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.
jeudi 7 septembre 2017
13 E.L.F. Products Every Beauty Gal on a Budget Must Try
E.L.F. Cosmetics (aka Eyes Lips Face) launched in 2004 after founders Joey Shamah and Scott Vincent Borba noticed that even women with expensive tastes went to dollar stores for affordable cosmetics. In 2004, I was in middle school and was interested in makeup, but didn't have enough money to buy it. After learning about the brand's $1 products on a news segment, I was intrigued. I saved my pennies for weeks until I could place an order online. Not only could I finally afford to buy multiple items, but they were all cruelty-free, too.
Since then, my love of makeup (and my budget) has grown, but I have never given up my love for the brand. Today, E.L.F. is widely available in stores including Walgreens, Target, and on its website, and the line has expanded to a wide range of products between $1-$10. The high-quality assortment has consistently provided me with beauty favorites that I reach for (even over luxury brand products!) in my ever-expanding makeup collection. Read on for the standouts of the affordable brand and decide which ones you'll try first.
30 Sweet, Heartbreaking Things William and Harry Have Said About Princess Diana
Princess Diana and Harry with William on his first day at Eton in September 1995.
It's been nearly 20 years since Princess Diana's tragic death, and the anniversary has brought a renewed interest in her extraordinary (and sometimes scandalous) life as a royal. When Diana passed away in a car accident in August 1997, she left behind her two sons, William and Harry, who were 15 and 12, respectively, at the time. The princes have begun opening up about their mother's death in recent years and have admitted that it took time for them to feel comfortable talking about the huge loss. William told a young boy at a charity event that he was "very angry" about Diana's death and "found it very difficult to talk about."
In addition to speaking about their mother in interviews, William and Harry have taken on a number of her charities and both consider her legacy as one of the driving forces behind their philanthropic efforts. Recently, William bonded with young children who have lost their own parents, telling a little girl, "I lost my mummy when I was young, too. It's very important to talk about it." He and Harry are also erecting a memorial statue in the public gardens of Kensington Palace this year to commemorate her death and her positive impact in the UK and around the world. See more of the sweet, heartbreaking things that Harry and William have said about their late mum.
William and Harry at their mother's funeral in September 1997.
Prince William
- "Time makes it easier. I still miss my mother every day - and it's 20 years after she died."
- "Twenty-one years ago, my mother attended the launch of the Child Bereavement charity. Fifteen years later, I was honored to be invited to become patron of Child Bereavement UK to continue my mother's commitment to a charity which is very dear to me. What my mother recognized back then, and what I understand now, is that grief is the most painful experience that any child or parent can endure."
- "I never realized quite how much of an impact she had. I applaud her for all her dedication and drive, and I think the infectious enthusiasm and all the energy she had really rubbed off on me for causes such as [AIDS research in Africa]."
- "Initially, there is a sense of profound shock and disbelief that this could ever happen to you. Real grief often does not hit home until much later. For many it is a grief never entirely lost. Life is altered as you know it, and not a day goes past without you thinking about the one you have lost. I know that over time it is possible to learn to live with what has happened and, with the passing of years, to retain or rediscover cherished memories."
- "Losing a close family member is one of the hardest experiences that anyone can ever endure. Never being able to say the word 'Mummy' again in your life sounds like a small thing. I too have felt - and still feel - the emptiness on such a day as Mother's Day."
- "Part of the reason why Harry and I want to do this is because we feel we owe it to her. I think an element of it is feeling like we let her down when we were younger. We couldn't protect her."
- "I am in a better place about it than I have been for a long time, where I can talk about her more openly, talk about her more honestly, and I can remember her better, and publicly talk about her better. It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage."
- "I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw. And also it is not like most people's grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her. It is a different situation for most people who lose someone they love, it can be hidden away or they can choose if they want to share their story."
- "When it came to the wedding, I did really feel that she was there. You know, there was times when you look to someone or something for strength, and I very much felt she was there for me."
- "I would like to have had her advice. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won't, that they will never know her."
- "The very last memory I have is a phone call from Balmoral [Castle in Scotland]. At the time, Harry and I were running around, minding our own business, playing with our cousins and having a very good time. Harry and I were in a desperate rush to say 'Goodbye, see you later, can I go off?' If I'd known what was going to happen I wouldn't have been quite so blasé about it. That phone call sticks in my mind quite heavily."
- "It's hard because obviously Catherine didn't know her, so she cannot really provide that, that level of detail. I just try and remind [George and Charlotte] that there are two grandmothers, there were two grandmothers in their lives, and so it's important that they know who she was and that she existed."
- "She'd be a nightmare grandmother, absolute nightmare," William teased. "She'd love the children to bits, but she'd be an absolute nightmare. She'd come and go and she'd come in probably at bath time, cause an amazing amount of scene, bubbles everywhere, bathwater all over the place and - and then leave."
- "I want to make as much time and effort with Charlotte and George as I can because I realize that these early years particularly are crucial for children, and having seen, you know, what she did for us."
Prince Harry
- "I never really dealt with what had actually happened. So there was a lot of buried emotion, and I still didn't even want to think about it."
- "I really regret not talking about it. It is OK to suffer, but as long as you talk about it. It is not a weakness. Weakness is having a problem and not recognizing it and not solving that problem."
- "It's a huge shame she's not here. But I hope she'd be incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve."
- "I first came [to Africa] in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags - we were going to Africa to get away from it all."
- "We will do everything we can to make sure she's never forgotten, and carry on all of the special gifts and such that she had and that she portrayed when she was alive. I hope that a lot of my mother's talents are shown in the work that I do."
- "I hope she's looking down [at our family] with tears in her eyes being incredibly proud of what we've established. I'm sure she's longing for me to have kids so she can be a grandmother again . . . but I hope that everything we do privately and officially, that it makes her proud."
- "Losing your mother at such a young age does end up shaping your life massively, of course it does. And now I find myself trying to be there and give advice to other people who are in similar positions."
- "Every day, depending on what I'm doing, I wonder what it would be like if she was here, and what she would say, and how she would be making everybody else laugh. Who knows what the situation would be, what the world would be like, if she were still around."
- "Not to get too personal, if you lose your mum at the age of 12 then you've got to deal with it and the idea that . . . 15, 17 years later I still hadn't dealt with it, Afghan was the moment. I was like 'right - deal with it.'"
- "My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television. I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."
- ""My mother died when I was very young. I didn't want to be in the position I was in, but I eventually pulled my head out of the sand, started listening to people and decided to use my role for good."
- "My mother took a huge part in showing me an ordinary life, including taking me and my brother to see homeless people. Thank goodness I'm not completely cut off from reality. People would be amazed by the ordinary life William and I live."
- "I intuitively know what my mother would like me to do and want to progress with work she couldn't complete."
- "She had the most wonderful sense of humor and always wanted to make things fun for us, as well as protect us."
- "I think it's never going to be easy for the two of us to talk about our mother, but 20 years on seems like a good time to remind people of the difference that she made not just to the royal family, but also to the world."
- "I can't necessarily remember what I said but all I do remember is regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was. If I'd known that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother, the things I would have said to her. Looking back at it now - it's incredibly hard. I have to deal with that for the rest of my life: not knowing that it was the last time I'd speak to my mum, how differently that conversation would have panned out if I'd had even the slightest inkling that her life was going to be taken that night."
13 Spot-On Traits of an INTJ Personality Type
I'm usually a skeptic when it comes to zodiac signs, personality quizzes, or any sort of metric that attempts to define who I am. But as I read the description of my Myers Briggs results, I found myself nodding my head instead rolling my eyes. I'm an INTJ, which is in short characterized as a planner and a strategic thinker. In fact, this personality type is said to be one of the rarest and the most strategic of them all. We make up two percent of the population, and female INTJs are even more difficult to find as we only form 0.8 percent of people.
INTJ (nicknamed "the architect") stands for (I) Introverted, (N) Intuition, (T) Thinking, and (J) Judging. We're cynical yet idealistic, logical but imaginative, hardworking, and confident - we can basically do anything we put our minds to. We do have our share of weaknesses, but we'll get into that later. If you're an INTJ like me, these 13 traits ahead will seem spot-on.
- You were a bookworm as a kid. Many INTJs show a thirst for knowledge beginning at a young age. You took pride in being the bookworm and weren't afraid to answer questions in class.
- You're a cynic. You're a living contradiction because you're one of the most cynical people as well as one of the biggest dreamers. You know that with effort, intelligence, and will, you can achieve what you want to - which is why you also view those unable as lazy. You pretty much doubt everyone else but yourself.
- You don't like rules or tradition. INTJs are filled with original ideas and observations that often make them want to rework current systems and ideas. If they think something can be improved, they'll think of a way to make it better if they haven't already. 16 Personalities calls it the "Is this going to work?" filter: "this mechanism is applied at all times, to all things and all people, and this is often where INTJ personality types run into trouble." You also hate blind obedience because you require a logical reason behind everything.
- You're always a step ahead. Your mind works like a chess game; each move is heavily weighed and analyzed before proceeding. You don't like curve balls, so you make sure you're ahead of the game to be able to always maintain control. You're constantly comparing strategies and thinking situations out in your head.
- You think with your head, not with your heart. If you are an INTJ, this would ring most true to you (Thinking vs. Feeling). You don't allow your emotions to decide for you. Instead, you assess whether or not the situation makes the most sense rationally. INTJs have a conscience but may appear as cold to others.
- You keep it real. Lies and small talk are not your thing because you appreciate truth and authenticity. You're deep, reflective, and highly intelligent, and you only ask for others to reciprocate the honesty you give them. You put much thought behind everything, including who you choose to surround yourself with, and don't like feeling betrayed after letting someone in.
- You know what you want. Some may perceive your decisiveness as being insensitive or blunt, but it's just because INTJs have "set opinions about what works, what doesn't, what they're looking for, and what they're not," says 16 Personalities. They don't like to waste their time on things or people they find unworthy and will cut right to the chase so that they can invest their attention on something that matters.
- You're self-confident. You know that when you're right, you're really right, and that's that. You're confident in your capabilities and intelligence to come up with the best strategy and results and therefore have no reason to doubt yourself. Arrogance also happens to be one of INTJs' main weaknesses.
- You're open-minded. Despite your high self-confidence, you're receptive to ideas and opinions outside your own. Because you're so rational, you consider all possibilities with an open mind.
- You have difficulty expressing your emotions. INTJs often feel emotions more deeply than other personality types because they're not good at controlling them. They equate feelings with vulnerability and constantly keep their guard up to allow a clear head for decision-making. They even use their logic to address certain emotions. Rather than allowing it to control them, they identify the emotion and figure out why they're feeling this way and what they can do to fix it.
- You're a hard worker. If you want something, you don't allow anything to get in your way. You'll dedicate all your time and effort toward achieving your goal and find the most efficient way to get there.
- You're independent. You are highly self-sufficient and don't rely on anyone else but yourself to get sh*t done. As a result, you don't require a lot of attention, making you both a good partner and somebody who is difficult to read. INTJs maintain a very small circle of friends of those who they believe to be on their level. They rely on themselves and only keep around friends who also want an honest and intellectually stimulating relationship.
- You have a dark sense of humor. As the bitterest of cynics, you have a very sarcastic and dark sense of humor that not everybody can handle. It can be difficult to become good friends with you, but you definitely know how to have fun with those you know well and respect.
8 Secrets From Amazon Employees, Including the Weirdest Thing Someone's Ordered
We see Amazon.com as our own fairy godmother who drops off virtually any item possible on our doorsteps, sometimes even within the hour. But the next time you make an order, you'll appreciate the person fulfilling it by the end of this post. Instant gratification is made possible by the warehouse employees who have to walk more in a day than some of us do in a week (or more) and who have to grab the weirdest items people secretly purchase. In these Reddit IAmAs from a former worker at a million-square-foot warehouse, a picker from another large warehouse, a former fulfillment center worker, and an Amazon Prime employee, see some of your most curious questions answered!
1. What are some products that we might be surprised to learn are purchased a lot? What's the strangest thing someone's ordered?
"Not sure if you'd be surprised, but lots of sex toys. I'd say one out of fifty [orders]; mainly butt plugs and dildos. The weirdest was a fake ass. Usually the sex toys are wrapped in black plastic so we can't see them but this was sitting on the shelf in the open. It was just a life-size fake ass used for obvious reasons."
2. Roughly how long after I place a Prime order is my item actually being picked?
"One-hour orders always have priority. It is usually picked within 15 minutes after the order was made and out the door not even 10 minutes later."
3. What's the largest item Amazon can ship?
"Apparently the biggest thing they ship for free is a 2,000-pound gun safe. But they can ship just about anything, including something the size of a car."
4. Is it true they don't keep similar looking items next to each other so a picker can't grab the wrong item by mistake?
"No, they employ Chaotic Storage. They mix items of different sizes in order to maximize storage volume. It's almost impossible to pick the wrong item because of the picking system they use."
5. Is employee theft from the warehouse difficult?
"Yes, metal detectors."
6. What are the worst aspects of the job?
"Ridiculous quotas. At my peak, I was picking 120-plus items per hour, and it was just good enough. As I had to sometimes walk 1/4 of a mile or more between items, it was very difficult and physically demanding."
"Security checkpoints. We had to leave everything at the door . . . cell phones, iPods, watches, anything that could be sold at Amazon was off limits (which is everything). So there was no stimulation while we walked in upwards of 30 miles per day."
7. How can you be efficient in packaging items if you have to walk around between hundreds of aisles?
"Great question. I was only a picker. My only job was to grab two large, yellow plastic bins, put them on my double-decker shopping cart, and fill them with the items that my scanner told me to find. My scanner would then tell me when that particular bin was completed (sometimes it would only have one tiny item in it), at which point I'd move to the next one. When both were filled, I'd take them to a nearby conveyor belt and stick them on, where they would travel to the packagers. Rinse and repeat. Forever."
8. How many products did you pick a day? How are the products organized?
"Between 1,000 and 2,000. There are literally thousands of shelves full of little cubby holes. Each cubby hole is filled with an assortment of items . . . there might be a book, a toothbrush, a copy of a Barbie VHS tape from 1993, and a pair of moccasins. And you'll only pick one of the items."
Yes, It's Already Time to Start Thinking About Game of Thrones Season 8
The seventh season of Game of Thrones just wrapped up, but we're already setting our sights on what's going to happen in season eight. A little premature? Maybe. But the good folks at HBO have graciously been dropping hint after hint about how the final season is going to shape up, so we might as well start obsessing over it all now.
Sarah Paulson's Drew Barrymore Impression Will Make You Spit Out Your Coffee
Sarah Paulson's list of achievements already runs long, but now she can add celebrity impersonator to her résumé. The American Horror Story actress showed off her skills during a round of "Wheel of Impressions" with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night. While Sarah totally nailed her Kathleen Turner and Holly Hunter impressions, it was her Drew Barrymore one that really blew us away. Needless to say, Sarah could give Christina Aguilera a run for her money.
Learn More About the Man Who Was at the Center of Princess Diana's "Squidgygate" Scandal
It's been 20 years since Princess Diana died, and her legacy and life still fascinate the public, especially when it comes to the romance department. One of the topics that has always enticed fans of the former princess is her love life - both when she was married and when she was single.
One of her most-talked about romances - or rumored romances - was with James Gilbey, who was actually the second James that she was linked to (the first being James Hewitt), and we're still fascinated by their relationship.
