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13 Gorgeous Small Spaces to Inspire You to Design Your Own

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Normally when you have a small space — whether it's a patio, bedroom or kitchen — your goal is probably just to make it functional and not-too-cramped-looking rather than, say, aiming to make it beautiful or even magical.

While designing a small space is certainly a challenge, it presents a unique opportunity to bring a whole lot of personality and atmosphere into limited square footage. Tiny spaces can also be cozy and den-like in a way that cavernous rooms with towering ceilings can't.

Looking for ideas to maximize the potential of your own mini-space? Check out 13 gorgeous, inspiring ideas below.

Tiny outdoor garden

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: The Best Small Spaces: Tiny Outdoor Garden | Home Decor

Image: Domino

A lack of space actually makes this tiny outdoor garden even cozier. Whitney Leigh Morris, the blogger and designer of Tiny Canal Cottage and who created this little patio area opted for pieces that were easily collapsible in case she needed extra space in a pinch.

1,745-square-foot LA home

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: 1,745 Square Foot L.A. Home | Home Decor
Image: Domino

An open layout preserves the overall flow of a space and makes this 1,745-square-foot LA home seem bigger than it actually is. The big window and fun color palette keeps the home feeling fresh and playful.

More: The 13 Best Kitchens We’ve Seen In 2017

650-square-foot apartment

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: 650 Square Foot Apartment | Home Decor
Image: Domino

How to make the most of a small space 101: Take advantage of every possible nook and cranny. A small desk fits perfectly in the corner of this 650-square-foot apartment.

Minimalist dream bathroom

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Minimalist Dream Bathroom | Home Decor
Image: Domino

An awkward ceiling angle didn’t stop the designers of this minimalist dream bathroom. Strategically positioning your furniture to complement the angles of your small room, like placing the tub at the lowest point of the ceiling, is key when designing a tiny space.

Simple tiny bedroom

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Simple Tiny Bedroom | Home Decor
Image: Domino

This simple tiny bedroom is every bit as dreamy as its bigger counterparts. We love how the owner of the room repurposed the windowsill as extra storage space to display accent pieces.

Mounted shelves & a dining table

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Mounted Shelves And A Dining Table | Home Decor
Image: Domino

One of the most important things to keep in mind when decorating a small space is getting rid of clutter. Keeping everything tidy and out of sight provides the illusion of added space; something this room does perfectly through mounted shelves and a dining table that comes with drawers.

Transforming a wall

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Transforming A Wall | Home Decor
Image: Domino

Transforming a wall into a bulletin board or chalkboard is ideal when you lack space for a full home office — and instead have to rely on a corner. It designates the area as a work-specific environment without so much as one bulky room divider!

A daybed

Best Small Spaces of 2017: A Daybed | Home Decor
Image: Domino

A daybed is the ultimate multifunctional decor piece. It’ll take any space from living room to bedroom in an instant. This room makes even more efficient use of the lack of square footage by having the daybed built into the wall to minimize the space it takes up.

More: 12 Of The Best Bedroom Designs We’ve Seen This Year

Vertical bookshelves

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Vertical Bookshelves |Home Decor
Image: Domino

When space is an issue, think vertically. Taking full advantage of every available surface to add shelving or even a full library adds character and ensures you’re not wasting any precious space.

Open-shelving dining room

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Open Shelving Dining Room | Home Decor
Image: Domino

Open shelving takes the place of a china cabinet in this small dining room, providing both organized storage space and an opportunity to display your favorite books and decor pieces.

Minimalist kitchen

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Minimalist Kitchen | Home Decor
Image: Domino

Being more intentional about decorating helps you only keep what you truly use and love. This tiny kitchen is minimalist perfection, allowing the bold green cabinetry to really pop as the focal point.

Dining nook

The Best Small Spaces of 2017: Dining Nook| Home Decor
Image: Domino

A full dining room is nice, but as this room proves, a dining nook can be just as stylish. Banquette seating provides extra storage and doesn’t take up as much space as bulkier chairs.

More: Our Favorite Bathrooms Of The Year (So Far)

Room divider

Best Small Spaces of 2017: Room Divider | Home Decor
Image: Domino

How smart is this? A canopy bed frame doubles as a room divider in this studio. The versatile piece creates the illusion of two separate rooms without obstructing the natural light.

Originally posted on Domino.


Amanda Bynes Announces She's Ready to Act Again

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Amanda Bynes is back, and she is looking good, fam.

More: Sounds like getting out of the limelight is exactly what Amanda Bynes needed

The troubled actress gave her first interview in around four years, sitting down with Hollyscoop’s Diana Madison in a video previewed on Good Morning America. Fans of Bynes will be more than happy to hear that she's sober and healthy and looking forward to how she can get back to her career.

Amanda Bynes' health, first interview in 4 years on GMA

Amanda Bynes' health, first interview in 4 years on GMA

Bynes spoke candidly in her interview about her sobriety, revealing that she's been clean and sober now for three years, and that she's more focused than ever on her health.

"I hike, I go spinning — take spinning classes — and I feed the homeless," she said.

More: Amanda Bynes' fans are freaking out over her sexy return (PHOTO)

That's a pretty major departure from the Bynes who was making headlines three years ago — she had multiple run-ins with the law, including several DUIs. She's been staying out of the spotlight, but rumors have persisted, saying she's been held against her will by her parents, that she was secretly married — the girl has had a pretty crazy few years, to put it lightly.

Here's the really big news, though: Now that she's so much healthier, Bynes wants to return to acting!

"I do miss acting and I actually have something surprising to tell you," she said. "I’m going to start acting again."

She continued, "I want to do TV, maybe a few guest spots on some shows that I’m a fan of and maybe another TV show that I’m the star of it."

More: Please don't make a joke about Selma Blair's recent plane drama

Bynes hasn't acted since her 2010 movie Easy A. She's also famous for her roles in She's the Man and on Nickelodeon shows All That and The Amanda Show. As a diehard fan of Bynes' past work, I for one cannot wait to see her return to TV.

People Are Swearing Wasabi Can Give You Thicker, Fuller, Longer Hair

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If you’re anything like us, anytime you lose a strand of hair or notice an extra-large ball of it around the shower drain, you’ll be sent into a frantic spiral of my-hair-is-falling-out terror. (Don’t worry; it’s probably not.) Welp, clearly we’re not the only ones desperate to forego the hair-loss stage of growing older, because people are now using wasabi to get fuller, thicker hair, and we… have some questions.

More: The 13 Best Colored Mascaras That Literally Anyone Can Wear

Before you grip your tongue in panic, though, know that people aren’t downing spoonfuls of wasabi for hair growth — at least not yet. The wasabi-hair connection was first discovered by a leading wasabi manufacturer Kinin, whose researchers found that the chemical isosaponarin, which was taken from the leaves of the wasabi plant, could stimulate hair-formation cells in the scalp and was three times more effective at it than the leading hair-growth chemicals in, say, Rogaine.

Wasabi Hair Trement: Beachy Hair |SheKnows.com
Image: ImaxTree

“In theory, [wasabi] certainly could be of benefit [to hair growth], and let’s hope it is,” said David Salinger, the director the International Association of Trichologists, in an interview with Cosmopolitan Australia. “It would mainly benefit genetic hair loss in men and women,” he added, noting that other chemicals found in wasabi are also known to strengthen hair and reduce the inflammation around hair follicles.

