Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
mardi 6 juin 2017
No Such Thing as Balance: Moms Get Real About Career and Family
In the film Bad Moms, Amy Mitchell, played by actress Mila Kunis, reaches her breaking point. With the stress of trying to manage her children's busy schedules, meet her boss's expectations, and earn respect from the "perfect mothers" in the PTA, Mitchell decides to let go of some of her responsibilities and be a bad parent for once.
Along with two other stressed-out moms, played by Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell, she gets drunk at a bar, throws a massive house party and trashes a grocery store. Mitchell even ignites a war with the president of the PTA when she brings store-bought doughnut holes to the school's bake sale, which clearly violates the no sugar, no eggs, and no milk rules.
Unfortunately, not all women can rebel in such a dramatic fashion, but this film does show the significant amount of pressure that is placed on working mothers.
In 2014, Care.com, "the world's largest online destination for finding and managing family care," surveyed almost 1,000 moms. They found that one in four women cry alone at least once a week due to the stress of trying to balance their careers, children, and chores.
But balance is unrealistic, according to Monica Coleman, who is a mother of two and a program training and technical assistance consultant for a CDC-funded project to reduce teen pregnancy in the Mississippi Delta. "You're always going to have issues at home that you take to work that impact your performance," she said. "You're always going to have some issues at work that eventually may impact how you're feeling when you go home at the end of the day, so there's really no separating the two."
Courtney Shelton, who is the associate director of event services at the University of Memphis and a mother of three children, ages 7, 3, and 2, agrees with Coleman. "I feel it's a misconception to think there's a balance in your work life and personal life," she said. "I think you have to be OK knowing that it's going to be chaotic and at certain times one will outweigh the other."
Mommy Guilt
According to a 2015 survey by Pew Research Center, 39 percent of full-time working mothers said they don't spend enough time with their children. This often leads to "mom guilt."
Cindy Brewer, co-founder of LEO Events, a global event planning company in Memphis, has definitely experienced some remorse as a working mother. Because she runs a business that plans events for Fortune 500 companies and other local organizations like Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Brewer is not always able to attend her children's activities, which is extremely difficult for her - especially when her husband, who is also a co-founder at LEO Events, and family aren't available.
"It's a very hard place to be. It just makes you feel [like] you're letting a child down . . . and I don't want to ever be in that position, but it's happened," she said.
Moms deal with their guilt in different ways.
Belinda Simpson is a director of community outreach for a non-profit in Memphis and is also very hands-on with her two sons, ages 15 and 17. As a single mom, spending time with her boys is important and when she has to work overtime at the office, Simpson admits that she spoils them to make up for it - which sometimes they use to their advantage, she says.
"If I work too much during the week, if I have too many after work activities that go into the evening, I feel guilty if I'm not home with them," she said. "When I do get back home, it's extra treats, extra going out, buying game cards, something to make me feel better."
Working Less Hours
Though women feel guilt when they work too much, the truth of the matter is that they still make more sacrifices than men when it comes to family life. Forty-two percent of moms compared to 28 percent of dads said they reduce work hours more to care for their children, according to study by Pew Research Center.
Forty-two percent of moms compared to 28 percent of dads said they reduce work hours more to care for their children.
Melissa Bamford, a sociology professor at the University of Memphis, says that society expects women to sacrifice their work for their children. "The lack of quality childcare in the United States speaks to an underlying assumption that women should be home raising their children," she explained. "Although most women work, usually because two parent families need two incomes, this idea that women should still be the primary caretakers has not gone away. There are cover stories or big huzzahs when men are the primary caretakers and women are the primary breadwinners because we see this as backwards in our society."
Lindsay Ball, CEO of Memphis Mom Blog, a website that provides information about parenthood, is all too familiar with leaving work to care for her son. Formerly working as an entomologist, Ball's life changed when she found out that she was pregnant. Not only that, she soon realized that she would be an only parent as she and her son's biological father parted ways. With trying to juggle work and her son's schedule, Ball had to make a tough decision.
"My career was more of a man's world so it was really hard. Then whenever I had [my son], I got to the point where I was like, 'I can't keep doing this because I have to be able to keep the same hours as his daycare,' and you're really limited in that," she said. "So I ended up making a lot less money than I was worth, but I was able to be a parent still to him."
Jeanie Whinghter is another mom who left her corporate job to spend more time with her three children. She now works in higher education, which gives her more flexibility. "The thing that I found most challenging is that I would be at work and I would really be just thinking about my child," she said. "Just the silly stuff. His nanny would text me about his poop and I'll think 'Oh my gosh, what kind of poop was it,'" she said bursting out in laughter. "So my heart was really with my child and I knew that I needed to make a change, so I could be more engaged with my children's lives." In order to spend more time with their kids, some women choose to work in lower-paying industries like restaurants.
Jennifer Fitz is a bartender at Fox and Hound in Memphis. She says that though she works late hours (the bar doesn't close until 3 a.m.), she is able to spend more time at home with her son than if she were working a corporate job. "I'm a bartender at Fox and Hound, and I hate to say this, but if I had a big-girl job right now, I don't think that I would be able to spend quite as much time with my son as I want to, and it's nice having money in your pocket every night of the week. It's not guaranteed like a steady nine-to-five every week, but you do make a good amount of money." She adds, "You work later hours, but I think you work less hours than that 40 hours a week period, so you may be exhausted, but you do have more hours with your child."
Mommies in a Man's World
According to a Pew study, motherhood isn't a top barrier that's keeping women from obtaining executive positions anymore. However, that's not to say that discrimination doesn't still exist.
Lori Spicer Robertson is the chief communications and engagement officer for United Way of the Mid-South. She has worked for a number of local companies and was passionate about making sure organizations kept corporate social responsibility, inclusion, culture development, and change management top of the mind to ensure a healthy work environment. However, that did not exempt her from discrimination or the unconscious bias that plagues women every day in the workplace. She recalled a time in one of her prior roles when she was singled out in a meeting after having her son.
"I had a gentleman say to me, 'Lori, we forgot about you. Next time you should decide if you really want to advance your career or if you want to stay home and have babies,'" she recalled. "I thought, 'I can't believe this person just said this aloud in a meeting in front of all these people.' Then I thought, 'That's his reality and because most of the men in his position have wives that don't work outside the home, their lens or their model of women is to be at home with children,' which is honorable, to say the least if that's what you choose to do, but if you do choose to have a corporate career, you have to know going in to it that's it's going to be a challenge."
Ball has also experienced discrimination in the workplace. She explained how some of her male colleagues viewed pregnant women when she worked as an entomologist. "Being pregnant in that work environment was very, very difficult. People just don't have the patience for you to move slower, be tired, need to get off your feet," she said. "Men tend to think 'Well, you did this to yourself. You knew this would happen. You're just looking for excuses.' And honestly, I used to think that until I was in that position."
Children Benefit from Working Moms
Although some men may think women need to stay at home, it does children good to see their moms working, according to a study by Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn. She found that women who had working mothers are more likely to work outside the home and are given more responsibility at work. In addition, men who had working moms are more likely to help with housework and family. Brewer says being a working mom helps her children understand values. "One of the strongest benefits of being a working mom is that I know that I am able to provide for my family and that I know that I'm instilling values of hard work in my children," she said. "If anything, I hope that my children walk away from their high school graduation with a strong work ethic and knowing that hard work definitely is a part of life and how it pays off in the long run."
Simpson also believes that there are strong benefits to being a working mom. "[It shows] them perseverance in how to go after their dream, show them how you make sacrifices but also they see the awards that are reaped when you make those sacrifices," she explained. "So just being role models and showing them the steps you have to take to get the things you want in life."
Though it may be tough juggling motherhood and work, Ball believes that it's possible. "I'm not a perfect business owner, I'm not a perfect boss, I'm not perfect by any stretch, I'm definitely not a perfect wife," Ball said. "I'm still figuring that one out, but at the end of the day, I try to make sure that everyone I'm in contact with is happy. To me, that is doable."
1 Tiny Detail in This New Game of Thrones Clip Hints at a Reunion For Arya and Sansa
If you thought that just because the seventh season of Game of Thrones is almost here we'd quit discussing wild theories, think again. The latest possibility comes from Reddit user N355UN0, who noticed something pretty telling in a video interview with the show's costumer, Michele Clapton (which you can watch above). Interspersed with shots of her jaw-dropping creations for all of the characters are brief behind-the-scenes moments, including a shot of Arya (Maisie Williams) riding on a horse with the hilt of Needle clearly visible - similar to how she is in the season seven trailer - and one of Sansa (Sophie Turner) striding through a crypt at Winterfell. At first glance, no big deal. Upon second glance (and then a third, and possibly a fourth), it sure looks like a woman in Sansa's scene is also holding Needle. So, is a Stark family reunion in the works?
