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It’s That Time Again: March Madness

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Your idea of March Madness may be coming up with a plan to put your winter items away and get ready for spring cleaning in time for the next season; however, March Madness is actually an NCAA Basketball Tournament involving the best 65 teams in college basketball. You may be confused about March Madness, but believe me your husband not only knows what it is, but chances are he’s one of the 30 million Americans who participate in an office pool in hopes to win the big prize! You can expect to watch your fair share of basketball from March 13^th-April 4^th and maybe even hear a few choice words coming from your spouse’s mouth if his favorite team fails to make the game winning shot (or worse he loses the money he bet filling out an office pool bracket)! Create a bracket at CBSsports.com.

March Madness Fun Facts (Source: Webwire.com)

• Odds of picking a perfect bracket? 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 1. That’s nine quintillion to one! How big is that number? It is a billion times as big as 9 billion! Think of it this way: if every man, woman, and child on the planet randomly filled out one million brackets each, the odds would be greater than 1000 to 1 that even one would have a perfect bracket.

• Defining an upset as beating a team at least 4 seeds higher, there’s an average of 8.7 per year. There’s never been a year with less than 5 upsets.

• The last 10 champions have been won by 9 different schools. Connecticut is the only team to cut down the nets twice in the last decade (as of 2007).

• The FBI estimates that more than $2.5 billion is illegally wagered annually on March Madness each year. Less than 4% of that amount is wagered legally in Nevada.

Whether you’re going to tune in for March Madness or you’re planning to have some quality ME time, you’ll need to know the dates for the 2011 NCAA Tournament:

Selection Sunday: March 13^th

First Four (NEW): March 15^th-16^th

Second Round: March 17^th-18^th

Third Round: March 19^th-20^th

NCAA Sweet 16®: March 24^th-25^th

Elite 8®: March 26^th-27^th

Final Four®: April 2^nd, April 4^th

Are you into March Madness like your spouse? If not, what do you do for 3 weeks during the tournament?

Tags: Basketball, For the Fellas, March Madness
Posted in For the Fellas | 3 Comments »

Announcing Our Home Depot Gift Card Winner!

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Today Kelly won our week long mini-giveaway For the Fellas—a $50 Home Depot gift card! Congratulations!! It’s the perfect stocking stuffer and will arrive in time for the Christmas Holiday, leaving her with one less gift to worry about.

Kelly simply posted a comment on our newlywed blog and won this great prize for her man! We hope you will send us a picture of of what project you ended up completing with your gift card. Please check your email for the details on how to redeem your prize from Home Depot. Happy Holidays from the MissNowMrs.com team!

Tags: For the Fellas, Giveaway, Home Depot, Husband
Posted in For the Fellas, Giveaways! | No Comments »

Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway—For Your Mr. Fix-It

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Today kicks off our week long mini-giveaway For the Fellas—a $50 Home Depot gift card! It’s the perfect stocking stuffer and will arrive in time for the Christmas Holiday, leaving you with one less gift to worry about. Maybe you just moved into a fixer-upper and want to paint your kitchen or are thinking about converting your home office to a nursery? The possibilities are endless! Most men love going to a home-improvement store to pick up the latest tools and gadgets for all their at-home projects, so enter to win this and your spouse will surely be grateful. Think about it ladies, what could be a better way to get your hubby to start tackling tasks on his To-Do-List than a FREE $50 gift card for Home Depot?

Simply post a comment below for your chance to win (and re-tweet this post to double your chances)! Remember, we will randomly select and announce a winner next Friday December 10, 2010. If we don’t hear back from the winner within 2 weeks, we will randomly select a new winner to make sure someone ends up with this great goodie.

Tell us why you (or your spouse) need to win the Home Depot gift card and what you plan to do with it, we’d love to hear about your projects!

Tags: Giveaway, Home Depot, House, Husband
Posted in Around the House, For the Fellas | 22 Comments »

How to Convince Your Wife That She Needs a New Gadget

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Are you longing for the latest version of your favorite electronic toy (i.e. TV, iPod, Xbox, etc.)? Not sure how to convince your lady that it’s a good purchase that you’ll both benefit from and surely enjoy? Well, don’t sweat it! Try these helpful strategies and you’ll find yourself making your next big purchase as early as this weekend (assuming your budget will allow it).

As women, we don’t always see why your new $200+ gadget is a good idea, much like you don’t understand our Victoria’s Secret bill at the end of the month (oh, fine it’s not the same thing!). Your wife may not see the point in your purchase because she hasn’t been convinced or sold on the idea of the mutual benefits. Your job is to figure out what those mutual benefits are (not your strong suit? Not a problem, we’ve got you covered!…keep reading) and tell her about them. Once she has a better understanding of how this new gadget fits into both your lives (and relates to her interests/hobbies), she will be more susceptible to the idea of purchasing the said item!

