Welcome to 2012 Happy Couples!

This is a great time to get started on another year of connecting and being a better  couple!

If you've already done a full year of focused work on yourselves - try working on something new - like being a better parent!

Whatever you do - we are sure it will be fabulous & we wish you nothing but happiness this year!!!

Happy Holidays You Happy People! Just for you this month we have lowered our prices on our electronic editions of Be A Better Partner! You can now download your ipad or Kindle version for just $5.99! That's a 20% savings! Lulu's ebooks are pdf versions that work on nearly any tablet (except the Kindle of course). So, head to Lulu or Amazon today for the gift that keeps giving every month, all year long!

Now thats a weird title for a themed month, isn't it? Listen? Be Heard? What!?!Here's what we mean: one of you just might be a little chatty; the other a little quiet. Sound familiar? Well, this is the month to turn the tables - you chatty people need to use less words this month - at least around your Partner! And you quiet people - yea, we're talking to you now - SPEAK UP!!!! Be more verbal - we really want to hear you talk more - seriously!? We will even quiet down just so you can use your words now. This will not be easy for either of you - trust us, we KNOW - but it CAN be done - we have faith in you! You won't be sorry - promise. OK, I'm going to shut up now.

We Lambs had a great time being featured as the "Couple Of The Week" on The Dr. Laura Berman Show on Oprah Radio! She is a terrific relationship therapist, coach and author and hosts both a tv show on Oprah's new OWN network and also a radio show on this channel which can be found on Sirius or XM Satellite Radio.

Great fun sharing advice today with other couples and we send out the love and light to all!

Interesting concept you may be thinking but yes, there is logic to this theme too! 

Appreciating all things feminine is certainly not the worst thing you can do. And you know that the next month is going to be all about the masculine side right? Well, these months are designed to help you slip into someone's slippers and see things from their perspective a bit. Take a moment and truly take this opportunity to see things from the other side. It may make you appreciate your own 'side' too. And wouldn't it be amazing if you actually learned a thing or two? Can you say 'facial!?" Enjoy folks!

When First For Women Magazine first told us we would be featured in their Marriage SOS piece, we were really excited. Then we thought for a moment about telling the world all about our problems and the excitement level dropped a bit. After some discussion, we reminded ourselves that most marriages have the same problems: struggles for control, different personalities, hot button issues, etc.  

At the end of the day, we are proud to share our struggles in hopes that it is helpful to another couple. Marriage counseling should not be the last thing a couple does in their marriage. It should be a tool used to fix something. In our case, we were stuck and could not figure out how to stop having what was basically the same argument over & over. Sound familiar?  It took our therapist all of 4 sessions to get to the root of our problem - something we had spent hours & hours on and just couldn't figure out. For 6 months, we worked through our issue and came out much stronger on the other side.  

If you and your spouse are having a repeating problem - we would urge you to try something different - a therapist, a book, a class - whatever it is - unstick yourselves folks! You will not be sorry you did!

There actually is some science behind the concept of putting yourself in another person's shoes. We can't quote actual research but we KNOW there's logic in it!  This month, get out your chemicals, mops, brooms, rakes and start swapping chores. Its time to feel appreciated for all you do by watching your partner suffer through it all. No, seriously - its the other way around: YOU are to appreciate the other one by walking a mile, so to speak.

So this is the kind of month that you need to sit down and map out a plan for, because it would be easy for one person to suddenly have a lot of chores to do and the other seemingly have none. If one of you doesn't work, this is a sure thing. But there ARE things you both do and you could set it  up so this is an even swap - not an unfair one. So pull out your checklists, to-do-lists and note pads people, its time to get down & dirty!

Love this blog - its called Travels With Two and its for couples!
Today's post is about a romantic hotel in Quebec made of ICE (like we need more of that right now - but in July - maybe?!).
http://www.travelswithtwo.com/ 

There are so many great stories in the news today - like the couples trying to break the world record for the longest kiss in Thailand (at press time its down to 4 couples remaining). The current record is 32 hours! Also, there's a great story circulating on a recent study done that suggests our first kiss with our Partner was more memorable than our first sexual encounter. Turns out we remember that first kiss in much greater detail. 

And with all the great valentine gift ideas, a favorite is one that outlines valentine gifts that give back. Feel free to post your links or suggestions for valentine stories here in our comments section!

Happy Vday! Love love love!

After dozens of birthdays, christmases, valentine's and father or mother's day gifts - you've run out of new, fresh, affordable ideas, haven't you?! Well it happens to all of us!!! We welcome the sharing of ideas either here or on our Facebook page: http:www.facebook.com/betterpartners 

Also - check out BOTH our Valentine's day page AND our Surprise Me month page for ideas too.

Here's a few more to help get the creative juices flowing:
Make a cd of  your love songs
Make a customized crossword puzzle (we hear this is how jon stewart proposed to his wife!)
Hide valentines under your pets' collar and send them in with a special delivery
Simply showing up unexpected with a picnic basket still works great
Decorate!!! The car, the bedroom, the kitchen - anything!
Fill a room with balloons!
Write a poem and have it printed on a coffee mug or shirt

Share your ideas too - we could all use some new ones!