You can buy Trump donuts, Trump prayer candles, and even a life-sized dummy of Trump, but this one might take the cake.
A new line of President Donald Trump-themed toys has arrived, they look suspiciously like Lego, and they’re encouraging kids to “build the wall.” The “Build the Wall: MAGA Building Blocks Toy” set is available for pre-order at $29.95, and comes with a 100-plus-piece kit that depicts Trump wearing a MAGA hard hat in front of a tall wall of gray bricks.
Though it doesn’t appear to be included, the box art depicts a man dressed in a poncho and sombrero waving maracas looking around the side of the wall, a Mayan temple visible in the background.
The new toys come courtesy of a company called KeepAndBear, a “conservative gifts and apparel” organization that sells clothing, bumper stickers, mugs, and plenty more items embroidered with phrases like “Heaven has a wall and strict immigration policies. Hell has open borders.”
In a not-so-subtle nod to current events, the product’s description says “A mob of 10,000 Central American migrants is marching through Mexico and heading toward El Paso, Texas. Mexican border agents attempted to stop them at the Mexican border, but to no avail.”
The product description does speak to the plight of immigrants fleeing to apply for asylum in America. “We understand why they want to flee Honduras and live and work in America. After all, we are the greatest nation on earth,” the description reads.
Despite the fact that the toy is ostensibly for children (it’s listed “Ages 5+”), the product description gets political, echoing conservative rhetoric that wouldn’t be out of place on an episode of Fox & Friends. In fact, hosts Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt promoted the toy on a recent segment.
“In the interest of national security, however, we cannot allow just anyone and everyone to cross our borders,” the description reads. “While there are good people attempting to enter our nation, there are also gangs, criminals, and terrorists. Everyone who wants to enter our country must enter legally for the safety of all.”
The “Build the Wall” set isn’t the only Lego clone KeepAndBear sells. There’s two with Hillary Clinton in an orange prison jumpsuit, one of which includes a Joker figure that is definitely just an official Lego Joker.
Adding to the case that this might be an illegal imitation of Lego, the file names for one of the product images reads “MAGA_LEGO_MOCKUP,” in addition to the box art clearly resembling Lego’s in-house font and logo.
Though the MAGA building blocks toy set is an unofficial item, it follows a clear trend of Trump personally profiting from merchandise sales both prior to and post-election.
On Tuesday, just six days after Union, 46, and her husband Dwyane Wade welcomed their first child together via surrogate, the Breaking In star shared a sweet shot of her snuggling her new baby girl.
“x … this baby smell though?! Heaven,” Union captioned the Instagram, which shows her gently kissing the newborn’s head.
Khloé Kardashian wrote a sweet note in the comments section. “I am so so happy for you! It’s the best feeling EVER! May God bless you always.”
“A LOVELY DAY We are sleepless and delirious but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days,” they both captioned the photos.
The baby girl is the first child for Union while Wade is dad to sons Xavier Zechariah, 5 on Saturday, Zion Malachi Airamis, 11, and Zaire Blessing Dwyane, 16. He also raises nephew Dahveon Morris, 17.
Union previously opened up about her struggles with infertility in her 2017 memoir, We’re Going to Need More Wine, revealing she “had eight or nine miscarriages.”
“For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle or coming out of an IVF cycle,” she wrote.
Egg Drop Soup’s “Partying Alone” video turns a run-of-the-mill dance team audition on its head with a vision of female power from a mature woman. The panel is stunned when a gray-haired, red-lipsticked 80-something tosses aside her cane and lets loose, flipping her hair—and the bird.
Egg Drop Soup – Partying Alone (Official music video)
Take a second look at that head-banging grandma—she is none other than renowned dance researcher and anthropologist Judith Lynne Hanna. An affiliate research professor in anthropology at the University of Maryland, College Park, the author of numerous scholarly books and an expert witness in trials for exotic dancers, she has spent her career getting us to think about dance’s relationship to society. Hanna, 82, said she hadn’t performed since college when she got a call from a music video producer, who caught a video of her dancing with her 13-year-old grandson. The rockers of Egg Drop Soup loved her energy and flew her out to Los Angeles for a day-long video shoot. We spoke to Hanna about the experience.
You recently starred in a hard-rock music video for Egg Drop Soup in L.A. How did that happen?
The Fox Force producers knew of me through Merrick, my 13-year-old grandson who tells stories through hip hop. He performed on “America’s Got Talent” and I was filmed backstage.
NoneNone
Normally I take an hour class a day, maybe two hours. For the shoot, I did the routine about 10 times over seven hours with the camera people shooting from different angles. I was so exhausted, mentally and physically, at the end of the day. I was surprised at the choreography by Alexi Papadimitriou. It had movements from wild rock concerts and burlesque that I had never done before. The video directors wanted me to be an angry old lady astonishing everyone by dancing like a young person, so I just followed directions.
When did you begin dancing?
I was about 8. I studied ballet because I had flat feet and the pediatrician said ballet would make them strong. Alicia Markova’s experience with flat feet and taking ballet was different than mine. She grew into an astounding dancer. Well, my feet never got strong, but I got hooked on dance. I became a dance researcher.
NoneTell us about your research.
My research began when my husband and I spent a year in Africa—1963—in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt. In Africa, the dance was incredible in telling people what it was to be a mother, a father, a warrior, a good wife. All of these things are reflected in who dances what, where, when and how. And it was through the dance that people could criticize leaders, often through metaphor, but people knew who the dancers were referring to. The dance is often a libel-free venue.
NoneAnd you’ve observed how the sexes encounter one another through dance here in the U.S.
I noticed that looking at dance in America, over time I saw different gender relations: First it was women flying into the arms of men, then you had men flying into the arms of women. Eventually you had unisex partners: men interacting with men and women interacting with women. Sexual representation onstage changed. It’s hard to know whether the arts influenced society or society influenced the arts. But some people will see those images for the first time and learn about social roles from them.
NoneYou’ve also researched and written about exotic dance and have served as an expert witness for more than 140 cases on trial across the country since 1995. Why is this important?
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of expression, and exotic dance is, in fact, a form of dance and communication with its own aesthetic, and therefore it is under the umbrella of the First Amendment. If expression of one group is suppressed, this can happen to another group.
NoneYour most recent book is Dancing to Learn: The Brain’s Cognition, Emotion and Movement. What can you share with us about it?
Dancing to Learn brings the dance field up to date on what’s been learned recently about dance from the brain sciences. One of the important elements about the mind-body connection is that you use the same parts of the brain for dance and for verbal language. Dance creates new brain cells and their interconnections, which help to improve cognition. Research has shown that dance can also help us cope with stress and contribute to improving Parkinson’s symptoms and preventing dementia and other diseases.
None
When dance is used in schools, it can improve academic performance because kids like to be active, and dance motivates them. For example, creatively dancing a mathematics concept means you have to know the mathematics to be able to translate it to dance—dance then enforces the concept. A lot of people focus on somatics and the idea of the body speaking. But the body can only speak through the brain because it interprets body sensations to make meaning of them. So this focus on somatics, without acknowledging the neuroscience research of the past decade, leaves out some pretty critical information.
Do you still dance every day?
Yes. I take flamenco and Middle Eastern dance at the Seber Method Academy in Washington, DC. I also do Jazzercise and go salsa dancing.
As an octogenarian, I’m the poster child for dance at any age.
