Newlywed Needs

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!

10 Fun Things To Do This Winter As Newlyweds

Looking for things to do this winter as newlyweds? 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 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.

Have any suggestions of things to do this winter as newlyweds? Please leave a comment to share with us and your fellow readers!

Newlywed New Year’s Resolutions: Do or Don’t?

Are you making newlywed New Year’s resolutions? Many newlyweds start thinking about their New Year’s Resolution in days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. People come up with all kinds of things (i.e. to lose weight, quit smoking, organize their lives, take a dance lesson, earn a degree, etc.). These are all really good things to do to help become a healthier, happier you; so why do many of the people who pledge to do them fail?

Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, led a study to figure out just that. He and his team asked 700 people about their strategies for achieving New Year resolutions. Their goals ranged from losing weight or giving up smoking to gaining a qualification or starting a better relationship. Of the 78% who failed, many had focused on the downside of not achieving the goals; they had suppressed their cravings, fantasized about being successful, and adopted a role model or relied on willpower alone (Source: guardian.co.uk).

Apparently, these tactics simply don’t work. So, what should you do if you really want to pick a goal and stick to it?

Break Your Ultimate Goal Up Into Smaller Steps: For example, if you plan to quit smoking; don’t do it cold-turkey. Try limiting the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day and take one away as you feel comfortable. You are more likely to stick with it, if you move at your own realistic pace.

Tell a Friend about Your Goal: Sharing your goals with friends or family will help you stay motivated to reach them (i.e. joining a gym with someone else and meeting to workout together will keep you on track).

Focus on Benefits of Success: Spend your time and energy focusing on the benefits of what your hard work will do for you rather than the fact that you might fail. Staying positive is motivating, not to mention a healthier way to live your life.

Keep a Journal: Write down your plan in a notebook or diary and keep track of what you do each day. This is a visual reminder of where you started and how far you have come since you decided to change your life.

Don’t get caught up into thinking that if you don’t start on January 1^st that you have to wait a whole year to start. When you are ambitious and ready to make a change in you life, do it! Forgive yourself for setbacks and get right back on track. You’ll look back when you reach your goal and realize you can do anything you put your mind to. Best of luck and Happy New Year!

What’s your New Year’s Resolution this year? Do you have a plan to help you reach your goal? Let us know if you used any of these tips and how they helped you stay motivated to reach your ultimate goal.

Dealing With Spousal Debt

How do you handle dealing with spousal debt? Being a newlywed is full of the bliss of being with the one you love, which includes bringing their life together with yours. That also includes their financial situation. Unfortunately for some, it means introducing debt into their brand new life. Money is a big stressor on marriages, but before you panic at the idea of debt tarnishing your new life together, take some time to consider a few things.

It’s important that you know about the debt early on so you can take steps to handle the problem as soon as possible. After all, marriage is about trust and understanding. Marriage does indeed change everything about a person’s financial standing. Depending upon your living conditions before marriage, you may still be used to handling your finances as an individual. But now you’re sharing your life, so it’s time to start sharing your plans on money. This may actually continue within your marriage; your spouse uses the money brought in through their occupation to handle the debt while you handle other financial areas of the marriage.

Remember that debt accrued by your partner essentially remains theirs until you put your name into the mix. For example, a loan under their name remains their responsibility by law unless you help to refinance it. Credit card histories also do not suddenly merge after you marry. Only things you do together, such as purchase a house, become the responsibility of both.

As for handling the debt, ultimately it is up to the decisions made by you and your spouse. It comes down to your financial planning and how you want to manage the debt. Will both of you help pay it down? Just one person? Take some time to sit down with your partner and talk about the debt, your income, and what steps should be taken in order to remove the debt from both your lives. Once you discuss the matter, it can be appropriately handled and eventually you will see the debt go down until it disappears completely.

If you still find that you have problems, you can always go to a credit counselor or other debt counselor to see if there are ways to reduce loan amounts, interest rates, and improve your budgeting skills. Remember, your partner doesn’t want to be in debt anymore than you do and will need your love and support. Don’t let money get in the way of your happiness when it doesn’t have to!

