I was shocked when my husband, Jake, handed me a schedule to help me “become a better wife.” But instead of losing my temper, I decided to play along. Little did Jake know, I was about to teach him a lesson that would make him rethink his new idea of marriage.
I’ve always been the calm and reasonable one in our relationship. Jake, on the other hand, can easily get caught up in new trends or ideas, whether it’s a hobby or a YouTube video that claims to change his life in just a few easy steps.
Jake and I were fine until he met Steve. Steve was the type of guy who thought being loud made him right. He’d talk over anyone who tried to correct him. He was also always single (no surprise there), but that didn’t stop him from giving relationship advice to all his married friends, including Jake. Jake, who should’ve known better, was impressed by Steve’s confidence.
I didn’t worry about it much at first, but then Jake started saying things like, “Steve says marriages work best when the wife handles the household,” or “Steve thinks women should always look good for their husbands, no matter how long they’ve been married.” I’d roll my eyes and make sarcastic comments, but it was bothering me. Jake was changing. He’d raise an eyebrow if I ordered takeout instead of cooking, and he’d sigh if I let the laundry pile up—forgetting that I also had a full-time job.
Then one night, it happened. Jake came home with The List.
He sat me down, unfolded a piece of paper, and slid it across the table. “I’ve been thinking,” he began, sounding condescending in a way I’d never heard before. “You’re a great wife, Lisa, but there’s room for improvement.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Oh really?”
He nodded, not realizing he was walking into dangerous territory. “Yeah, Steve helped me realize that our marriage could be even better if you, you know, stepped up a bit.”
I looked at the paper in front of me. It was a schedule, titled “Lisa’s Weekly Routine for Becoming a Better Wife.” Jake had actually written out a plan for me based on what Steve—a single guy with no relationship experience—thought I should do to “improve” as a wife.
I was supposed to wake up at 5 a.m. every day to make Jake a gourmet breakfast, then go to the gym to “stay in shape.” After that? Cleaning, laundry, ironing—all before heading to work. Every evening, I was to cook dinner from scratch and make snacks for Jake and his friends when they came over. It was sexist and insulting on so many levels, I didn’t know where to start. I just stared at Jake, wondering if he had lost his mind.
“This will be great for you, and us,” he continued, unaware.
“Steve says it’s important to have structure, and I think you could benefit from—”
“Benefit from what?” I interrupted, keeping my voice calm. Jake blinked, surprised, but quickly recovered.
“Well, from having some guidance and a schedule.”
I wanted to throw the paper in his face, but instead, I surprised myself—I smiled.
“You’re right, Jake,” I said sweetly. “I’m lucky you made me this schedule. I’ll start tomorrow.”
He looked relieved, and I almost felt sorry for him as I stuck the list on the fridge. Almost. He had no idea what was coming.
The next day, I looked at the ridiculous schedule and smiled. If Jake thought he could hand me a list of “improvements,” he was about to learn a lesson. I opened my laptop and started a new document titled, “Jake’s Plan for Becoming the Best Husband Ever.” If he wanted perfection from me, there was a cost.
I started by listing all the things he’d suggested for me, beginning with the gym. “$1,200 for a personal trainer,” I typed, barely holding back a laugh.
Next was the food. If Jake wanted gourmet meals, that wasn’t happening with our current grocery budget. Organic, non-GMO, free-range everything? That wasn’t cheap. “$700 per month for groceries,” I wrote. And if he wanted fancy meals, he’d need cooking lessons too—those were expensive.
I leaned back, laughing as I imagined his face when he saw this. But I wasn’t done. The best part was yet to come.
There was no way I could manage all these demands and keep my job. If Jake wanted me to follow his absurd schedule full-time, he’d have to cover my lost income. I calculated my salary and added it to the list. “$75,000 per year to replace Lisa’s salary since she will now be your full-time maid, chef, and personal assistant.”
By now, I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
And just for fun, I added a note about expanding the house. If Jake was going to have friends over all the time, they’d need a separate space. “$50,000 to build a man cave so Jake and his friends don’t disrupt Lisa’s new routine.”
I printed out the list, set it on the kitchen counter, and waited for Jake to come home. When he arrived, he was in a good mood.
“Hey, babe,” he called, spotting the paper. “What’s this?”
Keeping a straight face, I said, “Oh, just a little list to help you become the best husband ever.”
He chuckled, thinking I was playing along, but as he read the list, his smile faded. “$1,200 for a trainer? $700 a month for groceries? What the hell, Lisa?”
I crossed my arms. “Well, you want me to follow your plan, right? I figured we should budget for it.”
His face turned pale as he flipped through the pages. “$75,000 a year? You’re quitting your job?”
“How else can I follow your plan?” I asked. “I can’t work and be the perfect wife, right?”
Jake looked stunned. The numbers and the absurdity of his demands hit him all at once. His smugness disappeared, replaced by the realization that he had messed up.
“I didn’t mean for it to be like this,” he stammered. “I just thought—”
“You thought you could ‘fix’ me like a project?” I said, my voice calm but firm. “Jake, marriage is about respect. And if you ever try to ‘fix’ me like this again, it’ll cost you a lot more than what’s on that paper.”
There was a long silence. Jake sighed and looked at me, defeated.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t realize how ridiculous it was. Steve made it sound reasonable, but now I see… it’s toxic. I’ve been such a fool.”
