Blog Posts by Redbook

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

The camping trips have finished, and the workbooks have been completed. Drama camp is kaput, and museum ennui has set in for the kids and adults alike. All of my beginning-of-summer enthusiasm has boiled off, leaving me with four very irritable children who are losing IQ points every second. And school is still nearly a month away. (Okay, so it's only two weeks off, but if my kids are entitled to hyperbole-"All we ever do are chores! You just had us so we'd be your slaves!"-then I am too, by golly.)

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For many families, the school year has already started. Whether you wept or cheered at the bus stop that first day, that band-aid has already been ripped off by now. Living in the land of No-School-Before-Labor-Day, I almost want to punch my friends in other states when they call me at 10 o'clock in the morning just because they can without anyone repeating every word they say in a snotty voice.

By Amanda Lynne Freeman, REDBOOK

Amanda Lynne Freeman's guy was a very busy bee before they met - his exploits literally filled a book. Could he truly have let go of his past and become a one-woman guy?

For two nights in 2008, I contemplated stabbing my boyfriend with a tiny needle while he slept, extracting blood, and sending it away to be tested for HIV. I'd purchased the test kit already; it was stashed in the closet. Trey was a deep and dedicated sleeper-he even wore a lavender sleeping mask-so I figured I could get away with it.

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Why would I plot to prick him? I knew far too much about his sexual history. He'd detailed it all on his blog, which I'd started reading soon after our first date, and in books (yes, plural). About six months into our relationship, his latest book came out. He asked me not to read it, but, needless to say, I downloaded an electronic copy as soon as I could, and discovered that aside from having

By REDBOOK

Free yourself from months of lost homework, filthy backpacks, and early-morning scrambles with these 15 order-restoring tricks.

More from REDBOOK:

• Could You Go a Week Without Yelling?
  
• Have the Hottest Sex of Your Life…with Your Husband
  
• 6 Shocking Reasons Why Men Stray

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

By Kayleigh Donahue, REDBOOK

Hours of primping (and an army of primpers) went into these celebrity beauty looks. But honestly, each boils down to one key, supereasy tip. Here's how to do them in no time, with your own two hands.

More from REDBOOK:

• Could You Go a Week Without Yelling?
  
• Have the Hottest Sex of Your Life…with Your Husband
  
• 6 Shocking Reasons Why Men Stray
• 101 Date Night Ideas
• Get More on Love, Family & Fashion - Subscribe to REDBOOK & Save Up to 84%!

Connect with REDBOOK:

• Become our Fan on Facebook
• Sign Up for REDBOOK's Free Weekly Newsletter
• Follow Us on Twitter
• Enter to Win FREE Daily Prizes

Permissions:
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

By Nicole Yorio, REDBOOK

Mornings are never easy, especially when a new school year begins. Here's how to give kids a morning routine and get them out the door on the right foot.

1. Prepare for re-entry.
Have the kids go to bed and wake up earlier for the two weeks before school starts, says Marcella Moran, an organizing expert in Hartsdale, NY. Get them in the habit of laying out their next-day outfits, and pack their lunches the night before. It's the number-one way to chill out family mornings, according to Moran.

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2. Rinse, eat, repeat.
Set a morning schedule for your kids: Hit the bathroom, get dressed, then eat breakfast, suggests Laurie Zelinger, Ph.D., a child psychologist in Cedarhurst, NY: "It gives children a sense of structure and teaches organizational skills."

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3. Reserve some Q.T.
"Get up 20 minutes before your kids so you're

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

I've been seeing my boyfriend for a year, and I still have no clue what he is looking for in our relationship. Since the beginning, when I would bring up our "future," he either avoided the topic or said something like, "Don't worry about the future so much-live in the moment." Now I'm hesitant to press the topic, scared he'd feel pressured and bolt. But I'm wondering if our relationship will progress. I'm not talking marriage, more along the lines of getting a place together...or hell, any tangible reassurance that he is committed. Should I keep "going with the flow," or is there an underlying reason for our lack of forward motion? If I stay in this relationship, will I be stuck sleeping alone 4 out of 7 nights forever?

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DEAR REDBOOK READER:

You haven't told me whether you love the guy. If you love him, put in more work and have the hard conversations, if he cuts bait and runs

By Perri O. Blumberg, REDBOOK

With only three days left to go until Kim Kardashian's wedding extravaganza, we all can't help but wonder what her gown will look like on the big day. Despite Kim being uncharacteristically tight-lipped about her wedding details, she revealed on her blog earlier this month: "Vera [Wang] has been a close family friend of my family a long time, and we had talked about this moment for years! So when it came to picking my wedding dress designer, she was the first person I thought of. No one designs gowns the way she does!" REDBOOK fashion staffers think it would be great if Kim kept her dress classic and sleek, but they have their bets placed on her wearing something really over-the-top.

Related: 3 Ways to Snap Out of An Afternoon Slump

As for her makeup, Kim will rely on Mario Dedivanovic, her right-hand man, to make her shine on her big day. The two have worked together for countless events, and according to interviews with the makeup wiz-who is

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK
After a summer of having all my children underfoot at all times, back-to-school means I finally get to reclaim my sanity (or whatever I have left). This year, my third boy is starting kindergarten which leaves me with just one tot at home full-time. While other moms are sniffling at the bus stop the first day, I'll confess: I wave good-bye with unabandoned glee. "Have fun, sweetie!" I yell but what I really mean is, "Whatever you do, don't get sick so you have to come home early!" Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my kids but I can't miss them if they're never gone. Right? Right.
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Not all moms share my feelings though. As my sister Laura put it, "Really I'm just trading one busyness for another." She has a point. What time was spent over the summer mediating fights between rabid monkeys (I wish I could say that fecal matter was never thrown) is now dedicated to homework, piano lessons and driving