If there's one thing Kim Kardashian can teach you about life, it's this: No matter what society tells you about how you should act as a married woman and mom, you can just shove that right back at them and refuse to oblige. While on vacation in Mexico with friends and her children, North and Saint West, Kardashian shared videos on Snapchat that might just be her most provocative yet.
The reality TV star and businesswoman donned one of her signature nude bikinis, grabbed a bottle of baby oil and proceeded to film herself twerking and dancing. What started as a relatively routine vid of her sporting a Turbo Thot one-piece swimsuit and dancing to Nicki Minaj's "Down in the DM" quickly turned into something very different: an up-close, intimate series of video clips of Kardashian's cleavage and butt.
First, there was this tame but sexy vid (Warning: NSFW videos headed your way)...
kardashian snapchat breasts
kardashian snapchat breasts
...which only served as an appetizer for what would come:
Once you get past the shock of seeing so much of Kardashian in the flesh, you have to stop and ask: Who is the intended viewing audience here? Were these for Kanye? No, probably not, considering how she could have easily sent them to him in a private message. Were they for her fans? I'm on the fence here about that assumption, since so many commenters on both vids disapproved of her actions, many of them criticizing her for doing this because she is a mom and because her kids were (presumably) in the other room while she engaged in some good old-fashioned nude twerking.
At the end of the day, Kardashian has made it crystal clear that she posts these photos and videos for no other reason than because doing so makes her feel happy. She loves her body and is proud of her appearance, probably more so because she has been able to bounce back into shape after giving birth to two children within a few years. She isn't forcing anyone to follow her on Snapchat or care about what she does with her phone and a bottle of baby oil in her spare time. And it's silly and insulting to use her kids as an excuse for why she shouldn't do this — as if parents don't engage in other adult behaviors after they put their children down for naps. It's one thing to disapprove of her actions because you feel no one should post videos like these and another to say moms shouldn't post videos like these.
Personally, I don't understand Kardashian's latest Snapchat videos or what motivated her to post them, but that's really not my business. She's a grown woman. If she's OK with her social media content, Kanye's cool with it and both feel it is separate from her role as mom, then carry on. There are far more important (and worse) things going on in the world to get worked up about.
In last night's episode of Married at First Sight, conflict arises and some couples have difficulty resolving it. Conflict resolution skills are important in all couples, so in order for these couples to survive, they need to figure it out soon.
Some of the couples on Married at First Sight struggled with conflict this week. Derek and Heather discussed his habit of smoking, which Heather had just discovered. She told him that she was uncomfortable with it. The two struggled to solve the issue. Derek told her that he felt judged and that she needed to compromise. Heather told the camera that she was very sad. Although the two were matched on compatibility, the match does not make up for the lack of relationship development that would normally have occurred.
On the other hand, Sonia and Nick had a discussion while on their honeymoon that also caused a conflict to occur around him stating something about liking the pace of getting to know each other at the speed they were in at the moment and not going any faster. Sonia seemed bothered by this after telling him that she likes him. She felt upset and shut off. Nick left the room and she cried. Here is another example that they have not had time to develop a relationship to know each other’s patterns and ways in a relationship that might have occurred if they knew each other before marriage. However, Sonia appeared to be able to move on, and they are able to go forward after taking some time apart. These two display some problem-solving skills that will likely serve them well later.
Lillian and Tom also struggled with some miscommunication about materialism and cars. They are able to work through this issue and appear to go forward like the other couple.
Conflict management is important for all couples, new and old. With Married at First Sight couples, they have a challenge because they were not given a process to date and work out some things before marriage and commitment. While this may or may not hinder love developing, the audience will have to keep watching to see what comes about for these three couples in terms of staying together or growing apart.
What if I told you that you could pack Pinterest-worthy school lunches in a matter of minutes, without cutting foods into cute shapes or spending an eternity in the kitchen? It’s all true.
Packing fresh school lunches that provide both nutrition and variety is a lot simpler than you think. If you check out this Easy Bento Boxes Pinterest board, you’ll notice that the lunches are both colorful and nutritious.
Pinterest board: Easy bento box
Pinterest board: Easy bento box
Most of those lunches are made with ingredients already on your weekly shopping list. What gives them the ultimate appeal is how colorful they are and that these same ingredients are used in a variety of ways.
But what if you aren't the "creative type" and can't come up with something beyond a sandwich or a wrap? Well, there is always the option of having a school lunch meal plan to help you stay organized and motivated each week.
Here are three easy steps to creating the most incredible bento lunches easily:
1. Start with a compartmentalized lunch container
If you are a beginner and just want to get started, look for a container with three compartments. This way you have fewer compartments to fill, and each will have its nutritional purpose.
Image: MOMables
A divided container also allows you to separate the "wet" foods from the "dry" foods. Make sure you look for one that is leakproof if you plan to send things like yogurt or applesauce. Most containers are fine for thick items such as hummus.
The largest section will hold the main item. This can be a wrap, pinwheels (a wrap cut into 1-inch pieces), salad, a sandwich or even food skewered through a bento pick.
The second compartment can hold either fruit or veggies, cut into bite-size pieces.
The third compartment can hold either fruit or veggies, a dip to go along with the item in the other compartment or a treat. A treat can be something as simple as fruit or an energy bite.
2. Add color
One of the reasons bento boxes look so great is that there is a variety of colors arranged nicely next to one another. Colorful foods also have a lot of nutrition, so the more you can pack in there, the better.
Image: MOMables
Baby carrots, cut celery and cherry tomatoes are great examples of how to add color with kid-friendly veggies. Other veggies that hold up well in a lunchbox are broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, frozen peas, edamame and sliced cucumbers.
Adding fruit to the lunchbox is another terrific way to add color. Blueberries, strawberries, apple slices and kiwi are all great options. Do your kids love watermelon? Send that too, but make sure the compartment is sealed since watermelon tends to release juices.
