Month: February 2024

It’s time to innovate your diet. For some, that undoubtedly means making healthier choices. For others, it’s about continuing your hibernation era and letting the pounds come as they may. Though… we’ll take this time to remind you that spring is right around the corner!

Once again we’re naming all of our favorite new (or new-ish or new to us!) snacks and foods worth picking up the next time you hit the grocery store. Welcome to the Grocery Roundup, your one-stop shop for all things snackworthy.

Let’s dive in!

Rummo — Rigatoni No. 50

Average Price: $5.99

Why We Love It:

Don’t let anyone tell you that all boxed pastas are the same, they’re not. We can get super nerdy and talk about the drying process of one brand over another and why that’s important, but who has time for that?

The biggest differentiating factor between good boxed pasta and the bad stuff you can pick up for $1 is the texture. A great pasta will soak up any sauce you pour over it, making each forkful of dinner an explosion of flavor and textures. I haven’t found a brand of pasta better than Rummo.

Each lot of pasta made by Rummo is tested by two separate chefs who cook the pasta and measure the firmness to the brand’s specification, and that focus on quality translates.

I recently made a white wine garlic cream sauce with shallots, fresh basil, and spinach and poured it all over a pot of Rummo’s Rigatoni’s No. 50 and was blown away by the way the noodles absorbed my homemade sauce. I also instantly regretted that I didn’t save these noodles for a thicker, tomato-based sauce — that’s where Rigatoni shines best.

Don’t make my mistake! But do get Rummo if you want the best possible dried pasta!

Pick up a bag of Rummo here.

Levain Bakery Decadent Cookie Assortment

Average Price: $29 (4 pack)

Why We Love It:

On a recent trip to New York City, I visited the famed Levain Bakery at the insistence of my girlfriend. Since we were dealing with a very tight schedule, I didn’t think that stopping off for cookies was worth the speed bump in our day. Boy, was I wrong.

Once I had a cookie from Levain I stopped in my tracks and proclaimed “This is the best cookie I’ve ever had in my life.” I’ve had a lot of really great cookies before, I’ve never felt the need to call one the best.

Since that day I’ve been dreaming about Levain, and then I found out, I don’t have to dream anymore — there is a Levain in Los Angeles. And even if I didn’t live in LA, Levain has an online store and will ship you fresh cookies anywhere in the country.

I think you should order whatever cookie appeals to you, they’re all good, but to get the best sense of what makes the brand great, I’d suggest the Decadent Cookie Assortment.

With this greatest hits package, you’re going to get all of Levain’s signature cookies, including Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip (my personal favorite), and Two Chip Chocolate Chip. Each cookie is supremely chewy and as the name suggests, wonderfully decadent.

Pick up a pack of the Decadent Cookie Assortment at Levain.

Trader Joe’s — Non-Dairy Cinnamon Bun Oat Creamer

Average Price: $1.99

Why We Love It:

Looking to craft a latte or cup of coffee that reflects the flavors of winter but don’t want to brave the busy retail season Starbucks line? We feel that. This is why Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Cinnamon Bun Oat Creamer is a must-pick-up.

This non-dairy creamer features a smooth and rich consistency that is heavily seasoned with cinnamon and sugar. There is something incredibly cozy and comforting about the flavor. Personally, I like it in coffee, which I think compliments the earthy oat flavor of its base best.

Find your nearest Trader Joe’s here.

Bubbies — Pistachio Mochi

Average Price: $14

Why We Love It:

It may not be a traditional mochi flavor but Bubbie’s Pistachio mochi is flat-out delicious. This Mochie features a soft and gummy outer with a sweet, earthy, nutty pistachio-flavored ice cream and pistachio inside. It’s like a little bite of magic.

Pick up a box of Bubbies here.

McConnell’s x Garrison Brothers Whiskey & Pecan Pralines

Average Price: $12

Why We Love It:

There are few desserts as luxurious and decadent as boozy ice cream, and I’m not sure I’ve had a pint that is as rich as this collaboration between McConnel’s and Garrison Brothers Whiskey.

This creamy delight features chunks of roasted pecans encased in caramel, creamy vanilla ice cream, and smokey slightly spicy Bourbon notes. The way the creamy, buttery, boozy and salty flavors combine is downright addictive.

Pick up a pint of McConnel’s x Garrison Brothers Whiskey & Pecan Pralines online.

