Blog Posts by The_Stir

Jennifer Aniston and Justin TherouxDid you hear?! Jennifer Aniston is engaged! Ding dong ding!! Okay, I sympathize if you don't give a monkey's arse. I totally get it if you dread seeing every minute detail of her upcoming nuptials and potential reproduction shoved down your throats. But what bothers me is the rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth ageism that Jen's engagement has brought out in people.

Here's just a tiny fraction of the comments on stories about Jen's betrothal:

"Justin got his hooks into a desperate, rich old woman."

More from The Stir: Bride Wears 127-Year-Old Wedding Dress for Good Luck

"She's too self-centered to have children, and she's already 43 years old, kinda old to be a first-time mother."

"Have you seen Jennifer Aniston photos on the news lately? She looks old and ugly."

Woah. Any man on the planet getting married for the second time at 43 years old wouldn't get any of these comments. But Jen really brings out the ageist haters.

Unless your first marriage was in your

While I've often considered a long-term breakup as something quite similar to a divorce, there are a number of complications once you've told the lawmen (or government) that you are, in fact, now married. This isn't to say the feelings and the division of property aren't similar, it's just that it's harder to untangle all the strings when you're getting a divorce.

There are a LOT of things people going through a divorce think. Some funny, some tragic, others somewhere in the middle.

More from The Stir: 10 Ways to Stay Sane During Your Divorce

Here are some of the thoughts that flit through every divorcee's mind:

1) "Is this the right thing to do?" The act of divorcing can leave us overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.

2) "Is this REALLY the right thing?" I'm getting a divorce, which means that I'm currently questioning everything I do, from painting my nails to tucking my kids into bed.

3) "Well, at least I won't have to deal with his mother (or family, as

animal burgerHey, new parents: Did you know you eat more saturated fat than people who don't have kids do? You're shocked, right? There you are, eating your kids' leftover mac and cheese and saying to yourself, "Oh really, I eat more saturated fat, huh. Tell me something I don't already know."

More from The Stir: 100-Calorie Burger Toppings: Are They Worth It?

But there you have it. Science has gone and documented new parents' eating habits and now it's in black and white in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But the good news is, other than the saturated fats, our eating habits are just as bad as everyone else's! Um ... yay? And why saturated fats?

This reminds me of a funny story. I remember how I didn't start losing the baby weight until I stopped eating ice cream every night after dinner. Heh, heh, ice cream and a dictatorial newborn. Those were the days.

But anyway, when it comes to the big picture, how much soda and fast food we eat, how many fruits

There's something so indescribably wonderful about those first days after you learn you're pregnant, don't you think? It's like walking around with a glowing secret inside your body -- no one else knows yet, but you're in the midst of a magical process that will utterly transform your life forever after.

More from The Stir: Pregnant Woman Who Drink 'A Little' Wine Are Asking to Be Judged

Of course, shortly after basking in your newfound status as mama-to-be, it's time to get down to the serious business of adhering to the many guidelines for having a safe and healthy pregnancy. The good news is that there are SO MANY OF THEM nowadays! The bad news is that THEY ALL CONFLICT EACH OTHER.

Don't believe me? Here's a list of recent migraine-inducing pregnancy recommendations, in all their confusing glory:

Eat more salmon! The omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for early fetal development.

No, don't eat salmon! Salmon lowers levels of secretory immunoglobulin-A -- an

nicole fabian-weberI had my daughter a little over three months ago and guess what? I still don't feel totally like myself! I mean, I definitely feel much more "normal" than I did a few months back, but dude, stuff's still going on. Weird stuff. Stuff all those people who were telling me, Think you're tired now? Wait 'til the baby gets here! forgot to fill me in on.

More from The Stir: What to REALLY Expect After You Have the Baby

So let's discuss, ladies, shall we? Let's discuss what the hell is going on with our postnatal bodies/emotions/etc., and when we can expect to feel like ourselves again.

Hair loss. This was something I really wasn't looking forward to when I was pregnant. During the nine months of my gestation -- and probably yours, too -- my normally thin, fine hair was, in a word, awesome. It was thick. It was full. It was manageable as hell. Now? Not so much. I thought I was in the clear, but just a few weeks ago, my hair started falling out in unsettlingly large chunks in

dressesBoys will be boys. Except when they act like girls, that is.

I'm not talking about seeing an icky spider and shrieking in terror like a 6-year-old girl. I'm talking about dressing the part. The recent NY Times article "What's So Bad About a Boy Who Wants to Wear a Dress?" takes a hard look at a seriously tough topic for parents and boys living in today's hetero/homo/metro sexual society.

More from The Stir: The Ridiculous, Top-Volume, Utter Craziness of Life With Boys

The article discusses a number of examples of boys as young as 3 or 4 years old wanting to dress up like girls. Dresses, makeup, high heels, etc. Now, from the dawn of Prada time, little boys have wanted to dress up like their moms. Or at the very least, try on their shoes. Come on, it's like a walking roller coaster, how could they not want to?

Today's problem for parents, though, revolves around boys going way past just trying on mom's pumps. It's boys not wanting to be labeled as boys or girls, but

mac and cheeseAfter a long, full day of being the superwoman that you are, coming up with a quick, tasty, not to mention healthy dinner can feel like a complete and total burden from hell. I don't blame anyone who is tempted to pick up the phone and order takeout, or pack the hubby and kids into the car to go out to eat.

More from The Stir: 4 New Shortcut Ingredients That Making Cooking Dinner a Snap

At the same time, though, there are tons of awesome easy dinner recipes that can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less. Perfect for those nights you really know you should cook, but you wish the prep work was done already. Here, five fast meals your family is sure to love ...

1. Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli - Who doesn't love mac and cheese? There's a reason lots of moms call it a weeknight dinner staple. Rachael Ray's brilliant recipe bulks the traditional dish up with some chicken and broccoli, and you've got a super-filling, incredibly easy to prepare meal that fires on all

Teresa GiudiceWalking out of work I bumped into none other than Real Housewives of New Jersey hell raiser Teresa Giudice. Not surprisingly, she was not excited to take a photo with me which was annoying 'cause hey, you're a reality star. Suck it up. Also, let's talk about my awkward hand. Apparently she didn't want to put her arm around me, so naturally I didn't know WTF to do.

But I'm not that shocked that big T was a big B on the streets. No, what made my jaw drop was Teresa's outfit.

More from The Stir: Kate Upton Proves She's a Genuine Model in Nude Photoshoot

Juicy Joe's leading lady dazzled in her snakesuit jumpsuit. I didn't expect it to look good (um ... who looks good in snakeskin?), but damn, did Teresa wear it well. She styled it with nude stilettos and lots of bling-bling. Full disclosure: I wanted to buy a jumper after our awkward run-in.

Why not mimic her look? Actually, there are a lot of looks worth picking up from that show -- seriously. Here's how to sass up