Bringing a German shepherd into my home was one of the best decisions I ever made. However, working in the veterinary field made me aware of the importance of finding a responsible German shepherd breeder. Responsible breeders choose to breed healthy and emotionally balanced dogs, which improves the quality of the dog breed and reduces the number of dogs that end up in shelters with health problems that owners can’t afford.

But how do you find a responsible breeder? After talking with vets and experts in the field, like the German Shepherd Dog Club of America and the Humane Society, I discovered there are 10 things to look for in a German shepherd breeder that can help narrow down the list.

1. Consider adoption

If you are contemplating bringing a German shepherd into your life, the first thing you should consider is adoption. There are countless German shepherds in need of a good home out there who deserve a chance at your heart, and you have nothing to lose by contacting a shelter or adoption agency.

More: German shepherds have unique needs — consider these 10 facts before you adopt one

2. Health testing

A responsible breeder will be transparent about any health problems in the bloodline and will test for hip and elbow problems, as the breed is prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. A great breeder will perform additional tests for other health problems, going above and beyond what is recommended by the AKC. Don't purchase a puppy unless the breeder has had the parents evaluated by a veterinarian and gone through the OFA certification for their hips and elbows, and don’t be afraid to ask to see the records.

3. Parents on premises

One of the best ways to determine what kind of dog your puppy will grow up to be is to meet their parents, grandparents or puppies from other litters. Most breeders have at least the mother on the premises, and some will have detailed descriptions of where dogs from previous litters have ended up on their websites.

More: 14 things only German shepherd owners know

4. Visit the facility

If you can, visit the breeder’s facility. The kennel should be clean, and the puppies should be active and healthy. Malnourished, dirty, weak or skinny puppies are signs that the breeder is not taking proper care of their dogs, and is a major red flag.

5. Socialization

German shepherd puppies need socialization from a young age. Ask the breeder if the puppies have been exposed to children, other dogs and other animals. While you can certainly socialize your new puppy when you take it home, it never hurts to get a head start, especially with naturally protective dog breeds like the German shepherd.

More: 6 self-defense tips I learned from my German shepherd

6. Vaccination record

Your breeder should have an up-to-date vaccination record for the puppy, and you should receive a copy of it. If your German shepherd puppy has not received any vaccines or veterinary care, you should look for a different breeder no matter how cute the puppy is.

More: Keep your puppy healthy with this vaccination schedule

7. Appearance (sort of) matters

Looks are not everything. German shepherds come in a variety of coat colors, but don’t let a desire for a particular coloring be the only factor you consider in a breeder. On the other hand, some aspects of appearance do matter. Dogs with poor conformation (that is, an exaggerated sloped back) or unhealthy-looking coats could have underlying health problems.

8. Know what you want

You need to know what you want before you contact a breeder. Are you interested in a male or a female? Do you want to compete in a dog sport or show your puppy? Do you want to breed your puppy? Do you have small children or other pets in the house? These are the types of questions that can help the breeder select a puppy they think will be a good fit for you.

More: 12 dog breeds first-time owners should think twice about

9. Price

Breeding puppies is not cheap. The veterinary bills, food bills and the time commitment necessary to produce a high-quality, healthy puppy are substantial. If you are looking for a cheap German shepherd puppy, consider adopting.

10. Get a recommendation

Ask around your community for information about German shepherd breeders. Your vet might know of a good breeder in the area and can also caution you against breeders that regularly produce unhealthy or emotionally unstable dogs.

Supporting irresponsible breeders just perpetuates the health problems German shepherds face. When it comes to bringing a German shepherd — or any dog — into your life, there are only two choices that conscientious dog lovers can make: We can adopt, or we can support the breeders who are trying to improve the breed.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

Sometimes a supermodel just needs a week at the beach, and the rest of us just need to follow along on Instagram. Heidi Klum has been vacationing in the Caribbean with her boyfriend, Vito Schnabel, and her children. Daily Mail doesn't seem to know where, exactly, she jetted off to, but she did visit Jamaica with Schnabel earlier this year. But let's be honest — it doesn't quite matter where she is, does it? She's a gorgeous supermodel on a pristine beach. The whole experience looks just as luxurious and gorgeous as you'd expect.

More: Heidi Klum shows off her ridiculous body in new lingerie shoot

Just for photographic evidence's sake, here's Heidi kissing her boyfriend in a perfectly framed sunset.

Here's Heidi and her children splashing around in the perfectly blue water.

More: Heidi Klum gets berated for 'fairy godmother' Oscars dress

And just for the hell of it, here's Heidi showing off that supermodel bod. Can you blame her?

In this one, she claims to be showing off her "necklace." Uh-huh.

Looks like a perfect send-off to summer for the Klum clan, and also, frankly, for us, sitting at home, sweating it out in our barely air-conditioned apartments. Heidi in the Caribbean is like Leo in Ibiza — it just makes it feel like all is right with the world. You keep doing those headstands, Klum.

More: Heidi Klum addresses reports she was dissing ex-husband Seal's parenting

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

We have rounded up the most buzzworthy celebrity mom photos from social media this week, including Jessica Alba, who shared a sweet snapshot of her daughter’s birthday party. Kim Kardashian posted a hilarious photo of North in her $1,700 boots, while Audrina Patridge shared a photo breastfeeding her daughter Kirra. Rebecca Romijn, JWoww, Kristin Cavallari and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps with his fiancée and their adorable son Boomer all make the list of trending celebrity parents.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba shared this family snapshot of wishing her daughter Haven, or “Havie,” a happy birthday. “Can’t believe she’s already 5!” she wrote in the caption, which shows her husband, Cash Warren, along with Haven and her older daughter Honor standing in front of a colorful birthday cake. The actress and Honest Company co-founder also shared a video from Haven’s watermelon-themed pool party.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian posted this fun picture of her 3-year-old daughter, North West, “stealing” a pair of thigh-high boots, writing that “at least she has good taste.” Yes, she does have good taste, as these silver shoes happen to be a pair of $1,700 Balenciaga boots.

More: Celebrity baby bump day — Katherine Heigl, Kerry Washington and more pregnant celeb photos

Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson

After winning an astonishing six medals in the Rio Olympics, swimmer Michael Phelps spent his first day in retirement — where else? — in the pool! The 31-year-old posted this photo as he enjoyed the pool with his adorable son, Boomer, and his fiancée, former Miss California Nicole Johnson. “Great day to spend my first day in retirement,” he captioned the post. In case you are keeping count, Phelps has won an amazing 28 medals total from his five Olympic appearances.

Next up: Rebecca Romijn’s adorable twins, plus Audrina Patridge and Jessica Biel

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Rebecca Romijn

X-Men star Rebecca Romijn looked like one hot mom in this bikini photo she posted with her twin daughters, Dolly and Charlie. The 43-year-old actress is married to actor Jerry O’Connell. She posted another picture from her lake trip of herself and her daughters lounging on their floats. “Left a good job in the city,” she captioned the photo.

Jessica Biel and Beverley Mitchell

It’s a 7th Heaven reunion! Beverley Mitchell posted this photo of herself posing with actress Jessica Biel. The actress gushed that they have been friends for over 20 years and that she “has my back and has been through it all with me.” Mitchell has revealed in the past that her kids, Kenzie and Hutton, often have playdates with Biel’s son, Silas.

More: Justin Timberlake praises 'MILF' Jessica Biel

JWoww

Hi there, cutie! Jersey Shore alum Jenni “JWoww” Farley shared this adorable photo of her son Greyson Valor as he smirks for the camera in a blue onesie. Is it just us, or does he look exactly like JWoww? The reality star and her husband, Roger, also have a daughter named Meilani Alexandra.

