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These Gorgeous Secret Lagoons Exist For Only Three Months A Year

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These Gorgeous Secret Lagoons Exist For Only Three Months A Year

If you were to visit Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeast Brazil during dry season, you’d be blinded by a sweeping landscape of rolling white sand dunes (its name literally translates to “bedsheets”). But from July through September, the stark scene turns, miraculously, into an oasis of countless emerald-blue lagoons. And yes, you can swim in them (the water reaches a soothing 87 degrees Fahrenheit). Here’s everything you need to know about this magical, little-known place.

Wait, so where does the water come from? Out of the sky. Seriously. Lençóis might give off Saharan vibes, but the park is not technically a desert. With its January-through-June torrential downpours, it’s way too rainy. By July, the skies clear and the pools are at their largest, some reaching over 300 feet long and 10 feet deep. After September, however, the winds get more powerful and the pools disappear, as if they were never there, and the rainy season begins again.

Are there fish in the pools? Actually, yes. Since the lagoons are connected to nearby rivers, fish find their way over (or stay burrowed deep in the mud between seasons).

OK, how do I get there? It’s definitely an adventure. Your best bet is to fly into São Luís, rent a car (or organize transportation) and drive the nearly four hours to the town of Barreirinhas. From there, we suggest going with a guide or pre-planned group trip (like Brasil Planet) that can escort you and keep you from getting lost in the vast park. The long, bumpy ride in is not for the faint of heart. But considering it’s one of the most beautiful sites you’ll ever set your eyes on, it might be kinda sorta worth it. (Psst: Make sure to pack for the ultimate beach trip — aka plenty of hydration, snacks, portable shade, walking shoes and ample SPF.)

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What To Do When Someone Compliments Your Kids (When You Yourself Can’t Take A Compliment)

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What To Do When Someone Compliments Your Kids (When You Yourself Can’t Take A Compliment)

PSA: Imposter Syndrome in parenting is real. You have no idea what you’re doing. But surely everybody else does, because they read the book/attended the seminar/know what mindfulness is. Still, your knee-jerk tendency to deflect praise may actually be a problem for your kids. If they hear you denying their attributes or downplaying their achievements, you’ll feel awful and they’ll feel worse. See also: Your intention to model good self-esteem. Here’s a suggestion: The next time someone says, “My goodness, he’s so bright!” maybe don’t respond with, “Oh yeah, but he never stops talking” while making the “yapping” signal with your hand. Here are four more negative reactions to retire—and ideas for what to say instead.

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “SHE’S SO CUTE!”

Don’t say: Ah, but she’s such a little monster when it comes to sleeping/sharing/getting her way.

Try this instead: Move the conversation away from her looks and toward something she controls. Say: “Thank you! She’s such a good kid. And funny too. You have to see her Beyoncé impression.”

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “HE’S SUCH A GOOD ARTIST/DRUMMER/SOCCER PLAYER.”

Don’t say: He gets it from his dad. I’m a tone-deaf klutz!

Try this instead: Praise his effort. Say: “Aw, thanks! He’s been practicing a lot lately. He’ll be so glad to hear you noticed his hard work paying off.”

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “YOUR KIDS GET ALONG SO WELL.”

Don’t say: Not at home they don’t! Last night she clawed him and drew blood.

Try this instead: Offer up an entertaining or interesting detail. Say: “Thank you! He just started reading to her. It’s the sweetest thing.”

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “HE’S SO WELL BEHAVED AT A RESTAURANT! MY SON COULD NEVER SIT STILL THAT LONG.”

Don’t say: Anything to one-up the complaint. This is not a competition in parenting pain.

Try this instead: Compliment the compliment. As in: “Thank you for saying my son has good manners. That’s about the nicest thing you could say to a mom!”

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The Ultimate Roundup For Swimsuit Shopping

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The Ultimate Roundup For Swimsuit Shopping

Though we’re of the belief that all bodies are bikini bodies, it can be frustrating to try on dozens of swimsuits that won’t give your curves the support they need. That’s why we’ve pulled together a one-stop-shop guide to our best-performing swimsuit roundups — everything from flattering maternity swimsuits to plus-size swimsuit brands — to help you find the right swimsuit this season.

Take a look below at our best swimwear stories, and check back because we’ll continue to update this list:

We’re of the belief that every body is a bikini body. For those of us who don’t feel at home in a string bikini (and even those of us who do), high-waisted swimsuit bottoms have made a triumphant return to swimwear sections. Here are 14 of our favorite high-waisted bikinis that’ll flatter every body.

Trying on swimsuits is frustrating as is. For curvy ladies with big boobs, it’s downright discouraging to go to a store and find nothing in your size that will give your curves the support they need. That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of stunning swimsuits with underwire, designed to lift you up and support you where you need it most.

Pear-shape, hourglass, inverted trapezoid — we can’t even keep track of the ways people are categorizing womens’ bodies anymore. To help everyone out, we decided to come up with a guide to bathing suit shopping using language we actually use when we talk about ourselves. Whether you want to conceal cellulite, hide back fat or provide enough support for the girls, we’ve got a suit for you.

Finding stylish and comfortable swimsuits for long torsos can sometimes feel like mission impossible. They can be super cute and the wrong fit, or super comfy but boring in style. That’s why we’ve taken the pain out of searching for the perfect long-torso suit and found 18 flattering and stylish swimsuits to shop.

Pregnant women often turn to online consignment shops like Swap.com and ThredUp to find maternity wardrobe staples at wallet-friendly prices. But, there are some clothing items you’d probably prefer to own first-hand, like swimwear. Maternity swimsuit shopping is its own personal kind of hell, but there are places to find flattering styles ― from plus-size maternity to one-piece looks you won’t hate to wear.

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.

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I Finally Learned To Let Go Of My Mom Guilt Once My Second Child Came Along

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I Finally Learned To Let Go Of My Mom Guilt Once My Second Child Came Along

Originally Published on Mother.ly

Like a lot of mothers, I struggle with “mom guilt.” I often question myself, the decisions I make, and my parenting style. I question whether or not I’m teaching him the right lessons so that he will learn to be respectful, responsible, and kind. I question my parenting skills — if I’m around enough, empathetic enough, creative enough, and if I’m having a positive effect on the person he’s becoming.

The self-doubt is endless.

My first born is a handful and a half. He’s the type of kid referred to as “spirited” or “wild child.” He’s gone through many challenging phases in his four years of existence. After struggling to understand why he would scream and cry at family gatherings around people he knows and loves, or would refuse to go to certain public places, we finally brought him to the doctor.

After eventually finding out that he was experiencing social anxiety that would he likely grow out of, and being reassured that there likely wasn’t anything further to worry about, I began to feel guilty. I can only assume he inherited that from me. Throughout the first year of his life, I struggled severely with depression and anxiety, and I can’t help but think that it affected him.

I didn’t realize it then as much as I do now, but those nagging feelings of self-doubt played a big part in the way I parented my son. I analyzed (and over analyzed) nearly everything. His sleeping habits, developmental milestones, and the way I thought I was perceived as a mother topped the list of my everyday stresses.