Open your fridge, and look inside, because it's filled with possibilities! Leftover grilled chicken can be revamped into an awesome wrap, leftovers from taco night can easily be re-created into a taco salad, and meatballs can either be skewered or sent inside a thermos.
Image: MOMables
Most parents worry too much about the temperature of the food, when in reality, kids rarely eat their food hot. Lunch is as much about socializing with friends as it is about actually eating the food, so just make sure you pack the right utensils, and you are good to go.
If all else fails, you can always stick to one item for the week, like chicken salad, and pack it in a variety of ways like in this video.
MOMables: Making Bento boxes
MOMables: Making Bento boxes
Image: MOMables
Laura Fuentes is the founder of MOMables, where she helps parents add a fresh variety to their lunches and family meals. She’s the author of three cookbooks, competed (and won!) on Food Network and has been featured on the TODAY Show and in Parents, Redbook and Huffington Post. Check out the MOMables YouTube channel for Laura’s family-friendly recipes.
I grew up doing all sorts of sports. I was a dancer, a gymnast, a cheerleader, a cross-country and track runner, and I attended taekwondo competitions all over the West Coast. I even went to basketball camp one summer despite the fact that I am 5-foot-nothing and had zero basketball skills (I convinced my parents I was really into basketball, when in truth I just really had a crush on someone). While I appreciate the hell out of my parents for giving me all the sports opportunities my heart desired, unfortunately my kids will not get the same experience I did.
Actually, they will get quite a few of the same opportunities. If they want to do dance or gymnastics, they can have at it. If they want to join up for baseball or cheerleading or soccer, however, they are, to put it bluntly, shit out of luck. Because while I’m all for my kids doing group activities and sports, I am decidedly against giving up all my free time for their hobbies.
If they want to sign up for a sport that will suck away every single one of my weekends or force me to sit in the freezing rain while they play, they need to find themselves a rich sponsor and someone else to shuttle them around for it. While I would never expressly forbid them from most sports (because if they're anything like me, that would only make them want to do it So. Much. More.), I am definitely steering my children toward indoor sports that do not suck up all our free time, for my sake and theirs. But mostly mine.
I have no qualms with my past that I need my children to settle on the court for me. I don’t need to live vicariously through my daughter becoming a cheerleading all-star because I was sort of "meh" and totally bombed at nationals. I don’t need my son to become Bruce Lee to fulfill my Karate Kid fantasy image of myself. I was never destined for sports greatness, and so the way I see it, the sports my kids choose to participate in are for fun and leveraging good behavior.
If it were clear I was raising an Olympian, maybe it would be a different story, but truth be told, I don’t think that is the case here. Given my mediocre talents as a child, I don’t foresee my own children rising to the top of the pack, where their gifts are so undeniable that I must forfeit my life on the altar of their sports greatness.
To be honest, I really don’t want to be the inspirational mom in the Olympic commercials who gives up everything for their kid’s soccer dream. I mean, would I do it for them? Maybe. But let’s be clear: I would much rather spend my rainy weekends curled up on the couch than watching a bunch of kids run around a muddy field all day. (And then driving their filthy butts out to large group meals and doing even more laundry than I already do? Hard pass.)
Aside from giving my children the means with which to work out their excessive angst and energy, sports are supposed to be my opportunity to have a little break as well. I want them to do things that can become a part of their identity, separate from me (because I’m generous like that). Spending every red cent and dedicating all my weekends to their sports endeavors are not going to accomplish that. I want them to be independent. I want them to own their interests.
I lost eight people I cared about in a five-year period. It started with my grandmother, "Nannie," who died of breast cancer. Next, my boyfriend and his father drowned when a storm came up and swallowed their bass boat. Then my friend Lisa took her life, followed by my friend Jim who died of AIDS. After that, my other grandmother had a heart attack and was found lying on the floor of her bathroom by her husband, my grandfather, who only lasted another year before stomach cancer got him. My friend Katherine provided a gruesome finale by dying in the hospital days after she crashed into the side of a convenience store while riding on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle.
Losing so many people in a row felt like going from "Death 101: When Bad things Happen to Good Hermit Crabs" to getting a PhD in the seven stages of grief.
Fortunately, no one I am close to has died since then. But my father recently had a heart attack that took him from two rounds of golf a day to "Why is it so hard to walk to the mailbox?" Watching him suffer through multiple hospital visits, surgeries and medication management has been a whole new kind of hard. He doesn't have the kind of issues that can be fixed with open heart surgery. His arteries are actually fine. It's his electrical system that is out of whack, and for that there is no real fix. The prognosis is grim in the way we don't talk about above a whisper.
The truth is, I am more worried about how I'm going to deal with my father's death than him actually dying.
I didn't handle it well when all those people passed away. I kept thinking I would adapt, I suppose. But, standing in the grass wearing the same black patent leather pumps while eight of my friends and family were lowered into the ground resulted in a rabid case of insomnia that wrecked my ability to concentrate, which tanked my GPA — did I mention I was in college at the time? — and shredded the tiny thread of self-esteem I had before death came to visit, raided my fridge and shit in my bathtub. Thoughts of suicide followed me to every class, on every date and to every party.
I want to take my red pen to that time and scratch out the parts that make. No. Sense. And, while I'm at it, I'd like to draw in some lovely snapshots of me sitting down with a therapist or a friend or a relative or a support group or anybody willing to say something besides "just give it time" or some other bullshit cliché.
I remember at one point — was it after Lisa swallowed way too many Valium or after I sang "Ave Maria" at Jim's funeral? — I crawled into my closet, wrapped myself in every sweater I could find, and hummed the theme song to Gilligan's Island over and over and over because someone told me to "think positive."Newsflash: It didn't work.