Of course, we don’t recommend ordering extra sides of wasabi with your next sushi order, because not only is this research super-new and not totally proven, but the wasabi would need to be grated fresh from Japanese wasabi plants and applied directly to the scalp for totally unknown amounts of time. The good news, though, is that this discovery will almost definitely lead to better hair-growth formulas in the future, so not all hope is lost for your thinning, blah, hair — just give it a few more years, and you’ll have insanely thick, long hair, compliments of wasabi.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

Britney Spears Is Being Targeted by Russian Hackers

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Get ready for the news that's going to blow your mind today: Britney Spears' Instagram is being used as a tool by Russian hackers. Not even kidding. This is real life.

More: Literally Nothing Would Be Better Than a Britney Spears Musical Getting Made

Slovakian security firm ESET released a report on this Tuesday, outlining how hackers use photo comments on Spears' Instagram to communicate with each other in code. Basically, it's all really complicated, but here's the general gist of it.

A hacker leaves a comment that looks like nonsense, but, you know, pretty innocuous nonsense to the untrained eye. In ESET's report, they use this example, which has since been deleted; the comment reads, "#2hot make loved to her, uupss #Hot #X."

More: Everyone Basically Hates Lifetime's Britney Spears Biopic

Doesn't look like anything, right? Wrong. It's apparently a secret code that tells a hacker how to get to a new server after security officials shut down an old one. I don't know a thing about technology so this is all confusing as heck, but Vox has a pretty good rundown of how it all works. The important thing is this: Russian hackers use Britney Spears' Instagram to do their Russian hacker things and nothing is safe or sacred in this world.

Why Spears' Instagram? Since she has millions of followers and her photos get thousands of comments each, it allows the hackers to hide their instructions in plain sight. It's kind of genius, in a totally evil way.

More: Jamie Lynn Spears Turned Into Her Sister's Twin at the Radio Disney Music Awards

Also, the hacking group that does this has a long history of attacking governments, including embassies in Ukraine, China, Germany and several other countries, a state electrical authority in the Middle East, and a medical organization in the U.S. Nothing terrifying about this at all.

Why Going Bare-Faced Improved My Sex Life

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There’s an exorbitant amount of space on the internet dedicated to improving our sex lives. It has different names: “make sex sexier,” “how to have the best sex of your life,” “enjoy more fulfilling sex with these tips,” “the key to more orgasms” and myriad others.

I’ve read my fair share of sex articles — and hey, I’ve penned quite a few too — but the tips are always the same. Do you find they fall short? I do. We know: try new things. Experiment. Introduce lube and buy some toys. Blindfold each other, etc. Eat oysters! Binge-eat chocolate by the masses! Talk. Get loud. You know what the kinkiest thing I ever tried was? Taking all my makeup off.

More: More women than you think struggle with low libido

Going bare-faced on a daily basis improved my sex life drastically. It boosted my confidence. It showed my partner who I truly was without the protective facade of concealer and lip liner, and it displayed to me in a very visceral way that I was worthy of love, not only in light of my vulnerability, but because of it.

Apart from vehemently reading and writing about sex, I’m also huge on learning as much as possible about vulnerability. I’m a passionate fan of Brené Brown, a shame researcher who has penned several books on the topic of vulnerability. As a woman, the most vulnerable you can get — in a society that puts so much unnecessary emphasis on physical appearance and presentation — is sans makeup.

I spent years hiding behind foundation and the inexplicable wonders of contouring. Acne-induced embarrassment only accounted for a sliver of my motivation; deeper down, I hid from worse demons. I didn’t want to be seen. I could handle being the girl who was “always on,” who always appeared presentable, even on mornings when call-times were unbelievably early, pre-sun. I’d be there, liquid liner winged to perfection and at least four different shades of the original Naked palette slathered on my lids. Handling the actual me: the stripped-down, naked version of myself, the woman who was secretly content with living a small life, spending time with anxiety coloring books and destroying her family members in Scrabble matches, was too risky. It felt too much like exposure.

More: 8 Facts about your libido that will help you improve your sex life

That woman felt satisfied with something as simple as a morning bike ride or falling asleep while reading a book, but to admit that to someone, especially someone who liked me enough to do the deed with me, was terrifying.

Then something unexpected happened when I became intentional about leaving my makeup bag out of the bedroom — I started to feel more in touch with who I actually was, and for the first time in any relationship I’d ever experienced, I not only felt seen, but I felt comfortable being seen. I spent years painting my face just to have it rubbed and sweated off by a faux version of intimacy. The most intimate I’ve ever gotten came after I showed up at his house in my most broken-in pair of leggings, a Real Tree sweatshirt, a ponytail and my naturally sun-tanned face without product.

More: Depression doesn't play fair, especially when it comes to your sex drive

Forget the oysters, basil and cinnamon. A fresh face straight out the shower proved to be the most successful aphrodisiac I'd ever tried. When I was bare-faced, I wanted more sex — so did he. It was a symbol of ultimate vulnerability, and once I felt that untouchable rawness, I craved more of it. I couldn’t go back to disguising myself. He had seen the sharpest parts of me; I couldn’t pretend he hadn’t, and so I became addicted to the vulnerability, the peace (and orgasms!) it consequently brought me. Being me improved my sex life better than any toy, any lube ever could.

By Stephanie Osmanski

Originally published on HelloFlo.

If You're in the Market for a Swimming Partner, These Water Dogs Are Perfect

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In the world of the canine kingdom, some breeds sink and some breeds swim. And this isn't some strange metaphor, here — breeds like pugs and bulldogs have those tiny little legs and smashed-in faces that are adorable, but if you throw them in a pool, they're going to sink faster than a rock. On the other hand, there are some dogs that are just born to be in the water.

If you're looking to adopt a dog that is athletic and loves to jump right into any body of water available, we found 15 breeds that are right up your alley. Just remember: Even dogs that are proficient swimmers sometimes get in over their heads. Always keep a close watch on your dog around water.

1. Newfoundland

Newfoundland
Image: Elenhil/Getty Images

It may come as a surprise, but this big working dog is a strong swimmer with a sweet nature according to Vet Street.

More: Why Does My Dog Act So Crazy After a Bath?

2. Standard poodle

Poodle

Poodle

The history of standard poodles reveals that they were retrievers and water dogs, says Paw Culture.

3. Chesapeake Bay retriever

dog in water
Image: mburleson/Pixabay

This breed with a wavy coat was developed along the Chesapeake Bay and originally hunted waterfowl in rough conditions.

4. Irish setter

Irish Setter

Irish Setter

Another hunting dog, Irish setters love the water.. They were bred from a mix of other dogs, including the Irish water spaniel.

5. English setter

English Setter

English Setter

A dog that loves to be active (and that need plenty of exercise), English setters also love the water, says The Dog Guide.

6. Golden retriever

Golden Retriever
Image: 1789268/Pixabay

When you think of dogs and water, the golden retriever almost always comes to mind. Their coats are even water-repellent, says Totally Goldens.

7. Irish water spaniel

Irish Water Spaniel

Irish Water Spaniel

This dog is known to be intelligent and strong, and they need to have access to water to be happy, according to The Dog Guide. It’s also the tallest spaniel breed.

