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Christina Aguilera confirms pregnancy and baby’s gender

Posted on March 29, 2014

Since news broke in February that Christina Aguilera was pregnant with her second child, Just Jared reports that The Voice coach finallyconfirmed the pregnancy while performing at a fan event in Malaysia today, March 28.

The famous singer also announced that she was expecting a baby girl with fiance Matt Ratler

Aguilera already has a 6-year old son named Max with ex husband Jordan Bratman.

Awww. Congrats!!

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Study: White and Hispanic Women are happier during pregnancy; Black Women Not

Posted on March 29, 2014

A new study suggests that Black women of all socioeconomic backgrounds are least likely to be happy about being pregnant, while White and Hispanic women are.

Hamilton College economics professors Stephen Wu and Paul Hagstron analyzed Centers for Disease Control‘s Behaviorial Risk Factor Surveillance System data of more than 300,000 women between 2005 and 2009. The survey asked participants if they were pregnant at the time and if so, if they were happy.

Both white and Hispanic women reported boosts in happiness during pregnancy, while the black women did not. This was the case for low, middle and upper income black women.

“Something about being a child of color, or having to raise a child of color, increases the risk” of not being as happy, director of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality at Columbia University Alondra Nelson (who wasn’t involved in the study) told Time magazine.

Wu hypothesized the reason for the discrepancy may have to do with the fact that black women lack social and emotional support when pregnant.

“Both white and Hispanic women reported enjoying more attention and help from their family and community while expecting, while black women actually reported receiving less support,” the Time piece noted.

The reason for the conclusion perhaps is that black women who were married and living with their spouse or partner at the time reported being more happier than those not.

Finally, Nelson also pointed to “sociological data which suggest that black children, especially black males, are at higher risk than those of other races – of being victims of crime, of being incarcerated, of being discriminated, and of living potentially unhappy lives.”

She added, “that may be a reason to have a more tempered response to raising a black child in this environment.”

Interesting. What are your thoughts?

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Drew Barrymore wins award at CinemaCon, Get the fab Marc Jacobs dress she wore

Posted on March 28, 2014

Drew Barrymore is nearly term and she is still winning! This time, she walked away with the Female Star of the Year award at The CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards presented by The Coca-Cola Company during this year’s CinemaCon, the theater owners’ convention going down in Caesars Palace at The Colosseum in Las Vegas, Nevada!

Go mamas!

Yesterday, March 27, she won the award along with funny man Adam Sandler who has starred alongside Barrymore in the past. The child star turned adult actress is expecting her second child with husband Will Kopelman. The couple are parents to one-year old daughter Olive.

You can get the gorgeous Marc Jacobs T-Shirt gown dress she wore for a mere $3850 from Nordstrom.com!

MARC JACOBS Embellished Print Gown

photo: Starcast

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Review: JCORE’s 20 minutes 4-day a week workout series, perfect for getting body back after baby

Posted on March 28, 2014

If you just had a baby or are getting ready to, among many other anxieties you may be facing, are worries about getting your body back into pre-pregnancy shape. Considering you will have to care for your baby, perhaps another child in your home, breastfeed and possibly return to work, squeezing in a work out or a trip to the gym may be a tremendous challenge.

The answer to your woes may be the JCORE Accelerated Body Transformation DVD series. For 20 minutes a day, 4 times a week and only 40 days, celebrity fitness professional and trainer Jay Cardiello promises to help you get your body back in shape.

The name CORE is key as that is the area women, and especially new mothers need most help in tightening back up: abdominals, buttocks, thighs and hips.

The system starts with a fit test that you take in the beginning of the program, periodically during the 40 days and at the end. The other five DVDs include a couple that are cardio-focused (Fire Fit and RevUp), one that is all about strength (Cardio Core), a supercharged core challenging one (Hard Core), and a stretch and toning one (Release).

I was super excited to be sent a sample series to test out and so far have been enjoying the experience. My husband and I have gone through a couple series of the Insanity and P90X sets so we could compare. The other two are very popular series but both require a lot of time commitment as each DVD runs from 38 minutes to nearly an hour so we can appreciate JCORE’s 20 minutes per day program.

We do it before getting the kids ready for school and heading out to work. It’s the perfect amount of time and the exercises are concise, focused and efficient to get you max results in the shortest amount of time possible. When you are done each DVD, you feel your muscles are tighter and more toned and you feel like you’ve had a good work out even though it was only for 20 minutes.

We noticed that recently those other two brands have hopped on the bandwagon and have also offered condensed much shorter versions of their exercise programs.

