Happy Halloween from CouplesQuestions.com!

The results are in:

Forget vampires and victims, forget zombie bride and grooms, forget the creepiest of ghosts and goblins who might pair themselves up as romantic couples this Halloween. According to numerous on-line sources, Britney and K-Fed were named "Scariest" Halloween couple costume in online polls.

Ooooooo Scaaaaaary!!

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 9:19 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Fitness goals: Help each other get healthy

Have you noticed a little waistline spread since you and your sweetie got together? Have you gotten a little too relaxed about your workout regime? Are your bums happily growing roots, side by side on the sofa?

You are not alone. This is a common circumstance for many couples who relax into the comfort of a loving relationship. But if you or your partner (or both of you) wants to get back into feeling and being more physically fit you can do it. You can start today. One great way to show your loved ones that you care is to support them in their fitness goals. There are several ways you might do this.

Working out together is a great idea if you are so inclined. If you are vastly different in your fitness levels this may be difficult to do every day, but once in a while might be a great show of support to the one who is trying to improve.

If you can’t train together, you can show your support by helping each other make time for fitness. One of you can watch the children or the business while the other gets out and works up a bit of a sweat. This is a great show of support, I think, especially for mothers who sometimes feel guilty about taking time for their own needs. Moms and Dads BOTH deserve time to themselves – especially to take care of their health.

If one or both of you is working toward better health and fitness, avoid the negative and stick to the positive. Say those encouraging words to your partner all along the way. Even though you may be making big changes to your routine, big results do not happen overnight. You have to (we have to, actually) be patient and consistent. And, don’t beat yourself up when you fall of the wagon. Just get back on it!!

We are not experts in this area, but speaking from experience, step one is to stand up and move around. Go for a walk, put in an exercise video, hit the gym or the pool whatever!

These days, I am working on getting rid of the baby weight accumulated while carrying Baby Max (now just over 4 months old!) and Dan is interested in getting a bit fitter too. Since Dan is now on his Parental Leave for the next 8 months, we have made a commitment to each other to get in some kind of exercising every day. We have even started running together 3 days a week. I am finding it so much easier to make time to work out when I have his support and/ or his company.

For those who are engaged or recently got married, fitness is just one of the topics addressed in the CouplesQuestions marriage preparation workbook.

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

Labels: goals

posted by Heather and Dan @ 7:56 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Cooking for romance made easy

Cooking is one of the most romantic things you can do for your beloved. But what if you can't cook?

Well, Rachael Ray can help. How about Three Mushroom Pizza?

Start with some shopping:

• Premade pizza dough (hey, this is for those who can't cook) -- we use Pillsbury, because it is available at the Thrifty Foods across the street, but we could just as well use the dough from La Collina, the great Italian bakery across town.
• Two or three cups each of three different types of mushrooms. You can get as exotic and expensive as you like, but we use white, brown, button and shitake mushrooms (ranging from cheap to middle of the range). Yeah, I know that's four mushrooms, but I pick three of the four, depending on what they have at the store.
  
• Two cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Two more cups of another grated cheese -- we part company with Rachael on this one. Her recipe calls for Swiss, we use Asiago. It is a simple rule: Italian cheeses for pizza. But ignore our rule if you like; it's your pizza. Let's face it, Rachael is a better cook than me!
  
• Four or five cloves of garlic.
• olive oil
• salt

Next, make the pizza:

• Set oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spread the pizza dough on a cookie sheet, then brush (or smear) two tablespoons of olive oil over the dough - make sure you go right to the edges. Mince the garlic and spread it all over the dough.
• Bake it for 8 minutes.
• In the meantime, thinly slice all the mushrooms and sautee in two tablespoons of olive oil. The 'shrooms cook down, but you'll need to start with a large pan or do it in batches. Personally, I do the mushrooms before the dough and have them ready to go. Heather and other efficient cooks can do them in the "proper" order. (Medium heat, stirring frequently for about five minutes or until they are soft.)
• Spread the greated asiago on the dough, then add the mushrooms and some salt, then cover the mushrooms with the mozzarella. Bake the pizza for 15 or 20 more minutes or until getting brown and bubbly on top.

Yum!

If your cooking skills are not up to this challenge, don't despair! This is a great recipe for two people to prepare together. If neither of you can cook, why not take an introductory cooking class together?

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

Labels: romance

posted by Heather and Dan @ 8:41 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Time Change

Totally off topic here, but did you remember to set your clock back this morning? I've had a couple of dopey incidents over the years because I forgot, so I thought a reminder wouldn't hurt!

If you want to get the national time signals of the US and Canada, try www.time.gov in the USA or the NRC webclock in Canada. These can be slightly out off because of Internet conditions, but are going to be within a couple of seconds of accurate.

There, now you won't be an hour early (or late) for today's date with the love of your life!

