Season 26 of Dancing with the Stars begins on April 30, but things are very, very different this season. In the past, the show always began its spring season in March — a week after The Bachelor finale. This year, the American Idol reboot came along with an enormous budget and is squatting on the prime Monday night real estate.

More: 8 American Idol Scandals You Probably Forgot About

DWTS fans weren’t too thrilled to hear the news, but they are happy to have any sort of season. In May 2017, ABC announced they were going to do a junior version of the show with celebrity kids, but that all changed at the end of Season 25 when the all-athletes version was revealed.

With Season 26 just around the corner, here’s all of the information we know about DWTS right now. Get ready for the glitter, the sparkle and the Mirrorball Trophy!

Format

Fans can look forward to a four-week season. There will be 10 athletes competing on Season 26, and the show will be one night a week — no Tuesday results shows are scheduled this season.

For the first three weeks, the show will be two hours long. The finale show airs on May 21, but DWTS only has an hour to wrap up the season. According to ABC publicity, American Idol will also wrap up its season with a two-hour finale after DWTS.

What we're not sure about is how eliminations will be handled. Will eliminations begin the very first week? Will the show wait until the second week? How many contestants will be eliminated each week? There are a lot of questions left to be answered by DWTS producers.

Cast

Snowboarder Jamie Anderson, figure skater Adam Rippon and figure skater Tonya Harding were all confirmed as contestants (albeit unofficially) before we knew the official cast lineup for the mini-season. The rest of the Season 26 cast was announced on Friday on Good Morning America — a longstanding DWTS tradition. There will be lots of Olympic star power, with figure skater Mirai Nagasu, luger Chris Mazdzer and softball pitcher Jennie Finch all competing. Notre Dame basketball star Arike Ogunbowale, retired pro athletes Johnny Damon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and football star Josh Norman will round out the cast.

Additionally, Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews will be back as cohosts of the show. The judges' panel will only count three this season rather than four. Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Len Goodman will return for the mini-season. Sadly, Julianne Hough shared with Entertainment Tonight that she will not be returning to DWTS for Season 26. Instead, she will be seen in a mentoring role with brother Derek Hough’s show World of Dance this summer.

More: 13 Dancing With the Stars Feuds We're Still Not Over

Competition

What’s great about an all-athletes edition is that they tend to be very competitive contenders since they are in top physical shape. They know how to work their bodies, even if ballroom dance is unfamiliar to them. Athletes work harder and rarely complain about the number of hours required to win DWTS.

While some athletes need to work on the performance aspect, that’s the type of thing gymnasts and figure skaters are already adept at. It’s why Olympians like Adam Rippon, Mirai Nagasu and Alex and Maia Shibutani have all publicly talked about wanting to do the show.

If you take a look at the winners over the last 25 seasons, 10 of them have been athletes. Football is the most represented sport with four wins followed by gymnastics with two wins, so it makes sense DWTS decided to do a special edition of the show.

More: 14 Questions With Adam Rippon, the First Openly Gay Figure Skater to Make Team USA

DWTS is sticking around

Even with all these changes in Season 26, don’t get too concerned about DWTS being canceled, because the show has already been picked up for Season 27. The dance competition show will be back in the fall with a full season, which averages around 10 weeks. That demonstrates the confidence ABC has in the show’s longevity.

If you can’t wait until the fall, Dancing With the Stars Junior already auditioned for young pros in February. While ABC hasn’t given the show an official timetable, DWTS pros Cheryl Burke and Karina Smirnoff have hinted the network is aiming for a summer release. In fact, Burke would love a very specific role on the pint-size show. “There is also talk of Dancing With the Stars Junior in the summer and I’d love to come back for that as a judge,” Burke wrote in her Season 25 DWTS blog for Us Magazine. “Coming fresh off Dance Moms and being a kid myself when I started ballroom, I think I would be the perfect judge. I know exactly what these kids are going through because I went through it, and I know how to handle kids from what I saw on Dance Moms. I’d love to be part of both shows.”

Dancing With the Stars premieres April 30 at 8/7c on ABC.

As much as we try to avoid it, sometimes we have no choice but to use a public restroom. Of course, we all know we need to wash our hands after using the toilet (regardless of location), but it always seems like an especially good idea in a public facility because of germs, bacteria and all the other gross particles that come with sharing toilets with strangers.

But really, it's not just important to wash your hands — how you dry them also matters. And according to a new study, you may want to skip using the hand dryer because it might be spreading fecal (i.e., poop) bacteria onto your hands and throughout the rest of the building. The results, published this month in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found that compared with normal bathroom air, the stream that comes out of hand dryers had significantly more fecal bacteria colonies.

More: Paper-Lining Toilet Seats: A Match Made in Heaven or a Waste of Time?

“Bacteria in bathrooms will come from feces, which can be aerosolized a bit when toilets, especially lidless toilets, are flushed,” study author Peter Setlow told Newsweek. Add to that the fact that many people are moving in and out of the restroom all day, shedding microbes from their skin in the process, and it makes for a pupu platter of bacteria.

The study also found that these bacteria can travel between rooms and throughout buildings courtesy of the rush of air from bathroom hand dryers. While this is important for any public setting, it is an especially crucial piece of information when it comes to designing hospitals and other medical facilities where there may be patients with compromised immune systems or who are particularly affected by the spread of germs and bacteria.

More: These Are the Germiest Places in Your House

There is some good news, though: Retrofitting the hand dryers with HEPA filters reduced the bacteria by 75 percent, but ideally, they would take care of the entire job. Your best bet? Stick to paper towels whenever possible.

Kendra Wilkinson has had it with the trolls in the wake of her divorce news to former NFL player Hank Baskett. Wilkinson — mom of Hank Jr., 8, and Alijah, 3 — posted to Instagram on Thursday to defend herself as a mother.

It's that time of year. The calendar — but more likely just every single store window/website/ad — is asking you: Is there a mom in your life who deserves a token of your love?

Sure, many of us have complicated (to say the least) relationships with our mothers. And yes, Mother's Day and Father's Day are not the most inclusive holidays. And yes, these holidays can be beyond tough for those of us who have lost a partner or a parent of our own. That said, if there is a mom — biological or adoptive or step or in-law or otherwise — in your life who you want to honor this Mother's Day, you probably want to gift her in style. And that means no kitschy charm bracelets, no aprons and in the name of all that is good, no engraved Lucite heart-shaped keepsake clocks. Really. Click out of that Amazon window; we'll wait.

Instead, gift her something that's as unique as she is — and tailor-made to suit her weird and wonderful personality. And although there are as many mom genres as there are stars in the sky, we took a crack at gathering just a few of our favorite mom archetypes (momchetypes?) and the elegant, unusual items we think they'd love. So, if you're shopping for a skater mom, a travel mom, a design-sponge mom or an enviro-mom (or all of the above) this May, get ready to find just the thing — and probably get one for yourself too.

More: All-Natural "Baby" Products Moms Can Totally Steal

For the nomad mom

You know she already has a passport case, luggage tags and a myriad of in-flight gadgets and travel masks, right? What the traveling matriarch really needs is a place to stash her crap when she's still at home — and then grab it again stat when she heads out the door 35 minutes before her flight takes off. (OK, fine, this mom is me. You figured it out!)

Dotted basket tray, $68 at Of a Kind

For the ahead-of-the-trend mom

Because tassels are the new pom-poms, didn't you know?

