Friends

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!

Best Bachelorette Party Idea We’ve Heard in Years!

Are you ready to read about the best bachelorette party idea?! As brides-to-be or newlyweds, most of us are at that time in our lives when virtually all of our friends (and their friends) are getting engaged. While it is amazing to watch friends meet and marry the loves of their lives, these events happening en mass can be a little overwhelming. Especially if you you begin to factor in each bride having an engagement party, bachelorette party, bridal shower(s) and of course a rehearsal dinner and wedding!

I love to throw a party, probably more than your average newlywed, but as you plan and/or host a multitude of wedding events for friends, you can run out of ideas. No one was to give their friend a boring run of the mill soiree, so what’s a girl to do? Get down on your knees and thank God for the invention of Pinterest!

While skimming through their site today, I ran across the most unique and fun bachelorette party theme I’ve seen in years. This concept appeals to the less girly of your friends who wants “something different” to celebrate her upcoming marriage. Have all the attendees purchase the ugliest bridesmaid dress GoodWill has to offer and then have a paintball fight while wearing them. The photos will be HILARIOUS and AMAZING (see above)!

Regardless of what theme(s) you choose for your friends’ parties, remember to enjoy this phase of your life. There is so much love to celebrate and there will only be a brief respite before….baby showers start happening!

Thanks to BrideTideBlog for pinning the photo that gave me the idea for the best bachelorette party idea.

Give We a Rest: A Guide to Maintaining Friendships Post Wedding

Your girlfriends are all happy that you’ve met the love of your life and tied the knot. Most, if not all of them, were there for your big day AND all of the days you spent planning it. Marriage changes a person, and your friends are adjusting to the new newlywed you. No need to make it harder for them.

Remember your single buds and to try not be “the nouveau newlywed.” You know, the girl who coordinates all of her outfits with her spouse, spends all of her time with him and can’t possibly have a conversation without overusing “we”. Examples: “We love that restaurant”, “We plan to move in the next few years”, “We think that you should date so and so.”

Make a point to go to brunch with the girls and listen to what is going on in their lives. Ask about their relationships and jobs. Seems simple, but in the midst of your newlywed bliss it is all too easy to skip out on all-girl outings or blabber entirely too much about how great love and marriage is (trust me they’re happy for you, but enough is enough).

Time spent and conversations had with your girlfriends are priceless. Allotting time and attention to them from the very start of your marriage will ensure that you don’t look around in two years and realize that you lost touch with the people that knew you best before “I do”. You’ll also get to smile and pass on this advice when those friends get married and can’t help the “we” speak!
Have you been caught up in “We-dom” or been guilty of it yourself? We’d love to hear all about it in a comment.

3 Unique Party Ideas to Get Rid of the January Blahs

Save your January with our 3 unique party ideas! The glamour, glitz and excitement of New Years have worn off, and now it’s just dreary mid-January. Much like the post-wedding blues, many newlyweds also experience a post-holiday slump. The solution? Planning a fun but low key party with friends! My favorite parties have a theme that gets guests excited and keeps me from worrying about party entertainment. Below are a few ideas (admittedly 2 were “borrowed” from my friend and amazing hostess Jill):

Favorite Things: Just like Oprah…only with a $5 to $10 limit. Figure out how many friends are attending and then have each guest bring one less than that number of their favorite things. You’ll have tons of fun unwrapping, explaining and using everyone’s favorite things. The party I attended resulting in cool nail polish, a miracle hangover cure, holiday socks, satin pillow cases and much more!

Spa/Slumber Party: Send out an evite to have all your girlfriends come over for a little pampering and a chic flick. Mud masks, nail painting, pizza and the latest girly movie will make this an event everyone can look forward too. Party favor idea: attach mini rhinestones to disposable toe separators…cute!

Swap Party: Plan a get together where you and your friends bring accessories to swap. It’s easiest to trade one size fit all items like scarves, jewelry and clutches. If you’re all similar sized, you can open it up to belts, jeans, etc. Everyone will leave with something “new to them” and a little more room in their closets!

