As we'll no doubt be hearing a lot more about over the next few months, Jinger Duggar is getting married. After seven months of courting — the Duggar equivalent to dating — boyfriend Jeremy Vuolo proposed to her. An article in Us Weekly has the scoop on the upcoming nuptials.
Duggar says she never fantasized about her wedding day, but now that she's found her match, she's gotten everything she ever wanted. "I was never one of those girls to sit around like, ‘Oh, I want this proposal, this ring, this wedding,’” she tells the mag. “I always thought, ‘Whatever this young man does, I’m sure I’ll be so in love.’
“It’s an answer to my prayers,” she continues. “I asked God for this in a future spouse, and He has done far above anything I could have ever imagined or dreamed in bringing Jeremy into my life.”
The wedding will allegedly be "intimate" and "just for family and friends," a stark contrast to older sisters Jill and Jessa, who Us Weekly reminds us had 1,000 (yep) guests at their weddings. She's planning to have children and says that although she and Jeremy haven't discussed a number, "We’ll have to see what the Lord provides.” The wedding date has not yet been announced.
Eating disorders can destroy relationships, so when we hear an uplifting survival story, we want to share it.
A loving gesture from Chris Weir, whose girlfriend, Emma Stokes, suffered from anorexia, has made the news for proving that living with an eating disorder doesn’t rule out a happy ever after.
Weir wrote a list of reasons he wanted Stokes, 25, to make a full recovery, which culminated in a wedding proposal. He handed it to her on March 7, 2015 — the day she left the private hospital where she had been receiving treatment for anorexia. This month, the couple got married, and Stokes credits her new husband and "best friend" with saving her life.
A relationship with an eating disorder is a massively personal thing. It's incredible that Stokes was able to recover from her anorexia as a result of her now-husband's gesture. I'm not sure his approach would have worked for me, but all that says is that eating disorders are complex and unpredictable.
It's too easy to look back and wish we'd done things differently. But I do wonder if my own recovery would have been easier if I'd felt able to say these five things to my partner.
1. I'm terrified
I might come across as hard as nails. I might reject you. I’ll probably tell you I hate you. But I’m actually scared of opening up to you. I’m ashamed of my secret. I’m afraid of being vulnerable. I’m terrified that you will reject me when you know the whole truth.
2. It's not your job to "fix" me
As someone who loves and cares for me, it's natural for you to want to do anything you can think of to keep me safe, to help me get better. I know you mean well. But attempting to manage my symptoms — whether that’s by monitoring my food intake, hiding the scale or accompanying me to the bathroom to stop me from purging after meals — won't work. This disorder is stronger than you, and my recovery will require more than symptom management. What you can do for me is give me a safe place, free from judgment, in which I can be vulnerable, take risks and learn from my mistakes.
You'll need to be strong to work with me — be with me — during my recovery journey. It comes with no time frame or guarantees. During this time, I want you to make your own well-being and emotional state as much of a priority as mine. Some sort of counseling can really help partners of people with eating disorders explore their feelings about the process and the relationship itself and to learn ways of overcoming the difficulties that go hand in hand with loving someone who has an eating disorder.
4. My eating disorder is part of me, but I’m so much more than it
Eating disorders are all-encompassing and destructive. I don’t blame you for feeling suffocated by this thing I’m battling. Please don’t forget that it’s only one part of me. I’m the same person I was before it came along, and I’ll be the same person when I finally overcome it — only happier, healthier and stronger.
5. I might never fully recover from my eating disorder, and that's OK
I’m not sure it's possible to ever fully recover from an eating disorder. Little traces of it remain. Keeping track of what I eat. Automatically checking calories. Ignoring hunger pangs during times of extreme stress. If you pick up on these things, pay attention, for sure — but don’t panic. An eating disorder is a serious illness, and it can take a lifetime to recover.
1. LuAnn de Lesseps and Tom D'Agostino Jr.'s love quadrangle
Image: Rob Rich/WENN.com
One of the juiciest storylines playing out on The Real Housewives of New York this season has been the love triangle, uh, we mean love quadrangle, between LuAnn de Lesseps and her soon-to-be-husband, Tom D'Agostino Jr., as well as co-stars Sonja Morgan and Ramona Singer.
The problem? Both Morgan and Singer have shared a romantic moment with D'Agostino Jr. at some point in the past before he was engaged to de Lesseps (and she claims she doesn't care about his past anyway). This is all fine and well, except the women won't stop talking about it, and it's getting really awkward.
2. Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks' husband, Apollo Nida
Image: Andres Otero/WENN.com
Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks, stars of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, went head-to-head after Moore flirted with Parks' husband, Apollo Nida. However, things turned really nasty after Nida made up rumors that Moore had offered to give him oral sex when he bumped into her in Los Angeles.
We're dying to move on from the whole Morgan, Singer, de Lesseps and D'Agostino Jr. storyline, but strangely enough there seems to be a bit of a pattern between de Lesseps and Morgan sleeping with the same man.
Remember Morgan's boyfriend, Harry Dubin (he was also married to former cast member Aviva Drescher)? Well, he is also de Lesseps' ex, and in 2014, during Season 6 of The Real Housewives of New York, the two women got into a bitter fight over him.
