How did Josh Feuerstein do it? It started the week before with a video he posted on Facebook (16+ million views, 500K+ shares so far) and the critical first three comments on it. From Matthew DesOrmeaux's report:
"The first three comments on Feuerstein’s post are from Feuerstein himself. First, he urges his viewers to use a specific hashtag. The second comment is Feuerstein linking to his own blog post... putting money in his pocket with each hysterical pearl-clutching click. The third comment is Feuerstein tagging at least thirteen other mostly Christian conservative outrage-mongers like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Breitbart in an effort to get their social media managers to talk about the post and link to his website (*click*click*ka-ching*ka-ching*)."
I saw gallons of pixels spilled over the outrage about the outrage all over social media. What no one was citing, though, was the initial outrage over the cup. Isn't that odd?
That's because it was manufactured outrage, faux outrage. What would happen if we were to harness all that outrage energy into something more substantive?
People and business are forever going to use whatever means possible to get others to do their bidding, to get their word out, to do something they don't want to put their own name on. Even presidential candidates are susceptible.
We don't have to comply, though. We can prevent infection from such viruses, and we even have the power to halt the contagion.
As with other scourges like smallpox and tuberculosis, viral-outrage prevention can be time consuming or unpleasant on the front end — but worth it.
How can we protect ourselves?
Consciously decide not to be so easily outraged. Not everything requires your energy. Choose what you'll give your limited attention to. This decision can include even a passive like or Retweet. As with trolls and vampires, internet outrage-mongers need to be fed — with other people's energy.
Do a little research. It takes more than a mere click or quick comment, but before you perpetuate, make sure you have a good idea what you're perpetuating.
Breathe. For every exclamation mark used by the outrage-infected person — either verbal or written — take one breath as you decide for yourself whether and how to proceed. In Joshua Feuerstein's case, this would be three breaths from what he wrote and I-lost-count-at-47 breaths from his 75-second video clip. Then, refer again to #1.
These are my suggestions. What are your ideas for how to avoid being infected with viral outrage?
Trust me, I know. As someone who works a regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I’m definitely not immune to the aches and pains that come along with sitting behind a computer screen all day — even if I am a die-hard yogi!
From headaches to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, feet and eyes, spending 40-plus hours behind a desk every week can definitely lead to a bit of pain and agony.
“Being chained to your desk starves your extremities of blood, oxygen, and other fluids, resulting in tight muscles and stiff joints,” wrote Paige Greenfield.
But don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you to quit your day job or invest in a stand-up desk (although that certainly could help). I am here, however, to offer some other possible solutions and relief for any stress and tension you’re feeling as a result of working.
Image: Terese Condella/SheKnows; Photo provided by Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
"There are a lot of very negative physical reactions created when the body's not in movement," said Vyda Bielkus, certified yoga instructor and founder of Health Yoga Life studio, in an article for The Huffington Post. "Between sitting eight hours a day and then being in the elevator looking at your smartphone, you're totally misaligning the spine."
Bielkus suggests practicing yoga postures that target areas of tension, which can be an effective way to re-align the spine after sitting behind a desk all day. As an added bonus, Bielkus notes that the mind-body practice also helps address the damaging stress of a high-pressure job by calming the mind and quieting racing thought patterns.
Yoga instructor and business owner of Aziam, Alanna Zabel agrees. “Being a business owner, I understand very well how important yoga is to keeping balance,” she tells SheKnows. “On days where deadlines and business dominate, I am so blessed to be able to break up the intensity by either practicing or teaching. Just as our computer hard drives need to rest, so do our bodies and minds.”
So before you go grabbing some ibuprofen to relieve you of stiff joints and pain, try taking a couple minutes each day to pop a few of these yoga poses that Zabel recommends instead.
1. Downward Facing Dog
Image: Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
If you've only got time for one yoga pose per day, make it Down Dog. This pose stretches and strengthens many parts of the body, as well as reduces tension in the shoulders, relaxes the neck and gets more blood flowing to the brain. This pose is also great for stretching out those legs that have been sitting all day and the wrists and hands, which may become sore from hours at typing away on a keyboard.
From Mountain Pose (standing position), reach your hands down to the floor, bending your knees if need be. Walk your hands out about three to four feet in front of your toes. Pushing into your palms, lift your hips up toward the sky and press back into your heels, trying to get them flat to the ground. Keep your gaze toward your legs and continue pressing your chest toward your thighs to create a nice flat back.
2. Cobra or Up Dog
Image: Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
Cobra and Up Dog help improve posture by lengthening the spine and opening up the chest, which counteracts sitting hunched over all day. These two poses also help strengthen the spine, arms and wrists; stretch the chest and lungs, shoulders and abdomen; firm the buttocks; and stimulate abdominal organs.
