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!

Last Chance to Win Our Custom Thank You Note Giveaway!

As we mentioned in our earlier thank you note post, there are many ways to show your appreciation to your guests and thank them for their generosity on your special day. By now you’re probably sick of hearing about proper etiquette and rules on how to: (go ahead fill-in the blank) be the best bride, to act, to address your envelopes, etc. That being said, we’ve decided to compile a short list on what we’ve found to be the best practices in composing Thank You Notes (not to tell you what to do, but rather to provide you with some guidance)!

Best Practices:
Address envelopes and write out Thank You notes to people as soon as they send you a gift. Some guests send gifts prior to the wedding; which allows you to get a head start on this seemingly endless task.
Have a realistic plan of attack (i.e. complete 25 notes per day until they are finished) rather than attempting to write them all in one sitting. This way you will be sure to write from the heart, in your neatest handwriting; which your guests will surely appreciate. After all, what good is a Thank You note if they can’t read what you wrote?
Try your best to adhere to the “rule” of getting Thank You notes out in a timely manner:

within 2 weeks of receiving a gift (if received prior to the wedding)
within a month after you return from your honeymoon (for gifts received at the wedding)

Be as specific as possible when thanking your guest for gifts (with the exception of monetary gifts—there’s no need to say thank you for the $250).
Are you clueless as to what to write? Try using our samples as a guide to get you started or at least point you in the right direction!

Thank You Samples:
For a Monetary Gift: Thank you so much for your generous monetary gift! We are planning to use it when we buy our new house. Again, we thank you for your thoughtful gift and for sharing our special day with us. Love, Jane and Bill
For a Gift (whether from your registry or not): Thank you so much for the martini glasses, we now have everything we need for our next cocktail party! We hope to enjoy them with you when you visit us. Again, we thank you for thinking of us and for being a part of our most special time. Love, Jane and Bill

Anxious to win 100 of the custom photo thank you notes shown in this post’s picture? Click here for the contest details and leave a comment on this, or any of our thank you note posts on Mondays this month and you’ll be automatically entered to win. The randomly selected contest winner will be announced on August 31^st!! 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!

New Wife, New Life: New Wardrobe?

The saying goes, “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover;” but we know that unfortunately it can be hard not to! I was recently hanging clean laundry up in our walk-in closet, when I realized that some of my husband’s clothes looked seriously faded and old. I thought to myself, “He is in desperate need of new shirts!”

I bet if you took a look at what you’re wearing right now or thought about what you enjoy wearing, you too could find a good excuse for some new attire. It’s a fact, men do not like to go shopping like women do; which is fine, but there comes a time when you NEED to purchase yourself some new stuff—and I’m not referring to electronics or the latest video game (nice try though)! After work or on the weekends, you have your go-to outfits of t-shirts and jeans or maybe a pair of sweat pants or mesh shorts that you choose to wear as often as possible.

Chances are that you have a specific dress code required for work, whether it’s a suit and tie or uniform of some sort; which means that the last thing you want is a “uniform” or “dress code” for your home life. That’s not what I’m alluding to here at all, so no need to worry! I am, however; suggesting that it might be time to donate some of your go-to t-shirts such as: your FBI (Female Body Inspector) t-shirt, your I heart Atari t-shirt and your VANS sneakers to a teenage boy in need of your old wardrobe. While these items are a token of your youth, they don’t exactly spell-out mature, sophisticated, married man.

If you can’t imagine getting rid of your favorite childhood t-shirts [that somehow miraculously still fit you], then perhaps you should limit how often you wear them (i.e. wear them only to bed, to the gym, or better yet, put them away for when you have a son someday). Your wife loves you and has vowed to love you “til death do you part,” so she’ll no doubt still love you in your Superman t-shirt and jeans—but do her a favor and put on a nice button down shirt, polo or sweater when her family or friends stop by—she’ll greatly appreciate your effort!

And if you don’t, you may find that your favorite t-shirt has mysteriously disappeared. Gentlemen, please do your ladies a favor and get shopping! Check out your local Outlets for bargain prices on your favorite brands. Women LOVE shopping, so I’m sure your wife will have no problem being your Personal Shopper—just say the word and fork over the credit card!

What is/was your favorite piece of clothing to wear (i.e. t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.)? What does/did it say and why is/was it your favorite? Share your stories of Batman Boxers or Thunder Cats sweatshirts that your wife had no choice, but to hide from you! Please leave your comments below and enjoy a laugh with us!

Creating Newlywed Traditions

Are you creating newlywed traditions? Years from now, when you’re hopefully sitting on a porch swing hand-in-hand with your grey haired partner you’ll look back on your newlywed days and smile. One of the best parts of being a newlywed couple is creating your own inside jokes, stories and traditions. All of these will accrue over time, but it is important to prioritize making your own traditions as you make your way through married life together.

Compare Traditions
Did your hubby wake up the morning of each birthday with his favorite breakfast and then a small present before school or the party? Did you always go shopping with your father to find a perfect Christmas gift for your mom? Sharing these stories brings you closer to your mate and can help both of you understand how to best “spoil” the other on a special day. If you re-create a special childhood tradition for your mate, they will be completely touched by the gesture and thrilled that you listened to them.

Plan an Adventure
What was the craziest trip or adventure you went on as a child or young adult? I bet you can remember every detail, still. Your newlywed years are the perfect time to create your own adventure stories. Climb a mountain, go white water rafting or take a series of tango classes. Try something new to both of you that will test your limits mentally, physically or both! The result of this stretch as a couple is a fantastic adventure to cherish for a lifetime.

