Month: November 2023

Babymoons have become a very popular activity for expecting parents. It’s a celebratory vacation for parents to bask in quiet, relaxing one-on-one time before the baby comes. Think of it as one last hurrah before parenthood.

However, one couple has turned the idea on its head—focusing not on themselves, but their first-born daughter who would soon become a sister. A video of their lovely “only child moon,” as they dubbed it, is currently making the rounds on TikTok and leaving people just a wee bit teary eyed.

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“You’ve heard of a babymoon,” Lara Morgan Lee’s onscreen text reads. “But we took an ‘Only Child’ moon — a long weekend away for our 2.5-year-old before she becomes a big sister to twins!”

The long weekend trip consisted of a jaunt to New York City, where the family enjoyed Central Park, coffee shops and fine dining—which seemed to include yummy pizza and ice cream.

@sportsdrmorgan 10/10 highly recommend #babymoon #pregnanttiktok #twinpregnancy #pregnancyexercise #firsttrimester #secondtrimester #pregnantover40 #advancedmaternalage ♬ Do You Believe in Magic – The Lovin’ Spoonful

“She got some adventure time with mom and dad, and we got time to enjoy her before the chaos ensues. One more special memory we made.”

The clip is just shy of thirty seconds, but speaks volumes. Several parents chimed in to say how thoughtful it was to make their daughter feel special.

“Pregnant with my second and sobbing right now, this is so sweet,” one person wrote.

Another added, “that’s such a great idea! I’ll try to remember for when I get pregnant again!”

Many even had their own “only child moon stories.” One recalled “taking our 5-year-old on vacation before she had siblings was the best decision since we can’t travel as far now.” While another shared “we did the same! bowling, arcade, and hotel stay to swim. So many great memories for our little fam before baby #2 came!”

One parent even noted that an “only child moon” didn’t have to be expensive, saying they planned to have a special “movie night and Christmas lights weekend right before the baby comes.”

The thought of now sharing mom and dad with a new sibling can stir up different feelings for kids. Some may be instantly on board and excited to welcome in a baby brother or sister. For others, it can be a confusing and scary time.

There are, however, lots of ways to make the moment a positive one, primarily by involving them as much as possible and doing small things to reassure them that they are still loved. Which is what makes this “only child moon” such a good one—it covers both bases.

These days, parents are finding all kinds of creative ways to give their kiddos the healthiest, happiest childhood possible. Not only that, they’re establishing new behaviors that also promote their own wellbeing. Of course this isn’t the case for everyone, but more and more people are reclaiming the concept of family as a gentle, nourishing, and completely customizable support system for the entire tribe, and it’s beautiful to see. Here’s to more of that.

Envision preparing for months to celebrate your mom’s birthday abroad in Dubai only to get to the airport to watch your entire family board the plane without you. One woman doesn’t have to imagine because it happened to her, taking the stranded woman on multiple unwelcome adventures.

Nneoma and several members of her family planned a trip to Dubai for her mom’s birthday but when it was time to board the flight, the woman was denied. She thought she had everything in order not knowing that if your passport is expiring within six months of leaving the country–you can’t leave. The devastation she must’ve felt hearing she couldn’t join her family.

But Nneoma had a plan. She would simply go to a same day passport place and renew her unexpired passport then catch a flight the next day to join the festivities. The woman planned and the universe laughed. It was not that easy.

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You’d think in a place like New York City getting a same day passport would be easy peezy, but it wasn’t easy and it certainly was peezy unless you count unofficial potties on the subway. Nneoma went home and immediately started attempting to call same day passport places to get an appointment and was thwarted with every phone call.

She decided that she would just take a chance and wake up early the next morning to head to the agency in person. The line to get in the door was laughable and once again she was left sans renewed passport. But the left behind daughter was determined to celebrate with her mother making her undeterred. It took calling a friend of a friend who claimed to have secret access to passport appointments and flying to another part of the state to conclude the multi-day saga.