The feud, which we feared would end their friendship for good, happened during Carole Radziwill's 50th birthday party, when Dubin went home without Morgan (around the same time as de Lesseps left) causing speculation about whether he and de Lesseps ended up going home together — it's maybe the most confusing Real Housewives storyline we've witnessed, and that's saying something!
4. Ramona Singer's new man kissed Mario Singer's mistress
Image: IZZY/WENN.com
Ramona Singer had a hard time during her split from her cheating husband, Mario Singer. But it must have stung even more when she finally moved on with another man, New York City restaurateur, Peter Guimaraes, only to hear rumors that he too had ties to Mario's mistress, Kasey Dexter.
During a Season 7 episode of The Real Housewives of New York, which featured Dorinda Medley's big 50th birthday dinner, Carole Radziwill discovered that Guimaraes was rumoured to have kissed Dexter — and of course, she decided to share this information with LuAnn de Lesseps.
We wonder how much wine Ramona Singer had to drink to get over that report?
5. Karent Sierra, Rodolfo Jiménez and Ana Quincoces
Image: JLN Photography/WENN.com
Note the pattern with The Real Housewives of New York? But it's not the only city to be plagued by reports of a love triangle, as The Real Housewives of Miami stars Karent Sierra, Rodolfo Jiménez and Ana Quincoces also found themselves in a sticky situation.
According to CelebBuzz, during Season 2, Quincoces accused Sierra's telenovela star boyfriend, Jiménez, of sending her multiple flirty texts, including a hot Valentine's Day text. However, Jiménez claimed that it was Quincoces who had been messaging him (why would he bother to reply if he was serious about his girlfriend?) and Sierra believed him, claiming that Quincoces was just another overeager fan.
Needless to say, Sierra finally realized Jiménez wasn't the man for her, and they broke up later that year.
Are you surprised there have been so many love triangles in The Real Housewives? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Sure, there's an important election happening soon, but some other pretty serious stuff is going on in the U.S. too, such as the historic flooding in southern Louisiana.
Following torrential rain, the state has experienced flooding that some residents have described as worse than the devastating Hurricane Katrina of 2005. To date, at least 11 people have died, and some 30,000 have been rescued. Days after the flooding began, around 8,400 people remain in emergency shelters, and President Obama has declared a major disaster in the state.
Before and after pictures posted online reveal the extent of the flooding in just 24 hours.
Louisiana flooding house
Louisiana flooding house
It's the state's second catastrophic flood in the past five months. Despite being a state that remains prepared for flooding, Louisiana wasn't ready for what the National Weather Service has called a "1,000-year disaster" (1,000 years of rain in two days).
Louisiana flooding extent
Louisiana flooding extent
Residents risked their lives to ensure pets and livestock were taken to safety.
Louisiana flooding pig
Louisiana flooding pig
Image: Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images News
Louisiana flooding rescue canoe
Louisiana flooding rescue canoe
Coffins were pictured floating down streets as the flooding uprooted caskets from graveyards.
Baton Rouge resident Allie Amond holds a box with her father's ashes in it that she retrieved from her flooded home.
Image: Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images News
The Red Cross has called the Louisiana flooding "the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Superstorm Sandy."
Louisiana flooding school
Louisiana flooding school
The response to the flooding has included members of the Louisiana National Guard and the Coast Guard, working with police and fire departments. As of yesterday, the Guard has rescued 7,600 people and 1,200 pets and has distributed 16,700 prepackaged meals, 213,690 bottles of water, 260 tarps and 714,000 sandbags.
When I was a kid, the only thing I ever wanted to eat for lunch was Lunchables. They were portable, tasty, and all my friends had them too. Nowadays, parents want to pack lunches that are a bit more on the healthy side, but that doesn’t mean we can't still borrow from that Lunchables concept. Just remake them with healthy and wholesome ingredients.
Find a lunchbox that has compartments, and fill it with the good stuff to make your own homemade, more wholesome Lunchables.
Let's get it out there: Daniel Maguire is very, very easy on the eyes. But if you grow tired of staring at the personal trainer's godlike abs while watching Bachelor in Paradise, then there's always his interesting personality to fall back on.
Maguire, who hails from Vancouver, is unfiltered and pretty hilarious, whether or not he means to be, and he's already given us a lot of memorable moments during his time as a reality TV star. Here are some of his most hilarious, controversial and eye-rolling quotes.
1. On the Olympic Games:
The rest of the world has been closely monitoring the feats of the greatest athletes in the world, but not Maguire. Nope, he'd rather watch himself. "I have not been watching the Olympics, really. I find a lot of it quite boring. I'd much rather be participating in a sport," he told Vancouver Sun. "I'd rather watch myself on TV."
2. On why he doesn't have tattoos:
Tattoos aren't for everyone, and that's fair enough, except Maguire doesn't have any because he thinks his body is like a luxury car. When answering a question for his profile on The Bachelorette, his response to whether he had tattoos was simple: "No — same reason you don't put stickers on a lambo..."
3. On dating fails:
Ever wondered what Maguire's biggest dating fear is? Turns out it's got a lot to do with appearance. "That she doesn't look like she does in pictures," he wrote, adding, "Or when on a date, she embarrasses me in a restaurant."
