Blog Posts by The_Stir

winterSince there's no avoiding it, let's just all agree that winter is well on its way. And coming along with it? A darker, drearier cold weather wardrobe. It's a big bummer, but it's true. Seems like all the stores have ditched their prettier, eye-popping color for the warmer, richer winter tones. But just because the stores are doing it doesn't mean we have to, too.

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Forget your basic black, gray, and brown -- it's time you reintroduced some color into your collection. Who cares if the weather outside is frightful (um, hi, nor'easter??), your fashion sense is certainly not, so don't be afraid to punch up your style and splash some bright, flashy hues into the mix. Of course, I'm not suggesting you head outside in all-out neon. No, just a touch of color here and a touch of color there will do the trick nicely. In fact, we scoured the web for seven ways to spruce up your tired winter wardrobe. So sit

Miley CyrusVictoria's Secret model Candice Swanepoel recently uploaded a photo of herself -- or rather her stomach -- looking a bit, shall we say, concave? Yeah, she looked like a melon that had just had its innards scraped out. Apparently this is a much desired look, with celebs like Miley Cyrus, Heidi Klum, Kelly Osbourne and LeAnn Rimes showing off their "concave" bellies. I guess it's not enough now to just have a flat belly, or a belly with washboard abs, anymore. Oh no! Now you've got to look like your belly has been hanging out in Ethiopia for the past few months.

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I really don't know how people get concave bellies, but here's some guesses:

- Not eating. That's a big one.

- Genetics. I imagine like outie belly buttons, some people just naturally incline towards the concave look.

- Photographing yourself from the right angle. Usually the concave belly shots are taken from

closetBetween work, taking care of our families, and maintaining some semblance of a social life, there's really not much time to hit the stores hard for some shopping. Not to mention, the holidays are headed our way (anybody else not planned their Thanksgiving dinner yet? Or is that just me?), so there's no chance in hell we'll be caught dead in a shopping mall anytime soon. With all the added stress of this season, it's no surprise that many of us are living in a state of emergency when it comes to our clothes. Like, how many times can I wear this sweater before people start noticing?

More from The Stir: 7 Colorful Ways to Brighten Your Dark Winter Wardrobe (PHOTOS)

If you are struggling with your style (like I am), listen up. There's a simple, chic, and wallet-friendly way to give your wardrobe an upgrade. It's true. You can make last year's duds look brand spankin' new. And now, for the proof ... Take a look at the five hottest tips for recycling the clothes in your closet.

baby toyConfession time! When my daughter was a baby, it was hard to resist buying her toys. Go ahead and shake your head at what a waste that is because babies are perfectly happy with a bunch of measuring cups, but there it is. Baby toys are hard to resist because they are so darn cute!

But here's the other thing you learn about baby toys as the pile starts building up in your living room, er, baby's nursery. As cute as they are, they are 10 times more annoying.

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User GaryDuder lamented in a letter to toy manufacturers on Reddit this week that he's sick and tired of all the toys that play just a snippet of a song before you have to start it all over again.

I feel his pain. My daughter had a toothbrush that would play just a few stanzas of the song from Thomas the Tank Engine over and over and over again. We never got past "shunting trucks and hauling freight." I wouldn't wish the mind-numbing pain of listening to that

baby laughingSee? Even she thinks it's funny!Before I became a mom -- no, actually, before I started working at what some refer to as a "mommy blog" -- I was blissfully unaware of parenting terminology. I naively assumed that when you have a baby, you simply become a mom. And when you become a mom, you simply "parent" your child. End of story. Have a nice day. I didn't realize there were all these words and titles for what kind of parent you are and how you choose to raise your little one. I just figured that some parents are similar, and some are different. They're all under the same general umbrella, though: Parents.

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Needless to say, I was wrong. Ho-ho-hooo so wrong. There are lots of words to describe how you are/what you're doing. And just between you and me, they can get a little ridiculous. Raise your kid how you want, man; no judging here. But do we really need a (silly) word for every single thing?

Here are 5

Bad dates are like acne - we've all been through them, we've all managed to get past them, and they sometimes leave us a little scarred.

Like the guy I met out for pizza who spent the entire meal arranging and rearranging the silverware while he blathered on about some "online gaming guild," in which he, apparently, had quite the presence. I lost myself in staring at other customers and willing my phone to ring to get me the heck out of there before I went into a coma.

But when you're stuck in the middle of a bad date, how do you handle it? Do you retreat? Do you stay? Do you go?

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Here are some tips on how to handle a bad date.

1) Before jumping to major conclusions about the guy, the date, his outfit, his choice of restaurant, be a little open-minded. First impressions are something, but they are, by no means, everything.

2) Be laid-back about it - it's a couple of

shotsWhen the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, it's like, we've got no place to go, so let it snow, let it snow, let it effing snow, am I right? But when you're done staring at the fireplace, and it's been three days and you haven't left the house, it's time to spice things up. Just say "no" to boredom and just say "yes" to sex. Or something like that. But basically, yeah, that's the gist. Sex.

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So! Here are 5 ways to rekindle your sexy-time romance when winter weather keeps you all cooped up for days, and days, and days ...

1. Haven't exercised in a week and feel the need to break a sweat? Light a few candles, open a bottle of bourbon, and bust out the Twister board. You can either play Strip Twister, in which you need to remove an article of clothing every time you mess up, or just cut to the chase and play Naked Twister. Let the games begin!
2. You have lingerie. You do. So you need to

heartIt's a question we've all asked ourselves: Could I forgive someone who cheated on me? Many will not hesitate to say they would kick the jerk to the curb, but is that really so easy, even in the face of betrayal? No it's not. Robert Pattinson is a prime example of that.

A lot of fans are wondering how he could go back to Kristen Stewart after her affair. As far as the world was concerned, he should have kicked her to the curb for that fling. But that isn't always the first move when you are talking about a long-term relationship.

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While some people may think Rob is nuts for reconciling with the viciously dubbed "twi-harlett," it's easy to see why he didn't. It's hard to let go when there is still a lot of love there. Ending the relationship may not be the right choice for many reasons. Now some people in your life will criticize that decision, but bottom line is it's not their choice. It's yours. So here are five