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!

Could This Be The Perfect Time for a Weekend Getaway?

Have you made time for a weekend getaway? Remember when you and your spouse were dating and you would surprise each other with planning something special for just the two of you? Maybe you would make a special meal for them and the two of you would spend quality time at home together or they would plan a weekend getaway for the two of you to enjoy a mini-vacation. Think long and hard–when was the last time that you actually enjoyed uninterrupted quality time together?

Money might be tight right now (since you just had a wedding, or maybe you bought a home.) But that’s no reason to forego planning a weekend away. It doesn’t have to be any where extravagant to be a good time.

So, here are a few ideas for a weekend getaway (some more budget-friendly than others, but all are sure to be a great time for the just the two of you)!

Spend the night at a Bed and Breakfast or your favorite hotel: If you ‘re lucky enough to live in the country or a mountainous area a Bed and Breakfast could be one of the most romantic places to go for the weekend. You get to ‘feel like home,’ but without the stresses of cleaning or cooking dinner.

Plan a Spa Weekend: Set up an appointment for a couple’s massage and the two of you could lie there and forget all your worries while someone takes care of your muscles. Check out spaweek.com for reputable spas near you!

Plan a Camping Trip: All you need is a tent and a sleeping bag (or two) and you could look at the stars all night while indulging in some delicious s ‘mores.

If a weekend away is too much you could try these one day adventures:
Visit a Local Amusement Park: Stop denying yourself of your inner-child! Everyone remembers when they were young and how much fun it was to ride the roller coaster over and over again.
Plan a Picnic: Visit a local park and have a picnic lunch or dinner. You could go bike riding or hiking while you’re there too; which allows the two of you to enjoy your time together and counts as your cardio workout for the day!
Visit a Local Winery: Lots of wineries offer free tastings and most don’t even require a reservation! If your winery has a deck/patio with tables, you could purchase your favorite bottle and enjoy it with some cheeses, grapes and snacks from home—just pack a small cooler!

No matter how busy your lives may seem, always remember that your relationship should come first. It’s not always that easy, but if you make it a point to surprise each other once in awhile with something fun, you’ll both truly appreciate it!

Date Night Spice

Do you need some date night spice? How many times do you and your spouse find yourselves attending the same restaurants, and maybe even ordering the same meals!? Sometimes you may find your marriage and your life in general to be some-what of a routine… and routine is GOOD, but once in awhile you need to spice-it-up a bit! When you have a night to yourselves and are pondering over one of your select favorite restaurants to have dinner, instead… plan a date night with spice!

You say, well I’m married now, we don’t “date” – sure you do! Pick a theme, dress accordingly and go out for the evening! Here are just a few ideas for you! Discuss them with your spouse and get them all pumped up about it—they will appreciate a change from a nice dinner and bottle of wine!

Mini Golf and Ice Cream– its casual and a fun summer evening activity, or instead hit the driving range; it’s a great aggression reliever. Here’s a mini golf locator!
Pizza and Comedy– this too can be a bit more casual and you can enjoy some spontaneous laughter together either at a comedy club or at the movies (or if you’re on a budget—in the comfort of your own home)!
Beer, Wings, and Pool– visit the bar on the corner that you wouldn’t normally frequent for a nice evening out, make sure to dress accordingly, and bring some cash for the jukebox- this will be something you’ll do again!
Outdoor Stroll – enjoy the beautiful summer nights, and check out the local events in your area, this is the time you will find outdoor festivals, shows, and concerts. Hey, you might even get to know your neighbors, strolling around the block a time or two!
Bring on the Romance– Decide to try a new restaurant tonight, and get all dressed-up! It’s even more fun if you get ready in a separate room, meet him in the car, and just see where the night takes you!
At-Home-Date– don’t feel like leaving the house? Turn on some tunes, set the table (not the coffee table) or have a backyard picnic and let him cook for you—and if that doesn’t work, pizza always does!
Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away! So enjoy your fabulous married life, and do so happily in love!

3 Secrets Every Newlywed Couple Needs to Maintain Happiness for a Lifetime

What’s the secret to maintain happiness in your marriage? As you return from your honeymoon, unpack your wedding gifts and begin settling into married life, you most likely start asking yourself if you and your partner will be as happy now as you were when you first met, fell in love and spent every single minute together as a pair.

Suddenly, you start imagining the worst – you and your spouse, bored with married life, unhappy and grumpy. The key to a happy marriage? Stop the negative thinking! Many couples stay happy together through the years, in spite of occasional arguments, financial difficulties or other hardships, because they work on keeping their marriage happy. “Happiness maintenance” should be a couple’s joint chore and you can achieve great success in performing it if you know these three simple secrets.

1. Understand what makes both you and your hubby happy. If you are an avid shopper and a shoe sale at Saks makes your heart beat faster and instantly fills you with glee, your new partner may not share your sentiments. Don’t be completely selfish. Instead, focus on mutual interests and activities that can fulfill both of you. Whether it is traveling, watching sports or decorating your house – try to do more of what makes the two of you happy! Once you do, you will realize that your marriage is becoming a more rewarding and peaceful journey every day.

2. Know that everyone argues, so when you have your first argument as a married couple, don’t automatically assume something horrible is happening. Communication is key and sometimes it can come in the form of an argument, but remember – never go to bed angry! “Finish” your argument by sincerely apologizing and assuring that both of you understand where the other person was coming from. You can agree to disagree on occasion, but carrying anger over to the bedroom is the worst thing a newlywed couple can do.

