Thanks to the digital economy, it’s never been easier for educators, subject matter experts, and

Rock legends Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp are highlighting farmers in the way that they know best: through song.

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A woman who turned to roleplaying with hyper-realistic dolls “to help (her) cope” with the death of her first baby – and continues to do so with her husband and two rainbow babies – has said her husband’s parents disapproved of the hobby and fired him from the family business as a result. Christina Keeler, 38, a stay-at-home mum and YouTuber, from Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, USA, fell pregnant with her first “miracle” baby in 2015, despite having endometriosis and being told she would not be able to conceive in her 20s. She suffered a miscarriage, but after watching a documentary about so-called reborn dolls, she had a “lightbulb moment” and realised getting a hyper-realistic doll would be the “perfect solution”. Christina’s husband Bill, 43, was “hesitant” at first but became supportive after he saw how much it “helped (her) grief”. The couple went on to have two “miracle” daughters, Grace, six, and Joy, four, who now help feed, change and dress the family’s five reborn dolls – which cost between £1,560 and £3,899 each – in their “nursery” complete with “a crib and a wardrobe”. The family often take the dolls out in public, and have shared their journey on YouTube – where Christina documents people’s reactions to her dolls and birthing videos. Some silicone dolls come in a fake womb which allows a Caesarean section to be performed at home. But Bill’s family were “disgusted” with the hobby, to the point where they gave him a choice to stop having the dolls or leave the family business. He refused to shut down the YouTube channel and did not want Christina to give up her hobby, so he was fired. She fell pregnant with her first baby in 2015, a year after her mother died of cancer. The couple were “elated” about the pregnancy because Christina had been told in her twenties that she would not be able to conceive because she has endometriosis, but she miscarried at eight weeks. Christina told PA Real Life: “When we lost the baby it was so devastating, I remember lying in the hospital bed after they had taken the baby out of my belly, and screaming for my mum and wept wanting to cuddle my baby.” She “really struggled” with the grief of losing her mother and her baby so close together. She explained: “This feeling of sorrow just never went away, it was so painful that I never talked about it again.” Despite having her two “miracle” children Grace and Joy, Christina still longed to hold her first baby, and after watching a documentary about reborn dolls, she wanted to get one to see if it would help her grief. She said: “I felt so blessed to have two healthy girls, but that feeling of missing the first baby never quite went away. “When my youngest was around two years old, my husband and I came across a documentary about reborn dolls. “And he was like, ‘That’s really weird’, and I played it off that I thought the same, but actually I really wanted one to help me cope and I thought it would be the perfect solution.” After persuading her husband, Christina ordered her first lifelike doll, Hannah, costing her around £155. She said: “I told my husband and he was not on board at all, he was hesitant, but after explaining my reasoning, he was much more understanding and more accepting.” When the doll arrived, Christina instantly felt like it helped with her mourning. She said: “It helped me therapeutically because for the first time ever when I got my first reborn doll, I was able to talk about the loss of our baby. “And since then I have healed tremendously from that loss because I’m able to talk about it and share my story and help others – it helped my grief, for sure.” Christina now has a collection of five dolls called Carter, Cadence, Quinn, Isabella and Sammy, which she loves to dress, cuddle and feed. She takes the dolls out in public and people often mistake them for real babies. She said: “We have a nursery for them with a crib and a wardrobe. I check on them throughout the day, and on other days, especially when the girls want to get involved, I pick out an outfit for them, bring them to breakfast, get them to feed them a bottle, change them. “If we’re running errands we often take them out with us and put them in a car seat and stroller.” Christina and her family have been sharing their experiences on YouTube, where they are known as The Reborn Family. She said: “I make videos about people’s reactions to my dolls, as well as vlogs and birthing videos – I have some silicone reborn dolls which come in a womb and you perform a C-section on it at home, to give birth to the baby.” Despite her immediate family being supportive of the hobby, Christina admits not everyone in her wider family understands. She said: “My husband’s family were, and still are, disapproving of the reborns, even though they can see how much they helped me. They were disgusted. “We moved from California to Pennsylvania because my husband was next in line to take over the family business because they were about to retire, and they asked if we would like to do so and we agreed. “When they were on vacation they came across our YouTube channel, and they called us up and they were mortified and so embarrassed, and said we were ruining the family name.” When Bill’s parents came home, they gave him an ultimatum to stop having the dolls. Christina explained: “Bill said that he was not going to quit his job, and didn’t want me to stop having reborns because they were so therapeutic for me at the time, and his dad said, ‘Well, then you’re fired’.” My husband’s family were disgusted, they said we were ruining the family name Bill’s father was contacted by PA Real Life for comment, but he had not responded at the time of publication. Even though her reborns have caused tension in the family, Christina cannot see herself giving up her hobby any time soon. She said: “Reborns continue to help me with my grief, and I love sharing content with other people who have lost babies, and they can also really help people with dementia, people who are infertile, people with anxiety and depression, I wouldn’t want to stop this.” Read More Teenager who thought she was pregnant diagnosed with ovarian cancer Woman praised for response to parents who asked her to swap first class seat with their child Barbie vs Oppenheimer: Greta Gerwig makes history with biggest box office opening for a female director Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

