BHH, Baked Sesame Seeds w/ Garlic Gomasio, Celery and Dipping Sauces, "L-O-V-E" in a picture frame

This week's Quick ‘n Easy Romance Tip

3 words – Brush Her Hair

Yes, it’s as easy as it sounds. A hair brush can be a very powerful tool towards relaxing your wife/girlfriend. If you know what her favorite brush is you’re half way there. If you don’t, no worries. You can either bring a selection of her brushes with you when you’re ready to brush her hair or just ask her what her favorite brush is. If she asks why, tell her. Here’s what you do. One evening before she’s ready to go to bed, brush her hair. Your whole objective is to make her feel good, relax her and just let her lose herself in how good it feels to get her hair brushed by you. Do it for about 5 minutes, give her a kiss on the neck and tell her to have sweet dreams. Quick ‘n Easy.

And ladies…communicate with him; let him know what feels good and what doesn’t.
And Gentlemen...Be good listeners.

This week’s video:

Baked Sesame Seeds w/ Garlic Gomasio, Celery, and Dipping Sauces




Laura & I think this tastes Pha-Nominal. And like many recipes, it was found by accident. I created Baked Sesame Seeds w/ Garlic Gomasio, Celery, and Dipping Sauces
because after several times of making Baked Broccoli (January 13th post) and Baked Sweet Potato Fries; which are both seasoned with Sesame Seeds and Garlic Gomasio, I noticed that we all enjoyed eating the baked Sesame Seeds/Garlic Gomasio that were left on the cooking sheet. So I started making extra Seeds and Gomasio every time we had these 2 dishes and it evolved into this week’s video. The name is actually what I call it when I tell Laura & the kids that I’m going to make it. I say, “I’m going to make the Sesame Seed and Garlic Gomasio thing.” We all love it and hope you enjoy it.



In the video I mention the “T-list” and refer you back to my 2nd post. But it is actually my 3rd post that I begin to explain the “T-list.

What is the T-List?

Oprah has her "O" list, I have my T-list. There are T-lists for cooking, gardeing, being romantic, etc…Things on the T-List are things I like to have on hand when I cook, garden, be romantic etc. Everything in this recipe is pretty much on the T-list. Sesame Seeds, Garlic Gomasio, Powdered Garlic and Olive Oil. I get my Sesame Seeds and Garlic Gomasio from Whole Foods and the Powdered Garlic and Olive Oil from Costco.

L-O-V-E in a Picture Frame

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, here are two photo craft projects you can do. All you need is a camera, some pictures she’ll like and your imagination.

This project is all about “L-O-V-E.” And while I show 2 examples of what I did, there are hundreds, thousands, if not millions of ways to spell “L-O-V-E” in a picture. Use what I did as guidelines and come up with your own creative way to say “L-O-V-E” in a Picture Frame.




As you can see, this version has the word “L-O-V-E” in the middle and is surrounded by pictures of my three girls and Laura. I created the “L-O-V-E” image on an old piece of wood that Madison had painted blue and, due to the rain, it gotten washed out. I used flowers from my garden to do the spelling. The “L” is Daisies, the “O” is Ivy Geranium Flowers, the “V” is part of a succulent plant and the “E” is made up of Basil Sprigs. I laid the flowers out on the piece of wood to spell L-O-V-E, took a digital picture of it, printed it out and surrounded it with pictures of my family.

“L-O-V-E” in the Park - another version




For this one, I took my camera with me on a recent walk and shot images that resembled letters. If you know the word you’re trying to spell, in this case “L-O-V-E”, you just have look around and see what things look like those letters.

In my example I used images that Laura and I see when we take walks together The “L” is the edge of a gate, the “O” is a tree stump, the “V” is a Birds of Paradise flower and the “E” is a branch.

After you take your pictures, download or develop them and choose the ones you think will work best. Then print out the pictures in the sizes that will fit the frame you choose, lay them out accordingly and you’re good to go. You have an incredibly thoughtful and relatively simple gift that she’ll hopefully treasure for years.

Have a great weekend.