Next up: Audrina Patridge shares sweet breastfeeding photo, plus Chrissy Teigen and Kristin Cavallari

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Audrina Patridge

Laguna Beach alum Audrina Patridge shared this sweet photo of herself nursing her daughter, Kirra, while trying on wedding dresses. Writing that it is “crunch time,” the 31-year-old is busy planning her wedding to BMX pro rider Corey Bohan. "One thing I learned about baby naming is you have to say the names out loud! I have loved the name Kirra for a while now, and when I read my top 3 names to Corey, he loved it, too!“ she wrote on her blog, adding that it was also the name of a famous surf spot in Australia.

Kristin Cavallari

Moving from one Laguna Beach alum to another, Kristin Cavallari posted this fun snapshot of herself playing with her daughter, Saylor, writing that she was happy to see “a smile on this girl’s face after a month of nonstop teething.” Cavallari and her husband, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, also have two sons together named Camden and Jaxon.

Chrissy Teigen

Model and talk show host Chrissy Teigen posted this sweet video of her daughter, Luna, wishing her a happy 4th month birthday, joking in the caption that “I celebrate monthly birthdays I guess.” Teigen recently won the hearts of moms everywhere when she posted a picture of her stretch marks on her thighs.

More: Love celeb mom photos? Check out last week's trending snapshots

"Organizing" may make for fun Pinterest fodder, but for us folks back here in the real world, it's pretty much a four-letter word. Organizing sounds like a great idea in theory — especially while browsing hacks on the internet with a full glass of wine in hand. But without a solid plan in place — one made up of simplified organizing tips that can be used IRL — you're probably going to throw in the towel before the towel organizing is done.

We promise we've made this whole organizing thing easy on you. By using just one of these tips a week (just one!), you can keep your humble home de-cluttered for 52 weeks of the year. Doing the math, that means we've put together 52 real-world and real easy organizing tips to get you started.

Let's do this:

Evenings/mornings:

1. Make lunches, set out clothes and put everything you need for the next day in a designated area the night before. Have kids pack homework and books in their backpacks to be ready for the next day.
2. Place your purse, briefcase, cellphone and keys in a designated area every day so you always know where they are.
3. Decide on a breakfast menu the night before. If the family is to have cereal, set out the cereal boxes, bowls and spoons.
4. Make a to-do list for the next day and prioritize the tasks. Be sure to refer to it regularly.
5. Fill the gas tank the day before so you won't have to worry about getting gas if you are running late the next morning.
6. Create a morning family schedule and stick with it — no matter how much the kids and spouse complain. Having bathroom times for each family member or roommate can save you a good half hour of chaos each morning. Bonus points for laminating the schedule and posting it to the fridge.
7. If you just can't get it together in the early hours, set all of the clocks 10 minutes ahead. This old-school trick really works.

More: Decluttering guru Marie Kondo's new book promises to make tidying fun

Bathrooms:

1. To organize countertop clutter, purchase a plastic tub with a handle on top. Place all of your accessories (such as hair spray and lotion) in the tub and place it under the counter. Take the tub out when you are ready to use it, and put it back under the counter when you are finished with it.
2. To organize your bathtub/shower, place your soaps, body wash, shampoos and conditioners in shower caddies. Many different kinds of organizers are available at both discount and department stores — including those that hang from the shower head pipe and others that have several shelves attached to a long pole you put in the corner of the tub.
3. To help keep your shower doors clean, buy a water squeegee (like you use on your windows) and keep it in the shower. When you are done taking a shower, just wipe down the doors with the squeegee for a clean and dry shower door. Many of the squeegees come with a hole in the handle, which is convenient for hanging it up in the shower with a suction cup.
4. Install a simple magnetic strip in your medicine cabinet and hang tweezers, nail clippers and scissors from it.
5. Store reading material in a decorative magazine rack. As you add new magazines, recycle or give away the older ones to keep the magazine rack from overflowing.
6. Throw away old or unused items in your bathroom: makeup, lotions, old razors, sunscreen and perfume. Return old medications (including prescriptions) to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
7. If you are out of space in your bathroom cabinets for towels, roll them up and display them in a decorative basket next to the shower or bathtub.
8. Install hooks on a wall or the back of your bathroom door for towels and robes.
9. Use drawer organizers for makeup, jewelry, ponytail holders and other loose items. (Plastic silverware trays found in the kitchen aisle are inexpensive and fit the bill.)
10. Place a shelving unit or étagère above the toilet for storing extra towels, washcloths and other accessories.
11. Put a clock in each bathroom so there are no excuses for being late.

More: 8 moving hacks that will keep you from losing your mind

Closet:

1. Sort through, bag and donate anything you don't wear anymore to a local charity. This includes clothes that are no longer in fashion, no longer fit or you haven't worn in over a year. Also get rid of those worn-out and/or uncomfortable shoes you no longer wear.
2. Separate your clothes by season. If you have a tall closet with several rows of hanging rods, place the current season's clothes on the lowest level, and move out-of-season clothes up to the tallest rods.
3. Categorize your clothes by purpose: work, casual, cold- or hot-weather wear and formal.
4. Gather all of your unused wire hangers (remember Joan Crawford!) and take them to the dry cleaners to recycle.
5. Hang scarves on a hanger or scarf rack and belts and ties on hangers or racks.
6. Use a shoe rack to keep shoes organized. Recycle old shoeboxes that clutter the floor. (If your closet is small, you don't need to keep every pair of shoes in your closet all year long either.)
7. Install hooks on the closet wall to hang up hats, handbags and totes.
8. Store clothes that you want to save in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag. These bags compress the clothing, making it much easier to fit under the bed or in a closet. Save only the clothes that you think will be worn.

Next Up: Kitchen

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Kitchen:

1. Organize your cabinets into several categories, such as plates, glasses, plastic containers, kid plates and sippy cups. Place the plates on one shelf, the glasses on another, and so on. This way, when you empty the dishwasher, you or other family members will always know where everything goes.
2. Group your foods together in the pantry — keeping like items together — for easy access and inventory assessment.
3. Put all those mix packets (gravy, Jell-O, sauces) in a basket on a shelf.
4. Buy a pretty spice rack that works best for your kitchen cabinets. Place frequently used spices on the front of the rack and all others toward the back — and alphabetize each set.
5. Dedicate one cabinet or drawer to all of those plastic and Tupperware containers. Purchase stackable containers to maximize your space.
6. Save your countertop space for items you use daily. Display only the cookbooks that you really use, and if possible, store your mixer/food processor, utensil holder, canister set, knife block, etc. in your pantry instead of on the counter.
7. If you have a collection of clipped recipes that are filling drawers and taking up countertop space, purchase a three-ring binder in a color that matches your decor, plastic sheet protectors (to protect your recipes), paper and a set of dividers with tabs. Glue each recipe onto a piece of paper (use the front and back of each piece of paper) and then place into a sheet protector. Categorize recipes (breakfast, dessert, etc.), label the tabs, and place the recipes in the binder. An additional tip: If you buy a binder that has pockets, store clipped recipes that you want to try in the pockets before adding them to your collection. If you're willing to bring tech into your kitchen, you also might buy a recipe collection app (or even just notation apps like Evernote) and transfer your recipes to that.
8. Reuse those mounds of plastic grocery bags at the market. You might save a nickel or so each at some stores, plus you'll cut down on waste. Better yet, try out some hip and handy reusable bags.
9. Get into the habit of cleaning out your refrigerator every time you bring home groceries. Dispose of old or inedible food and anything your family's just not going to eat.

