Marriage is a partnership. I know, duh. But many of us come into this partnership with an entire script for a good marriage written out entirely in our own heads, and then we become frustrated when our partner doesn’t magically know their lines.  It’s natural and necessary to have expectations in marriage, particularly ones that align with your value system, but if you can’t openly communicate your expectations as a newlywed or be flexible enough to accommodate your partner’s expectations, too, then issues will crop up sooner rather than later. So let’s just nip all that in the bud, shall ..read more

Ahh, “self care.” It’s become such a buzz word over the last decade or so, but the idea behind it is sound as can be because too many of us put ourselves on the back burner. How does this relate to marriage? Well, do you want to show up for your spouse as your Back Burner Self or your Best Self?  There are several ways marriage and self care go together, but if you’re wondering about the importance of self care in marriage, you’re in the right place. Self care in marriage is different than self care while single, just the same as self care as a parent is different than self care for child ..read more

Are you newly married and staring down that first year of marriage? While the honeymoon phase of a new marriage is beautiful, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, as you’re surely finding out! If you are looking for tips for your first year of marriage, you’re in the right place. There’s a lot of change that happens in a relationship in the first year of marriage, so tips for newlyweds are often all about navigating that change with your new spouse in a way that is healthy and respectful for all involved. Sometimes it feels like major life events should come with a user manual, but since the ..read more

Are you planning a dinner proposal? Then you’ve probably got a lot of questions kicking around in your head, some bigger than others. One of the most common is “should I propose before or after dinner?” Yup, when to propose is a big question! Granted, not as big as THE big question you’re gearing up to ask, but yeah, still pretty big!  We are going to walk through the pros and cons and in-betweens of this very important dinner proposal question that must be answered before you can pop the question: Should you propose before or after dinner? Should I Propose Before or After Dinner? Should ..read more

Are you feeling concerned about the state of your marriage and wondering how to improve the health of your relationship? Some of the signs of an unhappy marriage fly under the radar and can take you by surprise, so watching out for signs of marital discord can help you take any issues in stride so you can move toward fixing them in a healthy, productive manner. If you’re already noticing these signs and wondering what to do about an unhappy marriage, it’s okay. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of course correction, and you’re in the right place because we are going to lay out some of the top sig ..read more

Marriage is the ultimate act of commitment that two people can make to each other, promising that no matter what, they will remain together in good times and bad, sickness and health, and everything else that life may throw at them until death do them part. There’s only so much that a married couple can do to prepare themselves for the curveballs life might throw at them, but there are ways to protect your marriage from infidelity. This doesn’t mean that if you do these things to protect your marriage from infidelity that no one will ever go astray, but in strengthening the fortress, so to spe ..read more

Marriage is a dance between two people that have committed to sharing their lives together… but sometimes we might miss a step or two! There are things your husband needs to hear that you might have missed saying, and that’s okay because it’s never too late to show up for each other in beautiful, meaningful ways. Just as there are relationship rituals and couples’ routines that strengthen marriages, there are things that every husband wants to hear, too. Communication is key to all successful relationships, so let’s do what we can to be sure we are communicating and saying the things that husb ..read more

Are you looking for anniversary box ideas for him? While there are traditional anniversary gifts for each year you and your love celebrate together, putting together an anniversary box is an incredible way to show your honey how you really feel. Whether this anniversary is paper, leather, or silver for you two, there are some awesome anniversary box ideas for him that are an excellent way to bundle perfect gifts for your love together! Anniversary Explosion Boxes Photo credit EstockUSA on Etsy First, we have to talk explosion boxes! These are so sweet and cute, it’s no wonder they have explode ..read more

Marriage is such a beautiful thing, isn’t it?  Two people deciding to commit to each other for the rest of their lives provides incredible security in addition to all of the other wonderful little perks of being married, and then as funny and as fickle as human beings can be, sometimes this security can start to feel a little… stale? Flat? Dare I even say… boring???  Don’t worry, we’ve all been there!  It’s only natural that relationships, just like people, can fall into a rut and need a little jump-start from the predictability of routine. If this sounds like you and yours, hop ..read more

My husband and I have been together for eight years now and married seven in October. I was blessed with a great guy that was the answer to years of prayer, but I can honestly say that marriage really does get better with time when it’s nurtured!  It takes intentionality to build a happy, healthy relationship, especially after kids are in the picture (we should know, we have three under six!), but it’s absolutely possible for anyone who is willing to be diligent in the pursuit of their spouse!  These are some of the habits we prioritize that have helped us build a happy, loving, last ..read more