Name Change Advice

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 Disaster

Have you ever thought about newlywed disaster? Imagine that you and your fiancé spend time and money planning your dream honeymoon/vacation. After countless conversations and daydreaming about how you’re going to have the time of your lives, it doesn’t go as planned.

Well, that’s just what happened to a newlywed couple. An article about a newlywed couple from Sweden who survived their honeymoon. I know what you’re thinking, isn’t that the goal for everyone/don’t we all survive our honeymoons? Well, yes, but most people’s biggest honeymoon nightmare is rainy weather, not a major snowstorm, a tsunami, 2 earthquakes, catastrophic flooding and a cyclone!

Can you imagine it? You set off on what you think will be the trip of a lifetime (a 4 month long honeymoon) with your love to Germany, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan only to be hit with just about every natural disaster known to man! YIKES!!!

While a bad trip is hardly the worst thing that can happen in life, it made me think about marriage and how my husband and I, like all brides and grooms dreamed that married life would be perfect. There’s NO WAY that Swedish newlywed couple thought their honeymoon would be anything less than blissful!

Newlyweds can be naïve or as I like to put it…overly optimistic! There’s nothing wrong with a positive attitude or outlook on life; however, you want to prepare yourselves for when something in your life doesn’t turn out as planned. If not, any negative situation will feel overwhelming like a ton of bricks on you and/or your marriage.

We all go through things in our lives that are certainly not what we planned or hoped, but we make it through and often times come out on the other side stronger, more passionate and better people.

That happens in all marriages too! I’m sure you know at least one couple and have heard unpleasant stories about something that happened in their marriage or to someone they know (i.e. constant fighting, gambling, debt, illness, drug/alcohol problems, infidelity, or divorce).

It’s a known (and unfortunate) fact that not all marriages last forever, but that doesn’t mean that you and your spouse won’t have a long, happy and healthy marriage. You will have to work for it, letting your spouse know each and every day that he/she means the world to you (most importantly…be thankful for the little things).

In our marriage vows we state that we will love one another “in good times and in bad,” so just remember that always. However horrible the bad times may be (whether it’s a bad honeymoon, an illness, loss of job, etc.) think about what brought you together in the first place and remind yourself of the love you shared on your wedding day. Reminiscing about the days you had butterflies in your stomach just being around each other and how far you’ve come will help you get through anything.

Do you have a newlywed disaster story…Or a tough marriage moment? How did you make it through? Share your thoughts with us…

Newlywed Solutions For Juggling Family Celebrations

It’s the beginning of April…time for the panic of realizing that it’s time for juggling family celebrations. For some, the decision is easy and natural, but for most, especially newlyweds, there is a lot of room for hurt feelings and resentment. If you and your spouse are on your way to happily ever after, then both of you must face the realization that with marriage comes compromise and that will become most apparent during holiday celebrations.

Whether an Easter Sunday dinner, Passover or a giant gathering around the Thanksgiving table, holidays are often the setting for the happiest and most memorable moments of childhood. So, it makes complete sense that you’ll feel sad at having to say goodbye to the ways of your childhood in order to make room for an expanding family.

But like it or not, if you want your marriage to have a solid foundation, you will be making holiday compromises very soon. That isn’t to say that you have to bid farewell to the traditions of your family all together. The great thing about holidays is that there are enough to go around. Even if your parents and your in-laws live hundreds or thousands of miles apart, a plan can be made to ensure that some of the customs of your family are experienced even after marriage.

For those who are fortunate enough to have both sets of parents within a near vicinity, the decision making does not have to be so difficult. Even if dinners are scheduled for the same time on the same day, it is possible to dine with one family and share dessert with the other. This can become habit and the parts played can be rotated each year, so both families’ traditions can be welcomed and appreciated.

As for those who have miles separating relatives, the decision may be more difficult, but not impossible. Perhaps your spouse favors his family’s Thanksgiving traditions and you would rather hold onto the Christmastime festivities. In this case spend the first holiday with his or her parents and the second with yours. If this is not the case, then consider cycling. Thanksgiving and Easter with your parents this year and Christmas and New Years with his or hers, but next year those occasions are switched.

The most important thing to remember is that while every couple is different, almost every newlywed makes accommodations around the holidays. Find a routine that works and stick with it so they can be times of celebration, rather than repeated times of stress each year.

What solutions have you come up with to keep both your families happy but also to keep your sanity? Do you cycle, alternate or just have everyone come over to your house? Are your parents or in-laws divorced, causing even more ways to split the holidays? We’d love for you to let us know your solutions for juggling family celebrations in a comment.

Hot Newlywed Sex: Yes Please!

Let’s hear it for newlywed sex! I just read a reporter’s request for feedback from women who have tried the “new trend” of having testosterone pellets implanted under the skin of their backs to increase their libidos. Who does that?! As newlyweds, we’re a blessed segment of the population when it comes to hot sex and its frequency. That being said, who doesn’t want a little boost in the bedroom? Here are few non-surgical ideas to try out the next time you’re looking for inspiration.

