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!

Newly Married & All Wedding’ed Out

Have you and your spouse found yourselves to be all wedding’ed out!? I’m not talking about feelings of exhaustion from your own wedding, but suddenly now everyone you know is getting engaged and shower and wedding invitations are flooding your mail box! Everyone seems to say the same thing, that if you’re one of the first of your friends to get married, you will have one “golden” year where you will find yourself loading up your calendar with showers, bachelorette parties and weddings to attend.

Of course you are so excited for your friends, and look forward to sharing this special time with them and helping with preparations for their special day, but you may also find yourself feeling somewhat overwhelmed, and unfortunately not being able to accept all invites due to other schedule conflicts, and not to mention the obvious… budgetary restraints.

My husband and I have now attended 4 weddings so far this year and still have another 5 remaining in 2010! Is it selfish of me to want a vacation of my own? Well I’ve come to grips that it’s not going to happen this year, so my husband and I have promised each other that we’re going somewhere fabulous in 2011!

With so many weddings, and your free weekends becoming well… non-existent, how do you choose when to decline some invites, and… if you have mutual friends, when is it OK to decline some and accept others?! This is becoming an on-going, harder-to-handle issue as you certainly don’t want to create hard feelings!

There are a few obvious questions that come into play when making your decision on whether or not to accept your invite! Are you available that weekend? How far away is the wedding (is it a destination wedding with plane tickets and a car rental), and can you afford it? Is it a family member’s wedding? Did you invite them to your wedding? Did they attend your wedding?

I have recognized one thing when making your decision to attend or regretfully decline… Remember to make your decision based on logical factors, not based on whether or not that couple attended your wedding! Even if you’re not the best of friends, the couple must have thought highly enough of you in the first place to put you on their guest list, so you should take a moment to decide on how to mark your reply card. Sometimes you will be forced to decline if you have a conflicting event or just don’t have the funds, but do be sure to mail a card! It is considered courteous and acceptable to send a card and/or gift up to six months after the wedding date.

Remember, it’s an honor to be invited to someone’s wedding, so always be sure to handle your response with care… but above and beyond anything, be sure to respond! There’s nothing more awkward and annoying for a bride and groom than having to call guests who didn’t respond! So hang in there if you’re trudging through your golden year of weddings, and do yourself a favor and keep a photo book of the weddings you attend… its fun to reminisce about these events down the road!

How have you handled being all wedding’ed out? We’d love to hear your solutions in a comment.

5 Reasons to Feel Good about the Raise in Passport Agency Fees

The Passport Agency fees to apply for a new U.S. Passport Book or U.S. Passport Card as well as the fees to renew your current U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card are going up as of Tuesday July 13, 2010. We know what you’re thinking, not another raise in fees! Unfortunately, yes that is exactly what is happening with the U.S. Passport Agency, but with good reason. Here’s a breakdown of the new fees along with some reasons not to sweat the extra money!

First time Adult U.S. Passport Book: $110 (payable to Department of State) + $25 (payable to Acceptance Facility)
First time Adult U.S. Passport Card: $30 (payable to Department of State) + $25 (payable to Acceptance Facility)
Renewal of Adult U.S. Passport Book (DS82 Form): $110 (payable to Department of State)
Renewal of Adult U.S. Passport Card (DS82 Form): $30 (payable to Department of State)
Expedite Processing Fee (added to the above mentioned fees if you need your Passport in a rush): $60

1. Fees cover more than the cost of your new Passport Book or Passport Card:
Believe it or not the fees are also used to cover the costs of providing emergency services for American citizens who have been the victims of crime (or a crisis; such as an earthquake) while traveling or living abroad as well as providing support to the families of American citizens who have died overseas.

2. Application fees allow us to keep up with the latest technology in fraud prevention:
You don’t want just anyone to be able to obtain a U.S. Passport, do you? The Passport Agency has received great praise from document security specialists all over the world and views the prevention of Passport fraud as a key ongoing priority.

3. Fees help fund passport infrastructure and service.
Offering more timely service to the traveling public is always a number one priority at the Passport Agency Office, but it is equally as important to maintain high standards for adjudication in accordance with US citizenship laws.

4. Millions of Passports are requested each year.
The demand for passports has increased to an average of 15 million per year in recent years. For example, in FY 2005, the Passport Agency issued 10.1 million passports, 18.4 million in FY 2007; and they predict to issue over 15 million in FY 2010. The new fees will help them to increase their presence in underserved areas such as communities affected by the land border-crossing requirements associated with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. They expect to have 23
agencies providing emergency passport services to the general public, three high-volume application processing centers, and two large-scale document print centers by the end of FY 2010.