Inside: This toddler turkey craft can be adapted for younger and older toddlers, and even preschoolers. A fun way to work fine motor skills during the Thanksgiving theme. Every year I love doing a different turkey craft. We’ve done them with tissue paper circles and popsicle sticks, coffee filters and pipettes, as well as different…
Pelvic Floor therapy is something that nobody wants to talk about it, but it is something I need to address. Pelvic Floor Therapy is a sensitive topic that few women like to discuss in public–even with friends and family members, yet it is something that affects a MASSIVE population of women. More than one-third of American women have a Pelvic Floor Disorder, with almost one-quarter of females in the US suffering from more than one of these severe disorders. These disorders worsen with age, and nearly 400,000 women underwent pelvic organ prolapse surgery in a recent year.
The good news is that thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, more and more ladies are seeking relief for their pelvic pain problems, by way of an efficient and therapeutic procedure known as pelvic floor therapy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy
What exactly is the pelvis, anyways?
The pelvis just may be the most misidentified and difficult to pinpoint anatomical region; and indeed, it is even rather difficult to describe the precise location of the pelvis in the human body. The pelvis comprises the area between the thighs and the abdomen (a component of the lower trunk of the human anatomy). The term pelvis also encompasses its bone components, otherwise known as the pelvic skeleton or the bony pelvis.
Who needs pelvic floor therapy?
As noted, many types of women with a vast variety of pelvic conditions may find themselves in need of pelvic floor therapy, at some point in their lives. These include:
Pregnancy and Postpartum: As can be expected, the pelvis–along with the abdomen and other central lower body parts–undergo a great deal of stress, pressure, and change during pregnancy and childbirth; and may not spring immediately back into shape immediately upon the arrival of your bundle from heaven.
Pelvic Pain: Both women who experience mild or severe pelvic pain on occasion or during certain activities, and those who sadly must deal with constant discomfort in this sensitive region, may very well be in need of pelvic floor therapy. Sadly, the attainment of this therapy may be delayed because the sufferer is embarrassed to discuss any pain or discomfort originating in a private area, or they may fear that something serious or even life-threatening might be afflicting them. Yet in truth, the process known as pelvic floor therapy can allay or even resolve many instances of pelvic pain.
Bathroom Trouble: If you suffer from any number of difficulties in regards to your natural processes, be it incontinence, bladder abnormalities, constipation, bowel movement problems, etc., then you might find relief for these troublesome, embarrassing problems by way of pelvic floor therapy.
Menopause: Aside from widely discussed menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and sleep difficulties, that much-discussed change of life called menopause can cause pelvic issues as well. And again, it bears repeating that pelvic floor therapy can help alleviate these problems.
Painful Intercourse: The issue of painful sexual intercourse can be a traumatic one in the life of a woman, one that can severely impede her personal life, her marriage, her intimate relationships, and even her sense of femininity, self-esteem, and attractiveness. For these very reasons, it might be very difficult to discuss the quandary of painful intercourse with one’s physician. Yet it is only by sharing the details of this disorder with a trained professional that can you discover its solution; a resolution that also takes the form of pelvic floor therapy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Endometriosis
Pelvic Floor Therapy Endometriosis
If you find yourself facing these all too common situations, or if you are dealing with related illnesses such as endometriosis (the term pelvic floor therapy endometriosis indicates the use of this brand of therapy to treat that prevalent condition in which tissue which generally lines the uterus is discovered outside this organ and across the surface of others, such as the ovaries, the bladder, the rectum, etc., thus causing pelvic, urinary, and/or bladder pain) or vaginismus, then consult your physician about the possibility and the procedure of pelvic floor therapy. And interestingly enough, males suffering from painful or premature ejaculation also can seek relief by way of pelvic floor therapy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy What to Expect
Pelvic Floor Therapy What to Expect
No one exactly looks forward to pelvic floor therapy, as they fear that the procedure will be painful, invasive and even embarrassing. Yet the good news is that, when it comes to modern pelvic floor therapy, a variety of options are available; many of which are minimally invasive and relatively painless in commission.
As far as considering the subject of pelvic floor therapy what to expect, you can seek specific information from your doctor, a mental health professional, or a sex therapist. In general, though, some of the most common and ultra-modern forms of pelvic floor therapy include:
Vaginal Dilators: This unique form of therapeutic equipment is comfortable and easy to use method for relaxing and easing the pelvic muscles. These comfortable and easily inserted plastic tubes relax the pelvic muscles and are particularly helpful in combating the problem of painful or uncomfortable intercourse. Throughout the course of vaginal dilator therapy, your medical specialist may ask you to experiment with varying and perhaps increasingly larger sizes of vaginal dilator.
Manual Pelvic Floor Therapy: A physician may insert their own fingers for the purpose of massaging and/or stretching one’s pelvic muscles, starting with a mild and shallow digital penetration to test the tightness and sensitivity of the pelvic muscles. Although it is to be expected that most pelvic floor therapy patients will experience discomfort or even pain during initial manual pelvic floor therapy treatments, these feelings should ease if the therapy proves successful. Also be sure to research both the therapy itself and the presiding physician before you begin this form of therapy, to ensure that the procedure is properly and ethically performed.
Electric Pelvic Floor Therapy: We know what you’re thinking. “Ouuuccchhhh!!!! No way, unh unh!!!!” Yet please hear us out on this one, as this new age and high tech form of pelvic floor therapy ranks among the most efficient and accurate forms of diagnosis and treatment available today. In the electric pelvic floor therapy known as biofeedback, for example, an electronic probe is inserted into the patient’s vagina to record images of the patient’s pelvic floor images, with a computerized image appearing on a nearby screen. And in the form of electric pelvic floor therapy called electrical stimulation, the medical caregiver administers a low voltage electric current that will instruct patients in the movement and coordination of their pelvic muscular contractions.
Education: Perhaps the least invasive–and, in some cases, most helpful and certainly most informative–form of pelvic floor therapy is a matter of education. Some patients may not have a good working knowledge of their personal and reproductive systems. This may be because they originate from a conventional family in which such matters were never discussed, or because they may come from an impoverished background in which physical and health-related education was not readily available. This brand of education, as attained through books, doctor-approved medical websites, and a top quality pelvic floor therapy video, will inform the patient about the anatomical makeup of their pelvis and its inner working; as well as just how to tell as to when something down there isn’t working! And the patient also should learn about the proper maintenance and hygiene upkeep of one’s pelvic area, as poor hygiene or unhealthful personal practices can contribute to and even cause pelvic health disorders. The pelvic floor therapy video may be particularly helpful, as images can do far more than words in terms of displaying and demonstrating the anatomical location and inner workings of one’s pelvis.
Pelvic Floor Therapy at Home
Pelvic Floor Therapy at Home
Sure, you may just feel a bit sheepish at first while watching this video and perusing these materials; yet just imagine the relief that you will feel as you take your pelvic health in your own hands, perhaps even learning that a simple change in hygiene practices might eliminate your problem–no surgery or intensive therapy needed.
Pelvic Floor Therapy at Home: Those who may feel uncomfortable with learning about and practicing most forms of pelvic floor therapy may be relieved to know that multiple forms and varieties of pelvic floor therapy at home options are available. Under the care, supervision, and direction of your physician or sex therapist, you may be able to order plastic dilators for use at home, where you’d be far more comfortable using them anyway, as well as books, videos, and other educational materials. And of course, the most popular and widely used form of pelvic floor therapy would have to be…
Pelvic Floor Therapy Exercises
Pelvic Floor Therapy Exercises
Pelvic Floor Therapy Exercises: Many patients are relieved and even excited to learn that–instead of surgery, medicinal drugs or painful treatments, they may indeed be able to exercise away their pelvic pain, discomfort or dysfunction. Exercise is an invigorating and therapeutic form of physical therapy and is ultimately the key to good health. Ah, but before you go rushing into your workout room to put on your favorite aerobicize DVD, keep in mind that–in the big scheme of things–the average jumping jack or sit up ain’t going to do much to help the good ol’ pelvic floor muscles.