Drumstick — Lil Drums Vanilla/Chocolate

Average Price: $7.79

Why We Love It:

You’ve no doubt had a Drumstick before and while I don’t want to take anything away from that classic freezer staple, the Lil Drums are even better. While you don’t have that iconic nut-crusted shell, the Lil Drum puts the focus on the ice cream itself.

Each cone features vanilla or chocolate ice cream swirled with fudge and topped with nuts, turning each bite into a mini sundae. The Lil Drums are also, true to their name, smaller in size than a traditional Drumstick — making them a better choice for late-night snacking.

Pick up a box here.

Trader Joe’s Brown Sugar Cardamom Buns

Average Price: $4.49

Why We Love It:

Why isn’t cardamom used on grocery store sweets more often? It’s peppery, herbal, floral, citrus-y, it has such a complex bouquet of flavors that it instantly elevates anything it’s used on. With TJ’s Brown Sugar Cardamom Buns, the cardamom is the star of the show.

Each knotted bun is peppered with brown sugar and cardamom resulting in a rich pasty with a doughy bite that is perfect to pair with coffee. The Cardamom Buns aren’t sweet like donuts, they instead have a spicy savory quality and feel more like a meal than a mere snack.

Find your nearest Trader Joe’s here.

EDITOR’S PICK: St. Pierre Brioche Pretzel Rolls

Average Price: $6.99

Why We Love It:

St. Pierre found a brilliant market gap, which was “I bet we can beat these tired old grocery store bread brands!”

Well, guess what? They were right! They have improved grocery store rolls and bread immensely. Their brioche burger buns are my absolute go-to for burger night. Their hot dog buns turn the page on decades of stale trash. And now, their pretzel rolls give storebought kielbasa the platform it’s always deserved.

These are soft and have that gentle brioche sweetness. They don’t taste overly fake or gummy. They have a nice bite and they add a whole lot to the sausage-eating experience.

Pick up a bag of St. Pierre Bricoche Pretzel Rolls here.

EDITOR’S PICK: Heraclea Mature Harvest

Average Price: $16

Why We Love It:

Is there a difference between this and base-level grocery store olive oil? Yes. Can a non-food writer taste it? Also, yes. The fact of the matter is that olive oil is a product with a single ingredient. So it’s no surprise that products utilizing better olives are better.

In this case, that means some dense grassy overtones but not the green-grassiness of California-based olive oils. This is a Mediterranian oil all the way. You get richer, deeper flavor notes and just a little peppery bite.

After buying this oil in fall, I have made this my house oil for bread dipping. It deserves to be the star of the bread course rather than hidden in a cooked dish.

Pick up a bottle of Heraclea Olive Oil here.

EDITOR’S PICK: Carbone — Spicy Vodka Sauce

Average Price: $23.99 (2 pack)

Why We Love It:

As Uproxx has mentioned many times, it takes a lot to impress us with jarred sauce. Well, this vodka sauce did the trick. It’s not as creamy as vodka sauces at Umberto’s Clam House and other NYC classic joints, but the spice is very much there and we salute that.

Moreover, the tomato notes here are very clean and bright. You get big tomato bursts beside Calabrian peppers. Add just enough vodka to quickly burn off and a dollop of cream plus some parm and you will certainly have people thinking this is homemade. If that’s too much effort fear not, this is a great sauce with no mods at all and will be likely to smash in our next blind test.

Pick up a jar of Carbone Spicy Vodka Sauce here.

EDITOR’S PICK: Goodles — IPA-Inspired Mac & Cheese

Average Price: $4.89

Why We Love It:

Goodles has long been our favorite brand of boxed mac and this new IPA flavor has been a long time coming. To be honest, I don’t like IPAs or hops but… I like this. It tastes hoppy, slightly bitter, a teeny bit piney without being overly “IPA-ish.” Overall, the “hop” flavor is more what I’d typify as a “piney-funk” — which plays well with cheese.

It doesn’t quite take the spot as my favorite Goodles flavor (Cheesy Mac still rules) but it’s my new #2 pick in the brand’s lineup.

Pick up a box of Goodles If You’re Hoppy And You Know It here.

