Super Cheap St. Patty's Day Read

Mimi Cates is an artist who lives over the coffee shop she owns. Content with her life, she won't allow herself to become to close with her sexy, wanderlust neighbor, despite what her heart tells her.

Irishman, Robbie Mac Donnell never wanted to stay in one place very long. His job as a scientist allowed him to travel the world without ever making permanent ties to anyone. However, when he finds the perfect person and the perfect place to settle down, he's not sure if she'll believe him.      

         

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Romance & Peppermint Choco Martinis

So many parties won't be happening this year. 

That doesn't mean you can't have a little "party" with your honey. 

Even if you have kids, a "party night" would be fun. Schedule a night for a "party". Everybody can dressed up in party clothes, play some music, nibble on a meat and cheese plate. 

Enjoy playing a party game of some sort.

Make a non-alcohol punch for kids and make a special adults-only drink for you and your honey.

Have fun making a party drink to share. 

Here's one of my favorites.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 parts KAHLÚA PEPPERMINT MOCHA
1/2 part vodka
 1/4 part half and half
 1/4 part chocolate milk
Garnish with whipped cream and small candy cane

Michigan Fun for Couples in Autumn

Summer has been awesome and we manage to have some vacation time. I have two football players so we have to plan short little trips when we can. Hubby and I always try to make time for just us...you know...for a bit of adventure with a dash of romance.

I love living in Michigan. The changing seasons create many opportunities for adventures. During every weekend, a festival is going on someplace. Couples traveling to Michigan can find scores of activities and destinations perfect for falling in love,
sharing a special moment or rediscovering what you love about each other.

The weather also creates a perfect growing environment for wine making grapes. Michigan wineries are fun to visit. Nothing spells "romance" like visiting a vineyard and opening a bottle straight from the source. Enjoy wine tasting and "wine trails" through Michigan's wine country, which stretches along the coast of Lake Michigan along the lower peninsula's northern and central shores. 

Our favorite place to visit is Traverse City. I LOVE the shops downtown! Stop in Cherry Republic to try some cherry salsa while sipping cherry wine! The girls and I like to hit the resale shops in search of treasures. (Sometimes the guys tag along, if we promise to involve food.) We follow the Resale Trail. (Download your Traverse City Resale Trail Map HERE.) 

Michigan offers a wonderful selection of breweries open all year round for tours and tasting. Hubby has a Bucket List of craft breweries he wants to visit. We always seem to stumble upon local wineries or brew pubs. Several offer wonderful food along with their beverages. 

We're heading up north for Beer Week, Nov. 13-20. 

 As temperatures drop, activities don't stop. Frankenmuth is our favorite spot as it is only a short drive for us. Getting away for a weekend is easy. This quaint town explores German heritage with Oktoberfest, and the Holiday Balloon Fest takes place in December. We enjoy walking along the streets to visit our "regular shops" anytime of the year.

In today's busy world, it is very healthy for couples to spend some quality time together. Hubby and I think Michigan certainly provides many romantic opportunities.

Visit Pure Michigan for more information or to plan your weekend getaway.

Couple Fun – Make a Wish Jar

Flyboy and I enjoying junking together. Using the ads in the paper, we carefully plot out our adventure visiting yard, garages and barns. We find all sorts of treasures. I love to collect jars... clear, glass jars to display candies and cookies. I found a unique and fun idea using jars.

Couples often look for ways to entice a partner to expand his or her perspectives on the possibilities in or even out of the bedroom. Often planning a special romantic evening as a surprise for your honey often doesn’t go as arranged. Kids, pets, families, work… so many things may interrupt. It would be much easier to plan something with your partner rather than planning a surprise.

Keep two “wish” jars in the kitchen, one for each or you. Next to them keep a stack of index cards. Whenever something comes to mind that would be fun to do together, it gets written down on an index card and dropped into the appropriate jar.

Create a ritual for the “big drawing”. At the beginning of each month, sit down at the end of the day with a glass of wine and some cheese. Pick five cards at random from each other’s jar. Read them over, talk about them and maybe even negotiate a bit.  The only rule is you have to agree on two activities to be done during the next month.

