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Sep 24
Love0
3 Times to Ask for a Do Over

3 Times to Ask for a Do-Over

By Relationship Basics One Comment

Have you ever had an interaction with your spouse that unexpectedly turned into a fight, all because of a communication mistake? You might know it’s happening even as the words are leaving your mouth. You can feel your spouse’s vibe change in response. You wish you could take it back and start over, but it’s too late. What’s done is done. Or is it?

While life is full of situations in which you only get one shot, marriage offers up many opportunities when a second chance can be just what you need to turn an otherwise negative outcome into a positive. When you know you’ve just made a poor choice in communicating with your spouse, requesting a do-over in the moment is an impactful way to quickly course-correct the interaction. Here are 3 times to ask for one: Read More

Sep 17
Love0
Have You Outkicked Your Coverage?

Have You Outkicked Your Coverage?

By Relationship Dynamics One Comment

If you’re a football fan, you’re probably excited that a new season is upon us. If you’re not, you could be anywhere from apathetic to annoyed to completely unaware. Either way, we’ll cut to the chase – this post is not really about football. But it is about a figure of speech that originates from football: outkicking your coverage. Have you heard this phrase used in the context of relationships?

If you haven’t, it’s typically used to insinuate that a person’s spouse is more attractive or desirable than they are. Alternatives are (for some reason) similarly sports-themed – out of your league or batting above your average are common ones. The truth is, it’s not usually very helpful to judge or speculate about the dynamics of others’ relationships, although sometimes it can help us reflect on our own. So let’s take that road instead. Read More

Sep 10
Love0
You and Your Spouse Versus

You & Your Spouse Versus …

By Resilience 8 Comments

It’s you and your spouse against the world.

A bit dramatic, right? While this notion can seem romantic in an angsty sort of way, it’s usually not true. However… there’s something to be said for feeling like you and your spouse can handle whatever life throws at you – as a team.

After all, throughout marriage, it’s easy to fall into a mindset that it’s you versus your spouse. Whether it’s their annoying habits, the issues you disagree on, or going through a season of lower connection, it can start to feel like you’re fighting against each other on everything. Suffice it to say, becoming entrenched in that dynamic is detrimental to your relationship.

So what if you used the “you and your spouse against the world” perspective to your advantage? Unsure what we mean? Here are three scenarios to make it work for you. Read More

Sep 03
Love0
Bonus Marriage Compatibility Points

Bonus Marriage Compatibility Points

By Relationship Dynamics 3 Comments

What are the most important things to agree on in marriage? Typically you’re going to consider things like your values and beliefs, overall meshing of your personalities, and the general picture of what you want your future to look like – whether that includes a big family, career aspirations, living in a small town or a big city, etc. If you and your spouse differ significantly on these topics, it’s going to be difficult to plan a life together – to say the least.

But if you’re aligned on these big things, does that mean it’s all smooth sailing? Eh, not quite. You and your spouse will probably still disagree, albeit on things with lower stakes. That got us thinking…

What are those things that you definitely don’t have to agree on, but that just might make day-to-day life a whole lot easier if you did? Consider them sort of like bonus compatibility points in marriage. Let’s explore some examples. Read More

Aug 27
Love0
8 Date Add-Ons for a New Spin

8 Date Add-Ons for a New Spin

By Connection, Quality Time 2 Comments

If regular dates have become part of your routine, congrats! You’ve established a habit that will pay off – strengthening your relationship in both the long and short-term – and that’s something to be proud of. So what’s next? Are you looking for a new challenge or a way to level up your dates? Or perhaps you’re experiencing a (good) problem – things have gotten to be a little too routine and predictable. Whatever the case, you could use some ways to inject some novelty and fun into your usual dates. There’s no need to completely reinvent the wheel, so here are 8 simple date add-ons that will put a new spin on your same old, same old. Read More

Aug 20
Love0
40 Ideas for the Perfect Date

40 Ideas For The Perfect Date

By Connection, Quality Time One Comment

You know that distinct feeling of satisfaction when something hits just right? It could be a meal you’ve been craving for weeks or that first sip of your favorite ice cold beverage on a scorching day. Maybe it’s a song that resonates deeply at a specific moment, or time spent with a friend that soothes your soul. Or maybe it’s the perfect date with your spouse – one that matches your vibe or mood perfectly and leaves you feeling energized, happy, and connected. It’s not always easy figuring out exactly what kind of date is going to check all those boxes. It’s especially difficult if you tend to stick to your usual date night routine. With that in mind, we’ve put together the ultimate list of date ideas, categorized by vibe/mood, to help you and your spouse enjoy a date that hits just right every time. Read More

Aug 13
Love0
3-Course Conversation Menu

Your 3-Course Conversation Menu

By Connection, Quality Time 2 Comments

Sometimes the date night conversation flows easily – you effortlessly segue from one topic to the next, making each other laugh while still hitting those meaningful and sweet moments – and you only talked about the kids once!

Other times, it doesn’t click as smoothly. Maybe you’re both tired or irritable from a long week or an exhausting day. Or perhaps you’re just blanking on things to talk about. You don’t mind companionable silence, but sometimes you could use a little conversational boost. For those moments, we’ve created this three-course date conversation menu. Read More

Aug 06
Love0
What Makes a Date?

What Makes a Date?

By Quality Time 2 Comments

Do you have certain criteria that need to be met in order for something to count as a date?

Maybe it has to be somewhere outside the home and last at least two hours. Maybe you have to dress up and a meal has to be involved. Maybe it has to be planned in advance and take place in the evening.

While these are all characteristics of dates you’ve gone on in the past – and probably of ones you will go on in the future – are these the things that truly make a date? Let’s dive into some different perspectives. Read More

Jul 30
Love0
How to Make Date Night Happen

How to Make Date Night Happen

By Quality Time 5 Comments

A regular, consistent date night sounds great on paper. But when it comes to actually following through, it might feel like there’s always something that can stand in the way. Whether it’s an unexpected last-minute event, your season of life, financial situation, or daily life obligations, you can usually come up with an excuse to skip date night.

But there’s one important reason why you shouldn’t: your marriage deserves the effort, and it benefits from the intentional quality time.

So let’s try to make it easier for you. Here are 5 tips to help make date night happen. Read More

Jul 23
Love0
Ask These Questions When Things Are Feeling Off

Ask These Questions When Things Are Feeling Off

By Relationship Dynamics 5 Comments

Sometimes you and your spouse can look at each other and have an entire conversation in just one glance. You’re in tune with each other and on the same page. Other times, this isn’t the case. It might feel like you’re a million miles apart – emotionally, mentally, and physically. You’re snippy and easily annoyed with each other. One misunderstanding leads to another. Neither of you feels like the other person knows where you’re coming from. You’re not necessarily mad at each other, but you can both admit that things feel… off.

Can you relate? Most couples go through periods like this from time to time – it’s normal! Next time things start feeling off between you and your spouse, take some time to ask these questions: Read More

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