30 little gestures (from real couples!) that add up to big love.
man embracing woman holding a glass of water
Ben Goldstein
Tokens of affection
"I always wake up thirsty at night, so before bed Caitlin brings me a tall glass of ice water, since I often forget to get one for myself. It shows me that she knows my quirks and that she loves me."
Brian Lowe, 30 (pictured with his wife, Caitlin Faulkner, 28)
Maplewood, NJ
"Bill often surprises me with a cup of to-go coffee. He doesn't even drink coffee or know coffee 'lingo,' so he's really going out of his way when he stops and orders a grande vanilla latte for me. Whenever I get one, I'm grateful for the effort he made."
Michelle Sitton, 40
Lenexa, KS
"Oftentimes I'll hear a song I like on the radio and I'll ask Todd if he's heard it before. Minutes later he'll emerge from our home office with the song downloaded on iTunes and playing in the background. He's so considerate to find my 'new favorite song.' By tuning in to what I'm interested in, he makes me feel that I truly matter to him. It makes me want to do something sweet for him in return."
Nicole Engstrom, 39
Silverton, OR
"For each of my four pregnancies, I had awful morning sickness, and the only food I was able to hold down was these yummy peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches my husband made. So Craig would make me sandwiches and leave them next to my side of the bed. Every morning I would wake up and find a plate with my sandwich and a glass of milk. It was his way of making things a little better for me since I felt so sick."
Marie Powell, 41
Stamford, CT
"My husband brings me back little things from his business trips, like a Starbucks city mug — I collect them — or something else that relates to the specific city he visited. It means the world to me because I know he's thinking about me when he's away."
Vanessa Medina, 28
Schaumburg, IL
"I'm a runner, and every now and then when I put on my running shoes, I'll find something that my wife has hidden inside. In the past, I've discovered new running socks, sunscreen, and even a tacky headband. It's a small, funny thing she does that makes me crack a smile during my long run. It also makes me want to think of silly ways to surprise her back."
Mike Tarpsher, 40
Los Angeles
SHE SAYS, HE SAYS
Cara Good, 35, and Jonathan Good, 38, Tustin, CA
"When Jonathan travels for work, he brings back food with the word 'Cara' in the name. For example, he recently gave me Cadbury's Caramilk, a caramel and chocolate bar from Canada. It's always entertaining to see what new 'Carafood' he's discovered."
"Cara sneaks one of our two dogs' play toys into my suitcase before I leave on a business trip. It keeps a little piece of our home life close by when I'm far away, and I appreciate that."
Alex Barron, 30, and Frederik Tylim, 31, Dallas
"Frederik loves surprising me with little treats. He'll sneak chocolate truffles in to a movie and hand them to me in the dark theater. Or he'll pack surprise lunch snacks for me, such as Greek yogurt with honey, which I adore. These small details make me feel like he really knows me and cares for me."
"Whenever a new candy bar comes out, Alex always buys it for me — she knows I love being one of the first to try the newest one. She'll place the bar on the kitchen counter and won't say a word until I find it and get very excited."
"I always wake up thirsty at night, so before bed Caitlin brings me a tall glass of ice water, since I often forget to get one for myself. It shows me that she knows my quirks and that she loves me."
Brian Lowe, 30 (pictured with his wife, Caitlin Faulkner, 28)
Maplewood, NJ
"Bill often surprises me with a cup of to-go coffee. He doesn't even drink coffee or know coffee 'lingo,' so he's really going out of his way when he stops and orders a grande vanilla latte for me. Whenever I get one, I'm grateful for the effort he made."
Michelle Sitton, 40
Lenexa, KS
"Oftentimes I'll hear a song I like on the radio and I'll ask Todd if he's heard it before. Minutes later he'll emerge from our home office with the song downloaded on iTunes and playing in the background. He's so considerate to find my 'new favorite song.' By tuning in to what I'm interested in, he makes me feel that I truly matter to him. It makes me want to do something sweet for him in return."
Nicole Engstrom, 39
Silverton, OR
"For each of my four pregnancies, I had awful morning sickness, and the only food I was able to hold down was these yummy peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches my husband made. So Craig would make me sandwiches and leave them next to my side of the bed. Every morning I would wake up and find a plate with my sandwich and a glass of milk. It was his way of making things a little better for me since I felt so sick."
Marie Powell, 41
Stamford, CT
"My husband brings me back little things from his business trips, like a Starbucks city mug — I collect them — or something else that relates to the specific city he visited. It means the world to me because I know he's thinking about me when he's away."
Vanessa Medina, 28
Schaumburg, IL
"I'm a runner, and every now and then when I put on my running shoes, I'll find something that my wife has hidden inside. In the past, I've discovered new running socks, sunscreen, and even a tacky headband. It's a small, funny thing she does that makes me crack a smile during my long run. It also makes me want to think of silly ways to surprise her back."
Mike Tarpsher, 40
Los Angeles
SHE SAYS, HE SAYS
Cara Good, 35, and Jonathan Good, 38, Tustin, CA
"When Jonathan travels for work, he brings back food with the word 'Cara' in the name. For example, he recently gave me Cadbury's Caramilk, a caramel and chocolate bar from Canada. It's always entertaining to see what new 'Carafood' he's discovered."
"Cara sneaks one of our two dogs' play toys into my suitcase before I leave on a business trip. It keeps a little piece of our home life close by when I'm far away, and I appreciate that."
Alex Barron, 30, and Frederik Tylim, 31, Dallas
"Frederik loves surprising me with little treats. He'll sneak chocolate truffles in to a movie and hand them to me in the dark theater. Or he'll pack surprise lunch snacks for me, such as Greek yogurt with honey, which I adore. These small details make me feel like he really knows me and cares for me."
