Tips

Your 100 Item Spring Cleaning Checklist is Here!

Posted on February 19, 2017

Spring is coming and very soon it will be time to start thinking of doing a thorough and comprehensive cleaning and overhaul of the family home. Spring Cleaning is a time to start fresh and get rid of all the accumulated dust, grime and dirt from everyone being crammed indoors.

A little while ago the Imperfect Homemaking blog came up with a pretty thorough list of over 100 tasks including some of these below to guide your cleaning:

FOYER

1. Dust lighting fixtures.

2. Wash walls and trim

3. Wash doors, knobs and switch plates.

4. Wash bench or other furnishings. Launder bench cushion, if applicable.

5. Empty out coat closet. Wash walls and floor, if needed. Sort items as you return them to the closet. 6. 6. Store out of season items, donate unneeded items.

7. Clean or replace entry mat.

8. Sweep and scrub floors.

9. Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

BEDROOMS

11. Open windows

12. Dust furniture.

13. For each drawer: remove items, wash drawer, place items back neatly. Donate Items you no longer need.

14. Remove everything from closets. Sweep and wash closet floor. Put everything back neatly. Donate items you no longer need. Try not to store things on closet floor.

15. Move Bed. Sort and put away anything that was under bed. Sweep or vacuum under bed. Try not to store things under bed.

16. Put bed back. Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up.

17. Launder bedding and curtains. Wash pillows and duvet in hot water. Air out mattress pad, if you have one.

18. Dust lights. Clean lamp shades.

19. Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.

20. Wash switch plates. Wash walls and trim as needed.

21. Wash mirrors or dust art.

22. Wash doors and doorknobs.

23. Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

24. Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

BATHROOMS

25. Open windows

26. Empty all cabinets and vanity. Wash inside, replace items neatly. Discard expired medications and cosmetics.

27. Wash outside of cabinets and vanities

28. Clean tub. Wax if necessary. Clean drain.

29. Clean toilet, inside and out. Remove seat and clean around seat bolts.

30. Clean sink and drain.

31. Shine faucets.

32. Clean mirror and frame .

33. Dust light fixtures.

34. Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.

35. Wash switch plates. wash walls and trim. Wash doors and door knobs.

36. Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

37. Sweep and wash floors.

38. Reseal grout lines if necessary.

KITCHEN

39. Open windows.

40. Remove and clean window coverings. Click here for instructions on cleaning mini blinds.

41. For each cabinet or drawer: Remove items, wipe out drawer, place items back neatly. Donate unneeded items.

42. Wash and sanitize cutting boards

43. Sharpen knives

44. Wash cabinet doors and knobs

45. Clean and organize pantry. Check food expiry dates.

46. Clean oven.

47. Clean stove top. Remove elements and drip bowls, if applicable, wash and put back.

48. Clean and organize fridge and freezer. Defrost freezer, if necessary. Check food expiry dates.

49. Clean under fridge and stove.

50. Vacuum refrigerator coils.

Continue READING and get the rest of the list for other areas of the home at Imperfect Homemaking and download a PRINTABLE LIST HERE!

Happy Cleaning!

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Celebrity

So Zoe Saldana Low Key Just Had Another Baby

Posted on February 18, 2017

Zoe Saldana is definitely up there in terms of one of the most private celebs. Like she low-key had another baby and only just announced the news this morning on her Instagram.

“Marco and I are elated to share the news of the birth of our son Zen. We couldn’t feel more blessed with the new addition to our family. #threeboys… oh boy!” the Guardians of the Galaxy star captioned a photo of her twin boys Cy and Bowie hovering over their little brother.

No one ever saw her pregnant but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t.

This week, she appeared at the launch of her Confidential magazine winter issue cover photo at 3033 Wilshire on Thursday, February 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

She wore a long black dress which could be shielding her post partum bump.

And last month, there was virtually no belly at all evidenced by the white long sleeve sweater and white skirt she wore to the Los Angeles premiere of her latest project Live By Night at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, CA on January 9, 2017. That film opened on January 13.

It could be that the baby was born a while ago and she is only just announcing it today or the baby arrived via gestational surrogate or adoption. No news yet.

