Have you ever braved and confronted the maddening holiday stampede at your local shopping mall -- only to visit a dozen stores that don't have the product you were looking for? Those days may very well be a distant memory of Christmas past thanks to a new service from NearbyNow that lets you check store inventory from the Internet or mobile phone, and even reserve products to pick up. This new service is available in shopping malls in over 130 cities for the first time this year, empowering shoppers to experience stress-free shopping this holiday season.
It's as easy as 1..2..3
Holiday shopping can be a stressful time for frazzled consumers with little or no time to shop as they face the daunting task of finding - and purchasing - the perfect gift. Buying online can often further complicate the matter, with shipping charges, accuracy issues, timeliness, and potentially discovering that the perfect gift is on backorder until 2008.
NearbyNow has created a new approach to holiday shopping this season by combining the convenient use of the Internet with the vibrancy of in-store shopping. By shopping online before heading out the door, consumers have the ability to search inventory of over 800,000 products at their local mall just by going to the mall's Web site. Once the desired gift is found, shoppers can take advantage of the newly enhanced NearbyNow-powered service and "check availability", with the bonus option to 'reserve this product' - putting the item on hold at the retail store of their choice. NearbyNow will confirm the product's availability, usually within ten minutes, and notify shoppers when it will be available for in-store pickup.
"Shoppers call our service 'Google for malls' because they can search every brand, product, and sale at the mall," said Scott Dunlap, chief executive officer of NearbyNow, Inc. "We've taken the concept of shopping online and buying in-store even further than that by allowing shoppers to actually check inventory and reserve products to pick up. It is the most stress-free way to shop your local mall. It's what holiday shopping should be all about - convenience."
Shop Online, Buy In-store
A recent survey by Accenture found that consumers like to use the Internet to do their research when shopping, whether they intend to buy online or purchase in-store. Over 69 percent of those who purchased either online or in-store researched product features online beforehand, and a majority of them (67 percent) preferred to make purchases in-store. Over half of them (58 percent) used the Internet to find items in nearby stores.
"Metropark's fashion-savvy customers regularly shop both the mall and online," states Laura Bojanowski, Director of Marketing for Metropark, a shopping destination for today's trendsetting young adults. "NearbyNow has created a new way for us to access shoppers at the mall that presents Metropark's mix of contemporary and street fashion apparel and accessories that we carry to customers in a unique way, giving them the option to shop either channel at their convenience. We are excited to see how we can work together with NearbyNow to present new products for the holiday shopping season and provide our customers with the most convenient ways to shop."
The mobile phone as a local mall directory
While at the mall, consumers can use their mobile phone to find last-minute gifts, view coupons and sale promotions, and even receive mobile-only offers. It's easy to use, by texting a mall-specific code (such as "VF" for Westfield Valley Fair) to the shortcode NEARBY (632729), shoppers receive simple instructions on how to search hundreds of sale items in the mall by typing such categories as "toys", "sneakers", or any other item they might be searching for. Each shopping center will display signage outlining the appropriate shortcodes and instructions throughout the mall.
"We see shoppers using the Internet and mobile phones more and more each year," said Scott Peterson, Digital Marketing Manager for The Westfield Group, a premier mall owner and operator. "NearbyNow has created a unique way to blend these technologies to make the shopping center experience more convenient. We are excited to provide this to our 60 premier properties for this holiday season."
At a mall near you
NearbyNow has partnered with renowned shopping mall operators such as The Westfield Group, CBL & Associates Properties, and General Growth Properties to deliver their experience to malls in over 130 cities. Shoppers can log on to their local mall's Web site or click here to find the nearest participating mall.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Lighten the meal
Everything in moderation!
Use dip made from nonfat yogurt or nonfat sour cream instead of cream-based dip for the veggie platter.
Replace the traditional stuffing with an assortment of chopped veggies. Fill your turkey with mushrooms, eggplant, onions and celery.
Put out an assortment of fruit for dessert instead of pies.
Remember to drink a lot of water...
Limit the amount of high-fatty foods such as gravy, pumpkin pie. Eat them -- just in small portions.
Use dip made from nonfat yogurt or nonfat sour cream instead of cream-based dip for the veggie platter.
Replace the traditional stuffing with an assortment of chopped veggies. Fill your turkey with mushrooms, eggplant, onions and celery.
Put out an assortment of fruit for dessert instead of pies.
Remember to drink a lot of water...