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 7:33 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Spook-tacular Halloween costumes for couples

It’s the time of year when many couples are wracking their brains trying to come up with interesting, and innovative ensembles for nights out to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve.

Whether you lean toward the ghoulish, the funny, the sexy or the traditional, it can be a lot of fun to get costumes together and head out (or stay in) for a night as a different couple.

Our friends at MarriageAbout.com have lots of terrific links for couples costume ideas so you should definitely check them out, but we thought we would add our two cents to the pool of ideas.

• Vampire and victim
• Madman and his cheerleader victim
• Pirate and wench
• Nurse and patient (maybe a naughty nurse!!)
• Dora and Boots (parents will get this)
• Emma and Oscar from Corner Gas
• Crime Scene Investigators (complete with evidence)
• Bee keeper and a bee (we’re doing this, but the bee is our little two year old)
• Prince Charles and Camilla (all you really need are huge ears for him and a huge hat for her)
• King Arthur and Guinevere
• Gypsy pickpockets…you could have fun “pick pocketing” people all night
• Hippies
• Bill and Hillary
• Anthony and Cleopatra
• Peter McKay and Belinda Stronach (complete with dog collar around Peter’s neck)…probably only relevant for Canadians)

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 8:53 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

New Beginnings: Every Relationship Has Them Over And Over Again

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

Life is full of twists and turns. Life is full of changes. There are inevitably surprises that greet us along the way and it has to be said, good or bad, they sure do keep life interesting. These changes, even the ones that seem positive at first blush, may bring tension to even the most loving of relationships. It is how couples handle the stress that reveals their strength.

We have been rather distant from blog-land for a couple of weeks now. We had a small glitch on our site (that is now sorted) which we had to deal with and, more importantly, Dan started his Parental Leave. As I have been a stay-home mom for that last while I am not entitled to collect any benefits (i.e. Maternity Leave for Max who was born in June) from the Canadian Government, but Dan, as our breadwinner, is. He is going to be on paid leave for the next 7 and a half months and I am thrilled.

Not only will we get to spend more time together as a couple and as a family, but we will both be able to pursue a few interests that we have not been able to address in a while AND work on our web based business AND get a few DIY projects done around the house. Yay!

Some of my friends think I’m nuts and Dan’s colleagues warned he would be back to work in a few weeks. They all say we’ll drive each other crazy, or that the day to day “excitement” of staying home with two small children will be too much for Dan. They may be right, but at this point I don’t think so.

At first, the change is our family lifestyle fluctuated between being fabulous (doing things like going hiking in the middle of the week) to kind of getting in each other’s way and causing slight irritations. We were so excited about Dan being home that we haven’t quite found our groove regarding some things like laundry and cleaning the kitchen. We’d rather be out doing stuff together (we even started jogging again) and not worrying too much that the house is a bit untidy. Neither of us to particularly fastidious in that regard. However, if we were, or one of us placed a great importance on those things like routine and chores, a disruption in “the way things are done” could be the source of contention.

There are all kinds of changes, even positive changes, which may put a strain on a relationship. These are the times in a relationship when it is more important than ever to communicate (in whatever form is best for you) with your partner:

• Getting engaged
• Moving in together
• Getting married
• Coping with what to do after the wedding is over
• Getting new jobs/ new routines
• Buying a house or any major financial purchase
• Getting pregnant
• Having a baby
• Changing your lifestyle
• Moving to a new city
  

Each one of those listed above is, or at least usually is, a positive event in a couple’s life together. But each change will require not only a sense of adventure and a sense of humour, but it will require flexibility, tolerance and understanding on the part of each person.

Sometimes even just a little shift in the way things are usually done can throw a couple for a loop, so why not prepare yourselves for the ride. Most of these events can be planned ahead and we suggest that you discuss with your partner how the two of you will deal with impending changes as you see them approaching.

For example:

How do you think you will adjust to being “Mrs. Clarkson” when you were Ms. Goldstein for 27 years? Will you be proud? Scared? A little bit sad? How will you express yourself to your partner?

How do you think you will feel once you are a husband (not just a boyfriend)? Pressured? Relieved? Overwhelmed with responsibility? How will you show those feelings? Will you withdraw? Talk? Get agitated?

Change is inevitable in every aspect of life and sometimes even changes for the better have tough transitions. But if you think of the rough patches (oh and there will be rough patches), think of them as just that: transitions.

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 8:09 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Back to normal!

It took a bunch of diligent looking (mostly by the programmer guy), but you can once again purchase CouplesQuestions as a gift.

The glitch is dead! Long live the glitch!

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

Labels: service announcements

posted by Heather and Dan @ 9:20 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Why not put it in writing?

No, I'm not talking about prenups again, I'm talking about (dun, dun, duuuuuun) your feelings.

