30 Little Ways to Show Your Partner How Much You Appreciate Them

“Every month I send my girlfriend flowers or deliver them myself. I also handwrite love letters and mail them to her at work.” –Mona

“Simultaneously rubbing each other’s feet is a small way my boyfriend and I show our appreciation for one another.” –Nancy (Nothing ruins a foot massage like odor; here are 15 ways to keep it at bay.)

“One thing that has really changed our relationship and how much more I respect my husband was his decision to join me in the fertility crusade. He comes to acupuncture with me weekly and has flipped his eating habits and supplement taking upside down, and is now taking so much better care of himself. It made me feel appreciated and acknowledged in ways he’ll never know.” –Julie (Here are 13 things no one tells you about IVF.)

“My husband leaves me little love notes, sometimes in my suitcase when I go away or in my lunch bag. Now he adds the kids’ artwork, too. It’s the sweet little gestures that capture my heart and remind me how good I have it.” –Jenn

“There is a saying: Men have sight; women have insight. Listening to my wife’s insight guides me away from seeing the world as a defined black and white place.” –Howard

"We both have household tasks we take care of—I do most of the cleaning and my husband does all the laundry—but what really bowls me over with gratitude is when he steps in when I'm too tired or overwhelmed." –Kayrene

“My husband and I make it a point to drop whatever we’re doing when the other person walks through the door at the end of the day to greet them, give them a kiss, and hug and connect. Even if it’s just a moment before I turn back to doing the dishes or whatever, I’ve pushed pause to let him know he's my priority and I’m glad he’s home.” –Chelsea

“Whenever we’re apart, my boyfriend and I are constantly sending each other links to articles we know the other person will find interesting or cute Instagram posts we know will make the other person smile. It’s our little way of saying, ‘Hey, I’m thinking of you!’” –Heather

“My boyfriend travels more often than I do. When he flies home, I always park and meet him at the gate. It’s a small gesture, but in today’s day and age of convenience and fast pace, I like making sure he has a warm, loving welcome.” –Erin

“I make sure the coffee maker is clean every night so he doesn’t have to do it super early in the morning when he wakes up.” –Jessica

“I put her robe and slippers where she’ll be able to find them easily in the morning.” –Mike (Not a morning person? Get inspiration from the morning routines of 13 super-successful women.)

“My boyfriend is an amazing cook and he always takes the time to make me dinner after a long day at work. He’ll even bring me breakfast in bed on a lazy Sunday morning. It’s a small thing that truly makes me feel loved.” –Alisa

“We like the water temperature in the shower at different levels. Sometimes I notice that after Erin showers she’ll turn the dial to the temperature setting that I like. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of it.” –Brendan

“I’ll bring my husband a surprise pick me up—a new shirt, his favorite candy, just something small that reminds him that he’s always on my mind. I love seeing how happy it makes him.” –Dana

“My husband plans date nights and surprises me. He organizes the sitter and picks a restaurant he knows I like. Surprising and planning is the best gift of all.” –Audra

“He makes me mixed CDs and brings me coffee in the mornings, and I plan really good vacations.” –Jennifer

“I stock his supply of semi-healthy food he keeps at work—nuts, bars, savory snacks, and some sweets.” –Jessica

“I know my husband loves back scratches, so I’ll give him those at least once a day. Nothing huge or long or formal, just a few minutes casually so he knows his needs are important to me.” –Chelsea

“I have no rhythm, so my boyfriend will dance with me and copy some of my moves so I don’t feel like a complete fool. He’ll twirl me around and smile and wink. It’s so sweet.” –Heather

“My fiance lives 80 minutes away from me, and when he comes to spend the weekend, he’ll offer to drive us places, even though he’d been in the car for much of the day earlier, because he knows I get stressed out being the driver/navigator on unfamiliar highways or roads. Even though he’s tired, he doesn’t want me to worry about it.” –Christa