Limit the amount of high-fatty foods such as gravy, pumpkin pie. Eat them -- just in small portions.
Thanksgiving diet tips
My Excellent Adventure In Weight Loss, offers the following tips to maintaining your diet through the holiday season:
(Jamie Bernard, author of The Incredible Shrinking Critic)
Fill up before you go out. If you eat some nuts or half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese before you go out to the party you'll already be full when you get there. If you don't have time to eat something at home before you leave, grab a protein bar for the road.
Pretend you're the host or hostess. If Thanksgiving is at your house this year you're in luck, but if you're going to visit family there's still hope. Either way, be the "ultimate host" and offer to clean, set the table, be a waiter, fill up glasses, etc. If you're being the host you probably won't have time to sit down for those fattening appetizers.
Show up late: If you can get away with it, show up late to Thanksgiving dinner. That way you'll miss appetizers. And if you leave early, you'll miss desserts.
Pile food high and wide on your plate, but make sure the food mountain you build is made of the healthiest dishes on the menu. Healthy Thanksgiving items include fruit, salad, and white turkey meat.
Bring a dessert that you really hate. That way you won't be tempted to eat it at the party, nor will you be tempted to make a second one for your home.
(Jamie Bernard, author of The Incredible Shrinking Critic)
Fill up before you go out. If you eat some nuts or half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese before you go out to the party you'll already be full when you get there. If you don't have time to eat something at home before you leave, grab a protein bar for the road.
Pretend you're the host or hostess. If Thanksgiving is at your house this year you're in luck, but if you're going to visit family there's still hope. Either way, be the "ultimate host" and offer to clean, set the table, be a waiter, fill up glasses, etc. If you're being the host you probably won't have time to sit down for those fattening appetizers.
Show up late: If you can get away with it, show up late to Thanksgiving dinner. That way you'll miss appetizers. And if you leave early, you'll miss desserts.
Pile food high and wide on your plate, but make sure the food mountain you build is made of the healthiest dishes on the menu. Healthy Thanksgiving items include fruit, salad, and white turkey meat.
Bring a dessert that you really hate. That way you won't be tempted to eat it at the party, nor will you be tempted to make a second one for your home.
How to carve a turkey
Here's how to carve up your Thanksgiving bird:
Lie in wait: Expert chef Marshall Shafkowitz at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute in Chicago says you should wait 30 after you take the turkey out of the oven before you carve it up. "If you carve the bird the second it comes out of the oven, it'll start to bleed and lose its moisture," says Shafkowitz.
Get the legs up: Grab the tip of the drumstick and raise it straight up, feeling for the center of the joint with a chef knife. If you hit something hard and dense, that's bone. Cartilage, on the other hand, should feel like a stale gummy bear. The knife should slide right through, leaving you with a hunk of tender dark meat.
Start with the breast: Using a sharp carving knife -- not a serrated blade -- make your first incision near the neck, just to one side of the breastbone. Slice down the body with the blade riding the bone. Now, on the same side make a horizontal cut along the ribs, until the two incisions meet. Lift the breast and slice.
Grip and rip: The skin and gristle around the wing make it harder to cut. So snap that joint with your hands, then slice through the cartilage and remaining fatty bits connecting it to the body.
Lie in wait: Expert chef Marshall Shafkowitz at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute in Chicago says you should wait 30 after you take the turkey out of the oven before you carve it up. "If you carve the bird the second it comes out of the oven, it'll start to bleed and lose its moisture," says Shafkowitz.
Get the legs up: Grab the tip of the drumstick and raise it straight up, feeling for the center of the joint with a chef knife. If you hit something hard and dense, that's bone. Cartilage, on the other hand, should feel like a stale gummy bear. The knife should slide right through, leaving you with a hunk of tender dark meat.
Start with the breast: Using a sharp carving knife -- not a serrated blade -- make your first incision near the neck, just to one side of the breastbone. Slice down the body with the blade riding the bone. Now, on the same side make a horizontal cut along the ribs, until the two incisions meet. Lift the breast and slice.
Grip and rip: The skin and gristle around the wing make it harder to cut. So snap that joint with your hands, then slice through the cartilage and remaining fatty bits connecting it to the body.
Turkey tips lines
Need a helping hand to put the finishing touches on your holiday meal? There are a bunch of Web sites around to help guide you through the process. Many offer complete recipes, as well as tips on things like how to carve a turkey or how to tell when it's done in the first place.
