Skip to main content
Category

Connection

4 Ways to Prepare for Time Apart

4 Ways to Prepare for Time Apart

By Connection, Resilience2 Comments

Are you getting ready to spend some time away from your spouse? Maybe it’s just for a few days – a work trip or family obligation. Perhaps it’s a longer-term situation, such as a military deployment, job, or educational opportunity. Whatever the case, it’s natural to feel a bit nervous. Will it be hard on your relationship? Will you drift apart? Will you miss each other terribly? Realistically, all of these might be true. But you can take steps to prepare yourselves – and your marriage – to navigate this time apart successfully. Here’s how. Read More

February 19, 2025
Love0
5 Secrets to Better Conversations

5 Secrets to Better Conversations

By Connection, Relationship Dynamics2 Comments

It’s the end of a busy week. You’re out to a relaxing dinner with your spouse, and you’re both thrilled to be spending some quality time together. A few minutes of companionable silence pass by until one of you pipes up about – what else – the kids. You both chuckle over their antics, then move on to talking about their upcoming appointments and swapping drop-off/pickup duty on those days. Appetizers arrive, and you dig into those before changing the topic to this month’s credit card bill.

If this sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone. These practical, surface-level conversations are often what make up a good chunk of daily communication between spouses, and for good reason. They keep your household running smoothly and prevent logistical crossed wires, which can mean fewer unnecessary fights over said topics. And if you have kids – well, you love them and talking about them brings you endless joy, so of course you’re going to do that.

At the same time, do you ever find yourself wishing your conversations were a little more… something? More playful and fun? More stimulating? Do you long for the days when deep discussions had you feeling closer than ever? We hear you. Here are our five secrets to better conversations with your spouse. Read More

February 12, 2025
Love0
Reclaiming the Romance After the Roommate Phase

Reclaiming Romance After the Roommate Phase

By Connection, Resilience9 Comments

Have you and your spouse gone through the roommate phase?

Maybe it was after having a baby, or as you tried to get into the groove of an unfamiliarly hectic stage of life. Maybe it was following a crisis or event that threw you both for a loop. Perhaps it was simply the result of feeling less connected than you used to. Whatever your situation, it’s a common stage couples go through. The danger, of course, is that although you fall into it without even trying – getting out of it takes effort and intention. You can wait around for that magical moment when the spark suddenly reignites. Meanwhile, you’re settling deeper into the roommate rut and growing more distant by the day. Or you can be proactive. Here are some tips for reclaiming the romance and getting your marriage back. Read More

January 22, 2025
Love0
4 Traditions to Start This Holiday Season

4 Traditions to Start This Holiday Season

By ConnectionOne Comment

The holiday season has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re taking down the decorations and putting them in storage, and the next you’re taking them out all over again. Sometimes it feels like it’s hard to get ahead of it, especially if you had big intentions of incorporating some different things into your celebrations this year. Whether it’s trying new activities or switching things up from the usual traditions, you’ll want to start thinking about these things ahead of time, instead of waiting until the last minute.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up four types of traditions to start this holiday season. Read More

November 20, 2024
Love0
4 Ways to Redefine Date Night

4 Ways to Redefine Date Night

By Connection, Quality TimeOne Comment

When it comes to date night, many couples are just happy to get one on the books a couple times a month. If you’ve made them a regular occurrence in your marriage, kudos! It’s not always easy to stay connected in the midst of your busy lives, but prioritizing date night is a great way to do that. So what happens when your regular date nights are starting to feel a bit too “same-old”? Or you’re transitioning into a new phase of life and your usual routine is getting harder to fit in? Sometimes it can help to get yourselves thinking outside the box. Here are four ways to redefine date night. Read More

November 13, 2024
Love0
The Sneaky Third Wheel

The Sneaky Third Wheel

By Connection6 Comments

Many of us have a third wheel in our marriage. It sneakily steals time and attention normally given to each other. It interrupts special and intimate moments. It exacerbates existing trust issues. Sometimes, you might even spend more time gazing at it than you do your spouse. Instead of trying to distance ourselves from it, we keep it by our side at all times.