Perhaps one of Maguire's most controversial quotes was directed at The Bachelorette villain, Chad Johnson. During their man-to-man conversation on the show, he told his friend to stop being like Adolf Hitler. "So let's be not so much like Hitler, maybe be more like Mussolini, you know? Or Bush, right?" he suggested. "Just maybe take it down a notch, right?"
5. On why he's single:
According to Wetpaint, Maguire had these words of wisdom about why he's single, and he also makes some great bird references. He said, "I have very high standards. An eagle doesn't settle for a pigeon, right? An eagle settles for an eagle. I don't know what's better than an eagle, like a pterodactyl or something?"
Daniel Maguire Instagram 2
Daniel Maguire Instagram 2
6. On his feelings toward Chad:
Maguire had a pretty strange one-liner that was directed at Johnson. He said, "People are getting scared. They think you're like Hannibal." You know, the cannibalistic sociopath.
7. On what he hopes to achieve while on Bachelor in Paradise:
Let's just say Maguire is pretty realistic when it comes to matters of the heart, and he's not dead-set on finding love. Instead, he just wants to have a good time. "I'm rooting for myself to have a good time, maybe meet someone," he said with a laugh. LOL!
8. On his constant presence:
Maguire dropped this absolute gem during Bachelor in Paradise, and it may be our favourite one-liner, like, ever: "I'm like a disease that won't go away, like herpes or something... It's treatable nowadays."
There's no denying that Maguire loves the limelight, as he revealed during an interview with Straight: "I'm happy that I'm seeing more of myself on TV the second time around, because it's not all just about Chad, and other people deserve to be seen, and there's a lot to be shown and their experience, and not just one person."
Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Daniel Maguire makes for some really great TV.
Has Daniel Maguire won you over? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
She's one of the most successful YouTube personalities (using the handle IISuperwomanII), and Lilly Singh's star just keeps rising. She recently had a cameo role in the comedy Bad Moms (starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn) and has made Forbes' 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list.
Lilly Singh is a name we're going to be hearing a lot in the future, and it's time to get to know her a bit better.
She has 9,624,108 subscribers to her channel, and according to Huffington Post, in October 2015 she was ranked 8th on Forbes' list of World's Top-earning YouTube stars of the year. But she's also a woman with a multitude of talents, including rapping, acting and motivational speaking, and has a campaign with Coca-Cola under her belt with the goal of spreading happiness and joy. Not bad for a 27-year-old from Toronto, right?
2. She's a massive fan of The Rock
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is celebrated for being one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, but he's also extremely successful, and Singh is a big fan. "I've done a lot of really cool stuff, but at the top of my accomplishment list is definitely collaborating with The Rock or just becoming friends with him," she said. "He's kind of like my mentor in certain situations."
3. She credits her mom for being a driving force in her life
One of the most inspiring people in Singh's life is her mother, as she revealed, "My mom is the strongest person I know. She's funnier than me, but she's such an inspiration to me."
4. She embraces her ethnicity and speaks openly about racism
Singh is hilarious, and her comedy is worth a watch (seriously, her video Types of Friends is amazing), but one of the reasons we really love her is that she's not afraid to speak about important issues like racism and sexism. During an interview with Flare magazine, she spoke about the importance of everyone's voice being heard, saying, "I started YouTube because I didn’t see anyone else like me doing it. I was the first South Asian female to do comedy videos on YouTube. But at the same time, all races face their barriers, and I've learned through YouTube [that] if it’s not race, it will be sexism. If it's not sexism, it will be homophobia. It will always be something, and all voices should be heard."
5. She has a degree in psychology
Seriously, is there anything Singh cannot do? She basically is the real-life version of Superwoman, and in addition to all her aforementioned accomplishments, she also has a bachelor's degree in psychology from York University.
6. She has some very solid advice for those pursuing their passions
Despite her success, Singh has remained incredibly humble. But does she have any words of wisdom for others who are hoping to follow in her footsteps? "One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to not overthink things, because when I started, I didn't think about a brand, a schedule or how to say or do things," she said. "I just did it and figured it out. I would tell myself, 'Don't overthink it. Do it because you love to do it, and just have fun with it.'"
7. She has the top cure for a bad day — seriously!
Oh, and if she's ever having a bad day and needs a pick-me-up? There's no cure like a big bowl of cheesy pasta, as Singh revealed during an interview with BuzzFeed India that she loves a bit of mac and cheese.
We hope this is just the beginning of Lilly Singh's career, because the world definitely needs more women like her.
I've got a soft spot for English bulldogs. I saw a lot of them when I worked in the veterinary field, and their goofy, happy-go-lucky personalities are hard to resist, even if the health problems associated with bulldogs are a bit of a turn-off.
People love bulldogs. English bulldogs are the mascots of countless schools, sports teams and organizations around the globe. The breed's tenacity and rugged appearance are legendary, which is probably why they are the national symbol for the United Kingdom.
Unfortunately for the dog breed, we have focused a little too much on keeping this breed "pure" and appearances intact, much to the detriment of their health. Just how bad is the situation? Scientists recently discovered that there is literally no hope for fixing the breed using the current breeding population. They are at a genetic dead end.
