Guest Post: Whitney from The Observent Turtle

Hello again, I am happy to say I am finally back from Washington DC as of last night but am still catching up. Stayed tuned this weekend for some amazing plans that I have and also our Anniversary recap. So today I have for you Whitney from The Observant Turtle. If you don't follow her you should but read along to find out some of her suggestions about how to keep an amazing relationship.

Hey everyone! I was so excited when Brianna asked me to do a post for her blog and I can't wait to jump right in.

First though, I just wanna introduce myself. My name's Whitney and I blog over at The Observant Turtle. I'm a newlywed and recently moved from my home state of South Carolina to Houston, Texas with my hubby. I blog about many different things, usually involving the crazy antics that go on in my life. You should come on over and introduce yourself!

Today, I wanted to share with you some of the things that I've learned over my 10 months of marriage... and there are quite a few! No, I'm not an expert but I do think I have a pretty successful relationship.

1. Be each other's best friend. Nick and I have been together for over 4 years now and I cannot imagine my life without him. I call him first when I have good news, I text him throughout the day, I share little funny pictures with him on Facebook. Some might call it overbearing, but I promise you that we have our own separate lives with our own friends. We are each other's biggest cheerleaders, always rooting on the other and supporting each other.

2. Get a pet. We got our cat Susie back in September of 2010 and it was one of the best things that we ever did. We have such a shared interest in her: it's almost like she's our baby! Acting as "parents" is something that will bring you so much closer.

3. Let go of the little things. I have to admit, I'm a bit of an argumentative person. When Nick leaves the cabinets open or his socks on the floor, it shot my blood pressure through the roof at first and I let him know it. But now I've just started letting it out without saying anything. I'm sure there are things that I do that annoyed him at first as well. You can't dwell on it. Now if it's something serious and is affecting your relationship, then it's probably worth discussing in a calm, adult manner.

4. Don't compare yourselves to other couples. I have at least 4 other friends that were married in the same year that we were. It's quite easy to compare your relationship to theirs, especially in the blogging world. I know that I've had trouble coveting certain things that couples do, especially following blogs. A couple of my friends even have babies now and I'm pining over the day when I'll be a mom. I have to take a step back and say, "okay, that's great for them. It's just not time for me to experience that yet." It makes things a lot better.

5. Do exciting things together. Back in May of 2011, the movie Something Borrowed came out. Many of you have probably read the book by Emily Giffin, as I had... only I'm a little bit of a die hard fan of hers. So when I found out that she was coming to Charlotte for a viewing of the movie the day after it came out, I just had to go see it there... and drag Nick with me. Turns out we sat RIGHT BEHIND HER and spoke to her at length afterwards. She is so super nice and even told me that Nick looked and acted like John Krasinski (who I LOVEEEE.) I love that Nick and I were able to share this experience and so many others like it!

6. Have a date night. With Nick working odd hours at the hospital, it's hard for us to find time for just us. We've set aside one night a week for "date night" where we'll get doodled-up and go out to eat. It's so nice to just relax and enjoy each other's company without the distraction of things at the house or video games or blogs.

What are some of the things that you've learned in your marriage? Or if you aren't married, what do you admire in others' relationships?