Top 10 Tuesday

Alright, the sun is shining, I have hope people, I see a light at the end of the polar vortex endless winter tunnel! Spring is coming!!! It was so nice over the weekend to feel fresh air on your face without immediately needing to blow your nose, am I right??? I know I talk a lot about this on here, but I really feel like the weather effects so many other things, most importantly, people's moods! There is nothing more refreshing then being able to get outside after a long winter!

On to the important stuff! Due to the fact that it has been so frigid out and I try to leave my house as little as possible, I have been a reading machine! Everyone needs to do themselves a favor and read "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult. Holy cow! It was incredible!! Seriously, I couldn't put it down and when I needed to, I was thinking about it all the time. The problem with books like that is I am so sad when they're over! This particular story was based around the Holocaust, something I am so interested in, mainly because I cannot fathom that humans have the capacity to treat others like that. I can't imagine harbouring that sort of hate. There were varying points of view in this story, some from survivors and what they went through, others from nazi perspective and also from present day. Its still chilly, so grab a copy and snuggle up this weekend and get transported into this world!

I had a ton of comments on the Why We Work post I did a few weeks back, thank you for those by the way! So I thought I would carry that theme a bit today and give you my Top 10 Ways to Stay Besties with your Husband! That sounded so much flouffier then I intended and I apologize, but I am not changing it!

Again, I will say, I am not a marriage expert, not by any stretch. But, my life has gotten so much better and fuller since June 1st and I didn't even know it was possible. I love being married, its the best gig I've ever had, the most work I've ever put into anything and the greatest outcome I've ever experienced. You definately have to work at it, so without further ado, here we go!

1. Be eachother's biggest fan. It doesn't matter if he had a super successful meeting at work or nailed a home improvement project. I cheer him on like he just won a damn oscar. He does the same for me, espeically if I whip up something in the kitchen he really likes, the guy acts like Martha Stewart herself stopped by.
2. Surprises! I have a love/hate relationship with surprises. I love surprising people, but my timing is simply terrible. I can't wait, I just have to do it, I NEED TO TELL SOMEONE. So when I have a last minute idea for a surprise, those usually work out the best, unless I cannot find what I want to use for my surprise, then I am MAD and I usually end up spilling the beans on my intended surprise...its the thought that counts, right?
3. Laugh together. This one is huge, life can sometimes weigh you down in a million different ways, its easy to become stressed thinking about work, the house, what you didn't get done this weekend, money, lack of time off, busyness, just about anything. Sometimes you just need a good dance party in the kitchen or a funny inside joke to just...laugh. To just sit there and laugh for 5 minutes straight, not thinking about anything else.
4. Have fun! This piggybacks off laughing together, but I still think it deserves its own category. Same idea though, life is hard sometimes. Sometimes more so for you then him or vice versa, but sometimes you just need to have fun. That could mean a million different things for different people, for us it usually involves a drive somewhere new and lunch at a little spot on a tiny main street and a stroll around a book shop! That is fun! We also LOVE travelling, love it! So sometimes, bank accounts permitting of course, you just need to get away. Go somewhere completely new for the weekend, somewhere that allows access to a Target and Cheesecake Factory is up there in our books. Sometimes you just need to drop everything and just do it! YOLO right??
5. Date eachother! It is SUPER easy to get into a routine and just live day to day life as a married couple. Remember when you used to date? Or stay up all hours talking on the phone?? Remember when you didn't used to care that it was a Tuesday night and you had to work tomorrow, you just wanted to hang out with this person??? It could be dinner out, a movie, heck it could be take out on the couch! Just remember time together is important, with no distractions! We are fans of dinner and a movie, always have been! We also love long walks around the neighbourhood, those are the best, literally nothing and no one around to distract you!
6. Make him your secret keeper. I tell mr. wedding girl EVERYTHING, probably more then he wants to know sometimes. The poor guy can't keep up with all of my chatter half the time haha, but still, he knows it all. If you're married to someone, they should know you inside and out. You can't be scared to tell them something because you think its embarrassing, etc. Trust me, I've been there and when I told him it was no big deal, because hello! he is your HUSBAND! You're going to be together for a while, so you might as well keep it interesting.
7. Grow...together, not apart. This is KEY. I think its really easy to grow apart, really easy. This is probably one of the areas that requires the most work. As a human you just naturally grow and change over the years. You find different and new interests, you start to enjoy new foods, perhaps new crowds of people. I can imagine it can be difficult if one person is changing and the other is staying the same, how do you deal with something like that. So from day one, one of the promises we made is to grow together. That goes hand in hand with sharing secrets, dating, having fun. If the other person is always your main priority, it will be difficult to do anything but grow with them I would imagine. That being said, I am all about for better or for worse, I've people close to me go through both sides of that coin and come out on the other side better then before. So make the choice to work on growing together. Share your visions for the future right off the bat, they will change of course! But, at least you will have a clear idea of where you both think you will end up.
8. Be loving. This is a good one. It is easy to, again, get caught up in life. Hugs and kisses are pretty much the best thing ever, next to snuggles of course! So make sure to make time for that, rushing around and missing out on those things do no make for a good day!
9. Forgive. You're going to argue. You're two different people, with two different points of view, so guess what- you won't always agree. Sometimes you will say things you don't mean, call eachother names, whatever, just remember to forgive yourself and the other person. I really and truly cannot go to bed angry, I will not sleep. So I need things to get resolved!
10. Be positive. Complaining, being negative, nagging, nitpicking. These are all things we do. Its easy to fall into this trap, its easy to think "they should be doing this" or "its so annoying when you...". Its also easy to complain to friends about your husbands annoying behaviour. Here's the thing though, those people don't love him the same way you do, so you're just painting a bad picture of him. And you're putting those bad vibes out into the universe. Venting is healthy, don't get me wrong, just pick and chose your battles. Be positive more then negative. Ask yourself if its really that big of a deal.

Obviously these things are important to me and won't necessarily be to everyone else. I love when bloggers do posts like this though because they either solidify that there are others out there with the same beliefs or sometimes they're gentle reminders that we all need from time to time! So go home and give your husband a big ol' hug for being your husband! Who knows, maybe he read this and is heading home with a little surprise cupcake!