Keeping The Romance Alive In Your Marriage

    Wouldn’t it be awesome to still have a romantic relationship with your spouse, even years into your marriage? The good news is that it’s very possible to keep the romance alive in your marriage. Here are several tips for helping you to achieve this. Late Night Dates     Sometimes it can be difficult to hire a sitter for a date night. That’s why late night dates work out so well. You can have a date with your spouse, way after the kids go to bed. Sure, you’ll be sacrificing sleep, but it’s so worth it to have some one on one time with your spouse. Do Unexpected Things for Your Spouse     A lot of times people get “bored” in their marriage because life and bills take over. Keep the romance alive in your marriage by doing unexpected things for your spouse. Get up early to make them breakfast or a hot cup of coffee. You can even do a surprise date night to keep things really spontaneous. Always Say “I Love You”     Don’t let the mundane … [Read more...]

Why Do Women Put Up With This?

    This evening I was watching a popular reality television show when I found myself sadly wondering why women put up with men who cheat.  In this particular episode, a man has three kids with three different women and they are all arguing with each other due to him.  The thing that troubled me the most about this whole situation is that the ones who lose out in this fiasco are the children.  As siblings, they should all be raised around each other or, at the very least, know each other.  Since the mothers can't seem to get along, it doesn't seem like this will ever be possible.     Even more galling is that, while these women argue with each other, this man is like a spectator who is watching a show being acted out on stage.  Some of you might argue that this just happens on television but I beg to differ.  Time after time, I see familial situations like this one where women are devaluing their worth for the "privilege" of being with a man.  It brings me back to my childhood when my … [Read more...]

Date Night Preparations To Make Your Evening Special! #PGBestForMe @PGEveryday #Giveaway #Ad

*Disclosure:  This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with SheSpeaks and P&G.  However, all opinions expressed are my own.     Everyone knows that most parents are so busy with the daily responsibilities of raising a family and maintaining a home that they have very little time for romance.  My husband and I are no different and we are constantly looking for ways to fit some couple time into our already hectic daily schedules.  Now that Spring is here, the warmer weather and sunny days are just beckoning us to get out and enjoy each other's company but there are some preparations that always need to be made before we head out for date night.     P&G can help you find the best products for your special occasion. P&G’s beauty, grooming and home care brands have received hundreds of awards and recognitions from leading magazines, so you know you’ll get the look that works for you, no matter what. Create the perfect look for your special occasion this spring with … [Read more...]

I’m Done Trying-The Mother In Law Chronicles

    Since becoming a mother, my perspective on a lot of things has changed considerably.  I suppose bringing new life into the world has its ways of shuffling your priorities.  It's no secret that I have never had a close relationship with my Mother In Law.  I'm not going to get into the reasons why this is so, all you have to do is type "Mother In Law" into this blog's search and you will learn all about our rocky history.  The sad part is that my last post a few years ago was actually hopeful after a surprise visit where everyone got along...     Unfortunately, she has been an absentee grandmother in my sons' lives and the good feelings were short lived.  To be fair to her, she lives 12 hours away in another state and does not come to New York City very often.  On the other hand, as a mother, I cannot even fathom how maintaining contact with her grandsons is not more of a priority for her.  There really is no excuse with all of the technology that is available to keep in touch even … [Read more...]

Rekindle Your Romance With Date Night! #BestLobsterfest @RedLobster #Giveaway #Ad

*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Being Latino and Red Lobster.  However, all opinions expressed are my own.     I can't even tell you guys how long it has been since I had a romantic date night with my husband.  It seems like every time we plan to get some alone time together, life happens and we never get around to it.     Many of you can probably relate to this since you also juggle many roles including that of a parent, spouse, employee, business owner, etc.  Lately I have been trying to really get serious about spending some special time with my sweetheart.     In the past, when we have had more time to regularly have a date night, we really enjoyed going out for dinner and seeing a movie.  There is just something so romantic about sitting to eat with your love at your favorite restaurant and locking their gaze from across the table.  In our case, one of our favorite places to frequent and to rekindle our romance is Red Lobster.     During Lobsterfest, all of … [Read more...]

