but he always has the right thing to say.

Because of this I thought I’d make a quick list of my favorite Don Draper quotes.

• “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”

• “People want to be told so badly what to do they’ll listen to anyone.”

• “You want some respect? Go out there and get it for yourself.”

• “Change is neither good or bad, it simply is.”

• “I would have my secretary do it, but she’s dead.”

So do yourself a favor and check out the series. You can catch up via Wikipedia or Netflix. Leave a comment below if you have any thoughts on the show. Fans of the show may enjoy this Twitpic.