Start your jar today for some fun!

Take a Sunday Drive & Get Lost

“Sunday is the day that clears away the rust of the week” – Joseph Addison

Many Sundays of my childhood were spent going for a Sunday Drive. I was born late in life to my parents. My siblings were both married with their own families. When my parents should have been enjoying life just the two of them...they had me. I sat in the backseat usually lapping away at an ice-cream cone while my parents sat in the front, holding hands. I grew older and chose to stay home or hang with friends, they continued their Sunday drives.

When my guy and I were first married, we often took off for an aimless drive and often stumbled upon farmers’ markets, out-of-the-way antique shops, or simply “the most beautiful road”.

I have to admit, taking off without a destination on a quiet Sunday afternoon is only a dream for hubby and I. Our weekends are currently tied up with son’s baseball tournaments. Trust me as soon as the season is over…. Grab the keys honey!

When it’s just you and your honey, tooling around town or simply exploring the countryside it still feels as if you had a real getaway. This is great “Couple Time”. This sharing and discovery time makes the world better and often a relationship stronger.

Fun Friday - Couple Fun

Sexy games can bring the spice back to any relationship. Perhaps you once had a terrific sex life, but the hassles of day-to-day existence have made sex less of a priority.

 Set some ground rules before playing sexy games. Both partners must be able to end the game at any time, for any reason. 

Setting up "safe words." Some couples find that particularly during role-playing games, a “safe word” helps their confidence level. A safe word is a word that is not likely to come up during your game session. 

Either partner can use the safe word at any time as a sign to end the game immediately. It is extremely important that both partners respect each other enough to respect the use of the safe word and end the game without question.

Respect each other's vulnerability. Never laugh at your partner when playing sexy games. Some of the situations may be silly and certainly giggling can be a healthy part of a good sex life. But laughing at your partner may cause him to clam up and be unwilling to participate in future sexy games. 

People tend to be particularly vulnerable during sexual situations, so always treat your partner with tenderness and respect.

How To Initiate Sexy Games
If you have difficulty broaching the idea of sexy games with your partner, ease into the conversation using any of a variety of tactics. Broach the subject of a magazine article you may have read. Another way to ease your partner into the idea of sexy games is with a simple but meaningful present. 

Instead of the usual tie or sweater for the next holiday, give him a card containing 52 “love coupons.” Each coupon can be redeemed for whatever sexy act is depicted on the card. Tell him that he is entitled to redeem one coupon a week for the next year.

Enjoy yourself and enjoy your partner.

As you and your partner gain confidence, you can move into progressively more wild sexy games. Sexy games should not be the sole focus of your sex life, but can bring new life into one that has begun to stagnate.

Friday Fun - Love Coupons

For the month of February I'm offering my short story, 

Queen of Hearts, for FREE.

Use coupon code WD94A on Smashwords.

Monday Mistletoe

"The mistletoe is hung up near a doorway or in the kitchen and young men have the privilege of kissing girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases."

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is one of my favorites and I believe a lot of kissing under the mistletoe has been going on for ages.  In today's tradition the part about plucking the berries (which, incidentally, are poisonous), and then all kissing under the mistletoe ends when the berries run out!

As a little girl, my mother told me how a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year.

I found references of "kissing under the mistletoe" in Celtic rituals and Norse mythology. In Gaul, the land of the Celts, for instance, the Druids considered it a sacred plant. It was believed to have medicinal qualities and mysterious supernatural powers.  (Hmm... I wonder what kind of "power" I would have if I wear a piece of mistletoe on my coat.  After all... I am Scandinavian.)

The Norse myth of Baldur. Baldur's death and resurrection is one of the most fascinating Norse myths and stands at the beginning of the history of mistletoe as a "kissing" plant.

Baldur's mother was the Norse goddess, Frigga. When Baldur was born, Frigga made each and every plant, animal and inanimate object promise not to harm Baldur. But Frigga overlooked the mistletoe plant -- and the mischievous god of the Norse myths, Loki, took advantage of this oversight.

