Happiness

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!

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.

Newlywed Life: Unplugged

It’s high time for newlywed life: unplugged. You planned the big day using all of the best online tools, jetted off to your honeymoon (booked online of course) and sent an e-blast announcing your return home and new address. You’re one high tech woman and we at MissNowMrs salute you! That being said, there are times when you can appreciate life and your spouse more without the use of technology. Our challenge to you? Spend a day unplugged with the one you love.

Turn off your phone(s) – While your phone can keep you connected across the miles, it can also constantly distract you from the moment you’re living in. Make a pact to turn off your phones on Friday evening and don’t look at them again until Sunday morning. You’ll be amazed at how much more time you have with your beloved and how much more you will actually listen to what they have to say when you’re not being interrupted by various calls and texts.

Leave the ipod/ipad at home – We all love music and entertainment, but spending time solely focused on each other can do nothing but boost your relationship. You can take a walk and listen to each other and the sounds of nature around you or have a picnic at your local park. The result? Feeling more connected to each other and more at peace in your world.

Lose the remote – Picture this: sitting on the couch with your hubby and not watching television. Without the distraction of reality television or ESPN you can spend time together the old fashioned way…talking, playing a game or planning something fun to do over the weekend. You may find out that your husband is a lot more interesting than the re-run you would’ve watched and that you share one more thing in common (like being terrible at Scrabble).

Will you take the newlywed life: unplugged challenge or have you done something similar? We’d love to hear your unplugged results and personal revelations!

Just 5 Minutes

How many times have you asked your spouse for “just 5 minutes” of their time? Did he/she give you those 5 minutes or did you get a list of a million and one reasons why “now is not a good time?” Too often we believe that our time and needs are more important than the time and needs of our spouse. After 4+ years of marriage I’ve figured out that our needs are equally important (don’t judge me…you know you’ve put yourself first before too)! Time is precious (lets face it, we’re all busy and/or stressed out about work, bills, etc.) so why not take those few extra minutes to slow down and enjoy one another’s company or make our spouse’s life a little less stressful?

Here are some examples of what you can do for your spouse that take just about 5 minutes or so and could result in YOU making his/her day that much better!

1. Take out the trash
2. Rub or scratch his/her back
3. Hug/Kiss
4. Hit the snooze button for an extra few minutes of cuddling time (a.k.a “spooning”)
5. Listen to how his/her day was
6. Feed and/or walk the dog
7. Throw in a load of laundry and/or fold a load of clean laundry
8. Pick up his/her favorite adult beverage to enjoy together at home
9. Pick up his/her favorite take-out to enjoy dinner at home (sans cooking)
10. Pack his/her lunch for the next day

It’s the little gestures and things that matter most in married life (and life in general), so the next time your spouse asks you for “5 minutes” remember that he/she wouldn’t ask if they didn’t really need you.

What is your initial reaction when your spouse asks you for “5 minutes?” What do you do for your spouse (or does your spouse do for you) to make life a little bit easier?

Keeping The Weight Off After the Wedding

Need some pointers for keeping the weight off after the wedding? When you’re dating, you want to look your best because you know that’s one of the easiest ways to attract Mr. Right. When you’re engaged you put even more effort into your looks so that you can ensure that you look fabulous on your wedding day. And, of course, you want to look awesome on your honeymoon as well (hello bikini pictures). But what happens when you come home? Studies show that once the wedding and honeymoon are over, newlywed couples start to gain weight.

While your spouse may love you no matter what size you are, it’s very important to make sure that you keep nutrition as an important focus of your life. It’s far too easy to put on a serious number of pounds in just a few years when you’re not making an effort to keep the weight off. One of the best things about being married is that you’re in everything together, and together you can make a plan to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

Good nutrition is a vital step to making sure that you keep the weight off and stay healthy. This can be tricky when you’re married, especially if your spouse is a meat and potatoes or take-out kind of guy. But don’t let that deter you from eating healthy. Sit down together each week and discuss what you’d like to eat. If you find that you’re craving something, like wings or pizza, work together to figure out how you can make that specific meal a healthier dish. You can substitute baked chicken with buffalo sauce for wings, and pizza can be made over with low fat cheese, whole wheat crust and the addition of veggies. Here’s a site with several other great ideas for healthy substitutes for junk food.

Would you believe that exercising together can be a great deal of fun? It can! Especially if you find something that the two of you enjoy doing together. Ladies, it may be difficult to get your new husband to try out that dancing workout DVD that you just bought, and guys need to realize that not all women love to lift weights. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t work out together.

A few times a week why not find some aerobic activity that the both of you enjoy doing, like running or playing basketball, and making a date of it. Not only can you have fun playing together and working out, but all sorts of fun things can also happen when you’re showering off!

Have you and your spouse put on a few pounds since the wedding? What changes have you made as a couple that are making a difference in your health and the numbers on the scale?