Newlywed Tips Archives

Nov 12 2010

How to Convince Your Wife That She Needs a New Gadget

Are you longing for the latest version of your favorite electronic toy (i.e. TV, iPhone, Xbox, etc.)? Not sure how to convince your lady that it’s a good purchase that you’ll both benefit from and surely enjoy? Well, don’t sweat it! Try these helpful strategies and you’ll find yourself making your next new gadget purchase as early as this weekend.

As women, we don’t always see why your new $200+ new gadget is a good idea, much like you don’t understand our shoe bill at the end of the month. Your wife may not see the point in your purchase because she hasn’t been convinced or sold on the idea of the mutual benefits.

Your job is to figure out what those mutual benefits are (not your strong suit? Not a problem, we’ve got you covered!…keep reading) and tell her about them. Once she has a better understanding of how this new gadget fits into both your lives (and relates to her interests/hobbies), she will be more susceptible to the idea of purchasing the said item!

Women tend to care about the following (among so many other things, but for the purpose of this post we’ll stick with these): how will it fit/look in our home, will it make my life easier and will it affect our communication (i.e. will it bring us closer together)?

How will it look in my home?

Women spend a lot of time making sure everything in the house is color coordinated and has its own special place. Don’t mess with that! Try talking to your wife about how a new TV will not ruin the chic and sleek look she has going on in the family room because it’s a wall mount with wires that will not be seen! She’s more-likely to agree to a purchase that won’t clash with the décor or ruin her vision of your home.

Will this gadget make life easier?

Women have so much on their minds (i.e. You, a career, a home, fitness, kids just to name a few) and don’t need anything to make life more complicated or stressful. If you can figure out a way to prove that the new gadget will make life easier you will be one step closer to getting exactly what you want. It could be as simple as explaining how a universal remote will work the TV, DVD player, stereo and surround sound system, eliminating 3 of 4 different remotes. Believe me, this will sound like a mini lifesaver to your wife!

Will this gadget affect our communication or bring us closer together?

Whether it’s a conversation over a glass of wine or watching a movie with a bowl of popcorn, at the end of the day your wife just wants to spend some quality time with you. Let her know how a new gaming system will allow you to have video game nights together; which is great if you are the competitive types or how a new laptop or Smartphone will allow for you to sit on the couch and catch up on emails and bills instead of having to head to your home office. After all, it’s not always about what you’re doing that matters most, it’s that you’re able to be together while you do it.

Tell us: What purchase were you able to convince your wife to make using our tips or others? Share your tactics with other readers…I’m sure fellas all over will appreciate advice Man-to-Man!

Oct 27 2010

Newlywed Recipes You Will Fall In Love With!

Looking for newlywed recipes? I am definitely not Betty Crocker in the kitchen, so it’s a good thing for me that my husband enjoys cooking, and even more fortunate for me… he is an amazing cook! I have been getting much more comfortable trying out my newlywed skills in the kitchen, and I especially don’t mind when I’m exploring a new recipe cause then my hubby would never know if I screwed it up or not!

I have a few cook books at home, but of course they’re collecting dust since I generally turn to online suggestions such as cooks.com and of course the woman who makes it look so easy, Rachael Ray! I actually prefer getting recipes from my family and friends, so now that we’re enjoying the season’s fall foods, and (dare I say it!?) rapidly approaching the holidays, I wanted to share some of my fall fav’s with you, and I hope that you will do the same!

Let’s begin with Numero Uno: The Cocktail!
Pumpkin Pie Martini: Here’s my new BFF, and I hope she will be yours too!
Ingredients:

Ice cubes
2 ounces (1/4 cup) vanilla vodka
2 ounces (1/4 cup) crème de cacao
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream, for garnish

Directions:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the vanilla vodka, crème de cacao, heavy cream and pumpkin pie spice and shake well.
2. Dip the rims of 2 martini glasses into a bowl of whipped cream. Strain the cocktail into the glasses and indulge!
Servings: 2 / Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Ginger Pumpkin Bread: Excellent for breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients:
1 ½ sticks melted butter (12 tablespoons)
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can canned pumpkin (15 oz.)
3 eggs
Sugar glaze (optional, see below)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans (or spray with Baker’s Joy). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
2. Divide batter evenly between the loaf pans. Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean. Let cool ten minutes and invert loaves onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
3. Once cool, glaze if desired. Combine 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar with 2 – 3 tablespoons of water in a liquid measuring cup. Stir until glaze is smooth and thick, with no lumps. Drizzle over loaves and let set 15 minutes prior to serving.
Makes 2 Loaves
Butternut Squash Casserole: Don’t knock this one till you try it!
Ingredients

[Read more…]

Oct 06 2010

5 Secrets to Separate Work From Play

Looking for the secrets to separate work from play? If you look like this during the workday, it’s quite possible that you’re bringing home a great deal of stress with you each evening. This stress can show up as muscle aches, a bad mood, headaches or difficulty sleeping. Nobody wants to come home to a cranky spouse, especially as a newlywed…so here are a few ways to help you separate work from play!

