Ooh, we love a celebrity couple who just can't stop themselves from sharing their happy new baby days with the world. Yes, we're talking about you, Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici Lowe.
On Saturday, the Bachelor couple (who married in January 2014) announced the birth of their first child, Samuel Thomas Lowe. And the very next day, they both shared an adorable picture of the new arrival.
It's clear that both parents only have eyes for their boy, and they kept their words brief. "My boy and me," was Sean's caption, while Catherine wrote, "I think I’m in love."
The couple met while filming Season 17 of The Bachelor in 2012, and less than a year after viewers watched Sean ask Catherine to accept his final rose, they swapped vows on live TV. For a couple whose entire relationship has been shared with their fans — they also appeared on Divorce Court and Marriage Boot Camp — it's no surprise they're keen to share their son's first days.
The sixth season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was a totally sloppy mess from start to painful finish, so it's not surprising to me that Yolanda Hadid exited and rumors are heating up that Lisa Vanderpump will soon, too.
These two Housewives arguably had the toughest go this season, with Hadid painted as faking her Lyme disease diagnosis (sick selfies vs. happy selfies, anyone?) and Vanderpump portrayed as the manipulative villain of the crew, so I'm not in any way shocked to hear that they're leaving the franchise.
Multiple outlets, including TMZ and Us Weekly, are reporting that Vanderpump has little desire to hop on board for Season 7 of the show. Us Weekly even adds that Vanderpump was offered a seven figure salary, but that all signs are pointing toward her leaving the show altogether to focus on her restaurants, her other Bravo show Vanderpump Rules and her animal rights activism.
I totally understand why Vanderpump would want to leave — the storyline in Season 6 was hardly kind to her. Season 5 heavily featured her fallout with Brandi Glanville, but it seemed that Glanville took much of the heat for that, and she ultimately left the show. But this season saw Vanderpump in the hot seat, having feuds with pretty much everyone, including Hadid, Eileen Davidson, Lisa Rinna, and even her good friend, Kyle Richards. In fact, the two words of the season were undoubtedly "Munchhausen's" and "manipulative," with the focus for both ending up somehow on Vanderpump's shoulders.
Of course, only Vanderpump and the other ladies know how much of the scenarios were true and how much was crafty Bravo editing work, but I can't imagine that someone would feel good about being portrayed on national TV in that light, especially when Vanderpump has brought so much to Bravo with not one, but two successful shows.
That said, Vanderpump doesn't need Bravo anymore — she certainly doesn't need them for a paycheck, as she's rumored to be one of the wealthiest Housewives in any city, and her name recognition has soared thanks to the show, but her restaurants are doing just fine. If anything, RHOBH needs her, and not the other way around.
If she does leave the show, it's likely that die-hard RHOBH fans (including myself) won't continue to tune in. Vanderpump is the epitome of everything the Housewives are known for — a decadent, elegant lifestyle that most of us 'normal' people will never get to remotely experience. It honestly feels like she was made for the show. She's stylish and classy, sure, but she's also bawdy and has that cheeky British sense of humor, which makes things interesting and adds an unexpected twist. Vanderpump sitting in her extravagant closet alone is worth tuning in for, and the show will have a gaping hole in it without her.
I can't say I blame her for not wanting to return, but I fear that her absence will cause the show to sink further into the contrived drama wasteland it became in Season 6.
How would you feel if Lisa Vanderpump left RHOBH for good? Let us know in the comments below.
One of the easiest — and cheapest — ways to keep young kids entertained during the summer is to take them to your local playground. But before you do that, listen to one mom’s warning.
Tennessee mom Ashley Elizabeth Brown said her 14-month-old son experienced second-degree burns on his hands after playing on day care playground equipment on a hot summer day.
Kid second degree burns
Kid second degree burns
It’s the kind of danger most people are unaware of until they actually touch the equipment themselves. In direct sunlight, plastic, rubber and other nonmetal surfaces can reach a temperature of more than 100 degrees F, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Over a seven-year period, the CPSC recorded 30 playground thermal burns, 10 of which were from the aforementioned surfaces.
And it doesn't have to be a superhot day for the equipment to heat up and cause burns. If a surface or piece of equipment is in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, there's a risk of thermal burn injuries even in mild weather. The CPSC reported one incident of a child receiving serious second-degree burns from a plastic slide — on a 74-degree F day.
You don’t need to quit taking your child to the playground anytime soon, but you should check the temperature of the equipment before they start to play. Don’t forget how delicate and thin a young child’s skin is — it can get badly burned within seconds. Plus, a little kid may not yet have learned to react to the pain of being burned by moving themselves away from the hot surface.
Another tip from the CPSC is to look out for uncoated metal equipment or metal equipment where the heat-reducing coating has rubbed off. Equipment in dark colors (both plastic and rubber), as well as asphalt and concrete surfaces, can get extremely hot, posing a burn risk to kids’ hands and feet. Minimize the risk by dressing your child in pants and long-sleeved tops, and insist they keep their shoes on while on the playground.
For some celebrity moms, the entire process of having a baby — from announcing a pregnancy to posting a post-baby bikini selfie — can be an exciting and even simple one. However, while the beginning of Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere's process may have seemed like everyone else's, becoming a new mom while in the spotlight ended up being a much tougher feat. Following the birth of her daughter Kaya in December 2014, Panettiere came face-to-face with the harsh reality that she was suffering from postpartum depression. It prompted Panettiere to undergo nearly two years of rehabilitation treatment, and she returned to the public eye this past May.
But, considering that the Heroes star seems to be on her way to a happy and healthy postpartum life, her diagnosis is the least of my concerns. What does concern me? It's the way that being in the public eye can affect her health and career moving forward. Case in point: On July 4, paparazzi caught Panettiere without her engagement ring, and as you might expect, rumors about the status of her relationship with fiancé (and father of her child) Wladimir Klitschko started buzzing.
Now, here's the thing. In the wake of all that's been going on in her life, I don't feel a need to discuss her relationship status. Panettiere has not only been incredibly open about all that she's going through, but she's also revealed in a Twitter post that her condition has impacted every aspect of her life.
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
"There’s a lot of misunderstanding [about postpartum depression]. There’s a lot of people out there that think that it’s not real, that it’s not true. That it’s something that’s made up in their minds, that — ‘oh, it’s hormones.’ They brush it off," Panettiere shared on Live With Kelly & Michael this past September. "It’s something that’s completely uncontrollable. It’s really painful and it’s really scary, and women need a lot of support."
And, yep, that's exactly why (of all things) her relationship status is none of our business. With all that she's going through, Panettiere is vulnerable enough. Add on the extra stress and speculation to the expectation that she give off a certain public image, and there's no way her health will get any better. If we're really her fans, we should leave her relationship status be. As long as Panettiere's happy and doing what she needs to do, I'll be happy, too.
