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Tl;dr: photo dump but it's the same photo My life these days. If you haven't heard from me, this is why: Don't ask who's who - the mystery is what makes everyday exciting. Comment with your guesses 👇🏽 wrong answers only Yesterday was their due date, sooo - happy "should have been born today" day! 🎉🎉 Now we can start tracking their developmental milestones, but they're already ahead of the game! They're already rolling over and holding their heads up. And they're not crawling yet, but they are always in a different spot from where we originally left them Also, I forgot to post their 2 month photo and we're almost to 3 months old now! Oops 😬 we are now 11 weeks +2, or they're adjusted age today is 1 day old 🙃 I know they're basically the same photos, but im a proud mama 😤 Also, they're babies - they're not doing anything interesting and we can't dress them up yet because they're still too small to fit in any of the newborn clothing we have 😩 but they're almost to 6lbs now! For being born at 2.5lbs they've grown so much 😭 #twinmom #preemies #2monthsold #happy #twins #newmom #momlife #mama #babypoops #hungrybabies #mybabies #sendhelp (at Santa Rosa, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CayhZvoLZJD/?utm_medium=tumblr

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OBSESSED 😍😍😍 (at Santa Rosa, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZvhfk8L7zu/?utm_medium=tumblr

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UPDATE: the girls are finally home! Well, they've been home for about a week now. A little late with the update, but I'm a busy mom now 😉 We spent 45 days in the NICU - 30 days in SF, then transferred to SR for 15 more days. It has been a tough month and half, but every moment, even the hard ones that no one likes to talk about, has been amazing. My babes are finally home and my heart is full 🥰 And I just want to, again, say how grateful I am to everyone that has supported and helped us through this tough time. Thank you thank you thank you and we love you all ❤❤❤ #nicugrads #nicumom #twinmom #happy #home #love (at Home Sweet Home) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZpRSd4p2FX/?utm_medium=tumblr

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A little over three weeks old and the girls are making so much progress! IV's were taken out a few days ago and are now on a full milk diet and gaining some weight. They are now up to 3 lbs. But what I'm most excited about is that they are finally off their respiratory support! We can finally see their tiny cute faces 😍😍😍 Thank you again to everyone that has helped out!! We love you all and can't wait to introduce you to our girls ❤️❤️ (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYml9N1vD7w/?utm_medium=tumblr

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We greatly appreciate any support you can offer - a small contribution or even a share ❤https://gofund.me/031517a6 #gofundme #nicu #nicumom #niculife #twins #twinsisters #newborn #babies (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/i.am.barbles/p/CYZmzEeP0MG/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Made biscuits today and realized I didn't have any round cookie cutters. So I made Totoro biscuits 😋 They didn't come out looking pretty, but honestly, I'm not mad ☺☺☺ #biscuits #myneighbortotoro #totoro #baking #studioghibli #homebaker #uglybuttasty https://www.instagram.com/p/CIPXUNBlN_a/?igshid=1hy2cukvac258

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Today @campaignzero launched #8cantwait in an effort to reduce police violence. Please use their site to check if your city is enforcing these 8 policies and if they're not, then contact your mayor to get them enacted #blacklivesmatter #blm (at Santa Rosa, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_2N9dFNcE/?igshid=97ix6t57tx63

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Don't mind the mess back there... Here's another fun project that I just finished. For a 70th birthday. Vanilla sponge with raspberry curd and crème pât. Marshmallow fondant with a chocolate drip glaze. Topped with macarons and edible flowers. #dessert #sweet #cake #macarons #baking #sweettooth #bakersofinstagram #bakeandshare #yummy #flowers #birthdaycake #homemade #nosleep (at Santa Rosa, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B45P9aIFWv8/?igshid=1w9gjodcv0ti5

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Very happy with the way this turned out 😊😊 #pineapple #upsidedown #cheesecake #latepost #bakersofinstagram #baking #homemade #dessert #cherryontop #bakeandshare #sweet (at Downtown Healdsburg, Healdsburg) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4wU9mmFIa1/?igshid=1wdn3low35mpm

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Know their names and their stories.