Rock Out On Your Commute – Create a playlist or CD of songs for your ride home from work. The songs should be high energy to help you vent your work emotions.
Write a List – Making a list of tomorrow’s to-do’s before you leave the office can help you stop thinking about work when you’re at home. While you’re writing the list, mentally acknowledge that your work day is done and you cannot do anything on your list until you go into work the next morning. This should allow you to relax and move into enjoying your evening.
Break a Sweat – Schedule a trip to the gym before you go home. Pumping iron or engaging in heart-pounding cardio is a fantastic way to forget about office woes. The bonus: endorphins will automatically make you feel better after a work-out and you’ll go home a happy newlywed!
Breathe Deeply – Give meditation a try. Project-meditation.org is a great resource to get you started. If the idea of trying to meditate just stresses you out, try lighting a lavender scented candle when you get home and let the aroma relax you.
Make Out- The next time you’re having a tough day at work, say hello to your honey at the end of the day with a full blown make-out session. After a few kisses I guarantee that you won’t be worried about the quarterly report that’s due next week!

Can you share any of your secrets to separate work from play? We’d love to hear your solutions, so please leave a comment!

Oct 05 2010

Newlyweds: 6 Tips to Bring Your Marriage Back to Life

Do you need a few tips to bring your marriage back to life? There are so many responsibilities in life that keep piling on your plate as you grow up, and may begin to interfere with your “alone” time with your spouse. Schedules can be so hectic that your marriage unintentionally is put on the back burner, causing frustration and tension to grow between the two of you, and your daily schedules may naturally become somewhat of a routine, and you simply go through the motions. If you have transitioned into parenthood, then you surely know that your life becomes kid-centric, as your attention, your emotion, and your everyday activities are focused on your little one now rather than each other.

If you’re experiencing this, you’re not alone, but the important thing is to recognize when your lifestyle is hurting your marriage, and then do something about it! Just as all things in life, it’s good to find a ‘healthy balance’ in all that you do.

Here are a few ideas to help keep your marriage alive and healthy:

*Surprise your spouse- who doesn’t love a surprise?! Sneak a note in your spouse’s lunch, or their brief case, just letting them know how much they are appreciated and loved!

*For parents – have a dinner date one night a week (after the kids are in bed) to relax together and enjoy one another’s company. Not a parent yet? You and your spouse could go out on a date once a week or as your schedules and budgets allow. Try going to a movie or dinner at your favorite restaurant.

*Day time chat- if you don’t normally communicate with your spouse during the work day, call, text, or write a quick email just to let the other one know that although you’re busy, you are still thinking of them, and while you’re at it you may want to even throw in some naughty comments that you wouldn’t say in front of the kiddos (however, keep the freaky emails to your personal email account, not your work email—otherwise you could find yourself in the HR Office or worse)!
*PDA’s – need I say more?

*Go for a walk with your spouse and hold hands. You will both benefit from the exercise, the physical connection and the uninterrupted adult conversation that distractions such as children, TV, internet, blackberries, iphones, etc. don’t permit!

*Think about what the two of you would do when you first got together…do it again! Sure you’re older and wiser, but you’re still a couple in-love…now show each other (and have some fun doing it)!
What have you done to rekindle your relationship? Our readers would love to know your tips and tricks to a happy and healthy relationship, so please leave a comment.

Aug 25 2010

Newlywed in the Kitchen

How are you handling being newlywed in the kitchen? Marriage brings about the merging of two lives and of course two kitchens. Hopefully you both are fantastic cooks and can alternate who cooks evening dinners. If that’s not the case, you may need to get creative in the kitchen!

Scenario #1: You are used to having a bowl of cereal or yogurt for dinner and your partner is more of a meat a potatoes person.

Get a crock pot! Nothing makes a meat and potatoes guy happier than coming home to pot roast, lemon herb chicken or even lasagna in the crock pot. The best part? You do the prep work the night before and come home from work to a fabulous meal.

Having trouble coming up with ideas or recipes? The Spruce Eats has over 30 crockpot recipes for you to try out and crockpot355 is a blog written by a woman who used her crock pot every day for a year!

Scenario #2: He’s an organic guy obsessed with freshness and you’re perfectly happy eating frozen dinners every night.

If you possess some cooking ability, let your spouse buy the groceries (organic of course) and then plan some simple weekday meals that will make you both happy.

Compromise. Let your partner grill some free range chicken while you steam some frozen veggies mix in the microwave. Everybody ends up with a well balanced meal.

Scenario #3: Both of you counted on your former roommates to feed you.
Sounds like it’s time to tune into the Food Network for some cooking tips, or sign up for a few cooking classes together. You can also check out Rachel Ray’s site for great simple recipes.

Cooking together can be romantic and completely delicious. Select a recipe, turn on some music, open a bottle of wine and then start cooking! One of you can make the salad or sides while the other focuses on the main dish. You may end up making dinner and making out…and who could ask for more than that?!

If the last time you cooked the fire department arrived 30 minutes later, you might have to consider a meal delivery company like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron.

Whatever your kitchen scenario might be, there are solutions out there. Be creative and you’ll both end up happy and full! Do you have any stories from being newlywed in the kitchen? We’d love to hear them in a comment!