So, what's Hayden Panettiere's relationship status with her fiancé? She will tell us when the time is right. Next question, please.
As if Bobbi Kristina Brown's story wasn't already awful enough, new statements from Brown's close friend and former roommate paint her last night alive as even more sad than we might have thought.
Max Lomas, who found Brown facedown in a bathtub on the evening of Jan. 31, 2015, says that Brown and her boyfriend, Nick Gordon, had been in heated arguments on the night her fatal injuries occurred because Brown suspected that Gordon had cheated on her with strippers at a strip club, according to People magazine.
"Things were shaky. They were just trying to stay out of each other's way," Lomas said to People in a recent interview, adding that Brown and Gordon's relationship had already been rocky before that night.
Lomas claims that he was out with Gordon when Brown called and accused Gordon of cheating on her with strippers. Gordon and Lomas headed home immediately after Brown placed her call.
"They were arguing the whole way home. We get home and she is just sitting there on the ground all delusional... just in her own little world," said Lomas, adding that things escalated when he and Gordon noticed two empty bottles of wine and evidence that someone else had been in the home with Brown.
The argument eventually cooled off and the couple headed upstairs, according to Lomas. It was the last time he saw Brown conscious.
Lomas' statements don't bode very well for Gordon, considering an explosive argument and cheating accusations against him definitely provide for a perfect motive to do harm to Brown on the night of her accident.
Gordon's camp denies Lomas' accusations and described Lomas as a drug addict in a statement to People. Lomas has admitted to doing drugs the night he found Brown in the bathtub.
"He knows what happened," Bobby said of Gordon in June 2016. "I don't know what happened that night. But he does."
Bobbi Kristina's estate has sued Gordon for $40 million in a wrongful death suit, alleging that after he beat her, he gave her a toxic cocktail of drugs that knocked her out and contributed to her death.
If Lomas' account of Brown's last night alive is accurate, it's devastating to think that her last moments were spent in worry and despair about her broken relationship.
It's something we've known for years, but when you're trying to avoid scrubbing your roasting pans, it's easy to forget. You really shouldn't be cooking your food on or in aluminum foil.
According to a study from 2012, aluminum can leach from the foil into your food. It's especially true for spicy and acidic foods, which is troubling considering how many of the foods we cook and grill in the summer are drenched in spicy, vinegary marinades.
This is scary, because excessive aluminum intake can wreak havoc on your health. According to the study, "High concentrations of aluminum have been detected in brain tissues of patients with Alzheimer's disease... Aluminum reduces the growth rate of human brain cells." At the end of the day, the researchers say, "The aluminum health effects are far too vast to even [be] summarized."
Yikes! Luckily you can always use this hack: To make sure your food doesn't actually come into contact with the aluminum foil, line the foil with parchment paper first. This way you still get to enjoy the versatility and durability of foil, especially when cooking over high heat on the grill, but your food isn't touching the foil itself, so no aluminum can leach into it.
In the meantime, you should also remember to not cook your food in these:
1. Plastic wrap that's not FDA "microwave-safe"
Unless your plastic wrap is marked "microwave-safe," don't microwave it — it could leach BPA and polyphenols into your food.
2. Plastic takeout containers that aren't FDA "microwave-safe"
Again, unless a plastic container is marked "microwave-safe," you're better off heating your food in something else.
3. Styrofoam that's not marked "microwave-safe"
Especially if you're reheating oily or greasy foods, microwaving Styrofoam can cause it to melt.
4. One-time-use plastic containers
Plastic containers for yogurt, margarine, etc., aren't made to withstand the heat of the microwave and can melt.
5. Old mugs and ceramics
Some mugs and ceramics made in the 1960s or earlier are glazed with substances that can leach dangerous chemicals into your food. They can also react badly to the heat of the microwave, leaving you with burnt fingers when you try to retrieve it.
By avoiding the materials above, you'll be able to heat and eat your favorite foods without having to worry that you're eating toxins as well. And I think we can all agree that a fear-free snacking sesh is always a good thing.
A new report in Life & Style says that America's favorite pop princess (and triumphant comeback queen) Britney Spears is interested in a reality show centered on "her search for romance." A source told the magazine that Spears "has been begging her dad, Jamie, to do a reality show about a search for a husband. She’s a huge fan of The Bachelor and thinks it would be super fun" and "a great way to find a boyfriend."
Apparently, Spears' dad is against the idea for now, but "he’s promised he’ll consider it in the future."
I'm taking this report with a huge grain of salt because Spears herself has said she'd never do a reality show again. Few but Spears' biggest fans will remember her short-lived UPN series Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, which followed Spears and then-boyfriend Kevin Federline as they traveled the world on tour in 2005. The show was widely panned and hardly considered a good career move for Spears by... well, anyone, including Spears herself.
In 2013, Spears told The Telegraph, "I would never do something like that again. Actually, that was really bad. That was probably the worst thing I’ve done in my career."
Of course, she did say this nearly three years ago, so it's possible that her feelings on reality TV have changed — but I sincerely doubt it. Spears has worked hard to create a private life for herself that is manageable with her intense level of fame. And, sure, she does love sharing glimpses of her private life with fans on social media by way of silly selfies and adorable videos of her kids, but it truly seems as if Spears is content with the amount of access she allows the public as it is right now. Why mess with a good thing?
As for her reported interest in finding a boyfriend on reality TV... well, that just screams disaster in the making for any celebrity, not just one with the kind of struggles in the public eye that Spears has had over the years. She's definitely been through the wringer with relationships. It's entirely possible that she's looking for love in her life, but a reality TV show isn't the way to do it.
I can't imagine it's easy to weed out the good guys from the ones just looking to date her for the fame and money attached to her, but reality TV would only serve to bring out even more disingenuous men. She's never going to be able to meet someone in a bar or on the street like "normal" people can, but I still don't think a Bachelor-style show is the answer for Spears.
As a lifelong Spears fan, all I want is for her to be truly happy, and I'm hugely skeptical that a reality show about her search for love is the answer.
My young sons were eating breakfast when the oldest started giving his younger brother tips on how to hold his spoon.
"Why don't you just let him live?" I started to say. But I stopped myself. It's a common saying, usually meaning leave him be, let her do her thing, leave him alone. As I looked at the two little black boys eating cereal — two boys who would lose their chubby cheeks and innocent demeanor and become black men in the blink of an eye — I realized the saying had a deeper meaning now.
Because another black man was shot and killed by police yesterday. It's the second time in less than a month that I've seen a smiling black man staring out at me from a website or newspaper in the photo accompanying his death — his killing — at the hands of police. They were still alive then; still human.
