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"  When you come across a loving husband and wife, do you ever wonder what&amp;#039;s their secret? We know the feeling. But as most contented partners know, being in a happy relationship isn&amp;#039;t the luck of the draw. It takes work \u2014 and a lot of collaboration. Blissful couples also share a lot of the same patterns. And luckily, we&amp;#039;ve uncovered some of their easy-to-adopt tricks. You may want to mark them down. 1. Communicate a lot Every conversation doesn&amp;#039;t have to be a deep one. Sometimes it&amp;#039;s nice to just check in to see how your other half is doing. Emails and texts also apply. Feeling flirty? Send a sexy emoticon (yes, they do exist) for a little fun. 2. Make time for outside friends When you let other people into your world, you don&amp;#039;t put so much pressure on your spouse to be Mr. Everything. 3. Show gratitude It&amp;#039;s clich\u00E9; but it really works. And it&amp;#039;s easy to do. Leave a nice note on the refrigerator door or give each other a quick back rub. I wrote a poem recently expressing just how thankful I am for all the things my husband does for our family. And when I saw it on paper, I was far less cranky. 4. Explore outside interests Happy couples don&amp;#039;t spend every waking moment together. They engage in solo activities (painting, volunteering, dancing, etc.) they love in order to create a healthy space in the relationship. Added bonus: Pursuing your passions helps increase your libido. 5. Enjoy the simple pleasures Cooking together in the kitchen or having lunch with our kids in the park is just as gratifying as a dinner at a fancy restaurant. It&amp;#039;s all about appreciating every single moment. TELL US: What&amp;#039;s your secret to a happy relationship? Photo: Cultura/JPM/Getty NEXT: 12 Easy Ways to Make Your Partner&amp;#039;s Day \u00BB "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/relationships/advice/a25665/habits-happy-couples/>