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Youth Sports Safety Month: 6 Kids’ Sports Safety Tips

Posted on April 27, 2014

April is Youth Sports Safety Month. Sports can have a tremendously positive impact on kids’

lives. A positive experience in sports

can benefit a child not only physically, but socially and emotionally. Sadly our current youth sports system is

leading to a number of preventable injuries.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 3.5 million children under 14

receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. When it comes to high school athletes, they

are clocking in 2 million injuries a year.

Keep your young athlete safe, healthy and happy with these top six youth sports safety tips tips from the experts at personal coaching company, CoachUp

1. Health, Sleep and Nutrition. Set your child up for a long, healthy career

in sports by making sure they are eating a balanced diet and are sleeping

regularly. Always have your child’s

annual physical up-to-date and be diligent with following up on their doctor’s

orders, especially for children with conditions like diabetes. Never hesitate to bring your child to their

doctor if they are experience pain or feeling ill.

2. Concussion and TBI Awareness. Make sure both you and your athlete are aware

of the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries, as well as, the long term impacts

of such an injury. When in doubt, refer

to the guidelines outlined by the CDC and remember to bring your child to a

medical professional immediately if you suspect your child might have sustained

a TBI.

3. Hydration and Heat Related Illness Awareness. Your child

should always be properly hydrated before participating in any physical

activity. Especially if your child’s sport is rigorous or performed in elevated

temperatures, both you and your athlete should be aware of the symptoms of heat

related illnesses such heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

4. Strength, Conditioning and Flexibility Programs. Particularly for middle to high school

athletes, a well-rounded training program is vital for preventing common

overuse injuries. Your athlete should be diligent about following the strength

and conditioning, and flexibility programs their coach prescribes. Your athlete

might need some extra support with regard accommodations for existing

conditions or injuries or just reviewing proper form, so consider enlisting the

help for a private to work more closely with your child.

5. Sports Performance Stress Management. As your athlete begins to compete they will

become introduced to the stresses of sports performance. You can help your athlete by making your home

a stress-free environment and offering your emotional support. If you think your child is becoming unhealthy

stressed, address the problem with their coach to determine the next best steps

to reduce their anxiety.

6. Rest. Never underestimate the power of rest, whether

that is a nap, a day off from practice

or a short term break from the sport. Burnout is a very common problem with

young athletes so it is important to

foster a nurturing relationship with your athlete so they feel comfortable

approaching you if they need a break.

Following these tips will help ensure that your athlete will

have a long-lasting career and positive experience in sports for years to come.

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US Weekly accused of photoshopping Prince George

Posted on April 26, 2014

Gossip magazine US Weekly is under fire for “allegedly” altering a photo of Prince George.

As Page Six noted, George, son to Kate Middleton and Prince William, appeared paler and less rosy than depicted on the cover of the mag this week. His eyes also appeared slightly greener as well in the mag.

The editors denied it.

“The original image used for the Prince George cover was dark and bluish in tone and needed to be given an overall color shift for printing purposes,” a spokesperson for US Weekly stated. “By no means did we go in and alter the color of his eyes or cheeks in this process.”

What do you think?

It wouldn’t be the first time a magazine has edited a baby’s complexion and look, if true.

British mag OK! looked to have done the opposite. A photo of Kourtney Kardashian and her son Mason appeared as if Mason had been lightened.

KourtneyK addressed the cover photo, but to object to the way the mag photoshopped her to be thinner. Editors also photoshopped color of her top.

In reply, Kardashian tweeted, “One of those weeklies got it wrong again…they didn’t have an exclusive with me. And I gained 40 pounds while pregs, not 26…But thanks.”

It’s the type of distortion that causes women to think they should be a certain weight immediately after having a baby.

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‘Snooki and JWoww’ gets renewed for third season

Posted on April 26, 2014

Congrats to moms-to-be Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and her pal Jennifer “JWoww” Farley on the news that their MTV show Snooki and JWoww got renewed for a third season.

They announced the news via Twitter after the network’s upfronts this week.

You could barely see a bump on either ladies. Snooki is still early in her pregnancy and JWoww wore a draped top that scrunched in the middle.

Snooki announced earlier this month that she and fiance Jionni Valle are expecting their second child. JWoww revealed her news last December.

Congrats!