If you haven't been on Twitter or CNN or anywhere, really, here's the rundown of yesterday's tragedy. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot during an incident with police officers in Baton Rouge. According to some reports, Sterling had a gun, though that hasn't been confirmed. But what is known is that a video clip shows that officers appeared to pin Sterling to the ground, and one pulled out a gun. Gunshots later rang out as the camera panned away. A man, a father of five, was left dead in the aftermath.
Three weeks ago, the face that stared back at me was a familiar one. Antwun "Ronnie" Shumpert, a family friend whom I hadn't seen in many years, was killed in Mississippi after running from police after being pulled over for reasons that have yet to be explained. He was unarmed. Another dead father. Another dead son.
Now comes the formula we've become accustomed to every time this happens. What was he doing? Why was he out there? What did he do to cause this? Step 2: Now it's time to dig up any criminal record he/she may have had. Because anyone who has committed a crime had it "coming to them." They're less worthy of respect. Less human. At least that's how it seems. Not convinced? Sterling was stopped as he sold CDs outside of a store. And remember when they said Michael Brown was stopped because he was suspected of robbing a convenience store? Or the fact that Eric Garner was arrested for selling loose cigarettes? I'm cynically waiting for the typical Step 3: where somehow the most "menacing" social media photos surface (this one actually spawned a hashtag).
When Jesse Williams gave his impassioned speech at the BET Awards a couple of weeks ago, black people stood up and applauded. This was someone on a national stage describing how we as a community have felt for a while. Describing the frustration, the sadness, the helplessness we feel every time something like this happens.
"Now, what we’ve been doing is looking at the data, and we know that police somehow manage to de-escalate, disarm and not kill white people every day. So what’s going to happen is, we’re going to have equal rights and justice in our own country, or we will restructure their function in ours."
And while the applause from Williams' speech is still ringing in our ears, we find ourselves here again. Mourning more dead black men at the same time they are being demonized.
"Why don't you just let him live?"
Such a simple phrase that now weighs heavily on me as I watch news clip after news clip of these men. Because for my sons, as for those men — hell, any black man or woman, for that matter — it's more than just a saying. It's a prayer.
I know you're going through a bit of an identity crisis right now. Half your nation voted to leave Europe in the great "dear God, what have we done" Brexit referendum last month, and you're left figuring out your place in the world. Naturally, you're tempted to move westward, to your special relationship with America, and forsake all this European nonsense. Which is why I can understand you thinking that allowing Matt LeBlanc to solo-host Top Gearmight endear you to your American allies. Let me, then, in the humblest possible manner, offer an alternative opinion.
Britain, this is literally the worst idea you've had since you voted to Brexit without a plan and all your leaders resigned (you're really not having a good summer, are you?). Top Gear without a British host is like tea without a biscuit, Doctor Who without a TARDIS, Churchill without a cigar or a Pret a Manger without a queue. It's unspeakably un-British. And in case you haven't noticed, that's what makes us Yanks tune in: Top Gear's Britishness.
I know you think you're playing to our Friends nostalgia by hiring Joey to play the idiot American who doesn't know anything about this foreign country, but trust me, it's not doing you any favors. Chris Evans may have been trying way too hard to fill Jeremy Clarkson's impossible shoes, but at least he made an attempt to keep the format that made Top Gear the most-watched factual show in the world. Granted, most fans are just counting the days until Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond's The Grand Tour airs on Amazon, but we were willing to give the new hosts a shot. After all, 4.7 million viewers at least gave it the old college try by tuning in, but as the mass failure of the successive shows proved, there was no magic.
You may argue that it was the lack of camaraderie between Evans and LeBlanc, that Evans was reportedly a nightmare to work with or that a show made by and for Clarkson and his acolytes would never be accepted with new hosts. I don't think you'd be wrong, but I also don't think it's the whole story. If there's anything to be learned from this, it's that worldwide audiences not only tuned in weekly for the fast cars but for that hearty dose of the old British lads acting like rotten schoolboys that pandered to Clarkson, May and Hammond's charisma. For a nation that just asserted it wants to be nothing but British these days, there's no great surprise that Top Gear's cheeky winks and nods to British imperialism and mid-century nostalgia were a key draw for its huge viewership. What makes Top Gear great is that it is unapologetically British and proud of it — even when it's drooling over Italian cars and Swiss roads.
To then hand over the reins exclusively to an American, especially a highly irrelevant one such as 2016 Matt LeBlanc, is to say good-bye to everything that made the show beloved. It's a risky move to give Top Gear to someone who spent his first foray into hosting staring blankly at British city names and seeming disdainful of everything about the country, its cars and its culture. The same antics done by Americans falls flat without the dry humor, the infusion of intelligent insight and the innate stiff-upper-lip cheekiness. If you need proof, just look at the canceled Top Gear USA, which never managed to find a niche here. LeBlanc, with his blank stares, sleep-inducing voiceovers and seeming complete disinterest in even hosting the show, is sure to turn an already foundering ship into the Titanic as soon as he takes the helm.
So, I beseech the BBC to start over. Remake Top Gear into something altogether new, with new hosts, gimmicks and stunts. Shape it to fit a post-Brexit world where the nation is half imperialistic, half deeply ashamed, but still determinedly British. Don't cater to American audiences — if our binge lists filled with Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Broadchurch and The Great British Bake Off and the Prince Harry posters taped to our walls are any indication, we are all in on the Britishness.
Happy Wednesday Hump Day — also known to us as Celebrity Baby Bump Day. We have rounded up the cutest pregnant celebrities of the week, starting with Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd, who is expecting a baby with pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Blac Chyna revealed her pregnancy weight gain, while Behati Prinsloo and Blake Lively showed off their growing baby bumps. Megan Fox, Candice Swanepoel and Bar Refaeli all make the list of the most buzzworthy baby bumps of the week.
Peta Murgatroyd
Peta Murgatroyd pregnant
Peta Murgatroyd pregnant
Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd shared this sexy snapshot of her 14-week baby bump in a cheetah-print bikini. The 29-year-old dancer is expecting her first baby with her fiancé, DWTS alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Murgatroyd, who recently won DWTS with her partner Nyle DiMarco, shared this sweet photo of Maksim kissing her belly.
Pregnant Peta and Maksim
Pregnant Peta and Maksim
She gushed in the caption that they “couldn’t be happier” about “baby Chmerkovskiy” as he kissed her baby bump.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
It looks like pregnant Blake Lively is officially part of Taylor Swift’s squad. The actress, who is pregnant with her second child, celebrated the July 4 weekend with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and a whole slew of celebrities — including Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne and Ruby Rose — in Rhode Island at Swift’s holiday bash.
Pregnant Blake Lively and Taylor
Pregnant Blake Lively and Taylor
Lively, who looked adorable in a bikini, already has a daughter named James and is expecting baby No. 2.
