Sit down, because you're about to read the best news of the year: Eating cheese can actually lower your risk of heart disease. Yes, of course this comes with caveats and consuming it in moderation, but let's just bask in the cheesy golden glow of some new research for a minute.

While cheese does contain a high content of saturated fatty acids — something you definitely want to avoid eating in large quantities — the calcium in cheese means less of the fat is absorbed by the body.

More: 19 Gifts for People Who Really Love Cheese

Following an analysis of 15 existing studies on the health effects of eating cheese — which took into consideration the diet and health outcomes of more than 200,000 people — researchers found that on average, people who ate one portion of cheese per day were 14 percent less likely to develop coronary heart disease and 10 percent less likely to have a stroke.

Sound too good to be true? Well, a portion size is around 40 grams — roughly the size of a matchbox. And the authors of the study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, noted that the long-term outcomes of eating cheese daily is still unclear. Also important to note, the researchers didn't track any overall changes in the diets of the people included in the survey, so that may also have had an impact on their heart health.

More: Best News Ever: Cheese Is One Secret to Better Health

So, no, we can't really consider cheese to be a "health food," but given its bad rap in the nutrition world, this at least offers the delicious food one redeeming health factor — and an excuse to grab a piece from the party tray at your next holiday gathering.

Our hearts are going out to Elton John today, whose mother, Sheila Farebrother, unexpectedly died on Monday morning. It happened just months after the two reconciled after being estranged from one another for years, which makes this news all the more heartbreaking.

More: Elton John Remembers Princess Diana on the Anniversary of Her Death

John announced Farebrother's passing on Twitter, where he posted a photo of the two of them together alongside a brief statement.

"So sad to say that my mother passed away this morning. I only saw her last Monday and I am in shock," John wrote. "Travel safe Mum. Thank you for everything. I will miss you so much. Love, Elton."

More: Elton John Makes a Great Point About Why Gay Books Shouldn't Be Banned

John and Farebrother stopped communicating with one another in 2008 after a falling out, reportedly because John asked his mother to cut off contact with two friends and she refused to do so. It was only last May that John revealed they had begun speaking again. He posted a sweet photo of the two of them together on Mother's Day, writing, "Dear Mum, Happy Mother’s Day! So happy we are back in touch. Love, Elton xo." They clearly made some great strides toward repairing their relationship since John had seen her only a week before she died.

More: Elton John Has Big Plans for Remembering David Bowie

Farebrother's cause of death has not been reported. John hasn't made any public statements outside what he posted on Twitter. We just hope he and his family find peace during what is undoubtedly a very difficult time.

Sometimes when you’re single and struggling to find the right partner, seeing friends, colleagues and everyone around you getting engaged can feel like a punch to the gut. It is common and quite normal for women (and men) to feel as if they are being "left behind" when others around them are getting married or entering into long-term relationships, explains Támara Hill, a licensed therapist who regularly helps clients dealing with this issue. “In some ways, people, especially young people, put pressure on themselves to achieve certain things in order to feel 'arrived' or 'accomplished.' When a marriage or long-term relationship isn't happening, this chips away at self-worth (which it shouldn't).”  Hill even adds that just since the reveal of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement, she’s seen a few women around her begin to make self-deprecating remarks. “It's that feeling of not being able to 'achieve.'”

If you feel like these feelings speak to you, here are some expert-approved tips on how to cope when everyone around you is getting engaged or married and you’re still single.

Stay focused on your "driving lane" & your history

Everyone comes to the table with a different story to tell and perhaps your story is completely different, explains Hill. “Different stories result in different endings. This doesn't mean that you are any less than the person who is getting engaged and seeming to be living a good life.”  In other words, perhaps you spent your 20s traveling for your career while your friend stayed local and it was a lot easier for her/him to meet more marriage-ready guys or girls.

Though it feels like you're all alone in feeling this way, know that you're not

It's really hard feeling like you're the one who's being left out, that your life is standing still while everyone else's seems to be moving on. “Perusing through Facebook and Instagram and seeing post after post of shiny engagement ring photos can be really triggering, bringing up feelings of jealousy, sadness and fear that this may not happen for you,” explains licensed therapist, Annie Wright. You might feel bitter or a bad friend for feeling this way, but Wright adds that what you're going through is a very common experience and there are many others out there feeling the same way.

Take care of yourself if you're feeling triggered

This may mean taking a break from social media for a while (so you don’t see all those engagement photos and wedding countdowns), suggests Wright. “It may also mean not attending any more engagement parties or weddings; or perhaps you will just need some solid escapist Netflix time with a show like Stranger Things, where engagements are the last thing on anyone's mind!”

If you’re goal is to be married, take a critical look at how that can happen

If you’re trying hard to date and meet people and feel like you keep striking out, relationship expert and author of, Blueprint for a Lasting Marriage: How to Create Your Happily Ever After With More Intention, Less Work, Lesli Doares, says you must be clear about what a good partner looks like and if you are a good partner. “Are you engaging in behavior that is counter to creating a long-term, lasting relationship? Perhaps your actions are mirroring someone who needs to be in a relationship instead of wanting to be in one, and you could be giving off the desperate vibe without even realizing it. Until you are truly comfortable on your own, you won’t be able to be in a lasting relationship.”

Have a gratitude journal

Whether you never had one or did but got lazy with it, it’s time to recommit to daily gratitude journaling, says Wright. “This practice will help you notice and focus on what's going well in your life regardless [of whether] you’re not engaged or romance is not happening for you just yet.”