Ever the prankster, Loki tricked one of the other gods into killing Baldur with a spear fashioned from mistletoe. The demise of Baldur, a vegetation deity in the Norse myths, brought winter into the world, although the gods did eventually restore Baldur to life.

After which Frigga pronounced the mistletoe sacred,
 ordering that from now on it should bring love rather than death into the world.

Happily complying with Frigga's wishes, any two people passing under the plant from now on would celebrate Baldur's resurrection by kissing under the mistletoe.

I have my mistletoe hanging. 

Do you?

 

 

 

it a sacred plant. It was believed to have medicinal qualities and mysterious supernatural powers.  (Hmm... I wonder what kind of "power" I would have if I wear a piece of mistletoe on my coat.  After all... I am Scandinavian.)

The Norse myth of Baldur. Baldur's death and resurrection is one of the most fascinating Norse myths and stands at the beginning of the history of mistletoe as a "kissing" plant.

Baldur's mother was the Norse goddess, Frigga. When Baldur was born, Frigga made each and every plant, animal and inanimate object promise not to harm Baldur. But Frigga overlooked the mistletoe plant -- and the mischievous god of the Norse myths, Loki, took advantage of this oversight.

Ever the prankster, Loki tricked one of the other gods into killing Baldur with a spear fashioned from mistletoe. The demise of Baldur, a vegetation deity in the Norse myths, brought winter into the world, although the gods did eventually restore Baldur to life. After which Frigga pronounced the mistletoe sacred, ordering that from now on it should bring love rather than death into the world.

Happily complying with Frigga's wishes, any two people passing under the plant from now on would celebrate Baldur's resurrection by kissing under the mistletoe.

I have my mistletoe hanging. 

Do you?

 

 

 

Friday Fantasy - Board Game

Sexy games can enhance the romance of any couple.

Enjoy an evening of fun, laughter and love.

 

Is your lovemaking a bit too reality based? Soar to erotic heights with this couples game that suggests a variety of x-rated fantasies that you can choose to enact... or improvise. It's also a comfortable way to express your own secret fantasies to your mate.

BUY THE GAME NOW

Sexy Board Game for Couples

Who doesn't love chocolate?

 

Chocolate plus a game to play?

Not since hydrogen and oxygen merged to form water have two more essential elements united. So put aside your anniversary edition of the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" DVD and oompah-loompah this game, which is a delicious interpretation of Monopoly. Added bonus of playing Strip Chocolate-opoly at a B&B: Someone else washes the sheets. Who wins? He or she who devours the most chocolate, of course.

BUY THE GAME NOW

Sensual Saturday - How to Have a 1 Night Stand

I love writing and reading books from the 1 Night Stand series. I'm sure by now many of you are hooked on these stories. But how would you like to have a 1 Night Stand of your own with the honey you've been with through thick and thin, tears and laughter, kids and pets?

 

Pick a nice quiet night when it’s just the two of you.  

Cold autumn nights are perfect for a fire in the fireplace.

Here's how to start... darken a large room, perhaps the living room. Be sure the room is lit by firelight and/or candles. If you use scented candles, select vanilla or spice. Toss some fluffy pillows onto the floor. (I suggest satin in jewel tones.)  Spread a soft blanket or two next to the pillows.( Blankets should be fleece or Indian blankets. Avoid busy designs, itchy wool or children’s patterns.) Bravo if you have a fur rug and use it for what it's meant to be used for!

 Romantic lighting, sensual fabrics, you just need skin to skin contact and you are all set for a deeply intimate encounter.  Hmm…sounds nice doesn’t it? 

Truly enjoy that special alone time with your honey, pour a couple glasses of wine and drop your clothes. It’s time for some Floor Play!

Lie down and get comfortable. Spend some time slowly exploring each other.

Time to heat things up a bit. Blindfold your honey and straddle him, letting your legs rest along side of his body.  Begin by dripping warmed massage oil over his body, rubbing it in with long sensual strokes.  The key to sensual massage is to adore every inch of your partner’s body.  Enchant his senses by varying the intensity of your touch and being creative.  Use your fingertips, knuckles, and the heel of your hand, your elbows, and your forearms. 