5. Passports are no longer used just for travel.
The U.S. Passport Book and U.S. Passport Card serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and identity for important purposes such as: work authorization and eligibility for many Federal benefits. Keep in mind that Adult U.S. Passport Books and U.S. Passport Cards are valid for 10 years, so paying these fees once every 10 years with all of the benefits listed above sounds not too shabby to us!

* Information for this post on Passport Agency Fees was obtained via the State Department website. For more details, please visit www.state.gov. If you need to change to your married name on your U.S. Passport, check out MissNowMrs.com/Passport-Name-Change.aspx for the inside scoop!

5 Newlywed Rules to Throw Out the Window

One of the most annoying things that will happen to you upon becoming a newlywed is receiving unwanted, unsolicited advice from other people (both single and married)! They will bombard you with all of the ‘Newlywed Rules’ and tell you how to live your life the ‘right way’ in order to be happy. My question is: How do they know what makes you and/or your spouse happy? And what’s with the cookie-cutter way of living life, anyway?! Some of the most common rules are as follows along with reasons why you don’t have to follow them:

Rule #1: Spend All Free Time Together
We are hoping that you already realize that this is not possible and could be quite boring! If you DO end up spending ALL your free time together you’re not only going to run out of interesting things to talk about, but you will also lose touch with your family and friends. You may also find yourselves fighting more because you are sick of each other! So, get out once in awhile and enjoy catching up with friends or having time to yourself!

Rule #2: Stop Hanging Out with your Single Friends
Wait, what?! The idea that you and your spouse are a married couple and should work on replacing your single friends with other married couples is just ridiculous. It’s a great idea to have a mix of married and single friends so that when you decide to host a dinner or Super Bowl party there’s more than just one ‘type’ of person in your crowd. It will make for more interesting and dynamic conversation and an overall better time!

Rule #3: You Must go Out on Dates to be Happy
While my husband and I stick to having at least one Date Night per week (we don’t have children yet—and realize that it gets trickier when you add them to the mix), it is not necessary that you and your spouse go OUT on a date each week. Date Night doesn’t always have to mean dinner at your favorite restaurant and a movie at your local theater (that could seriously put a strain on your budget)! Your date could consist of a night at home cuddled up on the couch with your spouse. Do what works for the two of you and don’t worry about what the definition of a date is to other couples.

Rule #4: You should both Share a Last Name/Bank Account/Gym or Country Club Membership/Etc.
Nowadays 86.6% of women change their name in some way due to marriage, but that doesn’t mean that you have to. Many women are opting to have 2 last names (with or without a hyphen) or to replace their middle name with their maiden name. Now men are even changing their last name to their wife’s last name upon marriage and some couples are changing both their last names to a new last name! With all these choices out there, why would you worry about what someone else wants you to do?

It’s okay if you and your spouse decide to keep your own last names or separate bank accounts and just split the bills in half. Believe me, companies are going to accept your payment whether it comes from one check or a combination of two checks—they just want the bill paid on-time! As for your gym membership–if you attend a private Yoga or Pilates class and your spouse has a membership at a different gym, don’t feel obligated to make changes to your fitness routine. Sometimes you can save money by combining your memberships, but if there’s not that big of a difference in price or you’re not worried about losing the money than keep attending your own classes (and consider it ME time)!

Rule #5: Make a 5-Year Plan
If you are the type of person who sets goals and has a better chance of achieving them by writing them down on paper, than do it! Some people tend to stress out if they don’t reach their goals in the time they allotted to do so and end up dwelling on the idea of failure when this happens. If you are more-likely to freak out if you miss a deadline, then making a 5-year plan could be a bad idea for you. You will drive your spouse crazy with your what ifs, should have, could have, would haves! Why not just enjoy the first few years of marriage without having to worry about your deadlines to: buy a house, start a new career, start a family, go on a 2-week European vacation, etc.?

We spend so much time worrying about someone else’s idea and vision of the perfect life that we forget to just LIVE ours! Remember, it doesn’t matter what other people are doing to make their marriages work because they aren’t a part of yours. No two marriages are exactly alike and what works your grandparents, parents, in-laws and friends may not work for you. So, focus on making sure you and your spouse are happy. Keep communicating, laughing, loving, and enjoying your fabulous life together!

We’d love hear what crazy ‘Newlywed Rules’ you’ve heard since your nuptials. Leave us a comment below and start a discussion with other Newlyweds!

3 Secrets to Preventing Newlywed Weight Gain

After your fiancé pops the question, there are a million thoughts that immediately run through your head, and then the planning begins! Along with the preparation for a wedding, most newlyweds also begin physically preparing themselves to fit into the wedding attire they’ve always dreamed of. This is usually accomplished through strict dieting and long hours at the gym! You probably haven’t thought about newlywed weight gain. Have you?

