Corey Allan thinks so, and his e-book, aptly named “A Simple Marriage,” applies this belief directly and deeply.  You may recognize Simple Marriage because it’s also the name of Corey’s highly successful marriage blog (where I have the honor of being featured as a monthly columnist).

Corey is a Ph.D. and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, so he has the professional credentials to share some powerful advice on building extraordinary marriages.  He’s also been a husband for 16 years and he’s a Dad to two kids, so I guess he has the right “street cred” as well.

My Simple Review of A Simple Marriage

Before I sat down to read A Simple Marriage, I had some preconceived ideas in mind about what it would contain based on my faithful following of the Simple Marriage blog for nearly a year now and my own ideas on marriage.  I thought the book would focus on better communication, some advice on decluttering, some urging to “grow up” and not be such a Nice Guy or Gal, and some stories from Corey’s experience in counseling.  And I figured this wisdom would be wrapped in the context of Dr. Allan’s strong Christian foundation.

Well, this book contains all of those things, but not in the same form or from the same perspective as I expected.

A Simple Marriage is not as much a sit-down-and-read book as it is a workbook that requires some deep thinking and personal introspection.  The book had plenty of good advice, but it seemed to have an equal number of probing, soul-searching questions.

I was also a little surprised to discover that the majority of the book did not focus  on a couples-united approach to building a better marriage.  Instead, most of the exercises are to be completed individually (most have you compare notes with your spouse afterward), and many focus squarely on the vision, purpose and plan for each spouse as their own man or woman.

This focus on the individual first follows Corey’s philosophy, which is stated in bold in the first chapter:

Marriage is designed to grow us up into better humans and I am responsible for my growth, not my spouse’s.

I have to be honest to say this seemed a bit strange at first based on my own strong, spiritual beliefs that marriage is all about the “two becoming one” and my preferred practice of working on marriage enhancement primarily from a couple-first approach.  However, I completely respect Corey’s perspective of working first on yourself in order to be a better spouse…after all, he’s the doctor.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed A Simple Marriage, and I think those couples who are willing to take the time to complete the exercises and work individually to better understand and then improve themselves will be doing a real service to their marriage.

If you are looking for action-packed, quick action exercises that you complete while sitting together and talking as a couple, this e-book is not for you.  However, if you are ready to examine yourself and work at improving your own life for the sake of your spouse and family, I’d recommend you work through A Simple Marriage.

By the way, here’s a rundown of the chapters to give you a little more insight into the topics covered:

1. Stretch your thinking

2. Faith and design

3. The vision of a marriage fully alive

4. Survey yourself

5. Live from a deep place

6. The power of purpose

7. Levels of consciousness

8. Marriage designing: Are you thriving or surviving?

9. Living a fulfilled life

10. Marriage design

11. Daily delicious habits

12. What gets in your way?

Please also note that Corey stands behind his product and offers a 100% full money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with your purchase.

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Check out the original post and leave a comment on the blog here: Review of A Simple Marriage by Dr. Corey Allan

Tags: Book Review, Communication, Individual Fulfillment, Spirituality

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Meanwhile, our real priorities don’t get the attention they need, our creative side never gets a chance to shine through and we’re left feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled despite pouring our energy into doing the best we can.  Sound familiar?

Regain Your Balance

Well, it is truly my pleasure to introduce you to an awesome resource that can help you.  In Regain Your Balance, Ali Hale offers real, practical advice to help you find the right balance and achieve all that you want for your life.

To borrow Ali’s words, her e-book is for you if:

* You can’t understand where your time and money goes. It feels like there should be plenty of both, but there isn’t …

* You shelved your painting or writing or music a few years ago, and never went back to it …

* You keep trying to make improvements, but somehow life keeps on reverting back to the same busy state.

Does this sound like you?  I know it sounded really familiar to me!

I encourage you to head over to the full-page description of Regain Your Balance for the run-down on the full contents and awesome bonuses being included right now as the e-book is launched.  However, to give you a quick taste for what’s included in this 78-page e-book, here’s the list of chapters:

• Chapter 1: Taming Time
• Chapter 2: Cultivating Creativity
• Chapter 3: Finding Focus
• Chapter 4: Energizing Environment
• Chapter 5: Real Recharging
• Chapter 6: Managing Money

Also, if you’d like a taste for what the book’s like, Ali has a link to download the Introduction and Chapter One for free at her site!

My Full Endorsement (and a little contribution by yours truly)

As the creator of Engaged Marriage, I have the opportunity to review a lot of products and books.  In fact, I’m sent things to review on probably a weekly basis with the hopes that I’ll feature them on the site.

Well, you don’t see many of those because I’m very selective in the products and services that I share with you.  I know anything featured here reflects on me and our community, so I only share resources that I can fully support because I’m confident they’ll really help you.