EDITOR’S PICK: Laired Prebiotic Daily Greens

Average Price: $35 (15 pack single serving)

Why We Love It:

The problem with health stuff is… the second it takes a ton of effort, building a routine gets really thorny. But I’ve been adding these pre-biotic daily greens to smoothies and loving them. The taste is definitely “green” but it doesn’t overpower a fruit smoothie and is packed with ingredients that I couldn’t easily access on my own (chlorophyll, for example).

If you’re going to trust someone with health stuff, Laird Hamilton is that freaking guy. The dude has made health his life and his life looks pretty awesome.

https://www.instagram.com/nicoleisaacs/?hl=en

Okay, bro — you’re about to turn 60 and still surfing the biggest waves on earth? Yeah, I’m down to try your greens in my smoothie.

Pick up a bag of Laird’s Prebiotic Daily Greens here.

EDITOR’S PICK: Momofuku Noodle Variety Pack

Average Price: $70

Why We Love It:

We’ve all seen how bad the cheapest ramen brands are for our bodies. Also, we all like ramen and rarely have time to make our own noodles.

So what to do? Get better ramen noodles.

Momofuku’s quick ramen varieties are delicious and taste about as close to restaurant quality as I could imagine someone producing. The seasoning mix is balanced and the spice (where noted) is pretty legit. These are such an upgrade from typical three-minute ramen that I can’t imagine someone going back to the others.

Pick up the Momofuku variety pack here.

Hotpot Queen Wild Mushroom Chili Sauce

Average Price: $14.99

Why We Love It:

I’ve been truly obsessed with this. It’s my number one condiment right now. The umami depth from the mushrooms is extreme and the spice level is excellent. Truly, I’m going through one of these every other week. They’re fantastic.

If you want more umami and heat in your food, this condiment is a must.

Pick up a jar of Wild Mushroom Chili Sauce here.

EDITOR’S PICK — Algae Cooking Club Chef-Grade Algae Oil

Average Price: $25

Why We Love It:

This is excellent cooking oil with a high smoke point. It’s sustainable, vegan, full of Omega-3s, and delicious (though very neutral). I have been using it on pasta dishes and with veggies and have had great success.

If you’re trying to ease into a healthier diet, this is a change you can make immediately that won’t adversely affect flavor at all!

Pick up ACC’s Chef-Grade Algae Oil here.

Nearly half a century since James Clavell’s best-selling epic was published, and 44 years since it became the second most-watched miniseries of the 1980s, a new take on Shogun is hoping to prove event television can still exist in the streaming age. If early reviews are any indication, that effort is a success.

Tapping Top Gun: Maverick writer Justin Marks and producer Rachel Kondo, FX’s remake is the closest thing to a Game of Thrones successor fans are likely to see. Filled with sweeping action sequences, dense historical ties, and thrilling political intrigue, the 10-part limited series tells the story of John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), an ungovernable English pilot who washes ashore in feudal Japan just as the country’s emperor dies, disrupting long-held hierarchies and the country’s tenuous trade agreement with Spain and Portugal.

Blackthorne may be a newcomer in a strange land, but Marks and Kondo cleverly eschew those convenient white savior tropes, wielding their “main character’s” ignorance to introduce the show’s real power players – men like Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a respected daimyo fielding assassination attempts by his rivals within the Council or Regents, and women like Lady Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious samurai from a disgraced family who becomes Blackthorne’s translator.

Uproxx spoke to Jarvis and Sawai about the heavy responsibility of bringing Shogun back to life, the series’ grueling, 10-month shoot, samurai boot camp, and avoiding the mistakes of the past.

What about this story and these characters made you want to sign on?

Cosmo Jarvis: I very much appreciated how interesting of a premise it had with regard to the time period and the country it’s set in. And the archetypal story strokes that were involved in it, which wasn’t something I’d come into contact with very often. You don’t often get a chance to play archetypal work, and that was interesting to me. But foremost, it was the adventure of it.

Anna Sawai: For me, as a Japanese person, I think it was very important that if we were covering a Japanese story we were going to do it right. And meeting Justin and hearing his version of it, it really felt like they wanted to do it authentically. Hearing how Hiro was going to be part of producing it and Eriko being a producer on it too, I think it felt safe for me. It didn’t feel like we were going to [make] the same mistake that has been done, and that was important.

There’s quite a bit of action within these ten episodes. Did you have to go to samurai boot camp?

Jarvis: Well, there wasn’t really any boot camp.