The idea that they might reunite lines up with a recent Entertainment Weekly photo spread that showed Arya on a horse in a location that looks a hell of a lot like Winterfell or Castle Black. If it's the former, it would be the first time she's returned to her family's home since departing in season one with her father, Ned. She's been out of town for a while, but word has to have spread about Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Sansa taking back Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton, and it stands to reason she'd want to make her way back there.
As always, it's difficult to believe anything other than misery could happen on Game of Thrones, but why else would Needle be in a behind-the-scenes shot at Winterfell? Even if it doesn't pan out, the chips for an Arya-Bran reunion are also in place. In October, Williams and costar Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran) were spotted on set together in Northern Ireland, where scenes featuring Winterfell and Castle Black are typically shot. The only problem with this theory is that we technically have no idea where she is, since last we saw she was at the Twins, killing Walder Frey and his sons.
On top of the interesting shot of Arya and Sansa, the video also includes a look at what some of the other characters are getting up to. Samwell Tarly (John Bradley-West) is seen hanging out in the Citadel library, while the Hound (Rory McCann) is dressed in heavy Winter gear (is he following Arya to the North?) and throwing some fake snow in front of a fan. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) pops up as well, going for a quick stroll down the beach where he'll eventually meet up with Jon, Daenerys, and Ser Davos. The short clip of Jon is probably from a similar scene, since he's standing on a cliff with the ocean behind him, and no snow in sight.
Are you convinced? As much as we hate to admit it, it does hold a little more water than the theory that Ser Davos is Azor Ahai.
This DIY Deck Is So Affordable Anyone Can Build It
If you've been dreaming of a beautiful wooden deck for your yard but the cost of this pricey home addition is more like a nightmare, then we have the perfect DIY for you. Blogger Liz of Hoosier Homemade found the perfect deck hack: wooden pallets. Piecing together six of these super affordable surfaces, she created the perfect outdoor living space. While this DIY takes a little elbow grease - the pallets need to be sanded and stained and the ground must be leveled and prepped - the final result is picture perfect. Head to Hoosier Homemade for the full tutorial and check out some snaps of the DIY below.
Small-Apartment Dwellers, Rejoice! This Compact Washing Machine Just Fell From Heaven
A genius group of inventors have crafted a heaven-sent device that's here to save small-apartment dwellers and camping enthusiasts alike from their laundry dread. Yirego, a sustainable product design company, has officially released its Drumi, a miniature washing machine that requires zero electricity and takes up barely any space in your home.
A popular crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo got the Drumi off the ground, and designers have been working ever since then to perfect its features. The portable machine is powered manually by foot, so you won't be adding any additional costs to your electricity bill (plus, you'll be getting a great calf workout every time you do a load!).
The Drumi can wash up to seven articles of clothing at the same time - mostly delicates like undergarments and t-shirts, rather than heftier ones like bed sheets and towels. All you have to do is drop in your clothes, add water and detergent, and repeatedly step on the pedal with your foot to activate the washing cycle, which takes 10 minutes or less. Talk about a time-saver!
The Drumi is now available for pre-order for merely $239 (or customers can purchase two for $459), which is quite the steal, considering how much this compact invention is sure to save you through the years. Whether you're sick of walking five blocks to the local laundromat or can't stand going a week without clean underwear during your camping trips, the Drumi seems to be quite the life-saver. Watch the video above to see this the one-of-a-kind device in action.
Why Sex and the City Is Still Insanely Important, Nearly Two Decades Later
Since the Sex and the City series premiered in 1998 and ended in 2004, much has been made about the character profiles it introduced, the fashion trends it helped catapult, and the fantasies it perpetuated; but what's most memorable about Sex and the City - and what we should continue to celebrate - is its depiction of single women in society. The main characters of the show were represented not as lonely or broken but as smart, well-rounded individuals with full lives, great careers, and amazing friendships. Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte proved that whether or not you have a significant other, your friends can become your family - men come and go, but you can always be "each other's soulmates." The show's fashion and food references, as well as its brand of postfeminism, are still relevant in pop culture today.
In addition to the fact that there have been two big-screen sequels (and a rumored third), a spinoff series, The Carrie Diaries, aired on The CW - and when Jennifer Lawrence famously tripped up the stairs while accepting her Oscar in 2013, did we not all exclaim that she "fell in Dior?" Here's why the iconic HBO show still matters, even a decade later.
This Lowe's Deck Makeover Is All the Summer Design Inspiration You Need
Hey there, weekend warrior! We have an inspiring deck makeover guaranteed to get you motivated to tackle your own backyard. In season two episode eaight of Lowe's original series The Weekender, Designer Monica Mangin headed to Nashville and spent a weekend transforming a neglected backyard deck into a warm and welcoming al fresco dining room, perfect for Summer entertaining. And not only is this deck makeover nice to look at, it was created with a series of DIYs and affordable products from Lowe's. Get all all the design details and products ahead.
Why Sex and the City Is Still Insanely Important, Nearly Two Decades Later
Since the Sex and the City series premiered in 1998 and ended in 2004, much has been made about the character profiles it introduced, the fashion trends it helped catapult, and the fantasies it perpetuated; but what's most memorable about Sex and the City - and what we should continue to celebrate - is its depiction of single women in society. The main characters of the show were represented not as lonely or broken but as smart, well-rounded individuals with full lives, great careers, and amazing friendships. Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte proved that whether or not you have a significant other, your friends can become your family - men come and go, but you can always be "each other's soulmates." The show's fashion and food references, as well as its brand of postfeminism, are still relevant in pop culture today.
In addition to the fact that there have been two big-screen sequels (and a rumored third), a spinoff series, The Carrie Diaries, aired on The CW - and when Jennifer Lawrence famously tripped up the stairs while accepting her Oscar in 2013, did we not all exclaim that she "fell in Dior?" Here's why the iconic HBO show still matters, even a decade later.
The Handmaid's Tale: 11 Differences Between the Book and TV Show
Hulu's adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale is tense, darkly terrifying, and a brilliant ode to Margaret Atwood's 1985 feminist novel of the same name. The drama tells the story of life in the dystopian Republic of Gilead, specifically the one of a handmaid named Offred (Elisabeth Moss). She desperately tries to survive life as a handmaid - a caste of fertile women forced into sexual servitude to help repopulate the world - and find the daughter who was literally ripped from her arms, all while navigating the dangerous, restrictive, and uncomfortably familiar world of Gilead. While the show sticks incredibly close to Atwood's original story, there are a few key differences fans of the book should keep an eye out for. Warning: Mild spoilers throughout.
1. The Wife and Commander who Offred serves look way different.
In the novel, The Commander and his wife are much, much older than they are in the show. He's described as a "gray-haired, neat" old man, whose habit of wearing dark suits makes him look "like a Midwestern bank president." His wife, Serena Joy, is blonde and older, uses a cane, and a is former televangelist (think Tammy Faye Messner). In the show, the roles are filled by Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovski. Both do a great job with their characters, but it's definitely jarring to see them so young (although it does help to somewhat soften the disturbing nature of Offred's relationship with them).
2. Moira is in the Red Center before Offred.
One of the more horrifying aspects of the book concerns the time Offred and Moira spend at the Rachel and Leah Re-Education Center, which is more commonly called "the Red Center" by the women living there. It's where all future handmaids are brought to be indoctrinated with Gilead's misogynistic ideology before they're assigned to a commander. Offred has already been there for a while in the book when Moira - her best friend - is captured and brought in, and her arrival is one of the few things that keeps Offred sane. Moira only stays for a short time before pulling off a daring escape, leaving Offred to wonder what becomes of her. In the show, the characters' roles are reversed; rather than Offred showing Moira the ropes, it's the other way around.
3. The handmaids wear tracking devices.
Each of the handmaids are outfitted with small red tags on their ears to presumably track their location, which aren't in the book.
4. Offred is able to speak more freely.
Part of what makes Atwood's novel so tense is the fact that everything Offred says is dangerous. Even if she's spouting the religious phrases citizens of Gilead frequently use ("praise be," "under his eye"), her tone or facial expressions can be construed as harmful and result in fatal punishment. Because of that, her conversations with basically everyone but Ofglen are extremely stilted, so readers only learn about her world through her rich internal monologue. The TV Offred inhabits a world that's a little bit less rigid, featuring plenty of scenes of her chatting (albeit quickly and quietly) with Nick (The Commander's mechanic) and other handmaids in town.
5. Cora doesn't exist.
The Commander's home that Offred lives in in the book has two marthas - infertile female citizens who don't rank high enough to be one of the Wives, so they're forced to do domestic work like cooking and cleaning - named Rita and Cora. While Rita is terse and disapproving of Offred, Cora is nicer and holds out hope that Offred will bear The Commander and Serena Joy a child. Although Cora doesn't appear in the show, Rita (played by Amanda Brugel) takes on some of her personality traits.
6. It's set in modern times.
When the book came out in 1985, things like cell phones, Tinder, and Uber obviously weren't commonplace. The show takes place in the present to very near future, so all of those things are referenced in Offred's flashbacks. In an interview with The Washington Post, Atwood also pointed out that having the show take place in modern times meant introducing "a lot more cursing," because "there's a lot more cursing in real life than there was when I wrote the book."
