Parents today are facing an issue our grandparents never had to deal with: cell phones. How are parents supposed to know how to navigate the uncharted territory of giving their kids such an advanced piece of technology? What rules and restrictions should be in place for kids' phone use?

More: 3 Reasons I Don't Let My Kids Play With My Phone

Luckily, we have experts around to guide us. Julie Smith, a licensed marriage and family therapist in the Denver, Colorado, area who specializes in adolescent development, says knowing how to navigate technology and kids is a common concern for many parents.

Cellphone pros and cons

"Too much screen time is always a concern," Smith said. "With kids, it can interrupt sleep patterns, distract from responsibilities and reduce 'in real life' contact. There are also social concerns regarding cyberbullying, accessing porn and other sites or engaging with strangers."

But that doesn't mean giving kids their own phones is necessarily a bad idea.

"The flip side is that kids aren’t addicted to technology itself — they are hooked on the social side of it," Smith explained. "Smartphone access can allow them to engage with their peers in different mediums that may not always be accessible at school. Basically, it helps them find their 'tribe' and learn more about themselves. Additionally, phone access can help kids learn problem-solving skills because they can research specific topics or seek support when they are not quite ready to speak with their parents or a caring adult."

More: Cellphone Safety Tips for Back-to-School

Smartphones, smart choices

While some parents may be tempted to restrict their kids to phones with just basic texting and calling instead of smartphones, Smith says that's not necessarily the best route.

"While just keeping phones to the basic texting and calling seems like it simplifies the tech debate, it actually causes more stress for kids. First, many schools are having kids use their phones to access learning assignments. Because kids don’t want to be seen as the 'kid without a phone,' they will often just guess at that coursework or skip the assignment altogether. Also, there comes a point when not having a smartphone leaves kids feeling isolated. Ideally, we’d like to see kids appreciated by their peers just for who they are. However, that isn’t how it works in the tween and teen world. The kids who don’t have smartphones end up feeling alienated by their peers because they can’t communicate with them or they don’t understand the conversations their peers are having."

Smith continued, "Rather than eliminating the smartphone, it’s better to help your child learn what is and isn’t appropriate on the phone."

What it comes down to is that every kid is different, and it's up to parents to decide exactly what is right for their individual kids, Smith said.

Finding the right limits

"There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to determining how much or how little time a kid can spend on the phone," she explained. "It depends on many factors, including age, level of maturity, emotional needs, etc. To begin to determine what is appropriate for your child, start with a conversation with your child about what when, where and how to use technology as well as when to unplug."

As far as setting limits for phone use without sparking a kids vs. parents war in the house? Smith said the keys are staying consistent and practicing what you preach.

"Schedule a starting and stopping point not just for your child’s online connection, but yours as well. An evening check-in of devices can also help discourage late-night tech sessions. Plus it helps kids eliminate the blue screen effect that can disrupt sleep patterns," she said. "Help kids understand the effects of multitasking. As parents, we know that helping kids stay focused will only strengthen interpersonal skills and school performance. Encourage them to minimize distractions and manage one task at a time, shutting down social media while working online for homework or engaging in a conversation."

Smith added, "Lastly, parents must model the behavior they want. If mom and dad are asking their child to put the phone down but they aren’t able or willing to do the same, the child will rebel. More than what we say, it’s how we behave that impacts our children more."

At the end of the day, parents know their kids best and have to make cellphone choices for every child on an individual basis. But with Smith's advice, the murky world of kids and cellphones might be just a little bit clearer.

More: How Old Will Your Kid Be Before She Gets Her First Cellphone?

This post was sponsored by Cricket Wireless.

We loved sifting through social media last week and seeing all the fantastic stuff posted by some of our favorite celebrities in honor of International Women's Day.

Some, like Meghan Markle (nice going, Prince Harry!), wrote movingly about injustices faced by women around the globe. Others — like Jessica Chastain, in Warsaw, Poland, filming The Zookeeper's Wife — took part in protests and rallies in the U.S. and abroad. Emma Watson even hid feminist books in nooks and crannies in New York City. As if we needed another reason to love Hermione.

More: Lily Rabe is part of the crazy cast of AHS: Asylum

But one of our favorite celebrity nods to International Women's Day came from American Horror Story's Lily Rabe. Rabe commemorated the day with a Iow-key but lovely Instagram post of herself snuggling her newborn baby girl.

The caption was short and sweet:

"Happy International Women's Day. Today. Tomorrow. Every day. Girls are magic. #internationalwomensday #weshouldallbefeminists #thefutureisFEMALE," she wrote.

More: The most gorgeous Women's March posters we've seen

Rabe and her boyfriend of four years, Hamish Linklater, announced in December that they were expecting their first child. Details are scarce, but it seems like their daughter arrived very recently  — It wasn't that long ago that Rabe posted a shot of her at a Women's March, her pregnant belly covered by a tank that read, "This pussy has teeth."

Nice! We look forward to more shots from Rabe of the new arrival. And hopefully more sloganed feminist T-shirts. You can never have too many of those.

If you have fine or thinning hair, you know how frustrating it can be to style an updo or even a ponytail without showing off your scalp to the world. And though we’re totally down with scalps, we’re also here for you if you’d rather master a hairstyle that gives the illusion of thicker hair without relying on that tiny clear elastic you’ve used for the last decade.

So we rounded up our favorite updos for fine hair that even beginners can do. If your hair is especially slippery or thin, blast the roots first with thickening texturizer spray, such as Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast, to amp up your hair’s thickness before attempting the style. Then scroll down to see the tutorials below and try them out on yourself today.

Perfectly messy topknot

Twisted and pinned knots

Two-strand twisted bun

Wrapped and rolled curls

Twirled ponytail

Leah Remini has given all of us an appetite for Scientology — at least for learning about it. Probably not for actually joining it because that shit is bananas.

Lucky for all of us, Remini's A&E show, Scientology and the Aftermath, just got renewed for a second season!

More: Leah Remini Says Tom Cruise Could Be the End of Scientology

Season 2 will be comprised of 10 hourlong episodes telling the stories of former members of the church and how their lives have been affected by it.

"It became clear to us that although we were telling painful stories of former members of the Church of Scientology, this show was resonating strongly with people everywhere. The show is really about standing up for what is right and not letting bullies have their way. I feel it is important for people to know that you can take action to bring about change, both for yourself and for others," Remini said in a statement.