Sawai: Well, there was. You didn’t have to do much. We had a little bit of a sword-fighting boot camp, which you probably weren’t part of because there’s not much sword-fighting for you.

Jarvis: Blackthorne’s a terrible sword fighter.

What’s fascinating about this period is how deeply it’s set in its customs and rituals. There’s so much intentionality in movement. Was that challenging for either of you?

Sawai: I had to forget everything that I usually do and just focus on what women back then were supposed to do. If I wanted to laugh or if I wanted to gasp, I couldn’t put my hand in front of my face normally. I would have to cover my fingers and then bring that up to my face so it would take some time. The first time I went on set and I was faced with [a scene where] Mariko’s talking to Toranaga, I was just doing it looking at him and Hiro was like, ‘You shouldn’t be looking right into my eyes. You should just be looking slightly below.’ And so I had to get used to talking to people without looking at their eyes and that would be so strange. But towards the end, I think it felt more natural. It was a lot of getting used to the mannerisms of the 1600s.

Jarvis: There were lots of things to do every day, but the workload physically wasn’t notable for me. [Blackthorne] was supposed to be fairly unruly and ungoverned by many customs. In terms of the educational process, there was still a lot of that. There would always be rules, like not stepping on the cracks between the farming mats, which even if they weren’t dwelled on too heavily in the story, they still were incredibly interesting to learn about along the way.

Sawai: I don’t know if this is a little bit off-topic, but I would hear you screaming in your trailer. Isn’t that part of physicality too, in a way? You’re [getting] your throat ready for Blackthorne’s voice?

Jarvis: I guess. I would keep things in check for Blackthorne’s vocal quality, trying to maintain consistency. I would smoke a lot of cigarettes, scream a lot.

Sawai: That’s dedication.

Because of COVID-19, you were shooting this for 10 months or more. Was there ever a breaking point or at least a thought of, ‘I might be filming this show for the rest of my life’?

Sawai: I think we were all feeling that [around] the ninth or tenth month. Every month they would be like, ‘Oh, we’re just doing one more, just one more.’ The crew were calling it The Never-Ending Show. They had a name for [it].

Jarvis: We probably shouldn’t say that.

Sawai: It was true. We really didn’t think it was going to end. It was a tough one and there was a lot of work that went into it. But I mean, I’m glad that we got to take our time because otherwise, it would’ve not been the quality that it is now. And I feel happy that I got to know Mariko for that much longer.

Does it make it harder to let go – not just of the character, but of the mannerisms, how you’ve been physically moving through the world for so long?

Jarvis: Yeah, it does. I guess part of the job is dispensing with yourself for a period of time and you can’t help but pick things up from the man that you’ve allowed into yourself, and that includes vocabulary and the way that he carries himself and how other people see him. And they didn’t see me that way afterward. So that’s all of the interesting stuff that happens.

It’s pretty sad too because it’s just been such an all-encompassing task. That’s not just for the actors, that’s for everybody involved in every department. Everybody was working their asses off and they really gave everything to it, so much love and blood went into it.

Right. Returning to everyday life – to family and friends – has to be a bit of a culture shock after something like that.

Jarvis: I tried [not] to speak to them that much.

Sawai: Really?

Jarvis: I mean I did, but it’s just about staying with the people that you’re going to be working with. Eleven months is pretty long, but it was a very necessary experience, I think, for me to be faced with such a thing, to figure out the methodology with which it could be achieved. It’s all about learning.

Women in this period aren’t normally given much to do on-screen. What about Mariko feels different compared to how similar stories have treated their female characters?

Sawai: She’s not looking for anyone to come and save her. I think that in the beginning, she’s a little bit lost, but she understands that her destiny is in her hands. She finds her own purpose. And I thought that in a lot of previous Japanese-based stories, we would see someone come and scoop the lady up, and I didn’t want this to be that. Mariko is definitely not that kind of character, so I was very happy to hear that Justin wanted to give more voice to the female characters in the show.

Anna, you’ve been in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Pachinko. Cosmo, you’ve done Peaky Blinders and Persuasion. When something big gets put in front of you, do you ever think of what’s going to happen in your professional and personal lives once it’s done?

Sawai: I don’t think I’ve ever thought about that. Have you?

Jarvis: I try and focus on being unemployed and [then] trying to stop being unemployed, to get another job, I guess.

Sawai: I don’t think it’s as glamorous or as sparkly as it may seem.