Saldana and her husband Marc Perego welcomed the twins on November 27, 2014 but didn’t announce the news until a couple of months later. And while the Avatar star frequently shares photos of her boys on her Instagram account, she has never shown their faces.

She may be the Queen of Low Key.

photo: Getty

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People Have Been Adopting Leftover Frozen In Vitro Embryos; and Bringing Them to Life

Posted on February 18, 2017

There are now well over one million embryos frozen in storage in the United States, many left over by people who have completed their families through IVF. Rather than discarding the frozen embryos or donating them to science, many families are now choosing to put their embryos up for adoption to give them a chance at life.

Embryo adoption is the newest nationwide trend in adoption and is gaining a lot of popularity. In fact, the 500^th baby was born last month to a loving and adoptive family as part of the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption program. This program allows couple to adopt embryos, some of which have been frozen for more than a decade, to become healthy, happy babies and children!

Couples who have used donated embryos to achieve pregnancy have learned that genetics really don’t matter at all, says Kimberly Tyson, director of the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption program. What matters is they experienced what it was like to be pregnant and give birth to their child, the child they adopted just nine months earlier than ‘normal’.

The babies born this unique and special way to their adoptive parents are known as “Snowflake Babies“. The Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program is celebrating its 20th anniversary since being first established in 1997 as the first program of its kind in the world.

Since that time, more than 1,400 babies have been born to families following an embryo adoption model. Working with fertility clinics, the program allows couples to place their remaining embryos from their in vitro fertilization treatment with a family of their choice, just like with traditional adoption of a live child.

The difference is actually a bonus: the woman who gives birth to this non-genetic child is declared the legal mother of the child on the birth certificate and the man to whom she is married is declared the father. No court finalizations are necessary to affirm parentage, as with adoption.

There is a higher cost than simple frozen embryo transfer at a clinic.

“That’s because the adoption agency is providing both families with security of the placement,” Tyson declares. “The agency is encouraging an open relationship between two families who are both parenting full genetic siblings. The agency is helping the right two families connect with one another. No secrecy.”

Many embryo adoption organizations have embryos waiting for families to adopt them, she adds. “Families placing their embryos for adoption are attracted to the fact they can have some control regarding who receives their embryo gift.”

If you are interested in learning more about embryo adoption visit www.embryoadoption.org or www.snowflakes.org.

Editor’s note: In vitro fertilization, surrogacy and other artificial means of impregnating a woman who eventually gives birth to a human child are excellent ways for couples struggling to have a baby achieve their dream.

However, these processes are also controversial for Catholics, pro-lifers, like myself, and others who struggle over the fact that fertilized eggs that would otherwise develop into a human child, but are leftover or unwanted are destroyed every year.

Embryo adoption provides some comfort in knowing that the leftover eggs are saved and donated to other couples who cannot conceive on their own; or women who want a baby but are without a partner. Bravo!

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Celebrity

Bristol Palin is Close to Being Mom to Another Baby

Posted on February 18, 2017

Bristol Palin may have kept her baby bump hidden on social media throughout most of her pregnancy, but the expectant mom proudly showed off her growing stomach on Thursday in celebration of her final trimester.

The 26-year-old, who is about seven months pregnant, took to Instagram this afternoon to share a photo of herself flaunting her baby bump in a long black top.

‘Last trimester!’ she captioned the selfie, which sees her posing in front of a mirror in her Alaska home.

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NYFW: We Re-imagined The 2017 Trends for Preginistas

Posted on February 17, 2017

Another New York Fashion Week has just wrapped and we noticed tons of new trends for the upcoming seasons.

White shirt dresses, shoulder cutouts, banker pin stripes, the color yellow, khaki and sleeve slits reigned supreme. There were fold-over tops, cinched waists, trenchoats and even terry cloth robes spotted on the runways at some of the top designers.

Moms-to-be, women trying to conceive and those who are already heavily pregnant do not have to count themselves out on the trendy looks either. In this modern era, various lines and designers are being creative with releasing re-imagined and modified version of today’s hip trends. Alternatively, a preginista can incorporate a trend in her accessories or choice of color or print! They can have it their way.

Below is our pick of how to remix the White Shirt Dress trend, khaki, shoulder cut outs, pin stripes and yellow! Get inspired!