Nothing worked. Even now, 25 years later, I'm still grief-limping through life with a wince on my face where a smile used to be, bracing for death the same way a person clings to the handle above the passenger door when her husband follows the car in front of them a little too closely because she's sick of saying, "Honey, could you not?" in her patient voice, hoping the combination of heavy sighing and handle grabbing will make him slow the hell down.But death is as immune to reason as husbands tend to be.
Nietzsche wrote, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." Really, Nietzsche? Really? By that logic, I should be on the cover of some macabre comic book. “Grief Girl!” Able to face death without crawling in the closet to hum theme songs! “Grief Girl!” Able to not have a nervous breakdown in the produce aisle! “Grief Girl!” Able to sleep through the night without waking up in a sweat-soaked panic!
I joke to ward off the darkness. I get that from my dad. But if I'm being honest, there's nothing funny about the fear I feel when I think about the ripple effects of losing him, of what the grief will do to me this time. I have a child now. I can't just crawl under the covers and whisper to God, Take me, please.
I've written the ending to this so many times, and I can't for the life of me bring all the threads together and tie it with a bow because the conclusion I keep coming to doesn't end with a period, but a question mark.
And that, like death, is profoundly unsatisfactory.
Nearly 16 years ago, my eldest son’s preschool teacher (whose name I've long forgotten) pulled me aside to discuss her concerns about my child’s behavior. She told me, as softly as she could, that she thought my son might have some developmental issues.
“He’s fine,” I said.
“I know,” she replied, “but there are some behaviors that concern me.”
She went on to list how my son preferred to play by himself instead of with other children, how sometimes he would show little emotion and how he would talk in different, strange voices.
“That’s just him being funny,” I interjected.
“Maybe so, but most kids will only do that in front of others. He does it by himself, when no one seems to be paying attention.”
She explained that before she worked at the school, she was a special needs teacher, and although she wasn’t a doctor, she thought it would be a good idea to have my son evaluated.
Evaluated sounded a lot like judged, and at the time, I was hesitant to agree. I had no experience with school interventions or educational plans, and didn’t know what to expect. It was the teacher’s calm voice and kind eyes that ultimately swayed me. With my permission, she requested a psychologist come to their class over the next week to watch my son.
“He won’t even know the doctor is there,” she said.
A month later, after being asked to fill out a thick packet of paperwork (which included some for my son’s pediatrician), my husband and I were invited to the school to sit and discuss their findings.
“We aren’t sure what’s going on specifically,” the psychologist said, “but we do believe he has some sort of processing delay.”
Throughout the meeting I felt lost and slightly confused. I didn’t know what a “processing delay” meant but worried that somehow it was my fault. Had I parented him wrong? Did my husband or I have bad genes? Would it affect him for the rest of his life?
Maybe because I was so young, or possibly because, growing up, I’d never heard of the school giving a child a diagnosis, I just accepted their findings with few questions. Something called an Individualized Education Program was put in place, and I was told that one of the provisions my son would have was a weekly meeting with a speech and language pathologist to help him better communicate.
It seemed to make sense, so we signed the plan, showing we agreed. The next year at a new school, I brought up the IEP and was told by the school secretary, “We don’t do that here.” I simply nodded; I had no clue that the law was being broken in that moment.
As my son got older, I noticed areas where he seemed to struggle and other kids didn’t. In his karate class, he was the only one not listening to the instructor. Instead of kicking, he would lie on the floor and wiggle like a worm. He was just playful, I told myself. In Cub Scouts, he would bore other kids by talking excessively about Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Again I rationalized his behavior, telling my husband that he was “passionate.”
Out in public, he refused to talk on his own, instead reciting lines from his favorite TV show, Ed, Edd n Eddy. I thought he was being imaginative. Other times he would ignore everyone and stare blankly at them, never making eye contact. It was as if he were a robot that had powered down. He must be tired, I thought.
In class, he seemed to do fine. His teachers always enjoyed him, and although he still struggled to make friends, he learned well and had excellent grades. He raced through worksheets and never had behavioral issues. I used this as evidence that he was just like everyone else.
My eyes were finally opened one afternoon at baseball practice.
I stood on the sidelines with other mothers and watched as the kids sat in the dugout, waiting for their turn to bat. My son was the only kid not sitting. Instead, he was barking like a dog and trying to bite the other kids’ hats. They told him to stop, but he didn’t listen.
“Knock it off,” I scolded, but a few minutes later, he was at it again.
When it was his turn at bat, I confided in a mother near me, who also happened to be the coach’s adult daughter. “I just don’t know what’s going on,” I said. “The school told me a few years ago he has a processing delay, but I don’t even understand what that means.”
“Have you ever heard of Asperger's syndrome?” she asked. It turned out this mom was studying to become a licensed child and adolescent psychologist and had a wealth of knowledge of childhood disorders.
“I’m not saying he has it, but what I think you should do is go home and look it up online. See if any of the symptoms match his behavior. If you think so, I have a few numbers you can call. I know an excellent child psychologist in the area that can help too.”
I went home after practice and did as she suggested. Reading the list of symptoms, like avoiding eye contact, missing social cues, talking in strange voices, fixating on specific things, they all sounded exactly like my son. The next morning, I called the number for a psychological testing center the mom gave me and scheduled an appointment.
The assessment took three days and included games, quizzes and interviews with my son, me and my husband, and a packet completed by our son’s teacher. The team doing the testing took a few weeks to compile the data before presenting us with a final diagnosis: Asperger's syndrome, which was on the autism spectrum, and ADD, inattentive type.
I was told that the ADD diagnosis was common alongside Asperger's syndrome. They also told me something I didn’t know I needed to hear — that his diagnosis would not prevent him from having a long, happy and healthy life, and that nothing I could have done would have changed it.