More: The dos, whats and don'ts of organizing your pantry

Kid's room:

1. Place a two-compartment hamper in your kids' rooms so they can sort light clothes from dark when undressing.
2. String a clothesline across your child's room to clothespin up her favorite artwork.
3. Hang a mesh hammock or fish net from the ceiling to store stuffed animals, dolls or action figures.
4. Add a bookshelf and help your child organize all those books.
5. Buy the kids their own alarm clocks (ideally with battery backup) and teach them how to be responsible for getting up on time. (Mom or Dad is always there for backup until they have it under control.)

Miscellaneous:

1. Make sure everything in your house has a place. Teach all family members to mind their own messes. For example, if you take it out, put it back; if you open it, close it; if you throw it down, pick it up; if you make a mess, clean it up; and so on.
2. Put wastebaskets in every room and place several unused trash bags in the bottom of each one. This will eliminate countless trips to retrieve new trash bags and give all family members a place to throw away their trash.
3. Place a decorative basket on the coffee table in which to keep remote controls.
4. Use a plastic caddy (instead of shelf space) to store cleaning supplies, and simply tote it from room to room.
5. Keep baskets or tubs in every room for fast toy pickup. For kids' outdoor toys, purchase a weatherproof, bench-style storage box. Gather all outdoor balls and store them in the garage in a large, mesh drawstring bag.
6. Each night before bedtime, have all family members pick up clutter for 10 to 15 minutes. Make a game out of it and see who can pick up the most things in the shortest amount of time.
7. Create a family message center on the refrigerator or in another prominent place and use it for shopping lists, reminders, calendars and phone messages.
8. Make a master grocery list on your computer from a spreadsheet or Word document. Categorize the groceries into sections such as frozen, dairy and so on. In each category, list the items you buy most frequently. Organize the grocery list according to the way your favorite grocery store's aisles are set up. Print copies and keep one handy for the current week. When you see you are low on a product or when you're preparing your grocery list for the week, simply highlight the items you need. Keep the document current by adding new items and/or deleting items you no longer buy. Create a space on the page for miscellaneous items where your family members can write down what they need that is not on your regular list.
9. Shopping the web beats hitting the brick-and-mortar stores, even for groceries. You'll avoid lines, traffic and lugging stuff home, and you can shop any time you like.
10. Create an inbox on your desk for papers (bills, permission slips, etc.) that need your attention. Clear it out daily.
11. Use one power strip (many can be mounted on a wall) as a home base for all of your rechargeable goodies: cellphones, cameras, music players, handheld video games, etc. You'll never have to hunt for an outlet or ask someone to call your phone to see where you left it.
12. Do you have a lot of visually indistinct items, such as chargers for electronic items? Label them. You won't waste time looking for the right cord to charge the video camera, and when the scissors are left out on the table, you'll know who they belong to.

The goal of organizing isn't to make your home pristine, but rather to make your life more calm and functional. Work with the above ideas and you will end up with less clutter, a neater home, improved productivity and — most important of all — more quality time for yourself and your family.

Originally published Feb. 2008. Updated Aug. 2016.

What do you get when you toast some bread, slather it in butter and shower it with a waterfall of sweet, colorful sprinkles? If you're Down Under, you get what's called fairy bread.

Fairy bread is probably one of the best foods to come out of Australia, and we're starting to wonder why it's not a staple in the good ol' U.S. of A. too. After all, what's not to love about toast that basically tastes like a buttery cupcake? Also, they call round sprinkles (nonpareils) "hundreds and thousands," which is just too much for my little heart to handle.

More: Sprinkles on pizza is a thing, and it's apparently not that bad

If you want to try out this classic Aussie snack, take a look below. From the iconic original to fun new combinations, you'll find yourself sprinting to the store for sprinkles after seeing these tasty combinations.

1. The classic

Buttered bread and fancy sprinkles makes any day worth celebrating.

2. Butterfly bread

Use cookie cutters to make special shapes for your fairy bread.

3. All that glitters

Edible gold and shimmering sprinkles make your fairy bread look extra elegant.

More: 16 desserts with sprinkles your inner child will love

4. Fairy bread ice cream sandwiches

Now this is a treat we can get behind.

5. Fairy bread macaron

Buttery fairy bread and delicate macarons were just waiting to find each other.

6. Fairy bread cookies

Buttery sugar cookies topped with icing and hundreds and thousands sounds almost too good to be true.

7. Fairy bread croissant

Fuddy-duddy croissants are fun again when they get the fairy bread makeover.

8. Fairy bread doughnuts

Play up the sweetness of fairy bread by morphing it into irresistible doughnuts.

9. Everything fairy bread

Don't limit yourself to sprinkles — anything colorful and sweet can top your fairy bread.

What are you waiting for? Stock up on bread, butter and sprinkles today, and let fairy bread take your cares away.

More: Food Porn Friday: 20 times Funfetti blew our minds

Just because, according to FX, the American Horror Story Season 6 promos are meant to be misdirects, it doesn't mean there isn't truth in them.

More: Theories about what American Horror Story Season 6 is about

And the just-released promo definitely gives us cause for some heavy speculation about what the upcoming season means for the series.

In the 30-second teaser trailer, we see iconic moments from all the other seasons of the show. It starts out with a black rubber suit reaching for the camera. Then we see a nun with black, bloody eyes, followed by a witchy triple snake kiss, the underbelly of the circus big top and, finally, Hotel Cortez.

The trailer has many fans speculating that this means the show will finally come full circle in the sixth season by connecting all the story lines together.

Thanks to new set photos obtained by TMZ, there is a theory that the new season will focus on the lost Roanoke Colony. You may remember back in Season 1's "Murder House" theme, Sarah Paulson's character, Billie Dean, told a story about a group of colonists who died and came back to haunt the Native Americans. The Native Americans then performed an exorcism to stop the terror.

More: 100 bucks says AHS is about little devil children

The scariest part of this tale is that it's founded in truth. In 1590, a group of 117 North Carolina colonists vanished. The only clue about what happened to them was the word "CROATOAN" — the name of a nearby Native American tribe — carved into a tree.

In the TMZ photos, you can see just such a tree with just such a word carved into it, which means that even if the theme of this season isn't Roanoke specifically, the show will definitely be delving into some aspect of the mystery.

Also, it's important to note that just because Season 6 might have its own theme with its own character, it doesn't mean the show won't also draw connections to the other seasons. If that's the case, then show creator Ryan Murphy may be well on his way to wrapping up the series.

More: American Horror Story: How creepy kids could play a role in the new season

Check out the full trailer below:

Do you think American Horror Story's seasons are all connected? Will Season 6 be the last for the series?

We are a sports-obsessed society that doesn't take competition lightly, makes "deflategate" a trending topic and has no problem lionizing both athletes who deserve their celebrity (cough, Serena Williams and Muhammad Ali) and those who do not (no comment). We value natural athletic ability and people who fight uphill battles on the daily to make their dreams come true — which is why you should be mad as hell you don't know Heather Hardy.

Yet.

Hardy has won 17 out of 17 boxing matches in her featherweight division and has four KOs under her belt. After never having stepped foot into a boxing ring in her life, the single mom took her first kickboxing class at age 28 while going through a divorce and working up to six jobs to keep her family afloat. Three weeks later, she was asked to join a fighting team. The 34-year-old has only been boxing professionally for a few years, and yet, her résumé includes winning the USA Boxing 2011 National Title, the NYC Golden Gloves Featherweight title and — wait for it — possessing punches per round that far exceed the average for her weight class (she averages 83.4 punches for two minutes).

More: The woman who brought ‘Serial’ to life talks new book, and we're hooked

If you know nothing about boxing, keep this last fact in mind: Hardy's punching stat, if she fought for over three minutes, would be 111.2 and would far exceed those of men's leaders Roman Gonzalez and Léo Santa Cruz. Allow that to simmer for a minute — we'll get back to why it's the most maddening thing you'll read all day.