After his birth, I was in the thick of postpartum depression (PPD), and my anxiety was running sky high regularly. I felt like everyday decisions that I made would be detrimental to who he would eventually become (no pressure). It wasn’t until I began to manage my PPD that I realized it’s not necessary to feel this way and I don’t have to feel this way—I learned to ease up on myself.

And even though I learned to ease up, or that I should ease up—I feel terrible about it.

I feel terrible because while my son was stuck with a mother who was constantly on edge inside, his baby sister gets a mother who has the ability to properly manage her feelings. I often wonder if he would have benefited from having a mother who had stronger coping techniques instead of potentially projecting her anxiety and stress on to him. Maybe he wouldn’t struggle so much to manage his own feelings.

After the birth of my second child, having already been through my proverbial “first rodeo,” I am much more relaxed this time around. I worry less about what others think and tend to have a (mostly) go with the flow attitude around my parenting style.

At 7 months, my youngest still sleeps with me and I have a relatively relaxed sleep schedule with her ― which is a stark difference from my son, who slept in his crib at 6 months old. Determined to get him to sleep through the night, I searched various techniques and consulted with friends, almost obsessed with ensuring he spent his nights in his room and not ours. Although my son does sneak into bed with us occasionally, I often wonder if he might feel slighted when he sees his baby sister sleeping in Mama’s bed.

My first born is self-sufficient and enjoys playing alone but even independent kids notice when attention is diverted to someone else. Even with family around helping out, my attention was the one attention he wanted when the new baby arrived.

I was grateful that he wasn’t jealous of his sister instead, he loved her dearly, almost immediately. I realized this and made sure to include him in as much of the tasks involving my daughter as I could. This was as simple as asking him to put a diaper in the garbage pail, passing me wipes, or grabbing her blankie. It was helpful for him to be a part of things, I loved watching him feel so important, and it helped ease my guilt knowing he felt included and loved.

Some of my better parenting moments definitely come from experience and realizing that I can only do my best. I’ve realized over time something really important, something that has changed my mindset and has ended the guilt trip I’ve put myself on the last few years: I’m learning and growing just as much as he is. I’m learning how to be a mom just as he’s learning how to be a big kid with big feelings.

I’m a parent, and I’m also human. We’re all just trying to figure out what’s best for our kids based on trial and error (with a side of Google).

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Elite Boston Marathon contender Shalane Flanagan shares her morning routine

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Elite Boston Marathon contender Shalane Flanagan shares her morning routine

Shalane Flanagan could take home another major title at this year’s Boston Marathon.

Flanagan, who attended high school in a Boston suburb, won the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon in 2 hours, 26 minutes last November.

Seth Wenig/AP

Shalane Flanagan of the United States crosses the finish line first in the women’s division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Nov. 5, 2017.

That time doesn’t come from sleeping in late or have an irregular schedule. Flanagan, also an Olympic medalist and American record holder, said marathon training as an elite athlete is not as glamorous as some may think.

For one thing, she has to pay way more attention than the average person about how she fuels her body.

Flanagan is so focused on nutrition that she and her former college teammate, Elyse Kopecky, are releasing their second cookbook, “Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow,” in August.

Amazon

Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.: Quick-Fix Recipes for Hangry Athletes

Before Flanagan starts cooking each day, she pours herself a cup of coffee.

Here, the 36-year-old share how she starts her mornings.

Predictable wake-up time

I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to keep my body on a schedule.

Sleep is super important for an endurance athlete so that means lights out at 9 p.m. and I wake up naturally at 6 a.m.

Coffee, then phone

I try not to check my phone until I have one of my favorite mugs filled to the brim with coffee in front of me.

Coffee with creamer is my vice that I can’t live without.

GC Images/Getty Images

Shalane Flanagan is seen outside “Live With Kelly,” Nov. 6, 2017, in New York City.

‘Super important’ breakfast

Breakfast is also super important.

My go-to breakfast before a hard workout is a bowl of oatmeal with filling toppings like nuts, berries, bananas, nut butter, etc. and a smoothie.

My favorite smoothie recipe is the “Can’t Beet Me” smoothie in my cookbook. (Scroll down for the recipe!)

First workout

I always log my long run or speed/tempo workout in the morning, followed by a weightlifting session at the gym three times per week.

My strength routine does not involve heavy lifting. It’s mostly body weight exercises with a lot of focus on building core strength. I also have an active recovery stretch routine that I do daily.

Then I typically do a shorter run in the late afternoon.

I always wake up excited for the day so I like to knock out my workout first thing. I hit a slump in the afternoon and during peak training, I always find time for a power nap.

The importance of nutrition

Elsa/Getty Images, FILE

Shalane Flanagan of the United States celebrates winning the Professional Women’s Divisions during the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon in Central Park, Nov. 5, 2017 in New York City.

Nutrition has been one of the most important components to keep me healthy and running at this level at my age.

There is so much misleading nutrition information out there and I didn’t always eat right. When I moved up in distance to the marathon, I found my self hungry all the time and I was relying on a lot of snack foods to get through the day.

When I started working with Elyse [Kopecky] on “Run Fast. Eat Slow.” I learned that I needed more fat in my diet.

Integrating whole foods and healthy fats into all my meals keeps me satiated and enables me to recover faster from hard workouts.

Flanagan shared some of her favorite recipes from her first cookbook, “Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes,” with “GMA” here:

Wild salmon sweet potato cakes recipe

Wild west rice salad

Life during marathon training

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images, FILE

The Week In Pictures

When I’m marathon training, I don’t have much time for anything else. My life is not as glamorous as people might think!

The morning after the Boston Marathon

I’ll still be running on adrenaline so will be up early and I’ll definitely indulge in a naughty breakfast — a donut or two!

No. 1 piece of wellness advice

Learn to cook! Spending more time in the kitchen is the best thing you can do for your health.

Shalane Flanagan’s ‘Can’t Beet Me’ smoothie recipe

Run Fast, Eat Slow.

The “Can’t Beet Me Smoothie” from “Run Fast, Eat Slow,” is photographed.

This recipe makes enough for two, so your running buddy can fuel up, too. Or you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ingredients:

1 cooked beet (see directions opposite), peeled and quartered

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 small frozen banana

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other milk of choice

1 cup coconut water

1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled (use edge of a spoon)

1 tablespoon almond butter

Directions and tips:

1. In a blender, place the beet, blueberries, banana, milk, coconut water, ginger, and almond butter. Blend on high speed for several minutes until smooth.

2. For rushed mornings, this smoothie can be made the night before. Simply stir in the a.m. and sip while you lace up.

If you have a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, you don’t need to cook the beet. Using it raw preserves nutrients, and it will puree completely in the blender. Simply peel and quarter.

Don’t put those beet greens in the compost pile! They’re chock-full of inflammation-fighting nutrients. Use them in stir-fries, pasta, or pesto or toss them right into the smoothie.

Reprinted with permission from “Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes, by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky.

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The Royal Baby Is Due Any Day Now — But When? We Investigate.

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The Royal Baby Is Due Any Day Now — But When? We Investigate.

Forget about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — their wedding isn’t until May. That’s weeks away!