It took four long years for me to finally get it through my head that my son needed more than a mom who just shrugged her shoulders when he acted differently. Four years before I understood that, instead of excuses, he needed a warrior to hold others (like a lazy school) accountable for his approved treatments. My son needed behavioral therapies and interventions to help him manage his disorder and find healthier ways to connect with the world.
Fortunately my son thrived once he got the right kind of help and once I got my head out of my ass and started working with him on a treatment plan. He managed to complete high school, earn the rank of Eagle Scout, meet a nice young lady and fall in love, and he even took a trip abroad recently — without us! I learned that my fears about my son were unfounded. He may have a diagnosis, but he isn't disabled.
I regret not being wise enough to know early on that my son needed help, and I'm grateful we had the interaction of others to help guide us on this confusing, sometimes scary road. For every brave teacher and kind mom that speaks up to a parent about their child in a way that is kind and considerate, thank you. It is because of you that moms like me understand how to get help for our children.
While pregnant with my seventh child, I was diagnosed was PPROM, which is preterm premature rupture of membranes. In layman's terms, my water broke months before my son's due date.I followed doctor's orders and stayed in bed as much as possible.
Bed rest, especially while trying to run a household and parent my other six children, was one of the hardest things I've ever done. While every mom dreams of a staycation in bed, no one in her right mind wants this situation to continue longer than a day or two. Months-long bed rest is a difficult, frustrating thing. If you have a friend who's stuck at home or if you need a list to send to friends while you're on bed rest, here's what I would have loved to have while I waited out my pregnancy.
1. Help her be less bored
The boredom is strong with bed rest and it's hard to beat. An Amazon.com gift card goes a long way toward renting movies or buying e-books to keep a girl entertained.
2. Take a responsibility off her plate
Offer to take her kids to the park or just outside to play. A mom on bedrest, trying to do the right thing by her unborn child, is suffering tremendous guilt worrying about her other kids. Taking them somewhere to burn off energy will help relieve this suffering.
3. Help her feel girly again
Paint her fingernails or toenails. Who doesn't cheer up a little when they feel pretty? And we all know how hard it is to reach your toes when you're pregnant.
4. Make her laugh
Bring her funny DVDs. Bed rest can cause depression. Laughing will help keep her from crying.
5. Help with the aches and pains
Massage her back or feet. Bed rest, due to the obvious lack of movement, can causes aches and pains. Massage is also an antidepressant (see above).
6. Feed her
Bring meals in disposable containers so nobody has to worry about getting containers back to you. The meals my friends brought my husband during my confinement were a true blessing. During a stressful time, nobody needs to worry about whose casserole dish is whose.
But if you’re bringing food, don’t bring spaghetti. Trust me on this. Everybody else brings spaghetti too. Mix it up a little!
Joan Rivers once said, "I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good things or bad things. That means you're alive. Things are happening." I thought of this quote especially this past month after witnessing my grandfather pass away right in front of me. It was especially tough because I watched my mother watch her father go.
I never knew I had the strength to watch someone I loved more than anything leave this earth. To hold his hand as he was taking his last breaths, tell him it was OK to leave — I never knew I had that capability within me. I am one that holds on to everything — I mean, if you look at my closet, you will find things that I wore in high school (I'm not saying I'm proud of them; I'm saying they're there) — but there I was with my mother telling him, "It's OK, you can go" and "We are going to be OK" as he looked at us, knowing we were by his side as he started his new journey.
I'm not going to lie: I was questioning life after such a heartbreaking experience. That night, I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning, reliving his final breaths as he looked up into what I could assume was "the light." I was reliving the moment over and over in my mind, and I honestly wasn't sure if I could live with that type of memory.
When I was at the airport about to fly back to Los Angeles from San Francisco, I went to the bar to grab an Arnold Palmer and started chatting to a man and explained what I had just gone through. He started crying and he said, "It's exactly like Lady Gaga's song 'Edge of Glory.'" It's a song she had written when her own grandfather was dying and she was by his side — the term "edge of glory" was how she described her grandfather about to make his transition into his own glory. It wasn't "punishment" or "a bad memory" — this was a GIFT.
I was the fortunate one being asked to help my mother through my grandfather's death so she didn't have to be alone. In that moment, our relationship grew stronger, our appreciation for each other grew and our love for life increased. My gratitude for my grandfather's gift made me recognize the amount of joy life has given me, even in the saddest of moments.
Davina Adjani's writing is forthcoming in Chicken Soup for the Soul, released August 23, 2016.
It's in your nature to tackle challenges and to fly to the rescue of people in need. You were born under the superhero sign of the zodiac. However, it's not always clear when you're taking on a worthwhile cause or when you're tilting at windmills — especially when your ruling planet, Mars, forms a square to illusory Neptune on Aug. 25. This is why you will want to ask a few questions first before you leap into the fray. You may find that your worries are unfounded and that the people you think are in distress are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.
It's one thing to wish that you could work with someone who truly gets the way you think, and it's quite another to deal with the reality of someone who actually does. Propitious planetary aspects this week show you meeting your match, and it may prove to be more than just a little disconcerting. Not only will you feel challenged, but you'll also feel like you're not as on top of your game as you should be. Don't get defensive or insecure. Instead, use this opportunity to hone your skills. Someone pushing you to be the best that you can be is a good thing.
It isn't easy being forced to deal with lesser lights. It's annoying to have to repeat yourself, to walk people through the basic steps of their job or to try to look interested while a superior drones on and on. You're so much smarter than everyone else, and that mental gap is driving you crazy. Nevertheless, they occupy positions of authority right now, so you have to be on your best behavior. This means practicing extreme patience, tact and diplomacy. Think of it as a character-building exercise. It will also help you to get to where you want to go in the end.
