Blog Posts by Babble.com

10 striped home accessoriesStripes are still a thing, right? Because even if they aren't, I'm still very much on board. I have to restrain myself from having them in too many spots around the house. Or is that possible? Here I've rounded up 10 favorite striped items ready for you to decorate your home with. I'm sorry if this leads to a spending spree!











Vertigo Bedding - $100
1. Vertigo Bedding - $100
Stripes are unisex, so no one's going to think this bedding is too girly.
Buy this bedding


Shower Curtain - $39
2. Shower Curtain - $39
I like that this curtain could work in a master bath as well as a kids' bath. It's available in multiple colors.
Buy this shower curtain


Striped Tumbler - $8
3. Striped Tumbler - $8
Your toothbrush never had it so good. These tumblers are pretty enough to be bud vases, too.
Buy this tumbler

Related: 23 ways to makeover a room with stripes


Striped Rug - $250
4. Striped Rug - $250
POW! This yellow rug gives a happy punch of color to your floor.
Buy this rug


Multicolor Rug - $299
5. Multicolor Rug - $299
Here's a great piece for those who aren't color shy. It would look great in a room

J. Lo didn't drop the baby pounds as quickly as Beyonce.Beyonce looks amazing in the photos released last week. Barely a month after delivering little Blue Ivy, she looks as if she never had a day of stretch marks or morning sickness.

Certain other celeb moms are just as fortunate. Good genes and even better personal trainers help whip them back into pre-baby shape faster than you can say "bikini body." They probably had their maternity clothes given to charity before they even left the maternity ward.

But my personal heroines are the famous mothers who don't shrink down to a size 0 before their babies start eating solids. They hang on to those extra pounds because they have less time to work out, or their bodies just naturally take longer to snap back, or - gasp! - they're enjoying their babies too much to obsess about posing for magazine covers in skin-tight jeans.

Related: Getting in shape after baby - 10 exercise tips for new moms

Take Jennifer Lopez here, for instance. After giving birth to twins Max and Emme, she didn't take off

Happy Valentine's DayCongratulations and/or condolences on being in a relationship with a blogger.

If the blogger in your life hasn't already posted "10 Things I Want This Valentine's Day" on her blog, I'm here to help. But seriously, you better go check her blog like right now before you get in trouble.

Assuming she hasn't posted her online wish list, I'm here to help you score a home run with the most connected woman in your life. Lemme guess what you were thinking: Wine? Roses? Lingerie? A Whitman's Sampler?

Slow down there Romeo, while we do love the wine and chocolate, bloggers are also women of eclectic taste and nerd girl enthusiasm. Don't know what that means? It means you have every right to be afraid.

Check out this list of Valentine ideas guaranteed to earn you some serious social media praise. #sweet #luckyyou #yourewelcome

Related: 14 ways to have a vegan Valentine's

The Valentine's Day gifts she really wants.
Voice recognition software
Disclaimer: I have never actually used this software but I am in lovey love love with the idea

Valentie's Day = Relationship KillerI'm not what you would call a romantic. I know, crazy right? A woman who doesn't get giddy over flowers or melt over long walks on the beach? (PS: I don't love short walks on the beach either.) I've never attempted to talk a man into ballroom dance lessons and I have never ever bought a Blue Mountain Hallmark card to let calligraphy tell my husband how much I love him. I giggle at words like "soul mate" and squirm uncomfortably at the suggestion of "sensual massage." I'm not going to apologize for the way I am.

I'm not totally unsentimental. I appreciate the splendor of a waterfall - I just don't need to honeymoon near one. In fact I didn't even go on a honeymoon. WHAT? It's true. Didn't need to, we'd already been together for four years at that point. But I did conceive a baby a few days after my wedding right at home in our very own bedroom.

