As far as best friends go, dogs are a pretty selfless bunch. They give us unconditional love and companionship, and all they really ask is that we keep the kibble coming and their water bowl clean. Well, that and a bit of snuggling and belly scratching, but who's counting, right?
Dogs don't complain when they feel like you aren't really listening to them, and they don't ever require a shoulder to cry on... although they happily (and often) offer up theirs.
But just because our pups aren't total divas when it comes to their mental health needs, it doesn't mean they don't have them. And chances are if you've noticed a change in your dog's disposition or behavior — let's say, for example, destroying your sofa cushions — your pup could use a mental pick-me-up.
Here are a few simple ways to boost your dog's mental health so your BFFF (best furry friend forever, natch) doesn't fall into a doggy funk.
1. Teach your dog a new trick
Contrary to that old idiom, you can teach an old dog new tricks. In fact, it's an activity that can benefit all dogs. According to canine trainer Andrea Arden, teaching a dog new tricks increases their confidence, strengthens the communicative bond the two of you have, improves concentration and boosts your pup's overall health.
2. Switch up your walks
While many humans prefer to pick a routine and stick with it, dogs — especially highly active and/or intelligent breeds — need a little variety in their lives to avoid boredom (and the destructive behavior that often comes with it). Bonus? A change of scenery will likely do you good too.
3. Get on their level
Certain occasions in life call for a buttoned-up approach, but QT with your dog shouldn't be one of them. In the words of renowned dog whisperer Cesar Millan, "play like a dog." Get on their level. Roll around on the floor. Play fetch. Dangle a toy in front of your pup's face and then make a mad dash for the door as if you have a case of dog zoomies. Don't worry — your dog won't tell anyone, and your secret's safe with us.
4. Take them to a dog park
Just as switching up your daily walks gives your dog something new and exciting to look forward to, a trip to the local dog park can prove a huge mood-booster for your pup. Because your dog is interacting with so many different dogs, their brain will be constantly stimulated during the outing. Plus, dogs are pack animals by nature. Getting to mingle with other canines will satisfy them on a primal level.
Again, anything new — sights, scents, smells, pets, people — provides a welcome rush of novelty and excitement for your dog. Just as cavorting with other pups at the dog park offers important socialization time, so does visiting human friends. It's interesting for your dog, thus beating boredom and anxiety, and it's guaranteed to lift the spirits of both the visitor and the visited.
6. Go hide-&-seek with treats
A great way to keep your dog's brain sharp and happy is to give it something to focus on. And what better way to do so than by engaging their most powerful sense? That's right — put your pup's nose to use! Hide treats and set your dog loose to track them down. Not only does this engage your dog in a meaningful way, but who doesn't love puzzles that result in a prize? Especially when the prize is tasty.
Research studies show that, yes, our dogs really do crave our companionship beyond having their basic needs of food and shelter met. In 2014, scientists at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, discovered that the part of the brain associated with positive emotions was similar in dogs and humans. So, not surprisingly, dogs do experience love and affection — like us, they enjoy friendships too.
Uterine fibroids — benign tumors that grow on the wall of the uterus — are one of the most common causes of infertility and pregnancy complications.
The standard treatment is to have the fibroids removed from the uterine wall through a surgery called a myomectomy, which involves cutting through the skin on the lower abdomen to get to the uterus. This invasive procedure isn’t always effective and can come with a series of complications, including excessive blood loss, buildup of scar tissue and in some cases, further complications to childbirth. Rarely, surgeons have to perform a hysterectomy, the removal of part or all of the uterus, because the bleeding is uncontrollable or other abnormalities are present.
But in a recent study conducted at the New University of Lisbon, research suggests that a minimally invasive procedure known as uterine fibroid embolization may allow for people with uterine fibroids to have a more normal pregnancy.
Uterine fibroid embolization involves destroying fibroids by blocking the arteries supplying them with blood. The procedure uses a form of real-time X-ray called fluoroscopy to guide the delivery of embolic agents to the uterus and fibroids.
“The doctor passes a catheter, or very small tube, through a small incision in your groin into the blood supply to the fibroid,” says Dr. Wulf H. Utian, an independent consultant in women’s health issues in a post on Healthy Women. “Then the doctor injects tiny plastic or gelatin sponge particles, about the size of a grain of sand, through the catheter into the artery. The particles stop blood flow to the fibroid and over time, the fibroid shrinks.”
But some doctors have avoided suggesting this option to women looking to conceive as the procedure might restrict blood flow to the lining of the uterus and ovaries.
“Uterine embolization procedure is a controversial matter because it is still seen as a risk to fertility,” said lead author of the study João Martins Pisco in an interview with Reuters. “With this study we were able to verify that women who could not conceive due to uterine fibroids, once subjected to embolization, could have a normal pregnancy with a live newborn.”
For nearly six years, researchers followed 359 women after they underwent a uterine fibroid embolization. Forty-two percent of the participants became pregnant at least once during those six years, and 131 women had a collective total of 150 live births. By the end of the study, 79 percent of women had experienced improvements to fibroid-related symptoms, including pelvic pain and pressure, abnormal menstrual bleeding and urinary problems. In 28 cases, participants needed further embolization procedures because the fibroids weren’t fully treated during the initial procedure.