Izzy earrings, $46 at Akoka Jewelry

For the skater mom

If you ask me, Vans are always the correct gift. And this collab with Madewell is spot-on — in a very-2018 neutral shade.

Vans unisex classic slip-on sneakers, $55 at Madewell

For the type-A mom

If you know a mom who just can't help but organize everything, give her a boost with this sneaky addition to any purse or handbag. The waterproof pockets can turn a Birkin into a baby bag and no one's the wiser.

ToteSavvy, $72 at ToteSavvy

For the sleep-deprived mom

Yes, OK, fine. That's all moms — but if one on your list would reeeeeally benefit from some extra z's and you have the cash to spare, set her up for a chic night's rest with this bedside kit, complete with journal, sleep mask, carafe with water-and-possibly-also-whiskey glass, Herbivore lip conditioner, scented soy wax candle and cute matches to boot.

By Her Side kit, $153.50 at Knack

More: 13 DIY Mother's Day Gifts That Will Impress Your Mom

For the feminist chef

Who says you can't smash the patriarchy and cook up a mean manicotti? For the mom who does it all, a reminder that she's setting a great example for the next gen of power gals.

Strong Women Make Waves tea towel, $9.95 at PaperSource

For the artsy enviro-mom

Whoever said eco-chic had to mean gifting granola and recycled five-toed shoes? Inspire Mom to bring meals to work — and save on packaging waste and bucks — with this lovely lunch box.

Painted lunch pouch, $29.95 at PaperSource

For the beach-witch babe

And speaking of eco-totes, help your retired mom in Florida (or, you know, your journalist mom in Rio de Janeiro — all the more power to her) live her best beach life with a classic black-and-white carryall. Oh, and forget everything I said back there about pom-poms.

Black-and-white pom seagrass tote, $34.95 at PaperSource

For the natural-beauty nerd

Many moms want one. But few moms can justify dropping even medium cash on an unnecessary (what's "necessary," really?) but deliciously cool pink quartz thingy you roll around your face in hopes of de-puffing. But that's what gifts are for, right?

Rose quartz roller, $39 at GingerChi

More: These Are the Best Flowers for Mom on Mother's Day

For the retro-minded yogi

High waists are back, and I for one am thrilled. But this here tall lady's quest for the perfect actually-really-high-enough-waisted yoga pant was in vain until I found Crane & Lion. This design does not disappoint (nor does it ever, ever creep down and show too much butt mid-koundinyasana).

High-waisted tight, $100 at Crane and Lion

We admit it: The job search is rough. It feels like everybody has advice about the best way to do it, from whether thank-you letters are outdated to how to dress to how to act. But most agree that asking questions is not just the job of the interviewer; it’s also critical for the interviewee.

So what should you ask? We reached out to various managers, CEOs and founders about the questions they most recommend candidates ask during the interview process. Here’s what they said.

1. What's the single most important quality the right candidate for this role needs?


“Often, in the long shopping list of experience and qualities employers are looking for in a role, there'll be one deal breaker or core part of your work — something you need to be able to do to land the role,” Hannah Martin, founder of Talented Ladies Club, tells SheKnows. “By asking this question, you get an insight into what your interviewer is really looking for, giving you the opportunity to share an example of how you perfectly fit the position.”

More: 7 Social Media Habits That Disqualified Real Candidates, According to Hiring Managers

2. What is your company’s mission?

Stephen Hart, CEO at Cardswitcher, says this was the best question a candidate had ever asked him. “It showed that they wanted to get to the heart of the business and really understand what we were about,” he tells SheKnows. “They didn’t want to dig into the nitty-gritty of benefits or discuss the minute details of their role. They wanted to know what made the company tick and whether they could buy into that vision.” 

3. What’s your favorite part about working here?

“I like these types of questions, as it shows that the interviewee is not only interested in the opportunity but is generally interested in getting to know you and learning about your experience,” Elena Tinios, manager at Anderson Frank, tells SheKnows. “It can also help break down the barrier between the two parties and take some of the pressure off of yourself.” 

More: Why We Should Be Talking About the Wealth Gap & Not Just the Wage Gap

4. What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?

“This is a good opportunity to find out details that can’t be researched otherwise, like messy interdepartmental politics,” Ladan Nikravan Hayes, a career advisor at CareerBuilder tells SheKnows. “It can also create an opening for you to talk about how you’ve approached similar challenges in the past.”

5. What is the company & team culture like?

This question has one goal, Hayes says, which is to help you answer for yourself: “Are you a good fit for this particular organization?” You need to be comfortable with the dynamic of the team and the company before you agree to be part of it.

“If the interviewer struggled to answer this, it could be a clue that they don't see any progression from the role,” Martin adds. Plus, she said, it helps to communicate that you’re ambitious and ready to work hard.

6. What gets you most excited about the company’s future?

If you’re thinking of this job as something you’ll stay at for a while, it’s important to know what your opportunities are, Hayes says. “Make sure the company is growing so you can grow with the company,” she continues.

More: When It Comes to Salaries, Should Women Always Ask for More?

7. Why is this position available?

You’ll want to have a feel for the conversation before you ask this question, but it’s a worthy topic to broach. “I'd want to know whether someone was promoted or left, and if the latter, why,” Martin says. “Could it be for some reason that would also lead to me wanting to leave the role at some point?”

8. What's your company policy on flexible working?

This question is a little tricky, Martin admits. “I would also only ask it if I was sure I wanted the job and would possibly need to ask for flexible working later,” she says. She suggests waiting until you’re past HR and speaking directly with a decision maker.

Additionally, if you’re concerned about being left behind for promotional opportunities or bigger responsibilities, ask how they work with flexible workers now. “If the interviewer wasn't positive on this topic and didn't have a clear idea of how to keep flexible workers visible in the company, I'd seriously consider whether I wanted to invest my time working for that company,” Martin says.

How to form your own questions

Of course, these are just example questions, and the best questions to ask are the ones that are most pertinent to your situation and the job you’re interviewing for. Tinios suggests asking yourself a series of questions about what you’d like to ask at the interview, like:

• Does this question show my interest in the company?
• Is it something I couldn’t have researched beforehand?
• Does it allow me to sell myself back to them?

Avoid questions about vacation policy and other benefits until you’re working on offer details. “It can come across as rude if not asked at the appropriate time,” she says.

But more important, do ask questions, Tinios emphasizes. “At the end of the day, any question is better than no question at all! Just make sure to be thoughtful.”

Following a rather unexpected but all-around amicable announcement that she would be splitting up with her husband of nearly 10 years, Jenna Dewan has hopped back onto social media to reconnect with her fans. The Step Up star took some time out of the public eye after she and Channing Tatum made their joint announcement on April 2. Now, she's checking in with the world and it looks like she's giving us a life update that indicates how well she's doing.

More: Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan Tatum Announce Split With the Sweetest Statement Ever

Fans of Dewan's will be pleased to know that she's doing quite well, as evidenced by the photo she posted on Thursday wherein she looks very calm, in an all-white ensemble and staring off into the distance on a windy beach. She captioned the photo with a simple message for those fans who have supported her through this major life change. "Thank you guys for all your love. Love you right back," she wrote, accompanying the message with a few heart emojis and a prayer hands emoji.

Fans took the announcement of Dewan and Tatum's split pretty hard and we saw evidence of this on Twitter in the immediate wake of the split news. Various versions of fans expressing surprise and hurt were among the most common on Twitter, with some going so far as to hyperbolically declare that love was dead (yikes).

