Holidays

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

3 Newlywed Holiday Tips

Looking for newlywed holiday tips? Being newlyweds opens an entirely new life…a life together. Most of the time that is an amazing thing to explore. Occasionally newlywed life can be a little scary as you navigate two families and holiday expectations. The worst thing you can do is “go with the flow” and make everyone but yourselves happy. Your first holidays together and how you handle them with your family will set a precedent for the rest of your married lives. Read on for a few tips to make the holidays more comfortable as newlyweds.

Holiday Tip 1: Know what you want for “your” holiday
If you and your spouse never discuss what would make you individually and collectively happy over the holidays, you’re setting yourselves up for unhappiness. Understanding the key thing for each person that makes a holiday special and making sure you prioritize those two things is tangible goal you can set and work to achieve together. If you have made a holiday plan together, it will be easier to communicate with your families. Instead of stammering and somehow agreeing to a dinner you know your spouse will hate. You can say “We made a plan to spend Christmas Eve in front of the fire together as newlyweds.”

Holiday Tip 2: Set gift expectations
Even if you have been dating for years, marriage can change a person’s expectations around the holidays. Talk about setting a gift budget for each other and your families. You won’t lose the element of surprise, but you will mitigate the disaster of supremely mis-matched gifts and hurt feelings. Unsure what to get each other? Consider booking a trip or purchasing a gym membership together. Memories and good habits early on will influence your marriage for years to come!

Holiday Tip 3: You can’t do it all
As you are building your married relationship, you can be tempted to do everything possible to make your spouse, family, their family, and friends happy. Don’t, it’s a recipe for burnout. Take this holiday season as a time to reflect on who is important to you and spend time with them. Not everyone needs a gift. Sometimes a coffee, cocktail, or email is all you need to spread cheer and good will.

As you enter into the holiday season with your husband or wife…remember how blessed you are to be spending it with the person you love. Don’t forget to tell them, take pictures, make memories, and have fun! Happy holidays newlyweds!

Newlywed Needs: What To Do After “I do”

Do you know what to do after “I do?” Newlywed life is pretty great. You just married the love of your life, most likely honeymooned somewhere amazing and now can look forward to spending the rest of your lives together. At some point, most newlyweds hit the “so now what” point. No need to feel lost…here’s a list of newlywed to-do’s to keep you moving forward in marital bliss.

Newlywed To Do #1: Make a Name Change Decision
Now that you’re a newlywed, one or both of you have the option to change your name. Discuss your thoughts on the topic and then make a decision together. The longer you wait to change your name (if that is your plan) the more places you will need to change it. As a newlywed you’re going to end up merging a few accounts and creating new ones. Having the name you intend to have for life prior to making those changes will save you the time and stress of having to change your name on both old and new accounts. If you’re overwhelmed with all the places you need to change your name, use the MissNowMrs online name change service to go from Miss to Mrs. in minutes!

Newlywed To Do #2: Merge Bank/Insurance Accounts
Now that’ you’re an official “household” you can use your newlywed status to score discounted rates on home, health and auto insurance! Do a little research to see what company offers the best deal and then delegate who changes what and who pays what. I suggest separate bank accounts and a joint savings account as a key way to keeping a happy marriage, but if one of you is a financial wiz, you may elect to merge all of your bank accounts.

Newlywed To Do #3: Handle the Holidays
Holidays (much like weddings) bring out the best and worst in families. Putting together a plan of where you will be for each holiday, and ideally which holiday you’ll host in your home, will help you navigate the holidays as newlyweds and set the tone for future family celebrations. Just “going with the flow” is a great way to enter holiday hell, upset family members on both sides and miss the true reason for whatever season you’re in.

Newlywed To Do #4: Create a 5 Year Plan
You’re newlyweds and the world is your oyster. Now is the time to decide what is important to you both and where you want to be in five years. Do you want to own your own home, get a secondary degree, purchase a pet, have children or travel the world in the next five years? The answers to these questions will help you map out your finances and goals. It’s such an exciting time…make the most of it and make sure you end up where you want to. You’re in charge of your happily ever after!