Here at HuffPost, we like to focus on the here and now, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is about to give birth to royal baby No. 3 in 3 … 2 …

We’re just kidding! She’s probably not going to give birth to Mary/Alice/Victoria/Albert/Arthur/Fred/#3/ Beyoncé this very moment, but it should happen very, very soon — like this month soon. In October, Kensington Palace ‏confirmed the duchess’ due date was in April.

The month is already halfway through, so we’ve decided to gather all the information we can about the due date so you can place bets have your gifts of flowers and hand-sewn quilts delivered to St. Mary’s Hospital’s Lindo Wing in London in time for the little one’s birth.

Predictions (kind of) based on math:

Kensington Palace announced that the duchess was pregnant on Sep. 4, 2017. According to People magazine, she was less than three months pregnant at the time, and the announcement came early because she was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum ― a condition that involves severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and dehydration for expectant mothers (she also reportedly had the condition during her two other pregnancies).

The palace also announced in October that the 36-year-old would go on maternity leave on March 22 to prepare for the baby, so based on that (vague) information, it could be any day now!

Predictions from royal experts:

Many royal experts believe the Duchess of Cambridge will complete her trifecta of mini royals on April 29 (the royal couple’s wedding anniversary) or April 23 (St. George’s Day).

Why do these experts believe these are the due dates? Because of temporary parking restrictions at the hospital where the duchess will be giving birth, which began on April 9 and are set to expire on April 30. But the predictions can also be partly chalked up to a little scientific theory called “wishful thinking.”

Prediction based on the baby’s astrological sign:

If the baby is born anytime in late April or early May, the baby is going to be a Taurus — and boy, are they stubborn. Sure, astrology isn’t based on any real science, but horoscopes are published in numerous newspapers and news websites, so roll with us for a bit.

If this baby is true to the Taurus sign, the duchess probably won’t give birth until June. And then it will have Taurus’d itself into an entirely different sign and we’re dealing with a Gemini ― and really, who knows when you’re dealing with two different personalities?

Predictions based on our Magic 8-Ball:

Predictions based on our Magic 8-Ball, shaken one more time:

“Reply hazy try again.”

And, to be honest, that sounds pretty accurate!

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42-year-old mom of four auditioning for Houston Texans cheerleading squad Video

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42-year-old mom of four auditioning for Houston Texans cheerleading squad Video

Coming up in the next countdown countdownlbl

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Transcript for 42-year-old mom of four auditioning for Houston Texans cheerleading squad

Just because I’m 42 doesn’t mean. You know your life is over. It was fun game play on the field. From the Canadian experience to be out there and the fans are cheering and dancing. You know you just you have enough for black. Hope that they feel that I hope. They have gotten them that they get a they had fallen and they just. They take their things just like.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

“id”:54449160,”title”:”42-year-old mom of four auditioning for Houston Texans cheerleading squad”,”duration”:”1:11″,”description”:”Melanie Way is trying out on April 14, and if chosen, she will be the oldest cheerleader in the team’s history.”,”url”:”/GMA/Wellness/video/42-year-mom-auditioning-houston-texans-cheerleading-squad-54449160″,”section”:”GMA”,”mediaType”:”default”

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Good bacteria: Why I put my poo in the post

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Good bacteria: Why I put my poo in the post

“Good bacteria” – what are they, will they make me healthy and how do I get some?

To find out I took the unusual , and rather disgusting, step of donating my poo to science.

Microbes live on, and in, all of us and they even outnumber our own human cells.

But their favourite spot – and where they live in incredible numbers – is our digestive system.

That’s why I posted my faeces to the British Gut Project for analysis.

“You’re not exactly average, but you’re not way off the chart either,” its director, Prof Tim Spector, tells me.

The bacteria in my stool were studied not with a microscope, but with powerful tools to identify them by their genetic code.

It showed I was missing whole groups of bacteria. One area of concern was my Firmicutes, as I had fewer than other people.

“They’re generally the ones that have your beneficial microbes in it, suggesting you’ve got less general diversity than the average person,” Prof Spector told me.

“The less diversity you have, the less healthy your gut. It’s not a good thing.”

A deeper trawl uncovered I had high levels of Akkermansia, which “is generally seen in people who are lean and healthy”. But I was also harbouring those linked with inflammation.

There is growing interest in understanding the health consequences of the microbiome.

The microbiome

You’re more microbe than human – if you count all the cells in your body, only 43% are human

The rest is our microbiome and includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and single-celled archaea.

The human genome – the full set of genetic instructions for a human being – is made up of 20,000 instructions called genes.

But add all the genes in our microbiome together and the figure comes out between 2 million and 20 million microbial genes.

It’s known as The Second Genome and is linked to diseases including allergy, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s, whether cancer drugs work and even depression and autism.

More than half your body is not human

Are “bad” bacteria or too few of the good ones causing disease?

Prof Spector argues the microbiome is the “most important, exciting thing in medicine today” and that “diversity” – having as wide a range of different species as possible – is key.

Clearly I could do with some improvement. So here are the tips I picked up along the way while making The Second Genome series.

Fibre, fibre… fibre

Researchers Eric Alm and Lawrence David have some of the most studied microbiomes on the planet.

They spent a year analysing 548 of their stool samples.

Lawrence David, an assistant professor at the Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, said diet had the biggest influence on the microbiome – and one thing was especially effective.

He says: “One of the leading sets of molecules that people are getting excited about have to do with plants, specifically fibre.

“It’s what at least some bacteria in the gut love to eat.”

He says plant fibre is likely to benefit most people’s microbiome, though he admits the study has just made him feel more guilty about the food he eats.

“I still eat hamburgers and chicken nuggets,” he confides.

Fermented foods ‘the future’

Fibre is a prebiotic, providing fuel for the microbes that are in our digestive system.

But Dr Paul Cotter, who I met at the University of Cork, is concerned we’re not introducing enough new microbes into our bodies.

He told me: “An awful lot of what we eat now are foods within tins or with an awful lot of shelf-life and they have a long shelf-life simply because there are very few, or not any, microbes within them.”

His field is fermented foods that bacteria have gone to town on before you eat them.

Fermented foods include well-known favourites, such as cheese and yoghurt, but also the milk drink kefir, a tea called kumbucha and certain cabbage dishes, such as sauerkraut or the Korean kimchi.

BBC Good Food: A guide to fermented foods

Dr Cotter says most people should be thinking of adding fermented foods to their diet as the microbes in them help calibrate the immune system.

He said: “If you’re already healthy, the way to go is consume fermented food rather than going for a particular probiotic” – although studies have shown some probiotic products can help prevent necrotising enterocolitis and diarrhoea in some cases.

Listen to The Second Genome on BBC Radio 4.

The next episode airs 11:00 BST Tuesday April 17, repeated 21:00 BST Monday April 23 and on the BBC iPlayer

Fibre and fermented foods are a good rule of thumb, but there is no guarantee they will work for everyone.

Everybody’s microbiome is unique, so the spectacular biology they are performing in the gut varies from one person to the next.

Eric Alm, of serial-faeces-monitoring fame and the co-director of the Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics at MIT, argues dietary advice will have to be more personalised in the future.

He says: “One thing that we’re learning is, based on the microbiome, different people may need to consume different diets in order to get the same effect.”