More: VPR's Jax Taylor Has So Many Questions About Scientology

She continued, "Our intention is to send a clear message to abusers that they will not go unchecked and will not be permitted to continue harming people without being questioned and challenged. We have been deluged with messages from those who have stories to tell who feel the show is a forum where their voices can be heard. We have been overwhelmed with support from well-wishers and fans of the show from around the world. But most importantly we felt compelled to proceed with another season to continue to reveal truths and seek justice for all victims."

Scientology and the Aftermath has been both entertaining and informative, and you know it's probably accurate based solely on how hard the church has tried to discredit it, calling it a "scripted, rehearsed, acted and dramatized work of fiction."

Remini has been open about her attempts to annoy the church, and how she hopes they'll lead to a lawsuit since that would mean representatives of the church would be deposed under oath. So far, she's been threatened with legal action multiple times, but the church has never actually followed through.

More: According to Leah Remini, John Travolta Can Literally Get Away With Murder

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Before Survivor: Game Changers aired last week, there was a lot of talk about how some of the chosen cast members didn't deserve the title of "game-changer." Chief among the offensive casting decisions were Troy "Troyzan" Robertson from Survivor: One World and Hali Ford from Survivor: White, Blue, No Collar. Neither made it above the top eight and neither really showed acumen for strategy — basically, no one was impressed.

But wait! This week on Survivor, both were put in very tights spots due to a game-changing team mix-up in which a third tribe, Tavua, was added to the beach. While everyone plotted around them, both Troyzan and Hali held their own, using their own skills, despite being placed in extremely vulnerable and dangerous positions. Maybe both will prove to be game-changers after all!

The only entity that made a better escape this week was probably a cute baby goat, who Sandra Diaz-Twine would have made into a delicious, tender stew if not for the other tribe members. Let's break down all three storylines below.

More: Survivor: Game Changers Announces Questionable Season 34 Cast Choices

Hali pulls a Hail Mary

After the tribes were shaken and stirred, the new Mana tribe consisted of Debbie, Hali, Sierra, Tai, Caleb and Brad. Caleb and Hali were the only two original Mana members, while Tai, Caleb and Debbie were all former cast members on team Kaoh Rong. After the team lost the episode's challenge, It seemed clear that Caleb and Hali were on the chopping block and that Hali was in much more danger because of Caleb's strength and kiss-level friendship with Tai.

As the episode developed, many of the tribe members were torn on who to jettison first: Caleb, who was medically evacuated during his season, was strong and good to have for challenges, but a little too buddy-buddy with the Kaoh Rong set. Hali wasn't as strong, but also wasn't as big a threat during the long game (or so many thought).

Hali, who since her last appearance on the show has become a criminal defense attorney, played the board well and subtly, even when back into a corner. With a huge assist from Brad, who convinced Tai that having Caleb around later might hurt his strategy, she will make it another week.

The moment that really stood out, though, was her argument at Tribal Council. She was eloquent and made super-strong points about why it wasn't her time. While the players might have already had their minds made up, it showed that she is in it to win it and scrappy enough to move forward. Also, we have to remember that flying under the radar as a non-threat has been a wonderful winning strategy in past seasons.

More: Who Seems to Be Rebranding Their Image on Survivor: Game Changers?

Troyzan finds a way through sheer will

Troyzan has never been a fan favorite. At best, viewers see him as an overly sincere, dad-like poor player, while at worst, people think he's obtuse and annoying. One thing almost everyone could agree on is that he was a weird choice for Game Changers — and perhaps just a producer pick because he causes a reaction in viewers. In any case, not a favorite to win.

This week on the "Jackpot" episode, Troyzan was also not treated well by the gods during the creation of the third team and the buffer swap. The professional photographer was placed on the newly created Tavua tribe as the only member of the Mana group, placing a very big target on his back.

The only way to truly protect himself was not through alliance-forming, but through finding an idol, and Troyzan got to work in his enthusiastic fashion (that yeah, we can admit can get a little annoying). Before we knew it, he found a bottle on the beach with a clue inside: he could find an idol under a platform at the upcoming challenge.

Fast-forward to the challenge, where even people who don't like Troyzan were holding their breath as he causally made his way around the platform after the challenge and felt around blindly for the idol while no one was watching. A moment later, he shoved it down his pants unceremoniously. You have to admit, no matter your feelings on the contestant, you were on Troyzan's side there for a moment, and maybe even impressed that he was able to save himself in such a tight position.

More: An Analysis of Jeff Probst's Style on Survivor, Told Through His Cargo Shirts

Getting your goat

Perhaps the most vulnerable thing to survive this week's episode of Game Changers was a tiny, adorable baby goat. After trying to catch and eat goats for a while, the new Nuku team finally captured a mom and her new little baby. The baby was adorable, and of course Sandra immediately started talking about how they would slaughter it, clean the carcass and eat it for dinner. It was a tough moment for everyone, on both sides of the television screen, as the Nuku tribe members tried to talk Sandra into letting the animals go and as viewers watched Sandra try to wrap her head around a humane, altruistic act (and one that would leave her hungry).

First of all, I couldn't find a picture of the baby goat in question, but here is a picture of a similar baby goat: 

Secondly, I think I would have cried if they had eaten the baby goat. Instead, though, they finally decided to let the animals go, proving that even the most vulnerable things on Survivor have a chance — it's just that their strengths may be hidden in their weaknesses.

C'mon, would you have slaughtered and eaten that baby goat? Tell me in the comments.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Once a month, I meet up with a group of girlfriends for a ladies' night in — we rotate hostesses, but we often wind up holding it at my friend Samantha's house since it is a central location for most of us. There's just one problem: Her dog might be racist.

I realize that is a loaded statement, so let's jump back a bit and get some context.

The group of women we meet up with every month is pretty diverse across the spectrum (age, race, etc.), and that includes two black women: Diana and "Q." And while Samantha's hound mix seems to have absolutely no problem with anyone in the group, her German shepherd seems to have an exaggerated reaction to Diana and Q. To be clear, the German shepherd does not have the same reaction to everyone else.

More: Do You Need to Worry About BPA Levels in Your Dog?

When approaching Diana and Q, the dog's hair stands up, she growls, she barks somewhat ferociously... admittedly, if you weren't afraid of dogs, this might do the trick. So much as Samantha hates the implication, Q's running joke is that Sam's dog is racist.

While Q says this largely in jest, it does make me wonder: can pets be racist?

After all, it's not as though the experience in our monthly ladies' night is an isolated one. The idea of pets being racist has been fodder for comedians for years, even surfacing in a Key and Peele sketch.

However, we all know that with humans racism is not inborn — it is a learned behavior. Is it even possible that dogs could "learn" to be racist or have certain "feelings" about a specific portion of the population?

