Today is a very sad day for those who live to pounce on others' parenting mistakes. Chrissy Teigen took no chances before tweeting a super-cute photo of 15-month-old daughter Luna in her car seat — she double and triple and quadruple checked that Luna was buckled in perfectly so there would be nothing for the Judgy McJudgersons to criticize.
Luna Legend
Luna Legend
The photo is so stinking sweet, you might get a cavity. In it, Luna is beaming at her mom with a megawatt grin. Teigen captioned the pic, "Welcome to NYC, baby!"
Teigen has been on the frequent receiving end of mommy-shamers' vitriol, starting when Luna was only 2 weeks old and Teigen and husband John Legend went out — without the baby — for a dinner date. Some of the internet acted as if Teigen and Legend had left their newborn alone in a den of rabid wolves.
Teigen tweet 2
Teigen tweet 2
“I knew mommy-shaming was a thing, but I didn’t think it would come from going to dinner,” Teigen said on Good Morning America.
But as we all now know, mommy-shamers can find fault with pretty much anything. Teigen was also raked over the coals for the (completely harmless, completely A-OK) way she was photographed holding Luna when Luna was 6 months old.
Teigen replied to that brouhaha with a tweet, "Let me know how you hold your baby when she’s about to go in a stroller and there are 20 camera flashes at night.”
One of our fave Teigen tweets? "I am a proud shamer of mommy shamers."
Updated July 25, 8:35 a.m. PT: I don't think it's that crazy to walk into a fast-food place with the expectation that there won't be literal poop in my food, but apparently that's too much to ask for these days.
On the heels of a BBC One investigation that found that the ice at Starbucks, Caffè Nero and Costa Coffee in the U.K. contain bacteria from fecal matter (also known as poop, y'all), they dug a little deeper and found that the ice at several McDonald's, KFC and Burger King locations contained the nasty substance too.
BBC One's Watchdog group took samples of drinks from all three chains, with three McDonald's, six Burger Kings and seven KFCs testing positive — including four samples at Burger King and five at KFC that contained significant amounts of fecal bacteria.
Though all the locations have high hygiene ratings from the Environmental Health Office, they're now being forced to look at how they can make their ice production more hygienic and safe. McDonald's said in a statement, "As the investigation highlights, there are no specific ice production standards in place, only those relating to unfrozen drinking water. We would therefore welcome the introduction of an agreed standard and would be happy to work with relevant industry bodies."
It's kind of shocking that there isn't already a standard in place for ensuring that ice machines remain clean and sanitary. But hopefully this investigation has proven that there's widespread need for better hygiene practices and accountability when it comes to the ice in our drinks and will get the ball rolling on some new standards that will make dining out a safer, cleaner affair. Because honestly, if going out means getting a hefty dose of poo in our diet soda, I think we're all better off just staying at home.
Original story:
People flock to major chains like Starbucks because of one big factor: consistency. We come to rely on the fact that everything will be done the same way every time and count on corporate red tape and health code regulations to ensure that food safety is a priority.
And yet often we're totally betrayed by these big companies (here's looking at you, Chipotle). The latest culprits: Starbucks, Caffè Nero and Costa Coffee in the U.K., which were found to have fecal matter in their iced beverages. Of all things — fecal matter, really?!
The BBC tested 10 ice samples from each of the three coffee chains, which are the most popular ones in the U.K. Costa Coffee was the worst offender, with seven of the 10 samples containing the bacteria, while Starbucks and Caffè Nero both has three of 10 ice samples test positive.
Listen. I get that this was in a different country, but shouldn't a company like Starbucks have international health standards? How did this happen? And honestly, if it could happen in the U.K., it's probably happening somewhere in the U.S. too.
The strange thing is that all three chains and the locations where the samples were taken have high ratings by the local health inspectors. There's a chance that the contamination was the result of improper employee handling, and all three chains have responded by retraining their staff on proper ice handling procedures.
So the next time I head to my local coffee shop, I think I'll be opting for a hot beverage. It might seem a little alarmist to carry around a Thermos full of ice from home so I can chill my own drinks, but when it's between that or drinking literal shit, the choice seems obvious.
A paparazzi video from 2008 has been unearthed showing the embattled Bachelor franchise star desperately trying to get Britney Spears to take his number "for TV." In the video, he calls himself "an up-and-coming actor," who would go on to star in exactly two episodes of The Bachelorette nine years later, so good for him for hanging onto his dreams, I guess.
DeMario Jackson ruthlessly hitting on Britney Spears
DeMario Jackson ruthlessly hitting on Britney Spears
"You need a black dude! Hey, real talk. Take down my number. Take down my number," Jackson yells at Spears as she loads groceries into her car amid a sea of paparazzi.
"I want to be like you. I want everybody to see me on TV," he adds. "You're fucking dope. My mom loves you."
When Spears replies that she's never on TV, Jackson isn't discouraged. He fights his way through the paparazzi to get a hug from Spears, saying, "Can I just have a hug for TV?" All the while, even as he's saying he literally only wants the hug to get some screen-time, he's still telling Spears that she "needs a black dude," she "should take down [his] number" and "look [him] up on Myspace." It's so cringey, fam.
