I'm cranky today. My soon-to-be husband Antonio is far away in Italy where he lives, I have a ton to do for our upcoming wedding, and we're both buried under piles of work. We haven't even gotten to talk for the last couple of days. That's probably a good thing because, with all this pressure, one of us (probably me) is liable to explode.

This weekend, I'm arming myself with valuable advice about fighting fairly. Without it, I might end up launching World War III. If that happens, there may never be peace and I could end up the guide to divorce instead of the guide to newlyweds. If you want to end a war -- or prevent it -- here are some tips:

10 Tips for Fighting Fairly

How to Avoid Losing Your Temper

How to Avoid Divorce

The high tourism season is quickly approaching in Italy, which means my soon-to-be husband Antonio is working all hours of the day and night. Our usual webcam dates have been cut down from about 30 minutes to 10 if we're lucky. It's no problem because I am busy with various writing deadlines and a meeting in the city tomorrow. But sometimes I wonder if we're letting work get in the way of our relationship. I've seen too many couples split up because they let demanding careers take over the lives completely. I don't want to be one of those people.

Still, I want to do well in my career and find satisfaction and fulfillment from the work I do. To be successful, I need the support of my spouse. If I feel that he is doubtful or unhappy with the way things are going with my career or if he feels as though my career is interfering with our relationship, I won't be happy or successful. Even though I'm missing him like crazy during this hectic time for him, I want to give him my full support. It's only fair and it's the way to create a partnership and career that will last. If you'd like to do the same, here are some articles that will help you:

How to Support Your Spouse's Career

When Work Gets in the Way of Your Relationship

More Money Help: How Newlyweds Can Save Money

Hillary Clinton says "it takes a village" to raise children. I say it also takes a village to have a healthy, loving relationship with your spouse. Your parents or guardians and other adult figures have to teach you how to love and care for people, and they help you build self-esteem. Your friends have to give you good advice and listen to you when you need to vent -- and their behavior can rub off on you, too. All of these people contribute to your development, behavior, and growth. That's what shapes your approach to relationships.

Before the Internet, your "village" was limited to those who lived closest to you. Now, your village could include experts and psychologists and others in relationships from all over the world, with whom you can connect with a simple click of the mouse. Frankly, you could handpick your "village" if you'd like. There are numerous sites like mine that offer advice and help and community support to people who are trying to have a successful relationship. In fact, a dating site just compiled a list (and this site is on it) of all the best villagers for your relationship needs. Although I still think that loved ones and friends are your best bet, it helps to have experts chime in once in a while, too, because sometimes relationships are too complex, require extra help, and a new perspective.

Here's other help from this villager that should make your relationship stronger:

Seven Tips for Getting through the First Year of Marriage

How to Prevent Infidelity

How to Love and Care for Yourself

Yesterday, I wrote to you about my friend Alex who passed away shortly after getting married and how his tragedy proves that we all need to spend more time with our spouses. Sometimes that's easier than it sounds. Work gets in the way. Children get in the way. Other family members and friends get in the way.

Once in a while, we have to put our foot down -- and insist on having time with our spouse. Sometimes, we have to ask our spouse to give us more time. Life is simply too short to miss out on opportunities to grow your relationship and spend quality time with the love of your life. I hope that you all get to pass your weekend with your new spouse wrapped in your arms. Have fun!

As I inch ever closer to my thirtieth birthday, more and more of my friends are getting married, having children, and moving forward in their blossoming careers. One of my best childhood friends, Alex Laster, was a prime example. He got married about four months ago, was achieving greatness as a lawyer in Miami, and would turn 30 himself in September.

Like the rest of us, he was undoubtedly enjoying the bliss of the honeymoon phase that takes you from your engagement to your first anniversary if you’re lucky. It’s a beautiful time when you dream together about the future – the places you’ll go, the children you’ll have – and interrupt every sentence with a lovely, sweet kiss. It’s a time to seize and treasure.

I hope Alex did just that. Alex passed away this week after he had a car accident on his way to work. Just four short months after getting married, his young bride is a widow, left with dreams that can never become reality. If we, his friends, still can’t believe what has happened, she must be in utter shock. I can’t even pretend to imagine the emotions surging inside her, the anger, the anguish, the suffering.

Having gone to first through fifth grade with me, Alex was an unforgettable part of my childhood. We picked up worms to scare our friend Sarah, traded snacks with our friend Jason, and did a videotaped commercial promoting our home state New Jersey that our elementary school teachers still remembered when we visited them at 18.

Alex moved to another town before we started the sixth grade, but we found each other again in college. We picked up where we left off. This time, we listened to each other go on and on about college crushes, studied statistics with our friend Geoff, and pondered our future with some other friends on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. (We attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C.)

We lost touch a couple years ago as so many do as they get into the grind of daily life, but we heard about each other through mutual friends – and the memories we had of those character-building journeys that are elementary school and college could never be wiped away.

