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Aug 24
Love0
A happy couple sitting together on the floor

5 Signs You Could Benefit from a Relationship Check-In

By Connection 6 Comments

It’s time to check in! Nope, this isn’t a notification about an upcoming flight. But you could consider it a reminder to have your daily relationship check-in – or take it as a sign to start one.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a relationship check-in, it’s a designated time for you and your partner to touch base on the status of your relationship. You might talk about what’s working or not working, how satisfied you both are in various areas of your relationship, express gratitude and appreciation, air grievances, or even just talk about your day. The beauty of a check-in is that there are many ways you can do it, as long as it works for you as a couple and benefits your relationship.
Are you and your spouse in need of a check-in? Here are five signs you could benefit from one: Read More

Aug 17
Love0
Couple playing with their dog while painting during renovation

Simple Tips for Tackling Tasks Together

By Connection One Comment

Every couple has them. Those tasks neither of you wants to do. They hang over you, needing to be done. But they’re tedious, annoying, intimidating, or simply unpleasant. Sometimes they even cause tension in your relationship.

However, marriage is about being a team. There’s no reason why that formidable to-do list has to get the best of you. Here are some simple ways you can tackle those tasks together. Read More

Aug 10
Love0
Romantic Couple Talking on blanket in the grass

5 Common Assumptions That Cause Conflict in Marriage

By Conflict, Relationship Basics 12 Comments

“So you made that dinner reservation, right?”
“What? No, I didn’t. I assumed you didn’t want to go because you were complaining about how busy this week was.”
“What?! Why would you think that? You said last week you were going to check availability, so I assumed you got a reservation.”
“Ugh!”

For most couples, this is a very relatable situation. Miscommunications and misunderstandings bubble up due to making assumptions about each other, as demonstrated in the conversation above. We don’t do it intentionally. We’re usually not itching for an argument to pop up at the most inopportune times. In fact, most of the time we probably don’t even realize we’re making assumptions. That’s what makes them so tricky – but not if you know what to watch out for. Here are five common assumptions we make about our spouse that cause conflict in marriage. Read More

Aug 03
Love0
Couple holding hands while strolling on road in woods

How to Stay Connected Without Shared Interests

By Connection, Quality Time 11 Comments

Do you and your spouse share interests or hobbies? If so, that’s great! Spending quality time together doing things you both enjoy probably comes easily to you. This is a relationship strength that will help you stay connected and nurture your friendship throughout your marriage. But what if your interests don’t converge? Are you doomed to drift apart? We don’t think so. In fact, maintaining separate interests and your individual sense of identity can be good for your relationship, too. It’s all about balance.

Let’s explore some tips for staying connected when you don’t share many interests. Read More

Jul 27
Love0
Couple hanging artwork in new house

3 Conversations to Help You Grow Together Through Change

By Resilience One Comment

Do you relish change – embracing new challenges and experiences with confidence and enthusiasm? Or do you prefer routine – feeling most comfortable with the familiar and knowing what comes next?

Whichever camp you fall into, change is inevitable. How we respond to it, of course, makes all the difference. Those who are averse to change might have practice in being intentional about how they manage transitions. Even for those that thrive on change, learning to take the necessary considerations can be a valuable lesson.

In marriage, changes and transitions bring about an added layer of complexity. Why? Because you’re not only managing two different thresholds for change, you’re also juggling the changes you go through as an individual, changes in your relationship, as well as how all of those factors affect your relationship. Phew! That sounds like a lot to manage, and it can feel that way, too. But one of the best things you can do throughout all of it is keep communicating. Here are three conversations to help you grow together and stay connected through change. Read More

Jul 20
Love0
Couple's intertwined hands on blanket

4 Times It’s Okay To Go To Bed Angry

By Conflict 7 Comments

When you think of cliché relationship advice, it’s hard to beat the adage of “Never go to bed angry.” It might sound idyllic, but when you find yourselves still hashing out an argument at 2am you might start to wonder if it’s advice worth following.

Every couple is different, so if this rule works of you, that’s great! If it doesn’t, you’re not alone. In fact, there are times when going to bed angry – or with unresolved conflict – is okay. In fact, it might actually be in your relationship’s best interest. Let’s explore. Read More

Jul 13
Love0
Happy couple dancing in the street

10 Ways to Connect in 10 Minutes or Less

By Connection 10 Comments

In an ideal world, you and your spouse get to enjoy a weekly date night and ample time each day to check in and connect. Reality looks different. Depending on your season of life, you might be lucky if you get a date night every couple months and a few minutes of quiet after the kids the are in bed – and before you’re both ready for bed, too. Even if things aren’t that hectic for you right now, sometimes you’re simply crunched for time. Do you have to sacrifice staying connected? We don’t think so. Here are 10 ways to connect in 10 minutes or less. Read More

Jul 06
Love0
couple sitting inside tent with lights

3 Essential Relationship Boundaries

By Relationship Basics 13 Comments

Picture this: a rare and precious jewel sparkles under a glass case atop a pedestal. Surrounding the treasure are some questionable characters who want to break into the case so they can have that jewel for themselves.

Now imagine your relationship is that jewel, and those characters are all of the external factors that, while not necessarily sinister in nature, have the potential to disrupt or damage the equilibrium of your relationship. This might seem like a dramatic comparison, but the idea is the same. We need to be protective of our relationship by creating boundaries in these areas: Read More

Jun 29
Love0
Premarital couple facing each other smiling sitting in back of car

Premarital Milestones to Appreciate Even After You’re Married

By Premarital 4 Comments

Marriage often seems to mark the start of your lives together. And yet, you had a life together before you were married, too. The milestones you went through when you were dating or engaged can lose a bit of their color with the passage of time and the start of a shiny new chapter of life. However, they are just as important to your story because they got you to where you are now. Here are the premarital milestones to appreciate even after you’re married. Read More

Jun 22
Love0
Smiling Couple Hugging Outdoors Leaning on a Wooden Fence

5 Ways to Show Commitment

By Relationship Basics 6 Comments

Will you marry me? ’Til death do us part. I do. For better or for worse. In sickness and in health.

What do these phrases all have in common? Well, we tend to associate all of them with commitment. While what they signify is important, at the end of the day, they’re just words. Commitment can be present even without a formal ceremony or vows, and it can be absent even with those things. The game-changer is how you live out your commitment to each other – the actions and attitudes that reinforce the verbal expression. Without further “I do”, here are five ways to show commitment. Read More

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