Don’t Forget About YOU!

September 28, 2012 By Meredith Hansen

Regardless of your relationship status, it is always important for you to focus on yourself, to continue to grow as an individual, and to foster your personal relationships. Find out why below.

FIND LOVE TIP:

If you’re in the process of looking for love, it is essential that you continue to nurture your social life. Meeting new people, trying new activities, and tending to your social network is a great way to jump-start this process. Not only will being socially active broaden your pool of people to choose from, but it will

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Filed Under: A Healthy You, Finding Love, Marriage Success Secrets, Strong Marriage, Weekly Love Tip Tagged With: , , ,

The Power of Listening

September 14, 2012 By Meredith Hansen

Whether you’re in a relationship or currently looking for love, listening is an essential tool that you must master in order to have a successful relationship.

FIND LOVE TIP:

It is really common for people on a date to get caught up in themselves (how they look, how they’re coming across, if the other person is interested in them, etc.) and to lose track of their date (What am I learning about them? Are we compatible?

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Filed Under: Communication, Dating, Marriage Success Secrets, Strong Marriage, Weekly Love Tip Tagged With: , , ,

The “June Gloom” Effect

June 22, 2012 By Meredith Hansen

If you live in Southern California you are probably all too familiar with term “June Gloom.”

It’s that time of year when, just as our days begin to get longer and the smell of summer begins to fill the air, the marine layer thickens and the sunny, warm days we long for are instead grey, gloomy, and overcast.

To make matters worse, somehow “June Gloom” tends to exist mostly on the weekends. During the week while we’re in the office, the sun brightly shines inviting fantasies of weekends at the beach, pool, park, etc, but then when the weekend finally arrives that marine layer seems to hold strong, preventing the

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Filed Under: Communication, Marriage Success Secrets, Strong Marriage, Weekly Love Tip Tagged With: , , ,

Simple Secrets to Help Strengthen Your Marriage

May 18, 2012 By Meredith Hansen

One key to a lasting, healthy relationship is to put effort into it daily. Most people believe that they need a romantic getaway or an expensive dinner to get the passion back, but the truth is small efforts make all the difference.

If you’ve been feeling a little distant from your partner lately or you want your relationship to remain healthy and satisfying, implement at least one item from the list below every day and your relationship will thrive.

  1. Get physical every day. Physical connection is really important in a marriage.  Every day make an effort to hug, kiss for 7 seconds,

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Filed Under: Marriage Success Secrets, Repair Your Relationship, Strong Marriage, Weekly Love Tip Tagged With: , ,

Super Mom

April 6, 2012 By Meredith Hansen

It isn’t easy having it all and/or doing it all, but many modern women think they can and should.

Unfortunately, over the past few decades our society has regularly depicted an unrealistic image of a ‘supermom’ that tends to leave most women feeling inferior or not good enough.  This picture usually highlights a chic woman easily balancing her children, husband, and work all while looking fabulous.

In today’s demanding world, it’s easy to accept these standards and believe that you must measure up.  Women often set high expectations for themselves and when they don’t meet their own expectations their self-image and self-esteem often suffer.  In order to avoid the negative effects

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Technology Guidelines for Your Marraige

February 3, 2012 By Meredith Hansen

Modern technology allows us to stay connected to our loved ones throughout the day.  Anywhere, anytime we now have the ability to communicate, share, and update instantly through devices and programs like smart phones, iPads, text messaging, email, instant messaging, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Four Square, and so on.  No matter where we are in the world or what time it is, we can always find a way to make a call, email a picture, or share our thoughts.  We are visible, accessible, and easily located.

As wonderful as this can and should be in maintaining a strong connection with your partner, advances in technology have also contributed to a new series of relationship problems

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Is Fighting Really Bad for My Marriage?

December 16, 2011 By Meredith Hansen

“We want to learn how to stop fighting,” Diana told me during her first session with her new husband Tim.  After just 8 months of marriage, Diana and Tim entered marriage counseling.  Although they loved each other very much, they had begun fighting more regularly and were feeling increasingly insecure and unsure about their relationship.  In other words, they worried that they had made a mistake marrying one another.

During their first session Diana and Tim shared details about their arguments.  They reported that most of the time they were unable to resolve conflict and ended up fighting for days.  Instead of hearing one another and working towards healing, they often fought until they were exhausted and both felt hurt, disappointed,

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Filed Under: Communication, Marriage Success Secrets, Strong Marriage, Weekly Love Tip Tagged With: , , ,

Holiday Shopping Stress and Your Marriage

December 2, 2011 By Meredith Hansen

The holidays are in full swing! Thanksgiving has passed and now the focus shifts to holiday gifts, parties, travel, and more.

For most couples, the financial pressure that comes with holiday shopping often gets in the way of enjoying the season together. Arguing, fighting, and distance typically increase for couples who find themselves unprepared to manage these demands. Fortunately, relationship problems DO NOT have to be a part of your holiday season.

The video below will teach you how to work as a team with respect to your money over the next next four weeks, which will keep you

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Filed Under: Communication, Newlywed Tips, Strong Marriage, Weekly Love Tip Tagged With: , ,

Marriage Tips for the Holiday Season

November 18, 2011 By Meredith Hansen

The holidays are quickly approaching and for many couples this can be a time of stress and overwhelm.  Although most couples hope to enjoy their holiday celebrations together, many couples instead end up arguing, frustrated, and at odds.  Family dynamics, travel issues, and financial burdens can lead to emotional overwhelm, and couples who do not learn to turn towards each other under the pressure can end up feeling hurt and isolated.

Below are 4 tips to help strengthen your relationship and stay connected this holiday season:

1. Talk about your plans and expectations in advance: Many couples skip this step.  They assume that they’re on the same page, believe that they have the same idea about how the day will play out, or don’t even realize that they have expectations for the day.  This is a big mistake.

It’s important that you and your partner learn

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Your Halloween Spirit

October 31, 2011 By Meredith Hansen

Since today is Halloween, a day all about fantasy and imagination, I want to remind you of something: You are a healthy adult filled with wonderful fantasies, playfulness, and a great imagination.

Too often I see adults neglect their creative, imaginative side.  They get caught up in their day to day tasks and leave little room for play in their lives. So, on this Halloween I want to encourage you to get out there and play, fantasize, imagine,

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