Back-to-school season is here, which means it's time to get your shopping game on point. But don't stop with backpacks, folders and pencils — you need to get your kids ready for the cafeteria too. With these handy lunchbox items, you'll be ready to pack perfect lunches the whole school year. And while you're shopping, don't forget to pick up some packable snacks to get you through the first few weeks.
Here's what you need for your back-to-school kid-approved lunch:
Let's be real. Relationships are amazingly hard, no matter what — and life always throws in its little hiccups.
But Melissa (who found out she had ADHD when she was 11 years old by snooping through her mom's paperwork) always struggled with long-term relationships and began to wonder if she'd ever be lucky in love. When a new serious girlfriend arrived on the scene, they were quickly met with some challenges —and soon after found out that the challenges were mostly due to Melissa's depression that was from letting her ADHD go untreated. However, with a depression diagnosis and ADHD treatment, Melissa found success in her search for a happy long-term relationship.
Ultimately, getting that long-awaited treatment helped her live — and love — to her fullest potential.
This post was brought to you as part of a sponsored advertising collaboration.
Of all the original content that's coming to Netflix, the one that's got my attention right now is Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo. There's a lot to be intrigued about with the special, but perhaps the most intriguing is that Paisley's actually performing some comedy in the special. Before each stand-up comedian takes the stage and at the top of the show, Paisley delivers little comedy routines that are actually pretty funny. Believe you me, this guy's got the magic touch when it comes to stand-up comedy, and he knows what he's doing.
But I didn't start out so convinced. In fact, I had lots (and lots and lots) of mixed emotions about watching this special. It just seemed too cheesy and too good to be true. Would Paisley really be funny? Or would he just be a dud to watch? Would he outshine the other comedians? Or would he fade into the background? Sure, he's hosted events like the Country Music Awards before, but stand-up comedy is a very different ball game.
Watching this special sent me on a spiral of emotions. As such, let me tell you some of the thoughts I had while watching Paisley take a stab at stand-up. Trust me: you're going to want to read this.
1. "Why am I watching this?"
No, really. Why am I torturing myself right now by watching this silliness?
2. "Brad Paisley kinda looks good with that cowboy hat on."
4. "Alrighty, time for this introduction to the show. Let's do this. He better be funny or I want my money back."
As Paisley takes the stage to finally (finally!) build up the excitement for the stand-up comedians we're about to see, the excitement and curiosity begins. And yes, I didn't technically pay to see this show, but time is money, baby!
5. "These jokes about being a celebrity are actually funny."
6. "Oh man, these jokes about Beauty and the Beast are clever and good."
I'm not sure if Paisley wrote these jokes, but his whole bit about how Beauty and the Beast should be retitled to Beauty and the Bestiality is really funny.
7. "Paisley has great comedic timing. Why don't I have great comedic timing?"
Vintage baby names continue to be a red-hot trend for modern parents. In 2016, several old-timey baby names shot up in popularity on the Social Security Administration's list, and that upward movement doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The classic name Charlotte, for example, came in as the seventh most popular girl name in 2016, which is a huge change from its 2000 ranking of No. 289. Perhaps the U.K.'s Princess Charlotte has something to do with that?
There are even quite a few star-studded vintage baby names showing up on the birth certificates of celebrity babies. Look no further than George and Amal Clooney's twins as a recent example. Their daughter is named Ella and their son is named Alexander. Ellen Pompeo's youngest child also sports a vintage name: Eli Christopher.
Sweet vintage girl names
Here are some gorgeous vintage girl names. Some of these are trending upward and others remain undiscovered gems just waiting for your baby.
If you're expecting a little boy, these vintage names may do the trick. Again, some of these old-fashioned names have become quite popular in recent years, but others may sound pretty unique to modern ears.
Let's take a look through the pages of yesteryear to see what names parents were giving their kids in decades past. Here are the top five names for both boys and girls from past decades. You'll notice some repeats, especially among boy names (male names in general tend to be less affected by trends than female names).
While naming a baby is a huge decision, it's never a bad idea to take a look at older names and consider making them new again. If you're stumped, glance through your family tree, consult your favorite classic books or take in an old Hollywood flick. Inspiration comes in many forms, so take advantage of it when it strikes.
Meghan Markle is arguably one of the most fascinating celebrities right now and, as it happens, she's also one of the more private celebrities, too. Understandable, considering she is dating Prince Harry. But it's also deeply frustrating because we want to know more about her. Like, let us in on your life, Markle, because we want to know everything about you, the woman who could possibly be an official part of the British royal family soon.
Markle endeavored to show us a little bit of her personal side when she spoke to Glamour magazine about the 10 women who inspire her and have changed her life. Intriguingly, the list was not just a standard list of celebrities or go-to historical figures. Instead, Markle's list included one of the most famous women in American iconography, a powerful poet, an entrepreneur and of course, her mother.
On Rosie the Riveter: Growing up, I had a poster in my room of Rosie flexing her biceps. When I was in grade school, I saw this sexist commercial for dish soap. With Rosie’s “We can do it!” mantra in mind, I wrote a letter to Procter & Gamble, Hillary Clinton, and Nick News anchor Linda Ellerbee, who sent a camera crew to meet me. Guess what? They changed the commercial.
On Madeleine Albright: "I double majored with inter- national relations as one of my concentrations at Northwestern, so I’ve always been drawn to that world. Albright was the first female secretary of state for the U.S., the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., an author, and a mom—and she seemingly juggled it all with finesse."