And it looks like Spears felt that way in the video too. After rejecting him for, like, the fourth time, she turns away with an odd look on her face, gets in her car and drives off. Can you blame her for trying to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible? Someone tell Jackson that telling a woman you want to be around her so you can be on TV is the exact opposite of charming.
We totally cry at weddings. So we understand 4-year-old Gage Newville's wave of emotion. The little guy broke down (in a happy way, we think) when his new stepmom read some vows she wrote just for him at her wedding to his dad.
Senior Airman Emily Leehan married U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Joshua Newville on Saturday, and she took a moment during the ceremony to address her new stepson directly.
“I want you to be safe and to try your hardest and to be a good person,” Leehan told Gage during the ceremony, held at Quincy Cellars in Ripley, New York. The wedding — and Gage's reaction — was captured on film by Jessica Husted Photography.
She continued, “You have helped make me into the woman that I am today, and I may not have given you the gift of life, but life surely gave me the gift of you." Gahh, give us all the tissues please.
Gage wept as he hugged her around her legs, which made it pretty adorably hard for Leehan to continue.
No honeymoon or family-moon just yet for this very sweet new family, as the couple is still on active military duty and must remain at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey for now. But we're kind of thinking this is about the time Ellen DeGeneres swoops in, has them all on her show and then sends them to Disney World. (Come on, Ellen!)
There are few things in life as disappointing as taking the effort to separate all your clothes and stuff them in the machine, only to have them come out smelling all stale and mildewy. It's just not right.
The truth of the matter is it's not your clothes that are extra-dirty, but likely your machine that needs the real cleaning. Often the funky smell you're picking up on your garments actually comes from a buildup of bacteria and mold in your washer and dryer. Yep — gross.
Luckily, all it takes are these 12 easy deodorizing tricks to get your laundry smelling super-fresh again.
Step 1: Don't delay drying
Don't leave clean laundry in the machine after the load has finished washing — especially not overnight. With a nice warm, dark environment like a closed washing machine, bacteria and mold both thrive.
Step 2: Avoid the damp
Never put damp laundry in the washing pile. If you can't wash wet or damp clothes and towels immediately, pre-treat as needed and then let them dry to avoid getting smelly.
Step 3: Dry well
Thicker towels and heavy clothing such as jeans take longer to dry, so be sure to dry them thoroughly each time.
Hang your laundry outside to dry. The sun can help keep mold at bay — just be sure to dry everything completely (even if it means some time in the dryer inside).
Step 5: Soften carefully
Avoid using liquid fabric softener in the washing machine, as some people have experienced a buildup of "gunk" from its use. (Vinegar is said to be a natural fabric softener.) If you do use store-bought fabric softener, dilute the mixture with water before adding it to the machine, and realize that the softener can make laundry harder to dry.
Step 6: Try different washing machine additives
There are many different laundry additives you can try — get some suggestions below. But be aware that these measures are guidelines only, and effectiveness will depend on many factors, including the size of the load, water temperature and the amount of water used, the origin of the bad smell, etc.
Originally published August 2009. Updated July 2017.
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Step 7: Nontoxic/natural solutions
Try allowing each load of smelly laundry to pre-soak for at least 15 minutes in hot water, using one of these additives per load to see what (and how much) works best for you: borax (about 1/2 cup), vinegar (3/4 cup), lemon juice (about 1/2 cup), baking soda (3/4 cup), hydrogen peroxide diluted to 3 percent (1/2 cup).
Step 8: Commercial cleaning products to try
Try running your stinky wash loads with the addition of one extra cleaning product at a time, such as Clean Control, Simple Green or Pine-Sol (1/4 cup — and only if you can handle the scent).
You can try using 1/4 cup of bleach (add it to the wash water and make sure it has been diluted significantly before adding smelly laundry, and never use bleach with any other additive besides regular detergent). Another option is to add 1/2 cup of ammonia to a load of laundry, but be sure not to use with bleach to avoid creating dangerous fumes.
Step 10: Detergent with a bonus ingredient
Try a commercial laundry detergent that has an odor-removing additive, such as Febreze or Renuzit.
Step 11: Go with hot water
Use hot water to wash loads that smell.
Step 12: Wash the washer
To help keep your smelly laundry problem from returning, you may need to give your clothes washer a deep clean of its own. Find out how to deodorize your smelly washing machine here.
Like haircuts, eyebrow shapes aren’t one-size-fits-all. Getting perfect brows really depends on the dimensions of your face — and knowing how to shape eyebrows based on your specific face shape can not only emphasize your eyes and make you look younger, but it can even let you get away with wearing less makeup.
“The right brow will help open up the entire eye area and work to improve the face’s overall symmetry,” says celebrity eyebrow stylist Joey Healy (Kyra Sedgwick is a client). “The perfect brow will make you look fresh, rested, young, healthy and overall more attractive.” Do we have your attention yet?
So how do you go about learning how to shape eyebrows? For starters, your face shape plays a role in determining which eyebrow shape works best for you. We asked Healy to break down the best brows for a range of different face shapes so you can find your own golden arches.
A square jaw accents the angularity of your face, so softly rounded brows are the way to go. “Make sure your brows are not too angular,” says Healy. “But beware of making brows appear too round; you don’t want to over pluck and create rainbow-shaped brows!”