7. "Children of Ham" are no longer a thing.
Gilead uses bible passage Genesis 10:6 (which uses the word "Ham" to signify people of color as "burnt" or "black") as a justification for segregation and racism, calling people of color "Children of Ham" and exiling them from society. In the show, all races are forced to be Marthas or Handmaids (ex: Moira, who is a black Handmaid).
Note: the following differences contain bigger spoilers if you aren't all caught up, so stop reading now if you don't want to know!
8. Ofglen's situation is much more dire.
Ofglen, a fellow handmaid, is one of Offred's biggest confidantes. Offred is assigned to be her shopping partner, and although she thinks Ofglen is truly pious, she soon reveals herself to be a member of the underground "Mayday" resistance. Unfortunately, Gilead's secret police, The Eyes, find out Ofglen's affiliation with the group, so she hangs herself before they can get to her. The TV version of Ofglen (played by Alexis Bledel) is more fleshed out and actually gets captured by The Eyes (however, she draws their suspicion for a different reason). Let's just say that the horrors she encounters at their hands are unimaginable.
9. Offred reveals her real name.
A lot of Atwood's novel is left purposefully vague, but perhaps the greatest mystery of all is Offred's real name. The moniker of Offred literally means "of Fred", ie she's the property of her Commander, whose name is Fred (if she were to die or be replaced, The Commander's next Handmaid would also be named Offred). We see the story unfold though her eyes and hear her thoughts, but she's left anonymous (although fans of The Handmaid's Tale have long speculated that Offred's true name is June, thanks to a few clues in the book). In the final seconds of the show's first episode, there's finally a concrete confirmation of what it is.
10. We find out what happens to Luke.
As the show does with Ofglen, it also beefs up Luke's story. In the novel, we never find out what happens to him after he and Offred are separated in their escape, only that Offred heard a gun shot and assumed he died. He does get shot in the show, but he survives the wound and is picked up by members of the resistance who smuggle him across the border to Canada. While living in "Little America," he gets news that Offred is actually alive (she sends him a note through an undercover rebel, telling him to save their daughter, Hannah).
11. The nature of Offred's affair with Nick.
Offred doesn't have sex with Nick until the end of the book, shortly before she's hauled away by people who may or may not be The Eyes. The hook-up is at the behest of Serena Joy, who suspects her husband is the one who isn't fertile and wants a child at any cost. It happens the same way in the show, but much earlier. Offred sneaks into Nick's apartment above the garage pretty frequently, and forges a deeper connection with him than she has in Atwood's novel. Only time will tell if The Eyes get wind of what's happening and take her away.
8 Belts to Wear If You're Not Getting the Gucci One
In love with that insanely gorgeous Gucci belt that bloggers and celebrities are wearing? Yeah, us too. Its sleek Double G emblem elevates outfits in a snap. Here's the problem - it may be hard to convince yourself to spend the $990 to snag it. As much as we adore it, we just haven't brought ourselves to make the purchase. So in order to sate our belted desires, we found more affordable options that look similar. Get yourself one of these choices to fuel your obsession and add interest to your ensemble.
Be Merry! Christmas Is Coming to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood
Just when West Coast Potterheads were feeling a little robbed of the Harry Potter holiday love, we got the news we were waiting for. Christmas is coming to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood, according to Universal.
The announcement was made a few months back that a Christmas celebration would be occurring at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, but there was no confirmation that a similar event was planned for the Hollywood park - until now!
Fans can celebrate the season (and the magic of Harry Potter, of course) with "festive decor and new holiday-themed food, drinks, and entertainment, including stunning projection that wraps Hogwarts castle in sparkling holiday spirit." More details to come!
8 Belts to Wear If You're Not Getting the Gucci One
In love with that insanely gorgeous Gucci belt that bloggers and celebrities are wearing? Yeah, us too. Its sleek Double G emblem elevates outfits in a snap. Here's the problem - it may be hard to convince yourself to spend the $990 to snag it. As much as we adore it, we just haven't brought ourselves to make the purchase. So in order to sate our belted desires, we found more affordable options that look similar. Get yourself one of these choices to fuel your obsession and add interest to your ensemble.
The Handmaid's Tale: 11 Differences Between the Book and TV Show
Hulu's adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale is tense, darkly terrifying, and a brilliant ode to Margaret Atwood's 1985 feminist novel of the same name. The drama tells the story of life in the dystopian Republic of Gilead, specifically the one of a handmaid named Offred (Elisabeth Moss). She desperately tries to survive life as a handmaid - a caste of fertile women forced into sexual servitude to help repopulate the world - and find the daughter who was literally ripped from her arms, all while navigating the dangerous, restrictive, and uncomfortably familiar world of Gilead. While the show sticks incredibly close to Atwood's original story, there are a few key differences fans of the book should keep an eye out for. Warning: Mild spoilers throughout.
1. The Wife and Commander who Offred serves look way different.
In the novel, The Commander and his wife are much, much older than they are in the show. He's described as a "gray-haired, neat" old man, whose habit of wearing dark suits makes him look "like a Midwestern bank president." His wife, Serena Joy, is blonde and older, uses a cane, and a is former televangelist (think Tammy Faye Messner). In the show, the roles are filled by Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovski. Both do a great job with their characters, but it's definitely jarring to see them so young (although it does help to somewhat soften the disturbing nature of Offred's relationship with them).
2. Moira is in the Red Center before Offred.
One of the more horrifying aspects of the book concerns the time Offred and Moira spend at the Rachel and Leah Re-Education Center, which is more commonly called "the Red Center" by the women living there. It's where all future handmaids are brought to be indoctrinated with Gilead's misogynistic ideology before they're assigned to a commander. Offred has already been there for a while in the book when Moira - her best friend - is captured and brought in, and her arrival is one of the few things that keeps Offred sane. Moira only stays for a short time before pulling off a daring escape, leaving Offred to wonder what becomes of her. In the show, the characters' roles are reversed; rather than Offred showing Moira the ropes, it's the other way around.
3. The handmaids wear tracking devices.
Each of the handmaids are outfitted with small red tags on their ears to presumably track their location, which aren't in the book.
4. Offred is able to speak more freely.
Part of what makes Atwood's novel so tense is the fact that everything Offred says is dangerous. Even if she's spouting the religious phrases citizens of Gilead frequently use ("praise be," "under his eye"), her tone or facial expressions can be construed as harmful and result in fatal punishment. Because of that, her conversations with basically everyone but Ofglen are extremely stilted, so readers only learn about her world through her rich internal monologue. The TV Offred inhabits a world that's a little bit less rigid, featuring plenty of scenes of her chatting (albeit quickly and quietly) with Nick (The Commander's mechanic) and other handmaids in town.
5. Cora doesn't exist.
The Commander's home that Offred lives in in the book has two marthas - infertile female citizens who don't rank high enough to be one of the Wives, so they're forced to do domestic work like cooking and cleaning - named Rita and Cora. While Rita is terse and disapproving of Offred, Cora is nicer and holds out hope that Offred will bear The Commander and Serena Joy a child. Although Cora doesn't appear in the show, Rita (played by Amanda Brugel) takes on some of her personality traits.
6. It's set in modern times.
When the book came out in 1985, things like cell phones, Tinder, and Uber obviously weren't commonplace. The show takes place in the present to very near future, so all of those things are referenced in Offred's flashbacks. In an interview with The Washington Post, Atwood also pointed out that having the show take place in modern times meant introducing "a lot more cursing," because "there's a lot more cursing in real life than there was when I wrote the book."
7. "Children of Ham" are no longer a thing.
Gilead uses bible passage Genesis 10:6 (which uses the word "Ham" to signify people of color as "burnt" or "black") as a justification for segregation and racism, calling people of color "Children of Ham" and exiling them from society. In the show, all races are forced to be Marthas or Handmaids (ex: Moira, who is a black Handmaid).
Note: the following differences contain bigger spoilers if you aren't all caught up, so stop reading now if you don't want to know!
8. Ofglen's situation is much more dire.
Ofglen, a fellow handmaid, is one of Offred's biggest confidantes. Offred is assigned to be her shopping partner, and although she thinks Ofglen is truly pious, she soon reveals herself to be a member of the underground "Mayday" resistance. Unfortunately, Gilead's secret police, The Eyes, find out Ofglen's affiliation with the group, so she hangs herself before they can get to her. The TV version of Ofglen (played by Alexis Bledel) is more fleshed out and actually gets captured by The Eyes (however, she draws their suspicion for a different reason). Let's just say that the horrors she encounters at their hands are unimaginable.