Behati Prinsloo’s baby bump has popped... but her belly button hasn’t! The Victoria’s Secret model shared this photo of her bump, writing that her “belly button still on point.” Prinsloo is expecting her first child, a baby girl, with her husband, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine.
Next up: Blac Chyna shares her pregnancy weight, plus Megan Fox
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Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna baby bump
Blac Chyna baby bump
There is no shame in her pregnancy weight gain! Blac Chyna shared this photo revealing her pregnancy weight of 170.8 pounds and included a heart and baby emoji in the caption. Chyna, who is expecting a baby with Rob Kardashian, had said on snapchat that she weighed “about 139 pounds” pre-pregnancy and she planned on gaining 100 pounds during this pregnancy.
Blac Chyna weight gain
Blac Chyna weight gain
The reality star, who also has a 3-year-old son named King with her ex, Tyga, said that she planned on gaining the weight so she could lose it all after pregnancy.
“Like no lie, my goal is to gain 100 lbs. this pregnancy. I’mma tear it up, and then I’mma snap back,” she wrote on snapchat.
Something tells me she probably has a weight-loss endorsement in the works…
Pregnant Megan Fox dressed her baby bump in a blue tank and black tights as she left Hugo’s restaurant with her husband, Brian Austin Green, and their two sons, Noah and Bodhi. The Transformers star is expecting her third child within the next few months.
Next up: Supermodel Candice Swanepoel’s beautiful bump, plus Ali Fedotowsky
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Candice Swanepoel
Candice Swanepoel pregnant
Candice Swanepoel pregnant
Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel is growing and glowing in this new photo she posted on her Instagram page. Swanepoel, who is expecting her first child with her fiancé, captioned the photo in Portuguese, which translates to “blessed by God.”
Bar Refaeli
Pregnant Bar Refaeli
Pregnant Bar Refaeli
Pregnant Bar Refaeli looked adorable in a striped dress and a flower crown as she celebrated her 31st birthday with friends. The model, who previously dated Leonardo DiCaprio for four years (a record for him!), is expecting her first child with her husband, Adi Ezra. The couple are expecting a baby girl in July. Refaeli recently posted a pre-pregnancy photo of herself laying on her stomach near a pool.
“Not sure what I miss more.
Maldives OR laying on my stomach,” she captioned the photo.
Sex toys these days are getting more innovative (and sometimes, more complicated), but handcuffs are one of the classics. Maybe you've always had a power-play fantasy, or maybe you have some Halloween cuffs lying around the house that you had no idea what to do with — until now.
If handcuffs intrigue you, you're not alone: A recent LifeStyles Condoms SKYN Sex Survey found 26 percent of respondents reported a desire to incorporate restraints into their sexual routines, and 15 percent said they already do. Why are handcuffs so sexy in the first place? Control — or lack thereof — is a huge factor. And much of that has to do with your 9-to-5 gig.
"For people who have a day-to-day life of being constantly in control, juggling too many tasks with an overload of responsibilities, giving up control in the bedroom can be a huge turn-on," says sexologist Emily Morse, host of the Sex With Emily podcast. "It allows them to tap into their bodies sexually and let go without worrying about anyone else’s pleasure but their own. The same goes for someone who is more passive in their day-to-day life. It’s arousing to be the dominant, to be the one in control, calling the shots and orchestrating the entire scene."
Which category do you fall into? Or do you find both scenarios hot?
Here are four positions to get you thinking about your next sexy bedroom session. Surprising your partner this weekend may be in order...
1. The Kinky Missionary
Image: SheKnows Design
How you do it: "The person on the receiving end lies on her back, hands overhead and cuffed," says Carol Queen, Ph.D., staff sexologist at Good Vibrations. "You can up the ante with a second pair of cuffs on the ankles if the bed has legs to loop the cuff's chain or a length of rope to. The dominant person is on top, probably talking dirty."
Why it feels so good: "Anyone who already loves missionary position loves it because of the full-body contact and face-to-face intimacy," she says. "This allows those elements to remain very important and adds a touch of power play: Hands over head and bound exposes the breasts and gives her more of a feeling of being ravished. If someone likes bondage, the immobility and ravishment are generally part of its delight. The 'top' gets the delicious feeling of power and that the 'bottom' is there for the taking — quite literally."
How you do it: "For this position, the man (or submissive partner) is on the bottom. 'Queening' is also known as 'sitting on his face,' so this is an oral sex position where the woman gets lovely licks while the man's wrists are bound above his head; she just has to take care not to put her weight on his arms when settling in to be pleasured. This could also be modified to involve woman-on-top intercourse but with the bottom cuffed," Queen says.
Why it feels so good: "One thing the Fifty Shades of Grey reader doesn't really get is a positive look at a woman on top," she says. "'Queening' is a very good tease position, where the top person almost lowers herself onto the bottom person but doesn't quite make contact… 'till their partner begs!"
How you do it: "Lie down with your belly to the floor or bed. Bend your legs up and reach back for your feet. Attach the handcuffs around your wrists so that they sit behind the ankles," says licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist Kat Van Kirk.
Why it feels so good: “This position can bend you open so that there is great access to the mons pubis, labia and clitoris. It opens your hip flexor muscles and flexes your glutes for a fabulous and very arousing stretch, which brings blood flow to the pelvis,” she says.
How you do it: "Find a spot, like a towel rod or a hook against the wall, where you can handcuff your partner’s arms while standing up," Morse says. "Once you have both hands restrained above their head, tell them not to move. Just the act of you forcing the arms back with handcuffs is a sign that this is where they’re going to stay put for a while, especially when said in a stern voice. It’s perfectly acceptable to not feel totally comfortable with some of the words and actions at first, but just go with it. Sex isn’t supposed to be perfect, but it does get better when you stretch your sexual boundaries (to a certain point). With both hands restrained, it’s up to the dominant to begin the teasing and the surprising. You’re in control, so tie the arms and toss on a blindfold and play with different sensations. Try softly kissing your partner on the lips, then slowly moving down, stopping to nibble and tease the nipples. Engage in oral but don’t stop exploring — you’ll go back to that anyway. Play with sensations: Warm oil from a massage candle, ice cubes or wet kisses will all stimulate your partner’s arousal. If they are blindfolded, they won’t know which sensation will come next, making it mysterious and that much hotter. This session ends when you say so or your partner can’t take it anymore because they just have to have sex with you now."
Why it feels so good: "This is pleasurable to both of you because you’re giving and receiving on your own terms," she says. "Playing up the scenario with handcuffs makes the roles even more pronounced and that much more of an arousing act all around."