The only reason Hardy isn't widely celebrated (yet) is because her talent lies in women's boxing and most TV networks are trapped in the 1950s. Boxers and their promoters make money from televised events and most networks aren't willing to put themselves on the line in the hopes that female boxers will bring in viewers and profits. That's why Hardy's upcoming fight against rival Shelly "Shelito's Way" Vincent in Brooklyn on Sunday, Aug. 21 (9 p.m. ET) is crucial. Not only will it be televised on NBC Sports Network, but Hardy and Vincent are headlining. By all means, take a second to celebrate — but only a second — because the fight to put women's boxing on the map is far from over.

"The problem with women [boxers] is that we have nowhere to go," Hardy tells SheKnows, adding that, while she is thankful for this opportunity to fight Vincent while TV cameras roll, she was taught to enjoy this moment, but look ahead and not get too worked up about what’s happening. "It's a tremendous victory, but this is just one more step on the ladder. I want prime time. I want national exposure where everyone is going to watch. There’s still so much more work to be done."

More: An open letter to the 'loud' women who I wish I was more like

Hardy grew up in the tight-knit Brooklyn community of Gerritsen Beach, where she says she identified as a tomboy who dreamed of becoming the first woman to pitch for the New York Yankees during a time when girls weren't even allowed to play Little League. She always knew her instinct when she was provoked was to stay and fight instead of run, and she credits this and hard work with serving as the basis for why, decades later, she and others quickly realized she had what it took to become a fighter (technique was learned along the way).

Still, her story isn't typical. She was athletic, but didn't train in a boxing ring as a teenager (something that was virtually unheard of for women in the '90s). It wasn't until after she gave birth to her daughter and struggled to get through her divorce that Hardy's sister signed her up for kickboxing classes at a local karate school and urged her to pursue an outlet that she might find satisfying.

And satisfying is a understatement when it comes to how Hardy says she felt when she first stepped into the ring to compete.

"I remember feeling so unfulfilled, I didn’t know what to do," Hardy recalls of her life before boxing. "I grew up one of the shyest people you’d ever meet. But, being in the ring, in front of 2,000 people, it was the first time I felt like I was doing something I was supposed to — and I won that fight."

It's easy to write boxing off as a violent sport and to say, well, hey, women aren't valued for their fighting prowess, so why the shock that women's boxing isn't a hit? But, Hardy explains, great boxers aren't fighting an emotional battle within the ring. They aren't ferociously aiming at whatever body part they can to draw blood. There's a Zen quality to boxing, a rhythm and the music of thoughtful, fluid motions. There's the peaceful emptying of the boxer's head that Hardy says she experiences, which allows for pure, controlled reactions. It's dancing and it's running — with jabs and gloves and heart.

More: Women's soccer player Julie Johnston talks Olympics and that nasty pay gap

For Hardy, boxing is also proof of her unwavering strength years after a man tried to strip her power from her. At age 12, she was raped by an older man in her neighborhood, but because of the politics of small-town life in which everyone knows everyone else, she chose to keep her sexual assault a secret.

“It’s a life changer and it affects you for a very long time,” Hardy says, “For 10 years I went to bed with it every night. Every time I would close my eyes I would relive it. I would wake up screaming at the top of my lungs. So many women associate that with shame and they hide their story. I'm here to say, for all the women who look up to me, are you ashamed of me? Should I be ashamed of myself? Nine out of 10 times the answer I get is 'no.'"

Being in the boxing gym made Hardy understand her own strength and how far she could push herself, she says. But boxing, for her, wasn’t about beating the memory of her abuser out of her mind or taking her anger out on her opponent. “It’s not the kind of confidence where I think I could beat up anyone,” she says. “It’s like I can survive anything. If I can survive training eight hours a day on 14 ounces of protein, I can survive anything."

More: Meet Jillion Potter — the badass Olympian about to get you hooked on Rugby

In a perfect and fair world, Hardy's talent would speak for itself and sell tickets. In women's boxing, however, it takes a "village" that includes Hardy's family members, her trainer Devon Cormack and Hardy herself to promote her boxing matches and drum up enough interest to catch the attention of a major network. While her male peers have the luxury of focusing solely on training, Hardy is training and throwing events to sell tickets, sometimes right before a match.

Interestingly, both Hardy and her opponent Vincent are ultimately fighting for the same thing: more recognition in women's boxing. Had they put their minds together, Hardy said she and Vincent could have come up with ways to cross-promote the NBC Sport Network event and drum up more interest in it. Unfortunately, their rivalry, brought on by years in which Vincent would actually show up at Hardy's matches and call her out, has created an honest-to-goodness bitter feud that should, at the very least, make for better ratings, but does little to help the sport.

And speaking of boxing, can we talk salary inequality for a moment? At one recent fight in which Hardy opened for a male boxer who shared similar stats (and got the added benefit of TV time when Hardy did not), her male counterpart walked away from the ring that night $100,000 richer. What did Hardy make? A measly $10,000.

At this point, it would be dishonest not to mention the blond, blue-eyed elephant in the room, the one that could easily bank on her looks and bring more attention to herself and to women's boxing if she'd suck it up and pose in a bikini for Maxim. To speak about a female athlete's beauty is to deprive her of the respect she deserves for her accomplishments, but we live in a world in which everyone, including Hardy, knows she could make money and become a name a lot quicker if she agreed to play the role of the pretty girl. As an ambassador for Dove's #MyBeautyMySay campaign who has appeared in ads for Adidas, it's clear she plans to promote women's boxing on her terms.

"People tell me I’m pretty and my face gets red," Hardy says. "There are some people who own their physical appearance in a way where they can put on a bikini and sell it. I have to be my authentic self — you can’t sell a fake thing. If a photographer said to me, 'give me a sexy face,' I'd laugh. Maybe years ago they would have put me on TV had I posed for Playboy. But I’m making it and I’m doing it myself."

Hardy takes on Vincent on Sunday, Aug. 21 on NBCSN at at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. You can also watch the fight here.

As fans of The Real Housewives of Orange County have long noted, Meghan Edmonds seems to be moving through her pregnancy process without her husband Jim. Whether through RHOC's editing or his genuine nature, he came off as disinterested in her IVF treatments and far less excited than his wife about the prospect of a child. Of course, there's nothing wrong with bringing a baby into this world by yourself. But when you do have a partner, it's a surprise to see the milestones of pregnancy still celebrated alone.

More: Meghan Edmonds is RHOC's most compelling Housewife

As Reality Tea points out, Edmonds took to Instagram to announce that she had completed her birth plan. "What's better than having your doula as your good friend and having a birth planning sesh with our babies in Vegas! Love you @jackieonelson! #imacontrolfreak #cantwaitforlabor #noneedlesneeded," she wrote. What a sweet, celebratory post. The question remains: Where is Mr. Edmonds?

More: RHOC's Meghan Edmonds deserves more from her husband during her pregnancy

If something has happened in their relationship, it's not like the Housewives to keep things a secret. Even though Real Housewives of New York has ceased filming for the season, Jules Wainstein has spoken about her split from husband Michael in the press. Now, fans are watching the season with the knowledge of hindsight. Will we see a similar pattern for Jim and Meghan? With a baby on the way, we hope not — but someone's got to step up to the plate.

More: Meghan Edmonds offers a rare moment of inspiration on RHOC

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Total Divas’ star Eva Marie has been suspended from the WWE for the next 30 days. Marie failed the wellness test the organization puts all its athletes through, so she will not be allowed to participate in anything for the next month.

Marie hasn’t given any official statement reacting to the ruling or the failed test results, but her husband has a lot to say about what’s going on. In a tweet that he has since deleted, Jonathan Coyle said, “When the public finds out why my wife was unjustly suspended they will be absolutely outraged! Official statement and facts coming soon.”

