Blog Posts by The_Stir

Toilet

Remember the days when the toilet was used for one thing? Well, two things, I suppose, but, one theme. The other day, as I was conducting a conference call while hiding out in the bathroom, it hit me how multi-functional that room has become.

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Does this look familiar to anyone else?

Image via Mai Li/Flickr

Written by Jill Smokler on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

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Suzanna Somer and Brenda Watson, C.N.C.Leave it to Suzanne Somers to take on a taboo, cringe-worthy topic and make it seriously fascinating! In today's episode of Suzanne Somers Breaking Through on the CafeMom Studios YouTube channel, Suzanne did a one-on-one with Brenda Watson, C.N.C., who Suzanne considers her resident digestive care expert ... and yes, she's also a "poop" pro!

Suzanne points out that moms don't flinch one bit when discussing their kiddos' poop, but when it comes to our own ... well, that's a whole different story. But it shouldn't be! In fact, we're seriously underestimating what our waste can tell us about our well-being.

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Brenda points out that many of us -- especially those of us who suffer from constipation -- have inflamed digestive systems, which she adorably calls an "inner sunburn." She attributes this to a serious lack of omega-3s, digestive enzymes (like magnesium and minerals), and friendly bacteria

StrollerCity planner Alyse Nelson wrote a post yesterday about how she about died of embarrassment the first time she rode the bus with her son. The bus driver had the audacity to tell her to fold her stroller before coming on board! The rest of the post is all about how this rule discourages people from riding the bus, and wouldn't it be nice if we could be more like Copenhagen, where their aircraft-carrier-sized buses allow un-folded strollers and priority seating for parents of tots.

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Is this for real? This complaint, I mean, not Copenhagen. Lord have mercy. In all my years of riding the bus all over Brooklyn, where we have the same rule, I've only seen a certain type of privileged, entitled parents complain about having to fold up their strollers. I know getting around a city with a toddler can feel like an acrobatic feat. I lived it! And you know what? Then my kid got older and life went on.

So okay, let's get into

painful periodsMost of us ladies at some point have suffered from excruciatingly painful periods (or, in docs' and researchers' lingo, dysmenorrhea). If you've ever gone to your OB/GYN for help, you've probably heard him or her sing the praises of what they consider the #1 "cure" for this problem: The birth control pill. Docs have prescribed it for years off-label as a fix for cramps and heavy bleeding.

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Now, there's a new study confirming this long-held belief. The findings, which are published in the journal Human Reproduction, show that women who used a combo estrogen-progestin pill (which is pretty much every mainstream pill these days) suffered less severe pain than women who did not use it. That's fabulous and all, but no one's talking about WHY this is the case?? And that's the most important part!

It never ceases to amaze me how so many women are mis- or un-informed on exactly how their Rx is actually

There is a common piece of advice given to those who are going for something they want: If you can't name it, you can't get it. It makes a lot of sense. It isn't that we have to meet every goal we set for ourselves, but if we're too ashamed or afraid of "jinxing" something to say it out loud, then how can we ever expect to actually be able to get the courage to go for it? That is how love works, too.

I have noticed a pattern in my own life and certainly in the world of pop culture and news. Single women seem determined to love their single status, so determined that they often undermine their chances of getting married even though, secretly, that is what they want.

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It only stands to reason. If you tell everyone you're happy single, insist you don't want a man, and tell everyone who will listen that you love your life as it is, how can you ever expect a man to think you want to get married? That is the vibe you

kids at weddingThere's nothing like planning a wedding to make a girl just want to give up and elope already. The fights with the in-laws over the seating chart, the fights with the bridesmaids over the dresses, and then there are the fights with the moms.

I'm not talking about the mom of the groom or the mom of the bride (though those two will certainly give your stress level a run for its money), I'm talking about all the moms you invite to the wedding (hereinafter Mom Guests). The ones who, for some inexplicable reason, think that your wedding is all about them. The ones who you will piss off beyond belief if you deign to do the unthinkable: Throw a child-free wedding (CFW).

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You will rue the day you decided on a CFW.

That's right, I said rue.

Did I mention elopement?

Seriously, engaged ladies, if you're thinking of a CFW, you might just as well elope. Because by the time your Mom Guests

woman saying shhWhite lies -- we all tell them. It helps keep the peace, which in turn keeps us sane(ish). Big lies are bad though. They ruin people and relationships. I've been victim and culprit and it's about as awful as not telling your husband that there are 3,000 fire ants in the patch of sand he is about to sit on while at the nude beach just to see his reaction. Who would do such a thing? Bad people, that's who. Lying is what bad people do -- or people who are (hopefully) temporarily under the influence of bad. It's just lame.

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But little white lies with cherries on top are like mystical unicorns with pink manes. Kind of harmless. Potentially dangerous (that horn is pointy!), but if treated delicately and used sparingly, they can make rainbows appear and everyone keeps on smiling. Here are 50 lies that are okay to tell your husband. Sort of. Because overuse is bad, you shouldn't be doing this kind of

We have always known that in matters of food, love, and looks, French women have American women beaten by a landslide. We may make fun of them for their war efforts, but their efforts in living the good life make ours look positively paltry. A 2001 study even showed that French women in their 50s have more sex than their American counterparts. Is there anything they can't do better than us?

The fact is, French women have it made. They're less uptight, they always look gorgeous, their food and culture are so sexy, and they can wear a scarf in 15 different ways and have it look totally natural.

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We American women don't have to take it lying down (or standing up or from behind or ...), though! We can fight back. Here are a few sex tips we can (& should) steal from our French friends:

• Kick the idea of marriage to the curb: American women over 50 who are having sex are usually married. Those who are not