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Posts Tagged ‘Newlywed Tips’

Green Thumbed Newlywed

Monday, March 7th, 2011

One of my favorite things about spring and leading into summer is all the beautiful flowers that brighten up our yard and the yards of our neighbors as well as my morning commute to work! I have to admit, I’m not exactly the green thumb in my household…it is actually my husband who knows when to plant everything and how often to water it so it stays beautiful for the season(s). He grew up with parents and grandparents that love gardening…seriously everything from flower beds to vegetable gardens to a pear tree growing in his grandparents’ backyard! I on the other hand grew up in a home where a landscaper took care of the shrubbery before we moved-in and the only flowers that we had were the ones we would purchase at the store and transfer into a pots that sat on our front porch and deck. No matter how you grew up you could learn to have a green thumb…believe me, if I can learn so can you! Gardening is a great way to get back in touch with nature, be used as mild exercise or a way to relieve stress after a long day or week…so get outside this season and enjoy a new hobby!

Here are some gardening basics you should know just to get you started:

You’ll need some tools in order to be a successful gardener, including a shovel, pruning shears, a hose, a rake, a trowel, and a sprinkler (if necessary).

Annuals vs Perennials: Annuals for the most part don’t handle frost or cold weather very well, so it is best to plant them when the soil has had some time to warm up after winter. Perennials on the other hand can be planted in early spring or even fall and will do just fine! Find out more about the differences between annuals and perennials here.

Best Place for Flowers: Typically, flat ground is the easiest place to plant your flower bed and be sure that it’s in a sunny spot. Flowers need sun (some more than others) to live, so it’s very important to choose a place that the sun hits most of the day.

Tips for Beginners*:

Make Sure the Soil is Rich
Prepare and Loosen Soil
Plant in Warm Soil
Spray Soil with Water, Dig and Plant
Mulch (to protect soil from drying up due to sun)
Protect Plant from Insects and Disease (i.e. spray leaves with vinegar or other plant protectors)
Don’t Drown Your Plant/Flower

*Tips in detail at BasicsOfGardening.com.

What are your favorite garden flowers? What is your best tip for beginners? We’re not all green thumbs, so please help us out and leave a comment below!

Tags: Around the House, Gardening, Newlywed Tips
Posted in Around the House | No Comments »

Compassion Leads to Passion

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

We all know that not every day in life is the best day ever…as a matter of fact we also know that none of us are immune to bad days, weeks, months and unfortunately even years. When I have a bad day all I want to do is go home and be with my husband. Truly, nothing makes me feel better than a nice warm embrace from him because he knows what to say or how to act to put a smile back on my face. He is a compassionate person by nature. Are you? I consider myself to be a compassionate person because when something goes wrong in someone else’s life I naturally find myself thinking of ways I can attempt to make them feel better (i.e. by listening, being a shoulder to cry on or even through humor). Compassion, by definition is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering (Dictionary.com). As a spouse you should always want to make your husband/wife feel better when they’re down, but the truth is that sometimes you don’t know what to do or say. There are circumstances that unfortunately almost nothing will make your spouse feel better in that moment (i.e. a death or loss of job); however, that doesn’t mean you can’t just be there. Here are a few things that may help your spouse feel better the next time he has a rough day:

Cook his favorite meal: We know the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so if you get home before he does whip up his favorite meal (even if it isn’t part of your strict diet). No time to cook his favorite meal? Try taking him to his favorite restaurant instead…there’s no prep in that!

Watch his favorite movie: So what if you’re not into war movies or raunchy comedies like he is…just cuddle up with him on the couch and know that you are helping him feel better. Here’s a list of 50 Best Guy Movies of All-Time in case you need a little direction…sorry ladies, but The Notebook didn’t make the list.

Give him as massage: The poor guy’s feeling stressed out and could use a good rub down. You can use massage oils or lotion if you have it…if not, I’m sure he’ll be happy with your hands all over him.

Give him a surprise in the bedroom: Dress up in your sexiest lingerie, give him a lap dance, or…we’ll leave it up to your imagination!

The point here is to always do whatever you can to make each other happy because life is too short to do anything less. Are you a compassionate person? Tell us what you do/have done to make others feel better in their time of need.

Tags: Compassion, Happiness, Husband, Newlywed Tips, Relationship
Posted in Relationships | 2 Comments »

February: Time To Try Fun Things Together

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Now that you’re a newlywed, you may have noticed that you have more spare time than you did when you were planning your wedding and honeymoon. One great way to utilize those extra hours is to take some time to try something new with your spouse. A new experience adds instant spark to your relationship and may become a joint hobby or interest that you can share for many years to come.

