Advice

Sure, when you're trying to be part of a different family, you're bound to run into a few hiccups. But if you're truly struggling to build relationships, then follow these simple tips to find your footing. Whether you're about to get married or you're years past the in-law introductions, take a look at these five ways to improve your relationships with your other half's parents:

Get to know them personally.
To build a strong relationship with your in-laws, you need to find a connection that goes beyond their son or daughter. Do you know about their childhoods, their pastimes, their favorites books? Learning more about your in-laws' hobbies and interests will help you identify with them in a different way.

Know your boundaries.
If you're spending all day, every day with your in-laws, then there's bound to be tension in your relationships. Although you may be tempted to say yes to every invitation and request, being so agreeable may actually hurt your connections in the end. Think quality over quantity, and know that you can say no.

Don't be afraid to communicate.
You can't expect them to read your mind. If you're not open about who you are and what you're looking for, then there's no way for them to know what kind of relationship you might prefer. Speak up if there's a problem, because sweeping it under the rug will only build resentment.

Let your guy do his thing.
At the end of the day, these are his parents, and his relationship with them has plenty of layers you'll never understand. Whether he's close to his parents or has issues with them, it's best to let him deal with those relationships on his own. You should offer to help if he asks for your input, of course, but don't assume you know best. And most importantly, remember that it's really never OK to insult someone else's family — even if it's one you married into.

Remember what works.
Consider the best times you've shared with your in-laws, and do what you can to re-create those kinds of moments again and again. Had a blast bowling with his dad? Invite him to play mini golf. Loved hunting for recipes with his mom? Offer to take a cooking class. Stick with the things that bring you together to build a stronger, more comfortable connection.

Keeping or changing your maiden name is such a sensitive topic that it's hard to know when the appropriate time is to inform everyone. Do you tell them all at one go, or would you tell each person separately? Here are a couple of polite ways you can share the news.

• Tread carefully with reception announcements. Getting announced when you're coming into your reception is a good way to let people know about changes to your last name. However, if you're planning on keeping your maiden name, Anna Post, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, advises against being announced as Mr. and Mrs. Baker "just because you want to do the classic thing. People will be listening to how you want to be called as a married woman." If you are keeping your maiden name, just have yourself announced as your maiden name.
• Include it in the wedding announcement. The wedding announcement is another good place to inform people.
• Don't send out an email blast. Post advises against sending out an email blast to let people know whether you're keeping it. However, if people email you individually to ask, it's perfectly fine to respond via email.
• Add it to the thank-you notes. When you're sending out the requisite thank-you cards to people who have attended your wedding, include your new last name if you're changing it, or use your maiden name if you're keeping it.
• Prewedding chatter. It's probably inevitable that the maiden name question will come up when discussing wedding plans with friends, so that's another organic way of letting your pals know. Post says it's becoming somewhat of a standard discussion during prewedding conversations.

Read on for more.

Summer travel is around the corner. Are you planning to drown yourself in love, wine, and delicious California cuisine in wine country? Looking to escape to New York to find the beauty in the urban jungle and each other? Maybe you're setting out to sea or have designs for the ultimate romantic getaway to Paris. No matter where you are headed, you'll want to keep fighting at bay. To see four common travel pitfalls that every couple faces and solutions to help you avoid them, just keep reading.

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Knot. Wish you could read his mind? You don't have to — here's what he thinks about the wedding.

We're not selling grooms short: there are a lot of guys who count "expressing my feelings" as a forte and who are engaged in the drama of a seating chart. Communication is a cornerstone of any good relationship, but the high tension, strange customs, and unfamiliar etiquette that come with planning a wedding can leave some guys speechless and many brides aggravated. Here's what he really wants you to know, and how to handle it, without even having to ask.

Related: 50 Must-Have Wedding Photos

1. "You have to tell me what I'm responsible for."
You might expect him to plan the honeymoon, and might hope for a present on the morning of the wedding, but does he know what a groom traditionally takes care of? Unless he's been sneaking a peek at your bridal magazines, he might be totally unaware that he has any responsibilities after he proposes. And if he's among the first of his friends to get married, he probably doesn't have anyone dishing these valuable tips to him.

Relationship Rx: Telling your groom what you expect of him is not poor etiquette — it's necessary, and he'll welcome the guidance. If you're not comfortable filling him in on some of the details (like the bride's gift, for example), ask one of your bridesmaids to bring it up so that he gets the hint (and so you don't get mad).

Related: Secrets to a Fun Wedding Reception

2. "I have no idea what napkins will go best with our linens, but that does not mean I don't care."
You mention how you'd like your bouquet to match his boutonniere, and his eyes glaze over. You show him a motif you're going to add to all your stationery, and he responds with a shrug. It's tempting to interpret reactions like these as disinterest in your wedding (and, in turn, your relationship), but don't be so quick to pounce.

Relationship Rx: Even if your groom doesn't have strong feelings about the decor, he wants the wedding to look good just as much as you do. His mild interest in the details doesn't mean he doesn't care about the wedding — it means he trusts your tastes. Ask him specific questions like "Which flower do you like better?" and you're more likely to get a direct response.

Related: 10 Most Outrageous Wedding Photos

3. "I want you to look like you."
Every bride wants to look her best for her wedding, but some risk changing their style too dramatically with heavy makeup, big hair, and too many accessories.

Relationship Rx: While there's nothing wrong with getting glamorous for your wedding, your groom doesn't want you to change your look so much that he doesn't recognize the girl who's walking down the aisle. He fell in love with you seeing you every day, so remind him of that with hair and makeup styles that are distinctly you.

