10 Unique Ways To Stay In Touch With Long-Distance Friends

@lexihaen First time i witnessed a love story proposal and I got to be the one to record! #tstheerastour#taylorswift#swifttok#lovestory#ttpd♬ original sound - L E X 🪩

"I started recording early because I thought it'd be so cute to have the moments of before she knew," Lex writes on the video. If you didn't know what was about to happen, you'd think the couple was dancing to the song without a care in the world. But look close enough and you can see just a bit of nervous fidgeting. And NYT Bestselling Author Allison Raskin promises nerves are a normal experience.

Is it normal to be nervous for a proposal?

"I think it is helpful for the proposer to remember the moment will be special even if it isn't perfect," Raskin, whose book I Do (I Think): Conversations About Modern Marriage comes out October 15, says. "You don't have to pull off every elaborate detail flawlessly to show your partner you care and can't wait to build a life together. Also, nerves aren't inherently bad! They can be a signal that you are excited and care about what you are about to do, which can be a helpful reframe from thinking you are just panicking."

"It's very exciting to propose but also deeply vulnerable," Krystal Mazzola Wood, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Confidently Authentic & The Healthy Relationship Foundation, agrees. "You’re truly being honest about how much someone means to you and risking rejection which is scary. It’s natural to be nervous even if you have discussed this issue before and 'know' you will get a 'yes.'”

In the event you're feeling an extra bout of nerves, Mazzola Wood has a few exercises that can help you feel more prepared. "You will want to breathe into your belly (rather than your chest) and try to make your exhales longer than your inhale," she says, like breathing in for four seconds and out for seven seconds. Visualizing the proposal going well can give you a boost of confidence, but for those of us who like to have a plan for every possible situation, it can also help to envision the worst case scenario.

"No amount of coping well with your nerves will make them go away necessarily," she continues. "This is a big step – it’s natural to be nervous. And most people will say that they didn't feel 'ready' to take the biggest risks of their life i.e. proposing, going after their dream job, but they acted courageously anyway!"

@karolinaski2024 Help me find Jason (i think his name was) who proposed to Megan at the Eras tour Melbourne Night 2! @taylornation #melbournetstheerastour#tstheerastour#taylorswift#taylorsversion#theerastour#proposallovestory#proposalvideo♬ original sound - Karolina💕

Taylor Swift proposals have created a lot of conversation online about whether such a public proposal is appropriate or even enjoyable. "I would be so mad if my nonexistent partner did this to me lol," one Reddit user says. "I actually have a friend who is going with his girlfriend to Eras in Scotland this summer, and they are likely getting engaged fairly soon, and I’m like 'just don’t propose during Love Story.'"

Another disagrees, saying, "If a public proposal is your thing, and you’re a Swiftie, AND a conversation has previously taken place about actually wanting to marry said person, BY ALL MEANS! That is adorable!"

Should your partner have the same interests as you?

While I personally wouldn't want to get engaged in front of so many strangers, these proposals always make me emotional. Because for there to be a proposal in that environment at all, both partners have to actually be at the concert in the first place. After having countless conversations with people who totally dismissed my 14-year love for Taylor Swift's music, and its impact on my own writing, knowing these partners agreed to go to the Eras Tour just because they love their significant other brings a smile to my face. And showing an interest in your partner's hobbies & interests, even when you're not interested in them yourself, can be the sign of a healthy relationship.

"You don't need to have the exact same interests as your partner to be compatible," Raskin says. "But it is important to respect what your partner loves — even if it's not your thing. It can also be lovely to take the time to learn more about why they like it and what parts excite them to understand the appeal — and your partner — better. You might even find you enjoy it more than you originally thought!"

"At the very least you want your partner to feel encouraged to talk about their interests with you because it's a wonderful thing to see the person you love excited about something," she adds. "And it's a horrible thing to feel like you need to hide parts of yourself from the person you love."

Getting to know your partners' interests better can, in turn, help you get to know them better. "One of the best ways to build on your friendship with your partner is to show interest in what brings them joy," Mazzola Wood says. Ask questions about their interests, and dive deeper in to why they love a musical artist, a TV show, or a video game.

"This is what it means to build a 'love map' of your partner which is recommended by relationship researcher John Gottman," she continues. "To strengthen a relationship both partners must build their love map by seeking to understand their partner’s interests and dreams. However, it’s also okay and healthy to take time to enjoy your separate interests alone. Healthy relationships which are centered around friendship do involve balance."

