Young professionals set on bringing in peak profits home are in love with in-house offices that offer greater flexibility compared to the traditional workplace. Still, when I first set out to create an at-home workstation, I quickly realized that a generous budget will take me only halfway on the quest for blogosphere stardom. Having survived several home office redesigns, I think I have finally come up with the winning productivity formula for my house-based workplace.

More: 8 apps and websites for when you're finally ready to start blogging

1. Keep it away from private quarters

Even if you live alone, designating a part of the living room for the office is a really bad idea, as reminders about your private life will be constantly popping up and disrupting your focus. If possible, move the office as far away from the living area as the home perimeter allows. After a few experiments, I eventually redesigned the guest room overlooking the garden into an in-house workplace. That way, I am still at home when working, but distractions are nowhere in sight, and I do not feel like I am piled under take-home work when I should be having fun or resting.

2. Quality furniture is a lifesaver

Working from home means flexible work hours, and once your career takes off, you may wind up spending more time in your home office than you originally bargained for. For this reason, quality furnishings such as sit-to-stand desks and height-adjustable chairs are a godsend, and I believe they are worth every cent. As a blogger, I sit at my computer for 8-10 hours a day, and until I discovered the bliss of ergonomic Jason L. furniture, I often ended my work days with severe neck pains and an aching back. Trust me, the cost of a good chair is a small price to pay for long-term health. I had to learn it the painful way, but at least you can save yourself the trouble.

3. Updated lighting for eye health

When picking the room to transform into the office, bear in mind sunlight intensity at daytime and consider updating light fixtures for optimal luminosity for all-nighters. When renovating the guest room, I decided to keep the old chandelier because it is a part of the family heirloom, but I did add a couple of Ikea desk lamps to reduce eye fatigue when typing away until late hours. (This lesson I learned the hard way too: Eye strain gave me many a headache after all-nighters.)

More: 5 ways to expand your blog's audience

4. Modular designs are not a good idea

You would think that all that buzz about modular furniture has a grain of truth, but in 9 out of 10 cases, multifunctional pieces are just cool to look at. When furnishing the home office, stick to conventional, sturdy designs: A daybed or ottoman is comfier and lasts longer than a convertible sofa, so if you want an office spot to lie down on during a work break, opt for bedding that will not go to bits after a few months. The same goes for multifunctional workstations: High-end, adjustable-height desks are stable and durable, but cheap workstations with multipurpose labels are usually a waste of money.

5. Invest in tech upgrades on time

I am not much of a computing expert, but this I know: If your internet connection is prone to unexpected AWOLs and the PC system takes years to start, you need to have it checked ASAP. Nothing can shatter your success as a would-be home-bound online entrepreneur like a page that takes half an hour to load, so do not let outdated software or sluggish Wi-Fi rob you of profits because you can — and should — help it. Regular tech upgrades are an investment in long-term business sustainability, and if you think that you can wish away PC glitches, you are terribly mistaken.

6. Tidiness is essential to success

Although you may not be an OCD cleaner, your home office needs to be well-organized and tidy even if the rest of your home is "casual" (the term I use to describe the clutter that dominates my kitchen and bedroom). Keeping the desktop mess-free and relevant files logically organized will help you stay calm and focused and avoid wasting time during work. Of course, this means setting aside extra time for regular cleanups, but imagine what your potential client might think if they catch a glimpse of ugly piles of paper or unsightly stacks of crumpled clothes behind you during a Skype session.

7. Wallscape that maximizes profits

Last but not the least, rethink the wallscape to increase productivity, boost focus and promote calmness and creativity during home-based work hours. Colors that work best for me include soft peach, light green and ivory as they produce minimal visual noise while reflecting lots of light. You can experiment with accent hues such as blue, red, orange and violet, but I suggest avoiding vibrant primary tones as these can be rather distracting.

There, now you know how to turn your home office into the cradle of productivity. Good luck!

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Well, this should bump up ratings.

More: Michael Strahan is kind of rubbing his new job in Kelly Ripa's face

Fred Savage joined Kelly Ripa as her temporary Live! with Kelly co-host Monday, and things got a little... intimate.

During the show, he revealed that although he came to New York alone this time, the last time he was at the hotel where he's staying, he definitely wasn't.

"The last time I was at this hotel, we made our first baby at this hotel," he revealed. "So I call my wife, I’m like, 'So you’ll never guess where I am.'"

Hilariously, Savage went on the spill some juicy details about that fateful night, revealing that he and his wife were trying to get pregnant and tracking her ovulation. They discovered the time was right, just after they went out on the town and ate a huge dinner.

"Our stomachs were so distended, I don’t even know how [it happened]," Savage said as Ripa cracked up next to him. "I don’t know how we got from here to there, but our son’s 9, and he’s great."

More: Kelly Ripa can't fool us with a thinly veiled slam against Michael Strahan

The odds of a similar situation happening for Ripa are pretty low, though, she revealed after Savage finished his story.

"Mark [Consuelos] knows we won’t be having any post-meal activity if I have anything greater than a salad," she said, after checking the audience to make sure no children were present. "He knows if I just say I’ll have a light salad, he gets excited. 'This is a sure thing tonight!'"

And Savage has his own similar experience.

"I feel that way sometimes when my wife shaves her legs," he admitted. "And she’s like, 'That’s not for you, I’m wearing a dress tomorrow!'"

Check out the rest of the hilarious exchange in the video below:

More: Was Fred Savage auditioning to be Kelly Ripa's Live! co-host?

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

As I approach the end of my 30s, I realize I’ve spent nearly half my life dealing with the myriad of devastating effects of childhood sexual abuse has had on my life, particularly over my own sexual agency and pleasure.

In the murky, incredibly troubled interim between college and two different graduate schools, I went without sex for over four years. Though I tried and failed at casual sex, I was sexual with committed, monogamous partners. I’d always been able to be sexual at the onset of a relationship — before I felt a partner really knew me and saw how broken and soiled I am — but once our connection became too strong or we were too intimate, I’d pull away sexually. This began mentally and bled over into the physical — though I was performing sexually, both my body and my mind were somewhere else entirely. With my first real boyfriend, my initial sexual receptiveness and enthusiasm faded into nothing, an issue that became simply too exhausting for me to broach. And honestly, I didn’t really know how. I didn’t understand my libido, self-esteem, self-loathing and self-sabotaging tendencies, especially in relation to my sexuality. In the deepest, darkest corners of my terminally broken heart, I couldn’t trust someone to truly love me. Love, trust, power, my body and sex, as I’d learned from my brother, were things that will destroy you.

