Khloé Kardashian really appears to be enjoying her time with new flame Tristan Thompson. In fact, they're all about the PDA and have been spending a lot of quality time together — but not everyone's happy for them.
It turns out Kardashian's ex-boyfriend, James Harden, reportedly has an opinion on the new relationship, and he wants Thompson to know that no good will come from being with her — especially not for his career.
"Khloé was a good woman but she was also a curse," a source close to Harden reportedly told Hollywood Life. "She was a huge distraction to James. It was always lights, camera, action with her and being on social media like it was a real 9 to 5. James was so caught up in her world that his game took a back seat and his performance on the court wasn't up to par."
And according to the source, Harden, who is a professional athlete and is signed to the Houston Rockets, allegedly wants fellow NBA star Thompson to know that his career (he currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers) will take a nose-dive if he continues dating Kardashian.
"Best of luck to Tristan, though," the source added. "[Tristan's] days of being an NBA champ are over if he continues to date Khloé. James thinks he should have fun with her now but unload her once the season begins." Um, what?!
Of course, we don't know if this is the way Harden really feels, but if the report about him is true, well, then this just sounds like a case of sour grapes. Kardashian is a respected businesswoman in her own right, and she has a lot of things that she has to juggle in order to be in a healthy relationship too. So let's not all pretend that the man in this situation is the one who is sacrificing something for love. How old-fashioned!
In fact, we think any man dating Kardashian is incredibly lucky, as she has proven her loyalty time and time again to those she loves (just take her actions toward estranged husband Lamar Odom, for example).
When a kid rides the school bus, we expect they might encounter some silly songs, loud conversations and possibly a paper airplane or two. What we don't expect is for them to have to bear witness to racist behavior and hateful words. But that's exactly what happened to one middle school child this week when she recorded kids on the bus reciting a racist chant that included repeating the N-word over and over again.
A 13-year-old Rockville, Maryland, student was riding her bus home from Robert Frost Middle School on Tuesday when students around her erupted in a racist chant. When she arrived home, she showed her parents a seven-second recording of the chant she'd made on the bus, in which the kids around her can be heard saying, "1, 2, 3, 4, how many n*****s are in my store?"
Kids recite racist chant
Kids recite racist chant
Her outraged parents posted the video on social media, along with a message about how disappointing it is that their daughter had to experience this kind of racism on her ride home from school. As her dad pointed out, these kids likely learned these racial slurs at home, and it's disturbing that a large group of middle school students could be so ignorant about how hurtful and hateful their words truly are.
The video of the chant has been viewed more than 200,000 times and prompted a meeting between the family and school officials. Officials say they're launching an investigation into the incident and plan to use this as a "teachable moment" about race, culture and diversity. Given the horrifying nature of the chant, it seems those are lessons these children desperately need.
As parents, it's our job to promote equality and respect in our homes so our children practice it whenever they leave our doorstep. That means having frequent discussions with our kids, not just about "treating everyone the same way" or being nice, but also about privilege, the history of racism in our society and how certain words, actions and phrases work to oppress and intimidate people of different races, cultures, genders and sexual orientations.
It's completely unacceptable that a group of 13-year-old kids would think it's OK to say the N-word or any other racial slur. And while it's admirable that one student recorded the incident and spoke out with her family, it's something she shouldn't have to do. A child shouldn't be forced to listen to racial slurs on her bus ride home or to encounter casual racism throughout her school day. Eliminating racist behavior starts at home, and an incident like this should be a huge red flag to all parents that we're simply not doing enough.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before I ended up looking at the pictures of you dragging your daughter by the hair through a Walmart right here in my home state of Texas. They were all over my news feed, accompanied by one-sentence notes: "Can you believe this?" or "That poor little girl!" punctuated by sad face and mad face and broken heart emojis. I didn't really want to look.
But here I am, writing an open letter (something else I never thought I'd do) to a stranger because this is my job, and that involved bringing up Erika Burch's viral post where your daughter's pleading face and your impassive one feature prominently.
I looked, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to gawk. I know what it's like to be gawked at by people when a parent is punishing you in public. I grew up that way, except there were no Erika Burches when I was your daughter's age. I grew up like your daughter, and it seems I grew up the way you did too (at least based on your "defense" for your actions).
You see, when the media came to talk to her, she said that you told her "[You] grew up just fine, do you see any of her hair missing?" So I'm going to do something else I don't love to do and assume something. I'm going to assume that your parents did things like this. You wouldn't be the first person to justify the continuation of it by saying that because you "turned out fine," after a childhood of physical punishment like spankings.
And Walmart Dad, I know it's tempting to think it. But dude, when you grow up with parents who think dragging a kid around by their hair is OK, you're really not "just fine."
People are fond of saying that kids need more discipline, and maybe that's true. What they don't need is punishment, which is what maybe you got and what your daughter got and what I got. There is a difference, believe it or not.
Discipline is an appropriate consequence for an inappropriate behavior. Punishment is an overreaction. It's getting even. It's wrapping your child's hair around a pushcart like you did, because she wandered too far from the cart. Or wrapping packing tape around your kid's head and marching her around town to get her to shut up when adults are talking, like my mother did. Punishment needs shame to be effective. It needs its subject to beg, like your daughter did. Like I did. It needs pain. It needs a witness or a scar.
And sometimes, those scars don't show up where you think they do.