Image: StyleCaster/Getty Image
Round
“If your face is round, you want to make sure your brows are very angular,” Healy advises. “Because there is a lack of definition in a rounder face, the perfect angled brow can bring out and define facial bone structure that is lacking or not present.” For round faces, a higher arch is flattering.
“A long face is characterized by features that are vertically stretched out,” Healy explains. “In this case, it is important to extend the tails of your brows east to west to really play up horizontal features.
“I always suggest that the tails of brows extend beyond the corner of the eye, but a long face should make it a point for tails to extend a bit longer. It is important to beware when sculpting the tail, however, as allowing it out too far will drag the eye down and make it appear droopy.”
Image: StyleCaster/Getty Images
Heart
Sorry, aspiring Cara Delevingnes. “Although bold brows are in this season, a heart-shaped face will definitely want to steer shy of this trend,” Healy says. “ Because of the petite jaw line and emphasis on the upper portion of the face, it is important to keep brows well-manicured and exceptionally groomed. That being said, a thin brow is never in! The idea here is to create a shape that is controlled and never bushy. This tight brow on the top hemisphere of the face will serve to balance the smaller chin and jawline of the bottom half.”
Image: StyleCaster/Getty Images
Oval
A classic, balanced brow is perfect for this well-proportioned face shape. Just make sure you follow Healy’s three rules for all face shapes (see below).
All face shapes
No matter what face shape you have, there are three golden rules to follow when it comes to your brows according to Healy.
The head of the brow should begin at the bridge of your nose. “This point can be easily found by vertically holding a pencil up to either side of your nose bone.”
The arch of your eyebrows should be about two-thirds of the way out, Healy says. “One of the biggest mistakes I see day-to-day is a centered arch. This gives the dreaded ‘rainbow’ shape!”
Don’t cut your brows short. “The tail should at the very least end on an imaginary line from the corner of the nose to the corner of the eye,” Healy says. “You can allow it to extend slightly further as long as that tail doesn’t end lower than where the head begins (this can make the eyes look droopy). Make sure your tails always taper to a crisp point to best lift the eye.”
Teigen is an outspoken critic of Trump, and she routinely takes to Twitter to bash him or to send trolling replies to his tweets. Today, she tweeted a screenshot of the president's account showing that she had been blocked, writing alongside it, "After 9 years of hating Donald J Trump, telling him 'lol no one likes you' was the straw."
Chrissy Teigen screen shot of Donald Trump block 1
Chrissy Teigen screen shot of Donald Trump block 1
Teigen's followers, including other celebs, none of whom are surprised, have been responding to tell Teigen how proud they are.
If there are two things everyone loves, they're pizza and Kristen Wiig. Well, at the very least, the chances are super-high that you like one or both, so imagine what could happen if the two were combined.
Imagine no more, because this totally happened. Pizza Hut has a new commercial starring Wiig, and it's the perfect crossover of our favorite food and our favorite ex-Saturday Night Live comedian.
Kristen Wiig plays the everyman in new ad for Pizza Hut
Kristen Wiig plays the everyman in new ad for Pizza Hut
In the ad, Wiig plays a wide array of characters — a gym rat, a middle school boy and a busy executive to name a few. The gist of the commercial is that she's the "everyman" (get it?) and the only thing her characters have in common is they want pizza and they want it ASAP.
Ever since her SNL days, we've known that Wiig is the bomb at impressions and original characters; this ad is no exception. She nails every one of her characters, and even better, she nails that desperate need people have when they want their pizza and they want it now. Considering it's a near-universal, relatable human emotion — the need for pizza immediately, that is — Wiig's Pizza Hut commercial feels like a total success.
Kristen Wig looks kind of good as a man in pizza hut ad
Kristen Wig looks kind of good as a man in pizza hut ad
The vocalization gap between cisgender men and women is huge — with men sometimes opting to be completely silent during intercourse.
I recently read a disheartening article in Cosmopolitan that gathered quotes from 13 cisgender men and their explanations of why or why not they make sounds during sex.
“I guess I just felt like it’d be weird for me to moan. Like, I’d sound like I was in distress,” says 25-year-old Matt. Thirty-year-old Chris told Cosmo, “I just feel stupid if a noise slips out. I don’t think any of the noises I have made/could make during sex are going to bring a woman any closer to orgasm.”
As you can imagine, I felt shocked by the responses. These individuals stay close-lipped, yet their partners with vaginas are expected to be verbal, audible, loud and roaring with pleasure. While I could carry on about why I am in distress over the obvious sexism within this double standard, I am similarly bummed that these dudes don’t realize the potential and sensuality of being a loud lover. Moreover, further research on noise versus silence during sex catapulted me into another Cosmo article where a writer deciphered the meaning of each noise, moan and grunt. If you could see me now — as I type this — you would find a visibly distraught sex journalist. Head in my hands, I decided to look into the science behind the link to orgasms and copulatory vocalization.
According to a recent study, 66 percent of cis women use noise to help their partner reach an orgasm and 87 percent do it to help their partner’s self-esteem. Many of the participants claimed that they made noise to relieve boredom — a clear sign of “faking it.”
