One of the most important issues in any relationship is communication. With good, consistent communication, any potential problems between spouses are quickly mitigated because they’re not allowed to balloon or fester. Read the rest of this entry »

Men pride themselves on being logical, direct communicators. But if you’re married to one, you know just how enigmatic and confusing men can really be. Your husband might tell you one thing and mean another – not because he’s a bad communicator, but because he’s human. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of people love the idea of visiting exotic lands. They fantasize about going to Thailand with their loved one while on the lunch break at work. They can’t wait for that honeymoon in Hawaii, even if it means flying out from the east coast of the United States.

This is all possible thanks to the wonders of modern travel, of course, but that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a great vacation every time you go somewhere far. In fact, couples need to know some potential problems with long-distance vacations if they hope to enjoy the environment and not be after each other’s throats by the end. Here’s how. Read the rest of this entry »

Social networking is a new invention, a product of the digital world we live in. So it’s understandable if you’re not caught up to speed on every single piece of social networking etiquette yet. But that’s no excuse for ignoring your significant other on Facebook, or following an untrustworthy ex on Twitter. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all been there: the infamous honeymoon phase. Heck, plenty of us have been on real, live honeymoons, as well. There’s a certain magic in the air whenever your relationship with your significant other is going especially well: it’s almost as if the rest of our lives are brighter because of how fulfilled we are on the romantic front.

But what do you do when you lose that special honeymoon flavor – and don’t want to lose the relationship? You inject a little honeymoon back into your daily lives, of course. It doesn’t have to cost you a zillion dollars and a week’s worth of unpaid vacation. All it requires is a little bit of creativity. Here’s how to do it. Read the rest of this entry »

Building a relationship nowadays is unlike any time in history. Not only are we immersed in modern technology like social networking and instant communication, but our sensibilities as a culture have changed drastically over the years. This means that an effective modern couple faces some unique challenges that might not have been so challenging in the past. Read the rest of this entry »

When many people think about having “couples” as friends, they might initially be turned off by the idea. After all, when couples get together, the fun generally seems to be a bit predictable: maybe you have dinner either at home or go out, maybe you play a game or two, but that’s about it. For some, this might pale in comparison to the fun they’re used to having with their spouse. Read the rest of this entry »

“Yikes,” your significant other says to you at a friend’s dinner party as they notice someone sauntering over. “I know this person – they can be very annoying. Brace yourself.”

Yikes, indeed. While you won’t always have advanced warning that a person will annoy both of you, you’ve been there before: stuck in a situation that you and your significant other both want to solve. You make faces to each other and seem to both send telepathic “S.O.S.” messages. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a good chance that you can count the amount of couples you know on one finger. And when you take the time to consider how many couples you and your significant other both know, well…let’s just say that the number probably drops even further. Why is this? Aren’t human beings social creatures? Don’t we need companionship in the form of friends on a regular basis? Why are so many couples so dang shy?

If you were asking yourself these same questions, you’ve come to the right place. There are indeed dangers to not having mutual couple friends when you yourself belong to a couple – and these dangers can have a bigger impact on your social life than you ever considered. So let’s take a look at some of these dangers and, better yet, how to avoid them.

Everyone Needs a Solid Group

Put 50 strangers in a room and there’s a good chance they’ll eventually start to form groups – even if the groups are just two or three people who started small talk. It’s just part of our nature: we feel better when we’re in groups. We gravitate toward like-minded people. So if you’ve got a girlfriend or boyfriend – or husband or wife – and don’t have any other couples as friends, it might be a good time to ask yourself “why not”.

Having a solid group of like-minded friends is essential for a few things: first, of course, to have a social life. But it’s also important to have other couples as friends so that you can engage with others and reap all the benefits of friendship: advice, support, and a sense of belonging. Sometimes, having friends on your own just isn’t enough. Two people who come together in the form of a couple sometimes feel like a unit – and this unit needs friends, too!

Support, Support, Support

Having a lot of single friends – if you’re a couple – can feel quite alienating. You’re the only couple in your social group, so you don’t feel particularly welcome all the time. Maybe you get a few dirty stares if you decide to indulge in even the smallest amounts of PDA.

On the flip side, having other couples as friends can mean having friends who build you up rather than bring you down. They can offer advice, a friendly ear – whatever it takes to support you. When you, in return, support other couples, it can strengthen your own bond with your significant other. You’d be amazed at how quickly you can feel better about your social life when you help other people with theirs.

Take some time at Kupple.com and get to know other couples who might be a good match for you and your significant other. You’d be amazed at how different a friendship feels when you meet another couple as part of a couple yourselves. You’ll always want to keep great individual friends – but sometimes you just need a friend for each of you to avoid feeling like a third wheel.