Why not send your partner a note? Send it in the old fashioned way: through the post office. Send it to their work or to the house -even if you are living there too it will make the surprise a lovely one. Tell your partner you are so happy you found them. Tell them you had a great time with them on the weekend. Tell them you appreciate all the wonderful things they do for you and with you. Tell them you love them.

It doesn't really matter what you say- as long as it's not the "Honey, will you take out the trash?" kind of note. Keep it short and sweet. Send it on a great postcard or find yourself a great Hallmark. It doesn't matter. All that does is that you cared enough to take the time to send it. E-mails are nice, but trust me, this is better. Your partner will love it!

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 9:35 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Trying to buy CouplesQuestions as a gift for someone?

Sad to say, we are experiencing technical difficulties. (That's kind of an odd way to put it, now that I think of it.)

You can register for yourself as normal, but we have not been able to get at what is up with the gift purchase function. We'll let you know when all systems are go again.

Thanks, and...

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

Labels: service announcements

posted by Heather and Dan @ 1:53 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

GiftTRAP, Right to Play

Here's another in our category of good ideas that would never have occurred to us: GiftTrap. It is probably the only game in the world about giving and it is launching this weekend.

There are a thousand games being played around the world this weekend and you can join in by going to the site, downloading a copy and taking a picture of yourselves playing.

The game is about getting the best gift for each other. But the best gift is different for everybody, so you get a real chance to find out about what would really be appreciated by your friends and family. Hmmm, might make an interesting wedding shower idea, too...

Aside from being a good idea in its own right, the proceeds of every tenth game go to Right to Play.

All in all, it sounds like a great idea to us. So we are going to pitch in as well. If you have been thinking about trying CouplesQuestions premarital workbook, now's the time. We will give you 50% off. Just put enter the code PLAY when you are ordering. Then, think about donating some of the money you saved to Right to Play.

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 5:18 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Make your own luck: Talk it over before you tie the knot

We heard a news report today that stated the most popular wedding date for next year is Saturday, July 7. That would be 7/7/07 and superstitious couples are going crazy trying to make the most of that lucky day.

If that date appeals to you for your upcoming nuptials, you better move quickly as services and venues are rapidly getting booked. Wedding industry professionals - photographers, caterers, limo services, consultants - are all being snapped up as brides and grooms hope to take advantage of a little numerological (or is it astrological?) good fortune.

But, it has to be said that it take a great deal more than a few lucky numbers to make a wedding come off without a hitch. It takes planning, preparation, energy, attention and a sense of humour. That is also true with marriage. Luck and the stars aligning may have brought you to the love of your life, but building and maintaining a loving relationship for a lifetime takes that same planning, preparation, energy, attention and a sense of humour that went into your wedding...and of course a whole lot of love.

Preparing for your marriage, not just your wedding day can help you do that. Doing some kind of premarriage course or counselling, using a service like ours - CouplesQuestsions.com - will greatly improve your chances at having a successful marriage. You feel lucky, blessed even, to have found your partner. Now create some luck - your own luck - and prepare for a future of love, laughter and understanding together. Put a little effort into planning your marriage along with wedding!

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 7:40 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Getting married? Getting serious? Better check out CouplesQuestions.com

The average wedding in the US now costs over $22,000. Many (as much as 50%) spend this huge amount of money only to divorce soon afterward. Would you make an investment in the stock market without doing some research to make sure that the company is sound and not going to go under shortly after you invest in it? Probably not. Most like to have a good idea that their investments are going to work. Interestingly, many people don't do this same kind of "due diligence" when planning a wedding. They have found someone to love and get excited about the wedding and forget to look closely at some of the practical aspects of marriage that may make or break the relationship.

We have recently launched our new website CouplesQuestions.com. It is specifically for people getting married (or newly married) or for people who are getting serious and thinking of moving in together for a long term commitment.

You know how some people hire wedding planners or consultants plan the important aspects of their weddings? Well, at CouplesQuestions.com, we help couples plan their marriages. We are an on-line alternative to pre-marriage counselling in which couples can learn to understand each other better and learn about how to avoid conflict (and deal with it when it arises!). We are also about helping couples plan a future of happiness together through as series of easy goal setting exercises.

CouplesQuestions.com is set up on a database, so it is interactive. The couples fill in their answers right on the screen. It is based on a series of 16 important subject areas (you could think of them as chapters) that couples ought to discuss before getting married (or at least early on in the marriage). Each includes questions that allow each partner to bring forth their honest thoughts and opinions on potentially sensitive topics. In discussing these topics early on in the relationship, couples will gain a deeper understanding and empathy for their spouse and make it possible to avoid future arguments and misunderstandings. Furthermore, each subject area has goal setting questions so that they may move forward in life as a couple and as individuals.

We are a small company out of the beautiful city of Victoria, BC and we hold view that happy couples make happy families, happy families make happy communities, happy communities make happy societies and happy societies make a happy planet. Therefore:

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

posted by Heather and Dan @ 7:45 AM 0 Comments Links to this post