9. Offred reveals her real name.
A lot of Atwood's novel is left purposefully vague, but perhaps the greatest mystery of all is Offred's real name. The moniker of Offred literally means "of Fred", ie she's the property of her Commander, whose name is Fred (if she were to die or be replaced, The Commander's next Handmaid would also be named Offred). We see the story unfold though her eyes and hear her thoughts, but she's left anonymous (although fans of The Handmaid's Tale have long speculated that Offred's true name is June, thanks to a few clues in the book). In the final seconds of the show's first episode, there's finally a concrete confirmation of what it is.
10. We find out what happens to Luke.
As the show does with Ofglen, it also beefs up Luke's story. In the novel, we never find out what happens to him after he and Offred are separated in their escape, only that Offred heard a gun shot and assumed he died. He does get shot in the show, but he survives the wound and is picked up by members of the resistance who smuggle him across the border to Canada. While living in "Little America," he gets news that Offred is actually alive (she sends him a note through an undercover rebel, telling him to save their daughter, Hannah).
11. The nature of Offred's affair with Nick.
Offred doesn't have sex with Nick until the end of the book, shortly before she's hauled away by people who may or may not be The Eyes. The hook-up is at the behest of Serena Joy, who suspects her husband is the one who isn't fertile and wants a child at any cost. It happens the same way in the show, but much earlier. Offred sneaks into Nick's apartment above the garage pretty frequently, and forges a deeper connection with him than she has in Atwood's novel. Only time will tell if The Eyes get wind of what's happening and take her away.
If You Go Down the Playground Slide With Your Kid, You Need to Stop Right Now
I see it all the time at the neighborhood playground – moms, dads, and grandparents cautiously positioning themselves at the top of a kiddie slide with their toddler in their laps before pushing off and sliding the short distance back to the ground.
I myself have gone down the slide with my kid countless times. When she was barely walking, I considered it a necessary safety measure so she didn't hurt herself on the way down. Now, I occasionally still slide with her just for the fun of it.
Never did I think I was putting my child in danger, and neither did Kristi Broughton, who – after a seemingly innocent day at a local San Francisco park – ended up in the emergency room, watching doctors treat her nearly-3-year-old son Gage's leg.
"I'm surprised more parents don't know this or maybe they do and I just learned, but don't slide with your toddler," she wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of her son at the hospital. "Gage now has a broken leg due to this very classic mistake all parents, including myself, do."
As Broughton and I both learned, such injuries are shockingly common. According to The New York Times, orthopedic specialists say they treat a number of toddlers and young children each year with broken legs as a result of riding down the slide on a parent's lap. A study at New York's Winthrop University Hospital found that nearly 14 percent of pediatric leg fractures over an 11-month period involved toddlers riding down the slide with an adult.
It turns out, her son – who was just fitted for a cast he'll wear for the next four weeks – would have actually been safer by himself.
"The weight of me behind him was exactly what made it worse."
"I had him in between my legs sitting in front of me," Broughton told POPSUGAR. "At the very end of the metal slide, the rubber sole of his shoe got caught and stopped but his body kept going, so he twisted his food underneath him. The weight of me behind him was exactly what made it worse. Instead of him being able to correct his foot, my weight kept it going."
Her doctor confirmed it's a typical way kids at this age suffer leg fractures, and yet most parents are completely unaware that they could be the cause. One trip to my go-to playground all but confirms it.
"I want all parents to know about this because it's something we all do in the thought to keep our children safe," Broughton said. "Little did I know it was much more of a harm to my child."
Selena Gomez Does Date Night With The Weeknd After Praising Ex Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez and The Weeknd stepped out for a night on the town in NYC on Monday. The couple were spotted walking hand in hand while arriving for a romantic dinner at Rao's restaurant, with Selena sporting a slinky silver slip dress. Ahead of date night with her current boyfriend, Selena stopped by Sirius XM's The Morning Mash Up to talk about the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which took place in the UK over the weekend. Of the event, which was hosted by Ariana Grande and brought out moving performances by Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, and Selena's ex Justin Bieber, the "Bad Liar" singer praised his set, saying, "I thought Justin did great. It was really beautiful."
Justin broke down in tears while singing the hits "Cold Water" and "Love Yourself" during the show, telling the crowd, "I'm not going to let go of hope. I'm not going to let go of love. I'm not going to let go of God. Put your hand up if you're not going to let go."
Savor This Rare Moment When James Corden F*cks With Gordon Ramsay
Here's how to annoy the sh*t out of Gordon Ramsay. In a sketch on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Gordon Ramsay drives James and Reggie to the airport. The two sit in the back of the seat and playfully harass Gordon with all the things they know he hates, including airport food and Jamie Oliver. "Are you f*cking serious? What's wrong with you?" Gordon hotly yells back. The video is too funny to pass up, especially when Gordon shares the appropriate "F" word he plans to use on his new live show.
If You Go Down the Playground Slide With Your Kid, You Need to Stop Right Now
I see it all the time at the neighborhood playground – moms, dads, and grandparents cautiously positioning themselves at the top of a kiddie slide with their toddler in their laps before pushing off and sliding the short distance back to the ground.
I myself have gone down the slide with my kid countless times. When she was barely walking, I considered it a necessary safety measure so she didn't hurt herself on the way down. Now, I occasionally still slide with her just for the fun of it.
Never did I think I was putting my child in danger, and neither did Kristi Broughton, who – after a seemingly innocent day at a local San Francisco park – ended up in the emergency room, watching doctors treat her nearly-3-year-old son Gage's leg.
"I'm surprised more parents don't know this or maybe they do and I just learned, but don't slide with your toddler," she wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of her son at the hospital. "Gage now has a broken leg due to this very classic mistake all parents, including myself, do."
As Broughton and I both learned, such injuries are shockingly common. According to The New York Times, orthopedic specialists say they treat a number of toddlers and young children each year with broken legs as a result of riding down the slide on a parent's lap. A study at New York's Winthrop University Hospital found that nearly 14 percent of pediatric leg fractures over an 11-month period involved toddlers riding down the slide with an adult.
It turns out, her son – who was just fitted for a cast he'll wear for the next four weeks – would have actually been safer by himself.
"The weight of me behind him was exactly what made it worse."
"I had him in between my legs sitting in front of me," Broughton told POPSUGAR. "At the very end of the metal slide, the rubber sole of his shoe got caught and stopped but his body kept going, so he twisted his food underneath him. The weight of me behind him was exactly what made it worse. Instead of him being able to correct his foot, my weight kept it going."
Her doctor confirmed it's a typical way kids at this age suffer leg fractures, and yet most parents are completely unaware that they could be the cause. One trip to my go-to playground all but confirms it.
"I want all parents to know about this because it's something we all do in the thought to keep our children safe," Broughton said. "Little did I know it was much more of a harm to my child."
Selena Gomez Does Date Night With The Weeknd After Praising Ex Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez and The Weeknd stepped out for a night on the town in NYC on Monday. The couple were spotted walking hand in hand while arriving for a romantic dinner at Rao's restaurant, with Selena sporting a slinky silver slip dress. Ahead of date night with her current boyfriend, Selena stopped by Sirius XM's The Morning Mash Up to talk about the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which took place in the UK over the weekend. Of the event, which was hosted by Ariana Grande and brought out moving performances by Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, and Selena's ex Justin Bieber, the "Bad Liar" singer praised his set, saying, "I thought Justin did great. It was really beautiful."
Justin broke down in tears while singing the hits "Cold Water" and "Love Yourself" during the show, telling the crowd, "I'm not going to let go of hope. I'm not going to let go of love. I'm not going to let go of God. Put your hand up if you're not going to let go."
Savor This Rare Moment When James Corden F*cks With Gordon Ramsay
Here's how to annoy the sh*t out of Gordon Ramsay. In a sketch on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Gordon Ramsay drives James and Reggie to the airport. The two sit in the back of the seat and playfully harass Gordon with all the things they know he hates, including airport food and Jamie Oliver. "Are you f*cking serious? What's wrong with you?" Gordon hotly yells back. The video is too funny to pass up, especially when Gordon shares the appropriate "F" word he plans to use on his new live show.
3 Reasons New Runners Should Sign Up For a Half-Marathon (It's Not as Crazy as You Think!)
Hello, new runners, and congratulations on beginning a powerful and transformative journey of movement, fitness, and self-discovery. As you embark on your very first miles, whether you're walking, jogging, or somewhere in between, I have a bit of advice for you that may sound a little crazy: sign up for a half-marathon. Seriously! I promise you can do it. Maybe that 13.1 is a little daunting - maybe shoot for a 10K, or even a 5K. The point being, sign up for a race . . . and then make sure you schedule a race every six months to a year. Here's why.
It Gives You a Goal
As a new runner, I signed up for a half-marathon that was about four months away. I had no goals for speed (other than to maintain the required pace), but I knew I had a training program that would keep me accountable for my daily runs . . . and cross-training! I knew that I wasn't just running for the heck of it but that I was working toward something great that would eventually be one of my greatest personal accomplishments.
