A mum has gone viral after modifying her little girl’s Barbie by adding stretch marks to the doll to normalise “tiger stripes” – using nail varnish. Kate Claxton hit the headlines earlier this year after sharing her experience with postnatal anxiety, which led to her quitting her job as a marketing manager. The 35-year-old mum from Swindon is married to husband Tony, 35, with whom she has a three-year-old daughter [name omitted at case study’s request]. Kate, now a children’s author, has written a book about her “tiger stripes” – and is taking to Instagram to reveal why she drew these onto her child’s doll. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “We're really open with our daughter about the ways bodies are different and I'm keen for her toys and books to reflect this,” the mum told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk . “She loves Barbies and while we do have a diverse mix of dolls, there were none with stretch marks, so I decided to decorate my own! “We'd had a long day of crafts and play to avoid the rain and I needed the chill time. “Once she'd gone to bed, I spent maybe an hour or less making the marks with nail varnish actually. “It dried quickly and I put the Barbie's vet outfit back on to go in the toy box ready for the morning. “I bought a new doll to do this with, just in case I got told off for marking a favourite!” Kate says she approaches conversations with her daughter around beauty and body positivity “honestly and openly” but “worries” about the future. She said: “I don't force it on her but if she ever has questions about bodies, or if I notice her watching or playing with something that allows us to bring it up naturally, I'll always do my best to make it normal. “I think representation is getting much better, but you have to seek these things out for yourself a lot of the time. “I do worry for my daughter heading into a world that still judges girls on how they look and pits them against each other.” Kate was inspired by her own children’s book, My Mum’s a Tiger, and hopes that her creation might inspire Mattel, the brand that owns Barbie, to create a similar doll. She said: “I hate that new mums in particular are faced with the negativity around skin and body changes at a time when hormones and sleep and responsibilities are all over the place. “People have loved the reel on Instagram and lots of people are asking how I did it – I hope that means there will be lots more DIY dolls popping up in toy boxes. “I'd love if Barbie could bring out their own permanently-marked version to show children it's normal and nothing to be worried about.” Social media users have come out in droves to praise the mum for her DIY doll. A subtracted version of her post reads: “… [..] Eliza is SO into dolls and getting them dressed and undressed at the moment that it was important for me to make some modifications to this gal and give her the stripes so many of us cover up. “Let's take what makes us different and instead of trying to hide, let's be more like animals and wear our marks with pride.” “My little girl asks me about my ‘tiger stripes’ every time I have a shower or get changed,” said Sammy. “Love this!! Just genius!!!” added someone else. Ella Lucie said: “Really love this.” “Great idea,” added another person. “Love this! I am one of those who are guilty of hiding my stretch marks but your wonderful book and posts always remind me of why I’ve got those tiger stripes,” said Jessica. “I have SO much love for this and totally agree that @barbie should add them to some of their dolls,” said someone else, tagging Mattel’s brand. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Saying goodbye to your family and going off to college for the first time is an extremely daunting and intimidating experience — even more so if you’re the first person in your family to do so and are trying to navigate an academic system that wasn’t made with you in mind. For Latine students across the US, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) might help bridge the cultural gap that emerges between Latine students entering higher education and institutions that have historically excluded non-white students.

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Few things are more satisfying than cooking up a storm on the BBQ. Whether you’re catering for a crowd or firing up for a quick midweek dinner – as the weather starts to warm up, so do our grills. BBQing used to have a somewhat basic reputation for chucking unseasoned steaks on the grill and calling it a day. However, there are worlds of possibilities when it comes to cooking over fire – for example, did you know you could even whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies outside? New BBQ cookbooks released in preparation for summer take us all over the world with their recipes, and could even convince you to build your own grill from scratch… DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking: 50 Awesome Recipes For Baking Over Live Fire By: David Wright, Chris Taylor and Christian Stevenson Think BBQs are just for hunks of meat? Think again. DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking proves baking doesn’t have to be an indoor, rainy day pursuit – and can be just as delicious and as much fun over the open fire outside. This book is a collaboration from three foodies – Christian Stevenson (better known as DJ BBQ), his regular co-author Chris Taylor and baker David Wright. The trio argue both cooking over fire and baking are often seen as overly complicated pursuits that are easy to get wrong – but in this book, they set out to prove this misconception wrong. The book starts with the basics – the equipment and set-ups you’ll need, with a baking focus – and then launches into a host of technicolour recipes. Dishes range from simple crowdpleasers, such as campfire bread and chocolate chip cookies (which yes, you can bake on a BBQ, you’ll discover) to the more adventurous, including lamb kofta sausage rolls and a full Moroccan-inspired chicken dinner. There’s even a recipe for charcoal ice cream – which isn’t black like you might see on Instagram, but is full of those beautiful, smokey flavours. With DJ BBQ’s signature brand of wit and irreverence, this book will open up the worlds of possibilities within outdoor cooking. Quadrille, £20. Photography by David Loftus. Available now. The DIY BBQ Cookbook: How To Build Your Own BBQ And Cook Up A Feast By: James Whetlor This is one for the DIY enthusiasts – anyone who really wants to their hands dirty when BBQing, from start to finish. While it’s all very well and good to use a regular, shop-bought BBQ, food writer James Whetlor is a huge proponent for making your own. Why? Because shop-bought versions are often expensive, and near-impossible to cart with you on a jaunt to the beach or a day in the park. But Whetlor predominantly highlights how fun it is to make your own BBQ. You don’t have to be a DIY wizard or a building maestro to do so – some of the simplest set-ups will be hugely effective. You’ll need a few basic bits of kit for a DIY BBQ – including breeze blocks, pots, planks and chains – all of which Whetlor says is available at your local DIY store. He also urges safety – wearing work gloves and goggles when building. Whetlor gives a comprehensive guide on building your own BBQ – covering all the different options, from small versions to one that can smoke a whole pig – and there’s even an ingenious step-by-step guide for building your own tandoor oven out of a flowerpot. If you’re tentative about building your own BBQ, Whetlor’s guide is so comprehensive he’ll put any nerves at rest – and then he follows up with the best bit: what to cook on your new creation. Dishes range from vibrant veggie options – mushroom tacos and miso-marinated aubergine steaks – to meaty dishes (coconut hot wings, tandoori quail, spicy pork ribs and more). Quadrille, £20. Photography by Sam Folan. Available now. Big Green Egg Feasts: Innovative Recipes To Cook For Friends And Family By: Tim Hayward While this book is predominantly geared towards people with Green Eggs – a specific type of ceramic BBQ – don’t be put off, because the recipes will suit anyone, with any type of BBQ. The beauty of a Green Egg is it covers so many different types of cooking – you can slow-roast, wok-fry and cook pizzas on there – but you’ll just as easily be able to do that without one, be it on stove or in your oven, if it’s not a recipe that specifically calls for BBQing. If you’ve got a Green Egg, food writer Tim Hayward will take you through the best ways to use it, making sure you get the most out of this (admittedly expensive) piece of kit. But the real strength of this cookbook lies in the sheer range of recipes included from all over the world. You’ll get step-by-step guides on how to make lobster rolls from the US, Indian chicken curry, a whole rack of spiced lamb from the Maghreb region in north-west Africa and Mexican taco recipes to feed a crowd. Dishes are vibrant, colourful and will be everything you want to make this summer – with or without a BBQ. Quadrille, £30. Photography by Sam Folan. Available now. Read More These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring Try one of these pasta recipes this British Tomato Fortnight Uncorked: How do I keep my wine cool at a picnic? Banging brunch recipes worth getting out of bed for Think pink: Three ways with rhubarb to make the most of the season

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