Blog Posts by Redbook

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Why does my husband ask me over and over and over if I've done something (like pay the phone bill), and then insist he's not nagging?

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DEAR REDBOOK READER:

It sounds like nagging to me. Here's a suggestion to make it stop: Next time he gets up your butt about the phone bill, or whatever, suggest that, if he's so worried things aren't getting done according to his timetable, or standards, he can do them himself. That should quiet Captain Yapster down.

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Need help decoding odd male behavior? Redbook columnist Aaron Traister, who lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two kids, is our resident male who is happy to answer any questions you might have about the mind of a man. Either leave your questions in the comments or email him at redbook@hearst.com with Whys Guy in the subject. Letters, emails, and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "Why Does My Husband Complain So Much?"

By REDBOOK

While some of these styles are pricey, your feet will thank you for them. You can walk, shop, and chase your kids around the park without suffering toe spasms or nearly breaking your ankle with these sensible heels. These are pretty styles to wear literally anywhere.

You'll love them because...

1. The new mid-height heels come in fun patterns and hot colors. They're not your nana's "sensible shoes."

2. They're the perfect partner for those hot-right-now ladylike clothes-and they'll instantly raise the style factor of your go-to pair of jeans.

3. We'd argue that they're much sexier than 6-inch stilettos, which most (honest) men will admit are a little bit frightening.

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• 6 Shocking Reasons Why Men Stray
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• Get More on Love, Family & Fashion - Subscribe to REDBOOK & Save Up to 84%!

Read More »from 12 Cute (and Surprisingly Comfy) Heels

By Karen Karbo, REDBOOK

Q: My baby sister recently found out that her boyfriend is also dating a married woman-who is pregnant with his baby! She won't break up with him, and I know this nightmare love triangle is going to blow up in her face. How can I make her see reason?

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A: I've found that it's impossible to make anyone in love see reason, even when the danger is as obvious as it is in your sister's case. Go ahead and tell her one last time that you are worried about her heart getting totally broken-I don't imagine it'll make her do anything different, but it might make you feel better. But there's a larger, tougher truth here: People need to make their own mistakes, even beloved baby sisters. Toddlers learn to walk by falling down, and your sister is probably about to learn a thing or two about love. All you can truly do is make sure she knows you're there for her. She's going to need you.

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Read More »from It's Complicated: How Do I Save My Sister From Heartbreak?

By Charlotte Hilton Anderson, REDBOOK

"Wook, Mommy! That lady has a puppy in the store!" But the little girl standing behind us at the grocery store was wrong. My son, about 3 at the time, was laying on the floor attached to me by a leash and caterwauling... so more like a cat in my estimation. And he enjoyed being on a leash every bit as much as a cat does, which is to say not at all. The reason he was on the leash -- a blue nylon harness that velcroed around his torso with a strap that I held around my wrist -- was because the last time we went to the store, he took off at warp speed, crawled up inside a clothing rack and hid for 20 minutes while I crawled around on the floor looking for tiny sneakers and getting progressively panickier. Oh and did I mention I was 8 months pregnant at the time? With his 4-year-old brother also in tow? Sprinting after him was not really an option.

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I bought the leash that day and have proudly

Read More »from The Great Mom Debate: Are Leashes for Kids Cruel or Kind?

By Nicole Yorio, REDBOOK

While you may feel guilty, most crushes are totally normal. Here's how to know when you're crossing the "loyalty line" into cheating territory.

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If you pinch your cheeks when the cute UPS guy arrives, your secret is safe with us - and you don't need to feel guilty. "Being attracted to other people after you're taken is normal," says Andrea Syrtash, an advice columnist and author of the new book Cheat on Your Husband (With Your Husband). "Women assume it means something is wrong at home, but I'm happily married and I've had crushes on everyone from the guy who checks me out at the grocery store to coworkers. It's fleeting and fun. We're social animals and need to connect with people." In fact, if you bring home the rush you get from flirty exchanges, your connection with your partner can actually benefit from it. "When you have a crush, it reminds you that you're a sensual, sexy woman, and every one of us Read More »from The Truth About Married Crushes

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Why is my otherwise laid-back husband obsessed with loading the dishwasher a certain way?

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DEAR REDBOOK READER:

All guys have things we think we're good at around the house, and we take our skill set very seriously. I, for instance, am a vacuum fetishist. I vacuum with the precision and artistry of a virtuoso; I let no crumb, raisin, or speck of art-project glitter go un-suctioned. I am to vacuum cleaners as Miles Davis was to trumpets and Picasso was to his paintbrushes. These days, guys know that in order to maintain a more perfect union, we have to take part in housekeeping - so we tend to find an area where we excel and own it. (Also, we want to be a little more self-sufficient than our dads were.) Maybe your husband is an artist in his own right, who just happens to work with a Kenmore.

Related: 5 Things Men Secretly Wish You'd Wear

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Need help decoding

Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "Why Is My Husband Obsessive About Loading the Dishwasher a Certain Way?"

By Lucinda Rosenfeld, REDBOOK

These siblings who compare everything from their kitchen faucets to their cup sizes will make you feel (relatively) normal.

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My two older sisters and I are all undeniably adults now. We have families of our own, careers of our own, homes, cars, mortgages, and lovely gray hairs of our own. We are also close-we talk on the phone or email nearly every day. And yet, the sensation that we're competing against one another for some grand prize has never entirely gone away, and mostly, I feel outranked and outrun. The list of categories is endless. Who has the best marriage/career/figure? Who's the best dressed/the best traveled/the best parent with the smartest/cutest/most gifted and talented kids-as well as the nicest fridge? I've recovered (more or less) from not getting into the Ivy League college attended by my oldest sister, 25 years ago. But the fact that she got her kids into a better elementary school

Read More »from Adult Sibling Rivalry: My Sister, My Frenemy

By Devin Toth, REDBOOK

The key to low-maintenance hair is to embrace your hair's natural texture. If you know what your hair's natural texture is, then you already know its natural style tendencies (i.e. "My hair tends to fall flat!").

From there, it's just a matter of choosing the right haircut that will help your hair do what it does best and choosing hair care products that enhance your hair's natural tendencies rather than downplaying them. Here is the recipe for a low-maintenance haircut that can air-dry.

Low-maintenance hairstyle formula:
Hair texture + proper haircut + tendency-enhancing products = an easy, air-dried style.

High-maintenance hairstyle formula:
Hair texture + improper haircut + products that downplay tendency = a forced style.

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Thin, straight hair likes to stay flat. This type of hair doesn't like to hold volume, so why fight with it? Instead of cutting layers to create volume, you should

Read More »from 3 Low-Maintenance Air-Dry Haircuts