May 8th, 2012
Remember all those amazing, can’t-live-without kitchen gadgets and appliances that you registered for? That the sales associate said you just couldn’t do without? Well now it’s time to use them all. If you registered for an immersion blender, a food processor and a dutch oven, a waffle iron, maybe a slow cooker or crockpot, there’s no point in letting them gather dust in a cabinet when you can use them to make some amazing, delicious food. Now you just need some awesome recipes! Instead of flipping through your cookbooks for hours looking for a recipe that actually utilizes your kitchen gadgets, check out Feastie, where you can search through over 100,000 recipes (all with gorgeous photos)…it’s a newlywed cook’s dream come true!
Whether you’re already comfortable in the kitchen but looking to try something new or you’re just learning how to cook, we’ve got you covered. To get you started, I’ve picked out a few of my favorites that will make good use of your new kitchen gadgets – get your new knives ready.
1. Immersion Blender: Once you’ve used your immersion blender a few times you’ll fall in love. It’s perfect for making creamy soups and sauces, even shakes. A favorite: Creamy Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese
2. Food Processor: Puree, grind, grate – make hummus, spreads, frostings and cake batter, even bread or pizza dough in your food processor. This is by far my favorite and most-used appliance in my kitchen. A favorite: Feta Pineapple Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
3. Dutch Oven: Perfect for soups, chilis, stews, roast chicken or meat, these heavy pots are super versatile. This may sound weird, but a dutch oven is fantastic for baking bread. The easiest, tastiest, most foolproof bread you’ve ever made. A favorite: No-Knead Bread
4. Waffle Iron: Waffles – there are endless varieties of waffles, both sweet and savory. But this contraption is not just for waffles – what about cookies made in a waffle iron? Or mac & cheese waffles? A favorite: Big Ol’ Blueberry Quinoa Waffles
5. Slow Cooker or CrockPot: Classic slow-cooker and crockpot recipes include chilis and soups, but did you know you can make lasagna in a slow cooker? Or pulled pork? How about enchiladas or even chocolate cake? Turn it on when you go to work, and dinner’s waiting when you get home. Here’s a surprising favorite: Slow Cooker Chocolate and Nutella Bread Pudding
Learning how to cook can be a fun, rewarding experience, whether you’re cooking with your spouse or on your own. Don’t be intimidated, and don’t be hesitant to try a new ingredient, new cuisine, or new cooking method. The absolute worst case scenario? Pizza delivery and a good laugh!
May 8, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Cooking, Feastie, Newlywed, Recipes
Newlywed Needs | No Comments »
April 19th, 2012
Everyone loves a creative proposal story….it warms your heart and makes you remember how special love is. Now if that proposal story involves your business, that makes it even more special! We have a great proposal story to share with you that involves a MissNowMrs name change gift card and the adorable couple in the photo!
So we were writing out MissNowMrs gift card messages earlier this week and I saw one that said “I would like you to be Mrs. Smith*. Love, Grant”. This first thought that sprang into my mind was “Is this a proposal?!”. So, we emailed Grant and he did indeed mail one of our gift cards to his girlfriend asking her to become his wife.
Can you imagine her curiosity as she found the blue swirly envelope we mail our cards in along with a stack of her regular mail, bills and catalogs? I wish there was a hidden camera to record her reaction as she read Grant’s proposal and our gift card fell into her lap!
Kudos to Grant for such a sweet and creative way to ask the woman he loves to become his wife! We love when fiances send gift cards to their significant others to save them time and hassle on their transition from Miss to Mrs., but this is by far our favorite gift card gifting to date.
Do you know anyone that gave their fiance one of our cards? We’d love to hear and share the story with our readers. We’d also love to hear about your own proposal stories.
*Name has been changed to protect the couples’ privacy
April 19, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Happiness, MissNowMrs.com Gift Card, Proposal Story
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April 5th, 2012
Passover and Easter are right around the corner. Do you know what your holiday plans are? Hopefully the answer is “yes”. As a newlywed couple it’s really important to discuss the holiday, who you’ll see and what the expectations of each family are. Communication and prior planning are the best ways to avoid disappointing both families and your spouse. Below are a few of the most common holiday scenarios and some suggestions to make them successful!