On Bonnie Hammer: "My character on Suits wasn’t written as a biracial freckled girl, but Bonnie has always been committed to color-blind casting. It’s one thing to have respect for your boss, but it’s another to have the kind of respect that comes with feeling comfortable."
On her mother, Doria Ragland: "My mom's a yoga instructor, but she does social work, as well, and she works specifically with the geriatric community. For me to watch this level of life-long sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving, but at the same time my mom has always been a free spirit. She's got dread locks and a nose ring. She just ran the LA Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I'll still find so much solace in her support. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend."
What's clear from Markle's list is that she's not drawing inspiration from just one area and the women she looks up to are from a variety of backgrounds. These women thrive in various disciplines but are all doing important and meaningful work and Markle recognizing them for their importance is a big deal.
Once again, the Suits star has surprised us all but in a really great way.
While many companies have promised to do better when it comes to putting more women in leadership positions, many initiatives and public pledges fail to lessen the gender gap. According to a 2017 Catalyst analysis, 44.3 percent of total employees in S&P 500 companies are women, but the percentages drastically drop the higher up the corporate ladder you look.
Catalyst CEO Deborah Gillis thinks that the U.S. workforce isn’t closing gender gaps fast enough. “Progress that’s slow is not progress at all,” she said to CNBC. Gillis says that women at work are held back by various assumptions and stereotypes, and organizations should have a zero-tolerance policy for these implicit biases.
But Gillis also has a radical idea that may inspire the right kind of change at the right kind of pace: Increase monetary bonuses for leaders who deliberately promote more women and dock the pay for those who do not.
“We know that women face a glass ceiling [and] for women of color it’s a concrete ceiling,” Gillis said. “Given that 95 percent of leadership positions at some of the largest companies are occupied by men, they need to be champions of gender equality.”
Tying diversity goals to financial benefits signifies that companies are taking diversity advancement goals more seriously. Not only does it mean that leaders have to actively focus on being inclusive, it reinforces behaviors that challenge gender-based stereotypes and unconscious biases.
"Who gets promoted? Who gets that new opportunity?" says Gillis. "It should be people who manage in a way that's inclusionary."
Though it might seem unlikely for corporations to pay employees for diversity hires, major organizations have already implemented policies with successful results. Recently, Microsoftdrew headlines when internal data showed a significant decrease in female employees. In response, Microsoft began to tie senior leaders’ compensation to diversity gains and actively hired more women as interns, diversifying the company’s direct pipeline of talent.
Here are other companies that tied the advancement of women at work to financial compensation:
Intel. While Intel offers a bonus to employees who successfully refer potential hires, Intel doubled the bonus for employees who referred diverse candidates. The financial boost helped the company exceed its goal for diversity hires to 43 percent in 2014.
Johnson & Johnson. Each Johnson & Johnson department is held to individualized goals based on metrics that are styled similarly to other business objectives. “Until you actually put metrics on these things… you don’t get the right outcomes,” Sandra Peterson, Johnson & Johnson’s group worldwide chairman, told the Wall Street Journal. “The signal of the importance of something is whether you’re actually measuring it and you’re holding people accountable to improving those numbers.”
Facebook. Staff recruiters were given points for successfully recruiting diverse candidates. These points apply to Facebook’s internal ratings system and lead to stronger performance reviews and potential bonuses. While the company still has a long way to go (the number of Hispanic and black employees has remained stagnant within the U.S. offices), the percentage of female employees rose to 33 percent in 2016.
As the U.S. workforce continues to diversify, intentional leadership will ensure that the workplace does as well. Major corporations and company leaders must champion the organizational value diversity provides to actively include women and people of color in the workplace.
The first time I flew first class, my mind was totally blown. I was randomly upgraded on a short commuter flight, but was wowed by the free Champagne, surprisingly decent meal and cloth napkins. Cloth napkins in the air? Now that's luxury.
Or so I thought. It turns out that Emirates airlines offers gourmet meals, complimentary wines and more than 2,500 channels of in-flight entertainment for all of their passengers. And the relatively pricey airline is having a fall sale that can offer you big savings when you fly to Athens, Greece from Newark, New Jersey.
If you're flying alone, economy tickets start at just $449. You'll save even more if there are two of you — companion fares from Newark to Athens are just $799. Even if you don't live near Newark, a trans-Atlantic flight for two under $800 is cheap enough that you should be able to get a flight to New Jersey and still come in under budget.
For an even more luxurious experience, travelers can upgrade to business or first class. Business class offers all the amenities of economy, along with a roomier seat, complimentary chauffeur drive to the airport (seriously!), premium food and beverages and complimentary wine, cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres.
And don't even get me started on first class! You get your own private suite, can use the onboard shower spa and enjoy cocktails in the elegant onboard lounge.
Business class fares to Athens start at $2,899; first class at $5,999. It's still expensive, true, but if you want a taste of real luxury, the Emirates fall sale is the time to do it.
But you have to act fast. The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on Aug. 17 for travel booked from Sept. 17 to Dec. 18 or Dec. 25 to March 30 (there are no blackout dates for first-class tickets for travel between Sept. 17 to March 30).
A Greek vacation is a treat already, but upgrading your ticket and flying on Emirates will make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Unless you're super-rich and get to fly like this all the time, in which case — call me!
