Guest Post: Using Technology to Benefit Your Marriage

Kristin Hodnett and I met through a SITS class and were instant blog buddies. Although we have different lives, we have so much in common. It has been a recipe for a great friendship. She writes at KristinHodnett.com about being 30-something and fabulous, about her health struggles, about staying strong, and about her mission to encourage others along her journey. She is inspirational  creative, smart, and I am honored to have her as a friend. 

Isn't she just gorgeous!?!

Last week, I wrote a post about keeping our marriages strong in the face of technology. Kristin, being the girlfriend she is, made me slow down and think about how I was only seeing the negative. Technology can have a positive effect on our marriages as well. So, she is here today to show some creative ways that technology can help our marriages. Thank You Kristin!!! 

Why Technology Can Be Good For Your Relationship

I was stunned when I read Cari’s post on technology and relationships. Who knew the new home wrecker wasn’t the skank at the bar or the flirty co-worker, but Facebook? Oh my gosh!

I love to see the silver lining in everything (or play devil’s advocate, whichever the case may be), and wondered if there were anyways technology could help, rather than hurt, your marriage.

Before I share my ideas on how to use the electronic age to your advantage, I want to make one disclaimer – like just about anything else, a lot of it boils down to the status of your relationship to begin with. If it’s broke, a cell phone ain’t gonna fix it. Alternatively, if it’s good, it won’t break it.

I’m by no means a relationship guru, but my husband and I have been married for almost 5 years and together for 11. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, and I couldn’t be happier with where we are now. And we have some technological advances to thank for that.

Skype and Webcams
Our first holiday as newlyweds, the hubby was sent away to a disaster site at the last minute. I had planned a huge feast to be served on our new china, and was so disappointed that we wouldn’t be spending this milestone together as planned.  While I enjoyed our feast with my BFF and mom and he enjoyed a meal out with his co-workers, being able to connect afterwards and actually see each other over webcam helped make a crappy situation a little better, and we felt like we somewhat got to spend the holiday together.

Face Time

I’m a Mac girl all the way now, and Face Time is another way we love to connect when one of us travels for work.  I’ll admit that holding the iPhone or iPad is not always the most comfortable thing, especially after a few (or several) cocktails with the team, nothing beats the face-to-face good night when you’re doing the long distance thing.

Texting

We’ve all had those days where nothing seems to go your way and you wish you had stayed in bed. Even on a great day, a quick text with a declaration of love from my honey is an instant pick me up. We sometimes forgot to text anything other than a reminder to pick up milk or the kids, but it takes the same amount of time to whisper a virtual sweet nothing via text.

If you’re the adventurous sort (and over 18), there’s nothing wrong with a little sexting J. You can keep it as clean or dirty as you’re comfortable with; tease with words or discreetly share some photos. If you’re sharing photos, leave out your face or any identifiable tattoos. Keep it smart, keep it safe, keep it between you and your partner and make sure you double check the recipient before you hit the send key please!

Video Games

Guys love ‘em, so do some girls. Instead of zoning out and ignoring your partner, find one you can play together. Not only is competition a fun bonding experience that livens up some of our quieter weekends, but with all the new active games you can burn calories while you’re having fun.  They do say that exercise is good for the sex life.

We let our inboxes and ringing phones control our days so much anymore, it’s hard to get away from it. Why not embrace technology and use it to your advantage? Here’s my challenge to you for this week – find one new way to spice up your relationship with your favorite gadget or gizmo. You know it’s glued to you anyways.

Kristin, Thank you for stopping by. I love getting your perspective. I forget sometimes that I use technology in my marriage as well. There is just something about an "I love you" text in the middle of a horrible day!