Newlywed

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!

New Wife, New Life: New Wardrobe?

The saying goes, “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover;” but we know that unfortunately it can be hard not to! I was recently hanging clean laundry up in our walk-in closet, when I realized that some of my husband’s clothes looked seriously faded and old. I thought to myself, “He is in desperate need of new shirts!”

I bet if you took a look at what you’re wearing right now or thought about what you enjoy wearing, you too could find a good excuse for some new attire. It’s a fact, men do not like to go shopping like women do; which is fine, but there comes a time when you NEED to purchase yourself some new stuff—and I’m not referring to electronics or the latest video game (nice try though)! After work or on the weekends, you have your go-to outfits of t-shirts and jeans or maybe a pair of sweat pants or mesh shorts that you choose to wear as often as possible.

Chances are that you have a specific dress code required for work, whether it’s a suit and tie or uniform of some sort; which means that the last thing you want is a “uniform” or “dress code” for your home life. That’s not what I’m alluding to here at all, so no need to worry! I am, however; suggesting that it might be time to donate some of your go-to t-shirts such as: your FBI (Female Body Inspector) t-shirt, your I heart Atari t-shirt and your VANS sneakers to a teenage boy in need of your old wardrobe. While these items are a token of your youth, they don’t exactly spell-out mature, sophisticated, married man.

If you can’t imagine getting rid of your favorite childhood t-shirts [that somehow miraculously still fit you], then perhaps you should limit how often you wear them (i.e. wear them only to bed, to the gym, or better yet, put them away for when you have a son someday). Your wife loves you and has vowed to love you “til death do you part,” so she’ll no doubt still love you in your Superman t-shirt and jeans—but do her a favor and put on a nice button down shirt, polo or sweater when her family or friends stop by—she’ll greatly appreciate your effort!

And if you don’t, you may find that your favorite t-shirt has mysteriously disappeared. Gentlemen, please do your ladies a favor and get shopping! Check out your local Outlets for bargain prices on your favorite brands. Women LOVE shopping, so I’m sure your wife will have no problem being your Personal Shopper—just say the word and fork over the credit card!

What is/was your favorite piece of clothing to wear (i.e. t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.)? What does/did it say and why is/was it your favorite? Share your stories of Batman Boxers or Thunder Cats sweatshirts that your wife had no choice, but to hide from you! Please leave your comments below and enjoy a laugh with us!

Creating Newlywed Traditions

Are you creating newlywed traditions? Years from now, when you’re hopefully sitting on a porch swing hand-in-hand with your grey haired partner you’ll look back on your newlywed days and smile. One of the best parts of being a newlywed couple is creating your own inside jokes, stories and traditions. All of these will accrue over time, but it is important to prioritize making your own traditions as you make your way through married life together.

Compare Traditions
Did your hubby wake up the morning of each birthday with his favorite breakfast and then a small present before school or the party? Did you always go shopping with your father to find a perfect Christmas gift for your mom? Sharing these stories brings you closer to your mate and can help both of you understand how to best “spoil” the other on a special day. If you re-create a special childhood tradition for your mate, they will be completely touched by the gesture and thrilled that you listened to them.

Plan an Adventure
What was the craziest trip or adventure you went on as a child or young adult? I bet you can remember every detail, still. Your newlywed years are the perfect time to create your own adventure stories. Climb a mountain, go white water rafting or take a series of tango classes. Try something new to both of you that will test your limits mentally, physically or both! The result of this stretch as a couple is a fantastic adventure to cherish for a lifetime.

Combine Family Traditions
If you always had pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but your significant other was raised on chocolate meringue pie make both for your own holiday or try a combination chocolate pumpkin pie (delicious)! Understanding the importance of family rituals and incorporating each others, will only add to the richness of your own family.

Create a Tradition All Your Own
This can be as simple as always kissing each other before going to sleep or you could apply your tradition to another part of daily life. You could have coffee on the deck together every Sunday and read the paper, walk through a neighborhood park as each season changes, or make a fancy dinner together one night a month. The key is doing something you both like, together, over and over again. Before you know it, you’ll look back and realize you’ve had a tradition for years!

How are you creating newlywed traditions with your spouse? We’d love for you to share a comment with us!

Win over $350 Worth of Custom Photo Thank You Notes

The ring, the engagement, the dress, the wedding, the reception…everything has been about you (and hopefully your man too) for so long that you may forget when the honeymoon is over it’s time to snap back to reality! That’s right, the two of you ripping through your wrapped presents like kids on Christmas Day is over and now comes the somewhat tedious, however very necessary task of writing out Thank You Notes. One of the first things you should be thinking about upon returning from your fabulous honeymoon is Thank You Notes. I cannot tell you how important it is to make sure your guests (family and friends alike) know how truly thankful you both are that they attended your wedding and gave you a gift to celebrate your marriage.

There are so many ways to say Thank You to your friends and family: a hand-written card, a wedding photo of yourselves or a printed Thank You note/card ordered from your favorite printing company. Some people are lucky enough to have Thank You notes included in their photography packages, but either way it is a must do sooner rather than later!

What you’ll need:
A list of your guests’ addresses and the gift they gave you. You’ll need it for obvious reasons (to write out the thank you note, but don’t forget to check the name off once you’ve completed it to avoid writing duplicates or worse forgetting someone).

Wedding Stationery: monogrammed cards (what a cute way to show off your married name) or photo cards (to be proudly displayed on refrigerators across the country). You can rest assure that your guests will have nice things to say about your Thank You notes as long as you have invested in a quality stationery set.

