I am a fighter, energetic, a survivor on a number of fronts. I often have a clear idea of what I want and how things should be done, and I am strong in pursuing my convictions. That sounds quite good, actually — like an achiever’s recipe, right? I thought so, too, until midlife came to my rescue. Yes, it took me that long.

More: 7 ways to make a midlife crisis a positive thing /health-and-wellness/articles/1105905/mid-life-positive-changes

We all have our individual paths and timing to understanding the truths of life. Doers are strong-willed and usually hard nuts to crack, but in case you haven’t learned your lesson by then, believe me, midlife provides a pretty good opportunity.

Midlife has been a real challenge marathon for me, and mostly it boils down to the inescapable confrontation with the fleeting nature of life. There is no escape as transience looks at me every time I meet myself in the mirror.

One day I stood in my younger son’s bedroom after he had just left for university. The empty nest is a tough one to swallow — gone, full stop. It really felt like something was dying within me. I called my mom, crying my eyes out. She has always had words of wisdom and consolation but not that day. “What? He is at university already? Oh, I thought he was still in middle school! Gosh, time is flying.”

Can it get any worse? I felt like I just lost my mother as well. With the confident doer in me crumbling, I had no more comfort zone to retreat to. I felt terribly lost, scared and, finally, broken open.

This was a turning point. My perspective started to shift in view of my diminishing power, while my horizon widened in an unexpected way. More and more, I found myself reacting differently to familiar situations.

It all started with a misunderstanding. A good friend upset me with an insensitive remark. In my usual taking-charge way, I approached him courageously, sharing my hurt and disappointment. I'd always hated fight and disconnection and would bend over backward to find a basis for new understanding, convinced it was the right thing to do — not anymore

Right in the middle of yet another attempt to clear the air between us, I suddenly stopped. A new kind of need had surfaced, deeper than the wish to feel connected. It was my need for inner freedom.

How to get there?

More: How to avoid toxic relationships and interactions on Facebook /living/articles/1111639/facebook-relationships

It didn’t take long before I could see the one path I’ve never even considered as a solution so far: acceptance. The mere sound of the word had a soothing effect on my contracted solar plexus.

Acceptance: It is what it is — and it’s not what it’s not. It’s OK. The definition emerged within me like a ray of light.

As I sat with it for a while, it felt like rocks were lifted off my shoulders — the rock of feeling responsible for other people’s happiness and the rock of feeling dependent on their approval. It’s simply not true.

The gift of acceptance urges us to establish some healthy boundaries around conflicts, people and, most important, our own ambitions. If acceptance is not on our options menu, we are prone to exploiting ourselves and others, perfect preconditions for burnout and depression.

Acceptance is the direct path to peace. It doesn’t excuse wrong, but it humbly embraces personal limitations. Acceptance creates the space and calm for which doers don’t naturally have the patience. It’s an opposed energy requiring more receptive qualities and trust, something typically lacking in survivor mentalities.

I still fight my old demons at times, when they try to pull me into a futile battle that is not mine to fight. I usually find my way out by remembering I am not responsible for other people’s behavior. I choose to have faith in the face of all the worst-case scenarios the doer within me habitually creates. It gets easier with time, as I experience more and more situations where my well-meaning active involvement may even have prevented the perfect solution from emerging.

By consciously inviting acceptance into my life, I give myself permission not to act but to observe more often, aiming to do this with love and compassion. Of course, I am happy to help when needed and able, but I remain committed to accepting my own limitations and those of others.

Life feels so much healthier this way. Being free to embrace and communicate my boundaries is incredibly empowering. I have never felt this sense of gratitude, especially when reaping the benefits of my chosen nonaction.

Sometimes I catch myself regretting it took me so long to understand, but when these should-haves and what-ifs start flooding me, I now remember: 

Breathe in, “It is what it is,” and breathe out, “It’s not what it’s not.“

Then I smile, knowing that it’s OK.

More: Adult coloring books are teaching me mindfulness in a busy world /health-and-wellness/articles/1114283/adult-coloring-books-are-teaching-me-mindfulness

More: Sports presenter shares shocking tweets and exposes sexist Twitter trolls

Despite being new to the show, Walker was seated in the so-called "power position" on the viewer's left-hand side of the sofa — leaving his co-host, Louise Minchin, on the right. Immediately people started protesting that this wasn't fair, because Minchin, a veteran presenter, has 10 years' more experience than Walker.

As long as the seed has been planted, it starts to raise questions. Why does Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan always sit on the left and Susanna Reid on the right?

More: Gillian Anderson reveals shocking The X-Files sexism

The same could be asked of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning — but wait, they've gone and foxed us all this week and switched sides.

Phil and Holly's seat swap isn't permanent, however, and only came about due to the media fuss over Walker assuming his "power position" on another channel.

It's definitely got us thinking — is there some kind of seating bias going on in the world of prime time television?

"On nearly all breakfast TV sofas, the male presenter sits on the left hand side of the sofa," said Marie Claire. "This is the 'dominant' spot, owing to the fact that when we watch television our eyes naturally pan left to right, as we would read a page, automatically giving the man the highest position of authority."

One TV presenter — Miriam O’Reilly, who was sacked from BBC's Countryfile and subsequently won an ageism case against the corporation — calls out the positioning of male and female presenters as another sign of sexism in the industry.

"It’s just deep-rooted misogyny in newsrooms, where editors think a man somehow has more authority," she told The Guardian, "and, of course, the people who make these decisions tend to be men themselves.

