Friday, February 27, 2015

What Men Really Want


These were some really great tips that I wanted to save and figured the best way to do that was in a blog post.

Wives, men...


  1. Get their self-esteem from marriage, job and athletics (job and athletics are always uncertain so the marriage is what they want to count on)
  2. Think respect is more important than feeling loved (it almost feels like the same thing to them)
  3. Want to feel affirmed and appreciated by their wives
  4. Are not good at taking hints. Tell him what you want. 
  5. Want to know that they are the #1 person in your life, especially if you have kids. Your kids will grow up and move out and you will still be with him.
  6. Want grace and forgiveness. Those are important to him. He's going to mess up, but he doesn't need to be reminded of it. 
  7. Don't appreciate or like nagging. 
  8. Don't like to be ambushed. Make sure to talk to him before going into a discussion with others about a certain subject so that he's not taken off guard. 
  9. Want you to protect their reputation. What do you say about him to others? Do not disrespect him or put him down to others. This is how he will be perceived. Guard him. 
  10. Want to be spoken to with kindness and gentleness. "Husband is the leader, but the atmosphere of the house is set by the wife."
  11. Need to feel desired, not tolerated or pitied. 
  12. Need to be admired. Admire the work they've done in the yard, or around the house. 
  13. Need "men"time. It may not look the same as "ladies" time. They may just want to watch a football game with friends. Encourage this. 
  14. Need to be our Knight in Shining Armor. We need to let them know ho we appreciate them. Know your husband's love language. 
  15. Don't ever want to admit any of this, but when we do this, we set ourselves up for an amazing marriage! =)

7 Tips For Traveling to Europe


Love to travel? So do I! We just visited Europe for the third time and found that it would be helpful to post some tips that we have learned from our trips.

Here are 7 tips for traveling to Europe that should spare you some headaches.

1. Contact your bank to exchange currency before going overseas. 

They will offer you the best exchange rate (especially if you arrive in Europe on a Sunday when none of the exchange places are open).

2. Find out your credit card company's international exchange rate fee (%). 

This is a great way to travel without having to deal with exchanging or using your cash. Saving your cash for those "cash only" places is easy when you use your credit card. Your credit card will get the lowest exchange rate on the market that day and charge you a small fee per transaction. Find out if that fee is worth it. Some credit card companies don't charge a fee at all. Either way, it was a HUGE asset for us. Bonus: we earned more points on our card!

3. Know your pin number!

If you choose to use your credit card overseas, make sure to get your pin number. There are several places where pin is required even if it's not a debit card.

4. Download train routes in advance

If you're going to a city where they use the "tube," "metro," or "subway" download the apps that show the routes of each one. This really saved us and helped us get around easily!

5. Look into the free tours offered by Sandeman's New Europe Tours. 

We took these tours in London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. They offer them all over Europe's major cities and are a wealth of information mixed with humor. Do this on the first day so you get a good feel for the city you're visiting. Don't forget to bring some of that cash - they work off of tips. 


6. Don't overlook Airbnb!

This is a great, affordable way to stay in the best parts of the cities without compromising your budget (that way you can spend more on food and wine). We had some great experiences with them this trip.

7. Pack a carry-on luggage

We have never packed more than what can fit in a carry-on so that we don't check-in luggage. We've been spared from the hassle of waiting and paying extra. On top of that, if you're visiting multiple cities in one trip, it's much easier to travel with through all the trains and modes of transportation. Make sure to review the weight standards of the airline so that they don't charge you on the way home. (This almost happened to us and we weren't carrying more on the way back)

Enjoy!