They even face the age-old struggle of getting that perfect Instagram pic (sound familiar?). My day was made a lot more magical when Liam blessed us with a new picture of him and Miley.
A post shared by Liam Hemsworth (@liamhemsworth) on
But instead of responding like most mushy girls would—something along the lines of "aww" or "how cute"—Miley replied, "Why. This. Picture lol." Looks like Liam forgot to get Miley’s permission first! We've all teased our SO or BFF over ~that~ one gross picture of us they posted anyway, but it's usually something to do with taco Tuesday and tequila, not a derpy photo of us chillin' on the couch.
Luckily, Miley apparently approved after all because Liam didn't delete it and Miley even reposted it. I'm guessing there are no hard feelings.
Commenters couldn't get enough of the pair's cute social media antics. One user commented, "Lol! Oh @liamhemsworth - based on @mileycyrus response, you clearly broke the cardinal social media rule and didn't get permission first." Another said, "Cant stop smilling at Miley's comment. ^_~ ♥♥♥ I can relate. Haha." One user said, "Should be 'My little angel and me,'" but we all know grammar has no role in the world of romance.
While it’s definitely not as adorable as their iconic The Last Song picture…
Or their picture at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2012…
…I still find it adorable! Like Miley sings in "Malibu," I hope Liam and Miley will “stay the same and nothing will change.” They’ll never go out of style!
Say what you will about millennials' avocado obsession, I think the hype around the small green fruit is well-deserved. From avocado lattes to avocado toast that's so expensive it might keep us from ever buying real estate, anything avocado is solid gold in my book (and on Instagram). And if you're as into them as I am—good news! As Teen Voguereports, embracing your true love of avocados on the beach just got a little easier with this brand new swimsuit from BelovedShirts.
If you've ever wanted to look like half an avocado while feeling the sand between your toes, now you can for just $49.95. The suit also comes in classic and high-legged versions so you can choose the perfect fit for you. While you might be hesitant to ditch your go-to bikini for this suit, one-piece swimsuits are actually this summer's hottest style so this avocado swimsuit is two trends in one.
Naturally, everyone was freaking out in the comments. "THIS IS G•U•A•C•A•M•A•Z•I•N•G," wrote one user. "OH MY GOD IM GETTING THIS," wrote another. The comments on BelovedShirts' life-changing Instagram post were also filled with fire emojis, obviously. However, Twitter may have said it best.
It's 4am, I can't sleep, and I'm contemplating spending $50 on this avocado swimsuit pic.twitter.com/Tn6rD9CzIB
More than 80 beachgoers at Panama City Beach came together Saturday to prove there’s nothing stronger than the human connection—by forming an immense human chain to rescue a group of swimmers caught in a riptide, The Washington Post reports.
Two young boys, Noah, 11, and Stephen, 8, got stuck first, and their cries for help caught the attention of two other beachgoers, Tabatha Monroe and her wife Brittany. Unfortunately, their attempts to save the boys got them caught in the strong current as well. The boys’ mother Roberta Ursrey, as well as her husband, nephew and mother, also got caught in the riptide trying to reach Noah and Stephen. Another couple also ended up stuck. Monroe told the Post that everyone trapped in the riptide tried swimming sideways, which is what you’re supposed to do if you get stuck in such a powerful current, but it just wasn’t working.
People began to point and shout, and Jessica Simmons recalls, "“I automatically thought they had seen a shark. I ran back to shore and my husband ran over to them.... That’s when I knew someone was drowning." According to the Post, there was no lifeguard on duty at the time of the incident, and law enforcement who were called to the scene decided it would be safest to wait for a rescue boat.
After 20 minutes of struggling and no boat in sight, however, people on the beach decided to take matters into their own hands. Rallying together, they embarked on their own rescue effort and began to form a human chain to reach the swimmers. Simmons, who helped start the human chain, told the Panama CityNews Herald that she remembers telling herself, "These people are not dying today. It's not going to happen. We're going to get them out." More and more people joined the chain, some of whom couldn’t even swim.
Simmons and her husband David swam out to the end of the chain and reached the group of struggling swimmers, who were passed one by one down the chain and back to safety. Ursrey, exhausted from panic and the effort to stay afloat, passed out. When she woke up on the beach, a different emergency greeted her—her 67-year-old mother, Barbara Franz, was having a heart attack while still in the water. This is when the chain grew the biggest to help, Ursrey told the Post, and when all 10 swimmers were safe and back on the sand, the entire beach burst into applause.
Franz is still in the hospital after suffering a “massive heart attack and an aortic aneurysm in her stomach,” but she has since been “taken off the ventilator and is considered to be in stable condition,” according to the Post.
Ursrey says she and her family are safe because of “the beachgoers and God’s will” and that she would like to hug everyone who helped save her family. As Simmons wrote in a Facebook post later that night, "To see people from different races and genders come into action to help TOTAL strangers is absolutely amazing to see!!" She added, "it was life changing to witness it."
Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner and Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse recently collaborated on a project together, but it’s totally not what you think. Instead of acting together on camera, Cole was actually the one behind the camera.
Acting isn’t his only skill; Sprouse has come a long way since his Disney days. In this recent photo shoot forW, Cole captured Sophie's elegance as she donned Dior and Erdem dresses. She looks like she belongs in a fairytale or secret garden.
Turner isn’t the first celeb that Sprouse has snapped. In the past, he's photographed Kendall Jenner in Malibu for The Sunday Times and Hermione Corfield for Teen Vogue because that’s totally what Riverdale actors do in between filming. Naturally, Cole is living the dream (AND he's dreamy), and seriously these photos of Sophie are breathtaking.
Turner loves the photos just as much as I do. And it turns out she's almost as big a fan of The Sweet Life of Zack & Cody as I am. "I said to him [on set], ‘When I was younger, I watched your show religiously.’ That was my jam," Sophie said, according to Refinery29. "I know every single episode. My eight-year-old self was freaking out.” Can Cody take artsy photos of me next?
Earlier this year, Sprouse told Teen Vogue he would have become a full-time photographer if it weren’t for his acting career. “Photography is a pursuit that allows you to be very hands-on with what you show people of either yourself or the art you want to make, and acting is kind of the exact opposite," he said. Cole thinks being an actor is like being a cipher for other people's art. But he gushes about photography because he's the "raw creative force" behind crafting a perfect narrative that he wants people to see. "I had become obsessed with the control-freak aspect of photography, and with the rising importance of the image in our social media age it ended up working." I'll say!
Clearly Cole is passionate about both of his day jobs, and I can’t wait to see more of his photography. Now, if only the second season of Riverdale could happen sooner. In the meantime, I'll def be stalking Cole on Instagram…obviously for the sole purpose of investigating his photography portfolio.
A 14-year-old from Texas died by electrocution while holding her cell phone in the bathtub, the New York Post reports. Madison Coe was taking a bath at her father's home in Lovington, New Mexico when she was shocked to death because of her charging cellphone. Family members said she was either holding her plugged-in cell phone or in the process of plugging in her phone when was fatally electrocuted. "There was a burnmark on her hand, the hand that would've grabbed the phone, and that was just very obvious that that's what had happened," her grandmother told KCBD.
Madison had recently finished middle school, where she played basketball and was the first chair tuba; she was going to begin high school this fall. Her sad death serves as a reminder to always be cautious when mixing electronics and water in day-to-day life.
Looking forward, her family wants to help prevent this kind of accidental death by encouraging safety and informing people of electrial hazards like the one that killed Madison. "This is just such a tragedy that doesn't need to happen to anyone else, and we want something good to come out of this, as awareness of not using your cellphone in the bathroom as it's plugged in and charging," her grandma said. People on Facebook are sharing a warning post about the danger of electricity near water. We know to be careful of electrocution near showers and baths, but charging your phone seems so innocent!
If you want to help with the service costs, a GoFundMe page has been created for Madison.
"I was not really expecting he would message me back and play along with it, I thought my message to him would be the end of it," Arendas told BuzzFeed News. They were both shocked when the joke kept going. Every few months, one of them would post another funny joke about avoiding the other. This is probably the cutest conversation ever, and they kept it up for an astonishing three years.
After Avsec posted screenshots of the messages on Twitter, the public got involved, basically planning their wedding.
Everyone is rooting for the two Kent State University seniors to get together. Eventually, Arendas saw Avsec's tweet about the situation and replied, "Sorry I'd reply but I need to give it a few months!"
She told BuzzFeed News that she was interested in Avsec but "didn’t want to be the one that gave in and broke the joke." So, fate stepped in—or rather, Tinder stepped in. They approached the "couple" July 10, giving them 24 hours to pick a place to meet for a date...and they picked Maui, Hawaii!
It’s time you got together IRL. You have 24 hrs to decide the city you want to have your first date in and we’ll send you there! @mch_rndhttps://t.co/7r2JQtcxKC
Avsec says the conversation has been going well since he finally decided to DM her on Twitter and have a real conversation. It's like when my favorite contestant on the Bachelor finally gets a one-on-one date! Can't wait for them to finally meet up in Maui.
With her long, golden hair, Gigi Hadid is practically the Rapunzel of the model world—until now. In a new ad campaign for Stuart Weitzman revealed Wednesday morning, Gigi's hair is ultra short and ultra chic.
Snipping long locks in favor of a pixie style has been popular in Hollywood lately, with stars such as Scarlett Johannson and Katy Perry embracing the gamine cut, but it looks like Gigi isn't joining their ranks quite yet. Just like she faked us out on April Fool's Day with her haircut Instagram prank, this pixie cut isn't real either. According to WWD, Gigi didn't go wild with the scissors—she just slipped on a wig. In a press release from Stuart Weitzman, they explained that the dramatic new look was inspired by 60's movie star Jean Seberg, known best for starring in the dreamy French New Wave movie Breathless.