More: My PTSD comes from a different kind of war

During those dark, sexless years, I sought out counseling services from the universities I attended. The betrayal, shame and grief I felt tortured me to the point where I was suicidal at times. I read books on childhood sexual trauma, met other survivors and began trying to make sense of it all at what felt like a glacier’s pace. It was only after all this that I was able to start working toward a healthy life, one that included sex I was mentally and physically present for. I refused to have sex with a partner if I couldn’t be there emotionally.

There’s no doubt that the fact that I’ve never felt anything but completely supported by my husband is a huge contributing factor to our success as a couple. It sounds cliché, but it’s true: Fireworks of cosmic and carnal varieties blazed when we met and connected. Here was someone who was truly my equal, my partner, my truest love, my safe place. I’m grateful those same sparks still fly today despite the fact that what I never thought would or could happen sometimes does: There are times when my childhood sexual abuse affects my sexual relationship with my husband.

It’s fairly rare, and its intensity is nowhere near the same, but there have been times with my husband when an innocent touch or innocuous movement pains me, transports me back to the dark, where I was the adoring, annoying little sister all alone with my brother, who I loved and trusted, whose abuse — for an especially fun, sadistic twist — involved watching and re-creating porn videos. Those moments transport me back to the thick of the abuse. I liken it to Alice going down the rabbit hole. I feel like I go way down deep inside myself, where I am numb and alone and safe.

More: The PTSD diagnosis that saved my relationship

It’s the ultimate in cognitive dissonance — having something as beautiful as what I have with my husband be tainted by my brother’s vile actions. It makes me feel like I am dying; it makes my heart ache and throb so violently. But despite my husband’s constant support and our mutual attraction for each other, it’s also inevitable, because I have been very nearly destroyed by my brother.

As 40 draws near, I wonder and worry about what I will find in the coming decades. Will l struggle with the effects my brother’s abuse left on me for the rest of my days? I expect so. I have to remind myself that while I’ve been affected by the abuse, I am not broken by it. Even when I struggle, it gets easier with time to see this truth. My history of childhood sexual abuse is simply a fact about me — it’s as much a part of who I am as are my green eyes, Southern drawl and incredible good fortune at finding someone who truly loves, supports and accepts me for who I am.

Sexual abuse history or not, there’s nothing on Earth that’s sexier than that.

You don’t have to clean with harsh chemicals. Scrubbing down your microwave with bleach doesn’t have to be the answer. You can use natural cleaning products that you already have right in your kitchen. Lemons, vinegar and olive oil are a few of your known kitchen ingredients that can actually help you clean. Yes, even to clean dirt out of your microwave, get tough stains out of your apron and disinfect, all with ingredients you would normally cook with.

More: Deep cleaning for your kitchen

I love these natural cleaners so much that I like to keep a few extra lemons, bottles of olive oil and vinegar for cleaning purposes only.

1. Lemon

What it cleans: Lemon juice makes a good all-purpose surface cleaner, like your microwave or laminate counter tops. It can also help remove tough stains from kitchen linens.

How to use: Mix a solution of equal parts water and lemon juice to make a surface cleaner. Whiten and brighten your white linens by mixing 1 cup of lemon juice with your laundry detergent to remove tough stains.

2. Vinegar

What it cleans: Vinegar can disinfect your cutting boards and clean your fridge. Amazing, right? Instead of using harsh chemicals in your fridge — where you store your food — you can clean with something much safer.

How to use: Make a solution of equal parts warm water and vinegar for a refrigerator cleaner. To disinfect your cutting boards, spray with straight vinegar, rinse with water, and then air-dry.

More: Time-saving kitchen cleaning tips

3. Baking soda

What it cleans: Baking soda makes a great sink cleanser.

How to use: Turn on the faucet, wet the sink, and add baking soda. Scrub, and rinse again. You’ll now have a sparkly clean sink without any crazy chemicals.

4. Olive oil

What it cleans: Need to get tough stains off your cast-iron skillet? The best way to do that is with olive oil.

How to use: Make a paste with olive oil and coarse salt, rub it on your cast iron, and rinse with hot water. It’ll be as good as new.

More: Tips to help you spring-clean your kitchen

5. Salt

What it cleans: Before you resort to using Drano to clear a clogged kitchen sink drain, try this.

How to use: Create a solution of equal parts salt, vinegar and baking soda. Pour the solution down your drain to remove any clogs. Let the solution sit for about an hour, and then clear the drain with hot tap water and a pot of boiling water.

There are many names in the U.S. that we bestow upon our babies that have French origins, but actual French names aren't very common on our side of the pond. Yes, you'll run into a Jeanne or a Pierre on occasion, but you're less likely to run into a boy named Baptiste or a girl named Manon.

More: This printable guide is about to solve all your baby-naming squabbles

That's where these names come in handy. They all have French roots, or are the French versions of names we're more familiar with. Amandine, for example, is the French version of the popular name Amanda. And the boy name Noé is the French version of a name we have loved for decades — Noah.

While many French names come from saints (think Baptiste, Jean, Jacques, Michel, Pierre or Marie), others are a little more modern and unique. If you have a French background or just love the sound of the language, these baby names may be perfect for your little boy or girl.

More: These baby names are on the verge of extinction, so use them now!

Unique French names for baby boys

• Antoine
• Baptiste
• Bastien
• Clément
• Édouard
• Enzo
• Gabin
• Gaétan
• Gaspard
• Léo
• Loan
• Loïc
• Maël
• Marc
• Mathieu
• Mathis
• Mathys
• Maxence
• Noé
• Raphaël
• Rémy
• Sacha
• Théo
• Timeo
• Timothe

Unique French names for baby girls

• Amandine
• Amélie
• Anaïs
• Apolline
• Capucine
• Élodie
• Eugénie
• Faustine
• Flavie
• Héloïse
• Lise
• Loane
• Lylou
• Maeva
• Manon
• Margaux
• Marion
• Mathilde
• Méline
• Morgane
• Noémie
• Océane
• Salomé
• Solène
• Violette

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

Thought you were done with Juan Pablo Galavis? Just in time for The Bachelorette, Galavis is back to remind us how much we can't wait to watch 25 new people/crazies sign themselves up for this franchise.