More: Total Divas's Eva Marie's plan for the rest of Season 5 may change her image

He didn’t expand on what the facts are or why the WWE would unjustly suspend Marie, but he’s clearly very upset about what happened to her.

It’s very endearing that Coyle is sticking up for his wife and her career. He’s clearly very upset at the people who put her in this situation. It is hard to believe that the WWE would want one of its stars to sit out for an entire month rather than working for them and ultimately making them more money, but that’s not to say that it isn’t possible.

The WWE didn’t release information on which part of their wellness test Marie failed, so it could be a whole host of things. But because it’s her first infraction, she was only given a 30-day suspension. If she continues to fail the tests, she will suffer even longer suspensions.

More: Eva Marie reveals her plans to make amends on Total Divas Season 5

Although she hasn’t made an official statement, Marie did post to her Instagram, saying, “Don't ever let anyone else dictate how you live your life, live the way you want, and how God would want you to live. I don't sweat the small stuff, those little speed bumps in life are inevitable. Instead I focus on the positives, and do everything I can to keep my life at a balance and moving forward.”

It sounds like she’s trying the best she can to be positive about the experience. Hopefully the whole mess will be cleaned up the way that Coyle predicts and Marie can get back in the ring and in front of her fans.

More: The WWE Divas take sides in the Nikki Bella vs. Eva Marie feud

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

I am just going to start this article out as frankly as I can — Ryan Lochte sucks.

Over the past couple of days, I have watched the internet turn its attention to Lochte's embarrassing behavior and (I'm assuming) lies — and it's been disappointing, to say the least. Coming off a week of inspiring stories about athletes making history and competitors lending helping hands to their fallen rivals in Rio, news outlets became transfixed by the unbelievable, salacious story that Lochte was serving up.

In case you missed it somehow (which would be tough to do), Lochte told NBC News that he and three other U.S. swimmers had been pulled over by guys with police badges and guns, saying "they pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground. I refused. I was like, 'We didn't do anything wrong, so... I'm not getting down on the ground.' And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it on my forehead, and he said 'Get down,' and I put my hands up. I was like, 'Whatever.' He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cellphone, he left my credentials."

More: U.S. Olympics men's swim team: Get to know all the athletes headed to Rio

The story changed a few times after that — leading the Rio de Janeiro court to attempt to seize Lochte and fellow swimmer's passports. Lochte managed to fly home to the states while the other three are stuck in Brazil. Just this morning, after reports that police has obtained security footage to prove Lochte's story was an attempt to cover up a brawl with a security guard, Lochte issued an apology, saying trauma from the incident led him to fabricate the events that transpired early Sunday morning.

So, what exactly did happen? According to Reuters' security source, two swimmers peed near the back of the gas station and — for whatever reason — broke an advertising sign. All four swimmers argued with the gas station employees and a security guard made them sit on the ground with their hands in the air. Lochte stood up to argue with the security guard, but the guard ordered him to sit again. The next time they were seen they were passing through security at Olympic Village no more than an hour later. The Brazilian police will be holding a press conference later today, so we'll be sure to get all the ridiculous details then.

And this is pretty much how I feel about all of it:

More: A look at Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps' heated, ongoing bromance rivalry

But let's just get to the bottom line, shall we? Lochte and the other swimmers should be ashamed of themselves. Not only are they grown men, they're representing the United States. Sure, they're allowed to go out and celebrate their wins, and yes, sometimes intoxication leads to bad judgment, but vandalizing (and by vandalizing, I mean urinating on) someone's private property and then lying about being mugged at gunpoint to get sympathy from the world? Are you kidding me?! That surpasses any excusable drunken mistake and it's hard for me to believe Lochte didn't intentionally describe the events in an untruthful way.

What's worse is that upstanding, admirable athletes' accomplishments are now being overlooked because all anyone can talk about is what is and isn't true regarding Lochte's drunken night. No apology can make up for that.

More: The most talked-about moments at the Olympic Games Rio 2016

So, let's all sit down and turn our attention back to what really matters — the athletes who deserve the Olympic spotlight. In case you've been so swept up in #LochteGate, here are a couple of amazing moments and headlines you missed these past couple of days:

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal

The 21-year-old lost to Spain's Carolina Marin in the badminton finals, but still became the youngest Indian to ever win an Olympic medal. She became one of the only two athletes to medal for India. The other was wrestler Sakshi Malik, who won bronze on Aug. 18.

Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin became the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal

Beating Sweden's Nikita Glasnovic, Zenoorin fell to the floor and kissed the mat, saying "I am so happy for Iranian girls because it is the first medal and I hope at the next Olympics we will get gold."

Russia's synchronized swimming team won gold for the fifth consecutive year

The Russian's synchronized swimming team has proven to be unbeatable in recent years. During the RIo finals, they scored two perfect 10s for both execution and artistic impression. Their final score was three points higher than China's, who won silver their second year in a row.

U.S. women win protest and get Brazil disqualified from 400-meter relay

The U.S. relay team was originally disqualified after Allyson Felix dropped the baton during the second heat of the women's 400-meter relay, but contested the ruling, claiming she had been bumped. The jury ruled in the U.S. women's favor, disqualified Brazil for obstructing the U.S. and is allowing the U.S. women to rerun the race alone on Thursday night.

U.S. gymnast Danell Leyva won most epic celebration dance on the bars

Guys, I've searched the interwebs. I don't know when this happened or why but I can only assume it happened after Danell Leyva won two silver medals in one day for parallel and horizontal bars. All I have to say is he definitely gets the gold for celebration dance. As a matter of fact, I'd like to see a lot more of him... DWTS anyone?

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

On Wednesday night, I did God’s work and ventured to a very fancy rooftop bar in Rockefeller Center to attend a RHONY viewing party and the launch of Skinnygirl’s latest flavor of premixed margarita (aka, Mommy’s Kool-Aid), Watermelon Lime. I had low hopes for this shindig. I’ve seen the kinds of parties Bethenny Frankel throws on RHONY and they usually involve a club full of sweaty drunk revelers, Frankel in a crazy wig, Ramona Singer screaming about the lack of hot guys and Sonja Morgan breaking a tooth.

I am pleased to report this party was actually kind of classy insofar as it was in a very fancy bar with some breathtaking views of the New York City skyline — a not-cheesy DJ, a well-stocked open bar (if you, as I do, interpret "open" to mean "all the Skinnygirl beverages you can stomach from a giant plastic margarita glass") and some Mexican-ish passed hors d’oeuvres (fish taco-ettes, teensy quesadilla bites). And I’m pleased to report there was some not-insignificant, unscripted Frankel time wherein I was able to pick up a few pieces of Housewives gossip.

More: Wait a second, Bethenny Frankel — is that throwback picture really you?

1. Frankel has a radical new Cleopatra haircut

At first, I was like, "Oh no. Bethenny, what have you done?" but then I was like, "Look, she kind of looks amazing, look at her bone structure, and if Taylor Swift can pull it off why not Bethenny." I ask you.

2. Ramona Singer called this week’s episode "spellbinding," and Frankel said "that’s a very big word for Ramona."

Bethenny is hardly above throwing a little shade at the other Housewives.

3. Housewives superfans would want to know if their fiancé was cheating on them.

Frankel asked the partygoers on Snapchat if they’d "want to know,” meaning would they want to know if someone had caught their fiancé in flagrante delicto kissing a girl at the Regency bar. Um, yes, duh. Even if he did give me a yellow diamond ring that Sonja Morgan described as "cloudy."

