For women watching the Golden Globes, it was a night of empowerment and inspiration. Women took control of the ceremony and were celebrated like they never have been before, telling Hollywood — and the world — over and over in their speeches we have had enough of being silenced, of coming in second, of being seen as less than our male counterparts.
Just minutes after Oprah Winfrey gave a goose bump-inducing speech about a new era dawning for women, Natalie Portman took the stage to announce the nominees for the award for Best Director. Only one problem: The nominees for Best Director were Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Martin McDonagh and Guillermo del Toro, five men. On a night when women were standing up and making their voices the loudest in the room, Portman wasn't about to have that.
"And here are the all-male nominees," she deadpanned.
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 1
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 1
The crowd's reaction was a mix of cheering and stunned silence, but Twitter was all the way here for it.
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 2
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 2
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 3
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 3
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 4
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 4
Even better than Portman's jab, though, were the moments that followed. As each male director was announced, the camera panned to his face, each one looking more awkward and uncomfortable than the last.
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 5
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 5
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 6
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 6
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 7
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 7
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 8
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 8
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 9
Natalie Portman announces best director GG nominees 9
We already knew female directors who did amazing work in 2017, like Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) and Dee Rees (Mudbound) got snubbed this year. What we didn't know is that we'd see justice come for them so quickly.
It's been a while since we've heard from Gwyneth Paltrow over at Goop, but fear not: She's back with a bang in 2018 peddling a product that allows you to perform at-home coffee enemas.
The product, which retails at $135, is called the Implant O'Rama, which sounds more like a high-traffic Irish plastic surgery clinic than an enema bottle with tubes sticking out (although in fairness, the bottle is green). The Implant O'Rama is featured in the site's Detox Guide, specifically in a section called "Supercharge Your Detox."
There's a deeper dive into the world of enemas in a linked article called "The Nuts and Bolts of Colonics," which explains the difference between the two procedures. According to in-house Goop doctor Alejandro Junger, enemas work using your colon's own gravitational force, while colonics reach farther up into the colon using some sort of additional mechanized pressure. He does clarify that the Implant O'Rama is only for those who know what they're doing (yet still opt for at-home enemas).
So what does science have to say about all this? Let's start with Implant O'Rama's own website, which states that none of the information they present has been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is “not necessarily based on scientific evidence from any source.”
The National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health isn't enthusiastic about DIY enemas — or detoxes or cleanses in general. According to the organization: "There isn’t any convincing evidence that detox or cleansing programs actually remove toxins from your body or improve your health." Specifically, they note that colon-cleansing procedures — like the one touted by Goop — may come with serious side effects, especially for those with a history of gastrointestinal disease, colon surgery, kidney disease or heart disease. Less serious side effects include cramping, bloating, nausea and vomiting.
While different substances have been used in enemas, including water and herbs, coffee is a popular choice for its stimulant properties. Given how drinking coffee has been known to jump-start a bowel movement or two, it's hardly surprising people are attempting this process in reverse — but to be very clear, there is no empirical evidence suggesting this works. In fact, according to Dr. Michael F. Picco at the Mayo Clinic, coffee enemas sometimes used in colon cleansing have been linked to several deaths.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to start the new year with a renewed focus on wellness. And if you're looking for a few realistic (and not harmful) ways to get healthy in 2018, we have a few suggestions.
Speeches made by men were definitely not the highlights of last night's Golden Globe awards. But the exception to that was (unsurprisingly) Sterling K. Brown, who won the award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his role on This Is Us.
Brown was the first black man ever to win that award. Since the category was introduced in 1961, we've seen 57 years of white men winning (75 years if you start counting at the beginning of the Golden Globes, even though the category didn't exist for the first 18 years). Brown didn't even know that when he made his speech, but he still emotionally thanked This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman for his work in making a space that was just for an actor of color.
"Dan Fogelman, throughout the majority of my career, I have benefited from colorblind casting, which means, you know what, hey, let’s throw a brother in this role. Right? It’s always really cool," Brown said. "But Dan Fogelman, you wrote a role for a black man that could only be played by a black man. What I appreciate so much about this is that I’m being seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me."
Sterling K Brown wins Golden Globe for best actor drama
Sterling K Brown wins Golden Globe for best actor drama
"It’s been 75 years and I was the first. I was shocked. I did not know this was the case," Brown told Entertainment Tonight after the ceremony. "Hopefully it won’t be another 75 years until somebody else does, but if my presence can open doors and can inspire someone ‘cause it take -- you have to see something sometimes first before you can envision for yourself. So if they can see me walk across that stage allows them to see themselves walking across that stage, happy to be a part of it, man."
On a night when the marginalized and the silenced stood up and took back their power, Brown's speech was just one more inspiring moment in a long ceremony filled with inspiring moments. Congrats to all the winners!
Jeannette LeBlanc was on a trip to Louisiana this past September and enjoyed raw oysters, KLFY-TV reported. Soon after, she noticed a rash and had breathing issues.
“An allergic reaction of sorts, that’s what I would call it. That’s what we thought,” her friend Karen Bowers, who enjoyed the oysters with her but didn't get sick, told KLFY.
This reaction worsened over the course of the next two days and she ended up hospitalized, spending the next three weeks fighting an infection in the hospital. The cause of her infection was a flesh-eating bacterium called vibrio.
LeBlanc was unable to beat the infection caused by the bacteria, and she died on Oct. 21, 2017.