I know the birthright that is fury. The inability to understand why your kid can't just do the thing you tell them to do. To act right. I know how it can bubble up and make you much angrier than it ought to. The temptation of thinking that a little public humiliation — and I don't know you, but I know from experience that what a parent gets away with in public sometimes emboldens what they do in private — or private pain might be good for them. If it happened to you, maybe it was good for you. You turned out fine, after all.
But that. That right there: That justification is what means we didn't turn out OK. That little voice at the back of our heads that tells us to lash out and breathes oxygen on the little indignant sparks so they flare up into rage. That's not actually normal. It's not healthy. It's a lot of things, but "just fine" ain't one of 'em.
I have never done what you've done. Even in my darkest, least fine moments, my anger has never manifested itself in physical punishment enacted on my kid. And I know you've got a lot of people tugging you in every direction. Telling you you're a piece of garbage and jumping to conclusions about what you do to your kids when no one is watching. Then you've got the people defending you. They level their judgment at your little girl instead, who they are sure undoubtedly deserved what she got. On Facebook, there's a woman who called your daughter a "piece of shit," and I cringed with the same shame I did when I first saw these pictures. When I was serving my own little punishments.
I don't want to call you names. I don't even really want to judge you, even though that's extremely difficult. I definitely don't want to relate to you (even though a part of me does), and I'll do a lot for this job but I won't defend you.
So I'll just tell you this. You and me are cut from the same cloth. There are good things about us, and there are bad things too. Maybe I'm wrong and your parents never laid a hand on you. So maybe I'm more like your daughter instead. And when it comes to the shame and pain we got as "punishment" from our own parents, we're not just fine.
As you will very soon see, I am a woman who is not afraid to gush when a TV show comes along that strikes me as incredibly special. And with the premiere of Fox's new series Pitch, I have found such a show.
In full disclosure, I have been looking forward to this premiere for weeks, but not everyone at SheKnows had the same enthusiasm (they all tuned in, though, and now are just as obsessed). I grew up playing baseball with my brother and his friends and then played softball at a very competitive level. I often dreamed of breaking the kind of barriers Pitch's femtagonist, Ginny Baker, does by becoming the first woman in the Major Leagues.
When I found out Mark-Paul Gosselaar was also in the series — as a hunky bearded catcher, no less! — it was icing on the cake. I grew up during the heyday of Zack Morris, so I've been slightly stalkerish about Gosselaar's career over the years.
Happily, Pitch did not disappoint. It addressed gender bias in a way that was both brutally honest and culturally relevant. It wasn't "preachy" or condescending. It simply painted a very real portrait of what it might be like if a woman was to actually get called up to the Major Leagues today.
Actually, in that respect, the show probably could have been a bit preachier. If Baker was a real MLB player and not a fictionalized character, we would probably have seen an endless stream of sexist commentary on social media. The treatment she received in the locker room would likely have been more offensive.
Still, the fact that Fox is starting a narrative like this is so important. As the mother of a young daughter, it's critical to me that girls have strong female characters on TV and in film to aspire to. The fact that this woman is a barrier-breaker in more ways than one — the first woman in the MLB and an African-American woman — sends a powerful message to little girls who dare to dream.
And do you know a pleasantly surprising trend I picked up on?
The series seems to resonate with people who have a very diverse cross-section of interests. Feminists are celebrating the small win of getting such an emblematic character onscreen. Baseball lovers are tuning in because, well, the show is rooted in the baseball world. Hell, even my husband is hooked. He's from San Diego and he's pumped his Padres are getting some solid screen time.
Men and women alike are weighing in on Pitch and, so far, seem to approve. So what's the problem? Right now, there isn't one. The show is off to a swimming start.
Here's my concern, though: This is a show of substance. It may not have the flash of some of the other primetime series on the air, but it is a show that truly speaks to something bigger. Historically, as TV ratings go, such shows don't always fare well.
Let's not let this show fall to the wayside. OK, ladies (and gents)? Not only is it a big win for us to have a woman like Ginny Baker on our television screens, but it's a big win for our daughters (and sons) too. The more we see shows that feature women in roles outside of traditional gender tropes, the more likely it is the next generation will get female characters that actually encompass the complexity of women.
If we want Hollywood to play ball, we've gotta come off the bench and go to bat for shows like Pitch. Who's with me? I'm not above shamelessly plugging the fact that Zack Morris, er, Mark-Paul Gosselaar is fantastic in this series, too. Whatever it takes, people! We just need to tune in.
What did you think of the premiere? Will you encourage your friends to watch? Let us know in the comments below!
My family is a family of five, with three girls including me, the oldest. I know growing up with just three of us sometimes, even then, it was easy to feel lost in the shuffle or overlooked and excluded. I can only imagine that in a family of 19, hurt feelings due to exclusion are rampant.
But that seems to be far from the case. Each family member is valued and unique in their own ways that allow for them to have their own time to shine.
During tonight's episode, it was Isaiah Bates' time in the spotlight, and Kelly Jo Bates put it best, "Isaiah probably shocked me the most because he doesn't play [basketball] as much as, like, Warden or Trace at home. They're the ones that're out there playing, real competitive. But Isaiah, I don't picture him being aggressive and just being go get 'em, and it's been every game just like, 'Give me that ball,' you know? That's not my little Isaiah!"
The other boys, but especially Carlin, were so excited for Isaiah when he got the trophy at the end of the game.
The show, of course, summed it all up with some corny lines about family and teamwork.
"You know, we may not have played on organized sports growing up, but the truth is we're all one big team," Lawson said.
"Hey, my family's the biggest team I know," Nathan added.