Remember that their good moment will not always be their good moment

Though this may sound harsh and a bit bitter, it puts things back in perspective. “It isn't your time to experience this 'good moment' yet but perhaps that is coming sometime in the future. The person getting married will encounter some rough patches. It won't all be positive. That's life…” says Hill.

Consider the alternative

Dr. Scott Carroll, a psychiatrist and the author of Don't Settle: How to Marry the Man You Were Meant For, says asking yourself some key questions may help you realize you’re better off single than with the wrong person.  “Would you really marry anyone you currently know or are you just lonely? Do think getting married is going to solve some challenge you are struggling with like your finances or helping you get away from your small town? Are you ready for a lifelong commitment?”  Thinking about your answers, you might actually be grateful you are still single and can focus on solving your own problems first and work on finding the right person for you.

Channel those jealous feelings into something positive

Instead of letting those feelings of jealousy and sadness make you resent others, go shopping or binge on ice cream and reruns of Sex and the City, use those feelings as motivation to get actionable and get back in the dating scene or work on how you date and do relationships, suggests Wright.

Stay focused on the future

Hill suggests setting short-term (one year) and long-term (two years) concrete goals focused on things you want to actively seek to accomplish while you are single, "free" and focused. “Setting these goals keeps you accountable and focused while those around you are focused on their lives. Stay focused on your life.”  In other words, enjoy the single years while you can, because one day, you won’t be!

What's with Blake Lively and the absolutely unrecognizable transformations lately? For her new film, The Rhythm Section, Lively has had to completely transform herself into someone who made fans pretty much lose it when photos got leaked online. And now, she's done it again.

More: Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds' Marriage Secret? "Stay Together"

Lively posted a photo to her Instagram Sunday that shows the latest costume change she'll be wearing in her new movie, and yet again, she looks like a completely different person. It really is wild what a hair and makeup change can do to a person's face.

More: Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Had the Best Dinner Party Ever

This time around, Lively is wearing a short, shaggy black pixie cut. Her eyebrows have been colored to match the hair change, and if we didn't already know it was Lively in the shot, we probably wouldn't have guessed it.

In the film, Lively plays a woman who goes undercover as an assassin to get revenge on the people who killed her family, so it makes sense that she has a lot of changing looks for this role — after all, she has to keep her adversaries guessing. And since her fans can't even recognize her, she's clearly nailing it. Her targets will never even see her coming.

More: Blake Lively Reveals the Powerful Reason She Agreed to Her First Nude Scene

All that's left to see after this big reveal is whether her husband/live-in troll, Ryan Reynolds, will take to social media to make fun of her just like he did last time the internet caught wind of Lively's major transformation.

Country star Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany Kerr, welcomed a baby boy this week — and delighted fans by sharing a pic of their newborn at the hospital. They also shared kiddo's Tennessee-tastic name: Memphis. Can you get more country than that? (I mean, you can. Maybe their next kid will be named Nashville.) 

The road to parenthood hasn't been rosy for the couple. Aldean, Kerr and unborn Memphis all survived the Las Vegas gun massacre that killed 59 of Aldean's fans — the largest mass shooting in modern American history.

“As we laid behind equipment onstage with some of our road family, bullets flying past… all I could think was, ‘I never even got to hold my baby,’” Kerr said. “As you can imagine my first instinct was to run to [Jason] and his was the same."

"Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see," Aldean wrote after the tragedy. "This world is becoming the kind of place i am afraid to raise my children in," he added, echoing the feelings of so many American parents these days.

But Aldean and Kerr aren't letting fear — or the dire state of gun laws in this country — keep them down.

Aldean's caption announcing his son's birth read, "So blessed today to see my little man come into the world. In a year that has been a rollercoaster ride, this is what its all about. I cant wait to see what life has in store for this kid. Memphis Aldean... 9lb 5 oz. #mamawasarockstar." The little guy was, OK, not so little. Damn. Brittany Kerr is a queen. That baby is almost the size of the city he's named after.

More: Jason Aldean Issues Emotional Plea After Las Vegas Concert Shooting

The country couple thrilled fans by revealing news of the pregnancy on Instagram in May, when Kerr posted a photo of the couple wearing matching "Baby Daddy/Baby Mama" shirts and sitting in front of a bed covered in blue and pink balloons.

Kerr wrote, "SURPRISE!!! WE ARE PREGNANT!!! This was the hardest secret we've ever had to keep. This journey for us has been full of many happy times & also many tears... The biggest rollercoaster we have ever been on, without a doubt! All of the moments of heartache were followed by the biggest blessing in the entire world!! We will never take one moment for granted & can't wait to meet you, sweet baby!!!"

More: Jason Aldean's Pregnant Wife Speaks Out After Las Vegas Shooting

Glad to hear all is well with the new little family — and that Memphis scored big with a fab nursery.

Congrats to the first family of country. No rush, but we've already got a whole bunch of other Southern cities on tap for you to use as names. Baby Baton Rouge Aldean 2020?

In a world where women make up less than 25 percent of above-the-line positions in Hollywood, Elizabeth Banks is taking it upon herself to make sure women's voices still have an impact in film.

She is a triple threat: actor, producer and director. Not only has she starred in blockbuster films like The Hunger Games, but she is a producer on the Pitch Perfect franchise and is slated to direct the upcoming Charlie's Angels reboot.

