NY Mom Blog | Happy Marriage, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life
Raising Boys
In The Kitchen
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Welcome to a new Happy Marriage Monday! My husband is off this week so we are going to spend the week together with little man enjoying family time. In the meantime, follow the Happy Marriage Monday meme rules and enjoy this short collection of wise quotes about life and love I’ve compiled over the years […]
In the mood for some romance? How about some great music? Well, there’s a great little spot where two can quietly nuzzle while listening to the sounds of soulful jazz, a great little spot known as the Blue Note Jazz Club, located in the heart of Greenwich Village. The historic Blue Note Jazz Club restaurant […]
Sounds like a great place to hang out!
How fun! I haven’t been to a grown up place like that in sooooo long.
Sigh.
Oh that place looks so mellow! I miss NYC. I need to go down there.. and maybe head here!
Yeah, looks like fun. Love the “for your and your sweet thing” part.
I wish I could afford an evening like that!
Hope you have a blessed Mother’s Day, Penelope!
That sounds like fun and like a very full evening!
Ohh, sounds like a lovely place!
Happy Mother’s Day Penelope, have a great day!
I’m not a big jazz person, but my brother loves it – I’m going to forward this to him so he’ll know where to go if he ever visits the Big Apple.
Awww…it’s my street where I live. I walk past the Blue Note multiple times a day but I’ve never gone in, one of my coworkers brags about this place as well but jazz just isn’t really my thing. Now seeing the high prices I think I’m going to skip it! Thanks for the review 🙂
I often read about Bucket Lists (a list of things to do before you “kick the bucket“), and I had created my own Life List in my 20’s for all the things I’d like to do before I die. I made a long list of 101 things to do before I die, including things like […]
I want to do some of those things. Especially the hot air balloon ride and skydiving.
WOW – Good for you for accomplishing so much! If only everyone took this approach. I'm going to start working on my list right NOW! I'll post on my blog and share when I'm done. Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Wowowow…very interesting aspirations! Now I'm inspired, but the task of coming up with that many things is a bit daunting! Hmmm…maybe I'll start with ten…and maybe a few more will occur to me, then a few more….Maybe my first goal will just be to come up with thirty things I want to do! 🙂
Good for you! Have to tell you, though, I laughed out loud at a few of these. They're so specific! AND…you might drop a hint around your birthday…you can actually pay to have a star named after you! Google it! 😉
Thanks for sharing your list and inspiring me!
I was thinking about doing this just last week! Great list- I hope you get to do all of them! 🙂
I’ll go sky diving with you!
Oh the Hot Air Balloon ride is on my bucket list too – I don’t have a lot most of them have to do with traveling. I’d love to go to New Zealand.
You are ambitious and full of adventure! I love your list! I’ve actually done a few things on there, and I’m pretty tame.
wow that’s a long list and some of it is super abmitious. since I’m only 1 year and a couple months from 35 I don’t think I’ll be doing too much momentous by then. (I WILL be going to my first blogher by 35 thougH)
I can send you a book written by a Jane Austen fan. Would that help? It was pretty good too!
Ooh, what kind of book?? Austenesque?
Here is my review: . I don’t know if it’s Austenesque – I had no idea that there was a Jane Austen fan club and that she had a really huge following. Email me your address and I’ll put it in the mail this weekend.
Monique
very cool that you accomplished so many things!
That’s awesome you completed your 20s bucket list so quickly – I need to do one of these! I love all of your ideas! I tried Googling the pic of Ashley Judd and the Republican thing and couldn’t find the pic – perhaps I need to Google it harder because this sounds awesome! And it’s too cute you clumped Texas in with Ireland and Australia (the last two I’d love to visit) and you know I love Texas! Visiting NYC is on my bucket list for sure!
Great list! I have a 101 in 101 list also – I’m almost halfway through.
Actually, Ashley Judd famously wore a tee saying “This is what a feminist looks like” and I was inspired, but not for feminism- I always wanted one for a Republican….I don’t think she’s conservative, lol! She wanted to make a point that not all feminists are butch, and I hate the way conservatives are portrayed by the media, so it would be awesome for people to do the same with that. Moms, professionals, educated people, moral people, attractive people, respectable people are republicans, not what the media portrays.
Ohhhh, great list!! I could NEVER go skydiving though, sooo scary! But the Hot Air Balloon, yes!!! I too, would love to get time capsules for my kids, I was actually going to look into that tomorrow, thanks for the reminder 🙂
I just saw this…I would love to go skydiving together 🙂 I’ll be less afraid, lol!