@astoldbynneoma

I cant believe this happened to me. Let me if you guys want a Part 2 🥲 #astoldbynneoma #travel #vlog #passport #lifestyle #storytime #grwm #fyp #relateable #skincare

How she secured a much sought after appointment leaves questions but in the end Nneoma was able to join her family even though the airport lost her luggage. But let her experience be a lesson in checking your passport has plenty of time left on it before planning to fly out of the country. The expiration date on passports is mainly for identification purposes, international travel is a completely different circumstance requiring renewal months in advance.

@astoldbynneoma

Replying to @charitycase60 I honestly cant make this up 😭 Let me know if you guys want a Part 3 😩 #AsToldByNneoma #travel #travelnoire #lifestyle #passport #flight #tips #storytime #grwm #family #relatable #fyp #vlog #delta

A grandmother always felt her middle granddaughter Lindsay, 15, looked slightly different from the rest of the family because she had blonde, curly hair, while the rest of her siblings’ hair was dark “I thought genetics was being weird and I love her,” she wrote on Reddit’s AITA forum.

But things became serious after Linday’s parents “banned” her from taking things a step further and getting a DNA test. If the family was sure their daughter was theirs, why would they forbid her from seeking clarity in the situation? After the parents laid down the law, the situation started to seem a little suspicious.

“I told my son and [daughter-in-law] that there was something fishy around her birth she needed to know. They denied it and told me to leave it alone,” the grandma wrote.

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Lindsay wouldn’t give up her quest. She approached her biology teacher, who admitted that it was “odd” for her to have such different traits. This confusion was too much for Lindsay, so she went to her grandmother for help. “She came to me distressed, asking me to buy a DNA test since she needs to know,” the grandmother wrote.

The grandmother purchased a DNA test and it proved their suspicions. “Long story short, she is not her mother’s kid,” the grandmother wrote. “My son got someone else pregnant and her bio mom gave her up.”

The interesting thing was that Lindsay was a middle child. So, the dad had a baby with another woman while he was with his wife. This revelation begs the question: How did the family suddenly have a baby out of nowhere without people being suspicious?

“They were on the other side of the country when she was born, and I met Lindsey when she was about 6 months old. Really not hard to hide the whole thing,” the grandmother wrote. “Our family has a history of miscarriages, so it’s common to drop news about a baby late in the pregnancy. They did the same with their oldest and didn’t think anything about it.”

The big revelation has caused friction in the family. The family no longer talks to the grandmother, which makes Lindsay even more furious about the situation.

Should the grandmother have taken such drastic steps if she knew what could happen if her suspicions were true? The commenters on Reddit overwhelmingly supported the grandmother’s decision. The big reason was that Lindsay needed to know her family history for medical reasons.

“Your son and his wife suck for lying to her until she is 15 about something so important and trying to keep lying to her even after she obviously started to question things. There are medical reasons a person might need to know what their genetics are/are not, and if you hadn’t helped her, she would have found out some other way,” Shake_Speare423 wrote.

Another commenter noted that protecting the parents’ lie wasn’t nearly as important as Lindsay’s mental health.

“People have a right to know their genetic heritage. Lying about adoption is linked to increased suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression. You put her safety and comfort ahead of your son’s preferences. Parental rights do not have greater value than a child’s right to access comprehensive medical care, and hiding an adoption does precisely that. Maybe some things, like a child staying healthy, should matter more than a parent’s right to lie, gaslight and manipulate their child as they see fit,” RemembrancerLirael added.

The commenters overwhelmingly supported the grandma for putting herself into an uncomfortable situation to protect her granddaughter’s mental and physical health. However, one commenter noted that she could have gone about it in a less polarizing way.

“Bit out of the norm for the responses here, but you should have gone through your son [and daughter-in-law] and convinced them. Told them that the biology teacher had highlighted that she had traits that didn’t make sense, etc. and convinced them that Lindsey would find out either way,” PhilMcGraw wrote. “It would have allowed them to find a way to tell her without it being forced on them angrily. A DNA test is the absolute worst way to be told. I’m sure they would have much rather told her than let her find out by a DNA test if that is what was coming.”