Chain reaction

He has studied what different people’s microbiomes do with different dietary fibres.

Broadly, fibres are broken down into chemicals called short chain fatty acids.

They can be absorbed by the intestines and have effects throughout the body. It is one of the ways the microbiome is thought to influence our health.

Prof Alm’s work showed some people’s microbiome was very good at making short chain fatty acids from a dietary fibre called pectin, which is found in apples and oranges.

Other people’s needed inulin (found in leeks, asparagus and onions) to make the same short chain fatty acids.

Prof Alm says: “You can imagine a future where if you needed to increase the levels of butyrate (a type of short chain fatty acid) production in the gut, which some people think might be advantageous for diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, you might sequence your microbiome first.

“[Then] figure out what species are there, then take a prebiotic or dietary fibre supplement that matched the microbes you have to produce butyrate.”

Follow James on Twitter.

Illustrations: Katie Horwich

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We're Sugar Babies. This Is What It's Like.

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We're Sugar Babies. This Is What It's Like.

Sugar babies are having a moment.

Sugar dating via sites like Seeking Arrangement is talked about more openly and honestly than ever, with some daters growing a following by sharing their experiences on YouTube and social media. For the unfamiliar, typically in these situations, successful sugar daddies or sugar mamas pay for dates (and often sex) with younger women or men known as sugar babies.

Sugaring, as it’s called, has become so mainstream that there’s even an annual summit where current and former sugar babies speak on a range of topics, including sexuality, relationship advice and entrepreneurship.

To learn more about what it’s like to be a sugar baby, we talked to two people who currently do it: Kaeden Harveland, an 18-year-old from Seattle, Washington, who runs a popular YouTube channel, and “Miss Sugar,” a 20-year-old from Northern Ireland who uses a pseudonym to protect her privacy on her own YouTube channel.

How did you get into sugaring?

Kaeden Harveland: What led me to being a sugar baby was probably people asking if they could pay me to go on dates with them via Grindr. I’ve done so for two years now. I don’t think Seeking Arrangement is necessarily an easy site to use, being a gay male. It’s definitely a lot easier for women.

But between social media and sugar daddies, I can live a pretty comfortable life with what I’m paid. Eventually, I want to get into modeling and maybe some acting!

Miss Sugar: Last summer, I met a man on a trip I took to Ibiza and we began messaging. A few weeks later, he asked me if I would ever be interested in a sugar baby situation. Since I really didn’t like my factory job and could use the money, I decided to go on a few dates with him. Plus, I’d always been fascinated by the sugar baby world.

It was a good experience. I loved the fact that I could make what would have been a week’s worth of wages at my past job in one day. That initial arrangement is over, but I’m still sugaring to this day and enjoying it now more than ever. I use Seeking Arrangement. I’ve managed to pay off my credit card and I was even able to quit my factory job. I have a lot of free time now as well.

In an average month, how much money would you say you make from sugaring?

Kaeden: I’d say anywhere between $2,000 to $5,000 a month.

Miss Sugar: For me, it’s about $3,500 to around $4,000 a month.

How do decide who you’ll meet in real life? How do you know if a client really has money?

Miss Sugar: Seeking Arrangement gives sugar daddies the option to get their backgrounds checked and to become “diamond” verified, which means they subject their net worth and income to the site’s verification. So it’s easy to see the sugar daddy’s annual income, but usually after talking to them and seeing how much they are willing to pay, you get more of a sense of how rich they really are.

Kaeden: Before I meet up, I always get pictures of them and find out what they are all about. I don’t just ask for money upfront and end up meeting up within one day’s time. I like to see what their hobbies, career and personality are like before actually meeting up. And sugar daddies won’t throw their money in your face; most are humble and like to keep it low-key.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions about being a sugar baby?

Kaeden: People view us as “prostitutes,” but that’s not really accurate. I’ve never had a sexual relationship with a sugar daddy; the most I’ve done is give them a hug, but that’s mainly because I’m a hugger. I love everyone. To be honest, most clients do expect sex, but I’m quick to shut it down. If they disagree, then I move on. I’ve turned down thousands of dollars to hold my ground of no sex. The key is to have them work for you, not for you to work for them. You’re the boss.

We also can be portrayed as lazy as well. I look at it this way: If I get $500 for a one-hour date, why not?

Miss Sugar: The prostitute thing is the biggest misconception. I get where that is coming from, but being with a sugar baby is more of a relationship rather than just a transaction and the sugar baby gets taken on nice dates and gets pampered. It’s more of a girlfriend experience than anything, but of course with added “bonuses” and usually the relationship is no strings attached. Some of these mutually beneficial relationships don’t involve sex, just mentorship and financial aid in exchange for companionship.

For instance, I went on one date with one of my oldest sugar daddies who ended up making me his personal assistant a few days later, and there is no sex involved in the relationship.

Describe your typical client.

Kaeden: Most of my sugar daddies are single or married and mainly bisexual or confused. Most are pretty new to the sugar daddy thing. I think they also interpret giving money and trying this as a way to help them find their sexuality.

But some of them are just lonely and need a companion. I can see where they are coming from, especially the ones that travel and have lots of money to just throw out. Most of my clients travel a lot and want a travel companion.

Miss Sugar: Usually, these men are super busy and are traveling a lot so they don’t necessarily have the time to go about the traditional way of dating. With a sugar baby, they get women who understand their lifestyle, want to experience the finer things in life, are usually younger, and sometimes, willing to travel with them so they feel less lonely. Many on the site are married, but I try to stick to the single ones even though there is much more money to made with the married guys.

Describe your average date.

Miss Sugar: A typical date would involve dinner and drinks in a bougie establishment. The sugar daddy would also give me the agreed amount of cash. We’d chat and of course eat and drink and if things went well, it would end in the hotel room.

Kaeden: Well, every date is different for me. It can vary from dinners to walks to even a Skype call.

Do you tend to get gifts?

Kaeden: I’ve been gifted everything from a $15,000 watch, to clothes, to Apple products.

Miss Sugar: For gifts, I’d rather pick my own things so I just always ask for cash instead, but I guess a free trip to Rome could count as a gift?

How many sugar baby “relationships” have you had? And how long do they usually last?

Kaeden: I don’t know the exact amount, but definitely around 30 to 50.

As for how long they last, some sugar baby relationships last months to years and some only end up happening one time. Most guys are international or traveling a lot so when they end up in my city, I’ll see them once or twice.

But I’ve also had ones that ended up lasting months, where they live in the area and just think I’m the most gorgeous person they’ve ever seen so they’ll pay me to just be around them. Looks are important to most. It makes them feel in a higher class if they’re with a “pretty” person.

Miss Sugar: I’ve had six proper, long-term daddies.

The length of the relationship varies. Sometime’s it’s just a date they pay for while they are in the city but some lasted a few weeks. The longest one so far was four months.

How do you make sure you’re safe when you’re meeting up with a guy?

Kaeden: I always have pepper spray and Tequila the Taser ― my fandom helped me name my Taser, thanks, babies! ― to ensure I have defense in case something were to ever happen. But I haven’t had to use either weapon because I’m pretty good with who I meet up with.

