Blog Posts by EmpowHER

By Stacy Lloyd

Men and women are equally guilty of mistakes when it comes to sex. The following are common mistakes women make in the bedroom. Avoiding them may help women achieve the satisfaction they deserve.

Mistake #1:
Lack of Sexual Communication
Examiner.com wrote, don't be afraid to communicate about sex with your partner. Sex expert Tracey Cox told MSNBC that women expect men to be mind readers, rather than communicate what they want.

Mistake #2:
Not Initiating Sex
WebMD reported Les Parrot, author of Crazy Good Sex, said not initiating sex is one of the biggest mistakes women make.

Mistake #3:
Failure to Show Sexual Energy
Examiner.com said many men view a woman's lack of sexual energy as her not wanting or enjoying sex. Dr. Yvonne Fulbright, author and sex educator, told Fox News, don't just lie there, move. Make noise.

Mistake #4:
Stopping Sex Because of Parenthood
FoxNews said you should nurture your sex life with as much zest as you put into childcare.

By Rheyanne Weaver

We live in a society and culture that is constantly telling us that we are not good enough the way we are. We're too fat or too skinny. Our skin isn't smooth enough, our pores are too big and we have too many wrinkles and blemishes. We need to have whiter teeth and shinier hair.

If we're being told every day that we don't look attractive enough naturally and need to fix certain parts of our bodies to be acceptable, it might start to become a challenge for people to have a healthy self-esteem. And if many people are struggling with self-esteem issues, it can be difficult to draw the line between normal body image concerns and mental illnesses like body dysmorphic disorder.

For example, if I can hold down a full-time job and have a decent social life, but I think every day about how disgusting my stomach looks, and stare at my stomach every time I walk by a mirror or window and think about how much better I would look with a thinner stomach, is that normal?

Is it

By Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch

Many of the health conditions that are the biggest threats to women can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices. For example, the risk for heart disease, which is the number one women's health threat according to the MayoClinic.com, can be reduced by managing chronic conditions, eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and managing stress.

May 13, 2012 to May 19, 2012 is National Women's Health Week, an annual event coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health. During this week, there are several events to promote women's health and encourage women to get the proper screenings.

The second day of National Women's Health Week, May 14th, is National Women's Checkup Day, which encourages women to get important checkups and screenings.

If you have not have your regular Pap smear or if you have not had your cholesterol checked in a while, National Women's Checkup Day may be the day to

By Danielle Serrano

Food, community, and nature are some of the key ingredients in the recipe for holistic health. Naturally, I was more than excited to hear about Washington state's plan to create a seven acre urban food forest that is now in the works.

The best part -- its accessible location in Seattle itself!

Lately, it appears that Americans are growing more and more concerned about what's in their food, and where it's coming from. As a result, more and more gardens are popping up throughout communities -- in schools, public lots, and backyards. However, an urban forest of this scale will be the first of its kind.

Located in the Seattle's working-class neighborhood of Beacon Hill, the food forest will be available to community members of all walks of life.

According to NPR, the Beacon Food Forest plans to have a variety of edible plants throughout the park, including apples, pears, plums, grapes, blueberries and raspberries.

What about the more than frequent visitors and

By Lynette Summerill

If you are familiar with Barbie, and you'd have to live under a rock not to be, (she is sold in more than 150 countries and has represented 45 nationalities) you'd know she has had many careers spanning medicine, education, public service and politics.

Now Barbie is going to war, and some say for a good cause.

I'm not talking about traditional warfare here, although Barbie has seen her share of those types of battles too. She has served in every branch of the U.S. military and saw combat during Desert Storm.

No, Barbie is taking on the war of stereotypes and social norms, which some might argue is odd since they'd say she has been reinforcing them since her conception 53 years ago.

Toy company giant Mattel, the maker of Barbie - one of the most popular toys ever made - announced it will make a limited edition of the doll beginning in 2013 and this time she will be bald.

The "Bald and Beautiful Barbie" is the brainchild of Jane Bingham and Becki Sypin, two

By Christie Poole

U.S. BMX Cyclist Arielle Martin was once told she would never compete again, but she now has her eyes set on bringing home a medal at this year's summer Olympics.

Martin is currently ranked number one in U.S.A. Cycling power rankings and is training six days a week with high hopes of representing the United States at the London Olympics.

"Whatever I believe is what is going to happen," she said of having faith in her abilities.

She enjoyed success from an early age, when she started riding BMX at age 5 and went pro at 16 while living in Utah. Shortly after, she began to experience setbacks that would jeopardize her career.

Martin lacerated her liver when she crashed at age 16 and had two stress fractures in her lower lumbar at 18. Doctors told her she wouldn't be able to compete again, but Martin didn't let their words stop her.

"I didn't want to let any doctor tell me I couldn't do something," she said.

Martin recovered and continued to race while finishing

By Marcia G. Yerman

With the baby boomers (those born from 1946-1964) aging in increasing numbers, many books are being written to help them navigate the terrain of aging. For women specifically, there are an abundance of titles that tackle issues from the nuts and bolts of older sexuality to their inner emotional lives.

Three books that fall on this continuum which overlap, while still standing solidly in their own sphere are:

• Naked At Our Age: Talking Out Loud About Senior Sex by Joan Price
• How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood by Suzanne Braun Levine
• Prime Time by Jane Fonda

Price drills down on sexuality after sixty, leaving no stone unturned. Solitary sex, nontraditional practices and relationships, moving forward after divorce and breakup, sex after illness, and painful sex are some of the topics covered. Encompassing the concerns of men and women, straight and gay, she informs readers early on that "sex might not feel

By Maria Smith

Anyone who has children knows that traveling with kids is always a bit of a crapshoot. It can be anywhere from challenging to downright painful.

But the trials of family travel do not have to keep parents home for 18 years or reduce them to parents-only getaways when Grandma and Grandpa can watch the kids.

Traveling with children of any age can be difficult, but it can also be fun, surprising, and will create memories to last a lifetime.

To make things go a little smoother and to travel smarter, here are some tried and true tips for making family travel (almost) painless.

1. Choose a child-friendly resort. This does not mean parents with children are relegated to theme park lodging and cheesy cartoon-themed hotels. It just means one needs to do their research prior to the trip and know beforehand what is best for them in their chosen location.

Many resorts, even those one might not associate with families, have become quite family-friendly.

The luxurious resort,