Galavis has apparently moved on to a whole new career — he's an actor now. When you consider just how much he loved the camera, this new venture isn't exactly surprising.

More: Juan Pablo Galavis may make another appearance on The Bachelor franchise

As Us Weekly reports, he appears in what seems to be a weekly web series called Breakup Breakdown from Más Mejor, "Broadway Video’s premium comedy studio powered by Latino voices." The studio is owned by Lorne Michaels, so Galavis must be doing something right. Unfortunately, that something is not his new hair, a shoulder-length, middle-parted, blow-dried number that makes him look 10 years older than his 35 years. Where are those ABC stylists when you need them?

More: The Bachelor's former — and most hated — Bachelor has his eyes on JoJo

If his turns on The Bachelorette and The Bachelor have given him a taste for the spotlight, we'll be seeing much more of Galavis soon. Perhaps he'll launch his own reality show like Trista Sutter or his own wine like Brandy Glanville. Reality stars with something to say or to sell are typically stuck here forever. Juan Pablo, welcome to Hollywood.

More: The Bachelor insider reveals front-runner for The Bachelorette Season 12

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

What is General Hospital doing to the fans? The latest rumor that the soap is playing hardball with another actor has me in heart palpitations.

More: Now that Nashville's over, will Jonathan Jackson return to General Hospital?

A recent issue of Soap Opera Digest included a blind item about an actor who was struggling with his current contract negotiations with ABC. The rumor was apparently solved by the Facebook group Soap Fans United, which confirmed Howarth's identity on social media.

Roger Howarth is beloved by daytime viewers because of his longevity in the TV genre. He started his career with a short-lived role on Loving, but he made his mark as Todd Manning on One Life to Live, winning a Daytime Emmy Award in 1994.

After the cancellation of the show and many years of soap-hopping, Howarth landed on GH in May 2013 as Franco, a role originated by James Franco. Now that he’s comfortable at his home in Port Charles, why is the network stalling again?

More: James Franco admits he's gay until he has sex

ABC has already put us through the tug-of-war in signing Rebecca Herbst to a new contract earlier this year. That public relations disaster even got Nathan Varni caught up in the gossip of the negotiations.

I know I am not the only one who is frustrated with the constant difficulties behind the scenes, especially since Howarth’s character is integral to current storylines. Many other fans are also weighing in on Twitter.

More: Why Genie Francis really quit General Hospital for 12 seasons

While the outcome will most likely result in a new contract for Howarth, what is happening behind the scenes that makes this process so difficult? Are there budget cuts on GH we aren’t aware of? Are the producers offering up contracts that are less-than-ideal for actors like Howarth and Herbst?

Whatever the answer is, ABC needs to figure it out because my soap-fan heart can’t take it anymore.

As someone who has been writing on the internet for a few years now, I know that trolls come with the experience. But perhaps the most mind-boggling part of this is when you explicitly spell out racist or otherwise overtly offensive things and explain why they are racist or otherwise overtly offensive, people stampede to the comment thread to literally prove the article's point.

And the thing is... they always respond with the same old tired arguments. Always.

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Many Americans just do not know that much about racism and its systemic nature. So when there's a discussion, they get defensive at the very least, and cruel at the very most. It's not surprising that the responses follow the same pattern when studies have shown that white Americans think "reverse racism" (which is not a thing) is a bigger problem than anti-black racism, despite virtually no peer reviewed evidence to support this. Or, perhaps worse even, many take their uninformed opinion and preach it forward to the next generation, so that their children also do not understand racism (or "see color").

But that doesn't mean it's OK to respond to someone who says "you're racist" or "this is racism" with an attack.

So allow me to break down (once again) exactly why these arguments are full of it:

The First Amendment argument

Writing an article or calling out racism/homophobia/xenophobia/transantagonism, etc., is not oppressing free speech in any way, shape or form. Ironically enough, the First Amendment’s existence allows us to shout from the rooftops our displeasure at the awful shit that bigots have to say. Additionally, freedom of speech does not and has never equated to freedom from consequences; there are many instances in which free speech is already regulated in our society (in the public and private sectors). Try again.

The 'You’re the Real Racist' argument (alt: the Obamas have divided the country) (alt: stop making it about race)

When many of us speak about racism, we are speaking about the institutional and systemic way in which nonwhite people in America have openly and covertly been kept from the opportunities of their white counterparts. So in that framework, nonwhite people cannot oppress white people. Even if we could, talking about systemic inequality and the microaggressions and words and actions that perpetuate it is not oppression in any way. Additionally, the Obamas barely talk about race (I wish they did more), so it seems that what divides the country regarding the Obamas is their very existence as being black in the White House.

More: I walked away from a cult and had to figure out how to be me again

The 'If You Stop Talking About Racism, It Will Go Away' argument

When is the last time covering literal feces up with a paper towel made it go away?

The 'Your Objectivity Is Clouded By Prejudice' argument

Because apparently only white men/people are capable of being objective, rather than being influenced by their place in society and experiences because of that place.

The 'You People Are So Easily Offended' argument

I see people angry at “social justice warriors” and people of color speaking out against racism, saying that those of us who do are just overly sensitive — and yet some of those very same folks will say that Star Wars’ casting is white genocide, and that Old Navy hates white babies because they have an ad with an interracial couple. See also: anger and refusal to understand anything about racism or the meme utterance of “white privilege."

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The ad hominem attack

Calling a writer ugly, her interracial marriage “gross,” drawing Michelle Obama as a man and creeping on a stranger's Facebook profile to poke fun at their weight are personal attacks that do not at all engage with the actual arguments. That's being both defensive and cruel, and demonstrating you do not have an actual argument to fall back on.

The shrimp cocktail and bloody mary get a millennial mashup makeover using a slow cooker and your grill. The prep time on your part is minimal, and it takes only a couple of hours for the slow cooker to do its work, meaning you can get up in the morning, toss it together, and it will be ready in time for brunch.

The best part of this recipe is how flexible it is. Just make the basic bloody mary dip, and add any additional garnishes you like: green olives, bell pepper slices… you can even serve little cubes of cheese on the side. If it's good in a bloody mary, it will be great in this. You can also use your own homemade pasta sauce, or save yourself the time, and buy a jar. Just remember that if your pasta sauce has some heat to it, you might back off on the Tabasco.