BONUS HANDCUFF SEX TIPS:
Q. What kind should I buy?
Technically, any handcuffs will work (even a scarf that you tie — loosely! — as makeshift cuffs will do just fine). Know, however, that there is a possibility that some handcuffs can cause nerve damage, Queen says. The cheap kind of handcuffs that don't lock can continue to ratchet and clamp down on your wrists, and the metal of the heavy-duty, locking, police-grade cuffs can be dangerous if you're writhing hard against them. If you're worried about those scenarios, consider buying cuffs made of leather or fabric that buckle or tie. GoodVibrations.com sells a myriad of cool-looking products like this that range from tough-looking (Violet Desire Leather Restraints) to super-glam (Juliette Crystal-Encrusted Silk Cuffs). See 'em all here.
Q. I'm a little freaked out by the idea of restraints. How can I make sure my partner and I both stay safe?
First, don't do bondage with a person you don't know well or trust, and agree on a "safe word" in advance. "A safe word — any word besides 'no' or 'stop,' basically — allows the bottom person to be in character if she likes; when it's time to stop, the safe word takes them out of the fantasy scene and interjects real needs in a clear way," Queen says.
Second: Make sure the object you're cuffing a person to and the surface they're resting on is stable. "Even if you don't cuff someone to a piece of furniture, like a chair or headboard, make sure they're not going to fall off the side of the sofa (or billionaire's office desk) or be thrown back onto the bed with their hands tied behind their back," she says.
Originally published Feb. 2015. Updated July 2016.
The internet is flooded with "what not to wear at a wedding" type articles, most of which police what we, as women, should wear on our bodies. And one of the most universal rules seems to be "nothing too sexy." So what happens when you ignore the rules entirely? Fitness instructor Liz Krueger found this out the hard way when she wore a skintight dress to a wedding.
"If only I knew that choosing this dress for a wedding on a 90 degree day meant so many women would be outrightly rude to me, and even come up behind me slap my ass as I'm standing alone," writes Krueger on Instagram. She adds that one guest even spilled a beer on her on purpose, hashtagging #adultsarebullystoo.
Liz Kruger instagram
Liz Kruger instagram
Radio station The Breeze Waikato, which shared her story on its Facebook page, asked the internet: "Did she bring ANY of this on herself by wearing this dress to a wedding?"
The idea that we bring bullying on ourselves is incredibly dangerous, as it legitimizes forms of sexual harassment by blaming the victim. But sadly, the majority of the respondents were quick to say that this woman should have known she'd get a reaction out of guests. Others said that, while she did look great, this was not appropriate for a wedding. And those were the more measured responses — several more Facebook users leaped at the chance to slut-shame this woman, saying things like, "Her sorry ass needs to grow up get the hell out of her College days and become a respectable woman."
What's most troubling about this victim-blaming type of reaction is that many who hold these misogynistic views seem to be women themselves. A study by the U.K. think tank Demos found that women were almost as likely to use slut-shaming words online as men were. The researchers gathered their data by tracking how many times accounts associated with male and female usernames used the words “slut,” “whore” or “rape,” both casually and offensively. While those with male usernames used the words 116,530 times, those with female names did so 94,546 times.
Liz Krueger looks
Liz Krueger looks
We have to stop policing what other women wear. As someone getting married herself soon, I may have weddings on the brain, but I honestly couldn't care less what my guests wear. As long as people are happy and comfortable, then so am I.
Krueger has since tried to get the hashtag #KruegerKindness off the ground, sparking a movement where we respect other women's rights to wear whatever they feel best in.
"I hope #KruegerKindness can continue to be spread worldwide bc hatred isn't something specific to me and my situation, it's everywhere," Krueger writes on Instagram.
Kunis, as per usual, looks absolutely stunning on Glamour's cover and in the shots inside the magazine. This isn't anything surprising — Kunis could wear the latest in garbage bag couture and still look flawless — but it's pretty dishonest for Glamour to tout this as "without makeup" when the interview actually points out that there is some makeup involved here.
For starters, Kunis does have makeup on for the front cover of the magazine, and the "bare-faced" shot appears on the back cover. But either way, the interviewer says to Kunis, "The photo of you that’s on the back cover of this magazine is very clean-faced," to which Kunis responds, "We had, like, no makeup." She's then asked how it feels to be photographed this way.
"Like, no makeup" and "without makeup" are two different things. "Clean-faced" and "bare-faced" are also two different things. Of course, this wouldn't be considered a big deal at all if Glamour's own editor-in-chief didn't write up an additional story titled "Mila Kunis Goes Makeup-Free on Our August Cover" praising Kunis and fellow "brave" bare-faced people who take selfies and go forth into the world without a drop of concealer or spot of lip gloss.
Leive writes, "The lines around your eye, your beauty marks — these are not flaws; this is your face! This isn't just a semantic point, either: Seeing your spots, dots and wobbly bits as flaws implies that there is, out there, some perfect ideal you're not measuring up to, and that the best you can do in this world is to accept that sad truth and move on. I'm not down with that! You're you, I'm me and neither one of us is flawed.
"And in the wise words of our cover girl, Mila: 'Wear makeup, don't wear makeup,' she shrugs. 'Do what makes you feel good.'"
That's nice and all, but we're not seeing Kunis' "spots, dots and wobbly bits" in this cover. Though it is definitely refreshing to see the backlash against Kardashian-level contouring and feeling like women need to wear a full face of makeup to run errands, this simply isn't painting an honest picture.
Kunis is then asked how she feels about "image manipulation," and she responds, "I hate it. There was a company that I did a photo shoot for once that manipulated the photo so much, I was like, 'That’s not even me.' Like, what’s the point? You wanted my name, and then you wanted the version of me that I’m not. I absolutely hate it. Now, do I sometimes want them to depuff my eyes? Help me out with a little bit of lighting. But do I want them to stretch my legs, thin out my waist, curve my hips, elongate my neck, blah, blah, blah? No."
That is refreshing and wonderful for women to hear, but here's the other thing: There's at least some level of "image manipulation" on this cover as well. Kunis definitely has pierced ears; she's shown not only wearing earrings on Glamour's other cover, but she's a spokesperson for Gemfields jewelry, and she's worn ruby diamond earrings for their ads. Yet, on this cover, she mysteriously has no holes in her ears to speak of.
Still, despite the dishonest portrayal of Kunis as "makeup-free," she should definitely be applauded for her attitude toward Photoshopping and wearing makeup. If this helps set into motion a trend toward women feeling confident without makeup on, then I'm all for it. She's a complete stunner either way: makeup, no makeup or "like, no makeup."
Ali Fedotowsky and Kevin Manno have some serious celebrating to do. The couple has officially made the jump from Mr. and Mrs. to Mom and Dad. The Bachelorette alum and her radio host hubby announced that they welcomed their daughter, Molly Sullivan Manno, yesterday evening.