Kristen Mark, a sexuality researcher at Indiana University told CNN, “There isn’t a lot of research in this area, but we’re bombarded with images through mainstream media that tell us moaning is associated with orgasm and sexual pleasure. So it would be a fairly wise faking strategy to moan since men already tend to associate moaning with orgasm.”
Patty Brisben advises individuals not to fake an orgasm. “If you’re faking an orgasm, you are signaling to your partner that he is doing everything right, when in fact he isn’t. Use moaning as a way of signaling that you are excited and things really are feeling good, not as a way to hide that they aren’t.”
During the research study, participants who identified as female admitted to using these noises as a way to relieve boredom, pain or tiredness during intercourse. If this is happening in your relationship, it would be advisable to be honest with your partner and discuss any issues.
As for finding evidence of how copulatory vocalizations contribute to an individual with a penis’s orgasm? Zilch. The research is severely lacking and my results turned up empty. What I did find, however, were personal quotes and opinions from individuals with vaginas who wished that the silence during intercourse would cease and that their partners would let go. According to Men's Health, a recent study found that 94 percent of cis women consider themselves louder than their cis male partner.
Kristen Mark says, “Arousal is about engaging different senses and auditory sensations — all things that may intensify the experience.” When your partner is vocal and you’re vocal, a climax is bound to be stronger and better. If you’re screaming together, you’re bonding together. Vulnerable noises and sounds can alleviate any former discomfort and bring you and your partner close together. If it’s a one-sided activity, the communication may be a little flawed. Moaning, grunting and sighing all signal to your partner that you’re having a fantastic time without saying, “I’m having a fantastic time!” mid-gyration.
Pornographic videos and media are flooded with fabricated and forced squeals meant to appear sexy and hot. In reality, sexual moans comes in all octaves. Embrace the strange noises that escape from your mouth, body and all orifices.
On a more spiritual level, sound is related to the throat chakra. In India chakras symbolize the seven wheels of energy throughout our body. According to tantra, expressing your feelings, needs and emotions can be carried through by making noise through the throat. Awakening your chakra can lead to full-body convulsions that last over an extended amount of time. Tantrikas claim that the kundalini awakening is something that occurs when you’re on your way to being fully evolved. The experience involves screaming, arching, loss of control and waves of energy with no intercourse or sexual interactions.
Barbara Carrellas, author of Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century explains, “In tantra, there are seven different energy centers (or chakras) in the body: perineum, lower belly, upper abdomen, heart, throat, forehead and top of the head. Making higher-pitched sounds brings your sexual energy up to these higher centers, while making lower sounds brings it down.”
I’ve personally found that partners who are vocal while I’m vocal increase our sexual experience and lead to intense orgasms. Sex educator Logan Levkoff says, “Sexual self-esteem is a two-way street, and for their part during sex, guys should aim for more than a single grunt at the end. It’s not about faking or doing something you don’t want to, but more about being sexually present and in sync with each other.”
While there isn’t any scientific proof that being more vocal leads to stronger orgasms for cisgender men, it does lead to a stronger connection. The language that you speak to one another in the bedroom and under the sheets is one that only you and your partner engage in. Greg Bryant agrees that sound creates a harmonious sex life. Orgasmic sounds “can take on a life of their own between two people. They create a feedback loop — the more expressive one partner is, the more turned on the other can become.” Losing control, being in the moment and engaging with the reverberations can lead to the ultimate climax and long-term connection.
Booze delivery on its own is a really great concept. Who hasn't been several drinks deep into a fun night, realized the supply is getting low and then wished there were a way to just order alcohol like you order a pizza? Technology should be able to do that, right?
Saucey is totally on top of that, allowing customers to order straight-to-their-front-door hooch service, but only in select cities because life is cruel and unfair. The upside is that ordering booze on Saucey could very well come with a huge perk: Channing Tatum doing delivery service.
The actor just launched his own line of vodka, and he coordinated its launch with Saucey by personally delivering bottles to customers in Los Angeles over the weekend. People who ordered his Born and Bred vodka, made at Grand Teton Distillery, got a big surprise when Tatum casually showed up to drop off the goods.
"Born and Bred started out as an experiment. We wanted to see if we could track down the best vodka in America and we're confident we found it at the Grand Teton Distillery. I love the stuff and this weekend I literally went door to door to get other people to try it too," Tatum told Refinery29.
He also posted a video of the hilarious publicity stunt on Facebook, writing, "I got to have a little fun freaking people out this weekend. With the help of SAUCEY we spent the day delivering Born and Bred Vodka to the good people of LA. Thanks to all who let us into your homes — a few of you owe money to the swear jar."
Channing Tatum delivering his new vodka
Channing Tatum delivering his new vodka
According to Tatum, he'll be doing more deliveries in one of the other cities Saucey serves sometime in the near future, which is a genius way to get people to order Born and Bred by the gallon.
As a mom, you may already feel like you fit into a specific category. Actually, maybe you fit into more than one. Let’s see... there are crunchy moms, sanctimommies, easygoing moms and uptight moms. I err on the side of uptight. In fact, I have no idea how go-with-the-flow-type moms do it. If I don’t have a schedule to keep my life in check, I might as well be floating in an ocean with no life jacket.