It Keeps You Consistent
It can be hard to hold yourself accountable daily, but when you have something to work toward, it'll get you out there and on the pavement (or trail, or beach) consistently, which is the best way to build strength and be a better runner. I found that in stretches of time in which I wasn't working toward a half-marathon goal or training program, getting back out there was tougher, and I'd skip running for weeks or even months. When I finally did go out for a run, I was out of breath and tired - like I had regressed a little bit. Keeping a goal like this on your schedule will ensure that your consistency is set up, and you'll be continually progressing in your journey, getting stronger with every step.
It Gives You a Benchmark
My favorite part of this method? Checking my progress. You'll be astonished at the progress your body can make in six months to a year, and it's not something you can get by comparing your runs day after day, or even week after week. In my personal experience, the comparative feeling of my first to my second half-marathons - even my fifth to my sixth - makes me just as if not more proud than that feeling of crossing the finish line.
If you're looking for a way to check on your physical progress that isn't a scale and that isn't a progress photo . . . something that has nothing to do with weight or aesthetics and everything to do with personal strength . . . you need to try this method. It may seem scary, it may seem daunting, but trust that you can do it, and you will reap the amazing benefits, physically and mentally. There are few greater rewards in life than proving yourself to yourself, in a way you never imagined possible.
These Are Best Bridesmaids Dresses For Every Body Type, According to an Etsy Expert
Choosing a bridesmaid dress can be overwhelming. With a handful of different people involved, it seems impossible to choose a design that pleases everybody. But what brides should remember is that one size doesn't fit all. Rather than making all of their closest girlfriends choose one style, they should be focusing on choosing a number that truly flatters each girl's unique body type.
Brides have often turned to Etsy when choosing their engagement rings and now more than ever, women are heading to the online marketplace to choose bridesmaid dresses too. To learn more about the right styles of bridesmaid dresses to search for, we spoke with Etsy Trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. Dayna broke down a few different silhouettes and explained why they work best on certain women.
Petite
"For a petite frame, choose a bridesmaid's gown that has has an A-line." This style will help elongate the body and the silhouette helps create proportion.
Big Bust
"If someone has a bigger bust, choose a bridesmaid dress that has keyhole details or opt for a one-shoulder dress. Both of these styles give you more support."
Hourglass
"For an hourglass figure, try a wrap dress or any gown that has ruching details. This really helps draw the eye inward creating a slimming silhouette to that already beautiful hourglass shape."
Pear-Shaped
"If you have a pear-shaped body, opt for an A-line gown or a dress with straps. This helps bring the eye up and calls less attention to the bottom half."
3 Reasons New Runners Should Sign Up For a Half-Marathon (It's Not as Crazy as You Think!)
Hello, new runners, and congratulations on beginning a powerful and transformative journey of movement, fitness, and self-discovery. As you embark on your very first miles, whether you're walking, jogging, or somewhere in between, I have a bit of advice for you that may sound a little crazy: sign up for a half-marathon. Seriously! I promise you can do it. Maybe that 13.1 is a little daunting - maybe shoot for a 10K, or even a 5K. The point being, sign up for a race . . . and then make sure you schedule a race every six months to a year. Here's why.
It Gives You a Goal
As a new runner, I signed up for a half-marathon that was about four months away. I had no goals for speed (other than to maintain the required pace), but I knew I had a training program that would keep me accountable for my daily runs . . . and cross-training! I knew that I wasn't just running for the heck of it but that I was working toward something great that would eventually be one of my greatest personal accomplishments.
It Keeps You Consistent
It can be hard to hold yourself accountable daily, but when you have something to work toward, it'll get you out there and on the pavement (or trail, or beach) consistently, which is the best way to build strength and be a better runner. I found that in stretches of time in which I wasn't working toward a half-marathon goal or training program, getting back out there was tougher, and I'd skip running for weeks or even months. When I finally did go out for a run, I was out of breath and tired - like I had regressed a little bit. Keeping a goal like this on your schedule will ensure that your consistency is set up, and you'll be continually progressing in your journey, getting stronger with every step.
It Gives You a Benchmark
My favorite part of this method? Checking my progress. You'll be astonished at the progress your body can make in six months to a year, and it's not something you can get by comparing your runs day after day, or even week after week. In my personal experience, the comparative feeling of my first to my second half-marathons - even my fifth to my sixth - makes me just as if not more proud than that feeling of crossing the finish line.
If you're looking for a way to check on your physical progress that isn't a scale and that isn't a progress photo . . . something that has nothing to do with weight or aesthetics and everything to do with personal strength . . . you need to try this method. It may seem scary, it may seem daunting, but trust that you can do it, and you will reap the amazing benefits, physically and mentally. There are few greater rewards in life than proving yourself to yourself, in a way you never imagined possible.
18 Surprising Secrets From Former Disney Park Princesses
As much as many of us love Disney, we don't know too much about the ins and outs of the company. It's very protective of its brand to maintain the Disney magic, and cast members can even get fired for sharing backstage photos on social media. While we'd like to keep some of the mystery alive, we can't help but wonder about the other secrets we don't know about. So, we looked to iAMAs where we found a former Disneyland Snow White and a former Disney World cast member who played Mulan, Pocahontas, and Silvermist the Fairy. Let's start off by saying that being a Disney princess is no easy job, and becoming one is even more difficult. Check out 18 interesting secrets that are sure to surprise you.
1. Please tell me you sign as Disney character for receipts!
"I used to on accident! I signed 'Mulan' about 1000 times a day at work, you eventually get handed paper and do it without thinking."
2. Is it true that characters from different worlds can't acknowledge each other? Tigger wouldn't know who Cinderella is, for example.
"That isn't true. We are all in the Disney Universe. Unless our characters specifically don't know about each other (Tinkerbell hadn't met Peter Pan in her Direct-to-DVD movies, so as Silvermist, I didn't know who Peter Pan was and was supposed to act confused when guests would mention him to me), they can mix their stories. As Mulan, I would tell kids that Cinderella wanted me to bring something other than noodles to her tea party, so I'd ask them what food I should bring. It was always chicken nuggets."
3. Did you ever have kids tell you that you weren't the real thing? How did you handle that?
"Chinese people would always tell me to speak Chinese and I'd tell them that I bet Mushu if I could go an entire day without speaking Chinese, he'd feed the chickens for me tomorrow."
4. Is it true that many of the princes are gay in real life?
"Ohhhhhhhh, yeah."
"More than half. Maybe like 70/30? Of course, I didn't know all of them personally, but if I had to guesstimate, that's what I would say."
5. What's one of the weirdest things you've seen a coworker do while still dressed in a character costume?
"One time in the break room I saw Cinderella and Snow White fit comfortably under Tiana's dress, and when Belle came around the corner they popped out and scared her."
6. Do adults hit on you?
"I was hit on as Pocahontas more than Mulan or Silvermist, and it definitely has to do with the amount of clothing she's wearing. I've never been touched inappropriately, but there's always the family that makes the grandpa or the dad get a picture alone and they'd whisper how pretty I was or ask when I got off of work. I'd get slipped the occasional phone number on a napkin, but nothing ridiculous has ever happened. But it's probably a different story for the Princess Jasmines, who are wearing just a bra and parachute pants."
7. How did you feel when people would ask you for your autograph?
"Excited. Snow White has always been my favorite princess, but she's really underappreciated these days and a lot of people overlook her at the park. A lot of kids don't even know who she is, so it was always exciting when somebody wanted my autograph."
8. What kind of training are you put through for this job?
"Everyone is hired initially as the role Character Performer. You are not allowed to learn a 'face' role (the characters that talk to you) unless you have had training as a fur character first (costumed characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, etc.). It is probably different now than my training five years ago, but when I trained, I had five days of fur character training, which was three days of animation and autograph practice, and two days meeting guests as a fur character. After you are approved for the fur character training, you are allowed to move on to face character training. You have two days of training per face character you're given. Day one is watching the movie, learning how to walk, talk, and act, and day two is meet-and-greets with guests. I think there may be an additional day for accents (ex. Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins), but none of my three face roles had accents, so I'm not sure."
9. Whats your favorite thing that only employees get to do?
"I loved getting out of work and going to Epcot with my friends to drink around the world. I miss that the most."
10. Was it hard to maintain a "magical" attitude when you had bad days?
"It is like any job in hospitality. People are paying money to receive a certain experience, and your job is accommodate them. If I was ever upset about something in my life, there would be at least one child/parent who would be so awesome and make me remember how great the job is. That sounds so stupid. But it's true. It's a cool job."
11. Who decides which role you portray and when?
"There is an entire casting team who chooses what role you play. You attend auditions, which involve acting like the character, dressing up like the character, and having photos taken of you. You then wait and they call you if you are approved. There are a lot of rumors involving the process of picking characters. You do not have any say in what character they fit you in. They do not tell you why you are not chosen for that character. You could look exactly like Cinderella, but if they do not need to hire any more Cinderellas, you may not get chosen. People lie about what happens at their auditions all of the time; 'they told me I was too fat,' 'they said my skin wasn't dark enough.' They never tell anyone these things. They either say yes or no."