Money is never an easy subject to discuss, even in the best of times. There's always one person in the red, one person in the black and no gray in between. The Mars/Saturn conjunction on Aug. 24 shows that you have to face facts about the financial side of a very personal relationship. You don't want to be the one who has to hold the other person accountable, but there's no choice. Try to talk to this person in the way that you would want to be spoken to. It takes the edge off, and you may even wind up working out a reasonable solution.
Think of Mars as the accelerator and Saturn as the brake. Both pedals are being pushed to the metal when there is a conjunction going on between them, like there is on Aug. 24. That should give you some idea of how stressful this week will be. Seeing as you won't know whether you're stopping or starting, it makes perfect sense that you prepare yourself ahead of time for people getting cantankerous and rancorous on Aug. 25, Sept. 2 and Sept. 3. If you make yourself count to 10 and go to your Zen place, then things should turn out fine in the end.
Self-sufficiency is your credo. You don't believe in handouts. You believe that each one of us is in charge of our own health and wealth. Right now, a loved one is struggling. Maybe he's been kicked around too many times, rejected once too often or thrown for a loop. You're afraid that he's given up, and it's really starting to freak you out. Remember the phrase "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach him to fish and he'll eat forever"? Show your loved one how he can help himself and he'll be back on his feet in no time.
Partnership is important to you. You like to do things in pairs, and you won't tackle anything alone if given a choice. However, every partnership's success depends on the two people involved. This week's pivotal Mars/Saturn conjunction followed by a disillusioning Mars/Neptune square is giving you reason for doubt. What boggles your mind is how someone who is so wise and insightful about others can be so utterly clueless when it comes to himself. You were willing to forgive a lot before, but this consistent inability (or maybe unwillingness?) to learn from past mistakes is making you question the feasibility of your future.
It's hard to get a clear bead on where things are going. You're working very hard right now and probably feeling like you're getting nowhere fast. This is what happens when Mars, the planet of action, forms a conjunction to Saturn, the planet of obstacles. You will feel stifled, frustrated and like there's a cosmic conspiracy of circumstances aimed at thwarting your every move. You need to know that you will not get what you want; however, you will create something else that is just as extraordinary, if not more so. Hopefully, you will recognize this for the amazing accomplishment that it is.
Why is it that whenever you struggle free of your dysfunctional family, they inevitably find a way to pull you back in? That's the question you'll be asking this week, when Mars forms a square to Neptune in that part of your solar chart that pertains to hearth and home. This is when a certain black sheep makes a surprise reappearance, your dad does that very thing you warned him not to do or hostilities resume between two feuding in-laws who had recently announced a truce. You'll say that it's not your job to clean up after everybody's messes, but guess what? It is.
There's always room for improvement, and this week, you'll be thinking about brushing up on your game. You're already pretty adept at what you do — Capricorns pride themselves on being outstanding in their field — but you could do better. That formula for success is starting to look too formulaic. You might consider going back to school or enrolling in a series of workshops or online courses. Your mind is very open to new approaches and different ideas with Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Virgo, and you'll want to make the most of this before your busy schedule reasserts itself and forces you to jump through hoops again.
You're not usually the gambling type, but you may be tempted during this time that Mars will be squaring Neptune (Aug. 25 to Sept. 3). You might take risks with your finances, but you're equally prone to taking risks with your health as well. There's a simple question that you should pose to yourself, and it's this: If someone asked you to jump off a bridge, would you? This should get you to rethink some of your wilder impulses. Meanwhile, remember that people are always eager to get others to take risks that they would never dream of taking themselves, so keep that in mind.
You may not be aware of how loud you are nowadays. You still see yourself as meek and self-effacing, but Mars in Sagittarius has been pumping up the volume on your desire to be both seen and heard. It's why loved ones are asking you to lower your voice, friends are looking askance at some of your more flamboyant fashion choices and even co-workers are suggesting that you tone things down a bit. You may feel like everyone's trying to spoil your fun, but they truly are looking out for your own best interests. Less is always more when Mars is traveling through Sagittarius.
Abduction survivor Elizabeth Smart opened up more about the horrific experiences she endured during her nine months of hell in captivity and how her mom's wise advice gave her the strength to move past them.
In a new video, Smart spoke about her captor, who she says had an unhealthy obsession with pornography and would rape her several times a day: "Every time I thought I'd hit rock bottom, my captor would find something new to make it worse," said Smart.
Though she experienced the abuses she describes in the video more than a decade ago, it's still completely heartbreaking to hear Smart revisit those traumatic nine months. She calmly recalls the ways her captor forced her to watch porn with him and then abused her. "He would just sit and look at it and stare at it, and he would just talk about these women, and then when he was done, he would turn and look at me, and he would be like, 'Now we're going to do this,'" she said.
Smart made headline news in 2002, when a bearded man wielding a knife entered her Salt Lake City bedroom and kidnapped her in the middle of the night. She was 14. The man, Brian David Mitchell, took Smart back to a campsite in the woods, where his wife, Wanda Barzee, was waiting for them. Mitchell told Smart that she was his new wife and abused her for months while family, friends and volunteers tirelessly searched the area for her.
Since her rescue in 2003, Smart has courageously worked to move past her traumatic experiences. She has a flourishing career as an ABC contributor, published author and activist working to protect children from predatory criminals.
Smart says that her mom's advice days after she was rescued stuck with her, inspiring her to lead the full, happy life she has today.
"She said to me, 'Elizabeth, what these people have done to you is so terrible, and you may never feel like restitution is made, but the best punishment that you could ever give them is to be happy.' And that advice has helped make me who I am today."
We tend to focus so much on how many calories we burn during a good workout that it's easy to forget we're burning calories all day long — the only difference is that an elevated heartbeat (through exercise) helps burn them faster.