On the Net:
Butterball Turkey line
Land O' Lakes Holiday bake line
Starchefs
Reader's Digest site
Better Homes and Gardens site
When you're nodding off after today's Turkey Day dinner, don't blame the bird. Experts are debunking the popular thinking that turkey makes you drowsy. Turkey does contain an amino acid that can lead to sleepiness, but researchers at a New Jersey sleep center say it has a hard time reaching the brain when it's part of a big meal. Instead, they say travel, longer hours at work, overeating and alcohol are more likely to lead to an after dinner nap. One dietitian believes another factor that could lead to feeling tired could be sitting around and watching football after the big meal is done.
On the Net:
Butterball Turkey line
Land O' Lakes Holiday bake line
Starchefs
Reader's Digest site
Better Homes and Gardens site
When you're nodding off after today's Turkey Day dinner, don't blame the bird. Experts are debunking the popular thinking that turkey makes you drowsy. Turkey does contain an amino acid that can lead to sleepiness, but researchers at a New Jersey sleep center say it has a hard time reaching the brain when it's part of a big meal. Instead, they say travel, longer hours at work, overeating and alcohol are more likely to lead to an after dinner nap. One dietitian believes another factor that could lead to feeling tired could be sitting around and watching football after the big meal is done.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Women under 45 beware
Here's another reason to get heart healthy.
For decades, heart disease death rates have been falling. But a new study shows a troubling turn — more women under 45 are dying of heart disease due to clogged arteries, and the death rate for men that age has leveled off.
Heart experts aren't sure what went wrong, but they think increasing rates of obesity and other risk factors are to blame.
Read the whole story.
For decades, heart disease death rates have been falling. But a new study shows a troubling turn — more women under 45 are dying of heart disease due to clogged arteries, and the death rate for men that age has leveled off.
Heart experts aren't sure what went wrong, but they think increasing rates of obesity and other risk factors are to blame.
Read the whole story.
TSA travel tips
Traveling for Thanksgiving? The TSA has tips to keep it stress free:
Home. Business trip. Honeymoon. Family vacation. No matter where you're going, air travel is an essential part of your trip. That's why most of our efforts are dedicated to getting you there. At every commercial airport, large and small, our Security Officers are motivated individuals who take pride in making YOUR travel secure.
We screen every passenger; we screen every bag so that your memories are from where you went, not how you got there. We're here to help your travel plans be smooth and stress free. Please take a moment to become familiar with some of our security measures. Doing so now will help save you time once you arrive at the airport.
All I can say is give yourself extra time to get where you're going and pack lots of patience.
Home. Business trip. Honeymoon. Family vacation. No matter where you're going, air travel is an essential part of your trip. That's why most of our efforts are dedicated to getting you there. At every commercial airport, large and small, our Security Officers are motivated individuals who take pride in making YOUR travel secure.
We screen every passenger; we screen every bag so that your memories are from where you went, not how you got there. We're here to help your travel plans be smooth and stress free. Please take a moment to become familiar with some of our security measures. Doing so now will help save you time once you arrive at the airport.
All I can say is give yourself extra time to get where you're going and pack lots of patience.
Gift givers guide
The holiday season is the biggest time of the year for charities to raise donations - many receive as much as half of their yearly donations between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
Florida's consumer watchdog agency urges donators to check out charities before you reach into your wallet to make any donations.
The Gift Givers' Guide from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is intended to help make sure your contribution actually goes to the people who need it.
Spokeswoman Liz Compton said the guide lets you check to see if a charity is registered with the state of Florida. She said that's a huge red flag if it's not.
The Gift Giver's Guide includes financial information about every registered charity in Florida. There are more than 12,000.
It tells you how much money a charity has raised and where that cash is going.
To see the Gift Giver's Guide, click.
Florida's consumer watchdog agency urges donators to check out charities before you reach into your wallet to make any donations.
The Gift Givers' Guide from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is intended to help make sure your contribution actually goes to the people who need it.
Spokeswoman Liz Compton said the guide lets you check to see if a charity is registered with the state of Florida. She said that's a huge red flag if it's not.
The Gift Giver's Guide includes financial information about every registered charity in Florida. There are more than 12,000.
It tells you how much money a charity has raised and where that cash is going.