Here Are a Few Fun Suggestions:

Take a dance class together. Your options range from ballroom, to salsa, to hip hop. We’re guessing your husband is going to be much happier with the latter suggestion. Is his dragging his feet? Offer a trade to make it worth his while…we’ll let you get creative with that!

Sign up for a bad-ass gym class like CrossFit. You’ll both be challenged by the class and can cheer each other on. The result? An awesome endorphin high and the bond of making it through together. If you keep attending the classes as a couple, you’ll both have rock hard bodies before beach season!

Consider attending a wine or beer tasting class . You’ll both enjoy yourselves and come away with a new appreciation for adult beverages. You can also use your new knowledge to create really cool food pairings at home and impress a few friends.

Join a recreational sports team. Ultimate Frisbee or rec soccer would be good choices. You’ll make new friends and foster a team mentality that can be very helpful in your married relationship.

Try a cooking class. Pick a genre of food that you both love to eat, but have no experience cooking and then find a class offered in your area. You’ll have a great time and end up with at least one dish that you can prepare as a couple.

No matter what you do, the point is to try something new together. The challenge itself will be exciting and give you something to talk about at the next party you attend. You’ll be the cool couple who learned how to Cha-Cha or make pad Thai last week!

What activities have you tried with your other half? Did they turn out to be fun or at least something to laugh about? Leave a comment and let us know!

Tags: Happiness, Husband, Newlywed Tips, Relationship, Things to Do
Posted in Newlywed Needs, Relationships | 1 Comment »

Splitting the Chores, Newlywed Style!

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

It’s official: no one likes doing chores. You’d always find that strange kid in high school who actually liked to do homework, but show me one person who actually likes to do all the chores that have to get done around the house and I’ll be duly amazed. Chores are the most mundane part of being married, but believe it or not lots of couples have huge fights over chores. Before you begin to argue over whose turn it is to do the dishes or who has to take the trash out, it’s a good idea to split up the chores in a way that’s agreeable to the both of you.

One of the biggest deciding factors on who is going to do what type of chore is who is going to be home and who is not. Some couples have similar work schedules, but quite often, in today’s economy, one spouse is working much later than the other, or on days that the other spouse has off. Before you can begin to split up all the household chores that you have to get done, you need to make sure that you set realistic goals. You can’t expect someone to take out the trash every Saturday morning, for instance, if they have to be at work at 7 am on a Saturday. Take their work load into consideration before you even begin negotiating.

When you start splitting up the chores, volunteer to take everything that you truly enjoy doing. Do you like making meals? Do you not mind folding laundry? Put on the table everything that you actually enjoy doing. If you both like to do similar things, you can bargain for things that you dislike to do, like taking out the trash or sweeping the floor.

While some couples divide up each and every chore, others are more fluid in their division. For instance there are many couples where the wife is in charge of most of the household chores (with a few thrown in for the man), while the husband is in charge of vehicle and yard maintenance. Or vice versa. What works best for you is what’s important, and that you both agree on the division of labor. And remember: if you ever start to have an issue over the chores that you’re supposed to be doing, don’t get upset or passive-aggressive, actually talk to your spouse about the situation. Bargains and changes can always be made!

What deals have you and your spouse made about chores? We’d love to hear about your division of labor!

Tags: Chores, House, Husband, Newlywed Tips
Posted in Around the House | 3 Comments »

Tips for Effective Newlywed Communication

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Remember those nights that you used to spend hours on the phone talking with one another when you first started dating? Then, as time passed, you got more comfortable being quiet when you were in each other’s company. That’s actually a good thing. What’s not so good is when you start to have a hard time communicating with each other. Many newlyweds actually find themselves in this type of a predicament right after they’re married. Even if they’ve been living together before their wedding, and they had no problem communicating before, there’s something about that marriage certificate that changes everything, and you may need to learn how to communicate effectively with each other all over again!

How much time do you spend talking with your spouse on an everyday basis? Most couples say that they only spend a few minutes talking with their newlywed husband or wife, even if they have similar work schedules. They get home, make dinner, and then go to their respective ends of the house. She may be working out or chatting online, while he may be watching sports or tinkering in the garage. This is not effective communication, in fact it’s a total lack of communication. If you find that your life is like this, try meshing together what you love. For instance if she loves to get online after work, and he’d rather watch sports, why not get a laptop? Then she can bring it into the living room and can sit right next to her husband while he’s watching sports. Yes you’re both doing two different things, but the simple act of being together in the room will spark conversation, even if it’s only to debate about the benefits of having a high def television.

When you get into arguments having good communication established is the most effective way to end the argument. If you find that you’re having a difficult time talking about the subject with your spouse face-to-face, try doing it another way. Some couples have a very hard time with verbal disagreements because they turn into heated fights very quickly. If this is your situation, try sending emails to each other. When you write an email you are able to compose things to say exactly what you want to say to your spouse, without rehashing things that should be left in the past. Remember to always re-read the things that you have written a few times before hitting the send button. This can open up the lines of communication and can give you both time to cool down before you meet for that face-to-face discussion, and for the best part of any argument: the makeup portion.

