People born in April are either Aries or Taurus

For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, April is a happy month of beginnings: the start of springtime and the restarting of the zodiac cycle, which begins with Aries. For those with an April birthday, longer days and the renewal of seasons have imbued April babies with bubbly personalities and positive outlooks. Here are some other fun facts (like what’s April’s birthstone) and traits of people born in April, the fourth of the year.

They’re born in the middle of the pack

April babies are usually neither the youngest nor the oldest students in their class, neatly fitting in the middle of the school calendar. A study from the University of Exeter found that first-time moms were more likely to attempt to plan their delivery dates for the spring. 

Aries are natural-born leaders

If you know someone born under the sign of Aries, (March 21 – April 19) you’ll know that thanks to their ambitious and tenacious natures, people born in April tend to be leaders. They can be innately stubborn and bossy—a potent combination (when used right) that can lead to people born in April to achieving their goals.

April’s birthstone is one the rarest of all—the diamond

When worn, the diamond is thought to increase the wearer’s inner strength. One of the hardest materials on the planet, April’s birthstone is also the symbol of eternal love and is one of the most popular gems to give as a gift. In the middle ages, the diamond was thought to have healing powers.

Your BFF is probably born in April

Passionate and caring, those born in under the sign of Taurus (April 20 – May 20) are steadfast, making loyal and generous friends. But be forewarned: April babies can be chatterboxes who love attention and can sometimes want to hog the spotlight.

People born in April can be emotional

Aries babies are known to be passionate, fiery, and impatient, which means they tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves. The good news is, this makes them wonderful friends because they bring all that passion to every relationship in life.

April babies are fearless risk-takers

Aries is the most fearless sign of them all. This means there’s a good chance your baby born in April will be enthusiastic about everything they do and be unafraid of taking risks. That’s great news if you’re a parent who doesn’t like to stay still because April babies are feisty and possess seemingly boundless energy.

People born in April are hard workers and love routine

Those who are born under the sign of Taurus tend to be hard workers—they’re not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get the job done, already. They’re also a huge fan of consistency, so don’t be surprised if your April baby thrives on a routine (aka, don’t EVER skip the nap).

They share their birthday month with these celebrities born in April

Plenty of famous people have April birthdays, including Michael Fassbender, Pedro Pascal, Robert Downey Jr., Natasha Lyonne, Pharrell Williams, Elle Fanning, Samira Wiley, Chance the Rapper, Jennifer Garner, and Tim Curry. Notable (fictional) characters born in April include animated smart-aleck Bart Simpson (born April 1, 1979) and heavyweight boxer Rocky Balboa (born April 6, 1946).

Related: The Parent/Child Astrology Compatibility Chart

We all know that the “job” of a stay-at-home parent is really like a million jobs rolled into one—but how much would a stay-at-home parent make if they were paid? A new study puts quite the price tag on parenthood.

Using data on a selection of jobs that equate with all of the daily tasks that come with being a stay-at-home parent, Salary.com came up with a median annual income for 2021. And, drumroll please… stay-at-home parents should be making a whopping $184,820 a year. This amount was up over $6,000 from the pre-pandemic medium.

Photo: Matthew Henry via Burst

So what’s the job description of a stay-at-home parent? Salary.com pulled information on several different positions including accountant, CEO, coach, dietician, event planner, janitor, plumber, psychologist, teacher—and many more to come up with the salary fitting for the demanding role.

Of course, ask any stay-at-home parent and they’ll tell you that you can’t put a price on being able to stay home with the kids.

You can calculate your own salary by using this salary wizard.

 

 

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It’s fitting that former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East’s second child decided to make his grand entry during this year’s Games! The East family welcomed their new addition last week and they’ve officially shared him with the world. They posted an emotional video of his birth story, plus some adorable new photos that include big sister Drew Hazel.

Baby boy clocked in at almost 10 pounds (officially 9 pounds, 13 ounces) and his birth is documented in an almost nine minute long video on the family’s official YouTube Channel. The caption reads in part “A moment we’ve been excited to share… meet our perfect little baby boy. We are so in love. Momma and little man are doing really well and are healthy and happy. Drew’s loving her new role as big sister and is loving her cuddle time with her little brother everyday.”

