Category Archives: Liz’s Life

Putting Each Other First

Posted in Dating, Love by

This morning one of my blogger friends passed me a link to a post she had written about watching her wedding video years later with her children. She talked about the lessons she’s learned through her years of marriage and what she wished someone had said to her one her own wedding day.

One line that struck a chord with me was “The most loving thing you’ll ever be able to do is to put each other first.”  

Well said, right? I think this is super important for Luke and I remember, because someday when we have kids, careers and 100 other things taking up our time we might forget to put each other as number one.

My parents have always lived this rule in their marriage, putting their relationship above all else…even us, their kids. They’d try hard not to take sides during disagreements with us, come to decisions mutually behind closed doors so we couldn’t tag the “nice parent,” and back each other up at all times.

Some people might balk at the idea of putting their spouse BEFORE their children, but I think the best thing parents can do for their kids is to love each other first. It provides a sense of security and a foundation for how to have a lasting commitment that so many kids miss out on.

As our wedding day draws nearer, I’m going to try to live this lesson. I’m going to do my best to not let the opinions of others or the stress of planning come before the reason for this day…Luke and I’s love and commitment to each other.  

Do you guys agree that your spouse should come first? How do you ensure you live that lesson in your life?

Thanks Amy @ResourcefulMom for reminding me of this important life lesson!

The Lotus Touts (Good Luck Rules)

Posted in Daily Musings by

My mom sent me a forward this week with tips for living with luck. Typically I delete forwards (sorry mom!) but for some reason I stopped to read this one. I’m glad I did, because it has some valuable lessons that are especially relevant to brides.

The forward said I had to send it to six of my friends or I’ll be cursed with bad luck, but I figure at least six of my readers will enjoy this so maybe I will avoid being cursed. :)

Take a peek and let me know what you think about the Lotus Touts!

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE. When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN! .. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

Valentine’s Day Surprise

Posted in Dating, Love by

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day spent with those you love, whether thats your significant other, family, friends or even your pet.

Luke and I had a wonderful day from start to finish. All week leading up to Sunday Luke had me guessing as to what we were doing. “It’s a surprise” he’d say as I questioned him endlessly. I’m pretty surprised he was able to keep mum all week given my prodding.

We kicked the day off by jumping in a cab near my apartment and heading out to Bucktown. I still had no idea where we were going at the time.

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When we arrived at our destination I was super excited to see that we were outside my favorite restaurant Hot Chocolate.

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This place is my favorite for many reasons – including of course their amazing hot chocolate. I had never been for brunch before, so I was excited to see what was on the menu.

We started out with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat oatmeal bread and a shot of organic milk.

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Then we moved on to lamb hash with winter vegetables and poached eggs and scrambled eggs with giardiniera peppers and salami. We topped it off with blueberry and pineapple/passionfruit smoothies.

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It was such a delicious way to start Valentine’s Day and definitely reaffirmed my love of Hot Chocolate.

Our next activity was “within walking distance” according to Luke and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was massages at Asha Spa across the street. Luke’s never had a massage before and I’ve been telling him about how amazing they are for awhile.

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My suspicions were right! Luke had made appointments for us both to get one-hour massages and they were soooo relaxing.

If you’ve never had a professional massage before, trust me you’re missing OUT! A professional can soothe and relax your muscles in a way you can’t imagine. They are well worth every penny spent.

I felt so spoiled and special after the surprise day Luke had planned for me. To return the love, that evening I made homemade pizza and gave Luke a box of dark chocolate truffles from Voges.

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It was a perfect Valentine’s Day spent with my future husband.

How did you spend your Valentine’s Day?

In Memory of My Grandmother

Posted in Liz's Life by

This past Sunday my Grandma Germaine passed away after suffering from complications of a stroke. Although we have been anticipating that she would pass for some time, it’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved family member.

Luke and I were lucky enough to be able to fly to Cleveland to spend time with my family and say goodbye to my grandma. While celebrating her life, I was reminded of what an extraordinary woman she was.

She raised six kids while working full-time as a guidance counselor with the Cleveland Public Schools. Believing that education was the key to a promising future- she even went back to school mid-life to earn her PHD in education from Case Western University.

She was devoted to her family, being married to my grandfather for 58 years, caring for her own mother until she died at 100, and supporting her six children, including my mother, whenever they needed it.

She was a tremendous grandmother as well, making trips to Toledo to see my school plays, hosting my dad and I on weekends when I’d have a volleyball tournament in Cleveland and always remembering birthdays and graduations.

I’m really happy my family got 86 years with her in this life. I hope she’s with my grandfather, dancing  among angels.

Any prayers or thoughts you can offer up for my grandmother and family would be much appreciated.

We’ll miss you grandma.