What newlywed communication tips do you have for our readers? Please share them with us in a comment!

Tags: Communication, Newlywed Tips, Relationship
Posted in Newlywed Needs | 1 Comment »

4 Easy Steps to a Memorable Super Bowl Party

Friday, January 28th, 2011

It’s time for the ultimate manly event of the year…Super Bowl XLV baby!!! Almost nothing will make your man happier than having his buddies over for the big game, enjoying a few beers and some great food. You may be thinking, “I’m not much of a football fan;” however, what you ARE is a great hostess! No? Well, just follow these few steps and you will be on your way to hosting an amazing game day party.

1. Prepare the guest list: You have to know how many people are coming in order to be sure you have enough food and drinks to go around. After all, there’s no good time to run out to the store during the game (not even during the commercials or half-time)!

2. Decide on the menu or Potluck: You can ask guests to bring one dish or drink (such as chili, nachos, chips and salsa or a bottle of wine or liquor) as the best Super Bowl parties have a casual feel to them. It’s a good idea to serve foods that don’t require much of your time so you can enjoy hanging out and cheering on your team with your guests during the game. We recommend anything that can cook in a Crock Pot (i.e. meatballs, fondue, chili, etc.). You can find easy Super Bowl Recipes for some of the most popular party foods through Celebrations.com.

3. Put up decorations: You can use streamers (team colors of course), football themed napkins and party plates. Feeling fancy? Check out Plates and Napkins Blog for these Super Bowl Cupcake Rings.

4. Decide on Drinks: Some people prefer to stick with beer to quench their thirst during the big game, while others are up for trying something new. Try an Old Fashioned Wisconsin if you’re a Green Bay Packers fan or The Black and Gold if you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Not a fan of either? No problem, check out 32 NFL Team Inspired Cocktails* and choose your favorite! Just because your team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl doesn’t mean you can’t have a drink in their honor!

Do you have any Super Bowl party traditions, recipes, or ideas you’d like to share with our readers? We’d love to hear them, so leave a comment below to start the conversation!

*Drink recipes provided by StilettoSportsMagazine.com.

Tags: Entertaining, Newlywed Tips, Party Planning, Recipes, Superbowl
Posted in Entertaining | 1 Comment »

Finicky Finances – Who Controls the Checkbook?

Friday, January 21st, 2011

A huge percentage of couples who wind up divorcing do so over finances. In fact a study done by Utah State University in 2009 reported that couples who argued over money at least once a week were over 30% more likely to get divorced than those who only disagreed about money once or twice a month. Those who argued over finances almost every day were over 100% more likely to get divorced than those couples who were able to agree over their checkbook. So if money is the root of all evil, at least in terms of marriages, how can you and your new spouse avoid this marriage pitfall?

Make a Plan

The only way that you can fight back against falling apart due to money is to have a plan. It doesn’t matter if you have only one income coming in, or two, it’s vital that you both are able to put together a plan that works for the household. And it’s actually a very easy thing to do. The first thing that you should do is to figure out how much money you’ve got coming in, and how much you’ve got going out. Sit down together and add up how much money you bring home in a month. You then simply take all of the monthly recurring bills that you have and subtract them. Things like cable or internet or cell phone or rent are all things that should be deducted, one at a time, so that you can see how much money you have left at the end of the month. You can also estimate how much you spend a week for things like groceries and gas, and can deduct this amount as well.

The money that you have left over at the end of the money is the “play” money. This is the money that you both need to decide how to use. Some couples opt to give each other a stipend each week that they can spend however they want, while others simply pool the money into one big pile and use it how they see fit. What’s important is that you decide, together, what you want to do.

It’s also important that you decide who pays the bills. Some couples like to sit down and to do them together, while others prefer that one couple be responsible. Even if only one person is actually making the payments, both of you should know what’s going on, so if you’re the bill payer, make sure you tell your spouse when you’re paying this bill or that bill. This way both of you know where the money is going each month. And most importantly of all: no secrets. If your finances are strained, tell your spouse. Tips like these will help to keep money from becoming the big evil that so many couples see it as.

How have you solved your financial situation as newlyweds? Do you have anything to add to this post?

Tags: Finances, Money, Newlywed Tips
Posted in Financial Matters | No Comments »

Winter Beauty Dos

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Each season launches a new set of beauty trends and challenges. This winter, try a few of these beauty dos to keep your newlywed glow going!

Do try a dark nail polish. Anything from deep reds to mixed taupes are way in right now. We like Essie’s Smokin’ Hot , since it goes with anything you’re wearing from work, to play, to ski slopes!