More: Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan Tatum’s Split Seems a Lot Like Conscious Uncoupling

This is the first peep that fans have heard from Dewan since the split was announced. In the weeks since the announcement was made, Dewan had been spotted out and about, running errands and such in Los Angeles. On April 7, reports came out that Dewan had apparently taken off her wedding ring. While certainly a notable move, it's unclear if this is circumstantial (i.e. she took it off for just one day) or if this was a significant action to show that she was really moving on. Meanwhile, Tatum was seen with his ring still on while he was out with his daughter, Everly, not too long ago. He has yet to return to social media since announcing the split.

In their original statement, Dewan and Tatum both posted the same photo on April 2 to their respective Instagram accounts, which doubled as their official joint statement. In this statement, they explained the reasons behind their split. "We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple," they wrote. "We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together. Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now. There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision—just two best-friends realizing it's time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible."

More: The Real (& Only) Reason Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan Tatum Are Splitting

It's always nice to see one of your favorite celebs picking up the pieces and moving on with their lives in the wake of this life-changing news, which seems to be the case with Dewan. Even though she and Tatum remain on good terms, there's no doubt that adjusting to the new normal could be somewhat unsettling, so to know that she has the full support of her fans to help her through this time is very heartening.

Who doesn't love the 1997 film Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as star-crossed lovers forced to face an unthinkable fate? It has everything an Oscar-winning movie should: beautiful costumes, high-stakes drama, romance and deadly tragedy. While the characters were fictional, the story is based on a very real tragedy. A supposedly unsinkable ship hits an iceberg and sinks, killing nearly everyone on board. But is this actually the truth? You'd be surprised by the conspiracy theorists that insist other forces – and people – were behind the ghastly event.

April 15, 2018 marks 106 years since the horrific sinking, yet people all over the world are still fascinated by Titanic. To commemorate the anniversary of this tragic event and to honor the way in which it still continues to take hold of our imaginations, we're taking a look at the surprising alternate theories around how and why the famed ship ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 souls.

More: The Real Story Behind Anastasia Is So Much Sadder Than the Movie

1. The "fire in the coal bunker" theory

Ten days before Titanic left Southampton, England, for a voyage to New York, a fire started in one of the ship's coal bunkers — something that was common on coal-fueled ships because freshly mined coal could spontaneously combust. Irish author Senan Molony claims that the fire weakened the ship's hull, making it particularly brittle, saying, "The anomaly is exactly the place where it struck the iceberg.” In other words, the ship would have survived hitting the iceberg if the hull hadn't been weakened by fire damage.

If you're still skeptical, take a look at further evidence in Molony’s documentary Titanic: The New Evidence.

2. Titanic was switched with her sister ship, the RMS Olympic

In his book Titanic: The Ship That Never Sank? Robin Gardiner refers to Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic, which had a nearly identical exterior. The Olympic was a couple years older than the Titanic and had collided with a Royal Navy warship, the HMS Hawke, in 1911, destroying a propeller blade and causing the vessel to tilt to the left. But the insurance company, Lloyds of London, refused to pay for the damages, claiming the Hawke was responsible for the crash.

The White Star Line faced serious financial losses. So, Gardiner speculates, an insurance scam was put into place. He suggests that Olympic was patched up and secretly rebranded as Titanic, whose completion had been delayed. Olympic would set sail as Titanic and be sunk during the voyage so the shipping company could collect the full insurance money. Once the real Titanic was completed, it would then quietly take the name of the Olympic.

Gardner states that witnesses reported the Titanic did, in fact, tilt to the left and that only a few easily removable items like the life rafts bore Titanic's name, making for an easy switch. To sink the ship, valves would be opened, allowing the ship to take on water. How would passengers and crew survive? A nearly empty rescue ship, Californian, would be stationed nearby to rescue them.

So, what went wrong? According to Gardiner, something shocking happened. He says the ship disguised as Titanic didn't hit an iceberg; instead, it hit the Californian, which was resting in the wrong spot with its lights off! That's why there was no nearby ship to quickly rescue the passengers and crew.

To further support Gardiner's theory, he points out that several high-profile guests booked on the Titanic — J.P. Morgan, owner of the shipping line's parent company, banker Horace J. Harding and billionaire George Washington Vanderbilt — all canceled their trips, implying they knew of the plan to sink the ship for the insurance money.

More: I Didn't Like Titanic Back in the '90s & I Still Don't

3. J.P. Morgan purposefully had Titanic sunk

Financier J.P. Morgan was a huge supporter of creating the Federal Reserve to implement monetary policy and serve as a lender to banks in crisis. But many wealthy and influential people, such as John Jacob Astor IV, Benjamin Guggenheim and Isidor Straus, were fiercely opposed to having a Federal Reserve. The theory goes that Morgan, after learning that all three men had booked passage on the Titanic, canceled his own voyage and had the ship sunk to eliminate them. Indeed, Astor, Guggenheim and Straus all died in the shipwreck. Sounds extreme, but Morgan was known as a difficult, blustery man. One man said that a visit from Morgan felt "as if a gale had blown through the house."

More: That Titanic Theory Isn't the Only Crazy Movie Theory Out There

Perhaps we'll never know what actually happened on that frigid night in 1912, but one thing is certain: We'll never forget the RMS Titanic and the souls lost in the sinking. In fact, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer is funding the construction of Titanic II, an exact replica of Titanic that will set sail later in 2018. The new ship will reportedly enforce Titanic's rigid class system and provide period clothing for all its passengers to create an eerie re-staging of the doomed voyage. This may be the worst account of tempting fate we've ever heard, but thanks to changes in safety practices since 1912, Titanic II will have enough lifeboats to accommodate everyone on board this time around. All aboard!

It's Friday the 13th, which means it's an unlucky day (if you believe in those kinds of myths). And while we expect only unfortunate things to happen on the actual day, Will Ferrell was dealt an extra dose of misfortune when he got into a scary car accident just an hour before the clock struck 12 a.m. on April 13 — Friday the 13th.

TMZ published news of the accident first. Ferrell was reportedly headed home from Funny or Die's Glam Up the Midterms campaign in San Diego when the accident occurred at approximately 11 p.m. local time in Orange County. Ferrell was with three other passengers (four passengers total) in a chauffeur-driven SUV. According to a witness report, the car was heading down a stretch of highway when the SUV was sideswiped hard enough to cause it to flip over. TMZ also noted that beer bottles were found at the scene of the accident but they were uncertain which car the beer bottles originated from. Authorities confirmed that a sideswipe happened on the right rear of the car but claimed neither alcohol nor drugs were factors. Rather, officials report that the cause of the accident was the driver of the car that sideswiped the SUV falling asleep at the wheel.

More: Will Ferrell Says Working With Mariah Carey Was 'A S***storm'

In the very same report, TMZ included video footage of Ferrell being loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher — luckily, he appeared well enough to hold his head up and make a phone call, which is hopefully an indication that his injuries are minimal. No arrests have been made at the time of reporting.

Deadline later reported that Ferrell was released from the hospital early Friday morning in OK condition. The other passengers — who haven't been identified by the press — sustained injuries of varying degrees (no specific details have been provided yet).

Ferrell nor his team have made any official statements yet, but we'll keep you updated as more information is released.

Whether it's your first car or your fifth, buying an automobile is a major purchase. And if you're like most people, you're negotiating between what you want, what you need and, of course, what you can afford. The best way to find all three is by having a clear idea of what you're looking for before you hit the sales lot. That's why we created a decision tree that will help you pinpoint your next ride. Find out what your next car should be below.