David Foster and wife Katharine McPhee have broken their silence about the death of their nanny, Yadira Calito. The couple opened up about their grief nearly a month after the caregiver’s death during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on 14 September. When the interviewer expressed his condolences to the pair, after the loss of Calito – who cared for the couple’s two-year-old son, Rennie – Foster replied: “It’s been tough for her,” while looking over at his wife. McPhee went on to nod her head in agreement with her spouse. “Yeah, it’s been tough. She’s managing,” Foster continued, before his wife added: “Thank you.” On 15 August, TMZ was the first to report that Calito was killed when an 84-year-old woman behind the wheel of a Toyota RAV4 crashed into the reception area of Hamer Toyota in Los Angeles. The news came days after the Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement about the incident, noting that the “driver accelerated for unknown reasons and collided with several people who were inside” the car dealership. The 55-year-old nanny had “sustained fatal injuries” during the collision, before she “was pronounced deceased at the hospital”. At the time of the traffic collision, LAPD also shared that two employees, aged 23 and 35, were treated “for non-life threatening injuries” at the hospital and were “expected to make a full recovery”. Investigators also said that the driver, who is from Mission Hills, had taken her car into the dealership for a service and accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes. No arrests have been made following the incident. One day after the police report was shared, McPhee posted a statement to Instagram to announce that she was missing the rest of her husband’s tour in Asia, where she’s been performing as a guest, due to a family emergency. “Dearest Jakarta fans, it’s with heavy heart I announce I have to miss our final two shows of our Asian run,” she wrote. “David and I have had a horrible tragedy in our family and at least one of us needs to get back home to our family. Please know how sorry I am and how much I wish to return someday and perform for you all. Love, Katharine.” At the time, many famous faces took to the comments of the post to send McPhee kind messages. “Sending my love and prayers for your family,” Masked Singer judge Nicole Scherzinger wrote, while Linda Thompson added: “Sending you and David love, & hoping that everything is okay.” Foster is set to return to his tour on 1 November in Michigan, according to his official website. Along with touring again, Foster and his wife will also be releasing a new album next month in honour of the holiday season, which is called Christmas Songs. Foster and McPhee made their official debut as a couple in 2018, before tying the knot the next year. They welcomed their first child, Rennie, together in February 2021. Since then, they’ve continued to open up about their child one day following in his parents’ footsteps. During an interview with ET in October, Foster acknowledged that, although Rennie has developed an interest in drumming, it’s still soon to tell if he’ll become a musician. “You know when you look at somebody like Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, their kids are very talented... but they’re not tennis players, so we don’t know,” he said “He’s so young.” McPhee also agreed, adding: “It makes sense that he’d be musical, but we’re not really sure. He’s certainly obsessed with the drums! Or imaginary drums, for that matter.” Earlier this year, the former American Idol contestant gushed over her relationship with her son and husband, before noting that she was open to growing her family. She also reflected on how she first met Foster when she was on the singing competition show in 2006, over a decade before they started dating. “We can’t believe the ride that we’ve been on. That show [American Idol], I look back on it more fondly because of the fact that it gave me my husband and my first child,” she said, during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, before later adding: “I would love to have another baby. But we’ll see, we’re not in any crazy rush or anything. But I hope so. I love being a mom.” Read More Katharine McPhee’s nanny crushed to death in car dealership after elderly driver crashed into reception Katharine McPhee reveals she and husband David Foster suffered a ‘horrible family tragedy’ Katharine McPhee reveals whether she and David Foster want more children Mother defended after calling father ‘creepy’ over name choice for newborn daughter Action needed to protect women from birth trauma – MP Imagination and hard work in children trumps obedience – research finds