Miss Sugar: I always send the location of the date and the sugar daddy’s real name to my close friends before going on these dates. I also send my live location through Facebook messenger to my friends once I get there and tell the sugar daddy that I am doing that in front of him, just to see if that triggers him; it shouldn’t if there is no harm intended. But most importantly, I listen to my gut instinct.

Are your family and friends supportive of your job?

Miss Sugar: I have an amazing group of friends that are supportive and always check up on me when I tell them that I’m going on a sugar daddy date. Some of them do the same work as I do.

Kaeden: I’ve surrounded myself with amazing friends and a blessed family so I get nothing but support from them. I even inspired a lot of my friends to try it out. I get several messages a week for tips and tricks!

Have you ever been in an actual relationship while sugaring? If so, what did your S.O. think?

Kaeden: I’ve had one boyfriend who knew I had sugar daddies. He also had sugar daddies so he couldn’t think anything bad of it because we were both doing it. As long as my partner isn’t having a sexual relationship with them, I’m fine, and vice versa.

Miss Sugar: No, I’ve never had a “boyfriend” boyfriend.

Weirdest sugar experience so far?

Miss Sugar: One sugar daddy got super drunk and ran out naked outside the hotel room while I was sleeping and staff found him like that. I was so embarrassed when they woke me up me with a loud knock to return him to the room.

Kaeden: Probably going on a date with a sugar mommy because it was definitely way out of our comfort zones. In the end, it was a great time and I ended up making not only a sugar mommy from the date, but a friend.

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The Latest: Online pharmacy sentenced for illegal imports

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The Latest: Online pharmacy sentenced for illegal imports

The Latest on the sentencing of an online Canadian pharmacy for illegally importing drugs into the U.S. (all times local):

1 p.m.

A Montana judge has sentenced a Canadian online pharmacy to pay $34 million for importing counterfeit and unapproved drugs into the U.S.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen on Friday accepted plea agreements with Canada Drugs and its founder, Kris Thorkelson.

The company pleaded guilty to introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, and two subsidiary companies pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit drugs.

Thorkelson pleaded guilty to knowing about and concealing a felony crime.

Prosecutors say the company has made at least $78 million since 2001 by importing mislabeled and unapproved drugs. That includes two counterfeit cancer drugs that had no active ingredients.

Canada Drugs was also sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to stop selling unapproved, misbranded and counterfeit drugs.

Thorkelson received five years’ probation with six months’ house arrest. He also must pay a $250,000 fine.

———

12:15 a.m.

A Canadian online pharmacy is expected to be fined $34 million for importing counterfeit cancer drugs and other unapproved pharmaceuticals into the United States.

Canada Drugs, which calls itself that nation’s largest internet drugstore, and its founder, Kris Thorkelson, are being sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to felony charges in the U.S. state of Montana.

Prosecutors say the company has made at least $78 million since 2001 by importing mislabeled and unapproved drugs. That includes two counterfeit cancer drugs that had no active ingredients.

The sentencing recommendations include the company forfeiting $29 million in revenues from the illegal prescriptions between 2009 and 2013, plus a $5 million fine and five years’ probation.

Prosecutors are asking for six months of house arrest, five years of probation and a $250,000 fine for Thorkelson.

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FYI, You Can Watch Astronauts Read Popular Kids Books From Space

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FYI, You Can Watch Astronauts Read Popular Kids Books From Space

If you’re looking for a way to take story time up a notch with the kids in your life, why not turn to astronauts?

That’s the premise of Story Time from Space, a project from the nonprofit Global Space Education Foundation that features astronauts reading beloved children’s books from the International Space Station.

Patricia Tribe, the former director of education at Space Center Houston who came up with the basis for the project, told HuffPost that the thought of merging space and reading came up after she did some research on literacy and science skills in the United States. She decided to merge STEM and literacy in a way that’s easily accessible for kids.

“What better role models to engage kids in science and to engage them in reading?” she said. “You’re not only looking and listening to the books, you’re looking around the International Space Station.”

Story Time from Space began with a pilot test from astronaut Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr., also known as Alvin Drew, who helped co-found the initiative with Tribe. He read Max Goes to the Moon, a book by astrophysicist and author Jeffrey Bennett, on the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery. Since the project’s official launch, other stories that have been told from space include Next Time You See a Sunset by Emily Morgan and Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. The footage of the reading sessions are available on the Story Time from Space site and YouTube.

Watch astronaut Kate Rubins read Rosie Revere, Engineer below.

The Story Time from Space team, which includes astronauts, scientists, educators and others, has important guidelines when it comes to choosing the books. They have to be “neat” books that can be read in about 15 minutes, involve some sort of concept regarding STEM and, most important, be accurate.

“We don’t want to perpetuate any misinformation,” Tribe said.

The team members sometimes receive books from authors who want to be considered for the reading sessions. They also keep up with various lists and recommendations involving STEM-focused children’s books. When they have a group of books to consider, the team discusses why a title should or shouldn’t be part of a launch. One thing the team keeps in mind is having books that cover a wide range of age groups.

Once the team selects the reading material and gets the approval for a launch, the books must go through the payload process at NASA and then have to be labeled, cleaned and sent to Florida for launch. An organization called CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space) helps with arranging the payloads and actually getting the books into orbit, and then once story time is over, there’s the video editing.

It can also take time to find available astronauts to read the books. Some volunteer, while others are requested because of their background in education or a similar specialty. Tribe also said her team strives to be diverse when it comes to who is telling the stories. For instance, she said she felt it was important for Rosie Revere, Engineer, a story about a girl with dreams to be an engineer, to be read by a woman working on the International Space Station. (Kate Rubins read it.) The site also includes two readings of Max Goes to the Space Station: one in English from astronaut Mike Hopkins, and one in Japanese from astronaut Koichi Wakata.

Tribe said the authors of the books selected have all been “fantastic,” just like the astronauts. According to the site, upcoming books include Mousetronaut by astronaut Mark Kelly and The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm by “Reading Rainbow” host LeVar Burton and author Susan Schaefer Bernardo.

In addition to the reading sessions, the Story Time from Space team is preparing to add to its site footage of kid-friendly science experiments completed on the International Space Station. Its members are also working on a curriculum that coincides with the project and their research to share with educators and librarians.

With each new idea, Story Time from Space is showing kids that learning and literacy can also be entertainment.

“Everybody thinks space is pretty cool, so it’s a nice way to capture the audience and capture the kids so they are enjoying space,” Tribe said.

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Fish oil capsules don't help dry eye symptoms, study finds

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Fish oil capsules don't help dry eye symptoms, study finds

Many doctors recommend them, but fish oil supplements failed to help people with dry eye when put to a scientific test.

About 14 percent of U.S. adults have dry eye, which causes pain and vision problems. It’s more common in women and with age, and is related to inflammation.

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may reduce inflammation, so doctors thought they might help more than the artificial tears, eyedrops and other treatments patients use now.

A federally funded study gave 500 people daily doses of fish oil or dummy capsules. After one year, dry eye symptoms were similar in both groups.

