This is a big week–my mother-in-law celebrated her 60th birthday Sunday, my husband and I celebrate 8 years of marriage today and, this weekend, I’ll celebrate community by reuniting with a few of my For the Love launch team sisters who live in central Texas.

I’ve told you that last year was all about community. Fundraisers, launch teams and new friendships sort of stole the show.

But what about the community that is my own home and family?

I often forget that, as a wife, my community always starts with my husband.

I often forget that we are called to build community and serve God together, after first strengthening our relationship in Him. We are called to help and encourage one another so that we can help and encourage others.

Today, on our 8th wedding anniversary, I’m looking for ways to build up our marriage and reconnect, especially in this crazy life stage of parenting young children!

Below, I’m sharing a few of my favorite resources (and a few favorites recommended by friends) to help restore your marriage.

10 favorite resources to help restore your marriage

The Unveiled Wife

The Unveiled Wife is my go-to when a friend asks me to recommend a marriage resource.

Jennifer Smith’s 30-day devotional, Wife after God, is a completely doable, attitude-transforming exercise for the busiest of wives.  She also offers Thirty-One Prayers for My Husband and super cute “I love my husband” shirts and has co-written companion books, Husband after God and Thirty-One Prayers for My Wife, with her husband Aaron.

The Dating Divas

Tara Carson and her team of incredibly creative ladies, the Dating Divas, provide endless tips for keeping the wedded spark alive, including ideas for date nights at home (can’t find a sitter or afford to go out on the town?), as well as tons of free printables, including a love calendar for each month.

I especially love their themed movie date nights! Here’s a fun flow chart to help you pick from their many date night ideas.

To Love, Honor and Vacuum

Last year, after being incredibly impressed and inspired by popular blogger and author Sheila Wray Gregoire’s event, Girl Talk: Straight Talk About Sex and Marriage, I wrote this post mentioning her, and she graciously featured it on her Facebook page.

Her honesty and humor make her blog, To Love, Honor and Vacuum, and books, The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex and 31 Days to Great Sex, a treasure trove for wives who need a little confidence in the bedroom.

Happy Wives Club

Blogger and author Fawn Weaver has put together an amazing worldwide community and book, called the Happy Wives Club, to inspire and encourage women everywhere to find their “happily ever after”!

The Time-Warp Wife

Darlene Schacht’s blog, the Time-Warp Wife, and book, The Good Wife’s Guide: Embracing Your Role as a Help Meet, are old favorites of mine. Her perspective is somewhat unique, as she writes from a place of restoration in marriage, after having an affair.

The 5 Love Languages

Every couple should complete the Love Language Profile to make sure you are speaking the same language!  Here is the pdf version if you prefer to print the profile (be sure to print an extra copy for your spouse).

My husband and I discovered a couple of years ago that his primary love language is words of affirmation, and mine is quality time.

Once you have determined your primary love languages, take the 5-week Love Language Challenge.  The free phone app makes it a very achievable way to love your spouse in a language they understand!

If you enjoy the challenge, I recommend you also read Gary Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages, for more in-depth information on each love language.

Kathi Lipp

I’ve now seen hilarious blogger and author Kathi Lipp speak twice. Most recently, she candidly discussed sex at a moms’ night out, promoting her new book Hot Mama: 12 Secrets to a Sizzling Hot Marriage, with her co-author, Austin blogger Erin Macpherson.

Last time, Kathi spoke about “perfectionist procrastination,” promoting her 21-day challenge books The Me Project, The Get Organized Project and The Husband Project. (I went home with the first two.)

Instead of buying her new “sex book” a few months ago, I ended up grabbing her 21-day challenge, co-written with her husband Roger, called Happy Habits for Every Couple, as a project to take on with my hubby this year.

Kathi’s perspective is unique because she and her husband were both previously married and started their marriage in a Brady Bunch-type scenario. She has also written 101 Simple Ways to Show Your Husband You Love Him and Praying God’s Word for Your Husband.

Gary Thomas

Houston blogger and author Gary Thomas has devoted his ministry to building strong marriages and families. His book, Sacred Influence: How God Uses Wives to Shape the Souls of their Husbands, is currently on my wishlist.

Oneness Prayer Challenge

A good friend from church told me about this resource when I mentioned that my husband and I rarely remember to pray together.

FamilyLife has created a 30-day Oneness Prayer Challenge to get married couples praying together for 5 minutes a day. You can receive the daily short devotional and set of prayers either by email or text.

Boundaries in Marriage

I read Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend‘s best-selling book Boundaries last year but this sequel, written specifically for married couples, was recently recommended to me by several wives in the For the Love launch team.

Other favorite resources for marriage

Additional marriage resource recommendations from my For the Love launch team ladies include The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by Dr. John Gottman, Marriage on the Rock by Jimmy Evans, Red-Hot Monogamy by Bill and Pam Farrel, For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhan, Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge, As For Me and My House by Walter Wangerin, What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp, anything by Sue Johnson or Dr. Kevin Leman and the brand-new 7 Rings by Jackie Bledsoe.

What are your favorite resources to help restore your marriage?

Let me know in the comments.