Despite being renowned for his sugary treats, it looks like Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman has eschewed the more sugary foods and made some big lifestyle changes because, in just three months, he's lost an incredible amount of weight.
Goldman has been documenting his journey to eat healthier and work out on Instagram for three months, but this week he posted a side-by-side photo showing the results of those months of hard work, and he's looking good.
So good, in fact, that you may not even recognize him — he admits that he can hardly recognize himself.
Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman weight loss transpo instagram
Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman weight loss transpo instagram
"Wow. It's been three months and I feel like these are photos of two different people," he wrote alongside the comparison shot. We have to agree. In the "after" photo, he looks trim, fit and noticeably younger than he did before he began his weight loss journey. It's a commendable transformation, especially considering he's only a few months in so far.
A lot of the Food Network star's followers wanted to know his tips and tricks, and in responses to comments, he said he shed the extra pounds "the old school way" by "eating clean, riding my bike and lifting weights."
While this is the first time Goldman has posted a side-by-side comparison, but he's been sharing his gym selfies like a champ, showing off his weights regimen and his favorite meal prep techniques.
Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman weight loss transpo insta 2
Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman weight loss transpo insta 2
Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman weight loss transpo insta 3
Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman weight loss transpo insta 3
If you're a country fan, get psyched. Dolly Parton has a new album coming out this fall. But sorry; you're probably not the target audience this time. Unless you're 7.
The talent (and energy — girl is over 70) of the country queen really knows no bounds. Between her TV specials and quiet activism and Lifetime Achievement Award, Parton has somehow also found time to record her very first kids' album, which drops this fall. On Tuesday, the country music icon announced at a Nashville press conference that the record — titled I Believe in You — will be released digitally on Sept. 29 and hits stores across the globe on Oct. 13.
If you haven't been keeping tabs on Parton (where have you been?), allow us to fill you in. Parton founded her children's charity, The Imagination Library, back in 1995. The organization, which promotes literacy and aims to encourage a lifelong love of reading — mails more than a million books monthly to children all around the world. Parton, a longtime philanthropist and under-the-radar supporter of numerous causes, reportedly founded the organization because she was moved as a child by her father's painful inability to read.
So that's a million quality, age-appropriate books those kids get to read each month, courtesy of Parton. More than 1,100,000 children are currently registered with the charity — and Parton couldn't be happier, especially since all the proceeds from her new album will go straight to buying more books and reaching more kids.
“My first album was released 50 years ago, and it’s been an amazing 50 years since then,” Parton said at the press conference. “I am very excited that now I’m coming out with my first children’s album in all of those 50 years. I’m proudest of all that all of the proceeds from this CD will go to the Imagination Library. It’s been 20 years since the Imagination Library was launched. We’ve seen 100 million books get into the hands of children, and hopefully there will be many more.”
So what's on the album? Plenty of Dolly goodness served up in 14 tracks she wrote herself. It even includes a redo of Parton's hit song "Coat of Many Colors" from 1971. If you're a Parton fan, you'll remember that this song also inspired the aforementioned TV special, as well as a kid's book; I Believe In You also includes a bonus track in which Parton reads that book aloud. (Dolly Parton music plus story time? Bring this thing on your next family road trip for sure.)
"It just seemed like it was the time [to make this record]," Parton said according to Rolling Stone. "Since I'm getting so old, I'm going back into my second childhood."
Rolling Stone also reported that Parton performed some of her new tunes — "Brave Little Soldier" as well as "Makin' Fun Ain't Funny," a song with an anti-bullying message — for a few dozen kids who were on hand at the press event.
Dolly, just when we thought we couldn't love you any more, well... there you go again.
As more and more politicians and celebrities speak out following last weekends events in Charlottesville, Virginia, things only seem to be getting more and more heated.
Following a Tuesday night production of his Broadway play The Terms of My Surrender, Michael Moore led a celeb-heavy protest at New York City's Trump Tower, where Mark Ruffalo co-hosted, Olivia Wilde and Zoe Kazan led chants, and audience members from the play were encouraged to participate alongside Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman and Marisa Tomei.
Mark Ruffalo leads protest at Trump Tower
Mark Ruffalo leads protest at Trump Tower
"It's a little field trip!" Ruffalo told ticket holders before some 200 of them were piled into double-decker buses for the drive to Trump Tower.
The rally called for Donald Trump's arrest, and also honored Heather Heyer, the woman killed at the alt-right rally in Charlottesville.
"We're here today to commemorate a life of an American that was killed by a Nazi on American soil," Ruffalo said. "Let's say her name so Donald Trump can hear what's happened here — he's allowed these people, he's allowed fascism, he's allowed the KKK, he's allowed Nazis to show their ugly face, and we're here to remind him there's a cost for that. Americans have died because of that. Say her name: Heather Heyer!"
Meanwhile, Solange Knowles was also making her voice heard — by going silent. She deleted her Twitter account this week, but not before posting about support for Takiyah Thompson, a college student charged with multiple felonies for tearing down a Confederate statue in Durham, North Carolina.
Solange tweet about white supremacy 2
Solange tweet about white supremacy 2
"when we gonna pull up ? & what we got to do to get my new hero Takiyah Thompson free?" Knowles wrote.
After deleting her Twitter account, she took to Instagram to share some more thoughts with her followers there.