While shellfish is a common allergy, this is an another issue entirely. Vibriosis (the infection caused by vibrio) is generally transmitted via eating raw or undercooked shellfish, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Per the CDC, eating raw oysters “can increase the chance you will get sick with vibriosis.” The CDC says people can also get infected with the bacteria after going swimming in warm seawater with an open wound.
While this is not common, it’s not rare either: Vibriosis causes 80,000 illnesses each year in America, and about 52,000 of the illnesses come from eating contaminated food.
In case you somehow missed it, Oprah Winfrey gave a truly incredible, inspiring speech on Sunday night at the 75th Golden Globes. If you weren't watching the ceremony and you still haven't caught a video of her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award, stop reading and do that now. If you've already seen it, watch it again, because it's that good.
OK, now that that's out of the way, let's take a look at how some people are reacting to Winfrey's speech. Since it aired, there have been a lot of whispers, steadily growing louder, that her speech sounded a little... political. There was the compelling anecdote. There was the emotional touch. There was the call to action. Winfrey's speech was polished and effective and wouldn't have sounded out of place at all on the campaign trail for a presidential bid. Is Winfrey gearing up to run for president?
A lot of people seem to think so, and Twitter lit up with people actually calling for it.
Have we learned nothing from the last year? We just elected a celebrity with no governing experience to be president, and can I kindly ask you all to think about how that has gone for us? We're constantly on the brink of nuclear war with North Korea. We've undone decades of work to protect the environment and slow climate change. Our reputation has been, possibly irreversibly, damaged in the stadium of world affairs. Neo-Nazis marched in the streets, fam. This is where we are right now (and it needs to change. Like, yesterday).
Donald Trump is clearly too much of a wildcard for the role he is currently in, and with zero previous political experience, it's hardly favorable to champion a future candidate with similarly absent qualifications. Even if that person is the beloved Oprah Winfrey. Admittedly, Winfrey has more poise and grace than we may ever see from Trump, but she also has no relevant experience. When did we decide it's OK to elect someone to one of the most difficult and important jobs on the planet without them having done anything to show they're capable of doing that job?
If we truly have sunk to a point at which we must have a celebrity president, then sure, Oprah Winfrey is better than Trump. But seriously, guys, let's get it together.
It is 2018, and we have surrendered completely to the charms of Britain's thoroughly modern monarchy. We eagerly lap up all news about them (Harry and Meghan Markle and William and Kate and Charlotte and George and the queen, of course — this could be a Broadway musical). Kensington Palace has become one of our favorite Instagram stops now that the royals are also apparently social media hipsters.
And today did not disappoint: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Kate Middleton (who really needs to be named a princess soon), shared two crazy-adorable shots of her daughter, Princess Charlotte, on her first day of nursery school. Long live Princess Charlotte and her red bow and her red coat and her red leather Mary Janes and her completely winning smile, all perched on a perfect staircase setting.
Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte
Oh, not cute enough for you? Fine. Have another compliments of the palace and Princess, er, Duchess Catherine.
Princess Char 2
Princess Char 2
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share two photographs of Princess Charlotte at Kensington Palace this morning," the Instagram caption reads. "The images were taken by The Duchess shortly before Princess Charlotte left for her first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School."
Seriously, that is one cute little princess right there. We're imagining she was covered in finger paint and had torn her stockings like any other preschooler by morning snack time, which only adds to the adorable factor. Harry and Markle had better take their time with kids, because we're not sure how much royal cuteness our hearts can take all at once.
Charlotte's big brother, Prince George, enjoyed his first day of actual school at Thomas's Battersea in London back in September. He was dropped off by his dad (Kate was suffering from debilitating morning sickness at the time), who later told the press his son's first day went well and was officially a good day.
Dad Prince William was also (ever-relatably) relieved at George's fairly painless first drop-off. "There was one other parent who had more of an issue with their children, so I was quite pleased I wasn't the one!" he told school coach Paul Simpson that day.
They may have way better clothes and a much cooler social calendar than most, but this new generation of British royals is, in some ways, just like us.
No matter how old you are — 21 or 34 or 47 or 55 — you should have a fun and satisfying sex life if you want it. Good partners, good self-knowledge and plenty of sex education throughout your life go a long way. But each decade also has its own challenges and issues that can get in the way of your best sexual self.
What happens in our 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond that define the kind of sex we have during that time? Although every woman’s life experience is unique, there are things most of us can’t avoid, like menopause. I spoke with Dr. Katharine O’Connell White, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine, about some common themes in women’s sexual health as they go from teenager to postmenopausal.
Teens & 20s: An exciting time for exploration
The years between the onset of puberty and settling as an independent adult in your late 20s are marked by lots of sexual exploration and experimentation. “It’s the time when you figure out who you are as a sexual person. It can be exciting, but it needs to be tempered by two concerns: sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy,” says White.
Indeed, the highest incidence of STIs is found in this age group, influenced by a sense of invulnerability and lower sensitivity to risk. The CDC recently reported that 2016 was the third year in a row with an increase in STI rates; specifically, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis increased for both men and women in the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 age groups.
White also notes that it’s never too early to learn your boundaries and how to maintain them: “Keep yourself safe and recognize how you should be treated," she advises. "Know what sexual harassment is and remember that it’s not OK and not your fault.”
