Marriage & More

9 Easy Homemade Valentines

February 7, 2010 By dena Leave a Comment

Valentine's Day is just a week away! Make this year's celebration of love truly memorable with a new twist on old traditions! The Valentine's Day tradition started in the early 1700s, and for centuries it was celebrated with an exchange of handwritten notes and handmade tokens of affection. (You can thank the Victorians for today's Valentine's Day style—they liked their paper goodies dolled up with lavish images of lovebirds, cupids, and flowers!) When printing technology began to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Marriage & More Tagged With: candy, cupcakes, flowers, food, gift, handmade, homemade, love, photo album, scrapbook, sweets, valentine, Valentine's Day

Affair-Proofing Your Marriage

February 4, 2010 By dena Leave a Comment

Recent studies estimate that 45 percent of married women and approximately 54 percent of married men engage in extramarital sex at some time or another during their marriage, according to Hitched. Shocking, isn't it? Nothing destroys a marriage faster than marital infidelity, and these statistics are truly frightening. But it is possible to "affair-proof" your marriage, says Sharon M. Rivkin, M.A., M.F.T. In order to make that happen, you need to know what can cause an affair in the first … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Marriage & More Tagged With: affair, cheating, infidelity, lack, love, marriage, relationship, sex, trust

Learn to Fight Fair!

January 3, 2010 By dena Leave a Comment

Trust is probably the most important ingredient in building an intimate relationship between husband and wife. The essence of building trust is summed up in one idea by Dov Heller, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles: Create a safe emotional space for your spouse. Many people wrongly believe that in a good marriage, you can "relax" and do not have to monitor everything you say and do. Nothing could be farther from the truth! In a good … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Getting Engaged, Groom's Page, Marriage & More Tagged With: argue, communicate, disagree, Dov Heller, fair, fight, husband, marriage, relationship, spouse, talk, trust, wife

Men with Smart Wives Live Longer!

December 8, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

Just one more reason that your husband (or fiance) should be glad he's married (going to be married) to you! According to the Times Online, Men married to smart women live longer! We already know that married men live longer than unmarried men, and that a romantic relationship can add years to your life, but now we know something else... when it comes to picking a wife, brainy is better! There is a lingering suspicion among girls... that boys don’t value cleverness as an essential … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Groom's Page, Health and Fitness, Marriage & More Tagged With: educated, healthy, intelligent, lifestyle, live, long, marriage, relationship, smart, wife

Bake Some Love!

December 2, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

I've been thinking (thinking being the key word here) that it would be really nice to have a little homemade treat waiting for my husband when he got home tonight. I've actually been meaning to do that for some time now. I did bake him a birthday cake last week, which he claimed to love even though it was pretty raw in the middle (oops), but a batch of nice, wholesome muffins, that he can grab when he's looking for a snack, would really be thoughtful of me, wouldn't it? Apparently I'm not the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Marriage & More Tagged With: baking, care, cookies, homemade, love, recipe

Thanksgiving Love

November 24, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

Preparing for the holidays can be joyful but stressful at the same time. Planning, shopping, cooking, and decorating can make you anxious, family members can drive you nuts, and some people even suffer depression around this time. But thanksgiving is also an opportunity to give thanks, Gail Saltz, M.D. reminds us, not for what you have, but for who you have. Having people you love and who love you back is probably your most valuable asset. Strong relationships nourish you, provide support, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Marriage & More

Inexpensive Date Ideas

September 30, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

You don't have to be dating to go on dates. Spending quality time together as an engaged or married couple is important to maintain a healthy relationship. Just because money's tight doesn't mean you can't go out for a night on the town... or spend the weekend doing something new and fun. So get out of your pj's and check out these budget-friendly date ideas from Marie Claire. 1. Rent bikes and go for a ride in the park or by the beach. Pack a picnic lunch or grab hotdogs at a nearby … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Getting Engaged, Marriage & More, Money Matters Tagged With: cheap, date, fun, ideas, inexpensive, marriage, relationship

Are you having enough fun??

September 23, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

"Couples who play together stay together," says Gail Saltz, MD at iVillage. She talks about a new study from the University of Denver, showing that couples who have more fun time together also report more marital satisfaction and good feelings about their partner. Now this probably seems obvious to you, but the ironic part is that so many couples are working very hard to be able to afford some fun... and yet they don't make any time to actually do that. Another recent study found that couples … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Getting Engaged, Groom's Page, Marriage & More Tagged With: couple, date, fun, love, marriage, play, relationship, time

5 Steps to a Financially Secure Marriage

August 30, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

Although financial concerns may be far from your thoughts when you became engaged, money quickly becomes important within weeks following the exchange of vows. There are things to buy, bills to pay and various other monetary decisions to consider. Unfortunately, far too many American families live from one economic crisis to another, never developing the habit of living within their means. A happy marriage is hard to maintain amid endless financial stress and conflict. Al Jacobs, a professional … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features, Marriage & More Tagged With: bills, decisions, finances, interest, marriage, money, payment, reserve, responsibility, spending, spouse, stress

Saying I’m Sorry: Mending the Relationship

August 17, 2009 By dena Leave a Comment

No one is perfect, and no doubt, one fine day, you will find yourself in the wrong. You know you messed up. Your partner is hurt. You need to say "I'm sorry," but do you know how to express a sincere apology? Whether you've forgotten her birthday, insulted his mother, or been untrustworthy, make sure he/she knows how truly sorry you are. Diane Gottsman, a nationally recognized etiquette expert, shares some simple, yet effective ways to make an apology the right way. As she reminds us on … [Read more...]