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The Marriage Blog Week in Review November 18-24

Welcome to the weekend and the end of the Thanksgiving week and the start of the holiday madness. Yesterday got us all of to a rousing start. For those of you who dived into the Black Friday shopping craziness, I feel your pain – I was out there too. In the meanwhile, this was a busy week in the Marriage blog with guest blogger Valorie Delp paying us a visit as well, if you didn’t get a chance to check out her blogs, I encourage you to do so, she’s a great writer and brings her own unique perspective into … Continue reading →

Emotional Landmines and the Holidays

Welcome to holiday season when families travel sometimes miles and sometimes only minutes to spend hours together, eating, drinking and celebrating Thanksgiving and family together. The problem, as most married couples can attest to, is that holidays are a great time for families to come together and for old tensions to be refueled. Family Ties & Tensions You can’t have family ties without there being tensions as well. Whether it’s disagreements over traditions, personality upheavals or just simply revisiting old family grudges, it’s important to be aware of the emotional landmines before you or your spouse accidentally detonates one. For … Continue reading →

The Marriage Blog Week in Review October 28-November 3rd

Last Week’s New Jersey Supreme Court ruling played a major ripple effect on our articles for this week and even as we got ready for Halloween and recovered from it, the November elections and vote loomed ahead. Several states will make their decisions on new marriage laws, politicians and more. If that were not enough for you, we have the holidays looming ahead of us and that can have a dramatic impact on our marriages and our family lives. So without further ado, here is our Marriage Blog week in review: Saturday, October 28 In Marriage in the News: I … Continue reading →

Destructive Behavior

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Do you live with resentment and grudges? Are they a third party at your table for two? The problem with this type of third party is that they are an elephant in the room or they take up two spaces at your table and they can leave you chomping at the bit, ready to wreak havoc on your spouse whether they genuinely deserve it or not. Crime and Punishment When you carry around a suitcase full of grudges, packed tightly with resentment, you may find yourself eyeing every activity your spouse does with a harsh eye of judgment. That harsh … Continue reading →

Comfort and Joy

The holidays can be the most difficult time of year for those who have lost loved ones. My husband’s mom passed away five years ago, and the pain is still there and even more pronounced during the holidays. We all miss her very much, and Christmas is the most difficult time for us, because she was so into it. She would get as excited as the kids did about Christmas. She’d call me up just to say, “Two more days! I can’t wait!” Sometimes, she’d get so excited she really couldn’t wait and would start giving our girls their presents … Continue reading →

Can You Survive? Stepfamily Holiday Stress

I don’t really care for the term stepfamily. I prefer blended family, even though I’m not usually given to politically correct terminology. The point is that stepfamilies or blended families can encounter some unique challenges, especially during the holidays. Time can be at a premium, especially when not only ex-spouses, but also ex-in laws, as well as your own family members hope to spend more time with your children. This can often lead to stressful and uncomfortable situations. It may also lead to resentment for your spouse. It is important to make sure that you try to keep everyone’s feelings … Continue reading →