"been trying to practice self preservation during this time and not give racist ugly ass fuck bois who reek of citronella my energy so I can preserve my spirit to perform this album," she wrote. "Fuck white supremacist[s], fuck nazis, fuck your stale ass bland ass monuments."
Close your eyes and try to remember a time when your freshly washed curls dried into frizz-free perfection. Drawing a blank? Yup, us too, and after resisting way too many urges to rip every strand of hair out of heads, we’re ready for some real solutions. If we had a nickel for every time we’ve heard that curly hair needs moisture, we could buy a small yacht and sail to a land where frizz doesn’t exist (though, the ocean mist will probably make our hair frizzy). With summer’s intense humidity and harsh, moisture-stripping products, our heads have slowly become a magnet for unruly flyaways.
And with an insane number of shampoos (all claiming to combat frizz) on the market right now, it’s difficult to find the formulas that leave you with touchable, bouncy curls — instead of a poufy nightmare. And lest we leave you to test and try every formula yourself, we combed through every single curly hair-friendly shampoo to find the seven best products that truly keep frizz at bay: These shampoos contain ingredients like smoothing coconut oil and protective argan oil among others for insanely moisturized curls. Shop all seven below, and prepare for the feather-soft curls you’ve only dreamed of.
Remember Hocus Pocus, the 1993 classic Disney film? Oh, come on, sure you do. The one where Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker were witch sisters who come back to life in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night — only to be defeated by a few kids and a talking cat that was secretly a cute human in disguise?
The caption? "Winnie, I smell a child...." (If you don't get it, you just have to watch the movie, OK? Borrow some kids if you have to, get the popcorn going, and just do it.)
"Maybe I should have used this for my pregnancy announcement??" Shaw wrote in the post. She had already posted a sweet, albeit more traditional, photo of herself with her husband, Kristopher Gifford, a few days before; in that pic, the words "Great News! I am pregnant" are all over the wall behind the pair of soon-to-be parents.
The full caption of Shaw's original post Friday read:
"Great News! We are proud and excited to share that we are expecting a little one early next year! My hubby is a graphic designer, so I hope you appreciate his cheekiness."
Cheekiness approved — and we hope the eventual birth announcement will be just as fun. But we're also angling hard for a Binx the talking cat appearance. Don't dash our hopes, Vinessa.
We just shared distressed jeans and bottles of hairspray with our sisters. How's this for an amazingly close sisterly bond: Corey Struve Talbott and Katie Struve Morgan were amazed to find that they were pregnant at the same time... and they leveled up by delivering their babies just 20 minutes apart.
It gets better. The sisters even shared a doctor, who bolted from Talbott's room to deliver her sister's baby.
"My sister and I are a year and ten months apart, so we're really, really close in age. We actually coined the term 'sticky sisters' 'cause we always stick together," Talbott said in an interview with Parents.
"Three days before Christmas [2015] I was really late and she said 'let's get a pregnancy test,'" Talbott continued. "And it was positive. All of sudden she's like 'you're going to die but I'm pregnant too. I was surprising you guys on Christmas Day.'" (Best surprise ever for sure, we're thinking.)
Obviously these extra-special pregnancies required an extra-special maternity photo shoot — a shared one for the sisters. The shoot — by photographer Brenden Boggs of So Cute Photo — garnered huge attention online (not surprisingly).
Brenden Boggs 1
Brenden Boggs 1
One year later, the sisters decided to recreate the maternity shoot in celebration of the first birthday of their daughters (yes, of course they both had daughters, daughters who rhyme: Indie Mae and Ryatt Rae, we can't even).
Brenden Boggs 2
Brenden Boggs 2
"The babies just turned one on August 10, and Brenden has just been our photographer from the beginning," Talbott said. "We were like 'well, she's got to do our [first birthday] photos, and so I reached out to her and... she's like 'why don't we re-make your maternity photos with the babies?' And we were like 'oh my gosh, that's such a great idea, let's do it.'"
The two families live only five minutes away from each other, and the little first cousins are practically being raised as sisters.
"Everything we do is together. Even just everyday stuff. It's been really nice to have the support. You can call your sister for anything, but it's so much better having babies that are basically twins together," Talbott said. "We say it's magical all the time... We just can't believe we get to do this together."
We can't believe we get to watch and have massive #SisterGoal envy. Probably a little too late to plan out a scheme for simultaneous birthing with our own sisters, but we'll happily enjoy watching this girl posse do everything together for years to come.
You know how much we all love watching the royal family — Prince William, Kate Middleton and little George and Charlotte — get off planes together when they go on royal tours to countries outside the U.K.?
It turns out, they're not really supposed to do that, and the reason is pretty bleak, TBH.
There's an unofficial rule that says two heirs to the royal throne should never be on the same plane together so that they can protect the royal lineage should anything happen to the plane. According to their family tree, Prince William is the second heir, right after his father Prince Charles. Meanwhile, George is the third heir and Charlotte is the fourth. That means that, in theory, all three of them should always be in separate planes, even if they're going to the same place.
Of course, with tots as young as George and Charlotte, that's not exactly practical. And the rule is an unofficial one, which means there's some wiggle room. The first exception for Prince William's family was granted by the Queen back in 2013, soon after George was born, when the family traveled to Australia and New Zealand. The Queen has the final say in when the rule can be broken, and she's been lax about it for Prince William's family — they've since traveled together to Canada, Poland, Germany and other countries.