But here's the thing, with just about any other reality show, I would say the family was trying a little too hard to make a point out of the basketball game, but with the Bates family it's different. They genuinely value and understand the meaning of these experiences for the family. They recognize those little moments that mean so much. Instead of making me roll my eyes, those quotes about the Bates family as a team give me so many good feels.
By now, we all know that the internet is not always a kind place — in fact, a lot of times it can be downright hateful.
When you're a public figure — like a reality star or musician, for instance — you probably develop a thicker skin when it comes to hateful comments on Twitter and Instagram. But, let's be real, being body-shamed hurts no matter who you are.
And Vanderpump Rules' Scheana Shay isn't taking it anymore.
In a recent Instagram pic of her hawking Hydroxycut, Shay disabled the comments section for the post — and her decision most likely stems from rude skinny-shaming comments made on other recent photos of hers.
"Eat something your booty and boobs ask this of you," someone commented on this photo:
Scheana Shay 1
Scheana Shay 1
While another video was riddled with horrible comments like, "Hunny I love ya but eat you need a cheeseburger or two. Come to my house and I'll take feed ya," "Omg get some food," "I like you, but honey you got too think, please put on about 10 lbs. your such a lovely young women and brave," "I agree, she is a doll but getting too skinny," "In all the past seasons of VR you've never been this thin so saying ur a naturally thin person isnt true," and "Your way to skinny ! Not to judge but u look like u are sick . Js."
Scheana Shay 3
Scheana Shay 3
I'm gonna throw this out there, Instagram haters, but if you preface a rude comment with "I like you, but..." it's still inappropriate. Just sayin'.
The body-shaming was so bad on another bikini picture that she disabled the comments on that post as well.
Scheana Shay 4
Scheana Shay 4
Before disabling the comments on her pictures, Shay was fighting back against the shamers in some comment threads, trying to explain that she doesn't need to "eat a burger" or gain any weight... but should she even have to attempt to explain herself?
In January, Teen Mom star Maci Bookout got engaged to the love of her life, Taylor McKinney, and the couple couldn't be happier. In fact, they're making everyone a little bit jealous with just how in love they are — but jealous for all the right reasons!
On Thursday, Bookout took to Instagram to share several snaps from her engagement photo shoot, and they're pretty incredible. In one shot, the pair can be seen looking super-stylish as they cuddle in a forest, and in the caption, Bookout shared her thoughts on her soon-to-be husband. She wrote, "Adoration • Devotion • Passion" before thanking the very talented photographer at Brittany Photographs for "always capturing the beautiful moments in [their] lives!"
Maci Bookout Instagram
Maci Bookout Instagram
Bookout also posted a collage of three images, which she captioned with a sweet message about McKinney. She wrote, "I am the anchor that supports his dreams and determination. He is the safety that holds me each time I reach for another star." Adding, "We are a team. We are best friends. We will always be better together."
OMG, Maci, could you please stop making us all jealous of your perfect relationship? Of course, we're only teasing because we couldn't be happier for her, and her fans are equally thrilled to see the pictures and read Bookout's beautiful tributes to McKinney.
"This is so cute! Literal goals," amanda_michaud commented on one of the posts. Chookaliouz shared similar sentiments, writing, "These pics are just amazing, u two are such a perfect fit together, beautiful family, luv seeing all the pics."
"I want my engagement photos to look like these. Those photos are super adorable. Love love love," norybaby85 gushed.
"Not only are you a beautiful couple but you can see the love in these photos of best friends forever," skyelulu77 commented. "Keep building each other up and you will build a successful marriage, family and business together!"
And stefk249 was also touched by the couple's love and dedication for each other. They wrote, "This is how forever should be, through the good and the bad. Congrats on finding that!!!"
Congratulations to the happy couple — with all the negativity that's in the media at the moment and the focus on celebrity breakups, it's really refreshing to see a story about true love.
Do you think Maci Bookout and Taylor McKinney are the perfect couple? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Potty training isn't a particularly enjoyable stage for any parent. For the fortunate minority, it goes without a hitch, and their smug clever little tots are out of nappies within days. But for most of us, it's a lengthy process that involves 27 steps back for every one step forward. I've heard more than one desperate mother wail, "I'd pay someone to potty train my child!" as she frantically scrubs poo stains out of her carpet.
But would you really? Isn't potty training just one of those things parents have to do? Part of their initiation, if you like. Are you really a parent if you delegate all the grotty, smelly, (quite literally) crappy jobs to someone else?
If you don't care about that and would rather keep your hands (and floor surfaces) clean, there's a woman in England who's willing to wean your kids out of their nappies. Amanda Jenner of the Potty Training Academy calls herself the U.K.'s "first professional potty trainer" and is apparently raking it in, as parents pay £2,000 for her services.
Jenner, 42, who is a mum of three, claims to be able to potty train any child within a week, which involves moving into the family home (armed with a giant box of toilet training goodies, including reward charts and prizes) for up to five nights. She mostly works with children over the age of 3 but has worked with a 9-year-old in the past.
If you're sitting reading this, wondering, "Who are these crazy people who pay someone two grand to potty train their kid?" well, Jenner admits many of her clients are "very wealthy," but others are of average income.
And there's clearly a demand for what some satisfied clients have hailed "the toilet whisperer": Jenner has a waiting list of almost a year. Now, that's the part I don't understand. I can just about get my head around paying through the nose for potty training help when you've tried and just can't make it work on your own. But booking this service a year in advance is basically saying, "I have intentions of potty training my kid whatsoever."