30s: Marked by parenthood
More and more women are having children in their late 20s and early 30s, which means the parenting years can easily extend through to the late 40s. Birth control and controlling pregnancy are major concerns during this period.
“Find a method that you can easily stop once you are ready for pregnancy. You should also think about birth control in-between pregnancies,” White says.
When it comes to your sex life, pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing can also have a big influence. “Part of it is exhaustion. When you have a baby, your body is being used by someone else all day long, so it’s hard to feel sexual at the end of the day,” she explains. She recommends setting aside some time to connect with partners and to remind yourself that you are a sexual being too.
And of course, just because a person is in their 30s does not mean they need to be a parent. Sex for the purpose of pleasure continues to be important throughout this decade as well — especially as you become surer of yourself and your unique sexual needs.
40s: Not out of the woods yet
Few women keep having children once they hit 40, but pregnancy still remains a risk of sexual activity. “Until you’ve gone through menopause, you can still get pregnant. That’s why once your family is complete, you should consider a long-acting or permanent form of birth control,” says White.
The mythical “sexual peak” of the 40s is something some women may look forward to. White explains this is mostly due to children being older and more independent, “so you have more space to be you.” But women in their 40s also have to contend with the effects of aging, and this may negatively affect their sex drive. “Accept the signs of aging on your body: stretch marks, C-section scars," she says. "Fighting aging is not conducive to feeling sexually free.”
50s: Menopause & sex for pleasure
White mentions that once a woman has gone through menopause, her sex drive might increase significantly. “You get to have sex just for pleasure, and adult children leaving the nest means you get more time with your partner.”
However, some women go through a period of mourning once they know they cannot have children anymore. For them, it’s an emotional time that may make it difficult to engage sexually with their partner.
“Although some consequences of STIs, like infertility, are not an issue past menopause, they are still a major concern,” says White. Other health conditions like diabetes, arthritis and heart disease may also interfere with sexual activity. “Speaking with your doctor about these conditions is the best way to maintain your overall and sexual health," she advises.
A common complaint of postmenopausal women is vaginal dryness. “Vaginas are ’use it or lose it’. The less you have sex, the more painful it will be,” White explains. She recommends engaging in regular sexual activity to stay healthy and pain-free.
The course of our sexual lives is marked by major changes in our bodies: puberty, pregnancy, child-rearing and menopause. The key to a healthy sex life across the decades is to understand these changes and how they can influence our sexual health. Knowledge and compassion for yourself and your aging body are the keys to great sex for as long as you want it.
Everyone's favorite punk-pop princess, Pink, has officially been confirmed as the singer of the national anthem for Super Bowl LII. The announcement was initially made by NBC and the NFL, then confirmed in a tweet by NFL Network and People magazine. The singer-songwriter will take the stage before the game begins and before Justin Timberlake is scheduled to play at the game's halftime show.
Pink hasn't officially commented on her involvement with the game, though she did tweet on Jan. 6 that she was looking forward to a few major events in the first couple of months of 2018. "I’m really looking forward to 2018. I’m really excited about the Grammy’s. Tour. Some other stuff that’s a secret still and I can’t wait til it’s not a secret. I’m also excited for [T]rump to lose his twitter password and also I’m excited that I have dope hair."
It now looks like one of the super-secret projects she couldn't spill the beans on was in fact Super Bowl LII — we couldn't be more pumped about it.
Pink will join the ranks of a number of famous singers who have belted out the national anthem before the big game, including Lady Gaga, Idina Menzel, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera. You could also say she's the unofficial opening act for Justin Timberlake, who will make his eagerly anticipated return to the Super Bowl to perform yet another halftime show. There's no word on whether Pink will join him, but there's no doubt that's a fun lineup if ever we saw one.
Her Super Bowl LII performance comes after she released her seventh studio album, Beautiful Trauma, in 2017 and before she takes off on her Beautiful Trauma world tour, which begins in Phoenix on March 1. Timberlake will release his newest album, Man of the Woods, on Feb. 2.
Super Bowl LII will take place on Sunday, Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
More than 75 percent of expectant mothers say they’re excited to return to work, but 43 percent end up leaving their jobs. Yet while it’s clear new moms need more support at work, addressing the issue in a comprehensive way is no easy feat. That’s why Fairygodboss cofounder and president Romy Newman teamed up with Maven founder and CEO Kate Ryder to offer practical advice in three key areas.
1. Why women leave their jobs — & why it matters when women leave their jobs
Fairygodboss research shows the No. 1 reason women leave their jobs is because they feel their work environment doesn’t support changes in their personal lives. Surveys also indicate female job-seekers want more flexibility so they can advance at work and balance their family at the same time — and that all job seekers want best-in-class health benefits.
Newman explained why this should matter to companies: “If you’re advocating for policies and programs that support gender diversity, it’s always critical to tie it to financials,” she said, adding that having more women in leadership positions leads to more profit for companies.
She and Ryder shared data from The Boston Consulting Group that indicates Fortune 500 companies with at least three female directors see a 53 percent increase in return on equity and a 42 percent increase in return on sales.
Today, only 12 percent of employees in the country have access to paid leave — and even those who do take paid leave often have a very difficult time transitioning back to work. In fact, Maven has found that 1 in 5 women suffer from postpartum depression with no immediate access to treatment options, and 90 percent of women report separation anxiety when returning to work.