Smiles,

Todd

Kissey Pissey On The Cheeky Peeky, Grilled Veggies w/Roasted Garlic Pita and Subliminal Emails

This Week’s Quick and Easy Romance Tip

Kissey Pissey on the Cheeky Peeky

As with many couples, Laura and I have cute ways of saying things and “Kissey Pissey on the Cheeky Peeky” is just our name for a sweet morning kiss on the cheek when one of us gets out of bed in the morning. I do have to admit I love it when Laura kisses me on the cheek and whispers I love you in my ear. It’s a great way to start the day. So sometime this week get up out of bed before your wife, go over to her give her a sweet kiss on the cheek and whisper I love you to her in her ear. Quick and Easy.

This week’s video:

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette and Roasted Garlic Pita Bread

Subliminal Emails

Send her an email with a subliminal message. Just write her a simple email and highlight letters within the email that spell a word or phrase out. For example:

***This is a subliminal email. The bolded letters spell out a secret message***

How was your meeting? I went to the Greek restaurant again but didn’t go crazy on the hummus. I am going to swing by the market and pick up some grilled vegetables and pita bread. Do we have any garlic cloves at home? I saw a great recipe for a grilled vegetable salad with roasted garlic on My FeMANine Side today. What did your brother say about running with us tomorrow morning? My softball game was cancelled so we will be able to go to a movie tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you tonight.

Smiles,

Me

If you want you can put a PS and say “Scroll down to see the answer” and then put the phrase or let her try and figure it out.

Have a great weekend.

Smiles,

Todd

English Muffin Pizzas, Her own Astrological Forecast and Just a Glimpse

This week's Quick and Easy Romance Tip

Three Words - Washable Bathtub Crayons

This week’s Quick and Easy romance tip let’s you be a kid again! All you need are some kids’ toy washable bathtub crayons (make sure they’re washable). Write or draw her something sweet on the walls of the shower so every time she showers that week she will see it and hopefully it’ll put a smile on her face. Quick and Easy.

This week’s video: How to make English Muffin Pizzas



Before I get into the English Muffin Pizzas, I just want to say "thank you" to all of you that have been reading my posts. So "Thanks"

English Muffin Pizzas are very easy to make and they taste delicious. And you can use whatever toppings she likes. The one thing I forgot to tell you in the video is that you should toast your English Muffin before you make it into a pizza. As you can see from the video below Madison and Brooklyn joined in the fun & helped me make the pizzas.





March Madness

Hopefully by now you have your special day picked out and are in the middle of planning it or maybe you even celebrated it already. If you haven’t clued her into the special day that awaits her, below is a fun way to reveal to her that you have a “special” day or something else romantic in the works for her.

Write Her Her Own Astrological Forecast..

This is not as hard as you think. I know very little about astrology and you don’t have to know much either. You just have to use your imagination because everything you write is going to be created by you. First, find an Astrological forecast. You can find one in a newspaper or online. Or, you can do what I did… I bought one of those 99 cents Astrology books that they have in the checkout line of the supermarket. It all comes down to the language you use. Write the way they do but personalize it for your wife. For example, below is one I could write for Laura.

You have much to celebrate during this solar period that features the Sun in your sign.
This solar energy brightens everyone’s aura that you are around especially your loving husband and your
three beautiful daughters.

Your opportunities for romance multiply as Venus and the new moon travel in your sign. Turn on your
charm and let your powers of attraction drive your loving husband crazy.

Your lucky number is: (insert your phone number here) . Call this number today, tomorrow and forever
whenever you want to hear I love you.

Matters of the heart are second nature to you with Venus, the Universal Planet of Love. You are
charming, gracious and extremely sexy. Late night reservations have been made for you at Bartonio’s for
dinner/dessert or both when the real energizer of your social life Mars is at its highest peak between the week of March 18th – March 24th. Or any other day or time you want. Just let the author of this astrological forecast know at your earliest convenience.

I love you.

Smiles,

Todd “Aesop” Barton

Have fun with it and put it somewhere she will see or find it.

Just a Glimpse



Madison opened a candle store in London's room and one of Madison's many outfits.



Brooklyn with some wild flowers she picked in the yard.