Still, we all approach parenting differently, and if someone has the disposable income to spend at the Potty Training Academy, nobody is in a position to judge. Modern life is all about the quick (often expensive) fix to a problem, so why shouldn't potty training be any different?
I recently watched the new Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, which chronicled — among other alleged assaults — the aftermath of the alleged rape of Daisy Coleman in Maryville, Missouri, and I was curious about how you, as the sheriff in this case, handled the daunting task of interviewing alleged perpetrators and victims. I don’t doubt your job — to protect and serve your community — is a difficult one, especially when it comes to sensitive cases like Coleman’s.
But, I wonder, how can you protect and serve your community when, according to your statements within Audrie & Daisy, you lack a working knowledge of what consent and what rape mean? Here’s what you said in the documentary:
“One of the parts that people have really blown out of proportion in this entire case is that everybody wants to throw the word ‘rape’ out there. It’s very popular, ‘the Maryville rape,’ ‘the Coleman rape.’ Nothing that night never, ever, of the elements of the crime, rose to the level of rape. Whether we agree with this or not, the people of that age, in the state of Missouri, can have consensual sex. Forcible compulsion is the primary component of the crime of rape.”
Missouri law would disagree with you. Here’s what Missouri considers rape in the first degree: “Sexual intercourse (penetration of a vagina by a penis, even if slight or without emission) with a person who's incapacitated, incapable of consent, or by force.”
Coleman alleges that she could not have consented when her alleged rapist, Matthew Barnett, had sex with her in January of 2012. Barnett admitted, in an interview with you that was filmed and shown in the documentary, that he had sex with Coleman. He, along with several other boys, allegedly dropped Coleman on her front lawn in 22-degree F weather following the incident.
Sexual assault cases are notoriously challenging. It’s often a “he said, she said” situation. It’s why many survivors of sexual assault choose to remain in the shadows. It’s why a friend of mine admitted she confided her trauma to friends rather than go to the police and risk being called a liar — just as Coleman was by her onetime friends, neighbors and peers.
“As far as I can tell, the boys are the only ones who want to put this behind them and try to move on with their lives and try to make things of themselves,” you said in a statement that absolutely gutted me. Of course the boys, who received no more than a slap on the wrist (Barnett pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge and was sentenced to two years of probation and a four-month suspended jail term), were able to make something of themselves. They weren’t the victims of that night.
Earlier in the documentary, you suggested that the presence of a video of Coleman’s alleged assault didn’t exist — or rather that it could have but was deleted. It’s here that I saw an upsetting bias against young women, one that made me wonder just how well you could do your job in a case like this if you truly believed:
“You know, unfortunately, you have a lot of people involved in this that are running around telling a lot of stories, you know, and without pointing fingers, it serves to benefit people’s causes by making a lot of things up that really didn’t happen and really doesn’t exist. But don’t underestimate the need for attention, especially young girls.”
That’s not all. You also found it important to announce that “girls have as much culpability in this world as boys do” when the filmmakers asked you about the case. When the filmmakers alleged that the boys in Coleman's and in alleged second victim of that night Paige Parkhurst’s cases were guilty, you replied with a chuckle and then, “Were they?”
It’s this narrative that you reference that upsets me the most. If a person is mugged and they go and report the crime, it’s seen as a mugging. But when a woman is raped, the area becomes much more gray. Suddenly the woman’s integrity is questioned just as much as her alleged rapist's. After all, don’t women want attention? And wouldn’t a rape trial bring that to them? It’s a disturbing belief, and one that I find more and more people in positions of power hold.
Perhaps you are a victim here too. Perhaps your words were carefully edited to fit the documentary’s upsetting narrative — that often women aren’t believed when they speak up about sexual assault. If that’s the case, I apologize.
Women deserve to be believed when they speak about their traumas — their futures are just as important as those “good boys'” so many people wanted to protect. You may not have been the one who dropped the rape charges, but if the attitude presented in Audrie & Daisy is accurate, you could become the reason fewer citizens of Nodaway County report their own sexual assaults.
Let me start by saying, I love me some #TGIT, and I love that ABC is jumping on the new-age feminism bandwagon. I think Scandal and The Catch executive producer Shonda Rhimes can really do no wrong. She is a pioneer for women and minorities on television, and I will forever be a loyal and loving fan.
But that doesn't mean there aren't some glaring trends for success with these shows.
Image: ABC
Scandal's Olivia Pope and The Catch's Alice Vaughan both have clients, and they both expose fraud for a living by protecting those clients while maintaining their status as the best in the business — all while effortlessly carrying a professionalism that most women can only dream about.
When it comes to the men, The Catch's Benjamin Jones and Scandal's Jake Ballard are the bad boys from troubled pasts who just want redemption. They both want to be better men thanks to the woman they love. Without this strong, powerful, effective woman, they would still be criminals. Sure, Jake has had a more sordid storyline because Scandal has been on for many a season now. But you know Benjamin will be headed down that morally twisted road in Season 2. Still, we love to love them, because they are the bad boys with heart, the men who steal our souls while we thank them for it and the villains who end up as heroes.
Image: ABC
Enter Notorious. While Scandal has the political arena covered and The Catch tackles the crime world, Notorious will focus on the media. While Notorious isn't from Rhimes, it still follows the same formula that ABC seems to love. Powerhouse girl, shady but charming guy, fraud and intrigue abounding. Notorious has seemingly got it all, it's just set in a new business world — that of the media. Oh, and that powerhouse girl, Julia George (Piper Perabo), will be a blonde this time.