Tease him with an ostrich feather from head to toe, and then pleasure him orally for a few moments.  Go back to massaging him.  Slip a piece of ice into your mouth and let it melt.  Delight his senses with your cold mouth on his hot body.

Rip off his blindfold (or not) and have your way with him. 

Repeat this process only with you wearing the blindfold.  Ask him to drip wine down your back then lick it off for an erotic effect.

Enjoy your 1 Night Stand with each other!

 

Be sure to enter my contest for a chance to win a copy of Handcuffs & Silk

or

Bed of Roses Seduction Kit

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 13 - Date Night Ideas

 Fall is a busy time of the year, especially if you have kids. Unfortunately couples have to schedule time together. I asked the gal in my coffee club what they like to do with their honey when they have a Date Night. Here's some of their ideas. 

1. Go to a movie. The movie theater is a great opportunity to relax, hold hands, and unwind.

2. Go out to eat, sit and talk. Catch up with each other without any interruptions.

3. Have a picnic at a lake or in a park under the moonlight. Bring along an extra blanket to add a little romance.

4. Go for a walk in a different neighborhood.  My honey & I used to enjoy walking in a ritzy area of town and pick out our dream homes and cars.

5. Go to the mall, grab a cup of coffee and window shop.

6. Holding hands while walking in the park.

7. Visit a coffee shop you've never been to.

8. Attend a poetry reading or a special event at a local bookstore.

9. Cuddle in the back of a truck on a back road under a starry sky.

10. Laying by the fireplace with romantic music and candlelight.

11. Go out dancing.

12. Have a candlelight dinner, and dance in your own living room. 

13. Sit on the porch sipping wine, sharing a snack and talking.

 

Tasty Tuesday - Role Playing & Screaming Orgasms

In the heat of summer spice up the night with a little role playing. 

Your honey can be a bartender and you are... well... you!

You walk up to him (the bar) and say,

 "Hey there handsome. How about you give me a Screaming Orgasm?"

 

 

 

1 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz Bailey's® Irish cream
1/2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur

Pour first vodka, then Bailey's, then Kahlua into a cocktail glass over crushed ice. Stir.

Caution: use only high quality vodka. Cheap vodka can cause the Bailey's to curdle. Test your brand of vodka by mixing 1 Tsp each of vodka and Bailey's first.

How this scene plays out is strictly up to you.

Sensual Saturday -wash away the dirt

Saturdays in the summer seem to be dedicated to work. Yard work, painting, cleaning, building...

 

When the day is over, jump into the shower to cleanse the dirt from the pores of bug spray covered skin.  But don't go in alone.

Invite your honey to join you for some sensual fun.

 

Take turns soaping and washing.

Remember how good it feels when someone else washes you hair?  OH, YEAH!

Friday - Fundamentals of Foreplay

 

 

1.    Fruit.  Sensual fruit such as strawberries, grapes and bananas may be easily found in your kitchen and can be a lot of fun to tease with.  Try dancing around your partner and feed him bits of fruit while teasing him with your body.

2.    Sensual food.  Whipping cream (see my 13 Things to Do with Whipping Cream).  Chocolate and other sensual foods.  (See my Sensual Food Post).

3.    A nice beverage.  Wine is always nice but a hot cup of coco or tea can be sensual in its own way especially in winter. Try a cup of spicy Masala Chai, or a tea containing yarrow, or better yet the aphrodisiac tea - Black Galingale.

4.    Candles.  Men have a tendency to prefer candles that smell like food – vanilla, orange spice, melon.  Women may prefer floral scents for romance.  Cluster candles on a reflective tray.  I like to mix the scents – Lavender, vanilla or orange spice, Hawaiian flower, white tea & ginger.  Visit a local candle shop and select candles together for a special evening.

5.    Sensual music.  What gets you in the mood?  Soft jazz for a romantic evening of slow love making?  Underground dance music for some creative adventuring?  Hard rock for some fierce pounding?  I suggest picking out the music in advance and being flexible to your mood at the time.  One night you might like soft jazz, the next you might choose something louder.

6.     Lingerie.  Silk boxers for him, g-string for her?  Silk slip?  Flannel pants and tight cotton tank?  Whatever you feel sexy in is what you should choose.  However, latest polls show men don’t like lots of lace and buttons/snaps.