More: Elizabeth Banks: Sex Shaming Is a Disservice to Young People

In the midst of all that, she is also helping funny women shine by partnering with YouTube and WhoHaHa in a new initiative that aims to support women in comedy by offering mentorships, workshops and a community where these women can grow.

SheKnows chatted with Banks about her efforts in Hollywood and the need for the female narrative to continue growing in Hollywood.

SheKnows: I think recently we've seen a lot about how women aren't included in Hollywood, with the sexual assault scandals, but WhoHaHa seems like something really positive to bring women into the fold.

Elizabeth Banks: For sure. Yeah. I want women to feel like their voices matter and that they have value.

SK: You are mentoring women in this program. What is the best advice you can give women who want careers in comedy?

EB: (laughs) Well, honestly, being a creative person is a really personal process so there is no one-size-fits-all advice, that's kind of the first thing I'd say. Because everybody's goals are different. Everybody's talents are different. Everybody's voice is different. Some women that I'm talking to want to create a television show. Some women want to be a director. Some women just want to be a motivational speaker. They want to use comedy in different ways, and I find that really fascinating. We're really crossing all kinds of ways of being funny with this program and these platforms. The main thing I would say is, start! Just do it. Keep going. When people come at you with the negativity and the nos, you've got to ignore it. Push through.

SK: How many women are you personally working with right now?

EB: So, this morning, I've already spoken to women in Mumbai and London and Tokyo, Toronto, Berlin. That's what's so great about WhoHaHa. The platform that we started here in L.A. to amplify women's voices in comedy, we have a little production space here, we have a great team and support staff that helps content creators, but YouTube is the queen of that. You know, they have these amazing YouTube Spaces all around the world and so this is WhoHaHa's opportunity to go global. By the way, watching video from YouTube Japan, it's a rabbit hole. If you want to lose two hours of your life, you should start watching those videos. They're amazing. It's just so fun to see what other cultures are interested in and what they're doing. I get a lot out of this process, as well. I hope the women I'm mentoring are getting something out of it, but they should know I'm also getting something out of it.

More: Elizabeth Banks Makes a Pitch Perfect Directorial Debut

SK: What excites you most about women in comedy right now?

EB: I think we're in a really interesting moment for women globally just in terms of, like, historically, I think we're in an interesting moment for women. Because, it's important to remember, there have always been funny, funny women. Mae West was real funny. Marilyn Monroe was in one of the greatest comedies, Some Like It Hot, ever made. I grew up on Jane Curtin and Gilda Radner, and now we have Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I mean, it's not like we're lacking. I just think the percentage of women in positions of power in all aspects of our culture is improving and women are standing up and demanding to be heard, and I think that's really interesting. And if I can be supportive and help amplify these new and very current voices, that's exciting to me.

SK: You are one of those women who's leading the way. You're not just acting, you're producing and directing and leading films. What are the benefits of having women in these leadership roles, especially when it comes to comedy?

EB: Well, for sure what it means is more women get to be heard, really. You know, I think my company Brownstone, along with this endeavor with WhoHaHa, we really are attracted to women's stories. It's hard to think about just the feeling of disinterest in women's stories that exists. So much is told from a male point of view, and I really felt like I could help change that narrative. And I have always gravitated toward partners who wanted to pursue that same goal of telling the story from the woman's point of view. Like Pitch Perfect, we could have made a movie about a male a cappella group, but we made the movie about the women's a cappella group, and I'm so happy we did.

SK: Do you feel pressure to accurately represent women or tell the right stories?

EB: I don't know that I feel pressure. I don't think there's one right way to do anything. There's no one best way to be a woman. There's no best way to be a mentor. I'm just trying to be me and be authentic and live my truth and be as inclusive and interested in other human beings as possible. I'm an actor by training, which means that I study human beings and human behavior. That's what I try to do and what I love to do. I'm just very interested in other people and their stories, so being part of a movement to embrace representation of different cultures, different people, different genders, different orientations, that feels really meaningful and important to me, and that feels authentic to me because it's something I've been interested in since becoming an actor.

SK: What are topics you want to see covered more from a woman's perspective?

EB: There's nothing in particular that comes to mind. I just feel like there's so many unsung heroes among women. There have been men in some of these leadership roles. I think it's important to present role models for young women coming up. I really do believe you can't be what you can't see, and representation matters. So, for me, it's the idea of putting women in media in ways that present them as having power, being heard, being true to themselves, and done from the perspective of women.

There's more empathetic representations than we're used to seeing. I honestly feel like in the early days of Hollywood, women did have those. Women had very traditional roles in society of wife and mother, but when they went to the movies, they got to see women be, like, really cool, amazing characters and femme fatales and all of this. And then, I don't know, there was just this systemic reaction where it was all about, you know, "How do we make money?" And everybody wants to sell things to boys. And then women's entertainment became devalued in a way that I think is disrespectful and hurtful.

I remember there was an article about the beginning of HBO and how HBO was built on the back of The Sopranos. And Emily Nussbaum came along and said, "I'm sorry, HBO was also built on Sex and the City. How dare you make Sex and the City some, like, footnote in a story about how HBO built itself on The Sopranos." As if the male entertainment was more important than what Sex and the City did. But Sex and the City could be written off like, "Eh, that was pandering to girls." And it's like, "What?" I love The Sopranos, I have nothing against The Sopranos, but can you find some equivalency with Sex and the City, please? But we're all in a system where men tell the stories. It's a male narrative that's being written. So the man who wrote the story about the rise of HBO was more interested in The Sopranos.