Will I be watching?
Oh, you bet I will.
Image: ABC
Mostly because I love Perabo from her Coyote Ugly days (you had better believe it!) and because Daniel Sunjata is a TV leading man just waiting to happen. He's like a George Clooney in the making, and I don't say that lightly. He simmered on Graceland, playing a similar kind of role — the man riding the line between good and evil for the sake of the greater good, and he slayed it. In Notorious, he's described as a "charismatic defense attorney" who teams up with Julia "to control the media, the justice system and each other."
That "each other" line is key here. Because one of the central ingredients in ABC's formula for success is the power play between the hero and the heroine. They've got to strum that fine line between love and hate over and over again for the chemistry to build until we, the audience, feel it down in our bones.
And that's why these shows are so successful. That's why I keep tuning in.
You can take these character storylines, put them into any setting and make them work. But the key is to have interesting, vibrant characters that can inspire that emotion in audiences to keep us coming back for more. It is the desire, the tension and, yes, the sex that keep us intrigued time and time again and make ABC's female-leading shows some of the most successful efforts in television history.
Formula or no, Notorious is sure to soon have another thing in common with Scandal and The Catch: It will no doubt be a hit.
Notorious premieres Sept. 22 on ABC.
Do you think Notorious, Scandal and The Catch all follow the same tried-and-true ABC formula?
Wednesday, Sept. 22 marked a very special day in The Real Housewives of New York star Ramona Singer's life. Her divorce from former husband Mario Singer was finalized.
It's been a lengthy divorce proceeding, but finally, more than two years after Ramona split from Mario, she's been granted her freedom. She's now putting that dark chapter of her life behind her — and she feels incredible.
"We signed off on a divorce agreement last September. Unfortunately, it took the judge over a year to sign off on it due to paperwork glitches. I found out yesterday from my attorney, who sent it to me along with a keychain that says, ‘The divorce is final,'" Singer told E! News, adding that not only does she feel phenomenal, she also looks "better than ever and [is] happier than ever."
The end of Singer's marriage was not something she took lightly. She was visibly hurt by Mario's affair, which is why in the beginning of their split they weren't on speaking terms. However, she appears to be in a much better place with her life now, and she's also softened on her stance toward her ex-husband (after all, they were together for 22 years and shared a lot of their lives with each other).
"Most marriages don't last 20-plus years. Look at Brad [Pitt] and Angelina [Jolie]," she said. "[Mario] was a great husband but he wants to retire and live in Florida and I feel young in my mind."
She also admits that they were "on different paths." As for Singer's path? She hasn't got it all figured out just yet, but she's looking forward to what the future has in store for her. She told the publication that she's "full of life and vitality and [has] more energy than a 25-year-old."
I don't wish I was younger. It's strange, but true. There was a time when I may have. A time when I may have wished it was easier to feel "fit," and when the sun spots were just freckles and laughing didn't cause lines.
But that just isn't the case today. Why? I've earned all those age marks and I've learned a few things along the way. Scratch that. I've learned a ton along the way.
Each sunspot or freckle? They are gifts for facing the sun and world head on. (Even while wearing sunscreen.) Those laugh lines? They mean I have had a lot to smile about as my years have passed. I'm confident there are a few more in my future.
And I've learned the best way to make this face of mine glow — at any age — is to sweat it out. For me that means yoga. It is a practice I have found to be both comforting and profound in my quest to feel comfortable in my own skin.
Image: Danielle Smith/SheKnows
Posing strong
Each yoga pose — from cobra, to triangle to child — offers one benefit after another, from detoxing your body and releasing toxins to aiding your digestive system and increasing circulation. It allows blood to flow freely through you, from your toes to the very tip of your head. As you begin to sweat, your cheeks flush, coloring you with a healthy glow that starts from deep within.
Break the breakout cycle
The deeper you move in to each pose, in to each stretch, the more you will sweat. As you do, your pores will open, releasing the build-up that has been clogging them. Washing your face and using your favorite skin-care products after yoga locks in your fresh, youthful feeling.
Radiate from the inside out
There is a peace that comes with my practice that allows me to find calm in my day, a calm that doesn't exist when I'm getting the kids ready for school, when I'm answering client calls or juggling any of the many needs on my time (and sometimes on my sanity). That peace is reflected in the sheen of my skin.
Image: Danielle Smith/SheKnows
Have you tried yoga? Admittedly, it took me a few sessions before I understood its power on both my body and my skin, but now I'm hooked. I'd love to know what you think. (And if you have a favorite pose!)
We're about to make you feel really old. Full House celebrated its 29th anniversary on Thursday! Yes, that's right, it has been 29 years since the show premiered on Sept. 22, 1987, and Candace Cameron Bure decided to share the most epic throwback.
Taking to Instagram, Bure posted a throwback picture of the original cast, which included Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (although we have no idea which one is featured in the picture) alongside a more recent photo of the cast of the Netflix revival, Fuller House — which debuted last February.
Bure captioned the photo with a short but sweet message, writing, "29 years ago today, Full House premiered on ABC. September 22, 1987. Full(er) circle. #HappyBirthdayFullHouse Repost: @andreabarber."
Candace Cameron Bure Instagram
Candace Cameron Bure Instagram
Fans are loving the comparison, and took to the comment section of the post to share their thoughts.