Image: Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
Begin by laying down on your stomach, or lower your body down towards the ground through Chatturanga, and then firmly press your palms into your mat alongside your chest. Roll your shoulders back and start to lift your chest up and off the mat, while keeping your hips firmly planted on the floor, keeping a slight bend in the elbows to avoid injuries. Remain here in Cobra, or for a deeper stretch, begin to straighten your arms as you lift your thighs and knees off the ground, pressing into the palms and tops of the feet, and lift your gaze up towards the sky, finding Upward Facing Dog.
3. Extended Side Angle Pose
Image: Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
Extended Side Angle strengthens and stretches the legs, knees and ankles, which is certainly needed after sitting all day. This pose also stretches the groin, spine, waist, chest and lungs and shoulders, as well as stimulates the abdominal organs and increases stamina.
Image: Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
Starting from Warrior II pose, bring your front forearm to gently rest along the top of your front thigh, allowing it to press into your leg as you turn your chest to lift towards the sky, creating space between your supporting shoulder and head. Pushing through your back foot, so that all five toes are pressing evenly into the ground, keep the back leg extended straight while the front knee stays bent.
To stretch a little deeper, reach your front hand down towards the ground, while you continue to reach your back arm up and overhead. In this variation, the front hand can either come to the inside of the front foot, allowing the shoulder to press firmly into the knee, or bring the arm to the outside of the front foot to make the stretch a little less intense.
4. Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose strengthens the entire backside, including upper back, glutes and hamstrings, which can become tight from sitting all day.
Lying flat on your back, arms by your sides, bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor, bringing your heels as close to your bottom as you can. With your palms pressing into the floor, lift your hips off the ground and up towards the sky. Hold here for four to eight breaths, continuing to push through the feet and lifting the hips as high as you can, or choose to roll your shoulder blades underneath you, clasping your hands together to form a fist. When releasing, gently release your hands and slowly roll your spine back down to the floor, one vertebra at a time.
5. Child's Pose
Child's Pose helps to focus your mind, open the shoulders and hips and bring you inward by grounding the third eye.
Begin in Table Top position, on all fours, and then separate your knees about mat-width distance apart, connect your big toes together and begin to sink your hips back towards your heels. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale, lay your torso down between your thighs, so that you are nestling between your legs. Extend your arms out in front of you, continuing to reach through the fingertips, and gently release your forehead to the floor, relaxing here for one to three minutes.
6. Savasana
Image: Maggie Giuffrida/SheKnows
Savasana helps to release tension in the body and mind, and relieve stress and anger, bringing the body to a more balanced and clear state.
Lying flat on your back, arms by your side, legs extended out in front of you, allow your palms to face up to the sky and feet to turn out to the opposite sides of the room. Close your eyes and release any tension from your hands, feet, face and body. Try to bring your focus back to your breath, taking deep inhales and exhales through the nose. Lay here for a few minutes, thanking your mind and body for all the hard work it did throughout the day.
Like my yoga pants? Check out Aziam activewear to get yourself a pair!
"It's great to be the first to do it", Cormac Gollogly, 35, told the Irish Times.
Gollogly married Richard Dowling, 35, from Athlone, after being engaged for five years and almost two months to the day after their civil partnership on Sept. 18.
Mary-Claire Heffernan, senior registrar for South Tipperary, who also played the role of solemniser at the couple's civil partnership, said it was an honour to be involved in the historic day.
"We were out at 8:30 a.m. so they could be the first married. There was great excitement", she said. "They contacted me during the week and said they would really like to be the first".
After an overwhelming majority of people voted in favour of same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland in May (making the country the first in the world to decide on the issue via a public vote), Northern Ireland is the only part of the U.K. where gay marriage is not legal.
Since 2012, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party has blocked same-sex marriage repeatedly by filing a "petition of concern" in the Stormont assembly. On Nov. 2, a majority of assembly members voted in favour of same-sex marriage for the first time, but the DUP blocked the motion with yet another petition of concern. This requires the proposal to achieve a cross-community majority.
Sinn Féin's Caitríona Ruane said that "history had been made" with the proposal receiving majority support for the first time: "This signals a major shift in society with more and more people supporting marriage equality for our LGBT community. This is a historic day but the campaign for marriage equality is not over and will not be until we have equality enshrined in legislation".
"I can't imagine not having my best girlfriend," a friend recently told me on our morning walk to school with our kids. I see her point. I also have a best girlfriend I adore and couldn't live without. But when it comes to the person I most want to hang out with, most want to tell my deepest, darkest secrets to, and most want to laugh with, it's him.
So why do I feel like a loser for saying that?
So many articles seem to focus on the downfall of the modern marriage and how expecting our spouses to be "everything" to us is ruining marriage. But I say it's the opposite. I can't imagine being married to someone I didn't want to eat junk food on the couch with every night while watching B-grade horror flicks. Of course we love each other and get romantic, too, but the root of our relationship is in a deep, abiding friendship.