“Even men are actually looking at paternity leave and family benefits when they’re choosing their jobs,” Ryder said, adding that longer leave alone doesn’t solve the problem. Postpartum and return-to-work support are the most critical missing pieces of women’s health in the workplace, and phasing moms back into the workplace can help alleviate both emotional and physical stress and in turn improve retention.
Newman and Ryder stressed that this cannot fall entirely on the employee’s shoulders — managers, too, need to be held accountable for helping to provide additional support during this transition period.
3. Best practices for family-friendly work environments
What can companies do beyond expanding their paid leave policies? Fifth Third Bank, for instance, has a wildly popular maternity concierge program that helps pregnant women and new moms with their increased workload by shopping for groceries or taking care of other errands. Companies can do more to support breastfeeding moms who are pumping at work by improving their lactation facilities or shipping breast milk for traveling employees.
Moreover, managers need to get in the habit of regularly checking in with employees who have just had kids — and need to let the returnee set the tone. “Some women who return from leave aren’t given new challenges and they feel discounted,” Newman explained. “It’s a difficult time to feel devalued at work.”
There comes a time in many couples' relationships when you want to make your sex life a little... spicier. Once you've learned how to make each others' bodies feel good, you can fall into a real rut. Trying something new between the sheets requires trust, an open mind and lots and lots of communication. That's where the safe word comes in — a word that both partners agree means stop. No, seriously, stop.
A safe word is probably going to come into play when things are getting rough and kinky. You may not think you need one before you embark on your erotic night of fun, but in the heat of the moment, you'll be glad you planned ahead.
Clarisse Thorn, author of BDSM & Culture: 50 Shades of Stereotype and The S&M Feminist, explains the intended use of a safe word. "When two (or more) people have a BDSM encounter together, generally they set a safe word — a word that anyone can say at any time to stop the action."
Safe words can work for any couple, in any relationship, in any scenario or kink. It's all about feeling relaxed in knowing you are giving your partner consent. The best and most fulfilling way to explore sexual fantasies is when both partners are comfortable in the arrangement.
The next time you get wild in the bedroom, consider one of these 12 real safe words when the going gets rough.
One Redditor describes the perfect traffic light safe word system, "We generally use the traffic light system (red for stop, yellow for slow down, green for keep going)."
It's already been a big week for Nicole Kidman, and it's only Monday. On Sunday evening, the actor was thrilled to share her joy with the world over her key Golden Globe win, and she decided to do that by joining Instagram and showing us. That's right; Kidman is on Instagram.
After taking home a Golden Globe on Sunday night for Best Actress in a Limited Series, the A-list actor celebrated until they were stacking the chairs in the theater, and then she decided to open a new Instagram account to document the occasion. Easy as 1, 2, 3, right?
Kidman, who won her award for her work on the HBO limited series Big Little Lies, posted a picture of herself holding her award, mouth open in celebration. She wrote, "About last night......shut the place down!!! I am so proud of my Big Little Lies family and to have stood with my sisters on such a special night. #TimesUp," not only mentioning her own success, but also adding her voice to the chorus of women in the entertainment industry who have spoken up about sexism, sexual harassment and sexual assault in Hollywood and around the nation.
nicole kidman first instagram
nicole kidman first instagram
Big Little Lies was nominated for six Golden Globe awards on Sunday night and won four. In addition to Kidman's win, Laura Dern won for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series and Alexander Skarsgård won for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series. Then, Big Little Lies as a whole won in the Best Miniseries or Television Film category.
Just a few hours after her first post, Kidman posted again, this time posting a pic of the main female cast members from Big Little Lies holding their awards in front of the Golden Globes step and repeat. All five are dressed in black as a protest of sexual misconduct in Hollywood and organized by Time's Up, a new organization supported by over 300 women in the entertainment industry who are striving to make change when it comes to gender equality.
The timing of Kidman's foray into Instagram seems clear: She's ready to share her successes, but she's also looking for a platform to voice her opinions and help her causes.
Feminine odor, unfortunately, is one of those things that is shrouded in mystery, which makes most of us feel like we're kind of walking the path alone whenever something smells off. This probably stems from the fact that our vaginas and the smells they emit are not exactly something we like to discuss at happy hour or over dinner — but the truth of the matter is feminine odor is a fact of life and happens to everyone.
Here's what you need to know: We all have a distinct "brand" that's a combination of the natural bacteria that reside in our vaginal tracts, diet, hygiene, clothing choices and gland secretions. When your personal odor suddenly takes a turn for the worse, it's worth paying attention to, even if it's a bit unsettling. Yes, you may want to ignore the smell and just pray it goes away ASAP, but it's extremely important not to brush it off — a change in odor can actually be an indicator that you've got some health problems going on.
Here are five of the most common reasons (and one less common reason) the smell of your vagina might start to change.
1. Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis sounds like a big, scary term, but it’s actually very common. In fact, BV is the most common cause of vaginal odor according to the Mayo Clinic. Every vagina is filled with naturally occurring bacteria, and BV is simply an overgrowth of that bacteria. According to Dr. Mary M. Gallenberg, OB-GYN at the Mayo Clinic, most women in their reproductive years will experience at least one case of BV. The cause is unknown, but unprotected sex and frequent douching can put you at higher risk. Other symptoms include itching, soreness and discharge.
Dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe, an internal medicine doctor based in New York City and attending physician at NYU Langone Medical Center, confirms, "BV is an infection caused by an overgrowth of certain bacteria in the vagina. BV may cause a fishy, malodorous discharge. This odor is usually most prominent after sexual intercourse."