7.    Sheets.  If you’re taking it to bed think of what feels good under you.  Don’t always think silk sheets are the best… flannel sheets are very cozy, especially in the northern regions. 

8.    Blankets.  If you visit my house, you’ll notice a variety of cozy, soft blankets on a blanket rack in the great room.  They aren’t just for making kids’ forts.  Ever try snuggling on a leather couch under a fleece blanket?  Try it!

9.    Lotions.  Keep ones that sensually inspire your mind and ones that can be licked off.

10. Feather.  Ever wonder why romance writers love writing plumes so much.  Heh, heh.  Next time you’re at the zoo, pick up an ostrich feather or visit you local sex shop for some top notch fun feathers.

11. Blindfold., silk scarves, hand cuffs.  Need I say anything more?

12. Love coupons.  Pick up a booklet of them or print them on the computer.  Hide a coupon in a special place for your honey to find.  A great teaser!

13. Romantic games.  There’s a wide variety out there.  A great way to add a little exploration into your love life.  Always remember, laughing in bed can be a wonderful foreplay move.

 

Monday Mojo - Counting Calories? Read this.

I weighed myself the other day and am now determined to loose a little weight and tighten up my fluff. I figured by walking every day and counting my calories will lead me back to my sexy curves. I joined an online group, MyFitnessPal.com. During a chat with friends we wondered if we could count sex as part of our exercise regimen.

Well.... here's some facts I found.

You burn 26 calories in a one minute kiss. MWHA!

 

A teaspoon of semen contains approximately 5 calories.

I guess I better skip the whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

 

 

Sex burns off an average of about 100 calories per session.

 

The key for high-calorie-burning sex is making it hot and making it last, say experts. You can also add a little moaning and sighing, says Kinzbach, which can help you burn an extra 18 to 30 calories. And try a position change for a better workout. “If you are on top, try moving your hips like a belly dancer; this feels great and will give you a workout,” she adds. “Also try a position where you squat on top of him and then bounce up and down. This is a great workout for your thighs and butt, and it can burn up to 207 calories in 30 minutes.” Perhaps the best way to maximize calorie-burning during sex is to make sure you orgasm. Experts estimate that women who orgasm during sex burn more calories during lovemaking than those who don’t.

Sensual Saturday - History of Kissing

 

Humans have a long history of kissing. Europeans kiss both cheeks. Parents kiss their child's cheek. The Intuit rub noses. The French kiss by... well… you know. Kissing, both casual and romantic, is a common practice, but we really don't know where or how it began.

There are several different theories as to how kissing all began:

       * In ancient times, a mother would chew up food and pass it directly to the mouth of her baby. What started as a sign of affection between mother and child most likely spread to romantic relationships. However, some cultures had the same practice of passing food to their children, but knew nothing about kissing.

       * Some believed that our souls lived in our breath and that kissing brings your soul together, thus combining you together for eternity. This is a romantic theory, but not really one that can be proven true.

       * Kissing gets you close enough to your partner to smell their scent, giving you knowledge of the person. Animals practice a similar behavior by rubbing against each other.

 

The theories are just that though. There is no proof or record of where and how kissing originally began. We do know that Europeans were kissing during the Greek and Roman times. It also appears that some form of kissing may have started in India as there are texts from around 1500 B.C. that describe the custom of rubbing noses together, now commonly referred to as 'Eskimo Kissing'.

While we don't know for sure when or where kissing first began, the reference to 'Eskimo Kissing' supports the theory that kissing gets you close to your partner in order to pick up on their scent. When you inhale your partner's scent, you subconsciously learn a lot about the other person by their smell. As we previously noted, most animals engage in a similar behavior.

It seems then that the modern romantic kiss most likely evolved as a way of unconsciously testing the genetic fitness of a potential mate. While this may be the underlying reason as to why we began kissing, it's not really the main reason as to why we continue to practice it. The reason is simple: it feels good, it evokes feelings of passion, and it's a physical connection between us and our partners.

However the kiss began, we're thankful. :)