When it comes to safe sex, you have to know about all the options on the table. While folks might immediately think "condoms" or "birth control" when they hear the phrase "safe sex," these are not the only tools for safe and fun sex. More to the point, condoms and birth control are most commonly used in sexual intercourse when a penis is involved — but not everyone has a penis, and yet everyone likes to have safe, worry-free sex. Moreover, with or without a penis, not all kinds of sex are compatible with condoms.

So, what tool is available for those who don't need a condom but still want to pleasure their partner while also lowering the risk of STIs?

Behold, dear friends: the wonderful but oft-forgotten dental dam.

If you've never heard of a dental dam or just aren't sure how to use it, keep reading to get up to speed on this magical prophylactic.

More: How & Where to Get Free Condoms

What is a dental dam?

The Center for Young Women's Health says dental dams "are used as a barrier during oral sex [...] a sexual act that involves the mouth, lips or tongue and a penis, vagina, anus or genital area."

Why should I use a dental dam?

The dental dam is a major lifesaver when you think about it because if there's one thing many of us can agree on, it's that the typical human mouth can be gross. Kissing is one thing because at least that's mouth-to-mouth (although there are certain STIs that can be passed orally and you need to be mindful of that too). But imagine mixing the wild card body part that is the mouth with a person's genitals or anus and all the things happening there.

Dental dams add a layer of protection, greatly lowering the risk of orally picking up or passing along any bacteria or STIs. Note, however, that dental dams, like most birth control, aren't guaranteed 100 percent effective and have to be used correctly to work.

How do I use a dental dam?

Dental dams are used much in the same way you'd use a condom, except you're not rolling a dental dam onto your genitalia, but rather laying it over the genitals or anus. For those who need visuals, the Centers for Disease Control's page on dental dams illustrates how to use them in an effective manner (bonus!). So, by laying the dam over the genitals or anus, this allows you to use your tongue and mouth to your heart's content while keeping a safe barrier between your mouth and your partner's genitals or anus.

The Centers for Disease Control also advises that dental dams, like condoms, can only be used once and should be discarded when you're done. Additionally, you should be mindful not to turn over the dental dam during sex so the side your mouth touched is now on your partner's genitals or anus and vice versa because, well, it kinda defeats the purpose.

More: The Truth Behind the Pullout Method

Where can I buy dental dams?

Thankfully, dental dams are not that difficult to source. If you're a fan of Amazon, then a simple search of "dental dams" will yield results. Prices vary, but the median price is about $20 before shipping, and a typical pack contains between 15 and 30 dams.

Dental dams are also generally available at Planned Parenthood, often for free. And don't forget you can always call your local health department to see if they can give you the 411 on procuring dental dams as well.

Can I make my own dental dam?

If you're unable to get access to dental dams and happen to have some condoms in your possession, you can definitely — and safely! — transform one into a dental dam. In fact, the Center for Young Women's Health features a section dedicated to transforming a condom into this handy tool.

It's worth noting that you can't turn just anything into a dental dam. Paper towels, aluminum foil, plastic wrap or any other thing you might consider barrierworthy are not viable candidates for homemade dental dams. A condom you can buy in a store or from a trusted source is made out of the same material as dental dams (traditionally, this is latex), which is what makes it a viable option.

Is there anything I have to be cautious of when using a dental dam?

In addition to the fact that dental dams don't guarantee 100 percent protection against STIs, you have to be mindful that the dental dam you're using is free of tears or punctures and that it is still usable (check that expiration date, folks). As with condoms, you should make sure neither you nor your partner have a latex sensitivity — if someone does, there are non-latex options.

More: Male Birth Control Pill Is One Step Closer to Reality

Now, go forth and engage in safe sexy time with confidence.

We might know who Olivia Munn is dating, and contrary to popular belief, it's not a male celebrity who has recently had a very public split and it's not someone she's worked with in the past. Munn now looks to be moving on from ex Aaron Rodgers with the very hot Spanish actor Álex González.

More: No, Olivia Munn Is Not Dating Justin Theroux

A source told Us Weekly that Munn and González have been seeing each other "for about three months." This would be Munn's first semi-serious relationship — as far as we know — since splitting with Rodgers in April 2017.

Munn herself hasn't said how she and González met or how she feels about him. In fact, as far as her social media posts go, you'd get the impression that she's been happily flying solo for quite some time. That's all well and good for her, but c'mon, sis, we want the deets!

As for González, he's not a total unknown to American audiences, even though he's probably more recognizable in Spain. According to his IMDb page, González has been working primarily in Spanish film and television since 2006. He made his U.S. movie debut in 2011's X-Men: First Class as Riptide (he had a fairly small role, but he made the most of his time on-screen). If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that Munn and González likely know each other from the X-Men films, even though they never appeared in the same X-Men installment.

More: Aaron Rodgers Blames Olivia Munn Split Partly on "Inappropriate Connections"

This has to be a happy turn of events for Munn because, well, who wouldn't be happy in the early stages of a new relationship? However, the couple have yet to attend a public event together or publicly confirm their relationship. We hope they do it soon, because Munn and González make a ridiculously gorgeous couple that we need to see more of in the near future.

So, we know Khloé Kardashian had her baby girl — yay! But let's quickly get the icky part out of the way, shall we? Unfortunately, video evidence has surfaced that suggests baby daddy Tristan Thompson has been cheating on Kardashian — before and during the pregnancy. Ugh. Not the blissed-out perfect birth announcement we'd hoped for Kardashian to have, especially since she's also dealt with her ex-husband Lamar Odom's infidelities in the past.

Now, word has it that Kardashian has already forgiven Thompson (um, those labor and delivery drugs must have been strong). A source told People the new mom "is feeling nothing but happiness right now. Absolutely nothing else matters.” 

But to say Kardashian fans are pissed off at Thompson would be an understatement. Furious fans are all over his Instagram (which is actually suspiciously light on Kardashian pics/baby mentions). Comments to Thompson include the brilliant: "I hope u stub ur toe," "I hope the ice cream machine is always broke for you," and "You’re the most disgusting person I’ve ever seen how dare you do that to khloe the khloe who has been waiting for a baby your [sic] horrible."

Another interesting twist: Kardashian may have sole custody of the new baby, as per Ohio law.

Fortunately, the new mom is surrounded by good vibes from fans (one wrote on Thompson's Instagram, "@khloekardashian I promise we all love you more than this man does") as well as messages of love and support from her family.

Big sister Kim Kardashian West tweeted on Friday, the day after Kardashian gave birth, “@khloekardashian I’m so happy for you! Your baby girl is so beautiful! You are so strong, you made that look so easy!” 

Kardashian West also tweeted, “can’t wait for our baby girls to grow up as best friends the way we are," and gushed that Kardashian's baby is "gorgeous."

We're also cracking up at the sisterly comment from Kardashian West. "I’m so happy I was able to return the favor of holding your leg while you pushed LOL!"

Mama Kris Jenner — in typical mom fashion — was the first one of the Kardashian-Jenner fam to publicly wish congrats to Kardashian in a funny throwback video of her daughter, Kendall Jenner, saying, "Baby," over and over.

Kylie Jenner got in on the social media group hug to Kardashian with a pink-filtered pic of a scenic road with the words, "Kongrats, Khloé! It’s a Girl!” Kylie Jenner's own daughter, Stormi (with Travis Scott), is now 10 weeks old.