8. Portuguese water dog

Portuguese Water Dog
Image: janeb13/Pixabay

Portuguese water dogs are able to swim all day if you'd let them. President Obama and his family are fans of this breed.

Up next: More dog breeds that are great swimmers

Originally published January 2014. Updated June 2017.

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9. Labrador retriever

Lab
Image: LabbiLove/Pixabay

A great hunting dog and family-friendly pet, these dogs were bred for hunting waterfowl and have a water-resistant coat.

10. Spanish water dog

Spanish Water Dog

Spanish Water Dog

A loyal, affectionate and intelligent pup, the Spanish water dog is hardworking and known to be an ancient breed.

11. Schipperke

Schipperke

Schipperke

The enthusiastic schipperke, with origins in Belgium, has a nickname: little captain. These small-sized dogs are known for black, coarse coats, and were watchdogs and ratters on river barges, according to The Dog Guide. The name schipperke is the Flemish word for boat.

12. Nova Scotia duck-tolling retriever

Duck Tolling Retriever

Duck Tolling Retriever

These dogs with the long name are more agile than other retrievers. They're powerful pups and were bred to work in icy waters, according to the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club.

13. Cocker spaniel

Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniel

Cockers spaniels are hunting dogs, and the smallest of the spaniels. They’re very popular pets and are cheerful and active — and they especially love splashing around in the water..

14. Vizsla

Vizsla
Image: Mr_niceshoot/Pixabay

Originating in Hungary, vizslas are medium-sized sporting dogs with short coats who love swimming, according to Euro Puppy. They're high-energy, loyal and affectionate.

15. Weimaraners

Weimaraners
Image: tpsdave/Pixabay

Weimaraners are sometimes called the "gray ghost" because of their pretty gray color. They were bred to hunt, and are excellently water retrievers.

17 Things Only Yorkshire Terrier Owners Understand

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There's a reason #YorkieLife has a nearly 300,000 posts on Instagram right now — it's because the Yorkshire terrier is the craziest, funniest, smartest and cutest little dog to ever grace the planet.

Look, we know that Yorkies aren't perfect. They can yap, they sometimes have an attitude, and they totally think they are smarter than we are (and they might be). But we wouldn't trade our #YorkieProblems (which has 21,485 posts on Insta, BTW) for anything in the world.

A Yorkie isn't just a breed, it's a way of life. And if you're Yorkie proud, you'll totally understand the following.

1. The accessorizing

#yorkielife 2

#yorkielife 2

Blame it on small dog lovers like Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton, but everyone knows that Yorkies belong in a matching purse — at least some of the time. How else are you going to carry your pup around and show it off to all your friends?

More: 11 Things Only Border Collie Owners Understand

2. The attitude

#yorkielife 3

#yorkielife 3

Small dogs must have decided this in their secret small-dog society, but your Yorkie is going to expect to be carried. Everywhere. Especially up the stairs in your house.

3. The bows

#yorkielife 3

#yorkielife 3

What is it about adorably silky puppy hair that makes you want to brush it and put a bow in it? Yorkie mamas know that the only way to keep hair out of a pup's eyes is with a stylish clip.

4. The catlike reflexes

#yorkielife 7

#yorkielife 7

Sweet little Yorkies are lighter on their feet than you've been led to believe. BoConcept employee Iris Tok, owner of the New York furniture store's unofficial mascot Max, says that Yorkies often act like cats. "Max loves to walk in slow motion, hunter-cat style," Tok explains.

5. The doggie smiles

#yorkielife 4

#yorkielife 4

If you don't think a dog can smile, then you haven't met a happy little Yorkie yet. Tok adds, "Max can smile! He greets customers with a unique smile."

6. The fashion

#yorkielife 8

#yorkielife 8

Don't pretend you haven't been shopping for tiny dog clothes online at 2 in the morning like every other Yorkie owner out there. Yorkies are the best kind of small dog to have because they love to dress up, and they look good doing it.

7. The fear

#yorkielife 6

#yorkielife 6

Think about living with someone a hundred times your size who could accidentally crush you at any moment, and then that shivering small-dog stereotype suddenly makes sense.

8. The hanging tongue

#yorkielife 5

#yorkielife 5

Look a little closer at that lovable Yorkie smile, and you may see something hanging out of its mouth. Nyong Atkins says most people don't realize that Yorkies are known for having bad teeth. That grinning pup sticking its tongue out at you probably just forgot to put in its dentures.

More: Why Does My Dog Act So Crazy After a Bath?

9. The hiding

#yorkielife 8

#yorkielife 8

Teeny, tiny dogs will always beat you at a game of hide-and-seek, so don't even try to win. A dog small enough to fit in a teacup can disappear and may not come out for hours.

10. The jokes

#yorkielife 9

#yorkielife 9

Is that a Yorkie or an Ewok? Easy, killer! You couldn't find a smaller dog? Prepare to hear at least one million cliché Yorkie jokes during your first year of ownership, and don't forget to practice your fake laugh.

11. The lapping

#yorkielife

#yorkielife

If there's one thing small dogs are good for, besides living a life of cuteness, it's curling up like a hot little circle in your lap. Cherish these snuggles or use your pup for warmth on a cold day — it's all the same to your pooch.

12. The outbursts

#yorkielife 7

#yorkielife 7

Sleep like a baby for 22 hours a day and get carried everywhere you go, and you're bound to work up some energy. Don't be surprised when your Yorkie tears through the house and runs in circles, only to head back to bed.

13. The popularity

donkey and yorkie

donkey and yorkie

Just try to take one of the cutest dogs ever bred out on the street without someone stopping to pet it — I dare you. If you're running errands with your Yorkie in tow, allow at least 20 extra minutes for the paparazzi.

14. The sleeping

Sleeping Yorkie

Sleeping Yorkie

If you've never felt your heart burst while watching a real-life stuffed animal sleep, then you haven't owned a Yorkie.

15. The toy obsession

Yorkie toy

Yorkie toy

Here's the first thing to remember when you take a Yorkie pup home for the first time: These innocent-looking pooches are quite territorial and will never let their favorite toys out of their sight.

16. The wet dog surprise

Wet Yorkie

Wet Yorkie

The first time you see your dog in the bath without that fluff around it, you're going to wonder if you accidentally bought a sewer rat instead.

17. The yapping

yapping yorkie

yapping yorkie

Yorkies are called "yappy, lappy" dogs for a reason. Good thing they're bred so small because even their shrill barks sound cute to the untrained ear.

Originally published August 2015. Updated June 2017.

8 Things No One Tells You About Sex After Childbirth

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Childbirth can really throw a wrench into your sex life. The changes your body goes through during and after pregnancy can be painful and just plain weird. The Journal of Prenatal Medicine reports that many women (understandably) fear that pregnancy-induced changes in their bodies will affect their sexual function.

To help women understand what they can expect, we chatted with OB-GYNs and a few new moms to find out more about these sex-related changes. Whether it's dryness down there or leaking breast milk, we promise you're not the first to experience these unsexy post-baby symptoms. But hey, if things are gonna get awkward, it's better to at least know about it in advance. These tips will help you prepare (at least mentally) for the changes your sex life will go through after having a kid.