Astrology, the study of how planets’ movements influence a person’s character and life path, can be a valuable resource for understanding yourself and others. "Sure, your zodiac sign (the sign that the sun was in when you were born) helps shape your personality and how you might deal with particular roadblocks and goals along the course of your life," says Maressa Brown, astrologer and horoscope columnist. "Similarly, it can influence how you parent and interact with your little ones.”
We talked to her to learn more about what each zodiac sign says about your parenting style.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Ruled by Mars, the god of war, Aries moms are action-oriented, competitive, energetic and enjoy being physically active. You're the mom that not only cheers on your kids while they're out on the soccer field, but can also be found playing alongside them. You might spout off impulsively when the kids aggravate you, but you’ll cool down just as fast.
Ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty, Taurus mamas are all about that home life. You want to make your abode cozy and can be a bit of a homebody, especially with your loved ones. You're stubborn, and once you set the rules for your kids, you're not going to divert from them so easily. But, you also have a long fuse. It takes a lot to get you angry and totally losing your mind.
Celebrity Taurus moms: Megan Fox, Adele
Gemini (May 21 – June 21)
Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, you love word play, language and having really animated, lively conversations with everyone, especially your kids. You may enjoy reading to them, helping them write and finding other ways to incorporate language into playtime. You're also a bit picky, particular, finicky and can often switch moods on a dime, so your little ones best not get under your skin or else they may see the bad cop 'twin' pop up out of the blue!
Ruled by the moon, which in astrology is associated with our emotional personality and all things maternal, you are the natural-born mama of the whole zodiac. You're sentimental, supremely family-oriented and are just an innate caretaker. Well before you had a child, you were babysitting and caring for pets. Your kids may be super-attached to your hip, either because you practice attachment parenting or that's just the natural dynamic of the relationship. While you wouldn't have it any other way, when you’re cranky, that’s a different story. That's when you go into your shell. Even warm, fuzzy Cancers need their me-time.
Celebrity Cancer moms:Liv Tyler, Pamela Anderson
Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)
Ruled by the sun, which in astrology is associated with confidence, energy, charisma and theatrics, you love to entertain others, including your babies. You’re the kind of mom who will spend a rainy Sunday orchestrating and directing an entire play with your kids and their playdates. You know, from costumes and lighting to script and music. You probably also want to run the PTA or start a new mommy and me music group. You're very outspoken and ambitious and will want your little ones to be confident, stand up for themselves and own their unique personalities.
Celebrity Leo moms:Jennifer Lopez, Kate Beckinsale
Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)
Like Gemini, Virgo is ruled by Mercury (planet of communication), so you're very much a detail-oriented, researcher type who will stop at no lengths to find the perfect stroller, the best-reviewed sippy cup and the ideal preschool in the area for your kiddo. You are your own worst critic too, so you may tend to feel mom guilt more than other mamas, but try not to be so hard on yourself. You're just a perfectionist who wants to give her loved ones the best of everything, and that’s OK.
An air sign ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty, you're all about making things as harmonious as possible. This can translate into being very much a peacemaker between your kids and with your partner, but you might also struggle with confrontation when it's necessary and in turn get passive-aggressive. Thanks to that Venusian influence, you'll likely turn your little ones onto an appreciation for all things artistic, musical and creative.
Celebrity Libra moms: Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard
Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)
A water sign ruled by Mars, the planet associated with our actions, energy and desires, you tend to be rather private. This is especially true when it comes to your home life. You're super-protective of the intimate details of your family and your deepest emotions. Since family means so much to you, you might be the kind of mom to really dive right into attachment parenting, absorbing all the research, and want to do an extraordinary job at executing what it is you've learned. You have a quiet, magnetic way of commanding others' attention and getting them to do what you want. Pro tip: You might also use that when disciplining your kids. They will soon learn not to mess with mama, or they’ll have to deal with your scary silent treatment.
Celebrity Scorpio moms: Julia Roberts, Ciara
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
A fire sign ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck, abundance and the big picture, you're a fun-loving, free-spirited, adventurous mama who will encourage her little ones to learn a foreign language or go rock climbing. You might value travel a lot and prioritize family vacations over other expenses. You're a natural-born entertainer, making your little ones laugh so hard with your silly side. You also tell it like it is; there’s no beating around the bush for you. When you have something important to say to your kids or your partner, you often blurt out what you're thinking in a blunt way.
An earth sign ruled by Saturn, the taskmaster, nose-to-the-grindstone planet, you're hardworking and have your eye on the prize as far as long-term goals go. In other words, you've probably been saving for your kids’ college funds since before you were pregnant. You're a bit old-school in that you want your kids to learn valuable lessons and don’t want them to always get what they want. The word "no" is definitely in your vocabulary. You also kind of have Benjamin Button syndrome — you'll get more playful and youthful with age. The older your kids get, the more like a kid you might get yourself. You're steadfast, pragmatic and have a lot of respect for traditions, history and old-fashioned values, which you'll want to instill in your little ones.