More: Asian shrimp stir-fry in 30 minutes means you can skip the takeout tonight

First, you'll whisk together the pasta sauce, vodka, tomato paste, Tabasco, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Now you'll want to taste it. You can add more horseradish or Tabasco if you like it spicy, and you'll need to season it with celery salt, black pepper and kosher salt to taste. I mixed it in a glass bowl so you can see, but really, you can just dump everything straight into the crock of the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to low, cover it, and let it cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.

Now you'll want to prepare your lemons. One should be cut into wheels, which are then cut into half-moons with slits in the bottom for garnish later. Another should be zested and juiced, and the other two just need to be juiced. I actually always zest at least one of the lemons I'm juicing in case I realize later it would make a good garnish or realize I need a bit more lemon flavor but I'm out of juice. You'll use the juice to make the marinade and reserve the zest and half-moons for later.

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After your shrimp are marinated, you'll cook them. Be careful to stick with medium heat here so the shrimp cook all the way through. They should be nice and pink when they're done, with no clear or translucent parts inside. When you pull them off the grill, lay them out in a single layer, and sprinkle a bit of lemon zest on them. Just make them look pretty. You don't have to use all the zest.

Before you put it all together, put a little spicy salt on the outside for those who like it a bit spicier than you do. Just sacrifice a lemon wheel to wet a small area of the glass (not the whole rim), and dip that into a mixture of kosher salt, Tabasco salt and celery salt. If you want to omit one or both of those, just make sure you use another ingredient to make up for it. Sub flavored salt for kosher salt if you prefer. I like to use little shot glasses with an individual shrimp to keep the cocktail theme, and give each guest their own sauce cup (so they can double dip to their heart's content).

Then put a little of the bloody mary dip in each glass, put a single shrimp on the outside, away from the spicy salt (just like a shrimp cocktail), and garnish the glass with a lemon moon and julienned celery. Pour the leftover dip into a small bowl, and line it with more shrimp so people can take more if they want.

More: One-Pot Wonder: Orange shrimp with fried rice in 25 minutes flat

Grilled shrimp with slow cooker bloody mary dipping sauce recipe

To make this even faster the day of, you can mix (but not cook) the bloody mary sauce and the marinade (with no shrimp) the night before.

Serves 6 – 8

Prep time: 30 minutes | Inactive time: 2 hours | Cook time: 7 minutes | Total time: 2 hours 37 minutes

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces pasta sauce (nothing too chunky)
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Celery salt
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco salt
• 1 small lemon
• 3 large lemons
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
• 24 jumbo or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)
• 2 celery stalks, cut thick and/or julienned
• Other garnishes and dippables as desired

Directions:

1. In the crock of a 1-quart (minimum) slow cooker, whisk the pasta sauce, vodka, tomato paste, Tabasco, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Add salt, pepper and more horseradish if desired, to taste.
2. Cover, and cook on low for 2 – 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, in a gallon-size zip-close bag, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Old Bay, celery flakes and 3 teaspoons of pepper. Zip it closed, and shake to combine the ingredients.
4. Reopen the bag, drop the shrimp in, and gently toss them to ensure they’re all coated. Reseal it, getting most of the air out. Put the bag in a dish in the fridge, and let it marinate for 1 – 2 hours, flipping it every once in a while.
5. While the dip cooks and the shrimp marinate, prepare the lemons and the rim seasoning. Mix 2 teaspoons of kosher salt with the Tabasco salt and 1 teaspoon of celery salt, and pour it into a mound on a small plate.
6. Slice the small lemon into wheels, cut those wheels in half to make half-moons, and then cut a slit halfway through each wheel in one place so they will sit on the glasses. Wipe a small (about 1-inch) area of the outsides of 6 – 8 shot glasses (1 at a time) with 1 of the half-moons to wet them, and dip the glasses into the spicy salt. Reserve the remaining lemon moons for garnish.
7. Zest 1 of the large lemons, and juice all 3. Set the zest aside.
8. When the sauce is done, spoon equal amounts into each shot glass. The rest can be poured into a small bowl.
9. When the shrimp are done marinating, heat a grill pan spritzed with cooking spray to about 350 degrees F (medium heat).
10. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and discard the marinade.
11. Grill the shrimp for 5 – 7 minutes, turning the shrimp halfway through, until they've turned a healthy pink color on the outside and the meat inside is white (not clear or translucent). Remove them from the heat, place them in a single layer on a platter, and sprinkle them with a little lemon zest.
12. Serve 1 shrimp on the rim of each of the shot glasses containing the bloody mary dip, with a half-moon of lemon and 2 or 3 pieces of julienned celery. Pour the rest of the dip into a small bowl, and line it with the remaining shrimp.

Over the school years, we all get jaded to some degree, I suppose. I'd been collecting my frustrations, like coins in my pocket. I'd feel them, play with them, turn them over often, but they didn't amount to too much. Until they suddenly did.

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I remember the day it poured out, like I'd hit the three-cherry jackpot on the school-nonsense slot machine. It was the warm, October day I pulled up to the school to find the Bible-peddling Gideons setting up camp in my child's public-school parking lot. Turns out, they've leveled up from placing Bibles in hotel room desk drawers to placing them in schoolchildren's hands. And on this day-before-my-40th-birthday, my early gift was all of my trigger buttons going off like the car panic alarm you can never shut off fast enough.

I stuffed my phone into my hoodie pocket, stepped out of my car and marched over to them. They saw me coming and offered me their best smile and an extended Bible, which I basically smacked out of their hands with the burning beams coming from my eyeballs.

“Does administration know you are here?”

“Uhhh... yes, they do.”

Several parents were already looking for the principal to complain about the situation. When we found her, she chuckled an, “oh, great,” and walked over, reluctantly, to address the men.

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Their conversation was brief. As my child and I walked back to the car, I watched for them to pack up and leave.

They never did.

The men maintained their positions in the parking lot, accosting exiting traffic and handing Bibles to the children crossing the drive on their walk home. Meanwhile, the principal stationed herself behind the buses, a shield on wheels protecting her from the conflict she didn't want to have.

My child and I got in the car, and I sat there, stunned.

