Newlywed 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!

Love Is Spoken Here

Love Is Spoken Here. Every newlywed out there should hang this print near the entrance to their home as a reminder of how important love and loving words are. So much time and energy goes into day to day living (hello 60 hour work weeks), that it can be easy to forget the simple things like saying “I love you”.

Even if you don’t decorate your home with this quote, place it towards the front of your brain. The next time you’re crabby it can keep you from lashing out at your spouse and might even motivate you to engage in some random acts of love.

3 Small Steps to a Better Marriage

Looking for steps to a better marriage? Has your marriage hit an unexpected slump? If so, now is not the time to give up. This is an opportunity to renew bonds and strengthen the relationship that led you down the aisle. All marriages hit rough patches. As people grow and change and meet different obstacles, new strains and stresses can be placed on a couple. While coping may be tough, these stressful times are what make your relationship stronger and help you get through even bigger challenges in years to come.

Actions Speak Louder than Words
When your relationship is feeling rocky, the first thing most women want to do is speak up about it, but that is not always the best thing to do. When tempers are already on a short leash because of earlier arguments, tension is high because of outside stresses, or communication has simply run dry, talking about it might add fuel to the fire. Consider instead the ways that you can say what you feel without opening your mouth (it helps to envision how to communicate with a cave man). Are you tired of fighting and just want your partner to know that you are willing to hold on? Then, perhaps the best way to say so is with an impromptu hug. Slow dancing, hand holding, rubbing shoulders, and other similar gestures have universal meaning and will very likely let him know what you’re feeling.

Offer a Helping Hand
Perhaps one of the reasons that your spouse has been in a bad mood recently has more to do with outside pressures that it has to do with you. Perhaps he or she just needs a helping hand. Marriage is about team work, so show that you understand by helping with a small task, chore, or just offering some insightful advice when he or she is talking about problems at work. Taking the trash out might seem like a small thing…but it may mean a great deal to your stressed out spouse! Knowing someone is in your corner can make any situation more bearable.

Create Love Tokens
Another great way to demonstrate your feelings without words is through small tokens. Handmade cards left in a place that he or she is sure to find them, lunch delivered to the office during the day, or even a message scribbled on the fogged over bathroom mirror are great wordless ways to show love and affection.

Taking the time to make another person know that you are thinking about him or her is the best way to show how much you care. However, these ‘gifts’ tend to lose their meaning when only given after a fight. These are the things that should be done now and then and consistently throughout a relationship. They don’t have to be frequent and might occasionally be used to say sorry after an argument, but let them maintain their intended meaning. If you’re looking for a more tangible love token, draw a heart on a stone. They can be put in a coat pocket, desk drawer or even passed back and forth between you two.

Talk to us newlyweds. Can you recommend any steps to a better marriage Did your spouse get the unspoken message you were trying to convey? We’d love to hear from you 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!

Recipes to Help You Make a Great Impression (& Pie) this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost upon us and that means getting together with family and celebrating all of the things you are thankful for with a ton of food. It’s also a great time to showcase your personality and abilities to the family you married into. Whether it’s pumpkin, chocolate meringue, apple or berry; a fabulous slice of pie is the best way to top off a great meal. As the newlywed addition to your spouse’s family, what better thing to bring to the meal, but a homemade pie?
Here a few recipes to help you make a great impression (and pie) this Thanksgiving:

For the Traditionalist: If you and Martha Steward are BFFs make a classic dessert to add to the feast. Here are a few great recipes for pumpkin pie, apple pie and berry cobbler. Your new family is certainly in for a treat!

For the Foodie: Are you the gracious gourmet? Flaunt your skills and great taste with a Pear Tarte Tatin or, if the oven is in over-drive, why not make a festive frozen treat? You’ll have more than a few family fans after making a Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie for dessert.

For the Frazzled: Want to bring something to add to dinner, but are short on time? Here are two great ideas that take an hour or less: whip up a Blackberry Pear Pie or try this Pecan Caramel Tart Recipe. These recipes may be short on prep time but they sure aren’t lacking in flavor or presentation. No one needs to know that you made them in a matter of minutes!

For the Innovator: Are you the edgy interesting person that loves a new flavor combination? Show off your taste for adventure with Pear Soup with Pancetta & Blue Cheese. I know it’s not pie…but it’s too amazing not to mention! You could also make a Banana Rum Cream Pie that will have your in-laws drooling!

For the Health Conscious: Challenged by the invitation to bring something “sweet but healthy” to dinner? Instantly ingratiate yourself with any children in the family by bringing Caramel Apples or Cranberry Pineapple Minis!
Do you have a signature pie recipe that you plan to make this Thanksgiving? Please share it with us!

Fabulous Fall Entertaining

With the crisp cool air it’s time get ready for Fall entertaining. Celebrating with seasonal foods/cocktails and friends is a great way to make sure you take a moment to enjoy the world and weather around you. Whether you’re new to marriage and new to cooking for a group or if you’re an old pro at both…we’ve got some great ideas for you!

Set the Tone – Pick up some festive plates or get creative with one of these fall displays for your home (we especially love the acorns in the glass column). Lighting a fall scented candle can also immediately put guests in a festive mood.

Create a Seasonal Cocktail (or 2) – Signature cocktails easily elevate an event from a gathering to a party! Consider a this simple yet amazing vanilla pumpkin pie martini for the ladies and some autumn flavored ale for the gentlemen attending. Here’s a top 10 list of pumpkin beers to point you in the right direction!

Surprise Appetizers – Who doesn’t love an out of the ordinary appetizer?! Soup shooters are one of the easiest unconventional appetizers. We suggest this seasonal roasted carrot soup served in fun colored coffee or demitasse cups. The soup is warming, has a festive fall flavor and is even orange.

Pot Luck – It might sound old fashioned, but having each guest or couple bringing a component of the meal has tremendous upside (especially if they’re good cooks). You as the hostess get to focus on details like decorating or a fabulous cocktail instead of being overwhelmed…and your guests get to bring something that shows off their talents. It’s a good idea to create a theme so the recipes gel into a meal.

Pears – Pears are in season and make an outstanding end to any meal. Consider serving simple poached pears with vanilla ice cream or a pear tart with caramelized pistachios.
Whatever you decide to make, taking time to enjoy Fall with friend and family will end well.

Do you have a favorite Fall entertaining idea you’d like to share with our readers? We’d love for you to leave a comment.