We're sure plenty more family congrats will be rolling in — along with more news regarding the couple's future. Never a dull moment with this family. But we're happy the newest Kardashian-Jenner baby is doing just fine.

More than 20,000 Americans have been tasked with putting a crayon to paper over the past half-century as part of a series of studies to explore a trend in gender-based perceptions of scientists. And kids in particular are increasingly drawing more women when they imagine scientists.

More: 14 Working Moms Share the Morning Routine That Sets Up Their Day for Success

A team of psychology researchers compiled the data of 78 "draw-a-scientist" studies dating from 1966 to 2016. Through their meta-analysis, they found that, while today's youth still sees science as a predominantly male profession, more kids than ever before are starting to see it differently.

The results, published in the journal Child Development, are clear. In the 1960s and 1970s, 99.4 percent of children drew men when asked to draw a scientist. Between 1985 and 2016, an average of 72 percent of children drew men. In the 2010s, around 1 in 3 children drew the scientists as women. And, if this trend holds steady, the future really could be female — or at least equal.

More: Your 5-Step Process to Effectively Taming Your Kid's Tantrums

Western Michigan University communications professor Jocelyn Steinke told The Washington Post that the study is "important because it shows that children's gender stereotypes of scientists have decreased over the past five decades in the United States." She added, "We see television programs like SciGirls and Project Mc2 and films like Gravity and Hidden Figures that seek to inspire girls by featuring positive female STEM role models."

David Miller, a psychology researcher at Northwestern University and the lead author of this study, added that the positive trend is probably in part a result of an increasing proportion of female scientists in mass media (read: Scully in The X-Files, Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park and Bones in Bones) and in part because of female scientists in real life. While women are still underrepresented in science, the gap is not as severe as in years past — 35.2 percent of chemists are women, for example, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project.

More: This Is What Being a Butt-Kicking #WorkingMom Looks

The study, however, also showed that children tend to associate science with men more as they grow up, perhaps because children draw what they see. Society as a whole needs to change these representations so that more kids, even as they get older, see all the different career paths they can follow. And until then, perhaps the best we can do is convince them they can still follow a path they don't necessarily see yet.

Originally published on Fairygodboss.

With every new behind-the-scenes look that fans of Big Little Lies are treated to, it feels like the excitement grows. Production on Season 2 only began a short while ago, so there's a good chance the photos we've seen won't be the last ones. But right now, we need to analyze some new photos that seem to give us our first tease at a game-changing meeting amongst the Big Little Lies women.

On Thursday afternoon, Entertainment Tonight posted a photo of Meryl Streep filming a fairly tense-looking scene with her Big Little Lies costars. You can see Madeline and Celeste (played by Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, respectively) talking with Celeste's mother-in-law, Mary Louise Wright (played by Streep). In addition to the Entertainment Tonight photo, photos that appear to have been taken from the same shoot made their way onto Twitter. There's a lot going on here and, if you're a Big Little Lies fan, taking a closer look will pay off.

More: These Big Little Lies Actors Celebrate Their Season 2 Return With Selfies

In the photos below, Streep is sitting at a table on an outdoor patio. The patio doesn't look like one we've seen before. The furniture is far too rustic and handmade to be something Celeste would have and it doesn't look like it shares a beachfront location with Madeline's own backyard. So where the heck could these women be? The only safe guess right now is that Mary Louise is planning on a long stay and is renting a property somewhere in Monterey. If that's the case, then it would make sense that she looks so relaxed while sitting outside while Madeline and Celeste are seen standing, as if they're visiting her to discuss something.

The plot thickens. It looks like the tweeted photos seen above might have been taken while a scene was actually in the middle of filming. That would certainly explain the animated looks that Witherspoon and Streep are making. Witherspoon looks surprised and confused at various times in these photos, almost as if she's being questioned or attempting to explain something. Streep, meanwhile, seems to have the upper hand, laughing and appearing more at ease.

It feels like this scene might involve Celeste introducing Madeline to Mary Louise for the first time as well as the conversation switching to Perry, Celeste's abusive husband who died in an accident that implicated each of the five women central to the show and has since been covered up by said women. Mary Louise's arrival has the power to undo the bond of silence the women of Big Little Lies made with each other in Season 1. The photos from the scene being filmed here seem to hint that if Perry's name is actually coming up, then this tension will surely mount to an unbearable level in this scene.

More: Meryl Streep Is Joining Big Little Lies for Season 2, & We're Not OK

These photos certainly aren't the first Big Little Lies Season 2 peek we've had, nor is it our first look at Streep as Mary Louise. On April 5, Nicole Kidman posted a photo on her Instagram that gave us a closer look at Streep. With a bookish brown bob and the exact pajamas you'd imagine a grandmother would choose, Mary Louise is seen with Celeste and the twins as they look at something on an iPad. A safe guess would be that it's family photos where Perry figures in. If that's the case, this will put the screws into Celeste and it could amp up the guilt she feels about what happened. This will only amplify the tension between herself and Mary Louise.

More: Is Big Little Lies Season 2 Actually a Good Idea?

This is just the first handful of photos that have emerged from Big Little Lies Season 2 and already they're so telling about the plot. Can you even imagine what the next photos from filming could indicate about the upcoming season?

Hate to be the bearer of bad beauty news, but strand damage can happen any time of the year. So just when you thought you were in the clear from winter dry-out, it’s time to get a strand strategy in place to protect against sun scorching. The good news is that even if your hair has seen better days, you don’t have to snip it all off to bring back the life.

Celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons — the man behind many tresses, including the Kardashian-Jenner crew, Shay Mitchell and Joan Smalls — shared a few tips on how to repair damage while maintaining some length.

More: The Best Curl-Defining Techniques for Natural Hair According to YouTube

Detect the damage

It should be easy enough to spot hair that isn’t in good shape, but in case you’re unsure, here’s what Fitzsimons says to look out for:

• Split ends — One of the most common signs of hair damage is visible split ends. If you’re not sure if you have split ends, wrap a small section of your hair around your finger. If you see small, uneven strands sticking out in a way they shouldn’t, you have split ends.
• Breakage and shedding — If you notice a lot of your hair in your shower drain or coming off in your brush, it’s likely you have damage causing the breakage.
• Dullness — Shiny hair is healthy hair! If your hair looks dull or lackluster, you may have product buildup or need an infusion of moisture.
• Brittleness and dryness — While hair textures and types range, everyone should aim to have their hair be as supple and soft as possible. Lack of moisture causes the hair to become brittle and more prone to breakage.

“It’s very possible that your hair is damaged but isn’t showing obvious signs yet,” says Fitzsimons. He also notes that healthy hair can actually stretch up to 150 percent its normal length without breaking and return to its original state. But if you start to lose elasticity in your strands, which can happen from normal aging, heat damage from irons and blow-dryers and the sun or chemical damage (from dyes, relaxers, perms, bleach, etc.), you could very well be headed to visible damage without knowing it. “Once you reach a certain threshold of elasticity loss, your hair will break,” he adds.

More: The Affordable Products Kim K.’s Hairstylist Always Keeps in Her Kit

Switch up your hair care seasonally

“There are more ways to damage your hair than most people realize,” says Fitzsimons. He says that while there are the obvious ways to damage hair — aging, aggressive brushing, chemical treatments, damage from heat tools — there are a lot of more subtle ways hair gets damaged.

