How did you do on Day 15 -- Find the Happy Spot -
go over the list of "10 Things Happy Couples Do Differently" together? There are lots of lists and ideas out there, some good and some not so good, but I've found several websites and blogs that are good for sparking new ideas , and thoughts regarding marriage to ponder.
So, today's suggestion for a Great Marriage is to...
DAY 16: TO A GREAT MARRIAGE - Use Good Resources
Here's a short list of good ones, some I've already recommended in other Days. Of course, you can search for more, but here's a start:
1. Happy Wives Club
2. We Are That Family
3. Mom Life Today
4. Family Share
5. Dr. James Dobson
6. Lots more on my Pinterest Page
So, beginning today, I encourage you to regularly use resources from good sources to help you stay focused on investing intentionally in your marriage every day.
That's it! See you tomorrow :)
Well, how was Day 11 -- Date Your Mate night? Duane and I went out for dinner and a movie. He loves to go to the movies and tells me all the time, 'especially with you.' So, of course, I want to go to the movies, too :) He goes with his buddies to catch the hard-core action films because they only exhaust my adrenaline stores!
Okay, for today...
DAY 12: TO A GREAT MARRIAGE - Take the Day Off!
Since today is the weekend, and hopefully you have planned a fun activity for today already from Day 10, consider today a day off from additional suggestions. Just enjoy the day!
Just like we have to let the bread rise, the paint set, the hair color do its job, today is a day for all you've done up to this point to settle, and take root. You've planted, watered, weeded, now give it a rest.
Believe it or not, this is one of the steps, if you will, on the road to a Great Marriage.
Tomorrow is an important day.
See you then,
Hi everyone!
The weekend is just around the corner - are you anticipating it...or dreading it? You may have kid's games, other family or volunteer responsibilities, a major house project, guests coming that you have to get ready for, et al.
One thing I (finally) learned was that having something fun planned for the weekend ahead of time, however big or small, pushes on my anticipation button and helps me see and deal with all the responsibilities that lie ahead with a better attitude. It is amazing how much anticipation can energize and motivate us.
As we talked about yesterday Day 9 -- Take Time for Yourself, will help re-energize you to go through not just your day, but your week and weekend with greater ease.
So, as simple as it is, I encourage you to...
DAY 10: TO A GREAT MARRIAGE - Plan Ahead for Fun!
Beginning today, plan your weekend(s) with one fun thing to do with the family, (even if it is just you and your husband), regardless of how packed the schedule may be with responsibilities.
There are loads of benefits:
-It will be a needed diversion for you and your husband.
-It will be fun!
-It will push the anticipation button for everyone.
-It will model important things to your children.
-It will add a little more 'glue' to your family.
-It will bond you and your husband closer in your parenting.
I could go on, but here's an article you might find helpful, "Taking Back the Family Weekend," that has some good things to say about making over your family weekend time to include more fun and relaxation.
And, for a few ideas of fun things to do, check out iMOM for 14 Fun Weekend Family Activities.
Deliberate planning is more than a smart thing to do :)
The Happy Wives Club has a board on Pinterest on "21 Days to a Happier You" you might want to check out, because it relates to today's suggestion to Take Time for Yourself.
But first, did you do it? Day 8 -- Carve your initials on a Tree. Hopefully you are able to follow along day by day and do as many as possible on the day of the suggestion. If not, just keep a little list of the things you have yet to do on your path to a Great Marriage!
Today...
DAY 9: TO A GREAT MARRIAGE - Take Time for Yourself
That's right! The old saying, (and life principle) "Ain't nobody happy if mama ain't happy," is true. YOU aee the primary mood setter for your home. And, well...
Now, it's obvious that everyone else in the family can and does effect the atmosphere and attitudes of others, but you have the incredible power to set the stage the mood of your home. And in order to do that, you have to take care of yourself.
You do so much for everyone else, but just like on airplanes when they tell us, in case of an emergency, to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first and then on our children, you have to take care of yourself, and this means taking (making) time to do the things you love to do, that you are interested in, that helps relieve the stresses of life.
So, beginning today, set aside at least 30 minutes, more is better, to 'pamper' yourself in some way. It may simple be sitting outside with a cup of coffee enjoying the beauty; getting your nails done; trying a new make-up look; soaking in the tub, or whatever you like. Try to do something for yourself every day, or at least a couple of times a week, even if it's a little thing.
It's amazing the power that doing a little something for yourself can have to improve your outlook and mood...and the atmosphere in our home...and our relationships.
Oh, and by the way, The Happy Wives Club is looking for 1 Million Happy Wives to help change the tone about marriage around the world...you might want to join :)
It's Day 4!
How did you do with Day 3? to start having more fun together with your husband:
#1 little fun things every day;
#2 a couple of planned fun things this month.
If you haven't done it yet I want to encourage you to not skip this one. You deserve to carve out some fun time together after long days and long weeks filled with responsibilities. So, get out that calendar and plan 2 or 3 fun activities just for you and your husband to do together this month, that you both really like to do. And turn up the creative fun juices a little every day.
Okay, so now we start to use the power of reminiscing....
DAY 4: TO A GREAT MARRIAGE - Reminisce Together
On Day 1 you were to make a list of 31 things about your husband that made you fall in love with him in the first place, and begin to tell him one of them from your list every day. Hopefully that is starting to bear some fruit, and today's encouragement to reminisce will build on that. To reminisce means to simply recall, remember, look back, recollect.
So, beginning today, and few times a week throughout this month carve out a little time together after dinner and the kids are in bed, or when you're driving in the car together, et al., and bring up a fond memory you have about the day you met, your first date, your wedding day, your honeymoon, and then ask him what one of his fondest memories is -- and voila! you're reminiscing together.
Duane and I have been doing this for awhile, and not just about our wedding, etc., such as fun vacations; memorable Christmas trips (this is one we enjoy talking about because when the boys were little we would often make the trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his parents. The drive in the car, though filled with lots of "how long until we're there?" were fun, and bring up fond memories for all of us.
You can also use the months or seasons, ie October; football season, to remember and reminisce about the good times of your lives together.
Adding the power of reminiscing together with your husband (as well as with the children at other times) helps relieve the effects of life's day-to-day responsibilities, stresses and tensions.
And if you need a little more convincing as to the value of doing this, look at what this study found about the stress-reducing effects of just looking at old photos!
For those who want to 'catalog' your shared memories, you can even record your memories; then in a few years, listen to them together, just another way to reminisce. We did this with the boys, and have had loads of laughs, and tears, as we've played tapes of our conversations as a family. Hearing their voices at age two and five and ten, now that they are grown, well, there's nothing else like it.
Doing today's suggestion, and the others on this 31 Days to a Great Marriage, will add fun and joy and draw your hearts closer.
