Relationship
How to make your home more romantic
You don’t always need to go outside your home for a romantic getaway. You can create a more romantic home that can remind you of the love that you share with each other each passing day.
In this article, we share some best design tips to help create a more romantic home from your bedroom and beyond.
Declutter
This is not the most enjoyable chore for many people. However, nothing kills romance faster than clutter. So if you’re really bent on creating a more romantic abode, then your piles of random things on the various surfaces around your home should be the first things to go.
Decluttering will free up more space for you to add other decorative elements. Once you’re done decluttering, yon can now move on to feature your favourite home interior accessories to achieve that romantic look.
Lighting
Lighting can drastically change the look and mood of your home in an instant. The warmer and dimmer the lights the more intimate it will feel, and thus, more romantic.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different lighting pieces that match your style. However, creative lighting does not mean you should settle for the types beyond your budget. Try to keep it simple but significant.
Wall Art
Another decorative element that can definitely set the mood in any interior space is wall art. It may be ideal to use photos taken during particularly memorable moments in your relationship such as your wedding or first date.
You may as well choose memorable words such as a favourite line from your vows or an inside joke that only the two of you share.
Cushion Covers
It is said that the more pillows you have, the more cuddling opportunities you’ll get. However, a pile of plain pillows can easily get boring. Hence, dress them up with stylish cushion covers. Choose soft colours in interesting textures over bright-coloured colours and patterns. And pile them together with layers of cozy blankets.
Candles
Candles are usually categorised under lighting but they can stand alone as another kind of decorative element. Scented ones can add up to the romance factor. Sweet, sugary scents like cinnamon, and vanilla are but a few of the options available.
Flowers
Natural flowers such as red roses symbolise love, passion, and romance. There’s a reason roses are given during Valentine’s Day. Other flowers are fluffy, delicate, and stunning and may be perfect for keeping things more ‘personal and intimate.’
Indeed some cultures consider certain kinds of flowers a good luck charm. It wouldn’t hurt to have that ‘extra luck’ around if you’re about to have a romantic dinner to patch things up.
Apart from their beautiful and natural outlook, flowers are considered a symbol of attraction and could go a long way to spice up the romantic atmosphere at home.
In conclusion, it must be emphasised that keeping your home neat and tidy is the first step towards creating a more romantic atmosphere at home.
Choose home accessories that show elegance but in more subdued colours and patterns. And remember that candles are more than just pieces for mood lighting. Their scent can stimulate the senses and create and add passion to any home. The same applies to flowers.
Parenting teens can be challenging. But it can also be a joy. The key is to know how to care for yourself, first and foremost. Before you have children, you might think that parenting will come naturally. And, to some degree, it does. But there are days (and sometimes months and years) when all parents could use some extra support.
Last week we looked at some four simple yet powerful approaches for parenting teens that build strong relationships for the long-run. Here are the remaining two:
4: Keep communication going
Because we are often busy and distracted, we do not always take the time to really focus on our kids when they’re trying to tell us something. Take advantage of the time you have together. Having dinner together as a family, using car time to talk, or chatting before bed are good ways to stay in daily touch with your teen. Prioritise quality time as well as quantity: Consider having breakfast out on the weekend as a special catch-up time to chat about the week. Or schedule monthly “family meetings” to discuss how things have been going and any conflicts that have arisen.
5. Be an empathetic listener
Listening with empathy and caring is one of the most important tips on parenting a teenager. Researchers have shown that people’s brain patterns synchronise when they listen closely to one another and watch each other’s expressions. As a result, the connection between them becomes stronger. Not feeling truly heard can lead to isolation and lack of self-esteem which are the root causes of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Therefore, take listening seriously. It’s not just a way of coping with teenagers; it has an enormous impact on their well-being.
The price of ‘I do’: Why money honesty is the real marriage insurance –Part 2
She did not find out he was cheating. She found out he was drowning.
It was two weeks after their beautiful wedding. The jollof was still in the fridge. A loan officer called her number-not his-and politely asked, “Madam, please tell your husband to pay his overdue loan. We have been calling him.”
That was how she discovered her new husband had entered their marriage with a hidden debt of over GH¢ 40,000. No cheating. No other woman. Just a financial secret.
And that is how many Ghanaian marriages begin to die. Not with a shout, but with a secret alert on a phone.
We prepare for the wedding. We do not prepare for the wallet.
What is money honesty?
Let me define it simply. Money honesty is not that you both earn the same. It is that you both know the same. It is the ability to sit down and say without fear:
“This is how much I earn.”
“This is how much I owe.”
“This is how I was raised to see money.”
“This is what scares me about money.”
Financial transparency is not about control. It is about clarity. You cannot build trust on top of secrets.
Many couples tell me, “Counsellor, we love each other, love will handle money.” I always answer, “Love is the car, but money honesty is the fuel. Love without honesty cannot move.”
How To Buy Your Marriage Insurance Today – My 5-Step Protocol
If you are engaged, newly married, or even 20 years in marriage, you can still fix this. At Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult—CPAC, this is what I give couples:
Step 1: The 90-Minute Money Naked Session.
No phones, no blame. Each partner writes down on paper: Monthly income, monthly debts, monthly family obligations, savings, and your biggest money fear. Then you exchange papers. Read it. Don’t react for 24 hours. Just absorb.
Step 2: Create OUR Money, YOUR Money, My Money.
You need three pots. OUR money for rent, food, school fees, utilities, properties, and the like— joint contribution. YOUR money and MY money—a small agreed allowance no one questions. This stops the feeling of being controlled.
Step 3: The No-Secret Debt Rule.
Agree from today: No new loan, no new hire purchase, no new family financial commitment above GHS 500 without telling each other first. Not permission, but information.
Step 4: Talk About Your Money Personality.
Are you a Spender or a Saver? Are you Risky or Safe? Most Ghanaian marriages are a Spender married to a Saver. Neither is wrong. But if you don’t understand your partner’s personality, you will call his saving “stinginess” and her spending “wastefulness.”
Step 5: Do a Monthly 30-Minute Money Date
Not an argument date. Light, with tea. “How did we do this month? What worried you? What should we plan for next month?” Couples who do this divorce far less.
My Final Word
Before you say “I Do” at the altar, have pre-marital counselling and also have the money talk on the sofa.
Ask your partner:
“If I lost my job today, how long can we survive?”
“What debt are you bringing into this marriage?”
“How much do you send to your family monthly and will that continue?”
If he or she gets angry that you asked, don’t get married yet. A person who is angry about accountability will be abusive about money.
Marriage insurance is not bought at Star Assurance or Enterprise. It is bought in honest conversations when no one is watching.
The wedding costs one day. The marriage costs a lifetime. Don’t enter a lifetime contract and covenant with hidden costs.
You can still insure your marriage today.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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