Rather, pelvic floor exercises (also known most popularly as Kegel exercises) involve the contraction and relaxation of pelvic floor muscles, with the ultimate goal being to strengthen, stretch and elasticize (or make more flexible) those muscles. Pelvic floor therapy exercises lend ultimate strength to those pelvic muscles beneath the bladder, uterus, and bowel. These exercises are known to do wonders for urinary and bowel relief problems. And, of course, they also can help those dealing with painful and/or uncomfortable intercourse and related issues.
Are you concerned that you may not be able to master the complex art of the pelvic floor therapy exercise? Well, to accomplish the feat of this exercise, just mimic the moves that you make during another important and relatively everyday physical ritual; one that is most tastefully known as answering the call of nature….
Yep. The basic and most essential pelvic floor exercise will feel a lot like going to the bathroom. Ah, but stick with us here; these exercises really work!
To perform a basic pelvic floor exercise, follow this step by step procedure:
Empty your bladder.
Clench your pelvic floor muscles and count to 10.
Release the pelvic floor muscles and once again, count to 10.
Complete 10 repetitions of this process, thrice daily.
After you listen to the podcast on pelvic floor exercises, be sure to consult your physician to make sure pelvic floor exercise is right for you. Also consult books, videos and physician-approved websites for details and demonstrations of these and other pelvic floor therapy exercises.
Also know that, on today’s market, a number of aids are available to facilitate all manner of pelvic floor therapy exercises. These include but are not limited to manual and electric exercisers, and kegel aids shaped in the form of common objects such as roses and eggs.
Although many people approach the concept of pelvic floor therapy with some shyness and trepidation, many find that the results of this therapy are affirming and life changing in nature. Depending on their specific pelvic problem, they may find their love life restored and rejuvenated and their marriages and relationships saved; their bathroom schedules returned to normal and their daily schedules and lives restored, not to mention their overall peace of mind; and their lives freed from the pain and discomfort that has held them captive for far too long.
To find out more about pelvic floor therapy near me, please visit Knocked-Upfitness.com
Whether it’s International Cat Day, Pizza Day, or Talk Like a Pirate Day, it seems like almost every day, the internet is celebrating a holiday.
Whenever I log onto Twitter, I quickly scan what’s trending on the lefthand side of the screen.
Have you ever had this experience — when you see an obscure holiday or observance day trending, and you think to yourself “Yup, I’m celebrating that”?
Some of these holidays might be simply too silly for your brand to engage with (and we certainly don’t suggest sharing content on social media and then tacking on a completely irrelevant hashtag for the sake of traffic — that’s just plain annoying). But others might not be. You could be missing valuable opportunities to take advantage of trending topics with fun and relevant “holiday” content on social media.
From food to politics to animals and everything in between, there is a plethora of observance days worldwide during which marketers can share content relevant to their industries, get involved in a movement, or simply generate more awareness.
To help you plan for trending holidays, we created a list that you can bookmark, as well as a downloadable calendar so you can get automatic reminders. The list isn’t exhaustive (there are a lot of food-specific holidays out there) and these dates and hashtags may still be subject to change. But this is a great starting point for social media marketers who want to learn more about what’s trending and how they can plan their content in a way that will be fun and engaging on Twitter and other social platforms.
Want to finish out your 2018 calendar with some upcoming holiday posts? Tap the “+” symbol in the lower righthand corner of the calendar below to add it to your own Gmail calendar.
If your kid is anything like mine, they’re completely obsessed with all things LOL Surprise!
‘Tis the season for kids to get their holiday lists ready, and this year most of them seem to include every type of LOL Surprise! doll ever made. Here are some great gift ideas that my 6-year-old helped me pick, with the top LOL goodies they’re hoping to find under the tree this year:
This LOL Surprise! Glam Glitter Doll comes with seven accessories, including collectible stickers, bottle, shoes, outfit, accessory, and LOL Glam Glitter doll. This doll has all the sparkle they love, without getting any glitter on your carpet.
The Surprise Under Wraps Series includes 15 different surprises: spyglass, stickers, surprise codes, bottle, disguise, shoes, accessory, outfit, and LOL doll. Just the unwrapping of this should buy you a good 15–20 minutes of silence.
This Surprise Enchanted Home is in everyone’s budget and is great for hours of play. It comes with furniture, a family, and pets. The pieces fit inside and it folds it closed, making it perfect for travel and easy to clean after. Compatible with LOL dolls, but they’re not included.
The LOL Bling Ball Series includes seven surprises, such as stickers, bottle, shoes, outfit, accessory, and a Bling Series doll. These dolls that look like babies are always better dressed than I am, and I’m still not sure how I feel about that.
This 3-in-1 Pop-Up Store holds 50+ dolls and includes a carrying case as well as one new exclusive doll. It’s great for playdates, where they’ll want to show off their collection. And with any luck, you and their friend’s mom will get to have an uninterrupted conversation.
The Pearl Surprise includes six pearl surprise fizz balls and a shell-shaped doll stand. The glitter case becomes purse, storage case, and bath playset. Now if only we could get them to use soap when they bathe.
The LOL Rock Kids Comforter is part of the perfect LOL rock-and-roll makeover for their bedroom. And it’s reversible, so they’ll be able to mix up the look whenever they want. Plus it’s machine washable, which is all parents want.
This LOL Rock Kids Sheet Set includes a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and a standard pillowcase. And it’s made from a soft microfiber material that’s easy to clean. So easy they might start doing their own laundry at some point. (A mom can dream, right?)
This LOL Glitter Series Doll 2-Pack includes over 14 different accessories and these dolls will make great friends for the dolls your kid already has, especially since all the accessories are interchangeable. And maybe I wish they made some of this stuff in my size.
The LOL Surprise! School Set is a great value with five pieces, including a stylish 16-inch backpack, snack bag, drawstring sack, utility pencil pouch, and pop-top water bottle. It’s a few months into the school year, so we’re ready for new backpacks and lunchboxes that don’t smell questionable.
This Surprise House includes 85+ surprises, including an exclusive LOL family (Doll, little sister, and pet). Its interactive features include a working elevator, lights/sounds across the three floors, and a real pool, spa, and sandbox. My kid was going to ask Santa for it, but there’s no way I’m letting him take credit for this one.
The LOL Little Sisters 3-Pack has surprises, including three LOL Surprise Lil Sisters dolls, all of which color change in water. And any incentive for my kid to actually WANT to take a bath is helpful.
The Bigger Surprise is the ultimate surprise with over 60 exclusive, never-before-seen items to unwrap. And the case turns into a purse where they can hold all their collectible dolls, which makes cleaning up easy.
The LOL Mermaid Dolls 2-Pack comes with double the mermaid fun. With twice the dolls and accessories, your kid will love getting to watch them color change in water.
The LOL Confetti Pop Series has seven surprises, including stickers, bottle, shoes, outfit, accessory, LOL doll, and a temporary ring tattoo. Kids love to unbox the confetti series again and again. I suggest that they do it over a table or sheet so you don’t find confetti in random crevasses later.
This LOL Blue/Pink Folding Kick Scooter is on sale for $10.05 off through 11/30. And it will keep them busy for hours, without the guilt of screentime. Win/win.
This LOL Pink/Purple Folding Kick Scooter is also on sale for $10.05 off through 11/30. Works out perfectly if you need to get multiple scooters for multiple kids.
Whatever LOL Surprise! gifts you get, your child will surely love them. Now I just need to come up with a good excuse why she can’t start her own YouTube channel dedicated to them. One step at a time, I guess.
