Blog Posts by Redbook

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Is it really possible for a guy to be best friends with a girl? I've been dating a guy for several months now and we live together with 3 other roommates in a big house. One of those roommates happens to be his best friend, a girl he's lived with before. They both claim that they've never been anything more than friends, have never even kissed I have nothing against her; we get along fine. But the way they act around each other is unlike any guy-girl friendship I've ever seen.

Related: The 5 Outfits Guys Secretly Hope You'll Wear

He calls her "baby" and other pet names, and comments on how "cute" and "amazing" she looks in her bikini. I've been honest with both of them about how I feel about their friendship. I'm just wondering if I'm the idiot here for being blind to something that's actually there, or if I'm really just getting worked up over nothing. Help!

Related: Easy Ways to Sock Away More Money This Year

DEAR REDBOOK READER:

Uhhh...

Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "Is My Guy's Relationship with His Female Friend Appropriate?"

By Charlotte Anderson, REDBOOK

Every morning at our house begins the exact same way: the great shoe hunt.

Despite having perfectly adorable little shoe cubbies with each child's name hand-lettered on their box and despite many, many admonitions from me to put away their shoes, the cubbies remain empty and we've hit the grocery store in mismatched shoes more times than I count.

Related: Easy Ways to Sock Away More Money this Year

Why? Because, like my friend Melissa says, "Once you have kids you can never again use the logic 'well it didn't just sprout legs and walk off did it?' when talking about a missing item." Kids have legs. And hands. And a serious penchant for "reorganizing" everything you own. But when a stranger complimented my "quirky cute" shoe choice the other day it made me realize that maybe I'm not fully appreciating my kids.

1. Nothing is ever where you set it down. Including the children.
Silver Lining: Treasure hunt! You might even find

Read More »from Top 10 Annoying Kid Habits (And Why They're Not So Bad)

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Why does my husband always say I look most amazing when I don't have a stitch of makeup on, but when he's watching TV or is somewhere naughty for a bachelor party, he thinks the overly made-up, fake-looking women are hot?


Related: The 5 Outfits Guys Secretly Hope You'll Wear

DEAR REDBOOK READER:

You answered your own question. The strippers look "hot," and you look "beautiful." See the difference? Guys can like both looks in very different ways and at very different times. I don't know if this is true for your husband, but a lot of guys have trouble seeing their wives in the same overtly sexual way they see strippers. It's the Madonna/w---- thing that freaks guys out. Their wives are "Madonnas," sacred and pristine, while strippers and the like, are "w----s," and the focus of sexual wants and desires. And, sadly, never the twain shall meet.

Related: 5 Dresses Every Woman Should Own

I don't think it's particularly healthy to think of some

Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "How Can My Husband Find Strippers Attractive AND Me?"

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Why does my guy hate PDA? And no, I don't mean making out in public- I don't like that either. I mean simple things like holding hands, hugging, and maybe a quick peck here and there.

Related: 30 Days to a Better Husband

Sometimes while we're out together with other people around, I try to give him a quick kiss just so he knows I'm enjoying the moment. But he pulls away and say things like, "Not right now." When I try to hold hands while we're walking, it never lasts more than a minute, then he lets go. Sometimes he'll put his arm around me in a not-so-public setting, like in his living room or with his family, but as soon as a family member walks into the room, he quickly removes it as if he's afraid to get caught. We've been dating for almost two years, and this still bothers me. It feels like a rejection. I haven't really brought up the subject with him to avoid starting an unnecessary argument, but if I were to, what's the best way to

Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "Help! My Guy Hates Affection in Public!"

Don't put away your hot-weather pieces just yet. Here are three that, with our tweaks, can last you through the fall.

The Sundress

1. Add a tank with thicker straps and a cardigan in a rich fall color to mellow the summertime vibe of this dress.

Classic tank, Jockey, $12; jockey.com. Cardigan, New York & Company, $35; nyandcompany.com. Bow flats, Bitten Sarah Jessica Parker, $9; Steve & Barry's, bittensjp.com for store info. Rosette belt, J.Crew, $38; jcrew.com.

2.Reduce the chill factor (and up the cool factor) by wearing a sundress with a leather jacket, opaque tights, and a scarf -- or two!

Jacket, Edie Rose for DKNY Jeans, $98; Dillards, Macy's, 800-777-4524 for store info, dknyjeans.com. Tights, Kushyfoot, $8; kushyfoot.com. "Viper" heels, Nina, $90; ninashoes.com. "Sandrine Dot" scarf, Banana Republic, $49; bananarepublic.com. Skinny scarf, L. Erickson, $28; franceluxe.com. Wristlet, Express, $40; select Express stores. Bracelet, Ted Rossi, $118; tedrossi.com.

Read More »from 3 Ways to Move Summer Fashion to Fall

Hit your local farmers' market during your walk to pick up the last of summer's bounty and the first tastes of autumn. Then try your delicious finds in these recipes.

Barbecued Chicken with Corn Salad

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 red or green jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed
1 Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks
1⁄2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 (5-oz) bag baby-spinach-and-radicchio salad blend
1 store-bought barbecued chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, jalapeno, salt, and pepper.

2. Cut off kernels from corn; add to dressing in bowl with avocado, tomato, onion, and basil leaves; toss to combine.

3. Arrange spinach-radicchio salad on a serving platter and top with corn salad. Place

Read More »from 5 Ways to Celebrate Indian Summer

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

Saying "crap," "butt," and "the f-word" (i.e. "fart") would all get me a stern lecture and a time-out in my house growing up. Any real curse words and my mom would bring out the soap. These days, my kids say "butt" all the time, and I just kinda laugh remembering how rebellious I felt whispering it as a kid. I mean seriously-butt?! With sassy kids everywhere on TV and the red carpet, it seems like lots of words that we'd never have been allowed to say are being uttered with impunity. But an incident at the park recently had me rethinking the "cuteness" when my husband asked a group of kids to stop saying "f***" and "b****" in front of our young children. Not only did they not stop, but their parents cursed us out too telling us we needed to "f****** chill out. They're just words."

Related: 8 Grown-Up Uses for Kiddie Stuff

Do I need to chill out or is swearing still considered bad? I asked mommies around the country to tell me the

Read More »from The Great Mom Debate: Is Swearing Still Considered Bad?

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

One mom forces her daughter to dance through a painful injury. Another mom brings her daughter to the dance studio at 7 a.m. and doesn't let her leave until 11 p.m. Then there's the competition where they tart all their 8-year-olds up like Vegas showgirls and then get all faux-concerned when the crowd is horrified when the second-graders do stripper squats with their legs open. The moms backstab, the teacher is certifiable and the kids are so so cute. Another day, just another trashy reality TV show, right?

Related: OMG! Shocking Kid News

I watch Lifetime's new series Dance Moms for the same reason I watch Teen Mom: Because they never fail to make me feel like the world's best parent. (And also because it's hard to look away from a train wreck.) But it's really the superiority complex that keeps me coming back. Until this morning, that is.

A fellow mom friend and I were chuckling in horror over these obviously sad and

Read More »from 'Dance Moms' Asks 'Where is the Line Between Your Dream and Your Child's'?