Great News and Reviews

First the great news… I am so pleased to share that my sister will soon be joining The Newlywed Life. Her boyfriend, ahem, fiancé, popped the question – and a fabulous diamond ring – yesterday and officially asked her to marry him. I couldn’t be happier and am excited for them both.



The bling-bling. He’s off to a great start!

Now the review, I am also pleased to share a great review of my new book on a fun website I discovered a few months ago, Polka Dot Bride. Ms. Polka was gracious enough to send me a link to her review of the book so I thank her kindly and invite you to stop by and pay her a visit.

Winks & Smiles,
Wifey

Wives' Words

When I'm starting something new, when I don’t know what to do or if I’m just scared to death, I always find it comforting to hear other people’s experiences. Knowing that I’m not alone, and that other people have gone through what I’m experiencing, and survived, often gives me that edge to move forward and to excel. That’s exactly why I talked to many veteran wives and included their words of wisdom in my book, "Help! I'm a Newlywed...What Do I Do Now?" I love hearing other people’s perspectives and often finding great advice in the process.

I’ve decided to share some of that here at The Newlywed Life. The “Wives’ Words” below are pulled from my book, however, moving forward I will continue to interview more wives who can share some of their experiences with you. If you have any questions that you would like answered please do let me know.

What did you expect the first year of marriage to be like?

“I thought the first year was supposed to be the ‘honeymoon’ phase where everything was lovey-dovey. The honeymoon phase ended after the honeymoon!” —Nancy, married two years

“I thought the first year would be no different than living together. NOT TRUE. Marriage is a living institution and you have no idea what to expect until you are in it.” —Rachel, married 12 years

“I expected it to be good and bad because each relationship goes through phases. I honestly didn't expect it to be as rough as it was though the first year. … I was looking for more of a ‘fairy tale’ type first year and that was very unrealistic.” —Monica, married three years

“I thought we would have a lot more fun than we actually did. It was work from the start.” —Hope, married 14 years

“I knew that the first year of marriage would be filled with fun moments and hard adjustments. I was wise enough to know that it would be a time of testing but foolish enough to believe that I could endure it.” —Angela, married 16 years

“I expected my marriage to be very easy. My husband and I dated for five years prior to getting married and lived together most of that time, so I thought being married was going to be a breeze. Whoever said if you live with a person, if you marry them things would be the same…not so.” —Quisa, married 1 year

“I thought we would instantly have this solid partnership/marriage because we communicated very well. We eventually built a solid partnership/marriage, but it took much work and continues to take more work than I ever thought it would.” —Ndidi, married six years

Winks & Smiles,
Wifey

Welcome to The Newlywed Life

Yes, amazingly there is life after you stroll down the aisle and say “I do.” While marriage is fabulous it’s also full of challenges. This blog was created to help new brides and wives navigate through the kinks and changes of the first year of marriage. It’s also a place to chime in… leave comments, share your thoughts, joys and fears, and, oh yes, part of the fun of being a newlywed is showing off those wedding and honeymoon pictures. You can e-mail them to me at info@askwifey.com and I will share them with the world.

Why did I start this blog? It all started nine years ago… blah, blah, blah. OK, short version. I fell in love, got married, and found out that there is a whole lot going on with this marriage thing, especially in the first year. So, I wrote a book about it. Help! I’m a Newlywed … What Do I Do Now? Wife-Saving Advice Every New Bride Must Know to Survive the First Year of Marriage offers new wives straight-forward, practical advice to help them thrive in the first year of marriage and beyond. And, yes, I really did say, “Help! I’m a Newlywed…What Do I Do Now?”

Anyway, I’m sure I will share more about my book and lots of juicy secrets from it as time goes on. For more information or to get your own copy please visit my website, http://www.askwifey.com/. Oh, yes, my website. Every Wednesday I write my "Ask Wifey" column where I answer two questions about marriage and/or motherhood. You can e-mail your questions to questions@askwifey.com. My site also has a resource page, more information about me, and a link to my other blog, Wifey’s House. Please feel free to stop by and visit me there, especially if any new brides would like a glimpse into future married life, guests are always welcome.

Back to why I started this blog. To provide a little help, guidance, or at least let you know that your not alone. Marriage is wonderful, but in the beginning it can also be scary as #@*%! Hopefully The Newlywed Life can do something to make your newlywed life a little easier.

So with that said I decided to start The Newlywed Life right away, without her makeup done. But don’t worry, I’ve contacted the fabulous Trendy Mommy Blog Designs, who gave Wifey’s House her wonderful look, and she is working on a great design for this one, too.

In the meantime, welcome to The Newlywed Life; and always remember, there’s nothing wrong with not knowing what to do in marriage, but there is something wrong with not finding out.

Winks & Smiles,
Wifey