Sex can be painful or bloody

Obviously, there are a lot of vaginal changes that occur during and after pregnancy: Tissue becomes more sensitive and woman can have swollen blood vessels. “Light spotting or bleeding can be common after sex, and there can be increased secretions, which are typically normal," says Jennifer M. Browning, OB-GYN and medical director at Kingwood Skin Essentials. "Changes can persist for months after delivery. However, if you have painful intercourse or abnormal discharge, you should see your obstetrician to check whether there might be an infection, which can usually be treated with a short course of antibiotics.” 

You might become horny as hell

“The most surprising aspect of my sex life after having my son is that I crave sex more," says Bailey, 29, a new mom from Ojai, California. "The limited time and privacy my husband and I have has added a fresh allure to our intimacy — we actually can’t get enough of it, because we rarely get a chance to have any of it!” Well, that might actually be a pretty welcome change! Who's going to say no to sex becoming even more appealing? (Just make sure you've got a babysitter on speed-dial.)

More: My Marriage Is Sex-Free and There's Nothing Wrong With It

Expect interruptions and awkward moments

Sex isn't always going to be smooth sailing like it was before you had a kid. Even if your infant isn't wailing at the absolute worst moment — like when you're about to come — your body could do something random that could take you both aback, so learn to roll with whatever goes down. “I remember my husband and I were getting hot and heavy on the couch," says Melissa, 42, of Westchester, New York. "We had just put our then-2-month-old to bed. My husband went to squeeze my breast and got his hand covered in breast milk. Leaking at unexpected times was just something we had to get used to. It feels weird at first, but you learn to just laugh at it.”

You might prefer different positions

Certain sexual positions could feel more comfortable after delivery than prior to pregnancy. “Hormonal changes during pregnancy can sometimes alter your pelvic bone structure, making certain positions much more appealing," says Dr. Gil Weiss, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and partner at The Association For Women's Health Care. "Plus, delivery itself can shift internal structures around, making new positions much more stimulating and satisfactory than before.” Think of it as a whole new adventure, learning to discover what gets you off now that didn't before, and this can actually be a fun one!

You're gonna need that lube more than ever

"Before I gave birth, it was a lot easier for me to get wet," says Robin, 36, a mom of twins located in Lowell, Massachusetts. "Since giving birth to my twin sons, it’s like I have a shortage of vaginal lubrication. Being too dry made sex after birth painful at times, but there's an easy solution. I keep a few bottles of external and internal lubricants around and it helps so much."

Your nipples may stop being erotic (for a while, at least)

"I was ready for all the things that would change about my genital area, but not when it came to my breasts!" says new mom Dr. Tanya Kormeili, 40, of Los Angeles, California. "The combination of lactation and the breast pump made my nipples feel like they went through the paper shredder and were then sprinkled with acid. Even the slightest touch felt painful. They were numb, dead to the world, and no longer a place of erotic pleasure. As a dermatologist, I even had plenty of creams to heal the wounds, but the numbness and change in sensation, appearance and self-perception was rather shocking. If you feel this way, you are not alone!"

More: What 11 Happily Married Women Wish They'd Known as Newlyweds

Your vagina might actually get tighter

This one is crazy counterintuitive, but true for some women! “After giving birth vaginally to my first child, I thought everything would stretch out, making sex less pleasurable," says Jade, 38, of Portland, Oregon. "What I got was the opposite. It felt like my vagina had actually tightened! At times, my boyfriend would just give up trying to enter me because it was like trying to open a tightly closed clam! I found that taking a muscle relaxant and using extra lube helped."

Orgasms can become easier, longer & stronger!

Ah, we saved the best for last. “When I think back to sex before I had my first child, [sex] was a combination of lust, desire and maintenance," says mom of two Brenda, 33, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Once I felt comfortable with intercourse again, sex started to feel more loving — maybe because we were now parents together. I don’t know if it was the emotions or the physical changes, but something made it easier for me to have bigger and longer orgasms. I used to be able to orgasm, but not all the time, and it took some work. Now, I feel like I barely have to do anything! The hard part is actually keeping quiet while the kids are sleeping.” Now that's a good problem to have!


Stephen Avery Prepares for Court Again After Legal Team Reveals the 'Real' Murderer

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It's been more than a year since Netflix's Making A Murderer sparked interest and new investigations into the case of Stephen Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, yet both men remain behind bars.

More: MaM Investigator Tried to Defend Himself on Dateline, but Fans Aren't Buying It

Still, legal teams are working to have their convictions overturned — Dassey's has already been vacated, in fact, but he's still in prison following the prosecution's appeal. Avery's lawyer just submitted a 1,000-page motion calling for a new trial for Avery, and claiming she knows the identity of Teresa Halbach's "real" killer. It sounds like prime material for Making A Murderer's second season, if you ask us.

It was actually Halbach's ex-boyfriend, Ryan Hillegas, who killed Halbach, Kathleen Zellner, Avery's new lawyer, claims in her motion. Zellner alleges that Hillegas wanted to reconcile with Halbach, but "she was no longer romantically interested in him," and was seeing other men. She points to his jealousy as motive for the murder.

More: The war over Making a Murderer's Brendan Dassey's innocence continues

Zellner also outlines evidence that she says points to Hillegas. His relationship with Halbach was "verbally and physically abusive," she says, and she also points out that he doesn't have an alibi for October 31, 2005, the day Halbach was murdered. In fact, Zellner claims, there's a 17-hour gap in Hillegas' phone records during the time Halbach was likely murdered and her body was burned. Zellner thinks that's enough evidence to warrant a new trial, pointing to Hillegas as a more likely murderer than Avery.

Zellner also claims that Avery's conviction should be vacated because of mounting evidence that local authorities mishandled the case. The Netflix documentary that sparked public outcry at Avery's imprisonment hinted that police planted evidence in Avery's home, helping to secure their case against him.

More: All the Netflix original series available to stream and coming in 2017

Do you think Stephen Avery is innocent? Let us know down in the comments.

Meryl Streep Is Being Forced to Work with Donald Trump

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So, uh, Donald Trump and Meryl Streep are not fans of each other.

More: 7 Women Donald Trump Has Tried (& Failed) to Silence Since Becoming President

So, surprise! In a move that no one saw coming, they're totally working on a project together for HBO. The Words That Built America is an Independence Day special that will features politicians and celebs reading aloud from The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights. It's directed by Alexandra Pelosi, the filmmaker daughter of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

The list of participants is honestly pretty impressive. Aside from Trump and Streep, the project will include politicians Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie. Also involved are media personalities Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity and Anderson Cooper. There's also a huge roster of A-list stars like Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Bryan Cranston, Caitlyn Jenner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Bacon, Kerry Washington, Vince Vaughn, America Ferrera, Neil Patrick Harris, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Samuel L. Jackson. It's basically like a who's who for Hollywood and the rest of the world in a documentary form. We dig it.

More: Meryl Streep's Donald Trump impersonation is better than any we've seen on SNL

While it's honestly a little surprising that Streep and Trump would do anything that even remotely involves one another, at least they probably don't need to be in each other's presence for this project. Likely, they recorded their segments separately and far away from each other, which is a huge plus, because their feud is real.

More: An analysis of Meryl Streep & Donald Trump's lives so far – who's the overrated one?

And there's an unexpected upside to this project: Since it requires reading out loud from all those political documents, it might help us finally lock down an answer to the question of whether Trump knows how to read. Win-win!