Even if it's temporary, Gigi's new look perfectly captures that Old Hollywood elegance. Maybe it's the black and white of the photo giving her that pariesenne aesthetic, but it looks like we may have found our generation's Audrey Hepburn.
You’ve fine-tuned your resume, crafted the perfect cover letter and landed the job interview; but now, you are faced with the awkward conversation of compensation. You work hard and your abilities show that. However, approaching the topic of salary and how much you think you deserve can be tricky. We’ve laid out a few tips to help you navigate and prepare for the sometimes dreadful conversation that will more than likely come up during your job application process.
First and foremost, know what you’re talking about
Walking into a job interview for a position that generally pays an entry-level salary and asking for something a senior-level executive is making,is irresponsible and shows the company you didn’t prepare. Jean Chatzky, financial journalist and author of Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security Offers, says, “First, make sure you know what this particular job is likely to pay. There may be a standard salary, which gives you little leverage to negotiate, but there may also be a range and, if so, you want to be near the top of it."
Know your minimum offer
While you don’t want to ask for an outlandish starting salary, know what you can work with. If that means creating a budget and determining what the lowest possible salary you could live off, do that. Michelle Reed, former HR coordinator at WyzAnt Tutoring, suggests, "Don't listen to that instinct that tells you you're being too pushy; be direct and say something like 'I'm really hoping to be at [ideal number], is that possible?' Employers expect a back and forth before a salary is agreed upon."
Be open to discussion
Once you’ve researched the average salary for your position, Glassdoor has a great search engine for this, determined the lowest possible salary you could work for, then be mindful that an open discussion would be mutually beneficial for both parties. Chatzky notes, "That will involve making a case for all you'll bring to the company (which you may have already done if they're making you an offer) and not jumping on that first offer on the spot. Whatever it is, take time to think about it and then come back and ask for more. If you are evaluating other offers, now is the time to bring that up."
Make yourself the priority
Above all else, remember this is your job. This is a position you will be working five days a week, if not more; therefore, make sure you agree to a salary that excites you enough to get out of bed each morning.
Approaching the discussion of salary during the job application process can be nerve wracking and uncomfortable, but doing a little research, being open to discussion and remembering your self-worth, will prepare you for anything. Good luck, collegiettes!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
By Lauren Lesser
You’re a twenty-something college student, survive day-to-day on tequila and midnight pizza rolls and only need three hours of sleep to be functional in your 8 a.m. class. You’re single. You’re hot. And you’re getting crude sexts from the guy down the hall after Wednesday karaoke nights.
And somehow that’s the societal norm that we as strong, beautiful females, are supposed to be okay with.
Truth be told, sometimes it’s enough—the late night booty calls and make out sessions at the bar aren’t all that bad. Many times it’s fun. Sophomore year me would fall asleep with a bottle of Jose in her hand and had half a dozen guys on 2 a.m. speed dial. But it’s okay to want more. It’s okay to want something more significant than a quickie between classes or a drunken hookup in the bathroom stall at a college party. It’s okay.
I know it’s not easy. We live in a world where females are considered “crazy” when they “nag” a guy to commit to them. Women are known as “bitches” when they tell off the guy who has been stringing them along for weeks, sleeping with other girls in the meantime. And though we’re making progress by way of apps like Bumble who let the ladies chat first, it’s not uncommon for a gal to be thought of as “too aggressive” when she makes the first move—regardless of whether sex is involved or not. It can be hard to find something real in the midst of all it.
Now, I’m not trying to bash the male species—a far cry from it. Yeah, college guys can be idiots. We ladies can be, too. Stupid norms that we’ve found ourselves locked into make us think that we deserve nothing more. If Susie down the hall and Sally from your English class are having casual sex that doesn’t escalate to romance, why should you be any different, right? Why should you risk being seen as “that crazy girl” for being upset that Joe Shmoe doesn’t text you before midnight? Are you wrong for wanting an old-fashioned dinner and movie date?
Ladies, cut it out. You’re not crazy. You’re not a bitch. You’re not too aggressive. If you want to have a no-strings-attached, sex-filled relationship—you go girl! But if you’ve done casual and want a real date and a mush-filled relationship—go you, too! And if the guy you’ve been seeing isn’t into that, then you just haven’t found the right one.
I wish I knew all that after my first…or second…or third college heartbreak. I wish I knew that I am enough, that I am more than enough. And wanting something a little deeper than Saturday night fun is okay.
Don’t settle. Keep your chin up. It’s not your fault.
Iberia, a Spanish airline, had an unusual requirement for hiring—one that caused government and union officials to punish them for sexism, according to the The New York Times.
The airline has a series of tests that employees must pass before they can be hired, like any other business would. The problem is that their health examination includes a pregnancy test.
Iberia claimed to be protecting the prospective employees from the affects flying can have on a pregnant woman in the last trimester, Cosmopolitan reports. However, one of Spain's main labor unions, Unión General de Trabajadores, says this is NOT the way to ensure safety. "In the case of airlines, companies must be rigorous with the application of labor risk prevention protocols," they said in a statement on their website, "However, these types of measures apply to active workers, who are part of the company. In no case can this information be requested from a person who aspires to be an airline worker and there is no reason to justify it."