More: We don't blame Bethenny Frankel for not wanting to return to RHONY next season

4. Frankel is engaged?!

Or so she joked! In this clip, she is exulting over how much she loves her Judith Leiber watermelon clutch and says, "I love it so much, I want to marry it. Oh, but I’m already engaged to someone else." The crowd erupted in screams of "what?!" (that may be me screaming bloody murder you hear). "No, that’s not true," she said, not totally putting to rest the rumors that have been swirling, but definitely addressing them. Bethenny, oh Bethenny, we don’t know why we care so much about every detail of your private life, but we do. We can't help ourselves; we do.

More: So, is Bethenny Frankel engaged or what? Because it sure looks like it to us

5. Frankel may or may not have been with a boyfriend who may or may not be bald

I’m not winning any paparazzi awards for this (do those exist?), but Frankel was standing behind me with a handsome bald dude and there was some whispering that this was her Steady Freddy. To whom she is or is not engaged. I have no idea. He could have been her bodyguard. He could have been her intern.

6. 94 percent of Frankel's clothes were bought on sale

She may be worth millions (billions?), but this girl does not pay retail. Her outfit, however, I am sure you will agree was perhaps the most beautiful cantaloupe, pink and white concoction the world has ever seen. The pumps were the same pink as the belt of the dress. Weird color combo but it worked, my friends, it worked.

7. According to Frankel, LuAnn de Lesseps "remarketed" her marriage

I believe what Frankel said was, "LuAnn remarketed her relationship as an open relationship after years of cheating." This, of course, refers to de Lesseps’ marriage to the count, about which the other Housewives cannot shut up and have over the years insisted was plagued by cheating. Recently, de Lesseps revealed she had an open marriage. Frankel’s not buying it. Did I mention shade? Yeah, it was thrown.

8. To Frankel, interrupting an episode of RHONY is like having your grandmother walk in while you're orgasming

OK, you saw this week's episode. It's pretty much up there with Scary Island as far as being one of the very best Housewives experiences ever. And you know that in the last five minutes, de Lesseps went to Frankel’s Miami hotel room where Frankel almost told her about the photos of Tom D'Agostino kissing a random girl. Imagine a roomful of Housewives fans at a Frankel-hosted viewing party watching this episode, sitting on the edge of their seats, breath held in terror in the final moments of the episode, and the cable cuts out. Darkness. Did Frankel tell her? Did she not? We all cried out in agony — which is when the DJ tried to distract us with some Bethenny Frankel trivia, which, as you can see above, Frankel was not having.

More: Bethenny Frankel did the right thing on RHONY, despite it going horribly wrong

I am pleased to report upon leaving the event, I received a Skinnygirl wine stopper, a white Skinnygirl performance fleece and a Skinnygirl purse-size mirror that I cannot for the life of me figure out how to open. And Frankel did explain to us what happened in the minutes of the episode that we missed, so I’m caught up and raring to go for next week's episode.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Nick Cannon doesn’t really believe in keeping his sex life a mystery. Even if he’s talking about his ex-wife, Mariah Carey. Cannon was recently a guest on the Amber Rose Show when rose asked him if he had ever had sex with Mariah to one of her songs.

Cannon didn’t even hesitate or act like he wasn’t going to answer the question. He quickly said, “I’ve answered this question while I was married — mistake!

More: Mariah Carey made Nick Cannon wait until marriage to get busy

But apparently, not a big enough mistake to stop himself. He said, “Yes, I have. She didn’t like the fact that I told the world that we have sex to her music, but it was true!”

He continued with,“Can you imagine having sex with Mariah Carey while Mariah Carey is playing in the back? Sorry, Mariah. I said I wasn’t going to say that again.”

Rose then asked him to specify which song he and Carey made love to. Cannon stood up quickly to sing a part of her famous song, “Hero.”

More: Nick Cannon goes on Twitter rant, still loves Mariah Carey

I’m positive that there is an entire generation of people who have had sex to Carey’s songs, and maybe even “Hero,” but it’s a little weird to hear Cannon bragging about it — especially right after he admits to Carey being angry at him for revealing that detail the first time he did it.

Surely now that the couple is divorced, she’ll be even less pleased with him for telling all their intimate secrets. And even if Cannon isn’t concerned with what Carey thinks, he’s currently dating another huge R&B star, TLC’s Chilli.

She is a very private woman herself, and watching him put everything out there like he did may cause her to re-evaluate what’s going on. Clearly if he isn’t scared to talk about his ex, he won’t hesitate to tell the world about his current girlfriend.

Let’s just hope this is the last time we hear Cannon give details about his sex life to anyone so we can save everyone the headache.

More: Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon have a sweet way of handling holidays after divorce

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Can you imagine a world without our Real Housewives stars? Where instead of dozens of Housewives we had just... one? In a new special from Oprah: Where Are They Now, former cast member Jeana Keough tells the story of the Real Housewives that wasn't.

More: Real Housewives star is about to become a grandma

As Keough explained, the original Real Housewives of Orange County focused singularly on her and her family. "The producer, Scott Dunlop, wrote the show about my family,” she says. "He was my next-door neighbor."

It was Bravo who brought the other women into the picture, says Keough. “When he started pitching the idea, he filmed us and sent it to Bravo. They said, ‘Yeah, we like it, but let’s see some other families.’” If it weren't for the writer's strike, the show might never have happened. Keough says their success came partly by default; "for lack of anything else on TV."

More: We thought the latest RHONY love quadrangle was bad, but it's not the only one

The local reception was less than warm at first, she continues. "The show was a huge disappointment to Coto [de Caza]. They were afraid it was going to make them look stupid. They were boycotting and having big news conferences at the club about, ‘Let’s stop this filming. It’s disruptive. Our children are all going to be kidnapped.’" Thankfully, the producers continued on their merry way anyway.

More: I don't really care that Real Housewives producers stage storylines

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Kelly Dodd and her husband have put their Newport Beach house on the market, and obviously, people think this may be a sign that their marriage is on the rocks again.

Dodd has never been quiet about the fact that she once filed for divorce from her husband back in 2012 but decided that it was more important to work it out. Now, it looks like they may be talking about divorce again.

More: Kelly Dodd didn't only bash her RHOC co-star — she went after Dorinda too

In the listing, the couple says the house is 4,370 square feet with panoramic views of Big Corona Beach. It was recently renovated and has four stories, and they are asking $6.25 million for the house.

Selling the house isn’t an automatic sign that the couple is getting divorced. They could be looking to upgrade now that they’re regulars on RHOC. Or they could just want something new in their lives. But given their past problems, some people are speculating that this is the beginning of the end for them.

According to Radar Online, Dodd was accused of neglecting the couple’s daughter in the original divorce papers. They read, “Since moving to Orange County, Petitioner has had the tendency to leave our daughter with Petitioner's mother or with babysitters in order to allow her plenty of opportunities to go out on dates, to bars, or have girls nights with her friends.”

More: RHOC: Kelly Dodd's friendships are none of the Housewives' business

Obviously, if that was a problem back in 2012, it could only have gotten worse now that Dodd is living her life as a Housewife — a lifestyle that includes tons of parties, happy hours and drama filled-girls trips. If that was a major reason for the couple to consider divorce a few years ago, it makes sense that many fans believe they’re looking to call it quits now.

We will wait until more facts come out because a house for sale doesn’t mean much more than a family looking to move. But we’d love to hear what you think.

More: Kelly Dodd is a way better RHOC villain than Brooks Ayers

Does Dodd putting her house up for sale spell divorce? Let us know.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

The brain is one of the most powerful organs known to man. Our consciousness, how we think and what we do are all actions that the brain is responsible for. While the brain has so many amazing functions, it weighs less than 1.3 kilograms and contains 100,000 miles of blood vessels. Unfortunately, without proper care, the brain can also be damaged and lose some of its power. OHSU Brain Institute reports that more than 5 million individuals in the United States have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They also report that more than 40 million individuals are suffering from anxiety disorders and more than 6 million children, aged 4 to 17, are suffering from ADHD. These are also vital facts about the brain, but the question now is how do we keep our brain healthy?