A good pen that won’t leave blotchy ink marks ruining your stationery.
A place away from food and drink (well, be careful with that glass of wine!) to write out your cards. I remember sitting at a table listening to music (and singing along) while writing out my Thank You notes—good times!

You could write them on the plane to and from your honeymoon if you wish and come home to drop them in the mail and be done with them or you could write them while watching your favorite movie or TV show in the background. It really doesn’t matter where you write them as long as you get them done in a timely manner!

Anxious to win 100 of the custom photo thank you notes shown in this post’s picture? Click here for the contest details and leave a comment on this, or any of our thank you note posts on Mondays this month and you’ll be automatically entered to win. The randomly selected contest winner will be announced on August 31^st!! If we don’t hear back from the winner within 2 weeks, we will randomly select a new winner to make sure someone ends up with this great goodie!

Fido Right After “I Do”?

What are the pros and cons of fido right after I do? As you settle into married life and become truly comfortable with your mate, you may start wondering if you should add to your family. Many newlywed couples run right out after the wedding and get a puppy together. For some it’s the best (well second best) decision they ever made, but for others pet ownership brings more responsibility than they bargained for. Eager to hear the pitter patter of little paws? Read on before making a decision that will affect the next 10-15 years of your life.

How Much Do You Travel?

If you and your partner travel for business constantly or end up spending many weekends away from home, you might want to postpone your trip to the breeder or Humane Society. A puppy of any kind requires scheduled walks, house training and hours off exercise to burn off all of their excess energy. It would be unfair to add a dog to your family if you’re not home enough to give him/her the proper attention. If you can’t wait until your schedules settle down to get a pet, consider a kitten. They’re much lower maintenance and still provide a great deal of love and cuddling.

Consider Your Lifestyle

Are you part of the married jet set? Constantly attending out of town parties and going on last minute vacations? Unless you want to hire a dog sitter and dog walker every time you aren’t going to be home or come home to a unhappy puppy and totally wrecked house, you might need to put purchasing a pooch on hold. If you’re dying to get a dog, try to enjoy other people’s pets in the absence of your own. You could even volunteer at a local shelter, but beware of bringing multiple pets home!

Think About Your Housing

Do you live in an apartment or rental house? Your landlord might not appreciate an unannounced addition to your home. Should you need to find a new place to live, having a dog severely limits your rental housing options. If you live in a small condo, you need to decide if your puppy will have enough room. Even home owners have many questions to answer before bringing home a dog. Will it stay indoors, should the yard be fenced or should a doggie door be invested in?

Select the Right Pet For You

So you read the last three sections and know that you are ready for a dog. Congratulations! Take some time to discuss what you and your partner want in this pet. Do you want a cuddle buddy and he wants a guard for your home? Your perfect dog is out there, so try taking this quiz that matches people with pets based on criteria such as yard size, shedding, exercise habits, etc. Once you know the best type(s) of dog for you two, you can begin the fantastic journey of finding a puppy and making it part of your family.

Pets are such a wonderful part of life, but they are a big responsibility. Did you get a fido right after “I do?” Did you fight over the name or breed of dog? Did he “surprise you” with a puppy for Christmas? We’d love to hear the good, bad and ugly….so leave us a comment!

4 Secrets to Wedding Attire Transformations

Are you in desperate need of wedding attire transformations? After attending so many wedding this past year, I sure have stocked up on my fair share of dresses, and with each new invitation that comes in the mail it’s just one more good excuse to go shopping for another one, right? Not necessarily!

When I’m out dress shopping, I always find myself going after the same color schemes (mostly black of course), and I am now bored with it! So now that I’ve discovered my lack of versatility I have recently found new, less expensive ways to spend my money, and a new love for accessories!

Instead of trying to cram another dress in my closet, I am stocking on up on accessories to create a new look out of my ‘old’ dresses. So if you’re like me and have a few upcoming weddings where you may be running into the same groups of friends, here are some ideas for transforming you wedding attire into a completely new look.

So let’s start from the bottom, up! First things first, and that is shoe accenting! If you’re looking to re-create the look of your little black dress, instead of your black pumps, go bold and look for a pattern! Once you have found something to give you a few additional accent color options, choose a color from the shoes and find a belt to match!

If you’re going for a sleeker, more elegant look you will want to go for the skinny belts. If the wedding is more casual or even outdoors you may want to try a wide belt.

Next you will want to find a clutch . If your belt is accented with jewels, studs, or has a bow or flower closure, try finding a purse with the same accent—this belt, clutch combo will also will be a perfect closure and help spice up a pair of jeans and a cami for a dinner date night!

Onto the jewels! If you wore silver last time you rocked that dress, switch to gold, and maybe even add some color! Choose a color from your shoes, or even match the color of you belt, and look for a bracelet and some earrings to bring everything together.

Next… hair up or hair down? This is also going to depend on the date and time of the wedding. If you generally wear your hair down, choose a partial or full up-do this time, if you have some wave to your hair, straighten it. You will be surprised how your entire look can change depending on how you choose to wear your hair. If you went with a smaller pair of earrings, add some accent to your hair with a flower hair pin or headband.

I hope this has given you some inspiration and ideas to see how creative you can be when choosing what to wear to the next wedding you attend. For some amazingly priced accessories, consider checking out: gojane.com.

We’d love to hear about your wedding attire transformations with our ideas or your own. So please leave us a comment!