JCORE is also perfect not just for new moms who have to take it slow in the beginning and essentially may be starting over, it is also ideal for those, like my husband, who have had knee surgery or who suffer with back problems. There isn’t too much trauma and stress exercises that are tough on the knee as with Insanity. There is no need for weights or a pull up bar or bands or anything extra like with P90X.

success stories from the JCORE website

Just a 4×4 space and that’s it.

Because each move is concise and requires minimum amount of space, the JCORE DVD series is THE BEST to take on the road if you are on the road often, have to travel often for work and will be confined to a small hotel rooms. And the fact that each DVD is under 20 minutes is perfect in that you can get in a good work out before having to shower for the conference or a morning meeting.

I also appreciated the fact that the series only requires a 4-day commitment each week. When doing other systems, you essentially end up foregoing any other exercise you may enjoy doing because of the time commitment and/or the daily workouts take so much out of you that you cannot do anything else. With JCORE you have a couple free days to run, swim, bike, take a ZUMBA class or kickboxing class and get to keep up with your fave exercise.

Also, some people just don’t feel complete unless they’ve worked out for 45 minutes to an hour or more daily even though you don’t need to under the JCORE system. Nonetheless, a 20 minute workout ensures that even in those days you have to work late, attend an event at the kids’ school, if you miss your longer workout for the day, you know you would have at least gotten something in if you started the day with JCORE.

The names Jay has for different exercises like “Charlie’s Angels”, “Leaning Tower of Pisa” and “Hip Hop” put a smile on my face and the studio space featured in the DVDs is comforting to look at. The dark basement that Tony Horton has his folks in can get intimidating and just seems so manly and rugged. The big ole gym in Shawn T’s space looks overwhelming at times and there’s just too many people in the background distracting the eye. Lighting and set design really do matter.

I really am inspired by the super fit and toned women and men that back up Jay. They look pleasant but also show and share how they are being challenged through each exercise.

A Before After photo from the JCORE Facebook page

And that’s another thing, it’s also super cool that each of the different exercises in each DVD is only for 20 to 30 seconds tops. We don’t count reps unless for the fit test DVD. You can do anything for that short amount of time, but even if you can’t hold on as is common when first starting out, it’s okay to stop and get back into it. There is also one back up exerciser there doing an easier and modified version of the work out for beginners.

It’s a type of program that the entire family can do. As all of my kids, ages 6 to 11, have started their school track team this Spring, I’ve had a couple of them join me doing the DVDs a few times to add some conditioning to their weekly runs. They have fun joining mom.

The system is malleable for kids to join in too

I have not yet completed the 40 days, but I do notice I am getting toner. I imagine as with any exercise regimen, if you are doing it daily, you should see some semblance of results so long as you are sticking with a sensible diet. The JCORE system includes a diet plan and menu options which if followed should help amplify the results of a 20 minutes alone daily work out.

I am looking forward to seeing my results when I am done but overall would highly recommend you new moms especially consider adding this system to your exercise DVD library. At $79.99 it could be more effective than paying for a few months of gym membership and would be half the cost.

Get the upgraded complete system which includes recovery drink, a meal plan and more for $141 at JCOREBODY.com or the DVD Box set alone. You can also order it from our partners at AMAZON.COM or today, mamas!

Good luck and have fun toning up and trimming down!

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6 Personalized Mother’s Day Gifts you need to Start planning for NOW

Posted on March 28, 2014

Mother’s Day isn’t until May, but it’s just around the corner and time is ticking if you are thinking of getting a personalized gift for mom this year. Now is the time to start planning. Here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Hand-sketched portrait of the family – Recall a while back malls would have artists at kiosks doing hand-sketched portraits in charcoal or pencil of a family or a photo brought to them? These days, these artists and companies have gone online but you need to get in line early. You send them a digital image and they sketch it for you and send you a high resolution image that you then print out and frame. Some companies will do the printing and framing for you, depending on how much advanced notice you give them. That is why you need to hurry and get on it now! This is one of the best personal gifts that can be given.

2. Family Tree Artwork – Artwork that incorporates genealogical information can range from minimalist and sparse to very ornate, so there’s a style to suit any décor. Moms are sure to love a family tree painting or print, and there are several retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar, that specialize in them. To create this however, you will have to get a headstart on pinpointing who to put on them and start doing your homework. Get on it now!

3. Personalized Gifts – Many personalized gifts sites offer options to purchase a gift item and to decide what image, words or phrasings to put on them. Coffee mugs with mom’s favorite poem or a T-Shirt with the kids in a crazy pose would go off well. But since these are personalized and will take more time, it’s key to start checking out the offerings as soon as possible. Zazzle has a great selection of Mother’s Day gifts at www.zazzle.com/mothers+day+gifts.