The couple also shared a trio of sweet black and white photos to Johnson East’s Instagram account. The new baby is obviously adored by the whole family!

After marrying in 2016, Shawn and husband Andrew welcomed daughter Drew Hazel in 2019. They currently live in Nashville and document their family life extensively on social media. Another gold-medal moment!

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

 

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LEGO keeps upping the ante! The new LEGO World Art Map is a legit work-of-art wall piece and at 11,695 elements, it contains the most pieces ever included in a set in the LEGO Group’s history.

Even better, it comes with customizable brick-built pins to mark destinations you’ve already visited or future travel spots. With 40 interconnecting base plates, it can be arranged in three different ways so you can highlight your own favorite part of the world. You can also arrange the oceans to your liking, following the bathymetric mapping of the ocean floor in the instructions or creating your own water patterns.

Fitting of any art piece, the set includes a coffee table style instruction booklet, a white brick frame and two hanging elements so you can add it wherever you like. Of course, you’ll have to complete it first and at 25.5 inches high and 40.5 inches wide, your masterpiece will take some time. To set the mood, this product also includes an accompanying soundtrack with stories from travel experts.

Ready to buy for an upcoming break? The LEGO Art World Map will be available online starting Jun. 1 and at other retailers on Aug. 1. It’s $249.99 and it will definitely be a talking point for all of your future guests. Flex your building muscles and get ready to map your travels in a whole new way!

—Sarah Shebek

Image courtesy of the LEGO Group

 

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In a dream world, you’d get paid to be a mom. And if you did, new data from Salary.com finds that you’d be making a fair market salary of $184,820, based on an average of 106 (!) hours of work a week. Of course, that doesn’t take hazard pay or retirement into account.

Those hours worked are up from 96.5 hours a week pre-pandemic and 75% of moms report putting in even more time––117 hours a week to be exact. With the additional burden of schooling and working at home, the most time-consuming and expanded roles reported were Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (the role that makes sure everyone else is following the plan).

For the past two decades, Salary.com has surveyed tens of thousands of stay-at-home moms and working moms to determine the value of the job if it was paid fairly. Moms report their work profile across 20+ roles that make up the most time-consuming tasks from chauffeur, to CFO, to cook and more. Salary.com analyzes the hours spent and assigns an hourly wage rate to each role.

“In a year like no other, moms went to extraordinary lengths to keep things together on the home front, working, on average, 15.1 hours per day, seven days a week,” said Mary Crogan, Vice President of Marketing at Salary.com. “That’s an incredible workload, and one that encompasses everything from C-level responsibilities, to help desk manager, to teacher. It’s fitting that their salary value continues to rise, nearing the upper echelons of Corporate America.”

Of course, mom life doesn’t actually bring in a paycheck because no amount of money could compensate when the work you do is invaluable. But the next time someone downplays your role in the household, just remember you can tie a dollar amount to your hard work—and there’s data to prove it.

—Sarah Shebek

Image courtesy of Salary.com

 

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The force is strong with this brand-new master brick build. LEGO recently announced the debut of a Star Wars R2-D2 construction set in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm!

Get ready to spend the weekend constructing your very own droid. The LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 set includes 2,314 pieces and fab features galore.

Along with a rotating head and retractable mid-leg, this daring droid build also has a periscope and hidden tools tucked into a secret compartment. The set also includes a minifigure version of R2-D2 and a very special 50th anniversary Lucasfilm LEGO brick.

Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Creative Lead of LEGO Star Wars at the LEGO Group , said in a press release, “We have had the pleasure of creating hundreds of Star Wars-inspired models over the past two decades since we first launched LEGO Star Wars sets.”

Kronvold Frederiksen continued, “As Lucasfilm celebrates their 50th anniversary, it seemed fitting to challenge ourselves and push the limits of what is possible with LEGO bricks by recreating a fan-favourite Star Wars character in great detail like we have never achieved before. We are delighted with the result and hope our fans get as much joy out of building the sets as we did designing it.”