Some cases of BV will go away on their own, but Planned Parenthood recommends that all women with BV symptoms visit their doctor for treatment to prevent rare but serious complications. Treatment for BV is usually antibiotics.
A yeast infection is also very common (and very uncomfortable!). They present much like BV, with the addition of a thick, white discharge. But here's the kicker: Yeast infections are often easy to miss because they don't have a very strong smell.
A yeast infection is a very common fungal infection caused by the overgrowth of yeast called candida, Okeke-Igbokwe explains.
"The vaginal discharge associated with yeast infections tends to have a cottage cheeselike appearance and can be odorless, though sometimes it can produce a mild odor that essentially smells like bread or yeast," she adds. "The accompanying symptoms of a yeast infection may include vaginal itching, redness, burning and pain with urination or sexual intercourse. These infections are treated with antifungal medications."
Yeast infections don’t require antibiotics and instead can be treated with a one- or three-course vaginal antifungal treatment. Your doctor may also recommend a one-time oral antifungal treatment. Treatment for yeast infections has become very simple and can even be purchased over the counter. Most of these treatments tend to get messy, so it’s better to use them overnight. Gallenberg recommends you visit your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms, but have never been diagnosed with a yeast infection or if treatment doesn’t resolve the symptoms or you get four or more infections in one year.
3. Sexually transmitted infections
Some STIs can cause feminine odor, the most common being chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both diseases are common and easy to treat, but can cause serious complications if they go untreated. Unfortunately, both are also often undiagnosed because they may or may not produce symptoms. The most common symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea include painful urination and pus-like discharge, although an unpleasant odor is often present as well.
That's not all — "Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the parasite trichomonas vaginalis," Okeke-Igbokwe continues. "Women infected with this may have a greenish discharge with foul-smelling odor accompanied by pain while urinating. This infection is also treated with antibiotics."
See your doctor immediately if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and avoid risk by abstaining from or using protection during sex.
A version of this article was originally published in April 2012.
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4. Pelvic inflammatory disease
Leave that STI untreated and you could be in for a world of hurt — in the form of pelvic inflammatory disease. "Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an infection of the female reproductive organs that may arise as a complication of STDs like chlamydia or gonorrhea. PID may also cause feminine odor," says Okeke-Igbokwe. "Symptoms of this infection may include foul-smelling vaginal discharge, pain with intercourse and abdominal/pelvic pain."
PID usually isn’t diagnosed until you experience chronic pain or have trouble getting pregnant because it often doesn’t have symptoms. PID can often be treated with antibiotics, though it might leave behind scar tissue that has lasting effects. According to Gallenberg, lasting effects might include chronic pain, infertility or ectopic pregnancies.
5. Poor feminine hygiene
It’s possible that the cause for your feminine odor may be nothing more than poor hygiene. We’ve got a lot of complicated parts down there, and caring for them isn’t always easy. Make sure you’re covering all your bases to keep your lady parts fresh and clean.
As Okeke-Igbokwe explains, there are two ways that an unpleasant smell caused by poor hygiene can occur (that are also easy to fix): sweating and a lack of washing. She says, "Apocrine sweat glands, some of which may be found in the genital region, may contribute to sweating around the genitalia. Increased sweating after exercise or increased physical activity may certainly lead to vaginal odor. Maintaining good hygiene is essential to avoid[ing] feminine odor. Routine showering is highly encouraged."
First and foremost, make sure you’re washing thoroughly every day. Women have oil and sweat glands in the vaginal area that while completely natural can cause odor if not attended to. Use mild, fragrance-free soaps because anything else can upset that sensitive area and lead to even more troubles. Make sure you wipe from front to back after using the restroom and wear clean (ideally cotton-crotch) underwear every day, even if you don’t have time to shower.
There are a lot of products out there that claim to help with odor and keep our parts “presentable,” but stay away from them. Douches, sprays, cloths and creams all claim to help women achieve some sort of super-cleanliness, but they actually cause more problems than they solve. Douches remove some of the bacteria that work to keep your vagina healthy and scented products have been known to cause irritation.
6. Forgotten object
Forgetting a tampon is something that happens to the best of us, and it can also be a common cause of feminine odor. "I am sure you have heard stories about women who have forgotten that they have left a tampon in for prolonged periods of time," says Okeke-Igbokwe. "A retained tampon in the vagina for extended time periods can be quite dangerous. Not only may it cause increased vaginal odor, but in some instances may lead to toxic shock syndrome."
So you can keep on smelling fresh as a daisy, follow the golden rule and change your tampon at a maximum of every eight hours. And if you happen to forget — hurry up and fish that sucker out.
With Big Little Lies freshly minted as both a major award-winning drama and also a formidable and addictive show that promises drama in every moment, there's a lot of speculation about how the show will stick the landing in Season 2. With expectations high, it's only fair to expect Season 2 to pack and even bigger emotional wallop as new situations come together and new tensions are brought out into the open.
And now, in this post-Golden Globes glow, we have some more exciting news about Big Little Lies Season 2 that all but confirms things are going to take a dramatic turn. Big Little Lies executive producer (and Season 1 director) Jean-Marc Vallée teased a new character coming to Monterey while speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the Golden Globes.
"[T]here’s a new character coming," Vallée began. "Perry's mother, that’s all I can say.”
