Blog Posts by The_Stir

breakup letterMen. When they do too much for us, we feel suffocated. When they don't do enough -- we feel neglected ... yet strangely want them more. After some time, it's hard to decide whether a relationship is truly worth fighting for or it's time to cut the cord. You know, break up.

Breaking up is never fun to do. It's hard. It sucks. Tears are almost always involved. You've invested something in the relationship emotionally and letting go ... sucks. But come on -- why does saying "goodbye" always have to be so serious? Why not say, "I think we should just be friends" with some sort of maniac gesture?

Heck, if people are gonna talk, you may as well give 'em something worth talking about. Let's get to it, ladies. The 5 wackiest ways to end a relationship:

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The Umbrella Tactic

Ahhh, the good old umbrella game. Know that there's rain on the way, things are heading down the tubes, and need an easy,

Recently I wrote about married country crooner Jason Aldean being caught kissing former American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr and all of the hate Brittany got online. People called her "slut" and "homewrecker" and compared her to LeAnn Rimes. Speaking of LeAnn Rimes, notice how much hate she got compared to the married guy she was cheating with, Eddie Cibrian? Also, look how much hate Kristen Stewart got compared to Rupert Sanders. He was the married one with kids, but it was Kristen who got the brunt of the haters. How about Brad and Angelina? Who got (and still gets) the hate on that one?

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The sad thing is that most of this hate comes from other women. Why is that? Why do women go for the jugular on women they think are cheating on or with a man but they don't go for the men?!

Here are 12 reasons why women blame the other woman instead of the unfaithful man.

Because we think

pregnant belly kiss Pregnancy is basically the last time in a woman's life when everything is all about her. It's like the minute people see a protruding baby bump, they immediately rush to fawn all over the mom-to-be by pampering her, opening doors, telling her to relax and put her feet up -- and of course there's the whole baby shower thing.

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I never really thought about it too much during my own pregnancy, but it's pretty easy to see where dads-to-be can wind up feeling a bit left out, like they really aren't part of the equation at all. And that's why I'm totally in favor of the growing trend of men having "Dadchelor parties" as a final send-off into parenthood from their buddies.

Yes, "Dadchelor" parties, as in bachelor parties for men who are about to embark on the journey of parenting and say goodbye to nights out with the boys forever. (Or at least until the kid is out of diapers.)

Ok, so what exactly happens at these popular

MickeyI've never really been a "dog person" -- until I got my dog Mickey. Now, five years later, I'm like one of those people who whips out their wallet to show strangers pictures of their children, only they're not pictures of children. They're pictures of my 80-pound German Shepherd/Black Lab mix. I can't help it. He's my little baby. He can do no wrong.

So when I was offered the chance to have a "pet psychic" reading to tell me what was going on in Mickey's head, I thought, Wow, this is going to be awesome. I can't wait to hear what he has to say! Sure, I was kind of skeptical, but a co-worker had gone to the same person a few years ago and said it was absolutely incredible.

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Well, I had my psychic reading over the phone the other day, and let me tell you ... the things I learned will knock you out of the dog park.

I was amazed to find out that my dog ...

Loves to go for

Working moms are pulled in so many directions. Juggling families, dinners, that 5 p.m. meeting the CEO just called (which means you're going to be late picking up your youngest from the sitter), and oh no! Did you manage to actually PAY the sitter this week and pack lunches?

It's a lot for anyone to juggle.

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So how to squeeze in a workout while you're working so you can go home and spend quality time with the fam? Here are some exercises working moms can do on the job.

1) Take the Stairs - An old favorite of mine is to take the stairs rather than the elevator. Especially down, if you're working in a high rise. It's a great way to get a little workout in on your way to the office, lunch, or home.

2) Leg Lifts - Sit at your desk with your back straight against the the chair. Extend each leg, lifting it high up, hold it for a couple of seconds, then do the same with the other leg.

3) Push-Ups -

sad kidI was reading about a mother, Judy Arnall, who paid $120 for swim lessons for her 7-year-old son. When the first day of lesson came around, he didn't want to go. She did the "nudge, but don't force" method and encouraged him to try it out for one day. That's it. He tried it, decided he didn't like it, and that was that. One day of swim lesson ended up costing $120.

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Now I know a lot could have been done with that $120. But we shouldn't force our kids into something they don't want to do. Or should we? Granted, I do force a hand-hold when crossing the street, but this is something different. Forcing a child to take a swim class when they've already made up their mind they aren't interested (even if at first they were) could be damaging, right?

It really all depends on the kid. You know that saying "mother knows best"? That might serve us well here. My daughter is the type to not want to try anything at

Net-a-PorterQuilted clothing, shoes, and accessories are back in style this fall, but you've got to be careful with this look or risk looking like your mom.

(Not that your mom isn't divine and very stylish. It's just that she's. Your mom.)

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These RED Valentino flats are adorable and oh-so-of-the-moment.

They're also $295. Sad face.

But don't worry, girls. I've got some great quilted buys that'll fit the bill this fall without making you look frumpy -- click through to see them!

And tell me in the comments: What do you think of the quilted trend?

TopShop
Get the Valentino look for much less with these pretty quilted ballerina flats (Topshop, $36). They look so cozy, don't they?

TopShop

Ordinarily, I wouldn't advise wearing a quilted skirt, but this A-line skirt (Topshop, $90) manages to be edgy and cute. So I'm going to give it a thumbs-up!

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texting momCan you believe some mothers have the utter carelessness and audacity to send text messages while parenting?! I don't know about you ladies, but when my kids were tiny little butterballs who weren't so great at balancing yet, I never let them out of my sight for a second! In fact, I used to sort of squat down to their level and follow them all over the playground, waddling like some kind of deranged crab, so I'd always be right there to catch them if they took a tumble. Honestly gals, I just don't know why we even bother cutting the umbilical cord!

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Okay, so obviously I'm kidding, but these hyper-helicopter parent types do exist -- and I blame THEM for the recent "study" based on anecdotal evidence which links the increasing use of smartphones (i.e., distracted, texting parents) with the also increasing rate of playground injuries (particularly to children under 5). But you know something? I don't buy