ME time

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!

Say Yes to Your Health

It is incredibly important to say yes to your health. Now that you’re married (and maybe even have children/step-children in the mix) you are faced with the responsibility of taking care of someone else in your life. While this may be true, the ultimate truth is, “The best way to take care of those you care about is to take care of YOURSELF.”

It may sound selfish, but it really isn’t if you think about it. No one benefits from a spouse or parent who is always tired, stressed out, or ill. So let me offer you some of the best ways to make sure you are getting what you need in life to ensure that others will get what they need out of you:

Sleep: You’ve been told this all your life and I’m going to tell you again. Your body needs adequate sleep in order to function, so be sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. If you notice that you are really tired in the morning, try going to bed at least 15 minutes earlier to see if this helps you feel more rested.

Me Time: Be sure to set at least 15-30 minutes (or more) aside each day for yourself. You could read a book, watch your favorite show, sit on your patio and watch the sunset or take a walk…anything that you want to do during that time is for YOU.

Smile & Be Grateful: Try your hardest to smile and think of what you’re grateful for each and every day. Smiling takes less muscles than frowning and makes other people smile too, so just do it! Thinking of your life and everyone/everything in it that you’re grateful for will make you smile anyway.

Simplify Your Life: There’s nothing wrong with making a To-Do List, but recognize the things that don’t really ‘have to’ get done that day. Running around day-in-and-day-out like a crazy person will only drag you down and make you feel exhausted. Remember, your spouse/family will love you just as much if your dinners aren’t always made from scratch or your gifts aren’t always handmade by you. If you have kids in the mix…organizing a carpool to soccer practice so you can alternate days will go a long way!

Learn to when to Say ‘No’ & when to Say ‘Yes’: If you’re traveling every weekend out-of-town for business, or to visit family or college friends you have to realize that turning people down once in a while is exactly what you NEED to do. Obviously, you can’t turn down your boss (in most cases) so unfortunately; your family and friends will need to understand when you need a weekend to relax alone. By saying “no” to another happy hour, bridal shower, baby shower, birthday party you are saying “yes” to yourself. You can still show your thoughts by sending a gift when appropriate, but when your body is telling you to slow down, do it.

Exercise/Eat right: You’re not a teenager anymore, so stop eating like one! You only get one body, so think about how the decisions you make will affect your health. It’s impossible to take care of a spouse or child if you are ill, so remember that the next time you opt out of fruits, vegetables and multi-vitamins!

Tell us what you do to put yourself FIRST. How are you saying yes to your health? We love to be inspired by our readers, so leave your thoughts and ideas by commenting below!

10 Newlywed Stress Busters (Under $10)!

Looking for newlywed stress busters? There’s only so much time in a day and not much of it is spent on you! So take a minute to think about when you can remove yourself from the stresses of your world, and make YOU your only responsibility. It is important to spend some time clearing your head and getting rid of the stress built up from the day.

So to get you started, I’ve put together a few ideas that may interest you and possibly spark some new ideas of your own! The holidays are around the corner, so start de-stressing right now (before it builds up inside)… and because the holidays are coming- let’s be mindful of our wallets!

Here are a few of my favorite newlywed stress busters under $10.00:

Break out a movie- better yet, how about a soothing workout DVD! I particularly like Pilates every once in awhile to throw my body for a curve, and it’s relaxing pace allows for you to concentrate on the different poses. It’s a great mental exercise as well, because when you’re going through the motions on a cardio machine at the gym- you’re still thinking about your responsibilities!
Get a massage—from your spouse of course! Since going to a masseuse can be a little pricey, and besides you’ll enjoy it more this way!
Bath & Body- It Works! Pick a night after work, go home, and pour a nice warm bath for yourself- and most importantly, leave your cell phone in another room!! I can’t think of anything more relaxing than a bubble bath! Go to the store, pick out your favorite fragrance, and enjoy! There’s plenty to choose from for under $10.
Life isn’t always a walk in the park- but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take one once in awhile! If it’s not exactly 70 degrees outside, throw your scarf and gloves on and pick up your favorite latte on your way! Sunshine and fresh air does wonders!
Remove yourself from the world, and indulge in a book! The most obvious way to not think about your own responsibilities and ‘get away’ is to get into someone else’s world! Find the latest book by your favorite author, or try something new and try reading a chapter a night; it will give you something to look forward to!
PJ’s, a chick flick, and yes, a big bowl of ice cream! This is an instant mood-booster!
Turn on some music at home, light some aromatherapy candles and either relax on the couch, or cook-up your favorite recipe (but only if you enjoy cooking, otherwise that will just stress you out more)!
Plan a picnic, with your spouse or your favorite gal pal! Be sure grab a blanket and throw in a bottle of vino!
Thrifty Shopping! Shopping is always an automatic stress-reliever for me, although sometimes not in my budget! So check out your local thrift store and browse around! There are always great treasures to find! Don’t want leave home— try Ebay!

ME Time: Just What A Newlywed Needs!

What happened to me time? As we all know, newlywed life can be quite a balancing act at times, and you get so caught-up in your everyday responsibilities that you completely neglect to pamper yourself once in awhile! Before you know it, it has been weeks or months since you’ve last seen the inside of the gym, you have not had a mani or pedi in… you don’t know how long, your ends are splitting, your roots are showing, and you’re starting to feel a little less-than-impressed with yourself! Aside from being negligent of your appearances, if you have not been taking time to focus on yourself as an individual or spending time with your girls, you may find yourself falling down a slippery slope into pessimism, anger and maybe boarderline depression!

If this is happening, you can bet your spouse is noticing it too! So let’s make a promise to take time to do things for ME! Take control of your happiness and your well-being before you begin to make those around us unhappy as well!

Here Are 5 Quick Me Time Moments Every Newlywed Can Use in Her Life…

1. If not once a week, make it every other week- but look into the fitness classes scheduled at your local gym, and get in there, have fun, and sweat your butt off! This is for sure going to relieve any aggressions and stress built up from the day! Most classes are only an hour, and you will walk out feeling like a new woman, physically and mentally refreshed! If you don’t feel comfortable going alone, bring a girl friend, it will also increase your energy and enthusiasm during your workout!

2. Take a break during your work day, and instead of going out for lunch, go for a walk! Throw your sneakers into your bag in the morning, and pack a light lunch for when you return. This will give your mind a break from your everyday responsibilities. If you’re not feeling very energetic, bring a book instead and find a quite place outside to indulge!

3. Schedule your hair or nail appointment, followed by a dinner date with your spouse. You will pleased with yourself, feel better about your appearance, and furthermore, your spouse will notice how fabulous you look, and the tone for the remainder of the evening is already set!

4. Find a brand new recipe and give it a whirl! You’re not only setting perhaps a challenge for yourself, but you’re about to impress your spouse as well. Even take it a step further, and set the table tonight and dine by candlelight!

5. Call a girl friend that you haven’t spoken to in awhile, and see about making plans to get together soon! Segregating yourself from your girlfriends is not only unhealthy for you, but indirectly isn’t healthy for your spouse either! Besides, you just know there are plenty of stories and laughs built up, that are too good not to share!

We’d love to hear from you, so please share your Me Time moments with us by leaving a comment!