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I Took My Kids on an RV Trip—Here's What I Want You to Know
Last weekend, my husband finally convinced me to take our kids camping. He's always loved every aspect of spending a weekend in the great outdoors; I prefer visiting nature during the day, then returning home to my own bed, where two closed doors and several dozen feet separate me and our sleeping children. Our compromise? We'd rent an RV (we found ours through Outdoorsy), bringing our own bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, television, and electricity to a campsite a few hours from home. Also coming along? Our two kids, ages 4 and 7, and our 15-week-old puppy. What could go wrong? More than we expected, as it turns out (we won't talk about the tow truck we had to call when we made a wrong turn out of the campsite and landed our front right wheel in a ditch). Camping, even when you're bringing along the equivalent of a tiny apartment on wheels, requires a lot of work: before, during, and after your trip. I definitely didn't leave the experience a camping enthusiast, but I did learn a lot from our family adventure, including just how many of my mom friends were also interested in planning an RV trip for their own families. Everyone from my fanciest girlfriends to my most outdoorsy ones seemed intrigued. If you are, too, here's what you need to know before you brave the elements on your own RV camping trip.
PopSugar Lifestyle
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Photos
13 Chill Facts About Sloths
Sloths seem to be everyone's "spirit animal." They get to eat, sleep, and hang out in trees all day, going about their business without a care in the world. Or at least that's how it looks. As it turns out, there are plenty of good reasons why sloths are so sluggish—and laziness isn't one of them. Here are 13 things you should know about the world's slowest animal.
Mental Floss Lifestyle
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Mom Who Lost Her Premature Son Poses with the Rudest Things People Said
She nails exactly what's so wrong when people make these "well-meaning" comments. Coping with the loss of a baby can be incredibly difficult for any mother, and if you encounter anyone who is currently going through that, you might want to say some words to cheer her up. But take it from one mom who's been through it before: be careful what you say, because you might end up making a grieving parent feel even worse. Ariel, the mom behind "A Rainbow from Onyx," created her blog to honor her son Onyx who was born prematurely and passed away on August 30, 2018. In her posts, she documents her journey dealing with life after saying goodbye to her son—her "rainbow child" who was born after two miscarriages—in hopes that she can help others who are also going through infant loss. In a recent post, titled "10 Horrible Things Said to Parents After Baby Loss," Ariel revealed that unfortunately, part of this difficult journey is receiving hurtful comments from other people, CafeMom reports. "Talking about loss can be very uncomfortable for some people, especially pregnancy and infant loss. Sometimes people feel a need to say something to a grieving parent to acknowledge their loss but the words often turn out to be really hurtful," she wrote. "While I understand that people are usually coming from a good place, the words still hurt. I've had my fair share of hurtful comments since losing Onyx and each time I thought 'Wow, it would have been better if they just hadn't said anything at all." There have even been a few times that I have gotten into heated arguments with people because they try to justify their comments even after I've told them that they're hurtful." In the post, she included 10 photos of her holding a message board concealing her face. Each photo features a different horrible comment she's received on the board, and is followed by her explanation or response to each comment. As she notes, many were probably said to her with the intention of making her feel better. But, she writes, "sometimes the impact is greater than the intent." Instead, she advises that people take a moment to process why they felt or feel the need to say something to a grieving parent—and notes that often, it's more about a person trying to make himself or herself feel better, rather than cheering up the grieving parent. "By pushing your own feelings on grieving families, you are really just making things worse. Grieving parents should not have to make you feel better about their loss. It's important to put the grieving parent first. You may be angry, sad, and confused about what happened to their baby but imagine having to live with those memories every single day," she wrote. "Think deeply about what you're going to say before you say it. Just because something might make you feel better doesn't mean it's helpful to grieving parents." She also provides better alternatives to any of the comments above. "If you aren't sure what to say, say that. Say 'I don't know what to say, but I just want to let you know that I'm here for you, and I'm so sorry for your loss.' Most of all, don't try to find a purpose for a loss. There's no reason in the world that will make parents feel better about losing their child." See below for the pics, and make sure to head to her blog for her explanation on why each one is so hurtful. Some are so obviously offensive, we can't believe anyone had the nerve to say this to a grieving mom.