After all the controversy, Iberia finally decided to remove the pregnancy test—although no one was sure why it was even there in the first place. The company posted a statement claiming that they've never denied a woman a job because she was pregnant.
According to the Times, Iberia was fined for 25,000 euros (or $28,000) by officials in the Balearic Islands.
You've probably heard or read the words of 18-year-old Aranya Johar already, even if you don't recognize her name—after all, her slam poem "A Brown Girl's Guide To Gender" went viral this March. (If you haven't seen the original video, chances are you've seen a gif or two of her performance on Tumblr.) In her latest poem, called "A Brown Girl's Guide To Beauty," she takes on "unfair" beauty standards: everything from the pressure boys feel to be muscular to the discrimination against darker skin.
With a guitar accompanist and a mic in front of her, Aranya begins with a story of her childhood. "Since the age of 9, I've been slapping my face with fairness creams. Every face wash was a slap in the face because I was a skin tone that was ugly....I was told boys only like girls who are fair and lovely." She also acknowledges men's narrow beauty standards, describing macho stereotypes perpetuated by magazines and how her cousin's brother won't eat starves himself to get six-pack abs. Both men and women in India also have to deal with colorism, which favors light skin tones and discriminates against those with darker complexions.
"I am the color of the strong, fragrant tea aunty sips while remarking, 'Bipasha would be prettier if she was fair,'" Aranya says. "The color of our skin dictates our beauty and that's not the only thing that's unfair." She describes how spouses are often chosen based on their physical appearance, and urges, "instead of looking for grooms who are fair, let's look for grooms who treat people fairly, because the color of someone's skin isn't what we should consider when we look to marry." She tells of a boy whose girlfriend gives him lightening creams for his skin, and of how her "unhealthy" thigh gap was one of the only things that gave her confidence.
The poem touches on many beauty expectations that both men and women have to deal with—weight, skin tone, body type and breast size to name just a few—and it's a pretty bleak picture. However, there is still hope. In the end, Aranya rejects society's outdated and discriminatory expectations. "Forget Snow White, say hello to chocolate brown," she says, "I'll write my own fairytale."
True beauty lies within, and Aranya's powerful poem brings us one step closer to truly embracing all sizes, shapes, and shades.
A Harvard faculty committee has recommended that the college forbid students from joining “fraternities, sororities and similar organizations” in a move to phase out all organizations, including co-ed groups, by May 2022, The Harvard Crimsonreports.
“All currently enrolled students, including those who will matriculate this fall, will be exempt from the new policy for the entirety of their time at Harvard,” a committee report on the potential rule read. “This will lead to a transition period, whereby [unrecognized single-gender social organizations] would be phased out by May 2022.”
The policy would first apply to the freshmen of the Fall 2018 semester. Stating that it’s “unlikely” that the school can improve fraternities and sororities’ own policies, the report follows Harvard’s attempts to weaken the campus presence of single-gender social groups. “This report…articulates an aspiration to improve the educational experiences and social lives of all Harvard students while they are on campus,” the committee wrote in defense of their work.
The last major update in the administration’s efforts was in May 2016, when the school announced it will bar those in the Class of 2021 and onwards from joining single-sex organizations. That version of the policy also prevented members of these societies from earning certain campus leadership positions.
Widespread criticism of those rules led to the current committee’s formation with the goal of finding a less strict strategy. “Our main reservation about the stated goal of the policy was whether the focus on ending gender segregation and discrimination is too narrow,” the group’s statement said. “If all of these organizations adopted gender-neutral membership in a timely fashion, there would remain a myriad of practices of these organizations that go against the educational mission and principles espoused by Harvard University.”
These revised policies would still recognize independent student organizations as long as they “follow best practices and demonstrate their robust compliance with the College’s shared values.”
Although the newly proposed revisions haven’t been finalized yet, the committee even suggested proper phrasing to capture the recommendation’s reasoning, sharing, “Harvard students may neither join nor participate in final clubs, fraternities or sororities, or other similar private, exclusionary social organizations that are exclusively or predominately made up of Harvard students, whether they have local or national affiliation, during their time in the College.”
Faculty will comment on the committee’s recommendations before the proposal is eventually shared with University President Drew G. Faust. For now, the original barring policy will begin with this year’s incoming freshmen, but these discussions on balancing gender equality on Harvard’s campus are sure to be noticeable in the next few months.
Remember dancing to Lana Del Ray’s “Summertime Sadness” remix in the basement of some college party? If you’re a post grad with a new job or an undergrad with a full-time summer gig, the famous hit is probably your new personal anthem right about now. Here are 15 things you’ll recognize all too well if you’re working hard during these hot summer months.
1. You can’t stay out too late with your friends on weeknights because you have to be at work early the next day
You have more willpower when resisting a third slice of pizza than when leaving a fun club just as the party’s getting started.