More: Elizabeth Banks Is Tired & Disappointed in Steven Spielberg's Sexism

SK: Do you find in your own career that you're pushed to tell stories that fit the male narrative?

EB: I'm very grateful to be in a position now where I have a lot more control to tell the stories I want to tell. I feel no obligation to tell any one story. I will tell you my interest mostly lies in telling stories about empowered women, but I don't feel it's an obligation. But I do feel like I am servicing a voice.

SK: What or who makes you laugh the most?

EB: My kids. My little children, they are so funny. I mean, just everything they do is so cute. It just makes me laugh. And also how they interact with the world and how aware they are of things that I don't even realize they're already aware of. They blow my mind every day.

When it’s that time of the month, we want chocolate and lots of it.

More: This Low-Carb Gooey Skillet Brownie Is Your New Dream Dessert

But why should we have to go out and find it when we’re already suffering? We shouldn’t have to, and that’s where a new brownie delivery service comes into play.

Moon Cycle Bakery is a subscription service that will schedule the sweet treats you crave to be delivered each month just before you are scheduled to get your period.

According to the Moon Cycle website, the idea for the subscription service came after the owner had attended a bachelorette party. The intended groom met up with the group at the end of the night and brought a three-tiered chocolate cake, prompting his bride to burst into tears. Possibly, because she was — in addition to being touched by the gesture — in the midst of PMS. An idea was born.

"The deeper we thought about it, the more important it became to nourish the people we wanted to reach as much as we supported, acknowledged, embraced and satisfied them," explains the bakery website.

The idea behind these baked goods, though, is to feed cravings but also nourish the body. Ingredients like vitamin C, iron, calcium and magnesium are included in these baked goods, which also help with symptoms of PMS. The matcha coconut bites are made with ginger, known to help with cramps.

More: Easy Christmas tree brownies

Sounds like a brilliant idea to us.

It's still probably going to be more than a year before the final season of Game of Thrones debuts, but that doesn't mean the hype machine isn't already working overtime. The series' stars, both former and past, are also doing their jobs at keeping people excited during the ridiculously long wait until the last episodes air.

More: Is Sophie Turner's New Movie Character Even Stronger Than Sansa Stark?

Maisie Williams, who has played Arya Stark since the first season of the HBO hit, isn't giving anything away. Instead, she's doing just enough to keep fans dying for more GoT, like posting a throwback pic of her tween self on set during Season 1.

In the photo, which she posted to Instagram, Williams poses under a sign bearing her character's name. She captioned the photo, "day 1," with a throwback hashtag.

More: Peter Dinklage & Erica Schmidt Are New Parents Once Again

Williams may still be around in the final season, but Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo back in Season 1, is definitely not. Still, that hasn't stopped Momoa from being involved. He revealed in a recent interview with Men's Health that he stopped by the set to see some of his old friends, and now he knows exactly what's coming in the final season.

"It was a bummer because I’m a huge fan and I didn’t want to know what’s going on," he said. "I was like, ‘Damn, I didn’t want to know that!'"

Still, just because Momoa knows doesn't mean we get to. HBO would obviously not take too kindly to one of its former stars giving away such closely guarded secrets as GoT spoilers. But he does want us all to know one thing.

"Just knowing how amazing this season is going to be, it’s going to be the greatest thing that’s ever aired on TV," he said. "It’s going to be unbelievable. It’s going to fuck up a lot of people."

More: Jason Momoa Finally Married Lisa Bonet in the Secret Wedding of Our Dreams

As if we weren't looking forward to it enough already.

The shortlist for Time magazine's Person of the Year award is out, and there are some really nice surprises included on it. Not surprising is Donald Trump, who probably deserves to be there based solely on his political and cultural significance, but still, ugh. Again?

More: Michelle Obama Shaded President Trump Without Even Saying His Name

On the list along with Trump, though, are some seriously deserving individuals.

There's Patty Jenkins, the director of Wonder Woman, which had the highest-earning domestic opening for a female director ever. Jenkins is an unapologetic feminist, and her movie is a rallying cry for girls everywhere who needed a superhero of their own. She would be a majorly deserving Person of the Year even though she's probably a little bit of a dark horse to nab the actual title.

More: President Trump Was Officially Blacklisted From a Big Hollywood Event

A more likely winner (and someone just as deserving) is Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who is infamous for taking a knee during the National Anthem as a protest against the police brutality black Americans face. Many others have now followed Kaepernick's lead and protest during the anthem, but he opted out of his contract because it seemed likely he was going to be released anyway and recently sued the NFL for collusion among owners preventing him from signing with another team.

One possible (and deserving) winner of the title that isn't technically a person is the #MeToo movement, which began during the 2016 election when it was revealed that then-candidate Trump had admitted on tape to sexually assaulting women, but really picked up steam in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Thousands of women have now used the hashtag to show that sexual assault and harassment are more pervasive than many men ever imagined.

More: Internet Says: Donald Trump Jr. Is the Grinch Who Stole Halloween... From His Kid

Time will announce its Person of the Year winner on Today Wednesday.

Let us know in the comments who you think will take home the title.

Writing about kinks comes with its perks. I get free sex toys and free lube, and I get to play with all of it. It also comes with temptations.

