Archive for the ‘Newlywed Needs’ Category

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Turks and Caicos Getaway Giveaway!

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

You’re a newlywed and recently came back from your honeymoon, how could you possibly need a getaway?  Most newlyweds that I know are using all their energy to balance careers, friends, family and the new dynamic of being a married couple…it’s a fun but exhausting transition! MissNowMrs and WedPics have teamed up to give one lucky couple a DREAM TRIP to Turks and Caicos!

Imagine 7 days of luxury accommodations in Turks and Caicos, $1200 towards airfare, a free rental car and more!  If you and your spouse could use a getaway, it’s very easy to enter. Simply click here to view the contest rules and then Like MissNowMrs and WedPics for 2 chances to win.  If you’re feeling generous, tell your other newlywed friends about the contest so they have the opportunity to kick back in the Carribean!  The winner will be picked June 1st.

Curious about Turks and Caicos?  This amazing island was rencently names one of the world’s best beaches by TripAdvisor.  The sand is sugar white, the water is crystal blue and the temperature is always 82 degrees.  Add in amazing activities (like scuba diving, kite boarding, etc) and over 100 restaurants, you have found the ultimate vacation destination!  Want to learn more? Check out this cool blog about the best beaches and restaurants on the island.

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Kitchen Chaos: Newlywed in the Kitchen

Monday, February 18th, 2013

Everyone needs to and typically loves to eat.  Getting married and cooking together should be no big deal right?

There are all sorts of hang ups and stigmas that can appear once you’re married and sharing a kitchen. There are the sexist concepts from long ago, such as a woman’s place is in the kitchen or barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen depending on who you’re speaking with.  There is also what you consider normal kitchen roles based on both of your childhood observations of parents.  Add busy work schedules into the mix and you could be headed into kitchen chaos.

My newlywed kitchen meltdown was 100% my own creation.  My husband walked in the door on a Friday night to find me face down, crying on the carpet.  After pulling a 60 hour work week I was frustrated that the roasted chicken wasn’t going to be ready the moment he came home from work.  He calmly took me out for Chinese and got to the root of the problem: I was trying to be my mom.  She is an amazing cook and always had a gourmet dinner on the table at 5:15pm.  The fact I overlooked was that she was a stay at home mom and had more time to prepare family meals.

Newlyweds, learn from my mistake.  Discuss which of you can actually cook (take out on plates does not count) and decide what the other spouse can do to help.  If you both cook, it may be easiest to alternate nights instead of collaborating.  My mother’s marinara recipe versus your Nonna’s can be one ugly argument.

Whatever kitchen formula you come up with, just make sure that it is fair to both partners and results in a meal that allows you to enjoy each other’s company and reconnect after your day.

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Give “We” a Rest: A Guide to Maintaining Friendships Post Wedding

Monday, February 4th, 2013

Newlywed FriendsYour girlfriends are all happy that you’ve met the love of your life and tied the knot.  Most, if not all of them, were there for your big day AND all of the days you spent planning it.  Marriage changes a person, and your friends are adjusting to the new newlywed you. No need to make it harder for them.

Remember your single buds and to try not be “the nouveau newlywed.” You know, the girl who coordinates all of her outfits with her spouse, spends all of her time with him and can’t possibly have a conversation without overusing “we”.   Examples: “We love that restaurant”, “We plan to move in the next few years”, “We think that you should date so and so.”

Make a point to go to brunch with the girls and listen to what is going on in their lives.  Ask about their relationships and jobs.  Seems simple, but in the midst of your newlywed bliss it is all too easy to skip out on all-girl outings or blabber entirely too much about how great love and marriage is (trust me they’re happy for you, but enough is enough).

Time spent and conversations had with your girlfriends are priceless. Allotting time and attention to them from the very start of your marriage will ensure that you don’t look around in two years and realize that you lost touch with the people that knew you best before “I do”.  You’ll also get to smile and pass on this advice when those friends get married and can’t help the “we” speak!

Have you been caught up in “We-dom” or been guilty of it yourself?  We’d love to hear all about it in a comment.

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Baby It’s Cold Outside: 4 Things To Do With Your Spouse

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

As artic temperatures sweep the U.S., I think we can all utter a collective “BRRRRRRRR!” No need to let the cold spoil your newlywed time.  If you’re stuck inside on evenings and weekends, use that time to your advantage.