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When almost every new, small festival is starting out, their organizers often talk about “scale” — that is, scaling up as the festival becomes more successful, moving from small parking lots to larger venues and bringing in bigger acts and correspondingly huger crowds. For instance, when I attended Adult Swim’s inaugural Adult Swim Festival in downtown Los Angeles last month, representatives from the network told the small group of journalists covering the fest’s media walkthrough (every festival should have one of these, hint, hint) that they saw a much bigger draw in five years, using this one as kind of a “pilot episode” to determine what works and where they can improve.
But what happens when a festival gets too big, too fast? Is there such a thing as “too successful?” As it turns out, Goldenvoice, the organizers for Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival are finding out the complex answer to that question the hard way, through on-the-job experience, as 2018’s bigger, undeniably better festival met a few bumps in the road on the way to its most successful year yet.
First, let’s talk about some of the improvements. As I found out at last year’s Flog Gnaw, location matters more than just about anything, as the confusing layout of the Exposition Park venue played havoc with my internal compass — and my poor sneaker soles. With the move to Dodger Stadium a few miles north, the fest was able to both expand and streamline operations, making for a more straightforward experience getting around.
Taking place in the massive parking lot surrounding the stadium, the concrete — while being little nicer to the feet of attendees — kept dirt and dust from further polluting the air already tainted by the local wildfires in Thousands Oaks and Butte County. Meanwhile, the two main stages were situated at almost straight angles from each other, but given enough distance that neither interfered with the other, with Gnaw Village situated more or less in middle but off to one side up a small hill. It’s a great layout and I hope it sticks around for the next fest.
The walking actually turned out to be a bit of a benefit thanks to another improvement; Postmates partnered with the fest to allow attendees to order and pickup food from vendors without waiting in line — something I’m sure Post Malone probably appreciated. Given a semi-hefty credit to try out this new function, I appreciated the opportunity to burn off a few extra calories from my Kogi BBQ Black Jack Quesadilla and Sage Bistro jackfruit tacos. The usual assortment of games, rides, and concessions were sprinkled throughout the grounds, but mainly concentrated to Gnaw Village along with Okaga National Park Cafe and the DJ-focused Gnaw stage.
However, it was a lot of walking, and with all the extra space for the main stages, the crowds quickly became bigger than resources could handle. After threatening to shut down Jaden Smith’s excellent, uproarious set due to fans near the front being nearly crushed by the constant press of bodies pushing toward the stage, the fire marshal actually did cut Brockhampton’s set short several minutes after a few songs prompted even more near disasters. They resumed with the abbreviated setlist after around 10 minutes had passed, but it was enough time to suck much of the energy away from their bombastic — and much more polished — performance.
I was positively shocked at how much bigger the hip-hop boy band’s draw seemed this year than last, but encouraged that they, much like the festival itself, had managed to scale up their already improbably high performance energy, mainly by stripping some of their elaborate stage setting down, allowing them to better choreograph their movements and interactions with each other and the crowd. Maybe the Flog Gnaw festival itself might take that cue and pare things down next year, or maybe ramp them up. I’m not sure whether more space or stronger ticket limits would fix the issue, but it was definitely a concern that was harder to anticipate than simply increasing concessions.
Logistical issues aside, the best part about the fest was seeing just how much the repeat artists from last year had grown, as well as the increased capacity for pandemonium the larger space afforded. The best example of this was Flatbush Zombies‘ outsized set, where Meechy, Erick, and Juice still managed to befuddle me with their stunning breath control and rampant energy despite having more stage space to work with than I’d seen them use before. Believe me, they used every available extra inch. I didn’t know if or how Jaden Smith could ever match all three of them by himself… but then he did.
As he jokingly jibed Tyler in the crowd, it was apparent that he’s as at home on a massive stage as he is awkward in the intimate family videos his dad Will posts to Instagram. And while I was further skeptical of the downbeat Earl Sweatshirt’s ability to hold down such a big space, he was eager to meet the challenge with the addition of Rico Nasty, who appeared to perform some of her own high-energy hits. If she wore off on him musically, I’d definitely look forward to his next project.
Meanwhile, on the other stage, things got off to a bright start Sunday afternoon with Tierra Whack, whose relative novelty to the festival space didn’t stop her from controlling the crowd like a 20 year pro at all. Raveena offered a stunning, magnetic R&B performance, with all the simplicity of fellow revivalists Kali Uchis and Jorja Smith, but with approximately five times the charisma and charm. Taco, Odd Future’s resident DJ and Mr. Fix-It, brought out a pair of high-energy up-and-comers in Juice Wrld and YBN Cordae, who hyped the crowded Camp Stage after a musical tribute to the late Mac Miller.
And as often as sub-headliners Lauryn Hill and Post Malone are ripped and ridiculed online, both performed with polish, panache, and professionalism, with Hill’s band playing high-energy versions of her Miseducation hits while she took them all the way to church with gospel-inflected twists that breathed new life into the 20-year-old jams. Likewise, Post more than lived up to his billing; whatever your feelings about his attitude toward the genre he cynically co-opts to make his living, he has undeniable stage presence and the crowd — mainly made of young women and unconventional, un-stereotypical boys — loves what he does. If he’s more harmless pop than hardcore hip-hop, so be it — it’s enjoyable, catchy, empty-calorie pop, which is fine in moderation.
It was certainly better, at least, than watching Kanye fumble his way through his headlining set with Kid Cudi in their first appearance as Kids See Ghosts. Cudi was certainly the more interesting draw in that instance as they ran through hits spanning from Kanye’s 808s And Heartbreaks (the better parts of the set) to their recent, self-titled group debut.
Cudi was entertaining, engaging, and sincere as they roamed the inside of a transparent cargo container suspended above the stage. Kanye, on the other hand, mumbled his way through half-forgotten verses and only really came alive on his solo joints. Whatever has been going on with him all year, I think it’s safe to say Uproxx’s Andre Gee was right; his heart’s just not in music at the moment, and I hate to see him this way, as a fan and as a man.
But all in all, Flog Gnaw was a rousing success, despite its growing pains. Tyler’s festival demonstrates the potential of booking acts that all respect and like each other and their host, as shows of mutual appreciation rang off throughout the carnival, and stars could be seen roaming the grounds participating in the fun of the festival itself rather than cooling their heels in their backstage trailers. While in line to get some pictures from the ferris wheel, which was billed as one of the tallest traveling ones in America, I noticed Taco, SZA, and Tierra Whack go trooping past on their way to catch a ride of their own.
That sight summed up Camp Flog Gnaw in a nutshell; it’s really fun for everyone — including the talent, who aren’t just there to collect a check, but to catch up with friends and have a good time. If the festival can anticipate some of the kinks as it continues to grow and work them out ahead of time, Flog Gnaw might just rival some of the biggest festivals in world for sheer entertainment in no time at all.
Not sure how to handle the holiday season with a new baby? Follow these savvy tips from the experts at The Bump designed to help parents navigate travel, hosting and more.
Acclaimed Gourmet Hot Dog, Sausage and Burger Concept to Welcome Community to the Haus with Free Hot Dog on Saturday, February 10th
Decatur, IL (RestaurantNews.com) Dog Haus, the celebrated craft casual concept known for its gourmet hot dogs, sausages, burgers and one-of-a-kind creations, will open its next franchise location in Decatur, Illinois on February 10th. Located at 4405 Route 36 East, this will be franchisee Goalz Restaurant Group’s second location with the brand, which was founded in 2010 by Partners Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz, and André Vener to recapture the nostalgic childhood experience of eating a hot dog. To commemorate its arrival in the Decatur area, Goalz Restaurant Group will invite locals to swing by for a free Haus Dog on Saturday, February 10th. Additionally, Goalz is partnering with the Salvation Army Pantry and The Good Samaritan Inn, as well as local schools Eisenhower High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
“We are thrilled to finally be opening Dog Haus in Decatur, and we can’t wait to share the excitement with residents during our Free Haus Dog Day on February 10th,” said David Clark, vice president of operations for Goalz Restaurant Group. “We know that Decatur residents will love Dog Haus because of our top quality delicious tasting food and our passion for giving back to the local community.”