So, it's not exactly surprising that taking a bath can help you shed some calories. Researchers from Loughborough and Leicester Universities in the U.K. decided to see just how calories burned during a hot soak in the tub compared to calories burned during other activities. They fitted 10 "unfit" men with rectal thermometers (ouch) and then asked them to take a bath one day and cycle the next. The findings? An hour spent in a "hot" bath — no temperature mentioned — burns about 126 calories, similar to the number burned during a 30-minute walk.
Womp.
I was expecting to see a claim that baths can replace workouts, but no such luck. "We would always encourage increased physical activity and exercise as the best way to maintain good health," said lead researcher Dr. Steve Faulkner, according to the Daily Mail.
What is more interesting about this study is that hot baths did a better job at lowering blood sugar levels than cycling.
"We discovered the participants who bathed had, on average, 10 percent lower peak glucose levels in comparison to the exercise, which was completely unexpected," Dr. Faulkner said. That's quite a bit — especially for people trying to prevent or reverse Type 2 diabetes.
"We think the reason is that the bath may encourage the release of heat shock proteins, which may help lower blood sugar levels by improving insulin controlled glucose uptake," he added.
More research needs to be done on this because it could lead to future diabetes treatments. I'll be the first one to volunteer for the hot baths portion of the research, too.
The never-ending fight between Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita continues. However, tonight's Real Housewives of New Jersey just gave a glimmer of hope to fans who want their beloved Lucy and Ethel back.
Melissa Gorga, Siggy Flicker and Dolores Catania have planned a trip for all five women. Not only is it partly a celebration for Teresa getting rid of her ankle bracelet, but it's also as a form of intervention for Teresa and Jacqueline. They all believe it will be a great way for them to unite, have some fun and at least get Tre and Jacqueline to a peaceful spot rather than continuously going at each other's throats.
As promising as that sounds (I mean, they both agreed to it), I wouldn't hold your breath for sunshine and rainbows on this trip. I highly doubt any good is going to come from it.
Firstly, the promo showed tension and drama, which is no surprise. At one point, Teresa even calls Joe Giudice to come get her. Secondly, discussions and trips usually go very badly between Teresa and Jacqueline. Will that be the same this time around? Not necessarily, but history always seems to repeat itself on RHONJ — and mainly with these two.
Teresa and Jacqueline were both hesitant about the trip, but it appears that Jacqueline is willing to go above and beyond to make it all better for the sake of her friends. She doesn't like how Siggy, Melissa and Dolores feel put in the middle. Obviously, that doesn't mean Jacqueline will sit back and not stand up for herself. However, maybe she can try to smooth things over just enough that she and Teresa can stand to be in the same room.
It does seem like Teresa is also on the same page because she wants to invite Jacqueline and Chris to her book signing. That speaks volumes, so maybe I'm wrong about their intervention going horribly wrong — though I feel pretty confident in saying that Jacqueline and Teresa making amends won't go without some dramatics and harsh words.
Really, let's just keep those fingers crossed that the former Lucy and Ethel can stop revisiting the past, move forward and get over all of the pettiness. After all, there are more important things in life.
If Melissa, Siggy and Dolores' mediation/intervention doesn't go well, maybe the Gorgas, Lauritas and Giudices all need a "family meeting"? Hey, it kind of works for Teresa's immediate family, so who's to say it wouldn't work for them?
Even fake drugs are bad, kids! War Dogs actor Jonah Hill just revealed the crazy reason he was hospitalized while shooting The Wolf of Wall Street, released in 2013.
While Hill's performance as Donnie Azoff in the movie garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, it also landed him in the hospital. The actor got sick after snorting too much fake cocaine while filming the movie.
"I had to be hospitalized," Hill revealed on Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons on HBO. "It's vitamin powder, but it doesn't matter. If you ingest that much matter into your lungs, you'll get very sick, and we were literally doing fake coke for, like, seven months, every day."
Yikes! So, snorting Pixy Stix (or anything else, for that matter) is definitely a no-go. Not only was Hill hospitalized, but he was sick for three weeks.
"I got bronchitis," he said, adding that because of the vitamin powder, "I never had more vitamin D in my entire life. I could have lifted a car over my fucking head!"
"I mean, I'd do it again in a second," Hill told The Guardian back in 2014. "The first time you snort fake cocaine in a Scorsese movie, you feel like... I don’t know! I got embarrassed because I said that it's every actor's dream. I guess it's not, but to me, it's a pretty iconic thing to do."
Yvette Nicole Brown may have made a name for herself on Community, but perhaps she should look into a new career on the game show circuit — she was an absolute delight on tonight's episode of The $100,000 Pyramid.
Brown is perfectly suited to shows like The $100,000 Pyramid because she possesses that rare combination of charm and tactical genius. Some celebrities are great at the game but incredibly boring to watch. Others are amusing to watch but awful at giving and receiving clues. Not Brown! She offered up clues like a pro, but always with a huge smile on her face. Just watching her made me smile, and I was genuinely disappointed when her half of the episode ended.
Image: ABC
The fun began when Michael Strahan introduced Brown as "lovely and talented." She made it clear right away that she was out to win, even admitting that her competitive streak has gotten her banned from playing Taboo with her friends. She claimed that, "allegedly, there was violence" at her latest game night, although she placed plenty of emphasis on "allegedly."
Viewers quickly got a feel for Brown's competitive playing style when she began to give clues. She's either spent a lot of time watching game shows in the past or is naturally gifted because her clues were succinct and right on point. They were also very entertaining, thanks to her silly facial expressions and body language. Her most amusing clue was easily for the word "vibrate," when she shook her entire body and then added, "Women use this for pleasure."
Image: ABC
Some contestants on The $100,000 Pyramid are great at giving clues but terrible at guessing them. Again, this does not describe Brown. She's a very versatile player, as she demonstrated during her time in the Winner's Circle. She totally would have won, but her partner sadly messed up and said a word he wasn't supposed to. Brown failed to return to the Winner's Circle, but I'm convinced that was mostly due to her partner's poor clues.