Organize – The beginning of Spring is the last time I feel like cleaning.  I want to be outside soaking up the sunshine!  Use your freezing winter weekends to organize your closets, kitchen cabinets or any other parts of your house that are causing chaos and possibly a few squabbles.  This way when Spring does arrive you’ll have your house in order and your weekend calendar free for fun things!

Play Games – Too cold to possibly go out for a date (seriously, no one wants to put on a dress and then multiple scarves, a parka, hat and boots…it does not feel sexy)?  Break out some board games with your spouse.  You can play by the conventional rules or mix things up with drinking versions of twister and scrabble or play naughty Jenga.  Laughing together will make you both feel warmer and closer to each other at the end of the night.

Dream – I love to dream about what my husband and I will do when the weather is warm.  Take picnics, visit the national zoo, go boating, plan a beach weekend with friends…the list is endless.  If you can get your husband to help you “dream up” some warm weather activities with you, the happy result is a list of fun to-dos that will actually get done this year. Tape your list to the fridge to remind you that Spring is coming and to help you make time for your planned activities on the calendar.

Work Out – Nothing warms you up like a serious work out!  Browse Amazon for a new DVD (I’m loving Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown), and when it arrives prepare to break a sweat.  Come spring break time and swimsuit season, you’ll be really glad that you did your Winter workouts instead of sitting on the couch with cocoa.

How are you handling the cold as a newlywed couple?

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Newlywed New Years Resolutions

Friday, January 4th, 2013

It’s 2013…a new year to be a newlywed!  While there’s great debate about whether anyone keeps the resolutions that they make, just the creation of a resolution can be helpful to a new marriage. If you haven’t made any resolutions with your spouse, here are a few resolutions that may be worth talking about:

1. Use Your Words - This is a cornerstone of my marriage.  We promise to use our words to tell each other how we’re feeling and what we need.  It keeps little things and annoyances from brewing into big things and arguments.  If you and your spouse could use a little more communication, consider resolving to “use your words” in 2013.

2. Make Time - Every newlywed couple I know is juggling careers, families, friends, hobbies and figuring out how married life works.  Making time once a week or twice a month to spend an entire day together without family, friends and cell phones will do wonders for your relationship.  By scheduling “couple time” your making sure that your marriage remains a priority amongst the million other things clamouring for your attention!

3. Do Something Positive - Whether you join an indoor soccer league or soup kitchen, doing something positive and new in 2013 is only going to benefit your marriage.  You’ll have new experiences to talk about during dinner (instead of re-hashing work drama) and a new network of friends to explore.   There’s also the great feeling of helping others or being part of a team to boost your mood.  If you’re unsure what new thing might work for you, check out www.charitynavigator.org, which helps people find the best charities in their cities.

Resolutions or not, 2013 is going to be a great year for you as a newlywed!  Do you have any resolutions that you made with your spouse?  I’d love for you to share them in a comment!

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Top 3 Newlywed Gift Ideas For Hard To Buy For Spouses

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

While there is so much anticipation to spend the holidays as a newlywed, there is also the feeling that you need to create the perfect moment/buy the perfect gift to treasure always (thanks Hallmark). Looking back at my first Christmas, there was definitely a good bit of (self inflicted) pressure to find just the right gift for my husband.  I trolled the mall, braved Best Buy and even flipped through the seemingly thousands of catalogs that kept coming in the mail.

Are you feeling freaked out about what to get your spouse this holiday season?  As the woman married to the man who has everything, I feel capable of giving you some ideas.

1. Hobby Subtlety: Does your spouse have a hobby?  If so, don’t buy him the obvious (fishing flies for the fly fisherman)…go for something special like a monogrammed case to hold his fly collection or a special gear bag designed for his specific sport.

2. Photos: If you’re newlyweds, this is the one time you can give him an amazing photo of you two without being lame.  This acrylic photo block is really cool and would look nice on any desk in any office.

3. Adventure: If you’re totally stumped on what to give him, consider some sort of adventure activity.  Often Groupon or LivingSocial have local deals for skydiving, kayaking and race car driving.  Can’t you hear him telling the guys at the office..”Oh yeah, I didn’t get a golf club this year.  My wife got me passes to race Ferraris!”

