Ways to Celebrate Your 2nd Wedding Anniversary

Tradition says that your second anniversary is your "Cotton Anniversary." Call me crazy, but towels just don't scream romance to me. I've done a lot of poking around the internet looking for ideas for my upcoming second wedding anniversary, only to find boring and ... well... very "old married couple" type ideas. Since when does being married for a couple of years make you old? I'm 23 and still very young and active, and the idea of being exhilarated by new bed sheets is just a depressing thought.

So I've decided to fill the void! Here's a list of a few things to do to make your 2nd (or 3rd or 4th or 50th, whatever!) anniversary fun, unique and romantic!

1.) Request more than just one day off from work! It's been a tradition of my husband and I ever since our "stay at home honeymoon" to take a few days to a week off from work to celebrate. We usually don't take vacations, and so we have plenty of vacation hours saved up. If that is not an option for you, try to move a little scheduling around. Talk to a supervisor about leaving early the day before or try getting someone to cover for you -- and don't wait until a week before! Ask at least a month ahead of time, and be sure to remind your supervisor and anyone covering for you of your time off, the week before. Having more than just one day off will prevent you from having to mash everything together in just one day. It's sort of un-romantic to be herded from one place to the next on a tight schedule. Romance is not about timing or schedules... it's something that you should savor.

2.) Make a list of places that are significant to you and your spouse. Was your first kiss at a park? Did you hold her hand for the first time at a zoo? Take him or her there, and relive that special moment. Take pictures! If you have a friend who's good with a camera, you could entice them to come along and take candid shots of you and your spouse years later in that very spot where you fell in love.

3.) Do something goofy! My husband and I love to build "tents" in our den. It usually consists of about three or four large blankets, some chairs, and a roll of duct tape. The tent usually is not all that pretty, but snuggling under a home-made tent in your den while you watch an old favorite movie and share treats, is a cozy way to spend the night. This is really about bringing out the kid in you -- being young at heart is something that most people cherish in a mate. Is your husband a Star Wars fan? Go to a comic and hobby shop and buy him an over sized poster of his favorite character! You'd be surprised how much guys love when you show that you care about their interests too! Is your wife a fan of the old big band music? Buy a Jackie Gleason CD and dance with her (she'll think you're Fred Astaire even if you dance like Fred Flintstone).

4.) Give your spouse a video instead of a card! Last year for our anniversary, I gave my husband a video of all of our wedding pictures synced up with a favorite song of ours and ended it with a poem by E.E. Cummings. We both ended up in tears! It's much easier than you'd think, to make one of these videos. Most Windows-based computers come equipped with a video editing software called "Windows Movie Maker." You can find a lot of tutorials on Youtube.com.

5.) Be brave, and go with your spouse to a "couples" shop. Don't go anywhere that you feel uncomfortable entering, but to be honest, a friend of mine talked me into going to an adult store a few years ago, and while I was blushing horribly the whole time, I did find some costumes that were pretty and sexy. There are also plenty of stores that are geared to those less-than-willing to brave the undesirable areas of adult stores. Victoria's Secret has a fairly good selection, and for plus sized ladies, Lane Bryant offers some pretty lingerie. If you just can't get past going into a shop and purchasing costumes or undergarments with a salesperson, you can always turn to the internet. Make sure to do a careful measurement before ordering, since most shops won't accept returns due to their "intimate" nature.

6.) Watch a sunrise or sunset together. I know this is so cliché, but honestly I know a lot of people who haven't done this yet with their spouse. There's something magical about sharing the moment that the sun breeches the horizon or slips down into a dazzling bed of water.

7.) Take time just to be together. Let me explain. In the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes we lose track of where our loved ones are. We have the necessary communication for the sake of functioning, and little else. Remember when you were dating and you would talk about hopes and dreams? You would share every little secret... relishing knowing something new about this person that you adored. Go somewhere quiet, with a couple glasses of wine and sit together talking about hopes and dreams. Try to keep the conversation away from serious topics like money or politics... this is time you're taking to hear what's in the other person's heart. What are their dreams for the future? What's something they've always wanted to do, but never have? This is also a great time to talk about your sex life -- and no, not complaints unless they're in a constructive manner. Remember, this is about building up your spouse... not a soapbox to complain. I do this with my husband every couple of months, and those moments are ones that I cherish. You'd be surprised how even the strong, silent type have dynamic hearts whose dreams ebb and flow.

8.) Do something the two of you have never done before! Have the two of you always talked about going skydiving? Riding jet-skis? Getting a tattoo? Go for it!

9.) Did you eat your wedding cake topper last year? So did I. Was it good? Mine wasn't! So order a new mini-wedding cake! Share it after dinner on your anniversary, with a bottle of the champagne, wine, or other drink that you enjoyed on your wedding day. Feed each other bites of wedding cake, and pretend like you were just married that day.

10.) If you're really into the tradition of getting something cotton for your spouse, make it something sweeter than new towels (or at least find a sweeter way to give them than, "happy anniversary, here's some towels.") Buy cotton bed valance to transform your bed into a honeymoon suite fit for a prince and princess (available from NOVICA for $129.95 - $144.99) . Love the outdoors? Buy a cotton hammock for snuggling, and set up Tiki-lamps. If you're on a budget but still want to keep the tradition, buy your spouse a nice pair of cotton socks, and tuck a love note or trinket of sentimental value in one of the toes.

The key here, is to be creative! You know your husband or wife better than anyone else, so cater your show of love to him or her. Don't settle for the mediocre and the standard! Your husband or wife isn't mediocre -- they're the love of your life, your happiness and your joy... put a little thought and a lot of love into your anniversary this year.