Just like your skin changes and has different needs from season to season, your hair requires similar adjustments. “You may prefer a ponytail in the summer to get your hair off your shoulders, but that constant tugging can also be stressful for your strands,” Fitzsimons notes. Overall, summer activities like sun, pools and salty oceans are all taking a toll on your tresses, and when it’s cooler, you may find yourself in and out of very dry buildings (as a result of heating), which can actually dry out your hair as well.

Cold weather pulls moisture from your hair, which can leave you with dryness, dull color, frizz and split ends. So just as you adjust your skin care from season to season, you should be doing the same with your hair products.

More: Pro Tips for Surviving the Awkward Grow-Out Hair Phase

Lay off the heat

“There are a couple of ways to repair hair damage without cutting your hair. The most important first step is to try and stop further damage — so identify the source of your damage (i.e., too much sun exposure, overusing heat tools, etc.) and prevent further damage,” says Fitzsimons.

If you can’t avoid heat tools, you should absolutely be using heat protection every time you use heat on your hair (meaning not just after the first styling). “This is one of the most important steps in caring for your hair — my clients rely on me to keep their hair healthy, so I am careful to use heat protection on their hair every time I style them,” Fitzsimons adds. Additionally, you can get a number of hair repair treatments and products to help repair some damage; look for products that have proteins in the formula, which help fill in the gaps and tears in the hair strands.

Camo dead ends

Ultimately, the best thing for damaged hair and split ends is to get that trim. If that’s not possible, you can combat some of the signs of damage with products. “For instance, if your hair is looking dull, consider getting a shine spray to help infuse shine back into the hair (shiny hair = healthy hair). You may also want to pick up an anti-frizz hair oil, such as BioSilk Silk Therapy with Organic Coconut Oil Leave-In Treatment ($26.80 for 5.64 ounces at Loxa Beauty), to help with smoothing out any frizz caused by breakage. And of course, there are always hats,” says Fitzsimons.

More: 10 Weirdly Effective Hacks for Hair Growth

Try a mane mender

While you can never truly repair split ends, you can temporarily mend some of the damage with products targeted at repairing split ends, such as Perfect Hair Day Fresh Cut Split End Mender ($25 for 3.4 ounces at Living Proof).

Most split-end products focus on a multitude of damage-related issues: bonding the ends back together (as much as possible) with strengthening ingredients such as keratin, infusing moisture back into the hair, preventing further damage with strengthening ingredients such as protein and smoothing out the cuticle so the split ends aren’t as obvious.

Consider keeping it short

Whether or not your hair is more prone to damage than others totally depends on your specific hair. “Some people are more susceptible to damage than others, while some people can grow Rapunzel hair without even trying,” he jokes. He notes that as a rough rule of thumb, longer hair tends to be more prone to damage just because it’s had more time to experience damage.

More: 10 Things No One Ever Tells You About Hair Masks

Get serious with your products

Fitzsimons says that at the very least, you definitely want to incorporate a weekly reparative hair mask into your hair care routine — try Nature Lab Tokyo Perfect Repair Treatment Masque ($16 at Amazon), which is a rinse-out product that you leave in damp hair for five to 10 minutes after a regular shampoo and conditioner.

And don’t forget, heat protection before any heat styling is a must. “If you really want to tackle your damage, consider adding a repair shampoo/conditioner into your washing routine as well as some kind of leave-in treatment,” he concludes.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

“You have six months to get these numbers under control, or I’m putting you on cholesterol medicine.” Those were the words my doctor used eight years ago at a routine checkup. Three months postpartum, 75 pounds overweight and a total cholesterol in the “high” category, I knew it was time to get my body moving.

Three years prior to that appointment, my dad died suddenly from a heart attack. He battled high cholesterol most of his adult life and lived several decades on cholesterol-lowering medicine. While he did make some lifestyle changes before his death, they came too little too late.

After that routine checkup, I ditched all of the excuses, put my health first and went back to the one thing that has always helped control my cholesterol: exercise.

More: Knowing Signs of a Heart Attack & Cardiac Arrest in Women Can Save a Life

Why is heart health so important for women?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cardiovascular disease causes 1 in 3 deaths in women each year. But that’s not even the scariest statistic: Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest threat.

The good news: We are talking about this epidemic more now than ever and pushing for better screening, awareness and prevention.

One tool that continues to gain popularity for its heart-health benefits is exercise. This simple and free prevention measure is easy to access and has endless benefits for your physical and mental health. Plus, it helps to manage high blood pressure and cholesterol, decreases the risk of developing high cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces stress and helps to manage your weight.

What are some exercises to improve your heart health?

It’s not an understatement to say that I wanted to literally run home from that checkup eight years ago. While I didn't hit the pavement that day, I did dust off my running shoes and start walking four to five days per week. After pushing a double stroller for six months, I started running.

Why walking and running? Well, consistent aerobic exercise has been the only constant in my life that has helped control my cholesterol level and, consequently, lower my risk of having a heart attack. But any physical activity that makes you move, increases your heart rate to a safe level and is sustainable for at least 30 minutes will deliver heart-health benefits. And the experts agree.

Dr. Amnon Beniaminovitz, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology, says the heart loves to be challenged aerobically. For heart-health benefits, he recommends aerobic exercises including walking, jogging, swimming or biking. “One of the simplest, positive changes you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking,” he tells SheKnows. It’s enjoyable, free, easy, social and great exercise.

Plus, “aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure, raises the good HDL cholesterol and lowers the bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, improves glucose utilization and lowers your percent of body fat,” Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist and medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center, tells SheKnows.

“Having high blood pressure over time can lead to a stiff heart that has to work harder,” Beniaminovitz explains. A stiff hardworking heart requires more energy and is more susceptible to damage when blood supply is low or obstructed.

Also, having high cholesterol causes blocked arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. Beniaminovitz says aerobic exercise reduces rates of abnormal heart rhythms by training the heart to be less sensitive and reactive to stimulation.

But it’s not just aerobic exercise that benefits our hearts. Resistance or strength training is also important in the fight against heart disease in women. Lifting weights or using your body weight for resistance increases blood flow and may lead to longer-lasting blood pressure control. That’s why Carol Michaels, a nationally recognized exercise specialist and the founder of Recovery Fitness, uses it with her clients.

Michaels also boasts about the benefits of resistance training to increase muscle mass, which will help in weight control. She says your resistance or strength training program should include exercises that strengthen every major muscle group, such as squats, lunges, leg lifts, planks, push-ups and numerous core-strengthening exercises.

How much exercise is needed for heart-health benefits?

All it takes is 30 minutes of physical activity five days per week to reap the rewards of this heart-healthy prescription for wellness. If 30 minutes at one time is too much, consider breaking that chunk into smaller segments of two 15-minute sessions.

Further, the American Heart Association says people who would benefit from lowering their blood pressure or cholesterol should participate in aerobic exercise 40 minutes three to four times a week. This seems to be ideal for lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke.

This is the minimum for optimal health. In fact, Beniaminovitz tells his patients to exercise daily. He suggests a combination of 40 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity three to four times a week — and on the non-aerobic days, some core training or resistance training — as the best combination.

More: Why Even a Little Bit of Exercise Can Make a Big Difference

But also bear in mind that doing even some exercise is better than nothing — your heart will appreciate the effort!

Remember how in the ‘80s, we played records backward so we could "hear the voice of the devil"? Remember that shrieky cacophony? That’s the sound in my head when people say that to prevent school shootings, we need to arm teachers.