Oh, it may not sound like that juicy a sound-bite, but believe you me, if Perry was anything like his mother, then his mother is one heck of a pill. We don't know that much about Perry's life growing up, nor do we know anything about his parents or the kind of marriage they had. The arrival of Perry's mother will surely add some intensity to Celeste's storylines, as Celeste is likely still grappling with the fallout of Perry's death and beginning her life afresh with her twin boys.
And no matter what Perry's mother is like personality-wise, it feels almost guaranteed she is going to be nosing around Monterey and Celeste's friend group for answers about what happened to her son. When we left them in Season 1, it felt like the women had pulled off the perfect cover-up; it's highly unlikely their facade will remain intact in Season 2. Something is going to feel amiss, and if Big Little Lies has proven anything to us in the past, it's that a mother always knows when something is wrong with her child.
Basically, Celeste's life just got way more complicated.
There's no word yet on who will play Perry's mother, and I'll have to go one step further and shoot down your hopes of speculative casting, because nobody's appeared to even be in talks or auditioning (that we know of). Even without a face to put to the name, it's hard not to feel your blood run cold just thinking about what lies ahead for Celeste and Co. when Perry's mother arrives.
You're having a baby girl, and while there are plenty of routes you could take with your new daughter's name (Game of Thrones baby names, anyone?) are you suddenly feeling a pull toward all things delicate and pretty? If that sounds like you, we've got a list of names you're going to love.
We looked at flowers, gems and, yes, even celebrities to find the perfect dainty and precious names for your little beauty. These choices are classic, but they're not overused, so you can count on your daughter's teachers being able to pronounce them — but you can also rest assured she won't be surrounded by 15 kids with the same name.
You just might find the perfect name for your new arrival on this list.
Still not finding the perfect fit? Then why not consider sourcing romantic names straight from the Romance languages? You can use our advanced baby name search to narrow down your choices to French baby names, Spanish baby names or Italian baby names, for example.
Another tip is to think about your favorite characters from novels, movies or even romantic poetry for inspiration when searching for a pretty baby name. Lily Bart, anyone?
Image: SheKnows Design
A version of this article was originally published in December 2011.
Going for a latte is one of our greatest pleasures on a chilly afternoon, but it looks like doing so has just gotten a bit more complicated — in a good way.
Starbucks just announced there’s now more than one espresso option for our favorite Starbucks beverages. The chain has added a second espresso alongside their traditional signature espresso option: blonde espresso. You can get it in any of your espresso beverages.
"Our partners are so passionate about their craft and now they get to help our customers discover and personalize the foundation of the beverage — an espresso that is either bold and rich or smooth and bright." Kris Engskov, president of U.S. Retail for Starbucks, said in a statement. "We want every experience our customers have with us to be perfect for them."
Starbucks makes the new espresso roast with lightly roasted Latin American and East African beans that, according to a press release, bring out their "sweet citrus notes and smooth body." Sounds delicious to us!
The blonde espresso, much like the blonde drip in their morning coffee options, is lighter and has a natural sweetness — that means it has a super-smooth taste. But that doesn’t mean it’s lighter in caffeine. The light-roasted espresso promises to have just as much caffeine as the signature variety.
The new blonde espresso is available nationwide at more than 8,000 participating Starbucks locations beginning today, Tuesday, Jan. 9.
As a blonde myself, it’ll be kind of exciting to order my espresso blonde as well — blonde Americano, blonde cappuccino, blonde caramel macchiato, it never stops being exciting.
When taken in high doses, ibuprofen may impact male fertility according to a new study. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research found that when young men take the dosage of ibuprofen regularly prescribed to athletes — 600 milligrams, twice a day — it can disrupt the production of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone.
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and is taken by athletes both to prevent and treat pain. In this study, 14 of 31 participants were given the daily 1,200-milligram dose of the over-the-counter drug, and after two weeks, they showed signs of dysfunctional testicles, which could ultimately lead to infertility.
But before you clear your medicine cabinet of Advil and Motrin, here are a few things to consider:
1. The sample size was very, very small
With a total of 31 participants, this is by no means a large-scale study. Are the findings interesting and a good starting point for further research? Absolutely. But more work is definitely needed in this area to come to any really robust conclusions.
2. The dosage in the study was very high
When you reach for the ibuprofen because you have a headache and pop two pills, that's a total of 400 milligrams. Sure, there are days when you may have terrible cramps or an injury when you need to take three of the 400-milligram doses, but ideally, it's not something you have to do on a regular basis. If that is the case, it's a good idea to see your doctor about the cause of the pain and come up with a better pain-management solution.
According to Dr. Bernard Jégou, coauthor of the study and director of the Institute of Research in Environmental and Occupational Health in France, it is highly likely the effects of taking ibuprofen will be reversible for the 14 men in the study who experienced hormone disruptions. Speaking to CNN, he said at this point, it is not known whether the effects from long-term use of ibuprofen are reversible and more research needs to happen in this area.
Like most scientific studies that receive immediate media hype, take this one with a grain of salt. It's probably not a great idea for anyone to take the maximum permitted dose of any OTC medication on a very regular basis, and pay attention to your body and the potential sources of chronic or acute pain.
Updated Jan. 9, 2018, 7:45 a.m. PT: It's official: Gwyneth Paltrow has confirmed her engagement to her boyfriend of three years, Brad Falchuk, on the cover of her lifestyle magazine, Goop.