I tell him everything. One of the cornerstones of our marriage is our honesty. I know everything he has ever done with every past girlfriend and he knows the same about me. I tell him when I find someone attractive and he tells me the same. There are no boundaries between us, for better or worse. If he weren't my best friend, I can't imagine what my life might be like.
Maybe it is because we married young. Or because we have known each other since we were 10. My husband and I were in elementary school together and then remet when we were just out of undergrad. The marriages I know that started when the couple was young do often seem to be rooted in friendship more than marriages where the two people came together as fully formed adults.
We grew up together. Every first — houses, career changes, promotions, babies — we experienced together. We have supported one another through it all. So when it comes down to it, I would never choose a girl's night over a date night with my best friend. I would never choose a girls weekend over a weekend away with my spouse. Every second we can grab without our three kids is precious and there is no one in this world I would rather spend that time with.Does this make me codependent? Maybe. But I wouldn't change a thing. It's how we roll.
My husband is my best friend. He is my everything. And I am not ashamed.
Despite the fact that Rousey rubbed her ESPY Awards victory in his face this year with her now infamous, "I wonder how Floyd feels being beaten by a woman for once" line, Mayweather kept his class intact and then some when asked about Rousey's defeat against Holly Holm.
50 Cent Rhonda Rousey Instagram Reaction
50 Cent Rhonda Rousey Instagram Reaction
There were rumors that Mayweather was celebrating her defeat as a victory — thanks to 50 Cent and the above Instagram — but Mayweather insists that's simply not true.
"That's not true at all. I haven't really spoke to anyone about the Ronda Rousey situation, just to set the record straight," he explained during an interview with Fight Hype. "I don't have anything against MMA fighters. It's just like boxing; you win some, you lose some. A true champion can take a loss and bounce back."
"I don't think it's cool how everyone is trolling her on social media," he continued. "Certain things you have to learn. People will love you on Friday and then Sunday morning, it's nothing but negative comments and people making jokes and people making fun about you, which I don't think is cool. I've never been on the other side, so I don't know how it feels. I'm pretty sure she's a very, very strong person, but we still have to take into consideration that she has feelings," Mayweather said.
Despite the fact that Mayweather retired earlier this month as an undefeated champion, he still understands loss and the defeats life can bring.
"Everything happens for a reason. This was already written. Listen, if God says, 'In Floyd's career, I don't want him to lose,' you know what? I wasn't going to lose. That doesn't mean that I haven't took [sic] a loss before. I'm not talking about boxing; I'm just talking about life," he said. "When you lose a loved one, that's taking a loss. I think that everything is just a learning experience."
As for Rousey, he added, "In due time, she'll be able to bounce back and make some noise again in mixed martial arts."
Are you surprised by Mayweather's classy comments about Rousey?
But you know what? I’m fine with those messes. I even like them, because they mean I’ve done something better and more meaningful with my time than filing away papers or loading the dishwasher.
Dishes
Speaking of that dishwasher, an empty dishwasher and a counter full of dishes may be my favorite mess. They mean I had to grab a quick dinner and run out the door to dance until my feet were numb and sing until my voice was gone at Taylor Swift’s concert. Or they mean my mom and I went to a fashion show. Clearly, those are a lot more fun than dishes and the dishes will be there tomorrow.
Crumbs
I love baking and cooking — so crumbs are a necessary evil. A great meal can’t exist without some garlic peels and confectioners’ sugar on the floor.
Stuffed animals
I may be 25 years old, but that doesn’t mean I want to relegate all my plush toys to the basement to sit in a bin and never be seen again. They hold so many powerful memories. There’s the one my dad surprised me with on Valentine’s Day. The chef bear my aunt brought on a visit. The bear my mom hugged before a trip just in case something happened. Maybe those memories shouldn’t be filling a dining room chair, but they don’t belong in the basement either.
Mail
Mail is awesome. OK, so most of the time, it’s full of junk and bills, but I don’t want to throw away the cards I get from friends and family. When I’m having a bad day, I go back to my mess and read the cards — not so messy anymore.
Magazines
I feel like I’m one of the few people that actually reads magazines in a tablet-and-app world. I love the smell and feel of the paper. I love that I’m not staring at a screen to read them. But, sometimes in a tablet-and-app world, I don’t have time to get to them as quickly as I would like. I will get to them all… eventually.
Books
I have three giant bookshelves. You would think this would be enough, but they are overflowing. I don’t mind though. They show I am interested in looking at something other than a screen. They give me a release from the real world and allow me to grow as a person. Some were gifts. Some are signed. A few haven’t even been read. One day, I’ll give some of them away… mostly so I can add more to the collection.
Clean laundry
It is clean. Once I’ve gone to all the trouble of sorting, washing and drying the clothes, sometimes I just pile it up. All that valuable time is much better spent wearing the clean clothes while watching a movie, binging on Scandal or going shopping. After all, they’re just going to be dirty again soon.