If you’re wondering why your once concave stomach sticks out, even if you don’t have any belly fat, you may not need to diet. You probably just need some effective ab workouts to flatten tummy appearance by focusing on the muscle that goes around your midsection. If you had a baby, the muscles over your […]
I’m definitely going to give this a try. Thanks for sharing.
I need this! I hope it works:) Since my abdominal surgery in January and going so long without ab work I feel like mine is quite poochy:(
I am doing it right now. How easy to do! Heck I can be blogging and working on the pulses. Thanks so much for the tip!
Sweetums weighed 13 lbs 3 oz and was 24″ long. My stomach muscles are NEVER going back. BWAHAHA.
Holy cow!
Your post has pointed out my exact problem. I can do this right now. At my desk. At work. But I’ll pass. Because the effort required is too great.
I’ll forever be fat!
(I keep forgetting to tell you that I’m not a spammer too!)
Doing it now. I hope these work! 🙂
Did you decide to combine the two blogs? Just wondering.
Yes…just couldn’t keep up with rwo.
I should try this…the operative word being should…..LOL
I’ll keep this in mind after the baby is born! 😉
I’ve slowly started seeing results from doing this. I definitely need to do this more often to see some more dramatic! Thanks for this tip!
I do a similar exercise to streghten my lower back and to relax muscle spasums. but I never had a flat tummy, even before babies & thin, just not built that way 😉
These look like amazing tips to have..
Enjoy your night..
I do it while I’m on the computer too!
I now a woman who had a 13 pound baby too, naturally. And I though little man was big at 9 lbs.
So how many days should it take to have visible results?
It’s different for everyone, but my stomach felt tighter within a week, and my stomach looked visibly flatter and narrower within a month. I credit this exercise with shrinking my tummy back to pre-pregnancy size. It was quite pouchy and I felt really bad because I had lost the weight and couldn’t understand why my stomach still stuck out, until I learned about the transversus muscle. The kicker though is that if you need this exercise to get back into shape (like me…I’m no longer in my 20’s and I didn’t just bounce back without exercise), you need to always do it.
Excellent article. This is something women tend to overlook after the baby comes because of the lack of energy. It’s also important to remember that other fat can’t be spot reduced. An overall fitness program is required to lose fat and the kitchen is where the most success is realized.
Great tips! Anything to work those muscles is helping!!
I’ve never really heard an explanation of how the core muscles work until now! I had no idea that quick pulses of exercise maximize a workout
Good article. In order to get a flat tummy one must incorporate clean eating and cardio a few times a week, Good luck!
This is so awesome ive began doing it, stopped drinking and am already noticing a flatter tummy and the pudge is melting away!:) how long does it take i’ll do it as along as it take i love this thanks, saved me money on wraps, im doing 500 a day without even noticing lol
also good for posture.
I’ll definitely be trying this after baby comes! Thanks!
I was talking to a friend recently about women’s health, mental health, etc and she told me her husband comes home from work late every day, and not because he is staying late to work. Some days he goes to the gym. Some days he hits a few bars with some co-workers. Some days he stays […]
That’s one thing I learned over the years too. When he got home from work, all he needed was a simple greeting showing I was happy he was there, but then he needed some time alone to decompress before I threw all my conversations and requests at him.
These are great advice!
Food for thought. It’s nice when they come home with a smile on their face for you as well. 😉
we’ve gotten really good about greeting each other to set the mood for the rest of the evening. A miserable “hello” just sets us up for disaster. We aren’t perfect but much better than we used to be.
This is my goal. (an on going one) Cool meme.
I try to be all warm and fuzzy, but sometimes he gets all frazzaled and tired:)
So true. As long as I greet my husband at the door with a hug and a kiss, the evening seems to go so much smoother.
You rock girl! Love this post. WHen I was younger I would get mad hubs slept after work. You learn so much throughout the years.
This is very solid advice. Sadly, it is also going against the grain of what people want to hear. Why should I greet him with a smile and do all the work? If he is a sourpuss, if he is grumpy and treats me unlovingly I don’t WANT to smile.
I read the book “Love and Respect” (highly suggest it) and it said basically that it is counterintuitive to think that “giving someone what they deserve” will make them be nicer to you and treat you better. It is a never ending cycle of unhappiness. And the author points out “the most mature person should stop the cycle and treat the other person better.” But I don’t WANNA be mature. I’ve cried that to my pillow before LOL
Found this through the Twitter hop. These advice tips are right on track. Great job!!!