Celebrity Capricorn moms: January Jones, Kate Middleton
Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
An air sign ruled by Uranus, the planet of revolution, you're known for being the individualistic, humanitarian mama of the zodiac. In your own way, you'll likely be a bit of a hippie and crunchy mama, if only because you abhor convention and want to do your own thing and be your own person at all times. You'll value the kids' most unique traits and want to teach them to care for others, the community and the planet. You're naturally tech-savvy and adventurous too, so you might be the first of your friends to try eating your placenta.
Celebrity Aquarius moms: Shakira, Alicia Keys
Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)
A water sign ruled by Neptune, the planet that clouds rational thought and is associated with spirituality, you may be the most empathic and sensitive mama on the block — to a fault. You tend to take on others' pain and dilemmas as your own, especially when it comes to your kids. This is also related to how intuitive and maybe even a little psychic you can be. You definitely need healthy self-care to protect yourself from burning out and getting blue when that #MomGuilt gets to you since you are particularly susceptible. You are naturally creative and artistic, so you'll likely pass your love of for poetry, theater and music onto your kids.
Celebrity Pisces moms: Chelsea Clinton, Jessica Biel
In literally all seriousness, you could get a job working for the royal family, based in Kensington Palace. No, this is not a drill.
Some eagle-eyed job seekers noticed the posting on LinkedIn, and of course it's gone viral, because who on the planet doesn't want to work alongside Kate, Harry, Will and Elizabeth?
The downside is that it sounds like a pretty tough role to land. The job would mean working primarily with Will, Kate and Harry as their Senior Communications Officer, a mid-senior role that has some pretty extensive requirements.
According to the job posting, whoever gets the job will be responsible for managing "the daily news flow to the media, ensuring items are accurately and positively reported and received by audiences via traditional, digital and social media."
It continues, "The successful candidate will play a key role in the development and implementation of the communications strategy for The Royal Foundation and producing and delivering creative communications campaigns. The Senior Communications Officer will also be required to conduct research for special projects and contribute to strategic discussions and will provide support to the overall Household communications team."
The Palace is looking for someone with "extensive experience" in marketing, media or public relations, and the royal family would prefer someone with charity experience, since this job will involve work with their royal Foundation.
And, of course, "The ability to make decisions, using integrity and judgment whilst exercising caution, is also an essential requisite for the job, as is the ability to handle sensitive information with tact and discretion at all times."
Well count me out. Tweeting surreptitious photos of Prince Harry probably isn't the Palace's idea of "discreet," and I would not be able to resist doing that.
The inimitable Helen Mirren turns 72 today, and the words "with age comes wisdom" is never more true than it is with her. The actor's candor, wit and fierce intelligence shine through each and every time she opens her mouth (the accent helps, of course).
Mirren, who was born in West London, has racked up some incredible experiences in her life so far: an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a few Emmy Awards, a love affair with a young Liam Neeson, a DBE from Queen Elizabeth, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a BAFTA Academy Fellowship, a nearly 20-year marriage to director Taylor Hackford, her own wax figure at Madame Tussauds London — and she is not even close to slowing down. With three films scheduled for release in 2018 alone, we'll be seeing Mirren for a long, long time. Here are 10 of our favorite Helen Mirren quotes.
1. "I think every woman in our culture is a feminist. They may refuse to articulate it, but if you were to take any woman back 40 years and say, ‘Is this a world you want to live in?' They would say, ‘No.'"
2. "I have come to understand that feminism is not an abstract idea but it's a necessity if we — and really by ‘we,' I mean you guys — are to move us forward and not backward into ignorance and fearful jealousy."
3. "Any woman now actually is a feminist. They don't realize it, because they're living in a world feminism has, to a certain extent, created for them. Which is very exciting, because it's entitled. That's what I love about them. They're entitled."
4. "Women were controlled by being shamed, so I love women who have claimed their own bodies: Madonna, Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, Bonnie Raitt. I love Pussy Riot more than anything in the world. They all raise their middle fingers to this epithet of 'slut.' They wear what they want to wear, behave as they want to behave."
5. "I love the fact that girls are so much more confident and outspoken than my generation were. We were sort of brought up to be polite, and sometimes politeness, in certain circumstances, is not what's required, you've got to have the courage to stand up for yourself occasionally when it's needed."
7. "The best thing about being over 70 is being over 70. Certainly when I was 45, the idea of being 70 was like 'Arghhh!' but you only have two options in life: Die young or get old. There is nothing else. The idea of dying young when you're 25 is kind of cool — a bit romantic, like James Dean. But then you realize that life is too much fun to do that."
8. "I've done everything but I haven't done too much of anything — I've never had a Coca-Cola, ever. Sometimes I use hotel body lotion as conditioner for my hair. I'm not particular. Life is too short and too precious."
9. "The hardest period in life is one's twenties. It's a shame because you're your most gorgeous and you're physically in peak condition. But it's actually when you're most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don't know what's going to happen, it's frightening."
10. "Connect with friends daily and I don't mean on Facebook. Better to have three great friends than 300 friends on social media. Friends you can really talk to."
All eyes were on former Young and the Restless star Victoria Rowell after she wrapped up her lawsuit with Sony Pictures Television, Bell Dramatic Serial Company, Bell-Phillip Television Production Inc. and CBS Corporation in February. She settled for undisclosed terms and did not make any further mention of the case on her social media accounts.