Well, what happens after the wedding? Your time is no longer consumed with wedding plans and it can be very easy to put on those extra few pounds, so get your spouse on board with you and come up with a diet and fitness plan to suit the both of you!

Healthy lifestyle tips and sites to help avoid newlywed weight gain

1. Healthy eating is an important concept when trying to loose or maintain your weight, but shopping healthy is probably the most important! If you and your spouse decide to establish a healthy lifestyle and learn to eat healthy early on in your marriage, it’s easier to maintain this habit down the road! Find yourself some healthy recipes, and construct your grocery list from there. Check out one of my favs: EatingWell.com. Try to stay away from the junk when you’re shopping; this is a true test of will-power ladies. As you know the more accessible it is, the more frequently you’re going to help yourself and indulge! And remember the golden rule… do not go grocery shopping when hungry!

2. If you’re like me, then you’ve tried every diet regimen out there and have completely exhausted your ‘dieting’ efforts, and now realize that not all diets were made for every BODY, because not all bodies are created equal, so decide what works best for you! Diets are often times short-lived, so just deciding to eat healthy, and watching portion sizes can be the key. Check out WebMD’s breakdown of healthy eating and diet. Sign up for their email newsletter and you’ll receive some cool healthy recipe ideas as well!

3. Some of you may already have your own routine at the gym and enjoy your alone time when exercising, but working out a few days with your spouse will give you the extra push your body needs. If you’re not a gym go-er, home video workouts is the new craze to really whip yourself into shape. If this is something you and your hubby can both commit to, it can be a fun activity and improve on teamwork! My personal favorite is: BeachBody.com.

Regardless of how you choose to exercise, it is important to find something you love. Remember to switch up your workout so that you’re not just going through the motions, so-to-speak, but also giving your fitness level an extra push! The summer months are the perfect time to take advantage of the warm weather when you have the opportunity, and plan your workout, outdoors! For some fitness tips and tricks around newlywed weight gain, check out what Self has to say.

Whatever you decide to do, do it together, you’ll be appreciative of each other’s support and establish a long, happy… healthy life together! You can also work together on your name change using our 20 step name change checklist.

Registry Entertaining: What to do with ALL of the new stuff in your kitchen!

Don’t miss our tips for registry entertaining! Newlywed bliss and tons of newlywed gifts…sounds great right? Now that you’re moved in and opened all the wedding gifts, you may be wondering “Why did I ever register for this?”. Most newlywed couples will agree that they might have gotten a tiny bit overzealous with the registry gun and may have even ended up with everything they asked for! Not to worry…we’ve come up with a few tips and ideas on how to utilize all the sparkly new kitchen equipment stuffed in your cabinets.

Blender: So you’re looking at your top-of-the-line blending technology in awe and wonder….and possibly wondering what to make first. While your first inclination might be a margarita, there are so many things you can make instead! Work your inner kitchen diva and whip up a batch of spicy summer gazpacho shooters. Williams-Sonoma has a great recipe that you can use the next time you end up hosting a neighborhood BBQ. You could also use your new blender to jump start a healthy summer diet with fresh fruit protein smoothies in the morning. Missing your girlfriends? Blend up one or more of the facial recipes at Hello Glow and invite them over for a fun face mask and a movie! If that margarita still sounds best…..you could surprise your best friend or hubby with an impromptu fiesta and let go amigo!

Panini Press: These great little machines elevate the sandwich from boring lunch option to savory party fare. Panini parties make for really simple and really fun registry entertaining! Invite a few friends over and lay out several sandwich ingredients for them to choose from. You can pick a theme to make the entire party/meal flow together, such as Italian Summer or All American. With the Italian theme you could serve any of the following: Italian sodas and wine for beverages, chicken, prosciutto, salami, any selection of Italian cheeses, roasted red peppers, fresh basil or fresh sage for sandwiches and then tiramisu for dessert! Worried you don’t know how to use your press? Sounds like a great time to do a test run dinner with your spouse. Have them read the instructions while you assemble two sandwiches. Pop them in the press and watch the clock. You’ll have a mini dinner party for two in minutes!

Wine Decanter: – Not only does this glassware improve the taste and bouquet of red wine, it also looks great as a wine bar or kitchen shelf decoration. Don’t pack your decanter away somewhere. Display it and be inspired to enjoy a nice glass of wine with your mate. Decanters improve even inexpensive bottles of wine, so take twenty minutes and unwind with your spouse tonight after work…just because you can!

Have you done any registry entertaining of your own? We’d love for you to share your tips and ideas in comment below.