After researching an article about what the life of a financial dominatrix is like, I began to heavily research this tempting and attractive way of making money. As the writing lifestyle goes, my paychecks are irregular and sporadic. Things get desperate and hustling comes in handy. Once I read a few articles online on how to be a financial dominatrix, I ventured on to Twitter hashtags. If you’re interested, search as follows: #cashcow, #findom, #humanATM.

After some deep investigating, I decided as someone who already leans toward a more dominating personal sex life, I wanted to be financial dominatrix.

More: What to Do If You Get Something Stuck Inside Your Vagina

Kinkly describes a findom as “a fetish that involves being humiliated or demeaned by a financial dominatrix (also referred to as fin-dom), in exchange for money or gifts. It does not necessarily involve sex. It is said to have stemmed from the observations and eventual practice of Miss Marx, a professional dominatrix, who saw how some men get an instant hard-on when handing a woman money. She exploited this reaction, and eventually began a cult fetish.”

I enjoyed the anonymity of being a findom. My identity wasn’t revealed; my family would never know. You humiliate men and demand money, and they get off on watching you empty their bank accounts. My plane ticket to New Orleans was purchased, my rent was paid for one month, and little presents from Amazon were delivered to my door.

However, after a few months, I realized I craved more, more, more. It wasn’t necessarily greed, but more of a temptation to be in control. Somehow, the subs were still controlling me via the internet. Scams, fakes, and a lot of broke men trying to get off on a quick selfie infiltrated my inbox. I decided I was bored with it and definitely not dedicated enough to weed through the clumps of men who pervade the World Wide Web.

Then I started watching the show Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On (not to be confused with the movie). I remember pausing Netflix after the episode "Take Me Private with Alice." I was hooked — line and sinker — by the flexibility, empowerment and overall exhilaration of the cam girls' experiences. I immediately closed my tab and opened up another, typing in “Cam websites” in Google. My new endeavor was beginning, and it was going to be hot.

As with many kinks or fetishes that I’m involved in, I begin with research, and that research typically results in a significant amount of intrigue (like when I sold my underwear to strangers). At this point, I’m talking about sex every day of my life. I’m also having sex almost every day of my life. For me, being on camera in the comfort of my home while making money in between writing projects seems natural. My moral compass isn’t skewed. I didn't and still don’t contemplate the idea that my body could possibly be permanently on the internet. My words are already etched into platforms, publications and websites. I’m here — clothed or naked — and I’m here to stay.

I’m also not naive, either. I probed, I watched PornHub, I lurked other girls on CamSoda and Chaturbate to be able to understand the interweavings of the very interesting world of camming.

I don’t have a persona for the camera. I don’t dress up. On most days, I’m still in my pajamas, coffee in hand and no makeup on my face. I disclose that I’m a writer and I spend most of my time educating my viewers on sex positions, lube and safer sex. It doesn’t necessarily seem irresistible, but I found that many of the men on the website are looking for honesty and candidness. When someone types out, ”What’s your favorite position?” — which they inevitably will ask — I know they want me to giggle and say, “Doggy style.” However, breaking up that fantasy is a duty of mine. I laugh and say, “Honestly, missionary.”

My professional life is spent educating people on sex and sexual health — why not utilize this knowledge in an erotic setting? As a feminist, I’m also not interested in conceding to a misogynistic environment or any type of harsh language. My “room” is a safe space for me and for all 200 of my viewers.

Being on camera has expanded my sexuality, my understanding of my body, and improved my self-esteem by a large margin. Ah, you may think, “It’s all of the male attention.” But instead, it’s the attention that I allow for myself. For someone like me, who spends most of her time talking about her body and what goes in and what comes out, I feel that I have a solid comprehension of what shakes my tree or scratches my itch.

More: How Precocious Puberty Impacts the Rest of Your Life

But to my surprise, camming heightened this perspective.

For example, in a private session, I stare at my own reflection on my computer screen. I am literally getting off to my own image — my own body and all of my true self. I see myself from angles that I never see. "That’s me," I think as I find a new song to sing along to and chat about my newest article that I’m researching with a man who lives in Germany. He’s nice. He tips me. He just wants someone to talk to. He requests that I put on jeans. He types, I talk.

Eventually, I do perform sexual acts. I realize that certain angles help me to achieve a faster orgasm. I text my partner to log on and watch me. I text my partner about what’s going on in the room. I gush about my partner to my viewers. I realize anal play is still not in my personal vocabulary. I decline when someone requests that I put yogurt on my face. I make $200.

Being seated on my bed behind a camera is safe. If someone is aggressive, though this is rare, I decline or report them. There is no upfront confrontation — they don’t exist in my reality — only online.

Only a handful of times has it seemed like work. It’s more a moment for me to connect to my body. Truly finding pleasure in camming for myself is the most important aspect for my personal connection to these men, these strangers, on the internet.

More: How Custom-Fit Condoms Can Change Sex

This wasn’t necessarily my ah-ha moment of clarity concerning my self-esteem or my body. But it was more of an addition to my sexual self-discovery, even if the whole world was watching.

By S. Nicole Lane

Who wants an advent calendar with little foil-wrapped chocolate or brandy treats when you can have one with tiny Kardashians popping out every day instead?

Photographer Eli Linnetz and life expert Kim Kardashian West are sharing teasers on social media from what we're thinking is the family holiday card — in the form of daily peeks reminiscent of an advent calendar. The puzzle-piece glimpses began on Dec. 1.