Clayton
twiter: @claylauren2001
We all just want to be loved and feel appreciated. Good advice.
I was lying in bed last night thinking, I wonder what advice Penelope is going to offer for Happy Marriage Monday and was excited to read your post for today. Again, I’m not married yet, but this is good information for any relationship. Thank you pretty girl!!
I agree with this post! Just imagine if the tables were turned and it is us who are coming home from a day at work, –how would we want to be greeted?
Great tips, for sure!! I wouldn’t want to come home if there was chaotic-ness. I would totally be off wasting time to avoid the conflict, even though as a woman I would feel guilty not seeing my kids…. I do have to say I can understand the not rushing home, I understand this situation woudl erquire both people working at it though. The man understanding that the wife who may or may not have been home all day with the kids had a hectic day too but she could not get away…. he could and did without a thought about maybe she needed a break too. (just playing devils advocate on the idea that it takes two to give and take)
LOVE these tips. I try really hard to make my hard working hubby, happy to come home. He works swing shift, but we are all waiting for him when he comes home, with big hugs and kisses!!!
Great post! Unfortunately, my husband gets home before the kids and I do, and doesn’t have much time to relax. He makes dinner so that it is ready when the rest of us get home. We do all sit down and eat together and now that it is warm, we have been swimming or playing outside for a little bit after dinner to have some fun. It is good for all of us.
My husband recently told me that he needed to know I was “happy he was there” too. And NOT just because he was there to handle kiddos but happy that he was there for ME. I had no idea it was that important to him (and we’ve been married 7 years).
What a great meme!! Thank you for the useful and thoughtprovoking tips! Now, I just need to remember to be HAPPY and affectionate when my husband comes home tonight after a long day! 😛
I love your idea. I didn’t even know about it and last night I surprised my husband when he got home from work with his favorite dinner. I’ll have to think about joining up next Mon- he would love that.
Your future husband is going to be a very lucky man, for many reasons, starting with the fact you already care to be a good wife and a graceful woman. I love that an unmarried person will be reading to share thoughts too. I really appreciate you Jessica 🙂
You’re so sweet. I just hope that by reading about successful relationships, and practicing before we take the plunge, ours will have a better chance of being happy and fulfilling.
Keep up the good work!!
Awesome article, but hard to take in. I have done everything to make my husband arrival home from work pleasant, but my husband is LATE everyday. But, he is not just late coming home everyday, If I have somewhere to be, he is late. When he goes to work, he is late. When others are expecting him he is LATE. He is late everywhere and really believes it is not his fault. But, it makes me feel disrespected and unloved. Imagine feeling that way everyday. No reliability and no trust. He always has an excuse or sends me a text telling me he is going to be late. Somedays, he doesn’t even tell me he is running late. Nor does he apologize for his lateness. He rarely checks in throughout the day to check on me and the kids. We have sat down and discussed the things we desire from each other, I have worked on everything from his list and i have improved and he won’t really work on anything and stick to it. I am so frustrated that I am growing and changing and nothing seems to be moving him to make our marriage better, A woman can only take some much and then she stops caring and trying. But, I can’t stop because I know that it pleases Christ, but man I am tired and I really want to give up putting further an effort.
He does this for a reason…I forget where I heard it, but people who are perpetually late do it on purpose, because they like the power of someone always waiting for THEM (and they know they are doing it and are purposely disrespectful).
You should always make your husband as best you can (and I admire that you don’t give up) but here is a trick for people like this. He is late? Don’t be there when he gets home. If he says he’ll meet you at a certain time and is more than 15 minutes late, go on without him, and then when he catches up to you, act like nothing happened. If he asks why you didn’t wait, say “I had so much to do honey, but I’m happy to see you now!” and then drop it. Do this EVERY SINGLE TIME he is late (never wait more than 15 minutes for him again), and don’t have long discussions about it. You can’t fix this about him, but you don’t have to tolerate it either (and he won’t learn as long as people argue with him but keep waiting). This isn’t being a bad wife, it’s not reasonable for you to keep waiting on him (and it doesn’t help him to become a better man) and you have lots to do. So if he’s late for dinner, put his dinner on the side for him to eat when he comes home. If he doesn’t call during the day, just keep yourself busy so you don’t think about it (and you may be so busy you start missing his calls when he does think to call, and that will make him more anxious to call you in the future)…sometimes men don’t do things we demand or expect because they want to act independant, so stop acting like you expect it.
