Blog Posts by iVillage

Sexting 101By Kimberly Dawn Neumann

How to send a titillating text without getting caught with your digits showing.


1. Sexting 101
When it comes to "sexting," there is a fine line between fun and filthy, phone-play and phone porn. Done right, however, sexting between two consenting adults can be great foreplay. A press of a button or a stroke of a touchpad and you get instant sexual tension (which will hopefully lead to other kinds of touching later on).

It "can definitely spice up your sex life," says "Texpert" Shawn Marie Edginton, author of Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style. "A good sext is worth a thousand words… without all the talking."

Just use common sense (especially if running for political office) and let the fun begin!

Only sext those with whom you share a committed, trusting, adult relationship. "Otherwise bad breakups can leave your 'personals' exposed for everyone to see on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc…," warns Edginton.

New Year's Eve Style: 10 Star-Stylist Secrets to Dressing For Your ShapeBy Katie Alberts

Not only has celebrity stylist Kithe Brewster worked with stars like Beyonce and Julianne Moore, but the Everyday Health blogger recently lost more than 100 pounds himself -- and is sharing how you can accentuate the positive this New Year's Eve, whatever your shape.





If You Want to Hide Your Hips...1) If You Want to Hide Your Hips...
Try a fit-and-flare silhouette! "I love this sparkly Kevan Hall number on Jordin Sparks -- it hugs and flows in all the right places," celebrity stylist Kithe Brewster says of the cut that's fitted in the bust and forgiving in the hips. "And she scores extra points for keeping her accessories low-key."
Tip! Wearing a sheer "illusion" neckline like Jordin? Pull your hair up to show it off.












If You Want to Keep Your Arms Covered...2) If You Want to Keep Your Arms Covered...
Try sheer sleeves! Don't fuss with a wrap all night or ruin your look with a mismatched cardigan. "Sheer sleeves are the solution for women who don't want to totally bare their arms," says Brewster of this style, worn by Minka Kelly.

FDA: 'Stop Using the Internet to Give Away Your Sperm'By Jill Provost

Just in time for the holidays, a warming story of free love and baby daddies. A San Francisco Bay area man who has fathered 14 kids in the past five years through free sperm donations has been ordered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to knock it off already.

Thirty-six-year-old Trent Arsenault (or, as we prefer to call him, the jizz wiz), donates his seed to woman who are having trouble conceiving on their own and can't afford conventional sperm banks. Most women find him through the Internet via his web site trentdonor.org.

According to the Associated Press, Arsenault is a minister's son who heard about couples' fertility plights at church, and thought it would be a "neat way…to help the community."

But the FDA, who sent Arsenault a cease-and-desist letter last year, doesn't see it that way. Their issue with Johnny Appleseed? They deem his actions unsafe, because he does not follow the agency's requirement to get tested for STDs within

The Best Time to Weigh Yourself, Shave Your Legs and Have SexBy Leslie Goldman

Follow our by-the-clock guide to find the optimal time to take a power nap, squeeze in a workout and more.

1) The Best Time to Weigh Yourself
7 a.m.
People who step on the scale daily lost twice as much weight as those who weigh-in on a weekly basis, research shows. For your truest weight, hop on the scale early in the morning, just after waking up and using the bathroom. Resist the urge to step back on multiple times a day, though, as your weight can fluctuate by up to five pounds during the day depending on what you eat and drink and how active you are. That said, if constantly monitoring your weight makes you feel obsessive or anxious, ditch the scale and rely instead on how your clothing fits -- that's how Kirstie Alley keeps her new 100-pound weight loss in check!

2) The Best Time to Shave Your Legs
8 a.m.
Platelets are a critical component of the blood that allow it to clot when you cut yourself. They're at their stickiest and most abundant early in the

Gail Saltz, MD: Lessen Your Stress and Enjoy the HolidaysBy Gail Saltz, MD
The first step to avoiding emotional landmines is to predict them before they happen.

1) Don't Go There!
It seems that every year the potentially-joyous holiday season inevitably turns stressful. Between getting family together, traveling, shopping, cooking and trying to make everything special, there is so much to do -- and so many emotional blow-ups to avoid. While the holidays can bring back happy childhood memories, they can just as easily be the occasion for behavior patterns that have caused tension in the past. So be prepared. Here's is a list of typical emotional landmines that people stumble upon at this time of year, and the best ways to avoid them, so you can enjoy a more relaxed holiday season.

2) Emotional Landmine No. 1: Are You Taking on Too Much?
Women tend to feel that everything about the holiday rests on our shoulders; we are the doers, the creators, the implementers. And we wonder why we are feeling so overwhelmed? Doing it all is hard, and

Men: By Jill Provost

File this under "survival of the dorkiest."

Finally, a study that explains the mystery of how guys like Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino manage to propagate their, uh, species.

It's no secret that men are terrible at discerning if a woman is interested in them. Smile at a guy and he's ready to take you home to meet his parents (or at least his bedroom). But, according to research in the journal Psychological Science, certain factors make men much more likely to think a woman is hot for him, even when she's not. If you're super pretty, clearly you want him.

Not surprisingly, guys looking for a one-night-stand were more likely to overestimate a woman's desire for them. Men who ranked themselves high in the looks department (Hello, Jersey Shore!) also assumed every female was sweating him. Meanwhile, guys who were actually good-looking (think Ryan Gosling) -- as rated by women -- did not make the same mistake. Perhaps the most confounding finding, however,

What's Keeping You Up? 7 Tips to Sleep Better This Holiday SeasonBy Tracey Marks MD

Ah, the holidays -- the worse time for getting good sleep. Use these tips to combat the most common culprits robbing you of shut eye.

1) Get Ahead of Holiday Stress
You have at least three events you are obligated to attend before Christmas, you're missing quality time with family and close friends, Aunt Bessie insists on smoking in the guest room and you haven't even started any of your gift shopping. Whoa! Holiday stress can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep at night. Instead of fretting, plan ahead and set some limits so you can get to New Year's without losing any sleep. Check your calendar to see how much free time you have before accepting invitations so you don't overbook. Keep a to-do list to stay organized and running efficiently -- scattered details are hard to remember. Assign tasks to your family members to divide and conquer. Have kids? They may like getting their own special to-do list. And before relatives visit, tell them the rules of

20 Healthy and Delicious Snacks to Eat at Your DeskBy Juhie Bhatia

A good-for-you snack at work can provide the energy boost you need to get through the day. Here are some choices that will fill you up without filling you out.

1) Banana and Almond Butter
For a sweet afternoon pick-me-up, registered dietitian Allison J. Stowell suggests having a banana with almond butter. She recommends Justin's All Natural Almond Butter packets (each an individual serving). "Almond butter is a nice alternative to peanut butter and these convenient, affordable packets make it easy," she says. If you prefer to buy a jar of Almond butter, 2 tablespoons is about the same size of a package, which delivers around 200 protein-packed calories.

2) Trail Mix
Trail mix is not only good on a hike; it's a great work snack, too. Stowell suggests making your own. Mix 6 almonds or cashews (or 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds) with 3/4 cup of high-fiber, low-sugar cereal and 2 tablespoons of raisins or unsweetened dried cranberries. "This mix will offer heart-healthy