According to dog psychologist Linda Michaels, not exactly. In an interview with Gawker, Michaels explained, "Although a dog may appear to be 'racist,' that's not possible. Racism requires complex thinking and other higher cognitive functions that canines simply don't possess. A dog may react in fear-based aggression to a person of color for two reasons: No. 1, insufficient positive associations in early socialization to people of all races. No. 2, a traumatic incident with a person of color that has now generalized to all people of color. Dogs can learn to love people of all races. Ultra-socialization of puppies to people of all races one may encounter should begin at 8 weeks of age, if possible."

So what humans may perceive to be racist behavior from a pet is simply reactionary behavior based on something that is either unfamiliar or tied to trauma.

Another theory presented in the Gawker interview is that vision issues could have something to do with it.

"There are certain breeds of dogs that I've noticed don't see well at night, and react poorly to people with darker skin (day or night). I believe that with these dogs, there must be some vision problem, and if a person has slightly darker skin, it can seem as though they appear out of nowhere," speculated Renee Payne of Walk This Way Canine Behavior Therapy.

More: 16 Quiet Dog Breeds That Won't Bark All Night Long

Payne also tendered a theory that makes a lot of sense to me given my limited experience with this conundrum. She suggests that the dog could be reacting to a fear response.

"When a dog walks past a person and gets a fear response from the person, and then continues to see people who look similar in some way (in the dog's opinion) and he continues to get a fear response, he's going to going to generalize," said Payne. "Dogs smell fear and interpret it as 'danger' so that it would make sense that after a number of encounters, he would start to react defensively."

Since neither Diana nor Q were raised around dogs and afraid of them to begin with, this theory certainly seems to fit in our specific situation.

What doesn't make sense within the context of our situation is something called "social referencing," whereby a pet picks up on very subtle behavior cues from its owner to form what appears to be a bias.

This theory was explored recently by a team of researchers at the National Center for Scientific Research at Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, using 72 dogs as subjects — all family pets, none aggressive toward anyone.

The experiment consisted of having the dogs' owners act in three different ways when approached by an unfamiliar person: to step toward the person, to stand still or to step backward in retreat. The dogs' reactions were gauged to each response.

What the researchers discovered was that the dogs picked up even on nearly imperceptible shifts in their owner's behavior. So while a pet owner may not even realize they are acting insecurely or uncomfortably around a certain group of people, it's possible they are doing so inadvertently... and their pet is building a prejudice based on that behavior.

More: Uh-Oh Millennials, Cesar Millan Thinks You're Too Spoiled to Own a Dog

However, the general consensus seems to be that pets do not possess the cognitive capabilities to form a racial bias the way a person might. Rather, if your pet seems "racist," they are likely just responding to someone who is unfamiliar from their "pack" (which includes you).

Although some experts contend this behavior is hard to break if early socialization isn't emphasized, it is possible to teach your pup to be more inclusive through obedience training.

We all struggle with the right thing to say or write when someone we know loses a loved one. But children don't stress it at all — they just tell it like is. And draw it like it is too.

New York comedian and videographer Matt Hunziker's grandfather recently passed away. His mother (known as Mrs. H) happens to be a teacher, so all of her second-grade students wrote her sympathy cards and Hunziker shared them in a YouTube video.

They are heartfelt, honest and extremely funny.

More: 34 Funny Apology Notes From Kids

A number of the students tried to look on the bright side. One student wrote, "I'm sorry for your dad who died, at least you have a mom." Yes. Calm down, drama queen. You're no orphan.

This one wanted to make sure the mom was still in good health. Very smart to inquire. The student writes, "How good is your mom doing?"

And another said, "I'm sorry that your dad died and I hope your mom does not die. And I hope you're peppy."

Well, Mrs. H might not be feeling peppy, exactly — but in the second-grader's defense, "peppy" was one of the class's vocabulary words.

And another student expressed sympathy by writing, "Dear Mrs. H, I'm sorry that your dad died. I feel droopy and I love you." Yup. You guessed it. "Droopy" was also a second grade vocabulary word.

But these students know that words are not enough in a time of grief. So they drew pictures. Mostly of Mrs. H's dad. At his grave. Seriously. You can see him lying there. And if anyone wasn't sure that that's her dad, the pictures are labeled.

"That is your dad."

More: 53 Hilariously wrong homework answers from kids

And this letter is just so sweet.

It reads, "I hope you feel better and I'm so sorry that happened. I know it was hard to let him go. But you will feel better and your dad is in pest."

I'm not sure where "pest" is, but I'm sure it's a good place.

With the rise of the digital age, new technology is being constantly developed, and there’s always something shiny and new for us to get our hands on. But after spending hours scrolling into an Instagram hole or taking countless quizzes on what your spirit animal is, have you ever thought of all the negative effects that technology can have?

With our growing sedentary lifestyles and visual attachment to our tech, we’re unaware of the many different things that are going wrong with our bodies. If we’re not careful, we could be left with lasting harmful ailments — and we wouldn’t even be able to tweet about it. Here are some things to look out for next time you spend hours coming up with the perfect caption or trying to find that one relatable meme.

Baby got (a bad) back

With us constantly hunching over our technology and physically taking it all in, research has shown that our posture is getting wrecked. Whenever we lean over our phones or tablets, our head acts as a weight that is held at about 60 degrees — a 60-pound weight that puts direct pressure on our necks and strains our spines and backs.

According to New Zealand physiotherapist Steve August, that “grandma’s hump” we see in older people has started to be more prevalent in teenagers and young adults. Especially in the workplace, as one office furniture company demonstrated through illustration, there are multiple combinations of slouching and leaning that add up to bad news for our posture.

More: Tech Tips for Staying Healthy and Saving Money

Face the facts

We all know that our phones are dirty — and I mean, really dirty. We take our phones everywhere with us, including the bathroom. Did you know that all that bacteria, dirt and grime accumulate and we put it directly onto our faces? Whether it be for phone calls or after being transferred from our Twitter fingers, our faces get full of all that grossness and could cause massive breakouts or even eczema. This is an easy fix though. Just remember to clean your phone every day and use hand sanitizer when you can!

Text claw

No, that’s not a joke. Text claw is a real thing, and you’ve probably felt it before. Ever spent hours texting or scrolling, and your fingers and hands start to numb up or cramp from being in the same position for a long time? Yeah, that’s what text claw is. And what’s worse, after all that strained muscle tension, using your devices for extended periods of time could irritate any current conditions you might have, like tendonitis — inflammation of the tendons — or even any forearm/wrist pains. It could even lead to more serious conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.

More: What Taking a Break From Tech Can Do for You

I spy with my tired eyes...