To see the Gift Giver's Guide, click.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
5 stalks of celery
I mentioned on the air the other day about my first attempt at a Thanksgiving dinner and when the stuffing called for 5 stalks of celery chopped up and cooked, I thought that was 5 "bunches". Needless to say it came out very "green." I've never been able to live it down from my family. But it seems I'm not the only one with embarrassing moments in the kitchen. Check out this note:
Susan,
I heard you talking about one of your first experiences in preparing Thanksgiving stuffing with a recipe that required 5 stalks of celery for which you prepared five bunches of celery and had a very green stuffing that year. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that and what candor it took to share that with your listening audience. I wanted to share a similar experience with one of my first cooking experiences that I haven’t thought about for years and never had the chance to share with anyone except my parents, the parents of a good childhood friend and the Franklin County Fire Department in Grove City, Ohio..
When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I was at a friends’ house on a weekend for a sleepover. I had spent a lot of time in my mother’s kitchen as a child and learned to prepare one of those Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizzas. I had made them several times by myself at our kitchen at home. One of these boxed pizza mixes accompanied me on the sleepover which my friend and I started to prepare on a Saturday morning while his parents were outside and running errands.
The recipe called for half a measuring cup of water. I read the recipe while my friend mixed the ingredients. After blooming the yeast and adding the flour mixture, the contents of the bowl looked more like soup than pizza dough. My remedy to that was to add more flour and being the bright 7 year old, I knew that you must also add a little baking powder to make the dough rise. With three times the volume of pizza dough than the box mix would have yielded, there was no need to let it rise, Right?
We placed the huge ball of pizza dough out on the greased pizza pan, pressed it as well as we could into the corners, added the small can of sauce, Parmesan cheese and the few slices of pepperoni on top and into the hot oven it went. We went down in his basement to watch T.V. and wait for our pizza to bake.
Imagine the surprise of two 7 year olds when we came upstairs, opened the oven door and witnessed the growth of what looked like the blob falling off of the pizza sheet in huge chunks and falling to the bottom of the oven. It was falling over the sides and running to the bottom of the oven like a lava flow from a Hawaiian volcano. What a mess! We took the pan out of the oven and quickly discovered the self cleaning feature on the oven we were baking in. I had never heard of such a thing but my friend assured me that his mother had used that feature several times and that it would work. We set the oven on “self clean”, grabbed some pop and chips and returned to the basement to watch the rest of our Saturday cartoons.
Imagine the additional surprise of two 7 year olds when the fireman interrupted our Saturday cartoons to pull us from the house because a very concerned neighbor had called the fire department, concerned of the smoke pouring out of the house by the smoke created from this self cleaning oven.
After telling this story to the fireman, I look back on the experience having learned three very important cooking tips:
All measuring cups are not “one cup” as demonstrated with the three cup measure that my friend’s mother owned.
There is something called “SELF RISING” flour in a cooks’ arsenal.
A “SELF CLEANING” feature on an oven actually cremates anything in the confines of that oven and then locks you away from the scene of the crime so that it can accomplish its’ goal which sometimes includes a new kitchen paint job.
Thank you for sharing and I hope this little cooking story brightens your day so that you don’t feel too bad!
Raymond L. Mitchell
LOYAL LISTENER
Susan,
I heard you talking about one of your first experiences in preparing Thanksgiving stuffing with a recipe that required 5 stalks of celery for which you prepared five bunches of celery and had a very green stuffing that year. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that and what candor it took to share that with your listening audience. I wanted to share a similar experience with one of my first cooking experiences that I haven’t thought about for years and never had the chance to share with anyone except my parents, the parents of a good childhood friend and the Franklin County Fire Department in Grove City, Ohio..
When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I was at a friends’ house on a weekend for a sleepover. I had spent a lot of time in my mother’s kitchen as a child and learned to prepare one of those Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizzas. I had made them several times by myself at our kitchen at home. One of these boxed pizza mixes accompanied me on the sleepover which my friend and I started to prepare on a Saturday morning while his parents were outside and running errands.
The recipe called for half a measuring cup of water. I read the recipe while my friend mixed the ingredients. After blooming the yeast and adding the flour mixture, the contents of the bowl looked more like soup than pizza dough. My remedy to that was to add more flour and being the bright 7 year old, I knew that you must also add a little baking powder to make the dough rise. With three times the volume of pizza dough than the box mix would have yielded, there was no need to let it rise, Right?