Roughing it in Vancouver for 10 months isn’t glamorous?

Sawai: A lot of rainy days.

Jarvis: Beautiful place though. Very, very old trees.

Sawai: You love trees. How did I not know that?

Jarvis: Trees are excellent. We should look after trees.

There is nothing worse than being caught in the act when you’re up to no good. You can’t lie about it, you can’t take it back, all you can do is pray for forgiveness.

“Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon asked his viewers if they had ever been caught red-handed and their responses on Twitter were hilarious.

Here are 15 of the funniest and/or most embarrassing Tweets.

Called in sick to work one day. Saw one of my students at the beach. We nodded as we both realized we were skipping my class. #IGotCaught

— Perkinskiii 💭 (@thatdrunkfeller) February 15, 2017

sent a sext to my husband… forgot his mom was in a group chat lol #igotcaught

— Christin Hughes (@christinmhughes) February 16, 2017

#IGotCaught looking up a guy’s info on a college computer. Heard his voice behind me telling me how to correctly spell his last name.

— Julie W (@auntgirl) February 15, 2017

I called off sick to go to a music festival. The next day my boss said “next time don’t stand in the front row.” I was on tv #IGotCaught

— Unknown (@notsogoodITguru) February 15, 2017

I went to a sex shop with my wife for the first time, the store assistant greeted me with: “nice to see you again!” #IGotCaught

— Slemp (@leonardo_grossi) February 15, 2017

I snuck out at age 15 to go to a drinking party. The door bell rang, I answered the door, there stood my mom #IGOTCAUGHT

— Complex Simply (@ComplexSimply4u) February 15, 2017

#igotcaught when my boss caught me dozing off at my desk,I raised my head slowly&said “Amen”.

— Seabow (@CristySeabow) February 15, 2017

on a first date and sent a text to what I thought was my buddy saying “this date is awful SOS”…sent it to her #igotcaught

— Luke Taylor (@statboyslim) February 15, 2017

I was telling my friend about a guy that had a cute butt. The guy heard me and said Thanks. #IGotCaught @FallonTonight

— Kerri Gray 🍀 (@kerrikgray) February 15, 2017

Parents found out my bro threw a house party after finding the wifi password pinned up evrywhere.His excuse,”I forgot it..a lot” #IGotCaught

— Chloe Pacocha (@AwesomepossumCP) February 16, 2017

This article originally appeared on February 14, 2017

Sabrina Benaim’s “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is pretty powerful on its own.

But, in it, her mother exhibits some of the most common misconceptions about depression, and I’d like to point out three of them here.

Misconception #1: Depression is triggered by a single event or series of traumatic events.

Most people think depression is triggered by a traumatic event: a loved one dying, a job loss, a national tragedy, some THING. The truth is that depression sometimes just appears out of nowhere. So when you think that a friend or loved one is just in an extended bad mood, reconsider. They could be suffering from depression.

Misconception #2: People with depression are only sad.

Most people who have never experienced depression think depression is just an overwhelming sadness. In reality, depression is a complex set of feelings and physical changes in the body. People who suffer from depression are sad, yes, but they can also be anxious, worried, apathetic, and tense, among other things.

Misconception #3: You can snap out of it.

The thing with depression is that it’s a medical condition that affects your brain chemistry. It has to do with environmental or biological factors first and foremost. Sabrina’s mother seems to think that if her daughter would only go through the motions of being happy that then she would become happy. But that’s not the case. Depression is a biological illness that leaks into your state of being.

Think of it this way: If you had a cold, could you just “snap out of it”?

No? Exactly.

These are only three of the misconceptions about depression. If you know somebody suffering from depression, you should take a look at this video here below to learn the best way to talk to them:

This article originally appeared on 11.24.15

What happens when the proudest moment of a parent’s life is also the strangest?

Then Cason’s grandmother decided to send a text to family members about her newest bundle of joy. Again, nothing unusual there either.

But when that text went to a stranger named Dennis Williams, and he decided to join in on the celebration, things became even more interesting. Check out the exchange below.

And just like that, the Williams brothers arrived at the hospital with gifts and well-wishes for the new mom and dad.

The following note from the Lashley family was posted on Williams’ Facebook page praising the brothers’ kindness and generosity for providing a small token to a family they didn’t even know a few hours beforehand.

The best sentiment from the Lashleys:

“If we all only had this kind of heart.”

