Style Magazine - February 2023
In any romantic relationship, the first “I love you” is always a momentous milestone. When my now-husband first professed those three words, we were listening to sappy songs while watching the sunset and enjoying vanilla cones from the Golden Arches. Of course, I echoed his sentiments, and the rest is history. I’ll forever associate Mickey D’s soft serve with our love story’s butterfly-filled beginnings. But just as our partnership has evolved over the years, so have our palates, particularly when it comes to cones. Speaking of the V-shaped vessels, you won’t want to miss contributor Caitlin McCulloch’s piece in The Hot List (page 88), highlighting six undeniably cool cones, including a hand-held, house-made waffle cone filled with candied brown sugar bacon, fried chicken tenders, avocado, lettuce, and cool ranch from Cluck N Cone; and an activated charcoal Oreo cookie cone swirled with black sesame and Hokkaido milk ice cream from Tokyo Cream. Though I’ll never say no to a classic cake cone with machine-made froyo, the more upscale offerings featured here are undoubtedly a yes. Invite your nearest and dearest and go on a “cone crawl” to try them all! In Get to Know, “Two’s Company,” Nelly Kislyanka interviews three local couples whose journeys to the altar prove that real romance can happen at any age and at any time. Read each duo’s sweet stories and secrets to success (“communicate about everything, even the difficult and sensitive topics”; “work as a team and put pride away”) starting on page 20. Another (not-so) secret to relationship success? Going on date nights, especially those that involve red meat and red wine. Wondering where to go? In our feature, “Sizzling Steaks” (page 72), Sharon Penny writes about 13 restaurants that take the art of steak (and all the requisite sides) seriously. From tenderloins and tomahawks, to old-school steakhouses experimenting with new-school preparations, there’s something for almost everyone (apologies in advance, vegans!). On the “rare” (pun intended) occasion that my husband and I make it out, without our tots in tow, I’m adding all the spots, and steaks, to our list. Enjoy the issue! Here’s wishing you a month full of love—and maybe (if you’re lucky!) a filet mignon. Cheers!
In any romantic relationship, the first “I love you” is always a momentous milestone. When my now-husband first professed those three words, we were listening to sappy songs while watching the sunset and enjoying vanilla cones from the Golden Arches. Of course, I echoed his sentiments, and the rest is history. I’ll forever associate Mickey D’s soft serve with our love story’s butterfly-filled beginnings. But just as our partnership has evolved over the years, so have our palates, particularly when it comes to cones.
Speaking of the V-shaped vessels, you won’t want to miss contributor Caitlin McCulloch’s piece in The Hot List (page 88), highlighting six undeniably cool cones, including a hand-held, house-made waffle cone filled with candied brown sugar bacon, fried chicken tenders, avocado, lettuce, and cool ranch from Cluck N Cone; and an activated charcoal Oreo cookie cone swirled with black sesame and Hokkaido milk ice cream from Tokyo Cream. Though I’ll never say no to a classic cake cone with machine-made froyo, the more upscale offerings featured here are undoubtedly a yes. Invite your nearest and dearest and go on a “cone crawl” to try them all!
In Get to Know, “Two’s Company,” Nelly Kislyanka interviews three local couples whose journeys to the altar prove that real romance can happen at any age and at any time. Read each duo’s sweet stories and secrets to success (“communicate about everything, even the difficult and sensitive topics”; “work as a team and put pride away”) starting on page 20.
Another (not-so) secret to relationship success? Going on date nights, especially those that involve red meat and red wine. Wondering where to go? In our feature, “Sizzling Steaks” (page 72), Sharon Penny writes about 13 restaurants that take the art of steak (and all the requisite sides) seriously. From tenderloins and tomahawks, to old-school steakhouses experimenting with new-school preparations, there’s something for almost everyone (apologies in advance, vegans!). On the “rare” (pun intended) occasion that my husband and I make it out, without our tots in tow, I’m adding all the spots, and steaks, to our list.
Enjoy the issue! Here’s wishing you a month full of love—and maybe (if you’re lucky!) a filet mignon. Cheers!