Guessing Who Katy Perry's Singing About on Every Single One of Her New Songs

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The day has finally arrived. Witness is here and demanding our attention. I must admit, from the first moment I listened, I quickly realized Katy Perry is dropping a lot of shady shade on us listeners with the lyrics she's singing. This means that million-dollar question is, "Who is she actually singing about on Witness?" Sure, there are lots of receipts, lots of sub-tweeting and lots of mystery about who the "you" in any particular song might be, but who are these people exactly?

More: Petty Genius Taylor Swift Rereleased All Her Music on Katy Perry's Big Day

Perry has attracted a lot of attention for her comments about her ongoing feud with Taylor Swift, but make no mistake. She's taking aim at a fair number of people on Witness. Be they as specific as Swift or simply vague, shadowy figures, Perry's coming for ya via Witness; you'd better watch out.

Katy Perry Receipts GIF
Image: Giphy

"Witness"

Katy Perry Witness
Image: Giphy

This is not a shady dedication at all, but Perry appears to be singing to her fans or those who are close to her. The eponymous track on Witness is all about Perry asking someone to stick by her side, act as her witness through the good things and the bad; sounds like a big ask that only die-hard fans or family could follow through on.

"Hey Hey Hey"

Katy Perry Hey Hey Hey
Image: Giphy

This song is a huge kiss-off to someone that Perry clearly feels targeted by. She sings to a man who seems to discount her because she's ultra-feminine yet tough as fuck. Maybe she's singing to her ex-husband Russell Brand? It's a distinct possibility.

"Roulette"

Katy Perry Roulette
Image: Giphy

"Roulette" is all about taking a break, unwinding and practicing a bit of self-care while trying not to fall too hard for the fuckboy who's blowing up your phone on a Friday night. Perry is clearly throwing shade at those guys who are trying to waste your time, but acknowledges it is super-tempting to want to cozy up next to them.

"Swish Swish"

Perry Swift AMAS
Image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

I mean, Perry never outwardly said it was about Taylor Swift, but it's generally accepted that shade is being paid in full toward the singer.

"Déjà Vu"

Katy Perry Russell Brand Red Carpet
Image: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

This may be more blatantly about Brand, especially with the opening lyrics: "I still live off the echoes of your 'I love you's / But I still feel all the blows from your 'Don't want to's / When you're drunk, you say I'm the one / Then you wake up." This could be a reference to Brand's past substance abuse, but overall, these opening lines clearly hint at an ex who had a powerful hold on Perry's heart.

More: Katy Perry's Thoughts on Ending Her Feud With Taylor Swift Are Confusing

"Power"

Katy Perry Crown
Image: Giphy

There are no two ways about it. Perry is giving two big middle fingers to the misogynistic patriarchy in "Power," and the song is all the better for it.

"Mind Maze"

Katy Perry Mind Maze
Image: Giphy

While not exactly sung to a specific person, "Mind Maze" is a trippy song about finding your way in the world.

"Miss You More"

Katy Perry Russell Brand VMAs
Image: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

The Brand-related songs continue with "Miss You More." Definitely speaking about the idea of a relationship that could have been, about being filled with memories of an ex that are very overwhelming. If it isn't about Brand, there's a slim chance she could be pointing the finger at old flame John Mayer, although that's a bit of a reach too.

"Chained to the Rhythm"

Katy Perry Chained To The Rhythm Video

Katy Perry Chained To The Rhythm Video

Perry is absolutely shading our government and the authoritarian forces that be with "Chained to the Rhythm." These looming powers are trying to control us all, but she's not about to sit back and let it happen; she's going to sing about it.

"Tsunami"

Katy Perry Orlando Bloom The Look
Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Perry is singing to her boo, whomever that may be, and it sounds like she's ready get super-sexy with this new lover. If you consider this song was likely recorded while Perry was still dating actor Orlando Bloom, it might very well be about him.

"Bon Appétit"

Katy Perry Bon Appetit Video

Katy Perry Bon Appetit Video

High-key this one is all about Bloom, without a doubt.

"Bigger Than Me"

Katy Perry Rise
Image: Giphy

Perry is most likely singing about herself, to herself, as she contemplates her place in the world and how she's committed to making a real difference in the world.

"Save As Draft"

Katy Perry Orlando Bloom Apart
Image: Gisela Schober/Getty Images

This wistful breakup song is applicable to any of Perry's exes, namely Brand and Bloom.

More: Katy Perry's Vanity Temporarily Blinds Her From Making Good Judgment Calls

"Pendulum"

Katy Perry Fist Pump
Image: Giphy

Perry is most likely singing to her fans as she tells them to live their truths and not let life knock them down. Hell, yes.

"Into Me You See"

Katy Perry Brother Grammys
Image: Jason Merrit/Getty Images

Singing to those people who have come into her life who changed her for the better, like her brother David (pictured), Perry closes her epic album with this tender thank you ballad.

If Your Dog's Bark Suddenly Changes, It Could Be the Sign of a Health Problem

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Hear something different in your dog’s bark? Don’t ignore it or brush it off as your imagination. You know your dog, and you know when something is different. There are some very serious diseases that start innocently enough, as just a change in the tone and/or quality of your dog’s bark. Get it checked out! Here are a few of the reasons your dog's bark may have changed

Laryngeal paralysis

Laryngeal paralysis, or “lar par” as many veterinarians refer to it (mainly because we’ll take any opportunity to save time by shortening long and difficult-to-pronounce terms), tends to occur in older large-breed dogs. For reasons we don’t completely understand, the muscles that open and close the cartilage that covers the ingress to the trachea don’t fully retract. The disease usually affects only one of the paired cartilage structures at first, but can ultimately affect both sides.

A couple of things happen when a dog gets lar par. In the beginning, the only change may be that the bark becomes harsh and a whistling sound can be noticed, especially during periods of exertion and heavy panting, because the sluggish movement of the cartilage structures makes it difficult for air to move past them and into the lungs. Dogs that are affected to the point of severe breathing difficulty may need surgery to “tie back” one of the cartilage structures, in order to ensure that the airway stays open.

“Something” in back of the mouth or throat

Obstructive airway disease is a broad term that is often applied to situations when we believe that “something” is obstructing the back of the throat, the opening to the trachea or the trachea itself. As you might imagine, anything that obstructs the flow of air across and through this area has the potential to change the sounds associated with it, whether it be barking or panting.

When we identify the potential for obstruction, the $64,000 question becomes, OK, exactly what is obstructing? One possibility is a foreign object that your dog swallowed in a moment of poor judgment, such as a piece of a toy or rawhide treat, that ultimately got stuck on the way out of the oral cavity.

A growth that invades this area can also change the noise that air makes when it passes through. Any growth has the potential to be either benign or malignant, and anything that is growing rapidly here can have serious consequences. For this reason, you should always be motivated to investigate sudden changes in the sounds that your dog makes, as time is of the essence in dealing with either of these problems.

Myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is a relatively rare disease that can occur in dogs (and cats) and is either inherited or develops later in life. Dogs that have the inherited form of the disease have a deficiency in the amount of receptors that allow sodium into muscle cells, and their muscles don’t contract properly. This causes generalized weakness that often results in collapse after exercise. Dogs that acquire the disease later in life (as adults) seem to have developed antibodies to these receptors, resulting destruction of the receptors by the body for reasons we don’t understand.