The pantry
I eat mostly healthy food, but life isn’t fun without a little indulgence. When a craving strikes, my pantry is full of chips, candy, cereal, cookies and every seasonal food I can get my hands on. Right now, I have more pumpkin spice treats than any one person should be allowed to have. Things are stacked so high, it’s like playing Jenga just to get to the jar of crunchy peanut butter. Sure, I could organize it, but I know where everything is and nothing falls on the floor… most of the time.
Glitter
If there’s one lesson you take away from this article, let it be that glitter is happiness. It shines and sparkles and makes even the gloomiest days brighter. If you get a card from me, it will have glitter. And I don’t buy makeup unless it sparkles like a diamond. Fair warning to any future owners of my home: You will never get rid of all the glitter. But really, that’s a good thing.
This means that I wear a lot of off-the-shoulder stuff, a lot of oversized button-downs, and a lot of jersey. I also look for pieces that contain LYCRA® fiber – they tend to be way more comfortable and longer-lasting.
My thing for relaxed-fit pieces also, however, means that you can see my bra a decent percentage of the time. Which I don’t mind, provided that what I have on is a bra that’s meant to be seen — a piece that looks like a conscious part of my outfit, rather than an afterthought. Pretty straps are a must. A little lace is nice. Maybe a shot of gold.
So let’s talk The Undergarment Wardrobe for a minute. In theory, having drawers and drawers of lingerie to select from sounds nice, but what I’ve always found is that I continually gravitate towards a few key items: a set for when I’m feeling dramatic and sexy, a set for when I’m in the mood for something a little sweeter, and a set for everyday — pieces I can just reach for without a ton of thought and know that they’ll work under pretty much anything.
I’ve been wearing Wacoal’s bras for nearly a decade now — ever since I discovered the wonder that is their Halo strapless bra (you’ve heard me rhapsodizing about it on Ramshackle Glam for years) — and all of the pieces pictured here are pulled from their versatile mix-and-match Embrace Lace Collection. Each piece features LYCRA® fiber in the lace, so it’s comfortable and fits exceptionally well
Something sexy
Image: Jordan Reid/SheKnows
This is Wacoal’s Embrace Lace Underwire Bra (also pictured in the top two photos, here paired with the Tanga Panty), and it is now officially the sexiest garment that I own. A really great underwire is probably the one bra I wear more than any other, because it defines the bust line (extra-helpful after having two children) and gives lift and support without any bulk – so the look is pretty, but still natural.
Image: Jordan Reid/SheKnows
Something wire-free
Image: Jordan Reid/SheKnows
A relatively new addition to my wardrobe that quickly became a must-have: a wire-free set. I wasn’t sure that a wire-free bra would give enough lift, but the Embrace Lace Wire-Free Bra with LYCRA® fiber shown above is way more supportive than most bralettes I’ve tried (and it also has straps that convert to a racerback, as well as a pretty neckline). The combination of light support and no wires even makes it comfortable enough to sleep in (a much prettier choice for nighttime than my usual ratty old college tee)
Something for every day
Image: Jordan Reid/SheKnows
A t-shirt bra, like Wacoal’s Embrace Lace Underwire T-shirt Bra, pictured above, is the most versatile bra for every day and every look. The cups are smooth and seamless under tops, and the wide-set straps make it easy to wear under shirts with wide or low necklines. Get it in naturally nude if you tend to wear a lot of lighter-colored tops and mind your bra showing through your shirt, which I obviously don’t. (Also shown here: the Embrace Lace Bikini with LYCRA® fiber for added comfort and fit.)
And that’s really all you need: a few carefully-chosen pieces that work for all your many different moods.
Want to win the Embrace Lace T-Shirt bra? To celebrate Wacoal’s 30th Anniversary, the brand is giving you the chance to win 1 of 30 bras each week thru Dec 2015. Enter for your chance to win here.
This post was part of a sponsored collaboration with SheKnows and Wacoal
Lily-Grace Hooper is visually impaired. She had a stroke when she was only 4 days old, which left her without vision in her right eye and the ability to see only light and color in her left. Recently she started using a white cane to get around, fostering the happy, bright child's independence and mobility, especially at her school, Hambrook Primary School in Bristol.
Surely no one could have a problem with that, right? The further we get from stigmatizing individuals with vision and hearing impairments, the better. When kids like Lily-Grace can utilize the same spaces as their sighted peers, such as schools, that's a huge step in the right direction.
Instead the school, after performing a "risk assessment" that determined Lily-Grace's white cane to be a "high risk" to her fellow students, is asking that Lily-Grace forgo the cane completely and rely on handrails and helpful adults to get around school.
That's ludicrous. What's more ludicrous is that this is, apparently, a preemptive measure. Kristy Hooper, Lily-Grace's mother, told The Bristol Post that, "She hasn't had any problems with any of the other students, and none of the parents have complained about it — in fact they have all been very supportive."
So essentially Hooper is being asked to forgo her independence and be singled out because something might possibly happen sometime in the near or distant future.