How to make a proposal perfect?

Before you pop the big question, Raskin recommends making sure you're on the exact same page. "Ideally you wouldn't propose to someone before discussing that you both feel ready to get married first. While a surprise proposal is fun, a surprise engagement is a bit too risky for my blood," Raskin says. "You want to have talked about what marriage means to each of you before committing to it."

To make a proposal go as smoothly as possible there are a few things you can do to make the process more enjoyable. "The proposal itself is normally so fast and overwhelming it can be hard to remember later," Raskin admits. "That's why I think having a plan to celebrate more intimately right afterwards can be a great addition. It will give you both a chance to process what happened and rewatch the video (a few thousand times). So maybe have a second spot in mind or a plan to go back home to celebrate just the two of you."

"The best proposal is unique and personal to each couple," Mazzola Wood says. "Trying to make it 'perfect' can take all the joy and fun out of it. Rather the best proposals are ones that honor the unique couple’s journey and interests."

While a world tour might be the perfect place for one couple, another might choose to propose at the spot the couple went on their first date, a local garden, or even at home. "The best proposal goes back to having a clear 'Love Map' of your partner," she says. "If you’re building the friendship and paying attention, you’ll know the right proposal for the two of you."

Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds' Full Relationship Timeline

2010 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Meet While Filming Green Lantern

"We were buddies for a long time, which I think is the best way to have a relationship, to start as friends," Ryan Reynolds said in an interview with SiriusXM's Entertainment Weekly Radio in 2016. "About a year after Green Lantern had come and gone and we were both single, we went on a double date — she was on a date with another guy, and I was on a date with another girl — and it was like the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across."

Their relationship quickly evolved to the one we know and love today!

October 22, 2011 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Reportedly Start Dating

After Blake and Ryan (along with their dogs) were spotted outside a Boston apartment, a source told People: “They are very much a couple. They’re really happy together.”

Blake Lively revealed that at the start of their relationship, Ryan gave her a bouquet every single week. "When my husband and I first got together, he would send me a bouquet of flowers every week, but he would always send a card and it would just be a sentence of something that had happened that week," the actress tells People. "Something funny or emotional that one of us said."

September 9, 2012 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Get Married

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds said "I do" in September of 2012. The wedding had a children's choir & a Florence Welch performance, paper lanterns, and a sour cream wedding cake with peach-apricot preserves, according to People. But the planning didn't go as smoothly as one might hope.

"Our wedding was becoming a disaster, and we didn't know what to do, so we called Martha!" BlakeLively told Vogue in 2014. "She said, 'Don't worry. I'll handle it.' She sent her team down to save us."

The wedding took place at Boone Hall Plantation, a former slave plantation in South Carolina, a location the couple is "unreservedly sorry for," Reynolds told Fast Company in 2020.

May 5, 2014 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Make Their Red Carpet Debut

At the 2014 "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Met Gala, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds looked glamorous and sophisticated with Blake's Gucci Première gown with rose gold details and Ryan's dark blue velvet tux.

December 16, 2014 — Blake Lively Gives Birth To Her First Child

Blake first announced her pregnancy on her since-closed website Preserve. She told Vogue in July 2014 how excited she was to start a family with Ryan. “He’s going to be a great father and leader and patriarch—he’s so meant to be all of those things," she said. "The fact that he lived so much before we got together, he’s the exact realized person that he should be.”

"They are absolutely ecstatic and just so ready for this. It is the perfect time in their lives to start this new chapter; they are so in love and are going to be amazing parents," a Peoplesource said at the time.

Ryan Reynolds confirmed their first daughter James' birthday on December 16, 2015, when he tweeted, "Happy birthday to my baby girl! Sad I lost my virginity. But thankful I have a daughter."

September 30, 2016 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Welcome Their Second Child

Two years after giving birth to James, US Weekly confirmed Blake Lively (who was filming The Shallows at the time) was pregnant with baby number 2! “Blake is absolutely thrilled and so is Ryan,” the source told People.

Blake Lively gave birth to Inez on September 30, 2016.

May 2, 2019 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Walk Detective Pikachu Red Carpet, And Announce Baby Number 3

At the New York premiere for Detective Pikachu, Blake Lively surprised fans by showing off a baby bump and announcing her third pregnancy! Their daughter Betty was born on October 4, 2019.