Extended periods of tech use can put a serious strain on your eyesight and cause tension headaches and dry eyes. Too much contact with bright screens and an excess of digital images can serve to tire out your eyesight, and it can decrease the accuracy of it too. With your eyes constantly focusing and refocusing to adjust to the new images and contrasting colors being put on your screen every few minutes, that intense digital attention can cause stress on your head as well, and you’ll start feeling the effects of that with pressure and tightness around your forehead, the back of your head and your neck — which just adds onto all the other problems.

Get moving!

Staying on your phone all day keeps you sedentary, and there’s nothing worse than sitting around and literally doing nothing — and no, scrolling does not count as physical activity. With us staying stationary for longer periods of time, our inactivity can literally cause weight gain. Not only that, but with how distracted we get, our sleep cycles get affected as well and we’re getting lesser and lesser amounts of sleep. Once our sleep cycles are affected, that can also add to weight gain, making it much easier to live a less-than-healthy lifestyle.

More: How Technology Can Help Keep Us Fit and Active

While there are many different advantages to the rise in technology in recent years, we can’t overlook the consequences that spending excess amounts of time with that tech can bring. If we learn to regulate our use and give our social media a break, or even a limit our amount of time online like we do with other things in our lives, then we’ll be able to combat all these negatives and really focus on the positives that digital media has to offer, no strings attached.

Gwyneth Paltrow is consciously recoupling — but not with Chris Martin. Sources say she has wedding bells in mind when it comes to her current boyfriend, American Horror Story and Glee producer Brad Falchuk.

More: Goop's Latest Advice to Take Iodine Doesn't Sit Well With Actual Doctors

Paltrow and Falchuk met in 2010 on the set of Glee, where Paltrow had a recurring guest star role. They stayed friends until Paltrow and Martin famously "consciously uncoupled," and then started dating in 2014. They've been going strong ever since.

Paltrow "plans on marrying" Falchuk, an insider told Us Weekly, and Falchuk is planning to propose "soon."

"They speak about marriage all the time and know it’ll happen," the source added. "He’ll do it when the time is right. And when he does, of course she will say yes."

More: Chris Martin Would Still Take a Bullet for Gwyneth Paltrow (Her Words, Not Ours)

Their families are already down with the idea. Insiders said Paltrow's two children she shares with Martin, 12-year-old Apple and 10-year-old Moses, "love [Falchuk] and think he’s the best." Even Martin is on board. He and Paltrow have stayed close since their split, and sources close to the former couple say Martin fully approves of Paltrow's new love.

"Chris totally approves of Brad," one insider said. "He thinks he’s a good guy."

It's important that Falchuk has Martin's stamp of approval because Paltrow and Martin are still such a huge part of each other's lives.

"Gwyneth and Chris still have an amazing relationship," a source explained. "She still considers Chris her best friend, and they always do everything together."

Paltrow has stayed pretty private about her relationship with Falchuk ever since it began, but just a few weeks ago, she made it Instagram official by sharing a birthday message alongside a photo of Falchuk and herself.

"Happy birthday handsome," she wrote.

More: Let's Figure Out Why Gwyneth Paltrow Is on the Reality Show Planet of the Apps

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Time to get out the tinfoil hats, folks. Things are about to get strange AF.

More: Kris Jenner Discusses Kanye West's Fashion Line & Inconvenient Requests

Earlier this week, our lives were so different. We were just going about our normal business, living the best we knew how. Then — bam! — reports break out that Kanye West is allegedly collaborating with NASA, and all of sudden I'm like, "Is the room spinning? Or is it just me and this sudden case of being blindsided?" Just so you don't get hit by the same wave of WTF-induced worry, I'll repeat: Kanye West may or may not be working on a secret project with NASA.

The entire series of events that precipitated this report lives in a shroud of mystery, so you'll have to take everything you read from here on out as speculation. Well, reasonable speculation, because I have some serious receipts. Additionally, you should know that West's reps vigorously denied West's involvement with whatever this project may be and went so far as to denounce it as a "hoax." However, I would like to add two points:

1. The histrionics displayed by West's reps seem to fit in with this enigmatic project.
2. If Kanye West and NASA are not behind this, whoever is has some serious explaining to do.

Let's get to the good stuff, shall we? This all started with a box. A mystery box with a few mystery items.

This mystery box was sent to the MTV offices on March 15 and stumped all who gazed upon it. The first mysterious item was a VHS tape with "E Pluribus Unum" (Latin for "out of many, one") written on it. The tape contained about two hours of footage, which was only white noise and a static shot of, well, static. Cool. Not creepy at all.

Aside from giving people the serious heebies, is Kanye teasing something major here? I can't hear a hidden message in this white noise, nor can I make out anything substantial in the static. If you see anything, help the fam out and let us know. This is so next-level eerie, I don't know how to deal. And yet, surprisingly, this isn't even the weirdest thing about the project.

Accompanying the videotape was a white card that looked like a credit card.

On it were the words "NASA," "Kanye West," "Project 10" and an expiration date of Aug. 10. In the center was a nine-digit number. It turns out that number is the address of the website playing that creepy video on a loop. Interestingly, those same words on the card can also be seen on the site. The numbers don't appear to have a specific correlation to anything like a date, geographic coordinates or even numbers related to anything Kanye-ish. Again, what the hell is going on here?

The cherry on top of this weird, weird sundae is that poster above, pictured right, which shows the website address, "E Pluribus Unum" and West's name displayed prominently on either side of a photo of the moon's surface. When you begin to think about things like the moon, Kanye, mystery and hoaxes and then you see that poster, the picture starts to form about what might be going on here.

More: Kanye West's SNL Meltdown Has People Concerned for His Well-Being

So, this leads me to my pressing questions, all based on this odd AF evidence being presented to us:

1. Is Kanye West about to release new music inspired by secret NASA projects?

2. Does West have information about whether or not we landed on the moon and is releasing that information with NASA's blessing soon (say, Aug. 10)?

3. Is West teasing an entirely new, nonmusical project that involves NASA or even the remotest references to outer space?

More: Kanye Can See the Future, Says Kanye

4. Has West traveled to the Upside Down and brought back proof and that proof is playing in a constant loop on a weird website?

5. Has West lost his marbles?

Only time will tell, but suffice it to say, I'm equal parts intrigued and creeped out.

What do you think Kanye West's trying to tell us all? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Welp, here's the good news: If you're divorced and think it sucks, you're not alone. Hilary Duff totally agrees with you. Sisterhood!

Here's the bad news: If being divorced sucks for Hilary Duff and her dating options are "terrible," all of us who are divorced are probably extra-screwed.