As part of its introduction to the community and its surroundings, guests can stop by from 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 10th to enjoy a free Haus Dog from a selection of Dog Haus’ seven signature hot dog creations featuring signature all beef, hormone- and antibiotic-free dogs with no added nitrates, served up on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. Options include fan favorites like Sooo Cali, with wild arugula, avocado, tomato, and spicy basil aioli; Downtown Dog, featuring a smoked bacon wrapped dog topped with caramelized onions, pickled peppers, mayo, mustard and ketchup; and Chili Idol, an all beef dog topped with haus chili, cheddar cheese sauce and onions.
In addition to Haus Dogs, Dog Haus’ full menu includes gourmet sausages, burgers, corn dogs, a fried chicken sandwich, sides, beer, cocktails and shakes. Sausage favorites include The Fonz, which partners a spicy Italian sausage with pastrami and cheddar cheese sauce; and Das Brat, which features a bratwurst topped with caramelized onions, sauerkraut, and spicy brown mustard. All sausages are nitrate-free and made with hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. Haus Burgers feature 100% genetically tested, humanely raised Black Angus beef using no hormones and no antibiotics – never-ever – in in one-of-a-kind creations like The Freiburger®, with white American cheese, fries, haus slaw, fried egg and mayo; and Holy Aioli, with white American cheese, smoked bacon, caramelized onions and garlic aioli. The Bad Mutha Clucka rounds out the menu offering guests a crispy fried or grilled chicken sandwich served with lettuce, pickles and miso ranch.
Lighter eaters and kids can indulge in smaller-sized portions – the hot dog slider is made with an all beef mini dog, haus made cheddar cheese sauce and smoked bacon; the cheeseburger slider has mayo, white American cheese and just the right amount of caramelized onions; and the corn dog slider features an all beef mini dog dipped in haus made root beer batter. Equal attention is paid to the quality-driven sides, like chili cheese tots or fries with haus made cheddar cheese sauce, haus chili and green onions; and beer-battered onion rings. Save room for dessert and finish off the meal with a salty caramel premium ice cream milkshake or soft serve.
Diners can complement their meals with a can of red or white wine, imbibe from a selection of draft and canned craft beer options or sip on hand-crafted cocktails. Each canned brew will be served in a Dog Haus koozie, a nod to backyard BBQs; alternatively, all those with a classic PBR craving can get their lager fix with a brown paper bag-wrapped can.
The fast-casual concept, designed to elevate the hot dog and burger-eating experience, serves up its quality meals within the contemporary aesthetic of a modern industrial space. After ordering at the counter, diners can grab a barstool at the communal tables, take a bench seat at one of the reclaimed wood and steel tables or step outside to the welcoming patio.
After Free Haus Dog Day, the new restaurant, located at 4405 Route 36 East, will be open for lunch and dinner daily with normal business hours of 10 a.m. until midnight. For more information call (217) 423-3646 or visit http://decatur.doghaus.com/.
About Dog Haus
Dog Haus is a craft casual hot dog concept known for its gourmet hot dogs, sausages, burgers and a one of a kind fried chicken sandwich. Founded by partners Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and André Vener, three friends who share a passion for good food, creativity, quality and commitment to community, the first Dog Haus opened in Pasadena, California in 2010. Dog Haus has garnered critical acclaim and national attention for its signature all beef dogs and hand crafted sausages with no added nitrates, 100% Black Angus beef burgers, and a fried chicken sandwich, all of which are made with hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. All dogs, sausages, burgers and the fried chicken sandwich are served on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. Guests can choose from signature Haus creations or customize their own from a wide array of unique toppings. To chase it down, guests can select great craft beers from a tap list emphasizing local favorites, and they can finish their meals on a sweet note with premium shakes or soft-serve ice cream. Open daily, Dog Haus currently has 27 locations open in 20 states with confirmed expansion of more than 450 franchise locations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming. For up to date location and brand information, visit doghaus.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @DogHausDogs.
About Goalz Restaurant Group
Goalz Restaurant Group was formed by four restaurant industry veterans who had a goal to start and develop their own company that would focus around helping others. Goalz Restaurant Group is currently scheduled to open 265 restaurants over the next few years across ten states, (NC, SC, GA, FL, LA, OH, CO, WY, KY, IL) and has additional plans to grow further.
Contact:
Diana Leadley
Fish Consulting
954-893-9150
dleadley@fish-consulting.com
Ready to catch up on the latest in this week’s mental health news? Great!
This week’s Psychology Around the Net gets you up to speed on new guidelines for managing physical health with a severe mental illness, suggestions on using podcasts to help you sleep, how you can rewire your brain for creativity (but also why pushing creativity isn’t cool), and more.
The Best Podcasts for Falling Asleep: It’s not unusual for many of us to be the proud owners of brains that like to spiral into late-night anxiety when it’s time to go to sleep. Could a good (but not too good!) podcast help? Check out why the answer might be “yes,” some suggestions for podcasts to try, and tips to consider before you hit the hay with your chosen podcast.
WHO Guidelines Address Need for Physical Health Management in Severe Mental Illness: The World Health Organization (WHO) has released evidence-based guidelines to help mental health professionals and adult patients with severe mental health disorders manage the patients’ physical health conditions with recommendations regarding healthy lifestyle behaviors, psychosocial support, and taking into consideration the possible interactions between medications prescribed for mental and physical health conditions.
Panthers’ Hiring of a Mental Health Clinician Is a ‘Game-Changer’: While most National Football League (NFL) teams make available licensed mental health professionals for their players and staff members on a contract basis, the Carolina Panthers have hired Tish Guerin, the first active in-house psychological clinician with an office at the Bank of America Stadium.
Want to Get Happier? Get Out of Your Own Way: Many people don’t realize they’re the ones standing in the way of their own happiness. Here’s how they’re (and possibly you’re) doing that, and what you can do to move out of the way.
9 Ways to Rewire Your Brain for Creativity: Research shows that engaging in creative practices can help reduce stress and improve problem-solving skills; however, some folks believe creativity is something you’re born with and, if you’re not, well, you’re out of luck. That’s just not true. It’s possible to foster creativity, and here are nine ways to do that. (Before you start flexing those new creative muscles, though, you might want to check out the downfalls of practicing creativity simply for the sake of it. Hmm.)
Mental Health Ed Informs Students of Difference Between Stress and Depression: “‘It’s like knowing the difference between a cut finger and cut off finger, [psychiatry professor Stan Kutcher] said in an interview. ‘Kids feel upset and say they’re depressed. Kids have a test, and they say they’re anxious. We have copied the language of pathology to describe normal human behavior, and we now see kids using words of mental health disorders.’”
Congratulations! You have found love again after your peaceful (or not-so-peaceful) divorce from your first spouse. You have decided that you want to live together and blend your lives, just like in your first marriage when you were fairly young. What do you need to know about baby boomers marrying again?
You (and your fiancé) believe marriage is an institution that will support your high level of commitment to each other. You want to do more than just date, or live together without being married. You see your relationship as permanent and wish it to be life-long and supportive throughout old age.
You believe you learned some lessons from your first marriage – both in terms of your choice of a spouse and how you can create a peaceful marriage. You are better prepared to support a marriage through its ups and downs and handle the inevitable conflict that goes along with marriage.