In-Law Holiday: Are you spending quality time with your in-laws this weekend? There are a few things you can do to make the holiday go smoothly. First, get the scoop from your spouse. What does his family typically do (it helps to know if you’re expected to play flag football or croquette) and pack accordingly. Also, email or call his mom to ask if you can bring something. If she says no, be sure to bring a hostess gift of flowers or chocolates! You can also score family bonus points by bringing something for your new nieces and nephews.
The Holidays with Your Family: Preparing to spend time with your folks? Talk to your spouse about what your family traditions are and ask what his favorite part of the holidays are. You can ask your parents to add a favorite dish or activity to make him feel included.
Holidays at Both Family’s Houses: If you live close to both sets of your parents and they can be flexible on meal times, this may be the best way to begin your holidays together. Brunch with your family and dinner with his gives you the best of both worlds and satisfies both families, but be aware that you may be setting the expectation that you’ll do double holidays for eternity!
Combined Family Holiday at Your House: Hosting a holiday as newlyweds is a great way for your families to get to know each other post-wedding. Just be sure to talk to both sides and make sure that they’re okay with spending time as a group. The first celebration will be the biggest adjustment for all of you (especially if you are a mixed religion couple), but if you can incorporate traditions from both sides and let both moms bring something for the meal you’re on the road to a successful event. Don’t forget to add a tradition or dish that is totally yours!
Just the Two of You: Too far away to spend Passover or Easter with your families? Consider the weekend as a great way to spend time together as a couple and create a memorable holiday and possibly some traditions. You could go out for a meal or make your own elaborate feast. Making Easter baskets for each other can also be fun!
2 + Friends: Spending the holidays away from family and know a few other people who are too? Host a holiday brunch and have each guest bring a component. You’ll all bond over a meal and not feel like you missed out on the holiday hubbub that families share. Feel free to be creative when planning your holiday event, I often host an Easterita (pastel colored margaritas) party in the evening for friends and neighbors to unwind after time spent with their families!
However you spend the coming weekend, be grateful that you have a loving spouse to share the holidays with. We’d love to hear your plans in a comment!
April 5, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Family, Happiness, Holidays, In Laws
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March 28th, 2012
Listen up newlyweds and brides-to-be…Groupon has a 1/2 off deal for the MissNowMrs name change service and/or gift cards for all of your engaged friends! For a limited time you and your friends can save HALF OFF our online name-change service for brides! Who wouldn’t spend $15 to save 13 hours of standing in long office lines as they transition to a Mrs.?
For the sale price of $15, MissNowMrs.com will help you auto-complete & file your Social Security, U.S. Passport, IRS 8822, USPS, state driver’s license, vehicle title & registration, and voter registration forms! We’ll also help you notify of all of your banks, credit cards, insurances, mortgages, medical providers, investment companies and professional license boards of your new married name. Our instructions will give you the inside scoop on the order you need to file your forms in, how to file by mail and any items you need to file each form successfully (you’d be surprised at what some offices need to see).
Yet another perk of our service: access to our name-change experts. They will help you understand your state’s name-change laws, assist you with complicated questions and generally make your entire name change a million times easier than trying to sort through an enormous stack of government forms on your own!
So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of this amazing sale and save money, time & stress on your name change! We can’t wait to help you go from Miss to Mrs.! Already a Mrs., but have a few friends who are getting married in 2012? Use this sale to stock up on gift cards at half price! They make the ultimate shower gift, as they’re unique and very useful for any brides to be.
March 28, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Gifts, Groupon, MissNowMrs, Name Change After Marriage
Newlywed Needs | No Comments »
March 8th, 2012
Now that you’re settling into the newlywed life, do you ever feel like you don’t have time to talk or connect with your spouse the way you did before you said “I do”? Balancing jobs, a new marriage, family obligations and all the other joys of life can make for a grueling schedule. My suggestion to you? Take an evening or weekend and unplug so you can reconnect. Turn off your phones & computers and sign off of all your online vices (from Facebook to shopping). Having uninterrupted time together is precious.
So you’re unplugged and staring at each other…now what? Take a walk through your neighborhood or a park and hold hands. You can talk, or not. Just being together is a good thing! Do activities that you love to do, but never have time for. Restaurant hop and have an appetizer at a few places, discover a museum or get a couples massage. Another option is to tackle a project that has been on your joint to-do list forever. Need to paint the kitchen? Go pick out paint colors and roll up your sleeves. Completing a task together is rewarding and has been shown to strengthen relationship bonds.