On the first day of Kardashmas, our true Kim gave to us: a Kardashababy in (OK, near) a pear (OK, a pine) tree. In the pic, her son, Saint, 2, is sitting in a pile of UPS boxes in an all-white version of the Upside Down. Yes, we know it doesn't rhyme as well as the original.

More: Here's Why Kim Kardashian West Didn't Invite Her Surrogate to Her Baby Shower

On the second day of Kardashmas, our true Kim gave to us: her daughter, North West, 4 — and some adult torsos mingling in the background.

On the third day of Kardashmas, our true Kim gave to us: her shirtless baby nephew, Reign — Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's third child — and an all-white baa-aaa-ackground. Yes, we were trying to sing that one. No, it didn't work well.

And on the fourth day of Kardashmas, our true Kim gave to us... herself chilling on that snow-white background along with North. Both of them are rocking some seriously fashionable ripped denim. Nothing says Kardashmas quite like ripped denim, as you know.

More: Here's how Kim Kardashian West Bribes Daughter North to Go to School

The Kardashian-Jenners opted out of a holiday card last year, but they are clearly back in full force for 2017. Their family cards have been an eagerly awaited event for many years, with the fam pulling off everything from glam formal attire (2010) to a 3-D Middle-Eastern theme (2011) and a wild circus vibe (2013).

Kim Kardashian West is this year's organizer — I mean, really, who else? — and she clearly relishes her role. Kardashian West talked to James Corden on The Late Late Showin November about her Christmas card idea: "This year’s Christmas card is shot really casually. We’re kind of doing jeans and T-shirts vibe. Really cute. All the kids are so hard to put together."

Somehow, our idea of a Christmas card being "shot really casually" doesn't seem to match up with Kim Kardashian West's concept of "shot really casually," but that's all right. She is, after all, worth an estimated $175 million. And this world would be a much more blah place without Kardashian aesthetics seeping into the national zeitgeist. In other words, yeah, we're on board. Merry over-the-top styling to all, and to all a good night!

You think a ring is an incredible accessory until you go to wash your hands and realize it's turned your whole finger green. A result of the acid in your skin mixing with the metal of the jewelry, the stain isn't harmful, but it is unsightly. And it's not just one metal — experts say several types of metals can result in a green tinge. Copper is most common, but silver and gold metals can cause discoloration too.

Here's how to avoid the mean jewelry greens.

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1. Avoid cheap jewelry

OK, so this solution is easier said than done, but it’s a start. In this situation, the saying "You get what you pay for" applies. A cheap ring may look cute and it seems affordable, but it’ll cost you in other ways. This type of jewelry will tarnish quickly and leave behind a green stain when worn.

Stainless steel, platinum and rhodium-plated jewelry, which includes almost all white gold, are less likely to react to your skin. Look for these specific metals when shopping for rings and decrease the chances of buying jewelry that will turn your finger green.

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2. Keep skin dry

3. Seal jewelry with clear nail polish

If you can’t stay away from accessories prone to leaving a dark stain, try clear nail polish as a quick fix. Apply a polymer coating to your ring and let dry. This creates a barrier between your skin and the metal so that the ring can’t turn your finger green. Just remember to reapply the coating often because it tends to wear off.

A version of this post was originally published in August 2016.

A big change is coming to the SAG Awards this year, and we're totally here for it. For the first time ever, the annual awards show will have a host, and we couldn't be happier with who they've picked to head the first year of the new format: Kristen Bell.

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Bell is hilarious and is going to make a perfect host, and executive producer of the awards, Kathy Connell, clearly sees that.

"This has been a year in which assumptions have been challenged, stereotypes have been shattered and precedents have been broken," Connell said as she made the announcement about the change. "We decided to capture the cultural mood by casting aside one of our own traditions, and we’re thrilled to have such a talented performer like Bell help us do so."

And of course, Bell also weighed in, and it sounds like she's stoked for this new opportunity, albeit a little nervous (but who wouldn't be?).

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"I am honored to be part of the SAG Awards, and am a little nervous about being its first-ever host," she said in a statement. "I’m so glad that I’ll be in the company of my fellow actors, many of whom I’ve worked with before, so I know they’ll be warm and supportive. It’s going to be an amazing night."

We already know one thing Bell will get to take part in. Morgan Freeman has been announced as the recipient of this year's Life Achievement Award. Beyond that, though, we'll have to wait to see who the winners will be. There's only one other thing we know for sure: Bell is going to kill it.

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The 2018 SAG Awards air on Jan. 24.

It seems like tarot cards and emoji spells are everywhere lately, and an increasing number of women are identifying themselves as witches. From "resistance witches" who are hexing Trump to Goop-level new age juices that come with a side of crystals, it's hard to parse where exactly the modern witch is falling — as a new type of social media influencer, earnest practitioner or somewhere in between.

We talked to Lisa Chamberlain, a witch and Wicca practitioner who has published more than 10 introductory Wicca books and e-books, about how she views the growing interest in witchcraft.

SheKnows: When did you first start identifying as a witch?

Lisa Chamberlain: It was really something of a gradual process. I became interested in Wicca and witchcraft as a teenager, but since it was a bit too “weird” to share with friends and I didn’t want to upset my very religious family, I kept it to myself for several years. I was in my mid-20s before I really understood that this was a central part of who I am and that I wanted to go ahead and embrace it fully. As for my family, we’ve just agreed not to mention it.