And when he comes home on time, tell him you are so happy to see him, and when he calls to see how you are doing, say you are happy to hear from him, so he does more of both more often (and let me know how it goes).
Hello everyone,
I just came across this website while I was hoping to find some answers.
My husband and I live in a tiny one bedroom and we have an adorable crawling baby.
I work full-time and I go to school on the weekends.
My husband has a stressful job, and when he gets home anything can set him off.
Sometimes we meet right after work, and we have a walk or dinner and he is happy to be with me and excited, but as soon as we get home, I start feeling tired and he complains about that.
The thing is, everyday when I get home from work, I need to catch up with my little girl, cook dinner and sometimes run errands and clean the house. So by the time my husband gets home, I am already beat and my mood is swirling down.
I want us to eat healthy and on a budget so I have to prepare dinner every night.
But when we go out, I feel like I am responsability-free and fun to be around, and so is my husband.
Bottom line is that I am tired at night and not in a great mood, and my husband wants me to be all smiles, and he doe not react well when I don’t display a lot of energy and joy.
At times, I feel misunderstood and unappreciated. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?
Can you hire someone to help with errands and clean the house for you once a week? Your priorities are baby, husband, and being healthy, then work and school, and last is a perfectly neat house. Otherwise, maybe work part-time, and go to school during the week? Something has to go, because the high stress is going to get to you both. Do you have to work or can you put it off until you finish school and get the job you really want?
Thank you so much for your reply.
I need to prioritize what really matters. And at the end of the day, family is what’s most important.
I think my husband will cover the grocery shopping and I will cut myself some slack when it comes to cooking every night and cleaning the house.
I went back to work a month ago, so I am still adjusting, and yes I have to work full time to pay for school ( I am almost done, and I will hopefully be in a better work environment).
Thank you again Penelope, and what a beautiful name by the way.
~
I work a very demanding job so my wife can be a full time mom. After 12 hours of being a human punching bag, I desperately need sanctuary. She is happy to see me but it is because the baby sitter just walked in the door. The time can be very unpleasant because she is tired and frustrated with the children. It breaks my heart to see her be rough with a toddler or consistently speak with a forked tong to a 3rd grader. By 9pm our children are sleeping so I can either cook something healthy for myself or eat reheated frozen dinners…by myself. I eat dinner quickly because I still have to repair/maintain the home/vehicles and balance the books that are heavily burdened with unnecessary spending from the day. I don’t particularly enjoy my job but I’ll stay late, or go to the gym, or the store, or just about anywhere to not have to go do such a den of disharmony. On weekends, I’m longing to go back to work by about 7:30 am on Saturday. Actually I’m not longing for work, just the long commute. Time driving in the car has become my only peaceful time. I’m trying to be patient and supportive but I can’t help but feel quite miserable.
The 3rd grader should be in school, so she only has the toddler with her- not too overwhelming. Does she need a break, maybe a babysitter two hours a week during the day so she can spend some time just relaxing? Would she be offended if you handed her a book like “The Proper Care and Feeding Of Husbands”? Sometimes women just need a little wake up call that their husband isn’t happy so it doesn’t go to far and you get to a point where neither wants to be in the marriage (and she can’t say then that you never even told her).
I would also be upset that she was speaking to the children so harshly, they remember these things and are only young one.
I like it when my wife is all dolled up and wearing a nice dress when I come home. It means she took the time to look nice for me.
Great advice.. But husband come really late I feel sleepy the same time I want to welcome him but i get very stress
I had to kinda chuckle at the one about the dress with a zipper!
I love the Bill Cosby quote!
LOL! I love the Bill Cosby one hahahhaa.
Love that quote from James Boren 😉
I have never heard that quote by Einstein before, but it’s very true isn’t it? LOL! Enjoy your family time this week, there is always room for one more memory!
Great quotes. Enjoy your time with hubs this week!
I love the Cosby quote too. Have a great time with your big man and little man!!
sooo not feeling this one this week. yesterday was a horrible day to feel the love today
Lisa, I’m sorry 🙁 If you need to chat, you can email me.
Have a great week with your husband and son!
Wasn’t Einstein brilliant? So very true!
LOVE these quotes!! Have a great week with the fam:).
trying to change your partner is not always a bad thing.You do that only because you love him (or her)
🙂
Loved reading them