This is the time of year when we're all rushing back and forth between the malls and other various Christmas functions. A school pageant, an office party, the neighborhood food drive and suddenly it's the day before Christmas and you can't remember the last time you connected with your significant other. In an effort to reduce stress and keep the romance alive heres a list of things that you can try.

1. Shop together. Maybe your taste runs to conservative and his runs to gag type gifts. Shopping together allows the two of you to decide together what to get the important people in your life. And who knows, maybe this year with another person to help you out you'll have time to find a special gift of your own to share with your lover.
2. Make a date- and keep it. Arrange for a sitter and meet for lunch or ice skating at the park. If an afternoon in a dark theater with your love is what recharges your batteries, go for it. Make it a time to just be two people in love instead of two people trying to pull off Christmas miracles.
3. Start a new tradition. If you spend the weeks before Christmas and Hanukkah attending the same couples' parties or the same religious functions, try something new. Go for a walk through the neighborhood and check out the light displays. Light some candles and dance to your favorite romantic Christmas ballad. Even the smallest things can become that magic moment that centers you both.
4. Exchange love letters. Instead of trying to find the perfect cards for one another, try a handwritten love letter instead. Reflect on your favorite holidays of the past and all the wonderful moments you've spent together. If your relationship is new, tell your love all the things you've been saving up. There's no time like the present, nothing sweeter than expressing your thoughts and feelings as only you can.
5. If you're on a tight budget, make a gift. If your love adores music, burn them a cd or two. If they're into sports and they have every ticket stub from every game, make them a collage of ticket stubs and photos from coordinating events. Cookies and other homemade treats are wonderful if their health allows for them. Use your imagination. The best gifts come from the heart.
6. Go to bed early. Turn off the television, shut down the computer and take your lover by the hand. Even if you're not sleepy and making love isn't an option, hold one another and talk. It sounds like something insane but a few brief moments may be exactly what the two of you need to put you both in the mood for romance.
7. Count your blessings. Take a moment to think about all the things that money can't buy that the two of you share. Crazy laughter when you burned a cake. Shared tears when he lost a loved one. The intense love you felt when you said yes to his proposal. The gratitude he felt when you got the stain out of his lucky tie the day before the presentation that lead to his promotion. Those are the sweetest and most precious gifts. Share your thoughts with one another and see what happens.
8. Say no. It's ok to say no to an invitation or two. The two of you aren't obligated to attend every party or entertain people every year. If you only have one free day alone during the week, take the opportunity to spend it doing something you both want to do.
9. Say yes. To one another. To a night spent watching a dvd. To a long bath or a hot shower. To take-out in front of the fire. To splitting decorating duties. To remembering the good times.
10. Remember that your relationship comes first. All the parties and all the gifts in the world won't mean a thing if you're not together. If you only put up one wreath instead of two or if you only attend two parties instead of three isnt the most important thing. The sun will still rise and set and the world will still turn on its axis. If you lose sight of what really matters, of one another, it will still happen but youll be too hurt and lonely to notice.