Woo Your Sweetheart This Valentine’s Day! @PromoCodesSave #Ad

*I participated in this compensated campaign on behalf of PromotionalCodes.com. I received a promotional item to facilitate this post and as a thank you item for participating.  All opinions are my own.       Every year I have the same problem during the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day.  Not only is it hard for me to find the perfect gift for my husband, but it is also difficult to try to stay on a budget when it comes to buying something for one's sweetheart.  After all, I would like to say that I have an unlimited supply of funds to buy him anything that he wants but the reality is that I do have to stay within a certain price range.     This is exactly why I love using PromotionalCodes.com to help me save money on every purchase that I make online.  They make it so easy to take advantage of literally thousands of coupons from some of your favorite retail stores.  When you use their coupons, you can save 10%, 20% and even 60% or more off purchases and cash in on free … [Read more...]

As The New Year Approaches…

    With all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I have been very busy here on the blog sharing all of our family's experiences and even reviews and giveaways of some of our favorite products.  As the New Year approaches, I feel the need to slow it down a little bit for this post and share some of our family's behind the scenes stuff which I'm sure many of you can surely relate to...     Two weeks before Christmas, my husband got laid off from his job.  It certainly wasn't the best time for this to happen but then, is it ever good timing?  I keep reminding myself that it could be worse, at least I still have my job and medical benefits, thank God.  Every single time I turn around, I hear about families being hard hit by unemployment in these uncertain economic times and I'm thankful for what we do have.     Today, my boys attended a basketball game with my Father in Law at Fordham University and I stayed behind because walking around such a huge college campus is just not … [Read more...]

Tech The Halls This Holiday Season With @RadioShack #RadioShack #MC #Sponsored

*I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for RadioShack. I received a gift card to facilitate a shopping trip and promotional item as a thank you for participating.     Those of you who are regular readers of Tough Cookie Mommy know that, last month, I launched Operation “Buy Hubby a new phone.”  He was way overdue for a new smartphone and I had grown tired of having dropped calls or having him miss important messages because his previous, outdated phone was unreliable.      I've heard some great things about the deals that they are offering at RadioShack this holiday season so I decided to make an in-store shopping trip to our local store.  This year's holiday shoppers will be among the first to experience RadioShack's recently updated stores.  Also, by the end of 2013, RadioShack will have made improvements to nearly all 4,300 stores throughout the nation.     I had my eye on the prize, which was buying a new phone for my husband, and I … [Read more...]

Earn Rewards For The Hallmark Cards You Buy All Year! #HallmarkCardRewards @Hallmark #Ad

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Hallmark and Latina Bloggers Connect.     When my husband and I started dating fifteen years ago, he was always very romantic but I noticed right away that he never gave me cards for special occasions.  Now, this might not normally have been an issue for another person but I love receiving greeting cards because I like to keep them in my special box and look back on them over the years.  He just couldn't understand why this was so important to me but he complied with my wishes and started giving me not one but two cards for every special day.     The first time that he gave me two cards, I was confused until he explained to me that he was starting a tradition where we would always gift each other a funny card and a romantic card for our anniversaries and birthdays.  He explained to me that our relationship was based on not only love and romance but friendship which is why it was important to include a card with a witty saying … [Read more...]

The Secret To Our Long And Happy Marriage

    Today is our 14th wedding anniversary.  Without a doubt, I can honestly tell you that the last fourteen years have been the best ones of my life.  Have they been easy? Hell no!  However, they have been full of love, joy, and lots of laughter.  My husband makes me a better person and he has given me the greatest gifts that I have ever received, my two boys.     We spent this whole weekend together reflecting on our marriage and the things that have given our relationship longevity and this is the criteria that we came up with: Love is nice but it just isn't enough sometimes.  We have found that we are friends first and genuinely enjoy each other's company as people and individuals. Open communication is key.  It's important to talk through everything even if the topic is a difficult one to broach.  Holding back feelings or thoughts can fester and cause resentment in the relationship over time. Give each other time to pursue interests separately.  Although we are … [Read more...]