According to Niels Pedersen, the lead author of the study released in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, "The English bulldog has reached the point where popularity can no longer excuse the health problems that the average bulldog endures in its often brief lifetime. More people seemed to be enamored with its appearance than concerned about its health. Improving health through genetic manipulations presumes that enough diversity still exists to improve the breed from within, and if not, to add diversity by outcrossing to other breeds. We found that little genetic 'wiggle room' still exists in the breed to make additional genetic changes."
In other words, English bulldogs are so inbred the only way to save the bulldog is to reintroduce other breeds into the bloodline.
So maybe you're thinking to yourself, "that sounds a little dramatic. How bad could these health issues really be? What's so wrong with English bulldogs, anyway?"
Let me fill you in. Here is an abbreviated list of some of the English bulldog's common health problems:
Eye issues like cherry eye, entropion, ectopic cilia, etc.
Short lifespan
Basically, English bulldogs have trouble breathing, can't tolerate heat or exercise, suffer from obesity, suffer from irritating skin problems, often require surgery to correct their breathing, and in general cost their owners a great deal of money.
Excessive inbreeding and a focus on appearance over health led to the bulldog's current status. It can be undone, but not without bringing other breeds into the mix. This will probably change the bulldog's iconic appearance, which is something we need to be willing to accept.
It is not just the fault of the breeders. We as consumers need to speak up if we want to save the breed. Enthusiasts can (politely) talk with their breeders and local English bulldog clubs to express their concerns, and potential buyers can look for breeders working to improve the breed, not destroy it. Together we can make the English bulldog healthy again.
I got pregnant with my second son when my first was only 6 months old, and like every woman, I felt the typical discomfort that accompanies a third trimester of pregnancy. But as my due date for my second son approached, he started to become a gigantic pain in my ass.
I consider my pain tolerance to be above average, but toward the end of my second pregnancy, that tolerance was tested. We all know that having a baby, well... hurts. No matter how that baby vacates your body, it's going to leave a mark somewhere, and it's going to inevitably sting like a motherfucker at some point. Having had my first son just 15 months prior, I was hyper-aware of exactly how horrific my first time on the toilet after birth was going to be. I felt like I was mentally prepared for my body to go rogue after delivering my baby. Oh, but I wasn't.
During my second pregnancy, my body had begun to turn on me in a way for which I was totally unprepared. For weeks, walking got more and more difficult. I felt a pain on the left side of my groin that was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I chalked it up to the normal pregnancy weirdness for a while, but eventually it became too intense to ignore.
I didn't start my maternity leave with my first son until the day before my water broke, but with my second, I had to call it quits a bit earlier — 36 weeks, to be exact. I remember calling my supervisor and telling her that I felt like such a wimp. I pride myself on being tough and strong and reliable, but I was furious. I felt weak and useless and fat and wobbly and... just awful. I couldn't stand longer than two minutes without shooting pain running down my leg, and I couldn't sit either. Lying down only made it worse, depending on which side I was on, and trying to tend to my toddler became an all-day battle. Something was wrong, but like the tough girl I was, I ignored it.
At 38 weeks, I went into labor with my second son. The contractions were mild at first, but the pain in my groin/hip area had increased exponentially. When I got to the hospital, I was informed that I was dilated 5 centimeters. My labor stopped, but I was dilated enough that my doctor induced me. Having had a terrible experience with Pitocin during my first labor, I asked my nurse to line up my epidural at the same time. She was an angel and gave me the good juice as requested.
Hours passed, and despite the epidural, I still felt an incredibly intense, borderline unbearable pain in my left hip. When my husband arrived, he seemed somewhat confused by my wincing. I was too, because my right side felt like a dead fish, but my left side felt like I was a wishbone and someone was desperately wishing for 'NSYNC to reunite.
The nurses flipped and flopped me in an attempt to get the medication to numb both hemispheres of my body, but nothing seemed to work. By that point, I had dilated 10 centimeters, and it was time to push. After delivering my son, my left side felt like it had been in a car accident. I remembered how my body felt after delivering my first son, so I was confused by the extent of my pain afterward. I had a newborn to take care of, though, so again, I ignored it.
Women are told to rest after birth, but I didn't have that option this time. My son was born with an arrhythmia, so he had several appointments with specialists after he was born. I limped my way into every appointment like I had just been to war. I was hurting so bad, but I was more worried about making sure my son was OK, so I continued to ignore the pain that became more and more intense every day.
Standing hurt. Sitting hurt. Lying down hurt. Literally everything hurt.
At my six-week postpartum visit, my OB-GYN wasn't concerned about my pelvic pain, so I scheduled an appointment with my primary care doctor. During that visit, she decided to take X-rays of my lower back and pelvis. When she showed me the images, my jaw nearly dropped. My eyes immediately darted toward a tiny line in my left hip socket (acetabulum, for my medical friends). It was a crack. Small yet visibly noticeable.
Apparently my body was so depleted of minerals from my first pregnancy that it hadn't quite recovered before I became pregnant again (this is normal). As a result, my bones had never completely recovered from the first child before my second one was pressuring them every day, especially toward the end, when our bones soften to prepare for birth. My doctor told me that the pressure of pushing during labor is most likely what ended up cracking my socket and that a lot of women have birth injuries that aren't even correctly diagnosed. I ended up walking around with a crack in my hip socket for months.