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“I can’t wait to meet you, Steph. I’ve even bought you a gift!“As I minimised the WhatsApp conversation on my phone, I was filled with dread about what the next evening would bring. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas and I was going on my first date since the end of my last relationship, two years ago. To say I was extremely nervous was a severe understatement.

I’d been talking to Robert* for a couple of weeks via Bumble and then WhatsApp, and all seemed to be going well. Since the end of my last relationship, I’d been a bit wary of the opposite sex and had gone into every new dating app chat with a degree of scepticism (especially as I am plus-size – more on this later), however Robert seemed different. He was funny, very intelligent, open-minded and ambitious and more importantly, accepted and preferred the fact that I am plus-size.

It seems a bit silly to have to declare something as trivial as one’s weight on an app, but due to how a large percentage of plus-size women are treated in the dating world, some of us choose to add a note about our weight to our profiles, almost as some kind of ‘disclaimer’. It’s even worse when your weight intersects with something such as race or gender.

Date night with Robert finally came around and I was practically bursting into flames with excitement. We’d agreed to meet in Clapham in southwest London for a couple of drinks. I arrived at the venue early and tweeted a cute picture of myself, telling my followers that I was out on a first date. Robert arrived and the date began. We had a great time during the three or so hours we spent together – we laughed, we exchanged hilarious date-fail stories, we spoke about our families, likes and dislikes…just normal date stuff, you know? He’d even bought me a little ornament for my room as I’d told him I was still doing it up, which was sweet.

 At the end of the night, we kissed and he said he wanted to see me again.A week later, and hours of speaking on the phone and texting throughout the night, we decided that he’d come over to my flat and we’d watch a few shows while I cooked (I know, I know, rookie mistake; like I said, I’m a dating newbie). Obviously, one thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together.

That was the last time I heard from him.Cut to this week when I receive an email from a friend of his. Apparently, Robert had shown my blog to his friends for ‘approval’. This friend tells me that in the interests of full transparency, he thought he should let me know that the reason I had not heard from Robert since our second date was because he had been dared to ‘pull a fat chick’ and – upon completing the dare – had won a sum of money his friends had pooled.

I felt sick. A wave of embarrassment and humiliation washed over me, and I went into my bathroom and cried. I had been terrified of meeting and talking to men for fear of them judging my appearance. As much as I know that I am an awesome person, I’m blindingly aware that the way I look is not what mainstream society considers to be ‘beautiful’, and that’s something I always have to think about and carry with me.

What should have been a lovely couple of dates – a bid to improve my confidence and self-esteem while tackling the shark-infested waters of dating – has turned into a teaching moment for me, and has definitely made me feel a lot more wary about dating in general and more importantly, trusting men.

Sadly, my story isn’t an isolated incident. We’ve all heard of sick pranks such as the ‘pull a pig’ game, which involves a group of men daring each other to hook up with the least attractive woman (in their eyes) in order to gain clout. There are tales as long as my arm from fellow plus-size women who have been duped or tricked in this way and frankly, a discussion needs to be had about it.

Dating as a plus-size woman, you see, is an exercise rooted more in patience and frustration than in romance. When you are not being ignored by prospective interests, you are either subjected to humiliation and abuse or you are fetishised for your weight. Either way, the abject failure to consider the feelings of the plus-size women in these situations is just another example of the ways in which we are not afforded the luxury of being treated as human beings. It highlights the lack of respect that some men have for women, particularly if they do not comply with social norms.

As plus-size women, we are not afforded the same humanity, care, love and respect as our thinner counterparts. This can force a monumental drop in confidence and either put us off dating for life or lead us to partake in more casual dating in an effort to prove our worth through sex.