I'd intercepted my son before he had a chance to interact with the proselytizers himself, but even at 9 years old, he was as irritated by their presence as I was. My kiddo is no stranger to my feelings about evangelizing.

Each summer, my city neighborhood is peppered with people who drive in from regional churches, all donning shirts proclaiming how much Jesus loves our community. They march through, passing out bottled water and inviting all of us to a cookout at a nearby church — it's a sort of poverty-pornography that feels anything but genuine and everything like our neighbors and I are a bunch of zoo animals they've come to look at and feel sorry for and, ultimately, rescue.

The school experience felt similar.

If the principal of your child's school won't enforce policy, whom exactly are you supposed to call on to do so? In hindsight, I should have called the police. The law was being broken; police enforce the law. But, also, I shouldn't have had to contemplate whom to call, at all. As a parent, I should be able to rely on my child's principal to maintain and enforce policy and to protect the children in her care from this kind of predatory behavior.

I began to mentally compose the email I'd send to administration as I turned my car around to head home. The buses had just started filing out of the roundabout and onto the street, and I was now the silver caboose in the train of yellow buses.

We stopped, abruptly. And as it goes, I narrate my thoughts, audibly, especially when I'm angry:

“What is going on?

Ugh, are they in the road, now?

Holy shit...

No. Way. Is. This. Happening!

Are you kidding me?

He's waving them on??

Miles, what friends of yours are on that bus?!

...

Oh my god, parents can't even go on the bus, and the bus driver just waved a random stranger aboard to pass out BIBLES to the kids?!!!”

More: I'm absolutely terrified to tell my kids about my mental illness

My alarm bells were screaming now. My mental email composition no longer offered even the slightest self-soothing. I think I scooped portions of my brain off of the console before I drove away, my mental list shifting from email outline to the Rolodex of parent friends whose kids rode bus 25.

I no longer pick my child up from school. This year he rides the bus, but he knows that if something like this happens again, he should tell me about it. Kids shouldn't be faced with awkward interactions with strangers on school grounds or on their buses, and they absolutely shouldn't have religious propaganda that may or may not be in line with their own family's values handed to them in a savior-like gesture.

After a couple of us met with administration over the incident, the school ultimately made a protocol for dealing with similar situations, spoke with the Gideons, addressed the bus driver and had a transportation in-service about the issue. To our knowledge, the principal was never disciplined for her complicity in the situation.

Over the years, I've watched an endless stream of talented, well-loved classroom aides get pushed out of the school and a formerly flourishing parent-involvement culture completely disintegrate. Two weeks ago, I received the parental consent form for reproductive health classes three weeks after lessons began. Today I learned there was a school field trip where no permission slips went out and the decision was made to just go anyway. Last week I dealt with a frantic phone call from the school secretary, telling me the principal needed that photo release form that came home the day before right now, and that if I couldn't fax or bring it in, the principal was going to come to my home to retrieve it.

Meanwhile, my child, home with the stomach flu, was on the couch moaning, “Nooo... tell her to go away!” Alas, while you're juggling work, the vomit bowl and getting your other two kids to their schools, you don't have time for in-depth confrontations about consent and boundaries. So, I simply added in frantically searching for and scanning the form so I could get the latest administrative blunder off of my plate.

I didn't always have this fantasy — the one I'm sure I'll enact on the last day of school this year. The one that has me walking away to the backdrop of teachers singing, “Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, heyyyyy, goodbye,” as the buses pull away. The one in which I raise my hand, Katniss-style, except rather than a three-finger salute, I'm offering up the bird, like a Lady Liberty torch.

Those tokens in my pocket take up a lot of room now. Now, they amount to everything, and I can't stuff them back down into the dark crevices and forget about them.

What do you do when the person who is supposed to be your child's biggest advocate at school turns out to be your biggest adversary? What do you do when your questions, concerns and suggestions are consistently met with, “Ms. Valeii, I already explained to you... ” — the kind of authoritarian chastisement one might offer an unreasonable 10-year-old throwing a tantrum over the white milk.

Well, you ride it out. You count down the months, then weeks, then days, then minutes until you finally make it to that last day. The one where your child will strut out, head held high. He made it. He finally made it.

And so did you.

And that deserves a middle finger, and probably a martini, too.

Fred Savage sat in Michael Strahan's still warm Live! seat on Monday morning and, surprise! He absolutely killed it as a co-host. He clearly tried to impress Ripa and producers by being game for the show. He had knowledge of The Bachelorette and he chatted about his sex life.

"I've never leaned so far forward in my life," he said before climbing right up onto Ripa's chair to get as close as possible to guest JoJo Fletcher. Ripa had a surprised look on her face for a moment, but she quickly went with the flow.

More: Kelly Ripa tried to address the drama — but I really think she avoided the whole thing

Live! fans are already on board. While introducing Savage, Ripa was clear just how much fans loved him. "Back by the most, and I mean the very most, popular demand is Fred Savage," she said. "Last time you were here, I heard from friends of mine I don't normally hear from who told me how funny you were."

Today's show got the same glowing reviews from fans.

The official announcement is expected to come in the next few weeks, with co-hosts including Common, Anderson Cooper and Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos scheduled through the week of May 30.

More: Kelly Ripa & Fred Savage get very detailed about their sex lives on Live!

Aside from his work as, duh, Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years, Savage grew into a successful and highly sought-after sitcom director. He's directed episodes for Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls and Happy Endings, and produced episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Party Down. He already has a great career in entertainment on his hands — why not jump into something new? If there's something we know about the Live! producers, they don't necessarily want to go with the most obvious host. Would anyone have seen Michael Strahan, longtime NFL star, as a daytime talk-show host? Sometime did. Savage may get the same shot.

For Fletcher's part, she did a bang-up job of sticking to her The Bachelorette contract and not saying a word about whether or not she left the show engaged. We didn't get any real dirt, but Savage sure did try.

Watch a clip from Fletcher's interview below.

Do you want to see Fred Savage as the new Live! co-host? Let us know in the comments below

More: What drama? Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan were adorable on his last day

You've seen them on Pinterest and Instagram: gorgeous layered smoothies. Stacks of rainbow-hued yumminess with slices of fruit, like the prettiest sedimentary rock layers you've ever seen. They're so pretty. But how do you make them? Aren't they complicated?

More: 20 layered smoothies almost too gorgeous to eat

Never fear — we've got your video tutorial right here! Watch, learn, and dazzle your friends with your own layered smoothie treats.