TikTok is a place where any interest can forge a community. And cleaning is no different. Clean freaks can get their fill on everything from lesser known organizational hacks to viral products to soothing before-and-after videos on the platform.

But, perhaps you can have too much of a good thing.

A woman by the name of Rhema (@rhema.br), who regularly posts cleaning content, recently went viral for her “unpopular opinion” that one should wash their Christmas tree regularly.

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In the clip, which has been viewed 1.7 million times, Rhema places her artificial Christmas tree in her bathtub and sprays it with the TikTok famous pink cleaning solution.

@rhema.br Clean my Christmas tree with me 🌲🫧 #clean #cleaning #cleaningtiktok #cleantok #cleantiktok #cleaningmotivation #cleaninghacks #cleaningtips #christmas #christmastiktok #christmastree #christmascountdown #christmasdecor #christmasclean #christmascleaning #christmascleanup #christmascleantok ♬ original sound – Rhema

As “Sleigh Ride” by The Ronettes plays in the background, Rhema then rinses her tree with water and some dish soap. Her camera zooms in on a few small specks going down the drain, and the video concludes with Rhema setting up the Christmas tree in her living room.

All in all, viewers were not convinced this was even remotely necessary. And their reactions were priceless—ranging from delightfully sarcastic to absolutely baffled.

🥴 pic.twitter.com/PHL7ERkd29

— So Good We Named It! (@SoGoodWeNamedlt) November 28, 2023

At some point the benefit of living with the dirt is greater than the benefit of cleaning. Like, I can’t imagine needing to do this.

— Kate Shelor (@KateShelor) November 27, 2023

I don’t even wash the fruits I eat this thoroughly… let alone Plastic. Plastic! Not food, Plastic

— Bantu-Cushite-Nilote (@Inversarian) November 28, 2023

Just take it outside and hit it with the leaf blower at full speed. That’s what my husband would do 😂

— *.·:·.✧Alice✧.·:·.* (@orionobscured) November 27, 2023

“I’m lucky if I remember to clean my house,” one person quipped, while another joked that a simpler solution would be taking the tree to a car wash.

If I was insane I’d probably just take it to a car wash and not do all this, no way she didn’t make a mess of her bathroom

— Mr. Face of the Franchise (@tinylittlehomie) November 27, 2023

Others couldn’t help but comment on how little actual dirt was seen being washed off.

“Oh my god 4 whole pieces of dirt it’s filthy just throw it out at that,” one person wrote, while another said that “Cleantok is getting out of hand.”

Oh my god 4 whole pieces of dirt it’s filthy just throw it out at that

— Halo Plasmaposting (@Plasmaposting) November 28, 2023

Still, some agreed with the idea, especially since artificial Christmas trees can collect bugs and dust. As one person shared, “I once had the same artificial tree for years and eventually every time I set it up, my allergies would get so bad I’d have to go take a Benadryl. This would totally reduce dust as well as any grubbiness.”

Another individual disagreed, saying that cleaning a real tree made sense but cleaning an artificial one would be “pointless.”

While Rhema’s shower method might seem a bit extreme (even dangerous if your artificial tree is pre-lit), there are several sites that do suggest a regular cleaning routine—though most tutorials only mention some combination of light dusting, vacuuming, or spot cleaning.

Luckily, Christmas tree supplier Balsam Hill has a quick and simple set of steps to perform before and after putting up your tree:

1. Carefully remove your tree from its box or storage bag.
2. Starting from the top, wipe the branches, trunk, and base with a soft, dry cloth or a fibre duster. For pre-lit-trees, be careful as you go through each light bulb.
3. If your tree is unlit, you can use a vacuum with the upholstery bristle brush or crevice attachment to clean it. Test a section at the base of the tree first, making sure that the vacuum can safely clean the dirt off the branches without damaging the tree. You can also use a hand vacuum for lighter suction and easier control.
4. Clean up the entire area with a vacuum before you start fluffing and decorating your tree.

