Kathe With an E: Making A Date With Your Mate And My Rules To A Happy Marriage In just a few short weeks, Mr. B & I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary! Where have the years gone?  It seems like just yesterday I was ordering a dress from JCP online (on clearance because, well...you know me!) and we were jetting off to Vegas to exchange our vows at the Chapel at The Monte Carlo Resort.

I consider us to be a very happy couple.  I think that happens naturally when you marry someone you consider to be your very best friend.  Someone you can freely giggle with at inappropriate times. Someone that thinks you are beautiful at 5 am when you know your morning hair was very likely used as a model for one of the Muppets! Even after 10 years Mr. B makes my heart skip a beat when he walks into the room (collective sigh allowed here). I have said it here before, he is truly my last love.

One way we keep the magic going is to "date" each other whenever we can.  It could be a breakfast date, a dinner date or, just recently, we had a lunch date. Because I didn't want it to be just lunch on the weekend but a lunch DATE, I brought out our wedding china. If you only use your good china for special occasions, what is more special than a meal with your spouse? Because I wanted to spend time with my man and not at the stove, I grabbed a TONY’S® Pizza from the freezer. We love the pizzeria style crust and the fact that it is now 30% bigger! We both agree that it has a true authentic pizzeria taste too. I especially love that I can find it easily at my local Walmart and I had a coupon to boot! Right now you can save $.75 off of any TWO (2) Tony’s Pizza (14.14 oz. or larger). This Walmart digital coupon is available until 6/30/15 (while supplies last).

We are both meat eaters so I popped a Meat-Trio into the oven. While the pizza baked, I put together a simple green salad and set the table. I had picked up some flowers earlier in the week and thought they helped to bring the date mood to the table. Again, it doesn't hurt to go a little overboard when you are trying to impress your mate! {{Drool}} Once the pizza was done, I sliced it up, set it on a pretty plate and called Mr. B for lunch.

The smile and wink he gave me let me know he knew this was no ordinary weekend lunch! Of course, he grabbed for a slice of pizza right off not knowing that it was MY slice LOL! Eh, marriage is all about compromise, right?  I let him have it. It does seem like there were 3 for lunch this day!  Mr B, me and Tony's Pizza lol! The pizza was so good, I didn't mind the 3rd wheel. Tony's Pizza really made it so simple to spend some quality time with my favorite guy! Plus, there was little to clean up and Mr. B helped with the dishes!  Score 2 points for Tony's!

Wanna spoil your man with a date lunch or dinner? I suggest you pick up a few of the new 30% larger Tony's and use your imagination!

You can learn more about Tony’s Pizza on their website or on their Facebook page!

Now, I am going to  leave you with some sage advice from a veteran, here are my rules for a happy marriage.  Tell me how you keep your marriage strong in the comments below!

Rules For A Happy Marriage
1.    Want every night to feel like a date night? Try going to bed together. So many couples go to bed at different times, and when you do that, you lose the natural opportunity to talk together and to make love.
2.    Remember, you married an imperfect person and so did your spouse. If you marry thinking you were going to change your mate, you are in for lots of hard work, heartbreak and tears. Marry the person for who they are right now, not for who you hope they become someday.
3.   Marriage isn’t about YOU! Marriage is about give and take for BOTH of you. Don’t insist that everything go your way.  Listen, nod and agree now and then. It’s really okay to let your partner win some.
4. Say "I love you," and tell your partner they look attractive, and mean it.  I know this seems like such a no brainer but after a few years, you may forget to do this. Build each other up with love and let the other know that you still think they are as handsome/ beautiful as you did on the day you married.
5. Too many couples fight and bicker over the dumbest things, especially when put into context of issues of true importance. Pick your battles. Is it really such a big deal that he leaves his whiskers in the sink when he shaves?  I’d rather have whiskers in the sink than not have Mr. B in my life. Those tiny hairs became so easy to clean up when I started to think of where I would be if those hairs were not there. Reserve your energy for discussions over finances, kids, and career paths (you know, the things that really matter).
6. Quit expecting your mate to be a mind reader! Seriously, if something is bothering you, just say something!  You want him to be more loving?  Instead of quietly resenting the fact that he is not, just tell the poor guy what you want. What you need.  Same goes to you fellas. You need time with the guys every now and then?  Don’t tell your buddies that  your wife won’t let you, explain to her why this time is important to you and how it can actually strengthen your relationship by having separate friends and interests (because, it does!).
7. One common element to many successful marriages is their ability to keep the romance going. Remember the excitement of dating?  Why do we let that go?  Make it a priority to spend time with just each other. It doesn’t have to be expensive at all! Whether it’s dinner and a movie or just a fried Spam sandwich at home, you can make it special. Serve that Spam sandwich on a piece of your wedding china or anything other than a paper plate. Hold hands during the movie. Act like silly teenagers. Turn off the TV and other devices, turn on some music and just be in the moment with each other.
8. Trust is the foundation that holds a marriage up. Trust is when you tell your spouse what is important to you and what you expect from them. If they agree to honor and respect what is important to you, you will trust them with your feelings and thoughts. Don't take each other for granted, neglect your relationship or consistently give too much time and energy to other things and people that cause you break to that trust. Remember every day what is really important in your life. Keep your priorities clear. Make your partner and your marriage a top priority.
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