I'm sure it won't surprise you to know I dislike Valentine's Day. Forced sentimentality is just not my thing and I hate the pressure. In fact,

Incredible decorating ideas for your kid's next birthday bash!With all the crafty type business I get myself into, it's the planning of a birthday party that is my true creative passion. I've always worked well with deadlines and frosting. Clare, my oldest, is now requesting party themes. Last year we rocked a Sleeping Beauty done right (if I do say) party and she has been teasing me with the promise of a Pocahontas party this year. Please, please, please don't change your mind. I have so many ideas for that one! If you are looking for the perfect theme for your kiddos next party, here are 8 unique kids birthday themes to make your head spin!


A lab-themed birthday party
1. Double Double Toil in Trouble...
Bring a touch of the mad scientist to your kid's birthday with a lab-themed party complete with lab coats and test tubes!
Get more ideas for a lab-themed party

Related: 20 awesome ideas to decorate your kid's bedroom


Hello Kitty-themed birthday party
2. For the Hello Kitty Lover
Is your little one the ultimate lover of kitties? Then she'll love this Hello Kitty-themed birthday party complete with pink

Ruffled Cheeky Brief, Victoria Secret, $16.50Feeling pretty and loved is all about Valentine's Day, and what better way to feel girly and sexy than with a pretty piece of lingerie for that special day. From French lingerie to handmade boxers (at all price points!), here are 7 sexy lingerie picks your lover will die for this Valentine's Day!








Fifi Chachnil
1. Fifi Chachnil
Fifi Chachnil is the ultimate in girly glam French lingerie, and has been a must-have brand for stylists and celebrities for years. White stretch mesh designs with aqua blue bow accents makes for a flirty look this Valentine's Day!
Buy this set

Related: 10 aphrodisiac foods for a sexy Valentine's dinner


La Perla
2. La Perla
Bring sexy back to the bedroom with this lace, see-through body suit from La Perla - the perfect mix of sultry sexiness and feminine fun!
Buy this bodysuit


Linen Tap Set
3. Linen Tap Set
This two piece lightweight handkerchief linen boudoir set will leave your lover wanting to stay in bed all Valentine's Day ... and the day after!
Buy this set


Cosabella for J.Crew
4. Cosabella® for J.Crew
This

A dad's rules for dating his daughterA few years ago, I came across a funny article that laid down rules from the perspective of a father to the prospective boyfriend of a daughter. I've tried to modernize the rules a bit and make them more appropriate.

I'm very tempted to have this set of rules available when my daughters start dating. Unless, of course, I lock them all away in a tower. That evil witch who put Rapunzel high away from the world and prevented her from coming down was actually pretty smart. But until I build a 5-story high stone tower, I need to have a set of rules that all young men wanting to date my daughter must follow.


No honking
1. No honking
You WILL get out of your car, walk to the front door, ring the doorbell and wait patiently for my princess to be ready. If you honk, you won't be picking anything up.

No touching
2. No touching
You WILL admire my daughter from afar, and only from the neck up. You may not touch her in front of me. If you forget this simple rule, I will remove the body part that touches her, and if

My cervix: HPV, LEEP, and pregnancy makes threeI was diagnosed with HPV in 2007. The diagnosis came after a pre-conception check-up I'd had prior to commencing a full-on attempt to have a baby. Despite knowing how common HPV is and that, on its own, it is often benign, I was shaken. The diagnosis led to my first colposcopy (an exam that reminded me of the way my eye doctor gets a look at the back of my eye, only in my vagina) to ensure that there were no problems brewing. There were not, and I was sent on my way to conceive, deliver, and raise my beautiful son. I knew that HPV is linked to cervical cancer, and the incidence of HPV meant I needed to be vigilant about getting Paps to make sure no cancerous changes developed.

In 2009, my Pap revealed abnormal cells. Another colposcopy and a biopsy determined that they were high-grade precancerous abnormalities and should be removed before they had time to develop into cervical cancer. The beauty of Paps and screenings for HPV is that potential problems can be detected and resolved