And before you put it away for the year:

1. Unplug lights from the wall and take off all decorations from your tree.
2. For pre-lit trees, wipe branches with a clean, dry cloth. Start from the top and gently work your way around the light bulbs.
3. If your tree is unlit, you can give it a quick sweep with a vacuum using the upholstery bristle brush or crevice attachment. Make sure to test a section at the base of the tree first to check if it can safely clean the branches without damage.
4. Dismantle the tree according to instructions. Compress all branches carefully and ensure that there are no unnecessary strains on the branches and lights.

And in the spirit of Christmas, perhaps we should take this comment the most seriously:

“You know what…it’s your tree. Live your best life.”

Tyler The Creator‘s Golf Wang store is expanding for the holidays. Beginning on December 2 and continuing until December 24, fans in cities around the world will be able to purchase pieces from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection, along with Golf Wang’s essentials, Tyler’s new Converse collaboration, and the rapper’s catalog on vinyl.

The cities and full collections will be available on golfwang.com tomorrow, Thursday, November 30, but what can you expect to see on the site? Here’s what we know about the items that will be for sale on Golf Wang’s Golf Holiday shops.

While the items themselves remain kind of a mystery for now, we can look to the Golf Wang lookbook to see what the collection contains.

There’s also Tyler’s twist on the Converse Chuck 70, which the brand advertised with a quick trailer, which you can check out below:

You can also grab the Golf Essentials collection, which includes three colors of puffer jackets, sweats, T-shirts, shorts, caps, beanies, socks, bags, and slides.

There are also mystery boxes for sale on the website, with pieces picked at random.

The holiday shops will take place at the permanent store locations in Los Angeles, New York, and London, with additional stores popping up in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Austin, the Bay Area, Berlin, Chicago, Hong Kong, Phoenix, Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington, DC.

Imagine deciding to take up a hobby that usually requires many years to perfect at age 35, and three years later ending up in the top 30 in the world at the highest international competition for it.

That’s what happened to a 38-year-old math and physics teacher from Diepenbeek, Belgium. According to Netherlands News Live, Mieke Gorissen has jogged 10km (a little over six miles) a few times a week for exercise for many years. But in 2018, she decided to hire a running trainer to improve her technique. As it turned out, she was a bit of a natural at distance running.

Three years later, Gorissen found herself running her third marathon. But not just any old marathon (as if there were such a thing)—the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics. And not only did she compete with the world’s most elite group of runners, she came in 28th out of the 88 competing in the race.

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With the heat and humidity in Tokyo, even completing the race was a major accomplishment. (Fifteen women competing did not finish the marathon.) But to come in in the top 30 when you just started focusing on distance running three years ago? Unbelievable.

In fact, Gorissen could hardly believe it herself. A video of her reaction upon hearing her results has gone viral for its purity and genuine humility. “No,” she said when a reporter told her she came in 28th in the race. “That’s not possible.”

Then she burst into tears.

Her emotional disbelief is so moving. “I was already happy to finish the race,” she said through sobs. “I do think I have reached my goal and that I can be happy.”

“I also think I lost a toenail,” she added, laughing.

Even after the English translation ends in the video, it’s clear how much this finish meant to her. A remarkable accomplishment for a 38-year-old who knits and reads for fun and who has only run two marathons prior to competing in the Olympics.

See on Instagram

According to her Olympic profile, she’s glad she got started with distance running later in life. “If I started running in my teens, it wouldn’t have been good for me,” she said. “I wasn’t really happy then, I would have been too hard on myself and I would have lost myself in it in a way that wasn’t healthy. It came at exactly the right time.”

Congratulations, Mieke. You’ve given us all the inspiration to set new goals and dream bigger than we ever thought possible.