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6 ways to budget for having children

Posted on April 26, 2014

There’s an old adage that says if you wait to have children until you can afford them, you’ll never have them. While it’s true that raising kids in today’s world costs a pretty penny, it’s also true that making some budget cuts and reallocating funds can make it possible to survive without breaking the bank. If you’re thinking about making your first addition to the family or have recently learned about a surprise bundle of joy, here are a few tips that can help you save money on the earliest baby expenses.

1. Take Your Income Changes into Consideration

Before you can make a budget for your household that includes room for a new addition, you’ll have to figure out exactly what you’re working with as far as money goes. If one parent will be staying home after the birth of a child, Mom will be losing a bit of her earning power during maternity leave or someone will be taking on a second job, you’ll need to factor those things into your new budget. The first step to making your new budget baby-friendly is to determine where you stand and how the changes that a baby will bring to your lifestyle will affect your income after she’s born.

2. Consider the Basics

You can’t leave the hospital with your new baby unless you have a suitable car seat installed, and you can’t keep her warm if you don’t have clothes. You may be surprised to realize just how many of the other “must-have” baby items can wait for a while, or even be skipped altogether. When every penny counts, you may find that it’s more cost-effective and convenient to keep Baby in her own bassinet in the master bedroom for a few months before springing for an expensive, full-sized crib. Opting for cloth diapers over those of the disposable variety may also save you a bit of money in the long run, especially if you wash them yourself rather than sending them out to a diaper service. Formula can be expensive, but breastfeeding is essentially free. Look at all of the “essential” basics with a critical eye, determining what can be safely purchased more frugally.

3. Work Out a Childcare Plan

In some cases, forgoing daycare in favor of having one parent stay home with a new baby can be less damaging to the family budget than having two working parents. Other times, a private nanny is more cost-effective than center-based care. In order to determine what the best course of action is for your family so that you can budget accordingly, you’ll need to take a critical look at your finances and the costs of each option.

4. Explore Your Health Insurance Options

According to CostHelper.com, a birth in a hospital setting can cost the average uninsured family between $5,000 and $20,000. One of the most important steps that a couple considering the addition of their first baby to the family can take is the acquisition of quality healthcare coverage. If you’re still in the family planning stages, it’s wise to start shopping for the best coverage now.

5. Remember the Unseen Expenses

You know that you’ll need diapers, clothes and plenty of gear to navigate modern parenthood, but you may not be taking the less obvious expenses into consideration. Obtaining or increasing the pay-out levels of parental life insurance policies and the legal expenses associated with estate planning and will creation can be expenses that add up quickly, too.

6. Eliminate Non-Essential Spending

Cash-strapped young couples that are starting their family may be surprised by how much money they can save by cutting out the non-essential spending on small items each day. Try dropping an expensive coffee habit, packing a lunch instead of buying it and dropping some little luxury items from the monthly budget. Those “little things” can add up in a big way over time and can help you save up more money for the expansion of your family.

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Celebrity Infertility, Gestational Surrogacy and the Vanity Stigma

Posted on April 26, 2014

Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick, their then 7-year old son James and twins Marion & Tabitha Broderick delivered via gestational surrogate in June 2009.

Within the past year, Jimmy Fallon and his wife, MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, The View host comedienne Sherri Shepherd, veteran songwriter and former American Idol Kara DioGuardi all openly shared that they were blessed with babies using a gestational carrier.

Different women have varying reasons for choosing this method to give birth but most are health related. Celebrity women are no different.

Like DioGuardi E! Entertainment hostess Giuliana Rancic suffered through infertility, several failed in vitro fertilization attempts and at least one miscarriage before opting on a gestational carrier. The surrogate pregnancy of their son Edward Duke was the subject of her Style channel reality TV show Giuliana and Bill.

Camille Grammer, the ex wife of Kelsey Grammer and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reality TV star reportedly suffers from irritable bowel syndrome which prevented her from being able to carry her own kids and forcing her to bring her two children, Mason and Olivia, into this world via a carrier.

Elizabeth Banks’ two kids were birthed via gestational surrogate. Her recent child was just birthed last November.

And before Nicole Kidman finally settled on a carrier given her advanced maternal age, she had two miscarriages trying to conceive the traditional way.

After having her first child “naturally”, Sarah Jessica Parker struggled to conceive again and turned to surrogacy to deliver her twin girls in 2009.

After 7 years of failed attempts to conceive, actress Angela Bassett and husband Courtney Vance welcomed twins Brownyn and Slater in 2006.