So who was Gilbey? The British native was one of Diana's childhood friends and her rumored lover during her marriage to Prince Charles. Gilbey was a Lotus car dealer when his life first came into the spotlight, and both he and his romance with Diana were brought to the world's attention.
Their alleged affair became rather public when intimate phone calls between Diana and Gilbey were released to the press in 1992. The scandalous tapes - which were reportedly leaked after the British intelligence agency GCHQ recorded them - revealed that Diana might've been more than just friends with Gilbey, despite what the two had previously claimed. At the time, the tapes were dubbed "Squidgygate" by the press because Gilbey continually called Diana "Squidgy" in addition to "darling" throughout the calls.
After the tapes were released, it was reported that whatever was going on between Diana and Gilbey at the time the conversations were recorded in 1989 had already ended.
Diana's romance - and "Squidgygate" - happened at a time when the princess and her husband were already having marital problems. Diana was unhappy because Charles was having an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles (now Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall), and she was under immense pressure and scrutiny as a member of the royal family.
Though Prince Charles and Diana officially divorced in 1996 and the princess passed away in a tragic car accident in 1997, to this day, Gilbey has not spoken publicly about their rumored relationship.
In 2014, Gilbey left behind his semiscandalous past and settled down for good when he married Lavinia Hadsley-Chaplin. After dating since 2006, the former car dealer and heir to a massive gin fortune said "I do" and also became a father to Lavinia's five children.
This Easy DIY Proves Anyone Can Do Pin Curls Like a Pro
While I adore my curling iron (and wouldn't go on a vacation without it!), there is something to be said for being able to travel light. That's why pin curls are such an awesome solution. All you need is a bit of hair balm to create hold, bobby pins, and a blow dryer (though you can also just rely on the air and time, if needed). How easy and minimal is that?
If this technique seems intimidating, then don't worry. Hair pro Gina Schiappacasse of Hairstory, a cool downtown members-only salon, has broken down the steps in this easy tutorial. The result: those messy-sexy beach waves you crave. Keep reading, and prepare to be floored by how simple it is to do.
Raised Without Gender Should Be Required Viewing For Every Parent
As the discussion about people who identify as something other than their sex assigned at birth is becoming more common, Vice examined the issue in a video that's generating a lot of buzz. Raised Without Gender tackles this worldwide issue by following journalist Amelia Abraham to Sweden, which the film bills as "the most forward-thinking country in the world" when it comes to challenging and questioning gender norms. Here's what you need to know!
The Premise
In the 30-minute documentary, Abraham interviews a gender-nonconforming family: Del LaGrace Volcano, who was born intersex (meaning having physical characteristics that are both male and female), children Mika and Niko, and grandmother Margareta, the mother of Del's partner.
Both Mika, 5, and Niko, 2, were assigned male at birth, but their parents let them play with whatever toys they want to play with, wear whatever clothes they want to wear, keep their hair however they want to keep it, and choose to identify with whichever gender they choose.
In the house, they often use the male pronoun "he" to refer to the children (though Swedish does have a gender-neutral pronoun, "hen"), but Mika actually appears to be uncomfortable choosing between male and female pronouns. By appearance, most people assume Mika is a girl - he wears dresses a lot and has long hair - but he says when other children ask him if he's a boy or a girl, he says he's neither and both.
Sweden's Approach
What helps facilitate this way of life is the fact that Sweden currently has many government-funded gender-neutral kindergartens, plus the entire educational system has mandated for almost 20 years that schools work against gender norms and stereotypes.
The schools do so by calling the children "friends" instead of "boys and girls" or by having projects that aren't gender-based. The classrooms also feature study materials in which recognizable figures like Batman or a Disney princess are engaged in nonstereotypical behavior, like Batman taking care of a baby or dancing ballet or a princess engaged in a same-sex relationship.
As Abraham observes, it's more like the schools are trying to remove gender discrepancies and sexism rather than erase gender altogether. One example of this is by using adjectives that are typically ascribed to one gender or the other to describe all children - so boys aren't just "cool" or "strong" and girls aren't just "helpful" or "cute."
The Opposition
Swedish psychiatrist Dr. Eberhard, who is interviewed in the short film, is against what he sees as "erasing" gender, saying you cannot solve a problem by going in the exact opposite direction.
"I think then you create new problems," says Eberhard, who advocates letting children choose who or what they want to be and just letting them be kids. But that's actually quite similar to what the gender-neutral school programs are advocating as well. The big sticking point seems to come down to whether we should use labels like "boy" and "girl." Not being able to categorize people seems to be the scariest proposition of the entire exercise.
The Takeaways
The documentary honestly seems like a lot of no-brainer behavior: let children be free to be what they want, which is a tenet that can be applied to all facets of a child's life, not just the child's gender identity.
But as Volcano observes, it's like people "don't know how to act" if they "don't know if you're a boy or a girl." It seems that people need to fit everyone inside constructs, like gender or race, in order to know how to "deal with them," which leads to the ongoing cycle of categorizing people in order to be able to rely on the preconceived notions of said category when interacting with the category members, which in turn reinforces the ideas associated with each category and makes its members feel as though they must behave in certain ways.
It's a self-perpetuating problem that perhaps could be broken with innovations like gender-neutral parenting and schooling. If boys are free to wear makeup if they want to, perhaps eventually that will stopped being seen as a "girl" thing; conversely, if girls are allowed to wear their hair short or play with trucks, those things will eventually stop being seen as "boy" things. Because none of those things inherently has a gender - our society assigns them genders.
The path won't be easy, of course, because change never is, and Volcano acknowledges that bullying is certainly a concern - but it might just be the cost of doing business if you want to change people's minds and hearts.
"Of course I don't want [my children] bullied, of course that scares the hell out of me. But I think they have the tools to deal with it," he says, adding that his children have a host of privileges - assigned male, both white, both able-bodied, both intelligent - so their lives are already filled with things that will make it easier for them.
"They've got a full knapsack of privileges. So if they have to deal with a little bit of discomfort because they have a Mapa or because their gender expression doesn't match what people think it should be? Gender confusion is a small price to pay for social progress," Volcano says. "I think a lot of the social problems we have in the world are down to the streaming, that we force boys this way and we force girls this way."
He's not wrong. In all aspects of life, it does seem like we are too quick to categorize and separate. As demonstrated by interviews with the Swedish children, the kids gravitate toward all sorts of varied interests and clothing when given more room to explore, regardless of their assigned gender, and they seem happy to be allowed such freedom.
Sociologist Carol J. Auster recently told The New York Times that if you stop marketing specific toys to boys and others to girls, it "widens the possibility for the child to pursue interests that he or she cares about and has a talent for."
How dare someone make my child feel that way? He should be free to enjoy anything he wants as long as it isn't hurting someone else.
We don't know exactly what happened, but after a few days, our son was hiding his fingernails because he didn't want anyone to see them, undoubtedly because someone said something to him about it. Whether it was a fellow student or a parent or someone else entirely is beside the point; the point is that our son went from feeling proud and delighted to feeling ashamed and embarrassed about something of no consequence that hurts absolutely no one. How dare someone make my child feel that way? He should be free to enjoy anything he wants as long as it isn't hurting someone else.
So perhaps Sweden is onto something with its schools that are trying to take away the preconceived notions of what gender looks like. Abandoning labels is more of a personal choice, but society as a whole should be moving away from telling anyone what it means to be a boy or a girl, a man or a woman. We're all just people, with varied appearances, interests, and talents. Why does it matter what a person's sex is and whether they're interested in the "appropriately gendered" things? It certainly doesn't matter to the Swedish kindergarteners.