"I’ve worked on enough news and current affairs programmes to know that men are seen by editors as having the 'gravitas' to lead a show," she continued. "Sadly women on breakfast news programmes, particularly, have the role of the bit of fluff by his side. They are there to smile, laugh, giggle or tease — and to show legs and cleavage."

The Independent backs up the view that breakfast TV sofa placement says a lot about industry sexism: "Camera left is perceived as the more senior position, because people read left to right. And so, when it comes to presenter duos, you’ll always find a man — usually older — sitting to the left of a woman."

If "camera left" in broadcasting really is considered the more senior position, then there's no doubt that Minchin has been snubbed (and, arguably, Willoughby, Reid, Alex Jones on The One Show and a whole host of other female TV presenters, both here and in other countries, have a case for playing musical chairs).

One programme maker said there tended to be a perception that the more senior presenter sat on the left, stating: "It’s not about gender, but it may be about seniority. The presenter on the left is referred to as number one and the presenter on the right is number two."

Clearly, though, this argument doesn't apply to Walker and Minchin, so what's the explanation from the Beeb?

BBC bosses insist that no such "seating bias" exists, and that the seating arrangements for male and female presenters is merely a coincidence. In a statement, the BBC said: "There is no seniority in terms of who sits where on the BBC Breakfast sofa. It’s all about judging which is the best camera angle for the presenters."

Clear as mud, then.

Do we believe the BBC? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

More: An anonymous actress is exposing the double standards in film

Grimm Season 5 has heavily revolved around Black Claw, the Wesen group intent on no longer hiding their identity from society and killing anyone who gets in their way. Well, there is a good possibility Adalind and Renard just might join their fight.

More: Grimm's Adalind Season 5 teasers: Will she replace Juliette?

As previously shown, Black Claw wants Renard on their side and they also want him to run for mayor of Portland. It's unclear exactly what Renard will decide, but Friday's episode teased that if he does what they're asking, he just might also get his daughter, Diana, back.

Rachel Wood, a Black Claw member and Andrew Dixon's former campaign manager, told Renard that in order to become mayor he needs a family. She even mentioned Adalind and Diana to him, but what does this mean? Is she saying that if he agrees to do what Black Claw wants of him, then he and Adalind will finally get their long-lost daughter back? That's sure what it sounds like.

At the end of Friday's episode, Renard phoned Adalind and said that he might have found a way to reunite them with Diana. There's no doubt Adalind would do anything to get her daughter back, but will she agree to whatever terms are given to her, including maybe marrying Renard and joining forces with Black Claw?

More: Grimm: 5 things Nick and Monroe's Black Forest discovery could mean

Things have changed drastically for Adalind since giving birth to Diana. She's become a decent person, is no longer a Hexenbiest (for the time being), loves Nick and also had another child with Nick. Would she be willing to risk all of that to get Diana back?

There are a lot of scenarios here, but if Adalind and Renard do take sides with Black Claw, things surely won't end well. Not only will the two be siding with the enemy, but they'll also find themselves on the wrong side of Nick and Hadrian's Wall, aka Eve, Trubel and Meisner.

Whatever happens, here's hoping Adalind finally gets Diana back, because their reunion is long overdue.

Grimm airs Fridays at 9/8c on NBC.

More: Grimm: Should Adalind & Nick be together, now that a baby's involved?

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

When entrepreneurs bring new products into the Shark Tank, they can expect to have them picked apart by a no-nonsense team of investors who pull no punches. Sometimes, however, the Sharks take cheap shots that are completely uncalled for. Tonight's punching bag was a blended vegetable drink called The Good Promise. Its creator felt the full wrath of the Sharks — especially Kevin O'Leary.

More: 5 most memorable quotes from Shark Tank guest Chris Sacca

Things seemed to be going well at the beginning of Karen Posada's pitch, as the Sharks appeared to enjoy at least one of her juice flavors. However, that changed in a hurry after the Sharks tasted the rest of her creations. One in particular was so bad that Daymond John asked if it was a cleanser — implying that he may need to bail on the rest of the pitch and run for the bathroom. Robert Herjavec and Mark Cuban both visibly gagged while trying to keep down their drinks, and Mr. Wonderful compared three of the four flavors to toxic waste. How O'Leary knows what toxic waste tastes like is anyone's guess, but needless to say, the Sharks were not impressed by The Good Promise.

More: 6 times Kevin O'Leary made Shark Tank entrepreneurs cry

Viewers seemed to get a kick out of Herjavec's gagging and O'Leary's colorful insults. However, some thought that O'Leary and his cohorts went way too far with their critiques. Both disappointed and delighted viewers took to Twitter to comment on the Sharks' over-the-top reactions.

O'Leary made it quite clear that he wasn't a fan of The Good Promise, but comparing it to consuming toxic snails was unwarranted. There's nothing wrong with giving entrepreneurs no-nonsense feedback, but at some point, the Sharks need to know when to give it a rest. Posada clearly got the message that the Sharks did not approve long before they began making nasty remarks about toxic snails and flaming sphincters. Entertainment value aside, it would be far more useful for the Sharks to take Lori Greiner's tactful approach and give entrepreneurs like Posada the feedback they need without being downright cruel.

More: Shark Tank's Sharks find their hearts thanks to kitty cuddles (PHOTOS)

Did you think the Sharks were too harsh during tonight's episode of Shark Tank? Comment and share your opinion below.

More: Women share unsolicited pic reactions to raise online harassment awareness

The unnamed 25-year-old runner was attacked by a man who tried to strangle her with the wire of her headphones, reported the Manchester Evening News. It happened in broad daylight, at around 3 p.m. on Saturday March 12.