Fedotowsky retweeted a link to the first pictures of little Molly for anyone eager to see the first images of their new addition:
Ali Fedotowsky baby girl
Ali Fedotowsky baby girl
The name Molly isn't just sunny and sweet — it's seriously significant too. According to the couple, little Molly is named after two important ladies: Molly Fedotowsky, her late maternal great-grandmother, and Eva Sullivan, her late paternal great-grandmother. That's quite the honor!
Not that the moniker sounds dated at all. Molly is actually a nickname for Mary, and it's maintained its appeal over the years, for sure, always hovering right around the spot 100 on the Social Security Administration's list of popular baby names. Now, with classic-sounding names trending for new parents, it's sure to enjoy an added boost in popularity soon.
It'll also be a hit with parents looking to pick an easy-to-pronounce Irish name, since most people associate the name with the Emerald Isle. That's for good reason: Molly is the 29th most popular name in Eire, and songs like "Molly Malone" and the ballad of "Molly Brannigan" have immortalized the name in Irish culture.
That's definitely fitting for this little one, since she'll bear the names of two very important women, which is a little like immortality too. It's such a sweet way to honor the women her parents admired, though there's no doubt that little Molly will create a legacy that's all her own! Congrats, everyone!
In the extended Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue that is Leonardo DiCaprio's impressive love life, there's a never-ending parade of identikit, stunning models constantly rumored to be cozying up to the Oscar-winning actor. We're only halfway through the year and already DiCaprio has been linked to no less than eight outstanding physical specimens of women, and they're just the ones that the press has been privy to.
By this point in time, reporting that DiCaprio has been seen smooching up to a model is about as surprising as stating that grass is still green or that the moon is still orbiting around the Earth. The only surprising news which could ever come from the actors love life would be to hear that he's locked down his Lothario ways to actually commit to one of the various women who appear on his never-ending conveyor belt of romance. Which begs the question, will DiCaprio remain a bachelor forever?
It's hard to imagine him ever wanting to discard the all-you-can-date buffet of beautiful women that he's continuously being linked to in favor of settling down and committing to just the one. Since June, for instance, he's been linked to Victoria's Secret model Nina Agdal, with Us Weekly reporting on Thursday morning that sources have confirmed them to be officially dating (FYI: They're also keeping their relationship "casual". Of course).
DiCaprio's fondness for statuesque, physically stunning women has been a benchmark of his celebrity since the beginning of his long career. Among countless other beauties that he's been linked to, the actor has dated Bar Refaeli (who is possibly one of his longest and most committed attempts at settling down with someone) and has also enjoyed alleged party flings with models like Naomi Campbell and Natasha Henstridge back in the '90s. But DiCaprio is now in his early 40's, and though he'll certainly not receive any judgement from me on enjoying bachelor life for as long as he possibly can, there's still something terribly unbecoming about continuing to pursue women in their 20's when he continues to age beyond that. At this point he's basically becoming Matthew McConaughey's character in Dazed And Confused, leaning smugly at the back of a Hollywood party and quipping, "This is what I love about supermodels, man, I get older but they stay the same age".
And all age-appropriate finger wagging aside, DiCaprio's apparent attraction to women who have yet to hurtle past the wise age of 30 seems only to confirm one thing: that he's still enjoying his party-loving, lady-fest of a lifestyle far too much to ever find someone who can satisfy him to the point of actually settling down. But is there truly anything wrong with that? Surely not a single one of these models that he's constantly being linked to is naive enough to believe that their particular dalliance with the actor will be any different to the rest. After all, one does not simply march into Leonardo DiCaprio's bed and expect to come out with a gigantic, sparkling diamond and a lifetime of commitment after it. Instead, a love affair with DiCaprio is as fast-changing and temporary as a piece of couture on a catwalk; you might be associated with it but ultimately all models know that they'll never be leaving with the piece.
So, honestly, let's just call it right now and be done with it; DiCaprio will be a Hollywood bachelor for life, still partying on yachts with supermodels and getting papped chatting up starlets long into his golden years. And why not? It's a lifestyle which has seemed to work out just fine for a man like Jack Nicholson, who despite enjoying long-term relationships with women like Anjelica Huston and Lara Flynn Boyle, is still single and by all accounts, loving it. He even managed to successfully flirt with Jennifer Lawrence on camera at the Oscars back in 2013, for goodness sake. Can we not all foresee the same destiny for DiCaprio?
So long as there are models who are still merrily capable of being enamored by the handsome, rich and talented actor, then is it really doing any harm? What we should all be doing instead is being constructive with DiCaprio's love life and creating fun games of supermodel bingo that we can all play out in predicting which bevvies of beauties will be next on his hit list. And in the immortal words of Blackstreet's "No Diggity": Play on, player.
As Serena Williams competed in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon with her 22nd major career win in sight, people couldn't stop talking about her revealing top. And by revealing, I mean a little THO. Nipples, people. We're talking about nipples here. Look around the room you're in; every woman there has a pair. Some may even have a spare. Hey, the world is a crazy place nowadays.
Crazy as it may be, one thing I know for sure is that nipples are so common (at least as common as all those twigs and berries bulging from running shorts) that, in your adult life, they really shouldn't be distracting. Still, as one of many tweeters so kindly pointed out, nipples are controversial. How dare Williams let the outline of her anatomy be revealed?
Serena nipples tweet
Serena nipples tweet
If nipples are offending you or distracting you, I can only imagine what it's like for you in the real world. Your mother did not prepare you for all the lions and tigers and bears that go boo in the night. So you're scared, I get it. But nipples won't hurt you. In fact, they fed you and nurtured you and allowed you to grow. They deserve to exist in peace and quiet.
Even women seem to be offended, as if their own nipples are perfect angels who always do what they're told and never miss curfew. For the record, a proper bra can be very hard to find.
Serena nipples tweet3
Serena nipples tweet3
Serena nipples tweet4
Serena nipples tweet4
If you're watching one of the greatest tennis players of all time in her element and all you can see is her nipples, it's time to take a long, hard look at something else. Your priorities and morals, for one. Maybe a book on how to control your nipple trigger. Give Williams something to cover up her nipples, you say? So they don't distract you? Sorry, she's too busy trying to win her seventh Wimbledon title.
Serena nipples tweet2
Serena nipples tweet2
There are bigger fish to fry in this world. So you saw some nipples? Pat yourself on the back, and watch the game. As Williams prepares to play in her 28th Grand Slam final, let's see if we can avoid harping on her for being a human.
Mastering the skills to cook rice that's perfectly fluffy and tender every time can be a bit trickier than many websites might lead you to believe — especially if you've mostly been mastering your microwave when it comes to rice.