However, there’s a little fly in the ointment. Both you and Mr. Right #2 have children from your previous marriages. They are in high school, college, or are in the process of launching their young adult careers. You both also have assets accumulated during your first marriages – you each have a home, retirement accounts, and other assets. You’re not particularly rich, but you do wonder, what happens if you divorce again. You also may be wondering how to leave a legacy to your children if your marriage stays together, but you die before Husband #2.
Baby Boomers Marrying Again: Here’s Where Pre-Nups Fit In
Most people would like to leave a financial legacy to their children when they die. And many of our grown (and semi-grown) children need some financial help from us while we’re living, both in securing their education and helping them embark on their adult lives. Our parents helped us, and we want to help our children. It’s a natural inclination, and an embodiment of parental love, which is fierce and protective.
But you also have another intention that you want to fulfill – providing security for your new Baby Boomer spouse. You love that person, too, and with love comes a sense of protectiveness.
You are remarrying in your 50s, 60s or even 70s. One of the aims of a “gray” marriage is to support each other as you grow older, enjoy retirement together, and care for each other as you age. This is part of a long-term marriage. Your allegiance and commitment to your new spouse must be very strong in order for a second marriage to succeed. And that includes, in most cases, a financial commitment to your new spouse.
A challenge faced in Baby Boomer second marriages is how to balance the competing interests of our new spouse and our children. We want to support the well-being of our new spouse (who we love), and also to help our children by giving them a financial “leg up” during our lifetime and after our death.
What happens if I die without a prenup?
Most states have laws that protect the interest of a surviving spouse to inherit from his or her deceased spouse. If someone dies without a will (this is called “intestacy”), depending on the state and the family composition, a surviving spouse could obtain from 30% to 100% of the deceased spouse’s probate assets. Non-probate property (such as life insurance and retirement accounts) is distributed in accordance with the account owner’s beneficiary designations.
You can enter into a discussion with your fiancé before the marriage as to what your estate plans would be after each of your deaths. Will your assets be split between your surviving spouse and children? Will the surviving spouse hold some of your property for future distribution to your children?
In all states, a spouse has the right “to elect against the will.” That means, that if that spouse has been disinherited or receives an unreasonably small legacy, that spouse may apply for a statutory share of the deceased spouse’s estate. Depending on the state, this provides a widow or widower somewhere between the income generated from 30% of the estate and 50% of the entire estate outright.
An estate plan that provides a surviving spouse at least what this spousal election against the will or intestacy would provide (if that’s consistent with a spouse’s estate distribution intentions) would be a good way to divide an estate between a person’s (second) spouse and his or her children from a first marriage.
However, sometimes the surviving spouse will need to be supported during his or her lifetime before assets are distributed to the children of the first spouse to die. This can be done by estate planning that includes QTIP trusts, credit shelter trusts, and lifetime interests in real estate. All these possibilities need to be thought out carefully, with the guidance of an estate planning attorney.
The downside of relying on premarital (or post marital) discussions and decisions is that people can change their minds any time before their death. Also, sometimes flexibility is important in estate planning. Things can and should change as events unfold. But people can change their estate plans and beneficiary designations right up until the time they die. Sometimes this can result in a very undesirable surprise.
Then there’s the issue of divorce.
If the second Baby Boomer marriage ends in divorce, there is a full panoply of laws dealing with property division and spousal support. These laws have developed over many years. Their intent is to provide an equitable result based on the facts and circumstances of that particular marriage.
But some Baby Boomers have felt burned by their first divorces, especially if they had the bad luck of having a highly litigated divorce. (There are many better ways to get divorced!)
Where do Prenups fit in?
Prenups can provide certainty on these three issues: what happens if one of the spouses dies during the Baby Boomer marriage, what happens if there is a divorce, and if there is a divorce, how do you avoid litigation? Prenups can also provide ground rules as to how the couple will spend money and support each other financially during the marriage.
In a prenup, children of the first marriage can be protected, while balancing the financial needs of the new spouse. Divorce terms that seem fair and equitable can be included, and even some flexibility can be built in if things change in the future.
If there is a divorce, the method used in the divorce can be specified. It can be an alternative dispute resolution process such as mediation, collaborative law, or arbitration.
Prenups can also set the terms of how the new couple will financially assist their children from their previous marriages. Will there be lifetime gifts made equally to all of them? What if one child needs more help than the other children? What funds should this assistance come out of – previous premarital assets or assets and income earned and accumulated during the marriage?
Prenuptial agreements are not always the magic bullet they are touted to be. Because they are done right before the marriage, they often cause painful conflict between people who love each other at the very time feelings are the most tender. They pit people in opposition with each other, and often under the guidance of attorneys, the result ends up being extremely unsupportive of the financial needs of one of the new spouses, to the stark advantage of the other.
That’s because many attorneys view prenups solely as “asset protection” contract, without thinking about the health of the marriage or the well-being of a less-moneyed Baby Boomer spouse. Remember, showing caring and compassion to each other (even if you are negotiating a prenuptial agreement) bodes well for the health and survival of your new marriage. In fact, caring and compassion for the other is at the core of a successful marriage.
Prenups are generally enforceable, so the terms you have chosen will not be changeable unless you mutually agree on the changes. In this way, people entering into them can have peace of mind as to what will happen during their lives and after their death. But the downside is situations may change, and one of the spouses may be unwilling to change the terms of the prenup when the other spouse feels it’s appropriate to do so.
Remember to play fair.
If you’ve decided to negotiate a prenup, remember to play fair. Show your love of the person you are marrying by providing in the prenup for a soft landing in case your marriage ends in divorce. And as hard as it is (and despite a possible bad experience from your first divorce), remember that divorce laws can be good guidance when formulating terms in a prenup to address a split-up in a fair and compassionate way.
So, congratulations on your Baby Boomer second marriage. You have some choices to make –including whether or not to have a prenup. Also, you may want to have some serious discussions about the terms of your marriage and how you will handle your estates if one of you dies at a time when your marriage is intact. Be sure to get the guidance and information you need to understand the issues involved and how to address them. This will help make things clearer between you and will serve to make your marriage stronger when you tie the knot again.
Each and every regular NFL season plays out like a soap opera. There’s never-ending drama. There are betrayals. There are storyline shifts you could have never seen coming. And if that’s not enough, there’s always football movies on Netflix.
Unlike the Netflix categories of boxing, soccer, and basketball movies, the football category on the streaming service features a few of the most well-known films about the sport. Of course, you won’t find some football classics like Remember the Titans, Rudy, Brian’s Song, or Varsity Blues, there are plenty of other hard-hitting and gut-busting football movies on Netflix to keep you entertained.
The best football movies on Netflix
1) Friday Night Lights
Before the five-season series became a critical (and somewhat cult-like) success, Billy Bob Thornton starred in the 2004 movie version of Friday Night Lights, showcasing what happens in a small Texas town when the high school football team’s best player goes down with an injury. There are all kinds of societal implications with the injury, and it’s up to the football coach to help solve the town’s problems. And yes, it would be his problem if the team isn’t successful. As Roger Ebert wrote, the town is filled with “adults who define themselves in terms of their relationship to the team. These people are obsessed beyond all reason with winning and losing.” It makes a heck of a setting for a football movie.
One of Adam Sandler’s most iconic films—for better or for worse—The Waterboy tells the tale of Bobby Boucher, the man-child who is living his dream of providing water for his college football team. But after he gets fired, he makes a dramatic turn as a hard-hitting player on a different squad. Thoughts on the film are mixed. It’s currently at 35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but in a Daily Dot review of the 12 Adam Sandler movies on Netflix, it ranks No. 2. Either way, it’s probably the most famous football comedy since the Marx Brothers kicked around the pigskin in 1932’s Horse Feathers (which is sadly not available on Netflix).