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BumpNews

This Brit Ex-Model is Getting Roasted for Emulating Beyoncé’s Pregnancy Announcement

Posted on February 17, 2017

Brit former model Daniele Lloyd didn’t expect her OK! Magazine cover shoot that emulated Beyoncé’s twin pregnancy announcement to net so much backlash, but it did.

Last week, the mom-to-three boys with ex footballer husband Jamie O’Hara announced that she and her electrician fiancé Michael O’Neill were expecting their first child together.

‘So it’s official Am expecting a baby. I loved this Beyoncé inspired shoot with @ok_mag #pregnant #baby #excited,” she captioned an Instagram version of the cover photo.

The TV personality said inside the magazine that she was 16 weeks along and did not yet know the sex of her baby. She is mom to sons, 6-year old Archie, 5-year old Harry and 3-year old George. .

Posing in nothing but a burgundy bra and satin briefs, the former beauty queen appeared to align herself with the Crazy In Love crooner as she revealed her growing bump for the first time.

Committing wholly to the imitation, she then draped the iconic green veil also sported by Beyoncé across her tumbling brown hair as she flashed an excited smile at the camera.

Afterwards, online trolls and Beyhive members stung her with harsh criticism over the copy move, while others gave their congratulations and called the copy move creative.

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BumpNews

Study: Women Who Don’t Take their Husband’s Last Name Seen as Less Committed to Marriage

Posted on February 17, 2017

Women who elect to not take their husband’s last name after getting married are still seen as uncommitted to the marriage and would be blamed during a divorce, a recent study showed. That was the attitude mainly among the lesser educated men surveyed in a recent report.

However, that contradicts with an even more recent study published in Gender Issues which found that most Americans don’t think women who take their husbands’ last names are any more committed to their husbands than women who do not, nor do they hold women with their own surnames to a different standard.

This newer study builds on existing research around perceptions of surname choice for women. A survey conducted in 2006 found that 50% of Americans think women should be legally obligated to take their husbands’ last names, and 70% said it would be better if a woman changed her name.

“Women have made a lot of inroads in terms of employment, but what is more stalled in terms of gender inequality is in terms of what goes on in the home,” said Emily Fitzgibbons Shafer, the study’s author.

In one survey, conducted in 2010, presented respondents with a fictitious scenario: Carol has spent extra time in the office working toward a promotion while her husband, Bill Cook, is having to do more around the house. Respondents were then randomly assigned to situations where Carol took Bill’s last name, kept her maiden name, Sherman, or hyphenated to Sherman-Cook.

The survey asked how committed Carol was to her husband, how many days each week Bill should be OK with Carol working late and how justified Bill would be in divorcing Carol. On all three questions, Shafer found that almost all respondents did not think differently of the woman regardless of surname choice. Yet men with low education did think that Carol was less committed if she kept her name and that Bill would be more justified in divorcing her.

Shafer said she included information about Carol’s job as a way to eliminate bias for people who may think they were supposed to say that they do not care whether the woman changed

The results show that women may still get push back in their personal lives once they are seen as putting themselves before their marriage or their family, Shafer said. While people may not judge a woman who keeps her surname, they might have strong opinions as to what is best for a woman, Shafer added.

While Shafer’s overall findings indicate these perceptions around surname are changing somewhat, she still thinks the issue is here to stay, a USA Today report on the study surmised.

“Surname choice is one of those things that has really stuck,” she said. “The changes in women’s personal lives are behind those in their professional lives.”

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BumpNews

Beyoncé Bumped it Up at Sis Solange’s Post-Grammy Party

Posted on February 17, 2017

There’s nothing better than an intimate party to celebrate a Grammy win!

Solange Knowles won her first Grammy ever for her song “Cranes in The Sky” and got to toast it up at a post-Grammy party she hosted a post-award show party in a private residence near Los Angeles, California.

Among the guests that attended the party Solange co-hosted with her husband Alan Ferguson was her expecting sister Beyonce in a white gown with a plunging neckline and deep split.

Other guests included another one of our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums, Kelly Rowland, Tracee Ellis Ross and Janelle Monáe.