Some fans can't believe it's been that long, with comments including one from hikellygirl, who wrote, "29 years...where has the time gone?" Senshi987 had similar thoughts, writing, "Wow! Has it been that long since it's been on?! You guys look UH-MAY-ZING!!!"
"This makes me feel really old!! Can't believe it's been that long!" jlindon2480 commented. While alicia_mc0329 figured the anniversary of Full House is so special it should be "celebrated as a holiday!!"
Other fans just wanted to gush about the show and how happy it makes them: "I love full house it gives me the warmest feeling inside," _miss_m_4 commented. And phranimal commented with, "This makes my heart so full."
Still can't get enough of Fuller House? You don't have to wait too long for Season 2, which will be out on Dec. 9. — something which Bure is super-excited about.
"I'm super-excited our season this year is very holiday themed," she said on The View on Wednesday. "We have a Halloween show, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve and lots of family."
As runners, we're always told that it's tough training, persistence and heart that are going to get us across the finish line. Quitting is for quitters, right? Unless your poor feet quit on you halfway through the race.
Sure, those other things are important too, but a runner with bad feet is going to have a tough time traveling mile upon mile over pavement or dirt. That's why finding the right shoe is so vitally important to success as a runner. Unfortunately, no two pairs of feet are exactly the same, so finding the right pair of shoes to support your unique bone, tendon and ligament structure takes a lot of time.
The good news is, there are clues to point you in the right direction and a major factor is your arch.
If you happen to have a high arch, you probably have a neutral gait (little to no internal rotation — pronation — when you walk), which means you want to look for a neutral shoe. After quizzing more than 30 runners about their arch height and shoe preferences, the following styles and brands received the highest marks as standouts for women with high arches.
The Asics GEL-Cumulus is intended for "underpronators to mild overpronators" — perfect for the high-arch ladies — so it comes as no surprise that they received rave reviews from real runners, including Sara from Sweaty Mess Mama. "I went through two shoes — a Brooks Adrenaline GTS, a stability shoe that I didn't need, then was switched to the Brooks Ghost — a neutral shoe with inserts. I hated running with the inserts — they were way too hard. When I had a knee injury last summer, my PT told me never to run in the Brooks again. I was so deathly afraid of injury that I listened and bought the Cumulus on a whim because I liked the color. I've since branched out to the Nimbus and Saucony Triumph, but I like the Cumulus because they're nice and cushy, have good arch support and they're really snug around my heel." (Asics, $120)
Kaella Car, the blogger behind Kaella on the Run, was one of three runners to swear by Mizuno Wave Riders: "I have super-high arches and I wear Mizuno Wave Riders. No complaints and they work great for me!" (Amazon, $120)
The 17th iteration of the Asics GEL-Nimbus is another fan-favorite of those who have under- to mild pronation. While the Nimbus didn't get quite as many raves as some of the other shoes on this list, they still stuck out as a top contender, and they've made it into Sara's (from Sweaty Mess Mama) go-to rotation with the GEL-Cumulus and Saucony Triumph. (Asics, $150)
As a high-archer myself, I was surprised to fall in love with Nike Frees, as I always thought I needed shoes with more arch support, not less. But these zero-drop-style running shoes completely changed my perspective. They fit like a glove and enable an easy, natural running gait, rather than the more traditional heel-strike-first motion. (Amazon, $100)
Just be aware that even those with high arches can overpronate. Jessica Skarzynski, half-marathon runner and blogger at Jess Runs Happy is no stranger to the experience, "I've got super-high arches — when I'm standing flat, you can slide a pencil under the arch of my foot clear through! My overpronation was terrible and caused a lot of other weird injuries in my knees and calves. Once I got the Transcends, that didn't go away, but it helped me be more aware of it. Also, because my arches would collapse, one toe would rub against the tops of every kind of sneaker I ran in, causing painful dead toenails and blisters. The Transcends alleviate that — it takes me longer... to lose a nail now." #problemsrunnershave (Amazon, $170)
For another "minimal" or "barefoot" running option, Larissa Dalton Stephanoff, an aspiring runner and inspired yogi turns to the Merrell Bare Access 2 shoes. While this particular style has been discontinued, there are other Bare Access versions available with similar features. (Merrell, $95)
Stephanoff chose the Bare Access because, as she says, "I knew I wanted a minimal shoe and after some research, Merrells seemed a good fit." She admits that it can take a while to transition from a traditional shoe to a minimal version, but says, "I've been very happy with the change. My arch has a flexibility of movement that I never felt in the Asics and Sauconys I had previously."
And as the final palate-cleanser, the Altra Torin was ranked No. 4 among the best running shoes and sneakers for high arches in 2016 by Runner Click. For women, the Torin has zero drop and is well-cushioned, meaning that you're probably going to feel the difference on your next run right away. High-arched Amazon reviewers also gave the shoes high marks — recommending them for all types of training, from 5 to 50K. (Amazon, $81)
If you're not sure whether traditional or minimal shoes are right for you, consider whether you like to be able to feel your surroundings as you run. Stephanoff points out that, "I prefer the feeling of being more connected to the ground. The pair I have are 8 millimeters thick, meaning you can feel the surface [through the soles]."
Originally published November 2015. Updated September 2016.
Former America’s Next Top Model contestant Lisa Marie D’Amato gave birth to her second child Thursday, and in true reality TV alum fashion, she streamed the entire event live on Facebook.
Which meant anyone who was interested was able to witness D'Amato's son (her second with husband Adam Friedman) arrive in the world via her friend's Facebook page. Luckily it's a fairly short video — D'Amato herself can be heard saying in the clip, "That was, like, three pushes."
ANTM live Facebook birth
ANTM live Facebook birth
The new arrival, Venice Sire, is little brother to the couple's first child, 3-year-old Daxel Vaughn.
Venice is an unusual baby boy name choice, for sure. It doesn't appear in the U.S. baby name chart and is more common as a girl's name (a female character in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street is called Venice).
But it could become more popular as part of a growing trend of naming babies after places. Earlier this week, former Bachelor contestant Erica Rose named her baby girl Holland, and other stars who've been inspired by countries and cities for their children's names include Victoria and David Beckham (Brooklyn), Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale (Kingston), Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin (Ireland), Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon (Moroccan) and Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz (Egypt).
So yeah, naming your son after one of the most romantic cities in the world is sure to get people talking. But it's the way the birth was announced that's caused the biggest stir. Giving birth live on Facebook isn't something most moms would be up for. But D'Amato is a reality TV star (and if you remember her on the fifth cycle of ANTM in 2005, she was far from a shrinking violet).
If there's one thing all moms-to-be should do, it's have the kind of birth that suits them, whether that's in the privacy of their own home or live on the internet in front of potentially millions of strangers. All that matters is the safe arrival of the baby. Welcome, Venice Sire!
You've probably heard the old adage, "kids say the darndest things," but sometimes it's kids' actions, not words, that really leave their parents in shock. An Oklahoma mom is going viral this week after she posted on Facebook about a phone call she got from her son's school letting her know he showed up to class with a dead squirrel in his backpack.
Mom Ladye Hobson wrote in her post that she was so excited to get a call from the school principal saying her son, Brylan, had made the administrator's day. When Hobson returned the principal's call, though, she was shocked to hear just what her little boy had done. It turns out his teacher found a dead squirrel tucked away in the kid's "50 dollar Pottery Barn backpack," and the principal found it so adorable and hilarious she just had to send Hobson a photo. The mom included the photo in her post for readers', um, enjoyment?
Squirrel in backpack
Squirrel in backpack
A dead squirrel is a pretty random thing to bring to class, but the kid's excuse for stashing it in his bag is what really has people cracking up. As Hobson explained in her post, "When asked by the principal what possessed him to pick up this dead squirrel and store it in his backpack, my son replies with, 'I really wanted squirrel dumplings for dinner tonight.'"
The principal then double-checked to see if Hobson actually wanted her to send the squirrel home for their culinary adventures, and the mom said she explained that she is "country, but not that country." Since Hobson posted her story online, it's been shared over 122,000 times because people just can't get enough of her son's zany antics.
In case you were wondering, squirrel dumplings really are a thing — a quick Google search yields hundreds of recipes. But what really makes this story hilarious is how relatable it is. Pretty much every parent, teacher, grandparent, aunt and uncle has a story about a child in their life doing or saying something absolutely off the wall. It's the best part of having kids. Their minds work in mysterious and creative ways, and there is never a dull moment.
Squirrel dumplings might not be in this kid's future, but his story will probably be one for the ages among his school's administrators. As for the kid's backpack, well, that might need a few trips through the washing machine with extra hot water. But on the bright side, at least it wasn't a skunk.
In many ways, prison helped make The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Teresa Giudice a better person: She's changed her mindset; she's mended her relationship with her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga; and she's admitted that she intends to take more control in her marriage instead of letting all the legal responsibilities fall on the shoulders of her husband, Joe Giudice.
In fact, since leaving Danbury Federal Correction Institute in Danbury, Connecticut, Teresa appears to be doing very well for herself and has accomplished a lot, but will it be the same for Joe? Of course, we'll have to wait until his release from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, to see what changes serving time has brought about, but Teresa was eager to give fans an update on Joe's prison sentence and how he's been doing.
"He just can't wait for it to be over," she told E! News. "He's doing great, or as best as could be expected. He's lost over 35 lbs. He's doing the same thing I did: reading a lot of books, exercising, keeping his head focused on doing what he has to do."
During Teresa's time in prison she decided to practise yoga, which she previously claimed helped her get through prison, and it appears Joe is following in her footsteps. "He said he's done Yoga a few times...And he's said he can't wait to come home and do Yoga with me!," she told the publication.
Three and a half years is a long time to be apart from your spouse, but Teresa and Joe are determined to make their marriage work. While prison is no walk in the park, it does appear to be having a positive effect on Joe's mindset — even if it is just for his health.
"It's good for him to be healthy. He did have high blood pressure before he left because he was stressing so much...For him to get healthy and lose weight will be a good thing," Teresa confessed.
It's only been a month since school started, and it has been the best back-to-school experience ever. I have one person to thank for that, and it's my 6-year-old daughter's teacher.
Last year, homework was the bane of our lives. My then-5-year-old had something to do every night. And there never seemed to be a good time to do it. Immediately after school is just mean, right? She'd already been in school for six hours and just wanted to have some downtime. Then it was time to eat. If we managed to get it done in that half-hour window after dinner and before bath, great. That didn't happen very often because family life doesn't often slot neatly into 30-minute segments. As soon as the tiredness hits, it's game over. I'm holding my hands up and admitting that around 50 percent of the time, we rushed through homework over breakfast. It definitely wasn't the perfect way to start the day.
So we began this school year, after seven blissful homework-free weeks, with some trepidation. She was a year older and we were prepared for more homework, not less. Then the Best Teacher Ever took on the class. Confession: I haven't even spoken to this woman yet. But I give her that title without a second's hesitation because she hates homework just as much as we do.
Actually, I don't know how she feels about homework. But I'm taking a wild guess and saying she's not a big fan, because so far, my daughter has received virtually none of it. Any assignments she is given are quick, simple and fun. None of it requires anything to be written down and handed in to be marked by her teacher. Forget writing spelling words over and over on a page, then trying to include them in "interesting" sentences. No science projects. No laborious math calculations. And as a result, no tears, no tantrums, no headaches trying to come up with 27 interesting sentences.
For many years, teachers have been calling for homework to be banned in primary schools, and many academics believe the system needs a major overhaul. John Hattie, professor of education at the University of Melbourne, sees no value in primary school homework whatsoever. In a BBC Radio 4 interview, he said, "We get over-obsessed with homework," pointing out that it "has an effect of around zero."
However, Hattie doesn't believe primary school homework should be scrapped altogether, because this can impact how parents judge the quality of the school. Instead of getting rid of homework, he suggests keeping it short and simple: "Five to 10 minutes has the same effect of one hour to two hours." Which is what every parent wants to hear. Something else they want to hear is, "The worst thing you can do with homework is give kids projects." Instead, we should be reinforcing what they've already learned in class.
Absolutely. Haven't we all watched our kid struggle with a homework project only to end up doing it for them? What, exactly, do they learn from that? If something's too difficult (or time-consuming or not interesting enough), is it OK to give up and let someone else do it for you? Ever tried making an igloo out of "household items?" Yeah — you don't want to.
If you think I'm just a lazy ass who can't be bothered doing homework with her kid, you're half right. I'm not a lazy ass. I get a kick out of spending time with my child and watching her learn. But I absolutely cannot be bothered doing homework with her. I don't believe it did anything to further her education last year. By comparison, I can see her reap the benefits of her new teacher's approach to learning. She's not in a stinking mood after school because she knows if we do any homework at all, it will be spelling out a word with rice instead of writing it multiple times in her workbook.
She's interested in it because it's different, fun and only takes a few minutes. She's not bored or restless, so she's not merely going through the motions until the torture is over. As a result, she's a happier child because we get to spend time after school doing stuff kids her age should be doing: riding her bike, running around the park or just chilling the hell out because yes, school is exhausting when you're 6 years old.
You can't sleep in — heck, you can barely even have a conversation — so you know what that means: You're a parent. And you're in desperate need of a laugh. From eating kids' leftovers (off the floor) to closing the tooth fairy gap, here are this week's funniest tweets from parents.
Engagement rings get all the attention if those super-adorable Facebook announcements are any indication. But if you're wondering why so many right-hand rings have been popping up as of late, it's because for many single women back here in the real world, putting an engagement ring on it isn't even on the radar. Not even close.
As Rebecca Traister covers in her 2016 book All the Single Ladies, singledom has gone from being a burden to being an honor, as numbers of single women have risen dramatically. There are more single gals than ever before, marking this "rise of an independent nation" that Traister speaks of. While this may have big ripple effects in the social, political and economic arenas, the new "single majority" is also changing the way we date, relate, work and even dress as women.
Though it may seem simple, wearing a right-hand ring speaks volumes if you are a woman who is unattached. Challenging the traditional marital symbol with a ring on the right hand has become a way for many women to take back their independence while still underscoring their worth.
Many women enjoy their right-hand rings even more than traditional engagement rings because they can be a bold reflection of a personal fashion aesthetic.
If you're uncertain about whether or not a right-hand ring is for you, rest assured that all women — single or not — can benefit from a little right-handed bling. "A right-hand ring is a symbol to commemorate a special life event, like an achievement or birthday, or to project success and personal style," says Julie Yoakum, chief merchandising officer at Blue Nile. "Right-hand rings can be subtle or bold, and they're often chosen to echo a favorite design style."
Although a right-hand ring is appropriate for both the single and married, many single women opt for a stunning right-hand ring because they don't want to postpone a dazzling diamond while they're waiting for Mr. Right. For this reason, right-hand rings are often seen as the battle cry of single and successful women.
Finding a right-hand ring that works for you
Right-hand ring 2
Right-hand ring 2
The beauty of the right-hand ring is that there are no rules for its design. A woman can choose a simple and inexpensive right-hand ring, or she can spend her entire life savings on an eye-popping diamond setting. However, before making a significant jewelry investment, consider the following inspirations for a right-hand sparkler.
Birthstones — Many women choose to stun with a right-hand setting that features their birthstone. Quite often, the gemstone is big and bold and set with diamonds or white sapphires around its edges. A right-hand ring inspired by a birthstone can project that a woman is happy to be alive and proud to be who she is.
Cocktail conversation pieces — For women who like to change their style frequently, it may make sense to pick a cocktail ring that won't break the bank. Cocktail rings are trendy and visually interesting, and they usually feature stones that aren't quite as pricey as diamonds or gems.
Exciting achievements — Sometimes, women reserve their right-hand ring fingers for a ring that celebrates a milestone anniversary or a major success in the office. These rings often feature large diamonds in a unique setting to set the piece apart from an engagement ring.
Celebrating singleness — Whether it makes sense or not, milestone birthdays sometimes feel disappointing to women if they remain romantically unattached. Many women approaching their 30th or 40th birthday, or perhaps facing their first birthday following a divorce, may choose to celebrate themselves with a flashy diamond ring to signify that they're making it on their own and that they don't need a man to enjoy beautiful jewelry.