Whatever kind of party you choose to plan, just having something to plan and knowing that you’ll be seeing a group of your friends will give you a much needed boost this January.
Please let me know your favorite of our 3 unique party ideas in a comment!

Being True to You After I Do: Maintaining Friendships

Friendship is a wonderful thing that can get a person through some of the roughest points he or she faces in life. Friends offer the shoulder to cry on, the tissue to dry the tears, and the invitation to fun activities that promote healing will, undoubtedly, hold great meaning for the rest of that person’s life. Unfortunately, maintaining a new marriage can often strain friendships and challenge them in ways that no one could quite expect. There are many reasons that this happens and it is a natural occurrence. For one thing, marriage changes the way that decisions are made. It is no longer a matter of what ‘I would like to do’ but rather a decision of what ‘we would like to do’. Furthermore, marriage often brings added responsibilities and a new group of people to spend time with. This doesn’t mean that a friendship ends when the words ‘I do’ are said, but that the relationship will require effort.

Scheduling – Time as a newlywed, must be split between the marriage, old friends, new friends, and family. Often the best way to maintain friendships with hurting your marriage is to schedule visits in advance. Whether the activities will be done as couples or just you will be attending, it is important to discuss them with your spouse to prevent calendar conflicts such as you planning to attend a girls’ happy hour on Friday but he promised that you’d both be at his mother’s dinner party. Newlyweds need to realize that there’s more than one person making plans!

Understanding How To Handle Change – As we grow up and get married, life changes happen. Some of those changes in direction will be pre-planned decisions and others might be unexpected. However, all can affect relationships, including those between you and your friends. The choice to start a family, to move, or even to change jobs can have major impact on the time you have available to spend with friends and also how your perspective aligns with theirs’. Being aware that changes will happen can make it easier to address them and even prevent them from causing issues within your friendships.

The Need for Boundaries – Though friendships are undeniably important, when you say your vows, you promise to think of your spouse first. Defining special times, places, and events that should be reserved for just the two of you is a good way to prevent hard feelings and big fights in the future. These boundaries will actually make it easier to maintain the friendship and balance it with the new life you have started with your spouse.
How do you maintain your friendships as a newlywed? Have you instituted a girls night in or Skype chats to stay connected? We’d love to hear your solutions and thoughts in a comment!

Fun & Festive Memorial Day Recipes

Do you have Memorial Day recipes to welcome summer? What better way to celebrate than with great food at a BBQ?! Whether you’re hosting, visiting with your in-laws or attending a friend’s party, here are a few great recipes with wow factor!

Fun: What says summer more than a BLT sandwich…I’d have to say these mini tomato BLT bites! Quick and super cute, these little stuffed tomatoes are guaranteed to be on everyone’s picnic plates and a topic of conversation. It’s always nice to be the newlywed who brought the amazing appetizer. 😉

Festive: Is there such a thing as a summer BBQ without Jello? Bring down the house wherever you bring this amazing patriotic flag cake complete with 2 types of Jello (I make one layer with blueberry Jello) and fruit. Both kids and adults will love digging into this perfect summer dessert.
Fancy: Leave it to American Italian TV chef Giada to create an elegant appetizer that suits any style of Memorial Day party. Here’s the recipe for ricotta and pancetta stuffed baby peppers. They sound a bit tricky, but take less than 20 minutes to make….and trust me they’re worth it!

Fizzy: Short on time but want to bring something pleasant to the party? Try this recipe for fizzy mint lemonade coolers. It’s a great twist on a picnic classic. If you want to boost the fun factor of this beverage add a cup of vodka to the pitcher!

No matter what you bring, people always appreciate your thoughtfulness. The simple call asking if you could pick up more ice or napkins on your way over can switch a hostess from headache to happiness. Have fun during this weekend holiday and remember to be safe.

Do you have any great Memorial Day recipes to share with our readers? We’d love for you to leave a comment.