Cooking rice on the stovetop requires constant monitoring and can often lead to inconsistent results. Despite your best efforts, your rice is either dry, crunchy and burned in the center or soupy like your aunt's risotto. Higher-end rice cookers are better but are expensive for what they are, take up valuable kitchen space and, with few exceptions, don't seem to really handle anything but basic white rice very well. No, your best chance at foolproof rice with a superior texture and flavor is a pressure cooker — either the next-generation electronic models that have started appearing everywhere, or the tried-and-true stainless steel (or aluminum) cookers you use on your stovetop.
Pressure cookers prevent air from escaping the cooker and force a higher boiling point (250 degrees F), cooking your food in super-heated wet steam. Besides much shorter cook times and more concentrated flavors, cooking rice under pressure like this promotes the Maillard reaction (the chemical reaction that gives browned food its intense flavor) and gelatinizes the starch in rice to the maximum degree, creating a much softer, stickier grain texture than cannot be replicated through conventional cooking. This microscopic effect on the grain also makes the rice far more digestible, increasing the nutritional value of your meal. As a bonus, the higher cooking temperatures even bring the harmful bacteria and fungus commonly found in improperly stored rice to safe levels. These immediate and obvious advantages are why so many dedicated rice cookers have jumped over to models with pressure cooker functionality.
Which kind of pressure cooker should you use?
Electric pressure cookers
Electric pressure cookers are extremely easy to use and maintain. Just add your water and rice, press the button, and forget it. You can attend to other tasks, and when you're done, your rice will be waiting for you (just don't take too long).
That said, electric pressure cookers don't necessarily work for everyone. Most have capacity for under 6 quarts, perfect for couples but perhaps too small for big families. Some (though not all) have nonstick inner pots that don't brown well, are easily scratched and spin in place while you stir the contents. So if you're in the market for an electric pressure cooker, look for one with handles, a stainless steel inner pot and definitely a quick steam release.
Stovetop pressure cookers
Stovetop pressure cookers are heavy, cumbersome and expensive — and as far as I'm concerned, they're probably the best choice for serious cooks. The stainless steel construction is far more durable and allows for multiple types of steam release, so it's much more versatile for pressure cooker recipes. While your electric is taking up space, your much larger stovetop pot will be busy simmering stocks and sauces, canning food for the winter and steaming tamales. They're more work but worth the extra investment of time and money.
Preparing rice in an electric pressure cooker couldn't be simpler. Just follow the directions of the manufacturer, and enjoy.
Stovetop pressure cookers are a little more complicated. Add water, rice and a bit of oil or butter (to prevent foaming), lock the lid and, when your pressure cooker is ready to go, follow the cooking times listed in the recipe using a high, even heat. When the time is up, take the rice off the heat for 10 minutes, release any extra pressure, and you should be set.
Image: Tiffany Egbert/SheKnows
Pressure cooker tips for making perfect rice
Some electric pressure cookers don't get up to 15 psi (or pounds per square inch), making their overall temperature much cooler. You'll need to add about 20 percent more time to the listed times (short-grain white rice would cook for 9 to 10 minutes, not 8, for instance).
External pressure is also a factor in cooking times. You'll need to add 5 percent to the overall cook time for every additional 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet.
Never fill a pressure cooker above the maximum fill level of your pot.
If you use stock instead of water for your rice, add an extra three minutes of cooking time.
Start your timer only when the pressure cooker indicates that it is at the proper temperature.
When buying a pressure cooker, choose one that has a layered base to eliminate hot spots.
And there you go. With this foundation, you can make all kinds of rice dishes using your pressure cooker, from pullau to pilaf.
The first time your child has a night terror, you'll know — it's much different than your run-of-the-mill nightmare. Even worse, night terrors are totally unpredictable and more likely to affect small children.
It may help you to keep your bearings in the face of midnight hysteria if you know what to look for and how to react when your child wakes inconsolable in the middle of the night.
Bradi Nathan, a New Jersey mom and co-founder of MyWorkButterfly.com, said her son's night terrors began a few years back and now appear at the onset of an illness. Ms. Nathan admits there have been many nights that she felt utterly helpless as her son grasped onto her for dear life yelling, "Save me."
"The first terror arrived late at night as my husband and I were in deep REM mode! It was if Jack was screaming to be saved by a burglar... like a scene out of a sci-fi movie," says Nathan.
"His screams intensified, eyes rolled back, he was thrusting his tongue, yet he was sleeping the whole time. We immediately called the pediatrician who told us not to wake him, not to touch him, and to repeatedly say, it's okay, you are safe mommy is here. The notion is that if a child is woken out of a night terror then they will be afraid to fall back to sleep and often slip right back into in."
Night terrors or nightmares?
According to Dr. Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist specializing in child development and parenting at AhaParenting.com, nightmares are upsetting dreams that happen during REM (dream) sleep. Night terrors occur during Stage 4 Deep Sleep, or during the transition from Stage 4 to REM Sleep. In other words, during a night terror, the person is actually asleep — according to his brain waves — even if his eyes are open! In fact, most of the time the person has no recollection of them.
"Night terrors can occur at any age, but small children seem to suffer from them most frequently. In fact, up to 15 percent of kids reportedly experience at least one night terror, "says Dr. Markham. "Scientists think night terrors may be caused by over-arousal of the central nervous system, which regulates brain activity. Most children outgrow them, probably as their brains mature, although some adults do report having night terrors when under stress. This suggests that stress could also trigger night terrors in little ones."
Dr. Markham notes that Stanford researchers have hypothesized that there is a link between childhood sleep apnea and night terrors, so it's always a good idea to have your pediatrician check your child for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can make it difficult for children to get enough rest, and there are indications that over-tiredness as well as stress can trigger night terrors in people who are prone to them.
Next Up: Best tips for the hard part
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13 tips for handling night terrors
Image: SheKnows Design
Dr. Markham offers these tips for parents:
1. Do try to keep calm yourself. It is likely that your child is not remembering these incidents and is not being traumatized by them. That said, of course you want to offer her whatever comfort you can, and keep her safe. While she will probably seem inconsolable, adults who suffer from night terrors say that they have been comforted by the calm, reassuring voices of those they love. And of course, if she'll let you hug her, then do so.
2. Do try to minimize stress in his life for now. No toilet training or other big developmental challenges if you can help it until he gets out of this phase. Be sure he is not exposed to parental loud voices or other emotional stressors. Use "positive discipline" as opposed to spankings, yelling, timeouts or other stressful discipline. Minimize schedule changes and nights away from home.
3. Eliminate TV. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids younger than 24 months should not watch TV because it negatively impacts brain development, and TV has also been shown to be stressful for little ones who may think the conflicts dramatized on the screen are real.
4. Don't allow your little one to get over-tired, which may make her more susceptible to night terrors. Be sure she has a regular bedtime routine and is getting sufficient sleep. Often little ones need to be asleep by 7 p.m.; when they stay up later they have to summon adrenaline and other arousal hormones to keep it together. Moving to an earlier bedtime not only helps them fall asleep more easily at night but also lessens the possibility of over-arousal.