2. And if you do actually go out, you’re so tired from work that you just fantasize about being in bed
Cue the point where you start sexy-eyeing strangers to bring back home…to sleep with…as in, literally sleep with.
3. Or you tend to make plans to go out after work but get so tired that you end up staying in instead
But whatever, wine and Chinese food for dinner is way cheaper than tequila shots and diner pancakes at 3:00 a.m. anyway.
4. Instead of wearing crop tops and swimsuits, you’re stuck wearing business casual outfits
Or if you have a super corporate job…actual suits. The horror.
5. You feel tons of pressure to do fun things on the weekends and also to relax enough to prepare for the week ahead
How do you squeeze in naptime, a Six Flags trip, a random Tinder date, a BFF brunch and binge Netflix in only 48 hours?
6. And as much as you want that “summer bod,” you rely on snacking to get you through the grueling 9-to-5
If only you could add “eating when bored” to your résumé.
7. You spend more money commuting to work than you do on anything, well, fun
The majority of your paycheck either goes to loans, bills, gas, train passes, bus rides or tissues to cry into on the way home.
8. Which is why it physically hurts to scroll through Instagram and see all the fun places people are going
Meanwhile, you travel to the same bathroom, cafeteria and lunch spot on any given day.
9. You try not to get jealous of all the snaps you see of your friends at midday happy hours
You feel your soul being ripped from your body in pointless midday meetings.
10. You find yourself gazing out of windows a lot, wishing you could be in the sunshine instead of the AC
The fact that you’d sacrifice frizz-free hair for a chance to smell fresh air is a cry for help.
11. And seriously, you question whether getting tan is even possible at this point
You look more like Casper the Friendly Ghost than an actual human.
12. Nothing hurts you more than having to be stuck inside on a beautiful day when you could be at the beach
Here’s to swapping tanning oil and salt water for endless emails and stress sweating.
13. And the routine of all work and no play makes you want to just quit and, honestly, live
You’re supposed to be young, wild and free! Not young, financially distressed and boring!
14. Money and the drive to succeed in your career are the only things keeping you motivated
Along with indulging in ice cream, online shopping and Riverdale episodes any chance you get.
15. Not the mention the fact that, after all this hard work, you’re totally going to treat yourself to an epic vacation
It’s been another insane week in U.S. government, with Donald Trump Jr. causing a stir when news broke of an meeting he had with a Russian lawyer last summer. Now it might be his dad’s turn for more intense attention. According to Teen Vogue, formal articles of impeachment were filed against President Donald Trump in a press conference held by Democratic rep Brad Sherman. Working alongside Democrat Representative Al Green, Sherman has begun the first formal legislation in favor of Trump’s impeachment.
The men’s articles of impeachment were filed under the title “Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.” Each article of impeachment lists a charge against Trump, calling for a majority vote to pass through the House of Representatives and eventually reach the Senate. Sharman announced in a statement that he and Green have called for hearings of Trump’s “obstruction of justice” and his connection to the “Russian interference in our election.”
In his statement, Sherman addressed both possible outcomes of filing an impeachment, including his hope that his actions would “inspire an ‘intervention’ in the White House.” However, he didn’t hesitate to discuss the more likely resolution. “Filing Articles of Impeachment is the first step on a very long road,” he wrote. “But if the impulsive incompetency continues, then eventually—many, many months from now—Republicans will join the impeachment effort.”
Green previously called for Trump’s impeachment back in May, saying then, “The American people are a part of this democracy…The American people should speak up, speak out, stand up so that we will get a sense of what American people want.”
According to The Washington Post, the chances of impeachment pleas reaching the required two-thirds majority vote in the Republican-dominated Senate are low. Other Democratic leaders have even avoided association with Sherman’s actions because they believe the filing will only “energize the president’s supporters.”
It may not be worth it to call too much attention to these representatives' decision, but the status of the impeachment filings will definitely be interesting to follow.
Sex can become a regular part of anyone’s life. It can even be seen as routine and the thing about routines is that they can get boring. If you feel like your sex life is lackluster or something is missing, you and your partner may not be doing everything you can to have great sex every time you’re in the act.
1. Get consent before, during and after
Talking to your partner before is definitely ideal (and we'll totally talk about that later on) but consent is one piece of communication that everyone should have before having sex. Asking your partner if they definitely want to have sex beforehand can be reassuring and get you both on the same level excitement if the answer is, "Yes" and will make everything more relaxed. But consent doesn't stop there, ask your partner if they are okay and still want to engage in sex while you're in the act.
Becky Chariton, a recent graduate of Temple University, says, "Asking your partner how they're feeling during sex and asking if everything is okay during sex can be hot. It definitely makes me feel better and more confident that the person I'm having sex with is making sure I'm still into it as much as they are."
They may not feel comfortable voicing their concerns or may feel afraid. Keep up the constant line of communication before, while in between the sheets and after so you know you're both consenting.
