Prince William and Kate Middleton Accept a Gift That Makes a Huge Difference for Special Needs People

zaterdag 14 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez Yesterday at 6:30 PM

Of all the gifts Prince William and Kate received for their new son, George, this has to be the sweetest. Tazia Fawley, a 43-year-old woman with Down syndrome, painted a depiction of the Bristol Balloon Festival. It's a brightly-hued, joy-filled painting perfect for a child's room. And Fawley spent six months creating it. Will and Kate make it a practice to turn down most gifts, but they had to make an exception and graciously accepted Fawley's gift. Accepting the painting sends a strong message about fighting the stigma against Down syndrome. 

Heart and Sold, an organization that promotes art created by people with special needs, sent a photo of the finished painting to Will and Kate to see if they would accept it. And how could they not? It's adorable, for one thing. But it was also a chance for the couple to embrace the Down syndrome community and draw attention to Heart and Sold.

But more than that, Will and Kate are setting an example for recognizing and valuing the contributions of people with special needs. Suzie Moffat, the director of Heart and Sold, says "In England, there always has been a stigma attached to (Down syndrome), and now that is washed away by the fact that the Duke and Duchess have accepted that painting. For this to happen, it’s kind of turned that negativity around.” The acceptance of the painting also has the power to encourage other people with Down syndrome to pursue their passion for art.

Will paintings from other artists represented by Heart and Sold start flying off the shelves now, just like every dress Kate wears? I don't know -- it would be amazing if they did! But at the least, I think it's probably their hope that this gesture helps change a few people's perspective.

Do you think accepting this gift will change how people in the UK think of people with Down syndrome?

Image via Pacific Coast News

Click "Like" for more on the Royal Family. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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Jenelle Evans’ Son Needs Surgery, But Who's Taking Him to the Hospital?

woensdag 21 augustus 2013

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by Adriana Velez 3 hours ago

Did you catch the scary rumor about Janelle Evans' son Jace getting surgery? The rumors are true ... well, sort of. First of all, the surgery hasn't happened yet. Last night Jenelle confirmed Jace is getting surgery on Thursday. And it's not as serious as it sounds, either. Jenelle tweeted, "his surgery for his ear tubes is scheduled this week on Thursday when my mom has the day off."

This is a common procedure many kids get done. It's usually outpatient, so Jace won't have to stay overnight. The procedure usually takes just 15 minutes, though you do have to go under anesthesia for it.

Ear tubes are a way to treat kids who get frequent ear infections due to fluids building up in the ear. The tube is placed in the middle ear to create an air passage, so fluids won't accumulate behind the eardrum. After six months to a year or so, the tubes just fall out, and the holes close on their own (though not always). I remember my sister had tubes put in her ears when she was about Jace's age.

But what is this about getting Jace's ear tubes when Jenelle's mother has the day off? I guess since grandma has custody, she's the one who has to take Jace for the surgery. He's probably on her insurance plan, and she would be the one to take care of the paperwork. Jenelle didn't say if she's coming along, too, that I could see. But we'd hope she would be there for her son. I think if you're getting surgery, even if it's something minor like this, you'd want to look back and remember that your mother was there with you.

Have any of your kids gotten ear tubes?

Image via Twitter

Click "Like" for the latest on the Teen Moms. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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Every Married Woman Needs a Plan B in Case of Divorce

maandag 19 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by The Stir Bloggers 2 hours ago

I don't know about most divorced ladies, but I saw my split with my husband coming -- by a few years. I'd brought it up a few times, and he kept talking me out of it, which was sort of a relief. But I knew I was just postponing the inevitable. So I came up with the list: My Plan B. Everything I needed to put in order before I could divorce my husband for real, this time.

I'm so glad I made that list and followed through with it. I'm glad I didn't wallow in denial -- or in false hope. Some might say I doomed my marriage by giving up that hope and planning for the worst. But who's to say what the worst is? I say planning for a split is the most hopeful thing a woman can do.

First on my list was to get a full-time job with health insurance. Before I'd just sort of pieced together a career with freelance this and that. But if I was going to be on my own, I'd need much more stability. No more swinging from vine to vine. Plus, I knew I'd need a reason to get dressed and leave my home every day. I knew working from home in my pajamas would not be conducive to my recovery.

But it wasn't enough for me to just get "a" job -- because I had time, I went after the writing career I'd never thought before I could pull off. Something about taking the bold step of admitting I was headed toward a divorce also emboldened me to stop monkeying around with my career and start working at something I actually wanted to do. As long as I was thinking about what I wanted my life to look like, it just made sense to apply that to my career.

And then I got a hold of my finances. I should have been doing this all along, but I created a spreadsheet tracking all my expenses. I wanted to find out if I could actually make it on my own. To my great relief, the math all worked out.

That's not everything from Plan B, but it's enough to show something interesting: Planning for the "worst" outcome actually improved my life before I even started to divorce my husband. Suddenly it was no longer about giving up -- it was about making smart choices and planning for the future. Even if I hadn't decided to divorce, I would have been moving ahead with a clearer vision of what I wanted my life to look like.

You never know what's going to happen next. It may not be divorce -- your husband could die suddenly. Anything could happen. Viewing your life through the lens of "what if" can be just the motivation and perspective shift you need to make changes that will make you happier regardless of what happens with your marriage.

Have you ever made plans for what you'd do if you lost or divorced your spouse?

Image via Horlia Varlan/Flickr

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Katy Perry's Ex Russell Brand Needs to Shut Up About Their Sex Life

dinsdag 6 augustus 2013

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by Maressa Brown 12 hours ago

Katy Perry has said that when she was still with ex-husband Russell Brand, she sat in the audience of one of his comedy shows to surprise him and found out he was resorting to bashing her as a punchline. Nice, huh? And it sounds like he's still doing it, even though the two split a year and a half ago!

During a gig in London, Russell reportedly said, "When you're a monk, you're not allowed to have sex with anyone. When you're married, it's one person. That's one more than a monk. It's not that different." He went on to say that as a result of feeling close to celibate, he'd often find himself fantasizing about other women. "I'd be having sex thinking, 'Think of anyone, anyone else.'" Ugghghh! WHAT a jerk!

Who says something like that?! I seriously feel like he's all worried his bad boy image has somehow been irrefutably damaged by his brief marriage to an American pop star. He feels like he has to PROVE he's still edgy by trashing her. But saying something like that just comes off as insecure, desperate, and mean.

Sure, some couples are actually cool with telling one another that they're fantasizing about someone else. Plenty of happily married women owned up to being all about Christian Grey in their heads in just the past year. But there's doing that in a fun, sexy way that's respectful of your partner ... and then there's doing it in a hurtful way, in which you're using your fantasies as an emotional weapon against your partner.

And trashing sex with your ex publicly after a divorce? So vile. ANYONE who resorts to airing dirty laundry like that about your past is the opposite of a class act! Because, really, after a relationship has run its course, no one really wants to know how terrible or pathetic or difficult your sex life was. And even though the relationship is over, some things should remain sacred and private between you and your spouse. Maybe -- in a case like this -- even in your own damn head so as not to inflict even more pain on the other person! Eesh. 

How do you feel about Russell's remarks about Katy? Do you feel like there's ever a good excuse for talking trash about your ex like this?

Image via Jason Merritt/Getty

Click "Like" if you're a single mom — and proud! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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Jenelle Evans' Son Turns 4 and Jenelle Needs to Grow Up, Too

zaterdag 3 augustus 2013

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by Adriana Velez 17 hours ago

Look who's got a birthday. Jenelle Evans' son Jace turns 4 today. The baby viewers watched Jenelle welcome into the world on the show 16 and Pregnant is growing up so quickly. He's not a toddler anymore. Jenelle told fans yesterday that she'd be spending the whole day with Jace today, followed by a big birthday party at grandma Barbara Evans' house on Saturday. 

A lot has happened in Jace's four short years of life -- and a lot remains the same. After a tumultuous few years, Jenelle seems to be settling down into a stable relationship. Jace still lives with Grandma, and given everything that's happened in Jenelle's life, that's a good thing. But hopefully, someday Jenelle will be in a position to raise her son in her own home. And what about Jace's privacy?

I feel like you can share a lot about your kids while they're still babies, but as they get older, you kind of have to back off. Kids figure out quickly what Twitter and Instagram are, and they start having opinions about how much you share about them. They're also still learning what the full implications of social sharing are. Even if you're not concerned about things like safety, I think you do need to start making sharing a more collaborative activity once your kids get to this age.

There are things I don't share or write about my own son because he doesn't want me to. I have to respect that. (He'll sometimes ask me to post photos on Instagram for him, on the other hand.) I'm also learning there are things I may not want to share about myself and my life, knowing that he could read it himself. Sometimes you find these things out the hard way, after you've already put THAT, whatever it is, out there. You make mistakes, and hopefully you learn from them.

I hope Jenelle is thinking about this now that Jace is older. It's kind of a buzzkill, especially for those of us who value candor and think of ourselves as whole people with complex, multifaceted identities that extend beyond "MOMMY." I don't think it means being fake or always censoring yourself, but you do have to start being more careful. It's a negotiation you manage, little by little. And it's something Jenelle needs to give some thought to now that Jace is 4.

Do you think Jenelle should be more discreet now that Jace is older?

Image via Twitter

Click "Like" for the latest on the Teen Moms. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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5 Awesome iPhone Photo Tricks Every Mom Needs to Know About

woensdag 31 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 3 hours ago

Odds are, the thing you use to take photos with most is your iPhone. Particularly if you're a mom who has to lug around a ton of extra stuff for the little people in your life, bringing a big, bulky camera everywhere you go is just out of the question. It's kind of a bummer, because nothing beats the quality of an actual camera (especially a DSLR one), but fret not -- iPhones can take really beautiful pictures, as well. And the effects and apps are bar none.