We find it kind of hard to believe that Hilary Duff's dating options are terrible. Otherwise, we are down with everything she had to say in her candid interview in April's Redbook about life post-divorce.

Duff, who split from Mike Comrie in 2016, says she's struggling with dating as well as co-parenting (despite her reportedly amicable relationship with Comrie). The couple shares custody of 4-year-old Luca Cruz Comrie, which isn't always easy.

More: Hilary Duff kissed her kid on the lips — and people are losing their minds

Duff said, "Some of my friends tell me, 'God, it must be so nice, you get a break from your kid because you share him.'" But Duff hasn't seen it as a bonus. "I'm divorced and it sucks," she said, before adding, "Well, it did suck for a while; now it's just normal." Normal is better than suckage, for sure, but she's right: the break from your kids doesn't make up for the time lost with them, ever.

Duff completely nailed a rarely discussed grief that often comes with divorce: "I've gotten over the fact that I'm not going to have a baby that's close in age with Luca. It sucked when everyone would be like, 'When are you having another?' I'd be like, 'Do you know what's happening right now? I'm not having another.' ...'When's the baby?' You have a baby: 'When's the next one?' I'm cherishing the now. Besides, watch: I'll probably get some evil spawn of Hilary the next time around." Somehow we doubt that Duff will produce the twins from The Shining any time in the future, but yeah, those of us who are divorced know that fear... and the pangs of sadness that come with the realization that the person you loved is no longer part of your baby-making future.

And what of the mom guilt that multiplies exponentially post-divorce while you're worrying that you've scarred your kid(s) for life and should probably take them to Disneyland every day to make up for it? Yeah, Duff feels you on that one.

More: Hilary Duff's got a new boyfriend

"I always feel torn or guilty about something," she said. "I'm not working right now, and at first I stressed about that, like, 'Oh, I shouldn't stay still this long.' And that's ridiculous. I have a child; it's totally fine to not be slammed all the time. It feels really good to not be on someone else's schedule — besides Luca's. I'm basically his chauffeur!"

Most of us don't have the luxury of not working post-divorce — all the single mamas gotta pay the bills. But the chauffeur action — oh yes, we know that gig inside out.

Divorce does suck, but keep your chin up. It gets better, we promise. And you probably won't ever need to go on Match or eHarmony, so there's that.

Whether you’re about to be a new mom or you are one already, it’s likely you’re a little nervous. Parenting is a high-stakes affair. You come home with a helpless tiny being, and you’re expected to keep it alive. Whose idea was this? Honestly, if you weren’t the least bit worried there’d be something wrong with you. (Or you’re just unusually serene, and we want to know all your secrets.)

So, OK, fretting is normal, but we can say from experience that many of the concerns you have as a new mom will turn out to be for naught. It’s just the way things are.

Below are some examples from experienced moms of the kinds of things that kept them up at night. Please note that they can now, with some distance, look upon their former worries with affection and amusement. We wish the same for you.

"Keeping them alive: that seemed an impossible demand. I had no training! How was I going to figure out how do this wildly complicated, high-stakes job with absolutely no expertise? It was basically going to be, I thought, like being dropped into heart surgery and told to scrub up, except that the patient would be MY OWN BABY. And yet, I figured out. (For the record, I don't think that would happen with heart surgery.)" — Catherine

"TV consumption and sugar. I even remember giving my 1-year-old a marshmallow bunny on Easter and being racked with guilt over the sugar. Now my kid eats cake for breakfast. We vowed to not be TV people with our kids, but my son loves musicals and we have such great time as a family singing and dancing along. There is so much out there on how you're going to fuck up your kids. Mostly how everything in modern society is pretty much the worst. But then it turns out to be a much more mellow reality." — Lauren

"I feared dying in childbirth. I thought I would die and nobody would notice I was dying. Which isn't to say that childbirth was no biggie either time, but I didn't have that fear during the actual event. Too busy." — Tina

More: Top 20 Baby Necessities for New Moms

"I spent so many sleepless nights over our decision not to circumcise our third child (first boy). You'd think by the third kid I'd realize that nothing is gonna be as big a deal as you think it is going to be. I was concerned that I would not know how to clean his little baby uncut penis and that he'd end up in the hospital with a crud-clogged unit — 7.5 years in, the penis has been a nonissue. And if it becomes an issue from here on out, it's pretty much on him." — Carrie

"I worried about accidentally killing them by dropping them, or having them roll off the bed. (All three of my children rolled off the bed, one went headfirst over the railing in his crib.) They're freakishly resilient. One ate cat vomit. Survived. Another ate cat poop. Also survived. They've played in toilets. They've eaten mulch, which I'm pretty sure has manure in it. Survived. Super sturdy, these babies." — Michele

"I knew I was having a girl early on and I worried I wouldn't be able to love a girl. Because my mom has issues with girls. This did NOT end up being a problem. At all." — Lisa

"I've consistently worried about the wrong stuff through my son's entire life. But before he was born all my worries were based on the assumption that he was going to be a baby forever and guess what — that doesn't happen. I worried about creating the most pure, organic, toxin-free environment ever. I worried that we didn't have enough space in our 1-bedroom apartment. We didn't move out of it until my son was 12 and it was crowded but we lived." — Adriana

"When I imagined motherhood, I thought that I would hover around my child constantly worried about his physical welfare. But I rarely worry about that. I let him climb on high things, I let him fall down on his bike. I'm remarkably laid back about it." — Mariya

More: 9 Questions Never to Ask a New Mom

"I got pregnant when I was 18 and everyone played up the fact that I would get NO SLEEP EVER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I was so prepared for not getting any sleep, and my son slept through the night at 6 weeks." — Cassie

"Twenty years ago I worried about having a baby in a same-sex relationship. My son will not admit to it EVER having been a problem with his peers." — Leann

"I was worried about being enough. I started my journey to becoming a mom as a single person — by my choice — and as much as I was ready and excited, there was fear. What if just me, just one mom, what if I'm not enough of a person for this new person? I gathered my tribe and I collected a village, but at the end of the day I would be it. If I screwed up something it was ALL on me. Almost eight years into this ride and I know I'm enough." — Dresden

"Despite my kid being a champion latcher, I couldn't make enough milk to 100 percent breastfeed him. I thought giving him formula was akin to giving him poison, and agonized over every bottle. I thought I was compromising his entire biological makeup, that he would be obese and dumb and sickly. I cried and cried and cried. My husband couldn't understand the issue — he kept saying, 'But it's food!' Now my kid is 9 and he's lean, healthy and smart enough, and rarely gets sick, and I realize that no one would ever guess he was mostly formula fed." — Anne