4. Homemade Gift Baskets – Sure you can order a pre-made gift basket from a flower shop or gift shop, but mom would really enjoy getting a basket full of the stuff she loves personally. Pick up a wooden box or basket from a craft store and some stuffing for the bottom. Add mugs, her favorite candy or nuts, a personalized necklace, her favorite magazines etc then use one of the cellophane wrapping that shrinkwraps to cinch the basket together. Tie a pretty bow and voila! Personalized gift basket! Easy Breezy, but you need to start thinking of, listing and chasing down mom’s favorite things to go in the basket now.

5. Personalized Jewelry – Many jewelry stores offer items that can be personalized with a scripture or quote that is personal to mom or the family, a unique name that never can be found in stores or photos but to get them made in time for Mother’s day, gift-givers have to start early. From necklaces with charms to symbolize each of her children to bracelets with each child’s birthstone, there’s definitely no shortage of precious adornments that can be created with Mom in mind.

6. Handmade Gifts – Moms of small children are sure to be moved to tears by a gift they helped to make, so giving little ones a hand in creating her gift can be a big hit. You want to leave plenty of time for misses and mistakes so if you are thinking of creating a quality and functional handmade gift for mom this year, start planning it now.

Any mom will appreciate a gift that wasn’t picked up from the local drug store the night before Mother’s Day for once. If you want to get all that gushy love for doing a personalized gift this year, you better get on the ball now!

Good luck!

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Tamar Braxton and Tamera Mowry-Housley’s “The Real” returns September 15 ( VIDEO TRAILER)

Posted on March 28, 2014

Sadly, our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Bethenny Frankel lost her FOX channel reality TV show when it didn’t get renewed for a second season.

But on an upside, our other alums Tamar Braxton Herbert and Tamera Mowry-Housley will debut a full season of their new talk show The Real on the same network this September 15.

The new moms and their co-hosts had a successful short test run in limited and select markets this past summer 2013 (NY, Philly, LA, D.C Phoenix, Houston and Tampa) that was ratings gold. The show got picked up for a full season and will have a nationwide run starting late Summer.

Actress and Singer Adrienne Bailon (The Cheetah Girls), comedian Loni Love and TV host Jeannie Mai (How do I Look) round off the other ladies in the multicultural and younger answer to ABC channel’s The View.

According to a press release announcing the premiere date:

These women are all going through varied life experiences, including new motherhood, new marriages, dating or singledom, that relate to every woman’s own trials and tribulations. Unlike other talk shows, each of the five hosts is admittedly a “work in progress” and fearlessly invites the home audience into their lives. Their fresh points of view, youthful energy and passion will turn the traditional talk show on its head.

Fun! Are you excited about the new show launching? Catch a promo reel hear:

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How to throw a DIY #Minecraft Birthday party

Posted on March 27, 2014

My kids love Minecraft, the 3D-like sandbox building video game, and so much so that they have Minecraft posters, spend much of their free play time on the weekend reading Wiki entries on how to navigate different worlds and also read books on the game.

Now I’m thinking of throwing the eldest a birthday party and would try to skip the party planning route and instead do a DIY party. I found these ideas for how to decorate a Minecraft birthday party CreativeBirthdayExpress. I’m going to order some templates to start. I’ll share the final output when it’s done. I’m confident I’ll be able to pull it off or at least come close.

Wish me luck!

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Kristin Cavallari covers Fit Pregnancy Magazine (VIDEO)

Posted on March 27, 2014

TV host of The Fabulist on E! Kristin Cavallari covers the April/May issue of Fit Magazine out on newsstands on March 31.

In a Behind the Scenes video of the cover shoot the magazine recently released, the former reality TV star of MTV‘s The Hills and Laguna Beach talks about her health knowledge and says she reads every label and watches everything she puts in her mouth though she doesn’t “count calories.” Cavallari also talks about work/life balance and how being a mom has changed her life.

Cavallari and husband Jay Cutler, a quarterback for the Chicago Bears NFL team, are expecting their second child. The couple is parents to son, Camden.

Check out what else she dishes here:

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Three brave girls, Two states, Three school discipline fails

Posted on March 27, 2014

This week, we saw news about three cases of school discipline fails, all involving brave and bold girls.

Last Friday, a Virginia Beach, Virginia school suspended a middle school girl who saved a schoolmate from hurting himself by taking away the utility knife he was going to use to cut into his skin the day before. After going home and sharing the story with her mom, Adrionna Harris reported the incident to school the next day. Only, rather than applaud Harris’ heroic act, administrators at Bayside Middle School punished her with a 10-day suspension under the school’s strict zero tolerance weapons policy. Adrionna’s mom Rachael Harris told wonkette.com she was “shocked that a student would get suspended for saving another child…. Under the circumstances, she thought he would bleed out, as he was cutting himself, and there was no teacher in sight. It was a 911 situation, and there wasn’t time to find a teacher.”

