Is there a magic secret to a happy marriage? If we are told to do A, B, and C to make our marriage work would we do it? Do we do it? Or is it different for every single couple? Darren and Paige were curious about the tips that couples would give on how to keep a lasting marriage happy. They asked a lot of their friends and family that have been married for decades to see if there was some advice or if it is entirely different for each couple. Maybe a sense of humor isn't that important to a more...
May 20, 2022•38 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Darren and Paige had a different podcast subject planned for today. However, after Mother's Day came around, we saw a lot of feelings around this day and thought we would do another episode on this topic. This day is hard for many; how can we make it better???? Mother's Day is supposed to be an amazing day!!! Right? So here is another Mother's Day in the books. How was it for all of you? Were your expectations met? Managed? Complete disappointment? This is already sometimes a difficult day for w...
May 12, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 11
This week, Darren and Paige discuss tips and tricks to help with a problematic co-parenting situation. This is hard stuff!! You are divorced for a reason, and now you still have to make many decisions together around the children. Let's dive in! It's not always rosy after a divorce. In fact it rarely is... So you've made the decision to divorce. Sad. Now you have to co-parent with the person that you decided, for whatever reasons, to not be with anymore. Now parenting will be easy with your spou...
May 05, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 10
This week Darren and Paige talk about how to maintain perspective when things don't go they way you planned or want. They will talk about the some challenges and disappointment over the past few weeks. How do you maintain perspective?? Happy, Sad, Happy Darren and Paige had a lot of big plans for April! Graduation, Brazil, Graduation. Lots of wonderful things. Darren blew it! After over two years of not getting COVID, Darren went to DC for a work trip and came home with the VID. They found out a...
Apr 28, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 9
This week Darren & Paige explore selfishness in Marriage with a quiz. Are you selfish in your marriage? Is your marriage about you or about your spouse? Are you selfish??? We are all selfish, right? Especially before marriage. We only have ourselves to think about. What do I want to eat? What do I want to spend my money on? What music or show do I watch? After marriage, those I's have to become we(s)...This might be harder for some than others. You have to now think of someone else and merge...
Apr 07, 2022•41 min•Season 4Ep. 8
On today's episode Darren & Paige talk about their excursion into watching Korean Dramas. Ok just one K-Daram "Crash Landing On You", but they are considering watching another one. K drama!!!! Darren and I just finished a K drama, Crash Landing on You Paige was very hesitant, don’t want to read my tv We had been told by so many people, of all ages and likes, to watch this show What is a k drama? Why it was good for our relationship? had to focus only on the show, talked alot about it after. ...
Mar 31, 2022•21 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Sometimes in our very busy lives we lose that connection and spark and just get set in the doldrums and monotony of just going through the motions of life. Darren and Paige are somewhat there. They have been through a lot in the last 6 months and need to reconnect in a way that Darren isn't Paige's caretaker. So, how do we start the reconnection process: You can start by intentionally spending time together every single day doing something fun. For example, doing the dishes, cooking, going for l...
Mar 17, 2022•33 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Madeline and Paige were talking the other day about different parenting styles. Some are too lax; they just want to be their kid's friends. Some are too strict, hovering, helicopter parents. Some are too serious; where is the fun? I said to Madeline in that conversation, “You can have it all! You can have fun while also being strict and having rules.” She then said, “You should do a podcast about that, about having a balance.” I think it's actually hard to balance it all equally. You are rarely ...
Mar 10, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In this episode, Darren talks to three of his kids about what it is like to have two households as teenagers? What it is like now that they are adults? and What advise they have for other kids that navigate two households? Video: https://youtu.be/MIBHpAjpTYc Blog: What’s Hard Logistics and coordination are complexes between two houses. Rules are different. How do you manage that? Food can be very different (Vegan, Paleo, etc..) No Settling Understanding the differences between the houses and par...
Feb 24, 2022•29 min•Season 4Ep. 4
How to be happy when my spouse is doing something fun without me???? “Jealousy in romance is like salt in food. A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening.” Paige recently went on a girl’s trip. She has been doing it for 18 years. Darren wasn't always excited about it. Why? Darren goes out to dinner with co-workers. Is Paige jealous? How can we be happy for our spouses when they have fun without you in a hobby or ...