Women tend to care about the following (among so many other things, but for the purpose of this post we’ll stick with these): how will it fit/look in our home, will it make my life easier and will it affect our communication (i.e. will it bring us closer together)?

1. How will it look in my home? Women like pretty things and spend a lot of time making sure everything in the house is color coordinated and has its own special place. Don’t mess with that! Try talking to your wife about how a new TV will not ruin the chic and sleek look she has going on in the family room because it’s a wall mount with wires that will not be seen! She’s more-likely to agree to a purchase that won’t clash with the décor or ruin her vision of your home.

2. Will it make life easier? Women have so much on their minds (i.e. You, a career, a home, fitness, kids just to name a few) and don’t need anything to make life more complicated or stressful. If you can figure out a way to prove that the new gadget will make life easier you will be one step closer to getting exactly what you want. It could be as simple as explaining how a universal remote will work the TV, DVD player, stereo and surround sound system, eliminating 3 of 4 different remotes. Believe me, this will sound like a mini lifesaver to your wife!

3. Will it affect our communication or bring us closer together? Whether it’s a conversation over a glass of wine or watching a movie with a bowl of popcorn, at the end of the day your wife just wants to spend some quality time with you. Let her know how a new gaming system will allow you to have video game nights together; which is great if you are the competitive types or how a new laptop or Smartphone will allow for you to sit on the couch and catch up on emails and bills instead of having to head to your home office. After all, it’s not always about what you’re doing that matters most, it’s that you’re able to be together while you do it.

Tell us: What purchase were you able to convince your wife to make using our tips or others? Share your tactics with other readers…I’m sure fellas all over will appreciate advice Man-to-Man!

Tags: For the Fellas, Gadgets, Newlywed Tips, Relationship
Posted in For the Fellas | 1 Comment »

Ways To Woo Your Wife This Fall

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they hate the Fall, probably because it’s such a beautiful season no matter where you go! The cooler air is welcomed after an extremely hot summer and who wouldn’t appreciate the leaves changing to every shade of red, orange and yellow making any commute to work more enjoyable—hey, it’s something to look at while you sit in traffic! There are so many things to do in the Fall to enjoy the last few weeks before the temperature really drops and you and your sweetie are stuck inside for the Winter months. If you’re not the type who plans weekend getaways or date nights, your wife will truly be impressed and grateful that you took the time and effort to make plans for the two of you.

Here are a few things you can do to make the most out of the season:

Visit your local Pumpkin Patch: Now is the perfect time to pick out pumpkins and carve them for Halloween. If you and your partner are the competitive types you can have a contest to see whose pumpkin looks the best (have a neighbor or friend be the judge).

Enjoy a Wine Festival: Your local winery/vineyard may have a festival to celebrate the fall. Often times you pay a set price and enjoy the entire day sipping wine and listening to live bands or DJs. They even have vendors come in with food, unique art, jewelry and clothing. You could also bring a blanket and a cooler with your favorite wine pairing snacks; such as cheese, nuts, grapes and chocolate!

Attend a Fall Foliage Festival: I keep talking about the leaves and trees, but seriously…they’re beautiful! You and your spouse could walk hand-in-hand and spoil yourselves with all things Fall—hot apple cider, caramel apples, pumpkin pie or apple dumplings!

Spend a weekend at a Bed and Breakfast: There’s something about spending the night or weekend away from home that somehow brings out the romance in all of us. If you’re lucky enough to live near mountains this could be one of the best ideas for you as the view is always spectacular!

If you’re really feeling adventurous and want to plan a weekend away (far away), you may be interested in the Top 10 places to visit this Fall.

No matter what you do this Fall get out and enjoy it together! Tell us about your plans for the season and inspire other couples with your ideas!

Tags: Fall, Husband, Relationship, Things to Do
Posted in For the Fellas | 1 Comment »

Football Sunday Fun-days Had By All

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Are you a guy’s guy—meaning do you enjoy anything football related? Does your partner share your enthusiasm for the sport? I’ll bet that if she doesn’t you secretly wish that she did so you could watch the game(s) in peace every weekend (or at least once in a while)! Although there are some lucky couples that truly enjoy watching the game together and cheering for their favorite team; it’s not the norm. We’re hoping to change that for you with the following newlywed tips, so this Sunday you can enjoy every minute of the game uninterrupted by a nagging spouse!

