My mother was a depressed hoarder. I’d fled her mess to become a hyper-organized, militant minimalist, afraid to have children. With a history of abdominal surgery for colitis, I wasn’t sure I could. To my shock, at 33, I’d gotten pregnant. Another surprise: Motherhood was gloriously grounding as I created the ordered, happy house I’d craved. My brother had been my childhood ally; once I had one kid, I wanted two....
I’m pregnant?! I’m REALLY pregnant! I’ll never forget the moment when the test, which had been negative up until that very second, was finally positive. Once the shock had worn off, and my husband knew our exciting news, I opened up my trusty laptop. I can only imagine what it’s like for people who aren’t plus-size to Google information about pregnancy. I’m guessing their experience is far different than mine....
This slow cooker bacon jam recipe from Martha Stewart will be the perfect pick-me-up during these cold, harsh, winter days. Because it will make all your freshly baked goods warm out of the oven taste all the better. It’s also super easy to make and requires lots of common ingredients. And bacon. Did we mention the bacon? Because there’s lots of bacon and that’s exactly what you need this time of year....
We scoured the Instagram feeds of trend-setting salons and bloggers around the world to curate a gorgeous gallery of fall nail art to try this season — whether you’re a talented DIYer, or prefer to show a pic to a pro who can recreate the look. Either way, with these eye-catching looks? You’ll totally nail it. Image via withlovekarissa/Instagram More from The Stir: 12 Brilliant Nail Hacks for Gorgeous DIY Manicures (PHOTOS) More from The Stir: 11 Genius Makeup Storage Solutions (PHOTOS)...
The sixties-infused fiction is both an intimate portrayal of girlhood, and a brutal examination of the murderous women in Charles Manson’s “family.” The novel focuses on Evie, a vulnerable teen, who gets ensnared in a dangerous cult with a charismatic leader. But the truth behind Cline’s work is stranger — and certainly more chilling — than fiction. It’s unclear how many cults currently operate worldwide, but research suggests 70% of global cult members are women....
The short answer is no. “Breast milk is breast milk — it all serves a great purpose,” says Leigh Anne O’Connor, a lactation consultant in New York City. “Foremilk and hindmilk are the same thing; it’s the fat content of the milk that is removed that varies. Most women do not need to worry about it at all.” Research shows that there’s no real reason to worry about foremilk and hindmilk while you’re breastfeeding....
I went from playing make believe with my baby named Kizzy at age 7, to Kailey at age 12. Frankly, I probably won’t settle on this until the day I leave the hospital with a birth certificate in hand, as many things will continue to inspire me — just as they may inspire you. More from CafeMom: Our 12 Most-Pinned Pregnancy Tips of All Time The search for the perfect baby name is a long (and fun!...
Here’s how the whole topic came about: A woman wrote in to the etiquette maven’s column and explained that while she wanted to throw herself a little shindig to share her pink or blue news, she had concerns. She wrote: “I worry that this party might be construed as a rude attempt for gifts. I don’t want any gifts, and this isn’t a baby shower, nor am I expecting one....
But despite an 8-million-subscriber-strong empire, Meyer’s channel threatened to head straight to, well, the digital graveyard. Where she used to command tens of millions of views on a single video, her uploads over the last year rarely eclipsed 500,000 and even plummeted as low as 150,000 views. People noticed the drop off — and her fallen channel became the butt of cruel internet jokes. Fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson hopped on a mission to help Grav3yardgirl revive her dying channel and uncovered the REAL reason behind her heartbreaking disconnect with fans....
So yes, there’s a bit of a gross-out factor for sure, but when it promises weight loss of up to a pound a day, I think I could get past that. And according to an article in The New York Times today, plenty of women across the country have, and they’re racing to clinics and doctors’ offices to get their own supply of pregnant pee. While you can buy drops and pills containing HCG, the real deal comes via injections according to most proponents....
Now, it’s true that you can get hemorrhoids just during pregnancy, especially with the increased blood flow, increased pushing from late pregnancy constipation, and pressure from the baby. But forced-pushing during delivery is well-known to cause excessive pressure and create these painful and gross veins that can sometimes need surgery to fix. No worries, the FDA approved a single-use device — the Hem-Avert Perianal Stabilizer — to put counter-pressure in just the right spot....
Today, we finally get to see the big picture. And it’s a doozy.
The only thing is, they’re not “cleansing” in the way you may think they are — nor are they all that healthy. But they will make you lose weight, and here’s why: Many of them contain ingredients that are known for their laxative properties. First off, “the idea of ‘detoxifying’ is a bit misleading,” said Lara Felton, registered dietitian and head of nutrition for grocery-shopping app ShopWell. “The body is amazing at keeping the nutrients it needs and getting rid of the junk....
So when my boyfriend and I decided to take a road trip to Miami, Florida (from Washington, DC), there was a mix of excitement and panic. I LOVED the idea of going on vacation with him. I loathed the thought of getting there. This would really be a test of our relationship. If all didn’t go well, I might come back a single, albeit sun-kissed, woman. Despite those fears, we planned our 20-hour trek....
But Coachella isn’t just about taking selfies and seeing the butts of strangers. It turns out that one of the coolest things to do at Coachella — or honestly, in general — didn’t have anything to do with the festival at all. Beyond that, the color! Is! Beautiful! It’s the brightest turquoise, with peeks of bright purple, and holographic flecks. Because of the star-shaped glitter, I don’t think I’ll be wearing it near my eyes, but I will be bathing in it 24/7 when summer arrives in NYC....
We didn’t have experience or help. For some happy couples, newborn baby care may come totally naturally. And for many others, a family member can often step in and show inexperienced parents the ropes. But in our case, we knew we had neither the Mary Poppins gene nor the relatives to rely on. Sometimes known as “grandmas for hire” (but often on the much younger side), postpartum doulas charge what seems like a small fortune to help moms and dads like us get through those first confounding days or weeks, as needed, until new parents can manage basic baby care on their own....
I would like to say the feeling was that of relief — but instead there was a little bit of fear and a hint of internal conflict. Even though I have already started homeschooling my kids, our neighborhood hasn’t officially started school, so we haven’t officially stopped going. When people ask me why I am homeschooling my boys, ages 9 and 11, I simply tell them that they were struggling — but not that the source of their struggle was emotional....
I lived my entire adult life — 44 years and counting — as someone who always checked the “No” box when it came to kids. Now I have a 7-month-old. And I still can’t believe my good fortune. Or that I ever questioned whether or not I should take the parenthood plunge. In some ways I slipped into motherhood very naturally. Changing diapers, dealing with feedings, schedules, bedtimes, naps, playing with and entertaining, dressing and decorating, choosing caretakers and schools, following up with pediatricians and medical issues … between my husband and me, we seem to have it pretty well covered....
It is now March and we’re wondering if this obsession with all things merry will ever end. Also, is something wrong with him? It turns out there are normal toddler obsessions, and obsessions that should raise red flags. Toddlers seem to have one-track minds, and admittedly his sister’s princess phase before him had us just as perplexed. But one parenting expert says single-mindedness when it comes to play is a creative act on the part of the toddler, and nothing to fear....
Some moms don’t have that choice after or even during pregnancy (while some actually make that choice themselves). Here’s something shocking I recently discovered about that: A father’s involvement during pregnancy is critical to that baby’s survival. When I saw this headline, I thought it must be overstated. Babies whose fathers are absent during the mother’s pregnancy have a 1 in 4 chance of dying in their first year of life....