12. Did you have a favorite character/costume?
"Chip & Dale are the most fun because all they do is troll people all day. Steal a water bottle? Everybody laughs. Sit in a stroller? Hilarious. Pretend to punch your character attendant in the testicles? BOY DO THEY LAUGH. They're so fun and people love them!"
13. What was the costuming routine like?
"You are scheduled to clock in one hour before your first meet and greet. This is when you do your makeup and get your costume on. They provide all of the makeup and each character has a specific makeup profile with specific colors. You're taught how to do the makeup in your training for the character."
14. What is the creepiest interaction you've had with a child? Adult?
"This will always be my number one creep Disney story: I was Silvermist and we were meeting our last family of the night in Pixie Hollow. Tinkerbell, Rosetta, and I were having fun with this little girl who was about five. Her mom was with her and the girl was being silly and running around laughing at us and talking a lot. You take individual pictures with the fairies, but we decided to ask if she wanted a special picture with all three of us. We stood together and the mom said, 'Stand between them!' The little girl all of a sudden got really shy, and ran to her mom and hid. Her mom said, 'Oh no, are you being a little stinker? I know, if you give mommy a lick will you feel better?' The little girl nodded and smiled. She then proceeded to lick her mom's face, from her chin to her forehead. She laughed, her mom laughed, and Tinkerbell, Rosetta, and me are standing there horrified at the M. Night Shyamalan twist this meet and greet has taken. The little girl happily walked over to us and took the picture after she did it. Never forget."
15. Are there any special perks of the job?
"It was cool to be able to go into the park with my friends whenever I wanted, get my family in for free, and get discounted stuff in the park all the time."
16. Have you ever ruined a kid's childhood by acting out of character?
"I worked a 14-hour day and saw the last family, who were nice, but I wanted to go home. They exited the room and I immediately pulled off my wig and went, 'Awwww yessss!!!!' The little girl ran back in and said, 'Bye guys! Bye Tinkerbell! Bye Silvermist! Bye Rosetta!' I was holding my weave in my hand. RIP child's dreams."
17. What was your favorite part of playing a face character, and which fellow FC was the meanest?
"I'd like to be able to say something like seeing the smiles on kids' faces was the best part (and that was definitely a perk, don't get me wrong), but honestly? The best part of playing a face character was the satisfaction of knowing that I was Snow White, and I beat out a lot of other beautiful, talented girls for the part. And I won't say any names, but there was a girl who played Tinkerbell that was just absolutely unbearable. Luckily we didn't cross paths much."
18. Is it true that characters have to go through autograph training, so that a Snow White autograph that you get today is the same as one that you got 30 years ago from another Snow White?
"Yes. It's part of the training program."
Here's What to Pack For Every Type of Travel Weather
Packing for a vacation where the weather's drastically different isn't only hard, it's frustrating. Like, explosion-of-clothes-all-over-your-bed frustrating. "Do people even wear shorts when it's 65? Maybe I should google that," you mutter to yourself. But instead of relying on a quick search or a weather app, we made you a handy guide.
To assist you in dressing for your next getaway, we gathered some ideal outfits and sorted them for three different types of weather: cold, moderate, and warm. We looked to jet setters who have figured out how to pack the optimal suitcase for traveling and came away with 30 different outfit ideas for every type of weather. Whether the temperature is set at 30 degrees or 85, use the #OOTDs below to craft your wardrobe.
These Are Best Bridesmaids Dresses For Every Body Type, According to an Etsy Expert
Choosing a bridesmaid dress can be overwhelming. With a handful of different people involved, it seems impossible to choose a design that pleases everybody. But what brides should remember is that one size doesn't fit all. Rather than making all of their closest girlfriends choose one style, they should be focusing on choosing a number that truly flatters each girl's unique body type.
Brides have often turned to Etsy when choosing their engagement rings and now more than ever, women are heading to the online marketplace to choose bridesmaid dresses too. To learn more about the right styles of bridesmaid dresses to search for, we spoke with Etsy Trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. Dayna broke down a few different silhouettes and explained why they work best on certain women.
Petite
"For a petite frame, choose a bridesmaid's gown that has has an A-line." This style will help elongate the body and the silhouette helps create proportion.
Big Bust
"If someone has a bigger bust, choose a bridesmaid dress that has keyhole details or opt for a one-shoulder dress. Both of these styles give you more support."
Hourglass
"For an hourglass figure, try a wrap dress or any gown that has ruching details. This really helps draw the eye inward creating a slimming silhouette to that already beautiful hourglass shape."
Pear-Shaped
"If you have a pear-shaped body, opt for an A-line gown or a dress with straps. This helps bring the eye up and calls less attention to the bottom half."
Here's What to Pack For Every Type of Travel Weather
Packing for a vacation where the weather's drastically different isn't only hard, it's frustrating. Like, explosion-of-clothes-all-over-your-bed frustrating. "Do people even wear shorts when it's 65? Maybe I should google that," you mutter to yourself. But instead of relying on a quick search or a weather app, we made you a handy guide.
To assist you in dressing for your next getaway, we gathered some ideal outfits and sorted them for three different types of weather: cold, moderate, and warm. We looked to jet setters who have figured out how to pack the optimal suitcase for traveling and came away with 30 different outfit ideas for every type of weather. Whether the temperature is set at 30 degrees or 85, use the #OOTDs below to craft your wardrobe.
Taylor Jenkins Reid on the Scandalous True Stories That Inspired Her Latest Novel
Taylor Jenkins Reid returns with this Summer's juiciest beach read, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (out June 13), and I promise you won't be able to put it down. I laughed, I cried, I couldn't stop thinking about the empowering, relatable, and flawed women at the heart of this story long after reading it.
On the surface, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about the scandalous history of Old Hollywood with a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of glamorous celebrity couples - but beyond that, it touches on issues of sexuality, race, and what it means to be a strong woman, both now and in the '40s and '50s. I spoke with Taylor about the fascinating true stories that inspired her novel, the problem with "women's fiction," and why she's nervous to put this book out there. Read the interview now!
Warning: minor spoilers ahead.
POPSUGAR: What initially drew you to this story?
Taylor Jenkins Reid: It was a book called Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversation. In the '80s, Ava Gardner hired a ghostwriter and told him everything, and he had all of these tapes of their conversations. She was going on record about so many things. She was talking about her marriages to Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra, and Artie Shaw and Lana Turner. She was just spilling every bean. Toward the end of them preparing for this biography or autobiography, Ava Gardner got cold feet. Supposedly, Frank Sinatra had called her and said, "No. No. No. You can't do this. If you need money, I'll give you money." And she called the whole thing off. Then in 2013, once both Ava Gardner and the ghostwriter had passed, the book got published.
They [posted] an excerpt of it in Vanity Fair, and I remember reading that article and thinking, "How great if you could do an entire book that feels like the juiciest part of this Ava Gardner book?" So I started to think about this idea of a fictional memoir of a Hollywood star. Then I got really into the idea that you have a device of her telling her story to someone else and those two stories intersecting in interesting ways. I started doing all this research about Hollywood and actresses and various scandals and coverups and all that, which is maybe the most fun research I've ever done in my life.
PS: Were there any other celebrities who inspired her story?
TJR: The most obvious comparison is Elizabeth Taylor. Evelyn had seven husbands, and Elizabeth was married very many times. There's one or two other things that she ends up having in common with Elizabeth Taylor. Also, Rita Hayworth is a really big inspiration because she was Spanish, and she came to Hollywood and she was getting roles that weren't leading roles the way that she wanted. So she changed her name, and she became Rita Hayworth. She went red, she curled up her hairline [to look like] a white woman. She also had that famous line, "Men go to bed with Gilda but wake up with me." Those two things I thought could really inform Evelyn's life, given Evelyn is Cuban and she has that same decision to make. Does she want to be seen as a Latina woman? Or does she want to be a leading woman? At that point in Hollywood, those were the choices. You weren't necessarily going to be a mainstream leading lady unless you fit a very narrow understanding of beauty and identity.
PS: Were there any other fascinating tidbits in your research?
TJR: The book that I think was the most helpful was Scandals of Classic Hollywood by Anne Helen Petersen, who is now a writer for Buzzfeed. I read some fascinating stuff, specifically about Elizabeth Taylor's friendship with Montgomery Clift. He was gay, and the two of them were essentially best friends. Their relationship over the years, and this tenderness between them, is really a beautiful thing. Then Monty Clift gets in a car accident in Benedict Canyon, leaving Elizabeth Taylor's home one night. I didn't even know about this heartbreaking story, where she finds her best friend in this car crash and is the first one at the scene with him. He went on to live, but he had a very, very difficult life after that. When we talk about Elizabeth Taylor, we talk about Richard Burton, right? That was a fascinating part of Hollywood history that I feel like is a little bit forgotten about.
PS: Without giving too much away, there are some LGBTQ themes and issues in this novel. What inspired the storylines that dealt with Hollywood and homosexuality?
