We are firm believers in date nights for married couples and WalletPop.com encourages couples to think of this full moon as an opportunity to have a "cheap date night."
Even If It's Really Cold ... originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 00:23:08.
It may not sound like much fun, but we did enjoy ourselves. I thought of my maternal grandparents while we were out and about. They used to keep a packed overnight case in the trunk of their car for when their short drives ended up in a different state!
When you have children still at home and work full time jobs, having an unplanned getaway isn't all that easy but it is important that you make time for one another.
Share your tips for solving the too little time issue that impacts so many marriages.
Unplanned Getaway originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 07:29:20.
We loved the story of how they found a green building to use as a green screen. Erin and Jeff put a lot of thought and creativity and fun into the making of this video. We hope they continue to find ways to be thoughtful, creative, and full of fun in the "new era" of their "epic journey."
As you get closer to your own wedding, make sure you are marrying the right person for the right reasons and ask one another right questions. You also need to have fun!
Finding Mr. Wong originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 04:57:30.
But there are some hoops to jump through when you request the anniversary greeting. Here's the information you need so that the White House greetings you want delivered can arrive on time.
Do You Want to Have the White House Send Someone an Anniversary Greeting? originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 02:21:46.
Why is there hostility when someone shares the positive aspects of interfaith marriages?
The stumbling blocks that interfaith marriages may face do present challenges but they are not overwhelming challenges. Hopefully, interfaith couples can decide together on coping strategies to respectfully deal with the sensitive religious issues in their relationship. We agree with Nisa that it's not differences that create divorces, but couples' inability to cope with conflict.
Sharing the Joy of an Interfaith Marriage originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 00:34:44.
Flirting with your spouse is okay and it is natural and it is fun. Flirting with your spouse was in the news recently when Heidi Klum said she didn't flirt -- but she was talking about flirting with other people. It is apparent from other things that Heidi and Seal have said about their marriage that they do believe in keeping their marriage playful.
Heidi: "I don't flirt. Even if you don't actually touch someone or do anything to them, it's disrespectful to your husband. I would never do that. I'm very devoted, and he's the same."
Source: Heidi Klum: Flirting Would be Disrespectful To My Husband." HuffingtonPost.com. 1/14/2010.
What are your thoughts about flirting? Do you still flirt with your spouse? How do you flirt? Do you get upset if your spouse flirts with someone else?
Make Flirting a Priority in Your Marriage originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 07:14:25.
"Historically, marriage was the surest route to financial security for women. Nowadays it's men who are increasingly getting the biggest economic boost from tying the knot, according to a new analysis of census data."The top three marriage problems we see mentioned in emails and on the Marriage Forum include finances, sex, and chores. These three issues can be made more difficult to deal with when gender role reversal situations are not discussed in a marriage.
Source: David Crary. "Report: More Men Get Economic Boost From Marriage." ABCNews.go.com. 1/19/2010."If you think women still reap more economic benefit than men do from marriage, you may be living in the past. Today, men are better off economically because their wives are, too ..."
Source: Sharon Jayson. "In today's economics of marriage, it's a man's world." USAToday.com. 1/19/2010."Men now are increasingly likely to marry wives with more education and income than they have, and the reverse is true for women," said Paul Fucito, spokesman for the Pew Center. "In recent decades, with the rise of well-paid working wives, the economic gains of marriage have been a greater benefit for men."
Source: Sam Roberts. "More Men Marrying Better Educated, Richer Wives." NYTimes.com. 1/18/2010."Yet she [Stephanie Coontz] said the trends also reflected the fact that many husbands no longer feel compelled to be their families' sole breadwinner and are embracing a bigger share of household responsibilities and child-raising."
Source: David Crary. "Report: More Men Get Economic Boost From Marriage." ABCNews.go.com. 1/19/2010."We've known for some time that men need marriage more than women from the standpoint of physical and mental well-being," said Stephanie Coontz, a professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., and research director for the Council on Contemporary Families, a research and advocacy group. "Now it is becoming increasingly important to their economic well-being as well."
Source: Sam Roberts. "More Men Marrying Better Educated, Richer Wives." NYTimes.com. 1/18/2010."In a trend that researchers call "the rise of wives," women are increasingly better-educated than their husbands and have emerged as the dominant income-provider in one of five marriages, according to a new report released today."
Source: Donna St. George. "More wives are the higher-income spouse, Pew report says." WashingtonPost.com. 1/19/2010."What's radically changed is that marriage now is a better deal for men," said Richard Fry, co-author of the report ..."
Source: Donna St. George. "More wives are the higher-income spouse, Pew report says." WashingtonPost.com. 1/19/2010.
Marriage is a Good Financial Choice for Men originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 06:54:28.
Reading Forbes.com's article, How to Spice Up Your Sex Life, we were surprised at how many methods have not been proved, have not been approved, or that are actually harmful.
According to Forbes.com, "... nearly one in five men in the U.S. suffer from erectile dysfunction, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Medicine. Some researchers have estimated that as many as 40% of U.S. women have low libido or inability to reach orgasm."
If your sexual intimacy in your marriage is lacking, don't ignore the situation. Talk about it with your spouse. It appears that three readily available ways to spice up your sex life are:
Not dealing with sexual issues in your marriage will only make them worse. Don't avoid talking with each other about your feelings and concerns.
Top Three Ways to Spice Up Your Sex Life in Your Marriage originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 00:10:05.
We recommend that you not give a token gift, but give your spouse a gift truly from your heart.
Poll:
How do you and your spouse celebrate Valentine's Day? Vote!
Valentine's Day Is Getting Closer! originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 00:36:45.
What can you do if you are too tired to have sex? Solutions include: Read more...
Lack of Sleep = Lack of Sex originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 03:05:39.
Then we wondered the same thing about our own marriage. Did we have a hurried marriage without time to dream dreams together, to go on dates with one another, to look at clouds together, to gaze at stars together, and to generally enjoy quiet time with each other?
As a result, we limited our children's after-school activities and reevaluated our own involvement in church and community organizations.
It is affirming to see that our concerns then are still valid today.
"According to the AAP, “Whereas play protects children's emotional development, a loss of free time in combination with a hurried lifestyle can be a source of stress, anxiety and may even contribute to depression for many children.“The report reaffirms that the most valuable and useful character traits that will prepare children for success come not from extracurricular or academic commitments, but from a firm grounding in parental love, role modeling and guidance.”
Source: Elizabeth Scott, M.S. "Play Time for Healthy Child Development."
Volunteerism can hurt your marriage. If you and your spouse are finding yourselves with no time for your relationship or your kids, perhaps you are having a problem saying NO.
Decide if you are spending too much time as volunteers and read our tips for saying NO.
Polls:
Do you think volunteerism is hurting your marriage? Vote!
Do you have a time starved marriage? Vote!
Do You Have a Hurried Marriage? originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 10:05:06.
But Ricardo Carrillo's submission to our "How Did You Propose to Your Spouse? query made us smile. Ricky's (500) Days of Summer proposal was successful and met these four proposal requirements: Read more...
She Makes His Dreams Come True originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 01:37:58.
Here is a list of red flags that could hurt your marriage. Read more...
Improve Your Marriage NOW originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at 00:31:40.
A starting point is to talk with each other about these lists of things husbands and wives want from marriage.
Here are a few more things you can do to strengthen your marriage.
Happy New Year's!
Enhance Your Marriage in 2010 originally appeared on About.com Marriage on Friday, January 1st, 2010 at 16:25:04.