If I had listened to my postpartum body instead of trying to tough it out, I might have healed much sooner. However, I'm stubborn, so now my child is almost 2, and I'm still dealing with difficulty with my left hip.
Moral of the story: Don't ignore what your body is trying to tell you!
Dr. Phil — yes, that Dr. Phil — has new information on the 20-year-old JonBenét Ramsey case. He sat down with JonBenét's brother, Burke Ramsey, for his first interview since his sister's murder. That interview should be emotional enough, but according to InTouch, Dr. Phil has also obtained never-before-heard interrogation tapes of Burke as a child.
“After the murder, Burke was interrogated three times. Once when he was 9, twice when he was 12 — those tapes disappeared,” Dr. Phil tells the mag. “For the first time in 20 years, we’re going to hear from the other person that was in the house the night [JonBenét was murdered]."
The indictment in the trial was unsealed last year, so it's possible that the tapes were available for public access and Dr. Phil's team was simply the first to dig through all the evidence. He'll air the tapes in a three-part special as part of his new season, which he warns viewers is "going to be very difficult to look away [from]."
We've seen an interest in true crime thanks to shows like the podcast Serial and Netflix's Making a Murderer. Is Dr. Phil taking advantage of a media trend or will we actually see new truths come to light? We'll find out when the show premieres on Sept. 12.
Bethenny Frankel might not be back next season for The Real Housewives of New York. She’s already taken a major step back from the show and the other women this summer, and she’s considering walking away from the entire thing.
Bethenny Frankel leaving RHONY
Bethenny Frankel leaving RHONY
She talked to Entertainment Tonight and said, “It was a long year. It's definitely work. This is just a summer of freedom. I'm glad that the audience is enjoying [the show], but I left it behind.”
She wasn’t entirely clear if she meant she’s leaving the show behind or if she’s simply used this summer to leave all the drama the show brought to her life behind. So there is still some hope for major Frankel fans.
One thing she was clear about, though, is that the reunion taping caused her to re-evaluate the show’s place in her life. She said, “It was very, very negative and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Something very dramatic happened that questioned my integrity. If someone questions my business or my integrity I take it really seriously.”
She didn’t expand very much on who questioned her integrity, but it’s quite possible it has something to do with the texts she received about Tom D’Agostino that she showed to LuAnn de Lesseps.
Either way, Frankel said, “I live my life honestly. You have 50 percent of the cast that has a whole taboo, police line, ‘do not cross’ section of their life that is not discussed on camera and never has been. For legal issues and liability issues, Bravo doesn't need to bring it up and it’s a difficult line to ride, and that may be why I don't come back.”
We’re really proud of Frankel for deciding when to walk away from a toxic environment. She’s a wildly successful businesswoman who doesn’t need the show or its drama in her life in order to maintain her lifestyle. But the show is a giant opportunity for money and exposure. It takes a certain type of bravery and integrity to know that you’d rather have your peace of mind than a paycheck.
That’s not to say that every other Housewife doesn’t live with integrity, just that it might not affect their lives in the way that it does for Frankel. Some women thrive in that environment, and others don’t. We applaud Frankel for doing exactly what’s best for her.
But selfishly, we hope she comes back, if only to film scenes with Carole Radziwill.
Sweet, succulent crabmeat is one of nature's greatest gifts to the dinner table. Cracking that crab without slicing open your hands, however? It can be tricky (especially after a few glasses of chilled rosé).
Luckily we got an expert to dish on the essential steps that lead to perfectly cracked crab: Chef Heidi Lane of Red Lobster. That means you get to spend more time enjoying the ocean's bounty and less time wrestling with slippery crustaceans.
You want to choose crab legs that are flavorful and meaty so your hard work pays off. "We suggest king crab, snow crab or our wild-caught Alaska bairdi crab," Chef Lane told SheKnows.
Because almost all king crab is cooked and then frozen before it's sold, you are better off buying them from the freezer section than from the fish counter, which is just going to thaw those same legs before selling them to you. You can save a few bucks by defrosting the legs yourself.
2. Prepare your crab
Since king crab legs and other large crab legs are almost always sold frozen and precooked, you just need to warm them through. Start by defrosting them in the fridge overnight, then steam them or simmer them in a pot of water until hot.
While the crab cooks? "Make sure you have all the right tools," Chef Lane encourages. Invest in a crab cracker (like a big nutcracker specifically for crab), a seafood mallet for especially stubborn shells, a cocktail fork that can get tender crabmeat out of small spaces and a bowl for your crab shells.
3. Separate the legs
For easy meat retrieval, you'll want to separate each leg from the cluster it came in. This should be pretty easy — a gentle twist and tug should do the trick.
"Loosen the meat of the leg by bending forward and backward at the middle of each joint," Chef Lane instructed. This will help you pull all the meat out of the legs easily once the shell is cracked.
5. Get crackin'!
Cracking the crab doesn't have to be hard. "Take one part of the leg, crack it in half, and pull the shell off to slide the meat right out. For the claw, use your crab cracker to loosen up the shell, and pull out the meat with your cocktail fork," said Chef Lane.
You can wrap a dishcloth around the crab before you start cracking to help protect your fingers and to prevent crab juice from spraying all over the table.
If you've been afraid to order crab legs at restaurants or to try cooking them at home because cracking them open just seemed like too much work, never fear. These five steps make it almost too easy to start enjoying crab legs. Your taste buds will thank you, but your wallet might have a thing or two to say about your newest obsession.
Baltierra and Lowell have always been the crown jewels of Teen Mom. They're perhaps the only couple who seems to talk out their emotions, make decisions together and have come together out of pure love. (I'm a fan!) But in a new trailer for this season, Baltierra does something that has even a producer questioning his behavior.
In the teaser, Lowell mentions (in a tone that carries a whiff of sponsored content) that she's thinking of joining Weight Watchers. "It worked for you last time," says her husband. "That quesadilla's pretty big."
He goes on to "jokingly" insult Lowell, saying "It's your body, you do what you want. I mean, obviously I don't want no heifer for a wife." Lowell laughs, but producer Jessica jumps in calling his words harsh. That's an understatement. His words, especially when masked in the language of everyday conversation, are clearly the opposite of leaving his wife to make her own choices surrounding her body.
From commenting on how much and what she's eating to suggesting that she's getting overweight, the conversation is a textbook example of how not to let a significant other (or friend or anyone for that matter) treat you. What happened to the sweet, caring Tyler who cried at the diner with his Catelynn? Let's get him back ASAP.
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have had their share of controversy, but one thing that never changes despite the drama surrounding them, is their passion for teaching people. One of the ways they spread their message to younger generations is through Fort Rock Family Camp, an Arkansas retreat for fundamentalist Christians.
While the attendees are excited to hear from the Duggars, many people online are objecting to them speaking about marriage. The biggest argument against them is that their son, Josh Duggar, ended up as an unfaithful husband (his name was on the Ashley Madison leak) who also molested four of his sisters.
And yes, that is awful. Truly terrible behavior from anyone, especially someone who preaches about living in God’s way.
But it doesn’t speak to Michelle and Jim Bob’s marriage abilities. By all accounts, they have a very successful marriage. They’ve been married for over 30 years and survived the craziness that is having 19 kids. Some people can’t make it work for a few months and they don’t have any kids.
Yes, if the retreat was about raising children, or practical marriage advice for those of us who aren’t fundamentalist Christians, it would be a total waste of time. I imagine a lot of their advice is going to go back to Biblical verses that don’t help a large portion of the population. But that’s not who they’re talking to.
This retreat is for and by fundamentalist Christians who aspire to live their life the way that The Duggars do. In that (very specific) situation, they are total experts who are qualified to give their advice. We should throw a fit because the advice doesn’t apply to us.
It’s also important to remember that hindsight is the best teacher. Now that they’ve gone through basically the worst thing two parents can deal with, they have more advice to offer. It’s not two people who have had a perfect life giving advice. It’s two people who’ve been through hell trying to teach people to do better.
Selena Gomez is putting all her past drama behind her for a much bigger cause. She’s teaming up with former BFF, Demi Lovato, former fling, Orlando Bloom, and a bunch of other celebrities to celebrate WE Day.
Sunday, August 28, on ABC the WE Day broadcast will show everyone the importance of the WE Movement which brings people together and gives them the tools to change the world locally and globally. It’ll have huge performances, inspiring speeches and some features that show people making a huge change to themselves, their communities and the world.
Craig Kielburger, the co-founder of WE explained what a difference this day will hopefully make for everyone involved. He said, “Everyone is invited to take part in the WE movement and take the WE Pledge, whether you’re a parent looking for support in raising caring and compassionate children, or a young person looking to take action in your own backyard."
Kielburger added, "Being empowered to change the world is what WE Day and the WE Movement are all about, and taking the pledge is where it all begins — encouraging everyone to join together and make a lasting impact on issues that they care about.”
Demi Lovato is also excited to be part of the event and to see what kinds of change it will bring. She said, “I’m proud to be a part of the WE Movement—part of a community made up of world-changers who are coming together to make a lasting, positive impact across America and the world."
She continued, "WE Day will unite and inspire Americans, reminding them that there is so much good and love in the world. I live WE every day and believe that by supporting one another we can truly change the world together.”
It’s inspiring to see that despite any personal issues that the celebs may have with each other, they’re willing to put it all behind them to use their voices together.
No one is going to be perfect all the time, and we’re all guilty of getting ourselves into drama we probably shouldn’t have, but it looks like Gomez and Lovato and Bloom have all grown out of the petty drama phase. They’d rather spend their time trying to make a difference, which is a way better use of time.
Time and time again, studies prove that parents have more influence on young people's sexual behavior than anything else. It's not just about avoiding teenage pregnancy. How we talk to our kids about sex can really shape their attitudes toward relationships, intimacy and themselves. If I could wind the clock back, I really wish my parents had told me these things about sex.