Related: 10 Ways to Ruin a Wedding

4. "My friends aren't D-class citizens."
Just because you might not like one (or a few) of his friends, doesn't mean you can seat them in Siberia during the reception. If you stick a table of his buddies in a corner while your friends have a prime spot near the dance floor, they will notice, and they'll probably wonder why they got the short end of the seating chart.

Relationship Rx: Make a game plan for your reception seating that follows logic more than favoritism. Give close family and attendants the best seats in the house, and arrange tables from there. If you have to put a group of his friends toward the back, show there's no ill will by seating your friends in a similar position.

Related: 19 Problems Every Bride Deals With

5. "Don't ask for my opinion if you don't really want to hear it."
With so many tough planning decisions to be made, it's natural to second-guess yourself and seek out your groom's opinion. And that's fine, but not if you're asking him only to reinforce something you've basically already decided. If he tells you his thoughts (the ones that disagree with you), your response shouldn't be along the lines of "Are you serious?"

Relationship Rx: Turn to him when you're really torn about a choice, and he'll gladly give his input. When you know exactly what you want, however, go with your gut rather than put him in a position to pick an option you would never really consider.

6. "Let me decide which parts I want to be involved in — then maybe I'll do more!"
Getting your groom to attend the cake-tasting is a cinch. And he'll probably be up for choosing your playlist. But shove a binder of sample invites in front of him, and he'll be thinking of nothing other than an exit strategy.

Relationship Rx: Your powers of persuasion may be exceptional, but wedding planning is a whole new terrain. Involve him in the details you know he'll enjoy, but don't force it or his instinct might be to resist. Instead, let him know about some of the less-interesting tasks piled on your plate, and he'll be more willing to offer his assistance if he sees you're stressed.

7. "I'm not wearing a sailboat bow tie."
Dreaming of a perfectly coordinated wedding party? Think he'd look handsome in a classic, full-dress tailcoat tux? Make suggestions about the formalwear, but let him choose his own attire. You don't want to look at your photos years later and see him cringe at his white linen wedding suit (that was your pick, naturally).

Relationship Rx: Although your fashion sense might be on point, what matters most is that he's comfortable in his formalwear. Just like you wouldn't want to wear a gown you consider unflattering, he shouldn't wear an outfit that he feels doesn't fit right.

8. "Don't give me a curfew the night before the wedding."
The rehearsal dinner often segues into a late-night party. If he's having a great time, you're liable to put a damper on things if you insist he turn in before midnight.

Relationship Rx: Despite what he does the night before, you can rest assured he'll show up for the wedding . . . and that he'll arrive on time. If you're really concerned, ask his most responsible groomsman to keep an eye on him, and to remind him that he wouldn't want to endure the wedding day with a hangover.

9. "The bachelor party is off limits."
You've had a hand in every aspect of planning the wedding — so why shouldn't you have a say in his night out with the guys? We know of many a bride who has suggested a particular cigar bar or offered up her parents' vacation home for the festivities.

Relationship Rx: Be careful how you tread when it comes to his bachelor party — though it may seem like an immature tradition to you, for some guys it's practically sacred. To give suggestions, let alone put boundaries on the party, implies that you don't trust him, which is a shaky way to start a marriage. By showing him that you trust him completely, he'll be reminded again why you're the perfect bride.

— Miles Stiverson

If the dating scene is starting to feel stale, now's the time to switch things up and reenergize your love life. It's easy to get caught up in the same routine — especially with something that can be as daunting as dating. But if you're feeling just plain bored with romance, then take a look at these five quick tips to spice up the dating game:

• Try online dating apps. Organized dating events and Internet dating aren't for everyone, but you'll never know unless you try, right? Get together with a few girlfriends to write up your dating profiles and check out the latest dating apps. You can play around with the addictive social dating app Tinder or ask your pals to try the group-dating service Grouper. Diving in together will make it feel less like a chore — and more like an exciting, lighthearted pastime, which is how dating should feel.
• Look beyond your type. You're not doing yourself any favors by dating the same kind of guy over and over again. Sure, you know your taste, but you may surprise yourself, so try to be open-minded. Make this the Summer you lounge in a park across town, get drinks at a bar that's a little out of your way, and meet a new crowd.
• Ask a guy out. Don't feel like you have to sit back and wait for him to come to you. Asking a guy out may seem terrifying, but even if it doesn't go as planned, you'll gain a fresh perspective and hopefully feel a bit bolder next time you're approached.
• Agree to meet your friend's friend. It's easy to brush off your friends when they insist that you meet so-and-so's brother's roommate's cousin, but who knows? He might just be a great guy, so don't cut yourself off from those fun opportunities.
• Make it a double. Next time you're asked out, bring along a single friend and ask your date to do the same. Even if sparks don't fly, you're guaranteed to have fun with your girlfriend — or at least laugh about it later.

We're happy to present this article from our partner site Yahoo! Shine:

Ever feel that your relationship suffers from a unique brand of frustration, tension, distance, or any number of other troubling feelings? The reality is, there is struggle in every romance. "If you are experiencing disillusionment, well, join the human race," relationship expert Helen LaKelly Hunt tells Yahoo! Shine. LaKelly Hunt and her husband, Harville Hendrix, PhD, are cocreators of Imago Relationship Therapy and have been helping couples for more than 30 years.

More on Yahoo: Is This the World's Most Epic Marriage Proposal?

Hendrix, author of the bestselling book Getting the Love You Want, started examining the question, "why do couples fight" in the late 1970s. After studying and working with thousands of couples, he and LaKelly Hunt have found that there are 10 common bad habits couples engage in that make relationships miserable and can lead to a breakup or divorce.

Avoid a ruined relationship by steering clear of these 10 bad habits.