TJR: One of the books that I read that informed this idea of what it was like for LGBTQ people in Hollywood during that time was an autobiography by Tab Hunter. He was very similar to [one of the husbands in the book]: a matinee idol, a very clean-cut guy who happened to be gay. He spent a lot of his career actively trying to hide that and in fear that people would find that out. They made a documentary of the autobiography. It was so compelling when it comes to that question of "What do you sacrifice about yourself to get where you want to go?" And the question of whether it's right or wrong to lie about who you are in order to navigate these oppressive systems. I put a lot of what [he went through] into Harry's story. That feeling of "I am what I am. I'm not personally ashamed of it, but I have to be aware of what people's reactions are going to be and what that is going to cost me."
I would rather be respected than liked, and I think my characters are going in that direction.
PS: Evelyn clearly has her flaws, and her life story is far from perfect. Could you talk about the idea that characters need to be likable and whether or not you feel like there's more pressure for female characters specifically to be likable?
TJR: I think when we talk about characters needing to be likable, we're almost only talking about women needing to be likable. I don't think I've ever heard someone say that they put down a book or turned off the TV show or walked out of a movie because the man was so unlikable. It just doesn't happen. Look, I've curated my entire personality to make sure that I'm likable. We do that. All women are given this message that we have to be palatable, that even the uglier sides of us - our anger, our sadness - they all need to be packaged in a way that feels nonthreatening and cute in some way. I've lived my life like that for a long time. I've written books like that for a long time. I'm keenly aware. I've written four books before this. I certainly thought my main characters were likable. One of the things I've learned in publishing books is that even people that I think are likable, even actions that I think are relatively tame, people are going to have an opinion about. Sometimes I get emails from readers being like, "That's really wrong, what that woman did. Why did you have to do that?" I'm a people pleaser. I've been that way my whole life. Writing books has taught me that you cannot please everybody, and I struggled with that for a while, and I finally just decided that that is freedom. I can't please everybody, so why try?
I just decided that what I wanted to do was tell a heartbreakingly honest story, and you might like Evelyn and you might not like her. My guess is most people, regardless of whether they like her or not, will respect her. That's another thing that, as I get older, I'm realizing can be diametrically opposed when it comes to being a woman. Being likable and being respected are sometimes something we have to choose between. As I grow as a person, I'm trying to err towards the latter, that I would rather be respected than liked, and I think my characters are going in that direction.
I know there are people that are going to be very put off by the things that Evelyn does. I wrote her with the intention to be honest and not the intention to be liked. I'm nervous with the book out there; I know that it's a different book than anything I've ever written. Evelyn and the other main character, Monique, both struggle at different times to come into their own and demand to be respected and get their due and see themselves as powerful women. I'm writing about that because I'm going through that, because I'm trying to become that. My hope is that other women are in that same place that I am, and that when they see these women doing it, they feel like they can do it. Like me, like the book, like Evelyn, or not, but hopefully, it starts a conversation.
PS: I thought Monique's struggles, especially, as a modern working woman were really relatable.
TJR: Monique was an exercise in writing about what's in my own heart, maybe more than any other character I've written before. She's at this point in her life where she's trying to figure out how powerful she is and maybe how she has undermined herself in the past. At some point, everyone says to her, "The world doesn't give things. You take things," and women traditionally are not takers. Women are givers. What does that look like to be a woman and to take? It's not something that comes to me naturally. I'm trying to teach it to myself, basically. Monique's going through it, and hopefully, other women that are feeling that way too can come one step closer to getting there themselves.
It's called women's fiction because we want to make sure, in no uncertain terms, men know "don't read this," which is just absurd.
PS: The idea of this whole "women's fiction" category is constantly debated. How would you describe your genre?
TJR: Anytime I meet someone and they ask me what I do and I say, "I'm an author," and they say, "Oh, what kind of books do you write?" I say, "I write fiction." And they say, "Well, what does that mean?" What I choose to answer is, "I write book club books. I write books that you would read in a book club." What I mean by that is I write commercial fiction that is hopefully accessible to anybody that wants to read it, but they can be thought-provoking and give you something to talk about. But that's a very long answer to a small question, and the short answer is I write women's fiction, and the reason why it's called women's fiction is because we want to make sure, in no uncertain terms, men know "don't read this," which is just absurd.
We have a society in which woman have learned to read about men and to find interesting things about the inner lives of men, and we have not done that same service for men. We have told men that women in their lives are not interesting to them, that the stakes of domestic fiction is not relevant to them - all of these things are completely untrue. Books about love and family are just as important and can be just as skillfully and beautifully written as books about war. I don't know why, so often, we put such a larger value on the story areas that men are interested in than what women are interested in. I also just don't buy the conceit. I think we just haven't allowed for men to admit when they're interested in these things, to open themselves up to be interested in these things. We've said, time and time again, to men, "What goes on in a woman's mind is not relevant to you." And that's just crazy. What goes on in every man's mind is relevant to me. We exist in the world together. I'm married to a man. The world is full of men. We should be doing that same thing for men. I think we're fixing it slowly. Big Little Lies was such a great example of a story, exclusively about women and about issues that directly affect women, that men watched. They cared. We're at the beginning of it.
PS: What is the one thing that you hope readers come away with after reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?
TJR: I want them to feel like if, at some point, they want to pull an Evelyn Hugo that they're ready and capable of doing it. As complicated as Evelyn Hugo is, I think Evelyn Hugo can teach us a lot about how to get what we want out of this world. It's time for women to get ours. We've got to go up there and take it. It's going to be uncomfortable, but I think that the rewards will be there for us. We need to find the confidence in ourselves to say, "Pay me what I'm worth. Promote me when I deserve it. Don't take advantage of me. Don't underestimate me."
2 Wedding Dresses and 1 Amazing Couple Make This California Elopement Perfection
Tanya and Katy of Third Coast Photography met and worked in Chicago before relocating to Southern California. The couple wanted their work to reflect more of their new home state, which helped inspire this styled elopement, featuring their friends and real-life couple, Molly and Liz.
"We are also in the process of planning our wedding (yup! partners in life and business!) and were having a hard time finding wedding inspiration from other lesbian couples that truly spoke to us," Third Coast said. Tanya and Katy went over to Molly and Liz's place to discuss the shoot, and their fun and vibrant taste made it an obvious decision to make their home the main inspiration.
Molly and Liz met in 2011 at Summer camp in Santa Cruz as camp counselors where they instantly became best friends and fell in love. "We love each other like crazy and share a mutual love of dance parties, cute coffee shops, rainbow colors, outdoor adventures, and making each other laugh," Molly said. "I feel so lucky to have found such an incredibly loving, kind, and supportive person that I get to be with forever."
When Third Coast Photo asked the two if they'd be willing to stage an elopement, they enthusiastically agreed. Their "big day" unfolded as real nuptials would have with getting-ready photos and wedding dresses. Tanya really captured Liz and Molly in their natural element being silly and in love. When looking at their photos, you completely forget that it's not their actual wedding day because of how authentic their relationship feels.
"Even though the elopement was staged, it really felt real and made me even more excited for the day that Liz and I actually get married," Molly said. "We cried when saying our fake vows! Our best friend, Katy Storch, 'married us,' which made the day even more special. She will be the one that marries us when we get married for real."
Though we're still waiting for the real proposal, we cannot wait for the adorable pair to tie the knot officially! See their beautiful photos ahead!
This Insane Theory Connects Wonder Woman to 1 of DC's Most Infamous Villains
Image Source: Everett Collection
Spoilers for Wonder Woman below!
The first and last scenes of Wonder Woman contain a very subtle Justice League Easter egg, but it turns out there might have been another tiny connection to the DC Extended Universe hidden within the film. According to ComicBook.com, the strength-enhancing gas the evil Dr. Maru (aka Doctor Poison) brews up in the film might be the same chemical compound used years later to help create Bane. Remember him?
Image Source: Everett Collection
Yeah. Not the friendliest dude.
In Wonder Woman, Dr. Maru and General Ludendorff are hard at work on a chemical formula that will help Germany win WWI by literally melting the gas masks off of the opposition. On the way to discovering this devastating gas, Dr. Maru also creates a substance that, when inhaled, can give someone superhuman strength and unlimited energy for a brief period of time. We see just how strong it really is when Ludendorff snorts some of it and is able to hold his own in a one-on-one fight with Wonder Woman (which is saying something, since even Thor is afraid of fighting her).
Unfortunately for Ludendorff, Wonder Woman gets the best of him and ends his life. With the help of Steve Trevor, Diana is also able to destroy Dr. Maru's labs and all of the gas. When the time comes to kill Dr. Maru, however, Diana chooses to spare her life, and the twisted chemist escapes into the night. So, how does all of this connect to one of Batman's most formidable nemeses?