12 Lovely Things We Learned About George and Amal From Their Joint THR Interview
George and Amal Clooney are one of the biggest couples in Hollywood, but they are also incredibly private people. While they usually shy away from talking to the press about their love, the actor made a sweet exception when he recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter at his Lake Como home. Aside from gushing about his relationship with Amal (including revealing the romantic way he proposed), he also opened up about his newborn twins, Alexander and Ella, and how fatherhood has changed him. Amal also revealed a few tidbits about their life together, and it all sounds so wonderfully normal. See their best quotes ahead.
Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx Finally Confirm Their Romance With a PDA-Filled Beach Date
Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx are finally coming out of their shells when it comes to their extremely private romance. The couple, who were first linked back in 2013, were photographed walking hand in hand along the beach in Malibu, CA, on Monday. In photos obtained by The Daily Mail, the two, who have rarely been spotted together, showed sweet PDA as they shared a few laughs while taking a stroll in the sand. "Katie and Jamie were holding hands" and "drinking together," an eyewitness revealed. "They went in the water and were splashing around, flirting and getting close." Their relationship marks Katie's first public romance since divorcing Tom Cruise in 2012. Hopefully Jamie and Katie will make even more sweet couple appearances in the future.
Yes, It's Already Time to Start Thinking About Game of Thrones Season 8
The seventh season of Game of Thrones just wrapped up, but we're already setting our sights on what's going to happen in season eight. A little premature? Maybe. But the good folks at HBO have graciously been dropping hint after hint about how the final season is going to shape up, so we might as well start obsessing over it all now.
18 Things That Happen in Every Grey's Anatomy Episode
After almost 14 seasons of Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes can still find ways to surprise the audience. You would think watching a death, a birth, or a steamy makeout session between two doctors would be boring by now, but nope. We're just as glued to our screens as we were years ago and we want to watch the doctors' journeys until the end. As any longtime Grey's watcher knows, there are themes that repeat in every episode, but that might just be the thing that makes the show so addictive. With the season finale right around the corner, we thought we'd highlight the things that happen in pretty much every episode of Grey's - because chances are you probably noticed them, too.
Jessica Alba Cradles Her Sweet Baby Bump While Hanging Out With Chrissy Teigen
Is there ever a time when Jessica Alba doesn't look beautiful? No. The answer is no. The actress and Honest Co. founder showed off her growing baby bump at her friend Rachel Zoe's Spring 2018 fashion presentation in West Hollywood on Tuesday. While she stunned in a loose, off-the-shoulder maxi dress, Jessica held her cute belly like a proud expectant mom while posing for photos and mingling with pals like Chrissy Teigen and Nicole Richie.
The star announced that she and husband Cash Warren are expecting their third child via a Boomerang on Instagram in July, which featured their two daughters, Honor and Haven. Just a couple of weeks later, Jessica and Cash were spotted taking a stroll in Los Angeles, where she covered her bump in comfy denim overalls. The couple haven't announced the sex of their baby yet, but we can't wait to find out. Any guesses?
People Waited in Line For Hours to Get This Beauty and the Beast Cup at Disneyland
Disneyland recently converted the Village Haus restaurant into the Red Rose Tavern as a temporary tribute to Beauty and the Beast. In addition to trying the "gray stuff," visitors had the option of purchasing a limited-edition Beauty and the Beast tumbler.
The cup looks just like the famous enchanted rose from the movie, and Disney-lovers went nuts for the adorable product. The tumbler is shaped like the glass jar Beast keeps his rose in and features a red rose within the cup. The tumbler even lights up, making the collector's item even more magical. Some theme park guests waited in line for hours to shell out $15 for one of the irresistible cups.
Unfortunately, the tumblers are now sold out, but if you're really dying to get your hands on one of these magical cups, they're being auctioned off on eBay for more than twice the original price. Keep scrolling to see the gorgeous tumbler.
This Cover of "Despacito" Uses 2 Calculators to Put You in a Hypnotic Trance
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's megahit "Despacito" was at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 16 weeks, making it the official song of the Summer this year. That means you weren't the only one who couldn't get the tune out of your head for months. The team behind the Japanese YouTube channel It's a Small World couldn't let go either, so they got beyond creative re-creating the entire song by using only the noises made by the keys on two calculators. Yes, that's a sentence we never thought we would type.
We were in awe and wondering how much time it must have taken to prep this video, but then we realized whoever is responsible for these videos is a calculator pro. They've also covered other songs, like Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and Camilla Cabello ft. Quavo's "OMG," to equally mesmerizing results.
How Growing Up Latina Has Influenced My Shopping Habits
Some of my earliest memories of childhood involve my mother and I spending our Saturdays together. Without fail, we would wake up, have pancakes (usually apple), and get ready for the day. We would head out, just us girls, for a day of adventure and bonding. On many of these Saturday outings we would drive up to New Jersey. We would walk through the malls holding hands, shopping, laughing, and most importantly spending time together. One of our favorite stops was always JCPenney, where we would ride the escalator from floor to floor, browsing the racks and trying on anything that caught our eye. We would always end the day with a great meal and head back home. I looked forward to our Saturday shopping dates together and they are memories I will cherish forever. A shopping tradition if you will.
Because of these dates and wanting to emulate my mother, I grew up appreciating the art of dressing. Whether it was getting ready for our trip to the mall, dressing for school, or choosing the perfect dress for a party, I loved being involved in my wardrobe choices and feeling good. My mother was always dressed with confidence, no matter the occasion, and I admired this. I loved watching her choose her ensembles, pressing each item the night before work, setting up the iron, and laying out her outfit carefully on the bed. In the morning she would accessorize, and it was often the subtle details like adding a brooch to her blazer that made all the difference in her look.
I was never raised to believe that clothes make the woman but rather the woman makes the clothes. By this I mean you choose your wardrobe to reflect the person you are and showcase how you feel and want to project. You can set the tone for your day by simply choosing an amazing pair of well-fitting jeans or shoes that make you feel incredible. There's a sense of pride I feel when dressing myself and family because of this. My hope is to instill this confidence within my young daughter. I never want her to feel she needs to fill her closet with items that other people deem "cool," but rather fill it with pieces she loves that speak to her own unique style. Clothes that are well made, fit well, and can even maybe be passed down to her own future daughter. (Some of my most beloved wardrobe pieces are the ones my mother has lovingly gifted to me - there is something so incredible about wearing a piece worn by someone you love so much and feeling the history in the fabric).
For Fall, JCPenney curated a fabulous collection that you won't be able to resist. Gorgeous textures and colors that make you feel amazing. Each piece of the collection is carefully designed but well priced, which means a lot to me. I never want to sacrifice quality because of price, and JCPenney allows me to dress well at a cost that won't break the bank. Wins for everyone!
Some of the looks I'm gravitating toward this Fall are delicate, feminine tops; looks with a retro feel; and camo (which, in my opinion, is always a staple and looks great season after season). Mixing basics like denim or simple slacks with pattern and color is an easy way to get your wardrobe ready for the new season. Just as my mom must have felt when we had our Saturday shopping dates, I now take great pride in choosing my ensembles and dressing myself. When choosing items for yourself, always select pieces that make you feel amazing and empower you to walk with confidence.
Shop the looks featured in this post and find additional savings at JCP.com!
Star Jegging ($49)
Worthington Long Sleeve Crew Neck Woven Blouse ($36)
JCPenney Crushed Velvet Dress ($49)
Liz Claiborne Leyla Women's Over The Knee Boot ($109)
Project Runway Velvet Jogger ($54)
Project Runway Grommet Trim Satin Cami Top ($37)
ANA Embroidered Jacket ($74)
The Reason Princess Diana Never Wanted to Become Queen Is Extremely Touching
Princess Diana grew up around royalty. She was born Lady Diana Spencer (her family had British nobility with royal ancestry), and she became a princess when she married Prince Charles in 1981. But despite her various titles and obvious connection to the monarchy, it turns out that Diana never had any interest in one day becoming queen. As soon as she became an official member of the royal family, she majorly repaired what some people considered to be a huge divide between the British royals and the country's common people. She was affectionate, she was personable, and she deeply cared about the health and safety of others. And it was this passion that was her sole reason for not wanting to be anything other than the people's princess.
Diana spoke about why she never saw herself becoming queen during her infamous BBC interview with Martin Bashir in 1995. "I'd like to be a queen of people's hearts, but I don't see myself being queen of this country," she said. "I don't think many people would want me to be queen, and when I say many people, I mean the establishment that I'm married into. They've decided that I'm a nonstarter, because I do things different, because I don't go by a rule book, because I lead from the heart and not the head. And albeit that's gotten me into trouble in my work, but someone's gotta go out there and love people."
Colton Haynes's Sexy Appearance on AHS: Cult Makes Watching All Those Clowns Worth It
From the second American Horror Story: Cult premiered on Tuesday, it was a damn nightmare. Starting off the episode by reliving 2016's brutal election night in a far too-real depiction is enough to cause some horror, but then add in a sh*t ton of clowns for the next hour, and well, our neighbors might've heard some screaming. But all of that doesn't matter by the end of the episode, because Colton Haynes happens to show up as Detective Samuels. Thanks to his icy blonde haircut and sexy a*s suit, it was almost hot enough to make us forget about those clowns.
He may be investigating the murder of Ally and Ivy's neighbors (who were possibly killed by clowns), and he might be a damn clown himself the way he claims it was a murder-suicide (really, man?), but his chiseled facial features and undeniable swagger have us ready, willing, and able to endure the horror that is season seven (which we're calling American Horror Story: Colt from now on). Check out social media's best reactions to Haynes's appearance on the show.
8 Iconic Recipes From Magnolia Bakery, From Easiest to Toughest
Magnolia Bakery, the iconic shop in New York City, is famous for its banana pudding, icebox cakes, cupcakes, and more. Though the store has countless cookbooks and seasonal offerings, we pulled eight of our favorite recipes and ordered them from easiest to hardest so you can bake (or not bake) depending on your mood.
Celebrities Are Stepping Up in a Major Way to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims
Celebrities are using their star power for good in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Over the past week, everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Sandra Bullock has been giving back to the Texas community of Houston by sending their thoughts, prayers, and charitable donations to help relief efforts. Jamie Foxx is even set to host a star-studded telethon on Sept. 12 to raise more money for everyone that has been affected by the tropical storm. See how some of Hollywood's biggest stars are stepping up in a major way to create change below.
17 Chicken Casserole Recipes to Add to Your Dinner Rotation
It doesn't get much easier than casseroles. Whether you're feeding a family or you want to freeze the rest for later, a casserole is a no-fail option that's guaranteed to be easy and crowd pleasing. These 17 chicken casseroles range from classic (chicken spaghetti) to inventive (chicken spinach pizza couscous casserole), and you're sure to find at least one you want to add to your dinner rotation.
We'll Bet You Can't Watch the Trailer For the New Insidious Movie Without Screaming
If you've lived your life up until now without a paralyzing fear of house keys, I suggest you don't watch the new trailer for Insidious: The Last Key. The latest installment in the terrifying horror franchise moves on with Lin Shaye's Dr. Elise Rainier character, who now faces a threat even worse than the demons who plagued the Lambert family in James Wan's original 2010 film: a nightmarish force is now lurking within her own home. Be sure to get plenty of rest before the movie hits theaters Jan. 5, 2018, because you'll probably never sleep again after watching it.
The Stranger Things Boys Were the GQ Awards' Most Excited Attendees
Stranger Things picked up the Editor's Special Award at the GQ Man of the Year Awards on Tuesday, and three of the show's young cast members made the trip to London to accept the honor. Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Noah Schnapp (Will) hit the red carpet in their inimitable style, before heading inside to receive the award from Game of Thrones's Natalie Dormer. Now that's a TV mash-up we're happy to see! With the return of the Netflix show imminent (cancel all Halloween plans and prepare for an all-nighter) expect to see a lot more of these adorable boys in the coming weeks! Roll on October . . .
The Best Recipes That Start With a Can of Crescent Dough
Refrigerated crescent dough, so flaky and buttery, tastes like childhood when baked up into croissant rolls, but more and more people are incorporating the dough into recipes. From strawberry cinnamon rolls to pizza roll-ups, one of these crescent roll recipes will inspire you to pop open a can.
What to Know About the Crippling Phobia That's Plaguing American Horror Story: Cult
This season, American Horror Story is ramping up to new levels of terror to scare its loyal audience. With the premiere of AHS: Cult, we're introduced to the dark, postelection world. While much of it seems to be rooted in the troubling realities surrounding the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, it wouldn't be American Horror Story without a few added elements. In this case, we're talking about clowns. We're also talking about tiny holes and home invasion, but let's stick to the clowns for the time being. With the return of Twisty from Freak Show and all the other clown-laden teasers for season seven, it's clear that the show is playing off one of the world's oldest fears.
It's not just that clowns are set to appear in Cult. Sarah Paulson's character, Ally, actually suffers from what is known as coulrophobia; according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it's an "extreme or irrational fear of clowns." Ally's debilitating mental reaction to clowns is clear very early on in the first episode. While it's true that AHS's clowns are more of a metaphor for American paranoia and anarchy, the inclusion of the impish circus creatures stretches back for centuries. Yep, clowns have been feared for pretty much as long as they've existed.
According to the Smithsonian, clowns appear in some cultures stretching back as far as 2500 BCE. While their initial purpose was to inspire laughter and joy, they "have always had a dark side." David Kiser, who at the time was director of talent for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, noted that clowns are meant to "reflect a fun-house mirror back at society," meaning some of our most hedonistic and manic tendencies were amplified and laid bare before us . . . in a comedic way. Even so, this aspect of "clownery," if you will, represents an "impish spirit." So, even though clowns come from a origin of entertainment, there's always been a blurry line between laughter and terror.
It's not just the dark origins that make clowns scary, though. There's actually psychological evidence behind the terror. According to psychologist Rami Nader, we feel like we can't trust them. "They have these large, artificial, painted-on expressions, which you know don't actually represent how that clown is feeling because nobody can be happy all the time. And yet, the clown has a big happy smiling face . . . in essence, you sort of know that it's lying to you." According to psychologist Frank McAndrew, it's also the mischievous history of clown behavior that puts us on edge. Their tendencies to pull pranks and throw pies and turn unsuspecting individuals into victims creates a general mistrust and unease.
Then, of course, there are the terrifying iterations of clowns that have appeared in horror movies and scary stories over the years. Consider, for instance Stephen King's It: having a monster like Pennywise certainly isn't doing the clowns of the world any favors. So just know, while you're gripping your couch and trying to white-knuckle your way through all the clowns in American Horror Story: Cult, there's a logical reason you (and Ally) are so scared.
The Internet Can't Get Enough of This Dance Video to CNCO's "Reggaetón Lento"
Once you press play above, you'll realize why almost 8 million people have watched this dance choreography to CNCO's "Reggaetón Lento" by FitDance Life. There are three main reasons we can pinpoint for you: First, the routine doesn't feature insane moves you would never be able to re-create. Then, the dancers look like they are having so much fun. And, finally, the music is just so good - you know you can't get enough of this hit! But there's an added bonus, too: practicing the dance moves in front of your screen until you've nailed them makes for quite the workout.
The Real Reason Princess Diana Had a Public Funeral
Image Source: Getty / Anwar Hussein
Princess Diana's tragic death is one of the most heartbreaking news stories of the century; the 36-year-old former Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, and seven days later, she was honored with a public funeral that remains one of the most watched events in history. An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide viewed or listened to the funeral, while another three million crowded the streets of London to follow the route of Diana's coffin from Kensington Palace to her final resting place at the Spencer family home in Althorp. While the event brought in many well-wishers - and celebrity guests like Tom Cruise, Hillary Clinton, Anna Wintour, and Steven Spielberg - Diana's funeral was originally intended to be a private affair attended only by members of the royal family and her closest relatives and friends. So how did it go from a personal event to a history-making phenomenon?
Image Source: Getty / Anwar Hussein
Just hours after Diana's death, her ex-husband Prince Charles arrived in Paris with her sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, to take her body back to the UK. Her passing was met with an extraordinary outpouring of love and grief from the public, and Londoners began leaving tributes of flowers, candles, photos, and personal notes outside her home at Kensington Palace. But the reactions from the royal family had a different impact: they were at their Summer residence at Balmoral Castle at the time of Diana's death, and their initial decision not to return to London (nor to mourn the princess publicly) led to much criticism.
There was also allegedly a very heated discussion about Diana's funeral arrangements. Britain's Channel Four news reported that Queen Elizabeth II had insisted that Diana's ceremony be private, but that Charles put up "ferocious resistance." A senior official close to the circle said that it was "made very clear to Prince Charles" that Diana's body "was on no account to be brought to any of the royal palaces," adding, "The queen's desire was for her to be taken to a private mortuary and then to a private funeral." But when Charles traveled to Paris to pick up Diana's body, he spoke to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the two agreed that Diana should be laid out at St. James's Palace with a public funeral held at Westminster Abbey. Between Charles's tenacious argument, the obvious emotion from people around the world, and an intervention from Tony Blair, Elizabeth eventually relented. Five days after Diana's death, she came back to London and acknowledged the public's outpouring of grief in a live video from Buckingham Palace, and the following day, Diana's public funeral took place.
Starting at 9:08 a.m. from Kensington Palace, Diana's coffin was taken on a route through the streets of London, along Hyde Park to St. James's Palace, where thousands waited in line to sign a public condolence book and where Prince Harry and Prince William joined the procession alongside their father, grandfather, and uncle, Earl Spencer. The coffin, accompanied by eight Welsh Guards, passed Buckingham Palace, where members of the royal family waited outside; Queen Elizabeth II bowed her head as it went by.
Image Source: Getty / AFP
Diana's ceremony at Westminster Abbey began at 11 a.m. and was attended by government officials, foreign dignitaries, and Hollywood celebrities. Elton John performed "Candle in the Wind," which was rewritten for Diana by Bernie Taupin, who originally penned the song in 1973 to honor Marilyn Monroe. Just six weeks before her death, Diana was photographed comforting Elton at the funeral of their friend, fashion designer Gianni Versace. Diana's brother, Charles, gave an infamous eulogy in which he admonished both the royal family and the global press for their treatment of his sister.
Diana was buried privately later that day. The only people present were a close friend, her mother and siblings, Prince Charles, William, Harry, and a clergyman. She wore a black dress by Catherine Walker and held on to a rosary given to her by Mother Teresa (who, sadly, died the same week as Diana). She was laid to rest on a small island in the middle of a lake at Althorp, her family's estate. Charles Spencer decided that her gravesite was better off there than at their family vault in the local church, because it could be more easily cared for and offered better privacy for William and Harry to visit. The island where Diana's grave sits is accessed by a path of 36 trees - one for every year of her life - and black swans and white roses float in the water. Despite the drama surrounding Princess Diana's funeral plans, the public event still has an impact on all of those who watched and attended it and speaks volumes about her influence around the world.
100+ of the Best DIY Gifts Ever
Don't settle for store-bought gifts when you can give your loved ones these one-of-a-kind DIY presents. No matter the occasion, giving someone a gift you made yourself makes it much more meaningful. Show how special the receiver is to you by putting in some time, effort, and love on something handmade. Read on to see more than 100 different types of DIY gifts for every person in your life!
- Additional reporting by Emily Co
In Case You Were Wondering, This Is Where Outlander's Sam Heughan Is From
If you've watched Outlander, you've probably found yourself googling Sam Heughan at one point. Given that he's extremely easy on the eyes and one of the best characters on the show, we don't blame you. But one thing you still may be wondering about is where Sam is from. Well, the actor was born in New Galloway, Scotland, which is also known as "the smallest royal burgh in Scotland."
Sam studied acting at Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), and he actually got to go back there when he began filming Outlander. In an interview with EW back in August 2014, Sam talked about the moment he knew the role of Jamie Fraser was perfect for him, saying, "This was an opportunity to go back to my home country and to be where I went to drama school in Glasgow. It just felt right." He also opened up about what it was like growing up in Scotland, adding, "I was born and brought up in the countryside. I used to live in a sort of converted stables on the grounds of a castle, and I spent a lot of my childhood running around with a pretend sword pretending to Robert the Bruce. So yeah, it's sort of definitely a childhood dream."
What It's Like When Your Wife Is Pregnant - at the Same Time as You
Usually, when a couple says "we're pregnant," it's a figure of speech. But for married pair Lindsay Lanciault and Toby Fleischman, they mean it quite literally.
The two sit across from each other at a busy cafe sharing tomato soup and bread on a cloudy Saturday. Lanciault, 34, is a speech-language pathologist at UCLA while Fleischman, 41, is a celebrity makeup artist with clients like Evan Rachel Wood, Ellen Page, and Gabourey Sidibe. Both women are brunette with a California-cool style and similar toothy smiles. They've been married for almost three years, live in Los Angeles with their Shih Tzu Lemon (short for Liz Lemon), and have stumbled into a unique circumstance several years in the making: they are both pregnant at the same time.
Given the tangle of legal and medical processes, there simply aren't many women who have experienced what they are going through.
"There was definitely a time in my life where I didn't think kids really fit into my plan," Fleischman says. "Then, when I met Lindsay, it was absolutely clear that she was someone that I wanted to raise children with."
A Unique Situation
Stories like New York's coverage of Kate Elazegui and Emily Kehe last year and Discovery Health specials like Quads With Two Moms illustrate how parallel pregnancies for lesbian and queer couples can be not only rare, but difficult - and oftentimes sensationalized. And, as FiveThirtyEight reported in 2015, the odds of this situation are so slim, it's hard to even gather data on it. Neither the CDC nor the Society for Artificial Reproductive Technology record comprehensive statistics on intrauterine inseminations. And because a large number of women decide to undergo insemination in the privacy of their own homes - like Lanciault and Fleischman did - or at a clinic, their successful pregnancies aren't always reflected in the data that is collected, anyway. Given the tangle of legal and medical processes that come with two women in a relationship trying to get pregnant, there simply aren't many women who have experienced what Lanciault and Fleischman are going through.
Dr. Kristin Bendikson, fertility specialist at University of Southern California Fertility, says the situation is as unlikely as it sounds. "The only time I've seen it happen is when I was a resident - and that was, like, 20 years ago," Dr. Bendikson explains. "The overwhelming majority of lesbian couples that I see are usually focused on one person getting pregnant at a time." In fact, so were Lanciault and Fleischman when they started their journey.
The process of getting pregnant seemed easy enough when Lanciault and Fleischman started to explore their options. The couple decided in August 2015 that Fleischman should try to get pregnant first, since she's the oldest of the pair and her window for motherhood seemed slimmer. Lanciault supported the decision and aided in finding a sperm donor. With a donor in place, Lanciault tried at home via the "syringe method" - more technically known as intravaginal insemination (or, as Fleischhman laughingly refers to it, the "turkey baster" method.)
Fleischman and Lanciault's insemination process was a lot simpler than you might assume; with guidance from their doctors, the two used menstrual cups (Diva Cups, specifically) as their syringe-method vehicles for inserting their donor's sample. It was as easy as that.