A little ways away in Lynchburg, Virginia, a Christian school sent a letter home to an 8-year old girl the school said was behaving and dressing too much like a boy. In a note, school officials at Timberlake Christian School stated Sunnie Kahle‘s boyish dressing were at odds with the school’s Christian teachings and that she confused other students about her gender identity. Sunnie’s grandparents, who have adopted her, put her in a public school where she eventually was teased daily, primarily because of her unconventional dress. Sunnie’s grandmother Doris Thompson told MSN Living that Sunnie would like to return to her old school with her friends but she isn’t interested in sending her back to a school that rejected her for essentially being a tomboy.

Going West, we also learned this week of a 9-year old Colorado girl who was kicked out of school for shaving her head out of solidarity with a classmate and friend battling cancer. School administrators at Caprock Academy in Grand Junction, Colorado said Karmryn Redfro‘s buzzcut violated the school’s dress code. Even after Redfro’s mom, Wendy Campbell, emailed the school to explain the circumstance of her daughter’s haircut and that she was not a Neo-Nazi skinhead which the policy seeks to punish, the school officials still refused to acknowledge it and make an exception.

Redfro’s friend Delaney Clements, who has started chemotherapy, said she appreciated her friend’s goodwill gesture.

“It made me feel very special and that I’m not alone,” Celements told 9 News.

Wendy Campbell added: “For a little girl to be really brave and want to shave her head in support of her friend, I thought that was a huge statement and it builds character in a child.”

What do you think of these three cases? How should each be resolved?

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Kristen Bell: A Hollywood Mom Who Knows the Power of Social Media

Posted on March 27, 2014

So far 2014 has been

quite the year for actress Kristen Bell, and we’re only three months in! In

addition to starring in her passion project, the newly released Veronica

Mars film, she’s also become the face of an ever growing movement to

protect celebrity children from paparazzi. Oh, and she was also a voice actor

in this one movie you may have heard of last year, it’s called Frozen?

Since the birth of her

daughter, Lincoln, in March of 2013, she hasn’t slowed down in the slightest.

That same month she teamed up with writer Rob Thomas to help turn their former

television series Veronica Mars into a film. The two of them were caught in negotiations with

Warner Brothers —who owned the rights to the franchise but didn’t want to put

up cash to make the film— when they decided to start a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise the funds instead. They were

the first group ever to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a film that was

already owned by a major studio, a risk that turned out to be worth taking

considering the campaign managed to raise more than its goal of $2 million in

the first day alone.

Kristen Bell has become

one of the most active and well liked celebrities on social media as well. In

fact, according to social media analysis tools Topsy and ViralHeat, at least 80% of the tweets mentioning the celeb have only positive

things to say. Kristen used this strong media presence while trying to raise

the funds for Veronica Mars, and is now redirecting that power

toward another cause close to her heart – that one of her child, and the

children of other celebrities.

Along with her husband,

Dax Shepard, and other celebrities (including Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner, who helped pass legislation in California protecting the children of celebrities last

year) she’s launched a campaign against the “pedorazzi”, as she calls them. Her

and Shepard argue that while they chose the become famous, their children did

not, and while being photographed by the paparazzi comes with the territory of

what the parents do, their children didn’t ask for it and don’t deserve it.

She’s a Mama Bear on a mission and it appears that nothing will stop her.

Im happy

outlets publicly agreed cuz i think people should be able to know if the media

they consume is safe&healthy for kids everywhere

🙂

— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) February

28, 2014

Her “No Kids Policy,”

which targets media outlets who publish paparazzi photographs of celebrity

children, has been wildly successful since its launch earlier this year. Major

media outlets such as People, Us Weekly, Buzzfeed.com, Entertainment

Tonight, and many other notable current events, news, and entertainment

outlets have all interviewed the star about her cause. She’s also been on a

media blitz, making live appearances to spread her message. She even appeared

alongside her husband on Access Hollywood to debate a few real-life

paparazzi regarding the issue.

As for her acting work,

she’s currently starring in the critically acclaimed House of Lies on Showtime and reprised

her cameo role as the vapid and catty Ingrid de Forest on NBC’s Parks and

Recreation earlier this year.

Kristen Bell as Jeannie Van Der Hooven in House of Lies

She’s also rumored to have a role in the recently greenlighted, online spin-off

of Veronica Mars for The CW’s website. If the rest of the year is going

to be like the first few months of it has been for her, 2014 is going to be one

heck of a year for Kristen Bell.

Spencer Blohm is a freelance entertainment, pop culture, and lifestyle blogger. When he’s not busy working he can usually be found at the movies or planted in front of his T.V. He lives and works in Chicago where the winters only encourage such behavior.

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