The victim heard rustling in nearby bushes and when she went to investigate, she was knocked to the ground by a man, who held an unknown object to her throat. He repeatedly banged her head against a tree and tried to strangle her, before he was disturbed and fled from the scene.

After hearing of the attack, local resident Lu Hudson decided action had to be taken.

"It struck a chord because myself and my girlfriend were only running in the park the night before, and I go running in there regularly," the 30-year-old, who was born in Middlesborough but has lived in Manchester for over 10 years, told The Telegraph. "Rather than it being something that we do feel scared of, or change our routine- change where we feel we can access and go about our daily lives- we should feel like we can take a stand. I’m frustrated because it’s not the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last, unfortunately."

More: 'Harassment map of London' shows where women have been sexually assaulted

"I just felt frustrated that I don’t want to be stopped to go about my daily business and about my life and feel intimidated by these people who clearly have no care in the world for anyone else," Hudson added.

She created a Facebook event to raise awareness and round up participants for a group run, Run Towards, Don’t Run Away, and it quickly gained interest. In less than 24 hours, 350 people had been invited to take part, and at the time of publication, 165 had confirmed their attendance.

"My hope is that we might meet new people, new friends to go running with," said Hudson. "Start a club, or at least say hello to 'passers by' that then become a familiar face when running, to feel that bit safer and any ideas to keep safe can be shared too."

The message Hudson and her group want to send out is three-fold: we will be strong and live our lives free from fear; we will not be stopped from doing what we love to do; we will claim our territory and be free in our local community.

Plenty of advice has been given online in the aftermath of the attack, such as advising women to run in groups, or not to run at night or with headphones in. While well-meaning, it essentially puts restrictions on what female runners can do, and takes away their freedom.

The woman who was attacked was on her own, and she did have her headphones in, but she was also running at 3 p.m. on a sunny Saturday afternoon. While taking safety precautions is always sensible, there has to be a balance between being careful and being able to run outdoors without feeling susceptible to an attack.

If you want to take part in the run, find out more here. If you can't be there in person, spread the word on social media with the hashtag #runtoward.

More: 9 safety tips for running at night

I'm not sure if it's the candied fruit, the thick, piped-on icing or the sweet, buttery bun itself, but no Easter is complete without a hot cross bun. Inevitably we always ended up with some leftovers after the Easter Bunny hopped on by. Enter French toast.

Slicing the buns in half and making French toast with the bottoms is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this holiday treat before they go stale. Of course, you can make French toast with the tops too, but I love keeping them intact to enjoy all that delicious icing one last time.

Hot cross bun French toast recipe

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 leftover hot cross buns, halved
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Dip the bottom of each hot cross bun into the egg mixture until the bun bottom is soggy and has absorbed much of the mixture.
4. Place the butter in the skillet, and once it is melted, add the bun bottoms to the pan. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
5. Place the French toast on a serving plate, and arrange the uncooked tops (with that delicious icing intact!) next to the French toast.
6. Garnish with a pat of butter and/or maple syrup.

More French toast recipes

Bananas Foster French toast
Nutella French toast roll-ups
Marscapone-stuffed French toast with cranberries

A Florida jury agreed on Friday that Gawker violated the entertainer's privacy by publishing a sex tape in 2012 that showed him having sex with a friend's wife. As a result, Hogan was awarded $115 million in damages.

The 62-year-old, whose real name is Terry Bollea, was filmed without his knowledge after meeting with and having sex with Heather Clem, the wife of radio host Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem, who reportedly made the video. When Gawker got its hands on a copy, it released the two-minute clip on its website and, despite it showing only nine seconds of actual sex between Hogan and the woman (the rest of the time the two are just chatting), Hogan sued Gawker for violating his privacy. A jury of four women and two men agreed that was exactly what had happened.

Gawker's founder Nick Denton and former editor A.J. Daulerio argued that their decision to post the video was backed by the First Amendment and that they've already started making preparations to appeal the decision. In a 2013 interview, Denton defended his choices by saying he thought, "invasion of privacy has incredibly positive effects on society." Denton and Daulerio's defense team claim they still have critical evidence to back up their defense that has not been allowed to be heard in court.

More: Hulk Hogan breathes new life into his sex tape

Meanwhile, Hogan was awarded $55 million for economic damages and $60 million for emotional distress — an unbelievable amount of money that could bankrupt Gawker. And there may even be more where that came from: jurors will reconvene next week to decide whether he's entitled to additional punitive damages.

For now, Hogan seems satisfied with the outcome. After the verdict was announced, his lawyer released the following statement: "Mr. Bollea is exceptionally happy. This is not only his victory today, but also anyone else's who has been victimized by tabloid journalism."

Gawker has been providing a daily update on the Hogan trial and maintains that the wrestler's private life is as newsworthy as his public persona because he has always chosen to put himself out there for public consumption.

More: Hulk Hogan drops sex tape lawsuit when BFF apologizes

But Hogan, an almost-mythical figure amongst children, argues that his professional career, which now includes making appearances at wrestling events, was rocked by the scandal because it hurt his family-friendly image. You could argue Hogan's use of racist slurs is equally to blame for that (he has since apologized for using the N-word). But you could also argue that racist slurs and a stolen sex tape that he didn't even know about are apples and oranges.

As for Gawker's fate, that remains to be seen. But their loss could mean a much stricter and less laissez faire approach to online journalism — something that fills me with remorse. If only the issue at the center of it all wasn't the private sex life of a man who didn't deserve to be dragged into all of this.

