This Valentine's Day will make eighteen years since I met my husband for the first time. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday... He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina at the time and we met in a chat room online. Neither one of us had ever done that before but we really seemed to connect and had so many things in common. That weekend, he had called me to tell me that he would be unable to take leave and drive up to New York with his roommate because he had been assigned guard duty. Of course, I was extremely disappointed that I would not be able to see him but I resigned myself to the fact and just tried to keep busy. Sometime in the evening, I received a call from Ben telling me that his roommate would be stopping off at my house on his way to Jersey to drop off my Valentine's Day present. I could hear a lot of noise in the background during the call and he assured me that they were just running drills … [Read more...]
Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas
Let's face it, while most of us really enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day with our sweethearts, it can sometimes turn out to be a pretty expensive holiday. The problem is that it lands less than three months after Christmas so many are still recovering from all the money they spent in December buying presents. It's important to remember, however, that making time to show your partner how you feel about them and enjoying some romance together is a necessary part of having a good relationship. The good news is that you can show your honey how much you love him or her without spending a lot of money. Make a love coupon book Love coupons are a great way to surprise your special someone on Valentine's Day. You can create or print ones that are filled out already and also include blank ones that your partner can fill out with whatever task they want you to complete. Some of the tasks that you can include on the coupons are enjoying a home cooked … [Read more...]
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...]
Tips For Spending More Time Together As A Family
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to spend more time together as a family? What’s stopping you? There are ways you can spend more time together as a family without breaking the budget or driving each other crazy. Don’t Forget the Ride Home Although you may all be in a car together, riding in a car home together is one way to spend more time as a family. It’s a great time to talk and discuss how the day went. You may not be sitting face to face, but this is a nice way to unwind and catch up as a family. Push Back Bedtime 30 Minutes Okay, so not every family can push back bedtime by 30 minutes, but if you can it’s a great way to go. Why? Well, many families don’t get home till 6 o’clock at night and it can be difficult to get anytime in together. Pushing back bedtime can help give a little more “time” together. If you can’t push back bedtime, then consider getting up 30 minutes earlier and eating an unrushed breakfast together. Spend Time Eating … [Read more...]
Celebrate Little Moments With NESCAFÉ® Clásico™! #MomentoNESCAFE #Giveaway @NESCAFELatino #Ad
Life has a tendency of moving at a very fast pace. We often get caught up in trying to keep up with the race and don't spend enough time slowing down long enough to appreciate every single moment. While most of us stop to celebrate the big events in our lives, like weddings and birthdays, we rarely commemorate the small victories and precious little events that sprinkle our lives. This is especially true when it comes to marriage, especially when you have kids. Couples can get preoccupied with working and raising a family and don't always take the time out to enjoy each other's company for stolen moments. My husband and I have decided to appreciate life moment by moment just because and not due to being obligated to do so on special occasions. It's our way of expressing our love and letting each other know that we matter in our relationship. Enjoying a cup of NESCAFÉ® Clásico ™ with my sweetheart makes these simple moments even more enjoyable. It has been a … [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...]
Unspoken Truths About Parenthood…
Last night, I took my family to the movies to see the new Captain America movie. My husband and I had planned it all week and I waited with my boys for Hubby to get home from work so we could head out to the multiplex. We were all looking forward to this outing and we chatted excitedly in the car on the way over there. To add to our excitement, I had picked up my nephew that afternoon and he was accompanying us to see the film. As usual, we were running a few minutes late and arrived at the theater just in time to quickly purchase our tickets and head to find some good seats while the coming attractions were playing on the screen. About ten minutes into the movie a couple walked in with a stroller containing an infant and two toddlers in tow. They proceeded to sit right near us and, I have to admit, I predicted that bringing such young children to the movies would not turn out well for them or for the rest of us who were trying to watch the movie. Sure enough, one of … [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...]
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...]
The Women Of Osage County-Which One Are You? #AugustMoments #Ad ($100 Visa GC #Giveaway)
Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with The Weinstein Co. However, all opinions expressed are my own. During my childhood, I had the pleasure of being raised around my Great-Grandmother Carmen. She was the epitome of strength and character and had known a hard life working in the fields and giving birth to her children right at home. Although she was sometimes a bitter pill to swallow, she never backed down from anyone and taught me that women could be brave and fierce. On the other hand, my Grandmother who raised me, was strong in a different kind of way. She was never as overbearing and confrontational as Carmen was but she showed me that women could be strong and ladylike at the same time. Although it seemed to outsiders that my Grandfather was the one calling all the shots in their home, she influenced his decisions behind the scenes and made her voice and opinions be heard subtly. This December 25th, we will be introduced to the women of … [Read more...]