As your unplugged time draws to a close, talk about what you liked about uninterrupted time together. Did you both de-stress? Learn something you didn’t know about your spouse? Have mind-blowing sex? You may realize that the time you spent together makes it easier for you to handle your spouse’s or your own work travel. Whatever the positive outcomes were, make plans to unplug on a regular basis!
What do you do to unplug with your spouse? Have you seen it benefit you relationship and marriage? We’d love to hear about it in a comment!
March 8, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Happiness, Husband, Newlywed, Relationship, Unplug
Newlywed Needs, Relationships | No Comments »
February 27th, 2012
We have to admit, we’re a bit obsessed with Pinterest. Not sure what it is? It’s a virtual pin board that lets you collect ideas/images/recipes/you name it! What does that have to do with nearlywed and newlywed lift? Um…everything!
This is the perfect way to plan your dream home (room by room). Pin color palettes, furniture, plants, and artwork that would make your perfect place. When you click on the picture you pinned you’re taken to the site it came from, so you can purchase the items as you need them. No more searching in vain for the perfect pillows you saw online, somewhere. Pinterest is also a great way to plan a shower and allow input from your friends. You can allow other people to add pins to your projects if you’re looking for help. You can find inspiration boards for healthy eating or any type of exercise.
Here are a few of our boards to give you ideas for your own!
Awesome Bridal Shower Gifts
Married Name Change
Cupcakes to Make
Are you using Pinterest to make your newlywed life more fun and more organized? We’d love to heat about your boards….so leave a comment!
Pin It
February 27, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Ideas, Newlywed, Pinterest
Newlywed Needs | No Comments »
February 10th, 2012
Valentine’s Day is around the corner…so every business is doing their best to convince you to splurge to show your love. While every newlywed loves receiving an amazing gift, simple and unexpected surprises are often the ones that touch your heart the most. Here are a four ways to say “I love you” without breaking the bank.
Diner Delight – Heard the expression “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”? Whip up a batch of pancake batter and pour it into heart shaped cookie cutters for an adorable breakfast sure to make him feel loved. You can also make fried eggs this way too!
Fill in the Blank– Surprise your spouse with a valentine tucked into his/her car visor or computer case. Purchase a box of heart candies with sayings like “You’re the one” and glue them onto a piece of construction paper. You can fill in sentences around the sayings to make a romantic or racy Valentine’s mad lib!
Jock Shock – Married to a guy who’s more into football than the whole girlie holiday thing? We can guarantee he’ll love seeing you in a pair of undies proclaiming you’re his “tight end”! We’re going to bet you’ll feel pretty cute too!
Fond of You Fondue – What’s more romantic than dipping fruit and cake into chocolate? Here’s a great chocolate fondue recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare! You can get creative with your dipping items beyond fruit: pretzels, marshmallows, cookies and even potato chips are fantastic coated in chocolate.
Do you have any fun ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day as a newlywed? We’d love for you to share them in a comment!
February 10, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Budget Friendly, Ideas, Newlywed, Valentine's Day
Relationships | No Comments »
January 19th, 2012
Engaged and planning a wedding in the DC metro area in the coming year? Use the promo code: MNMBEX to print 2 free tickets to the Great Bridal Expo in Alexandria this Sunday! Bridal shows are an amazing way to jump start your planning process. You’ll see potential venues, caterers, florists, invitation shops, bakeries, honeymoon locations, favors, spas, entertainment and wedding novelties that will amaze you and your guests! They’re also a ton of fun to go to with engaged buddies (what else do you have to do this Sunday?).
Reasons to the Great Bridal Expo Show:
- It’s huge, so attendees get to meet the most bridal vendors, try the most samples & walk away with the most ideas
- They have the BEST bridal fashion show in the business…complete with collections right off of the runways in New York
- Prizes galore! Enter to win complete dining sets, gowns and honeymoons
Our newlywed blog readers can score free tickets to the Great Bridal Expo show this Sunday! Simply go to greatbridalexpo.com – enter MNMBEX in the space provided, and you will be able to print your FREE tickets for 2! What better way to celebrate your engagement and wedding, than to spend time with a few close friends exploring the options available to make your wedding day truly amazing?!
Are you planning to go to the show? Who’s going with you? Your mom, fiance or bridesmaids? We’d love to hear what you’re hoping to see or find when you’re there…so leave a comment!