Vegetables and fruit get their coloring from naturally occurring pigmentation. Some examples are beta-carotene in carrots, lutein in red peppers and lycopene in tomatoes. The colors of plants do more than just make them look beautiful; there are health benefits to the pigments that range from antioxidants, protection from heart disease and certain types of cancer. That’s good news for gardeners. There are so many colorful plants out there, many heirloom varieties, that you can plant a colorful rainbow of veggies.

1. Radishes

These cute little root vegetables are easy to grow and add a little peppery kick to a salad. They are quick growing too: less than a month from seed to table. Mostly known for their red color, radishes are also available in pastel colors, striped and even black! The watermelon radishes pictured here are just gorgeous.

Watermelon radish is also known as Roseheart or Red Meat radish. This is an heirloom Chinese Daikon radish that has 4-inch round roots with white and green skin and a rose-red center. Unlike most radishes that have a peppery bite, these radishes are sweet, crisp and delicious.

2. Eggplant

Most of us are familiar with the deep purple, almost black color of eggplants. They are available in a range of colors from many shades of purple, greens, all white and even oranges. But check out these striped beauties.

There are several varieties of striped eggplants — some common varieties are Angels, Caliope and Nubia.

More: 7 things to think about when planning a garden

3. Carrots

Orange carrots have only been around since the 17th century. They were cultivated by the Dutch in honor of William of Orange who led the struggle for Dutch independence. Until then, carrots were red, white, purple and even black.

The gorgeous purplish red exterior of these purple dragon carrots is a wonderful contrast to the brilliant orange interior. These pretty carrots will get anyone to eat their veggies.

4. Cauliflower

Skip the plain white variety of cauliflower and go for color. Cauliflower comes in bright apple green, yellow and purples. They are high in dietary fiber, folate and vitamin C and depending on the color, you get an added dose of beta-carotene and anthocyanin.

“Cheddar Cheese”, “Violetta Italia” or “Green Macerata” are some of the colorful varieties of cauliflower you can grow.

Next: More rainbow veggies

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5. Corn

We all love fresh, sweet ears of yellow corn at a summer BBQ. However, popcorn and varieties grown for cornmeal are available in a plethora of fun colors, like this glass gem corn.

Glass gem corn is an heirloom popcorn with hues of palettes of blue, pink and green. You can get ornamental and “meal” corn in reds, blacks and multicolor combos.

More: 9 tools that make indoor gardening ridiculously easy

6. Beans

Beans are available in many colors, patterns and sizes. Whether it’s snap, shelled or dried beans, there’s a color and pattern to meet your tastes.

Hyacinth beans are a triple threat: Beautiful pods, foliage and flowers can be in full display at the same time. Some other pretty legumes to consider are Dragon Tongue bush beans, Purple Pod pole bean and Rouge von Paris bean.

7. Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes have been popular in the gardening world forever. More and more non-red varieties are making their way into grocery store produce departments. There are still hundreds that are only available through seeds and planting them on your own.

A green tomato doesn’t always mean that it’s unripe. This tomato variety has beautiful chartreuse skin with deep lime-green stripes. Its flesh is a brilliant green too. Some other fun varieties of striped tomatoes include pink berkeley tie dye, cosmic eclipse and copia

More: 5 easy tips to keep plants blooming longer

Next: More rainbow veggies

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8. Pumpkins

There’s more to the winter squash family than orange pumpkins. Squash and gourds come in so many wonderful arrays of color combos, shapes and textures. Pumpkins are the most beloved of the winter squash variety. Try some of the unique types in your garden this year, like these blue pumpkins.

Very few plants are blue in color. The blue boy pumpkin, also known as Australian Blue or Jarrahdale, are more of a grayish or slate blue color. They feature a classic “Cinderella” pumpkin shape with a sweet orange flesh. Some other fun pumpkin varieties include: Kobucha, Casper and Tiger.

9. Potatoes

Just like winter squash, potatoes (sweet and regular) are available in many different colors and shapes.

Blue potatoes are more of a deep purple in color with a purple flesh. The cool thing about these potatoes is that they hold their pretty color when cooked. As with most vegetables and fruit with deep colors, blue potatoes are high in antioxidants. Here are some other pretty potatoes to consider: Yellow Fin, Purple Peruvian and Cranberry Red.

10. Swiss chard

Swiss chard is the same species as beets but only grown for its leaves rather than the roots. The foliage is gorgeous and delicious, and the stalks come in a rainbow of colors.

Swiss chard is available in white, yellow and reds (pink). They are easy to grow and do well in cool weather. Plant these babies in your fall and early spring garden for a pop of color.

More: 7 terrible gardening tips to ignore

According to the World Economic Forum's 2015 Global Gender Gap Index, Iceland is the best country in the world for women in terms of offering fair wages (not quite equal pay, but getting there faster than everywhere else). But how does the rest of the world fare?

1. Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden ranked fourth best for pay equality and is actively taking steps to close that pay gap even further. Stockholm is buzzing with start-ups and digital ventures which make this a great setting for those with a business or new media focus.

Living in this Ikea wonderland will give you a taste of more than just enchanting Swedish nature and those famous meatballs (köttbullar): Life in Stockholm will put you at the heart of northern Europe's contemporary fashion and music scenes. Oh, and Alexander Skarsgård is from Sweden. That's obviously worth mentioning.

More: 11 jobs with better benefits than you'd expect

2. Toronto, Canada

While Canada didn't rank impressively on the the pay gap front, there are other reasons to include this beautiful city on the list. According to the Glass-Ceiling Index published by The Economist in 2013 — a report which details where women have the best chance of equal treatment in the workplace — Canada ranked high in the best places to live for working women.

For ladies in the tech and software sectors or for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, Toronto is a hot spot for start-ups and new business ventures. For ladder climbers in the film and fashion industries, Toronto's creative playground is comparable to Hollywood.