London, Mommy and Daddy walking in the park

Have a great week.

Smiles,

Todd

Bringing Back Chivalry, The "Yummy" Dessert and Bobby Knight

This weeks Quick 'n Easy Romance Tip

Bringing Back Chivalry

To most women, chivalry took a hike a long time ago. Well, it’s time to bring this classic back. So, this week’s Quick ‘n Easy romance tip is all old school, it’s about getting back to the basics that so many of us have forgotten about. So, here’s what I want you to do, whether it’s just for one date, a whole day, one week, or the entire month of March and beyond, practice the art of “Chivalry.” Here are some basic examples:

· Open the door for your wife in the morning when she leaves for work
· Open the car door for her if you carpool
· Pull out your wife’s chair when she goes to sit down
· Hold a door open for her & let her walk through it first
· Wait to eat until she’s seated at the table

This week’s video: The “Yummy” Dessert





This dessert was affectionately named by my 3 girls. They just started calling it the "yummy"dessert. It consists of an inner layer of ice cream and two outer layers of sorbet.
You can also top it off with homemade blueberry and strawberry sauce. Sounds "yummy" doesn't it? The above picture is one I made last summer for Laura & the girls. And I do have to say it was “phenomenal.”




If you have any questions about the "Yummy" dessert leave a comment or email me at kandleman@madisonavecandles.com.

And the rest of this week’s post is dedicated to the Big Dance...March Madness:

The “Game Plan” Continued

Last week we started talking about the importance of planning, about laying out your “Game Plan” for your Valentine’s Day (Just Because I Love You Day) in March. By now you hopefully have picked when this special day will occur. This week, we tackle the next step in the plan. You need to start thinking about what you want to do and start making a list of the things you will need.

Are you going to surprise her after work? Do you need to arrange for a baby sitter? Do you need to bring a change of clothes for her? Do you need to get her out of the house for a while on a Saturday to set up? Maybe you want to take her horse-back riding? Maybe you want to cook for her? What friend or family member could you ask for help? Are you going to give her a killer massage? Do you have the oils and lotions you will need? How about music? Are you going to want to dance with her? Do need you need post-its to leave love notes? (By the way, Post-Its are actually available in the shape of a heart & these would be perfect for “just because I love you day.”) Make that list and before too long you'll have your Game Plan.

And if you're feeling a little overwhelmed, I have a quote from Bobby Knight to help inspire you.

“A Pre-Game Pep Talk”

I’m a fan of Bobby Knight’s, who we know will not be on the court coaching this March since he retired a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t always a fan of his though. I didn’t like him too much in ‘87 when Indiana’s Keith Smart hit that shot out of the corner to beat Syracuse in the National Championship the year before I attended Syracuse. You know how there are some sports highlights that just make you cringe? Well that’s one for me.

But since then, I have come to like Bobby Knight. I love his passion. He may have let his emotions get the best of him sometimes, but he always had a lot of passion. I was reading something about him recently where they featured a quote from him that I loved and immediately put on our quote board.

“Everyone has the will to win…Only those with the will to prepare will win.”

This goes hand and hand with you putting together your Game Plan. Not only do you need to have the “will” to be romantic, you have to be willing to take the time to prepare, to plan, if you will. I believe that anyone can be romantic. You may hit a few bumps at first on your journey but practice makes perfect. The more you practice being romantic, the better you’ll get at it. And the more you plan, the easier it is. So start preparing and planning for your wife’s special day, that effort will go a long way.

March Madness “Post” Up

For the ladies, if you hear the term “post up” when your husband is watching basketball this March, here’s the definition:

“Post Up”- a basketball term where a big man like Shaquille goes down low
(near the basket), establishes a good position, and pins his man with his body
and asks for the ball.

For the gentlemen, since it is March Madness, I would like you to “post” up. But not in the basketball sense, in the blogging sense. I really haven’t had the time to tune up on my college hoops so I need some help. I know Memphis, Duke and Tennessee could all get to the Final Four, but who is the Cinderella story this year? I want to know who you guys think will be this year’s “Bracket Buster?” So, let me hear from you!

And ladies, I would love to hear from you too!