3. Remember how you felt that first time you heard “I love you” from your now partner-for-life? The bliss of that moment may have worn off, but the meaning and significance of these three little words never did, and you surely appreciate every opportunity to hear them. So does your spouse! Never pass a chance of saying “I love you” not just to remind him of how you feel but to give your husband a feeling of happiness! While the words are great, little “I love you” surprises are even better. Send your man a romantic text, make him heart shaped cookies or hide a love note somewhere you know he’ll find it and smile. Remember, love is all you need!

What small things have you done to maintain happiness in your marriage lately? Were any a huge hit or a total miss? We’d love to know!

Why Man Space Has Nothing to Do with Your Marriage

Have you heard of man space? We all have personal space (and need it) and when someone violates the unspoken rule of ‘not invading someone’s personal space’ we tend to feel strong emotions about it. We expect people to adhere to these unwritten rules because they go along with our perception of protection and safety in our environment, right?

While you and your spouse may not need to follow unspoken rules to feel protected or safe you still expect one another to respect your personal space. Women tend to be the interior decorators in the home and like to have everything just so (matching and coordinating EVERYTHING and worrying about how it all looks), causing some men to long for Man Space.

What is Man Space and why is it necessary, you ask? It’s a place where your man doesn’t need to worry about anyone else’s needs, but his own. He can mix and match old college furniture, his favorite childhood bean bag and have a huge TV with ugly speakers and not have to worry about what you think about it. He can play video games, watch the movies HE wants to watch, not clean-up after himself immediately upon finishing a snack or scratch his butt (if he wants to) without worrying about offending anyone!

Some of the most common places to create Man Space are a garage, a basement, or even a shed in the backyard. Believe it or not some couples are actually basing their home-buying decision on whether or not there’s enough room to create Man Space. They are even making some eye-popping changes to create the ideal man cave such as; sports themed rooms, putting in a bar and pool table as well as in-home theatre and surround-sound systems! So, you’re thinking “how does having Man Space for my husband help me,” right?!

Here are a couple reasons why allocating space specifically for your man is a great idea—for BOTH of you.

Keeps him at home not at the bar: You don’t really want him lounging around at the local bar all the time, do you? He can enjoy himself just as much with a beer in-hand in his new man cave!

Guys night at your house, rather than at that single friend’s house you’re not so sure you trust: Think about it…if your man has his own room where his buddies can come over and enjoy watching sports while downing a few brews they won’t be bugging your husband to go out on the town so often.

No arguments over what to watch on TV or him making a mess of the room you JUST cleaned: Lets face it, you like to watch Oprah, or Lifetime (what my husband refers to as “the man hater channel”) or What Not to Wear and he wants to watch Sports Center, Law & Order and the big game. You see how creating a space just for him will allow for each of you to enjoy some ME time indulging in your favorite guilty pleasures?!

He needs to catch up on work emails and you just want to exercise and listen to music: Cyndi Lauper was onto something with “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” If your husband has a room where he can handle his business and you can blare music and dance around the house without bothering him, isn’t it worth it?!

When you started reading this post you might have been thinking, “Why do men need a room solely for them?” What are you thinking now? We’d love for you to share your thoughts and stories on Man Space, and why it’s necessary for the both of you, so leave a comment below!

Social Security Name Change: 3 Things the S.S. Office Will NEVER Tell You!

If you’re interested in Social Security name change, you must have decided to change your name in some way after your marriage…so congratulations! The first step on you quest to become a Mrs. is to complete and file your SS-5 Social Security form. Many states require that you file your Social Security form 24 hours before changing your name on your driver’s license, or anything else. Other state offices must see your new married name on your Social Security card before they will file your other name-change forms. It’s very important to understand your state’s policies before you begin filing your forms, or you may end up making a very complicated process (married name-change) even more tedious!

If you’ve dug through your files and safety deposit box and can’t find your Social Security card with your maiden name on it, don’t panic. One of the most common married name change misconceptions is that you will need your old Social Security card to file for you new one. The truth is…you don’t!
You do need to find out your state’s policies on married name change. Some states recognize a woman’s right to change her middle name to her maiden name after marriage, and some do not. Depending on where you live, you may need to alter the married name you’d envisioned using, or contemplate a legal name change instead of a married name change to get the middle and last name combination you want. The Social Security office will allow you to change your middle name to your maiden name on your Social Security card regardless of your state of residency. The result? If you live in a state that does not allow middle name change due to marriage you will have one married name on your Social Security card and a different one on U.S. Passport, state driver’s license, mortgage…ect! The resulting complications and confusion these differences can cause are unbelievable.
Most newlyweds are under the impression that they have to stand in an endless line at the Social Security office to file their name-change form and get their new Social Security card with their new married name. Guess what? You don’t! There is a mail-in filing option available for the SS-5 name change form. This option does involve sending some very important paperwork through the mail, so it is important to fully understand the process before you decide to take this route.

Now that you know the 3 things the Social Security office will never tell you, filing for your social security name change should go smoothly. Have you thought about filing all of your other name change forms?! If the entire married name change process seems overwhelming, again don’t panic! MissNowMrs is a married name change app and service designed to take newlyweds through ALL of the paperwork necessary to go from Miss to Mrs.!

Why spend hours trying to figure out this frustrating process when you could be focusing on the fun of being a newlywed? Let the MissNowMrs name change experts guide you through your married name change in half an hour!

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