86,000 Trip and Fall Over Pets

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report saying that over 86,000 fall injuries occur from people tripping over their pets. You have to imagine that if this is the reported number, there's probably tens of thousands more that aren't reported. The report says that 88 percent of injuries involved dogs: falling when walking them, tripping over them, getting dragged or pulled down by them, or stumbling on a food dish or toy. For cats, the report suggests that most falls occur when the owners are chasing them (no specifics on why the owners were chasing them). Lastly, women were twice as likely to be injured as men.

Growing up with dogs, I have to admit that I too have tripped over a pooch a few times, fortunately never causing any kind of injury. Have you injured yourself tripping over your pet? Willing to share your story? Stay safe out there.

Wacky Tax Write Offs

We're rounding the final countdown for tax season. If you're getting your books squared away this weekend, be sure to read this article on the 9 wackiest tax deductions for 2009 from BankRate.com. Now, these didn't necessarily work, it's just what some taxpayers attempted to write off. For example, one accountant noted a client had a check for over $2,000 written to a gynecologist. It was classified on the business books as 'repairs and maintenance.' Another out-there attempt has been from some animal lovers. The article mentions one pet lover who claimed his dog as a dependent, another who attempted to write off the dog food for his "home security system," and yet another who claimed Fido as a landscaping subcontractor. Got to admit, these are some pretty creative deduction attempts.

What's the craziest thing you've ever been able to write off? Click here to read the complete aritcle.

Get Help from a Romance Decorator

Ready to plan the perfect romantic evening, but you're struggling with the details? You know you want Champagne and maybe chocolate strawberries, but then you go blank. That's fine. That's where the help of someone like Mary Chatman comes in. Chatman is the founder of Creations of Love, a romantic decorating company ready to romanticize your place. Creations of Love will supply all the materials and decorate with a variety of items including fresh rose petals trails, aromatherapy candles, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate truffles and more. Clients can pick the details of what they're looking for and Creations of Love will do the rest and offer a variety of packages. They currently operate in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York. If you're out of those areas don't worry, they also offer DIY packages. Check out their website (www.creationsofloveinc.com) for more information.

When was the last time you romantically decorated (or had someone decorate) your place?

Can Having a Kid Help Your Marriage?

The short answer: No. Brian Doss, a professor of psychology and his team at the University of Denver just published their findings in the current "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology." For the study, 218 couples were tracked over an eight-year period, comparing pre-birth and post-birth behavior patterns and how the arrival of the baby directly affected the relationship between the father and mother. Sure, having a baby can bring tremendous joy to a couple's life, but for most couples, Doss found that having a first child resulted in more marital problems. He says in a video that existing problems become exacerbated with the arrival of a new child. The article states that the birth of the first baby was followed by more problems in communication, decreases in couples' confidence that the marriage would last and declines in couples' overall satisfaction with the marriage. A really interesting finding was that mothers who gave birth to girls showed larger drops in marital satisfaction. Doss thinks this may be a result of fewer husbands being involved in the childcare tasks of girls compared to boys.

This is obviously not a study that will prevent people from having kids, but for the (hopefully) few couples out there who think having a kid will wash away their existing problems, the Doss's team has determined that a new child would most likely make them worse. Read the complete article here.

Sex Therapist Explains Men

AOL interviewed sex therapist Ian Kerner asking him many questions about men. For example, Ian explains how men do like to nonsexual physical affection, then dishes on why men, then, don't cuddle after sex. He reasons that while men would like to, it's that they have other things they'd rather be doing like checking e-mail. Ian also says men find relationship routines boring--even describing it as prison. In terms of men being into porn, Ian explains it's nothing to worry about, saying "We really prefer being with an actual woman." If you'd like to read the entire interview, click here.

Don't Waste Money on These Things

SmartMoney.com has run a story of 7 things that you're wasting money on. Times are tough and we know a lot of you are looking to save a few bucks here and there. So where are you wasting money? The seven places they mention are bottled water, extended warranties, gym memberships, overdraft fees, organic produce, auto insurance, and music downloads. There's definitely money to be saved in each of these and SmartMoney breaks down an estimate of how much money you could save. There are obviously many variables to consider here. Some other items we'd like to add to this list are eating out, coffee runs, entertainment expenses, alcohol and movie rentals. Another thing is to be more thoughtful and plan ahead. For example, if you're going to run errands on the weekend, map out where you need to travel and make sure you take the most direct route. This will save not just time, but gas, which we know is money. Please go on the message boards and share your tips.

Drink With Friends...It's Good for You

Nearly 20,000 Japanese men were asked about their alcohol consumption and drinking environment over the span of more than 9 years by researchers from Osaka University. What these Japanese researchers found was that light to moderat drinking aligned with reduced risks of stroke and heart disease, and the effect was more pronounced in men with high levels of social support. One researcher believe the social support prevented unhealthy behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering. Moderate consumption was rated as less than 299 grams per week. Over 300 grams was shown to increase the risk of a stroke. Another interesting tidbit was that heavy drinkers were also more likely to not be married! So grab your spouse, find some friends and enjoy some moderate drinking. Cheers!

Outdoor Lovin'

Are you looking to add some serious spice to your marriage? Check out this website called Outdoor Lovemap. It is what it sounds like, a map of places around the world to make love. Of course, you could get into legal trouble if you're in a spot you're not supposed to be in and this website doesn't seem like it takes any of that information into account. It's basically a user-generated map that grades sites on a five-star system of privacy, comfort and legality. Each site is also given a description of the location. Last month, the site cracked 100 locations. Click here to check out the map.

10 Ways to be Happy in Marriage

Everyone has their tricks to maintaining a happy and successful marriage. The Seattle Times offers a list of 10 things you can do to be happy in marriage. Here are a couple fo highlights:

1. Talk about the important stuff. Most couples spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning for their relationship. Create a relationship vision by asking: "If we could have it exactly like we want, how would it be?"

2. Listen to the heart more than you listen to the words. Focusing on the words can lead to endless and meaningless debate: "No, that did not happen on Tuesday, it happened on Monday!"

3. Don't be a Darren Stevens. In the old sitcom "Bewitched," Samantha merely had to wiggle her nose to make incredible things happen. Darren was always trying to get her to stop using her magical powers.

Even as a little kid, I thought the guy was nuts. He could have had anything he wanted. Instead he tried to get Sam to stifle her gifts. Encourage your partner in her gifts.

4. Don't assume that just because you are married, you know how to be married. Pay attention to what works for other couples. Read all you can. Go to seminars. Find a coach. It's a lot less expensive than divorce, financially and emotionally.

We especially agree with that last item, which is why we exist. Tell your friends if they're looking for some good reading material, we're here to help.

Sex Patch for Women Doesn't Work

Procter & Gamble has created a patch called Intrinsa that increases testosterone levels in women. The patches were denied use in the U.S. back in 2004, but have been used in London. A review released on Tuesday found that the patches appear to not do much to boost a woman's sex drive after menopause and their long-term safety is unclear. The trials were conducted on 4,000 women and only lasted for six months, which is why long-term effects are still unknown. Some women did report small improvements in their sex drive, but so did others who were recieving a placebo. I guess to boost the sex drive it's back to Marvin Gaye. Click here to read the complete article.