Month: March 2016

When Your Spouse Bothers You. Part 1

Marriage panel members answer the question of what to do when your spouse bothers you. This post is part of our ASK THE PANEL series where readers submit questions and our marriage panel answers them. As explained here. Here’s the submitted question: ” . . . . I’ve been married a little over two years now and I still don’t feel like I’ve gotten down figuring out when I’m in the wrong and when my husband is. Our marriage is pretty good, but little things my husband does bother me all the time. Like, when he is oblivious to how… Read More

Ask the PANEL

Introducing a new series where readers can write in marriage questions and a panel will answer them. Each month, I receive emails from people I do not know asking me for marriage advice. This always takes me back a minute, “Wait, a sec, why are they asking me?” Oh right because I run a marriage blog. I don’t think I’m being asked because of who I am but because people probably don’t really have anyone else TO ask. (and if you’ve ever emailed me with a marriage question THANK YOU- you are why I write this blog) I’m realizing that… Read More

How to Break the Cycle of Negative Thoughts Toward Your Spouse

How to avoid the negative thought spiral of marital misery by clinging to every good thing your spouse has to offer through faith, hope, humility and charity. *** I’m starting a new series called Spiritual Sunday. I’m going to write a spiritual post on the third or fourth Sunday of every month. And I’ll link the topic to marriage of course. I realize this is not a Sunday, but this month’s Spiritual Sunday is comin’ at you on a Wednesday. It’s free spirited like that.   I’ve noticed throughout my marriage that if I don’t keep Rich’s good qualities in… Read More

How to Better Listen to a Depressed Spouse

How to better listen to a depressed spouse using the F.L.A.P. method: focus, lean, affirm, probe. One of the most popular articles on my blog, with over 10,000 page views to date is Supporting a Spouse Through Depression by Brad Tuft. I’ve wanted to expand on this subject since depression is such a difficult and common problem in marriages, but neither Rich nor I have experienced clinical depression and it’s a difficult topic to ask someone to write about. Which is why I was SO grateful when Joshua from Endepression.org reached out to me. Guys, this site is a great… Read More

Questions to Ask Your Spouse Besides “How Was Your Day?”

Questions to Ask Your Spouse Besides, "How Was Your Day?" We all get in the rut of asking lame questions and receiving lame answers. Click through for some great ideas of more inspired questions to ask your spouse each day to foster better connection and communication.

If you don’t want lame answers, you can’t ask lame questions. Here are some tried and true different questions to ask your spouse at the end of the day besides, “How was your day?” This is the last post from our rituals and routines month. Check out the other posts: No time together? Take the 10 minute DAILY connect for busy couples challenge! The Weekly Marriage Check In: A Happier Marriage Week by Week Low Energy Ways to Connect With Your Spouse Besides TV   So often the only daily re-cap my husband and I give each other is, “How was… Read More