The whole thing is so counterproductive. Lily-Grace is fine. She has a supportive mother, friendly classmates and is happy at school. Her disability doesn't define her, and her white cane has been instrumental in making that happen for her. So why take that away? What about Lily-Grace's safety? Not just the physical safety that a white cane can help provide, but the emotional safety that independence provides?
It's not as though the 7-year-old uses her cane to whack her classmates around. She uses it as an assistive device, and even at her age, she's grasped what the adults are having trouble with: A white cane is not a toy. It's a tool, and one she's come to depend on.
If the school is worried about keeping kids safe from Lily-Grace's unobtrusive cane, then why not take the opportunity to teach the other students about courtesy and etiquette around blind individuals? They're sure to encounter at least a few more in their lifetime, and literally no harm is done by teaching them to treat the visually impaired with the respect you'd give anyone else. It shouldn't be a novel idea.
Ask before attempting to assist a blind person, because it's rude to grab people, period, but ruder if the person you're grabbing can't see you.
Allow them to grasp your arm at the elbow if they do want your help.
Warn individuals of dangers like cars and curbs in clear, explicit language. Screaming out "watch out!" is unproductive and, frankly, won't warn someone of danger so much as scare their pants off.
Make your presence known when you enter a room, and say goodbye when you leave. You would do it anyway, whether a person is blind or sighted.
Don't pet guide dogs, something most kids already know.
Treat people with blindness as actual people, because they are.
That's it. Nowhere does it say that people with visual impairments are incapable of making sound decisions and can't be trusted with their own assistive devices, therefore requiring sighted people to act in their best interest.
Lily-Grace has her mother to do that, and it's clear she'll continue to do so. That could include fighting the school on this ill-advised decision and ensuring that her daughter will maintain her independence with her white cane in hand.
The star, who's notorious for his wild behavior offscreen, revealed his illness on the Today show last Tuesday, but even before he did, there was a wave of judgment coming at him from the media. TMZ actually outed the star days before his interview, saying he kept his illness secret from former sexual partners who are now bringing legal action against him for endangering their health.
However, Sheen admitted all that and more in his exclusive interview with Matt Lauer. "I'm here to admit that I am, in fact, HIV-positive. And I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about threatening the health of so many others, which couldn't be farther from the truth," he said on Today.
According to the interview, Sheen was diagnosed four years ago and trusted only a select few with the extremely personal news. But sadly those people he thought he could rely on betrayed him, and as a result, he's now being painted as an incredibly reckless individual — not someone who's suffering from a potentially life-threatening health condition.
Living with HIV is not easy, even without all the possible legal allegations and onslaught of judgment with which Sheen is now dealing. He says it started with "crushing headaches" that he thought was indicative of a brain tumor at first. Now he's constantly managing his health and taking four pills a day but his family and doctors are worried about the toll the diagnosis will eventually take on his mental health.
As the world well knows, Sheen has a tendency to abuse drugs and alcohol. People who live with such life-changing illnesses like HIV are often prone to depression, and as a result, they turn to such substances for comfort. So rather than berating Sheen for personal mistakes he may or may not have made after being diagnosed, we should be supporting his diligence in maintaining his health thus far.
But sadly the media refuses to let him off the hook. It's much more sensational to say he's getting what he deserves for all his "womanizing" and "partying ways." But all that does is pervade a dangerous and totally unnecessary HIV phobia reminiscent of when the virus first appeared in the early '80s. And that is the last thing Sheen was trying to do by going public with his illness. He was trying to rid the world of the stigma around HIV, not ramp it up again.
We should not be spreading the notion that reckless behavior begets a "punishment" like HIV. There are so many people in the world who contracted it through no fault of their own, and even more who spread it without even realizing they had it. Even though it may be easy to connect the stereotypical dots in Sheen's past behavior to his unfortunate circumstance, that doesn't mean it's fair or right.
Think of it this way: The last time HIV was penned as a "lifestyle" disease, the media was pointing fingers at homosexuals, effectively segregating them from "healthy" society. Do we really want to go there again just to say "I told you so" about a formerly troubled actor?
This wasn’t just any stroller; it was a super-fancy model: car-seat compatible, uber-light, a reversible seat, tons of storage — it slices, dices, stirs and fries! When it popped up on a daily-deals website just a few days after we’d given ourselves the go-ahead to get on with the baby-making, I could tell it was a good sign. I was on top of things from the get-go — I had a plan!
When the stroller arrived, we dragged it, still in its box, down into the basement to wait patiently by the bottom of the staircase for a Baby Ogden to put in it. And then we waited. And then we waited some more.
By the time we’d decided it was time to stop just waiting and start talking to doctors, the stroller had had to move. It was no longer welcome at the bottom of the staircase, where I might accidentally see it if I came downstairs to find a new roll of paper towels or to bring up the Christmas decorations. Instead, it got shoved into a back corner, behind the dog kennel and underneath a pile of old sheets.
Eventually we moved house, and the stroller box came along with us. It got crammed into a basement closet along with spare yarn and a pile of clothes we didn’t wear anymore. If the box had gotten a bit dented and scuffed by then, neither of us really noticed.
Meanwhile, there were doctors and tests and several rounds of peeing into cups (which I got much better at with all the practice, which was good because getting worse would have been pretty serious). There was never a diagnosis, or an answer of any sort, but eventually, there was a prescription. I got to jab a needle into my own stomach-flab, hoping that the drugs inside would convince an egg to fall out of my recalcitrant ovaries.
Then it was back to waiting, which is a skill, unlike cup-peeing, that I never really took to. My husband wound up traveling toward the end of that particular two-week wait. When I was home alone, I went down into the basement and sat next to that stupid wishful-thinking red stroller and cried.
When stick-peeing time arrived (like cup-peeing, but even easier, and with even more practice behind me) I didn’t really believe the two little lines that showed up. So I took out another stick that afternoon: still two lines. Same for the one the next morning. When my husband finally got back from his trip, I presented him with a beautiful, albeit unsanitary, plastic bouquet.
Finally getting pregnant certainly didn’t mean an end to doctors’ visits and tests, and when I was almost 20 weeks along, one of those tests brought an unpleasant surprise along with it: an abnormally high level of AFP, a protein made by the developing baby. It could have been nothing, or it could have meant spina bifida or anencephaly, and the nurse scheduled us for the earliest ultrasound slot she could find at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine unit. That still meant more waiting, and it was some of the worst waiting of all.
When I finally got under the ultrasound probe, the news was a relief: the baby was perfectly healthy. And so, as it happened, was the second baby currently in residence. His extra AFP contribution had nudged my numbers over what was normal for a singleton pregnancy, but well within range if you happen to be toting around twins.
Several excited phone calls, a lot more doctors’ visits, and about 17 weeks later, our twins arrived. We had gotten a double infant car-seat clip stroller as a hand-me-down from a family friend of my sister, and at a garage sale I picked up a used but still sturdy Graco Duoglider for when the kids were bigger. It was only a few weeks after we got home from the hospital that I realized that the fancy singleton stroller was still sitting in the basement in its original packaging.
I sold the red stroller on Craigslist to a pregnant woman who lives just a few blocks over. Sometimes I pass her on the street, she pushing her son in his fancy red stroller and me with my twins in my secondhand tandem set-up. I wonder how the red stroller fits into her parental strategy. It seems to be doing a better job for her than it ever could under the weight of my overwrought plans.
Twitter users were questioning Kardashian's relationship with Lamar Odom and telling her that she can't be with both Odom and James Harden — like it has anything to do with anyone anyway — and she was quick to tell them to stop believing everything they read about her in the press.
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 2
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 2
She also tweeted, "@KatTasillo1 @juanitoo95 You should have said those to the man who went against all our vows. Judge yourself. F*** off."
Followed by another tweet in which she revealed that her divorce is still going forward.
Kardashian was also accused of taking care of Odom only to look good in the media, a statement that she refuted.
Khloe Kardashian Twitter
Khloe Kardashian Twitter
She was in a particularly talkative mood and also fired back at someone who wanted her to stop "interfering" in Harden's life.
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 5
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 5
And took aim at another Twitter user who criticized the shape of her head. C'mon, people!
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 3
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 3
Haters are gonna hate, but Kardashian has proven she can hold her own, even if she is currently feeling a little under the weather. Although, she did reveal that her combination of antibiotics and painkillers makes for some very interesting tweets.
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 6
Khloe Kardashian Twitter 6
Do you think Khloé Kardashian is right to fire back at haters for their comments about her love life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
He may be called Tumbles but he won't be tumbling any more if his new 3D-printed wheelchair lives up to expectations.
The 6-week old terrier-beagle cross was taken to an animal shelter in Ohio after he was born the handicapped runt of the litter and unable to feed from his mother properly.
"He's a little sweetheart and doesn't act as if he has any limitations," Friends of the Shelter Dogs rescue co-ordinator Angela Marx told CBS News. "Tumbles was relinquished to us and we placed him with an experienced puppy foster. In the past few weeks he has become strong and is thriving."
After Tumbles' story hit social media one supporter designed a custom wheelchair for him, and it was then built with the help of the Ohio University Innovation Center.
The Center has promised to modify Tumbles' wheelchair as he grows into an adult dog, ensuring he will have a way to get around for the rest of his life.
Watch Tumbles testing out his new wheels for the first time below.
Sunset hair does what it says on the tin: combine shades of yellow, orange, red, pink and even blue to look like the colours of a bold, breathtaking sunset.
It's not an entirely new trend, but last year's effort had far more of a chalky vibe. Sunset hair 2015 is definitely more of a head-turner.
And it works.