Irrespective of the reasons, there remains a stigma and unspoken presumption among many that women who conceive this way are trying to save their bodies from the stretching out, pigmentation and other trauma and stresses of carrying a child, including excessive weight gain in some cases. Camille Grammer‘s co-stars reportedly went on record saying that was her true reason for not having her babies through conventional methods.

Former cast member Adrienne Maloof was under a similar controversy after castmate Brandi Granville revealed during a dinner party that was taped for airing on the Bravo TV show that Maloof’s two children were born via a carrier. Apparently, Maloof had previously spoken about actually carrying her babies herself. I don’t know if this is true. Don’t sue me, Adrienne. Read this post from Tamara Tattles which covers it well.

It’s a tough route to go especially considering that no matter how you explain your reasons for using a carrier, there will always be a cloud of suspicion that they were truly for vanity sake.

And when a star does admit that she is afraid of the effects pregnancy would have on her body, she is harshly criticized over it.

Biggest Loser star Jillian Michaels got a lot of heat and flak after saying that she had decided to adopt a child rather than try to get pregnant because she worked too hard to have the body she has and was not willing to let pregnancy ruin it.

The New York Times has a wonderful, but a bit lengthy, piece, “Her Body, My Baby” written by a woman who welcomed a child via a surrogate. It’s a worthwhile read for anyone thinking of going that road to have a child.

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How to Get and Maintain Ombre Hair this Summer

Posted on April 25, 2014

Whether you dig it or not, Ombre hair is still to stay. The hair coloring style trend, which features gradually lightened hair from root to tip, has been seen on many celebs, on runways and in fashion mags.

Our partners at Glamazon have tips on how to maintenance Ombre hair if you dare go this fun, yet slightly high-maintenance, route this Spring or Summer:

While ombre hair isn’t as high maintenance or as tough on your roots as dying all of your hair a single hue, you still need to treat your tresses with TLC. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to help you keep your ombre hair looking fab at all times.

Do…Deep Condition and Keep Hair Moisturized

Just because all of your hair wasn’t dyed, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take heed to the fact that a portion of your hair has been processed and needs care. Since ombre hair usually entails going from dark to light, the use of bleach or other chemicals will probably be used. You should deep condition hair at least once a week to keep the color looking fresh and to keep hair shiny and strong. Breakage is definitely no bueno!

Do…Use the right product

You still need to use products that are for color-treated hair with the ombre look. Usually it’s best to use a sulfate-free product that says it’s for color-treated hair. Regular products can be too harsh and strip the hair of essential oils, leaving it brittle and dry.

Do…Remember That Dirty Hair Is Good… For Coloring

Although, it could be safer and yield better results by consulting a professional, if you’re a DIY beauty girl (I absolutely am), try not to wash your hair directly before coloring it. Our scalp produces natural oils that can actually help protect it from damage.

Don’t…be lazy

Just because you won’t have to touch up your roots as often, you do get a green light to just let your hair go. You still need to have regular touch-ups (depending on the permanency of the color it’s essential to get a touch-up every 5-6 months). It’s not haute to have scraggly, fried ends with unkempt dark roots.

Don’t…forget the color change has to be gradual.

Make sure the jump from a dark hue to a lighter shade isn’t too abrupt (like Ciara‘s). The way Keke Palmer‘s dark locks flow into a lighter hue is perfect.

–Posh

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Ciara stuns in W magazine fashion shoot (PHOTOS)

Posted on April 25, 2014

courtesy Carlos Cerrao for W

Ciara looks stunning in photos published this week in W magazine featuring her 8-month pregnant belly.

The former model turned pop songstress explained in an article accompanying the photo spread that she has been active on photographing herself during her pregnancy to create a new tradition and to make sure she documents most of it.

wearing: Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons jacket and Eres swimsuit.

“My mom and I don’t have a lot of photos of my early years,” she explained to W. “So I decided we should document everything. This is one of those moments you can’t repeat.”

The first time mom-to-be who reveals her due date is any day now, told the magazine that maternity wear has been tough for her this pregnancy.

wearing: Theyskens’ Theory dress, Eres swimsuit and Ciara’s Cartier bracelets.

“Pregnancy has been a great fashion challenge because you can’t wear things that you used to wear but you still want to feel like who you are,” Ciara told W. “I have to pay some credit to my fiancé’s closet, because I have worn probably all of his clothes.”

Ciara announced this January on “The View” that she was pregnant with fiance Future’s baby.