More: 23 smoothie bowls that make getting out of bed totally worth it

Layered smoothie recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients:

For the white layer

• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/2 a banana
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/4 cup water

For the red layer

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/2 a banana
• 1/2 cup ice

For the green layer

• 1 cup kale
• 1 banana
• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup ice

For garnish

• Strawberries and raspberries, sliced crosswise
• Spearmint leaves

Directions:

1. Blend and store the layers individually in piping bags.
2. Store in the freezer for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
3. Cut 1 strawberry into 4 thin heart-shaped slices.
4. Stick your strawberry hearts to the inside of the glass.
5. Cut the tips off the piping bags, and carefully layer.
6. Garnish with raspberries, strawberries and some mint leaves.

I couldn’t have been more smitten when my husband brought home an adorable little Labrador puppy a couple months after we moved into our first home. He was a tiny ball of soft, cuddly wonderful — like most puppies are — and he made our new house feel like a home. I wanted to spend all day with him, lamenting every moment I had to spend at work. I could never imagine a day when I would tire of him, let alone try to get rid of our dog.

More: I buried my child on my anniversary and it just plain sucks

However, a mere couple of months after we brought home our rambunctious little furball, we found out that we would be adding a human baby to the mix, and everything started to fall apart. Our dog was growing faster and larger and clumsier than I had anticipated. He passed 50, 75, 100 pounds, still maintaining his puppy enthusiasm. He was constantly underfoot, threatening to trip me as my center of gravity shifted with my ever-growing belly. I was too tired to keep up with him, and my husband became the sole person charged with his daily walks. I hated to admit it, but this dog and I were growing apart fast.

I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle him once the baby came. I was scared he would trample our newborn during tummy time, even if I were right by his side. I lost sleep over the thought of tiny hands near those giant teeth. He was too much dog with too little attention span. Beyond that, in my hormone-fueled state, my connection with him was waning. He didn’t feel like my dog, and I didn’t really want him around.

More: You may think these "mom-isms" are funny, but your kid doesn't

Then our baby came. Whenever our infant son was in the room, he was like an entirely different dog. He was calm and quiet, nuzzling him with his nose if we let him, but otherwise keeping good distance for safety. My reasons for wanting to get rid of him had disappeared, but the truth was, I still wanted him gone. I was suffering quietly with postpartum depression, and just the mental energy of caring for one more creature drained me.

I told my husband that our dog was still too much for me. I couldn’t handle him and the baby. I put an ad on Craigslist reading "Free Dog, Lab Mix, Friendly but Wild." I didn't really expect anyone to want him, not after I told them about his inability to adapt to strangers without mauling them with excited love. Or how he was a whopping 100 pounds and had zero training. Yet the emails came pouring in, same day, and I suddenly had people wanting to come by the house. To take our dog away.

I sat there and cried, leaving emails unanswered. I tried to find the strength to set up a time for them to come meet with us, to see if they would be a better fit for our dog than I was. Part of me knew they probably would be. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t do it.

More: My kids don't notice my panic attacks, but that is going to change one day

I finally replied to all the emails, rejecting each and every inquiry. I simply couldn't do it. When I was actually faced with the prospect of losing him to another family, I was heartbroken and ashamed of myself for even thinking about it.

So we kept him. I was uncertain at first if I would ever feel like he fit into our family, but now I cannot imagine a life without him. As our son grew and my depression faded, I realized that the reason I never felt like he was my dog was because he belonged wholeheartedly to my son. This was his boy. This was who he was put on this earth for.

His dog would lie beside his bassinet, always standing guard. He would patiently trail him as he toddled around the yard, wait for him to throw a ball mere inches away from his face. He would sit happily next to him as my son patted him a bit too hard, saying “guh daw, guh daw.” Now five years later, I find myself watching my son in the backyard, riding his bike as the dog trots behind him, always waiting for him to say “good dog.” And I try to forget that there was ever a time I considered giving away my son’s best friend.

Idina Menzel is speaking out on the biggest controversy to hit Disney in decades: Should Frozen's Elsa be the first gay Disney princess?

The recent campaign and petition #GetElsaAGirlfriend has been gaining steam, and it just gained a major ally: Menzel, the voice of Elsa herself!

Last night at the Billboard Music Awards, when asked how she felt about the movement for the sequel, Menzel totally threw her support behind the idea.

"I think it's great," she told Entertainment Tonight on Sunday of the online campaign. "Disney's just gotta contend with that. I'll let them figure that out.

"No matter what," Menzel said, adding that the character "changed my life."

More: Idina Menzel just became Elsa in real life

Menzel was already a huge Broadway star before landing the role of Elsa, having originated the role of Elphaba in the original production of Wicked.

The petition on Change.org was started last year and recently updated, stating, "Pretty much everyone is fairly sure that Queen Elsa of Disney's Frozen is a lesbian woman, and almost everyone (including her voice actress, Indina Mezel [sic]) wants this in Frozen and you have supported the LGBT community for years!! Please make this victory for us!!!"

More: Idina Menzel wants to star in Frozen on Broadway

And the idea has definitely gained steam on Twitter.

Disney announced the Frozen sequel is a go in March 2015 and released a new song from an additional Frozen short that debuted before Cinderella in theaters.

Frozen 2 is not expected to be released until 2018, so Disney has plenty of time to develop a new character.

Justin Bieber won Top Male Artist at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards, but he left with a bad taste in his mouth. Bieber, who has been into "sharing" on his Instagram lately, seems to have realized that the whole purpose of the awards show is simply to sell more records/movies/bring in a new TV audience. And he's not buying it.

More: Selena Gomez's reaction to Justin Bieber's intimate post hints at reunion

Bieber explained why the ceremony left him cold in the caption section of a photo of a lovely, relaxing castle and some sheep. "I don't feel good when I'm there nor after," he wrote. "I try to think of it as a celebration but can't help feeling like people are rating and grading my performance. A lot of people in the audience there seem worried about how much camera time they will get or who they can network with... there's an authenticity missing that I crave!"

More: We finally know the meaning behind Justin Bieber's face tattoo — thank God

One great thing about Bieber is that he gets a step ahead of the trolls by coming at his argument from every angle. "No disrespect to anybody at any of the shows or the people running it," he says. "... sure there are people truly proud of others so I don't want to knock them I'm just looking at the vast majority."