1. Do aerobic exercise to combat stress

The University of Nebraska Medical Center reported a study that observed that numerous types of aerobic exercises have been found to improve the blood circulation to the brain, which helps manage stress. The effect seems to be a reduction in anxiety and depression. They also report mood improvements after a period of aerobic exercise.

2. Play some chess

Chess is known as a mind game. It is also known as a smart game. In reality, chess really builds your brain and provides several health benefits for your brain. Scientists who are researching methods on how to improve memory have also included chess in the majority of their studies. The official worldwide community for chess players, chess.com, reports that chess can actually improve the problem-solving skills and thinking abilities of children as well as rehabilitate patients, assist with the treatment of schizophrenia and might be able to stave off Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Always have a plan

Another study suggests that having something to look forward to is healthy for our brain. Planning results increases levels of dopamine in the brain, even when the entire plan is not put into action. So when you know about something that is coming up — a trip to the lake or maybe even a birthday party — get out a pen and paper and start planning.

4. Teach yourself a new language

If you’re reading this article, then you already understand English. But many Americans are only monolingual — speaking only English. A study that was published in Neurology journal reports that people who can speak multiple languages are at a lower risk of developing dementia. It is also reported that learning a new language can enhance your focus and improve your native language skills.

5. Socialize with your friends

A study conducted at the Department of Research and Evaluation in California provided evidence that socializing can help elder women avoid or delay the development of dementia. Socializing with friends, family and colleagues usually lead to laughter, which releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is important to maintain a healthy brain.

The brain is a complex organ that fascinates researchers. By doing simple exercises, you can ensure your brain’s health is always at an optimum level.

I knew Baby B was gone before I even made it to the doctor's office. There was no reason to suspect I had lost a triplet — there was just one tiny dot of blood on my underwear that could've been anything — but I knew.

I don't remember what the ultrasound tech said when she put the wand on my belly and only two heartbeats flashed into view. She scanned and measured and scanned some more, but none of it breathed life into the dead baby inside my belly. She probably told me she was sorry, but I didn't hear her over the sound of my sobs.

More: I actually broke a bone while giving birth

I didn't want triplets. I already had one set of twins and a spare at home, and I knew how hard multiples are. I was scared of having twins again, but I knew I could handle it. Triplets was another thing entirely. But as soon as I saw three heartbeats on the six-week ultrasound, I loved them just as much as I loved their three older siblings. When we saw all three wiggling and waving again at nine weeks, I thought we were in the clear. Soon three tiny cloth diapers arrived in the mail, one for each tiny bottom. But then there were two.

My doctor told me that sometimes babies just stop growing. Baby B probably had some kind of genetic abnormality. The other two babies would probably be fine. But he sent me home on bed rest and started me on daily injections to try to prevent pregnancy loss "just in case."

Baby B wasn't the first baby I'd lost. She — and she has always been a "she" to me — was my third lost baby. I had an early miscarriage a few months before I got pregnant with her, and I did my best to relax my fears right up until the moment my dead baby flashed in front of me on that ultrasound screen. From that moment on, all bets were off. I ordered a portable fetal heart rate monitor, and every morning and every evening, I listened to my remaining babies' heart rates and reassured myself they were still alive.

I knew using a Doppler carried minor risks to my babies, but I knew my sanity was important too. My body had betrayed me more than once, and I couldn't rely on it to keep my babies safe anymore. I needed proof and peace of mind, and the Doppler gave me both.

When I lost Baby B, I worried about having another silent miscarriage. As time went on and my babies made it out of the first trimester and well into the second, I still listened to their heart beats daily, but I began to relax. The holidays were nearing, and I spent the night before Thanksgiving making pies and doing laundry to prepare for the next day. As I moved a load of damp clothes from the washer to the dryer, I thought I peed myself. I even laughed about it a little. But when I got into the bathroom, I saw that it was blood, not urine, that had soaked my pants.

The first thing I grabbed on my way out the door to the hospital was my Doppler. I held it to my stomach as my husband drove us to the hospital, listening to the gallop of my daughters' hearts. When they admitted me for a placental abruption, the nurses replaced my Doppler with their own monitors, and not a day went by that I didn't see or hear my tiny daughters.

More: The best ways to tell the sex of your baby — how accurate are they?

We ate Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital and opened our Christmas presents in the family visiting room. My daughters grew so large they took up permanent residence in their two separate sides of my belly, and I gave up on ever seeing my feet again. Finally, after six weeks in the hospital, my doctor decided I could go home.

The first thing I did as a free woman was send my husband into a restaurant for a sandwich. When I stood up to wash my hands and felt a familiar gush, I knew it wasn't pee this time. As blood ran down my legs and I tried to stop the flow with hospital pads, I yelled to my husband to get out my Doppler.

I don't regret using a Doppler to ease my fears. I had 32 ultrasounds that pregnancy and spent weeks in the hospital on continuous fetal heart rate monitoring. Whatever risks were posed by my home Doppler were swallowed by all the intervention necessary to keep my daughters alive.

More: Eating my placenta made me gag, but I'd do it again

It took us an hour to get to the hospital. We sat in rush-hour traffic, blood seeping into my pants, the Doppler on my belly the entire time. A few hours later, after my doctor decided to send me in for a C-section, my daughters were born. They spent a few weeks in the NICU learning how to breathe and eat, but they came home tiny and perfect. Two instead of three.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

I've got two kids, so I'm quite accustomed to wiping urine, poop or other odd substances off the floor, but what I found in the corner of my basement the other day made my heart stop. While I was doing a deep clean on our house, I came across something that terrified me. It wasn't a spider or a mouse or a rogue nomad who had taken refuge underneath our house, but rather a toy sitting behind old boxes and junk, alone in a dust-covered corner.

It was a toy gun. A toy rifle, to be more specific. I don't know who or where it came from, but its presence alone in my house made my blood run cold.

More: A DayGlo guide to parenting like it's 1985 again

My son happened to be with me during this particular cleaning purge, and when he noticed the toy rifle, his face lit up. He immediately grabbed it and began an imaginary shoot-out. I'm not sure whether he was a cop or a robber or a pirate or an action hero, but regardless of the character he was playing, I wasn't OK with the actions he was portraying.

I grabbed the plastic rifle and attempted to explain to my almost 3-year-old that shooting the imaginary villains in our basement wasn't something that should be considered fun. I explained to him that hurting other people, imaginary or not, wasn't good or acceptable and that shooting the pretend pirates in our basement wouldn't make him a hero. I didn't tell him that guns are bad but rather that they're not toys. Plastic or not, guns aren't something anyone shouldn't take seriously.

I was born in Texas and raised in Tennessee, where guns were a fairly typical part of an upbringing. I've spent my entire life around guns. I've learned to both respect and fear them, and I was taught from an early age about the very necessary safety precautions I should take when one was in my presence. Now that I'm raising boys of my own, I fully intend to teach them those same lessons about guns and gun safety.

When my toddler went Rambo in our basement, I realized those lessons needed to be taught sooner rather than later.

I do my best to shield my children from the chaos running amok in our country. If the TV is on in our house while the kids are awake, it's never on the news, and if something my kids are watching features violence of any kind, it's immediately turned off. It's not that I don't think they should eventually be aware of the harsh realities in our world — those are lessons I will unfortunately have to teach them at some point — but not yet, not at 3 years old. So when my son was portraying what looked like a scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie in the midst of our junk-infested basement, I couldn't control my bewilderment. I kept asking myself where he had even seen someone use a gun? Where did he figure out how to pull that pretend trigger, and who made him feel like having a gun equated to him also having power or bravery or invincibility?