"First try at home, I got pregnant," she says. That pregnancy ended in miscarriage, however. Over the next year and a half, they kept trying, though complications arose. They faced the miscarriage and medical complications. It also became clear that their original donor's samples were not going to be viable moving forward, which forced them to seek out a new donor. All of this kept them from achieving their dream of motherhood.
The process took a toll on their relationship. "It was probably the most stressful thing," Lanciault says. "Not that we were going to get divorced over it, but . . . I didn't want to come home. We were at odds."
Deciding to Try Together
Due to the series of blocks standing in the way of motherhood, the two made the choice to shift focus from Fleischman to Lanciault after they successfully landed on a new donor. This brought up a lot of complicated feelings - the shift wasn't as easy as passing a natal baton from one wife to another.
She remembers thinking: "We can't be pregnant together. What are we, crazy?"
"I wasn't ready to stop," Fleischman remembers. She remembers thinking: "'We can't be pregnant together. What are we, crazy? We can't do that.'"
With the help of Danica Thornberry, acupuncturist and author of Stick It To Me Baby!, the two were able to physically and emotionally anchor the process by focusing on fertility. "Women who identify as being infertile deal with a lot of jealousy and negativity as they see friends and sister-in-laws, family members, getting pregnant and they're not," Thornberry shared by phone. "To have 'the enemy' - a pregnant woman - in your house, when you're not able to get pregnant and that's your wife, that's what made this case so unique."
Fleischman can speak directly to this: "During that time, Danica was really helpful in emotionally dealing with some of these issues and trying to think about the process in an emotionally healthy and positive way, and not trying to control it, and not trying to be crazy about it, and not trying to be negative."
"While [Lindsay]'s saying, 'I think that I should start - you should stop,' another birthday was nearing and there was kind of this mental block of that birthday," Flesichman says. "I had to let go."
Fleischman followed Thornberry's The SEED Fertility program, a diet Thornberry says "optimizes fertilization," and credits it with helping make her insemination after two years of struggles a success. "After a month and a half on this diet, I had this perfect, beautiful, normal ovulation - and that's the month I got pregnant. I'm very lucky I got pregnant 'naturally' at home by syringe method."
"Is This the Right Thing to Do?"
The two found out Fleischman was pregnant the same week Lanciault was starting her efforts in November 2016. Instead of abandoning the work she had put into her own attempt to become pregnant, Lanciault attempted to get pregnant, too, via the same donor and method - and it worked. Quickly. She, too, was pregnant by December.
The two have just a three-week difference between their due dates - Lanciault is four months along; Fleischman is five - and found out about Lanciault's pregnancy the week following the election of Donald Trump, which placed a shadow over the news.
"There was this level of 'Is this the right thing to do? Bring children into this world?'" Lanciault says. "We were so fearful."
These fears aren't entirely unwarranted. Emily Hecht-McGowan, chief policy officer at the Family Equality Council, says the process of non-traditional parenting is complicated to begin with, and that the Trump administration's stances on LGBTQ issues could further hinder the process. That potential future aside, she finds that this all has to do with a handful of roadblocks that LGBTQ persons face in trying to start a family.
"Information is probably the first barrier," she says. "Lots of same-sex couples (or prospective single parents or LGBTQ people) generally don't know the host of options that are available to them. The other piece is financial. All of these processes cost money, whether it's adoption through foster care or hiring a surrogate to help you create a family. Nothing is free." That cost, according to Dr. Bendickson, can range from hundreds of dollars for a sperm sample to tens of thousands for more advanced treatments like in vitro fertilization.
Policies and practices on a state and national level also stand in the way of LGBTQ persons becoming parents since laws do not exist to protect them. This leaves queer parents and their children vulnerable and can make starting a family impossible for some.
Beyond this, Emily sees actions like a reported religious freedom executive order as validating for anti-LGBTQ attitudes - especially as they relate to potential queer parents. She advises all potential queer parents to talk to an expert who understands the laws in their state - and warns that simply being married might not resolve all the issues that LGBTQ families can face in their day-to-day lives.
While Lanciault and Fleischman are concerned, they're confident in their state's policies and legal protections and feel very fortunate to be where they are in America. "We're really lucky that we live in Los Angeles," Lanciault says. "Hopefully, our kids won't feel like they're different because they have two moms."
But being Californians hasn't meant there has been any relaxing regarding LGBTQ parenting rights. As Lambda Legal advises, all same-sex and queer parents today must take the proper steps toward adoption as soon as possible, particularly second-parent adoptions.
Lanciault and Fleischman aren't taking such advice lightly. "We're very eager to adopt each other's children as soon as legally possible just to solidify that aspect of it . . . just in case!" Fleischman says. "You just don't know. We live in this lovely world of California but you just don't know."
Rising to the Challenge
Still, Fleischman sees starting a family as a welcome challenge - especially considering that the couple will be birthing a set of boys. The couple were very confident with the idea of raising strong women, because they themselves are strong women. But men? This is a challenge they admit they didn't initially think through. "We have this huge responsibility to raise respectful, compassionate, feminist men," Fleischman says.
As far as her advice for other lesbians who want to start a family? Fleischman believes women should figure out their fertility standing as soon as possible. "The top headlines of advice have been to go to a fertility specialist early, no matter how old you are or how regular you are or how healthy you think you are," she says.
Lanciault also takes the opportunity to remind people to be aware that many women - straight or gay - face fertility challenges. "People think it's okay to ask a woman who is maybe of childbearing years or who just got married, 'Are you going to start trying soon?' But you don't know if they actually have been trying. You don't know what their situation is. We've gotten that 'When are you going to start?' question and it's like . . . we've been trying for six months. You don't know what somebody's going through."
"If she's feeling something that I've gone through, I can validate it and say that that's normal."
Lanciault concurs. "As a lesbian couple we have that extra, added 'How do we do this?'," she says.
While they look forward to being mothers, Lanciault says they're "a little nervous" about the potential for dueling labors, and Fleischman knows caring for two children while they're both recovering from birth will require some assistance; "We're going to have to get a nurse for the first month."
Overall, though, sharing the experience of pregnancy has brought the pair even closer together.
"If she's feeling something that I've gone through, I can validate it and say that that's normal," Fleischman says. "But, like I said, there are a lot of hormones in the house and we go through waves - in one day - of being obsessed and in love with each other and so euphoric, to 'I don't want to be next to you. Please don't talk to me.'"
This Is How All Your Favorite Chefs Make Pork Chops
Fact: pork chops (like this sweet and sour glazed recipe) can be enticing. They're also affordable, easy-to-cook cuts of meat that can be incredibly tasty when made well. To breathe some inspiration into your dinner rotation, we've gathered only the best pork chop recipes from some of our favorite celebrity chefs and Food Network experts. These are the cooking methods and recipes they swear by for crave-worthy chops you'll actually look forward to making. Spoiler: none of them involve apple sauce.
Ree Drummond: Pan Fried
The Pioneer Woman just might be the queen of recipes that are both easy and comforting, and her pan-fried pork chop recipe definitely qualifies. You only need a few basics (flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, canola oil, and butter) to make a crispy, juicy pork chop.
Alton Brown: Molasses and Coffee Glazed
You might need to make a special trip to the store for Alton Brown's molasses and coffee pork chops, but it's totally worth it. Commenters have mentioned they love the teriyaki-like marinade so much that they use it on chicken, too. If you have a little extra time on your hands (to marinate the meat for at least two hours), your taste buds will be rewarded.
Giada De Laurentiis: Parmesan Crusted
Giada is among the loyal group that believes parmesan cheese makes everything better, including pork. Her parmesan-crusted pork chop recipe calls for parmesan plus Italian breadcrumbs, ensuring a crispy and flavor-loaded exterior as they crisp up in an oiled pan.