Although the Bane seen in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises doesn't use the "Venom" formula to enhance his fight skills, there are earlier versions of the popular DC villain that do. He's depicted as ingesting Venom with the help of a device on his wrist and the tube that connects directly to his skull, and since this version of the DCEU has already shifted from the one in Nolan's films, there's a chance a new take on Bane might pop up at some point. Given the fact Dr. Maru doesn't die, she very well could have run off and kept experimenting with the super steroid she created for Ludendorff, eventually formulating the gas Bane uses to become stronger and more aggressive. In other words, Diana's act of mercy could be the very thing that helps create one of Batman's biggest foes down the road.
Image Source: Warner Bros.
There are plenty of crazy theories floating around out there, but we have to say that this one actually holds a bit of weight. Maybe they'll explore the idea more in the Wonder Woman sequel, which will reportedly be set in modern times.
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor Reminisce About Moulin Rouge (and Drinking Absinthe)
It's been 16 years since Moulin Rouge hit theaters, but the memories are still fresh for stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The pair sat down together as part of Variety's "Actors on Actors" series to talk about the experience they shared filming the 2001 movie. Reminiscing about their time training, singing, and dancing, Kidman insisted, "You were so much better than me! It's so true." Meanwhile, when they weren't shooting the movie, they apparently had some "pretty wild nights," as Kidman called them, with McGregor joking that he doesn't quite remember all of them.
As they laughed about their memories, Kidman acknowledged what it was like to share such an incredible experience with another actor. "When you get to share something like that together, it's yours forever," she said. "It's something we all created together and it bonds you in a very particular way."
Check out the pair's sweet reunion above, then see pictures of Nicole's recent date night with husband Keith Urban.
The Wait Is Finally Over! The Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette Has Been Revealed
After being under wraps for two years, the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill palette was finally unveiled on June 5, and boy was it worth the wait. The palette includes 35 brand-new eye shadow shades ranging from neutrals to bolder hues. While the set incorporates many brown shades, lovers of brighter eye shadows will not be disappointed. Jaclyn made sure to include a rich cobalt blue, bright teal, aquamarine, and a royal purple.
In an Instagram post, Jaclyn shared how picky she was about "pigmentation, application, and blendability" of the shades in her palette. Considering how Champagne Pop from her collaboration with Becca has become a staple in many beauty-lover's makeup bags, the excitement surrounding this product among beauty-lovers is immense.
The palette will launch on June 21 on Morphe's website and will cost $38. Considering that the palette comes out to only costing a little more than a dollar per shadow, this is a cost-effective way to expand your makeup shade collection.
After Having a Baby With Down Syndrome, This Mom Wishes She Could "Go Back in Time"
Most birth stories don't culminate with the new mom admitting, "I didn't feel a rush of love; I felt a wave of fear and anxiety." But then again, stand-up comedian Bethany Van Delft is not most moms. The mother's moving account of her daughter's surprise Down syndrome diagnosis is raw and gut-wrenchingly honest, and it should be required viewing for any parent. After Van Delft shared her own journey for storytelling nonprofit The Moth, the emotional story of shame, anger, depression, and eventual healing quickly began going viral on Facebook.
Van Delft's story begins with her "perfect" pregnancy with daughter Lucia "Lulu" Esperanza and the shock she felt when she looked into Lulu's eyes and suspected that her newborn may have Down syndrome. "My worry turned to fear, and my fear turned to panic," shared the visibly emotional mother. "The first few weeks was just a blur of tears and forms and doctors appointments," recalled Van Delft, admitting that this period was filled with "lists I made of things that were never gonna happen now, and all the things that she would never do."
After leaving the hospital with her new baby, the comedian soberly remembered slipping into a depression and not connecting with her daughter on a personal level:
"I was pining all the time for the little family we thought we'd have, that I always dreamed of. For the home that I thought we'd have. I hate the place we lived now, filled with all the baby shower gifts and the strollers and the bassinets and the stuffed animals; the things that used to make me daydream and smile, but now just wrenched my gut. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to go on."
But after a while, Van Delft transitioned into action mode, diving into activities and research for Lulu, all the while hiding her own pain. "At night, I'd watch YouTube videos of kids with Down syndrome reciting the alphabet, or playing guitar, or driving a car, until I fell asleep," she remembered, sharing that she felt isolated despite bringing Lulu to music classes and museums alongside other moms.
After one particularly upsetting recollection about a fellow mom who questioned whether Lulu should be "with her own kind," Van Delft said she learned to hide her own emotions: "I never talked about how scared and lonely I was. I never talked about how I ached, I never talked about how much I hated Down syndrome; I never talked about how much shame I felt about that." She admitted that she was angry at parents with "typical" children and withdrew emotionally from her partner as she became swallowed up with self-doubt, shame, and fear.
The turning point for Bethany and Lulu came on a vacation with friends, when the comedian connected with another woman and vocalized her fears and shame. This friend, Van Delft said, reminded her that life would unfold the way it was intended to - "because of us and in spite of us."
After receiving encouragement from this dear friend, Van Delft shared the shift she felt in her relationship to Lulu and to the world:
"On the last day, Lulu played with everyone! She threw her beach ball, and they'd catch it, and everyone would cheer. They said this was the best day of the vacation. And I'd watched them get to know Lulu, and I got to see her through their eyes. She was hilarious! She was fun, she was warm, she's smart, and she definitely did things when she wanted to. She was our Lulu: our light and our hope."
Cue the tears. Van Delft realized that she wasn't alone in her anxieties, doubts, and fears. "Once I stopped fearing being this 'kind' of mom, I realized that all moms cry a lot. All moms doubt their ability to raise this child, all moms worry about the future."
"I used to wish I could go back in time and get that test [to find out if Lulu had Down syndrome in the womb] after all," Van Delft recalled. "But now I wish that I could go back in time and allow myself to feel the joy that a new mother feels, because that's what I was."
After bringing viewers to tears with this tale of coming to terms with this new normal of motherhood, the comedian naturally ended things with a bit of humor. "It's a lot easier to talk about this stuff now," she told the Moth audience. "Now, if somebody asks me if I was shocked when she was born, I say: 'Of course I was shocked. I never expected a daughter of mine to have straight blond hair. I definitely thought she'd be rocking the Afro puffs.'"
Watch the full, poignant video of Van Delft's story above. No matter what "type" of parent you are, you'll find your own heart aching, breaking, and healing alongside hers . . . and you'll definitely walk away feeling inspired.
The 4 Safety Features Your Child's Car Seat Must Have
Every car seat manufacturer's main focus is to produce a car seat you feel safe putting your child into every single time you get in the car, but not all seats are created equal, so to say. There are certain safety features every parent should make sure their child's car seat has to ensure that they're as safe as possible each and every joyride.
Sarah Tilton, Britax's child passenger safety technician and chair of the National Child Passenger Safety Board, told POPSUGAR that "there are some key factors that you want to look for when you're looking for a car seat." Tilton says that though many car seats have all of these features, each seat's "ease of use" will vary, and it's important to know which product will be the easiest to install correctly, as so many parents drive with their child's car seat improperly installed. She said, "The harder things are to do, the less likely parents are to do them correctly each and every time."
Ahead, the four features your car seat should have and the things you should look out for in terms of ease of use.
- An easy installation process. Tilton says the first thing parents should look for is how a particular seat will be installed. If it's LATCH system, are there premium push-on connectors that click in easily, as opposed to metal hooks? If your child has maxed out of the LATCH system's weight capacity, is the seat belt installation a simple lap-only or is it lap and shoulder? Does it have a built-in locking mechanism to hold the seat belt and car seat firmly in place? Some car seats don't have any type of locking mechanism for the belts, which is something to consider.
- Easy harness adjustments. It should be easy to properly secure your child in the harness of their car seat. "One key factor would be how easy it is to change the harness height," Tilton said, referring to the points in which the harness straps connect to the top of the child's seat. "Rear-facing we always want that harness height to be at or slightly below the child's shoulders. Forward-facing we always want it to be at or above the child's shoulders." The best thing to look for when shopping are harness heights that will adjust with a knob or dial, rather than a seat that requires you to remove and rethread the harness straps, which leaves room for error.
- Crash-impact protection. No parent wants to envision being in a crash with their children in tow, but all car seats have certain features to help protect your child in case of an accident. For example, some seats have side-impact protection, which means the seat's optimized for potential side-impact collisions; others have a "bounce-back" bar for rear-facing seats, which helps to limit motion and impact against the seat back in a crash. Tilton touched on Britax's unique SafeCell Impact Protection, an integrated system of impact-stabilizing and absorbing features that work together to protect your child. Be sure to explore multiple brands' options to make a purchase you feel comfortable with.
- The correct sizing for the child's needs. Parents need to make sure that the car seat they choose is appropriate for their child's age, weight, and height. However, Tilton says you should never hurry to move your child into the next seat before they've fully grown out of their last one. "We downplay the safety of our child each time we move to the next step," she said. "Don't be in a hurry to move them to the next step until they're ready. Keep your child in each direction and each mode of car seat use until they outgrow it."
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