As a participant in the Amazon Associates affiliate program‚ Upworthy may earn proceeds from items purchased that are linked to this article‚ at no additional cost to you.From the moment you find out you're expecting a baby it seems like every store you've ever shopped at also received the positive pregnancy results. Suddenly you're getting emails and ads for every baby item imaginable. Your head is spinning with choices and no real idea on what you actually need‚ especially if this is your first baby. It doesn't take long to figure out that baby items are expensive and there are a lot of them‚ but which items can be left on the shelf and which ones should make its way to the registry? A group of parents answered the question‚ which overrated baby item they'd absolutely recommend spending the money on and some things may be a surprise.Parents in the Upworthy community were quick to jump in and help new parents not spend an exorbitant amount of money on unnecessary baby items. The list included things as simple as Boogie Wipes to actual furniture like a gliding rocking chair‚ and the reasoning is just practicality no matter the cost. Here are the top items mentioned: 1. My Brest Friend Original Nursing Pillow"My Brest Friend. Works so much better than a Boppy pillow for nursing‚" Amy Terwilliger says. The pillow is ergonomically designed to comfortably sit around your waist while you nurse or hold your baby. It also has a pocket to keep a bottle or pacifier and conveinently clips around you to stay in place while you adjust your position for comfort. 2. Rocker Recliner Chair"We bought a lazyboy rocker recliner. I didn't know how much I'd use it but my baby is 3 months old now and I can't tell you how many nights I've spent in that chair. Best money we spent‚" Amanda Legassie writes. 3. The famous Baby BrezzaPretty sure you don't even have to be a parent to have heard of the Baby Brezza. It's just that fancy and that famous and at first glance seems like a colossal waste of money‚ but parents that buy it swear by it. Laurence Gareau shares‚ "For the moms who plan/have to go with formula‚ at 4 months old and more‚ a baby brezza. We call it the baby nespresso machine. Its quick‚ accurate and always the right temperature."4. A Baby Bjorn or any high quality baby carrier"A baby carrier! Or two. I liked having a soft structured carrier for most times‚ and a stretchy wrap for summer weather and hanging around the house. Having a good‚ quality carrier can help caregivers avoid back pain‚ hold their fussy newborns comfortably‚ and still have the freedom to walk around and do things if they would like to! I even took my wrap to the hospital with me when I birthed #2 (and used it!)‚" Catherine Weber reveals. Many others shared the same sentiment on baby carriers. 5. A Pack n' Play with bassinet and changing tableQuite a few people explained how needed a Pack n' Play was when adding a new baby. It's an all in one portable sleeping space for your baby that comes in handy when baby still sleeps in the room with you and when going on trips. "A good pack and play... one with the little upper spot for changing.. a really good one is a life saver!‚" Jilliaine Hopper shares. 6. Bottle sterilizer and dryerSterilizing bottles can be a pain but it has to be done and now there's no need to stand over a boiling pot of water with a timer. Brittney Salaiz says‚ "The bottle sanitizer/dryer. We used ours so much and having dry bottles ready quickly helped a lot."7. A baby swing that goes in multiple directions"Baby swing....save me on so many nights when a baby was congested and needed to sleep upright. Also guaranteed nap and one of the few things that helped with one of my colicky babies. Get one that goes side to side or front to back‚" Kimberly Lungerman Allende says. 8. High quality car seatThis was repeated several times by parents expressing the importance of spending the money on a high quality car seat that will keep your child safe in an accident. "Decent car seats. Splash on that 25kg Swedish plus tested seat and see how it pays you back‚" Emma Mattingley writes.9. Owlet Smart SockThe Owlet Smart Sock was mentioned repeatedly but one parent gave a real life example of how it helped her. "The Owlet sock was irreplaceable for us- especially since my daughter had Covid‚ RSV‚ and croup before she was even 8 months old. It helped us monitor her oxygen and gave us so much peace of mind‚" Rachel Roundy discloses. Of course‚ every baby is different but these were some of the top suggested items listed. Hopefully these experienced parents suggestions help new parents feel a bit more successful in their early parenting journey.