It's a look that's sure to stand out in a crowd, but the mixture of painted highlights and balayage (a freehand highlighting technique) stops it looking too extreme.
A beautiful sunset, presented in a plait
Sunset hair trend 1
Sunset hair trend 1
Red, copper and yellow hues blend for a warm effect
With a cake-like batter, fruit in the middle and a crunchy sugar topping, it's like the genetic prodigy of everything you love about cake, crisp and cobbler, all in one simple dessert. To dress it up for the holiday season, this skillet version has spices and cranberries. It's perfect to make right after Thanksgiving and use up some of that leftover cranberry sauce. Or make the cranberry sauce early, save some for this dessert, and let your buckle make its fancy debut at the Thanksgiving table.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter, sugar and zest, and beat for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed.
Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then add the vanilla bean paste, and beat for another 30 seconds.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and yogurt, and mix until fully combined.
Transfer 1/2 the batter to a greased 10-inch skillet. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cranberry sauce on top, and scatter the cranberries evenly over the entire surface.
Spread the remaining batter on top, and then spoon the remaining cranberry sauce in dollops on top of that.
Sprinkle the coarse sugar on top, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top starts to brown and the cake is cooked through.
Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
Well, we can start by unclutching those pearls and considering this: While a new study from Common Sense Media estimates that tweens spend some six hours a day consuming media and teens spend nine, their moms are spending some eight hours and 37 minutes a day doing exactly the same thing.
In fact, when SheKnows took a look at the data relating to moms and their screen habits, the fact is, our kids are falling right in line behind us. Take a look:
Image: Karen Cox/SheKnows
Now, one could say that moms are acting as poor influences on their kids, and certainly there is some merit to the argument that if you can't put down that darn smartphone to have a conversation with your kids, you're role-modeling rude behavior.
On the other hand, most parents spend a lot of time on media because it's the way the world works. We check our office email in the grocery store line to achieve work-life balance (aka actually get to see our kids once in a while). We Skype with friends who live across the world because hey, we can do that nowadays! We hop on Facebook to send out invites to our kids' birthday parties without having to lick an envelope or buy a stamp. We hit up Pinterest to find Crock-Pot meals our kids will actually eat and, while we're there, pick out a few crafts the kids can turn into gifts for the teacher this holiday. Heck, sometimes we're just looking up random things on Google because we're curious, and we did learn way back in kindergarten that there's never a stupid question, so we might as well ask someone, even if it's a search engine.
Of course, sometimes we blow a whole afternoon bingeing on something good on Netflix because it's been that kind of week and we need an escape. And sometimes our kids do too.
When studies come out about kids and media, it behooves parents to stop and consider why it is we ourselves use media. Then consider this: Might our kids be doing the same thing sometimes — iMessaging friends, reading up on something they want to know more about or just blowing off a little steam?
Sure, we need to watch what it is our kids are doing and how much time they spend in front of screens. But as our kids' first teachers, we need to look at what it is we're doing too.
Traditional or old-fashioned middle baby names are a huge trend. Some parents choose these baby girl names because it is a family name that is passed down, while other parents decide to pair a unique first name with a more traditional middle name. As you can see, many celebrities have given their babies traditional baby names, with the most popular middles names being Grace, Rose and Louise.
Here are some traditional middle name options and first name options to consider
Another popular girl's middle name trend is using a virtue baby name, which is a word that describes a characteristic that you wish your child to attain. These virtue names were well-known in the Puritan era, and we have recently seen a spike in popularity.
Here are some celebrity examples of popular virtue middle names for girls:
Whether it is a return to nature or the emerging hippy/boho trend, nature-inspired names are also a big trend — as are baby names that start with the letter H! Here are some fun examples:
If you choose a longer first name, perhaps you should consider a short middle name to help balance the name. Picking a more unique middle name is a great way to get creative without sticking your child with an unusual name that he or she may or may not like. That's what Zooey Deschanel did with Elsie Otter, for example.
This tradition is one that will tickle everyone. It's German in origin, though no one seems to be exactly sure how it started. Basically the pickle-shaped ornament is the last one that goes on the tree on Christmas Eve, and it's hidden deep in the branches. Whichever kid finds it first in the morning gets an extra gift from Santa.
Believing that pigs were good luck, the Victorians started this tradition. To make it your own, order a peppermint pig, then smash it after dinner. Share the candy around the table, and it's good luck for the rest of the year.
3. Pajama elves
Christmas is a great time for cozy new pajamas, especially because the elves can deliver them on Christmas Eve. There's even a book, The Pajama Elves by Hayden Edwards, that tells the tale of elves bringing magic pajamas that you can incorporate as well.
4. Caroling
Gather a group, and go singing through your neighborhood, at a local nursing home or at a hospital. You will spread holiday cheer and tire out little ones who are amped up on sugar cookies and dreams.
With all the hustle and bustle and preparation for the big day, sometimes ordering takeout or pizza from a favorite restaurant is a great way to take a little break and just enjoy some good food. Turn on your favorite holiday movie, and snuggle up.
