Around the House

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

Newlywed Decor

I came across this pillow today and couldn’t help but pin it to my Newlywed Pinterest Board. As a newlywed, you usually have a new space (be it apartment, townhome or house) to decorate and sprinkling in a few romantic things helps keep the newlywed aura going. You’re in love and newly married…feel free to buy a few things that advertise that fact and make you smile when you see them.

Please note that I said a few things. A house that looks like a shrine to your wedding day is not a look many people (including your single friends) can appreciate. Choose a few of your best wedding photos to display in frames or as canvas art, add a pillow or another item that reminds you of how in love you are and voila…newlywed chic!

What are your favorite newlywed pieces of decor?

Easy DIY Projects That Will Change Your Space

Looking for easy DIY projects for newlyweds? You’re married, you’ve moved in and now you’re wondering how to improve your home or apartment together. If the two of you are looking for a fresh look, but you’re not ready to move, DIY projects are often the perfect answer.

You don’t have to commit to a 2 month renovation of your home or apartment to get that great new feeling. Here are a few quick projects to consider that will give you the satisfaction of improving your home as a newlywed couple.

Repaint your Trim
Whether you’re talking about the interior trim in your apartment or the exterior trim on your house, a quick repaint is a simple project the two of you can do together, and it won’t cost you a bundle. Pick out a color you think will look nice at the hardware store, grab a gallon and a couple of brushes, then get busy painting! Worried about trying a color other than white? Check out the Sherwin-Williams paint visualizer. You can upload a photo of your room and see what your trim will look like in thousands of colors.

Add a Light Fixture
Stop by Lowes or check out LightingDirect.com for inspiration. Did you know that there are fixtures that can change your boring overhead lighting into cool hanging lights by simply screwing them into the current socket? Pick something fun to hang over your dining room table or entryway and be prepared for compliments the next time you have friends over.

Plant Some Flowers
Whether the two of you are apartment dwellers or you have your own home, adding some flowers in the spring, summer, or even the fall is a great way to improve the look of your place. If you live in an apartment, add a window box or a few pots out on your balcony. If you don’t have either of those options, there are certainly some blooming plants you can put near a window.

If you have a home, put in an entire flowerbed. Just make certain you know what grows best in your geographic zone before you ever start the planting process. If you’re at Home Depot you can scan the QR code on a flower pot to get all of the care tips for the plants.

DIY projects always make you feel better about yourself and are a great way to build your marriage as you improve your surroundings. What DIY projects have you done recently?

4 Fast Ways To Fallify Your Home

Looking for ways to fallify your home? One of the best things about a new season is refreshing the seasonal decorations around your house or apartment. As a newlywed, I feel like I can spend a bit more on décor as I’ll be using it year after year as we celebrate the seasons! Here are a few quick ways to embrace Fall…

Mums – Inexpensive and incredibly festive, mums come a huge variety of colors and sizes. Pick colors that blend with your household or choose ones that contrast for a pop of color on your porch, tables or walkway. Need a quick hostess gift? Wrap some ribbon around the middle of a potted mum…instant seasonal goodie!

Acorns – I’m serious. Talk a walk with your honey and collect a bag of acorns as you stroll. Then use them to fill glass containers to decorate tables and counters. You can also scatter them around a Fall table centerpiece for added flair.

Wreaths – What better way to welcome guest to your home than with a fabulous fall wreath. You can go with a traditional leaf style wreath or mix things up with one with berries or mini pumpkins! Feeling crafty? Try this 4-step DIY wreath!

Pumpkins – They’re not just orange anymore. Take a trip to your local farmers market to find amazing pumpkins in cream, burgundy and even light blue. Purchase enough to have a few couples over and engage in a jack-o-lantern carving party! Everyone will have a great time and leave with a decoration for their own home.

What seasonal decorations are your favorites? Do you have heirlooms to use or are you making your own this year as a couple? We’d love to hear from you in a comment.

DIY Projects: A Great Way to Keep Your Marriage Healthy

Did you know DIY projects can keep your marriage healthy? There is so much excitement and anticipation leading up to your wedding. After months or years of planning, the wedding and honeymoon seem to fly by and then real life begins. Many newlywed couples begin to miss the “planning” aspect and connectedness of their engagement. Great news…there are tons of projects you can work on together that will not only benefit your relationship; they’ll benefit your surroundings!

Fixer-upper condos or houses aren’t a bad choice for new couples. They can provide the opportunities for collaborative work that will bring many spouses closer together. That being said, there are a couple of warnings that come with doing re-design work.

For couples who often find themselves in a battle for control – for the strong personalities of the world – coming to an agreement over color, pattern, furniture, and accessories can be source of contention. It is important to go into the process with an open mind and the understanding that working together will not necessarily equate to getting everything that you want for the space. A good marriage is founded on compromise, and the blended end achievement may turn out even better than “your idea”.

As long as you can maintain open minds and open lines of communication, it can be a great idea to suggest updating the kitchen, to replacing the old and outdated couch, or re-painting the guest bedroom. Start small and move on to bigger projects as you become more comfortable with the collaboration aspect of your relationship (better to find out you can’t agree on a faucet than you can’t agree on a blue print for an addition).

As you begin your project, ask your spouse small questions to get communication started. For instance, what colors do you see in the room? Do you prefer gold or silver cabinet and drawer pulls? Do you think we should get a Queen or King sized bed for our room?

These starter questions will provide the initial communication, which can then become involved as bigger decisions must be made in order to complete the project. For those who are seriously ambitious and have the abilities, new bathroom construction, building the new deck, or laying to stone at the front entrance can be done on your own. Putting your blood, sweat, and tears into improving your home will make it a more meaningful space and provide you plenty of pleasant memories and possibly a few hysterical stories.

What home improvement projects have you undertaken with your spouse? I remember replacing the 30+ knobs in our kitchen and being tremendously pleased with our teamwork. He removed the old ones and I screwed in the new ones. And, we both loved the updated look they provided!

What DIY projects are you doing to keep your marriage healthy? Please share in a comment!

Green Thumbed Newlywed

Striving to be a green thumbed newlywed? 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! 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 to help you become a green thumbed newlywed:

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!