Gifts

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!

Newlyweds & Shower Gift Givers Get Your GROUPON: $15 for MNM Gift Cards

Listen up newlyweds and brides-to-be…Groupon has a 1/2 off deal for the MissNowMrs name change service and/or gift cards for all of your engaged friends! For a limited time you and your friends can save 50% off our online name-change service for brides! Who wouldn’t spend $15 to save 13 hours of standing in long office lines as they transition to a Mrs.?

For the sale price of $15, MissNowMrs.com will help you auto-complete & file your Social Security, U.S. Passport, IRS 8822, USPS, state driver’s license, vehicle title & registration, and voter registration forms! We’ll also help you notify of all of your banks, credit cards, insurances, mortgages, medical providers, investment companies and professional license boards of your new married name. Our instructions will give you the inside scoop on the order you need to file your forms in, how to file by mail and any items you need to file each form successfully (you’d be surprised at what some offices need to see).

Yet another perk of our service: access to our name-change experts. They will help you understand your state’s name-change laws, assist you with complicated questions and generally make your entire name change a million times easier than trying to sort through an enormous stack of government forms on your own!

So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of this amazing sale and save money, time & stress on your name change! We can’t wait to help you go from Miss to Mrs.! Already a Mrs., but have a few friends who are getting married in 2012? Use this sale to stock up on gift cards at half price! They make the ultimate shower gift, as they’re unique and very useful for any brides to be.

Buying Holiday Gifts for Your In-Laws

Holiday gifts for your in-laws… where do you start? Whether it is the first holiday with your spouse or the tenth, it can be intimidating to pick out gifts for your in-laws. If you have felt uncertain when shopping, then rest assured that you are not alone. With the many fun, but scary things that come when saying ‘I Do’, there are a whole host of new holiday-related questions to be answered. But, shopping for your in-laws doesn’t have to be intimidating. Consider these few pieces of advice before you head out to the stores.

Find Out What They Like The first step to finding the right gift this holiday season is to determine what things are most likely to be well-received. In order to do this, you might have to a little covert investigation. Carry a small notebook with you next time you are with your in-laws. Take note of things said or noticed around the house. Is there something missing in the kitchen that one of them would surely love to have? Did someone mention something seen in a catalog, online, or in a store? You might even be able to start a conversation that leads down this path. Mention a cool commercial you’ve seen recently or talk about your own shopping adventures.

Set a Budget Once you have some ideas in mind, it is time to sit down with your spouse and talk about the financial end of the holiday affairs. How much can your household afford to spare? This number, whatever it happens to be, needs to be split between all gift-receiving individuals. To avoid hard feelings, it is often best to spend the same amount on each parent. Some couples decide to pay for their own parents gifts, respectively.

Shop Smart & Be Creative If you, like many Americans, are feeling the financial pinch this holiday season, don’t worry. Everyone is aware of the economic status and the vast majority of people will understand if you have to cut holiday spending down this season. Even those with little or nothing to spend can afford to create fantastic gifts. Consider baking cookies or biscotti. If you have an artistic talent, use it to make something personal for your in laws. Small, inexpensive tokens are often better received and more meaningful than impersonal ones that cost a small fortune.

What holiday gifts for your in-laws are you purchasing this year? Do you have a tried and true system that works? We’d love for you to share in a comment!

Family Gift Giving 101: Newlywed Holiday Etiquette

Newlywed holiday etiquette, it’s so important! The holidays are filled with happiness, love, good food, great friends, and the creation of many wonderful memories. However, for many, this time of year also comes with great stress, as one is forced to consider the etiquette of gift giving within a new family.

It is absolutely wonderful to give a gift and enjoy the look of thrill that comes with opening it, but giving a gift to a person who wasn’t expecting it often means giving a handful of guilt as well. When you are the one on the receiving end, with nothing to give in return, it can be horribly embarrassing. So now that you’re part of a new family, how do you know who you are supposed to buy for and how much to spend?

Who Should You Be Buying For? This is often the first question asked in new marriages. While it might be obvious what gifts need to be purchased on your side of the family, because you are very familiar with the traditions, it can be far more difficult deciding which relatives of your spouse will expect a present. One of the easiest ways to figure this out is to inquire about the annual holiday events. Is there a big get-together with the extended family? Who attends it? Are gifts exchanged and how?

In many families, especially large families, it is nearly impossible to get a gift for every member, so names will be drawn from a hat so each person buys just one gift. Others may choose to have a gift swap for which each person brings one or two wrapped gifts and names are drawn deciding the order in which participants choose from the table of presents.

Knowing what happens at your spouse’s holiday gatherings can often save you a great deal of worry. If you are still unsure of the situation, consider stockpiling a few small items wrapped and on hand for unexpected circumstances. Consider small ornaments, kitchen gadgets, scarfs, candles or other items that anyone might enjoy and if someone gives you a gift who you haven’t shopped for, use one of these standbys to prevent an uncomfortable situation.