And she has also been going to one of her besties for advice: Kim Kardashian, noting that she’s gotten advice from KimK on “everything from breastfeeding to how a stroller works.”

Ciara adds,“you don’t know your child until they get here, you don’t know their personality.There is a lot of learning to do. I loved that advice.”

In gratitude for the shoot, the “Body Party” singer thanked the mag in a recent social media share.

“Thank You [W Mag] For Documenting One Of The Most Special Times In My Life, In The Most Beautiful Way Possible.” Ciara captioned a photo from the shoot she posted on Instagram.

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Trend: Punishing teens by shaming them virally in Social Media

Posted on April 25, 2014

Recently, a video of a mother in the Caribbean twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago beating her 12-year old daughter went viral. It sparked much debate and online conversation about whether corporal punishment is necessary to discipline teens and whether such discipline should be broadcast to the world to see.

That type of video is not new, however:

In Flint, Michigan this month, three adults were arrested after a video of them beating, slapping and yelling at an 11-year old boy was posted on Facebook. The mom’s boyfriend shot the video and posted it to shame the boy for pretending to be a gang member and having bad grades.

Last month, a mother recorded her husband beating their 13-year old daughter with a belt after she went missing for 3 days and the girl’s Facebook page revealed she was spending time with boys. The video, shown on World Star Hip Hop, got over 350,000 views.

In 2012, a video of a sick mother beating her baby garnered close to 2 million views. Online petitions caused Malaysian police to arrest the woman.

Also in 2012, a former official in California was sentenced and is serving three years probation after a neighbor shot the man, Anthony Sanchez, beating up his stepson while teaching him to catch a baseball. The neighbor posted the video on YouTube.

That year as well, petitions from online directed a judge to make a decision in a custody over a couple’s daughter after a video of abuse with the mom beating the on went viral and got over 330,000 views on YouTube.

It’s not always the parents posting the videos either.

There is the high profile case of Hillary Adams, a daughter of a judge William Adams, who in 2011 posted a video she recorded in 2004 of her dad beating her. She posted the video on Reddit saying the world should see that he is unfit for the bench. The video got 7.6 million views. Judge Adams lost his judicial election.

Non Violent Shaming

And beyond videos, we’ve seen the images with teens holding shaming signs their parents make them hold on street corners with some of them circulated on line. Some parents are forcing their kids to hold signs and posting them online to teach their teens a lesson about how dangerous social media is and how fast an image can circulate world wide.

Last fall, a California mom made her 11-year old daughter wear a sign and stand on a busy street corner for twerking at a school dance.

Last January, a photo of a dad standing next to his daughter with a photo of himself on the front and the words, “Try me”, went viral on Reddit. The dad made his daughter wear the shirt around school for a week as punishment for breaking curfew.

There is also that 2012 YouTube video of a dad shooting his daughter’s laptop after she posted things about him on Facebook.

Also, in 2012, an Ohio mom changed her daughter’s Facebook cover and profile so the words superimposed on it said, “I do not know how to keep my mouth shut. I am no longer allowed on Facebook or my phone. Please ask why, my mom says I have to answer everyone that asks.”

In August 2012, a South Carolina man mom made her son stand on a street corner with a body placard that read, “”Smoked pot, got caught! Don’t I look cool? Not!” and “Learn from me, don’t do drugs.”

A Florida teacher was fired in 2012 after she put dog “cone-of-shame” collars around the necks of tardy students and some of the kids posted the images on Facebook.

In November 2012, Florida parents of a 16-year old made her stand on a street corner with the sign “I sneak boys in at 3 AM and disrespect my parents and grandparents.”

All of these are attempts from parents to curb teen drinking, sexual activity, bullying or disrespect. Supporters of these shaming methods say that parents and caretakers have few options with unruly teens.

Many defenders of online shaming point to the fact that they were beaten as a kid and they turned out fine but they leave out the part that no-one saw their beating, especially not a half a million people. Nonetheless, they also assume the shaming will work.

Shaming doesn’t work

Nonetheless, history proves that these public humiliation punishments don’t always work.

In 2011, a teen boy who was beaten by his uncle in a viral video was later shot and killed in a gang-related incident. The mom said her son was bullied and teased a lot after the video went viral.

“I regret maybe not being a part of his life a little bit more after the video,” the uncle said after his nephew Michael Taylor was killed.

Clearly, the online beaten didn’t sway Taylor from continuing down that path he was going in anyway, and without more intervention and care, a beating may not be the end of bad behavior. In fact, the viral videos may foster more negative outcome than good.