Convince her to host a party: That’s right, I said party! Women love to be the perfect hostess and entertain guests. Perhaps if you say, “Hey honey, I was thinking we could have our friends over this weekend for the game. What do you think?” She will appreciate you considering what she wants to do and will most-likely say, “Great! I’ve been dying to make homemade chili and my buffalo chicken dip.” Maybe not in those words, but she will happily accept the challenge of hosting a get-together with friends (especially if other females will be there too). Here are some tailgating tips and recipes you might want to try!

Buy her something cute and sporty to wear:

Touch

Remind her of her hobbies:

It’s not exactly quality time, but it’s time spent together both enjoying yourselves.

Tell her to invite her girlfriends over: They could enjoy a glass (or three—wink, wink) of wine while discussing the latest trends in fashion, fitness or whatever suits them and you won’t have to miss a single play of the big game!

If all else fails, buy her a gift card to the spa or 2 tickets to the new chick flick so she and her BFF can enjoy the movie together while you celebrate every touchdown and sip on a few beers! Click here for the NFL schedule. Tell us how you enjoy your football Sundays…together or separate. If separate, what does your most special lady do while you watch the game?

Tags: Football, For the Fellas, Newlywed Tips, Recipes, Relationship
Posted in For the Fellas | 1 Comment »

5 Secrets to Separate Work From Play

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

If you look like this guy during the workday, it’s quite possible that you’re bringing home a great deal of stress with you each evening. This stress can show up as muscle aches, a bad mood, headaches or difficulty sleeping. Nobody wants to come home to a cranky spouse, especially as a newlywed…so here are a few ways to help you separate work from play!

Rock Out On Your Commute – Create a playlist or CD of songs for your ride home from work. The songs should be high energy to help you vent your work emotions (Eminem is perfect for this).

Write a List – Making a list of tomorrow’s to-do’s before you leave the office can help you stop thinking about work when you’re at home. While you’re writing the list, mentally acknowledge that your work day is done and you cannot do anything on your list until you go into work the next morning. This should allow you to relax and move into enjoying your evening.

Break a Sweat – Schedule a trip to the gym before you go home. Pumping iron or engaging in heart-pounding cardio is a fantastic way to forget about office woes. The bonus: endorphins will automatically make you feel better after a work-out and you’ll go home a happy newlywed!

Breathe Deeply – Give meditation a try. Project-meditation.org is a great resource to get you started. If the idea of trying to meditate just stresses you out, try lighting a lavender scented candle when you get home and let the aroma relax you.

Make Out- The next time you’re having a tough day at work, say hello to your honey at the end of the day with a full blown make-out session. After a few kisses I guarantee that you won’t be worried about the quarterly report that’s due next week!

Do you have any secrets to share about keeping work stress at the office? We’d love to hear your solutions, so please leave a comment!

Tags: Job, Newlywed Advice, Newlywed Tips, Stress
Posted in For the Fellas, Newlywed Needs | 1 Comment »

Newlywed Grooming

Friday, August 27th, 2010

We’ve all seen them, the completely mismatched couple. He or she is gorgeous, funny and well dressed, while their partner is frumpy, dumpy and sometimes even downright rude. While sometimes those mismatched relationships work out, no one wants to be the ugly duckling of their relationship. So how do you ensure that you’re well matched with your beautiful wife? Simple upkeep will go a long way to preserving your Prince Charming status.

Hair – Keeping up with monthly haircuts is an easy solution to looking nice. You can go somewhere fancy like the Men’s Grooming Lounge, where you can get a hair cut, color, highlights, massages and more, or be economical at the Hair Cuttery.

Nails – A basic rule of thumb is that your nails should never be longer than your partner’s. You could consider getting your nails done with your wife ( they are called manicures), but if that idea freaks you out, using clippers a few times a week should keep your nails neat.

Manscaping – We’ll leave the extent to which you impliment this up to you. Please know that most women truly appreciate some trimming at a minimum and we do shave our underarms, legs, etc as part of our routine upkeep. AskMen.com has a great article that outlines some of the finer details of manscaping.

Clothes – Wearing clean matching clothes is a married man must. You’re a grown man, so we’re betting you know the appropriate way to dress yourself. Be sure to reference our post on married man fashion for some great ideas.

Manners - Try to keep up the same level of etiquette as when you were dating. Being married is not an excuse to stop opening doors or start discussing bodily functions at dinner. If you think your wife would be offended by something, don’t say or do it in front of her.

The fact that you’re reading an article about newlywed grooming speaks volumes about the great guy you are. Whatever your personal style may be, the point is to make sure you keep up with grooming, even after you’re married.

Tags: Grooming, Newlywed Tips
Posted in For the Fellas | No Comments »

New Wife, New Life: New Wardrobe?