2. Make eye contact
Eyes are the windows to the soul! Eye contact during sex can really heat things up. It’s a nonverbal way of saying how much you’re enjoying being in bed with your partner and an opportunity to really connect with your partner.
Kaitlyn Suppes, a senior at the University of Wyoming, says, “Whether it’s during foreplay or sex, eye contact makes the experiences more intimate. Instead of staring at the wall or ceiling, make eye contact with your partner and tell them how much you're enjoying this shared experience with your eyes.”
Eye contact can help make sex more intimate and memorable. Try locking eyes with your partner the next time things get heated.
3. Communicate with your partner
Whether you read about a new position you want to tryor if something is making you uncomfortable, one of the keys to having good sex is to talk to your partner.
“You have to understand what your partner likes and dislikes,” says Stephanie Murray, a junior at Savannah College of Art and Design. “You also have to have consent. Without communication you won't know what makes them happy; your partner's happiness should be your focus.”
Getting consent from your partner and talking to each other about what pleases them in bed will not only make sex a lot more fun, but it will create trust and openness between the two of you.
Whether your foreplay involves you two wearing costumes and taking on different personas or just consists of a passionate makeout session, it’s one of the most important parts of sex. Foreplay gets you in the mood to get down to business and makes sex more passionate.
“I think there should always be foreplay before sex, Juliana Collins, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, says. “For men, it’s really important to understand that foreplay for a woman will only benefit them more in the long run. It will only make sex more enjoyable.”
Experiment with different types of foreplay and see what works for you and your partner. Even if it’s a random hookup, make sure you and your body are in the mood to have sex by insisting on foreplay.
5. Talk about fantasies and fetishes before sex
We all have fantasies about things we want to try in bed, but like we said before, communication is key. Trying to act out a random fantasy in bed before talking about it can lead to some awkward or weird mishaps.
Abby Devore, a senior at Temple University, says, “Vocalize fetishes and fantasies before just doing it. It will end up being a lot more enjoyable for the both of you.”
So, if you want to tie your partner up or try a seemingly crazy position, talk about your idea beforehand in order to have the best sex and to live out the fantasies in your head.
6. Try toys
There are sex toys for every type of person out there, whether you’re with a partner or by yourself. Bringing toys into the bedroom can be the answer to spicing up boring sex or can make sex a special occasion.
“If you haven't used toys before, or are with a new partner, start with something small,” Kaitlyn says. “A clitoral stimulator or a cock ring are great starting points for adding a little more pleasure to sex without making you or your partner feel overwhelmed.”
You and your partner can both get pleasure from sex toys and finding out what’s missing from the bedroom can be your starting point. Whether it’s a fetish, a fantasy or certain pleasure you’re craving, sex toys can definitely help.
Sex should always be consensual, fun and an opportunity for you to get closer to your partner. If you find that sex is becoming boring and you’re not satisfied when it’s over, focus on what you can change. Sex can sometimes become routine, but now you have all of the tools to constantly have great sex.
Long after he won over our hearts as Freddie on Nickelodeon’s iCarly, Nathan Kress became actual #husbandgoals when he married London Elise Moore in 2015 and released stunning footage of his wedding day (seriously, try not crying over it). Now, the 24-year-old actor has another big role to fill: father! Nathan announced via Instagram that he and London are expecting their first child, PEOPLE reports.
“Mommy and daddy are thrilled to announce Baby Kress, arriving January 2018,” Nathan wrote to accompany a photo of the couple smooching in front of Big Ben.
To break the news to his fans, Nathan tried out a play on words, using his wife's name and their location super creatively. "Me and my baby in London," he initially wrote. "Me. And my baby IN LONDON. Get it?"
Freddie Benson's all grown up, folks. We wish him and London the best and hope Lauren has a smooth pregnancy!
Have you ever been to the doctor’s office for a routine checkup and found out that your weight has fluctuated by five, or maybe even 10 pounds? It may come as a surprise, but this is actually very common, and completely healthy. It’s also just one of several reasons why your weight isn’t always a great indicator of how ‘healthy’ you are, so to speak. Here are 6 other things that can give you a better idea of your health than the numbers on the scale.
1. Your body composition
Your weight isn’t the most dependable indicator of your overall health because variables like bone structure, muscle composition and activity level all impact your health in ways that your weight doesn’t necessarily show. According to health motivation expert and founder of FitShrink, Dr. Kelly Morrow-Baez, body mass index (BMI), which is a tool that uses your height and weight together to categorize your weight as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese, fails to take these variables into account.
Due to this, a fit athlete with a dense bone frame and extra muscles could be categorized as overweightwhen in reality, they’re completely healthy!
This is exactly what happened to Sophia, a senior at Bowdoin College, when she was a competitive swimmer. During high school she was categorized as being at risk for becoming overweight by her BMI. In reality, she weighed more because of her muscle density—a result of a vigorous training schedule that had her swimming over 20 hours a week and lifting weights at least three times per week as well.