Do indulge in an intensive lip balm. Major protection for minor investment! No one wants dry cracked lips…ever.

Do relieve & heal dry skin with a super rich cream. Apply right after your shower when you’re still damp for maximum moisture retention!

Do avoid dry winter hair by following these 5 tips! We know winter winds and hats can wreak havoc on even the most cooperative locks.

Do exfoliate all that dry winter skin right off with this body scrub. Bye-bye snow flakey skin and hello gorgeous!

Do try an icy shade of eye shadow. What better time of year to try something shimmery and cool toned?

Do save face….literally. Wrap yourself up in this fabulous scarf set to keep body heat in and your face safe from freezing temperatures!

What are you winter beauty do’s? Did we miss any major ones? Please leave us a comment and let us know!

Tags: Beauty, Newlywed Tips, Winter
Posted in Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

Investing Wisely – A Few Tips for Newlyweds

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Most newlyweds know that investing can be riskier than just stowing money away into a money market account or CD. As a couple, you may have very different ideas on how to invest your earnings. Instead of every man and woman for him or herself, you should talk to your partner and find out what he/she would like to do as well as inform them of your own ideas. Together, you will be able to find a comfortable investing balance.

Studies show that men are bigger risk takers than women (no surprise there, right ladies?). Some husbands may want to go all in like a poker game – “I have a good feeling about this!” Most wives, on the other hand, would rather their retirement savings stay where they are, safe and sound earning a small but steady percentage in the bank. So how do you find a balance?

By talking to one another (it’s always about clear communication!), you can figure out what your long term and short term goals are. Examine your budget and decide what sort of investment risks you are actually able to take. If money is tight, it’s best to avoid any sort of risk until things are more stable. If you have plenty to play with, you can try jumping into the pool and seeing what happens.

Overall, both of you need to agree on where you stand and how to handle your funds. Don’t just talk about what you want either – if he wants to invest a lot of money now and you keep saying, “But we don’t have the money!” it may not sink in. You should actually have the numbers in front of both of you so you can see where your money is being spent, how much is coming in, what is spent on bills, and so forth. When money is mapped out, it’s much easier to organize it and control it, rather than just talking about it arbitrarily.

You do both have the option of investing separately; he with his money and she with hers. If you decide to go this route, agree upon which funds should not be toyed with; these can include emergency funds, retirement funds, and the amount needed for basic living expenses.

Whether you invest together, separately, or not at all, you should consider coming together once a year and reevaluating your portfolios and budget. Make sure it all balances out and that the risks are worth taking.

What investments (risky or not) have you and your spouse taken? Did they pay off or cause too much tension in your relationship? We’d love for you to leave us a comment!

Tags: Finances, Investing, Money, Newlywed Tips
Posted in Financial Matters, Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

10 Fun Things To Do This Winter

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

As the fun of the holidays begins to fade and winter sets in for the long haul, it’s easy to feel a little blah. Here are ten fun ideas for newlyweds to make Winter 2011 more bearable and even fun!

1. Go Sledding! Dig out your sleds and snow pants and head outside! Better yet, invite a few couples to join you in your winter fun. You’ll feel 10 years old in a matter of minutes. Then try #4 on our list to warm up.

2. Check into a Bed & Breakfast this weekend. If you’re feeling a little house-bound, a quick getaway will boost your spirits and give you some quality time with your husband.

3. Go shopping! Now is the time to scoop up cashmere sweaters and other great winter duds at after Christmas sales. Ann Taylor, for example, is having a great sale.

4. Sit by the fire and sip cocoa. Indulge in the ultimate winter warm up!

5. Start a new hobby, like learning to knit. Knitty.com has great ideas for beginners.

6. Bikram Yoga (aka Hot Yoga). The opposite of the freezing cold is doing yoga poses in a hundred and five degree class. Not only will you warm up, you’ll sweat off all those Christmas cookies!

7. Plan your flowers/planters/garden. Nothing makes Spring feel closer than looking at catalogs of plants and envisioning what your porch or yard could look like. Check out White Flower Farms for ideas.

8. Ice skate. Even if you’ve never been before, ice skating is really fun and can be a great way to get some fresh air, exercise and a few laughs all at the same time. Look for a local rink to take your hubby or friends to.

9. Host a slumber party for your girlfriends. Get in some great girl time before temperatures rise and everyone suddenly has plans. Order pizza, do face masks and watch a chick flick or two!

10. Get a pedicure. Just because you’re wearing socks every day, doesn’t mean your toes have to suffer. Pick a sizzling summer shade to instantly feel warmer.

What are your favorite winter activities? Please leave a comment to share with us and your fellow readers!

Tags: Happiness, Newlywed Tips, Winter
Posted in Newlywed Needs | 1 Comment »

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