Love

Annie and Jay-Z were right: it's a hard-knock life. Sure, there are amazing days that make you smile and affirm how fantastic it is to be alive, but some days you can't help but get bogged down in the day-to-day grind and have to fight to be positive. There's work to be done, to-do items to be checked, bills to pay and people who won't stop pestering you to do things for them. Next time you are sitting at your computer having a "how did I get here?" moment skip sharing your frustration on Twitter or your blog and check out a guaranteed mood lifter website. Remember, we're all in this together.

Shrouded in superstition and romance, love padlocks (aka love locks) are a worldwide trend that have been spotted everywhere from Budapest to Paris to Seoul to Moscow. Traditionally, the padlocks are affixed by a couple to symbolize their eternal love, but the origin is unknown.

What we do know is that in Rome the padlocks on the Ponte Milvio bridge are attributed to Federico Moccia's book I Want You, and the padlock tradition in Serbia began with a legend dating back before WWI about a woman who died of a broken heart. Serbian girls would write down their names with their loved ones on padlocks and affix them to the bridge where the infamous lovers used to meet, Most Ljubavi (the Bridge of Love). In Fengyuan, Taiwan, the locks are attached in pairs to an overpass in the city's train station and called "wish locks." The story goes that the trains generate a magnetic field that energizes the locks, granting the wishes. And according to a legend in Montevideo, Uruguay, there's a fountain where if you put a lock in it with the initials of two people in love, they will return to the fountain and be "locked in love" forever.

Love locks have recently arrived in Venice, Italy, and despite the city of water being known for its romance, Venice's administration is not feeling the love and is worried they'll cause damage to the buildings and bridges. One would think the ritual would be welcomed since they are less destructive than, say, graffiti or gum walls (have you seen those? Disgusting), but if Venice shut down the trend it wouldn't be alone. Paris stripped the locks on several bridges in 2010, and Florence removed 5,500 padlocks on the Ponte Vecchio bridge in 2006. But love perseveres, as usually it's only a matter of time before they return.

Take an international trip with us now to see the locks of love!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, we have some good news for old-fashioned romantics: marriage is still relevant. We partnered with Ask Men to survey thousands of men and women about their relationship goals, hoping to find out how they are changing and whether or not marriage is part of their love "end game." Despite the fact that marriage rates are declining in the US and people are putting off marriage until they are older, 78 percent of men and 87 percent of women we surveyed said they do want to tie the knot.

Attitudes are evolving, though. Most men and women would not get married right away if their partner got pregnant, and they also agree that cohabitation is good for a relationship. Although on these issues, men are more likely than women to take the traditional outlook. See a breakdown of all the results now, some of which will surprise you!

Often, a heartfelt card makes a more memorable gift than any expensive product you can find. For Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or just because, track down a creative card you can fill with your feelings. Click through for a stationery selection that will help you get your love across. Links to buy each card included!

It's been a whirlwind of a year in the world of love and sex. Whether it was Weinergate or the Kardashian's wedding drama, there was no shortage of controversy. But as 2011 draws to a close, we thought it was only appropriate to give you our favorite quotes about love and sex from strong female celebs. Here are the 20 quotes that made our "best of" cut!

The steamy days of Summer are long over, and Autumn gave us a chance to fall in love with crisp cozy weather. Now with holiday season in full force, the thick of Winter is on the horizon. Take a virtual walk through various Winter wonderlands with these seasonably appropriate romantic photos.