Results were discussed Friday at a conference in Washington and published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Family Assistants Are The New Nannies — And Here’s Why We’re Absolutely On Board

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Family Assistants Are The New Nannies — And Here’s Why We’re Absolutely On Board

When we read this game-changing parenting advice from famed relationship therapist Esther Perel, we started fantasizing about how it would play out in real life.

The “child care” is for YOU, not the kids.

If you’re able to hire help, “The person is not there to help you with the children — they are there to help YOU. You need an assistant. You need someone who helps you, who feeds you when you come home so that you can go and be with the kid and play and read.” Per her interviewer, Haley Nahman, Perel “suggests thinking of anyone you hire as a parental assistant rather than someone to dote on the child’s every whim while you spin all the other plates.”

Our first thought was, Yeah sure. Easier said than done. Nanny candidates abound, but their roles are specific (read: childcare). Where and how would we ever find this magical unicorn of an assistant to feed us and basically act as a third parent/home admin/errand gopher so we could actually enjoy our kids instead of being their exhausted, grumpy taskmaster?

Well, buckle up, because Perel’s unicorn EXISTS!

In fact, Deborah Calkin, owner of a premiere national domestic staffing agency, specializes in connecting parents with family assistants who fulfill the following job description:

Family assistants work for families with children who require more than just childcare. FA’s are the parents’ personal assistants and the children’s nanny. They help out the parents in managing the home by doing whatever the parents need assistance with. Some parents need help running their business while the children are in school while others need help in scheduling, organizing and keeping the home running smoothly. A family assistant is similar to a personal assistant except that a large part of their job involves childcare and household duties such as cooking, light housekeeping and driving the children to school and activities. Busy parents are able to delegate important tasks to the family assistant so that they can spend more time with their children.

Bam. Here, Calkin answers our burning questions:

Q) WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HIRING A FAMILY ASSISTANT VS A TRADITIONAL NANNY?

Typically the nanny is hired to do only childcare-related duties. A family assistant does have nanny experience, but she also has personal assistant experience, so that really allows the parents to spend more time with their children, while also having someone around who is a professional childcare provider with a great driving record and usually a bachelor’s degree. So it’s the perfect mix between a nanny and a personal assistant. The family assistant can run errands, go grocery shopping, take the kids to school, activities or doctors’ appointments if and when the parents need her to. But she also really works with the parents and has the flexibility to do whatever is needed. One day that may mean running errands all day and helping with the home office. The following day it may mean doing more childcare if the parent needs to be away from the home or focus on their work.

The nanny industry really emphasizes [limiting a nanny’s duties to childcare only]. Agency owners or placement specialists will remind a nanny that she is a nanny; she’s not a housekeeper or a personal assistant for the family. In some ways that’s really good, because then she’s not taken advantage of. But it also goes to the other extreme of a nanny saying, “That’s not my job. Why are they asking me to go run errands?”

Many families don’t necessarily need a personal assistant and a nanny; they want two-in-one. For example, we have clients who are home with their children but have three kids at three different schools. So it’s not solely about [outsourcing] childcare; it’s about finding someone who can pick kids up from school safely and take them where they need to go.

Q) WHAT OTHER DUTIES MIGHT A FAMILY ASSISTANT HANDLE?

Scheduling, keeping the fridge or pantry stocked with certain items, very light housekeeping. That of course isn’t scrubbing the toilet; it’s vacuuming up a spill. Making sure homework is done on time. Families with home businesses sometimes ask the family assistant to do some filing or answer calls. Cooking. Laundry. Ironing. Dog walking. We had one family assistant who had worked on an organic farm so she helped the mom build up her garden. You’re not necessarily going to find a Family Assistant who can do programming and design your website. But when it comes to the things that moms do on a daily basis for their families, those are the things you can expect a family assistant to do.

Q) IS IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO HIRE A FAMILY ASSISTANT THAN A NANNY?

It typically is a little bit more, especially if the family is looking for someone who has both nanny and personal assistant or family assistant experience. It really depends on location and duties, the number of children and their ages. If a family wants a Mandarin-speaking Family Assistant to cook for six vegetarians, that’s going to be more expensive than your typical Family Assistant who’s mostly just running errands and helping with childcare. In Manhattan, the minimum hourly rate would be at least $30-an-hour for a full-time Family Assistant as opposed to $20-$25-an-hour for a nanny. Nationally, many families also typically give a generous weekly gas allowance.

Q) ARE YOU SEEING MORE CANDIDATES WILLING TO FILL THIS ROLE WHEN YOU ARE RECRUITING? IS THIS A GROWING TREND?

I’ve been in this industry 20 years. It’s absolutely becoming more and more popular. In really high-income homes, typically our clients will hire a nanny and also have several personal assistants. But it’s becoming a lot more common with the rest of us who aren’t in that category but still need help, to have someone come in and run errands and also help us with our children.

A lot of candidates who have been in the industry for a while as nannies are looking to climb the ladder, and their end goal is to become an estate or household manager. They might start as a nanny, move up to a family assistant, then to a personal assistant, then to a household manager. Family assistants are increasingly popular in Texas, the Southwest and Oregon; not so much in New York. We get in several family assistant resumes every week. They’re finding us.

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Policy on bullying eyed after 12-year-old hangs himself

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Policy on bullying eyed after 12-year-old hangs himself

Andy Leach was a silly 12-year-old boy with a contagious smile before relentless bullying pushed him to kill himself, his father says.

“Everybody really enjoyed to be around Andy,” and he had much to look forward to — he loved being a Boy Scout and hoped to play saxophone in the high school band, Matthew Leach told The Associated Press. “So when we found out he was being bullied in any capacity, we started trying to figure out what was going on.”

What exactly prompted Andy to hang himself in his garage after school March 6 remains a mystery. Key details are shrouded by privacy rules. Southaven Chief Steve Pirtle said he can’t comment on the police investigation. School officials wouldn’t respond in detail to AP questions. Leach gave investigators Andy’s cellphone and laptop. He said Thursday that he’s still waiting for results.

What has been made public troubles Andy’s parents. Mental health experts see shortcomings in the county school system’s anti-bullying policy. A state lawmaker who represents the district just south of Memphis, Tennessee, says he’ll propose an “Andy’s Law” in response.

Leach said Andy began telling them how school bullies called him fat and stupid about a year ago. Later, a group of students cornered him, saying “You’re not going to make it out of this bathroom.”

“These kids are awful. They’re mean. They’re cruel,” Andy’s mother, Cheryl Hudson, told WATN .

The bullying intensified two months before his death, after Andy announced to family and friends that he might be bisexual. He was confused, questioning himself and his faith, Leach said. Word spread inside Southaven Middle School, and bullies pounced.

“There was a lot going on in Andy,” Leach said. “I think the inner turmoil and the name-calling, the bullying that went with it, finally pushed him to a point where he started making some decisions.”

A counselor sat down with Andy and another student in February after Leach called an assistant principal. He said it was the only intervention he’s aware of. Andy stopped sharing feelings after that, and only later did his parents learn what he was facing, he said.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that kids are acting this way, that they feel no fear of punishment,” Leach said.

