COURTESY OF KELLY SPILL Kelly Spill was having a normal pregnancy until the eighth month, when she noticed blood in her stool. Her doctor thought it was a pregnancy symptom. She delivered a healthy baby boy a month later – but her symptoms didn’t go away. COURTESY OF KELLY SPILL The new mom from Seaside Heights continued to have issues so she went for a colonoscopy– and found out she had stage 3 colorectal cancer. Because of the standard of care – which includes chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery – she was told she probably couldn’t get pregnant again. COURTESY OF KELLY SPILL A research ..read more

WESTFIELD GOOD FESTIVAL It’s Mother’s Day weekend, and we’re thinking about brunch and ways to spend the day that don’t involve ubering the kids or catching up on laundry.  Beyond some way overdue pampering, there are plenty of fun ways to spend the weekend. Watch an LPGA tourney right here in NJ at the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, watch an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre performance at NJPAC, visit a winery during Mother’s Day Wine Trail Weekend, head to The Good Festival at Garden State Plaza in Paramus for a dose of fun and su ..read more

BUBBLE PLANET: AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE An immersive experience centered around bubbles that’s been a hit in Milan, Los Angeles, Brussels and London is coming to New Jersey next month. The colorful interactive experience takes visitors through stunning landscapes and imaginary metaverses heavy on optical illusions and photo opps. BUBBLE PLANET: AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE The experience has 8 uniquely themed rooms including a huge bubble bath ball pit, a virtual reality room, an undersea LED room, an endless infinity experience and a hot air balloon flight simulator. Creators say the combination of ..read more

ISTOCK.COM / PEOPLE IMAGES With Mother’s Day around the corner, personal finance website WalletHub recently released its report of 2024’s Best & Worst States for Working Moms, and NJ was ranked the sixth best state to be a working mom. How did WalletHub determine whether a state is better for women juggling parenting and working? The site examined 17 key metrics, including median salary for women, female unemployment rate and daycare quality. Analyzing life as a working mom, NJ  ranked (with No. 1 being the best and No. 25 being average): –6th overall –5th for parental leave policy sc ..read more

COURTESY OF BHOOMI GANDHI / Rohan, left, and Sahil Gandhi It seems destined that Sahil and Rohan Gandhi would become musicians. Their dad Rayan is a DJ, and Rayan’s uncles are trained in percussion and singing. Their mother Bhoomi’s father used to play the tabla and now sings recreationally. Their great-grandmother was a music teacher in India. Sahil and Rohan have been playing instruments since they were 3 years old, and now as freshmen at Robbinsville Township High School in Mercer County, they not only perform for the public but also offer lessons to their peers. Sahil started with the tabl ..read more

COURTESY OF KATE LOMBARDO OF YOGA RENEW / Star Pose Yoga is a great way for kids to learn how to control their body, use their breath, and foster a sense of mindfulness. Plus, doing it with their grown-up is an opportunity for positive connection. Here are six yoga poses to try with your kids, along with images and instructions for each. 1. Star Pose How to: Start standing in mountain pose Step or hop the feet wide Reach your arms high to the sky Stand tall and proud and take 3-5 deep breaths Benefits: This pose is such a great one for teaching your little how to take up as much space as possi ..read more

THE JOHN SHIPPEN / Ashley Shaw A teen golfer from Arizona is in New Jersey this week to compete in an LPGA tournament! Ashley Shaw, 15, will make her LPGA Tour debut tomorrow after winning THE JOHN SHIPPEN Cognizant Cup on Monday and earning an exemption. She will be golfing alongside the world’s best female golfers in the LPGA Tour’s Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, starting on Thursday, after shooting 1-over par 73 on the same course Monday to earn a two-stroke victory in the SHIPPEN event. THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational is a series of competitions c ..read more

INSOMNIA COOKIES May 6-12 is both teacher and nurse appreciation week! Here’s where to get some discounts if you’re a governmental worker, educator or part of hospital staff. AT&T Teachers and their families can get 25% off their wireless plans. Blue Apron Blue Apron is offering 40 percent off the first four weeks of your order. Chipotle Chipotle has a mission to donate $1 million in food to healthcare workers. Buy a “Thank You, Hero” gift card and 10 percent will be donated to the National Nurses Foundation. Dunkin‘ On May 6, nurses can come in for a free hot or cold medium coffee. Insomn ..read more

ISTOCK.COM/NENSURIA A new healthcare center in Central Jersey has opened to offer much-needed relief to pregnant women experiencing severe nausea and vomiting. Harmonia Healthcare, a specialty women’s health platform focusing on underdiagnosed, undertreated and otherwise dismissed diseases that affect women, opened its first center in Red Bank this week, with another planned for New York City in the fall. The focus is on hyperemesis gravidarum, which is such severe vomiting that it can cause weight loss and excessive ketones in the urine and blood. Harmonia offers outpatient care and establish ..read more

ISTOCK.COM/HALFPOINT A new ranking of New Jersey hospitals shows that more than 80 percent of Garden State hospitals earned an A or B score in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for Spring 2024. According to Leapfrog, the percentage of A- and B-ranked New Jersey hospitals in the spring survey was 81%, compared to 76% last fall. There were 30 A hospitals, or 45%, of the state’s acute care hospitals; that’s six more A hospitals than last round. New Jersey is third in the country for the percentage of A hospitals (behind Utah and Virginia), compared to 13th in the last round during Fall 202 ..read more