“I had an incredible cardiovascular system and was pretty much a pack of pure muscle,” She says. Sophia also says that ever since then, she’s been pretty skeptical of the scale.
Dr. Morrow-Baez says that is why she believes you should forget about BMI (and how it uses your body weight in comparison to your height) as a measure of health. If you’re a number person and you do want a concrete figure to work with, she suggests seeing a nutritionist and opting for a body fat assessment instead. Plus, most college campuses have their own registered dietitians on staff for these kinds of consultations!
2. How much time you spend sitting
In the age of hour-plus lectures to attend, papers to write and desk-work to do, sitting has become a very consuming part of our day. In fact, a recent report released by the National Institutes of Health revealed that adults spend 60-71 percent of their waking hours sitting and engaging in sedentary activities (such as driving or working at a desk). If you’re wondering why this is so bad and what it has to do with your overall health, Personal Health Expert and CEO of health tracking app ph360 Matt Riemann broke it down for us.
For many, sitting means slouching. According to Riemann, this poor posture is bad for your spine’s health, and it also restricts the amount of air that your lungs are able to take in. One immediate side effect of this is poor concentration (as a result of not being able to take in as much oxygen). Over time, sitting too much can lead to poor circulation, decreased muscle tone and can put you at risk for cardiovascular problems, difficulty sleeping and even anxiety—yikes! Riemann revealed the secret to breaking up the monotony of sitting and decreasing your risk for those health problems: walks.
“Walks can be beneficial,” Riemann says. “Reduced oxygen can even hinder concentration so you’re better off taking a break and getting some movement to study better than [spending] hours at you desk.” He also says that your walk breaks don’t have to be super long or get in the way of your work. Breaks of just five minutes for each hour you spend sitting down are extremely effective for decreasing your risk for health complications that are associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
The quality of your diet is so much more important than you might think. It (along with the water you drink) is what keeps your body working at its best. According to registered dietician and nutrition expert at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating Rene Ficek, the way the food you eat affects your body chemistry also affects your mental well-being. She explained that is because certain foods stimulate your endocrine system by facilitating the production of specific hormones that impact every process in your body, from your mood to your cell functions.
Whole grains, for example, increase serotonin (the ‘feel-good’ hormone) levels in the body, while meat can raise the body’s levels of adrenaline (which is responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response, raising your body’s stress levels). But, according to Ficek, fast food is by far the biggest antagonist in regards to your body’s well being.
“Fast food meals contain a toxic mixture of unhealthy fats, preservatives, coloring and refined carbohydrates that can create imbalances in your brain,” Ficek says. She also says that it isn’t just one ingredient that’s to blame for these imbalances, which can lead to feeling depressed or hyperactive.
The best way to combat these effects is by avoiding fast foods in your diet and instead reaching for foods that you know are better for you.
Exercise is one of the trickier items on the list because many people seem to have a preconceived notion of what constitutes ‘too little’ exercise. Dr. Morrow-Baez says that most of the time our mindset is the biggest obstacle to getting healthier. Like the earlier example of taking a five-minute walk break for every hour you spend working, it’s actually pretty easy to incorporate more exercise into your everyday life. According to Dr. Morrow-Baez, “consistency beats intensity,” which means that you don’t have to work out for an hour everyday to see results.
“I never really worked out before this year of college because I have exercise-induced asthma. I still can’t even run a half-mile without feeling the symptoms of asthma setting in,” Kayla, a sophomore at Kennesaw State University who also says that although she is petite, she credits her build to her high metabolism and not a balanced exercise regimen, which she’s trying to change. “Compared to a lot of people, I’m in very poor health if you base it off of ability to complete cardio activities and VO2 max.”
You can always start simply with 10-20 minutes of exercise two or three times a week. It might not sound like much (and it’s certainly not your maximum capacity for exercise), but starting with a lower goal is easy for even the busiest of collegiettes to work into their day. Dr. Morrow-Baez also emphasizes that celebrating small wins (such as fitting in a 10-minute workout) sets the foundation for establishing better and longer lasting good habits for the long run.
The last time you had to pull an all-nighter, or got less than seven hours of sleep, how did you feel? Chances are, the answer is “not great.” That’s because when you sleep, your body not only rests, but also resets and rebuilds. Your brain is hard at work priming you to mentally handle the day ahead of you when you wake. If you don’t have this time to rest and reset, you won't be well-equipped for the next day.
According to cardiologist Dr. Jason Guichard, sleep deprivation (generally sleeping for seven hour or less per night) stresses your body by increasing inflammatory markers in your bloodstream. The stress your body is subjected to as a result of these markers can lead to anxiety, depression and impaired attention, judgement and memory.
Brooklynn, a junior at Ohio University, says she’s “a disaster” if she doesn’t get at least seven hours of sleep per night. “Getting enough sleep helps me have the motivation to start the day. I'm not falling asleep in lecture or skipping a workout to take a nap.” If you find yourself unable to stay awake in lecture, or reaching for more than one or two cups of coffee a day, you may be suffering from sleep deprivation. While it’s normal to have an occasional night of less-than-optimal sleep, you really should be aiming for at seven and a half to eight hours per night.