Don’t miss next week’s post:
· Her own Astrological forecast written by you
· English Muffin Pizzas and
· “Good Idea, Bad Idea”

Smiles,

Todd

March Madness

This entire post is dedicated to what I feel is one of the greatest events in all of sports…March Madness.

The March Madness Quick and Easy Romance “Tip-Off”…Spoon

All through March “spoon” with your wife as much as you can. For those of you unclear as to what this means, here’s the easiest definition I could find:

“A form of affection between a couple. Where the man lays front to back with the girl. They fit together like spoons.”

The March Madness Pre-Game Pep Talk



“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”

I love quotes. I don’t know why, but I just do. Always have. And usually it doesn’t matter to me where I hear or see it, whether it’s said by a family member, my friends or some random person at a party, or I read it in a magazine (Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Los Angeles Magazine, The New Yorker). I just love a good quote.

Like my quote for February… “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

I can’t remember where I heard it, could have been my parents, I could have read it somewhere. But that doesn’t matter, the thing is that it stuck with me. I think it did because it’s so true. No matter what it is you that want to achieve in life, you have to have a plan.

The March Madness "Game Plan"

And that leads me to a little bit of madness that I want you to do. I want you to “plan” to celebrate Valentine’s Day again in March. Pick just one day where you’ll treat your wife as if it was February 14th. But you don’t have to call it Valentine’s Day…call it whatever you want, Just Because I Love You Day, (insert girls name here) Day, whatever. The whole idea is that for one day you sweep your wife or girlfriend off her feet.

So instead of spending time watching a new "feMANine" side video, I want you to pick that day in March. That’s it, just pick the day. Pull out a calendar and do it. That’s the first step of your “plan”.

After you pick the day, you’ll need to start thinking about a “plan” on how you can make this special day happen. What will you do on this day that you wouldn’t normally do any other? Pick her up in a limo and take her to dinner, make her the tissue paper flowers from my 1/17 post and on that “DAY” present them to her before you two go to sleep; buy some nicely scented oils and lotions to give her a hand & foot massage, get some heart shaped post-its and post love notes all over the house. It can be as extravagant or as small as you want.

More March Madness to follow in the next post.

Smiles,

Todd
Myfemanineside.blogspot.com
“Changing the way men think, one blog at a time”

Thank You For...,Words on Wood, The Little Things and Costco

This Week's Quick and Easy Romance Tip

When was the last time you said "thank you" to your wife or girlfriend? This week, I want you to write down at least 5 things for which you should thank that special lady in your life. For example:

Thank you for being a great wife/girlfriend.
Thank you for being a great mom.
Thank you for inspiring me.
Thank you for putting a smile on my face.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for being the family chauffer.
Thank you for all your hard work.
Thank you for letting me be me.

Get a pen and piece of paper and write down the things you should thank your wife for. Put it in an envelope, after you seal it, write "S.W.A.K" on it (Sealed With A Kiss). Then without saying a word, slip it under her pillow and see what happens. Quick and Easy.

This Week's Video: WORDS ON WOOD

This is a great last minute gift for Valentine's Day or any day for that matter. You can either use some wood you have laying around the house, like I did with my first one for Laura, or head to the hardware store. She can add phrases/words on it too like Laura did. The first board I made her, which was about 4 feet long, has phrases that have been written by both her & I. Our kids even got into the act and added their own messages. You might even inspire your own little ones to get creative, like my Madison did when she made this for me:



How cute is that?

If you have any questions about the Words on Wood project you can leave a comment or email me at kandleman@madisonavecandles.com



The Little Things

They say it's the little things that matter and I have to agree. Start doing some today and over time you'll find that they will make a big difference. It can be as simple as making the bed one morning before you head to work or do the dishes one night. How about not leaving the empty roll of toilet paper on the spool...is it really that hard to change it? Whatever it is..just do it. Clean up the sink after you shave and brush your teeth, don't just throw your dirty laundry on the floor.

There is a line in a movie where the couple is arguing and the woman says to her boyfriend, "I want you to want to do the dishes" and he responds with, "Why would I want to do the dishes?" The point, of course, is not that you have to enjoy doing the dishes, you should just do them because it would make her happy. That's all.