Yvette Nicole Brown is the type of celebrity I want to see on The$100,000 Pyramid. She's bubbly, she's competitive and, most importantly, she knows what she's doing. I hope she returns soon!
What did you think of Yvette Nicole Brown on The $100,000 Pyramid? Comment and share your opinion below.
You guys, I'm trying. I'm trying really, really hard to like Fear the Walking Dead — but so help me, they did not do themselves any favors with tonight's Nick-centric midseason premiere.
Don't get me wrong; Nick is one of the more interesting characters on this AMC spin-off of The Walking Dead. As superficial as it sounds, he's also pretty darn cute, which he manages even though he's been wandering around in walker guts for weeks.
Does that mean I was riveted during every minute of tonight's hour-long midseason premiere that he carried for the Manawa-Clark clan? No. Nope. Not even close. I wish I could say it wasn't so, but I legitimately nodded off more than once, and had to rewind my DVR for some replay action.
The episode wasn't all bad. In fact, there were parts I quite enjoyed. For starters, let's go ahead and give a shout-out to the soundtrack team. Whoever picked the music for tonight's episode deserves the props, because every song featured in the premiere was on point.
Visually, the episode was stunning as well, even when the subject matter was gruesome (say hello to Nick picking meat off of an eviscerated dog's carcass). Then there's also the matter of the brave new world that Nick discovers along the way, and some of the potentially engaging people he encounters who've already successfully piqued my interest.
Having said all of that, though, here's the ugly truth: The episode was just kind of... meh. It was a midseason premiere, so I expected more. Much more, if we're really being honest. If you look at Fear's OG counterpart, The Walking Dead, those guys never fail to wow with their midseason premieres.
While I understand this episode was more about character development and Nick's evolution, I think it was ill-timed. Fans are already on the fence about this series and have been since its inception — considering we're still only in the second season, this is not a good sign.
So, yeah, we needed this midseason premiere to really pull us in and make us want more. It would have been fantastic if it had just put our doubts about the shaky series to rest.
Alas, that was not the case. Instead, we watched Nick kind of stumble across the Mexican countryside for an hour, almost succumbing to everything from ferocious dogs to walkers, to pissed off non-walker women. Was it suspenseful at times? Sure, but those moments didn't manage to outweigh the moments that were utterly forgettable.
Rest assured, I am not the only fan who feels this way. A quick glance at Twitter confirms I'm in good company. And by good company, I mean I was absolutely not the only one who was decidedly un-impressed with tonight's midseason premiere.
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 1
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 1
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 2
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 2
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 3
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 3
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 4
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 4
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 5
FTWD S2 Episode 8: Tweet 5
Trust me when I say there are plenty more where those came from. The sentiment seems to be that, while Frank Dillane does an incredible job of bringing Nick to life, there simply wasn't enough substance in this episode. It lacked true grit.
Does this mean the show is doomed? No, of course not. This is only the middle of the second season, so there's certainly still time to pull up before the ratings take a total nosedive. While it seems unlikely any of the existing characters (save maybe Victor Strand or Daniel Salazar) have enough juice to make that happen, here's hoping the newcomers can.
What do you think? Was the midseason premiere a snooze or what?
Because every little girl wants to grow up to be a mermaid (if not a doctor or an astronaut), now you can make all your childhood dreams come true. With a quick scroll of the Instagram feed, you'll see that #MermaidMakeup is all the rage as we get closer to Halloween. But what your favorite Insta-bloggers may not be telling you is how flippin' easy it is to master this makeup tutorial — as long as you've got a spare pair of fishnets on hand.
Image: Karen Cox/SheKnows
Finally, you can bring your mermaid dreams to life in way less time than it takes to shop for Halloween costumes online.
1. Begin by placing fishnet pantyhose or a wig cap over your face
Image: Ivy Boyd/SheKnows
You will look like the ugliest version of yourself during this step. It's worth it, I promise.
A "lifestyle" is choosing whether to go to a gym or work out at home, drive or take mass transportation, wear underpants or go commando. The operative word here is choose. People choose their lifestyle, but they don't choose their sexual orientation any more than they can choose to have blue eyes or brown eyes.
I mean, if people had the balls to admit what they really mean when they say things like "I can't support the gay lifestyle" or "Love the sinner; hate the sin," they'd come right out and say, "I don't want to think about some dude sticking his dicktionary in another dude's library."
To that I say, "Then don't think about it." But, for the love of God, just because something is unappealing to someone doesn't make it wrong or undeserving of the same human rights as everyone else.
Being accepting of a thing does not mean becoming the thing. The LGBTQ community accepts heterosexuals as a valid form of sexual expression, but that doesn't mean they have to actually have sex like others do.
"But, what about the Bible?" some ask? Look, I was raised in the Southern Baptist church, and though I wouldn't step foot back in there even if they promised to put my kid through college and pay off my mortgage, I know the scripture.
So to the people who use the Bible to defend their anti-LGBTQ views, I'd remind them that the Bible says a lot of things, but it literally never says, "Readest thou this book and chooseth whatever thou likest best."
I need people to take a step back, use their brains for something other than obsessing over where to find the coolest Pokémon, and realize that people of the LGBTQ community are not living "gay lifestyles": They are just living their lives. Just like everyone else. And in most cases, it's the same boring-ass life as heterosexuals — eat, sleep, work, poop and look at Facebook.
Well, almost the same. There are a few very important differences. LGBTQ people don't get to walk around feeling accepted everywhere, like they belong everywhere, and are as safe everywhere as their heterosexual friends are.
Furthermore, no straight person has ever had to sit their parents down and talk about how they like to have sex, which is basically what "coming out" is. Seriously, think about that for a minute. What straight person reading this has ever had to call her parents and talk about the ways in which she likes to sex up her sex partner? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?