Luckily (or maybe unluckily?) I had already deleted Robert’s number from my phone, after not hearing from him for a couple of weeks, so I have no way to contact and chastise him for what he did. I decided to ignore the friend’s email and used Twitter to tell my story, in the hope of opening up the conversation about the way plus-size women are treated. My aim was to raise awareness, and while I received some amazing, positive feedback, it also came with its share of trolling and horrible comments – almost all from men, who were either laughing at the situation or suggesting I change my appearance in order to be treated better next time.

I like to think that I’m confident enough and maybe numb enough to the whole experience and haven’t let it define me as a woman, but for those of us who are still on our journeys to finding self love and increasing our confidence, going through an experience where you are basically seen as an experiment can be battering.

Ultimately, what I’ve concluded is that men seem to undertake these ‘pranks’ as a way of gaining respect from their male friends at the expense of women’s feelings. Men, it’s time to stop being impressed by this toxic behaviour. It’s time to call it out, to hold each other accountable. Would you be as admiring if someone pulled a prank like this on a plus-size relative – on your sister, perhaps, or your cousin? Most of all, it’s time to start taking the emotions, perspectives and feelings of fat women seriously. Regardless of body shape, we all deserve to be treated with respect and basic common decency.

*Name has been changed

It’s important to give such things more visibility. I think writing about it is a brave act. Stephanie is so beautiful & powerful! 💕💕💕💕💕

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We know why 🤦🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️🖕🏾

White ppl

Why do they do this? What do they gain?

imagine telling your grandchildren that giraffes used to exist

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a society that allows people to starve when there is food has failed. like. that’s it.

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20 important study skills/tips i’ve learned from my professors

1. start studying a week before every quiz/test. seriously.

2. watch youtube videos/ted talks on the topics you are learning about.

3. get lots of sleep! sleep helps you process the day’s events, including what you learned.

4. write out your notes. it’s proven that handwritten notes help you learn better than typed out notes.

5. don’t just read what your professor gives you. find academic journals, books, etc. that correspond with your subjects.

6. read the news! especially in the social sciences/humanities, connecting concepts with current events helps you understand and process more easily.

7. exercise! this doesn’t have to be going on runs or lifting weights, it could even just be going for a 20 minute walk. just get your blood pumping, it’ll help you focus.

8. study at your desk. it may be tempting to study in bed, but your brain connects your bed with sleep, so you’ll get tired more quickly.

9. reviewing notes doesn’t have to be something you sit down and do for an hour. skim through them and test your memory while eating breakfast!

10. expand your study time throughout the day to avoid burnout. for example, rather than studying for 5 hours straight, study for an hour here and there in between your activities.

11. make your notes organized and easy to read, but not distracting. bright colors and flashy notes may seem better, but can sometimes distract from the purpose of the notes.

12. use apps such as quizlet. this way, you can go through definitions while waiting in lines or walking to class.

13. it’s more important to know concepts rather than facts. for example, you should be able to take what you know and apply it to different situations, not just the situation the textbook gives you.

14. just because the professor doesn’t require you to read textbook, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. it helps explain concepts in a different way than your professor, and a lot of times hearing two different explanations for the same concept helps you understand it.

15. read in advance. read the textbook before your professor begins going over the chapter, so when he/she does, you can easily follow what they are saying.

16. do any extra credit work that comes your way. even if you don’t need the extra boost now, you might later.

17. go to class!! if you always skip class and show up at office hours completely lost on the concepts, they’ll laugh in your face. they’ll take you 100x more seriously if you show up.

18. however, if you are sick, take a day off. it’s more beneficial to you in the long run. 

19. learn how to say “no”. if you have an 8 am the next day, don’t stay out until midnight with your friends. 

20. don’t stress too hard over quizzes. if you expect them to go horribly, they will. you got this.

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Late night baking... Haven't posted any baking stuff lately so here's some brownies! #baking #desserts #peanutbutter #marbling #swirly #chocolate #brownies #yummy #sweettooth #diabeetus #pb https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqg4NpkHzvI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=enz23rf73jt0

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Please reblog, this is so important.

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PSA this is very important please spread this around!