Blog Posts by The_Stir

work outfitGotta love that time of year when you're forced to stuff an entire ensemble into your purse because you have a holiday party to attend right after work. It's hard to go from a business atmosphere straight to a party scene and still look fabulous, but there are ways you can get yourself perfectly dolled up in your office's ladies' room.

One option is the sweater dress. I'm a big fan of this style -- it's so chic and yet so comfy. And can easily navigate you from the cubicle to the bar. But the problem I have with these is that in a crowded room, I find myself sweating like a pig. Not sexy.

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So instead, I opt for a cocktail dress paired with a blazer and tights. It's versatile, sexy, and work-appropriate.

Check out how I turned this look from day to night:

I've found this outfit to be exceptionally handy when I'm not exactly sure what the attire for the soiree is going to be like. If it's

bedroomThe holiday house guests are coming! The holiday house guests are coming!

If the holidays mean overnight guests in your home this year, it's time to ready the Hotel de Your House for their arrival. Get organized and prepare your home before your guests arrive, so when they come through the door, they feel nothing but welcome.

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We've put together an easy house guest preparation checklist to make it easy on you. This time of year, we know everyone needs all the spare mental energy they can get. Happy hosting!

Think of all the amenities provided in your favorite hotel room, and do your best to match your guest room and bath up to those. After all, hotels are in the business of preparing for guests on a daily basis, so you can bet they know what they're doing.

Besides, the fewer times your guests have to ask you for something, the more at ease they're going to feel in your home. Because it's all

new years resolutionsDo you feel that pressure? The pressure to make the perfect New Year's resolution? The impending vow to lose weight, spend more time with your family, have more "me" time ...

There are a few resolutions that you can bet people are making every year. Grand, great ideas like losing weight and getting organized are all well and good, but you are practically asking for failure if you shoot for the moon like that.

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Instead, break things down. You can still have lofty goals, but make your resolutions concrete changes that are possible to stick with throughout the year. Here are a few of the biggest resolutions we make -- and what you should make instead.

1. Lose Weight

Make this doable by breaking it into just one thing. Resolve instead to: Go to the gym or walk three times a week. You'll lose weight as you work out, but the smaller resolution won't feel so overwhelming.

2. Get Out of Debt

This is one

Forget the peppermint and the eggnog. True coffee purists only care about one thing during the holiday season -- the widely-debated, limited-time-only holiday coffees, which are specially blended every year by our favorite coffee sellers just for the season.

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But there are so many holiday blends to choose from and so little time. The season will be over before we know it.

Lucky for you, the staff here at The Stir has made the decision a littler easier on you. We performed our own holiday coffee taste test of three of the biggest seasonal sellers.

The contenders: Starbucks Christmas Blend 2010, Dunkin' Donuts Mocha Mint, and Green Mountain's Holiday Blend. May the best holiday blend win!

Our serious coffee tasters were briefed on the basics. The task at hand, to brew three fine cups of java and write down their every thought. The categories: Aroma, taste, and overall feedback.

Here we go ...

If you have ever been dumped in early December, know that you aren't alone. It turns out, the first Monday in December is much like the first Tuesday (after the first Monday) in November, only instead of electing government officials, someone is getting dumped. In other words, that is Break-Up Day -- an unofficial day of mourning for many as it's the most common day on the calendar to receive a "Dear John" letter.

More from The Stir: 15 Good Reasons to Break Up With Him ... Fast

The blog analysis created by bloggers Lee Byron and David McCandless hopes to make "the big picture of how we breakup more clear, we can take comfort in just how special the relationships that last truly are."

So, if you got dumped on Christmas, you are pretty unique. Few people get dumped that day, but don't worry, you can still get dumped on other days! There are spikes besides the beginning of December.

The beginning of March (also known as Spring Break) is also a popular time to break

design trendsTrends come and go in our culture -- in art, fashion, décor, design ... you name it, it has a trend. Some of the design trends are awesome, like the return of wallpaper. However, some are painfully bad, like the return of shag rugs, which stuck around long past their prime the first time. Split level homes are also making a comeback. It's the stuff of nightmares!

Sitting here beneath my popcorn ceiling, I'm just pleased as punch to say that many horrible design trends still exist. It's true.

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Want to see a few other home design trends that need to go find a shallow grave to wallow in? Here are six designs that have got to go!

6 Design Trends That Need to Die

Silk Crib Sheets

Why? Just why? Why would you even think of putting silk in a place where your child will pee, poop, drool, snot, and throw up? These things cost upwards of $1,000, and people are buying them in droves.

Tartan

While snow seems to be dumping on most of the country, it is nothing but hot out here in Los Angeles. So let the Angeleno Ask Dad warm your cold, cold hearts. What's giving you chills?

My husband casually mentioned some people he knows at work who are swingers. He brought it up matter-of-factly, but I detected a note of serious interest! Could my husband actually be suggesting we become swingers!? What do I make of this!?

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How fun! I've been wondering when that phenomenon would come back. Martinis, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Vince Vaughn, and Jon Favreau when they were younger and skinnier, "you're so money!" I love it! So what are you worried about? Afraid your husband will embarrass you on the dance floor?

Oh, wait. You mean the mustaches, jacuzzis, and key parties kind of swinger. Crap. That's a bit more complicated.

Have you considered that your husband is just being a shameless gossip? Yeah, it's not

Ever wonder why you go all day munching on fat-free pretzels and granola yet never seem to lose any weight? Why your tasty yogurt with fruit is leaving you feeling blah and your trail mix has you bloated?

It's because all those healthy things are nothing but junk. Crap. Garbage. They are well-disguised as health foods, I'll give them that, but man are they ever liars. And they know it, too.

I went out and checked labels, read nutrition information, and came up with seven of the worst offenders -- including one or two whose labels are painfully misleading. Put down that sugar-filled energy drink and read on.

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1. Granola bars and trail mix are the quintessential health food. But most granola these days are packed with salt, sugar, and fat. Basically, if it tastes good and comes in a package, it's bad for you.
2. Pretzels are better than chips, but they are also nutritionally empty and made from