Blog Posts by YourTango.com

Breaking up and starting over with a canine in tow.I wasn't ready. No one is ever ready. But my live-in boyfriend at the time kept sending me the links from Petfinder. The pictures were all adorable. They all needed a home. They all stared back with eyes that said "please adopt me." The more I stared at these images, the more I began to consider it. I thought, hey, if we can do this together, share the cost, hire a dog walker, and forgo the housetraining thing with an adult dog, how hard could this be?

The adoption agencies were tough. The initial paperwork aimed at weeding out the weak with questions like "what percentage of your annual income will you spend on dog food?" The people in charge of the adoption groups were crazy; crazy to the point where the mailbox at the "interview" house was shaped like a Boston terrier. I have no idea how, but we made it through. We had a brief introduction to the actual dog candidate (who was amazingly adorable), but the final meeting was more paperwork, ending with the awkward question: "If the

Read More »from Why a Dog Taught Me About Love

This is my 'dream man' according to iDreamofU.com.As someone who loved the movie Lars and the Real Girl, I was excited to see that there's finally a website where you can create your perfect man. Because we all secretly want perfection, right? Adorable flaws are so last week.

Online dating/procrastination site iDreamofU.com allows you to "build your own Christian Grey" (their lingo, not ours), choosing which features - facial shape, eye color, the works - you find most attractive, and then matching you with a real, live individual who looks like the dream guy you've created (I have a lot of doubts about the accuracy of this: Someone want to be a guinea pig?) Sound creepy? Well, based on the guy it built for me based on my preferences, it is. Just look at him. You can also either choose from hundreds of "Everyday Matches" or "Almost Famous Faces" if you lack the creativity to build your own perfect-looking being from scratch. Also Read: Blind Gossip: Which 2 Stars Can't Be Left Alone Together?

But before you start thinking this is

Read More »from A Creepy New Dating Website Lets Women Build the Man of Their Dreams from Scratch

Dating and relationships can be tough to navigate. You want to meet the right man for you, but you fear that your high expectations are setting you on a course towards failure and loneliness. Can you truly hold onto what you're looking for in a relationship without driving men away? Is there a way to really "have it all?"

In this video, relationship coach and YourTango Expert Joe Amoia says that you don't have to lower your expectations to find happiness. Rather, replace the word "expectations" with the word "standards." "Instead of having expectations," says Amoia, "you have standards ... you now have a certain level that a man needs to live up to." Also Read: Why Can't I Find A Relationship? [VIDEO]

Want to learn more? Watch the video above.

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Read More »from VIDEO: Should I Lower My Expectations About Men?

How to win the wedding guest of the year award—without sacrificing your own health and happiness.In the now-classic wedding flick The Wedding Crashers, Vince Vaughn says to Owen Wilson "What do you like better, Christmas or Wedding Season?"

It's a tough call. Who doesn't love months of catching up with old friends over cocktails, dancing and declarations of love? But being a wedding guest isn't all bouquets and butterflies. Here are seven health hazards to be aware of, especially if your wedding season calendar is packed tighter than Vaughn and Wilson's.

Health Hazard #1: Drinking The Open Bar Dry
Sometimes, being around our old friends makes us want to indulge in younger behaviors, including binge drinking. But just like in college, hangovers aren't fun-and drinking too much can get you into more trouble than a headache and queasy stomach, especially if you're keeping up with your date.

"Alcohol can affect women and men differently. Women [often] become more impaired," Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Body for Life for Women says. So think before you drink, she says: "Remember

Read More »from Hooking Up, Feeling Jealous, and More Things You Should Avoid During Wedding Season

When a pet dies, it can feel like losing a friend. Here are five ways to cope with the grief. Max went missing on my birthday. One minute he was begging for breakfast and the next minute he was gone, out a door accidently left ajar.

What does your heart do to heal when the friend you lost was packaged in fur and sported a tail? If you are a pet owner, you know in your head that your pet's life will probably be shorter than yours, yet the magnitude of their loss can be overwhelming. If your heart is filled with sadness from such a loss, here are five ways to find comfort and give you back some peace of mind.

1. The magnitude of your loss becomes real. In my case, Max was a wild, orange rebel given to biting and leaping onto my indoor hanging baskets to flatten the flowers and swing for the hell of it. The only way I could brush him was to feed him the tail of his catnip mouse as a distraction and brush fast.

There is no good reason why I loved him so much. I just did. When he went missing, I was inconsolable. My heart knew this loss was a big one. You will know too, if

Read More »from Tips for Coping with the Loss of a Pet

Tips for telling if you're dating a foot fetishist and how you should handle it.I guess I'm what you'd call a foot fetishist, although this designation is more complex than you probably think. Most foot fetishists are not perverts, sexual deviants, or anything to be afraid of.

From what I've seen, public mentions of the phrase "foot fetish" are generally followed by giggles and a short discussion of some guy on the news who got arrested for hiding under strange women's cars so he could get a brief lick of their feet while they loaded groceries into the trunk. (That's the media for you.) And apparently there really are guys who subscribe to websites like Footsie Babes and attend local "foot parties." But, like any other sexual passion, there are many levels of enthusiasm, and those guys are the extreme.

Most of us foot-lovers enjoy regular sexual practices just as much as any other guy, and we do care about the rest of your body. However, the enthusiasm for you below the ankle is still there, and because of the social implications of having a "foot fetish," many

Read More »from How to Love a Man Who Loves Your Feet: Tips for Dating a Foot Fetishist

Take care of the essentials before you bask in the glory of doing absolutely nothing.Whether you're single or with your partner, when you're on the way to a much-deserved vacation from work, the last thing you want to think is stuff like, "Dammit, I wish I'd remembered to wax my bikini zone." Luckily for you, we've compiled a handy list of beauty rituals to take out the stress and pressure out of your precious sun-soaking days. Be sure to check off these to-dos before any sexy holiday - you'll thank us later.

Hair Removal
Depending on your personal preferences, hair removal while out of town can be a huge time consumer. Surely you don't want to waste your well-earned days off stopping at an unfamiliar salon to get your waxing done or staying in the shower longer than needed to shave. If you fancy having hair-free legs and a smooth bikini line, go for a more long-lasting option such as waxing or cream hair removal a day or two prior to departing, so you can get any redness out of the way. You'll love both the smooth silkiness and the lack of another daily beauty

Read More »from Going on Vacation? Make Yourself Glam with These 4 Pre-Trip Beauty Rituals

You're deeply in love with your husband. But lately, you feel like he doesn't need you as much as he used to. You're beginning to feel insignificant to his life, and you don't know whether this is common or whether this is grounds to make you leave the relationship. How can you assess what is "normal" for you?

In this video, therapist, relationship coach and YourTango Expert Dr. Joe Kort reinforces the differentiation between men and women. In general, men prefer to have more separateness and distance in a relationship while usually, women crave more togetherness and intimacy. The key to solving this issue is to talk with your spouse about whether his distancing is a positive or negative change to your relationship.

Dr. Kort asks, "Have you changed that you've noticed your needs have gone up? Or is it that he's changed and you've noticed he needs you less? That's not necessarily a negative indicator." Also Read: How Do You Know If Your Relationship Is In Trouble? [VIDEO]

Want to

Read More »from VIDEO: Help! I Feel like My Husband Doesn't Need Me; Should I Leave?