Even though the rule is pretty bleak, we have to commend the prince for saying "Screw it" and keeping his family together. After all, air travel is still a fairly safe way to travel and with such busy schedules of royal engagements, squeezing in family time wherever possible (even if its en route to a royal engagement) is a big deal for this happy family.
Look, we all know how hard it can be to get kids to want to participate in family activities — especially when they hit that very special tween age. But the truth of the matter is, when they reach adulthood, family nights are the times they are going to remember fondly. So how do you get your kids to to not only take part in family nights, but actually look forward to them? By planning events that are actually worth doing.
And while we love Netflix (who doesn't, right?) plopping down for a binge with the fam doesn't exactly bring y'all closer. But the right activities can encourage your family to interact with one another more — instead of being attached to a screen.
Whether you need one good idea or 50, we've got dozens of creative activities to keep you and your kids entertained.
Image: Cyndi Monaghan/DigitalVision/Getty Images
1. Crafts. Bet you didn't know there were at least 16 things your kids could make with a plain paper plate.
2. Family mailboxes. Paint and decorate the family mailbox.
3. Vacation jar. Decorate a Family Vacation Jar in which you save change.
4. Newsletter. Create a family newsletter to send out to family and friends. This can be a monthly project.
5. Movie night. Have family movie night and watch old family videos together.
6. Star watching. Family star-watching night. Lay outside on a blanket in the yard and look up at the stars together. Try to map out constellations together. Afterward, look up the stories behind each constellation on the Internet.
7. Cookout and camping. Enjoy a cookout and campout. Pitch a tent in your yard and cook food over an open fire (or on the barbecue). Sit in a circle and tell ghost stories.
8. Volunteering.Volunteer as a family. Help out at a school fundraiser or serve meals at the local soup kitchen.
9. Baking.Bake together. Take turns picking favorite recipes out of a cookbook and let the kids and dad join in on the fun.
10. Playground. Go to the local playground and swing together or climb the monkey bars. Kids love it when parents play like they do.
Originally published October 2011. Updated August 2017.
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Image: PeopleImages/DigitalVision/Getty Images
11. Lock your kids in a room together. Just kidding! (Kind of.) Instead, set aside time for older and younger siblings to play alone together to learn leadership, teamwork, sharing — and to give mom and dad a break.
12. Explore your city. Pretend you're a family of tourists in a new city and see sights you've never seen before: museums, aquariums, local parks and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
13. Musical instrument.Learn a musical instrument together. Find an instrument that every member of the family would enjoy playing and take turns learning a song. If everyone already plays an instrument, try learning a song together.
14. Obstacle course. Set up an obstacle coursein your backyard. Using things like hula hoops and jump ropes, create an outdoor obstacle course in which you can compete with each other for best time. This is not only a fun activity but also a great way to provide exercise for the whole family.
15. Zoo. Visit the zoo. Have each person write down which animal he liked best and what he learned about that animal.
16. Family photos.Take family photos. Get out the camera and have some fun taking photos of each other. Be silly, be serious and have fun.
17. Sock puppets.Make sock puppets. Gather some old socks, decorate them and then use them to put on a show.
18. Photo album. Make a family photo album. Have the kids pick photos from a recent vacation, family gathering or other event. Together, place the photos in a scrapbook with each member adding a funny saying or description to the photo they like best.
19. Family game show. Have a game show night. Set up a stage and give each family member a part as the host, contestant, etc. Use trivia games, word games or whatever you enjoy playing as part of the game show. Play for points or fake money.
20. Make a board game. Create your own family board game. Draw up a board on a piece of cardboard, make up rules and find interesting things around the house to use for game pieces.
25. Card game. Introduce your kids to new card games and make things interesting by offering up "no chores" as the big prize.
26. Build a birdhouse. Make a birdhouse the old-fashioned way out of wood and nails, or make a cute (and edible) cookie birdhouse instead.
27. Genealogy. Work on a family genealogy chart together. Talk about distant relatives and family history.
28. Dance DVD. Rent a dance DVD and learn a new dance together.
29. Formal dinner. Have a formal family dinner. Set the table with your best tableware, have everyone dress up and use your best manners. Give everyone a fancy name and title -- like prince or princess -- and behave as one would. This is a fun way to teach table manners.
30. Biking. Calm kids down before bed by making a family bike ride a nightly after-dinner event.
31. Nature walk. Go on a nature walk at a local park or outdoor trail – point out different types of trees and plants.
32. Show and tell. Play show and tell. Have each family member choose an item that is important to them and tell all about it.
33. Game stations.Set up game stations. Mom and dad can each have a different game station, and each child takes turns playing a quick game like Tic-Tac-Toe or Hangman with each parent separately. After 10 minutes, everyone switches. Older siblings can have a station, too, if there are several kids in the house so everyone is playing something all the time.
34. Write a story. Write a story together. Decide on characters and theme, and then let each family member come up with a one-page chapter for the book. Put it together and read aloud to find out what adventures the characters encounter.
35. Bubbles.Make your own bubble solution out of dish soap and water. Add glycerin if you have it for firmer bubbles. Go outside, blow bubbles, and chase and pop them.
36. Color.Color together. Bring out the pile of coloring books and bucket of crayons and have everyone sit at the dining room table and color. This is a good way to let the conversation flow while everyone is creating.
