Hasta La Gadget!

Women struggle with the question of who comes first. My partner or husband vs. my children? Maybe it isn’t a question of who comes first all the time, but some of the time. This seems to make more sense and become a more realistic question.

When people say that you’re kids will leave home and your husband or partner is forever, it’s a spurious statement because actually you’re a parent forever, even when your kids are adults. And those adults when they are young, often in fact do come home. College students often live at home and commute to their schools and college graduates often live at home when they are in their first jobs. So when do they actually become official adults? (A question for another post.)

When Do Kids Come First?

Do infants come first? Sleepless nights and exhaustion fill the first few months of a mother’s life with her baby. You can’t explain to an infant that your husband or partner feels left out and is frustrated with your absence and readiness to fill his or her needs. You need to co-parent to work out this question because of course, infants come first!

This doesn’t mean you can’t get a babysitter or spend time together when the baby sleeps. It just takes a concerted effort because you’re usually pretty tired those early months of a baby’s life. But short times of togetherness can make all the difference to keep your relationship alive and growing.

As kids get older, let’s say elementary school, there’s a lot of chauffeuring and school involvement that’s essential. If both parents participate, it means things run more smoothly, kids feel close to both parents, and parents end up with more time together.

Even during adolescence, or especially during adolescence, kids need their parents’ open-ended time, so they don’t just talk when there are problems. But it’s good for teens to see their parents enjoy each other. It shows them what loving relationships at an adult level can be all about.

Many ask this question. I’ve read it quite often. But we don’t love people that are close to us more or less. We love them differently. The bonds are complex and dissimilar. Children need us in different ways than our partners, so we love them differently.

Some women joke that their husbands are their “other child” but if this really feels true, then the partnership needs a second look. Parents nurture each other, sometimes one needs more support than the other, but it’s an adult love that’s mutual and reciprocal at best.

Parents nurture children and help them solve their problems. Children express opinions that we should listen to closely and respond to attentively, but we shouldn’t reverse roles and depend on them to help us solve life’s problems.

What if You Do Love Your Child More Than Your Partner?

Sometimes in failing marriages and troubled adult relationships, a parent does love their children more than their partner. This is of course a problem in the adult relationship that needs careful thought, and often professional help as early on as possible. Children don’t want their parent to favor them over their other parent. It makes them anxious. They feel secure when their parents are secure with each other.

Laurie Hollman, Ph.D. is a psychoanalyst and author of Unlocking Parental Intelligence: Finding Meaning in Your Child’s Behavior found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Familius and wherever books are sold.

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Food. It’s the center of many conversations. We talk about its appearance, its texture. We compliment or criticize whether it has too much of this seasoning or not enough of that seasoning.  We obsess over ingredients. We are amazed at invention. We launch fads based on a newness or obsess or something that defies tradition.

As a child, I spent time with my mom, watching Julia Child cook French food. French chefs set the bar high and introduced many new cooking techniques and flavors that our western palates and kitchen skills lacked.

I recently attended a dinner hosted by my French friend and found the French cuisine tantalizes with its distinct character. It was bold and pushed my taste beyond what I expected.

There is a new cooking method that seems to be taking the world by surprise. It’s a method for those who have serious lust for life and want to play on a larger stage. It’s called Sous-vide.

For those who didn’t study French, its name means “under vacuum” and it is a method of cooking where food is sealed in airtight plastic bags, placed in a water bath for longer than your average cooking times — 95 hours or more. The temperature is controlled and much lower than normally used for cooking. Sous-vide cooks food evenly, ensuring a properly cooked middle without overcooking the outside, creating a moist, succulent end product to enjoy!

This method uses popular immersion circulators as well as the fully self-contained suvee cookers. In 2009 the first home sous vide machine was launched at a cost of around $450. It was a substantial drop in price from the $1,000+ commercial machines but still, steep for most home chefs. As the popularity of Sous-vide has increased, the cost has become more affordable with a quality machine costing less than $200, making it comparable in price to other fad items like the InstantPot.