Regain Your Balance has my strong endorsement.  It has really helped me make better use of my time and feel more fulfilled in my life.  It’s not a theoretical book, it’s a book of action and practical advice you can actually use.  And I love that!

After I reviewed it in draft form, I was given the opportunity to suggest changes to Ali, which she graciously included.  One of my criticisms was that the e-book was light on information to those with young children (since we often struggle so much to find balance).  Ali doesn’t have kids yet (but she IS getting married this fall!), so she let me write up some advice for young families, and it’s included in Chapter One!

Regain Your Balance is also the first product that I’ve ever agreed to endorse right on the landing page for the site.  When you click over, you’ll see my smiling mug there sharing my thoughts on the mix of topics included in the book…don’t hold that against the book, please.

Don’t Take My Word For It

I don’t expect you to hear that I liked (or loved) the e-book and then go buy your own copy based solely on that.  But I would encourage you to head over to read the full description and see if it’s something that could help you.

By the way, Ali has included a lifetime full money-back guarantee if you do buy it and decide it wasn’t all you hoped for.  You just let her know, and she sends your money right back to you.  She’s cool like that.

Please check out Regain Your Balance and leave your thoughts in the comments below.  But don’t be too harsh on my section!

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Check out the original post and leave a comment on the blog here: Regain Your Balance: Real Solutions for Real Busy People

Tags: Book Review, Career, Finances, Household Management, Time Management

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After I read it (late into the night), I knew I had to write a review here on Engaged Marriage so that you wouldn’t miss the chance to check it out for yourself.

Who is Sherri Kruger?

Sherri is the creator of Serene Journey where she writes about “Simple Tips to Enjoy Life.”  She is also the lead writer and editor at Zen Family Habits, which is another excellent resource for all things family.

Although you won’t hear her talk about it much, Sherri happens to have a PhD in molecular genetics.  After spending years in the lab, she decided to refocus on her family and stay at home with her two boys.  Her e-book is not auto-biographical, but I felt a real connection with Sherri and her ability to enjoy the simple things in life in the pages of her work.

Even if you decide that the e-book is not for you, I’d encourage you to check out both of Sherri’s successful blogs.  If you like what we do here at Engaged Marriage, I’m confident that you’ll like Sherri and enjoy her work.

What is Your Life. Live it. Love it. All About?

I think the subtitle to Your Life. Live it. Love it. really says it all: “Hundreds of ideas for focusing on yourself, your relationships and the little things in life.“  That’s exactly what this book provides, and it is delivered in an easy-to-read (and hard to put down) style.

The 69-page e-book is divided into three sections:

1. Focus on You
2. Focus on Your Relationships
3. Enjoy the Little Things

Although it is an electronic book that can be read on a computer or e-reader, I decided I would print it out for ease of reading in bed (I really need to buy an e-reader).  I figured I’d dog-ear the pages that I enjoyed the most for future reference since this is what I often do with traditional books.  Well, I ended up dog-earing more than half of the writings!

What Did I Enjoy the Most & Where Can You Learn More?

Personally, I loved every part of the last section on “Enjoying the Little Things” and I’ve asked my wife to give it a read because I think she’ll really enjoy the lessons related to “Focusing on You.”  I really expect that Your Life. Live it. Love it. will be a popular book that is read by many.  I found the concepts and tips to be broad in appeal, yet many touched me personally.

Since I can’t share everything that I enjoyed about the book, I thought I would simply list my favorite five chapters (which are similar in length to blog posts).  Here are my personal can’t-miss topics:

• Stand Your Ground But Only On the Important Stuff – A practical way to solve common disagreements (like with your spouse).
• The Grass is Always Greener Right Under Your Feet – An excellent lesson on contentment.
• Gratitude Journal: 30 Days to Happiness – This section is pure gold!
• 10 Ways to Feel Better in 60 Seconds or Less – I am keeping these two pages in my work bag for easy reference.
• 10 Ways to Add a Spark to Your Relationship Today – The title says it all.

Sherri has an excellent summary of Your Life. Live it. Love it. that you can read by clicking on any of the links in this post.  You’ll find more information about what you’ll get when you buy the book, including a full table of contents.

Thank You

In parting, I’d just like to say thank you to Sherri for writing Your Life. Live it. Love it. and sharing it with me.  I took away some very meaningful lessons that have already helped me personally.  And I was challenged to take a fresh look at some areas of my life where I have struggled to find contentment and appreciation for all of God’s incredible blessings.

Please do me a favor and take a few minutes to read more about Your Life. Live it. Love it. and decide if it speaks to you.

P.S. – Sherri is offering an (awesome) 100% full-satisfaction, money-back guarantee so there’s really no risk in checking it out for yourself.