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| health & wellness |<br />
FOSTER THE COUPLE<br />
3 BUBBLE<br />
“In healthy, committed,<br />
romantic relationships, partners<br />
begin to develop safety and security<br />
with each other, and a ‘couple bubble’<br />
begins to form. The idea is that ‘I have<br />
your back and you have mine.’ It also<br />
includes having a shared vision of<br />
the future, navigating life’s challenges<br />
together instead of individually, and<br />
taking each other’s distress seriously.<br />
A good place to start when thinking of<br />
your couple bubble is by questioning<br />
how you show up for one another in<br />
private (and in public!) and getting<br />
curious if your actions or words<br />
are creating security or insecurity<br />
in your partner.” —Jennifer Moffat,<br />
AMFT, PACT Level 1 Couples Therapist,<br />
jennifermoffatmft.com<br />
YOU CAN’T FIX WHAT<br />
4 YOU DON’T<br />
UNDERSTAND<br />
“No one likes to be fixed, but we all<br />
desire to feel understood. Approach<br />
differences with genuine interest.<br />
Imagine what it's like to be your partner<br />
and ask questions to find out. Once you<br />
have a grasp of their perspective, reflect<br />
it back to them and ask if you're on the<br />
right track to understanding.” —Holly<br />
Spotts, PsyD, fullcupwellness.com<br />
COMMIT TO<br />
5 CONNECTION<br />
“Partners with busy schedules<br />
often become ships passing in the<br />
night. To maintain connection with<br />
each other, I teach my couples how<br />
to offer bids for connection, both<br />
verbal and nonverbal, from physical<br />
touch to asking for help on a project.<br />
Some ideas can be as small as a kiss<br />
or hug goodbye as you leave for the<br />
day, a thoughtful text that you’re<br />
thinking about them, or engaging in<br />
a lingering hug when you’re reunited<br />
after being apart. The idea is for these<br />
bids for connection to help us stay<br />
emotionally connected to each other<br />
despite the many different directions<br />
we can be pulled in.” —Jennifer Moffat,<br />
AMFT, PACT Level 1 Couples Therapist,<br />
jennifermoffatmft.com<br />
6<br />
SAY WHAT YOU WANT<br />
“Don't say what you don't like or<br />
don't want, but rather say what<br />
you do want. For example, if you're feeling<br />
disconnected from your partner and<br />
want more of their time and attention,<br />
an example might be to ask for the<br />
following: ‘I'd like to spend some time,<br />
maybe 15-30 minutes each night, talking<br />
about our day together just the two of<br />
us.’” —Joan Druckman, PhD, Licensed<br />
Psychologist and Certified EFT Couples<br />
Therapist, drjoandruckman.com<br />
RESPOND WHEN CALM<br />
7<br />
“We all get triggered, especially<br />
by our partners. When this<br />
happens, press pause. Take a moment to<br />
ask yourself what emotion you're feeling<br />
and where it's coming from. Take some<br />
deep breaths until you're feeling calmer<br />
and then respond.” —Holly Spotts, PsyD,<br />
fullcupwellness.com<br />
FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION<br />
8<br />
“Notice where your<br />
relationship might need some<br />
additional focus and put some effort<br />
into growing that area. Most of us<br />
know about the value of date nights,<br />
but relationships also require daily<br />
attention, even if it’s just giving each<br />
other five minutes of undivided<br />
positive attention in the morning and/<br />
or at night, and when you reunite at<br />
the end of the day. Try not to make<br />
your relationship the last thing on<br />
your to-do list.” —Joan Druckman,<br />
PhD, Licensed Psychologist and<br />
Certified EFT Couples Therapist,<br />
drjoandruckman.com<br />
STOP ASSUMING<br />
9<br />
“We make so many<br />
assumptions about the<br />
relationship and the person we’re in it<br />
with; especially if we’ve been with our<br />
partner for a long time. Instead, we<br />
should approach our partners from<br />
a posture of wanting to understand<br />
them better. Life experiences change<br />
us. Assumptions can lead us down<br />
a very long and misunderstood<br />
path.” —Ashlee Janzen, MS, LMFT,<br />
ashleejanzenlmft.com<br />
Photo ©Davide Angelini - stock.adobe.com.<br />
40 stylemg.com | FEBRUARY <strong>2023</strong> | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags
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