3. Dublin, Ireland

Ireland ranks fifth on WEF's Global Gender Gap Index. While it doesn't offer the international melting pot London does, it's substantially more affordable and is a sprawling, diverse city where any career is possible.

In addition to being a major media market and home to the country's most influential publications, Dublin holds Google's European headquarters and is the hub of Ireland's engineering sector. Another plus: There is always a pint of Guinness within walking distance.

More: 6 women with unusual careers

4. Auckland, New Zealand

Not only an Instagram-worthy and geographically incredible place to visit, New Zealand offers a promising long-term future for professional women and a nearly unbeatable quality of life. New Zealand was listed the fourth happiest place in the world to live by Forbes. But it's not only the perfect setting for happy vibes. According to The Economist, women are treated most equally in the New Zealand workplace in terms of overall employment, level of education, a narrower male-female pay gap and the number of women in senior positions.

Auckland is New Zealand's most urban city and is rich with job opportunities. The city is abundant with international companies to start the next chapter of your career.

5. Zurich, Switzerland

Imagine spending your off-duty time in the Alps or taking a casual day trip to northern Italy. Switzerland is located in the heart of Europe and offers all its inhabitants a prime taste of European life, but what about professional life? Switzerland ranked the eighth best country for women in the Global Gender Gap Index. For female leaders in the finance, life science and biotechnology industries, Zurich is a lucrative city in which to advance your dream career.

More: Women do make more than men — in nine jobs anyway

It's seldom that we hear anything about Gwen Stefani these days that doesn't involve her sweet relationship with Blake Shelton. As much as we love the couple, we have to remember that the 46-year-old singer, songwriter, fashion designer and mom of three also has her own amazing personal story. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Stefani revealed that, yes, even a woman as accomplished and brilliant as she is, can feel insecure — especially after giving birth, having her marriage to Gavin Rossdale blow up in public and attempting the comeback of a lifetime.

On the heels of releasing "This Is What the Truth Feels Like," Stefani admitted that Pharrell Williams helped her return to the stage immediately after giving birth to her third son Apollo, now 2. The former The Voice coach says her sons are big fans of the singer's "Happy" track, so she wrote to him to express her gratitude. His response was better than she could have expected: He wrote her back and asked her if she wanted to come play at Coachella. Stefani says she stayed up all night contemplating whether to take the plunge so soon after Apollo's birth, even reassuring herself that she could wear a black jumpsuit to feel better about her appearance.

"After you have a baby you so want to get back," Stefani said. "The first time I left the house was to go walk onstage and perform 'Hollaback Girl.' I got a tour bus and brought the kids out to Coachella so they could see I was friends with Pharrell and show off to them. And then I got the call about The Voice, and they were like, by the way, Pharrell is doing it. And I was like, what? You know what, yeah! I want to do it."

A baby, a comeback and an amazing career opportunity — talk about a magical year.

More: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have a huge surprise for music fans

And this provides a nice lead-in to Stefani's next major revelation: She says she has been on a spiritual journey that she credits with making the songwriting process for her latest album so much more organic and natural than anything she has ever worked on in the past.

"I just felt so spiritual," Stefani says. "I know that it’s weird to talk about spirituality publicly, because it’s such a personal thing, and I know that some people, it offends them. But I can say my own journey, and what I believe and what I feel and what I’ve seen, the miracles I’ve seen — it’s quite real for me. It was right there in the room. It was magic, and everybody felt the magic of this music being made. It was so pure.”

Not surprisingly, Stefani can't talk about the last few months of her hectic life without mentioning how embarrassed she felt by her ex-husband's betrayal. Who can blame her? But even that incident — Rossdale reportedly cheated on his wife with the nanny — gave Stefani clarity and hope for the future, if you can believe it. She says she refused to decide that her life was falling apart and that was the end of it. Instead, she made it a point to let it take her to new creative heights and serve as a learning experience.

More: Details of Gavin Rossdale's affair with his nanny are completely shocking

I give Stefani major credit for focusing on the good to come out of her destroyed marriage instead of wallowing in anger. I think it's an amazing gift for both Shelton and Stefani to have found love during this challenging time in both of their lives. But the important thing to remember is that she put in the work to make sense of her marriage problems before hooking up with Shelton. Had she not hooked up with him, it seems like she would have come through this just fine, thanks to her inner strength and strong sense of spirituality and belief in her own purpose on this planet.

Stefani is a lot more than one-half of our favorite new celeb relationship — she's a strong, inspirational woman who picks herself up, dusts herself off and starts over again.

Ever since Prince Harry and Prince William were young lads, it was pretty much established that Will would assume the position of the responsible, older brother and future king, while Harry would get to goof off, date a slew of blonde celebs and socialites and bounce back after getting caught with his pants down in Las Vegas. Along the way, the 31-year-old has surprised us, though. After serving his country in the military in Afghanistan, Harry has dedicated himself to helping children and improving the lives of war veterans. This is the second year he will be bringing his Invictus games to Orlando in May.

And then there's this: The prince admitted in an interview with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts that, despite what some may think, he has baby fever. After glowing about his role as uncle to Will and Kate Middleton's children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Harry revealed to Roberts that he is eager to become a dad soon.

"I can't wait for the day," Harry said. "So, you know, it will be fantastic. I've got a kid inside of me. I want to keep that. I adore kids. I enjoy everything that they bring to the party. They just say what they think."