The boy isn't wrong; of course, any show made to air on television is going to lose some earnestness. Unfortunately, not everyone is as famous as Bieber; some people do have to smile, pose, network and beg for that screen time. Either way, he's certainly been feeling a lot of feelings lately. Can someone direct his private jet to a beach, stat?

More: Justin Bieber isn't taking any more pictures and fans need to be OK with that

On Wednesday, the Supernatural Season 11 finale will air and, based on a new extended promo, it sure looks like the episode will be an intense one. By intense, I mean that fans just might be saying goodbye to either Sam or Dean.

More: I'm terrified Supernatural's Dean might join forces with Amara

I know, sounds terrifying, right? It's no secret that Sam and Dean are still trying to figure out a way to get rid of Amara for good. Thanks to Amara weakening God during the penultimate Season 11 episode, things aren't looking good for the Winchesters.

By the minute, it seems like Amara is getting stronger and exactly what she wants — to end the world. Knowing Sam and Dean, if they can help it, they won't let that happen no matter what. Well, as you can watch below, Sam and Dean believe that by gathering souls, they can build a bomb to get rid of Amara and with the help of Rowena.

However, as good as that sounds, Rowena tells Sam and Dean, "You won't carry the bomb — you'll be the bomb." Yeah, that doesn't sound good. Actually, it looks like Rowena is staring at Dean as she utters those words. Plus, Dean ends up meeting Amara, so could he end up being "the bomb"? Who knows, but I'm even more worried for Dean than I have been this entire season. He's had a strong connection with Amara, so who knows if he'll be able to actually end up destroying her for good. Let's say he does end up taking on the role of the bomb and ends Amara, does that mean Dean will die in the process? I highly doubt that either Sam or Dean will die for good. I mean, when has that ever happened?

More: Supernatural: I have never been more worried for Sam and Dean’s future

That said, if you notice, Billie the reaper is in the finale promo, too. Since the beginning of Season 11, she has told Sam and Dean that they will no longer get a second chance at life. There's a good chance Sam and Dean make a deal with Billie to help them get souls to get rid of Amara. If not, she just might be showing up to let Sam and Dean know her promise still stands. Well, let's just keep our fingers crossed that Sam and/or Dean don't blow up.

Whatever happens, I think it's safe to say that the Season 11 finale is going to be a nail-biter — and possibly a tearjerker.

Supernatural's Season 11 finale airs Wedensday, May 25 at 9/8c on The CW.

More: Supernatural: Nevermind, I don't want Chuck to be God any more

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Disney just released a trailer for the new live-action version of Beauty and the Beast on ABC's Good Morning America. The trailer revealed very little about the dialogue or the text, essentially moving between classic visual motifs of the movie, including a castle, a rose and the phrase "Be our guest." Still, I was moved by the gorgeous cinematography, intrigued by the allure of the set and, most importantly, immediately filled with nostalgia.

I had forgotten how much I loved the original animated version until I saw this trailer. From drama club field trips to see it on Broadway to dreaming of wearing Belle's gold gown, the story, characters and lyrics have seamlessly integrated themselves into many aspects of my life. I remember being snotty-nosed and obnoxious, and being calmed only when my parents plopped me in front of the TV and put in a Disney movie. And still, one of my most common daily affirmations when I'm feeling insecure is to think emphatically, "There must be more than this provincial life!" (I'm not sure how accurate this assessment is, as I'm often thinking it while walking around feeling lost and self-indulgent in New York City, which is, like, one of the least provincial places ever, but those details are largely irrelevant, right?) 

More: 12 Disney fan theories that will change your life

In fact, I suspect that the movie, and the upcoming promotional materials for it, will play on the memories and emotional attachments of viewers like myself. The trailer is mysterious and a bit dark, clearly straying from the bubbly feel of the original movie, and is presumably targeted toward an older audience. What's more, the fact that Emma Watson was cast as Belle inevitably evokes some serious additional Harry Potter nostalgia.

More: Emma Watson: It was harder to kiss "Ron" in Harry Potter

In fact, director Bill Condon said in an interview with Vanity Fair last year that he knows that fans have been thinking about the story for the last 20 years and that this new version, while sticking largely to the original story, will address issues fans may have had with the original version, making connections that may have always existed but were never fully realized and addressing plot holes. So clearly, there is a connection to people who have known the story from the beginning and are excited for a version that goes even deeper than the original.

More: 51 flashback movies in the Disney marathon

For those of us worrying that the movie will stray so far from the original that it will no longer feature its classic musical numbers, Condon gave us some good news, saying, "When I first spoke to Disney about doing Beauty and the Beast, they actually weren't sure they were going to do this new version as a musical, and I said, 'With all due respect, I think you're crazy. The songs are too good. You're going to spend all this time making a huge, gorgeous live-action Beauty and the Beast and not do 'Be Our Guest'?"

It looks like the film hopes to be the answer to our frustrations while also fulfilling our love of the original film.

Bill Cosby admitted he had sex with teens after drugging them in a shocking, newly released deposition.

Cosby, who learned today that the sexual assault case brought against him will go forward, admitted to the despicable behavior when deposed in a previous assault case in 2005 and 2006.

More: Camille Cosby is fighting back against Bill Cosby rape charges

Cosby admitted to sleeping with a then-19-year-old Therese Serignese, adding that a modeling agency would send him young girls frequently — and he would give them Quaaludes when they arrived.

"I took them, didn't know what they were, didn't even ask,” Serignese told WPTV News in 2014. “I just was intimidated I guess and I took them. Then my next memory is feeling drugged and him having sex with me."

In his 2004 deposition, Cosby said, “She became in those days what was called high… she meets me backstage. I give her Quaaludes. We then have sex.”

He later admitted to having Serignese give him a handjob with lotion.

More: Bill Cosby allegedly gave Kenan Thompson some disgusting advice

Later in the deposition, it is revealed that another teenager filed a police report claiming Cosby tried to force her to have oral sex, which he denied.

Serignese later said Cosby paid her $10,000 as a “reward” for staying in school and getting good grades, and Cosby admitted hiding their sexual relationship from his wife Camille by simply telling her “there is a person I would like to help.”