For purposes of this discussion, it’s likely that acquired myasthenia gravis is more pertinent, since we’re talking about sudden changes in the voice (or bark) of your dog. Myasthenia gravis can result in a number of complications, including head and neck weakness, aspiration pneumonia, megaesophagus (the inability to move food down the esophagus and into the stomach), weakness and overall fatigue. Treatment can help substantially, so be tuned in to changes in your dog’s bark and get him checked out if you notice anything.

Tracheal collapse

Tracheal collapse is really another form of airway obstruction, but we’ll cover it separately because it’s such a different problem. One of my dogs has this problem, although it’s very mild in her case, and her bark isn’t affected.

Let’s talk for a minute about the anatomy of the trachea, the hollow tube that carries air from the nose and mouth and into the lungs, which is kind of a big deal. It’s a flimsy tube that has interspersed rings of cartilage that give it structure and allow it to stay open, a quality that’s important in something designed to bring air into your lungs.

Dogs with tracheal collapse seem to have drawn the short straw when it came to tracheal construction. Those rings of cartilage are weak and don’t do a great job of always holding the trachea completely open. The result in some dogs is a change to the character of the bark — again, due to that obstructive factor and the change in the way air flows into the trachea. Because tracheal collapse can be severe enough to significantly compromise breathing, it’s important to get your veterinarian’s help in characterizing your dog’s specific degree of it, but many dogs live with this problem without much difficulty.

Acute polyradiculoneuritis

Let’s all be really glad that this one is rare, as it’s the most poorly understood and most untreatable of all of the reasons your dog’s bark might be different. Sometimes called “coonhound paralysis,” acute polyradiculoneuritis has been documented to occur after exposure to raccoon saliva and after combination vaccinations were given, but most of the time no association with anything can be pinpointed. In general, it’s weird, and it’s been compared to Guillain-Barré syndrome in people (aka chronic fatigue syndrome) because of suspicion that it’s an immune-mediated disorder when it comes down to it.

This disease can progress to complete paralysis that lasts for months, and patients may need ventilation to assist with breathing. Nursing care is often intense, as these dogs may need to have their bladders manually emptied and also need feeding and drinking assistance as well as turning frequently to prevent the formation of ulcers. Although there are no miracles, most affected dogs will begin to improve on their own within a month, and completely recover in three to four months.

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People Assume I Have STIs Because I’m Polyamorous

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“You better not share a drink with her,” he said, predictably misgendering me. “You’ll catch AIDS.”

To be honest, I was way more upset about his harmful misunderstanding of how to contract HIV (not immediately AIDS) than anything else.

I was in group therapy at the outpatient clinic I’ll soon be graduating from when the topic turned to sexuality and relationships. It was the beginning of our semester and the group was sharing with our counselor the things we’d like to hear discussed in the coming months. Folks brought up subjects such as bisexuality, communication in sexual relationships and learning more terminology surrounding the queer community. With all these great topics floating around, there wasn’t much that was left unsaid by the time it was my time to contribute ideas… except polyamory.

More: "We became a polyamorous couple and it saved our marriage"

The topic of polyamory is an important one to me, as I am a polyamorous person; so I suggested it in the hope of contributing to everyone’s desire to learn new things. When I said it, many people asked me what it meant, clamoring forward all at once.

I gave them a basic definition, telling them it looks different in every relationship, and explained how it looks in mine. My partner and I are each allowed to have lovers outside of the relationship (though limited time and emotional investment, especially since we plan to marry each other) and we also have group sex with other folks or couples. Everyone seemed jazzed up about it, with a few folks responding with something along the lines of, “Wow, that seems cool! I don’t think I could do that though. I’m too jealous.”

And then one person in particular, a person who is notorious at the clinic for being conservative, decided to contribute to the conversation as well.

“That’s disgusting,” he sneered. “It’s dangerous.”

I rolled my eyes and replied, “Why do you think it’s dangerous? It’s perfectly safe.”

He nodded at me knowingly, “Ya know, diseases.” I raised my eyebrows, saying, “There are many forms of protection which combat that, and regular STI testing helps too. It’s the same risk as catching a cold, you just have to be careful!”

More: Why Coming Out of the Closet Is a Privilege Some People Still Can't Afford

The man curled his lip in disgust at my comparison of STIs to the common cold. “Nope, that’s disgusting. And women should not be sleeping around on their man anyway.” I gave a huge sigh and said, “I’m polyamorous and you’re offending me.” Everyone looked surprised, like I had just become infinitely cooler by being polyam. But the man only raised his eyebrows high in shock and said, “You’re gonna give us all AIDS! Don’t you share a cup with her, she’s foul.” My jaw hung open, unable to form any more words.

I’m very out about being polyamorous with my fiancé, but this was the first time I had ever been public about it IRL and in front of strangers. It was hard to tell a whole room of people, who all happen to not be too liberal, that I’m polyamorous, but what shocked me more was how offensive and misinformed this patient was.

At the time, I thought this absurd reaction would be an isolated incident, a situation that would be put to rest shortly after I schooled the guy on how STIs and HIV actually work. But unfortunately, the more I told certain people in my life about the nature of my relationship, the more others concern-trolled me about my sexual health.

The bigger problem with hearing criticism from folks about polyamorous lifestyles is the issue of cloaking STIs in so much negativity and stigma and using my relationship to justify it. This horrible dialogue undoes all of the work others do to create a more welcoming society for those who live with STIs or who are HIV-positive. In this day and age, with condoms, PrEP and STI tests, it is very easy to practice safe sex no matter how many partners you may have. And, of course, it’s very easy to have safe sex if you have herpes or HIV.

The slut-shaming that comes with condemning polyamorous relationships impacts more than just polyam people and STI-positive folks; it also impacts single women who may have multiple sex partners. Those who view the body as a cesspool of disease based on number of partners spread an antiquated idea that, especially if you’re a woman, you’re inherently unclean or a carrier for disease. Logically, you’re just as likely to carry and transmit diseases with just one partner as you are with two. Having additional partners doesn’t change the nature of your sex life and health much except for maybe a couple of extra STI tests here and there.

More: Yes, you can still get an STD while in a monogamous relationship

The fact that people think I have multiple STIs because I’m polyamorous doesn’t bother me much. Though I currently have no STIs myself, I wouldn’t be ashamed if I did, nor do I shy away from or condemn folks who do carry certain infections. But the way folks are so quick to pair polyamory with spreading disease perfectly exemplifies the ways in which society still internalizes a lot of stereotypes about sex.

Policing people, especially women, about their sexual health just because they have more than one sexual partner is wrong. And if the general public were better educated about sex and STIs, they would know something as private as my sexual health is not something they need to concern themselves with unless they’re planning to sleep with me.

By Sebastian Zulch

Originally published on HelloFlo.

Jason Aldean Threw Shade at Kanye, Kim and North West

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Jason Aldean says what we're all thinking about those Kimye baby names... they're flippin' weird.

I mean, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West did name their daughter North West.

More: Jason Aldean Gets Engaged to Former Mistress

Aldean, who is expecting his first child with wife, Brittany Kerr, told Entertainment Tonight he wants a unique name for his kid. But he does have his limits.