Feb 17, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Whether we want to admit it or not, we have certain expectations for each other in our marriage. Darren and I recently talked with a marriage counselor and realized that we needed to be more explicit about our expectations. This can be scary. I asked Darren what his expectations were for me?? What would he say??? Darren then asked me what my expectations were for him. Started a great conversation. 5 Successful Ways to Manage Expectations in Marriage Communicate! The number one reason for so many...
Feb 10, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Why we started Wanted to help and be a voice of “we’ve been there” for blended families Wanted to show others that even when life is extremely challenging throwing lemons at you, not going according to your lifeplan at all, you can still be happy - that there is Lemonade somehow, somewhere Why we stopped Pandemic, life was boring Felt like we had nothing left to say about blended families, that we had addressed most topics that we could Realized this podcast isn't just about blended families it'...
Feb 03, 2022•21 min•Season 4Ep. 1
What is an overly communicative spouse? Evaluate the current communication situation between your spouse and their ex. If you are not happy with what is going on then you need to set some boundaries. The ex calls to emotionally attach to your spouse Calls to fix something at the house Runs out of gas. Comes into the house without permission Setting Boundaries Play the long Game People avoid setting boundaries because they don't want conflict. Start sooner than later. Get your boundaries up now. ...
May 07, 2021•27 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Why Kindness is important in a Marriage Keeps you together The biggest predictor of satisfaction and stability in a Marriage Kindness makes each partner feel understood, cared for, and validated. Couples that treat each other with kindness even when they argue stick together. You can throw spears at your partner or explain why you are upset. Paige comes home to a new carpet in the house and boxes of stuff to unpack Builds Trust Kindness is the #1 trait that people look for in a partner. Being ki...
Apr 14, 2021•26 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Does your ex-spouse communicate with you? Or is it just silence when you try to co-parent. Listen to Darren and Paige talk about techniques to open the communications channels and improve co-parenting. What people do Blame Game Quiet treatment Push-pull You cannot make me Solo decision maker Withholding or punishing Trash talker Ex won't communicate Document your communication Be Civil Do not post on Social media Don't involve other people Keep personal feeling aside Keep it short and sweet Use ...
Mar 23, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode, Darren and Paige look at a 30-day relationship challenge calendar. Find out what they think works and what doesn't work. We used the calendar from the website www.endlessblissblog.com . Lemonade Moment of the Week Eating outside in our little downtown Folsom, CA reminds us that we have a great town and had fun people watching. Links * http://www.endlessblissblog.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Mar 16, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode we revisit traditions. We start questioning some of the traditions we stuck with when we first blended after one of our kids mentioned how busy Christmas is and how it would be nice if it was a bit slower. Why Traditions are important: They give us a foundation to build our lives on They give us a sense of roots and belonging We asked the kids what they thought The Younger kids had a different perspective than the older kids They can only remember the traditions that we currently...
Mar 10, 2021•28 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Have you ever wondered why Valentine's Day is so stressful? We can tell you why. Expectations vs Reality. Listen to the latest "Where's the Lemonade?" to hear how Darren & Paige handle or don't handle this curious holiday so well. And Yes that is Paige throwing away flowers that Darren got her for Valentine's Day. :) Valentine's Day Most wanted gifts for women (Big loving gestures, some love it, and some hate it) Card Flowers Chocolate Jewelry Most wanted for men Sex Chocolate Does your vale...
Feb 24, 2021•28 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Disneyland Dad Syndrome is real and affects blended families every day. It is so prevalent that there is a legal definition for it. So how do you become a Disneyland Dad? How do you deal with a Disneyland Dad? Darren & Paige give their insight into this problem in Blended Families. What is a Disneyland Dad Legal Definition Only having fun when you are with the kids No rules, responsibilities, or discipline Indulging in gifts. Why you become a Disneyland Dad Intentional - deliberately overind...
Feb 10, 2021•24 min•Season 3Ep. 5
We recently had facebook and google give us reminders of where we were 2 years ago today. What came up is the inception of our podcast. On a trip to Panama for a "getaway" of time "alone together", we dreamt up a crazy idea of podcasting our experiences of blending a large family. In today's episode, we went back and listened to our first episode, and wrote down what we thought. Our Thoughts from our first podcast Dating was incredibly difficult. Remembering details about people is not my streng...