The deposition came during the discovery phase of the case brought against him by Andrea Constand, the former director of operations for Temple's women's basketball team who is just one of dozens of women who allege Cosby drugged and assaulted her multiple times. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. He is now facing criminal charges in the same case, which could result in a decade of jail time.

More: 3 new Bill Cosby accusers step forward to tell their horrifying stories

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve Windex. Before harsh cleaning chemicals became a national topic of conversation and concern, the pretty blue liquid practically lived atop my old kitchen cabinet. Each week, my stay-at-home mom would start cleaning our modest, two-level house at the crack of dawn, finishing up seconds before calling us all to the dinner table.

While she was ordinarily more protective than a mother lion, on cleaning day, I could have chopped my hair off with a butcher knife and she wouldn't have noticed until after the ritualistic banging of the drapes was complete. All of my most mischievous acts — from stealing the good Milano cookies from the cupboard to swiping my mom's Christian Dior aqua eye shadow and using it to color my walls (I had a vision) — were carried out on cleaning day.

More: This may be the jerkiest thing to say to a woman without kids

Though I was having the time of my life, my mother spent the day racing up and down stairs, always looking like she was 30 seconds away from executing a murder. From afar, adulthood, and parenthood specifically, seemed like a marathon that took place in the deepest depths of hell, where mind-numbingly dull duties were a constant. The second you finished drying the last fork, three more bowls would pop up in the sink. Laundry till you're blue in the face. And bottle after bottle of Windex, never enough Windex to attend to the needs of all of those windows.

As my peers and I grew older, got married and started having children, I've noticed many are planting themselves in one of two camps. There are women who are obsessed with sharing memes about how our kids won't be young forever so we should leave those dust bunnies hopping under the furniture so we can play on the floor with them more often.

And then there are women like me who have decided: Cleaning preys on my soul. Women today have way too much to do and we're already pulled in a million different directions. And so, I'm going to hire someone to clean for me — and while I'm at it, I'll also pay people to do as much of the other tedious crap I can afford to let them do.

More: My boss 'let me go' for having depression

Shortly after moving to our new home in the suburbs I found a cleaning service that charges $110 to whip my modest two-level home into shape. That price includes windows, the fridge and oven, otherwise known as the troublesome triplets — something that I like to tell myself makes the price worth it because, in all honestly, the price will never stop seeming preposterous to me. A band of women, three to four, arrive at my door after being driven there by a man whom I assume is the head boss or manager of the business. We greet each other, but then they quickly scatter about my home as if they've already planned in advance who will take what room. The man and I are then left exchanging pleasantries in my front hallway and discussing my expectations for the day.

And that's where I start to melt into a puddle of middle class goo. I don't actually have expectations for them other than: Please clean what you can and please don't do too much. In other words, it would be great if you could dust and vacuum, but replacing the sheets on our beds is a highly personal act that should only be performed by someone who loves those beds and the people who sleep in them. Please don't empty the dishwasher because how could you possibly know that I separate my frying pans from my pots (it's silly, I know). And, should you feel the impulse to touch laundry that has come into contact with bodily fluids, tomato sauce and soil, please leave it where you found it — it feels weird for someone to know that much about my family but not stay for lunch.

I'm that person who cleans before the cleaning crew gets there because I'm embarrassed by my mess. It's one thing to ask a stranger to vacuum the playroom, another to expect them to fetch LEGO bricks from under a chair or patiently insert crayons back into their box. One morning, after asking my 4-year-old daughter to put away her Disney princesses, it dawned on her that these wonderful people were soon coming over to make our lives so much easier and that her mother was just being a jerk.

"Why can't the cleaning people do this?" she asked.

I was appalled. I pictured her growing up and becoming a 21-year-old intern who expected to make $120,000 a year just for being her. "Don't get used to cleaning people cleaning for you — that's not their job!"

More: Leaving a cult after 14 years complicates your relationship with God

The final straw came one day when my cleaning guru sent one woman to my house to perform the tasks of four women. About three and a half hours later, I came out of a room to find her sitting on the hardwood floor in my hallway, waiting for her ride to arrive with her collection of cleaning supplies on her lap.

"Please, please sit on my couch." To make sure I was breaking through the language barrier, I pointed furiously toward the living room. I then brought her water. Grapes. I asked if she was hungry and wanted a sandwich. I planned to use food and overcompensating with kindness in order to apologize for making her clean my house alone. I wished I could ask how much of the $110 she got to pocket and take home to her family. I started thinking of her boss as a nefarious pimp.

The whole scenario makes me wish I had the time management skills of my mom, who never complained about whipping up dinner in between her love affairs with Windex. For now, I'm in between deciding whether the best solution is to continue paying for the service while making it known that I do not condone any adult sitting on my floor and giving in to my middle class-ness, which would never allow a stranger to touch my dust bunnies.

Was this shade really unintentional?

More: Anne Hathaway gives birth to a boy and his name is refreshingly normal

Anne Hathaway deleted a post from her Instagram account quickly after facing some backlash for bashing the Kardashians in a kind of sneaky way. The post, which was a picture of Helena Bonham Carter dressed in mismatched patterns and holding a cup of coffee, read, "In a world of Kardashians... Be A Helena Bonham Carter."

Sure, it's a nice, inspirational message encouraging fans to be themselves, even if that means being a little weird. But the photo was also definitely anti-Kardashian, and there has to be a way to get that message across without bashing a whole family of stars.

The post got mixed reviews from commenters, some of whom agreed — "'I take it to mean that it’s okay to not focus on superficial things in a society where these things are what seems to be given more value nowadays" — and some who called Hathaway out for bringing the Kardashians into the mix — "Really Anne? You don’t have to put other people down to bring someone up."

More: Anne Hathaway slams "the internet" for tearing down Jennifer Lawrence

The post picked up more than 100,000 likes before Hathaway removed it, replacing it with a text image that reads, "Post removed for unintended shade thrown." In the caption for the new image, she wrote, "It never occurred to me I was pitting anyone against each other. Not my style. Peace x."

While the Kardashians can be a pretty divisive family, there's no denying their success. Not everyone agrees with their lifestyle, but they've still built an entertainment empire and successful careers for every member of the family. It's not necessary to like them, but it's also not necessary to bash them.

More: Anne Hathaway sparks debate on hair dye during pregnancy

Do you agree? Did Anne Hathaway deserve all the backlash she got for her post? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below: