Would you consider yourself a cat person? Do you find yourself drawn to petting or cuddling with just about anything furry? If so, this story might be right up your alley! Earlier this year, a homeowner in the Midwest opened her front porch to find a massive female bobcat on her deck. As bobcats are the most populous wildcat in all of North America, this in and of itself wasn’t a shock or a revelation. What came next, however, was as exciting as anything you could hope to find on your porch in the morning.

Before we dive into this exciting story, let’s peel back our understanding of wildcats and bobcats. Bobcats are roughly double the size of a traditional house cat and many times more dangerous than their domesticated counterparts. Female bobcats tend to be smaller than their male counterparts, though both genders hover around three feet in length and roughly 20 to 30 pounds in weight. These polygamous animals mate during the winter and will give birth to up to six kittens in roughly two months. From there, the kittens will continue to nurse for an additional two months before eventually leaving home behind after a year.

During their youth, bobcat kittens are blind and as such will stay really close to their parents. After about eight weeks, bobcat kittens are significantly larger and more active. When this mama Bobcat came back to visit the homeowner in question, she brought along her entire litter! If you are a cat person, having a litter of bobcat kittens on your deck has to be a dream come true. Thankfully, the owner of the home went overboard on capturing photographs and we couldn’t be happier if we wanted to. Just look at these small beans!

While wildcats aren’t exactly rare or reclusive creatures, it is pretty unusual for people to get this close to wild animals. Thanks to the glass screen between the door and the deck, the owner of the home was able to get the kind of pictures that we can only dream of. The homeowner, one Kathy Maniscalco, considered herself as lucky as anyone when the mama Bobcat chose her porch to settle in on. As Kathy watched the kittens, she realized that there were five of them with the young Bobcat — this meant that the mother had nearly a full litter! 

Bobcats are crepuscular animals that live relatively solitary lives when they are not mating or raising kittens. Living upwards of 12 to 13 years, bobcats are natural prey to wolves and cougars with bobcat kittens preyed upon by both owls and coyotes. Bobcats don’t really have a history of attacking humans because they are fickle and easy to scare. If a bobcat does seem willing to attack a human, it means that they have rabies or are potentially near their kittens. In either situation, creating space is the safest course of action.

How would you react if you found a litter of bobcat kittens on your deck?

The classic American doll, Barbie, has performed, been portrayed in, or taken over just about every professional function in society. So, it’s no surprise that given the real themes in 2020 that Barbie would also decide to go into politics. Art imitating life it may be, but Barbie is likely to represent a serious contender against even the most seasoned politicians, that is if her fans were old enough to vote.

2020 is not the first time Barbie has entered politics. Believe it or not, her first foray into elections was some 28 years ago in 1992 when she tried to run for President. However, the toy doll was a bit of an independent at the time and didn’t get a lot of recognition on her own. Today, things are different. Not only is Barbie a 2020 candidate, she also has in place a solid professional election team on her side as well. Along with her are a handful of cool, savvy and with the times staffers and election strategists. The early polls are already showing Walmart and Target segments are responding, carrying her entire campaign team on the shelves and selling them as a combined unit.

Examined up close and interested electorate fans will find Barbie’s campaign manager as a key strategist, her campaign fundraiser to keep things paid and moving, and even a Barbie voter. Of course, her fans can add votes too. The entire team is set to hit the prime time. Barbie herself is positioned to show herself as a leader ready to hit the ground running, complete in business suit and with her telecom assortment of communication tools. And, let’s not forget, every business jacket should have an American flag lapel pin too.

 Her campaign manager is decked out in a professional ensemble as well, ready to manage the stage as well as cue to the poll analysts and computer graphics behind the scenes to support her candidate. And Barbie’s fundraiser is hitting the road in blue denim and comfortable style, driving miles and miles to bring in the donors.

The key message from Barbie, however, is to prime young girls for politics. Girls and women can not only have their part in campaigns, they can be the lead candidate as well. And the idea of a real woman President is no figment of the imagination. While Barbie is, after all, just a toy, the reality of a woman President is very likely in the next two elections if not the third. In fact, the U.S. is behind the curve in this respect, as many countries around the world have already had women leaders and many still do. When that happens, given elections happen every four years, the next candidate in 20 years may have well be a young girl who had Barbie as her own special election candidate.

In the meantime, Barbie and her campaign team let girls practice for the future now, complete with all the accessories and campaign road style needed to win the big ticket.

People enjoy learning about pets on social media sites and when a dog seems to exude a behavior that is unique or charming, many people may wind up viewing a post, ultimately making a canine a worldwide sensation. In the past, there was a small dog named Boo, who was noted for popular Instagram photos and videos, which showcased the dog’s tendency to be dressed up in cute clothing. Boo normally spent time alongside his pal Buddy. Unfortunately Boo passed away a few years ago, but he did live a long and happy life.

Today, there is a new internet star by the name of Milo. Milo is a duck tolling retriever and already has over 30,000 followers on Instagram. He enjoys spending time outdoors and is especially fond of butterflies. This interest became apparent when his owner, Jenn Bennet, noticed that Milo was carefully observing some Monarch butterflies that were flying in her flower garden.

Some of the butterflies actually landed on Milo’s head and his owner took a picture of him. This picture is what first made Milo popular with people worldwide. “He has a gentle demeanor and loves nature and living creatures”, stated Jenn during an interview on Good Morning America. Monarchs are dwindling in number worldwide and Jenn wants to do her part to protect this species from harm.

Another one of Milo’s interests has to deal with hobby cooking. Milo doesn’t actually cook, but Jenn jokes around about how Milo is her helper and how he will sit patiently waiting for her to create dog treats. The treats include peanut butter carrot cake, peanut butter donuts, and granola bars. Jenn has created personal recipes for a while now and she enjoys trying out new flavor combinations and allowing Milo to taste test each creation.

All natural ingredients are used for each recipe and the snacks are offered in conjunction with Milo’s normal diet. “Milo will sit patiently on the floor, watching me add ingredients to a bowl and observing me whisk the items until they are blended. Before using cookie cutters or a roller, I allow Milo to sample each batch of goodies. Milo’s way of thanking me is by using his tongue to give me a sloppy kiss”, stated Jenn.

Jenn has been sharing her love of cooking and the healthy ingredient combinations that she uses to create dog treats. If you would like to learn more about the treats that Milo prefers, you can acquire a listing of the ingredients used and the preparation steps, by visiting Jenn’s Instagram page.

Additionally, if you want to be inspired by a furry creature who is only 2 years old, but has a lot of character and love for life, be sure to stay updated, by browsing the photos and the unique captions that Jenn shares with her audience. Who knows, you may even become inspired to adopt your own dog companion and to share some of the heartwarming moments that you experience when you are alone with your new pet.

There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a trip away from home to enjoy the outdoors. If you have kids, you already know that they relish in the sunlight and love exploring nature. Camping as a family is a wonderful way to spend time together doing just that. Preparing for your first ever camping trip will ensure that your children have a blast, leading the way to future trips together in this form.

Try A Practice Run

Before heading out for a camping excursion, try a trial run at home to see how your kids fare. Set up a tent in your backyard and keep tabs on all the items your family needs while you spend the night. Luckily, it isn’t too far away and you can grab things as you see fit. Write down a list of the items you used, and keep it handy for your “real” camping trip away from home.

Keep Devices Off

In today’s day and age, everyone has a cell phone or electronic device to look at. Camping should be based around nature and experiences as a family unit. Let older kids know they will need to shut down their phones while you are spending time together. Allow them an hour or so at nighttime to catch up with friends, but make it a priority that the device is shut off again for another day of fun, if applicable.

Don’t Make It Difficult

For a first camping trip, forego hiking in the woods to a remote location to set up your sleeping quarters. Instead, head to a family camping facility. Here your children have amenities available, such as restrooms with running water, electricity, and maybe even a gift shop or small store. This way you can observe what is needed and not needed for future trips out with your kids.

Don’t Overplan Your Excursion

There is no need to write up a schedule of events you wish to partake in with your kids. Instead, keep a few “must-dos” in mind and wing the rest. Spontaneity can be a great thing for everyone. You’ll see that your kids come up with unique ways to overcome boredom and creativity will abound. Refrain from writing up lists and allow nature to take its course. Another idea is to let each member of the family come up with an idea for an activity that everyone can do together. After this has been completed, another family member gets a turn. This way each person gets to experience something that they want to try.

Allow For Some Dirt To Accumulate

At home, you likely let your kids know when you don’t want them to get dirty. While camping, let this rule slide by and let your kids feel the earth without restriction. Dirt never hurt anyone and it will let your child roam around without worrying about their appearance or whether they will be scolded about its presence. Some of the best fun is to be had with dirt involved! This can always be washed off in a shower house, lake, or via a sponge bath if needed. Keep your child’s good clothing at home when you go camping so you do not worry about it becoming ruined during a time when you just want to have fun with each other.

It Might Not Be What You Expect

Don’t go into a camping trip thinking that it will be magical for all who are involved. You may have a child that just isn’t the camping type, and that is okay. You may find that your child really enjoys camping, however. You won’t know until you try!

After losing their baby in utero, Tom and Brianne were devasted. Following the loss, Tom hoped that he would be the father to twins.

In utero is a Latin language term meaning in the womb or uterus. In legal terminology, in utero refers to an unborn child. Approximately 24,000 fetuses per year die in the womb or are stillborn in the United States.

In 2019, Tom blew his birthday candle out with the wish that he and Brianne would become pregnant again with twins. Someone was clearly watching that day since the couple recently welcomed new twins to the world.

After birth, the babies were premature and had multiple health complications that doctors were required to monitor. That means they had to stay in the NICU for several weeks before coming home. Finally, the couple was able to bring home their miracle babies once the health issues subsided.

The couple notified their parents that Brianne was pregnant but the twins they were having were kept a secret.

Since the birth occurred during the pandemic, Tom and Brianne could not have visitors in the hospital at any point. This made it much easier to keep the secret.

When Tom showed his parents, his mother’s first words were, “that’s a real baby” as she was clearly in shock. The grandmother knew about the birth of her granddaughter, Brinkley Hope, but when Tom walked out with a second baby, Ace Leo, she was in utter shock.

With Brianne filming the entire conversation, the couple stated that the parents were the first to know about the twins.

The couple brought the twins to grandma and grandpa’s house on grandma’s birthday. As Tom walked down the hall with baby Ace he said, “I’m sorry, I did not have time to wrap your present” and revealed the third addition to their family.

The grandmother thought he was holding a Baby Alive doll since it looked so real and the situation was so unexpected.

Tom had always said that if the couple was lucky enough to have twins that he wanted to keep one of them a secret and then have a revealing moment.

Since 1980, the birth rate for twins in the United States has seen a rapid increase. As of 2018, the twin’s birthing rate was 32.6 per 1,000 births. Medical professionals believe the reason for this increase is associated with the higher usage of Vitro fertilization and other forms of reproductive technologies that have become commonplace in recent years.

Twin birth rates across the United States vary based on location. The two states with the highest twin birthing rates are the District of Columbia and Connecticut. Another factor to be considered is ethnicity with the jump in twin births increasing across all ethnicities. The highest number of twins occurs in non-Hispanic black mothers with the least number among Hispanic mothers.

Age is another critical factor for twin birthing rates. In 2018, mothers between 45 and 54 had the highest rate of twin births in the United States.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is a medical remedy that treats infertility in men and women. One common outcome with this technology is having multiple births. In the United States, the most common occurrence when using ART was the birth of a single infant then multiple infant births.

Within all ART cycles, including treatments that did not lead to pregnancy, with non-donor eggs, multiple-fetus pregnancy is present in as much as six percent of all cases. As reproductive technology continues to expand and grow, the birthing rate of twins is expected to increase with it so the percentage will increase in future years.