37. Take a class. Take a class together like cooking, drawing, ceramics, ballroom dancing or music lessons.
38. Visit a piece of history. Visit a local historical site. Learn about it together, take pictures and add it to your family album or newsletter.
39. Play casual sports. Play a casual game of baseball, football or basketball.
40. Play a round of Survivor. Learning age-appropriate wilderness survival skills is not only entertaining, it can empower kids while teaching them how to stay safe. Pretend like it's a zombie apocalypse, and you'll have your work cut out for you.
41. Learn a language. This is the perfect opportunity to teach young kids about their unique culture and family heritage.
42. Name that tune. Play the original version of Name That Tune using the radio, or use this free app to make things fun and easy.
43. Make a cookbook. Make a family cookbook. Have every family member choose several of their favorite recipes and type it up. Make copies to pass out as gifts at Christmas.
44. Teach your dog a trick. Teach your dog some tricks. Learn how to teach simple tricks and have the entire family work with the dog on a new trick each week.
45. Make posters. Make collage posters. Set out a batch of old magazines to cut up, and print out some favorite family photos that can be used to create a decorative collage. Give every family member their own posterboard and let them each create a collage poster.
46. Make a centerpiece.Collect seasonal items outside, like leaves, branches, flowers, rocks or pine cones. Bring them inside to create a table centerpiece in a bowl or jar.
47. Paint a mug.Paint your own mug. Buy inexpensive glass mugs and acrylic paint, and have each family member decorate a mug for their own use.
48. Read under a blanket.Read under a blanket tent. Set up a huge blanket tent in the living room and have the entire family sit under it while one family member reads a favorite book out loud.
49. Cook together. Cook a meal that everyone agrees on and let the whole family help in preparing it -- because making a full Italian family meal with all the courses is surprisingly easy.
50. Make a family movie. Write up a script together, put together some costumes and film it.
Image: Gabriela Arellano/SheKnows;Image via Getty Images
While snoring is a part of life for many, it can be annoying or disrupting — or it can even indicate a more serious problem that needs medical intervention. With that being said, why do we snore anyway? And is there anything we can do to help? Lastly, when does snoring indicate a potential medical problem? Let's take a look into the ins and outs of a snoring human being.
Why do people snore?
You know how "sawing logs" sounds — grunting, wheezing, whistling, snorting and rattling breaths that emanate from the mouth and nose as one snoozes away. But what is the physiological reason for snoring? That is, what exactly makes a snore?
We checked with Dr. Michael Gelb, director of The Gelb Center, and he was able to get us the 411 on snoring. "Snoring is a sound caused by a narrowing of the airway from the nose down to the throat," says Gelb. "People snore as they fall asleep and the jaw and throat muscles relax. Gravity and loss of protective reflexes allow collapse of the airway."
In addition, he says that some people may have sucked their thumbs or a pacifier when they were toddlers, which pushes the soft palate up toward their nose. Other causes can include narrow airways (either present at birth or due to rhinoplasty), a deviated septum, hormonal changes and those whose noses tend to congest when they lay back at night.
Snoring can disrupt sleep — not just for those around them, but for those who snore as well. According to Gelb, fragmented sleep can affect concentration and focus and has been associated with the beginning of cardiovascular issues. Kids can be affected too — snoring and mouth breathing have been linked to neurocognitive and neurobehavioral disorders.
How can we stop snoring?
Now that we know what causes snoring, how in the heck can we get it to stop? According to the National Institute on Aging, losing weight can help — but they do note that thin people can totally snore too, and if you're not overweight, you should not go that route at all.
Also, cutting down or avoiding other sedatives at bedtime may work as well. These can slow your breathing and relax your tissues, which can contribute to snoring.
In addition, try to avoid sleeping flat on your back. There are a number of ways you can do that, and it involves the prevention of rolling over, which you sometimes do in your sleep and can't really control. Some suggest attaching a tennis ball to your back in some fashion (such as in a custom-sewed pocket on the back of your pajama top), because nobody wants to sleep on a hard, round ball.
Another idea is to raise the head of your bed by four to six inches. Put bricks or other solid objects under the legs of the bed, which can keep your tongue from falling backward and restricting your airway.
When should snoring be evaluated by a health care professional?
While some snoring is relatively harmless, there are some snoring situations that warrant a visit to a professional. One of the biggest problems is sleep apnea or hypopnea.
"[When] the patient is awakening with gasping for air and rapid beating of the heart, a physician or sleep specialist should be consulted and a sleep study ordered," notes Gelb. In addition, a specialized dentist can evaluate your airway, breathing and sleep and work with you to get a handle on the problem and look into treatment, such as nasal dilators/stents such as Mute or CPAP machines — or even surgery.
Do try these tips at home
Snoring can be disruptive, but there are indeed a few things you can do if you (or your loved ones) suffer. Try our tips above to see if you can't get a handle on the snoring yourself or go see a specialist if you feel your snoring may be dangerous to your health. Fortunately, for those who snore and those who listen to it, there are options.
Returning to work after having your first child is a different experience for every mom. With many pressures from grandparents, parents-in-law, partners and employers, doing what is expected — or "recommended" — might be easier than following your gut. But learning to trust what feels right to you is essential. These working moms, who have built their careers while raising their families, share their hearts and experiences, offering you the opportunity to learn and shape your own approach to returning to working post-baby.