How Much Should You Spend? This question should not have a universal answer. Each family faces a different set of financial circumstances. Staying on budget with your holiday shopping should be the primary goal, rather than worrying about what others are going to shell out for gifts. Create a budget for what you can afford, who you need to buy for, and divide the total among them. That way, there will be no question as to whether or not you have spent enough – you have spent what you can afford.

As a final note, in some families, there will be a price limit set for gifts. If that is the case, abide by the guideline, even if you feel that it is really too little. This avoids embarrassing those who can’t afford to spend more.

Are you anxious about holiday shopping for your in-laws this year? Hopefully our newlywed holiday etiquette explanations helped. Stay tuned for our Top 10 In-Law gifts post later this week!

April Showers: Part II

April showers do bring May flowers, but rain isn’t the only kind of shower happening this time of year. As we continue into April, the number of bridal and baby showers on the calendar tends to rise. What’s a newlywed girl to shop for when she’s attending an absurd number of these events? We’ve compiled the best gifts for both types of showers to make this Spring a little simpler for you.

Baby Showers
If you don’t have a baby these parties can make you feel a little awkward. What ARE you supposed to buy an unborn child? Fortunately, you can usually look on Babies R Us or BuyBuyBaby for your friend’s registry. Still uninspired? Here are the Top 5 Baby Shower Gifts:

1. Little Lamb Swing – Chip in with a few friends for this amazing piece of baby technology. It rocks a cranky little one to sleep in 2 different directions, buying your friend some much needed down time as a new mommy. My son used it until he literally couldn’t fit into it anymore!

2. Video Monitor – Being able to flip a switch and make sure your bundle of joy is still breathing is priceless (especially since you won’t wake him/her up)!

3. Boppy Pillow – It may sound like a ridiculous item, but these pillows keep your friend’s arms from falling off. The Boppy allows the new parents to feed/hold/cuddle their child hands-free.

4. A Prenatal Massage – While it’s great to buy goodies for the newborn, your soon-to-be mommy friend could probably use a little something for her. Purchase a gift card at a local spa, but be sure that they offer pregnancy massages. You friend will never forget how thoughtful you were when she feels 40 pounds lighter and can actually sleep after her treatment!

5. Customized Anything – Seeing your little angel’s name printed on something is precious. Red Envelope has a ton of great personalized baby gifts to choose from…the baby keepsake kit is one of the the best.

Bridal Showers
You should be a pro at bridal showers since you just had one! However, if you’re attending several showers it’s nice to have a few extra gift ideas up your sleeve. Here are our Top 5 Picks:
1. Anything On Her Registry – Plates may seem boring to you, but your friend took the time to register for them and will probably end up buying the remaining ones for herself post-wedding if you don’t purchase them. Creativity usually gets kudos, but a completed registry is awesome for a bride!
2. Bridal Lingerie – When you’re paying for a wedding, little things like cute honeymoon undies can seem frivolous. Help a gal pal (and her soon-to-be-hubby) out with a gift from Victoria’s Secret. *Please note who will be in attendance at the shower before you present your gift. It might be wise to give it to the bride before or after the party.
3. Candle Poem Basket – If you’re looking for a very personal gift that scores high on thoughtfulness and low on price, this is the perfect idea for you.
4. A MissNowMrs.com Gift Card – Make the bride in your life’s name-change a snap. She’ll save 13 hours of hassle and research by using this amazing online service!
5. Cash – It might seem a little tacky to give a check as a shower gift, but you can be sure that it will get used! Consider writing a message on the memo line that says your gift is for something fun on the honeymoon or a pedicure before the Big Day.

What were your best bridal shower and baby shower gifts? Do you have a gift that you always give to a bride/mommy-to-be? We’d love to know!

5 Surprising Ways To Show That You Heart Him

As thoughts of Valentine’s Day begin to surface, you might be stumped about what to get your husband this year. As a newlywed, you may really want to do something special but you don’t want to be lame either (most guys just don’t love flowers or balloons sent to the office). Think outside the box with one of these 5 Valentine ideas.

Floor your tough guy with a custom (temporary) tattoo on your tush or anywhere else he might find interesting!
Is your man a serious meat eater? Go straight to his heart (via his stomach) with a sweetheart steak. It really is a steak in the shape of a heart! If custom cut steaks are out of the budget, you can always use cookie cutters to make gourmet heart-shaped hamburgers for your sweetie.
Get creative with your spouse’s morning coffee by adding a cinnamon or cocoa heart right on top using one of these cute stencils (also great for dessert decorations).
Appealing to your Italian other half or just married to a guy who seriously loves pasta? Try whipping up this amazing heart-shaped lobster ravioli for dinner.
Heart shaped soap might not be a man’s ideal Valentine’s Day gift until you offer to hop in the shower with him! We promise he’ll love the concept by the time you’re both drying off.

The great news is that whatever you do, your other half will know how much you love them and frankly, that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about. Do you have any alternative V-day surprises for your spouse this year? We’d love to hear about them.
*Image from Lobels.com