The Life of Bon: If you say the word August I promise I will stab you with a pencil.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

If you say the word August I promise I will stab you with a pencil.

Well guys, it's officially August and that is a thought that sends me into a mad fit of anxious shivers.  You see, all June and July I try to pretend that I have no job and money magically appears in my bank account.  I do my best at forgetting that I hang with snotty 17 years nine months out of the year.  I don't think about my students, I don't think about my lesson plans, and I definitely don't think about grading papers.  Shudder.  Shudder.  Shudder.  I justify this by saying, "Oh come on... it's June!  I don't even have to think about school until August!"  or "Oh please!  It's still July!  I don't need to worry about that until August!"

And then. 

BOOM.
AUGUST.

The inevitable.

I  have to go back to school.  I do not get paid to live for free.  I can't sleep in all twelve months out of the year.  I can't stay up late and eat snowcones 24/7 and go to the water park every day of my life.  No.  School is coming back.

Curse you, August.

The good thing is that I get to go back to school shopping!  Yes, I am 26 years old and I still do back to school shopping for myself.  I figure if I have to go back to school then I, by default, get to go back to school shopping.  Logic at its finest right there.

Today I have something AWESOME for you.  Elisabeth from La Vita e Bella is going to share some tips about marriage and happiness and butterflies and stuff like that.  Elisabeth has to be one of the happiest married people I have ever met.  Don't get me wrong, Hubs and I are happy as can be but sometimes I just want him to leave me alone so I can watch Teen Mom by myself, you know?  Elisabeth clearly has the whole marriage thing down pat and so she's going to share some advice for us.

FAST FACT:  I met Elisabeth at a blogger get together.  I knew who she was from her blog and had seen pictures of her husband.  I was positive I knew him from somewhere, but couldn't put my finger on it.  I don't think Elisabeth had ever seen my blog or knew who I was.  I marched right up to her with all the confidence of a small blogger who has no idea what she's doing and said, "I know your husband from somewhere!"  She just stared blankly.  Clearly I had caught her off guard.  "Your husband," I went on, "I have seen pictures of him on your blog and I know him!!!  Where did he go to school?"  Then I made her play the annoying "how do I know you" game in place of her husband.  We couldn't figure it out and I left the blogger meet up certain that she thought I was a stalker freak trying to ensnare her husband.

Or maybe I was?

(Spoiler:  We later figured it out... her husband had been in the same missionary training district that I was in back in 2007.  So I'm NOT crazy!)

And now, without further ado, I present to you, Elisabeth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I’m Elisabeth from La Vita e Bella. I blog about love and life, which to me are pretty much one and the same. 



I am a 21 year old college student and newlywed. I love chocolate, traveling, and dance. He loves skateboarding, engineering, and exotic fruit. We love the ocean, rock climbing, and sweet potato fries.
Ben and I met December 6, 2010.

We were engaged May 6, 2011.

We were married August 6, 2011.

Today I wanted to share some tips to heat up a summer romance

Everyone loves a summer romance right? Or, if you already have a man, here are some ways to strengthen that relationship. I know I have great plans for me and Ben after doing a little bit of this research!

Love and attraction may be something that we romanticize over in movies, literature, and daydreams, but science is actually starting to explain a lot of it. The chemistry behind relationships focuses around hormones. The key to successful relationships is the release of bonding hormones. So, looking for a summer romance? Here are some activities that release oxytocin and vasopressin, chemicals that cause bonding between a couple. 

Do something new:
-find a new recipe and cook together
-visit a new museum/local spot
-learn a new sport (tennis, golf, frisbee, volleyball), take up knitting, or enroll in a ballroom dance class together
-go camping (even if its only in a backyard)
-build a fort

Do something scary/exhilarating:
-go skydiving
-go on a roller coaster or to a water park
-raft down some rapids
-test drive a sports car 
-watch a scary movie
-go on night hike (maybe I'm a wimp that I think these are spooky)
-take up rock climbing!

(yes, this is a shameless plug for our favorite thing to do together - but given that its probably something new and definitely something exhilarating when you're 20 feet up that wall, I think its a fabulous idea! Plus, it really focuses on trust and support - be sure to let me know if you try it!)

These are pictures from our last few months of dating and first few months of marriage :) 
We were given: Two hands to hold. To legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find.”

Do you have other ideas for strengthening relationships? I'd love to hear them!
Have a romantic and fun summer all! 
Love,
Elisabeth 

P.S. For more of our fun dates and relationship ideas, come check out La Vita e Bella










10 comments:

  1. UGGGGH.... DON'T REMIND ME THAT AUGUST IS FASTLY APPROACHING (AND BY FASTLY APPROACHING I MEAN 1 HOUR AND 59 MINUTES AGO).... UGGGGGHHHHHHH.........

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  2. Oh friend - - - Back to school is always brutal. I've been working in my classroom off and on during the month of July. I die. I. Die. I LOVE teaching! I wouldn't trade it, but I do understand the dread that approaches in August. I too, enjoy back to school shopping. Whether it's for supplies or clothes - it's for me! Lastly, how cute is your friend?!?! There are some great ideas here for "summer romance" that I may have to enforce with my dear, sweet husband.

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  3. I'm glad I'm no the only one who just wants to forget school during the holidays...you need to do it to keep sane. Have fun back to school shopping :-)

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  4. Oh I love back to school shopping too!! I don't care how old you are, its fun :)

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  5. My husband, Shawn, is a teacher too. He had been teaching middle schoolers science but is moving to the high school this year to teach, well high schoolers science.

    I am pretty sure he is pretending he does not have a job and I am here to support him financially. Big reality check when he learns he is not actually a stay at home dad / daycare provider but a teacher and he will be going back to work in a month.

    It is difficult for me to get up and go to work every day in the summer while he is home with the kid, her friends, our niece and nephew, and the two new dogs. So, I will admit, I take some pleasure in reminding him it's August :)

    So glad you found me! I like you blog!
    Kara

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  6. I am not looking forward to having to get back to the daily routine of getting up early, getting my kid to school on time, carting her around to various practices, games & music lessons, not to mention actually having to have dinner on the table at a reasonable hour so that she can get a good night's sleep!

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  7. Heyy..
    Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving lovely comments!!

    Loving your lovely blog here and definitely following!!

    Thabk you for introducing another lovely blogger to us!!

    Love
    Mehak
    www.thedoublemlife.blogspot.com

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  8. Your title alone brough happiness to my soul.

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  9. Hmmm....new clothes .... 17 year olds. Yikes. Poor you. Even new clothes don't make up for that. I started out wanting to teach English. Until I realized that I am almost the only person in the world (besides my hubby) who has a genuine love for Shakespeare and grammar (please people their, there, they're is NOT THAT HARD!) and the thought of trying to teach my loves to kiddos who could care less just made me want to cry. So no teaching for CC. Instead I teach my little dude (who's four) pretty much everything. And he has informed me that I am both the best mommy and the best teacher in the whole wide world, thank you very much. Ahhhh... Mommy worship - if only it lasted forever. Eh. I'll enjoy while I can. ;) Good luck with your 17 year olds. May they learn or be cursed! ;)

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  10. You took the words out of my head. I was complaining the other day about how fast the August came :( my husband (another teacher who doesn't start til Sept) told me to think positive. I try but ugh 2 more weeks please!!!
    Plus side, I still do back to school shopping too!!! My black trousers always need to be replaced because i wear them so much during the school year :)

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