When kids compare extreme punishments to those their peers receive for similar offenses, they might feel singled out and treated unfairly by their parents, which can create feelings of resentment and damage the relationship, a NannyWebsites post states. This could lead to further acting out, which results in a no-win power struggle.

“Teaching kids to be respectful includes treating them with respect,” says Annie Fox, M.Ed., teen/tween expert and parenting author o” Teaching Kids to be Good People”. “Disrespect is a boomerang.”

Shaming could leave a mark on the teen’s self-esteem and add to depression, anxiety or isolation. A child could feel personally rejected by their own support system, giving them the sense that no one is in their corner and that they lack self-worth. Add to that the potential that the embarrassing punishment itself could lead to teasing and bullying within the child’s social circle and it might very well result in a dangerously alienated young person.

In sum, many of the bad acts the kids are being punished for were known by a relatively small number of people and broadcasting it on the internet lets potentially millions more know. Where is the value in shaming a kid for life for one small lesson, especially when there is no guarantee that it will work?

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Report: Katy Perry’s violent scene in ‘Birthday’ video traumatized unsuspecting 5-year olds

Posted on April 24, 2014

During the filming of her new video for her song “Birthday”, pop singer Katy Perry apparently wanted to simulate the real life shock on the faces of guests at a 5-year old’s birthday party by filming a pretty violent scene without cluing in the guests it was all fake.

In the scene, Perry is dressed as a party Clown and is shown hitting a little person assistant also dressed in a clown suit with a bat. She then runs into an adjascent street outside the party, which took place at the Knollwood Country Club outside LA, and causes a head-on auto accident. All of it is for the video and the drivers of the cars were stunt drivers.

However, according to TMZ, children and other guests were traumatized at seeing the scene unfold not knowing it was staged.

Eye witnesses told TMZ, children were crying and one woman stormed away, visibly upset.

In the video of the scene below, one little girl can be heard saying “mommy, I want to leave.”

Perry herself told Jimmy Kimmel this Monday on his late-night show where she screened a snippet of the finished video that she was 6 inches off her mark, meaning, a few more inches, she could have gotten hit by the truck and killed. Yikes!

After the fracas, the guests were told it was Perry, she took off her wig and all had a good laugh,

There are adults who have serious phobias of clowns today over traumatizing run-ins with them when they were children. We can forsee some future cases. Also, for an adult to witness a head on crash can be jarring, imagine what a kid would go through. Yikes!

What are your thoughts? Innocent fun or not cool to traumatize kids potentially for life.

Watch the clip at TMZ HERE!

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4 Tips for Regaining Intimacy after Having a Baby

Posted on April 24, 2014

Being intimate after pregnancy is never an easy feat. It can be difficult for a woman to feel sexy after the rollercoaster of weight fluctuations and out-of-control hormones. Dr. Laurence Levine, Urologist and CMO of Promescent®, has a few tips to ensure couples are still keeping their connection alive after the birth of their baby.

1. Take time for yourself.

If the thought of being intimate overwhelms you, take some time and sort out how you feel. Whether it’s emotionally or physically based, don’t beat yourself up. Remember that it’s completely normal to feel this way. Pamper yourself and do what you need to do to get yourself in the mood again.

2. Honesty is key.

Don’t feel discouraged if it’s taking a while to get back into your normal groove with your partner. With a new baby in the house, the old “normal” doesn’t really exist. Being open and honest about your exhaustion, soreness, and feelings about your body are going to help him understand what’s going on in your head. Expressing your concerns and working to find solutions will help the two over you to work overcome them and bring you closer together.

3. Coordinate your schedules.

While the baby is on a schedule, it doesn’t mean your urges are. With a little foresight and preplanning, you can put items and ideas in play for when the baby is asleep. For instance if your baby typically sleeps at 7pm, at 6pm – you and your partner can start exchanging quick kisses, light touches, and sexy messages to get you both in the mood as the countdown to bedtime begins. Communicating your likes and dislikes will help you and your partner align your intimacy schedule with your baby’s schedule.

4. Be aware of the changes.

Your body just underwent a great deal of change and you may not be aroused in the same ways you were before. It can be completely liberating and fun to explore the new erogenous zones on your body…together. Gentlemen, this works the same when you’re exploring; things that may have been off-limits before could suddenly develop a ‘green light.’

Good luck new parents!

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