This article originally appeared on 08.12.21

Happy Spotify Wrapped day! The streaming service dropped its annual recap, providing users with their year-end stats about their most-played songs, artists, podcasts, and many more tidbits of info. However, those who don’t use Spotify, or are new to using Apple Music, might be wondering if the latter gives a Wrapped-like feature to their users, too.

Here’s what to know.

Is There A Spotify Wrapped For Apple Music Users?

While Apple Music does not specifically provide users with a Spotify Wrapped, as they are two competing streaming platforms, the music company does give listeners a year-end stats list titled Apple Music Replay. These were rolled out to their users earlier this week.

These contain the same key points of information, including your Top Artists, Top Songs, and more. While the Apple Music one isn’t quite as colorful as Spotify’s, or features extra details like your listening personality and… which city you would be in this year based on your habits (Burlington or Cambridge?), it does still get the job done.

It also provides you with a similar playlist of all the songs you listened to the most this year, just like Spotify.

For more information about how Apple Music users can access their 2023 Replay, visit here.

FX nailed The Bear‘s landing not once but twice with the first two full seasons available to stream in full on Hulu. All cylinders fired away on the first two outings, too. Ayo Edebiri owned that breakout to household name status, and finally, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is receiving all the praise that he’s quietly toiled away for years on TV to achieve (including a certain Girls scene). Jeremy Allen White is also doing intense in a much more amplified way than he did on Shameless, and thank goodness that more of The Bear is on the way.

The Chefs began cooking again in Chicago with FX recently announcing that Season 3 revved up production again this month. Now, the much fancier, renovated restaurant must maintain its momentum, and so must the show. What’s on the books so far?

Plot

As you no doubt remember, Carmy ended his last appearance on the show while stuck in a fridge. He really should have gotten that thing fixed before go-time, but this screw-up also allowed for several plot points to advance. Obviously, Carmy’s emotional meltdown led to the audience seeing him scare off Claire (forever?), and Ritchie got to show off his emotional evolution to the max. As well, this should have been an opportunity for Carmy to realize that he’s trained and, in some cases, nurtured his fellow Chefs so well that they were able to carry on without his presence. However, I can also see why this would lead to further existential crisis for Carmy.

Yes, that fridge scene will likely remain important!

Obviously, Carmy will have to defrost at some point. White hopes it will happen, and a certain contingent of Reddit users hope he will stay stuck, but this isn’t a horror series. Also, it sure feels like the show has set up the quest for a Michelin star and much pondering about whether that really matters in the grand scheme of family and success. A star certainly won’t fix the broken dynamics that set much of this show in motion, so I can see them gaining that professional trophy but still having much to conquer in the aftermath. Maybe Will Poulter’s Luc will join the restaurant and shake up Carmy’s little world, too.

Beyond that, can the new joint stay financially afloat and pay back the loan from Uncle Jimmy? Will Natalie have to pull away to devote herself to a healthier family dynamic, only for everyone to realize that they need her glue to stay together? And personally, I wonder if Sydney will outgrow Carmy on a professional level, although god only knows if the writers will really push them together as a couple. Some viewers want it to happen, but man, Carmy would be a nightmare of a romantic partner in the long run. Personally, I’d like to see more exploration on what went wrong with Ritchie and Tiffany if the show needs some romance (or lack thereof). Clearly, the dramatic possibilities are endless for Season 3 and beyond.

Cast

The trend of A-listers clamoring for cameos in this show grew intense with Season 2’s “Fishes” episode, and hopefully, we’ll see the return of Bob Odenkirk, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Mulaney, and the rest of the nightmare fam. Jon Bernthal feels essential at this point, and Joel McHale would not be unwelcome for another blip of an appearance. Additionally, Jeremy Allen White revealed his wish for both Sam Rockwell and John Turturro to join the team. Yes, please.

Three core cast members — White (as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, Ayo Edebiri (as Sydney Adamu), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (as Richie Jerimovich) — are confirmed to be main players once more. FX hasn’t confirmed any other returning cast members yet, but ideally, we will see Liza Colón-Zayas keep smiling as Tina, Lionel Boyce return as Marcus, Abby Elliot as Natalie, and so on. Can we switch up Will Poulter as a Chicago resident now? C’mon.