SK: It seems like witchcraft is growing in popularity in the last few years. You’ve written several books on Wicca and witchcraft. Why do you think witchcraft is gaining ground again?

LC: I think a lot of it has to do with the availability of information. Before the internet came into widespread use, books and periodicals related to the craft were not easy to come by for the vast majority of people who might otherwise have been interested. We’re also in a period of wider cultural acceptance of people, lifestyles and beliefs that are different from the “norm.” That doesn’t mean that plenty of witches aren’t still in the closet, but there’s less social risk for people who are out about their spiritual pursuits. You could almost say there’s a normalization of witchcraft happening, which then leads even more people to want to explore it and to feel safe in doing so.

SK: What do people tend to misunderstand about Wicca and witchcraft?

LC: That’s a big question. The first thing that comes to mind is that there’s still a mistaken association between the words “witch” and “witchcraft” with Satanism, dark magic or harmful intentions toward others. Many people coming from a Christian background still have this misconception. This is a big part of why the term “Wicca” came into such popular use in the U.S. when interest in the craft was growing in the mid-20th century — it just sounds less provocative or threatening than “witchcraft.”

SK: Wicca has been part of your life for several years, but there’s a kind of derogatory expectation that Wicca is a fad for young women. Where do you think that comes from?

LC: I have no doubt that movies and television shows featuring aspects of witchcraft — like Charmed, American Horror Story, etc. — have sparked interest in learning more about the craft, but I think that young people who are truly drawn to it are coming from a place of knowing there’s more to the world than what they’ve been taught and wanting an experience that confirms their sixth-sense leanings. They may find Wicca to be an excellent answer to these soul callings, or they might find it interesting but ultimately not for them. It’s not much different from people who want to incorporate a more traditional religion into their lives and so try out various churches to find out what they resonate most with.

SK: Does someone have to practice Wicca in order to be a witch?

LC: Absolutely not. There are some who practice specific, coven-oriented Wiccan traditions that have been handed down from the days of Gerald Gardner and his fellow witches, and if you haven’t been initiated into a coven, then you aren’t a practitioner of that specific tradition. But no one has authority over the term “witch,” and there are many people who identify as witches who have never practiced Wicca. There are also plenty of Wiccans who don’t identify as witches, so the whole issue of labels and terminology can get rather tricky.

SK: One of the places witchcraft seems to have become increasingly popular is on social platforms like Instagram and Tumblr. The hashtag “witchesofinstagram” has nearly a million posts. What do you think of its popularity there?

LC: I have to confess that I don’t really understand how Instagram or Tumblr work. I’m pretty old-fashioned in that regard. But given that the bulk of the growing popularity of the craft is happening among young people, it makes perfect sense to me that it’s showing up all over social media. Maybe one day I'll join them!

SK: Are there any “magic” or “spells” that people tend to do in everyday life without realizing it’s what they’re creating?

LC: That’s a great question. I wouldn’t say that people are accidentally working “spells,” since those are deliberately executed rituals. However, magic works on the principle that your focused intentions are what create your reality, and this is interrelated with the concept of the law of attraction, which is also becoming a more popular topic.

The basic principle here is that you get what you think about, and that’s definitely happening to everyone all day long whether they ever realize it or not. It’s a tough thing to explain because it’s rarely an instant equation — you don’t suddenly discover a $100 bill laying on the ground just because you thought about it — or at least that’s not usually how it works. But if you spend your days constantly focusing on the things that stress you out, you will attract more things to stress you out. If you focus on what’s working out well for you, then more and more aspects of your day will work out well for you. I’ve learned this through my own experiences over the years and through watching the experiences of others, but funnily enough, I didn’t really truly get it until long after I first started learning spell-work.

The details of the latest royal wedding are starting to pour in, and all signs are pointing to the fact that this will be a unique royal wedding. And honestly, we are loving this fun new spin on the classic royal wedding traditions we love.

Today, rumor has it the couple is going to do something that has never been done at a royal wedding (or any wedding that we know of) before — they are going to have a banana-flavored wedding cake.

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"This will be the first royal wedding cake made from bananas," a source tells The Telegraph.

When we first learned about the news, we had some questions, but most important — why a banana cake? Well, apparently the answer is quite simple. The couple just happens to share a love of bananas. In fact, Markle has Instagrammed banana love in the past.

"As well as acting as a symbol for their affection, Prince Harry is said to love 'anything with banana,'" the paper reports.

Harry "loved banana flan, anything with banana really, banana ice cream," a former royal chef said in a previous interview with Hello!, The Telegraph reports.

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To be honest, I've gotta agree with Harry. Banana bread is out of this world, so I would imagine a banana cake is equally delicious. While I personally would have opted for a carrot cake, I love that the couple is trying something new and shaking up those classic rules just a little bit.

I have another Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding update, and I can promise you this: It's not only adorable, it's also deeply heartwarming. In the week since Harry and Markle have officially announced their engagement, there's been a booming mill of information about who Markle is and what her life is like outside her royal connections. But what we're dying for is more wedding updates because, hello, it's never too early to get as much information as possible about the most exciting celebrity wedding of 2018.