6. Your skin
Many medical conditions can manifest themselves through the only organ you can actually see visually: your skin. Dr. Tshippora Shainhouse, a Beverly Hills dermatologist explains that conditions like Celiac disease, Polycystic Ovarian Symptom and melanoma are a handful of serious medical conditions whose symptoms can show up as skin abnormalities.
Dr. Shainhouse says that overall, acne is the most common skin concern she encounters among young women at her practice. However, the causes of acne vary depending on your age group. According to Dr. Shainhouse, teenage acne is often caused by bacteria on the skin, clogged pores and the production of excess oil on the skin’s surface. This kind of acne is generally treatable with skin creams or sometimes antibiotics.
She explains that acne in your 20s can be more complicated to treat than teenage acne because hormone imbalances are usually an underlying cause of acne in adults. This means treating acne in your 20s might require hormone modification—which isn’t as scary as it sounds. She also says that sometimes, just switching up your birth control can solve for it!
While it's easy to focus on the numbers you can see to quantify exactly how healthy you think you are, there’s far more at play in determining your health. You’re so much more than a number, and you deserve to remember that by celebrating the small victories like a quick workout, adequate sleep, or a combination of all of the six factors we mentioned.
Whether you love the Kardashian women or can’t stand them, there’s one thing we all know to be true… Those ladies look damn good.
Every day, they wake up and put on their best face for the world—with the help of a few professionals, of course. A few weeks back, I set out to make myself up like a Kardashian for one whole week, head to toe. My roommates were all too eager to watch and photograph.
I thought maybe I’d get a few weird looks, or a few less-than-subtle stares that said, “Who does that girl think she is?” But, as it turns out, wearing mostly neutrals, baring some cleavage and wearing sunglasses inside in Washington, D.C. isn’t all that shocking.
It didn’t take long to realize that the challenge was actually in taking the perfect picture, not matching the Kardashians’ style. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a huge stretch for me to dress like a Kardashian, as I didn’t need to buy anything new for this experiment. I was able to use clothes and makeup that I already had—mimicking their style wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. It was taking and editing Instagram photos that proved to be tricky. It’s an art, after all.
A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on
A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on
The Kardashians are masters of “finding the light,” knowing their angles and working the camera in a way that looks absolutely effortless. For me, I found that taking picture after picture was an exercise in confidence more than anything else.
A photo posted by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on
By the end of the week, after taking a few tips from the selfie queens themselves, I learned a few things.
Pictures are never perfect the first time.
And you’ll always take about 40 before you settle on one.
Having a friend on the other side of the camera to make you laugh will change your selfie game. A genuine smile looks good on everyone.
You have a good angle, and finding it just takes practice.
Would I keep living like a Kardashian? Not without a professional team behind me (and I don't think my friends are up for being my full-time glam squad)! But really—even though I can now consider myself a master selfie-taker (almost), that time spent photographing every angle is better spent actually enjoying the scene your photographing... so for now, I'll just be me—just don't be too surprised if you get a few more Snapchat selfies from time to time, though!
If you’ve been keeping up with The Bachelorette this season, you’ve probably grown to love Dean Unglert. I mean, who couldn’t? Besides being the youngest remaining contestant, he’s shown himself to be an honest and kind gentleman. It’s also hard to ignore Dean’s adorable dimples and shy demeanor on camera. Even when a fan had a negative reaction to a comment Dean made in the hometowns preview, he responded with obvious sincerity.
In the short clip, Dean’s father is shown wearing a dastar, the traditional headwrap worn by people of the Sikh faith. Despite being excited to bring Rachel home, Dean appears anxious because of what he's called his father’s “eccentric” behavior.
Responding to Dean’s vague comment, Twitter user Jasneet Dulai wrote, “Love you on #TheBachelorette but using the word 'eccentric' to describe your Sikh dad is kind of insulting to Sikhs like me :(."
Of course, the 25-year-old took to social media to clarify and dispel confusion about his beliefs. “I understand what you mean. His eccentric behavior is not a product of his Sikh faith. I didn't mean for it to come across like that,” he tweeted.
I understand what you mean. His eccentric behavior is not a product of his Sikh faith. I didn't mean for it to come across like that
— Dean Michael Unglert (@dean_unglert) July 12, 2017
Dean’s willingness to clear up his statement’s true intention won over Jasneet. She replied, “Thanks Dean - This is why you're my fave on the show!"
Sandals may be the shoe of the summer, but we also know they're not for everyone. If you hate toes, getting your feet dirty and can't even with tan lines, sandals are pretty much a nightmare. Thankfully, there are cute alternatives! Check out these shoes for your best no-sandal summer yet.
I'm starting to wonder if sandals actually aren't the shoe of summer? These alternatives are so chic and offer a lot more room for creativity. Sandal-haters, you have so many options!