I could swallow three Xanax and a thermos full of Beefeater and I still would have a hard time saying, "Mom, Dad, I like Janes, not Johns. And I know according to what you believe I'm bound for the fiery pits of hell, but I'd rather go there than face another man's dangling participle."
But despite the discomfort, the majority of LGBTQ folks do it anyway.
I want to live in a world where nobody has to discuss their sexual preferences with anybody if they don't want to. Where everyone, everywhere can get married to anyone they want and enjoy the more than 1,000 civil, medical and tax benefits of doing so. Where going to a bar never means wondering if you're going to get shot because of who you love.
We should all help make the world a better place by not oppressing an entire segment of the population with ignorant clichés and pointless rhetoric because, once again for the cheap seats in the back, there is no "gay lifestyle": There is just life.
Good Morning America's Amy Robach has issued an apology for using a racial slur on air. Referring to Zendaya's role in the new Spider-Man: Homecoming, she said, "We all know Hollywood has received recent and quite a bit of criticism for casting white actors in what one might assume should be a role reserved for colored people." As Entertainment Weekly reports, there was a swift backlash.
Responding to the criticism, Robach released a statement apologizing for her use of the outdated term and explaining that she had meant to say "people of color." She claims her word choice was "a mistake" and "not at all a reflection of how I feel or speak in my everyday life."
Robach may very well have misspoken, but let's keep in mind that her job consists primarily of speaking on camera. It's her responsibility to stay educated to tell her stories properly — and it's not as if "people of color" is a new term. For someone who spends plenty of time around the news, this is an offensive embarrassment. Robach was subbing for Robin Roberts today on air, further highlighting the need for representation on television. This isn't a mistake Roberts would have made, but at least we can hope Robach has learned her lesson.
Confession: I've hated bologna and cheese sandwiches packed in my lunch since I was in the third grade. To this day, I dislike anything reminiscent of bologna, even ham or mortadella.
It's not that my mom didn't mix it up; it's that my brother really liked it and it was inexpensive, so we kids had it often. Admittedly I was that kid who liked olive loaf and pimento cheese, so maybe my disappointment was related to the complete lack of excitement of bologna and American cheese on white bread. Some kids just need some flavor, Mom! I finally told mine that I hated it, and she came up with a way to give my little bro his bologna without having to buy special lunch meat just for me.
Fear not. I'm here with some fun ideas (including my mom's secret weapon) to mix up your kid's lunchbox sandwich game. Whether your kids are 7 or 17, there are ideas on this list for you.
1. The Rory (kid-friendly Reuben/Rachel)
Pile roasted deli turkey or roast beef on wheat bread, top it with pickles, shredded greens and Swiss cheese (in that order), and include a side of ranch or Thousand Island for dipping.
Mix 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika into a tablespoon of mayo, and spread it over two slices of rustic bread. Sandwich shaved smoked turkey or chicken, roasted red peppers, hickory-smoked cheddar and some spinach and/or arugula.
3. Fruity chicken salad
Mix up shredded chicken with a little mayo and/or sour cream, and toss in diced Granny Smith apple and dried cranberry. Spread it on a nutty or oaty bread.
4. Turkey-cucumber "tea" sandwich
Spread your kiddo's favorite bread with cream cheese, and top it with sliced cucumber, tomato and deli turkey, then top it with another piece of bread. Cut it into quarter triangles for maximum tea sandwich believability.
5. Pad thai sandwich
Layer bread with sliced chicken or fried tofu slabs, and top it with carrot shavings, strips of green onions and bean sprouts. Add a little sambal if your child likes spice. Send it with peanut dipping sauce.
6. Albuquerque turkey bagel sandwich
A low-fat bagel is just begging to be schmeared with herbed cream cheese and topped with shaved turkey, mild green chilies, lettuce and tomato. For kids who like it, use jalapeño cream cheese.
Bacon will always lose its crisp before lunch, but prosciutto isn't supposed to be crispy. A prosciutto, lettuce and tomato sandwich has all the flavor of a BLT without the chewiness of soggy bacon.
8. Prince(ss) of Hawaii Spam and pineapple sammie
Layer two slices of thin and crispy-fried Spam, a grilled pineapple ring and your kid's favorite cheese (American is traditional) between two halves of a King's Hawaiian hamburger bun.
9. Ha-ha-ha-ham and cheese
Spreadable Laughing Cow or low-fat cream cheese is slathered over a robust bread, then topped with ham, carrot shavings and iceberg lettuce for a fun fusion of flavor.
10. Meatloaf sandwich
Leftover meatloaf on good ole white with a spread or dip of ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce is the ultimate in Americana.
11. Pinwheel sandwiches
Cut off the crust, and use a rolling pin to flatten the bread, then spread it with a bit of pimento cheese, thinly sliced turkey and a leaf of lettuce. Roll it like a jelly roll, and leave it as is, or slice into 1-inch pieces.
12. Mom's secret weapon (aka peanut butter, butter and brown sugar sandwich)
Finally, my mom's secret weapon — slather a thick layer of peanut butter on one piece of whole-wheat bread, and sprinkle it with brown sugar. Spread a thinner layer (about double what you'd do for toast) of salted butter on the other. Sandwich them together. You're welcome.
Remember way back when it was a struggle to get your kid to eat anything? I'm guessing those days are just a distant memory now that your kid is approaching his teen years.
There's something about being a teenager that gives your once hard-to-feed child the ability to eat the entire contents of your kitchen in just 24 hours — no joke. And unfortunately he's probably grabbing for the less-than-healthy selections your pantry has to offer.
There's no need to starve your growing kids, just make sure to offer them healthier choices to curb the cravings that plague them 24/7.
The next time your teen reaches for something that's not necessarily healthy, hand them one of these smart swaps. Or better yet, replace the junk in your kitchen with these more-acceptable snacks instead.