I didn't know what masturbation was until I was 16. It was never discussed at home — in fact, the whole issue of sex was off the table. As far as I can remember, the only sex education we got at school was a particularly graphic (to my 14-year-old self) video of a woman giving birth. Basically, they wanted to scare/repulse the hell out of us so that we didn't have sex EVER. I fainted before the video finished, hit my head on the floor of the classroom, and still had no idea what sex really was. At that age, a heads-up about masturbation would have been most welcome. I actually didn't think women masturbated until one of my first boyfriends made a joke about it. I laughed along with him but spent the rest of the night wondering what the hell he was talking about. When I did finally discover the joys of pleasuring myself (Judy Blume, I shall be forever in your debt), I still felt as if I were doing something wrong. How could this be such a good thing when it was kept a secret from me my entire life?
2. This is how to put a condom on
The naive eldest child of a helicopter parent, I arrived at my first experience of sexual intercourse completely clueless. References to condoms in movies didn't equip me with the skills I needed when it came to actually using the thing. If my parents had given me the practical information every adolescent should have about contraception, it would have taken away a lot of the embarrassment and shame I felt about being sexually active.
Even after (successfully) using a condom, I still worried that I was pregnant. I worked myself into such a frenzy that I stopped having sex with my boyfriend, which he wasn't particularly pleased about. If I'd known there was a little pill I could take every day to help prevent pregnancy and allow me to relax and enjoy the experimentation that is such a natural part of growing up, my attitude toward sex would have been way different. When I moved away for college, I quickly got into a serious thing with a fellow student. My mom pestered me constantly about our relationship over the telephone until I finally admitted we were having sex. In an attempt to reassure her, I told her I was on birth control pills. Bizarrely, this actually made her worse, as if this independent, responsible step I had taken was further proof that her little girl was growing up. She hung up on me and we didn't speak for weeks.
4. Sex should be a pleasure
With the right person (whether that's Mr./Ms. Right or simply Mr./Ms. Right Now), sex can be the most amazing, exciting, life-affirming experience. For me, for a long time, it was more of a chore. I couldn't do it without alcohol for many years — I was too self-conscious to relax without a few drinks beforehand. I saw it as something that people in relationships did, so I went through the motions. It took a long time before I was able to orgasm with anyone other than myself, and that's because sex was such a taboo when I was growing up.
5. Sex and love don't always go hand in hand — and that's OK
The only person my mom has ever slept with was my dad: the love of her life. Although it was never said — we didn't talk about sex, remember — there was always unspoken desire on her part that her children would follow a similar path. By the age of 16, I'd already made this an impossibility, and I felt the weight of her disapproval for many years. It wasn't until I was in my early 20s that I realized sex without love was simply another option, and one that could be just as enjoyable.
I don't resent my parents for their approach to sex when I was young. I did, for a long time. But their refusal to acknowledge my adolescent urges and desires, their fear of discussing sex with me at a crucial point in my development, have actually had a hugely positive impact on my life. I've worked hard at it, but I've reached a point where I've embraced myself as a sexual being, and sex is a hugely important part of my intimate relationships.
Now that I'm a mom myself, I know without a doubt that I will kickstart that conversation with my own kids at an early age. No subject will be off limits, and I'll do my best to ensure they grow up with a healthy, positive attitude toward sex.
Ashley Olsen’s rumored boyfriend, George Condo, is apparently still married. According to Radar Online, Condo, who is 58, is currently in the middle of a very bitter divorce with his ex-wife. Technically, that means that Olsen is dating a married man, but she’s not the homewrecker everyone is painting her to be.
According to the court documents, Condo’s divorce was filed back in May of 2015, over a year before he and Olsen started dating. Unfortunately, Condo and his ex-wife were not able to come to an agreement, so they’ve been in a trial to have a judge decide on the details for them.
It’s a lot of headaches and heartbreaks, but it’s not uncommon for people who’ve been married for a long time and have a lot of valuable assets to divide up.
However, none of this has anything to do with Olsen. She didn’t cause the divorce and she certainly has nothing to do with the bitter fight that he’s engaged in. She’s got her own money, her own life and doesn’t need anything that Condo is fighting his ex-wife for. She’s just found someone she is interested and is in the very beginning stages of a relationship. All of this other drama is just unnecessary.
It’s unfortunate that the couple, who haven’t been together that long, already has to deal with rumors like this, but it does set them up to see whether or not they can make it. With Olsen being one of the most famous celebrities there is, Condo will always be under a lot of scrutiny as long as he’s with her. This is his chance to get used to it or move on.
Obviously, we hope it works out for both of them. But more importantly, we hope nasty rumors and shaming based on no real facts just stop. Whether or not Olsen and Condo stay together, the behavior of shaming women without all the details needs to stop.
Thomas Gibson has been fired from Criminal Minds after an altercation on set lead to him kicking a producer. Although he was officially fired last week, Gibson finally addressed what happened today on Twitter.
Thomas Gibson tweets
Thomas Gibson tweets
Gibson tweeted to his fans, “I wish I could thank each of you for your friendship & support. I love Criminal Minds, & I'm disappointed by what's happened. I'm here on #Twitter so we can stay connected in the days to come, and talk directly with each other. The support you show means the world to me and my family. This is not an ending, but a beginning as well. Thank you all.”
On August 12, when the announcement of Gibson’s firing was made, CBS and ABC Studios issued a joint statement that assured fans about the show. They said, “Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds. Creative details for how the character’s exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date.”