However, Rowell is making a big statement this week by coming back with a new series, one that is being touted as the “first black-run daytime drama in the soap opera industry.” The Rich and the Ruthless is a six-episode series premiering on the Urban Movie Channel on Friday, July 28.
Victoria Rowell's new show
Victoria Rowell's new show
The story is a soap-within-a-soap and it follows a fictional story of the first black-run daytime drama in the soap opera industry — it’s where fiction and reality meet. Rowell is proving that she was always serious about making more opportunities available for people of color in the entertainment industry and she's now able to do that post-lawsuit.
“The Rich and the Ruthless has been my passion project for some time,” said Rowell in a press release. “A daytime drama with primetime soul, passion, and humor, I and the entire Days Ferry Productions team are thrilled that Urban Movie Channel will be home to this original soap opera.”
“Here in Hollywood, I have long championed diversity, not only for African-Americans, but for all minorities, for gender bias, etc.,” Rowell said. “I want to see hiring practice changes. I want to see the inclusion of more stories that show full breadth and depth of our stories across the board.”
Rowell is clearly putting her money where her mouth is and silencing all of her critics who said her lawsuit was nothing but sour grapes after trying to make a comeback on Y&R. Her focus is clear and the work will speak for itself with the debut of her new show. She just wants her fellow black actors to have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Rowell wins with the clap back by creating her own opportunities.
If you can't imagine Modern Family without its young stars, the good news is you don't have to — Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Noland Gould and Rico Rodriguez have all signed contracts to stay on through Season 10. Even better news? The talented "kids" negotiated a deal for an impressive pay bump, according to Deadline.
Hyland, Winter, Gould and Rodriguez — who play the Dunphy kids, Haley, Luke and Alex, and Manny Delgado, respectively — have grown up before viewers' eyes as the lovable offspring on the award-winning ABC comedy.
The original "kids" on the hit series, the group reportedly endured lengthy on-and-off negotiations with the network to secure their new salaries and lock them in for two more seasons.
The negotiations came on the heels of re-ups for Modern Family's parents: Ed O'Neill, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Sofía Vergara and Eric Stonestreet. Prior to signing new contracts through Season 10, the main six earned around $350,000 an episode, per Deadline. With the new contracts, they will each earn about $500,000 per episode, marking an increase of more than 40 percent.
And if you're worried about the other "kid" cast members, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons and Jeremy Maguire (who play Lily Tucker-Pritchett and Joe Pritchett, respectively), don't. Although the pint-sized stars are "still under their original deals since they joined the show later," they will likely also receive raises in the future.
As for Hyland, Winter, Gould and Rodriguez — who are grown-ups in their own right after eight seasons in the spotlight — their sweet new deals would put them earning around $2.2 million each per season, if the seasons are the same length as Season 8.
If the cast shake-up rumors are right, we may soon see Anne Hathaway in a role that is plastic and fantastic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-winning actress could be replacing Amy Schumer as the lead in Sony's live-action film, Barbie, about the iconic Mattel doll.
Although Schumer was announced for the role in December, she released a statement in March announcing she would have to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. "The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen," Schumer said at the time.
The movie was initially slated to hit theaters in 2018 and, as of yet, there's no word whether the recent cast development will affect that timeline.
There's also no word yet as to whether or not the Schumer-version plot will hold steady.
According to THR, the movie intended to flip the script on traditional Barbie mythology by giving the eponymous character a focus on individuality and feminism.Long story short, a woman realizes she doesn't fit into the perfect, superficial world in which she lives. She ventures into the real world and has an epiphany — being unique is a good thing.
To be honest, we have high hopes for the film with Hathaway at the helm (try saying that five times fast, ha!). She reportedly helped handpick rising Australian director Althea Jones, suggesting she has a vested interest and likely strong opinions about the film.
Hathaway's career has included a mix of both critically-acclaimed work, like her Oscar-winning turn in Les Misérables, and romantic comedies or family-friendly fare, like Bride Wars and The Princess Diaries.
She certainly doesn't seem to be afraid of taking chances, and she doesn't shy away from identifying as a feminist.
Considering she has cited strong female figures like Meryl Streep, Patti Smith and Jane Austen as heroes, it seems like a safe assumption she's got bigger ambitions for Barbie than simply getting behind the wheel of that classic pink convertible — and we can't wait to see what's in store.
Fans of The CW's smash YA series Riverdale apparently don't have to 'ship co-stars Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart any longer — the co-stars are reportedly dating in real life, according to E! News. As fans of the show (*raises hand*) know, Sprouse and Reinhart play couple Jughead and Betty in the series.
Multiple eyewitnesses reportedly caught the actors engaging in a bit of PDA, saying the co-stars "could not keep their hands off of one another" during 2017 Comic-Con weekend. You guys, this development is just so extra in all the right ways.
While the stars themselves haven't actually confirmed the news, sources seem confident the two are officially an item. One source noted that "close friends did not seem surprised" by Sprouse and Reinhart's touchy-feely behavior.
At a party on Friday, Reinhart reportedly "was mostly hanging out with the other Riverdale girls" but she "always had her eye on where Cole was." They then began "briefly talking closely by the pool" before cozying up enough to make it clear "something was going on" between the adorable duo.
