My Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life

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January 22, 2013
12 Comment

21 Day Relationship Challenge – Day 9

Plan a Nice Little Surprise

21-DayChallenge-BlogPhotoToday’s resolution suggests that you “Plan a nice little surprise.” This resolution is fun! It’s such a pleasure to dream up nice little surprises.

If you tried this resolution, what little surprise did you plan? Emphasis on little. I recently got a big response when I surprised my husband with a shiny new toe-nail clipper.

Did this resolution make a difference to your happiness?

We can all learn from each other, so please post your experiences with the resolution in the comments section below.

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  • http://lorialexander.blogspot.com/ Lori Alexander

    I ironed his shirts! Yes, that is all I had to do to make him happy! :) I think it is the little things that make them the happiest.

  • uncadiand

    I love surprises! I love giving them and I love receiving them. I believe the unexpected gifts are the best ones. They bring joy and happiness to the receiver and the giver!

  • peninith1

    Looks like this one is a challenge to many of us. Sure is tough for me to think up ‘little surprises’ for my long-distance pal.

    • wanda

      Here’s an idea, peninith1 – Try a “special delivery” direct from the shop instead of UPS or Fed Ex or post office (eg – floral arrangement). Maybe you could have pizza delivered when you knew your pal was watching a show or event on TV. Maybe have it delivered while you are on the phone together?

  • http://idealistmom.com/ Kelly

    I love this one! Here are some things I’ve thought of and/or done in the past:

    * Leave a smiley face made of fruit on the counter so he finds it (banana for the mouth, apples or lemons for the eyes, lime or kiwi for the nose, etc)

    * Write a short, nice note and leave it on his windshield during the evening so he finds it when he goes to leave for work in the morning

    * Use washable window markers (made by Crayola) to leave a message on the shower door for him to find it in the morning

  • Miljana

    Dear Grechen, these are good and positive thinkings and themes. There are numberous of these in the past, but some of unusual and unexpected were creating my own profile on Facebook and sending invitation for connection to several people I knew and we didn’t meet long time. The same I did few years before with some of my ex-colleagues, by phone and we made an appointment after that, and now we hear often and see each other. Today I was a little surprised when a street musician was singing my lovely song under my windows. I don’t know who sent him to do that, and to whom, but I enjoy in my imagination nd visualisation as it was to me. :) My son was pleasantly surprised with new curtains I put to the windows And favorite meals, favorite desserts are usual at my case. Making kiss on the mirror in the bathroom… etc. Once, I bought some magic ink to my children and they push it to their’s daddy snowy-white shirt. Of course, we were laughing and he was…brrr… And many other. I enjoy a lot in making a little surprises. That makes fun and smiles and laugh, and the laughing is very, very good for healt, at the first place, but for loosing excess calories, :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/christine.turley.1 Christine Turley

    My mum has a real love for Australia, and inspired by the holiday breakfasts you do for your children, I’m planning to celebrate Austraila day with a dinner for the family, got wee inflatable kangaroos and snakes, flags, cork hats, boomerangs. I filled her in and she’s so excited about it, and started looking up traditional recipes.
    Thanks again for yet another brillaint and wonderfully practical resolution!

  • http://www.facebook.com/rossella.bidino Rossella Di Bidino

    Your advice arrives at the right moment.
    Yesterday evening I came home after a shopping tour with a friend. I took back some special food for an unsual and good dinner. A small surprise for my husband.
    It helped as well to him to not think to much on a good friend, who is living a very bad moments, a life threatening one. He got the news few moments before my arrival. So my small surprise was “useful”.

    • peninith1

      Hope your friend comes through this all right!

  • Brenda

    I’m an American living in my husband’s home country of Tanzania, East Africa. We both had pretty hectic, full weeks this week so on Friday morning I told him I had a surprise for him starting at 8 pm that night so he couldn’t make any other plans. His work often keeps him busy in the evenings and it was so sweet to see how hard he was working to keep his schedule clear for his surprise that night.

    On the way home from work I picked up a bottle of Tanzanian wine for him and a couple of small bags of M&Ms for me and after the kids were asleep we enjoyed our treats in bed while we watched a Nat Geo Wild documentary about leopards that I downloaded free on iTunes. (My husband owns a safari company and loves all things related to African wildlife.) All together the night cost about $10 and it was great to have a relaxing evening without distraction.

    • gretchenrubin

      What a great surprise!

  • http://www.facebook.com/arden.greenspangoldberg Arden Greenspan-Goldberg

    I made a surprise 65th B-D for my husband on his birthday 11-29-2012. He was bowled over. The room was filled with people, our friends, our children a few of our kids friends. All love him. A room filled with joy and love. I couldn’t get the smile off of my face all night. He is so “easy” to surprise:)

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