Combine Family Traditions
If you always had pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but your significant other was raised on chocolate meringue pie make both for your own holiday or try a combination chocolate pumpkin pie (delicious)! Understanding the importance of family rituals and incorporating each others, will only add to the richness of your own family.

Create a Tradition All Your Own
This can be as simple as always kissing each other before going to sleep or you could apply your tradition to another part of daily life. You could have coffee on the deck together every Sunday and read the paper, walk through a neighborhood park as each season changes, or make a fancy dinner together one night a month. The key is doing something you both like, together, over and over again. Before you know it, you’ll look back and realize you’ve had a tradition for years!

How are you creating newlywed traditions with your spouse? We’d love for you to share a comment with us!

Win over $350 Worth of Custom Photo Thank You Notes

The ring, the engagement, the dress, the wedding, the reception…everything has been about you (and hopefully your man too) for so long that you may forget when the honeymoon is over it’s time to snap back to reality! That’s right, the two of you ripping through your wrapped presents like kids on Christmas Day is over and now comes the somewhat tedious, however very necessary task of writing out Thank You Notes. One of the first things you should be thinking about upon returning from your fabulous honeymoon is Thank You Notes. I cannot tell you how important it is to make sure your guests (family and friends alike) know how truly thankful you both are that they attended your wedding and gave you a gift to celebrate your marriage.

There are so many ways to say Thank You to your friends and family: a hand-written card, a wedding photo of yourselves or a printed Thank You note/card ordered from your favorite printing company. Some people are lucky enough to have Thank You notes included in their photography packages, but either way it is a must do sooner rather than later!

What you’ll need:
A list of your guests’ addresses and the gift they gave you. You’ll need it for obvious reasons (to write out the thank you note, but don’t forget to check the name off once you’ve completed it to avoid writing duplicates or worse forgetting someone).

Wedding Stationery: monogrammed cards (what a cute way to show off your married name) or photo cards (to be proudly displayed on refrigerators across the country). You can rest assure that your guests will have nice things to say about your Thank You notes as long as you have invested in a quality stationery set.

A good pen that won’t leave blotchy ink marks ruining your stationery.
A place away from food and drink (well, be careful with that glass of wine!) to write out your cards. I remember sitting at a table listening to music (and singing along) while writing out my Thank You notes—good times!

You could write them on the plane to and from your honeymoon if you wish and come home to drop them in the mail and be done with them or you could write them while watching your favorite movie or TV show in the background. It really doesn’t matter where you write them as long as you get them done in a timely manner!

Newlyweds Save Now, Retire Early

What would it be like to save now, retire early? I know what you’re thinking to yourself right now, I’m too young to be thinking about retirement, but the truth is…you’re not! As a matter of fact, it’s never too early to be thinking about retirement. After all, doesn’t everyone think of the Golden Years of living life however we choose to, enjoying our grandchildren, not having to answer to anyone or set an alarm clock to get up in the morning?!

I recently came across this article “Secrets of Extreme Savers” and thought wow, I wish I could be so disciplined to save my money and retire early. However, I enjoy shopping (a bit too much according to my spouse, but that’s a whole other topic)! We could all make at least one change to our expenses that would greatly help us in years to come.

Consider these few things and your Golden Years don’t have to be age 60+:
Lower your daily expenses: Hand-me-downs are one of the best ways to save money as a parent. As a newlywed, you may not have children yet so let me talk in a language that you may better understand. Avoid top-of-the-line designer boutiques and fancy restaurants that are often way overpriced and offer much of the same things that you can get at a lower cost restaurant. Try shopping at Loehmann’s, Filene’s Basement or T.J. Maxx the next time you need a new pair of shoes or slacks. Instead of bar-hopping or going out to your favorite club every weekend, try hosting a “happy hour” with friends at your house, asking everyone to bring their favorite bottle or drink…saving all of you from having to pay the costly bar tab and tip the bartender!

Pay in cash to avoid debt: If you want something, save your money until you have enough to pay in cash or by personal check for that item. Believe it or not people have done it (even to buy cars and houses!) ultimately, avoiding high interest rates on bank loans and credit cards.

Live Below Your Means: Just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you have to buy it! A vacation to your local beach or a free museum could be just as fun for you (and your children) as a lavish 5 star resort without the cost. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that there is a difference between your dream vacation and a day-trip to your local amusement park, but isn’t the point to enjoy quality time with your family anyway?

Avoid instant gratification purchases: Similar to how people lose weight by waiting 15 minutes before indulging in junk food to see if they still need it or want it. Try waiting a few months before purchasing anything over $50-$100 to see if you still want it. You may find that you don’t need it and save yourself the money for something you truly need (or want) later on down the road.

Stretch a Dollar: Many companies offer rebates on their products and you would be surprised by how many people don’t take advantage of getting their money back! Take the time to complete the rebate form and mail it in for your money. Another way to stretch a dollar is to use credit card reward points to purchase airline tickets or book hotel rooms for “free.” Some restaurants will offer you a coupon for your next visit just for taking the time to review their services, so take advantage and you could be dining out on them, rather than on you!

One thing to keep in-mind, the more you save now, the earlier you and your partner will be able to retire. Here’s a great list of 92 Painless Money-Saving Tips for you to check out. Live a financially fit life and you could start reaping the benefits earlier than you think!

What do you and your partner do with the concept of save now, retire early in mind? Share your saving tips with us and other readers, leave a comment below!