Steamy Movie Scene – Pick a favorite steamy scene from a movie you’ve both watched and try it out. Need some suggestions? Choose something from Jerry Maguire, Unfaithful, Pretty Woman (if you’re a die-hard romantic) or Eyes Wide Shut. I’m sure your hubby might be able to help select a scene too!

Body Paint – Get in touch with your artsy/sexy side with a chocolate body paint kit. You can decorate each others bodies and lick it off, or decorate your own bodies and surprise each other with the results. Arrows pointing to certain places can act as a sensual guide for your amour.

Raincoat Moment – This is a risky maneuver, but if you pull it off it will be something your spouse talks about for the rest of his life. If your man has his own office (with a lock), show up to take him out to lunch in a raincoat, a pair of heels and nothing else. Obviously you’re not going to actually have lunch! Please weigh the possibilities of being caught in the act and possible unemployment before trying this one.

Somewhere Different – You know how vacation sex is always a little more fabulous? Part of that has to do with “doing it” in new surroundings. Book a room at a boutique hotel or set up a romantic scene in your attic as a surprise for your mate.

Wig Out – This suggestion might not work for everyone, but consider purchasing a wig that is radically different from your normal hair. If you’ve got short black hair go for long and blonde and if you’ve got long brown hair, go for short and red. You’ll get to feel like a totally different woman and your husband will get to experience sex with a totally different you!

What are you steamy secrets for keeping newlywed sex hot? Share a PG-13 comment with our readers today!

April Showers

You all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers”…but it’s still depressing to look out your window and see mostly rain (or snow) for a month. What’s a rained-in newlywed couple to do? We’ve compiled a list of fun rainy-day activities for you and your spouse. Try one or more to feel happier the next time the weatherman is calling for a storm.

Have a Classic Movie Marathon – Cuddle up on the couch and watch a piece of cinema history like Casablanca or Roman Holiday. You could pick a particular actor/actress and watch a series of their movies. Who cares if it’s raining when you’re transported into another time right along with your hubby.

Make Something Fabulous – Take your rainy day as inspiration to make something gourmet. As you go through the steps of a more complicated recipe you can anticipate an amazing meal with your partner. Consider sending him out for an interesting bottle of wine and/or dessert that will pair well with your menu and then enjoy!

Play a Board Game– Dig around your house for some games to play inside or take a trip to Target to pick up some of your childhood favorites. You can swap stories about epic Monopoly battles with your siblings or how you learned to cheat at Candy Land.

Take a Shower – Speaking of showers, why not take one together? Add a few drops of aromatherapy oil to take your experience from ordinary to spa-like. You might even end up thinking of a few more Spring-inspired activities while you’re in there!

Plan a Party – Stuck at home while it rains? Turn your extra time into a theme party or BBQ for your friends and neighbors when the sun comes back out. Check out Real Simple for some fun BBQ recipes and ideas. Just the thought of grilling should make you feel sunnier.

What do you end up doing during April showers? We’d love for you to share some of your bad-weather activities in a comment.

Ahh, Never a Dull Newlywed Moment!

So you fell in love with your spouse for so many different reasons, and at this point you’ve been together long enough that nothing should come as a surprise to you, right?! You’re married, and have already proven yourself to be this incredible wife (which you knew you would be)… however, were you prepared for the unspoken duties that were to come?!

Life is full of surprises, and not all things are easy and enjoyable. In fact, some things in life may even become repetitive and somewhat annoying, specifically for me, its household chores! So, let me begin with this disclaimer: I am so in love with my husband, and to his defense, he often times will help out with responsibilities around the house which I’m so thankful for! However, (not that I’m keeping track), but here is a list of…Are you kidding me moments…that I hope other wives can commiserate with:

1. Have you slowly started finding yourself picking up the empty dishes around the house, finding the scattered socks that never made it to the hamper, or the dirty tissues lying on the coffee table like it’s now the trash can?
2. Tell me you see the crumbs on the counter from the sandwich you just made…or should we get your eyes checked?!
3. We’re women, and when we’re sick we go to the Dr., right? Men- don’t go to the Dr. unless you give them an ultimatum, and/or schedule an appointment for them and drive them there! It is in your best interest to schedule this appointment sooner rather than later, as most men don’t seem to handle sickness quite like women do!
4. Hello, toilet seat!? OK, I’m not even going to get into this one!
5. My hubby helps me with some cleaning around the house so no complaints there, and I actually enjoy doing the cleaning myself, except for the bathrooms of course, so please tell me how does one manage to pee on the back of the toilet seat?!
6. Shaving cream goes on your face (for the most part) right? So how does it always end up splattered across the bathroom mirror?
7. Please check your pockets for gum, pens, etc…before giving me your laundry?!

Remember, life wouldn’t be half as interesting if all things were perfect, so be thankful for the small things in life that keep you on your toes, and make you the fabulous wife that you are! Now, here is your chance to let it all out, so please share with us the things that really grind your gears!