There are a lot of things that come with parenting that may be unexpected or may be a little different once you settle into the role. And while things are changing‚ it seems moms are still carrying the brunt of the mental load. Sometimes the mental and physical load of motherhood make you want to do something drastic like turn into something other than a human.Brianna Frye has had enough of what it takes to be a woman in today's society and the comedian‚ who is also a working mom‚ took to Instagram to ask for a do over in her next life. The exasperated mom has some suggestions for the big guy upstairs that seem quite reasonable as she pleads her case."When I tell you I am so freaking tired of being the woman‚ I really just feel like God could've made me a dinosaur or a frog or even a tree at this point. I'm fine with being a tree‚" Frye says."But like this woman stuff‚" the comedian continues. "Y'all want me to bear children‚ take care of the children‚ get a house‚ take care of the house. Go grocery shopping‚ cook the food‚ buy clothes‚ wash the clothes and put them away" becoming more animated as she continues her list. By the end of citing all the things that come with motherhood‚ Frye asks to just be a tree her next time around and women in the comments are putting in their reincarnation requests just in case someone's taking requests."Preferably a palm tree. On an island‚ Lord‚" one person prays."This is hilarious! Im with you girl! Why not a dinosaur‚" another asks."That Part!!!!! Bird me please. Hummingbird. Catch me if u can‚" a commenter writes."She's not lying and left a bunch more things out. Wife's and mothers are like offensive lineman in football. 'Over worked and under appreciated‚'" another person says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by bossbabeâ„¢ (@bossbabe.inc)

A decades-long question. The post Who is ‘Barbara Ann’? first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

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India’s ontological question is: Who are we — a regional or global power? Narendra Modi‚ the most popular and consequential leader of India since Jawaharlal Nehru‚ India’s first prime minister after independence in 1947‚ can help answer this question. Modi’s approval rating was very recently reported to be 78 percent by Morning Consult‚ a Washington‚ D.C.–based firm specializing in survey research. (Other polls have shown approval ratings of at least 70 percent.) RELATED from Frank Schell: India Celebrates Lunar Landing On Modi’s watch‚ India has become the fifth-largest economy in the world‚ poised to become number three by 2030‚ surpassing Japan and Germany‚ according to the U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley and S&;P Global‚ the financial research and credit-rating agency. Besides being an information technology and software leader‚ India demonstrated its scientific prowess last August with the lunar landing of its spacecraft Chandrayaan-3. Under Modi‚ India is increasingly positioned as an alternative to China for foreign multinationals concerned with China’s belligerence‚ intimidation tactics‚ and rising political risk.  Since independence‚ much of India’s politics has been opportunistic — affirming non-alignment yet being a member of the Soviet bloc and receiving its military‚ economic‚ and agricultural support. But over more recent decades‚ India has maintained a presence in two camps: a globally integrated trade and investment partner generally committed to the rule of law‚ and a major player in the Global South‚ defined by the U.N. as a group of generally low-income countries of Africa‚ Latin America‚ the Middle East‚ and Asia.  In recent times‚ some of the heavyweights of the Global South have supported or tilted toward Russia in the Russia–Ukraine war‚ most notably India‚ China‚ Brazil‚ and South Africa‚ among the so-called BRIC countries. In view of its colonial history and the nonviolent philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi‚ India has had a platform of moral authority‚ which benefited others such as Indonesia in the postwar decolonization movement.  India is now facing a dramatic choice‚ if it wants to make it: Is it a regional power or a global one? It can continue to opportunistically purchase discounted oil to benefit Russia’s war machine‚ as well as the Indian economy and competitiveness of exports‚ or it can use its stature in the Global South to seek peace in the Russia–Ukraine war‚ which has held the world hostage for two years. Few countries can prevail upon Vladimir Putin‚ but India has better odds than most‚ and applying diplomatic pressure to host talks should be on the table.  