I honestly don't know who gave him the gun. I don't remember ever seeing it unwrapped at a birthday party or during Christmas, and I certainly know that its purchase wasn't made by my husband or by me. What I do know is that although I support the Second Amendment, I do not consider giving my toddler a toy gun without asking me first OK.

More: I royally screwed up parenting because I was abused as a kid

I am the one who has to teach my children about the power of guns. I am the one who has to teach them about the magnitude of guns. I am the one who has to teach them about the consequences that could possibly accompany guns, and I'm also the one who gets to decide when my kids are ready to receive these messages. Buying my kid a toy gun before I'm prepared to teach them about gun responsibility sends a message to him that guns are no big deal, which is the opposite of the message I want to send.

Gun ownership comes with responsibility, and part of that responsibility involves teaching children the magnitude of a gun's presence. If I allow my children to believe that a plastic gun is innocent and fun and normal, they'll grow up believing that a real gun is the same thing. They'll grow up thinking that the Wild West they portray before nap time is how the real world functions. They'll grow up thinking that the toy guns they played with as children could be the solution to the world's very real problems.

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I'm a mother who owns guns, yes, but that ownership is carried with a very serious understanding of its power, and allowing my children to frivolously fight with their plastic rifles completely contradicts the responsibility I hope to teach them. If I allow my kids to grow up playing cops and robbers and pointing their unloaded fingers at their friends, I'm essentially loading the very real guns that might find their way into their hands in the future. That's why a gun's presence, plastic or not, should never be taken lightly, and that's precisely why no one is ever allowed to buy my children toy guns.

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Get ready, Young and the Restless fans, it looks like Justin Hartley is leaving the daytime show. While we don’t have 100% confirmation from Hartley or CBS, there are a few clues that the network is preparing for his exit.

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Hartley is about to embark on the biggest step in his career with NBC’s highly anticipated fall show, This Is Us. With prominent cast members like Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia, this show is going to be a total game-changer in his life.

While many Y&R fans would love to see Hartley doing both shows, the signs are all there that he has to leave daytime. In an interview with Michael Fairman at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour for NBC in August, he talked about balancing Y&R, This Is Us and his guest-star role on ABC’s Mistresses.

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“I’m going to have to do this for a little bit here. There’s a definitely a break [at Y&R]. I don’t know if I can [do both shows],” Hartley said. “I try to stay out of that, and gladly don’t wear that hat. I’m on all three networks… for the moment.”

It’s like Hartley knew that straddling three different shows would have to end at some point. Adam Newman is a key character on Y&R. He’s not a part-time kind of guy, so the producers at the soap need a full-time actor in the role.

The other smoking gun is the thinly disguised casting call that was put out this week. While the character was named “Dean,” CelebDirtyLaundry.com pointed out that he sounded just like Adam Newman.

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The description was for a Caucasian man in his mid-30s who comes from a wealthy family and goes against the grain by trying to live a more positive life by staying away from his family’s greed. It's not like Y&R to introduce a new character that’s similar to one they already have.

In fact, most of Hartley’s social media posts are about the NBC show or his appearance on Mistresses this summer. On Instagram, fans have to go back 17 weeks to see a Y&R post where he welcomed fiancée Chrishell Stause to the show.

So brace yourself, Y&R fans, and savor every moment we have with Hartley in Genoa City. It looks like he’s headed to primetime on a full-time basis.

Not only did former Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock find true love with husband Chris Siegfried, but she's about to discover another type of all-encompassing love with a little one bound to capture her heart. Hartsock and Siegfried revealed their baby's gender on Instagram with an adorable photo and message for their fans. And the couple is having... a boy!

"We are so excited to share that we are having a little baby BOY!" Hartsock wrote. "Our hearts are so full of love for our little man already and we can't thank you all enough for the extra love you've shared during this special time."

Their gender reveal came with a little help from their sweet dachshund and a baseball with the words "It's a boy" written on it:

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How adorable and happy do they both look? Since getting married last year, after Hartsock chose Siegfried as the bachelor of her dreams on Season 9, the couple seem so content in their new life together. Marriage is also doing wonders for Hartsock's career. She has recently published a book called The Fairytale Wedding, in which she provides advice to couples who want to throw the wedding of their dreams but don't want to go bankrupt in the process. Judging by the details of Hartsock and Siegfried's wedding, which consisted of a breathtakingly beautiful but relatively simple celebration at Wayfarer's Chapel in Los Angeles, it sure sounds like she is an authority on the subject.

She and Siegfried announced they were having a baby back in April, and Hartsock has been generous with fans ever since, posting regular updates on her progress alongside cute baby bump photos.

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Hartsock is spending the last few months of her pregnancy (she's due in October) touring the nation in support of her book. And judging by her hectic schedule — she traveled to New Jersey, New York, Colorado and Texas in the same week — it's pretty obvious she is feeling super amazing these days. Congrats to Desiree and Chris! We can't wait to hear what baby boy names they have in mind.

Khloé Kardashian recently lost an amazing 40 pounds, and she credits a healthy diet and dedication to fitness as the reason for her success — there's no magic bullet, miracle shake or starvation involved, thank goodness. In a blog post on her website, Kardashian revealed the details of her sisters' "cray" diets, and you might be shocked to learn which one of her siblings is the most intense when it comes to food.

Obviously, supermodel Kendall Jenner is surviving on only a few calories a day for the sake of her career, right? Nope. Actually, Kendall is the one who doesn't diet, Kardashian said, and instead fills the role of ultimate cheat day partner — the person you want in your front seat as you cruise to In-N-Out burger or grab a pizza with everything on it. Kylie Jenner, the youngest sister, eats like a typical teenager, Kardashian says, which means an abundance of junk food, but she is also aware of the importance of healthy foods and tries to eat organic meals.

Now, we get to the good stuff: Kim and Kourtney are totally "cray" when it comes to their diets, according to Khloé. But, as we learn, "cray" is in the eye of the beholder.

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Kim has been vocal about following the Atkins diet, and Khloé admits she "wouldn't last a day" on her sister's diet. "It involves cutting out all sugar and carbs but it allows meat and dairy," Khloé said. "I like sweets too much and also don't eat red meat or dairy so I'm saying hell no to this one."

But Khloé saved the craziest eater for last. Believe it or not, Kourtney, who has always seemed like one of the most down-to-earth members of the family, goes to extreme lengths to maintain her amazing figure after giving birth to three children, according to her little sister.

"Kourt only eats organic food and has pretty much convinced herself that she is allergic to dairy and gluten too," Khloé said. "She's by far the most cray about her diet! I always feel like I need to lock my pantry before she comes over so she doesn't yell at me for what's in it, LOL."

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I have to say, I was expecting a lot more "cray" when I heard Kardashian had given her sisters up on her website. All of the women, but especially Kourtney and Khloé, seem to emphasize the importance of eating healthy, fresh organic food, and they're also all equally concerned about the importance of working out for health and aesthetic benefits.

We complain so much sometimes about how reality TV stars are influencing society in negative ways, but if you compare the Kardashian and Jenner siblings to some celebs in the '90s, when being rail-thin was a requirement for stardom, you might find their healthy lifestyles are exemplary. They stress body acceptance and are helping women realize their body shapes don't have a thing to do with their health or beauty. You can be a slender Kendall or a curvy Kim, and both types are equally gorgeous.

These diets might seem "cray" to Kourtney, but at least they're not over-the-top extreme in a way that can lead to unhealthy results.