Once you’ve followed our tips for what to do after “I do.” don’t miss a list of our best fun ideas for things to do after the wedding.

Kate Spade’s Bridal Shop: For Brides & Newlyweds

We adore Kate Spade…well EVERYTHING, but are especially pleased with her online bridal shop this season! Whether you’re shopping for a rehearsal dress, to-die-for wedding heels or the perfect bridesmaid’s gifts you’re sure to be delighted. The quality of material and attention to detail are what make these items perfect purchases. I particularly like the interior inscriptions on the bracelets. They’re like little secret notes to your friends or yourself.

Attention newlyweds in the midst of making holiday wish lists: there are great gifts in the bridal shop for you too! Celebrate your newlywed status with an “I do” necklace or Mrs. earrings. They’re lovely, whimsical and something you’ll treasure through the years of your marriage. On the decorating side of things, there are fanciful ring holders, his and her highball glasses, and engraved photo frames. While you’re making your list of favorites, you may want to earmark a few items for engagement presents…as New Year’s is right around the corner!
What are your favorite items in the Kate Spade bridal shop? We would love to hear from you in a comment!

5 Ideas For Creating A Holiday Moment Together This Year

Creating a holiday moment together is SO important! Whether you’re planning your wedding or celebrating your first Christmas as newlyweds the holidays hold a host of parties, activities, family gatherings and maybe a few stressful questions. What are you buying your spouse? Are you now in charge of his/her family Christmas gifts? Where are you spending the holiday this year? Who’s traditions will be honored? What is your holiday budget?

In the midst of the shopping, baking, wrapping and traveling, I have one piece of advice for you. Plan time for just the two of you to make a memory. If you don’t plan to do this now, the holidays will have already whirled past before you have a chance to connect.

Short on ideas? You could go ice skating, make out under the mistletoe, take a walk through holiday lights, make an ornament to remember your first Christmas or have breakfast in bed together as you exchange gifts. You can also surprise your spouse with a name change. We’ve had clients slip their new driver’s license showing their married name into a card. So cute!

Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to look back over the years and remember “your holiday moment” as a nearlywed or newlywed!

We’d love to hear about how you’re creating a holiday moment together! Please leave a comment below.

3 Dessert Recipes that Guarantee a Fantastic Fourth of July!

Looking for Fourth of July dessert recipes? One of my all-time favorite holidays is the Fourth of July! No major family expectations to live up to as newlyweds (like Thanksgiving or Christmas), just fun with friends celebrating our country’s independence with food and fireworks. Whether you’re throwing your first BBQ as newlyweds or attending someone else’s shin-dig, here are 3 awesome recipes for Fourth of July treats!

Quick & Easy – Jello Fire Cracker Shots are tiny red white and blue mouthfuls of fun…with or without alcohol. If you’re stumped on what to bring to a friend’s BBQ, you honestly can’t go wrong with this recipe. It took me all of 30 minutes to complete and they look exactly like the photo on the recipe. P.S. they’re also incredibly budget friendly (2 boxes of jello, milk and an envelope of unflavored gelatin)!

Ready to Impress – Are you confident in the kitchen and looking for the ultimate Fourth of July dessert to wow guests? This American Flag Cake looks amazing and difficult, but if you study the recipe it all comes down to how you layer colored cakes to make every slice a piece of patriot pride (seriously…every slice looks like an American flag…check out the photo above)!

Healthy Choice – Trying to avoid gaining the newlywed 15? This recipe for an angel food cake layered with lemon curd and berries is low in calories but high in taste. It’s also quick to assemble and can even be done with a store-bought cake!

However you spend Fourth of July this year, count yourself blessed to be celebrating independence with the person you chose to love and marry! What dessert recipes will you be using? Please share in a comment!