5. Do adopt a comforting bedtime ritual that includes bath, snuggling & reading, and follow it each night, making sure that your child has an hour of "wind-down" that is soothing. No music, TV, loudness, wildness, or anything particularly arousing, and no food, since digestion seems to be the source of night terrors for some people. Get more tips here on developing a bedtime ritual for kids.
6. Be aware that fevers can trigger night terrors in those who are prone.
7. Do make sure that your child is not being accidentally awakened. There is some evidence that night terrors result from being awakened during Stage 4 sleep (if there is already a predisposition). If traffic or TV or telephone noises intrude on his sleep, they could be awakening him. You might invest in a white noise machine as a precaution.
8. Don't try to force your child to wake up from a night terror. That leaves a person extremely disoriented, sometimes to the point of temporary amnesia.
9. Keep your little one sleeping in a crib until she outgrows her night terrors, if possible. If she has already graduated from a crib, be aware that she could easily leap out of bed during a night terror. Move anything she could trip on out of the way, be sure windows are closed and have a window guard, and use a baby gate to be sure she doesn't run out of her room and fall down the stairs.
10. Don't let your child get over-heated while he sleeps. Particularly, avoid footed pajamas. Many parents report that their child is more likely to have night terrors when overheated.
11. If your child has allergies or a cold and her tonsils are inflamed, it can make it harder to breathe, which may trigger night terrors. Ask your doctor about medicine that may help with the allergy symptoms. Some researchers report that removing the tonsils and adenoids can immediately cure night terrors in cases where they were regularly swollen and the child was having a hard time breathing at night.
12. Many parents have reported a complete cure with the radical approach of putting the child's feet into cool (not cold) water during an episode, although some parents report that the night terrors later returned.
13. I hate to wake kids for any reason, but there is evidence that you can help your child reset his arousal cycle by waking him gently 15 minutes before the night terrors usually occur. If you can see a pattern, and the night terrors are frequent, it might be worth it. If you do this for three to five days, it will hopefully interrupt the arousal cycle and prevent the night terrors from recurring.
"My advice to other parents is to try to stay calm and to reassure your child through a soft voice that it's OK, Mommy is here. Do not try to wake your child or to jar him in any way," says Nathan. "This will just exaggerate the episode. And, ride it out. Also, don't recount the happening the next day with your child; very often they will not even be aware of what has occurred. I have been told by my pediatrician that he will grow out of it. He's 9, and I'm still waiting!"
Originally published Jan. 2010. Updated July 2016.
Even though fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills feared that the rumors were true and Lisa Vanderpump wouldn't be returning for Season 7, Vanderpump herself has just confirmed that she will be back. Bravo fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
TMZ first reported the news, saying, "Lisa made some demands, but none had to do with money. She wants RHOBH to showcase her work in the LGBT community. She also wants the show to put a spotlight on the work she does to fight AIDS. And finally, she wants publicity for her fight to put a stop to the dog meat market in China."
"We're told producers agreed to give her what she wants, so she's coming back," TMZ's report continued. "Lisa didn't raise issues over what she considers bullying by her castmates last season. She realizes it just goes with the territory of reality TV."
Vanderpump herself took to Twitter to thank fans and said, "Yep, never thought I would return, but after many discussions. The pump is still in the game."
Lisa Vanderpump returning to RHOBH
Lisa Vanderpump returning to RHOBH
Now that the best Housewife is back on board, I have one wish for Bravo and the show's producers: Can we please get back to making things fun again in Beverly Hills?
Seriously, fans are so sick of the over-the-top, clearly manufactured drama plaguing the Beverly Hills Housewives episode after episode. The show has obviously lost its way in trying to create drama out of nothing, and that's not what fans want to see. So, here's what I hope the producers have in mind for Season 7, in no particular order of importance.
OK, to be fair, we did get plenty of these in Season 6, especially when the ladies rocked their colorful caftans in Dubai. But I can't be alone when I say $75,000 sunglasses need to always be the norm on this show. Even Kyle and her fabulous muumuus are warmly welcomed.
There has to be one common enemy among the Housewives. I know she's friends with Kyle and all, but if they have to feud with someone, let it be her and not each other.
Ask any parent what their worst nightmare is, and chances are high that stranger abduction is right at the top of the list. Thankfully, for most moms, that nightmare will never become a reality. But for one California mother, it almost did.
A viral surveillance video that's sure to make any parent's stomach drop to their toes is making the rounds today after a man tried to snatch a 4-year-old away in broad daylight with her mother just a few feet away.
victorville-kidnapping-video
victorville-kidnapping-video
In it, a young mother enters a cellphone store in Victorville, California, with her two children — one in her arms, and the other, the 4-year-old kidnap-attempt victim, just steps behind her, playing with a candy machine near the store's front door. Suddenly the door opens, and the man, Terry Ransom, makes a grab for the little girl. Within seconds he has her out the door. Her mother and another customer don't hesitate to give chase.
Fortunately the little girl puts up one hell of a fight, and her alleged would-be abductor loses his grip on her. In the next moment, she's safe with her mother again, clinging to her leg and terrified. Since then, Ransom has been taken into police custody on suspicion of kidnapping and child cruelty.
It's a terrifying moment, one that seems almost too scary to be possible, as was the case just a few weeks ago in a foiled abduction of a 13-year-old girl in Florida. What both these stories have in common isn't just the incredible strength and bravery of the mothers who didn't hesitate to fight for their child's life — the Florida mother fought the abductor until he let go of her daughter, and the mother in this video rockets after the man with her younger child still in her arms — but also the unwillingness of bystanders to be idle.
In this case, it's the customer in line behind the terrified mother, the shopkeepers who headed out toward the commotion and the people who held Ransom down so the police could take him into custody. This man thought he could act with impunity, and the entire community smacked down that notion without a second thought.
It would be so, so easy to only remember the horrific parts of this video. Certainly they're playing in our minds in an awful, stomach-churning loop. It can be so tempting sometimes to retreat inside and lock all the doors because of the reprehensible actions of a few people. But this is a world we have to live in, and it's one we have to teach our children to live in too. There's a healthy amount of fear that keeps people cautious: Thank goodness the little girl in this video knew to put up a fight and make a ruckus.
But it's ill-advised to allow that fear to dictate how we live our lives. It's worth remembering that when things get really bad, there is yet more good to squash it out. That's what happened here. The little girl is thankfully unharmed, though she will have some healing to do — you don't just carry on as usual when something so scary happens. But kids are resilient, and hopefully one day the man who caused her harm will occupy a much smaller space in her mind than the people who stepped in to keep her safe and get her justice.