Now that Alex is gone, my thoughts are with his wife, a woman I don’t even know but whose suffering has touched me in a profound way. As I say good night to my soon-to-be husband, I think about how she can no longer do that. Alex was a stand-up guy, ultra responsible, an overachiever, a typical type-A personality with a bright future ahead of him. I am sure he would have made a great husband, but he didn’t even have the chance. And his wife didn’t have the chance to see his full potential. None of us did.

A part of her must have gone with him this week. The overwhelming sympathy I feel for this woman I don’t know is exhausting me. My only comfort is the thought that she is able to focus on the good times, their wedding, their love. I wish for her to have the ability to hold those memories close now and forever. If any good can come of this, you all have to read this story as a lesson to love to the fullest each and every day.

Early in my cousin's marriage, she would invite her parents, her spouse's parents, and my parents and me to her house for a Mother's Day party. My mom was included because she was my cousin's sponsor for Confirmation, and I'm Godmother to one of her daughters. I always thought this was a great idea because no one felt left out. One year she even got us each special little gifts. Mine was a frame with the words, "I Love My Godmother," and a picture of me holding my Goddaughter at her Christening. We would all eat together and laugh together and enjoy. The whole concept made me feel both special and included. It's exactly what I'd like my soon-to-be mother-in-law to feel on Mother's Day this year.

Since my mother-in-law lives in Italy and I live in the United States, we don't always get to spend Mother's Day together. But I do hope to reassure her by sending a video e-mail or handmade card that expresses my happiness at not only marrying her son but also at joining their family. And I hope newlyweds use Mother's Day as an excellent excuse to improve their relationship with their mother-in-law. That's why I wrote an article about how you can celebrate Mother's Day with your mother-in-law, based on the kind of relationship the two of you share.

Here is some more advice for creating a good relationship with your in-laws:

Discuss Your Mother-in-Law

How to Help Your Spouse Get Along with Your Family

What Should I Do about the Problems I'm Having with My In-Laws?

Should You Call Your In-Laws Mom and Dad?

Few, if any people, know better than I do about how difficult it is to find time for your relationship in this crazy, hectic life. My soon-to-be spouse Antonio lives all the way in Italy, and I'm in New Jersey in the good ol' U.S. of A. There are six hours between us when we're apart. He works days in a hotel and nights in a nightclub. A freelance writer, I have deadlines just about everyday and a work schedule filled with back-to-back interviews and research. We both come from large Italian families that celebrate many events and require lots of our time. Somehow, we still find at least 10 minutes per day -- and often more than that -- to chat via webcam. If, for some reason, we can't get to the computer, we chat on the phone instead. It's been a requirement since we started dating.

We never would have made it this far if we didn't make our relationship a priority. I have to admit that talking to my future spouse is the highlight of my day. It's something to which I look forward. It's something that helps me de-stress. You and your spouse can have the same by following a step-by-step guide to finding time for one another -- not to mention yourself and other things that you love. Here are some other articles that will help you make the most of your time together:

50 Great Date Night Ideas

How You Can Be Romantic Everyday

How to Cook Together

My husband to be and I are getting closer and closer to our wedding day. Needless to say, I have a ton of things to do and it's stressing me out. It's no coincidence that I'm sitting here writing this blog at 10 o'clock at night. Other newlyweds I know are facing similar stresses. Instead of planning a wedding, they are experiencing sleep deprivation because of either pregnancy or the arrival of their first baby.

The lesson here is that life is stressful, and it only gets more stressful after you are married. People who are stressed out have a tendency to get cranky and get on each other's nerves. That's never good for a relationship. But you can help each other. My future spouse and I have been taking extra time to talk in the evenings, so we can take the load off each other's shoulders by dividing the tasks that need to get done and venting to one another whenever necessary. We also make sure to spend some time talking about our future instead of making our engagement period only about our wedding festivities. Keeping life in perspective and maintaining your priorities is one way to control stress. Here are some other suggestions to help you de-stress as a couple:

Get Healthier Together

Improve Newlywed Sex

How to Love and Care for Yourself

My fiance Antonio and I love to cook and feed each other. It's one of our favorite things to do. Recently, I made a Mexican feast, replete with guacamole and tacos, for Antonio. He cooked a splendid traditional Italian meal -- pasta with eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and calamari -- for me and my friends. For many people, the weekends mean having more free time. If this is the case for you and your love, then you should consider making the most of your time by creating a romantic dinner for two. Whenever I do this, I try to set the scene for romance by using only my most beautiful things. Of course, there are always soft flowers and candlelight. Paying attention to the details shows you care and also sets the right mood. You can try your hand at setting the table beautifully -- even if you'll be ordering in. Buon appetito!

More suggestions for making the most of your time together:

50 Great Date Night Ideas

Discuss Even More Date Night Ideas

Be Romantic Everyday

Three Ways to Improve Newlywed Sex

Photo: Perfect focal point for a romantic table © Courtesy of Pricegrabber