For the latest issue of the quarterly mag, Paltrow and Falchuk pose with their arms wrapped around each other, beaming and looking so in love.
Goop cover confirming Gwyneth Paltrow is engaged
Goop cover confirming Gwyneth Paltrow is engaged
"Personally, at midlife, I have tried to accept how complex romantic love can be," Paltrow said in an interview to accompany the cover shoot. "I have decided to give it a go again, not only because I believe I have found the man I was meant to be with, but because I have accepted the soul-stretching, pattern-breaking opportunities that (terrifyingly) are made possible by intimacy."
There's no word on any wedding details, but we have a feeling this wedding will be one for the ages (and maybe sponsored by Goop).
Original story, published Nov. 21, 2017: We remain optimistic about the following news, but if Gwyneth Paltrow confirms it, then it will prove to be some of the most exciting news about her in 2017.
On Tuesday, UsWeekly reported that Paltrow and her boyfriend, Brad Falchuk, are engaged. The pair has been together for the better part of three years, so it's not entirely surprising. In fact, a source who spoke directly to Us Weekly says, "They both knew it would happen, but it wasn’t a big thing to them because they were both in long marriages before. There wasn’t a rush."
Interestingly, though, as exciting as the news of this engagement actually is, there's even more explosive information surrounding Paltrow. Us Weekly claims they have the serious scoop about Paltrow's possible engagement: that she and Falchuk have been secretly engaged for over a year. According to the same source, Paltrow has held back from announcing the news because she "is waiting to announce it on her website.”
Really, Gwyneth? You're going to save news this juicy and this exciting for Goop?
It should be noted that we're leaving enough room for speculation here because Paltrow and Falchuk have yet to confirm they are in fact engaged. In all likelihood, they'll be forced to comment on the story one way or another, or perhaps they'll make that website announcement sooner than planned (if that is indeed the case). However, this kind of news is hard not to get all kinds of hyped over, hence the near-universal excitement from other outlets like The Zoe Report and Entertainment Tonight to seemingly confirm the engagement.
Paltrow and Falchuk met in 2014 on the set of Glee, the show Falchuk cocreated with Ryan Murphy, while Paltrow was a guest star. Previous to Falchuk, Paltrow was married to (then consciously uncoupled from) Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Similarly, previous to Paltrow, Falchuk was married to TV producer Suzanne Falchuk. So this would be each of their second marriages.
At a recent restaurant dinner, I was seated next to a 14-year-old boy. When a newborn at a nearby table started to wail and was carefully attended to by her mother, the teen and I exchanged a pained look. But it was his next comment that caught me off guard. “That’ll be you pretty soon, huh?” he asked, nodding toward the overwhelmed new mom.
When I responded to this young man by telling him I didn’t want to have kids, he continued to press the issue. “Oh, you’ll change your mind.”
What? At nearly 40, being assured by an adolescent boy I’d want to have kids felt completely undermining. So I ended our conversation with a flat, “No, I won’t.” I chose not to unload my frustration stemming from the years of kind rebuttals with which I've had to respond to this kind of inquiry.
The opinion that of course an adult woman must want to have children crosses age, gender and social boundaries. I once heard a woman at a nail salon assure me I wasn’t “too old” despite the fact that I had expressed zero concern about my age. Then there was the friend who raised her eyebrows and insisted, “But, you’d be a great mom!” despite the fact that I hadn’t confided any worries about potential parenting.
Believe it or not, it’s true. I’m a healthy, happy woman who loves kids, and I am confident in my ability to raise them. I was a professional nanny and completed a master’s degree in education. I just don’t want my own kids.
As someone who has no “reason” not to have children — a genetic disorder that might be passed down, for example, or a fertility issue or even a traumatic childhood of my own — stating that parenthood “just isn’t for me” is never the end of a conversation. Of course, if you’ve had to defend this choice yourself, you know the range of possible responses: Maybe you're still looking for the right partner or dealing with a lack of financial stability or are concerned with overpopulation and the incredible impact having a child has on the environment. These are all valid reasons to pass on childbearing; they’re just not my own.
The New York Times even published a column about what to say when people ask why you aren’t having children (hint: Don’t get defensive). But while one can certainly respond gracefully to that weighted question, perhaps we should instead turn the tables and ask, “Why are you asking about someone else’s reproductive choices?”
In our society, the number of women who reach age 40 child-free doubled from 1970 to 2000, though it still hovers around a meager 15 percent. The reproductive choices available to women continue to improve — with women able to prevent pregnancy while pursuing their careers or achieve it regardless of partnership status or in the face of fertility challenges. Yet as a culture, we still view childbirth as a crucial part of women’s societal roles and value it above and beyond other aspects of a woman’s life. Doctors avoid sterilizing women who haven’t had kids, even in cases when carrying children could pose serious health risks for those women. Then there’s the fact that women who choose not to have children can be expected to spend longer hours at the office because their time isn’t devoted to rearing children. Even the pope chose to categorize not having children as “selfish.”
The procreation expectation, for me, is finally nearing its end, not only because friends know me well but because I’m aging out of childbearing years. I’ve started to get a glimpse of what conversations could be like if society didn’t focus so heavily on women as childbearers. Friends ask me about my creative projects and my small business. My parents value the time I’m able to spend with them traveling and talking about politics, not school concerts and a 12-year-old’s soccer games. With my female friends, we talk about financial stability and relationships and work. And when we talk about their children, I empathize with parenting when I can; other times, I say with all honesty, “I have no idea what that must be like.” And that is refreshing.