Working Mother Lifestyle
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IKEA Through the Years: How Our Favorite Furniture Store Shaped Our Homes
Famous for everything from flatpack furniture to steaming plates of meatballs, our favorite Swedish home furnishings store celebrates its 75th birthday this year. Many of IKEA’s products have become household names over the decades, so we’ve rounded up a collection of its bestsellers – including those now worth a fortune. From humble beginnings in rural Sweden, we look back at the quirky history of this iconic brand
Lovemoney Lifestyle
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25 Cheap Products That Will Make You Feel Rich
There's no need to go overboard on frugality. Minor expenditures can actually leave you feeling richer. For relatively little money, the occasional silk pillow, monogrammed bag, and top-notch socks will make your day-to-day life a little more spiffy. See what other small outlays can upgrade your life.
Cheapism Lifestyle
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The Macabre Origins of 10 Death-Related Idioms
In 2016, Chapman University conducted a survey of 1511 Americans to gauge their concern over common fears, including crime, natural disasters, and clowns. Predictably, the notion of death was on the minds of many. Roughly 38 percent of respondents said that the idea of a loved one dying made them afraid or very afraid. Approximately 19 percent feared their own death. That last statistic may speak less to fear of dying than our preference to simply not think about it. We often obscure or obfuscate our own mortality by ignoring it, joking about it, or cloaking it in a way that allows us to avoid confronting the reality that our bodies have expiration dates. For centuries, idioms have allowed us to dance around the topic, trading euphemisms for blunt language. Take a look at some of the more common expressions for death and their possible origins.
Mental Floss Lifestyle
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What Divorced Women Wish They Had Done Differently In Their Marriages
We’ve all been there: A long-simmering relationship issue bubbles to the surface. In the heat of the moment, we say things we don’t mean. Other times, we’re too scared or too proud to clearly communicate our needs. After a breakup or divorce — and with the benefit of hindsight ― it’s easier to see where things went wrong and how issues could have been handled differently. We first asked divorced men to share what they would have done differently...
HuffPost Lifestyle
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20 Cashmere Pieces Under $200, Because We Want to Be Cozy, Not Broke
We’ll just come out and say it: We need winter to hurry up so we can live in cashmere all day, every day. If you’ve shied away from the super-soft luxury fabric in the past due to its hefty price tag, we can assure you there are plenty of affordable options out there. We’ve rounded up twenty, from just $39 to $190. RELATED: The 50 Best Sweaters for Fall (at Every Price Point)
PureWow Lifestyle
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Diesel put a homophobic slur on a jacket to make a statement about 'online hate' and people think it completely missed the mark
Diesel is selling a £350 ($458) jacket emblazoned a homophobic slur in the UK. The brand claims that the product was created in collaboration with "13 Reasons Why" actor Tommy Dorfman to combat homophobia and cyberbullying. But people are upset by it.
INSIDER Lifestyle
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Florals for Fall? Actually Groundbreaking
In one particularly iconic The Devil Wears Prada scene, Meryl Streep—as renowned (and fictional) editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly—berates a staff member for suggesting a fashion story about spring florals. “Florals? For spring?” Priestly asks with incredulity, before delivering her sarcastic kicker: “Groundbreaking.” Spring, with all its April showers and May flowers, is (of course) an inherently floral season. It’s pervaded by vibrant pastels, fresh energy and literal plant blooms. Naturally, the fashion set has drawn inspiration from the season time and time again, leaving the rest of us with a diverse array of floral dresses we shelve until spring makes its annual appearance. But this season, our favorite designers have branched into legitimately groundbreaking territory: They’ve tried to make fall florals happen. MORE: Cutting-Edge Ways to Style a Muted Autumn Wardrobe Just as the phrase “spring florals” sounds like a given, “fall florals” sounds like an oxymoron. Fall is about muted colors, chunky knits and clunky footwear. And we’ve long accepted that dainty, colorful florals belong nowhere in that sartorial scene. But this year, they do. MSGM, Valentino, Zimmermann and a handful of others have redefined the floral print—rendering it in a darker, more haunted autumnal palette that would take any peasant dress from “dreamy afternoon at the park” to “blustery morning in New York City.” The floral pieces they’ve created feel distinctly cold-weather appropriate—worthy of pairing with heavy layers, heavier outerwear and even heavier shoes. It’s like floral prints have been given new life—or more grounded, perhaps. They feel edgy, sophisticated and surprisingly cozy all at once. MORE: 17 Faux Fur Jackets That Aren’t Too Over the Top to Wear Daily It’s possible this sounds crazy to you—more like a nightmare than a dream. But as someone who resents the practice of seasonally retiring clothing, I’m very on board with this sudden shift. And I’d wager you will be, too—once you actually see the fall florals I’m talking about. Ahead, 31 ways to shop (or at the very least, browse) fall’s most surprising trend. Dive in—groundbreaking fashion awaits.