Do you have any helpful recommendations for our readers dealing with spousal debt? We’d love for you to share your advice in a comment!

Last Week to Win our Sleep Number Perfect Comforter Giveaway

Ladies, this is the last week to enter to win a customized Perfect Comforter (like the one pictured) from Sleep Number! Imagine drifting off to sleep at your ideal temperature, AND your partner having the same experience with the same blanket. Sleep Number has teamed up with MissNowMrs.com to offer one of our newlywed blog readers the chance to win a completely customized Create Your Perfect Comforter (A $280 value)! The Sleep Number Create your Perfect Comforter is the ideal solution for couples who disagree on bedroom temperature as each side of the comforter can be customized. You get to choose the fill, customize your warmth level and then relax with your perfect comforter. Say goodbye to sleepless nights and blanket wars!

Ready to win our cozy December giveaway? Leave a comment on this, or any of our Newlywed Bed Posts on Mondays this month and you’ll be automatically entered to win. Tell us all about why you and your spouse should win this custom comforter. We’d love to know what lengths you’ve gone to to solve your temperature differences. The randomly selected contest winner will be announced on December 31st!! 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!

**If you tweet this giveaway by clicking the green retweet button below, you’ll receive an additional contest entry!**

Also, if you’re in the mood for newlywed bed giveaways, you can win a memory foam bed, a Flexfit adjustable base, and $500 in Sleep Number bedding through Sleep Number’s holiday sweepstakes at: www.sleepnumber.com.

Don’t Be a Grinch This Season

Okay, so we’re not kids anymore, but does that mean we can’t enjoy the holidays like we once did? I say NO WAY! Recently, I visited with my family and got to spend some quality time with my youngest sister who always brings the little girl in me back out. We danced and sang songs, baked and decorated cookies and even decorated our very own Gingerbread House. I left feeling refreshed, cheerful and ready to take on the holidays and everything that comes along with them (i.e. shopping, long lines, holiday traffic, bouncing from one house to the next to be sure we see EVERYONE in a matter of 2 days, etc.). So, my advice to you if you’re still not quite into the Christmas spirit is to try any of the following things to help bring the little kid in you back out this season!

Send Christmas/Holiday Cards: One of my favorite things to come home to this time of year (besides my husband and puppy) is to cards from family and friends wishing us a Happy Holiday. We’ve sent our cards out too and I know I’m not the only one who looks forward to receiving them along with pictures and updates on the lives of those we care about most.

Build a Gingerbread House: The coolest thing about this is now they have pre-built houses for the not so crafty types (or those not wanting to make a huge mess). If you buy a kit, they typically come with the house, frosting and bags of little green and red candies to use for decoration. My sister and I went nuts with the white frosting and added our own sprinkles and extra candies to make a very unique Gingerbread House (believe me, Dad was proud). You can checkout Ultimate Gingerbread for instructions, images and inspiration.

Bake Cookies: I don’t know anyone who loses weight during the holidays, so indulge now and worry about it after the New Year like everyone else! You can use cookie cutters to make little Santa cookies, snowmen, gingerbread men, snowflakes, stars…you get the idea. A little frosting and some sprinkles and you’ve got yourself a bit of holiday cheer in every bite!

Build a Snowman: If you’re lucky enough to have some snow on the ground you should definitely go out and enjoy it (but remember, don’t eat yellow snow…YUCK!). Build a snowman or make snow angels side-by-side with your spouse and don’t worry about how cold it is outside—Bundle up! It’ll be fun and you’ll have a cute story to share with your family this year.

Drink Hot Chocolate: After you enjoy playing in the snow you can go inside and enjoy a nice big mug of hot chocolate (don’t forget the marshmallows) and snuggle up with your spouse on the couch with blankets or a fire in your fireplace.

Host a Cocktail Party: You could have some of your closest friends or family members over for a holiday party. There’s nothing better than spending time with those you love any time of year, but there’s something about Christmas. You know what they say: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Get colorful and creative with these fabulous ideas from hostessblog.com.

What gets you and/or your spouse into the Holiday Spirit? Share it with us and other readers to bring the light-hearted kid out in all of us!