Who needs ‘couple friends’ when you have great family and single friends that have been your buds since junior high? If you’re married, you do. Not instead of the great family and single friends, but in addition to. Why You Need Other Married Friends Nobody is suggesting that you dump friends you had prior to...
Friday Five. It may be informational, entertaining, inspirational, or some combination. It may be five related thoughts, or five random topics. But it will be short. And it will leave you with a new thought, idea, or smile on your face. 1. If one of your Couple’s New Year’s Resolutions is to add a...
No matter how many challenges you are looking at or how many you conquered in the past year, 2019 is going to be a great year. It is a decision we can make right now. We can’t control everything in our lives, but we can control our choices. Let’s choose a fun way to improve...
I was surprised to learn how many of us were looking for something else to talk about during our holiday meal besides everyone’s latest medical procedure and what family feuds are alive and well as a result of last month’s post Thanksgiving Table Talk. For this year’s Christmas dinner, you already have the great food...
We were in the forbidden territory of my parent’s room. Where else would we be on a Friday night – bowling night – so close to Christmas? My brother was standing on a chair, rooting around the shelf in my father’s closet. He found another Christmas present with my name on it! He handed it...
Think back to the last stress-free holiday season you enjoyed. Remember a time when the most stressful season event was trying not to peek at wrapped Christmas presents when your parents weren’t home? Many of us have to go back to our childhood years to find a time that was more simple pleasures than commercialism. Grab your...
One of the ways to put the THANKS back into Thanksgiving mentioned in an earlier article is having paper and pencil at each dinner place so that those gathered could share what they were thankful for during the meal. A fun alternative to that exercise is the use of Thanksgiving conversation cards. Get some thought-provoking...
The holidays can be a wonderful time of family, fun, good tidings and joy. They can also be a time of unrealistic expectations of Norman Rockwell picture-perfect families with a Martha Stewart in every kitchen. Which leads to holiday angst and marital stress. Chances are even if Norm was still around, he wouldn’t be tapping...
With Thanksgiving as its finale, November is a great month to focus on the many people and things there are to be thankful for in our lives. The great food is just a bonus! If you and your spouse want to put the “Thanks” in Thanksgiving this year, here are 10 suggestions to get you...
As my 36th wedding anniversary approached, I tried to think of something that would celebrate our marriage in a way that flowers and dinner out just didn’t capture. Don’t get me wrong – flowers and special dining are always welcome. But after the first 10 or 30 years, sometimes they say “obligation” instead of “celebration.”...