Star Wars, and LEGO, lovers can nab this set ($199) starting May 1, 2021 exclusively on LEGO.com.

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of LEGO

 

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Traveling with kids is a ton of work, especially when you have to plan for all the extra gear. Luckily, if you have booster-age kiddos, there’s a new seat in town––and it’s a game changer.

mifold has been around for years, but the new Comfort Grab-and-Go booster ($34.99) next level. Like the original, it’s ten times smaller than regular car boosters but the new version offers a seat cushion that is three times thicker––super important for long car rides.

 

The mifold is great for traveling abroad, ride-hailing, carpooling and pretty much anytime you don’t want to lug a bulky booster seat with you. The compact size makes it ideal for slipping in a purse, backpack, luggage or even your glove box. Bonus? It makes fitting three kiddos in the backseat a breeze!

The new Comfort Grab-and-Go booster is available on mifold.com or on Amazon in three colors: charcoal gray, ocean blue and royal purple.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of mifold

 

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We are anxiously awaiting the premiere of the new live-action Mulan. Disney+ just released the music video for the original song “Loyal Brave True” performed by Christina Aguliera. This is quite fitting as Aguliera sang the title song, “Reflection” from the original animated film. 

In addition to “Loyal Brave True,” Aguilera will also perform a newly-recorded “Reflection (2020).”  

Both songs will be featured in the film and on the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, with score composed and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams, set for release on Sept. 4, 2020. You will be able to stream Mulan on Sept. 4 exclusively on Disney+ with Premier Access (Disney+ subscription and additional fee required).

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Disney

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One of Disney’s hottest attractions is getting an update! This week, the parks announced that Splash Mountain would undergo a transformation into a new Tiana-themed ride at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Released in 2009, The Princess and the Frog was the first musical to feature a black princess, and it’s time for the leading lady to get her own ride. While still under development, Imagineers have released that the attraction will pick up after the final kiss, and will follow Princess Tiana and Louis on an adventure as they prepare for their first Mardi Gras performance, showcasing music from the film.

photo: Courtesy of Disney

In a Disney blog post, the company states “The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.” The ride will be set in the Louisiana Bayou with a working title of New Adventures with Princess Tiana.

The reimagining of the attraction will mean that the Splash Mountain moniker will be retired forever, along with Br’er Rabbit and other animal icons. The attraction’s theme was originally derived from the musical, Song of the South, a controversial film with racist imagery that is not even available on Disney+.

While the timing of these changes couldn’t be more fitting given the recent protests across the United States, Disney has actually considered revamping the ride for over five years. “It’s important that our guests see themselves in the experiences we create,” says Carmen Smith, Creative Development and Inclusive Strategies Executive.

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: Matthew Freeman via Flickr

 

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Stargate Apparel has issued a recall on Bunz Kidz-branded sleepwear sets, specifically sold in a robe, top and pants combination. The notice was issued by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission on May 20, 2020 for failing to meet the federal flammability standard for children’s sleepwear, in which burn issues can be a risk if sleepwear is not either snug-fitting or flame resistant.

The recalled sets include a 100 percent microfleece robe and matching white pants with a pink star print and a 100 percent polyester pink top with “Dream in Glitter” printed in gold. The sets were sold in sizes two through 12 and “Bunz Kids” is printed on a blue sewn-in label.

The affected style numbers can be found on the blue label and include L23846, L43846 or L73846. Consumers can also check another sewn-in label to reference the GPU numbers which include 2017-246, 2017-446 or GPU 2017-746.

The recalled PJ sets were sold at Boscovs, Century 21, JC Penney, Macy’s, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Walmart.com from August 2017 through December 2019 for between $24 and $48.

If you think you own one of the recalled products, immediately remove from within your children’s reach and contact Stargate Apparel for a full refund. Consumers can call toll-free at 866-351-0193 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at recall@stargateap.com with “Product Recall” as the email subject or online at www.stargateapparel.com and click the Contact link on the upper right hand corner of the homepage for more information.

––Karly Wood

Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

 

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