The rumor mill has linked the two since the spring, when Sprouse shared a pic on Instagram of Reinhart sitting in a field of flowers. And when the co-star's characters started dating on Riverdale, fans were quick to give them a 'ship name: "Bughead."
Only time will tell if these two turn into a true Hollywood love story, but one thing's for sure — they make a cute couple onscreen and off.
If you’re thinking about your pain-management options for labor, here’s a surprising (but not new) option — nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas. While folks in Finland, Canada, the UK and Australia have been using laughing gas to relieve labor pain since the mid-1800s, the U.S. has been late to the party. According to a 2014 piece in The Atlantic, the laughing gas option has only been offered to women in labor by 1 percent of U.S. hospitals. So what’s up with laughing gas? How is it different from an epidural? Why aren’t more doctors in the U.S. using it?
When you hear “laughing gas,” you probably think of what you get when you go to the dentist in order to relieve pain. What’s used in labor is a slightly different cocktail than what’s administered for a root canal. A combination of 50 percent nitrous oxide and 50 percent oxygen is used during labor applied via a mask (as opposed to an epidural, given by way of an injection into the back while you lay on your side or sit up). The laughing gas also offers the added benefit of ending whenever you no longer want it. This level of gas doesn’t knock you out, so when you feel a contraction, you take a deep breath in through the mask, inhaling the gas and processing the effects, but as soon as you take the mask off, you no longer experience what the gas can do.
While a traditional epidural blocks sensations in the lower part of the body until it wears off, laughing gas doesn’t eliminate pain or feeling, it just diminishes it. As Cynthia Voytas, a midwife and nurse in Rhode Island, told NPR in 2015, “It gives you this euphoria that helps you sort of forget about the pain for a little bit.”
Liza Maltz, founder of Birth Your Own Way doula services, advises those who are interested in a low-intervention vaginal birth to consider nitrous oxide. “It’s a little extra help coping with the pain and anxiety of labor,” she says. Since the administration of the gas is entirely up to the person in labor, it can especially help those who may want to maintain control and be mobile during labor. Nitrous oxide also doesn’t impact the newborn because it dissipates so quickly, and for the same reason, there’s also no effect on breastfeeding. Laughing gas is a good alternative for those who are advised to avoid epidurals because they’re on blood thinners.
According to Nick Angelis, a nurse anesthetist in Florida, the best reason to use nitrous oxide is to avoid the back pain that may come with an epidural. “Having taken a patient’s blood and injected it into their epidural space to cure an unbearable spinal headache from the epidural going too deep, if I were female and pregnant, I would want to try laughing gas instead of an epidural,” says Angelis, who also recommends laughing gas for folks who are already interested in trying for a natural birth.
You might experience nausea and vomiting from using laughing gas, but probably the worst news about it is that it only works up until a certain point, and after that, it might be too late to administer an epidural (if it’s not too far long in the labor process, you can get one — laughing gas in no way interferes with it).
Since laughing gas is safe and effective, why is it still such an anomaly in U.S. hospitals? The number of hospitals offering it has increased, but why is it taking so long to catch on? Epidurals are strong, for one, which is why you might opt for one, and they’re also the most common means of pain management, so it’s not really a surprise that people are going with what they know.
It seems unlikely that laughing gas would completely replace epidurals for pain management during labor because it’s not right for everyone, but the more options, the better.
With summer at the forefront, it’s perfectly natural you’d want to cleanse your mind of work and step away (as much as you can) from the computer screens. But given that we live in a culture that’s perpetually plugged in, attempting to detox from the digitalscape seems like a whole process in itself.
Luckily, there are ways you can still incorporate self-care into your life, even if it’s for one or two hours at a time. For tips on how to kick-start a better habit of treating ourselves, we turned to our own SheKnows editors for the thoughtful and easy ways they pamper after the workday — none of which involves checking a phone or laptop.
From a home-cooked recipe to the best bath soak, here are pointers from five staffers that will have you unwinding in no time.
"I like to spray my bedsheets with a lavender and oil mixture and relax with a homemade apple cider vinegar bentonite clay face mask!" — Yvonna Groom, social media manager
"On the rare days when I get to go home directly after work, I immediately change into my 'apartment clothes' — typically a cotton-patterned house dress or a pair of pants with an elastic waist and an old T-shirt. Then I treat myself to a nice cold glass of seltzer and watch Jeopardy." — Elizabeth Yuko, health editor
"I work from home so the last thing I want is to be cooped up inside when I finish up for the day. I try to go to the gym or at least go for a really long walk right when I log off. And I'm not in the habit of taking baths every night, but if I'm really feeling like pampering myself, I go big with a Lush bath bomb. They smell so good and I'm like a little kid watching all the colors swirl around in the water." — Sarah Lazzari, branded content editor
"Now that it’s warm out, my ideal weeknight is spent jogging over the Williamsburg Bridge at dusk with my S.O. and then cooking something summery, like this peach and prosciutto salad. That or meeting friends for dinner al fresco!" — Hannah Hickok, lifestyle editor
“As soon as I get home from work, I take my dog for a long walk. He’s always excited to see me — which is the best feeling after a long day — and it’s a nice way to unwind after leaving the office.” — Celia Shatzman, managing editor
