More Wishful Thinking

J and I are planning to renovate the house. Now that it is ours, we can basically do anything we want with it. We are probably checking out some blinds or curtain suppliers today, along with modern furniture to keep our stuff in. It is just to get an idea of how much it will cost us to get the things we want so we can save appropriately for it. I am pretty excited because I reckon our home does need a bit of a makeover. I wish the home makeover show was airing here and chose us so we don't have to spend as much. Just some wishful thinking!

Having a Happy Marriage

It's been three years for us today. There have been lots of challenges, arguments, debates, and what-nots, but we are still together! :)

To celebrate this special day, here are a few pointers that I picked up. I hope you find them helpful as it was to us.

1. Instead of trying to change something, he or she does - change you! Far too often, people get married with the belief they can simply change the person they married, molding him or her into the "perfect" mate. Instead, you need to accept your mate for the person he/she is. If a behavior needs to be changed, then provide support and encouragement. For example, if your husband complains about not having clean clothes, rather than nag at him, show him how to launder his shirts, jeans, or whatever it is he needs.

2. Communication is a key ingredient to any successful marriage. That means talking through situations rather than bottling up or yelling. By showing respect, you can work together as a couple should. With this, the two of you can talk to understand the other person's side better.

3. Keep intimacy as a part of the marriage. Remember, this person is the one you love, the one you want to share your life with, which means letting go of inhibitions. Intimacy is an excellent way to stay close, doing wonders for any marriage.

4. Accept the flaws in your spouse. Since no one is perfect, you want to learn to appreciate the differences between the two of you. If your husband wakes up with bad hair or your wife is grumpy, love him/her, in spite of the flaws (which includes changing body weights so read more on that Lipovox review).

5. Learn to ignore the small stuff. Every marriage faces challenges, some big and some small. Remind yourself that life is precious and short. Therefore, focus on the larger battles, working through them as a team while letting go of the incidentals that in the big scheme of things does not matter.

6. Make sure you choose your battles wisely. If you are going to pick something apart, make sure it really matters. Unfortunately, unresolved arguments are a big issue in marriages, often leading to divorce. Therefore, unless the issue is something significant, learn to let some things roll off your back.

7. Time for friends is also crucial. Once every other week, you should both take one day or evening to spend time apart and with same-sex friends. This will help you maintain your own identity and appreciate the time you have with your spouse.

8. Never take your spouse for granted. Again, life is too precious. Instead, find things that your partner does well or things that please you and let him/her know. If your husband is outside working on the car, take time to bring him a cold glass of tea or lemonade...just because. If your wife has been home all day with the children, hire a babysitter and surprise her with a dinner out.

9. Date... just because you are now legally married, you should not stop dating. Every Friday or Saturday night, even if you have children, make a date. This could be something as simple as bowling and beer or a romantic dinner and concert. The activity is not important, just that you get time for just the two of you.

10. Be forgiving with your partner. You will be faced with tough times and you have a choice of forgiving him/her when a mistake happens or carrying it in the marriage. Obviously, if you do not forgive, the marriage will suffer. Therefore, if resolution is found, swallow your pride and forgive your mate, letting the new day be another beginning.

Source: Families.com

My Bed!

What Your Bed Says About You

Outward appearances are very important to you. You do your best to look good and have an attractive home. You try to be an organized person, but you often fall behind. Certain parts of your life tend to fall into chaos. You are not very high maintenance in general, but you are high maintenance about a few things. In relationships, you tend to be quite dominant. You enjoy taking charge. You tend to be a down to earth, practical person. You think in terms of what is actual. You are a total homebody. You are happiest when you're at home.

What Does Your Bed Say About You?

There is some truth to that alright! :)

Thoughts on Cars

Our trusty car maybe set to retire anytime soon. Although it still runs fairly well for a 14-year-old car, it badly needs a paint job. For some reason, we've noticed this batch of models all have the same problem. It doesn't look presentable in fact because it appears to look like someone poured sulfuric acid on top of it. No kidding. And a paint job could probably cost us an arm and a leg here so it might be better to just get a new one. Of course, it goes without saying that we would also need to get car insurance for it as well. We'll see. And if that does happen, I am going to make sure we get it on automatic, so I can learn to drive here more easily. :)

Dream On

One of the few things that J and I dream about when the time comes for us to retire is to have a business of our own. I think it is more so with J as he really seems to be keen on the idea of being his own boss and managing a really good enterprise. It is usually the topic of discussion between him and his younger brother, as they most often brainstorm on business ideas whenever they get together. And while they are into that, they might as well consider what business performance management software will be needed in order for their endeavors to succeed. Well, dream on, after all dreams are free! :)

The Eyes Have It

You are the Sense of Sight

You are a very observant, detail oriented person. You are able to take in a lot of information at once. You often see things that other people never notice. You have a good eye for design and aesthetics. You love to be surrounded by beauty - natural or not. When you imagine how something should look, you see it clearly in your mind.

Which of the Five Senses Are You?

Can't argue with that! :)

Studying concerns

All I really need to do now is sit down and study. Hard, real hard! The Amazon books I bought have arrived months ago, but I have not yet been able to flip through its pages. My earlier blog post discusses the many reasons why.

To be honest, I am starting to feel a little panic now, especially since I plan on taking the exam in about a month's time. I am no way ready yet and I am not sure if I will be able to finishing reviewing just in time. Make or break!!!

Random mumblings

It's hard trying to accomplish everything you want in a single day. There's nothing more frustrating than planning out a schedule for my day then, ending up not getting anything done. Mostly, the unpredictability factor is due to the little girl. My major problem right now is that she sleeps awfully late at night. This is probably because of the fact that her body clock is still set to Manila's time zone, which is two hours behind Oz (eastern time). As such, it does not give me enough time for the things that need to be done, which includes studying for an important certification exam and completing all my blog assignments.

Shopping around

My father-in-law is on the look-out for a new laptop, seeing as how convenient it is to bring your computer just about anywhere in your home, especially now that he's also installed a wireless router for his internet connection. We've suggested a few brands and models including the Toshiba Satellite, but it seems that he is still biding his time to check out and study all his options. He's a smarter shopper you see, so unlike me who can be quite impulsive. LOL.

Brangelina's Twins

Photo swiped from People

Oh wow, can you believe it photos of Brangelina's twins is worth almost 15 million Aussie dollars? That's (more than) enough to set them for life. But apparently, their parents being humanitarians, have arranged to have the money sent to a charity as a donation. That's some lucky organization for you!

Staying active

Those diet pills just don't do it for me. As far as I am concerned, only exercise is the way to my weight loss. I've proven this countless of times. High activity levels seem to be the effective way for me to lose the weight. So here I am trying to get back some sort of activity in my life. It's going to take lots of commitment from my part, but I am sure I will manage inspite of my busy schedule. Just the same, wish me luck! :)