2nd Annual Get Me Off the Couch Contest

We're back at it with Crescent Gold and Diamonds, to help you out of the doghouse! For more details... http://k945.ca/contest.php?contestID=197

But if you're too embarrassed to tell us your story, here's 4 foolproof ways to say you're sorry! Some of the most ineffective apologies have one thing in common: they're easy, predictable and don't cost the guilty one anything. Show your significant other he or she is worth stepping out of your comfort zone for them.

Seven nights of sorry

Make a video testimony acknowledging your mistake and professing your love. Draw a scented, candlelit bath. Plan an unexpected outing like indoor rock climbing or a winter hike. Do the dishes, pack their lunch and take care of the laundry and any other chores. Remember, one person's sappy is another's heart-melting moment.

Make a meal from scratch

You don't have to be a master of the culinary arts for this one to work (in fact it has more impact if you're not), but you do need to show that you listen by planning a menu that's full of his or her personal preferences. Make the table with care using the best dishes on hand, linen napkins, candles, wine and flatware for each course. A special dessert cake decorated with a flourishing "I'm sorry" is a particularly contrite finishing touch. Go the extra mile!

Write a love letter

To help you get started, think of five things you love about your significant other. While compliments on their appearance are flattering, try to include a few of the personality quirks that make them so endearing to you. Include a memory of the first time you met or share the quiet moments that make you glad you're together.

Buy a brilliant bauble

For women, sure, there's an element of shiny-object-as-distraction, but a pair of expensive earrings or a necklace that's exactly her style shows you that her value goes beyond words alone. A watch or bracelet engraved with something simple like "HH loves SC" would be considered sweet and sentimental and might take the sting out of a mistake that involved losing track of time or forgetting an important event.

For men, engraved cufflinks are a nice touch or invest in a weighty watch that's both practical and special. To make up for a truly detestable love crime, indulge his electronics obsession with a state-of-the-art digital camera (pre-loaded with a photo or two) or for a more PG gesture, remember that a pretty, shiny object for a man just might be the latest video game.