"It will be something unique and different. Nothing crazy like a direction — East, West, North, South — none of that stuff," Aldean explained, clearly referring to the Kardashian/West decision to name their daughter North West. "It will be something really cool. Both of us have names that are pretty common, Jason and Brittany, so, something that's kind of unique is kind of our main goal."

I mean, I'm not really sure why it's shocking that Aldean referred to the name North West as "crazy." It is a pretty crazy name. Is anyone trying to say the name North West is mainstream?

More: Jason Aldean Says People Need to Get Over Cheating Scandal

Still, that didn't stop some commenters from calling Aldean and his wife "hillbillies."

I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the name Saint isn't on Aldean and Kerr's shortlist either.

Aldean already has two daughters from his previous marriage Keeley, 14, and Kendyl, 9. His baby with Kerr will be his first son, the couple confirmed.

More: Jason Aldean's Kids Want Nothing to Do With Brittany Kerr

"Both sides of our families are full of girls," Aldean said. "I have two, my sister's got three, [Brittany's] sister has got two, and so there are no boys at all. So, for this to be the first boy in the family on both sides is kind of a special thing for everybody."

Do you think Aldean was in the wrong for calling out North West's name?

Bobbi Kristina Brown's Ex Nick Gordon Arrested for Beating Up Girlfriend

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I bet Bobbi Kristina Brown's family is feeling pretty darn vindicated right now.

Unfortunately, it wasn't worth another woman's well-being to get there.

More: Bobbi Kristina Brown's Last Night Alive Was, Sadly, Lived in Despair

When I heard the news that Brown's ex Nick Gordon had been arrested for charges of domestic violence and kidnapping an adult, I was speechless. Which isn't good for a writer who is supposed to sit down and write about three hundred words to tell y'all what went down. But just when you thought the situation with Gordon couldn't get any stranger...

Basically, the charges assert Gordon beat up his girlfriend on Friday night, landing her in the hospital. When filing the police report, she told authorities Brown wouldn't allow her to leave the house when she tried. She was only able to get out of the house when she woke up Gordon's mother, who also lives at the residence.

In case you forgot, this is the same guy who was ordered last November to pay more than $36 million in damages to the Brown family, after he was found to be responsible for her death.

More: Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Deaths are Darker Than We Thought

According to E! News, the Brown family lawsuit alleged Brown "died due to a violent altercation" with Gordon, "after which he placed her in a bathtub, unconscious, after he injected her with a toxic mixture."

The family won the lawsuit and Gordon is still under criminal investigation in the case.

Gordon, for his part, denies any wrongdoing. He's also apparently going for the same strategy in the case with his new girlfriend, too. TMZ reports Gordon is claiming he didn't hit his girlfriend. In fact, he claims that she attacked him and that he wants to press charges against her.

I'm sorry... what?!

More: Bobby Brown is Blaming More Than Just Nick Gordon in Bobbi Kristina's Death

I feel like this is the part where we should repeat the fact that her injuries were so substantial that she went to the hospital. TMZ even has pictures.

There's sure to be more updates in the coming days. Hopefully, justice will finally be served for both of these women.


Can a Vegan Diet Really Alleviate Endometriosis Symptoms?

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Actor and model Tia Mowry thanks clean eating for reducing her painful endometriosis symptoms. She talks about how radical dietary changes alleviated her severe symptoms of endometriosis in her new health book, Whole New You, reports Essence. Highlighting her work from her Cooking Channel television show, Tia Mowry at Home, the upcoming title discusses clean eating, meal planning, whole-body healing techniques like acupuncture, specific recipes and more.

More: What OB-GYNs want women to know about endometriosis

In an editorial for Momtastic, Mowry makes the case for a vegan plant-based diet. Most of all, she wanted to be a mother and birth her own children, but couldn’t if she didn’t improve her health. Now, along with her vegan husband, she can help her growing family adopt healthy habits, especially since she’s genetically prone to cancer.

While a nutritional journey can make a huge difference for one woman, can dietary changes help everyone with endometriosis? To investigate the issue further, I talked to expert Dr. Sallie Sarrel. She’s a licensed physical therapist who specializes in treating pelvic floor dysfunction, endometriosis, incontinence, interstitial cystitis, pudendal neuralgia and other types of pelvic pain.

“All the diets in the world are not going to modulate the disease that’s inside of you,” she explains. “They may modulate the inflammation leftover afterward, but [diet] isn’t going to cure the disease.”

As a lifelong endometriosis patient herself, she combines her lived experiences with medical research and many proven techniques, including pelvic mobilization, myofascial release, cranial sacral and visceral manipulation. Likewise, she and her patients have tried many diets over the years to alleviate the disease’s related pains and other symptoms. In fact, prior to her diagnosis, many (especially male) doctors suggested that her diet should change before doing anything else.

More: 10 things too many people get wrong about endometriosis

“Had I not spent so much time dwelling on it’s ‘what I’m eating,’ I might’ve been diagnosed earlier on,” she adds.

However, there are trigger foods that can definitely increase pelvic inflammation. For instance, Sarrel suggests those with endometriosis avoid gluten, dairy and soy products. Patients should also consider switching to organic meats if eating any at all.

In the past, some of her patients haven’t been able to tolerate eggs, beans, kale, corn and even peanut butter. She encourages patients to follow a low-glycemic diet because sugar (especially refined) can be extremely inflammatory on its own. Of course, this method only helps treat the symptoms, not the disease itself.

“The only way you’re able to manage endometriosis is with excision surgery,” explains Sarrel. Excision surgery is a procedure to remove the lesions of endometriosis, which are implants of cells from uterine lining on the outside of the uterus. Other options include removing the ovaries and/or uterus.

More: Endometriosis sucks, and Tia Mowry-Hardrict knows it

A vegan diet can be a great starting point for endometriosis patients. However, patients should also consider how gluten, soy, sugar and other types of plant-based foods can exacerbate symptoms as trigger foods. Diet is an important way to care for yourself, but in no way will it cure the disease on its own.

By Danielle Corcione

Originally published on HelloFlo.

How to Be a Feminist Father

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The first time you look into the eyes of that tiny human being — your child — your life changes forever. You are a parent. You are responsible for more than yourself. And you welcome and embrace the changes. (Some of them, anyway.)

More: Twitter is bawling over dad's lunchbox gesture to his college-bound daughter

Your experience varies depending on whether your child is a girl or a boy. Our first was a boy, so we heard the typical “lady killer" comments. Our second was a girl; cue the "heart breaker" and "get your shotgun ready" jokes. Gender bias and sexism from day dot.

Being a feminist father might come naturally to you, but for many men it is a learned experience. It's learned because men don’t experience what women experience. Judgment is placed on a child the moment it's announced, "it’s a girl!" (and in different ways, "it’s a boy!") If those "jokes" feel a bit icky to you, you might just be a feminist father.

If you want your daughters to be able to pursue whatever their hearts desire, if you want your sons to treat women as equal human beings, deserving of the same opportunities that they have, you don’t have to walk down the street waving a banner and flashing your man nipples to prove yourself as a feminist.

More: Dad writes blog post about leashing his "wild child" — & comments blow up

So how do you know you are a feminist father? And how can you become a better one?

You listen to the experiences of women

This is a biggie. A person's experience is often invalidated by those who haven’t had the same experience. "Men and women are already treated equally" is a common argument. As a feminist father, you listen to someone else's story. You accept that it is their truth. And you consider your everyday actions and choices to help break down the barriers others are up against.