Release Date

The good news is that The Bear team already appears to have churning out seasons down to a science. Season 2 landed slightly under one year after Season 1, both in late June. Chances are that we won’t be quite that lucky after 2023’s Hollywood stoppages, but we should see Season 3 before the end of the year. Keep the faith, Chefs!

Trailer

No trailer has materialized yet, but it’s worth rewatching Will Poulter’s tattooed Chef, Luca, get real with Boyce’s Marcus. Fingers crossed for a baking showdown.

We don’t know when The Bear will return, but cast and crew are at least back in the kitchen.

Young Thug’s RICO trial is underway. Hearings for Thug and the YSL crew began earlier this week, and since then, some quotes and quips have gotten much attention online. During the second day of the trial, many have begun debating the meaning of a collaboration between Thug, Gunna, and Future, which was released shortly prior to their arrests in 2022.

What does Young Thug, Gunna, and Future’s “Pushin’ P” mean?

Thug, Gunna, and Future’s “Pushin’ P” appeared on Gunna’s DS4Ever album, and proved to be one of the album’s buzziest tracks. Upon its release, the “P” in “Pushin’ P” was the subject of confusion. In an interview with The Breakfast Club, Gunna said “P” is short for “playa,” however, “P” can be used flexibly, as long as it reflects something positive.

“F*cking your partner’s main b*tch ain’t P,” said Gunna. “If you hold the door for a lady, that’s P. Arguing with your partner about money ain’t P. We ain’t doing that. We’re pushing P.”

Yesterday (November 28) in court, a mirror selfie was shown of Thug, which (per Complex) allegedly saw him holding up a Bloods sign. Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, claimed this wasn’t a Bloods sign, but rather a P sign. He also shared the supposed meaning of “Pushin’ P.”

“There’s nothing wrong with holding up a Bloods sign, but that’s not a Bloods sign. […] That is a P,” Steel said. “Jeffery’s fingers are down. And what you’ll learn is that Jeffery just released with Sergio Kitchens, a performer known as Gunna, a song that is wildly popular around the globe. It’s called ‘Pushin P’ and it’s positivity. It means any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through. You’re pushing positivity.”

You can see a clip from the hearing above.

Young Thug and Gunna are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars, and real-life married couple, Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson stopped by the latest episode New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce where they revealed how they (well, technically Olson) were the winners of a recent charity auction.

Unbeknownst to McElhenney, the couple were in a bidding war over a Philadelphia Eagles jacket worn by Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce. McElhenney was determined to get the jacket and help benefit the team’s Autism Foundation. However, someone kept upping the price, and he soon learned the identity of the culprit through a brutally hilarious text.

Via PEOPLE:

“I couldn’t believe that someone was immediately jumping on every time I bid, and so my final bid was going to be representing my favorite player on the Eagles, 62. [$62,000], I thought that was a good number,” McElhenney told brothers and football players, Jason and Travis Kelce.

“And then I got a text from somebody I know who said, ‘I’ve been the one bidding against you, bozo.’ And it did not even cross my mind that this was a possibility, and it turned out I live with this person,” he continued, referring to his wife and It’s Always Sunny costar.

According to Olson, she had no idea McElhenney was trying to win the jacket until she saw a post on X/Twitter. That’s when she knew she had to have it.

“It’s clearly for women. I want it. He mentions nothing about it. I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’” Olson said. “[Kylie] looks great in it. I want to wear the jacket.”

After crashing the bidding site, the couple put in a joint bid of an even $100,000 because they “truly believe” in the Autism Foundation. But in true Sweet Dee style, Olson made sure everyone knows who really won.

“I win, basically,” Olson said. “I win. I win. I won the jacket for sure. He will not be wearing the jacket ever.”

You can see the jacket that Olson proudly won by bidding against her own husband below:

(Via PEOPLE)