Showcasing some of the worst attributes of college football fandom, this 2014 documentary explores the atmosphere surrounding the case of Jerry Sandusky, Penn State’s former defensive coordinator who was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse in 2011. Despite the national scorn and disgust the story brought, many in the Penn State community rallied around the football program and legendary coach Joe Paterno, who was implicated by his feigned ignorance of the years-long abuse. This film explores the community’s reaction to the Sandusky nightmare—including from those who are mad that the news was even being discussed. The New Yorker called this film “mesmerizing.”
As the Daily Dot’s Eddie Strait wrote in April 2018, The 4th Company is a movie that’s truly about dramatizing “the institutional corruption of the Mexican prison system.” But football plays an important role in the Netflix original drama. The film is set around Zambrano, a man who’s sent to a Mexican prison for car theft in the late 1970s. He brings his football gear with him to his new home and joins the prison’s football team, Los Perros. Quickly, though, he learns that playing football isn’t the most important aspect of being a Los Perros member. So, is this football movie on Netflix worth watching? As Strait opines, “The 4th Company reaches for a high bar but frequently loses its grip. If you enjoy crime films, this one will scratch your itch until the next one comes along.”
On the opposite plane of a film like Friday Night Lights, which dramatizes a successful football program in a small town, this 2012 documentary tells the story of a historically inept inner-city high school team in Memphis. Before the 2009 season, the Manassas squad, which had been playing for 110 years, had never won a playoff game. It doesn’t matter if you care about football. This film will entertain and inspire you. It follows the path of a volunteer coach and three of the team’s players for a full season. The film—which won an Oscar for best feature documentary—doesn’t focus all of its attention on football. Instead, it shows what football could mean for the future of these teenage boys and how, in reality, it might be all that they ever have.
Pay attention all you Friday Night Lights fans out there. Last Chance U takes a look at the East Mississippi Community College Football team. As the players pursue their NFL dreams, they deal with hardships at EMCC and in their home lives. The show is an intimate, occasionally inspiring look at one of the most unconventional, unrecognized, and effective programs in college football. —Chris Osterndorf
In 1984, NFL running back Ricky Bell, who was the first player selected in the 1977 draft, died after suffering from diseases that affected his skin, muscles, and the tissues that connect them. His talent had been compared to that of O.J. Simpson, but he died at 29 years old in the prime of his career and of his life. This 1991 made-for-TV film, starring Mario Van Peebles, tells Bell’s story and the friendship he struck with a disabled boy. As People wrote, “You’re in for a tearjerker. And as onion dicers go, this is rather unimaginative. But Van Peebles’s completely charming performance and uncommonly good on-field and locker-room footage make this the most moving TV movie about football since James Caan and Billy Dee Williams starred in Brian’s Song.”
More football movies on Netflix
8) Friday Night Tykes
You’ve seen Friday Night Lights, but have you seen Friday Night Tykes? This documentary series—all four seasons are available on Netflix—shows just how young football obsession starts in Texas. You’ll be surprised at just how much pressure these kids face—not just from the coaches but from everyone around them as well.
A new documentary series from Friday Nigth Lights creator Peter Berg, QB1: Beyond the Lights follow three promising high school quarterbacks looking to make it to Division 1 college football. At only 10 episodes long and about 30 minutes a piece, you’ll fly through this series.
Yet another movie about Texas high school football. The difference is that this one doesn’t focus on what happens on the field. It’s about what happens off of it, zeroing in on racial tension in the town and the impact the bad deeds of a few players can have on the whole team.
Imagine if Varsity Blues was a TV show and not a movie. That’s basically Blue Mountain State, a party-fueled sitcom about three freshman: the quarterback, running back, and refreshingly, the mascot. Three seasons are available on Netflix.
From the puff of the powder to the shake of the rattle, this Monochromatic Popping Bottles Baby Shower, is sure to have you dazzled!
Styled by Danisa Betances of ADAL Kreation, out of Brooklyn,NY; this stunning event is “popping” with adorable party ideas you have to see!
Some of which, include;
Monochromatic Balloon Garlands + Installations
Gorgeous Black & White Cakes
Cute Baby Themed Sugar Cookies
Black Sequin Runners
White Floral Centerpieces
Black & White Candlesticks
And adorable sweets with Macaron Bottle Toppers!
#JadaPinkettSmith, her mother, #AdrienneBanfieldNorris, and #WillowSmith had a conversation almost every family or group of friends has had at least once. The conversation regarding black women and white women. They spoke about privilege, experiences and more. Jada and Adrienne recalled…
I grew up in the South — North Carolina to be exact – but I never exactly fit the stereotype of a Southern Belle. From an early age, I owned too much black for that. But I did own my fair share of clothing that could be described as the “southern look”: think floral tops, cowboy boots, belts, flannel shirts, and jean shorts. But, primarily, think above-the-knee printed dresses paired with my previously mentioned cowboy boots to football games and class, with pumps to church and brunch, and with strappy sandals or heels for hanging out with friends. Growing up, I was taught a printed dress was the most versatile and essential piece of clothing, and with the right accessories, it could take you from a tailgate to the theatre.
Slowly, those print dresses were replaced with more structured, solid pieces of clothing, primarily in black. It wasn’t an overnight change. My dorm room closet was filled with print dresses freshman year of college, but by graduation, many of them had been discarded. There was a direct correlation between the number of days left until I moved to New York and the decreasing number of prints in my wardrobe. I still had a few trusty pieces when I moved to my first apartment in Chinatown, but over the last six years and moves to apartments further and further uptown, they were replaced by solid color dresses in black, grey, navy, pink, red, and burgundy.
There were a few reasons for this: I felt like I needed to look “adult,” and somewhere along the way decided that meant leaving prints behind. I think I wanted to stop associating myself with where I was from. I was also buying into the lie that curvy women are told, that wearing prints will make them look larger. (Plus-size women, to reiterate, this is a LIE. Everyone looks good in prints, and they come in so many different iterations.)
By my mid-20s, getting dressed wasn’t fun anymore. I didn’t feel like myself every morning — until I remembered the potential power of the right pieces of clothing. I wasn’t taking risks, and my closet didn’t really reflect me. This is when I started embracing being plus-size and finding clothing that really worked for me instead of wearing whatever I could fit in from regular stores. I integrated colors and different cuts back into my repertoire and started to find my fashion identity again. I still didn’t buy any prints.
Why? Back then, I had a rigid idea of what an adult that had it all figured out looked like— and I never saw myself wearing prints in that fantasy future. Yet, I was surrounded by “adults” (honestly, the older I get, the less sure I am what that word means) who not only wore prints but dominated in them daily. In fact, most of the stylish and very accomplished women in my life wear prints regularly. Refinery29’s Global-Editor-in-Chief and co-founder, Christene Barberich, has a collection of beautiful printed dresses that I covet. Our Senior Feature Writer, Connie Wang, has one of the most eccentric and cool collections of prints I’ve ever seen. She is the antithesis to prints being paired with pearls and cowboy boots to football games. And, then there’s my mom, one of the most stylish and creative people I know, who has a distinct look full of abstract prints in teals and purples. Any piece of her clothing could be framed and hung on a beach house wall – ironic, since she’s not a beach person.
My mom desperately wanted me to wear prints. Every joint shopping trip, she would pick out some printed tops and tell me how great they’d look on me. She would send me texts with printed skirts and ask me if I liked them. In person, I looked at her like she was crazy and shook my head. I ignored her texts altogether. I love my mom. She’s one of my favorite people on the planet, and undoubtedly my biggest cheerleader, but I didn’t understand her obsession with dressing me in prints.