The season two premiere of And Just Like That brought back a familiar face for many loyal Sex and the City fans, and no, it wasn’t the upcoming cameo from actor Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones. The second season of And Just Like That, which debuted on Max on Thursday 22 June, saw the return of Carrie Bradshaw’s beloved Vivienne Westwood wedding gown, which she wore to her failed wedding to Mr Big (Chris Noth) in the 2008 Sex and the City movie. When Sarah Jessica Parker was photographed wearing the fan-favourite bridal gown in the streets of New York City last November, many fans wondered the reason for its reprise. Now, the season two premiere has revealed that Carrie dons the flowing gown to none other than the Met Gala. Warning: Spoilers ahead In the season two premiere, Carrie works with an up-and-coming designer named Smoke (Bethlehem Million) to create a custom design for the annual fashion event, themed “Veiled Beauty”. But when things go awry, the columnist resorts to her fashion archive and pulls the wedding dress out of her closet. “I may have something,” Carrie tells Smoke during the episode. “I’ve only worn it once. It’s not the best memory.” She even decides to wear the same bird-like headpiece that she wore to her wedding, but this time pairing it with teal gloves, teal heels, and a matching teal cape that Smoke had made. Although wearing the same wedding gown twice may seem like bad luck to some, Parker revealed how the new season of And Just Like That was able to give the dress “new life”. In an interview with People, Parker detailed how she and And Just Like That showrunner Michael Patrick King wanted to change the narrative surrounding the iconic dress by breaking it out for season two. “How would it become something else?” the actor told People. “How would we layer it and give it a new life and have it feel modern and change the poetry that surrounded that dress from a lot of really painful but important memories that I don’t think Carrie really wanted to let go of, especially given this loss?” King – who directed the original Sex and the City movie – noted how they wanted first-time viewers to relate to the moment as well, despite not knowing the original importance of the wedding dress. “It must mean something for someone who has never seen the scene where Carrie is left at the altar,” King told People. “So, you just have to create a story, like in that case, the Met Ball, which is named Veiled Beauty, which gets me to wedding veil, which gets to wedding gown, and then Carrie tells Smoke: ‘It wasn’t the best memory.’” “All you need to know is it was a bad moment that she’s putting it on, and then everybody gets to enjoy the gown.” And just like that, fans of the series took to Twitter on Thursday to applaud Carrie for repurposing the iconic wedding dress for the Met Gala. “CARRIE WEARING HER WEDDING DRESS AHH LOVE THE CHANGING THE NARRATIVE TO THAT DRESS,” one viewer tweeted. “I know it was supposed to be a sad moment but when Carrie threw on her wedding dress and veil and rocked it with them shoes and cape I was like yass!!!!” another person said. “Take that pain and sashay that gala”. A third fan wrote: “Carrie Bradshaw repurposed the Vivienne Westwood wedding dress and wore it to the MET Ball!! What a way to honour her,” which appears to refer to the designer’s death in December 2022. Although the return of the wedding dress was a nice surprise for fans of the original series, Parker and King detailed the lengths they had to go to retrieve the Vivienne Westwood gown. “We weren’t entirely certain that we could get the dress back,” Parker told People. “It was in London and unearthing it was complicated – getting it through customs in time and then making sure was this, in fact, the original dress? The colour looked different.” Not to mention Parker worried about fitting into the dress more than a decade later, adding that it “was terrifying to put it on”. “It was really incredible and fun and thank goodness it fit!” Parker said. “It was very special to have it back in our possession for a brief period and to figure out how it helped tell this story now.” The first two episodes of And Just Like That season two are available to stream on Max. Read The Indpendent’s two-star review here. Read More And Just Like That season two review: A toothless imitation of Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker’s son James explains why it feels ‘weird’ watching And Just Like That Sex and the City stars recall ‘near-death experience’ that occurred while filming season three Glastonbury 2023: All the best fashion at the biggest UK festival of the year Warehouse advert featured ‘unhealthily thin’ model, ASA rules Glastonbury festival fashion might not even exist anymore

BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 8, 2023--

Former teen performers who say they were sexually abused by Japanese impresario Johnny Kitagawa are asking politicians to

Grab the gelatin and the hot dogs and head to the kitchen to make these meals from the Great Depression.

Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger suggested he would like to keep the Hulu streaming service

An expert has revealed how to beat the afternoon slump, including chewing gum, having a ginger shot – and watching cute cat videos. Nutritionist and mental health advocate Rosie Millen, has revealed the top 10 hacks to get yourself out of the energy lull, which also includes grabbing a colouring in book, making a ‘slump’ playlist and spraying your favourite perfume. According to Rosie, watching heart-warming videos of cats can have a huge impact on your mood and energy levels, and also decreases stress. While studies show that simply chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain, which then makes you more alert. And drinking a shot of ginger – which is a natural energy booster – can also help you out of a slump. It comes after a study of 2,000 adults found they suffer an average of three energy slumps a day, with 2.36pm the most common time to hit the wall. But 49 per cent admitted they have no idea how to avoid the energy loss. ‘Lack of sleep was found to be the top cause of an energy slump’ Rosie, who is working with Vitabiotics Feroglobin in a bid to help people cope with the dreaded afternoon slump, said: “We’ve all been there. Some of us more than others. And when it hits, it hits hard. “We all know the obvious solutions on hand – exercise, have a cup coffee or take a nap. “But what are some of the more unconventional hacks at our fingertips that can also help bring you out of your energy lull and allow you to get on with your day.” Following the findings, a quiz has also been created to allow you to test how at risk of a slump you are, and whether you need to work to boost your energy levels. A lack of sleep was found to be the top cause of an energy slump for 45 per cent, followed by not drinking enough water (25 per cent), not exercising (22 per cent) and not having the right foods (21 per cent). But 19 per cent blamed it on having to complete a boring activity while 12 per cent suffer a slump when they are in a meeting that goes on for too long. Worryingly, 34 per cent have even had an energy slump while driving. As the result of the lull in their energy levels, 21 per cent have cried and 19 per cent have argued with their partner. Others admitted to cancelling a social engagement (19 per cent), forgetting they were meant to be somewhere (16 per cent) or shouting at their children (15 per cent). While 12 per cent have even fallen asleep in a meeting and 10 per cent have made a mistake at work. But in a bid to beat the slump, 37 per cent have turned to coffee while the same percentage has tried going for a walk outside. Three in 10 consume sugary snacks, 26 per cent splash their face with water and 12 per cent put some loud music on. It also emerged the average adult complains of feeling tired three times a day, with 39 per cent admitting their lack of energy is often a topic of conversation with friends. However, a quarter of those who suffer with energy slumps, polled via OnePoll, have been so concerned, they have visited a doctor or medical professional. To try and boost their energy levels and avoid a slump, 38 per cent have attempted to improve their sleeping pattern while 36 per cent have done more exercise. Others have changed their diet (30 per cent), taken supplements (30 per cent) or taken more breaks throughout the day (26 per cent). A spokesperson for Vitabiotics Feroglobin said: “We’ve all experienced an energy slump – and when it hits, it can be really hard to get out of it. “But as well as learning how to beat it, it’s important to learn how to avoid the slump in the first place. “Your diet and nutrition can have a huge impact on your energy levels, so making sure you are eating the right foods and getting the vitamins and minerals you need can go a long way to beating the slump.” Here are some top tips to beat the slump: 1) Watch cute cat videos Believe it or not, watching