More: Prince Harry Is Officially Engaged to Meghan Markle, & We Couldn't Be Happier

Now we can confirm that Harry has selected his big brother, Prince William, to be his best man. According to a source who spoke to Us Weekly, "Harry has several close guy friends, but there’s no way he would ask anyone but William to take on the top job." Of course Harry couldn't choose any of his friends over his brother. I mean, c'mon, not only is it fair considering Harry was the best man at William's wedding to Kate Middleton, who's now the Duchess of Cambridge, but they're brothers; you've gotta stick to the unwritten sibling code of conduct on this one, Harry.

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At the time of the engagement announcement, William was all too pleased to offer his warm wishes to Harry and Markle during their special time. "We’re very excited and delighted for them both and wishing them all the happiness in this very exciting time. [...] It’s a fantastic process to go through: the engagement and then the buildup to the wedding. They’ve got a lot of happy times ahead of them. I think they’re very caught up in the moment and I wish them all the happiness and success in planning the wedding. I hope it goes really well."

Harry and Markle are confirmed to be marrying over the U.K. bank holiday in late May 2018 at Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel just outside London. This means there will likely be a quieter wedding in store for the youngest English prince and his bride-to-be versus the overflowing pomp and circumstance that came with William's 2011 wedding.

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Until their big day arrives, Harry and Markle are living at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, which is where William and the Duchess of Cambridge also live with their children, George and Charlotte.

Pink's not a fan of labels or traditional gender roles — which somehow doesn't surprise us in the least. Recently she chatted with the U.K.'s Sunday People about why she and husband Carey Hart are raising their children — Willow, 6, and Jameson, 11 months — as gender-neutral.

Pink told the magazine, "I was in a school and the bathroom outside the kindergarten said, 'Gender Neutral — anybody,' and it was a drawing of many different shapes. I took a picture of it and I wrote, 'Progress.' I thought that was awesome. I love that kids are having this conversation."

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She's having this conversation with her own kids (well, at least her daughter until Jameson has worked out the whole speech thing) on a regular basis as well in what she refers to as their "very label-less household." The singer said she's long viewed herself as a preteen boy. "I do bake sales and lemonade stands," she said. "I take my kid to school and try to get there on time. I'm a fucking grown up now, it's so weird. I'm still a 12-year-old boy."

Well, Willow's clearly thriving with that 12-year-old boy as her mother. Back in August at the MTV Video Music Awards, Willow was rocking a black and white tailored suit that matched her mom's and dad's. But Pink and Willow are just as likely to glam it up on the red carpet in super-girly style. On Nov. 8, Pink posted a great shot of Willow and her at the CMAs, prompting one commenter to write, "A queen and her princess." And Pink's been known to dress her son in pink, naturally.

If you love Oprah Winfrey on her TV network, OWN, this will be good news for you. The mogul just signed a new deal that will keep her on OWN for the next seven years, through 2025.

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Now for the bad news (or maybe good — we don't really know for sure yet). The deal is part of the sale of the majority of shares of OWN, which means Winfrey has gone from a 50-50 ownership partnership with Discovery Communications to Discovery Communications having a 74.5 percent stake and Winfrey having the remaining 25.5 percent. Discovery now owns the majority of the network, even though Winfrey will remain there for those seven years and will still act as the chief executive. This is the first time she's been less than a half-owner since the network launched in 2011.

This could mean Winfrey is starting to move her eye toward potential other future projects (like running for president). It could also mean that the 63-year-old star is thinking about (God forbid) retirement. But clearly if that's the goal, it's a ways away, as she's still committed to appearing on OWN as well as her job as a guest correspondent for CBS' 60 Minutes.

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"Creating OWN and seeing it flourish, supported by Discovery and a rapidly growing group of the finest storytellers in film and television, is one of my proudest achievements," Winfrey said in a statement announcing the sale. "I'm thrilled with the network's success and excited about this next chapter in our partnership."

This comes after years of low ratings and staff turnover at OWN, even though it's long been the top-rated network for black women in U.S. markets.

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Hopefully, this deal doesn't signal any major changes at OWN, and Winfrey will stick around for as long as possible.

Despite the fact that around half the population menstruates, there's still a stigma attached to talking about periods. Now, thanks to a new survey, we have a better idea of how those conversations do take place and a glimpse into the habits of people with periods around the world.

The Flex Company — known for their innovative menstrual disc that allows users to have period sex — recently released the results of their global periods survey, which involved polling nearly 2,000 people across six different countries (U.K., U.S., Canada, China, India and South Africa) on menstruation.

Turns out, tampons aren't very popular outside the U.S. — it's the only country where they are more popular than pads. There may be good reason for this: In China, for example, 60 percent of those surveyed were concerned that using tampons affected their virginity. And as a result, 93 percent of Chinese people surveyed reported they use pads (and 90 percent wish they had more options for period products).

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Unfortunately, most people with periods don't feel comfortable talking about them, with at least 73 percent of those surveyed either sometimes or always hiding their period from others. And while people surveyed in India were likely to hide their periods less frequently than any other country, they were also the most likely to miss work because of menstruation.

Part of that might be because of how we learn about periods. Fewer American menstruators learn about their period from their mothers than in any other country, and as many of us are aware, it's not like sex ed in schools is all that comprehensive.

But when it comes to period sex, Americans are the most comfortable, with 34 percent of those surveyed saying they would "of course" have it. The U.K. and Canada were tied for second, with 19 percent saying they would be up for it. Those surveyed in China were far less enthusiastic about it, with 67 percent reporting that they would never have sex while they had their period.

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While we still have a long way to go, even just talking about periods and cultural differences is a step in the right direction of destigmatizing this normal bodily function.