“There were lot of A-list stars in attendance, a source told E! “Beyoncé was sitting down in a beautiful white long dress, and Jay Z stood by her side, head bobbing to the music. Solange was very hospitable and chatted with all her guests.”

The source said that Bey spent most of the night sitting down but was kind and gracious to everyone who came up to her.

Bey and her husband Jay-Z are expecting their second and third child, a pair of twin. They are parents to 5-year old daughter Blue Ivy, who they welcomed on January 7, 2012.

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BumpNews

10 Sledding Safety Tips For Kids

Posted on February 16, 2017

Nothing says winter quite like a pile of snow, a child all bundled up, and a sled. Unfortunately, the Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that there are about 46,000 sledding injuries that are seen in emergency rooms each year, most of which include children under the age of 15 who suffer a head injury. Thankfully, there are some simple tips that you can follow to help avoid an emergency room visit this winter.

Wear a helmet – We have kids wear helmets while biking and skiing, so it makes sense to also have them wear one while sledding. Wearing a helmet will help prevent head injuries in the unfortunate event of an accident while sledding.
Always sled sitting up – Adults should instruct children to sled sitting up and with their feet facing forward. This will allow the child to see where they are going and be more in control of the sled while going downhill.
Choose a safe location – Choose a hill that is appropriate for the children who are doing the sledding. It should be free of obstacles such as trees, open water, and roads. Make sure that the hill mn’t too steep or large for the children who are participating.
Make sure the sled is safe to use – The sled should have no cracks or other signs of wear and should have handles that children can hold.
Never ride on a sled pulled by a car or snowmobile – Teach children to never ride on a sled that is being pulled by a car or snowmobile, as the injuries that can be sustained by doing so can be severe and even fatal.
Dress in layers – It’s important to dress for the weather. Staying warm is an essential part of participating in outdoor winter activities, and you should have your child dress in layers so that they may be taken off and added back on as necessary. If you are sledding in a highly populated area, it is wise to also dress children in bright colors so that they are visible at all times.
Know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite – Be vigilant about checking on kids for weather related illnesses. Children don’t always recognize that they are getting too cold or thattheir skin is too exposed for the conditions outside, so it’s your job to make sure that they are well protected.
Be aware of the weather – Be aware of the air temperature outside, as well as the wind-chill factor, and set time limits based on this information.
Make sure an adult is present when sledding – Always have an adult present while sledding. They can help children make good decisions about sledding and be there (with a cell phone) in case of an emergency.
Instruct children how to safely sled – If they fall off the sled while sledding, instruct them to roll to the side and get out of the way of the led. If they find themselves on an out-of-control sled, they should roll off to the side to safety. Children should observe the hill before beginning their descent to make sure that the path is free of any obstacles, including other children who are sledding.

Sledding is often part of fond memories of childhood and winter days. Safe sledding will ensure that those days are filled with hours of fun and not hours spent in the local hospital emergency room.

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BumpNews

President’s Day: DC Area Kids Can See Pres Obama and/or Trump this Monday FREE!

Posted on February 16, 2017

If you live in the Washington, DC area, for President’s day this year, you can take your kid to meet President Donald Trump inside the White House Rose Garden and/or the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama and other notable African American figures including Frederick Douglass.

Famed wax figures museum Madame Tussauds will allow guests to travel through time in chronology, embarking on a historical journey interacting with everyone from Washington to Trump. The museum includes an exhibit of the new Rose Garden along with a replica of the President’s military helicopter, Marine One.

While there is a modest cost to enter the museum, for FREE this Monday, February 20 for all students who have the day off, they can head to the Kennedy Recreation Center on 7th Street beginning at 11am. Marion Barry, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and other historic figures will be on display along with activities and giveaways from Madame Tussauds.

Also, from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm, students from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (who’ve traveled the nation with their “Blacks in Wax” show) will bring the figures to life as they portray these iconic legends. This is a phenomenal opportunity for students, children, youth, adults, families and visitors to learn about African American history in a fun, instructive, interactive way.

The event is part of a partnership with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation as they celebrate ‘Black History Month’.

For more information visit: madametussauds.com/washington-dc/en/news/news/celebrate-black-history-month-at-madame-tussauds/

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Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt