Blog Posts by Cosmopolitan.com

On a bad date? Let him down easy.Unfortunately, disaster dates happen. But when you're stuck on one, what the eff are you supposed to do? We tapped relationship expert, Rachel DeAlto, for her savvy tips on how to get out of a bad date ASAP (without hurting his feelings).

By Dara Adeeyo

Create a Deadline
You'll know in seconds if you're interested, so if you're not feeling it, or just realized he's totally weird, set a deadline at the start of the date with an excuse. Try saying something like, "I'm so sorry. I can only stay a half hour. I completely forgot that I promised my friend I would let her dog out by [insert time here]."

Plant a Phone Call
It's an old trick, but it works. Have a friend call you 30-40 minutes into the date. lf the date is going badly, pretend that they need your help immediately (with a work crisis, relationship issue, etc.).

Related: What His Dating Style Means

Play Sick
He's not going to know you're faking it if you suddenly feel "nauseous." Excuse yourself to

You know you and your man are ready to get married when...When Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds secretly tied the knot, we were thrilled. But still, Blake is only 25-a little on the young side. So we got a bit curious and asked the experts for signs that let you know you're ready to get married. Be sure you check these off before you walk down the aisle.

By Annie Daly

1. You've Dated Around
We're not saying you have to pull a Jen Aniston and go through tons of dudes before you find The One. But having a few solid long term relationships under your belt does help you figure out what qualities are important to you and what makes a relationship work-so you truly appreciate your future hubs when you find him.

2. You Share Similar Goals
Let's say he wants to do the suburbia thing stat, while you'd love to travel the globe for a few years. If you get hitched, one of you will end up disappointed...you're in separate mind-sets right now and prioritize different things. Settle down with a man you're more or less on the same page

Put down the remote!Been kinda annoyed with your man lately? You might want to watch less TV.

By Korin Miller

A new study from Albion College found that the more realistic people think their favorite TV characters' love lives are, the less likely they are to be happy with their own relationships.

Related: How to Get Back With Your Ex

Researchers interviewed more than 390 married couples for the study, and asked them questions about how satisfied they were with their relationship, what they expected from the relationship, how committed they felt to each other, how realistic they thought certain TV romances were, and how often they watched TV.

Related: How to Get Out of a Bad Date

What they found: The more a person believed a TV romance was realistic, the more they thought they were sacrificing a lot in their own relationship, like giving up their personal freedom. They also were more likely to zero in on their spouse's unattractive qualities and thought other people were more attractive in comparison.

Stop spending all your extra change!According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 40 percent of 18-34-year-olds are living paycheck to paycheck-and it's even higher for women. Uggghhh. Since hoarding cash is about as fun as doing your tax return, we got experts to spill on little ways you can save cash...without screwing with your life.

By Korin Miller

1. Swap With Your Friends
Know that top that you bought months ago that you've worn once and just aren't into for some random reason? Yeah, your friends have those, too. So organize a clothing swap. Here's how it works: Everyone brings a bunch of clothes that they want to get rid of and you all trade. Have your buddies BYOB as well to give it a fun party atmosphere. You can also do it online at sites like SwapStyle.com, DignSwap.com, and RehashClothes.com.

2. Group Shop
If you have a close group of friends who share the same style (and size), consider chipping in to buy one awesome thing together (a slightly out of your budget pair of heels, a killer dress, etc.) each season

His parents will love you as much as he does.We're seriously impressed by how Taylor Swift has quickly won the hearts of the Kennedy clan since she began dating Conor Kennedy. His cousin Patrick went as far as to say, "If she wants to be in the family, she's already a part of it." Pull the same thing off when you meet your man's parents for the first time with these brilliant tips.

By Amary Wiggin

Bring a housewarming gift.
It's etiquette 101, so even if your guy says his folks don't expect you to, don't show up empty-handed. If you're just going over for dinner, bring flowers, dessert, or bottle of wine. For longer stays, consider chocolates or a book about something that interests them.

Follow the dress code.
If his family tends to be formal, ditch the skinny-jeans-plus-graphic-tee combo and rock a knee-skimming dress or skirt with a non-cleavage-baring top, says relationship expert Karen Sherman, PhD. And if you're not sure what their style is, play it safe by going conservative.

Flatter his mom's good taste.
You're on her

The guys dish romance advice women need to hear.When it comes to figuring out the opposite sex sometimes it pays to go straight to the source. We got real men to answer the eternal question, "What the eff is he thinking?!" on matters of dating, relationships, sex and everything in between. Check out their awesome relationship advice for women.

By Lauren Otis

1. "Just because I haven't texted you back immediately does not mean I no longer like you-or want to break up with you. Sometimes we just have other things going on at the time, or we don't want to seem too overeager. Sometimes I'll text before I jump on a subway home and am stuck underground for an hour." -Alex S.

2. "It's really attractive when a girl takes initiative in bed; a guy won't think any less of you. It doesn't always need to be a tit for tat thing with giving and receiving. The norm of so many of my relationships has been doing 80 percent of the work and taking 80 percent of the initiative in the bedroom. I can't explain how refreshing it is when it feels like

Science supports the over-indulgence of this.Need a boost? According to new research, some foods have the same effect on your bod as taking a prescription mood-enhancing drug. Nutritionists swear these foods can make you feel awesome. Um...feeling happier just by eating? Oh, we're in.

By Korin Miller

Dark Chocolate
Not only is it delish, dark chocolate is high in magnesium, a mineral that calms your muscles and reduces anxiety. It also contains tryptophan, which helps reduce symptoms of depression.

Salmon...
...and walnuts-these foods are packed with omega-3s, which help fight off depression and mood swings. Bonus: They can also help improve your memory and focus.

Spinach
This leafy green is stocked with folic acid, a B vitamin that has been found to boost your mood. It's also an antioxidant that works to protect your brain cells from free radicals, which can lead to low energy and mood swings.

Chicken
This white meat contains B12, a vitamin that helps calm your bod (on the flip side, low B12

The mystery of where the baby weight goes is finally solved.We LOLed when we read that Jessica Simpson thought her pregnancy weight would disappear after her baby was born. No doubt, it's no fun to lose baby weight, but we were surprised that she thought it would just go away. Turns out, some of it does disappear. Curious to know where baby weight goes, we got Cosmo Radio women's health expert Jennifer Wider, MD, to break it down for us.

By Korin Miller

The Baby: 7.5 Pounds
Pregnancy weight gain varies from woman to woman. But the average total is 30 pounds per pregnancy-and 7.5 of that is baby, which does go away once the little one comes out.

Placenta: 1.5 Pounds
The placenta connects the developing fetus to your uterine wall, and it comes out when you give birth, too.

Your Blood: 4 Pounds
When you're pregnant, your body produces more blood to help the baby grow and keep you healthy.

Your Uterus: 2 Pounds
During pregnancy, your uterus is about 15 times heavier than usual. After the baby comes out, it slowly shrinks back.

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