A recent study compared a parent’s love for their child and an entrepreneur’s love for their company and found the two emotions were strikingly similar. That being said, when founder and CEO of Wine & Design Harriet Mills returned to her growing business after having her third child, she didn’t set up the right precautions to ensure she had time for both of her great loves. "Being a founder/owner of a small business, I really never get any time off," she said. "I wish I would have known to create a schedule so it would have made me go home more often at the beginning instead of staying at work all day. I feel like I missed a lot of his first few months and wished I would have dedicated more mommy-and-son time."
"I wish I knew I didn’t have to go back so quickly"
Depending on your employer, the amount of time you have to return back to your cubicle post-childbirth varies greatly, especially in the United States, where maternity leave is still considered short-term disability, you might feel rushed to get out of the nursery and into the office much sooner than you’re ready. Blair Fillingham, the founder of MTRNL.com said if she could go back, she would have delayed her return date. "I wish I had known that I didn’t have to go back immediately," she said. "At the time, I felt as though if I didn’t go back ASAP then I would lose my job or lose momentum in my career. I didn’t think I could live comfortably without my salary. I didn’t want to be labeled as a 'stay-at-home-mom.' If I had known what I know now, I would have asked for an extended unpaid leave of absence, a part-time position, or I would have resigned."
"I wish I would have lowered my expectations"
And not in a bad way, according to Coral Chung, the founder and CEO of Senreve. It wasn’t that she was unhappy becoming a mother or sad to return to work, but that she expected everything to be back to her pre-baby routine ASAP. "The most difficult thing for me was the idea of 'easing my way back.' I wanted everything to be back to normal, performing at 100 percent right away," she revealed. "That expectation was just overwhelming, and I ended up disappointed in myself sometimes. I was also surprised by the guilt and separation anxiety I felt about leaving my baby with a caretaker. I think it's important to give yourself at least three to six months to transition, physically and emotionally."
"I wish I would have known it was OK to love going back to work"
Do you find yourself in the camp of moms who is actually — dare we say it? — excited to go back to work? For Tammy Niemann, the co-founder of Total Training, who is currently expecting her second child, going back to work actually allowed her to truly enjoy motherhood. "It offered me a sense of normalcy after the constant newborn cries and sleepless nights," she said. "It gave me the time to find 'me' again and to have adult conversations that weren’t about ounces of breast milk and the color of my daughter’s poops. It calmed my postpartum brain and forced me to focus on something other than my first-time mom obsession of checking to make sure my daughter was breathing when she slept. As scared as I was to drop her off at day care that first day, there is truly nothing like watching your child's face light up when you walk in the room to pick her up."
"I wish I would have known work-life balance is a myth"
While some moms may be able to find the happiest equilibrium between maintaining a busy work schedule and pumping every few hours, for Elizabeth Lane, the founder of Quarterlane Books, a healthy work-life balance was the goal — but not what happened. "When I started back to work, I thought I had mapped out the perfect work-life balance," she admitted. "I would work this many hours in the day and then be able to shift seamlessly into home life for my husband and girls. But reality quickly proved that impossible, and I found myself chasing after balance rather than settling into the truth of the situation: that some days would skew heavily towards work and some days very little work would get done for the needs of my family. In hindsight, I wish I had known that instead of achieving [...] my work-life [balance], I would find grace: the space to accept that on any particular day, every task might not be completed in balance, but over the course of the week, tasks leveled out and reached an equilibrium. The key piece was that I couldn't force this — the 'balance' only happened when I let expectations go."
"I wish I would have taken more time off before giving birth"
Erika Boissiere, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of The Relationship Institute of San Francisco, wasn’t a fan of the idea of maternity leave and instead decided to work up until her due date. Though she thought she was making the right choice for her lifestyle, going from supersonic to snail-paced proved problematic. "I found that going from the feeling of 80 mph from full-time work down to 10 mph on maternity leave was a hard gear shift on my overall mood," she said. "I wish I had tapered off before heading out on maternity leave and on the return to work eased in a bit more."
The greatest takeaway cardiologist Dr. Jennifer Haythe had from maternity leave and returning back to work was that no matter what, your child will remember who you are, be excited to see you — and yes, we promise, love you. "I think women have so much anxiety that your child won't know you or that you will miss a crucial moment," she shared. "I came to realize that it was a wonderful thing that my child could attach and love yet another person (the nanny) and that the more love in their life the better."
"Please, to all of Game of Thrones‘ many wonderful fans, we understand that due to the direwolves’ huge popularity, many folks are going out and buying huskies," Dinklage said in a statement released by PETA Tuesday. "Not only does this hurt all the deserving homeless dogs waiting for a chance at a good home in shelters, but shelters are also reporting that many of these huskies are being abandoned—as often happens when dogs are bought on impulse, without understanding their needs. Please, please, if you’re going to bring a dog into your family, make sure that you’re prepared for such a tremendous responsibility and remember to always, ALWAYS, adopt from a shelter."
There are a lot of good reasons to adopt a dog, but because they look cool in a TV show is not one of them. Dogs are serious, long-term commitments, and huskies can be even more so — in addition to looking like direwolves, they're smart and stubborn and require strong, experienced dog owners who can give them the training and direction they need to thrive.