Gibson issued his own statement, but focused on his fans instead of the drama from set. He said, “I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last twelve years. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won’t be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have.”
There’s no room for violence in the workplace. Certainly there are two sides to every story, and we know that Gibson probably didn’t get to the point of physical violence on his own. However, whether he was provoked or not is beside the point. There’s no excuse for what he did.
ABC Studios and CBS are well within their rights to fire Gibson, and although he’s disappointed, it was the right decision. Hopefully, he’ll use this as a learning opportunity so it never happens again.
Well, according to new reports, they may be as confused about it as we are. At least they're admitting that they're engaged again now, but when it comes to the wedding plans, they either have no clue what they want, or they're just trying to throw their fans off the trail.
Us Weekly has a source that reportedly said Cyrus just canceled flights and lodging plans for a honeymoon to Bora Bora, apparently just because she changed her mind about going there.
"They had the entire trip planned, but Miley just decided she didn’t want to go there anymore," the insider explained. "They have yet to pick a new locale."
The honeymoon isn't the only thing that's hard to keep up with — Cyrus and Hemsworth can't seem to stick to a wedding date either. They originally planned for a small summer wedding in Australia, but now that the summer is just about over, that doesn't seem to be happening. The source says their new plan is to head down the aisle sometime this fall, but as far as when and where, Cyrus "is still very erratic with her decision-making," the insider dished.
There is, however, one thing Cyrus is set on, and it may be another reason the wedding is taking so long to plan. The source said Cyrus is set on a small, intimate wedding, while Hemsworth wants it to be a larger affair.
"Miley is pretty adamant about having a small, private ceremony," the source said. "But Liam wants a really big wedding, so I’m sure they’ll come to a compromise."
Happy Wednesday Hump Day — also known to us as Celebrity Baby Bump Day! We have rounded up the cutest pregnant celebrities of the week, starting with Katherine Heigl, who showed off her baby bump while promoting her new show Doubt. Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel shared photos from her jungle-themed baby shower, while pregnant Kerry Washington looked gorgeous in a black jumpsuit. Tika Sumpter, Lacey Chabert, Peta Murgatroyd and Molly Sims all make the list of the most buzzworthy baby bumps of the week.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Pregnant actress Kerry Washington looked chic in a black Hatch jumpsuit paired with booties and a fabulous clutch as she attended the Jennifer Klein Annual Day of Indulgence event with InStyle magazine. The Scandal star is expecting her second child and already has a 2-year-old daughter named Isabelle.
Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel celebrated the arrival of her baby boy with this adorable Safari-themed baby shower. The South African beauty looks picture perfect in a white off-the-shoulder dress as she stands in front of a table full of animal-themed treats. The sign behind her reads, "Anacã" — so perhaps this is the name of her baby boy?
She also posted this amazing snapshot of her growing baby bump.
Candice Swanepoel
Candice Swanepoel
The model recently posted a naked baby bump photo and had a stern word for followers who had an issue with it. “If you have a problem seeing photos of pregnant women feel free to unfollow my page instead of reporting it.”
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl dressed her baby bump in a sleek white dress as she promoted her new show, Doubt. The Grey’s Anatomy alum and her husband, Josh Kelley, have two adopted daughters, Naleigh and Adalaide, and are expecting their third child sometime this year.
Dancing with the Stars pro dancers Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy shared this sweet photo as they vacationed together in New Orleans. Murgatroyd is pregnant and expecting her first child, a baby boy, with her fiancé Chmerkovskiy. The professional dancer is embracing her new figure, recently posting a picture of her cute baby bump as she carried groceries.
“Carrying a lot of weight yesterday #embracingmynewfigure#biggerthighs #biggerboobs #19weeks,” she wrote.
The Haves and the Have Nots actress Tika Sumpter showed off her growing baby bump in this photo she posted on her Instagram page, gushing she was “grateful. happy. complete." The 36-year-old actress is reportedly expecting a baby girl this fall. This will be the first child for Sumpter, however she has not yet revealed who the father is.
She later posted a photo with John Legend, writing she was “Preggers and promoting w Legend. Happy and proud.” She is busy promoting Southside With You, in which plays Michelle Obama before she was the first lady of the United States. Legend is the executive producer of the movie.
Molly Sims showed off her “Capri Baby” as she posed in a colorful one piece while on vacation with her husband, Scott Stuber. The 43-year-old actress is expecting her third child and recently revealed her pregnancy wasn’t planned and was a “hail Mary.” In fact, she joked being pregnant at her age was “a little worrisome” but then said that Mick Jagger is having a baby at 72 so “we feel good about ourselves.”
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Actress Lacey Chabert revealed she is ready to pop in this new Instagram photo, which shows her third trimester baby bump on display. The Party of Five alum and her husband, David Nehdar, are expecting their first child, with the actress revealing her due date is only a week and a half away. The 33-year-old is expecting a baby girl and showed off her adorable pink and gray baby nursery.
Lacey Chabert baby nursery
Lacey Chabert baby nursery
Chabert said she was initially nervous that her nursery had too much grey, but was happy she trusted her interior designer and loves the final outcome.
Image: JLN Photography/WENN.com
