MARY E THOMPSON

it's a curvy road to happily ever after

Holiday Happiness

Movies that Make you Fall in Love

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I love movies. Almost as much as I love books. Sometimes more, but there’s a time and place for both. It’s really disappointing to me that more romantic comedies don’t come to theaters, but I’m so excited to see Isn’t It Romantic. It looks hilarious! I haven’t seen it yet, but I have caught a few great romances lately that I wanted to share with you.

Romancing The Stone – yes, it’s an older movie. From 1984. But that doesn’t make it any less great. I saw it when I was young, but was recently reminded of it and had to watch it again. If you’re a PassionFlix subscriber, they have it!

The Kissing Booth – a Netflix original that will make you sigh and cry and laugh right along with the characters. Really cute movie with plenty of teenage hormones and lots of drama.

Dumplin’ – another Netflix original. It’s more women’s fiction than pure romance, but there’s a touch of romance in there. And for every curvy girl out there, you’ll want to be friends with Dumplin’.

Valentine’s Day – I mean, come on. It’s Valentine’s Day.

Sliding Doors – my favorite movie of all time. If you’re single and hating this week, this might be the movie for you. I always watch it when I’m wondering how things are going to work out. It’s a great movie, in my personal opinion of course!

What’s your favorite romance movie?

Best Free Gifts for Valentine’s Day

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This May will be my 15th anniversary. My husband and I have been together almost 17 years. And in all that time, I don’t think we’ve ever exchanged gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Some people would be pissed, but for us, it wasn’t that big of a deal. We also don’t do much for each other for Christmas or our birthdays. And that’s okay with us because we get each other little things through the year. Like the ice cream (my favorite) he bought me and hid in the freezer without telling me it was there. Or when he got me candy because he was thinking of me. Or when he picked up a book he knew I wanted.

Some of the best gifts don’t cost us anything. Those gifts are the ones that I love the most. The ones that come every day or once in a while, but that mean the most.

My Five Favorite Free Gifts

Say I love you. This is definitely my favorite, but it doesn’t take anything to do. We say it many times a day, but when it comes with a kiss and a hug and a moment for just the two of us, it’s a little extra special. And it’s nice to hear, even if it hasn’t been that long.

Share some adult time. Let’s be honest, men have a tendency to think with a certain part of their anatomy. Haven’t you heard they think about sex ten times a minute? Or something like that. If he’s thinking about it all the time, then he probably wants it. Put the kids to bed a little early and close (and lock) the bedroom door and have a little alone time. You’ll both enjoy it!

Cook dinner together. I don’t like to cook. I never have. Hubby is the cook in our house. He loves it, and that makes me happy. But the nights he’s cooking and in the kitchen for a while, I like to help him, or just stand there and talk to him. We put on a movie for the kids (especially if we’re having pancakes for dinner) and let them watch while we get a little while to talk and laugh and cook dinner together. Those are my favorite nights.

Make him something. When my kids have birthday parties, most of the time, they make a card for their friends. My son draws a picture of the recipient and wishes them a happy birthday. My daughter tends to cover hers with stickers. But when their friends get a card that was handmade and one of a kind, it’s special. Why not do that for him (or her)? Make him a card or coupons for future favors or write him a letter telling him all the things you love about him. Hell, if you’re an artist, paint him a picture or knit him some socks. The possibilities are endless, and it’ll mean more knowing you did something special just for him.

Watch a movie together. Maybe that’s not such a big deal, but it’s a Thursday night. You probably work tomorrow, so cuddling on the couch might not be something you do every Thursday. Pick out a movie neither of you have seen and curl up together to watch it.

None of this is groundbreaking, but that’s why it’s so special. These are things you can do every day to tell him you love him. And hopefully he’ll return the favor and do some of these things for you, too!

How are you spending Valentine’s Day?

My Favorite Romance Novels

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Valentine’s Day is all about romance. Love. Finding it, holding it, embracing it. Of course, as a romance writer, that’s my world. All day, every day.

We’re all readers here, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite romances with you. For today, we’re talking books, because, well, we’re readers. Why wouldn’t we?

All links go to the author’s website so you can see the rest of the books in the series or other books available, or sign up for their newsletters. There are some amazing authors out there! I hope you check them out.

Happy reading!

Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis

Friendship on Fire by Melissa Foster

Chase Me by Aidy Award

Stranded with the SEAL by Amy Gamet

Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland

Adler James by Christa Wick

Bought by the SEAL by Zoe York

Merry Christmas

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I’ve been thinking a lot about all the things in my life that I count as my blessings. This year, the holiday season has been tough. It’s been a busy time, more than usual, and it’s really thrown me off. I’ve been pulled away from the joy of the holiday season, but I wanted to remind myself that life is amazing. It’s beautiful. It’s wild and messy and tough, but it’s beautiful.

I hope you’ve had a chance to sit back and enjoy life some this holiday season. If you haven’t, I hope you take some time soon to relax, put your feet up, and read a great book!

Enjoy your family today. And thank you for being one of my blessings this year.

Happy Easter weekend

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I’m taking a break from my regular posting today so I can be with my family. My kids are off school and even hubby is home! We’re taking it easy and getting ready for Easter Sunday – stuffing eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt and helping my family get food ready. Oh, and I’m sleeping in!

I saw this picture and had to share it because this is what I fully expected our Easter Egg Hunt to look like!

Thankfully we’ve had a few nice days and I think we’ll be snow free for Sunday.

Happy Easter!

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Ten Romantic Gestures to Spice up your Weekend

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Valentine’s Day is just a few days away. Most people will celebrate a little early, especially since Valentine’s Day also falls on Ash Wednesday for Catholics like me. It’s also a Wednesday, which isn’t always conducive to a night out.

Valentine’s Day might be a contrived holiday, but it’s also a chance to show the person you love how you feel about him or her. Flowers and candy are nice, but there are so many other things you can do to bring some spice to your weekend. Have fun!

  1. Wear something sexy. I know, it’s been done. But how often do you drag out the lingerie or wear something a little nicer, a little sexier, for your other half? I know I rarely do. Usually I’m in my yoga pants and a t-shirt and my comfy cotton undies. There’s nothing inherently sexy about my clothes, but they’re comfortable. If I’m trying to bring in a little romance, changing things up always gets his attention!
  2. Go dancing. Or stay in and dance. My hubby is not a dancer. It took some convincing to get him to dance at our wedding. He is very self-conscious about dancing, so we don’t dance much. But we can put on some music and dance around the apartment after the kids are sleeping.
  3. Get him something special. I asked for suggestions on Facebook a few days ago. There were a lot of great ideas, and what I loved was they were real. Little things that we could do or I could get for him. It doesn’t have to be big in order to be special, and I was reminded of that a few days ago.
  4. Act out a scene from a book. You guys know what I write. Maybe it’ll be a little inspiration!
  5. Leave him a note somewhere you know he’ll see it. I get up with my hubby every morning and help him out by making him a sandwich while he cooks his breakfast. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m going to start putting a note in his bag some days. I know he’ll smile when he reads it.
  6. Say I love you. It’s simple, but do you say it? If you do, get his attention and say it when you’re looking into his eyes. If you don’t say it regularly, still get his attention and tell him honestly. Remember the first time you told each other? It’ll still have an impact. Along the same lines, tell him something you love about him. He’d love to hear it.
  7. Cook him a nice dinner and offer yourself as dessert. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that suggestion! You know what to do! If not, go back to #4.
  8. Do something neither of you have ever done before. There are tons of date ideas all over Pinterest. Look up some ideas and do something new. There are also lots of free date ideas if the budget is a concern (and let’s face it, it always is).
  9. Do something you know he enjoys. We all have different tastes. Has he asked you to go to a movie that you’re really not into? Or maybe he wants to tell you all about something he’s excited about. Whatever it is, give him a chance to share something that he likes. It will bring you closer.
  10. Make him a playlist. Do you remember when people used to make mixed tapes for the one they had a crush on? Maybe that’s just me, but I certainly made a couple and had a few made for me. It was nice to hear the songs the person thought of when they thought of me. You can still do that. We were in the car last night and Devin Dawson’s All On Me was playing. My nine year old sang along with it, but at the end she asked if that’s how daddy was with me. If I could put everything on him if I needed it. Even though he doesn’t like country, it would be one of the many songs I’d put on a playlist for him. (If you don’t know the song, you can listen to it here.)

Hopefully you can take at least one of these ideas and have a fun weekend! If not this weekend, do it next. There’s never a bad time for romance!

Do you have any tips to share?

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