StyleCaster Lifestyle
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Supermodel Karlie Kloss marries Jared Kushner’s brother, Joshua
LOS ANGELES — Supermodel Karlie Kloss has married businessman Joshua Kushner. Kloss posted a photo of her in a wedding dress and Kushner in a tuxedo — both of them beaming — on Instagram and Twitter Thursday night. People magazine reports the couple married at a small ceremony in upstate New York and will have a larger ceremony in the spring. Kloss’s publicists did not return an email seeking details about the wedding Thursday. Kushner is the...
The Boston Globe Lifestyle
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23 Colorful Ways to Wear Shearling This Season
As the days grow colder, it feels as though we have little to look forward to besides holiday movies and snowy hot tub parties. (OK, we have little to look forward to besides holiday movies. But if you know anyone with a hot tub, hit us up.) Sure, Mariah Carey‘s glorious holiday album will once again grace the airwaves, but the days of stomping on crunchy leaves, apple picking and outdoor bonfire-snuggling will soon be long gone. MORE: 17 Faux Fur Jackets That Aren’t Too Over the Top to Wear Daily Yet, as our calendars creep toward November—and then December—we recall one thing we can look forward to: shearling season. Sure, shearling might not be the first thing you think of when you hear the word “winter,” but it is one of the best things. (Especially considering the rest of the season is largely comprised of golf ball-sized hail and that post-snow brown sludge people drag into your house at dinner parties.) Shearling comes in many shapes and sizes, and since it’s the coziest thing ever, we’re tempted to wear it, well, every single day. But that can get a little repetitive—plain old beige wool is no way to make a statement this winter. So how do we spice it up a little, while still maintaining the coziness we demand? Obviously, by making it colorful. MORE: 26 Anything-but-Average Denim Jackets to Power Your Fall Wardrobe Of course, colorful furs (real or faux) can skew a teensy bit tacky. It took us some digging to find the absolute best of the best—but we did it. Ahead, shop 24 colorful ways to wear shearling this season. Winter may be coming, but this should soften the blow.
StyleCaster Lifestyle
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Poodle that Lost Both Legs in Car Crash Bounces Around Like a Kangaroo and 'is Happier than Ever'
Jumping on her two hind legs, this happy poodle moves more like a kangaroo than a dog after losing her front legs in a car crash. The pup named Cora Rose was destined for euthanasia after her legs and pelvis were shattered in the accident in Stockton, California last year. But Zach Skow, 39, and his wife Heather, 32, rescued her from an animal shelter and stumped up $10,000 for life-saving medical treatment.
Daily Mail Lifestyle
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How To Strengthen Your Friendships In 30 Minutes A Week
Admit it: You probably could be a better friend. You’re not alone. We all live busy lives; jobs, significant others, family and so many other demands tend to take precedence over quality time with your besties. They’ve probably put you on the back burner, too! It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Most friends don’t need constant attention. Carving out a little time each week ― no more than 30 minutes, even ― is all you really need to remind...
HuffPost Lifestyle
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Target Is Selling Matching Holiday Pajamas For the Entire Family
Every December, my mom buys the entire family matching pajamas, and while each of my brothers winces as they open up their new flannel set, there's no denying the huge smiles they have on their faces when the entire crew is dressed in them.
PopSugar Lifestyle
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A teacher uses memes to grade papers — and people think it's a clever way to boost classroom morale
On Wednesday, Ainee Fatima, a 27-year-old English and media studies teacher based out of Franklin Park, Illinois, shared a video of herself using her meme stickers to grade exams on Twitter — and people loved it. In just over a day, her post went viral.
INSIDER Lifestyle
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50 Secrets It’s OK to Keep from Your Partner
Do you tell your significant other everything? While a high level of honesty and openness is healthy in a committed relationship, there are times when keeping something to yourself can actually be kinder, smarter, or better for everyone. Read on for the secrets it’s just fine not to share with your partner.
Espresso Lifestyle