This hilarious and heartwarming story is going viral for all the right reasons.

Plenty of stats and polls point to a depressing truth: Our world is becoming more and more divided by racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural lines.

But it’s easy to forget just how far we’ve come:

Two random black dudes showed up in the hospital room of a white family to provide gifts and love to their newborn baby, and the Internet universally loved it. That, in itself, is an epic feat.

These families will be connected forever due to a random act of kindness that warmed the hearts of millions.

Not to mention, when baby Cason grows up, his parents will have one amazing birth story to share with him.

But first, let’s share this great story with everyone who needs a smile.

This article was originally published on 3.22.16

Adrienne Osuna is a fitness blogger with a focus on weight training. After years of struggling with her weight, this mother of four finally got serious about her health, adopting a rigorous schedule of power lifting, cardio, and intermittent fasting to lose weight, gain muscle, and kick ass.

And while her personal regimen might be a little too ambitious for most of us, she’s still inspiring—because she keeps it real.

An image she posted on her blog is going viral for pointing out that focusing on your weight is a misleading goal. The before-and-after pic shows her before she started lifting and after—a complete physical transformation which resulted in a staggering one pound of weight loss.

After she went viral she made another Instagram post revealing she was actually a pound heavier in the after photo. Unfortunately, that post has since been made private.

She would later explain that she felt it was important to reclaim her image because it had been used in advertisements for weight loss products, and that’s not what she’s about.

“But I DID NOT use anyone’s products to do this,” she wrote in a post which since been made private. “This was all hard work in the gym lifting heavy weights and intermittent fasting.

Kudos to Ms. Osuna for getting the word out—fitness isn’t about a number, it’s about having awesome muscles you could use to punch a hole through a plaster wall.

This article was originally published on 12.22.22 by our partners at someecards and was written by Matt Nedostup.

We’ve all seen our fair share of older-sibling-meets-new-baby videos, which are generally pretty darn adorable. But once in a while, one comes along that socks us square in the heart and has us desperately reaching for a tissue.

Brace yourselves, friends, because this is one video that truly requires a tissue warning.

Shared by @brianaarielle89 on TikTok, the video shows a preschooler dressed up in a dinosaur costume entering a hospital room to meet his newborn sibling for the first time. He asks, “Mommy, where is Hudson?” and is guided over to the cot where his baby brother is bundled.

At first, he walks right past him. But then he turns, sees him and simply stares for a few seconds.

A man’s voice asks, “What do you think?” and oh, the emotion in his little voice as he breaks into tears.

“Hudsooooon!” he wails. “Hiiii!” And then he cries out the sweetest BFF declaration you’ll ever hear.

@brianaarielle89

#fyp #viral #heartwarming #siblings #brothers #babiesoftiktok

Oof, right? This is the purest love there is. What a little sweetheart and what a lucky little brother Hudson is.

I regret to inform you that there is a part two, which is also adorable.

@brianaarielle89

#fyp #babiesoftiktok #brothers #feelings #happycry

“I’m happy crying, okay?” Okay, kiddo. So is everyone else now.

Of course, not all young children are overcome with happiness when they get to meet their younger siblings. In fact, some kids can be downright hostile about it, asking the parents if they can send the baby back or acting out in anger and jealousy. Depending on their age, older siblings might demand more attention than usual or regress in certain developmental milestones, such as potty training.

For parents whose young children didn’t gush with love when they met a new sibling, don’t worry. Jealousy of babies is totally normal and doesn’t mean your kids won’t get along eventually. It just takes time to adjust to a new reality and a new dynamic in the household. Dr. Hindie M. Klein recommends tips like referring to the new baby as “our baby,” letting the older sibling help in caring for the baby (in ways that are age-appropriate, of course) and providing some special parental one-on-one time with the older child to help kids more easily adjust to a new baby in the house.

Even baby Hudson and his big-hearted bro here will surely have sibling spats of their own over the years. Sibling love is complicated, but it’s great to see it start off on such a beautiful note.

This article originally appeared on 9.21.22

There is often a distinct line between social impact—that is, something meant to provoke thought, connect us to our humanity, inspire positive change, etc.—and entertainment, which provides us a fun escape.

But sometimes that line can become blurred in innovative ways, allowing entertainment itself to be the change agent.

