6.22.2011

the first year of marriage... // Meghan from The Perfect Compilation Tape

Past Bride No. 3 is Meghan. She is one of the first blog friends I ever had and her blog is definitely a daily read for me. This guest post is so fitting today since she'll be celebrating her anniversary in about a month and she just got done doing these really fun posts about her wedding memories (alphabet style) that you can read here and here.

My name is Meghan, and I blog over at The Perfect Compilation Tape. Usually, you can find me discussing the three C's: Chicago (my hometown!), cupcakes and coffee. Sometimes, however, my husband Mike makes an appearance (hereafter known as "Mikey"). Mikey (he hates it when I call him that!) and I have been married for almost two years. We will be celebrating our second wedding anniversary on July 24th, and I cannot believe it! These first two years of marriage have FLOWN BY, and I've definitely learned a lot about myself and my husband.

Since one of my weekly blog features is "Top 5 Thursdays", I thought I'd put together a list of the top five things that I have learned about marriage.

5. While marriage is a partnership, it's important to operate independently.
Mikey and I love spending time together. There is never a shortage of laughter and goofiness, no matter where we are. But even though we have daily coffee dates on our way to work, as well as weekly date nights, we aren't afraid to do things without each other. For instance, Mikey loves concerts. I hate standing on my feet. Therefore, when he wants to go see a band, he will call a friend or go on his own. This way, he doesn't have to deal with my constant complaining about how uncomfortable it is to stand for three hours in heels, and I can watch the "Real Housewives".

4. Men leave socks everywhere.
I think this is really an analogy for "choose your battles". My husband is a hybrid of a dog and a toddler. He leaves his socks in the couch cushions. He spills his milk. He loves to cuddle when I am trying to grade papers. I love him, but yes, he can annoy the hell out of me sometimes. Is it worth fighting over, though? Personally, I'd rather roll my eyes, and then smile at his child-like cuteness rather than make an issue out of it. Except for the socks. THAT drives me nuts.

3. Date each other.
It's really easy to fall into a rut. A typical night in our house goes something like this: come home from work, work-out, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed. However, at least once a week, we do something special, like go out to dinner or grab dessert (our dates always revolve around food). That way, we can keep the spark alive as we gain weight:)

2. Communication is KEY.
I know this isn't anything new, but let's be honest. Relationships are hard work. There are bumps in the road. And so when there are, Mike and I do our best to cool off, and then discuss the issue at hand - all before bed. Because going to bed angry causes wrinkles.

1. There's no such thing as a "perfect marriage".
I hate to cook. Sometimes, I cry for no reason. I really love to shop. And my home, while always clean, is nowhere near Martha Stewart status. I am not perfect, but neither is my husband. And since we all have faults and we all make mistakes, it's important to understand, as a result, that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage. I truly believe that recognizing this, and adjusting accordingly, is half the battle:)

7 comments:

LizzieBeth said...

AMEN to #1!! One of my biggest pet peeves is the couple that can't do things seperately. As much as I love spending time with JEGs, we have our own friends and our own hobbies. That is super important to me.

Loving this whole idea

LB

Danielle said...

Love this!! I couldn't agree more on all of it. The only difference is instead of socks, J always leaves these weird cable connectors EVERYWHERE!! :)

Meghan said...

Aww, thanks Amanda! This was a really fun post to put together. Thanks for all of your support! You're a doll:)

ag. said...

I love this! And seriously, men really do leave socks everywhere!!!

Jamie said...

What a great post! Things to remember in case I ever get around to the marriage thing.

Erin {pughs' news} said...

Great post and so true. My husband is exactly the same with the socks and the spills and the wanting to cuddle when I've got work to do!

That being said though, you do need to pick your battles. And you do need to have fun together and go out on a date once in a while. It's been a long time {we have two little boys, which makes it tricky for both of us to get out in the evening}. I think it's high time I started looking for a babysitter so we can go out in August for our 9th wedding anniversary!

Vanessa said...

I'm loving this, especially number one! I can't understand how 2 people can function while being around each other every single second. I love my Vito and all but I like to do things on my own. It makes me appreciate the time we spend together more!

& no worries, our date nights always revolve around food too!

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