Friday, August 13th, 2010

The saying goes, “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover;” but we know that unfortunately it can be hard not to! I was recently hanging clean laundry up in our walk-in closet, when I realized that some of my husband’s clothes looked seriously faded and old. I thought to myself, “He is in desperate need of new shirts!” I bet if you took a look at what you’re wearing right now or thought about what you enjoy wearing, you too could find a good excuse for some new attire. It’s a fact, men do not like to go shopping like women do; which is fine, but there comes a time when you NEED to purchase yourself some new stuff—and I’m not referring to electronics or the latest video game (nice try though)! After work or on the weekends, you have your go-to outfits of t-shirts and jeans or maybe a pair of sweat pants or mesh shorts that you choose to wear as often as possible. Chances are that you have a specific dress code required for work, whether it’s a suit and tie or uniform of some sort; which means that the last thing you want is a “uniform” or “dress code” for your home life. That’s not what I’m alluding to here at all, so no need to worry! I am, however; suggesting that it might be time to donate some of your go-to t-shirts such as: your FBI (Female Body Inspector) t-shirt, your I heart Atari t-shirt and your VANS sneakers to a teenage boy in need of your old wardrobe. While these items are a token of your youth, they don’t exactly spell-out mature, sophisticated, married man.

If you can’t imagine getting rid of your favorite childhood t-shirts [that somehow miraculously still fit you], then perhaps you should limit how often you wear them (i.e. wear them only to bed, to the gym, or better yet, put them away for when you have a son someday). Your wife loves you and has vowed to love you “til death do you part,” so she’ll no doubt still love you in your Superman t-shirt and jeans—but do her a favor and put on a nice button down shirt, polo or sweater when her family or friends stop by—she’ll greatly appreciate your effort! And if you don’t, you may find that your favorite t-shirt has mysteriously disappeared. Gentlemen, please do your ladies a favor and get shopping! Check out your local Outlets for bargain prices on your favorite brands. Women LOVE shopping, so I’m sure your wife will have no problem being your Personal Shopper—just say the word and fork over the credit card!

What is/was your favorite piece of clothing to wear (i.e. t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.)? What does/did it say and why is/was it your favorite? Share your stories of Batman Boxers or Thunder Cats sweatshirts that your wife had no choice, but to hide from you! Please leave your comments below and enjoy a laugh with us!

Tags: Fashion, For the Fellas, Newlywed
Posted in For the Fellas | 1 Comment »

5 Signs Your Husband is in a Bromance

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Does your husband have a guy friend that he is unusually close to? He’s always talking to him or about him and reminiscing about times they’ve had together—if so, it is very likely that you’re man is part of a bromance! Some of you may be thinking, a what?! Urban Dictionary’s definition of a Bromance is a close relationship between two males to such a point where they seem like a couple. They are more common today than ever before due to the growing number of men (and women) waiting longer to get married—and staying single. Bromances are typically between 2 heterosexual males who have known each other for a long time (since childhood or college) and may even share a bond like brothers often do. You may recognize some of the following celebrity bromances: Brad Pitt and George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, P. Diddy and Notorious B.I.G. (in the early 90’s). Most guys tend to have at least one best friend or co-worker they really enjoy hanging out with/being around, so there’s no need to get upset or feel jealous. Although, these negative feelings are understandable if your spouse does any of the following:

5 signs your man is part of a bromance:

He talks to his bro more often than he talks to you or anyone else and they have so many inside jokes that to you it sounds like they’re speaking a different language.
He tells you (and anyone else who will listen) the story about that “one time…” over and over again!
He tells you that he’s going to run your thoughts/ideas on a big life decision (i.e. buying a house, changing your career or starting a family) by his friend to see if HE thinks it’s a good idea.
He spends more time/effort making plans for his man date than he does planning a date night for the two of you.
He tries to include his friend in any plans you’ve made including: dinner dates, concerts, cocktail parties, vacations, etc.

If any of the above mentioned signs struck a cord with you, you’re not alone! Hey ladies, you may have a girlfriend, sister or co-worker you enjoy being with too—so try not to judge! However, in all seriousness if your man is focused more on his bromance than on romancing you it could cause some bumps in your marriage. It is best to sit down with your husband and communicate with him about how you feel in this situation. Allow him to explain to you why his buddy means so much to him (if you don’t already know the reason(s)). After all, it’s sweet that a he feels so strongly about his friendship and shows how loyal and sensitive he can be. Perhaps he just needs to be reminded that the two of you are in a union and need to spend quality time together—alone! Here is an article by MidDay.com about Bromances and how both men and women should deal with them.

So tell us ladies, has your husband brought his man crush along to your romantic Valentine’s Day dinner date or something worse? Come on, we know you have stories of a Bromance between your spouse and his BFF, so please don’t keep them inside…share them with us and other readers!

Tags: Friends, Husband, Relationship
Posted in For the Fellas, Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

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