Sunny Anderson: Simply Grilled
The best part about Sunny Anderson's easy grilled pork chop recipe is that even if you don't have a grill or grill pan, you can make the recipe using a regular pan, too. After you let the chops sit in a marinade of honey, oil, apple cider vinegar, and cumin for about an hour, you're on your way to superquick and easy pork chops, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Tyler Florence: Smothered
Chef Tyler Florence knows you should never let pan drippings go to waste. His smothered pork chop is indeed smothered in a creamy gravy made by deglazing the pan with chicken broth, then adding buttermilk. It's what to make when you really need indulgent, home-style comfort food in your life.
100+ Things to Do Before You Die
You will never need to read another bucket list again. Trust us when we say this is the mother lode of bucket lists, the bucket list to end all bucket lists, the . . . well, you get the point. It goes without saying that life is short, so get some of these amazing experiences under your belt while you can!
24 Reactions to That Absolutely WTF Premiere of American Horror Story: Cult
Season seven of American Horror Story premiered on Tuesday night, and the first episode of Cult has us very shaken. While the episode follows two people with polar opposite reactions to the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, the heavy mix of terrifying clowns just brings it to a whole new level. We see Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson) spiral out of control after Donald Trump's victory. Her marriage to Ivy (Alison Pill) starts to unravel after Ally's debilitating phobias return due to her stress (she's afraid of clowns, small holes, bumps, blood, etc). On the other hand, Kai Anderson (Evan Peters) is thrilled with the new president and starts spreading the word that fear is the thing that will always win in the end.
While Ally tries to control her clown hallucinations for the sake of her and Ivy's son, Oz, he also starts to see them popping up in his neighborhood. Is Kai behind the group of murderous clowns? Is it all in Ally's head? And what the hell is the deal with Winter Anderson (Billie Lourde)? We presume she's Kai's sister, but she's an adamant Hillary Clinton supporter, so their whole dynamic is extremely weird. We're already terrified for episode two, but we need to discuss what has already gone down.
23 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Love It or List It's Hilary & David
If you've ever caught an episode of HGTV's Love It or List It, then you know the chemistry between hosts David Visentin and Hilary Farr is something to behold. No, they're not married - but the duo have an epic banter that clearly shows how comfortable they are in each other's company! Their back-and-forth is on display every Monday, when their show airs at 9 p.m.
We recently caught up with David and Hilary during a break from their work on the series. The result of our conversation with the pair is a list of 23 amazing facts every true HGTV fan needs to know.
Bad Moms Christmas Trailer: Booze, Nudity, and a Child Saying "Oh My F*cking God"
Rejoice, because Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn are back as Amy, Kiki, and Carla, aka the world's best bad moms. "You know what makes Christmas so special? Moms," Kunis says in a (very accurate) voice-over for the first Bad Moms Christmas trailer. "Moms working their asses off, cooking, wrapping, decorating, and shopping." That's right - the moms are still boozing it up (in a mall food court, no less) and venting about their families, only this time it's during the holidays, and they're all about to get a stressful visit from their own mothers (played by Susan Sarandon and Christine Baranski, god bless). The raunchy comedy doesn't come out until Nov. 3, so in the meantime, check out the trailer above!
Teaser Trailer:
I Tried the Starbucks Drink That Tastes Just Like Pink Starbursts
The changing season calls for a new go-to Starbucks drink, and the internet is going crazy over a pink drink that's perfect for Summer. Scroll through #PinkDrink on Instagram and Twitter and you'll see a flood of images showing off an iced powder-pink drink. The beverage is creatively dubbed the Pink Drink for its unmissable hue that's reminiscent of Pantone's Color of the Year. But the Pink Drink isn't something off Starbucks's new Summer menu - it's a remix of the Strawberry Acaí Refresher, which comes with freeze-dried strawberries and uses coconut milk instead of water.
While my usual Starbucks order is very uncomplicated and not sugary at all (iced green tea, unsweetened, light ice please), my obsession with everything coconut really convinced me to give this a go. I bravely volunteered to be the taste tester and set out to my local Starbucks, only to find that my cashier hadn't been checking her Instagram feed lately. After having to explain what I really wanted - no, not the Birthday Cake Frappuccino - I walked out with my own little pink cup in hand.
The Pink Drink is sweet and refreshing with a distinct tart taste, while the coconut milk gives it a dreamy, creamy escape. Fans of the drink are comparing the flavor to strawberry Starbursts, and my co-workers and I couldn't agree any more. But I would even go as far as to say this dairy-free beverage tastes just like Summer.
14 Photos That Drive Home the Destructive Power of Nature
Whether you choose to acknowledge the scientific facts around climate change or not, you can't deny the sheer devastation several nature-related events have left in their wake this Summer in states across America.
Hurricane Harvey, dubbed "one of the worst weather disasters in US history," has left parts of Texas with a long road to recovery; Hurricane Irma, now a Category 5 hurricane, is "one of the most powerful hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean;" Southeastern Idaho was hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 2 and continues to feel aftershocks; the La Tuna Fire in LA became "the biggest in the history of the city in terms of sheer acreage;" and the human-caused Eagle Creek fire in Oregon continues to burn and is still at zero percent containment.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement in June and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found it necessary to release a bizarre response to a report from the Associated Press that stated no one from the agency had visited any of Texas's Superfund sites in Houston.
While some scientists and researchers are cautious about linking any of these natural phenomena directly to climate change, many others, like Michael E. Mann of Pennsylvania State University, are doing just that. Mann believes that in the case of Hurricane Harvey, climate change served to "exacerbate several characteristics of the storm in a way that greatly increased the risk of damage and loss of life. Climate change worsened the impact of Hurricane Harvey." As scientists and researchers continue to study these weather-related events and climate change, experts like Mann think their relationship will become even clearer.
In the meantime, take a look at these stunning photos of some of this Summer's major natural events in America.
Queen Elizabeth II Did Something at Diana's Funeral That the Public Did Not See Coming
Princess Diana was honored with a public funeral on Sept. 6, 1997, seven days after her tragic death. The event brought in an estimated 2.5 billion viewers, while another three million crowded the streets of London to follow the route of Diana's coffin from Kensington Palace to her final resting place at the Spencer family home in Althorp. Diana's two sons, William and Harry, joined the funeral procession at St. James's Palace alongside their father, grandfather, and uncle Earl Spencer. The coffin, accompanied by eight Welsh Guards, passed Buckingham Palace, where members of the royal family waited outside. Queen Elizabeth II was one of them, and as Diana's coffin was carried past her, she made a very rare move: she bowed her head.
The queen's gesture is remarkable for a couple of reasons; first, while it is customary for others to bow (or curtsy) to her majesty, she is not technically required to bow or curtsy to others. She made a solemn, unexpected acknowledgment to her former daughter-in-law's casket that she rarely does for anyone else.
Second, there was a huge amount of drama within the royal family after Diana's death, including the fact that Queen Elizabeth II had insisted that Diana's ceremony be private - she faced "fierce resistance" from Prince Charles, and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair also agreed that Diana should be laid out at St. James's Palace with a public funeral held at Westminster Abbey. Because the queen was so highly criticized for her silence and "business-as-usual" behavior in the wake of Diana's death, her bowing at the coffin attempted to send a message of compassion, honor, and genuine grief.
Princess Diana's Most Captivating Moments With Kids
Princess Diana shared numerous sweet moments with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, before her death in August 1997, but she had just as many heartwarming encounters with kids during her royal appearances across the globe. As part of her extensive charity work, the royal, who was a kindergarten teacher before marrying Prince Charles, had no qualms cuddling up to young children as she visited hospitals, schools, and orphanages. She would even get down on their level as they offered her gifts or flowers, much like her daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, does when she interacts with her smallest fans. Not only have William and Harry carried on Diana's legacy for helping others, but they also share her love for children.
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