So what did I get my husband for our first newlywed Christmas?  This is terrible…I can’t remember! What I do remember was deciding to open our gifts for one another on Christmas Eve instead of during the big family hubub of Christmas Day. It has become a tradition to light a fire, pop a bottle of champagne and open our gifts privately.

Moral Of The Story: No matter what you end up buying your spouse, the time you spend together will end up being what you remember.  Try not to over emphasize the gift…emphasize the love!

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Kahnoodle: A Relationship App for Newlyweds

Monday, November 12th, 2012

When you think of all of the time and effort you put into planning your wedding, it is kind of amazing that there isn’t much done to prep you for being a newlywed. Sure, you may have done some pre-marital counseling through your church or synagogue, but whats 3-5 hours versus the 12+ months of wedding planning?

Technology to the rescue!  Kahnoodle is a free newlywed app that allows you to communicate what you need from your partner and give him/her kudos for the kind things they do. There’s a calendar feature/reminder that will keep you both from falling into a rut and even a challenge to keep their “love tank” full.  I love that this app is fun and functional!

No one wants to sit down and write a list of what the want and with that their spouse would do for them…it’s tedious and can offend the other person.  However, communication is key to a happy marriage.  Using an app reminder to challenge both sides to step up their relationship game equals a fun way to keep your newlywed love on track.

Have you used Kahnoodle?  We’d love to hear how it’s helped your relationship and what your favorite feature is!

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Go Vote Ladies!

Monday, November 5th, 2012

As newlyweds it can be easy to focus on how awesome married life is and miss out on what’s going on in the rest of the world.  Newsflash:  Tomorrow is Election Day! Don your blue or red ensemble (depending on your party preference) and go cast your vote.  Women fought for generations  for the right to be heard, so I feel that it is our responsibility to do just that…voice our opinions via ballot. Worried about long lines? Plan a time to go vote with your friends or co-workers.  You can use the wait as time to catch up on the weekend and holiday plans.

Heads up if you changed your name after marriage.  Be sure to bring your new driver’s license in your married name to make sure that you get to vote.  If you haven’t changed your name yet…no worries you’ll be on file under your maiden name.  Happy voting everyone!

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Get Out While You Can: Vacation Before the Holidays

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

Newlywed VacationHas all of the recent bad weather left you wanting to get away from it all?  What better time to schedule an impromptu vacation then now? You’ll be back in plenty of time to prep for Thanksgiving and shop for the upcoming holiday season.  Now where to go…

If your idea of vacation includes white sand & turquoise water look no further than Turks & Caicos.  Instead of hanging with the masses at Beaches or a hotel, consider a Grace Bay rental condo. Imagine your own private 2 bedroom place at the Atrium with access to an amazing beach and the largest pool on the island!  You’ll feel super swank and can use the money you save to splurge on some resort wear or a few fabulous dinners out.

Travel budget at zero? Plan a stay-cation.  Take a day or two off of work, crank your thermostat to tropical temps and blend some beachy drinks! Reading your kindle and painting your nails a fun new shade will make you feel relaxed no matter what your location is.

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5 Newlywed Silver Linings of Hurricane Sandy

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

Silver LiningHere’s hoping all of our readers made it through Hurricane Sandy okay.  The constant media coverage of impending doom likely scared most people on the East Coast and ruined many peoples’ plans/yards/cars/homes.  I’m here to help you find a few silver linings of the storm:

5. Your wedding wasn’t ruined or delayed by Sandy.  Just think of those poor other girls and their families this coming weekend.

4. If your basement flooded you can finally replace the carpet down there (with the help of insurance dollars)!

3. Years from now you can regale your children with stories of Frankinstorm and how “Grandpa” kept you safe.

2. The power may be out, but you have love and someone to cuddle up with to stay warm. Here’s hoping you have a bottle of wine too!

1. You & your spouse are alive!  Seriously.  A massive natural disaster happened and didn’t affect the most important relationship of your life.

I encourage you to take a minute to realize how fortunate you are in surviving this storm as a newlywed.  If you don’t have to go into to work today, consider using that feeling of gratefulness to motivate yourself to volunteer somewhere where you can make a not-so fortunate person’s life a little easier post-Sandy.

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