No, it’s not a nosy friend or an overbearing family member causing these issues. It’s your phone.

Let’s be honest – even if you feel like you’ve got a good handle on how much you’re on your phone, it’s easy to fall into bad habits. Let’s dive into what to be aware of and how you can ensure your phones aren’t coming between you and your spouse. Read More

October 30, 2024
Love0
5 Tips for Finding a Shared Hobby

5 Tips for Finding a Shared Hobby

By Connection, Quality Time2 Comments

Another busy week is coming to an end. You and your spouse are excited to have a wide-open weekend in front of you. Sure, there are the usual chores to complete, and of course you’re planning on some time to just hang out and relax. This all sounds great, but you can’t help but feel like something is missing… like a shared hobby.

Pursuing hobbies and pastimes that bring you joy helps nurture a healthy sense of independence and fulfillment, which benefits your individual wellbeing. Likewise, sharing a hobby with your partner can enrich the time you spend together, ultimately strengthening your bond. However, finding a shared hobby isn’t always easy, for various reasons. Maybe you have very different preferences and interests, or you’re coming out of a season of life when you didn’t have much free time. Whatever the case, if you’re looking for some practical tips to discover a hobby you can share with your spouse, you’ve come to the right place. Read More

October 23, 2024
Love0
10 Simple Ways to Choose Connection

10 Simple Ways to Choose Connection

By Connection5 Comments

Every day you make choices. Some are pretty inconsequential – should I wear the blue shirt or black shirt? Some can change the trajectory of your whole day – should I work from home or go into the office? And some have the potential to affect your relationship – for better, worse, or somewhere in between.

When it comes down to it, wouldn’t you rather opt for the better?

Throughout your day, you have several opportunities to choose a path of more connection with your spouse – or go down the road of the status quo. While the status quo isn’t necessarily a bad thing, your marriage deserves more. It doesn’t have to be grand gestures or even huge changes, just putting forth a bit more intention throughout your day. Wondering what we mean?

Here are ten simple ways to choose connection: Read More

October 9, 2024
Love0
Your Unique Language of Love

Your Unique Language of Love

By Connection, Relationship Dynamics6 Comments

Your alarm goes off, you silence it quickly so it doesn’t wake your spouse, and creep out of bed. You close the door quietly and head downstairs to get the coffee going. You set out their favorite mug alongside yours, then go jump in the shower. As you open the bathroom door, the aroma of the breakfast your spouse just cooked wafts in. You head to the kitchen and they greet you with a smile and ask how you slept. They hand you a steaming cup of coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar.

This might seem like just a typical morning, but you’re actually saying “I love you” in many different ways – even though neither of you have spoken the words aloud. How many examples can you pick out? Read More

October 2, 2024
Love0
Celebrating Unconventional Anniversaries

Celebrating Unconventional Anniversaries

By Connection6 Comments

If you’re like most couples, you probably look forward to celebrating your wedding anniversary each year. And rightly so – another year of marriage is definitely something to toast to.

However, if you’ve been married for more than a few years, you’ve maybe found that wedding anniversaries are kind of like birthdays: at a certain point, it seems like only the big milestone years justify a big celebration; the in-between years sort of get downplayed or lost in the shuffle. But is 11 years of marriage any less of an accomplishment than 10? Not really, right?

Instead of falling into the habit of celebrating less as the years go by, we’d like to make the case for celebrating more. Why? Well, for starters, celebrations are opportunities to connect as a couple. The rituals and traditions that form out of regular celebrations become a touchstone in your relationship that strengthens your bond. Not only that, but celebrations help you focus on the positives – in life and in each other.

Unfortunately, you only have one wedding anniversary to celebrate every year, but it doesn’t have to end there. Here are some unconventional anniversaries and occasions to consider adding to your celebration calendar. Read More

August 21, 2024
Love0
Close Menu