Here are 5 iPhone photo apps and tricks every mom needs to know about.

1. Shapely. Shapely is an app that allows you to frame your photos pretty much with any kind of shape you want -- hearts, circles, stars. You also can add text to your photos, which makes it perfect for sending to grandparents via text or hard copy after printing them out. And it's free.

2. The LifeProof case. The LifeProof case protects your phone from everything short of a nuclear explosion, so feel free to take it into the ocean or pool -- and go underwater with it. Yep, you can get cool, artsy, underwater pics of your kids swimming around if your phone has the LifeProof case on it. Pretty rad.

3. Kaleido Lens. This free app lets you play around with the photos you've taken, making them appear as if they were taken with a kaleidoscope. No, you wouldn't want to do this to every photo, but once in a while, a pic just lends itself to this feature. And totally not something you could do on a regular camera.

4. Path On. Like Shapely, Path On lets you add text to all your photos. But this is their specialty. Arrange words any which way you like across photos. "Happy Father's Day!" across a cute pic of your kiddo? Grandpa says, "Yes, please!"

5. Facetune. Sadly, we're all critical of how we look in photos. But with Facetune, we needn't be. This app allows you to "fix" your appearance (even though you don't need to) any which way you want. Whiten your teeth; hide your laugh lines; banish your blemishes. All at the touch of a button.

What photo apps do you use?

Image via Kaleido Lens

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Amanda Bynes' Trashed Hotel Room Photos Show Just How Badly She Needs Help

maandag 29 juli 2013

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by Mary Fischer Yesterday at 1:07 PM

After seeing photos of Amanda Bynes' trashed hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City, it's even more clear that committing her to a psychiatric facility was the right thing to do so she can get the help she needs.

TMZ obtained the pictures, which were taken after Amanda was kicked out of the hotel last Thursday for allegedly smoking marijuana in the room and being rude to staff members.

The shots show ashes and papers on the desk, garbage and cosmetic bottles all over the sink in the bathroom, and leftover food and beverages scattered about as well. Oh yeah, and the smoke detector in the room is busted too, which is something Amanda has supposedly done in the past out of paranoia that someone is watching her.

The Ritz is said to be tallying up the damages in addition to the costs Amanda already ran up at the hotel totaling $9,000 over a nine day stay.

As was reported last week, Amanda's parents are seeking an involuntary conservatorship to gain control of her finances and also to make decisions as far as her mental health goes. In the meantime, she's being held in the psychiatric facility for another two weeks so she can be more closely evaluated and doctors can better assess what kind of help she needs.

For her sake, and the sake of her parents who have seen their daughter go on a downward spiral, let's all hope that this is the beginning of a period of recovery where she will improve and find her way back to being the girl so many fans knew and loved.

Do the photos of Amanda's trashed hotel room surprise you at all?

Image via Splash

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include cosmopolitans, reality TV, and shoes that don't pinch her feet.

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1 Important Thing Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Ensure a Healthy Baby

vrijdag 19 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez 17 hours ago

Hey pregnant ladies -- now you have one more reason to try and get a good night's sleep. Poor sleep can disrupt your baby's immune system. It can also lead to lower birth rate and other complications. "Our results highlight the importance of identifying sleep problems in early pregnancy ... since sleep is a modifiable behavior," says lead researcher Michelle Okun. So now you know. Get plenty of sleep, future mamas. Okay? Okay. End of post.

"Oh but wait," sleep-deprived women everywhere cry out, "what if we have INSOMNIA?!?" It's helpful to know that your baby's immune system is linked with your sleep, but there's a million other reasons why pregnant women would want to get a good night's sleep already. Not many people actually deprive themselves of sleep on purpose, you know? So if you know it's good for you, but you still can't seem to get enough sleep, what can you do?

1. Work with your doctor. This should probably be your first step, before trying any home remedies. There may be significant health issues or symptoms that are causing your sleeplessness (besides pregnancy, which is not a medical condition, I know). And your doctor will know about any complications you should be aware of.

2. Set the stage. Before you go to bed, dim the lights and try to limit your screen time. Reading a book or magazine before bed will better help your mind to relax; watching TV or going online can stimulate your mind too much right before bed. Make sure your bedroom is cool. Don't bring anything work-related into your bedroom if you can help it, and definitely not into bed with you.

3. Get some exercise. There are many reasons to exercise during pregnancy -- one of them is that it will help you sleep better. Exercise in moderation and check with your doctor about any modifications you should make. Even walking and yoga will help.

4. Rescue Remedy. Herbal sleeping aids are generally not recommended for pregnant women. But some doctors are all right with taking Rescue Remedy just to quiet your mind before bed. You'll want to check with your own doctor, first.

5. Take a nap. As a pregnant woman, you are officially entitled to a nap when you need it.

Do you have trouble sleeping while pregnant?

Image via Bart Everson/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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