cat videos can have a profound effect on your mood and energy levels. A study from the Indiana University Media School of 7,000 people found that watching cat videos not only improves your mood but also decreases stress and re-energises you for when you return to your work. 2) Eat an iron rich snack You need iron to carry oxygen to the muscles and organs in the body. When iron levels are low, this can contribute to fatigue. So make sure you get some iron rich snacks every day to keep your levels up. Good recommendations include dried fruit and pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and houmous with chopped veg. 3) Chew gum This semi-strange tip actually has science to back it up. A study from the journal of physiology and behaviour found that chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain which in turn improves alertness. 4) Grab a colouring in book Not only does colouring in alleviate stress and reduce anxiety it is like a full brain workout for your neurologic system. While colouring, you use the parts of your brain (the frontal lobe) that enhances focus and concentration. Certain colours, such as yellow and orange, are also thought to increase energy. 5) Jump into an ice bath or have a very cold shower Experts say that cold showers boost the immune system and increase energy levels. Scientists believe it improves circulation and blood flow to and from the muscles. It is also thought to improve your mood. A 2008 study found that the use of cold showers on a daily basis decreases depressive symptoms. 6) Make a playlist Music has an incredible impact on our mood and can absolutely transform your energy levels even in a short space of time. Just popping in your earphones and blasting your favourite song alters brainwaves and improves cognitive performance. New research from the British Academy of Sound Therapy found that after listening to music for just nine minutes, 65 per cent of test subjects reported they were happier and laughed more, 89 per cent had improved energy levels and 82 per cent felt more in control of their lives. So, get a playlist ready before you start to crash. 7) Turn up the lights If you’re feeling slumped turn up the lights in your house. The high colour temperature of bright and cool lights triggers the release of serotonin, which makes us more alert and energetic. Results of a study with 52 test subjects showed that people felt more alert and energized after having been exposed to bright light. Stepping out into the sunshine is also a gamechanger. The effects of vitamin D and energy are well documented. Fatigue is one of the main symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. 8) Spray your favourite perfume A lot of clinical research supports claims that certain essential oils increase energy and relieve fatigue. Peppermint oil, for example, is effective for preventing fatigue and improving exercise performance. And eucalyptus is thought to awaken the mind and increase mental clarity. You can either inhale essential oils directly, spray a perfume with them in, add a few drops to your shampoo or opt for an energising massage (time and finances permitting). 9) Call a friend Unsurprisingly, socialising with friends can be really lifting. Dopamine and oxytocin are released when you socialize which in turn boosts your mood, reduces cortisol levels and lowers stress. In fact, social isolation has more far-reaching negative effects. New research suggests that being alone for too long is comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. 10) Have a ginger shot Ginger is a natural energy booster and may be able to give you the kick you are looking for mid-afternoon. Studies suggest it has stimulatory effects. Just make sure you go for as fresh as possible without any added sugar. Read More What are the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and how can it be treated? What is silent reflux? Yoga may reduce seizure frequency in epilepsy patients, scientists say Yoga may reduce seizure frequency in epilepsy patients, scientists say Jonnie Irwin says he ‘never thought’ he’d be alive to see his 50th birthday Billy Connolly shares health update on Parkinson’s disease: ‘Every day gets stranger’

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