Chick Flick - Christmas Style

Thursday is homework day, but I promise this isn't going to be painful. Honest.

Score some points with your lady this Holiday by suggesting a little quiet time together watching a Christmas movie.
Need some ideas? Not a problem:

White Christmas. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vere Ellen.
It's a classic, where Bing and Danny meet the girls and help their old commanding general, who now runs an inn in Vermont. This is a great one and she'll love it.

It's a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart. Jimmy contemplates suicide after losing a ton of money, but an angel shows him the way.

Miracle on 34th Street. Was done in the 40's and remade in the 90's. A man claims to be Santa Claus and gets institutionalized. But a 6 year old little girl never stops believing.

Want to get more modern?

Love Actually (2004) Hugh Grant as the British PM. I've never seen it but it's been called the "best Christmas romance movie you'll ever find." Wow.

Family Man (2000) Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle. It's a comedy and a modern Scrooge story.

There's also any of the versions of Scrooge, and Jim Carrey's Grinch.

Bottom line is this - pick a movie, set aside some time and set up an "in for the night" date night. Get some wine, pop some popcorn, put on the movie and sit close.

Stay in touch -

Mark

Survey says???

Wednesday is "sex" day here on the blog.

I did some research and came across an interesting sex survey for guys.
There were some interesting results:

44% of men said that "sometimes" they wish they had a larger penis.
15% said they wish it was bigger "all the time".
Only 1% said they wished it was smaller.

47% have had sex within the past week, but 18% haven't had sex in over a year.
(Maybe if they had a larger penis....sorry).

29% of men asked, said the neck is the most sensuous part of a woman's body.

And as far as "manscaping" goes - 33% - one third, said it's trimmed nicely, 25% said it's "natural" and 19% are totally shaved.

Ok, well, there ya go. I'll do more surveys in the weeks to come. They're kind of fun.

Stay in touch -

Mark

Relationship Killer: Stress

Kids, bills, debt, work, repairs. You're tired. And just when you think you need a break, it seems to get worse. Life is definitely like that.

Coaches will tell you that when athletes get tired they lose their form and have to be reminded to use their legs, bend their knees or move their feet. As the stress of the game increases, we need reminders to stay focused.

It's the same in life. When the bills pile up and the collectors are calling, when the kids are crying or someone gets hurt, or a window breaks on the coldest day of the year, you (and your wife) feel like you're going to snap.

I don't want to add one more thing to your list, but let me be the coach reminding you of your form.

a) work together not apart
b) lean on each other for support
c) encourage each other

Together you can get through the difficulties of life. You married each other for a reason. Stand strong together. Work as a team, and keep each other's needs in mind.

Stay in touch -

Mark

Christmas Shopping

Everybody is different. I understand that.
Some of you love Christmas shopping. Some of us don't.
Going from store to store, fighting the traffic, fighting the crowds, waiting in line.
Bah. Hum bug.

But, whether it's your favorite thing to do or not, here's something important to remember: When you're out with the wife and family Christmas shopping, be a help, not a grumbling little boy.

It's not going to help if all you do is complain about the time, the lines, the crowds and how much money is being spent. Overall, the stress level will rise and things will only get worse. So here are a few words of wisdom about Christmas shopping:

1. If you're out with young kids, cherish it. They'll grow up and you'll wish you had the time back.

2. If it's just the two of you, make it fun for her. Be pleasant, get engaged with the process and make suggestions.

I overheard a couple who had this conversation:
Dick: Ok, you go look at whatever stupid thing is next on your list, I'm going over here to look at compressors.
Jane: (perturbed) Fine, but don't be long, because we have a lot to get done.

Sound like a fun night out to you? No, me either. Don't be a Dick. Have a good attitude, make it a fun time and she'll appreciate you for it.

Stay in touch -

Mark

Bashing BOTH Sexes...Friday Fun

Q: What's the difference between a girlfriend and a wife? A: 45 lbs.

Q: What's the difference between a boyfriend and a husband? A: 45 minutes.

Q: What is it when a man talks nasty to a woman? A: Sexual harassment.

Q: What is it when a woman talks nasty to a man? A: $3.99 a minute.

Q: Why are men and parking spaces alike? A: Because all the good ones are taken and the only ones left are handicapped.

Q: What do women think men and floor tiles have in common? A: If you lay them properly the first time, you can walk all over them for life.

Q: What is a man's view of safe sex? A: A padded headboard.

Q: How do men sort their laundry? A: "Filthy" and "Filthy but Wearable"

Q: Who is the most popular guy at the nudist colony? A: The guy who can carry a cup of coffee in each hand and a dozen donuts.

Q:. Who is the most popular girl at the nudist colony? A: She is the one who can eat the last donut.

Q. Did you hear about the guy who finally figured out women? A. He died laughing before he could tell anybody.

Have a great weekend!

Stay in touch -

Mark

Top 3 Grooming Mistakes for Guys

Guys - let's face it. We're not all cut out to be on the cover of GQ. But that doesn't mean we can't do certain things right. Here are 3 common mistakes we tend to make when grooming.

No.3 - Ignoring nose and ear hair
Whether it's work or romance, you have to look good. And it's distracting and gross to look at overgrown hair protruding from your nose and ears. Use small scissors or battery operated trimmers to take care of the mess.

No.2 - Dirty, uncut nails
It's fairly common to see guys with messed up nails. But fingernails should be clipped short (not too short - ouch), and kept clean. Take the time to wash your hands well and get rid of dirt and grease that may be under your nails.

No. 1 - Using too much hair gel
What's worse than hair that's all over the place? Hair that plastered into position. Hair that crunches when touched. Find a gel that keeps you looking good without making you feel like a Ken doll. Don't use too much gel, just enough to keep things in place.

Hope it helps.

Stay in touch -

Mark

Scheduled Sex?

You're past the point of casual hook ups. Your relationship is past the having sex like rabbits stage. You are in a mature relationship and you have responsibilities. Life is busy. There's work, the kids, the house, social events, and plenty of other demands on your time. When is there time for sex?

So the question today is - should we schedule time for sex? Don't get me wrong. If you're in a routine where it's "on" every Sunday afternoon or something like that - stick with it. What I'm talking about is a little different.

Let's say a couple wants to have sex 3 times a week. Should they schedule it on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:00, and hope for one other time during the week?

There are ups and downs to this approach (if you pardon the pun). The positive view is that you are setting aside time to be intimate and that's important. The negative view is that there is plenty of room for disappointment. What if you're tired or not in the mood? Will you do it anyway? Is that even right? I mean, obligatory sex sucks, and not in a good way.

I think it's great to schedule a date, go out, have some adult time, come home, send the baby sitter home and get busy. I highly advocate doing this. Setting aside time to spend together is very important. But scheduling sex, I'd be careful.

Stay in touch -

Mark