We placed the huge ball of pizza dough out on the greased pizza pan, pressed it as well as we could into the corners, added the small can of sauce, Parmesan cheese and the few slices of pepperoni on top and into the hot oven it went. We went down in his basement to watch T.V. and wait for our pizza to bake.
Imagine the surprise of two 7 year olds when we came upstairs, opened the oven door and witnessed the growth of what looked like the blob falling off of the pizza sheet in huge chunks and falling to the bottom of the oven. It was falling over the sides and running to the bottom of the oven like a lava flow from a Hawaiian volcano. What a mess! We took the pan out of the oven and quickly discovered the self cleaning feature on the oven we were baking in. I had never heard of such a thing but my friend assured me that his mother had used that feature several times and that it would work. We set the oven on “self clean”, grabbed some pop and chips and returned to the basement to watch the rest of our Saturday cartoons.
Imagine the additional surprise of two 7 year olds when the fireman interrupted our Saturday cartoons to pull us from the house because a very concerned neighbor had called the fire department, concerned of the smoke pouring out of the house by the smoke created from this self cleaning oven.
After telling this story to the fireman, I look back on the experience having learned three very important cooking tips:
All measuring cups are not “one cup” as demonstrated with the three cup measure that my friend’s mother owned.
There is something called “SELF RISING” flour in a cooks’ arsenal.
A “SELF CLEANING” feature on an oven actually cremates anything in the confines of that oven and then locks you away from the scene of the crime so that it can accomplish its’ goal which sometimes includes a new kitchen paint job.
Thank you for sharing and I hope this little cooking story brightens your day so that you don’t feel too bad!
Raymond L. Mitchell
LOYAL LISTENER
Office party tips
HOW TO HAVE THE PERFECT OFFICE HOLIDAY PARTY (Men's Health)
Drink Smart: Eat something beforehand to soak up that alcohol. Spirits and sweet drinks go down easy and sneak up on you later. Alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of water and pace yourself at a drink an hour.
Dance with Dignity: Your enthusiasm evokes a flailing Elaine Benes. Gentlemen, meet the side tap. Step to one side and tap the other foot to it -- it's foolproof. Some men are shy dancers, and some are overly confident. If you're not an expert, keep it simple.
Mingle Like a Pro: Before the party, skim a magazine or the newspaper for conversation starters. Then probe until you hit the right topic. If all else flops, food is the ultimate icebreaker. Everyone wants to know where to find the best pizza.
Don't Be a Decoration: Dress subtly. The reindeer sweater? Not subtle.
Curb Mindless Bingeing: Nerves and boredom can make the hors d'oeuvres your fallback -- and downfall. Eating is a way of soothing yourself. It's a stress response to avoid interacting with people who make you anxious.
Resist Office Cliques: See all the higher-ups circulating? So why are you still chatting with your lame-o lunch crew? Make a point of meeting three new people -- it's low-key networking that could pay off. Remember, it's a conversation, not a monologue. Practice by striking up a conversation with the bartender or the guy next to you, then raise the stakes and approach a higher-up.
Chat Up the Right-Hand Man: Let your colleagues fawn over your boss. Show some office savvy by working the behind-the-scenes players, including administrative assistants. You'll enhance your reputation by taking an indirect approach and being diplomatic. Besides, the big guy won't remember your conversation. Impressing his deputies will eventually impress him.
Talk, But Don't Touch: Canoodling at the party creates an office rep you'll never live down.
Drink Smart: Eat something beforehand to soak up that alcohol. Spirits and sweet drinks go down easy and sneak up on you later. Alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of water and pace yourself at a drink an hour.
Dance with Dignity: Your enthusiasm evokes a flailing Elaine Benes. Gentlemen, meet the side tap. Step to one side and tap the other foot to it -- it's foolproof. Some men are shy dancers, and some are overly confident. If you're not an expert, keep it simple.
Mingle Like a Pro: Before the party, skim a magazine or the newspaper for conversation starters. Then probe until you hit the right topic. If all else flops, food is the ultimate icebreaker. Everyone wants to know where to find the best pizza.
Don't Be a Decoration: Dress subtly. The reindeer sweater? Not subtle.
Curb Mindless Bingeing: Nerves and boredom can make the hors d'oeuvres your fallback -- and downfall. Eating is a way of soothing yourself. It's a stress response to avoid interacting with people who make you anxious.
