Time and time again, couples are faced with the struggle of defining their roles in their relationships. Who will clean the bathroom this weekend? Who is going to make dinner tomorrow? Who will wash the dishes tonight? What may start out as a simple chore can catapult into a battle for acknowledgement, assurance, or even […]
The plane landed and I hurriedly walked to meet my ride. After having been gone for a five day business trip, I was eager to meet my family at my son’s flag football game. After we shared hugs and heard about the kids’ week, my husband informed me that he had moved everything out of […]
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta Visiting new places, trying unfamiliar food, indulging in unique cultures, and seeing exotic sites are great ways to experience life to its fullest. However, traveling without your partner can be tough. When you travel for business, it can be hard […]
The 2016 Rio Olympics have come to a close and for those who have watched, we have been inspired by seeing the fruits of the Olympians’ years of preparation and labor. What can we learn from Olympians to inspire our pursuit of a “Gold Medal Marriage”? Olympians work at it every day. They daily-discipline themselves […]
I fight with my husband from time to time. It happens because conflict happens. We disagree, but then we figure it out and move forward. Sounds easy, right? Not exactly, but it is easier now that he and I understand more about ourselves and our relationship. Until just recently, every time we disagreed, we would […]
Did you know that routines in a relationship can be valuable? As a society, we have developed a strikingly negative perspective of falling into a routine in our relationships. We view spontaneity as the ideal norm. With that being said, spontaneity is fun and important in a relationship, but routines are just as necessary. Positive […]
“We kept fighting and fighting and yelling and screaming and eventually we solved the whole problem completely!” Said no spouse, ever. One of the most significant tools I help couples learn to implement into their conflict process is the time-out. Though I’m sure this term makes you think of a toddler sitting in the corner […]
When we think of retirement, we usually think about it in terms of money. Will we have enough to travel? Will we have enough to spoil our grandkids? Will we have enough to help our children? And most importantly, will we have enough money to live out our lives the way we want to? When […]
Expectations are high when planning a wedding. There is this need to find the perfect dress, delicious food, a picturesque location, and a photographer who can capture those special moments. Luckily, premarital counseling is becoming part of the wedding planning experience, but that begs the question – Do couples have high expectations for their marriage […]
Oh, Valentine’s Day. There is so much buildup, so much pressure, to make it the most romantic day of the year. Often we find ourselves buying the flowers, the sappy cards, the candy (many times at the last minute), or booking an overpriced room at a fancy hotel only to end up getting in a […]