More: Prince Harry is ready for babies, and may have chosen his princess

Harry also paid homage to his mom, Princess Diana, who died after a car accident in 1997. He was 12 at the time and said losing his mother at a young age shaped his entire life — and that he and William are doing their part to continue her legacy. He founded the charity, Sentebale, to help the African children in Lesotho, many of whom are living with AIDS, which was one of the causes near and dear to Diana's heart.

"I hope she's looking down, you know, with tears in her eyes, being incredibly proud of what we've established, I suppose," Harry said. "I'm sure she's longing for me to have kids so she can be a grandmother again."

There he goes again with the kid talk! As wonderful as it is to hear Harry is planning to raise a family sometime in the future, it would be nice to finally get confirmation about his dating life. Is he back with Cressida Bonas? The two are totally capable of being "friends" who can grab a drink without drama, but is that all that's happening? Is the world officially over the possibility of a Harry/Pippa Middleton hook-up?

More: Details behind Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton's romance are scandalous

I suppose it's just as annoying to speculate about a man's fertile future as it is a woman's. For now, Harry is doing his part to use his family name and fame to help others. His mother would be extremely proud of both him and Will — there's no doubt about that. As for babies, it will happen when it happens, but it's pretty exciting to know Harry really wants it to happen.

But, what if your drain was clogged because a plant was sprouting out of it? It's happening to some women who use Lush's Wiccy Magic Muscles bar.

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The bar — made with "warming blend of cinnamon and peppermint essential oils" — also contains aduki beans. The beans work to soothe aching muscles, but they won't sprout unless they're in the proper environment. In this case, the proper environment seems to be the warm, dark crevices of a shower drain.

"In order for the beans to germinate they must of been left in the shower for a few days," Lush co-founder Helen Ambrosen told BuzzFeed. "The results you get just go to show how fresh the ingredients really are."

More: I tried snail slime face masks in the name of great skin — and they worked

Fresh or not, there's something pretty gross about a plant growing out of the drain — especially because aduki beans can grow to a height of 18-25 cm.

At least these beans won't leave you with pink skin for days, like another (commonly misused) Lush product is blamed for doing.

More: Beauty bloggers are bringing the '80s back with neon makeup (PHOTOS)

The love is partly financial — they're getting paid to promote these waist trainers — and partly because they swear the corset-like wraps help whittle their midsections in a quest for a perfect hourglass figure.

More: Innovative bikini bottoms make it possible to swim while wearing a maxi pad

The problem? These waist trainers aren't doing what they say they'll do — and customers are upset. So much so that several of them have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company. WGS says their waist trainers can "radically reduce your waist size" and "permanently [get] rid of unwanted inches around your waist" while attacking "unwanted fat and impurities within your body."

A piece of nylon doesn't do that, according to one plastic surgeon.

"External compression via a waist trainer has absolutely zero permanent effect on fat distribution, intra-abdominal organ positioning or body contouring," Daniel Maman, MD, a Harvard-trained cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon told Cosmopolitan. "The number of fat cells we have are fixed, and as we gain and lose weight these fat cells either shrink or expand. The only way to physically remove or redistribute fat is via liposuction, direct surgical removal or cryolipolysis [a fat-freezing technique] like CoolSculpting,"

More: Watch 100 years of Irish beauty in under 2 minutes (VIDEO)

While they might not help you burn fat, one SheKnows writer said her waist trainer had a dramatic impact on her core post-pregnancy.

"When I went in for my six-week postpartum checkup, rather than being disapproving, as I had feared, my doctor was delighted I'd done it," wrote Charlotte Andersen. "My diastasis recti, the separation between my abdominal muscles in the front, was almost completely healed — something that had never happened this quickly or completely with my other babies. My doc explained the girdle had acted as a splint, allowing my muscles to neatly knit back together by taking the pressure off them to hold up my core."

The takeaway? While a waist trainer won't eliminate fat, it might be able to help in other ways. Just don't expect a miracle.

More: 13 leggings inspired by cult classic movies and shows

Add these scrumptious Swedish delights to your next Ikea shopping haul.

1. Knäckebröd Flerkorn (Multigrain crispbread) - £1.30

Fibrous, healthy and oh-so-perfect for breakfast, we can see why the Swedish eat this gourmet cracker with absolutely everything.

2. Kakor Choklad (Biscuits with chocolate-flavoured filling) £0.80

This is a Swedish person's answer to an Oreo. It's impossible to eat only one and you may be temped to eat around 332 of them with a big glass of milk. Or two.

More: Swedish pancakes (RECIPE)

3. Kakor Havre (Sugar-free oat biscuits) - £1.25

If you're on a mission to be healthy but can't resist a biscuit, this is one crumbly treat you won't have to reject. Sans sugar and "just sweet enough," these Swedish oat biscuits are a great addition to any store cupboard.

4. Sötsak Kakaoboll (Cocoa and coconut-coated oat pastry) - £1.20

Food porn from Ikea — who would have thought?

This tastes like a gourmet truffle from the food heavens. Serve these as dessert at a dinner party and we promise not one of your guests will guess they are from Ikea (but you may have to tell them after they beg for the recipe).

More: Swedish white brownies (RECIPE)

5. Sylt Hallon & Blåbär (Organic raspberry and blueberry jam) - £2.40

This is a taste of Swedish summer in a jar. We could eat this with Knäckebröd Flerkorn every morning. This fruity snack is also the perfectly nutritious way to satisfy a late-night sweet tooth.

6. Rostad Lök (Fried onions) - £0.65

These belong on everything. Perfect atop a hot dog or a genius hack for an amazingly delicious salad, this typical Swedish delicacy can turn up the flavour game of any dish.

7. Chokladkrokant Bredbar (Chocolate-flavour spread with butterscotch pieces) - £1.75

Two words: Butterscotch pieces. Heavenly, rich and best served by the spoonful, this Swedish chocolate invention makes it socially acceptable to cheat on Nutella.

8. Öl Ljus Lager (Light lager beer) - £1.50

A classic, light and satisfying beer. The just-bitter-enough taste accompanied by fragrant and fresh hoppy smells make this the perfect reward for surviving Ikea.

9. Kanelbullar (Cinnamon buns) - £2.25

Sweden is famous for its insanely lush cinnamon buns so, of course, Ikea kindly provides the masses with an oven-ready version. The smell of these baking will fill your home with the delicious aroma of comfort food. The first bite of these sweet and fluffy buns will transport your taste buds to the heart of Sweden's culinary culture.

10. Grönsaksbullar (Vegetable balls) - £3.85

This is the vegetarian answer to Swedish meatballs and I can't get enough. Loaded with protein, chopped veggies and ready in less than 10 minutes, this is the perfect post-workout snack or a delicious addition to any salad.

More: Easy Swedish meatballs (RECIPE)

Chicken is a go-to dinner ingredient, at least in my house. You can use it in just about any dish or meal, making it a great source of protein. One of my favorite (and easiest) ways to cook it is in my slow cooker.

This effortless recipe is so versatile and super flavorful. I slow-cooked the chicken in diced canned tomatoes, chili peppers and taco seasonings. Once the chicken is cooked completely, I like to shred it and then add it back to the cooker with salsa. In this recipe I used a sweet and slightly spicy salsa full of onions and pineapples. This definitely isn’t a bland dish.

Use this chicken to pile on a salad, in your tacos or burritos or as pictured, over steamed brown rice for an easy burrito bowl.

Slow cooker pineapple salsa chicken recipe

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 4 hours | Total time: 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1/2 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 2 cups store-bought pineapple salsa

For serving

• Steamed brown rice or quinoa
• Shredded cheese
• Fresh cilantro
• Tortilla chips
• Lime wedges

Directions:

1. To the bowl of the slow cooker, add all the ingredients except for the salsa.
2. Mix gently, and cover the pot with the lid. Set to cook on low for 4 hours.
3. After about 3-1/2 hours, remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Shred the chicken with 2 forks, and return it to the slow cooker.
4. Add the pineapple salsa to the slow cooker, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Serve the chicken warm over rice. Top with desired toppings, and serve with tortilla chips.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

More slow cooker chicken recipes

Slow cooker General Tso’s chicken
Slow cooker cashew chicken
Cheesy pesto slow cooker chicken

Shared values is one of the prime reasons romance blooms, and for many modern women, filtering through the heaps of accidental misogynists to find a man who believes in absolute gender equality can be exhausting. But positive PSA: Feminist men do exist.

Here are five telltale signs to assist your feminist radar:

1. He is absolutely fine with the 50/50 rule

The only scenario where the words "make me a sandwich" are acceptable is when both of you demand sandwiches equally from the other. It’s perfectly fine to take care of your other half, but the duty has to be reciprocated by the other party. A man who isn’t afraid to channel his inner Jamie Oliver in the kitchen or to tidy up the house is a catch.

More: 15 best quotes about feminism from male celebs

2. He supports your career and never puts his in front of yours

He understands and supports your desire to climb ladders. He admires your ambition. The man you're with should support your passions and empower you to reach your goals. It’s quite simple: Never choose a man who dares to put a foot between you and your dreams — he will never be worth it.

3. He knows your orgasm is just as important as his

If he is one of those types that believes his penis is the star of the show and your orgasm is secondary, bye Felicia. While it isn't as easy for a woman to reach a climax, our need to orgasm is by no means less important. A man who is attentive to your sexual hot spots and will do everything to push you to the peak (rather than fall asleep after he's satisfied) is enlightened.

More: 9 reasons feminist men are better in bed

4. He never puts you down

Belittling of any sort is a huge, waving red flag and probably roots back to an unhealthy example he had growing up, which isn’t always his fault. If this happens and he doesn’t correct the behavior immediately, you can't change him. Find a man who boosts your confidence and healthy ego at every opportunity.

More: Ask a Raging Feminist: Is the male feminist real or simply a unicorn?

5. He asks if you want kids (not when you plan to have them)

Wanting to have kids is a beautiful decision but no more so amazing than the decision to focus on other things in life that bring you happiness. The assumption that every woman is born with a fierce maternal instinct is an archaic notion. Even if you’re monitoring your fertile windows religiously, finding a man who respects you enough to ask what you want goes the extra feminist mile.

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According to The Sun on Sunday, the intimate family pictures include snaps from Adele's childhood, photographs of her young son Angelo, and even a pregnancy scan. One of the pictures is a selfie of Adele in a kitchen when she was pregnant, and another shows her newborn son swaddled in blankets.

It's believed that the hackers accessed the private pics through Adele's partner Simon Konecki's email account. The images were posted on a privately-run Facebook group of the 27-year-old singer’s "mega-fans", then began to circulate online as they were shared by fans. The singer was alerted to the hack by a member of the group, who got in touch with her management team.

"I was appalled and upset for Adele when I saw the pictures," the fan told The Sun on Sunday. "They are really private and should not be passed around. I think it is disgusting that her so-called fans were sending them around and I thought it should be stopped."

A member of Adele's security team contacted the fan to inspect the images and check where they were being used. Management then took down her social media accounts to stop them being compromised.

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"It is exactly this sort of thing that Adele does not like about fame," said a source. "She may be emotional on stage and share her feelings with fans, but she believes there should be limits. She was angry and upset when her management told her about the pictures and would have told them to get on it straight away."

Adele's management haven't commented about the security breach, and it's unclear whether it has been reported to police.

What is clear, is that the damage has already been done. No matter how big a celebrity someone is, they have the same right to a private life as everybody else.

Adele has spoken in the past about how she is "frightened" of fame.

"My career's not my life, it's my hobby," she told Rolling Stone last year. "People think I hate being famous. And I don't. I'm really frightened of it. I think it's really toxic, and I think it's really easy to be dragged into it."

She revealed that Amy Winehouse's tragic deterioration under intense media scrutiny had a huge effect on her.

"Watching Amy deteriorate is one of the reasons I'm a bit frightened," she said. "We were all very entertained by her being a mess. I was f**king sad about it, but if someone showed me a picture of her looking bad, I'd look at it. If we hadn't looked, then they'd have stopped taking her picture. That level of attention is really frightening, especially if you don't live around all that showbiz stuff."

Let's hope the latest unwanted attention, and huge violation of privacy, doesn't make Adele withdraw from the public eye again. We like having her back.

More: 12 times Adele crushed millennial stereotypes

Using a surname as a first name is not a new concept — in fact, this is how many first names that we're all familiar with came to be, such as Taylor and Jackson (and Jackson, in turn, probably came about from an older naming convention combining a father's name with the word "son"). Some last names are simply awesome and sound perfect as an initial moniker, and it's not unusual for a mother to use her own maiden name for her baby's first as a way to keep it going if she relinquished it for marriage.

More: Country music-inspired baby boy names that will pluck your heartstrings

We're betting you know at least one person who has one of these for a last name, but looking at this roundup, they all will pretty much make an excellent first name, too. They're great choices for those looking for something a bit unusual while avoiding going super-unique, and these names, while formal sounding, often lend themselves to built-in nicknames.

Whether you search through your own family tree to find last names that have been dropped in favor of marriage, or are just hoping for a glimmer of inspiration through the last names of others, these amazing last names might be exactly what you're looking for.

• Anderson
• Baldwin
• Beckett
• Brady
• Brooks
• Bryant
• Carson
• Carter

• Cohen
• Coleman
• Cortez
• Cullen
• Davis
• Dawson
• Donovan
• Douglas
• Emerson
• Franklin
• Frazier
• Gallagher
• Grady
• Gray
• Guthrie
• Hamilton
• Harrison
• Hendrix
• Hilton
• Hurley
• Jackson

• Jameson
• Jefferson
• Jensen
• Kaiser
• Knox
• Lawson
• Lennon
• Miller
• Morrison
• Sutton
• Taylor

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

Teen Mom 2's Jenelle Evans is going back to court, but not for a custody battle this time.

More: Jenelle Evans feels her relationship may affect her custody battle for Jace

Radar Online is reporting that court papers say Evans has been subpoenaed to testify against her ex-fiancé, Nathan Griffith, in his court case for theft. The case was previously delayed, and during the recess, Evans received papers from the sheriff ordering her to testify against Griffith.

According to the site, Evans will have to appear in court on April 4, along with her current boyfriend, David Eason, who has also been ordered to testify against Griffith.

The case originated when Evans accused Griffith of taking her car and more than $1,000 worth of belongings inside it. She pressed charges against Griffith, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest. He turned himself in to police on Feb. 3.

More: Jenelle Evans' mysterious illness caused by birth control and marijuana

This isn't the only legal drama between the two ex-lovers. The two are currently engaged in a custody battle over their 18-month-old son, Kaiser.

"It's just a lot of butting heads right now," Evans told People magazine about the case. "I think he's really not putting all personal issues aside — he's not making it just about Kaiser."

She also says Griffith doesn't get along with her current boyfriend.

"I think he's really jealous of David," Evans said. "He's claiming I'm letting Kaiser called David 'Dada,' but Kaiser knows David by 'David' — I would never do that to Kaiser and I would never do that to Nathan because that's unfair."

She continued, "Every time we talk, he doesn't even really ask about Kaiser. He just asks how I'm doing and what I'm up to lately... I don't think he is sure of his current relationship, or he hasn't let go [of me] yet."

More: Jenelle Evans slams Kailyn Lowry and her destructive attitude

Two weeks after Joey Feek's death, her husband, Rory, is sharing how the youngest member of the family, 2-year-old Indiana, is dealing with the tragedy.

More: Joey Feek's hometown memorial will break your heart (VIDEO)

In a touching photo posted to Instagram, Rory showed little Indy sitting at her father's feet next to the kitchen counter.

"Somebody won’t leave her papa's side," Rory captioned the adorable shot of pigtail-wearing Indiana, sitting spread-eagle on the kitchen floor.

Joey died March 4 at age 40, passing peacefully at her Indiana home, according to Rory, after a long fight against cervical cancer.

More: Joey Feek laid to rest in a simple, private ceremony on family farm

"My wife’s greatest dream came true today. She is in Heaven," Rory wrote on his blog at the time. "The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry. Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her Savior."

According to People magazine, Rory and Indiana have returned to the Feeks' Tennessee farm after attending a memorial in Joey's hometown of Alexandria, Indiana.

"[This was] the same place where Joey had played basketball and volleyball and cheered for her home team," he wrote in his blog about the memorial, which was held at Joey's old high school. "I know my wife would’ve found a way to see the beauty in this sad day."

More: Rory Feek pens heartwarming post about wife Joey Feek's incredible burial

The Feeks, who made up the country music duo Joey+Rory, documented most of Joey's cancer battle in Rory's blog, where fans kept up with the family's touching journey leading up to Joey's final days.