In recent months‚ India has reduced reliance on Russian oil‚ although in 2023 Russia was India’s largest source of crude at 30 percent of such imports‚ which totaled $37 billion in 2023. The driving cause appears to be sanctions by the G7 and European Union rather than initiatives of India. Although Putin has dramatically increased the Russian defense budget for 2024‚ India’s oil import bill represented over half of Russia’s €63 billion defense budget for 2023. India has indeed a difficult choice. The role of regional versus aspiring global player has been an issue for years. The national priorities of education‚ health‚ infrastructure‚ manufacturing‚ and agriculture demand a domestic agenda. While India’s global clout is undeniable‚ a leadership role as a global force implies certain responsibilities that could be at odds with resource allocation and national focus. Not only that‚ but Russia represents 45 percent of India’s arms imports‚ although that figure has declined in recent years.  With a 4‚000-mile border with Pakistan and China‚ with whom there is a history of conflict‚ India will continue to need to import military equipment. However‚ as Russia seeks to rebuild its military‚ improve the quality of its equipment and munitions‚ and deploy along an 800-mile border with Finland‚ its continuing reliability and strong support for supplying India should not be assumed.  Assuming a landslide victory for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)‚ the timing for outreach to Putin would be shortly thereafter. Offering to host a summit with the West and principals of the Russia–Ukraine conflict holds risk as well as potential promise. The main risk is a perception in India of capitulation to the West in a country that harbors some resentment of the U.S. and Europe and suspicion of their intentions.  The upside is to position India as a moral force and influencer of nations‚ which could be parlayed into a stronger role in diplomacy‚ trade‚ and investment. Successful mediation could also earn a Nobel Peace Prize. And there is no one better to initiate an end to the conflict than a determined Indian nationalist and leading player of the Global South — one who can answer India’s ontological question. Frank Schell is a business strategy consultant and former senior vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago. He was a lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and is a contributor of opinion pieces to various journals. The post India’s Ontological Question: Regional or Global appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

“Jesus Loves You. Jesus is there for you when you need him‚” reads a children book at the Barnes &; Noble bookstore almost four years after lockdowns descended. With what children and teens endured‚ the book might as well say‚ “A Martian spaceship will land on your lawn‚ and a door will open for you.”  “Jesus is always with you. Jesus is there when you need him. God will never leave you or forsake you‚” reads page after page of this picture book in the religious books section. When you are lonely and sad‚ he is with you. When you are afraid‚ he is with you. When you don’t know what to do‚ he is with you. What are children to do with this message after institutions — including the churches — failed them in spring 2020? And‚ yet‚ Amazon was held sacred‚ with deliveries never ceasing. READ MORE: Fauci Lied‚ People Died: Sen. Rand Paul Dissects the COVID Cover-Up To a child shut in his room‚ trying to make sense of computer school‚ where was Jesus? Where was God‚ he may ask? School left. Church left. Friends left. Family was too scared to do anything outside the house. Where did all the adults go‚ for that matter? They all left with Jesus. After horrific harms of lockdowns — lost jobs and education‚ fractured families‚ overdoses and suicides‚ deaths of loneliness and despair‚ increases in child sexual abuse and child trafficking after social services shut down — religious slogans such as these appear more like marketing language‚ nudging us to pull out our checkbooks.  