Think about that little thing you could do that your wife or girlfriend wishes you would. Do it this week and see what happens. And share your story by posting a comment. We could all use some good ideas.

Candles, Costco and You

And finally, a little something that has absolutely nothing to do with Valentine's Day or being romantic.

I have been a HUGE fan of Costco for about 23 years. When I was growing up my family would shop there. After college, I moved back home to South Florida and got a job there as a caller. That of course was back in the days when Costco wasn't fully automated and someone had to "call" the item numbers to the cashier. When I decided to move to California I wrote a letter of recommendation from the Florida Costco that I sent to every Southern California warehouse and headed out to the West Coast. Upon arrival, I visiited some nearby Costcos and wouldn't you know it, there was a warehouse waiting for a guy from Florida. Turns out they were waiting for a different guy from Florida, but it didn't matter. We both got a job.

Costco was good to me. They paid me well , gave me benefits and when I finally landed that full time TV job that paid dirt, they still let me work weekends. Lucky for me, I only had to keep up that 7 day work week schedule for a year. But I never forgot how good they were to me, and how good they were to my fellow employees. From medical benefits, to a 401K and ESOP, and a positive working enviroment, they treated full and part time staffers like decent human beings. More than 15 years later, many of the friends I made there still work there.

I, of course, have remained a loyal Costco customer ever since my early days shopping there as a teenager with Mom & Dad. Heck, one my first born's words was Costco. I kid you not! She would howl the word with her cute little baby voice. I can still hear it. And when I travel, I go to the local Costco to see what they have that the warehouse I shop at does not. My family & friends may kid me about this affinity for my favorite store, but I am hooked.

Why in the world am I sharing this with you, you ask? Well, besides being Mr. FeMANine Side, I make these kick ass candles & own a candle company with my wife. And I know that my candles would be perfect for a Costco Roadshow. Surely you know what these are? You walk in Costco and you'll see a jewelry show, or a pottery show, rugs, art, furniture. One time they even had lotions & aromatherapy products. They are there for a limited time and the people who work them don't even work at Costco. I called Costco corporate a while back to inquire about it, and let's just say the person I dealt with was not very Costco like.

Anyway, I want to do these roadshows & I have made a ENORMOUS Costco candle for Jim Senegal, the founder of Costco, in hopes that when he sees it he too will realize how well my candles could do at a Roadshow. So if anybody knows anyone that might know Mr. Senegal, please forward this to him because the Costco candle is in the Words on Wood video. Thanks! I appreciate it.

Have a great Valentine's Day.

Todd

myfeMANineside.blogspot.com

"Changing the way men think, one blog at a time."

Tickle Me Tender, Eggs Benedict and T-16 Days

This week's Quick and Easy Romance Tip

A :30 second commercial interuption

At some point this week you need to give your wife a :30 second commercial interuption for a new product called "Tickle Me Tender". Here's how it works: while your wife is sitting down, stand behind her and have her bend her head forward; then gently rub your fingers through her hair and let the hair fall back down on to her neck. After the 30 seconds give her a nice sweet kiss on the neck and let her get back to what she was doing. Quick and Easy.

This week's Video: Eggs Benedict with Heart Shaped Toast

If you any questions about the Eggs Benedict email at kandleman@madisonavecandles.com or post it.

T-16 Days until V-Day

Since you are reading this, I am going to assume you have started to think about what you're going to do for Valentine's day. If you have not..start. And saying that you're going to order flowers and then waiting to the last minute and complaining about it does not constitute thinking about it.

Ideas for Valentine's Day

A Trip Down Memory Lane (Low on cost, high on joy)

Not to be too cliche, but this is one of those gifts where it truly is the thought that matters. The first time I did this was in college when I had no money. Laura and I had been dating about a year. (That was 18 years ago). You're going to take your wife on a trip down memory lane by giving her gifts reminiscent of great times the two of you have had together. You can go the low or hi budget route - the option is yours. Remember, it's the thought behind it that matters.

Being a poor college student, I had to choose the low budget varitation when I first tried this, so I went down to the 99 cent store and bought her some gifts that signified good memories for us. They included things like a plastic bowling set becuase Laura and I had so much fun whenever we went bowling, some stuffed animals because we loved going to zoos; and a Mickey Mouse themed toy because we went to Disney World when she came to visit me during college breaks. With each gift I wrote a little note like: Remember when we went bowling and we couldn't stop laughing because..

This is only one way of doing it. You could compile some pictures and take a trip down memory lane through photos, get books or calendars featuring places you've been together. Have the two of you ever played in the rain? Then how about you get her a new, special umbrella that will bring back happy memories with you. Is there a movie the two of watched together when you started dating? Buy her the movie and give her a note that says something like "I remember
watching this with you when I/we were first falling in love."

All couples have special moments and memories like this. You just need to start thinking about the fun things you've done together and go from there.

The Art of Massage - Semi Pricey, High on Pleasure!

What woman doesn't enjoy a massage? She gets to relax, forget about her cares and just feel good. Imagine the look on her face when you return home from your romantic valentine's dinner , you let her relax a bit while you sneak off to the bedroom to set up her gift - a portable massage table. You've got the room all decked out with lit candles, her favorite relaxing music (don't have a clue? Get an Enigma CD or download it to your iPod.), and of course, a bottle of massage oil.

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to surprise your wife with a portable massage table and at least one massage a week for the next 6 weeks. Not good at massages? No worries, I wasn't either...in the beginning. But the more I practiced and the more I listened, the better I became. And now, I must say that I am pretty damn good at it and getting better everytime. You'll get better too. Try not to skimp on time either, a good massage usually lasts at least 30-45 minutes. As long as you have the key ingredients (all on the "T" list), you'll be in good shape.

The "T" List

Oprah has her "O" list, I have my T-list. There are T-lists for cooking, gardeing, being romantic, etc. This week we talk the T-list for massage.

1) Massage Oil - This is the most important thing you need. You can have all the good intentions in the world and the most expensive massage table they sell but without massage oil the massage doesn't feel good. Make sure you buy an oil that says - Massage Oil or Light Massage Oil. It works so much better than just plain lotion when you are trying to give a good massage. I get my massage oil at http://www.herbalworksinc.com/ and http://www.kamasutra.com/.

2) Portable Massage Table - I got mine at one of my favorite stores. Perhaps you've heard of it...it's called Costco! Sometimes they carry them in the wharehouse, otherwise visit http://www.costco.com/ and buy one online.



That's our table..easy to get out and easy to set up.

3) Lotion - When you are done giving a massage and she is completely relaxed, rub, not massage (yes, there is a difference), some lotion on her. I also get my lotions from Herbalworks.

4) Foot Lotion - I have to say I give a great "foot" massge. I believe that everything starts in the feet. My foot massages come early in the massage. Make sure the lotion you buy is for the feet. I use the Silky Mint Foot Lotion from Herbalworks.

5) Music - Have some music on when you give her a massage. And if you have an iPod or a Cd player, you can even offer her some choices. I will sometines use ocean waves, Enigma, or even a little Justin Timberlake.

6) Candles - To me, candles are a must if you want to have a romantic/relaxing atmosphere. I get all my candles from http://www.madisonavecandles.com/ But if you are looking for some container candles Votivo and Trapp make a nice jarred candle.

If you want to go all out, buy a book on reflexology. I got a set of cards on Reflexology from Costco, and it's amazing how everything in the body is connected and how by rubbing a special spot on her big toe you can releave some major tension. But, if you're not going to read it, don't buy it. The point is, some relexology knowledge can really improve the massages you give.

Just remember, you're not going to be Joe Massgage when you first give it a try. But don't get discouraged. Your wife will love that you tried and if you just listen to her and see what she likes, you'll eventually get better and you'll be enjoying yourself every step of the way. Just have fun doing it!

More Valentines Day gift ideas in next weeks post.

Just A "mini" Glimpse




Laura relaxing with Murphy while the girls dig for worms.

Have a great rest of you week.

Smiles,

Todd
myfemanineside.blogspot.com
"Changing the way men think, one blog at time.