OUTFIT DETAILS
Lauren’s Top | Lauren’s Watch | Colton’s Top | Colton’s Jeans
As you guys can see, we have a special guest today!
I’ve decided that my favorite posts, are by far, the ones that have Colton in them. He is such a huge part of LifetoLauren and I love that you guys get to see a little bit from the man behind the camera.
This post has been one of my most requested posts, so I am really excited to finally bring it to you guys. As requested as this post has been, I don’t think I was ready to share my tips with you guys before because in my eyes, Colton and I were still figuring it out for ourselves.
Like, who was I to give you my advice on something I hadn’t 100% excelled in?
Then I realized, that living together will be an ongoing learning experience and things will never be perfect but the least I can do is give you all a little bit of insight into what it was like for us. What it was like moving in with one another and what it is like to this day.
This is probably the most raw and real Colton and I have been on here, so I hope you all enjoy 🙂
What were your firsts thoughts when you decided to move in together?
Lauren: Nervous? Excited? Just ready? I think all of the above.
Colton: Bout time! But seriously, we had practically lived together for the three years prior, and I was definitely adamant about not living at home. It just felt like the right decision.
Who’s idea was it to move in together?
Lauren: I want to say both of ours, but it was probably mine. When Colton first moved back to Houston, he was in between living at his parents house and staying at my place. It quickly turned into him staying with me 5x a week and his parents 2x… so it was more of a “Are you going to start paying rent or what?” lol.
Colton: “Idea?”Well I have always had the idea that we would move in together after college, so once I graduated all I had to do was play the waiting game for Lauren to ask me. So I will credit this one to her. But financially it made sense, and I was sick of packing a weekly overnight bag to stay at my parents.
Why did you guys decide it was ‘okay’ move in together before getting married?
Lauren: This was honestly hard for me because I always said that we would not move in together before we were married. I was actually very stern on it. But when the time came and Colton moved to Houston, it just seemed right. There was no doubt we were going to get engaged in the next year or two and it seemed silly for either one of of us to pay rent at separate places. I hate to say it, because I do not think that financial reasons are the best reasons to move in together, but for us at the time, it was.
Colton: I never really saw it as a problem, living together before marriage. The way I looked at, living with her was like living with the cleanest roommate ever. Plus she’s hot, so double win. On a serious note though, I justified living together in a financial way. I knew I would be living at her place 90% of the time, so for us to have two places wasn’t economically feasible.
What was the hardest part about moving in with one another?
Lauren: My alone time. I touched on this subject last week, but my alone time is vital to me. I loved living alone. I loved living alone more than the average person should. The house was always perfectly put together and clean. I was able to wake up as early as I wanted without bothering anyone and it didn’t matter that E! news was constantly blasting. I would also say moving his “boy” stuff into the apartment in general. Finding room for his xbox and all of that sort of stuff…
Colton: Having to learn how the other person lives their daily life, and figuring out how that will fit into your daily life.
What is your favorite part about living together?
Lauren: Getting ready together in the mornings. It’s like the only time we have during the day to really talk to each other, discuss what is going on in our lives and etc. After work, I’m usually still working, we’re both going to the gym &/or watching our shows. In general though, my favorite part about living together is getting to live with my best friend. I know that sounds super cliche, but it’s the truth. It’s nice having your person there with you.
Colton: Getting to wake up next to the love of my life every morning and the little family we have built with Bentley. Also, dinner is definitely my favorite part of the day. Lauren is an amazing cook and loves to do so. Did I mention she is clean?
What is one thing the other person does that drives you crazy?
Lauren: I’m a very Type A and clean person (especially when we have guests coming over). With that being said, Colton is not. I think what really gets to me would be that our idea of what is “clean” and what is “not clean” is totally different. For example…. his side of the room & his closet. It’s an ongoing battle.
Colton: Lauren “clicks” in her sleep. I can’t explain the noise she makes, but when she sleeps really hard, instead of snoring, she makes this “clicking noise” and it drive me absolutely insane. Also, for as clean as she is, she is really bad about rinsing things out before putting them in the dishwasher.
What is one thing you do in the house that drives the other person crazy?
Lauren: Oh, this is an easy one. Definitely the fact that every morning I leave the remains of my TSC Detox Drink in the sink with the straw still in it…This drives Colton absolutely nuts. Followed close behind that would probably be the fact that I can’t seem to remember to wipe down our shower after I use it.
Colton: If you follow lauren on snapchat, then you know I have a problem getting my clothes into the hamper. I have a habit of leaving clothes and shoes on the ground exactly where I take them off. I also like to just throw things in my closet. My closet is the opposite of organized. I kinda take my closet as a place that isn’t shown to the public, so why keep it organized. Lastly, I think me playing Xbox really annoys her. But in my defense I am really good…. Xbox live gamertag: Randals Sandals
What is something the other person does around the house &/or apartment that you are really grateful for?
Lauren: Colton always does the dishes. Not that I am opposed to doing the dishes, but we have an unspoken rule that if I cook, he cleans. It makes the whole process and nightly routine much more easy going. It also makes me feel appreciated, in that he doesn’t just expect me to cook and clean for him. He also does little things I never think to do, like empty out the roomba everyday and take the trash out every evening.
Colton: This may sound cliché but, cooking and keeping the house looking more than spotless are two of my favorite things for sure. I know I have already mentioned this but I would probably starve if it weren’t for Lauren…or be huge because I have a slight obsession with being lazy and ordering Jimmy Johns. But as untidy as I am, I appreciate how Lauren is always making sure the house is ready for guests no matter the time of day, because you never know who is going to show up.
What is one thing that you would have done differently in the beginning to make this “transition” easier on the other person?
Lauren: I wish I would have realized that the transition was hard for him too. In that, I would have let him go to his friends house as much as he wanted without getting my feelings hurt. In the beginning, I understood having “nights apart” but at one point, he was at friends house every single evening and it really caused a lot of arguments for us. I wish I would have just let him be and let him transition without causing so many arguments. I also would have let him bring more of his stuff in and I would have made more room for his clothes….
Colton: I’ve been thinking about this a lot, but I think I would develop some sort of code word or “safe word” if you will, that we could use when we feel an argument/issue has blown out of proportion. Sometimes you just need a couple minutes to calm down, because you don’t really mean what you’re saying and you don’t really know why…but I think that this may be beneficial in a new relationship in order to work past some problems
Do you think it’s a good idea for couples to move in together?
Lauren: I think it totally depends on the couple and the circumstance. I don’t think couples should move in together to save a relationship or to “just do it” after a couple months of dating. It’s a huge step and if your relationship is not strong enough, I honestly think it makes it a “make it or break it” situation.
Colton: I know this is a very controversial questions/answer but in our experience, yes. You don’t really know someone until you spend a significant amount of time with them. I think that it is a good test for marriage. You get to experience what it is like to spend every second with this person, like it or not. You have to make sacrifices that you normally wouldn’t make, but if you can get past the hard part and figure out how to cohabitate, then chances are you are probably ready for the next step. I would say that learning to live with someone before marriage is a great step towards a successful marriage.
Advice to couples just moving in with one another?
Lauren: Take one day at a time, consider the other persons feelings and don’t bring your work life home with you. If something is happening outside of the house that is causing you stress, do not take it out on your significant other in the home.
Colton: Find areas of give and take, life is all about balance. Example: I don’t mind doing the dishes, but Lauren hates it. On the contrary, I hate booking restaurants/flights/hotels/ you name it, where I have to talk to someone on the phone, Lauren doesn’t mind doing this. So where I don’t mind doing dishes, she doesn’t mind booking hotels. It’s all about finding balance and remembering that you two are there to love and support each other in every way possible.
xo,
Lauren & Colton