January 19, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Bridal Show, Fashion Show, Giveaway, Great Bridal Expo, Wedding Planning
Bridal Style, Events & More, Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 17th, 2012
We get lots of questions about name change and exactly what the MissNowMrs.com service is. Many newlyweds wonder if we are a name change kit for brides? While we do help brides and newlyweds change their names on all of the necessary paperwork…the answer is below:
Short Answer: No, we are not a name change kit.
Long Answer: We are an online name change service.
What’s the difference? When you order a name change kit you spend precious newlywed time waiting for it to come in the mail, sorting through the multitude of forms you receive, writing in your information eight million times and then figuring out where/when/how to file each form from the paragraphs of legal mumbo jumbo instructions. Not sounding too “convenient” is it?
The MissNowMrs.com service allows you to purchase an online name change account and immediately begin answering questions that will auto-complete the name change forms you specifically need to file in your state and situation. You enter your maiden name and new married name ONCE and those names appear in the appropriate places on all of your name change forms. Say goodbye to writer’s cramp and white out! Our service also provides easy filing instructions for each form, including a bullet pointed list of what needs to be filed with the form and insider tips on how to file by mail or miss the long office lines. We’ve simplified the 13 hour hassle of married name change into 30 minutes!
Hopefully that clears up the difference between name change kits and name change services! Please let us know if you have more questions in a comment.
January 17, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: MissNowMrs.com, Name Change After Marriage, Name Change Kit
Name Change After Marriage | 1 Comment »
January 16th, 2012
Has your marriage hit an unexpected slump? If so, now is not the time to give up. This is an opportunity to renew bonds and strengthen the relationship that led you down the aisle. All marriages hit rough patches. As people grow and change and meet different obstacles, new strains and stresses can be placed on a couple. While coping may be tough, these stressful times are what make your relationship stronger and help you get through even bigger challenges in years to come.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
When your relationship is feeling rocky, the first thing most women want to do is speak up about it, but that is not always the best thing to do. When tempers are already on a short leash because of earlier arguments, tension is high because of outside stresses, or communication has simply run dry, talking about it might add fuel to the fire. Consider instead the ways that you can say what you feel without opening your mouth (it helps to envision how to communicate with a cave man). Are you tired of fighting and just want your partner to know that you are willing to hold on? Then, perhaps the best way to say so is with an impromptu hug. Slow dancing, hand holding, rubbing shoulders, and other similar gestures have universal meaning and will very likely let him know what you’re feeling.
Offer a Helping Hand
Perhaps one of the reasons that your spouse has been in a bad mood recently has more to do with outside pressures that it has to do with you. Perhaps he or she just needs a helping hand. Marriage is about team work, so show that you understand by helping with a small task, chore, or just offering some insightful advice when he or she is talking about problems at work. Taking the trash out might seem like a small thing…but it may mean a great deal to your stressed out spouse! Knowing someone is in your corner can make any situation more bearable.
Create Love Tokens
Another great way to demonstrate your feelings without words is through small tokens. Handmade cards left in a place that he or she is sure to find them, lunch delivered to the office during the day, or even a message scribbled on the fogged over bathroom mirror are great wordless ways to show love and affection. Taking the time to make another person know that you are thinking about him or her is the best way to show how much you care. However, these ‘gifts’ tend to lose their meaning when only given after a fight. These are the things that should be done now and then and consistently throughout a relationship. They don’t have to be frequent and might occasionally be used to say sorry after an argument, but let them maintain their intended meaning. If you’re looking for a more tangible love token, we love these love stones at Red Envelope. They can be put in a coat pocket, desk drawer or even passed back and forth between you two.
Talk to us newlyweds. What things have you done to boost your relationship during stressful times? Did your spouse get the unspoken message you were trying to convey? We’d love to hear from you in a comment!
January 16, 2012 - Permalink | Tags: Happiness, Husband, Love, Newlywed Advice, Relationship
Newlywed Needs, Relationships | 1 Comment »
Remember all those amazing, can’t-live-without kitchen gadgets and appliances that you registered for? That the sales associate said you just couldn’t do without? Well now it’s time to use them all. If you registered for an immersion blender, a food processor and a dutch oven, a waffle iron, maybe a slow cooker or crockpot, there’s no point in letting them gather dust in a cabinet when you can use them to make some amazing, delicious food. Now you just need some awesome recipes! Instead of flipping through your cookbooks for hours looking for a recipe that actually utilizes your kitchen gadgets, check out Feastie, where you can search through over 100,000 recipes (all with gorgeous photos)…it’s a newlywed cook’s dream come true!