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Check out the original post and leave a comment on the blog here: Your Life. Live it. Love it. A Book Review

Tags: Book Review, Communication, family fun, Time Management

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Once again, I think you will find that it’s really easy to find a unique, memorable or just cool Valentine’s Day gift online.  There are obviously a lot of great ideas out there, but I have compiled a list of five unique “guy gifts” from the pages of Amazon to give you a head start in your Love Day shopping.

Take a look at these and let me know if you think the husband, fiance or boyfriend in your life would appreciate getting one as a gift.  I know I would!

1. Fine Meats and Cheeses

I think most guys would agree that a nice piece of exotic meat and some cheese is tough to beat.  It’s the stuff of Kings.  I was amazed by the variety of unique meat delicacies available online.  For a simple spread, check out the Wild Game Pack (Venison, Elk, Buffalo) by Wisconsin Cheeseman.

2. Massaging Cushion

We all enjoy a great massage after a long day or a tough workout.  But you may not feel like being a masseuse on a regular basis (bonus points if you do).  Why not give your man the Therapist Select Shiatsu Massaging Cushion with Heat and let the chair do the work!

3. Boxed Set of Great Tunes

Is your guy a music fan?  There are some awesome boxed sets of classic tunes available on Amazon.  Perhaps the cream of the crop is The Beatles Anthology.

4. Table Hockey!

This has to be my favorite on the list!  Hockey fan or not, I don’t know a guy who doesn’t enjoy a great table-top game of skill to enjoy with his buddies (or lover).  If you are looking for a quality product without an excessive price, check out the Stiga NHL Stanley Cup Hockey Table Game .

5. Ipod Nano

It’s crazy that this has almost become a traditional gift the past few years.  I have an older nano, but it doesn’t compare to the new Apple iPod nano 16 GB.  This latest generation of the Ipod nano features 16 GB of storage, a video camera, pedometer and a built in FM tuner so he can listen to the radio on the run.  Awesome!

So there are some ideas for great online gifts for your special guy this Valentine’s Day.

What product would you add to the list?

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Tags: Gifts, Holiday, Romance

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The great news is that it is easy to find a unique, memorable or just fun Valentine’s Day present online.  To give you some ideas, I’ve scoured the pages of Amazon and compiled this list of gifts for the special lady in your life.  And don’t worry ladies, I have also compiled a similar list of great online Valentine’s Day gifts for guys.

Perhaps one of these items looks like the perfect gift for her.  If not, I bet these ideas will get your mind working and allow you to find the online gift that your spouse, fiance or girlfriend will really enjoy.

1. Premium Chocolate Goodies

If you are looking for something a bit more traditional, it’s tough to beat an assortment of premium chocolates and assorted goodies.  I was amazed by the selection of great treats that can be ordered online, and shipping rates are really reasonable.  Personally, I thought this Valentine’s Day Chocolates & Sweet Gift Basket looked like the ultimate in chocolate gift giving.

2. Kama Sutra Weekender Kit

If you are looking for something a bit less traditional, you may want to check out this Kama Sutra Strawberry Dreams Weekender Kit.  It contains an assortment of oils, balms, dusts, lubricants and, yes, a feather duster.  And it consists of travel-size portions so you can bring it with you on your next trip away from home as well…or stow it away in your bedside table

3. Jewelry

It is hard to go wrong with some nice jewelry, and I thought this Garnet Glass Heart Pendant looked pretty sweet.  And you don’t need to break the bank either.  If you shop before February 11th at 2:59 p.m. PT, Amazon will discount any jewelry purchase by an extra 30% at checkout, plus give you FREE one-day shipping!

4. A Great Book

Again, I don’t think you can wrong with most women by giving them a great book.  Of course, you can find any book you can think of at Amazon, but I’d encourage you to give a gift that truly keeps on giving.  A book aimed at improving your relationship, such as The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts is a gift to your long-term happiness well beyond Valentine’s Day.

5. Amazon Kindle

No list of online gifts ideas would be complete without mentioning the Kindle Wireless Reading Device.  This is clearly the most expensive gift on the list, but I’d say it’s also one of the coolest.  You could buy a few of her favorite books, load them up and give her a quiet day to relax and read.  In order to help you get it in time for the big day, Amazon is currently offering Free Two-Day Shipping on the Kindle.

So there are some ideas for great online gifts for your special lady this Valentine’s Day.  What product would you add to the list?

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Check out the original post and leave a comment on the blog here: Five Awesome Online Valentines Day Gifts for Her

Tags: Gifts, Holiday

Related posts:

1. 10 Awesome Gifts for Married Couples
2. Five Great Online Valentines Day Gifts for Him