Jan 29, 2021•29 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Blended families bring lots of new stressors into a relationship. Anxiety is high and sometimes your attempts to help your family to blend just increases the anxiety for everyone. In this episode, Darren & Paige talk about causes of anxiety and how to deal with anxiety in your family. Finding the cause - It is right in your face. Establishing a new family structure new parent styles different methods of discipline different expectations of how children should behave Steep learning curve Co-P...
Jan 21, 2021•29 min•Season 3Ep. 3
There are many studies on the adverse effects of divorce and the trials of blended families. In this episode, Darren & Paige are only looking at the "Lemonade" of blended families. That is right put on your "Rose Colored Glasses" and look at all of the benefits of a blended family. If you want all of the hard things that come with a blended family check out all of our other episodes. :) For the kids More Christmas presents Two birthdays, Two of the holidays More Grandparents Bonus parents. K...
Jan 14, 2021•29 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this episode, we review what happened in 2020. What our plans were, how they adjusted, and how we grew closer together as a family. Learn about travel plans, weddings, eating habits, toilet paper and how we handled it. What we thought 2020 would bring The year started off great with great plans for trips, weddings, and performances from the kids. Paige and the boys went to see The Cursed Child in San Francisco. Kids were in school and early morning seminary. It was David's first year to go to...
Jan 07, 2021•29 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Blended families get judged. No doubt about it. The kids get judged, they come from a broken family, they are going to have issues in school, and in relationships in the future. And the adults do too. They didn't try hard enough in the previous marriage, they gave up too easily, or be careful around them. In this episode, Paige and Darren explore the judgment they have made and have been victims. Judging Divorced People Common Judgements They were selfish They were bad communicators They were la...
Oct 22, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 22
In this episode, Darren & Paige try to figure out how to keep things even between the kids, the ex(s), and the different houses. This is not an easy task! In fact, we find that it is impossible and probably a waste of time and effort. Time to swallow your pride and do what is best for the kids and not worry about keeping up with your ex. Trying to be even with your Ex Do you get a new car when you find out your ex gets a new car Vacationing equity Moving to a new house New Car Parties for th...
Oct 07, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In this episode, Darren & Paige discuss how to resolve conflict in marriage. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don't. Not every resolution results in a WIN-WIN solution, sometimes it is just good enough to push the answer until later. Find out how we navigate this part of our marriage. Finding Solutions to Differences of Opinion Express Views - These are not concerns, just views. What is your position Explore concerns - Why do you have the idea you do? And what is behind it? Select M...
Sep 30, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this episode, Darren and Paige discuss how things in a marriage are not always equally balanced, but focusing on unity in a marriage can overcome the ups and downs of the equality equation. How do you balance the leadership roles with household management, discipline of kids, managing money, fostering romance, and providing for the family. Fostering Equality "Neither man nor woman is perfect or complete without the other. No marriage... is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and...
Sep 17, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Darren & Paige talk about the big decision on where to educate the kids. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions of being in person face to face. Tough decisions had to be made on what to do with the kids education. Once the decision was made making it all happen and as painless as possible is the next trip. Find out how we navigated the uncharted waters we are traveling. Where to educate our kids After a complete disaster in schooling when COVID first hit, we quickly started looking at alternative...
Sep 02, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Find out how to throw a COVID-19 wedding when children of a blended family get married. Something that could be over the top stressful turns out to be wonderful and very low stress. Blended Family twist Wedding Invitations ( What names go on the invite, etc... Whose name goes first, etc...) Who is paying for what at the wedding, grooms family pays but which set of parents on the grooms family, who do you ask for what Pictures. Who is going to be in the pictures? Lists sent out ahead of time on w...
Aug 26, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Darren and Paige spend a week away from the world with the family. No COVID, no riots, just the forests, canyons, and family. Learn how we disconnect from our worldly cares and have a fun time decompressing. Important to get away from the bad news of COVID, riots, etc.. COVID is still there and we followed the social distancing guidelines. We took a trip from Northern California to a remote cabin in Southern Utah. Brian Head, UT Thanks to Mom and Dad for letting us use your cabin. Traveling with...
Jul 02, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 16