The DeSoto County School District denied an AP records request, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

“All bullying reports are treated with the utmost importance,” a statement from district spokeswoman Katherine Nelson said. “All claims are investigated thoroughly, and school counselors are trained to help students and intervene when they are aware of a situation.”

But the district’s posted policy , written in 2010, lacks other “key components” promoted by stopbullying.gov.

It focuses on how to report complaints but doesn’t describe procedures for investigating and responding to them, imposing consequences, or making sure victims have access to physical, mental or legal help. Once an initial complaint is made, all it requires of school authorities is to notify parents and “arrange such meetings as may be necessary with all concerned parties.”

Bullying expert Michael Sulkowski said making the victim and bully meet can “add fuel to the fire.”

“The child who’s being bullied is disempowered, is potentially frightened for his or her safety and certainly their social status,” Sulkowski said. “It’s not appropriate to expect them to confront his or her bullies, even in front of a teacher or administrator.”

Sulkowski, who teaches psychology at the University of Arizona’s College of Education, said model policies establish enforceable consequences. They instruct schools to offer continued emotional support and to communicate with parents to make sure harassment doesn’t follow the victim online.

What’s most striking about Andy’s case, he said, is an apparent “lack of communication between the adults.”

Andy’s parents say they now understand more about red flags — like when their son made excuses to avoid school. Leach says he monitored Andy’s digital life but couldn’t see messages that disappeared or were deleted.

“He didn’t really come to us about a lot of things,” Hudson told WREG .

After Andy’s death, Leach found scattered writings and drawings depicting suicide dating back months in Andy’s notebooks, but nothing indicating a breaking point. Hudson told the station “it was found out that he was going to be involved in a fight after school,” but she declined to elaborate.

Other cases have led to criminal charges.

Two 12-year-olds await prosecution on charges of cyberstalking a 12-year-old classmate in Panama City Beach, Florida, before she hanged herself in January. The Panama City News Herald reports she’d been bullied in and out of school, and just before she killed herself, one defendant told her to “just do it” before ending a video chat.

Mississippi law punishes bullying as a misdemeanor, with up to six months behind bars and $500 in fines.

Rep. Steve Hopkins, a Republican from Southaven, said Andy’s death “just broke my heart.” He says his “Andy’s Law” would make convicted bullies do harder time, take “the handcuffs off counselors” and establish a state lottery to fund bullying prevention and mental-health programs, among other things.

Of 44,193 reported suicides in 2015, only 409 involved kids 10 to 14. In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey , about a third of high-school students identifying themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual say they were bullied on campus and tried to kill themselves in the prior year, compared with 6 percent of heterosexual peers.

“We want to make sure parents don’t suffer from this because of lack of information and lack of policies enforced,” Leach said. “We need to dig in, find out what’s going on and make some noise.”

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How Can You Tell If A Dog Rescue Group Is Legit?

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How Can You Tell If A Dog Rescue Group Is Legit?

There is little love lost between dog rescuers and the commercial breeders they disparagingly call “puppy mills.” So on Wednesday, when The Washington Post reported that some rescue groups may actually be enabling the very puppy mill industry they so vocally eschew, the fur went flying.

The Post reported that some rescuers have been buying dogs from commercial breeders at dog auctions. They do so in the name of “saving” an individual dog, but as a result of the increased demand they cause, the prices of dogs at auctions have been pushed up considerably. Puppy mills, in response, have ramped up production to meet the increased demand. Yes, you read that right: Puppy mills are producing more dogs because of rescuers hoping to save dogs from being bred in puppy mills.

All told, the number of dogs sold at auction is just a drop in the homeless dog bucket. The Post found no more than 85 rescues who bought a dog at an auction; there are more than 10,000 rescue groups operating nationwide. But still, it was enough for teeth to be bared.

All dog auction operations should shut down completely, said John Goodwin, the senior director for the Humane Society of the United States’ Stop Puppy Mills campaign. Rescuers, he added, certainly don’t need to be there supporting them.

“We oppose buying dogs at auctions,” he said, “because it puts money into the pockets of irresponsible people who treat dogs like they are disposable.” He told HuffPost that he’d also like to see rescue groups stay focused on helping pets in local shelters find permanent homes and avoid euthanasia.

Here are some ways potential adopters should approach picking a rescue group as they pursue a pet adoption:

1. Ask how the dog came to the rescue.

How the rescue group came to acquire the dog is a question every would-be adopter should ask, Goodwin says. It could be an owner surrender, which happens a lot with breed-specific rescue groups, or it may have been a pet pulled from a shelter. If that’s the case, what does the rescuer know about how to dog wound up there? Are there shelter records of any temperament or personality tests? Shelters generally do temperament testing to help them determine whether a pet is adoptable. Some rescue groups acquire pets when they respond to disasters like hurricanes that leave pets displaced.

Goodwin said that it’s also worth asking directly if the dog was bought at an auction. Be sure to note the tenor of the response, as well as the information shared.

Lack of transparency should be a red flag, he said. Rescues should be willing and able to share this information with you.

2. Stick with rescues that have a known reputation.

Many animal rescue groups are small grass-roots operations staffed by volunteers. Lots of these organizations were started out of a genuine interest in helping animals and reducing the shelter population.

But rescue dogs don’t come free. Rescuers have their own bills and overhead to pay. Some rescue groups have a central facility with enclosures to house and feed the animals. Others rely on a network of foster homes to temporarily house the animals. Rescues often incur medical bills and expenses related to socializing and training the animal, while they work to get it ready for adoption.

Most rescue groups will charge adopters a fee ― often a substantial one ― which they say covers their expenses and allows them to rescue more dogs. There may be an application fee of $25, a home inspection fee of $25 or more if a volunteer has to travel far, and then an adoption fee of hundreds of dollars. Many rescues claim a nonprofit status. A few will pay the organizer a salary.

Which leads to the question on many minds: Is pet rescuing a business or a charity? That answer might walk a fine line.

Rescue groups and foster care providers help to clear space in shelters and certainly stand between animals and euthanasia. Animals often don’t do well in shelters and often need time to overcome the experience and training to be made ready for adoption.

But who regulates the rescuer? Nobody, it seems. There are no national laws governing animal rescues. Brandi Hunter, vice president of the American Kennel Club, says the best option for anyone looking for a breed specific rescue group is a source like the AKC Rescue Network.

3. Ask the rescue group about its rehoming policies.

While most rescue groups seriously frown upon abandoning a pet, find out what their policies are in case things just don’t work out. It is fair of the rescue to ask about your plans for training your new dog and whether you can afford professional help if things go south.

And it is also fair for potential adopters to ask whether the pet can be returned to them and under what circumstances. Some rescues not only will take the pet back but, in fact, ask you to promise to return it to them instead of taking it to a shelter or trying to rehome it yourself.

Some rescue groups may implant a chip in the pet so that if it shows up as a stray or owner surrender at a shelter, the rescue group will be notified.

If a rescuer gets defensive or challenges your commitment when you ask what they will do if you can’t keep the dog, this may not be the right rescue group for you. Everyone hates it when things don’t work out, but some situations overwhelm families and it is the pet who will suffer.

4. Google it.

“You can never do too much research on a rescue,” Hunter said. She suggests looking for news stories online and calling local shelters to ask if they’ve ever worked with the group in question.