"Whenever a new candy bar comes out, Alex always buys it for me — she knows I love being one of the first to try the newest one. She'll place the bar on the kitchen counter and won't say a word until I find it and get very excited."
couple embracing with love note in hand
Ben Goldstein
"Christopher and I write a loving note and leave it for the other person to find. For example, I wrote how thrilled I was to be pregnant and starting a family together and left it in his wallet. He replied on the same paper and left it in my jewelry box. We're now on the fourth page of our 'note trail.'"
Daisy Auger-Domínguez, 35 (pictured with her husband, Christopher, 34)
New York City
"Veronica leaves text messages on my phone letting me know she's thinking of me. They're usually something short and sweet, like 'xo.' It's not necessarily what she writes that makes it special; it's that she found time in her crazy day to let me know that I'm on her mind."
Scott Hunzinger, 39
Cutchogue, NY
"Melissa sends emails to me with 'I LOVE YOU!' pasted in them about 1,000 times. She does this whenever I'm having a challenging day at work, and it absolutely turns my day around."
David Arnoff, 48
Washington, D.C.
"When John leaves on a business trip, he puts Post-it notes all over the house with reminders such as 'Te amo (I love you),' 'Set the house alarm, I want you to be safe,' and 'Salt the driveway, I don't want you to fall and hurt your cute booty!' They never fail to make me feel taken care of."
Vanessa Medina, 28
Schaumburg, IL
SHE SAYS, HE SAYS
Renee Miller, 46, and Gary Bettman, 45, Los Angeles
"Whenever Gary travels on business, he sends me a postcard with a wonderful note on it. He's been doing this for years, and it's always a nice surprise because each postcard has a special meaning to me or our relationship. For example, he knows how much I still like The Wizard of Oz, so he'll find an appropriate postcard featuring a scene from the movie."
"When I was working out of the country for a long period of time, Renee would fax letters to me, which would be slipped under the door of my hotel room overnight. I'd wake up the next morning and happily find her heartfelt messages waiting for me."
Little acts of love
"My husband irons my clothes for me. He'll either ask me what I need ironed or he'll surprise me and press my skirts and blouses without even asking. It's so nice and thoughtful, because ironing is my least favorite chore!"
Michelle Lisko, 43
Stow, OH
"Every night before bed my husband and I tell each other something we're grateful for that the other person did that day. For example, 'I'm grateful for the nice dinner you made,' or, 'I'm grateful you gave the kids a bath.' It's taught us to look for the positive attributes in each other. It's also nice to be recognized for doing the laundry or cutting the grass!"
Beth Remmes, 34
Atlanta
"My wife and I have an ongoing thing about pulling the car into our driveway. She drives straight in and backs out, and I like to back in and drive straight out. On several occasions I've come out in the morning to find that Marina had backed the car in the night before, knowing that I'd be driving it next. That gesture shows me so clearly how much she respects and loves me."
Mike Howard, 41
Vancouver, BC
"My husband makes banana pancakes for me every Sunday morning. This includesg
Ref: redbookmag.com
Daisy Auger-Domínguez, 35 (pictured with her husband, Christopher, 34)
New York City
"Veronica leaves text messages on my phone letting me know she's thinking of me. They're usually something short and sweet, like 'xo.' It's not necessarily what she writes that makes it special; it's that she found time in her crazy day to let me know that I'm on her mind."
Scott Hunzinger, 39
Cutchogue, NY
"Melissa sends emails to me with 'I LOVE YOU!' pasted in them about 1,000 times. She does this whenever I'm having a challenging day at work, and it absolutely turns my day around."
David Arnoff, 48
Washington, D.C.
"When John leaves on a business trip, he puts Post-it notes all over the house with reminders such as 'Te amo (I love you),' 'Set the house alarm, I want you to be safe,' and 'Salt the driveway, I don't want you to fall and hurt your cute booty!' They never fail to make me feel taken care of."
Vanessa Medina, 28
Schaumburg, IL
SHE SAYS, HE SAYS
Renee Miller, 46, and Gary Bettman, 45, Los Angeles
"Whenever Gary travels on business, he sends me a postcard with a wonderful note on it. He's been doing this for years, and it's always a nice surprise because each postcard has a special meaning to me or our relationship. For example, he knows how much I still like The Wizard of Oz, so he'll find an appropriate postcard featuring a scene from the movie."
"When I was working out of the country for a long period of time, Renee would fax letters to me, which would be slipped under the door of my hotel room overnight. I'd wake up the next morning and happily find her heartfelt messages waiting for me."
Little acts of love
"My husband irons my clothes for me. He'll either ask me what I need ironed or he'll surprise me and press my skirts and blouses without even asking. It's so nice and thoughtful, because ironing is my least favorite chore!"
Michelle Lisko, 43
Stow, OH
"Every night before bed my husband and I tell each other something we're grateful for that the other person did that day. For example, 'I'm grateful for the nice dinner you made,' or, 'I'm grateful you gave the kids a bath.' It's taught us to look for the positive attributes in each other. It's also nice to be recognized for doing the laundry or cutting the grass!"
Beth Remmes, 34
Atlanta
"My wife and I have an ongoing thing about pulling the car into our driveway. She drives straight in and backs out, and I like to back in and drive straight out. On several occasions I've come out in the morning to find that Marina had backed the car in the night before, knowing that I'd be driving it next. That gesture shows me so clearly how much she respects and loves me."
Mike Howard, 41
Vancouver, BC
"My husband makes banana pancakes for me every Sunday morning. This includesg
Ref: redbookmag.com