This is the concept behind creative partners Aaron Brown (Onion Creek Productions) and Lenny Barszap (Entertaining Entertainment)’s Been There music festivals, which are specifically intended to be social movements in disguise.

But first, let’s go back to 1997 when Brown and Barszap were in college. They met an unhoused former professor living in the park at the end of their block – a chance encounter that would change their lives forever.

Not wanting the man to suffer Texas’ infamous storms, Brown and Barszap offered the man a chance to crash on their porch—and later their couch as boundaries began to soften—which began a nearly yearlong chapter of bonding with him and others from his community.

Their relationship, along with the antics that ensued, would later become the basis for “Home Free,” a coming-of-age college comedy that Barszap calls “‘Dazed & Confused’ meets ‘Superbad,’” which premiered at Hollywood’s iconic Chinese Theatre in July 2023 and earned rave reviews, including one from Kevin Smith saying it is “the most important comedy you’ll see this year.”

And while “Home Free” succeeds in providing laugh out loud moments, Brown and Barszap hoped it could be the first of many “Trojan horse-style social impact films,” using humor as the spoonful of sugar to raise awareness on the serious issue of homelessness.

That’s why the duo partnered with The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), an organization that offers people in Austin, TX facing homelessness shelter, opportunities and support. Through this partnership, six percent of all donations raised for Brown and Barszap’s film went directly to the foundation. In addition, 10% of the film’s profits were earmarked for TOOF and other nonprofits fighting to end homelessness.

Which brings us back to Been There, which got its title as a way of suggesting “we can get beyond homelessness and someday look back from a new perspective with empathy.”

Here’s how it started: In 2021, TOOF had recently begun supporting a tent encampment of around 200 people experiencing homelessness in East Austin, later renamed The Esperanza Community. Brown and Barszap began making relationships with Esperanza’s residents during production of “Home Free” (especially when filming was slowed to a halt during COVID).

That year, Austin had been hit by some severe ice storms, causing power outages and devastating the tent community. And while replenishing supplies would have been enough to help the neighborhood recover, Barszap and Brown thought “why not go beyond necessities and replenish people’s spirits as well?”

And so, the pair called upon their musician friends, who just so happened to be Grammy award-winning heavy hitters in the industry, to put on a kickass private music festival.

The Esperanza community got to enjoy the talents of Adrian Quesada, best known for his work with The Black Pumas, as well as local legends like the latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma and indie darlings Wild Child, just to name a few. And even better, though no one intended to make the event a fundraiser, a couple of inspired attendees donated a collective $600,000 to TOOF on the spot.

Because their first event was such a success, another Been There festival was held in 2023, this time intended as a fundraiser, composed of musical heroes from the 90s and local Austin heavyweights. Headlining the act was legendary hip hop group The Pharcyde, who also contributed two new songs to the original soundtrack for “Home Free,” produced by Adrian Quesada. The Pharcyde were accompanied for the first time ever by a live band, Austin’s Latin-funk heroes Brownout who have backed the likes of Prince, GZA and many more.

Barszap told Upworthy the second festival was an even bigger hit. Not just because of the money it raised, but because it brought people together who might normally be separated by social barriers. And it all took place in Esperanza, which has now become a flourishing transitional tiny home community.

“It was incredible…so many showed up to the event and were surprised they were having an amazing night with people who were transitioning out of homelessness and getting back on their feet. Everyone was so moved that we raised over $1million that day, enough to build over 100 new tiny homes for The Esperanza Community,” he said.

The first two Been There music Fests were hosted at The Esperanza Community in Austin but Barszap and Brown envision a series of Been There’s in cities across the country. “When you see the power of artists coming together to help our neighbors and spotlight the organizations doing the most innovative work, it’s undeniable. We’ve seen first-hand how music and art can change lives,” says Brown.

As more non-profit music festivals similar to Been There continue popping up across the country, both to reinvigorate those who are disenchanted with how capitalism has affected the industry, it’s becoming clear that this is more than a novel concept—it’s a style of entertainment that people actually want to participate in.

As for what the future holds: today, Been There is more than a music festival. It has transformed into a non-profit in its own right, bringing even more “Trojan horse-style social impact entertainment that kick-starts a movement” including festivals, films, art, music and proving that making a difference doesn’t have to be a chore or byproduct of guilt.

Maybe it’s not so impossible to, as Barszap puts it, “have fun doing good.”