6. Christmas key
Don't have a chimney? No worries, just leave Santa a magic Christmas key. Hang it outside on Christmas Eve, and she's sure to have no problem at all getting in and leaving gifts.
7. Reindeer food
While cookies and milk are good for Santa, don't forget his trusty sleigh mates. Sprinkling this mix of oats, birdseed and sparkly sugar crystals will dazzle your kids and make the birds happy in the morning too.
The NORAD Santa Tracker lets kids (and adults) track the Big Guy via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other means. Volunteers answer calls and emails from around the world to keep everyone informed just where in the world Santa is on the big night.
Jacob and Isabella may be fine baby names for your average Joe and Jane, but live on the wild side a little bit by considering some of these crazy (yet totally cool) baby names. Gwyneth Paltrow caused quite a stir when she named her daughter Apple, as did Beyonce when she named her daughter Blue Ivy. Kate Winslet found a fierce name in Bear, and we are drooling over Kourtney Kardashian's baby boy name, Reign.
Check out more ideas below for finding a unique baby name for your girl or boy.
Baby names outside of the box
There is no doubt that names like Elizabeth and Henry are great traditional names. However, don't limit your choices to only classic names! Think outside the box with our list of cool objects that make great baby names. Many of these names are unisex and can work equally well for both baby boys and baby girls.
One fun way to come up with a crazy, yet totally cool, baby name is by switching up the ending or the spelling of a more traditional name. Often, just by adding in an "x" or "z," you can come up with a name that is unique. Here are some ideas:
Mykal (pronounced like Michael)
Ashleigh
Jaxson
Chriz (Chris)
Ayden (Aidan)
Keleigh (Kelly)
Emmaleigh (Emily)
Jazzmyn (Jasmine)
Chrystin (Kristin)
Rian (Ryan)
A twist on celeb names
Name your child after your favorite rock idol or screen siren with these fun and creative ideas. Many of these names use the last name as a first name for an edgy twist. For example, instead of naming your child Marilyn after Marilyn Monroe, giving her the name Monroe sounds modern and cool. Here are more examples:
Mythological names are totally crazy, yet cool. Watch the Clash of the Titans and you might find yourself leaning towards having your own little Zeus running around! Here are some great mythological baby names:
Life & Style reports that the bitter exes are gearing up for another round of custody hearings and Hoppy is planning on getting Frankel's neighbors involved to trash talk Frankel's parenting.
The outlet's sources explained that Hoppy is asking the neighbors to write letters, pointing out Frankel's flaws as a parent.
"They've called her a bad mother who isn't there for her child," one insider revealed. "They despise Bethenny."
But, apparently, she doesn't like them much either. So rather than focus on the petty hate and gossip, Frankel is reportedly trying to just be there for Bryn.
The custody and divorce battle has now been raging strong for nearly three years.
Frankel and Hoppy were married for two and a half years, and Frankel confirmed during an interview with Andy Cohen that it was fame that led to their downfall.
"When you bring someone into fame, and they're left without it... I think some people come in and they see the shiny objects, and they grab at the shiny objects," Frankel explained. "And [if] it's taken away? They want it to be taken away from you also."
Frankel has been unable to comment publicly about the specifics of their divorce battle since she is under a gag order by the judge to not to talk about the case until all the divorce proceedings have been finally settled.
In the same interview, Carole Radziwill defended Frankel, saying, "I've witnessed what Bethenny goes through in terms of this custody, child care thing. And if it was me, I would not be able to handle it as well as you handle it. I understand what some of the crying is."
Radziwill even gave a sad example. "She calls her daughter twice a day, it's court-appointed, and lots of times, her ex-husband won't answer the phone. I've seen her call six, seven, eight, nine times, and she wants to talk to her daughter. She wants to say 'hi.' She's 4. There's so many head games being played."
Who do you think should have primary custody in Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy's battle over their daughter?
"They are loving this attention and are working with producers now on more ways to let their love shine on air because the audience clearly loved it!" an insider said, adding, "Blake and Gwen are not in full on lovey couple mode and not just when they are in front of an audience. When they are not needed on set, they are in her dressing room alone with the door closed.”
Of course, that embrace wasn't the only flirtatious moment the two shared throughout the show this week. Extra reports that at commercial breaks, Shelton would head over to Stefani's chair so the two could talk more intimately. The two even apparently left the building during a break so they could have some alone time.
Shelton and Stefani confirmed they were seeing each other about two weeks ago. The two both divorced their respective spouses, Miranda Lambert and Gavin Rossdale, around the same time and reportedly bonded over their shared feelings.
So while it seems that hug may have been planned, it would be really hard to fake a whole show of stolen glances, blushes and anticipated time together if there weren't some serious sparks flying between these two.
Do you think Stefani and Shelton have what it takes to turn their romance into a long-term relationship?