How might an 11- or 14-year-old‚ alone in his room‚ view Jesus when a parent once told him he couldn’t see his friends until a vaccine was released? Instead‚ he stared at a computer screen in a new bizarre world‚ at other teens’ faces stacked in little boxes. Teens are naturally self-conscious‚ some painfully so; and yet‚ suddenly we expected them to endure being on camera for hours‚ video and audio recorded from their rooms‚ in order to go to school. Webs of communities with violin lessons and play dates‚ soccer practices and orchestra rehearsals‚ math tutoring and church camps — woven since birth for our children’s mental‚ emotional‚ and academic health and well-being — ended abruptly. Vaccines came out‚ children may’ve been injected multiple times‚ and yet everyone around seemed to get COVID anyway. What sense are we to make of all this? How will we help children make sense of this? (READ MORE: School’s Out Forever) Computer meetings were a bereft substitute for hearing a friend’s lively laugh in person in school or at church youth group. When school buildings finally reopened‚ fear and paranoid practices depressed even the heartiest students. Children saw only their friends’ covered faces‚ had to sit 6 feet from each other to eat lunch‚ and had no after school activities — or were limited to ones with shots required to attend.  “Amazon will never leave you or forsake you” seems a truer message after March 2020. Deliveries never stopped‚ with the company’s billions ballooning as people clicked on everything from gourmet-baked goods‚ sweaters‚ makeup‚ and power tools to computer equipment‚ movies‚ and video games — and boxes appeared on porches. My best friend gone. My school and clubs closed. Jesus gone. Parents gone. But Amazon will never leave you or forsake you. Is this the lesson we want to leave our children? At Barnes &; Noble‚ I look around the children‚ teen‚ and adult sections for displayed books that may help us gain meaning from what happened. I know these books exist; I’ve bought them from dissident writers and independent thinkers. Two excellent ones are Justin Hart’s Gone Viral and Naomi Wolf’s The Bodies of Others‚ but those books are not featured in this major bookstore in a busy town. Recent emails obtained by the House Judiciary Committee reveal that Amazon yielded to White House pressure to censor books critical of the administration’s COVID policy.  If religious language and slogans in a post-COVID-lockdown world are to be more than alien-speak or marketing ploys‚ then we must grapple with confusion‚ heartbreak‚ and hard effort at meaning-making. We survive by making meaning with and for others. And we may learn about the presence of the divine through fellowship and by serving others.  In many stories‚ Jesus walked among the diseased and downtrodden‚ touched those whom no one else would touch‚ and laid his bare hands — so that they would feel his warmth — on the bodies of the sickest‚ the loneliest‚ the most desperate among us. They saw his open face — as faces of compassion‚ faces of recognition‚ heal us. Where is this picture book in our post-lockdown time? After my article on church closures‚ “The Speakeasy Churches of 2020‚” people wrote to me from all over the country with angry and heartbroken stories of how their long-time churches closed permanently because of declining membership during shutdowns and Zoom services. Some wrote of excess deaths‚ not COVID deaths‚ among church members. They mourned the absence of funerals. When he learned I was a Quaker‚ a long-time attender at a New England Quaker meeting wrote to me about his meeting’s “separate but equal” policy. The meeting installed a sign stating that vaccinated people may worship together in a main room while the unvaccinated had to worship in a separate room. (RELATED: Travis Kelce‚ COVID ‘Variants‚’ and the CDC Vaccine Machine) “If ye love not each other in daily communion / How can ye love God / Whom we hath not seen?” goes the Shaker hymn. “More love‚ more love.” It continues: If ye love one another Then God dwelleth within you And ye are made strong To live by his word What does “daily communion” mean? It means being together to work‚ learn‚ eat‚ talk‚ listen‚ laugh‚ sing‚ play — the beauty of live communities that spark surprises and miracles‚ new ideas and alliances that strengthen and inspire us. Christine E. Black has published work in Sojourners Magazine‚ Friends Journal‚ Dappled Things‚ Cold Type‚ Brownstone‚ Dissident Voice‚ the American Journal of Poetry‚ English Journal‚ the Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry‚ and other publications. The post Amazon Will Never Forsake You: Spiritual Lessons of the Pandemic appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

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Aldi is rolling out plenty of limited-time finds just for Easter‚ incorporating everything from decor to special treats that can fill baskets.