Blog Posts by Smitten, Glamour Magazine

by Ariane Marder, Glamour

Yes, it's true. A real-life man (with 40 years of life under his belt, no less) said that dating is basically like going to Walmart and comparing refrigerators.

I should say off the bat that said guy is on my sh*t list. And once you hear the story, you'll most likely agree that he deserves two thumbs down.

See more: 10 Things Girls Always Do in Movies and Never Do in Real Life

A friend of mine has been dating a guy for the last year-and-a-half. He seemed great and really into her. He even brought up marriage and told her he was ready to settle down. But recently, he's been having the grown-up version of ants in his pants and second-guessing the relationship.

One night after he returned from his college reunion, he said to her, "I've been thinking. I never really thought I'd end up with someone who wasn't Ivy League." (Blogger's note: EW!) Then he went on to commit metaphor-suicide: "I'm not the type of person to buy the first refrigerator I see. I shop

Gena Kaufman, Glamour

If you've ever been cheated on, you know exactly how awful it feels. But would it lessen the pain if the cheating hadn't, uh, gone all the way? Let's discuss.

CN Digital StudioUnless you've been living under a rock, you've read all about how Kristen Stewart cheated on Robert Pattinson. In light of The Cheating Heard 'Round the World, we've already talked about a few related topics-how to stop yourself from cheating, things to consider before taking a cheater back-but some new gossip on Tragedy of Twilight has me pondering a new question: are there degrees of cheating?

See more: 10 Things Girls Always Do in Movies and Never Do in Real Life

Evidently, Giovanni Agnelli, Stewart's director in Welcome to the Riley's, has leapt to her defense on Twitter, saying "I'll say what the manipulative media isn't saying...Kristen Stewart did not have any type of sex with Rupert Sanders." Now obviously, I have less than zero information into what actually happened in the lives of the

Gena Kaufman, Glamour

As Anna's cute little sister reminded us, dating in high school is the Worst, with a capital W(TF). That said, there are a few things to miss about it.
Dating at any point in life has its highs and lows, and the lows of your teenage years are hard: the gossip, the acne, the fact that you could never quite become a popular girl. However, no matter how great dating as an adult can be, you're just not going to get the same highs as you did back when your crush walked by your locker and smiled at you: total meltdown.

Here are a few dating habits we all got into in high school that if we're honest, we kind of miss:

Passing notes. Remember how you'd fold up a sheet of lined paper into a complicated little triangle with a flap to pull it open, decorate it with a smiley face, and stick it in your guy's locker? I'm not the first or last person to lament the lost art of the written letter, but it's true: perusing your Gmail archives just doesn't have the same effect as

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

If you feel like you keep trying and failing in the world of love (you and me both, sister), you may need to ask yourself a few questions to make sure you've prepared yourself before a new relationship.
Look, of course we all love talking about the romantic "squeee!" moments of dating, but there's a practical side to falling in love, and if you don't make the effort to know yourself and make sensible priorities, you're probably setting yourself up for heartbreak.

Over at Psychology Today, clinical psychologist Seth Meyers lays out a "Dating Checklist" of five questions everyone should ask themselves to ensure happy and functional relationships. Here are his must-ask questions, and his advice on the answers:

1. "What are the three most important characteristics to look for in a partner?
People let superficial characteristics get in the way, but Meyers says kindness, reliability and emotional stability are what matter the most. Eye candy is good, but don't let

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

To me, August means lazy days and sweat in places I wasn't aware a body could sweat. But apparently, it's also the month we observe Romance Awareness Month. Who knew? Let's celebrate…
Romantic social network Zoosk surveyed 2,300 Americans in honor of this special month to get their take on modern romance. According to Zoosk, while the single life sounds glamorous, couples have more romance. Thanks Zoosk. I think we can assume from my chipped toenail polish and the leftover calzone I reheated for dinner last night that I'm not exactly in the "glam" single gal category. And I don't need to be told I have no romance. Hmmph.

OK, OK, that's not Zoosk's fault. And I love romance, even if I'm only getting it from books these days. Want to know what they found about the world of love?

See more: 7 Signs of True Love

Couples are winning at romance.
When it comes to loving, 71% of couples claim their significant other is romantic, but only 41% of singles say the same

Ariane Marder, Glamour magazine

No one knows how this whole scenario with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart is going to play out. Will he forgive her? Is it possible when the entire world knows about your humiliation? Time will surely tell. But in the meantime, here are four things to consider if you find yourself in a similar situation.

See more: Swimsuits That Make You Look 10 Pounds Thinner

1. Was it a one-time discretion?
Obviously, how the cheating goes down is important. Was it a moment of weakness or a long-term affair? Personally, I don't support either, but sometimes (as in the case of Rupert Sanders and Liberty Ross) there are children to consider. Kristen is only 22 and might have made a decision based on immaturity. Hopefully, she's learned her lesson.

2. Did he tell you himself or did you find out another way?
If you found out through friends or by going through his email, the sting of betrayal will be worse than if he confessed to you outright.

See more:

Gen Kaufman, Glamour magazine

As the internet is collectively exploding over the news that Kristen Stewart cheated on Robert Pattinson (so sad!), let's take a minute to talk about how to keep yourself out of such a sad, messy situation.

Maybe you can't imagine being tempted to cheat on your significant other, but I do think it's possible to be attracted to another person and even to develop feelings for someone without it meaning your relationship is over. What says the most about your relationship is how you behave in the face of temptation. But once you're there, it can be really hard to make the right decision.

See more: Swimsuits That Make You Look 10 Pounds Thinner

Time to to apply my personal methodology for dealing with a less serious, but still huge (to me) temptation: shopping. Because I'm somewhat addicted to buying new clothes whether or not my budget permits it, I've come up with a personal rule to prevent really poor decisions. When faced with a purchase I