"I worried that my kids would be socially awkward/wouldn't get invited to parties/wouldn't have friends, etc. It hasn't been a problem, ever. And I realized that if I'd put a bunch of effort into it, I could have created exactly the problem I was afraid of." — Carol

More: 7 Tips for New Moms to Get Some Sleep

"I worried about the teen years. I have survived it twice this far and am living through a third bout. I've had good luck along with the bumps, but thank you Lord above, not the nightmares people warned me it would be." — Alexandra

"I worried about money. I worried about having enough support. I worried I would never work again doing something I loved. The wonderful, magical, heartbreaking, crazy thing is that all of these have been issues at some point. But there have been bigger things, harder transitions, tougher times and more quizzical questions than I could have ever designed in my worried mind. And I have handled all of those really well (so far). In fact, they've turned out to be some of my best mothering moments (so far). I don't know that the worries were not valid and they definitely have come to fruition, but they were not the defining times. They were not the big stuff." — Jessica

In a heartbreaking turn of events, former star of Power Rangers Wild Force, Ricardo Medina Jr., is facing up to six years in prison.

More: Former Power Ranger in jail after sword fight turns tragic​

According to Huffington Post, Medina Jr. pled guilty to manslaughter on Thursday March 16 in a Los Angeles County court. Medina Jr. was brought up on charges in the stabbing death of his friend and former roommate, Joshua Sutter. Medina Jr. has maintained his innocence prior to his entry of a guilty plea. Previously, his lawyer, Alan Bell, stated that this was an issue of self-defense: "It is a self-defense case. [...] You have an individual here that was the victim of a beating in the kitchen area before he went to the bedroom and closed and locked the door in order to secure himself from any continuing violence."

Sutter was reportedly killed when he got into a fight with Medina Jr. When Medina Jr. attempted to leave the fight and remove himself to his bedroom to be with his then-girlfriend, Sutter reportedly forced his way into the room. Medina Jr. allegedly grabbed a nearby sword and used it to stab Sutter in the abdomen. The LA County District Attorney's office reports that Medina Jr.'s plea included "one felony count of voluntary manslaughter" and he did admit that he used the sword to stab Sutter.

More: Caution: New Power Rangers Has Lots of Nudity and Drug Use (VIDEO)

Medina Jr.'s case has not only made headlines because of the particularly sad details around the case — the murder of a friend — but because of the professional notoriety attached to Medina Jr. In the early '00s, Medina Jr. was the star of Power Rangers Wild Force, playing Red Ranger Cole Evans. Medina Jr. remained attached to the Power Rangers universe, gaining roles in successive Power Rangers-themed TV shows and specials including Power Rangers Samurai.

More: The Real Pink Power Ranger Just Fulfilled an Epic Dare (VIDEOS)

Medina Jr. fate will be decided when he returns to court on March 30.

Outspoken actor Jesse Williams is back at it again with the sick but seriously woke burns.

More: 6 Quotes From Jesse Williams' BET Awards Speech You Have to Share

While on his way in to film an episode of The Daily Show, Williams stopped to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. While on the sidewalk, a TMZ reporter approached Williams and asked him whether or not he thought President Trump could effectively deal with racial injustice. Williams called Trump a "pig," appearing unamused at the proposition that Trump could be a positive and effective arbiter of peace.

"He’s a pig who’s trying to make sure that he galvanizes as much fear as possible, particularly against black, brown immigrants and Muslims," Williams told the reporter. Where is the lie? While Williams used some scathing words in association with Trump's actions, it is not too far from some of the feelings of uneasiness and negative reactions Trump is currently instilling in the American people.

Williams continued on the topic of Trump and police brutality, when asked by the TMZ reporter: "There were more killings at the hands of police this February than January and February of last year. 211 murders at the hands of police this year so far." That particular figure may be slightly off, but nonetheless, Williams' words ring true.

More: Jesse Williams Discusses Racism and Ferguson (VIDEO)

He only shed more light on Trump's actions, making it painfully clear our president may not be working for the people. Williams has poured his heart and soul into advocacy and awareness of the black communities in America and the injustice they face. His words on Trump's treatment of racial and ethnic minorities on serves to illuminate that our President is falling short of the mark and he needs to do better.

More: Jesse Williams Responds to Critics Who Want Him Fired From Grey's Anatomy

Williams may have worded his feelings about Trump a bit stronger than I would have but damn if he didn't send a powerful message in doing so.

It looks there one Canadian out there who's not as sweet as the maple syrup which flows forth in great quantity from that great northern land.

More: Matthew Perry Makes Confession About His Drug Use While Filming Friends

Former Friends star and your secret '90s crush Matthew Perry says he allegedly fought Justin Trudeau, the current Prime Minister of Canada, while they attended the same high school. Uh, come again? This sounds wholly unlike the Perry fans know and love, both in real life and on Friends. What would have caused Perry to want to hurt the feminist politi-babe currently presiding over the wonderful nation of Canada?

I'm only joshing about Perry not being a nice guy, but seriously, this story is strange and should be taken with a grain of salt. It is also entertaining as hell. While on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Perry recounted how he may or may not have beaten up Trudeau when they were wee lads. "I was reminded this, my friend Chris Murray, who was also in the fifth grade in Canada, reminded me that we actually beat up Justin Trudeau," Perry told Kimmel. "We both beat him up. I think he was excelling in a sport that we weren’t so it was pure jealousy."

More: Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry Rumored to Be Dating IRL

Perry admits that both boys may have been around 10 years old at the time and, if his memory serves, Trudeau was not being guarded by bodyguards at the time (Trudeau's father was also Prime Minister, which would explain why Trudeau may have been guarded). The idea that two soon-to-be-famous Canadians were brawling over something as silly as being good as sports is, at equal turns, hilarious and ridiculous.

More: The One With All the 'Friends' Easter Eggs

Perry, though, wanted to spin this odd tale into something of a triumph. "I think it was rather instrumental in him…going to such great heights and becoming the prime minister. I think he said, 'I’m gonna rise above this and I’m gonna become prime minister.'" Whatever you say, Perry. Whatever you say.

Courtney Love has never been known as a model of restraint and subtlety, and what you're about to read will prove her behavior is not just a bad-girl act.

1. Her parents were the ultimate hippies

Love was born in San Francisco and spent her earliest years in the height of Haight-Ashbury hippidom — her father, Hank Harrison, was a road manager for the Grateful Dead. When her parents divorced, her mom accused Harrison of dosing then-toddler Love with LSD. She was in therapy by the time she was 2 years old.