You teach & accept that a woman's choices are her own

You likely won’t ever be blamed for being sexually assaulted because of the clothing that you wore. You probably weren’t ever a grade-school girl being sent home because your spaghetti-strap tank top was "too distracting" for the boys in class. When you talk to your daughter, you teach her about consent, that no one has a right to her body regardless of any external factors. Even if she is laying naked in her front yard, it is her body. And you tell her that again and again.

You raise your daughter to know her power

She is not a damsel in distress. She is given the space to learn and grow to be a confident, independent, empowered person. You pull your daughter in when there is an opportunity to learn a handy skill. You never tell her something is a woman's or a man's job. And you encourage her to speak up in an assertive way when she sees someone else being treated unfairly.

You don't make jokes that perpetuate patriarchy

A feminist knows that his daughter is not his property. You don’t get to "give her away" at a wedding. You don’t get to lock her in her room once she hits puberty. You also don't force or "allow" the women in your life do things because you know people aren't property.

You teach your sons about toxic masculinity

Being a father to girls is not a prerequisite for being a feminist dad. Teach your sons about consent (and know that girls aren’t the only victims of sexual abuse). Show them that men can be fully in control of their own actions and words. Teach your boys that tears and healthy displays of emotion are welcome and a sign of intelligence. Let them grow their hair long and wear skirts and nail polish if they want to.

More: How I'm raising a feminist son

As Barack Obama so poignantly wrote in his Glamour essay, "We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear. We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for theirs.:

The most transformative trait of a feminist dad is the work that he is willing to do toward unpacking his own bias and challenging his own perceptions. He isn’t afraid to feel uncomfortable. Confronting our prejudices, insecurities, privilege and flaws can get messy. But that is the only way growth happens. Forget about whether you like the word "feminism" or not. Be a feminist dad and watch your children blossom into thoughtful, socially conscious adults that never settle for less than they deserve.

BIP Filming Postponed Indefinitely Following Mysterious 'Misconduct' on Set

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A concerning start to the week this Sunday as Bachelor in Paradise — spinoff of the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises, where the “losers” from previous season hook up and cause drama on an island somewhere — has halted shooting of Season 4 due to “allegations of misconduct on the set,” according to a statement issued by Warner Bros. The show has a release date of Aug. 8, but all dates are subject to change with this stoppage.

More: Bachelor in Paradise Releases Full Cast List & Guys, DeMario Is Going

“We have suspended production,” the Warner Bros. statement continued. “We are conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations. Once the investigation is complete, we will take appropriate responsive action.”

The cast members of this season were released just last week, and shooting had started after that at a resort in Sayulita, Mexico. So what could have happened? Rumors have started that the incident was between Corinne Olympios, the infamous villain from Nick Viall’s season, and DeMario Jackson, the infamous idiot who joined the cast of this season of the Bachelorette while he had a girlfriend.

More: The Bachelor's Amanda Stanton Is Officially Ditching Josh & Heading to Paradise

This detective work as to who was involved comes from Reality Steve, aka Steve Carbone, who regularly spoils reality shows on his blog. He tweeted a photo that was sent to him by a fan, who snapped the picture at the airport after meeting the whole cast.

BIP Cast

BIP Cast

The whole cast — except Olympios and Jackson.

More: Ben Higgins Basically Tells Haters to Back Off in the Most Polite Way Possible

It’s unlikely that anything but a proper, legal statement will be released by BIP, ABC, and/or Warner Bros., but it is concerning that two notorious cast members and villains would be involved so early into shooting. Here’s to hoping something is smoothed over for a fun season of nonstop sexual energy on a beach.

Ice Cube Gives 'Teachable Moment' After Bill Maher's Distasteful, Racist Joke

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A week after Bill Maher’s horrifyingly candid use of the n-word on his HBO show, Real Time, his guests got even more candid in explaining his wrongdoings on live television this Saturday. Most prominently, rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube really gave Maher the business, not intentionally throwing him under the bus but creating a conversation based on Maher’s actions.

More: Barack Obama & Justin Trudeau Had Dinner, So the Internet Can Die Happy Now

In an interview last Friday with Senator Ben Sasse, a white male Republican from Nebraska, Maher made a joke that instead of working in the fields of Nebraska, he’s a “house n*****.” HBO has responded by saying the comment was “completely inexcusable and tasteless.”

More: Meryl Streep Is Being Forced to Work With Donald Trump

“What made you think that it was cool to say that?” Ice Cube starts. Maher responds with an uncomfortable shuffle in his chair and another apology. “I accept your apology, but I still think we need to get to the root of the psyche," Ice Cube continued.

“It’s a word that has been used against us — it’s like a knife, man. And you can use it as a weapon or you can use it as a tool. It’s been used as a weapon against [the black community]. By white people. And we’re not gonna let that happen again. That's our word now. That’s our word now. And you can’t have it back.

“I like your show. I like you. But I think this is a teachable moment, not just to you but to the people that are watching right now.”

Ice Cube on Bill Maher

Ice Cube on Bill Maher

Ice Cube closed out his extremely thoughtful and clear message to uproarious applause from the audience, while Maher simply nodded his head and looked down at his desk. They continued to discuss Ice Cube's new record, where he says all that's changed in terms of police brutality since his first album with N.W.A. almost 25 years ago is "the calendar."

You can watch the full interview and discussion in the video above.

Jennifer Lawrence Was On Board When Both of Her Private Plane's Engines Failed

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In an incredible report from E! News, Jennifer Lawrence’s private plane had to make an emergency landing today after a double engine failure. Everyone on board, including the Oscar-winning actress, is OK.

According to a source for E!, the flight was coming from Louisville, Kentucky, where JLaw grew up and was visiting family. During the flight, while at 31,000 feet in the air, the first engine failed and the pilots were forced to make the emergency landing. And if that wasn’t scary enough, during the landing, the other engine unexpectedly failed. Luckily, the pilots were able to make the smoothest possible emergency landing in Buffalo, New York, without any more failing parts or any harm to passengers.

More: Powerful Quotes From Jennifer Lawrence's Essay on Hollywood Sexism

The plane was swarmed by emergency crew upon landing, but everyone exited the plane unharmed, just shaken. Lawrence has yet to make any comment about the experience, which is expected. I wouldn’t even talk about planes, let alone get on one again, if this happened to me. However, a representative for the actress confirmed with E! that she’s fine.

More: So What If Jennifer Lawrence's New Beau Is Way Older Than Her?

There has also been no report yet as to what exactly happened to the plane, but recent news reports have given insight into why disturbingly bad turbulence and possible aircraft failures are more and more likely every day: climate change. Could this be an instance of a jet stream-affected emergency because of global warming?

More: Ice Cube Gives 'Teachable Moment' After Bill Maher's Distasteful, Racist Joke

The Huffington Post spoke with an atmospheric scientist who says that climate change might not actually be the problem. Instead, the issue could be social media — not in a Y2K technology-failure sense, but because the influx in posting videos about turbulence has increased. Lawrence’s flight emergency is a part of that. Would we even know a private plane had to make an emergency landing if it didn't belong to famous actress Jennifer Lawrence?

Both are important hypotheses to pay attention to. Regardless of the engine failure's cause, we’re definitely glad Lawrence and everyone else on board is completely safe.

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