Ryan Reynolds confirmed the baby was a girl in an October 16 tweet, while Taylor Swift revealed the baby's name in "Betty" from her 2020 album Folklore.

May 2, 2022 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Stun At The 2022 Met Gala

As Met Gala co-chairs, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds pulled out all the stops for their iconic looks. Blake's art deco gown was the perfect nod to New York, and represented Grand Central Station and the Statue of Liberty. Ryan looked very handsome in a black velvet tux.

February 2023 — Blake Lively Gives Birth To Her Fourth Child With Ryan Reynolds

After showing up to the 10th Annual Forbes Power Women's Summit with a baby bump in September, Blake unofficially announced the birth of their fourth baby (whom we now know is named Olin) with an Instagram post that shows the actress without a baby bump.

"Puppy Bowl Sunday 2023🥘 🍲 🥧 been busy," she says in the February 12 post.

July 26, 2024 — Blake Lively And Her Kids Make A Deadpool 3 Cameo

After fan speculation that Deadpool & Wolverine would either include Blake Lively or Taylor Swift, we were over the moon to see Blake make a (masked) cameo, along with Inez and Olin!

"In 2010, @robliefeld drew an unmasked Lady Deadpool for the first time," she says on Instagram. "@deadpoolmovie wasn’t real. And Rob had no idea I was working with @vancityreynolds. 12 years later I read Rob’s post. A year after that, @deadpoolmovie 3 was filmed. And today it’s in theaters. The universe has such a magical sense of humor sometimes."

Blake Lively & BFF Gigi Hadid also revealed that Ryan Reynolds loves a girls' night, which is information I didn't know I needed.

August 6, 2024 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Attends It Ends With Us Premiere

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds love to support each other at their movie premieres, but it goes way deeper than that. "He works on everything I do, I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his," Blake told E! News. "The iconic rooftop scene [in It Ends With Us], my husband actually wrote it."

At the New York premiere for the new Blake Lively movie, Blake and Ryan shared a moment that proves they belong together. While heading to talk to People on the carpet, Blake Lively leans over and grabs Ryan Reynolds' butt. And the funniest part is that Ryan doesn't even turn around.

"He didn’t even react because It happens so often," one user jokes in the comments, while another says, "I love the respect that they have for each other - with love! Yes that her man!"

September 9, 2024 — Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Celebrate Their 12th Wedding Anniversary

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have been married for 14 years as of September 9, 2024. And the couple remains closer than ever. "Blake and Ryan are a great team when it comes to both their family and work," a source told People. "They're super supportive of each other. He's very proud of her. They have a great marriage and love to celebrate everything they created together."

What is the age difference between Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds?

Blake Lively was born on August 25, 1987, meaning she just turned 37. Ryan Reynolds, who was born on October 23, 1976, is 47. They have a 9-year age gap.

Was Blake Lively married before Ryan Reynolds?

Ryan Reynolds is Blake Lively's first husband, but before they got married, the actress dated her Gossip Girl costar Penn Badgley and also reportedly dated Leonardo DiCaprio. Ryan Reynolds was married to MCU & Jurassic World: Rebirth star Scarlett Johansson from 2008 to 2010.

Is Blake Lively in any of Ryan Reynolds' movies?

Yes, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have been in the same movies! After meeting during the production of Green Lantern, Blake Lively has a role as an imaginary friend in Ryan Reynolds' IF. This spring movie follows Ryan Reynolds' character and his neighbor Bea, who set out to save all the imaginary friends. The movie also stars director John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., and Steve Carell.

Blake Lively, Inez, and Olin also had roles in Deadpool & Wolverine as Ladypool, Kidpool, and Babypool. Blake's appearance in the movie had been a fan theory for such a long time, and I was so excited to see it come to life!

Who is Blake Lively's half sister?

Blake Lively's half-sister is Robyn Lively. Robyn also works in Hollywood, just like Blake's brother Eric Lively and brother-in-law Bart Johnson. Robyn and Blake have also acted together — Robyn made a cameo in It Ends With Us during one of the opening scenes!

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e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Face Cream

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L’Oréal Paris Collagen Daily Face Moisturizer

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Byoma Gel Cream Moisturizer

This $15 pick is a great product for daily hydration. It's lightweight and oil-free, which lays a solid foundation for more skincare products and makeup. It has three ceramides to build up and support the skin barrier, as well as niacinamide and green tea to "improve tone and texture."