More: Courtney Love Held Hostage in Paris by an Angry Mob

2. Home was rarely ever the same place

After leaving San Fran, Love lived in a hippie commune in Oregon with her mom, psychotherapist Linda Carroll, on a sheep farm in New Zealand and in a refurbished chicken coop isolated from the rest of the family. She was also shuttled around to various friends, family members and schools, most of which she was summarily kicked out of, including reform school.

3. She was a stripper at 16 years old

Love claims she started stripping at either 15 or 16 (her story has changed throughout the years) and that she's danced in Oregon, Japan and Alaska.

Part of her act was cutting herself with a razor blade.

4. Her first husband was a transvestite punk rocker

Love had a short-lived starter marriage to The Leaving Trains lead singer Falling James Moreland, and he does not have fond memories of their time together. "She definitely has an evil side. She once tried to burn my bed when I was sleeping. A fire started and I woke up in shock," he said in Courtney Love: The Real Story. "It's impossible to figure out Courtney's motives. Her disdain was powerful, and she came off as a spoiled little snot… Courtney is a violent person who, even in the midst of our anonymous, crummy, poverty-stricken little marriage, threatened to have me beaten up for two hundred dollars when I didn't do what she wanted. I was so scared of her I caved in immediately."

More: Courtney Love Gets Attacked for Haunting Message About Kurt Cobain

5. Andy Warhol featured her on Fifteen Minutes

Introduced to Warhol by none other than Debbie Harry, a pre-plastic surgery Love was featured on the pop art icon's MTV show Fifteen Minutes in 1987 after he noticed her in her roles in Sid and Nancy and Straight to Hell. She later claimed she hated the attention and took off back to Oregon, then Alaska, to gain back some anonymity. In less than a year, she was back in LA putting a band together.

6. She's convinced Marlon Brando is her grandfather

Love's mother, Linda Carroll, is the biological daughter of author Paula Fox, who gave her up for adoption. When Carroll was conceived, Fox was living with acting coach Stella Adler — as was a then-unknown Marlon Brando. Neither ever confirmed or denied paternity, but Love called the theory "very probable" in a since-deleted Facebook post after Fox's recent death. Fox was not a fan of Love, by the way. "She's awful, she's awful. She's terrible!" she told The Observer in 2013. "I met with her for an hour, and the hour was like an hour in the devil's pocket, for both of us."

7. R.E.M. wrote a song about her — supposedly

Love claims Michael Stipe wrote "Crush With Eyeliner" about her because he gave her eyeliner once. The pair have been good friends for many years, but Stipe says he wrote the song about the punk band NY Dolls.

8. Her daughter claimed she's a negligent, pet-killing hoarder

In a 2009 deposition pleading her case for a restraining order against her mother, Frances Bean Cobain claimed her cat was killed after becoming trapped in piles of paperwork, fabric swatches and trash, and that a family dog OD'd on Love's pills.

More: Frances Bean Cobain Finds Comfort in Mom Courtney Love Amid Divorce Reports

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

We've been waiting for it, and finally it is here — Japril, the sequel. This week's episode of Grey's Anatomy was all about Jackson Avery and his on-again/off-again wife, April Kepner. And you know what? I'm not mad at it.

In full disclosure, I loved the first "Japril" episode. You remember that one, right? The one where it heartbreakingly explored the rise and fall of the couple's marriage? Yeah, it was brutal. But it was also one of the most beautiful episodes I've ever seen come out of any television series.

More: Why the Grey's Anatomy Japril Episode Worked Despite All the Weirdness

Since then, a lot has happened at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital... and, yet, Jackson and April are still both single and, whether they would ever admit it or not, have essentially been fighting off the feelings they have for each other the entire time.

So coming into this week's episode and knowing the pair was going to be traveling a' deux to Montana for a medical case, Japril shippers were on high alert.

Will they, or won't they? Can the couple formerly known as Japril put the past behind them and actually reunite?

Based on what happened in the episode, the answer is apparently yes. Yes, they can. In a poignant turn of events, Jackson meets his father (who seems to have more of a story than they are letting on) and has the gutting epiphany that the man never actually missed his son.

April proves to be a solid support system both in the hospital working alongside Jackson to save a little girl's voice, as well as on the personal front while Jackson wades through his feelings about his dad.

More: Hold Up, People Really Want Jesse Williams Fired Because of His BET Speech?

In the end, April and Jackson wind up in bed together. But the best part of their reunion is that she helps Jackson find his voice again. That's big, y'all.

That's not what I want to talk about, though. Sure, I like Japril alright. It's nice to see them both happy, and particularly happy together. However, what really struck me this episode is what a gosh damn treasure Jesse Williams is.

If ever there comes a time for another Grey's spin-off (a la Private Practice), I vote for Williams to helm the show.

His performance in Japril the sequel was extraordinary. Sometimes on these sorts of medi-dramas, it's easy to get caught up in the flurry of activity and faces and forget just how intentional these actors are in their portrayals of the characters.

Williams is an actor who clearly pours himself into his craft. As someone who has dealt with her own daddy issues in the past, I related in an acute way to the emotional struggle Jackson was going through — largely because Williams portrayed it in such an authentic way.

More: Something Major Was Missing on Grey's Anatomy This Week

All of this coupled with the fact that Williams is such a solid human being — an activist, a humanitarian, a champion of social justice — makes me want to see more of him. Movies? Glancing at his IMDB, it appears Williams has at least one movie coming out this year: a thriller called Jacob's Ladder.

While it would be great to see him on the big screen more, let's just say I, for one, wouldn't hate it if Shonda Rhimes used her otherworldly wit to spin an entire show around Williams.

Would you like to see a Jackson (or Jesse!) spin-off?

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Did every celebrity who is currently engaged have a private meeting about having secret weddings or am I missing something?

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It was announced on The Late Late Show With James Corden late Thursday night that Newsroom actor Thomas Sadoski secretly married Amanda Seyfried recently. Apparently, the latest hot trend in Hollywood is to have a secret wedding, which is cool and everything but guys: remember to take pictures so I can indulge, okay? This is rather exciting news, though, because Sadoski and Seyfried have not only had a long engagement, but Seyfried is pregnant with her first child with Sadoski.

As Sadoski was settling in to chat to host James Corden, Corden began his first question with a line about Seyfried. As Corden appeared to search for the word "fiancé," Sadoski both surprised him and beat him to the punch by holding up his hand and saying " my wife." Corden was adorably stunned and then asked Sadoski how it came about.

