Blog Posts by Redbook

By Carmen Staicer, REDBOOK

Mom and kids.Being a mom of a larger-than-typical-size family is many things. It's crazy; it's tiring; it's always interesting. There's never a dull moment - and, often, those exciting moments come when you are out in public with your family. Here are some of the comments I've heard the most often when I'm out with my big brood - and my responses. I'd love it if you'd share yours with us!

1. "Are they all yours?" I'm not sure why you would need to know this, but no, they aren't. When I go to the store, I load up any kids I find in the backyard. It's always exciting to fill up the van. Never know WHO will end up here!

2. "Do they all have the same father?" Again, I'm not sure why you would want to know this, but are you accusing me of something?

3. "Wow! Your hands are full!" Yes, and so is my heart. Besides, many hands make light work, and my hands are only full if the kids don't do their chores.

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4.

Read More »from 10 Things You Should Never Say to a Mom of a Big Family

By Taffy Brodesser-Akner, REDBOOK

two dogs.

Every few weeks, I make the time to talk to my husband, quietly and patiently, about the towel situation, which is this: Whenever he bathes our son, he uses a new towel. He takes it from the linen closet, dries the boy, and puts it on the hook behind our son's door. Instead of reaching for this barely used towel after the next bath, he takes a new one, which he then hangs on top of the previous ones.

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When I talk to him about it, I outline exactly why this makes me so frustrated and ask clearly and lovingly for what I need: For him to remember to bring a towel from our son's bedroom to the bath so there will always be enough clean towels for the rest of us, and we can do laundry less often, which will save us time and money.

Each time we talk, he agrees to my request. So why, when he is caught not doing the very thing he has agreed to do, am I greeted not with an appropriate word like sorry, but with a

Read More »from A Month of No Nagging

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

toddlerToddlers often seem irrational, unreasonable, finicky, and frustrating, but sometimes I think all that screaming would make sense if I had a good interpreter. The next time you feel your blood starting to boil while you wait for "ME DO IT!!" as your toddler attempts to put his or her their shoes for 20 minutes, or "MINE!!" to loosen their grip on the candy you just said they couldn't have, try seeing things from your kid's perspective. It may still be irrational, but at least it will make you smile. And if you do, then they probably will too...hopefully.

1. Don't ask me why I stuck something up my nose. I know there is no good answer to that, but I'll try to come up with a creative reason if you keep pushing. And that one won't make any more sense than "because I could." ("I thought if I put a red pom-pom up my nose it would make me Rudolph!")

2. No means no! It also means 'yes,' 'I think so,' 'maybe,' and 'I need a nap; for the love of Fisher

Read More »from Top 10 Things Toddlers Wish They Could Tell Us

By Tracey Black, REDBOOK

Working mom and baby.Recently, I did something I never thought I'd do. In fact, it was terrified of it for my entire life. I resigned from my full-time management job to spend more time with my kids. I'm still having a hard time saying it because I've always been focused on my career. I thought I'd climb the corporate

ladder and eventually attain an executive position.

Having kids has totally changed my thoughts about working. I used to think it was black and white - work or stay at home; now, I'm seeing all the colors of the rainbow. Work at home, work part time, or learn new skills for a job in the future - as one friend of mine is doing through a yoga teacher certification program. I also know some moms who are taking a break from their careers altogether to spend time at home with their kids.

I was on maternity leave for six months and settled into a routine that allowed me to spend ample time with my kids. While my older boys were in school, I had one-on-one

Read More »from Why I Chose to Give Up My Full-Time Career

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

preg mom

Tweeting, Facebooking, and other social media site-ing are so ubiquitous now that I'll admit my first question upon reading the breathless headlines "Rosie Pope live tweeted her baby's birth!!!" (gasp! choke! cough!) was to wonder who on earth Rosie Pope is. She is apparently a reality TV personality with her own show Pregnant in Heels, and last week she tweeted during her day-long labor and delivery of her new daughter-her husband sent out the last tweet announcing that "Our beautiful princess is born! Mom and baby are doing great!!!"

Just another day in the Overshare Land of the Internet, or was it a social faux pax? News outlets reported public dismay-as evidenced by lots of judge-y tweets and Facebook polls-that people thought the new mom went "too far" in sharing her joy. This surprised me, and not just because my friend just checked in to the hospital to deliver her own munchkin...in real life and on Facebook.

First, Pope

Read More »from Rosie Pope Live Tweeted Her Baby's Birth - Would You?

By REDBOOK

They fell in love. They got married. They gained some weight. Hey, it happens. But a few short months ago, these readers joined REDBOOK's Wedding Dress Challenge and lost it all. Get inspired by the success stories of our 12 incredible shrinking women-and one brave guy-who lost weight and got back into their wedding dresses.



As magazine editors, we've attempted group fitness challenges before. A few of the most motivated women usually have success, while others lose much less or drop out. We can honestly say we've never seen results like this. Every featured participant in our four-month Wedding Dress Challenge met her goal to fit back into her wedding dress -- in fact, at the final photo shoot we had to take in three of the dresses. What made the difference? Having a tangible, reasonable goal. At some point in their adult lives, these women had fit into those white gowns -- and they gave themselves plenty of time to get back there. Following in their footsteps is simple:

Read More »from Wedding Dress Success: They Lost 274 Pounds!

By Amy Shearn, REDBOOK

I was trying to explain the siren call of Pinterest to my husband the other night as I blinked my glazed-over eyes at my laptop. "What is it, even?" he asked. I didn't have a good answer. "It's these…you just pin the things you like…it's for ideas, and pretty pictures, and look - a double-fudge-s'mores-brownie-cake-pop recipe! And look - a gaunt bikini model as diet inspiration! And...uh...I don't know, it's just really - oh look how cute this kid's bedroom is!"

He opined that this sounded a little, well, pointless. I used to think the wildly popular, quickly-growing pinboard site was pointless too, but lately I've come to realize that in reality, Pinterest has actually made me a better mother. Allow me to present my case with the following five items.

An idea from Pinterest.Item 1: Teddy Bear Toast
My 3-year-old daughter doesn't eat. Well, that's an exaggeration. The other day she had a blueberry for breakfast. Today, an entire bite of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That's

Read More »from 5 Ways Pinterest Has Made Me a Better Mom

By Betsy Stephens, REDBOOK

"Most women make the mistake of thinking, If I can't work out for a full hour, why bother?" says Lashaun Dale, co-creator of the REDBOOK/Equinox Body Renewal express class offered in select Equinox gyms this spring. Don't be one of them! Steal one of these genius ideas instead.

Woman stretching.

1. "I run to work. It's four miles from my apartment to a gym near my office. The best part is that I don't have to sacrifice precious mornings with my daughter: I shower quicker at the gym, with no distractions, so I leave home at the usual time." - SAVANNAH STEVENSON, 35, who's lost 20 pounds in 14 weeks

2. "I recruited a bunch of work friends to join the Wedding Dress Challenge with me. There's a gym in our office building, and at the beginning of the week, we put our classes on a calendar, the way we would any other meetings. Then when it's time to go, we'll just show up at each other's desks with our gear. Some days that accountability is just the extra push you need." -

Read More »from 16 Ways to Lose Weight Faster