My late 20s have been both wonderful and horrible. I grew up more between the ages of 26 and 28 then I did all of my early 20s. Somewhere between the death of two close friends, the 2016 election, making my first big purchases without parental help, and climbing the corporate ladder, I experienced the moment that arguably makes you an adult: the realization that there is no such thing as an adult who has it all figured out. Every adult guesses and hopes it works. Every adult goes to sleep at night knowing they didn’t complete half of their to-do list. Every adult wakes up in the morning and just tries to do their best.
That realization is lonely. It made me appreciate the adults in my life more — especially my mom. It’s impressive, truly, that parents are able to convince their kids they know what’s going on all the time. Or ever, really. It was after this moment of recognition that, I finally reached for a print again. I was home with my mom shopping, having just returned from a funeral, and she picked out a floral to show me. It wasn’t a floral that you would imagine on grandma’s sofa, but a big, demanding floral on a black background. This time, finally, I said yes.
At the time, I thought I said yes because I wanted to make my mom happy. Because it felt like home and security. In mourning, I needed nostalgia. But, soon thereafter, I bought more. I bought printed tops, skirts, and dresses. They weren’t the same prints of my childhood — think less Lilly Pulitzer and more stripes, polka dots, grids, and florals on black or dark backgrounds. Prints that I paired with pencil skirts, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots.
Recently, I had a big presentation at work and I wasn’t sure what to wear. After rejecting three or four outfits and running out of time before I needed to start my commute, I heard a voice — my overly confident 16-year-old self, to be honest — saying “wear a printed dress, it works for any occasion.” It worked.
No, I’m not the fantasy adult I once envisioned. I will always be a combination of where I came from (florals, included), I will always be my mother’s daughter, and I will probably always be working toward the idea of “adult” I have in my head. Honestly, adulthood is messier than I thought it would be, but I wake up in the morning determined to do the best I can. In prints.
Welcome to MyIdentity. The road to owning your identity is rarely easy. In this yearlong program, we will celebrate that journey and explore how the choices we make on the outside reflect what we’re feeling on the inside — and the important role fashion and beauty play in helping people find and express who they are.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Get active while you work on ABC skills with your preschooler. Try this fun spin to find the letter, then swat it with a fly swatter!
I’ve been working a lot on letters with George lately. He’s getting them down pretty good.
I’m just reinforcing what he already knows and building his confidence that he does know what the letters are!
This activity was inspired by an iPad app for young kids called KneeBouncers. It has all different areas of learning, but we focused on learning letters.
You choose whatever letter to work on and there are several games to play for each letter. They’re all the same concept, just with different letters.
It’s great repetition for young kids.
The Flowery letter game on KneeBouncers is about picking the flower that has the letter — whatever it is that they’re working on. It’s one of our favorites!
Find the Letter & Swat It! Active Way for Learning Letters!
I set up this find the letter and swat it game around the same concept, just with lots of physical activity. I thought it was a fun way to bring his on-screen fun into the real world!
I drew a bunch of circles on a piece of butcher paper (affiliate link) that I taped to the table. I just traced around an old cottage cheese container with Sharpie markers.
I purposely used several different colors to add helpful hints in the game later on, but it created another aspect of the game I wasn’t expecting.
In each circle, I wrote a random letter. I didn’t have enough room for 26 circles, so I just chose the letters that I knew George was already familiar with.
I picked those letter so that he would feel confident.
Halloween costs can add up: decorations, costumes, candy and more! Here are some fun and easy tricks to save money this Halloween, while still enjoying the holiday to the fullest.
Easy tricks to save you money this Halloween
Candy coupons or sales
Check out if any local grocery stores have coupons or sales on candy. You can do this either by popping into the store or scouring their online coupons.
Costumes
Consider doing a DIY costume with things you already have around the house. Another money-saving option is to do a costume swap with a friend (same can be done with the kid’s costumes). Or, if you have kids, consider going to a thrift shop and giving them each $10 to create their own costumes.
DIY décor
There are so many cute and creative ways to decorate without breaking the bank. Pinterest always has great DIY ideas for décor, as well as many other blogs and online DIY sites. Do some research and get creative. This can be especially fun if you involve your kids or grandkids in the process.
Timing
Consider buying costumes and decorations off season. You can do this by either buying everything last minute, or right after Halloween ends for next year.
Free local events
Community centres and libraries will often have information about free, family-friendly events during Halloween. Also, consider checking out the “events” section of Facebook to find free or low cost events in your area.
Create free or affordable traditions
Not every tradition has to cost money. Help save yourself money by coming up with fun and memorable traditions that cost little to no money. For example: go for a nice long walk or hike every year, carve pumpkins and bake the seeds, watch a spooky movie at home, help the kids put on a Halloween themed play, and make decorations together.
Invest in items that can be re-purposed
If you do decide to spend money on something for Halloween, try to think of ways it can be re-purposed. For example, a pumpkin serving plate that can be used for Thanksgiving as well. Or consider buying costume pieces that can be used year after year for different costumes (like a wig or cape).
If you think we missed any awesome money-saving tips for Halloween, be sure to share them in the comments section!
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We knew there was a way to make healthy Cheese balls for kids by adding spinach, and they turned out amazing!
Parents seem to be split with the idea of hiding vegetables. Some think it’s a terrible idea and we should let the kids see all the veggies they are eating. Others think it’s a great idea, because it enhances the health of the dish, usually in a natural way. We already don’t “see” everything in our food as it is. Our cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, yet we embrace it. I am in the second camp. I think it’s great. It doesn’t mean hidden veggies need to replace eating vegetables that the kids can see. Instead we include veggies both ways- hidden and exposed.
So, with that set up I wanted to share the veggies we added to these AMAZING CHEESE BALLS!! Potatoes and spinach!
Why potatoes are a great ingredient for your kids
Potatoes have lots of amazing nutrients that can not be denied. Potatoes
An excellent source of vitamin C (at 45% of the Daily value, it’s more than a sweet potato!)
A good source of potassium. With 620 mg, potatoes have more potassium than a banana.
A good source of vitamin B6 : Vitamin B6 is important for carb and protein metabolism.
Fat-, sodium, and cholesterol free and 2 grams of fiber.
Why spinach is good for kids:
Spinach is actually well accepted by most kids. It’s flavor is mild, and it blends well with many different types of dishes that kids are already familiar with. Green smoothies have been a key way that many parents have gotten their kids to consume spinach. But recipes like these cheese balls are also great! Some reasons we love spinach include:
Spinach contains almost 92% water, 3.5% carbs (mostly from fiber) and 3% protein. (source)
Spinach is also a good source of many vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K1, Folic acid, Iron, and Calcium.
Other Spinach recipes we have that kids also love include:
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… this baby smell though?! Heaven,” Union captioned the Instagram, which shows her gently kissing the newborn’s head.
When I wake up in the mornin’ love And the sunlight hurts my eyes And there’s something without warning, love Bears heavy on my mind Then I look at you And the world’s alright with me Just one look at you And I know its gonna be A lovely day A lovely day 
A LOVELY DAY 
by @awesomeedd
Tell us about your research.
And you’ve observed how the sexes encounter one another through dance here in the U.S.
You’ve also researched and written about exotic dance and have served as an expert witness for more than 140 cases on trial across the country since 1995. Why is this important?
Your most recent book is Dancing to Learn: The Brain’s Cognition, Emotion and Movement. What can you share with us about it?
If your kid is anything like mine, they’re completely obsessed with all things LOL Surprise!
Decatur, IL (
