Friday Night in the Suburbs (V)
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- 2 days ago
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By Rachel Turney
Copyright ©2026
Adult Activity Book Entry Five: Love Notes
Relationships are all about communication. This month, think about what and how you communicate with/to your partner. Do you connect daily to reinforce your relationship? Do you tell them what they mean to you? Do you pause to appreciate each other? This month create intentional space for positive, supportive communication in the form of love notes.
I recommend three different ways to complete the adult activity this month. What I love most about note writing is that it shows you thought of that person. It’s similar to a thank you note (which are imperative…yes, imperative) in that you took time to consider that other person when they weren’t around.
10 Things I Love/Like About You
One way to engage in this activity is to start by journaling or creating a list of things you love about your partner. I suggest creating a list of ten things and presenting your partner with a love note highlighting one thing you appreciate about them daily for ten days. You can also hide your ten notes and let your partner find them in their own time.
Thank You Note
Every year on the anniversary of my marriage to Zach, I choose a new trait about him that I am grateful for and write to him in detail about how he has added to my life with that trait during the previous year. This year my word is support. I keep track of the traits I have already highlighted and write down notes during the year in an online document so that I can choose something meaningful and specific.
Write a sexy love note.
“Leave love notes in unexpected places or send flirty texts throughout the day to build anticipation. Small, thoughtful gestures can go a long way in keeping the passion alive,” says Tonia Mansfield in her article, Igniting Passion: A Sensual Guide to Spicing Up Your Valentine's Day.
What do you desire about them? What do you crave? Tell them in a note about how much you want them. Stating what turns you on about your partner is a productive exercise for you and for them. Humans like to feel necessary and wanted. Explain to your partner what you like to do with them, how you like to do it, and why only they can fulfill your needs.
How we did the activity:
I did a little spin on my first suggestion and changed these notes to messages of gratitude. I left these “gratitudes” around the house on sticky-notes. These were just little thank yous to my partner. Most of them weren’t sexual. I put a note on Zach’s car door saying thanks for driving us to get pizza. I put a note on the fridge saying thanks for making us breakfast. Showing gratitude for another person helps build and sustain a respectful relationship loop.
Happy writing and have a sexy Friday night!
From the suburbs,
Rachel Turney
Friday Night in the Suburbs Mini: I Love You Journal
Taking love notes a bit further, consider starting your own I Love You Journal. Zach and I have one of these. It’s a single shared notebook where we both write notes to each other. We date them and leave the notebook out for the other to find. We started this book in 2023 and my last entry to Zach, prior to writing this column, was in December. Leaving the book in an accessible place is key though, as you can see by our example, falling out of the practice is quite easy. Committing to writing in an I Love You Journal with your partner is a great way to start off a new year of romance and appreciation together.
Special Live Online Event - Erotic Poetry:
Interested in learning more about erotic writing? I invite you to attend and listen to my free reading series Poetry (in Brief) on the subject of erotic writing on February 14th at noon CST. More information (including the Zoom link) can be found on turneytalks.com, my Instagram, or on the flyer posted at the end of my January article.
If you missed it, please check out my first installments in this series:
Works Cited:
Mansfield, T. (2024, February 1). Igniting Passion: A Sensual Guide to Spicing Up Your Valentine's Day. https://www.barebackmag.com/post/igniting-passion-a-sensual-guide-to-spicing-up-your-valentine-s-day
About Rachel Turney:
Rachel Turney, Ed.D. (she/her) is an educator and artist located in Denver. Her poems, research articles, reviews, and drawings can be found in a variety of publications. Rachel is passionate about immigrant rights, teacher support, and empowering other artists. She is a Writers’ Hour prize winner and Best-of-the-Net nominee. Her photography appears on a few magazine covers. Rachel runs the popular online reading series Poetry (in Brief). She is on staff at Bare Back Magazine with her monthly column Friday Night in the Suburbs. She reads for The Los Angeles Review. Website: turneytalks.com Instagram: @turneytalks Bluesky: rachelturney
Books coming 2026:
Record Player Life with The Poetry Lighthouse
Retired Wannabe Club Kid with Parlyaree Press
To Be (a Woman) with redrosethorns
Women Making Soup Together with Vinegar Press
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