Find out the full name of the person in charge of the group and Google that as well. How large a following does the rescue group have on Facebook?

Ask if you can speak to some people who have adopted from this group. Ask which veterinarian the group works with and call that doctor’s office.

Do your homework, Hunter said. You can also call a local dog club and ask for a referral.

5. Go to the local shelter.

If you want a dog, there are plenty waiting for you at your local animal shelter, Goodwin said. He said he wishes that rescue groups would focus on just saving those dogs who face being euthanized and who are housed in local shelters instead of attempting to go broader.

“A brick and mortar facility will tell you everything they know about the dog’s background and how it came to be there,” he said, “and they can also speak to the dog’s temperament.”

He said prospective pet owners should understand there are many good people out there taking a grassroots approach to saving animal lives, “but yes, there is room for professionalization.”

“For what it’s worth, no animal shelters have been linked to dog auctions,” he added.

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Brazil yellow fever vaccination campaign far short of goal

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Brazil yellow fever vaccination campaign far short of goal

Brazil’s yellow fever vaccination campaign has fallen significantly short of its goal, the Health Ministry acknowledged this week, saying that 10 million people in the targeted population still need to be immunized.

In January, the ministry launched a campaign to vaccinate more than 23 million people in three states affected by the largest outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in decades. While officials previously said the campaign was struggling to meet its goal, the ministry said in March that it had vaccinated 76 percent of the targeted population.

But on Thursday, the ministry significantly revised down that figure. It said that Bahia state had reached a 55 percent vaccination rate, Sao Paulo state a 52 percent rate and Rio de Janeiro state just 41 percent. The ministry’s goal is to reach 95 percent of the targeted population since the vaccine won’t be appropriate for some people.

The ministry did not immediately respond to a request to explain the revision.

Yellow fever has long been endemic in large swaths of Brazil, but it has been advancing in recent years and this is the second outbreak in a row in places where vaccinations for the disease were not routine.

The current outbreak is the largest in more than three decades in Latin America’s largest nation. So far, 1,127 people have been infected; of those, 331 have died.

During the 2016-2017 outbreak, more than 770 people were infected after nearly a decade during which Brazil saw fewer than 10 cases each year.

In response to this advance, Brazil decided to offer routine vaccination for the entire country — but it will take about another year to completely roll that out.

In the meantime, health officials are relying on the vaccination campaign to reach people in areas currently most at risk. The campaign, however, has been dogged by rumors that the vaccine is unsafe or ineffective, and health officials have struggled to effectively combat misinformation and get people into health centers.

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newsglobaltoday-blog · 6 years

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The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

New Post has been published on http://newsglobaltoday.com/2018/04/the-funniest-tweets-from-parents-this-week-6/

The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Kids may say the darndest things, but parents tweet about them in the funniest ways. So each week, we round up the most hilarious 280-character quips from moms and dads to spread the joy.

My 9yo: If you didn’t have the internet in college how did you learn anything?

— Kate Hall (@KateWhineHall) April 12, 2018

Wheel of Fortune but the spot you land on determines what you’ll be arguing about with your kids that morning. Today I got “Shoes.”

— Rodney Lacroix (@moooooog35) April 10, 2018

*Tiptoes up behind a burglar robbing our house and sneaks 10 of my kids’ stuffed animals into his bag*

— SpacedMom (@copymama) April 9, 2018

Only some things are guaranteed in life; taxes, death, and a toddler who demands more french fries before even finishing the ones he has.

— A Bearer Of Dad News (@HomeWithPeanut) April 11, 2018

It’s like dueling pianos, except it’s a 9yo on the piano and a 7yo on the kazoo and nobody would ever pay for this.

— Jessie (@mommajessiec) April 11, 2018

I’m just typing this to look busy while my kid asks people if they want to play a board game.

— Simon Holland (@simoncholland) April 8, 2018

Me trying to make dinner for two kids and a newborn every night looks like an episode of Chopped, Super Nanny and Intervention rolled into one.

— Tara Brown (@Faux_Ma) April 10, 2018

The acronym SAHM, pronounced correctly, sounds like one agonized wail lasting from around 3pm through sundown.

— Ms. Havisham (@MissHavisham) April 9, 2018

Sneak cauliflower in your cupcakes and black beans in your frosting if you’re health conscious and also hate your kids.

— Marl (@Marlebean) April 11, 2018

I’ve never related more to Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart than after trying to smuggle my kids’ old toys out of the house for donation.

— Fowl Language Comics (@fowlcomics) April 12, 2018

Me: go get dressed *yells upstairs* AND CHANGE YOUR UNDERWEAR! 6: I just changed them yesterday! Me: Yeah, you need to do it every day. 6: EVERY DAY?!?! 7: Calm down, she doesn’t mean like literally every day Me: Actually that’s exactly what I mean

Is 7:43 AM too early for wine?

— Lurkin’ Mom (@LurkAtHomeMom) April 10, 2018

Me: “Don’t do that!”

My kid: “Sorry..”

Narrator: *But she wasn’t sorry, not one little bit*

— MommieKnowsfresh (@MommieKnwsFresh) April 11, 2018

Me: It snowed last night.

5-year-old: *flops on the floor* We already did winter.

— James Breakwell (@XplodingUnicorn) April 9, 2018

[laying in bed]

Husband: Good morning

Me: Good morning

All 3 children sitting on top of my head: Good morning!!

— MacgyveringMom (@MacgyveringM22) April 7, 2018

[Attempt 1] Come on kids, smile for the picture [Attempt 3] Seriously kids, just stand still and smile [Attempt 52] I just want one goddamn pic of you kids pretending to be happy to prove to everybody that we aren’t miserable

— The Dad (@thedad) April 9, 2018

Good morning. My toddler just handed me a blank check from her sock drawer.

— Jennifer S. White (@yenniwhite) April 9, 2018

My 4yo:

“I know sharing is caring, but I don’t care.”

Well, at least she’s honest.

— Doyin Richards (@daddydoinwork) April 11, 2018

OTHER MOMS: i miss my kids while they’re at school during the day

ME: by Monday morning I’m ready to launch my kids to school with one of those medieval catapult thingies

— Valerie (@ValeeGrrl) April 9, 2018

Me: I should go to bed early tonight.

Me to me: Eff that! It’s your kid free time. Binge watch shows, eat junk food & hate yourself tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/jS1yXufiLe

— Real American Dadass (@R_A_Dadass) April 9, 2018

Parenthood has given me so many new skills, like knowing when someone is driving .5 miles over the speed limit down my street, for example.

— Mommy Owl (@Lhlodder) April 11, 2018

“But I just cooked dinner last night. Why do I have to do it again?”

~ Me, being Mom of the Year

— Sarcastic Mommy (@sarcasticmommy4) April 9, 2018

Scientific studies prove that kids will take more time “picking a prize” than adults will spend deciding if they want to have kids.

— Abe Yospe (@Cheeseboy22) April 7, 2018

Me to my kid: I’m so happy you’re happy, baby!

Also me: Can you not be so loud and go be super happy somewhere else?

— Meredith (@PerfectPending) April 12, 2018

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