Glazed Carrots Sous Vide

Sous-vide makes cooking for the busiest individual easy.  There are minimal learning curves and plenty of sous-vide recipes available, making it about adding seasonings to your prepared portions, placing in a food bag and then cooking sous vide at the right temperature for the recommended time. From vegetables to seafood and steaks, there’s plenty of options for sous-vide.

Delicious tender New York strip sous vide

Sous Vide cooking is a radical old way of bringing new life into cooking.  For those bored with the skillet and pan, making the jump from the frying pan into the water bath will be a refreshing change of pace.

The major benefit from sous vide is that it is a very gentle form of cooking. It doesn’t denature proteins as harshly as direct heat methods, so the meat stays much more tender than the same cut cooked over direct heat.

Sous vide can also produce results that traditional higher temperature cooking can not, since the cell walls contained within the meat do not break down and release the fat. This fact dictates the optimal sous vide temperature for each meat type since each has a different fat cell wall melting point at which you must stay below to enjoy the desired results.

Many high-end restaurants use sous vide cooking as it is the best way to provide the quality and quantity required by reducing preparation time.

Amtrak has been using the sous vide method very successfully since 1995 in the dining cars of its long distance trains. Sous vide was also the cooking method in the movie Burnt.

If you love food and are looking to try something new, discover the flavor and taste of the French cooking method known as Sous-Vide.

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©2016 Julee Morrison, as first published on Mommy’s Memorandum

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After a flight, do you ever feel as though your skin is dry and you’re covered in germs? Or maybe you’re flying to a meeting and you worry your lipstick or foundation won’t hold up.

As a woman who travels a lot (100,000 air miles this year), I’ve learned a thing or two about what you need to look and feel your best when you step off a plane. From the airplane to the beach, and camping to business meetings, you’ll love my list of 12 essentials you need to feel as beautiful as ever while traveling.

1- Theraworx – Now this is a noteworthy travel hack. Theraworx 2 oz. Foam and Spray was made for hospitals to aid with infections. Just like hospitals, planes and trains are covered in germs – from the tray tables to the smelly bathrooms. Unless you plan to travel wearing a face mask and latex gloves, you’ll want to take advantage of Theraworx’s antimicrobial properties. I use it on my hands and face pre and post flight, and, knock on wood, I have not been sick in over a year of traveling. I’ve also used it in a pinch to remove a coffee stain from a white shirt — it worked like a charm. It’s a must-have for battling unwanted travel germs.

A photo posted by allmandy (@allmandy) on Feb 23, 2015 at 3:37pm PST

2- EyeLuminator – Have you ever watched people exit planes? They look tired, and their eyes often look terrible. As a woman, I am worried about looking gross after a flight. Say goodbye to your dark circles and appearance of wrinkles with EyeLuminator. Make the skin under your eyes bright and ready to go. A natural product by SeneGence, I recommend it because it works like a charm on my droopy eyes. It is a staple in my purse for a quick revitalization. Secretly, you could get away with a swipe of the Luminator under each eye, mascara, and a great moisturizer if your makeup bag was inaccessible.

3- Colgate Wisps – Everyone feels better when they know their breath is on point. After a long day of traveling, likely coupled with unhealthy snacks, you’re left with something far worse than morning breath. Carry a couple of Colgate wisps with you to use at any time. You will feel more confident in a meeting, on a plane, or during a conversation with someone you meet. It’s the little things that make us feel better about ourselves.

4- Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract – Traveling with all the daily beauty products we use can be daunting, especially when we have to pack liquids that often spill even inside their Ziploc bag! I use a travel-size Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towels to remove my makeup. It is awesome for traveling because it won’t leak and can be tucked into corners or even carried on — and the bonus … it smells good too!

5- SeneGence Climate Control – This is a must, especially if you are flying. This hydrating mist made by SeneGence will make your skin feel alive with moisture. Use before putting on your makeup or before stepping off a plane. It’s packed with essential oils and natural ingredients to give your skin the most benefit. I use it after every flight. It nourishes my face and makes me feel alive and ready to greet whoever is waiting at my destination.

A photo posted by allmandy (@allmandy) on Aug 13, 2013 at 5:09am PDT

6- LipSense – Let’s talk lipstick. I’ve tried various types and colors, and I’ve found a favorite that does not kiss off or come off mid-flight. An all natural product that lasts all day and night for that matter is the perfect pairing for a conference, long flight, or all-day tour. Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a color to match. My favorite three? Bombshell, Plumeria, and Sand Gloss. I use a makeup concierge who picked my lip colors for a recent photo. She matches my skin tone and highlighted hair color I am sporting in that moment to send me the perfect color.

7- The “Wet” Brush – We’ve all been there, tangled hair and no brush in the suitcase. The Wet Brush will take all tangles out in a matter of seconds, and it’s good for thick, curly, or straight hair. If you plan to go to the beach, this brush is a must. The brush is affordable and works better than any regular brush. I can’t explain it; it just does. Your luscious locks will love you forever!

8 – Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer – The tweezer of the century! Have you ever used a pair of tweezers that would not grab a stubborn hair? Consuming your thoughts that someone was looking at the out-of-place hair on your eyebrow? Well, Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer will have you wondering where they’ve been all of your life. This is a must-have beauty essential in your travel bag, saving the day from stubborn hairs or slivers.

9 – Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray – Love the way your hair looks at the beach? You’ll love the natural wave spray from Bumble & Bumble to nourish your locks with the look of beach-kissed hair. It’s a perfect way to take advantage of the humidity in the air while visiting exotic beach locations, and it gives your hair a fresh and easy look. Spray on wet or damp hair, and let the natural beach wave look make everyone do a double take.

10 – L’occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil with Almond Oil – Nothing’s better than a warm shower to rinse off a long travel or play day, and nothing’s more perfect than pairing it with a cleanser enriched with oil to help hydrate the skin. The L’occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil is my go-to shower staple.

<img alt="2016-06-14-1465923489-7094981-katespadewalkonair.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2016-06-14-1465923489-7094981-katespadewalkonair-thumb.jpg" width="130" height="200"

11- Kate Spade Walk on Water Mini Roll-on Perfume – For a soft, quick, and portable scent that will smell good on anyone, Kate Spade Walk on Water is perfect. It is a light and refreshing scent carrying a softness to not overpower but help you feel ready to go.

12- Diorshow Waterproof Mascara – Waterproof Mascara is a must, and Diorshow is one of my favorites. Mascara is a tough one because most women have a brand they are committed to, or they spend years trying to find the perfect one. Diorshow won’t let you down while traveling, and it’s my go-to for my traveling makeup bag.

So what are you waiting for? Get your makeup bag packed with beauty essentials that will keep you feeling beautiful while you travel.

You deserve it!

Miranda Allfrey is a freelance travel & lifestyle writer, marketing mastermind and cancer survivor. Her captivating story-telling adds magic to descriptions of destinations, cuisine, experiences, and products. And her passion for writing is as contagious as her passion for life and cloud surfing (aka flying). To learn how she can help your company surf to the top, click here: Work with Miranda.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Nearly thirty years after an international treaty banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons, the Antarctic ozone hole is finally starting to heal. By mid to late century, it should be fully recovered.

Read more…

Check out this beautiful Xbox One. This isn’t your typical boring game console that sits in your entertainment center ignored, except to turn it on and play your games. This is a console worth waging war over. It’s the Iron Throne of game systems. Behold the Game of Thrones Xbox One.

The intricate design was inspired by the opening credit sequence of the HBO hit series, and it really is stunning. Microsoft France is giving away three of these Xbox Ones to some very lucky gamers. You can get a better look at the console in the video. It sure is lovely.

If you live in France, check out the Xbox Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages to enter. One console will be given away on each social media account. Good luck.

[via Geek via Nerd Approved]