Resist Office Cliques: See all the higher-ups circulating? So why are you still chatting with your lame-o lunch crew? Make a point of meeting three new people -- it's low-key networking that could pay off. Remember, it's a conversation, not a monologue. Practice by striking up a conversation with the bartender or the guy next to you, then raise the stakes and approach a higher-up.
Chat Up the Right-Hand Man: Let your colleagues fawn over your boss. Show some office savvy by working the behind-the-scenes players, including administrative assistants. You'll enhance your reputation by taking an indirect approach and being diplomatic. Besides, the big guy won't remember your conversation. Impressing his deputies will eventually impress him.
Talk, But Don't Touch: Canoodling at the party creates an office rep you'll never live down.
Feed your face
Edible Skincare - As Good As They Taste!
There are more and more beauty products and skincare flooding the market, and they are becoming more and more expensive too. With the discovery of one after another, harmful chemical ingredients in some of these products, we do start to wonder if we should really slap these things on to our skin.
But before there were industrialisation and capitalism, what did our ancestors do to take care of their skin? Cleopatra was known to bathe in milk to keep her skin supple, some ancient Chinese were known to use natural extracts from certain flowers to give that red tint to their lips and cheeks.
So why shouldn't we go back to nature, and get help from the most basic nutrient provider - food? Here are some tips and tricks some of us and our users have tried and love them.
(knowingfood.com)
There are more and more beauty products and skincare flooding the market, and they are becoming more and more expensive too. With the discovery of one after another, harmful chemical ingredients in some of these products, we do start to wonder if we should really slap these things on to our skin.
But before there were industrialisation and capitalism, what did our ancestors do to take care of their skin? Cleopatra was known to bathe in milk to keep her skin supple, some ancient Chinese were known to use natural extracts from certain flowers to give that red tint to their lips and cheeks.
So why shouldn't we go back to nature, and get help from the most basic nutrient provider - food? Here are some tips and tricks some of us and our users have tried and love them.
(knowingfood.com)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Turkey dinner will cost more
Something to consider before you gobble on Thursday.
Menu items for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings will cost more this year, but remain affordable, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
According to AFBF’s 22nd annual informal survey of the prices of basic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table, the average cost of this year’s dinner for 10 is $42.26, a $4.16 price increase from last year’s average of $38.10.
You may want to start charging your guests a cover charge.
Menu items for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings will cost more this year, but remain affordable, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
According to AFBF’s 22nd annual informal survey of the prices of basic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table, the average cost of this year’s dinner for 10 is $42.26, a $4.16 price increase from last year’s average of $38.10.
You may want to start charging your guests a cover charge.
What a couple needs
2 things every marriage needs: First- the high five. Be your spouse's cheerleader! How to react to your partner's good news is sometimes more important than how you react to their bad news. The second ingredient your marriage needs is dates you both look forward to- this can lead to going along with what you don't really want to do, which can lead to resentment.
3 things every marriage could live without: First, the eye roll. When you don't like what your spouse is doing or saying, you roll your eyes and sigh. Research shows that body language is just as hurtful as name calling- it's passive/aggressive behavior. Figure out what rubs you the wrong way- if it's small, get over it! But if it's something you think they can, and should change, then say so- deal with the problem head on.
The second thing your marriage can do without is "Wait! The kids need me!" Sometimes high parenting standards can lead to low marriage standards. Being available to your kids all the time puts your marriage on the back burner.
The last thing that shouldn't have room in your marriage is the public put-down- don't correct your spouse in public! Treat them with the same courtesy you'd give to a stranger- when they've finished a story (that you might not have agreed with)- instead of "Are you crazy? It didn't happen that way!", just wait until they've finished their version, and simply say, "I liked the way you put that."
3 things every marriage could live without: First, the eye roll. When you don't like what your spouse is doing or saying, you roll your eyes and sigh. Research shows that body language is just as hurtful as name calling- it's passive/aggressive behavior. Figure out what rubs you the wrong way- if it's small, get over it! But if it's something you think they can, and should change, then say so- deal with the problem head on.
The second thing your marriage can do without is "Wait! The kids need me!" Sometimes high parenting standards can lead to low marriage standards. Being available to your kids all the time puts your marriage on the back burner.
The last thing that shouldn't have room in your marriage is the public put-down- don't correct your spouse in public! Treat them with the same courtesy you'd give to a stranger- when they've finished a story (that you might not have agreed with)- instead of "Are you crazy? It didn't happen that way!", just wait until they've finished their version, and simply say, "I liked the way you put that."
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