These days, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements highlight the need for women’s choices, opinions and personal experiences to be trusted and valued — and also bring solidarity in the face of harassment to the forefront. It’s about time we also reached a cultural moment in which a woman who chooses something other than parenthood is asked about the things she has chosen to pursue rather than being confronted for foregoing a lifestyle that doesn’t fit her.
Do not ask someone about their reproductive choices. Period. Instead, see the person. Ask about the things they have done in life. And above all, trust that they mean what they say.
Put all the celebrities in a room together, like at the Golden Globes, and drama is pretty much bound to ensue. But our favorite behind-the-scenes drama from Sunday's 75th Golden Globes was pretty lighthearted and harmless despite it occurring between two indisputable queens: Meryl Streep and Mariah Carey.
Streep appeared on Monday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she shared the story of what happened when she got up during a commercial break to stretch her legs and found Carey in her assigned seat when she returned.
"Yeah I came over and there she was next to [Steven] Spielberg sucking up. She said, ‘Oh my God; they made me sit down!’ Because you know we’re moving they make you … Everyone has to drop to their seat," she continued, saying it's like musical chairs at the award show when a commercial break ends and everyone has to sit down.
"I was left out. I said, ‘No, no. Stay there. I’ll sit on your lap.’ Because you know it looked comfy," Streep added.
Carey also told her side of the story, saying she was on her way to the bathroom when the commercial break ended, forcing her to drop into the nearest seat, which just happened to be the one Streep had been occupying.
Mariah Carey Meryl Streep Golden Globes seat drama
Mariah Carey Meryl Streep Golden Globes seat drama
"Got caught mingling on the way to the loo during a commercial break.. took the first seat available, happens to be right next to Steven Spielberg," she wrote on Twitter. "Cut to next commercial break, guess who comes back to her seat..."
It’s a new year, which means a whole host of new trends infiltrating our feeds. If you’re in the midst of a kitchen redesign or even contemplating making small changes, it can be hard to know if that trend you’ve finally come around to appreciating is about to make an exit or not. Should you go for the farm sink or let it go? Buy the patterned tile you’ve been eyeing for a backsplash or wait?
We reached out to Andrea Rosewall, an interior designer in Glendale, Arizona, to find out which popular kitchen trends are going to stick around through 2018.
1. Patterned tile
Kitchen Decor Trends: Patterned tile
Kitchen Decor Trends: Patterned tile
If you’re loving patterned tile, fear not: It’s going to stick around. “Some of these could be natural stones that are cut into the pattern,” Rosewall said. You can also look forward to some more modern designs, “like mid-century, clean, geometric patterns.”
2. Marble
Kitchen Decor Trends: Marble
Kitchen Decor Trends: Marble
”White marble as backsplashes as accents — some people are doing it for countertops,” Rosewall said. It is a trend that’s going to continue. And considering that it’s not the most durable or kitchen-friendly material, you may be wondering why. Well, beyond it being gorgeous, Rosewall said, “it’s basically that money nod, the nod toward the fact that you can afford to put marble in.”
So unless you’re rolling in the dough, you can probably just stick to window shopping the marble trend on Instagram.
3. Integrating metals
Kitchen Decor Trends: Integrating metals
Kitchen Decor Trends: Integrating metals
“Whether it’s being used in light fixtures or door pulls or handles, you’re going to see a lot of brass, a lot of copper, a lot of rose gold,” Rosewall said. Mostly, she said, because it looks super-chic. “It’s kind of like when you put together an outfit and you layer jewelry onto the fabric you’re already wearing. It adds another level.”
This trend is going to stick around mainly because it’s so easy to accomplish and has a huge impact. “It makes any kitchen look bigger than it is,” Rosewall said. “Whether you’re doing Ikea or pre-box cabinets from Home Depot or whether you’re paying for custom cabinets, it’s something everyone can achieve when they’re redoing the kitchen.” Even people who don’t want to buy new cabinets can paint their current ones white for a fresh look, she said.
4. Open shelving
Kitchen Decor Trends: Open shelving
Kitchen Decor Trends: Open shelving
Despite being somewhat impractical, “open shelving made out of wood and metal is going to continue to be a big thing that people want,” Rosewall said.
For people who are a little more daring with their kitchen decor, one trend is rising above them all: colored cabinets. “We grew up with that cherry wood, the beech wood … there wasn’t any color,” she said. “People are doing greens, gray, blues [in more permanent fixtures] and that’s going to continue to be a trend.”
6. Unique light fixtures
Kitchen Decor Trends: Unique light fixtures
Kitchen Decor Trends: Unique light fixtures
Using pendant lighting as a jumping-off point, people are going to keep making random objects into lights. “You’re going to see turning vintage colanders into light fixtures, old whisks into light fixtures, taking kitchen items and using those as the pendant light fixtures,” Andrea said. It’s a great way to add a sense of personality to a space, she adds.
One trend that’s still a mainstay that Rosewall doesn’t love is apron-front sinks, or farm sinks. “I don’t personally see the appeal because you have to cut into your cabinet or buy a new cabinet, and they’re expensive and porcelain, which means they’re easily broken, but a lot of people are just digging that apron-front sink,” she said. There are alternative options made out of copper, nickel and other metals if you’re looking for more durable options.
