Grow closer to your partner with these simple tips

Taking small, simple steps can to ensure your relationship is on fire can bring big results, so check out the tips that follow.

Most couples come together expecting their relationship to remain as warm, loving and intimate as it was at the start. And, for many couples, that's the case. There's no secret and no luck involved: they've simply learned to devote time and attention to their relationship.

• If there's something you appreciate about your partner, from the way he or she makes scrambled eggs to how hard he or she's working on decorating the bedroom, speak up.
• Praise provides a reminder of your love.

• The good we do tends to come back to us. When you're thoughtful to your partner, he or she's more inclined to be thoughtful in return.
• So remember to buy each other's favourite dessert, cut out or e-mail articles you think your partner might like, take on the other's jobs, or arrange for your partner to have a day off, with no housework or expectations.

• Failing to keep your word can destroy the unity and trust in a relationship.
• It's better to say "Let me think about it" than to say you'll do something but fail to deliver.

• Take turns choosing an arts or cultural event to attend together each month. The point is to show your partner what you love, so that he or she can experience it as you do (or close enough).
• To make this work, both of you have to be flexible: you may have to attend a hockey game, and your partner may have to go to the theatre with you.
• The reward lies in experiencing each other's passion. And who knows – you may have a lot more fun than you ever imagined.

• On a fine evening, spread a blanket under the night sky and drink in the beauty and quiet of your surroundings together.
• You can talk if you wish, or simply savour the silence and the experience of being together, side by side, under the stars.

• Do something for your partner that you did when you were newlyweds or first got together.
• Make a special meal. Send some flowers after a night of lovemaking.
• Tuck notes in unexpected places or leave sexy messages on your partner's cellphone.