If you’d like to support more of Been There’s impactful entertainment, donate here.

In early February 2024, Beyoncé rocked the music world by releasing a surprise new album of country tunes. The album, Renaissance: Act II, includes a song called “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which shot up the country charts—with a few bumps along the way—and landed Queen Bey at the No.1 spot.

As the first Black female artist to have a song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s country music charts, Beyoncé once again proved her popularity, versatility and ability to break barriers without missing a beat. In one fell swoop, she got people who had zero interest in country music to give it a second look, forced country music fans to broaden their own ideas about what country music looks like and prompted conversations about bending and blending musical genres and styles.

And she inspired the Gardiner Brothers to add yet another element to the mix—Irish stepdance.

In a TikTok that’s been viewed over 17 million times, the Gardiner Brothers don cowboy hats while they step in time to “Texas Hold ‘Em,” much to the delight of viewers everywhere.

Watch:

@gardinerbrothers

Beyoncé 🤝 Irish dancing #beyonce #countrymusic

Michael and Matthew Gardiner are professional Irish-American stepdancers and choreographers who have gained international fame with their award-winning performances. They’ve also built a following of millions on social media with videos like this one, where they dance to popular songs, usually in an outdoor environment.

The melding of Irish dance with country music sung by a Black American female artist may seem unlikely, but it could be viewed merely as country music coming back to its roots. After all, country music has its roots in the ballad tradition of the Irish, English and Scottish settlers in the Appalachian region of the U.S. And despite modern country music’s struggle to break free from “music for white people” stereotypes, it has roots in African-American traditions as well. For instance, the banjo, which has long been used in bluegrass and country music, was created by enslaved Africans and their descendents during the colonial era, according to The Smithsonian.

People are loving the blending of genres and culture that the TikTok exemplifies.

“Never thought I’d see Irish step dancing while Beyoncé sings country,” wrote on commenter. “My life is complete. ♥️”

“So happy Beyoncé dropped this song and exposed my timeline to diversified talent 👏🏽👏🏽,” wrote another.

“Beyoncé brought the world together with this song 😭,” offered another person.

“Ayeeee Irish Dancing has entered the BeyHive chatroom… WELCOME!! 🔥🔥🔥” exclaimed another.

“I don’t think I can explain how many of my interests are intersecting here,” wrote one commenter, reflecting what several others shared as well.

The Beyoncé/Gardiner Brothers combo and the reactions to it are a good reminder that none of us fit into one box of interest or identity. We’re all an eclectic mix of tastes and styles, so we can almost always find a way to connect with others over something we enjoy. What better way to be reminded of that fact than through an unexpected mashup that blends the magic of music with the delight of dance? Truly, the arts are a powerful uniting force we should utilize more often.

And for an extra bit of fun, the Gardiner Brothers also shared their bloopers from filming the video. Turns out stepping in the rain isn’t as easy as they make it look.

Beyoncé Bloopers #texasholdem #gardinerbrothers

@gardinerbrothers

Beyoncé Bloopers #texasholdem #gardinerbrothers

Kanye West had a good run with his Adidas partnership, but that ended up crumbling thanks to West’s antisemitic comments and Adidas not being interested in having their brand attached to that sort of thing. But, Adidas x Yeezy isn’t quite finished yet.

Is Adidas Still Selling Kanye West’s Yeezy Sneakers?

They sure are.

Last May, it was revealed that Adidas had decided to sell off their remaining Yeezy stock after terminating their partnership with West. Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said at the time, “What we are trying to do now over time is sell parts of this inventory and donate money to the organizations that are helping us and that were also hurt by Kanye’s statements.”

That decision ended up paying off financially: That August, it was reported the company had brought in nearly half a billion dollars from the Yeezy inventory.

Then, today (February 26), the company announced additional releases of existing Yeezy products. West didn’t take this news well, writing on Instagram, “Anybody who loves Ye would not buy these fake Yeezys. I never made these colorways. I’m not getting paid off of them and adidas is suing me. All these celebrities and the public will stand against a T-shirt or the color of my hat but when yall see me have my children hidden from me or see an actual Fortune 500 company rape one of your heroes in real life don’t nobody say nothing or do nothing. As far as the system goes What yall gone do now? Take my album down again? Freeze my accounts again? Threaten people to not work with me again? All the new non approved 350’s are cooorny.”