They’ve got it in reverse. Adding more threat of violence to the dynamic in today's schools is like adding Crisco to a grease fire. To help prevent school shootings, do you know what we need to arm teachers with? The time to learn and care about the kids in their classrooms.

More:  Everything You Need to Know About the National School Walkout

After the 17 murders at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school in Parkland, Florida, alumnus Mike Watford told BuzzFeed news that shooter Nikolas Cruz often said “how tired he was of everyone picking on him and the staff doing nothing about it.” There’s implied blame here on Cruz’s teachers: You saw the bullying! Why didn’t you care enough to stop it?

As a veteran teacher who cares so much about kids that it actually drove me to leave the classroom, I have a different take.

Today’s teachers exist in a test score pressure cooker. We are literally told to care less about kids and more about data. Those who prioritize kids’ needs over their numbers are punished. Hard truth: If teachers do nothing in the face of student bullying, it's likely because they were trained not to.

I’m not talking about some official professional development session on "How to Ignore Students’ Mental Health.” It’s not that calculated. But it does come from the top down, and the message is clear: If you want to keep your job, you’ll spend your time calculating data.

Teachers are required to spend their time on formative assessment scores. Summative assessment scores. Pre-, practice- and post-test scores. Numbers and percentages and national averages. Anything but the struggles, anxieties and fears that our flesh-and-blood students carry to class with them. Because ironing out flesh-and-blood issues isn't going to bring test scores up. And scores equal dollars. Want proof? Take it from The Charlotte Observer: “[P]rincipals can make up to $15,000 a year in bonuses depending on how much growth their students show on state exams.” 

More: Every Time I Hear About a School Shooter, I'm Afraid It's My Son

Of course, rain comes from above, and you know who’s making it rain for principals of “high-growth” schools, right? Who’s creating the dynamic in which test scores are valued while mental health is ignored? Your elected officials. Education initiatives such as No Child Left Behind (which is mandated by federal law) and Race to the Top (which elected officials, including state education chiefs and governors, can opt into) require schools to show improved test scores.

An informal social media poll of my high school-age followers netted fascinating data. I asked teens for their perspective: Did most of their teachers have time to care about their personal problems? The kids in liberal Connecticut gave a resounding, “Yes, of course,” with an implied, “Duh.” 

But the kids in Missouri, Wisconsin and Virginia? Not so much: “They’re committed to my academic success, but our conversations don’t go beyond that,” was one kid’s response.

Another said, “They listen, but they don’t take action to help me when I’m being bullied.” In other words, these students feel that teachers care to a certain extent, but that the caring is limited by strict boundaries.

You could argue that it’s not a teacher’s job to support students’ mental health. And officially, you wouldn’t be wrong. But in this era of adolescent mental health epidemics — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 5 kids aged 3 to 17 have an emotional, behavioral or mental disorder — our kids need all the support we can muster. Shouldn’t those teachers who are inclined to extend emotional support be encouraged to do so? Are we not obligated to do everything in our power to help prevent school violence? In many schools, the answer appears to be no.

When I say I cared so much about kids that it drove me to leave the classroom, I mean that I watched as the teachers in the high-achieving high school where I taught divided themselves into two camps: the data-obsessed and the student-centric. Can you guess how that played out?

The data-obsessed teachers began leading professional development sessions. Getting the plum, extra-long planning periods. Being appointed to roles with bonus stipends. The student-centric teachers, meanwhile, started receiving extra lunch duty assignments. Getting critical marks on their subjective classroom observations. Being put on “action plans,” aka the death knell of the public school teacher. The former group was made of fine, committed, hardworking teachers… and so was the latter.

Over my two years teaching at that school, whenever I had a large cross section of grades and demographics — during homeroom, say, or when I covered for an absent gym teacher — I would take an informal poll: How many teachers at the school did students feel they could always talk to? Whose doors were always open? According to the students, out of a staff of 160, there were seven of us.

Today, three of that group of teachers have left the teaching profession, one commutes three hours a day to teach in another state, one took a mental health leave of absence (citing a hostile work environment) and one was put into an office role made up of 100 percent data — for what their boss called “caring too much about the kids’ welfare.” The single one of us who still soldiers on in that school today feels like a walking target.

Do that math: Of the seven of us, six are no longer in those classrooms. Are we replaceable as teachers of academic content? Probably. Are we likely to be replaceable as adults who made kids feel safe and — perhaps even more important — heard? Probably not. And as the headlines mount up with school shootings, which is the more pressing need: those lofty academic test scores or student mental health?

More:  Is it Time to Ban Toy Guns?

American teenagers are dying for us to care about their mental health. Literally. The solution doesn’t lie in ramping up the violence, in arming teachers. But it does lie in part in ramping down the emphasis on data and enabling teachers to care.

No matter how hard we tried, we never did hear that "devil’s voice" in our backward rock records. Maybe we were listening in the wrong place and time. Maybe today, if we listen closely, we’ll hear it in our schools’ hallways, whispering that one simple word: Data. Data. Data.

Jason Aldean will never be the same after the tragic mass shooting that occurred during his set at the Route 91 Harvest festival last October. But, in an interview with ET, the country star shared that he's in a much better place now — and he's looking forward to returning (for the first time) to attend the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday.

More: Jason Aldean Issues Emotional Plea in Response to Las Vegas Shooting

Aldean, who won Entertainer of the Year in 2017, is up for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at this year's ACMs.

"I think every time I go to Vegas from here on out it'll be a little bit different. I have just a little bit of a weird feeling. But I think I've experienced a lot of great things out there, a lot of big times in my career, really career-defining moments for me in Vegas, so I love the city," Aldean told ET's Sophie Schillaci.

The "Make It Easy" singer will be drawing strength in large part from the country music community. Although understandably rattled in the wake of the senseless attack at Route 91, artists and fans came together to comfort each other and honor the 58 concertgoers who were killed that devastating day.

More: We Created an ACM Awards 2018 Playlist to Get You Pumped

"I'm excited that I'm going out there with the country music family, I'm going to be surrounded by a lot of people out there, friends and just people in the business," explained Aldean. "A lot of them were there, you know?"

Several of the artists who will be attending the ACM Awards performed at the Route 91 festival prior to Aldean's set, when the shooter started firing. "So I think for me to go back in this way, with all those people, is kind of the perfect way to really go back and do it for the first time," Aldean said.

More: Jason Aldean & the Country Music Community Send Prayers to Las Vegas

ln fact, Aldean and his country cohorts have already found a way to honor the people affected at Route 91 with their return to Vegas. During rehearsals for the ACMs, Aldean and Thomas Rhett hosted 100 survivors of the shooting, who joined the country superstars at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

While it's hard to imagine exactly what Aldean must have felt in those harrowing moments on stage last October, the country star has clearly worked hard to create something positive out of that terrible day. If his poignant performance of Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" in the aftermath of the shooting is any indication, we're sure Aldean has something heartfelt and beautiful up his sleeve for the ACM Awards.

Tune in to the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

If there's anything we've learned about potlucks and picnic food, it's that we should probably skip the coleslaw and potato salad.

So, to impress your friends and family with a new take on picnic food — one that doesn't include the boring, bland aforementioned staples — step up your entertaining game with these amazing recipes. Trust us; your food will be the star of every one of your guests' IG stories.

Let's dig in.

More: How to Grill Tender, Fall-Off-the-Bone Ribs: The Do’s & Don'ts

1. Avocado-feta dip recipe

Dip into a whole new world with this avocado-feta dip. The smooth avocado is the perfect canvas for salty, delicious feta cheese.