More: Amanda Seyfried's Favorite Daydream: Motherhood

"We eloped...we just took off into the country with an officiant and just the two of us, and we did our thing… We had a great day. It was perfect." Sadoski continued by describing that the pair had an incredibly intimate ceremony and afterwards they took their dog for a long walk in the countryside before going out to dinner. I mean, this sounds like a low-key wedding dream and I'm really here for it. The best part, though, had to been when Sadoski just couldn't stop gushing about his new wife, "Listen, she's the person I love, admire, respect most in the world." You guys!

More: Amanda Seyfried Proves Security Risk with Swiss Army Knife

Happily, the newlyweds will become parents soon as Seyfried is now quite close to giving birth. The pair began dating after working together on The Last Word in 2016 and quickly announced their engagement in September 2016. Shortly after their engagement announcement, Seyfried announced she was pregnant.

Hey, when you know, you know, right?

If you're the owner of a foot or two, you know how important they are in your day-to-day life. They not only bear your body weight on the regular (which is pretty impressive considering their size relative to the rest of your bod), but they also, of course, help you walk, climb and run.

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It's no surprise that your feet, which are on the ground or encased in footwear, can develop some unsightly problems, some of which can be downright gross, embarrassing or even painful. Here's some of the unpleasant things that can happen to our feet.

Athlete's foot

So named due to its prominence in athletes, athlete's foot describes a foot infection, usually of the fungal variety, and even if you're not a sportsball player, you can get it too. It can be caused by wearing tight-fitting shoes with poor ventilation, and it can also be picked up from others who have left bits of it behind on floors, clothing or towels. It's itchy and can be painful and is usually treated with antifungal creams.

Blisters

Ah, blisters. They rise forth from friction and are the unhappy result of wearing ill-fitting shoes... or doing things, like running, that you're not accustomed to doing. It can be miserable to have a blister anywhere on your foot, so try to prevent them if you can by using friction-reducing socks, giving your feet time to rest in between pounding the pavement and using paper tape in blister-prone areas.

Bunions

Bunions are those big bumps on the inside of the foot at the joint of your big toe, and develop over time, usually due to pressure on the joint (although there may be other causes). Wearing roomy shoes can often help relieve any pain, and surgery is an option, but it's usually reserved for the most extreme and painful cases.

More: Yes, Young Women Can Have Heart Attacks Too

Corns and calluses

Corns and calluses are fun little guys (not really) that reside on certain parts of your feet. Their trademarks are thick, rough areas of skin, hardened bumps, tenderness or pain or flaky skin (sounds great, right?). Unless painful (or they're really infringing on your foot game), treatment usually consists of avoiding the repetitive actions that caused them in the first place.

Nail fungus

Yes, more fungus talk — sorry. While athlete's foot sticks to the fleshy part of your feet, nail fungus targets your toenails. It can wreak havoc on your piggies, turning your healthy nails into thickened, brittle, crumbly nightmares. Treatment can help, and may even involve medicated nail polish, (which probably sounds more fun than it actually is).

Ingrown toenails

When your toenail decides to be awful and starts to dig into your flesh (usually on the side of a big toe), then you've developed an ingrown toenail — congrats. There are a few treatment options, but toenail and underlying tissue removal doesn't always have to be part of it.

Cracked heels

Cracked heels (or heel fissures) are cracks in the skin of your heel, which can be compounded by calluses, and if they're super-deep, they can hurt pretty badly. So, not only are they annoying, they can be painful too. Opting to buy a foot file yourself can help prevent or heal them (when paired with an awesome lotion), but there is also that weird "baby foot" thing that may help.

More: A 10-Minute Workout That You Absolutely Have Time For

Psoriasis

Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body, but it can be particularly annoying if it lands on your tootsies. Diagnosis should come from a doc, who can work with you to come up with a treatment plan.

Plantar warts

Warts are aggravating and it can be a challenge to get rid of them, but when the little jerks grow on the bottom of your feet, they can hurt too. Plantar warts, as they are called, usually occur on the bottoms of your feet, which means you're putting pressure on them — and it's painful. If they're hurting, and your at-home wart removal isn't going as planned, go see a doc, who can treat them.

So, if you have feet, there are a few miserable conditions that can afflict them. Sometimes we can treat them at home, and other times we'll need to visit a doc — and in still other cases, we have to learn to live with them.

Yay, feet.

For millennials, saving money may be more important than for any generation that came before us. After all, studies show that we face lower lifetime earnings and higher costs of living. Lucky us, eh?

With those obstacles in the way, it can seem kind of impossible to live comfortably, but also stay within our means. But it is possible, and sometimes even without depriving ourselves of the little luxuries we love. It simply takes some changes to our shopping habits to make the difference.

More: 9 Smart Ways to Save Money on Fresh Produce

1. Go cash only

Before going on a shopping trip, withdraw as much cash as you plan to spend. Then only take that and leave your debit and credit cards at home. That way, you're forced to stay within the budget you set ahead of time — no impulse buys!

2. Compare prices on everything

Before making a purchase, price check the item you're planning to buy and see if you can get it cheaper online or from a different store. Apps like ScanLife and Purchx allow you to scan product bar codes and compare local and online prices to ensure you're getting the best deals.

3. Invest in good quality

Ponying up more cash up front can mean buying clothes, kitchen supplies and appliances that are of higher quality and will last longer, saving money in the long run compared to what you will likely spend replacing things.

4. Be loyal

Using loyalty programs for brands you love can mean everything from cash back to discounts. If you spend a lot of money at any one store or website, definitely enroll in its loyalty program if available.

5. Make your own... everything

Buying a premade meal tends to cost more than just buying all the ingredients you need to make the same meal. Cleaning supplies can be pricey... or you can make your own out of cheap household items like baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. Pinterest is full of these kinds of life-hacking tips, so check there to see if you can easily make your own version of something you might otherwise drop cash on.

6. Use coupons

Coupons may seem like a lot of work, but the savings can be so worth it. Extreme couponers combine deals to save insane amounts of money — or sometimes even score products for free.

7. Go contract-free

Shopping for a new phone (and plan) used to be an overwhelming and expensive process. But luckily, now it’s more affordable thanks to carriers that offer simple wireless service with no annual contract. Take Cricket Wireless for example — they offer a simple, smarter wireless experience and transparent monthly plans with no annual contracts, and they run on a reliable nationwide 4G LTE network. I mean, what else could you want in a wireless provider?

More: 10 Money-Saving Shopping Tricks That Don't Require Coupon Clipping

This post was sponsored by Cricket Wireless.

Have any of your own shopping tips that help you save money? Drop them in the comments below so others can save too.