I nodded. “Yes, you have. And honestly, Steve has no idea what he’s talking about. Why would you listen to him?”
Jake’s face softened as the truth hit him. “You’re right. He has no clue.”
We tore up both lists, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like we were back on the same team. It was a reminder that marriage isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being better together.
Kathie Lee Gifford Celebrates Birthday of Grandson Named after Her Late Husband — He Looks ‘So Much like His Grandpa’
Kathie Lee Gifford recently celebrated her grandson’s birthday.
Gifford’s grandson once dressed up as his late grandfather.
Gifford’s son and his partner are in a happy relationship.
Kathie Lee Gifford is best known as a co-host on “Today” on NBC. She has been a staple on the network for many years, and fans have become acquainted with her family as she often talks and posts about them.
Most recently, Gifford shared the news that her grandson had celebrated his birthday. Fans and friends alike took to the comments section of her post to wish the young man a happy birthday and express how much they loved the family.
Gifford shared a photo of her grandson strapped into his car seat, beaming at the camera, and wished him a happy birthday before saying::
“So grateful to God for the gift of Frankie.”
Gifford’s grandson is named after her late husband, Frank Gifford, who passed away in 2015. Many fans mentioned they could see Frankie’s grandfather in the child, while others thought he looked more like his father, Cody.
Other fans wished little Frankie a happy birthday, while others talked about how cute the tot was. Some people thought Frankie looked like his mom, but most saw a strong resemblance to his father and grandfather.
One fan said that he was clearly doing his namesake justice and they knew Frank would have been proud. Another called him his “father’s twin” while others called him “adorable.” An adoring commenter said Frankie was “like his Grandpa and daddy.”
Frankie Dressed Up As “Big Frank”
In keeping with the sentiment that little Frankie looks so much like his late grandfather, Gifford’s daughter-in-law, Erika, shared a sweet comparison photo of the pair in January this year. The first photo showed Frank Gifford as a young man, and the following picture showed Frankie dressed in an almost identical outfit.
Erika called Frank Gifford “Big Frank” and her son “Little Frankie” before saying they were proud of Frank’s previous NFL team, the New York Giants. Frank holds a football in the first photo, while in the second, Frankie chews on a plush toy version. Fans were charmed by the pictures.
Some once again commented on how alike the pair were, while other fans thought the comparison photos were “the cutest.” Gifford herself commented on the snaps saying how adorable the comparison was.
Fans mentioned that Frank, Cody, and baby Frankie all looked very much alike. Some fans thought that Frank would have loved to meet his grandson and said they were three generations of lookalikes in the family.
Others simply said baby Frankie looked “so much like his Grandpa” as others again talked about how proud Frank would have been of the tiny tot.
Who Is Gifford’s Daughter-In-Law and Her Son’s Long-Term Love?
Gifford shares a close relationship with Cody’s wife, Erika, and when he proposed in 2019, Gifford shared her joy that her son had found the love of his life and was set to tie the knot with her.
Shortly after the proposal, Gifford took to Instagram to share a photo of her son and then-soon-to-be daughter-in-law kissing as Erika held up a bejeweled left hand. Many people sent messages of congratulations on the post.
Cody’s sister, Cassidy, also shared the news of her brother’s engagement on Instagram, saying how happy she was for the pair and that she was excited to welcome Erika into the family as her sister.
Fans commented on the engagement posts and said Frank would have been proud of his son. A year later, Cody and Erika caused mass excitement again on their September wedding day.
Gifford again used Instagram as her news platform, sharing that her son and daughter-in-law exchanged vows on Labor Day weekend. She featured a photo of the bride and groom walking and holding hands as they gazed into one another’s eyes. The caption read:
“God gave us a glorious day to celebrate this glorious couple. So grateful.”
Before Erika and Cody got engaged, they had been together since 2013, and Gifford was more than ready to welcome Erika into the family officially. Erika shared that although 2020 had been a challenging year for many, their wedding was a silver lining in a dark cloud.
Erika shared that only their closest family and friends had been in attendance, and they had taken all the necessary precautions to make it “the most blessed and perfect day of [their] lives.” However, the wedding had its share of hiccups.
Erika had a personalized veil, but the word “the” was misspelled as “The.” She joked it was to be expected from a year like 2020. Gifford commented that it was a testament to their love that they didn’t let slight inconveniences ruin the day.
Cody and Erika welcomed their son into the world two years after they tied the knot. When naming his son, Cody knew he wanted to honor his father and name his baby after him.
Cody and Erika named their son Frank Michael Gifford, and when Gifford found out, she admitted:
“I was surprised Cody named him after his dad because Cody knew what it was like to grow up in the shadow of a great man. But I guess he’s never gotten over, really, and he never will, the loss of his dad at an early age, and he was his hero, and he still is.”
Gifford shared that when she got the news that her son was expecting a baby, she told him that his father would be so happy with all the positive things happening in their lives and that he was smiling down on them.
Little Frankie’s name does not only honor his late grandfather but also a family member on Erika’s side. Frankie’s middle name, Michael, is a tribute to Erika’s uncle, who passed shortly before the little tike was born.
Frankie was born three weeks premature, but he and his mother were healthy following the birth, and he has now grown into a bouncing, happy, and healthy one-year-old who is adored by his family and his grandmother’s fans worldwide.
Leave a Reply