2. Basil pesto, provolone & arugula wraps recipe

These cute basil pesto, provolone and arugula wraps are the perfect finger food and pack a ton of flavor in every bite.

3. Ham & asparagus picnic sandwich recipe

Get some vegetables in you with these gorgeous ham and asparagus picnic sandwiches.

4. Easy caprese tarts

These easy, breezy caprese tarts from Emily Bites are not only crowd-pleasers, they're healthy too: They're only 105 calories or 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints each. Win-win!

5. Sweet-&-sour guava chicken recipe

Why not bring some hearty protein like chicken to your picnic game? This sweet-and-sour guava chicken would be awesome served warm, but can be served at room temperature. We're loving the tropical flavors.

More: All the Best Snacks to Buy on Amazon's Wickedly Prime

6. Cream cheese, tomato & basil sandwich recipe

Just imagine biting into this cream cheese, tomato and basil sandwich. Seriously, the creamy cheese, the juicy tomatoes, the herbaceous basil: It all makes for the perfect bite.

7. Creamy lemon-infused pasta salad recipe

Sure, pasta salads can be boring, but not this creamy lemon-infused pasta salad. Lemon brightens up any salad and adds that pop of "spring is here!" we all need.

8. Caprese dip recipe

Our favorite flavors all rolled into one amazing caprese dip — we would love this at our next picnic.

9. Fresh peach & avocado wrap with honey-lime spread recipe

Oh, goodness. How amazing does this fresh peach and avocado wrap with honey-lime spread look? We are loving the natural sweetness and creaminess of these ingredients.

10. Greek tortellini salad recipe

Greek tortellini salad makes pasta salad cry in the corner — but will rock your senses.

More: Is Cooking With Aluminum Foil Toxic?

11. Tropical mango-avocado salad recipe

Ever need a light salad but don't want it to be boring? Try this gorgeous tropical mango-avocado salad.

12. Smoked salmon quiche recipe

Quiche is one of the most perfect things to serve at a picnic because it tastes amazing at room temperature. So try this smoked salmon quiche recipe next time.

13. Fresh papaya & chicken spring rolls recipe

You can substitute the chicken for shrimp in these fresh papaya and chicken spring rolls for an even lighter roll.

14. Deep-dish spinach & prosciutto quiche with toasted sesame crust recipe

This deep-dish spinach and prosciutto quiche with toasted sesame crust is a stunning recipe to bring to a picnic, and you'd only need a leafy salad to go alongside it for a complete meal.

Next: More picnic recipes

A version of this article was originally published in April 2015.

{pageBreak}

15. Crunchy Asian ramen noodle salad recipe

We're in love with this crunchy Asian ramen noodle salad, apparently called "the perfect potluck salad."

More: All the Fruits & Vegetables to Pick Up at the Farmers Market This Spring

16. Creamy harissa-spiced chicken pasta recipe

This is not your usual pasta salad. The peppers give this harissa chicken pasta a much-needed spicy kick — and will quickly become your new favorite.

17. Ham & cheese pinwheels recipe

These ham and cheese pinwheels are perfect for little fingers, but the adults will want to devour these too.

18. Lasagna cupcakes recipe

Bring your favorite dinner dish to a picnic with these bite-size lasagna cupcakes.

19. Spaghetti squash spring rolls recipe

These spaghetti squash spring rolls are a great refreshing snack or appetizer for summer picnics.

20. Homemade ice pops recipe

Any spring or summer picnic is deserving of some chilly treats — and these healthy, homemade ice pops are the perfect way to cool down.

More: How to Tenderize Meat: 6 Easy Ways to Tame Those Tough Cuts

21. Cauliflower shawarma tacos recipe

For the more health-conscious of your social circle, serve them these cauliflower shawarma tacos. You can't go wrong.

22. Pineapple-mango tropical chicken skewers recipe

These pineapple-mango chicken skewers have the perfect flavors for a picnic or cookout this summer.

23. Vegetarian lentil sausage rolls recipe

A dairy-free dip? And with truffle oil? You bet! A Beautiful Mess has the delicious recipe.

23. Sweet potato-millet falafel recipe

These sweet potato and millet falafel are the perfect recipe for the family to share. Just combine with the dip of your choice.

24. Tortellini Caesar salad recipe

Try a tortellini Caesar salad to keep you refreshed on a warm day.

25. Avocado-corn salsa recipe

For anyone who wants to try a new kind of salsa, this avocado-corn salsa is the perfect dip — it's healthy too!

More: Salad Toppings That Will Wake Up Even the Most Boring Salads

26. Watermelon-lime dessert bars recipe

Sure, you can slice up a watermelon, but these watermelon-lime dessert bars are even better.

27. Greek olive pesto-fried zucchini pitas recipe

These Greek olive pesto-fried zucchini pitas can get messy, but they're definitely worth it.

Additional reporting by Alexi Velasquez.

Have you ever loved someone so deeply, there's just no possible way to articulate the way you feel? The struggle is real, because sometimes there aren't enough words in any language to express how we feel about our parents. Try as we might, it can seem like we're always coming up short. Thankfully, because a great mom is basically filled with infinite wisdom, she usually knows we love her without us having to say anything at all. But for those moments when you do find yourself searching for the perfect way to say (or write, or engrave or... calligraph?), "I love you," these sage quotes from famous folks can be just the thing.

More: These Are the Best Flowers for Mom on Mother's Day

1. When Mom's words of encouragement made all the difference

"My mother is my root, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on, and that is the belief that the ability to achieve starts in your mind." — Michael Jordan

2. When you're just plain amazed

"No language can express the power, and the beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star." — Edwin Hubbell Chapin

3. When mom is selfless & has a sense of humor

"A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." — Tenneva Jordan

4. When only a French translation will do

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." — Honoré de Balzac

More: 32 Things Moms of Boys Say Just About Every Day

5. When her multitasking is truly a marvel

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" — Milton Berle

6. When she's busy lifting cars with her bare hands

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible." — Marion C. Garretty

7. When she's dealt with all your post-breakup phone calls

"Mother is the bank where we deposit all our hurts and worries." — Author Unknown

8. When you've grown up to turn into your mom

"No influence is so powerful as that of the mother." — Sarah Josepha Hale

9. When you need a biologist to tell you the truth

"The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws." — Barbara Kingsolver

10. If you learned everything you really need to know from Mom

"A good mother is worth hundreds of schoolmasters." — George Herbert

Next: More Mother's Day love notes

A version of this article was originally published in May 2013.

{pageBreak}

11. When you said something dumb

"A mother loves her children even when they least deserve to be loved." — Kate Samperi

More: 50 Love Quotes That Keep It Super-Real

12. Also useful for when you're taller than her

"I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine — she helps me grow, prosper and reach great heights." — Terri Guillemets

13. When you're running for president

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother." — Abraham Lincoln

14. When your mom complains you never call

"God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers." — Jewish proverb

15. If your mom didn't give birth to you

"Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother." — Oprah Winfrey

16. If the greatest thing she taught you was independence

"A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning necessary." — Dorothy C. Fisher

More: 30 Quotes About Sportsmanship That Teach Kids Important Lessons

17. If she's a Tuesdays with Morrie fan

"And I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know." — Mitch Albom

18. If she's the sunshine of your life

"Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love." — Stevie Wonder

19. If she deserves the Academy Award for motherhood

"Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials." — Meryl Streep

20. When Oscar Wilde just says it best

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his." — Oscar Wilde