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I had a scheduled “grievance session” with someone I'm casually dating, and I highly recommend you try it

I had a scheduled “grievance session” with someone I'm casually dating, and I highly recommend you try it

I want you to try something. Take a second and write down all the ways that the person you're currently dating annoys you, or the ways that you wish your relationship was different. Got the list? Good. Now, count how many of those issues you've actually communicated to your partner. If you've communicated over half of them, I'm impressed. If you haven't communicated any of them to the person you're dating, I'm not surprised. I'm not even disappointed.

It can be really hard to talk to the person you're seeing about habits or practices that bother you-and it's even harder when you've only recently started dating that person. I may be super outspoken on Twitter and have no problem calling guys out at the bar, but when it comes to someone I really like, I suddenly clam up. I worry about “nagging” or being seen as “high-maintenance”-especially early on in the relationship. Obviously, that mindset is problematic. I know I'm not alone in it either, but let's save that topic for another day.

Instead, I want to talk to you about how the guy I'm seeing suggested a new way for me to express my concerns more comfortably. That way, we could actively work on fixing our problems. The guy-let's call him Jacques-recognized that I don't always say what's on my mind. I have the tendency to just “go with the flow”-even if I don't really want to. Just a few months after we started seeing each other, we were on our way to Chipotle when he casually suggested that we have a “grievance session.” It sounded terrifying, but it also sounded like exactly what I needed. (Plus the writer in me knew it could make a great story.) So I said yes.

About a month later, when I had a good list of things I wanted to bring up, I told him I was ready. So we sat on his balcony and took turns expressing our concerns, and now that I've done it, I think you should, too-especially if you're not great at communication either.

Preparation for my grievance session was a cross between journaling and preparing for a speech. Every time Jacques did something that pissed me off or made me feel insecure, I wrote it down. Not only was this way better than sending a passive-aggressive or pissy text message, but it also gave me time to think about why certain behaviors upset me, like not using exclamation points in text messages to show his excitement for our dates.

Okay, maybe that exclamation point issue wasn't the best example. Here's a better one: Jacques and I both work from home and live in different cities. I visit him around once a month. The nature of his work requires that he stays “online” once he starts, whereas I can shoot out a few emails and be done at a moment's notice. When I visited him, I didn't love being in his apartment and not knowing when he planned on working. I always felt like I was waiting in limbo, wondering whether we'd get some quality time sooner rather than later.

One night, I went out with a friend nearby and got a text from Jacques asking when I'd be back at his place. I said “soon” and called an Uber, eager to get home and back into bed with him. When I arrived 40 minutes later, I found him at his desk absorbed in his work. I know personally how annoying it can be when someone assumes you're free whenever just because you set your own hours, but I didn't like feeling subject to his work whims.

Adding this to my list of grievances gave me a chance to think of possible solutions that would fix the problem, and it was one of the most effective conversations we had in our session. I asked (nicely) if it would be possible for him to develop some sort of loose work schedule so I'd know when we could have dedicated time for each other during my visits. That way, I'd also know when I should get absorbed in my own work or even make other plans with friends who live nearby.

The small effort he put forth into scheduling out his (and thus, our) days together made a huge difference in how I felt about him and our relationship. I felt like I was able to get more of my own work done, and more importantly, like I had more quality time with him because there was less time in “limbo.”

I don't know that I would have ever brought this issue up if we didn't have an “official” grievance session.

Honestly, I think I would have just slowly drifted away from the relationship if I kept feeling like things weren't going my way (my M.O.-I'm trying to work on it). Of course, there are definitely things you shouldn't bring up in a grievance session. You have to use your best judgement and put yourself in the other person's shoes. For me, that meant only bringing up issues that had feasible solutions, rather than just griping for the hell of it.

You're probably thinking, “That sounds like a lot of work for someone I'm not even officially in a relationship with.” And truth be told, that's exactly what I would have said about a year ago. I told myself that I was way too young to be “working” on a relationship, that I'd rather do that when I'm married or have kids. I still think this way sometimes, but I also think about how, in all my former relationships, I brushed off annoyances, assuming I would get over them or they'd miraculously go away.

The thing is, most of them never went away or I never got over them, so I'd find myself stuck in a relationship where I was comfortable and emotionally attached-but unfulfilled and unhappy.

Jacques could've not reacted so well to my grievances, but that's still helpful for me. He could've said, “Okay, Ashley, I understand how you feel, but I'm not changing that. I work for myself so that I don't have to set a schedule.” While that wouldn't have been the ideal reaction, it would have shown me that he was never going to change-or that he wasn't invested in our relationship enough to change for me. I would realize that dating him couldn't make me happy, and I'd start distancing myself from our relationship.

He also could have nodded and agreed to change, altered his behavior for a few days, and then gone right back to his previous work habits. Truth be told, Jacques has nearly slipped back into his old ways a few times-but now I have the guts to remind him how it makes me feel. Our grievance session made it clear that he wants me to be more vocal, so that's what I'm doing. I've even thought about suggesting another one, but then I realized that, because of our first session, I'm a lot more comfortable bringing things up in real time. And that's even better.

Of course, this is my personal story. Your “grievances” with your partner are probably very different. Maybe you you want to have a grievance session, but you don't want to bring it up with someone you're casually dating. I totally get that. But if you do feel comfortable, I think it can work wonders for your relationship. (Also, if you're uncomfortable mentioning this to a more serious partner, that might be a sign of bigger problems.)

Poor communication is the number-one reason that relationships fail, according to a survey of mental health professionals. A grievance session won't magically fix your relationship or address every problem, but it does give you the right platform to express yourself. It's much better than holding onto frustrations and waiting for the “perfect time” to discuss them (hint: there's no perfect time). Plus, you'll more quickly realize if you're wasting time in your current situationship; someone who can't change for you in the “honeymoon” phase will most likely never change for you. (And that's not your fault-it just means that you're probably not right for each other.)

Oh, and you're probably wondering what Jacques had to say about me during our grievance session. After all, he was the one who suggested it.

Initially, I worried that he had tons of concerns since the whole thing was his idea. But once we did it, I realized that I was the one with a long, pre-written list. He only had two “grievances” to address. The first was that I sometimes have bad breath and the second was that he was annoyed I expected him to always pick me up from the airport or train station. It's really amazing what some mouth wash, an Uber, and more communication can do for your relationship. I hope you try it sometime.

The post I had a scheduled “grievance session” with someone I'm casually dating, and I highly recommend you try it appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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Breaking up with my baby's father was the best thing I could do for my son and myself, so why didn't my friends support me?

Breaking up with my baby's father was the best thing I could do for my son and myself, so why didn't my friends support me?

When any relationship comes to a screeching halt, there will be strife, grief, and difficult changes. We might seek out our friends (even though we're so sorry we ignored you for x amount of time), and we may particularly lean on our girlfriends so that we'll reach a semblance of Beyoncé's confidence, leaving subpar men in the dust. But when children are involved, the beast of breaking up comes with an entirely different set of obstacles.

Our society champions the nuclear family (mom, dad, and however many dependent children) as normal, and maybe even necessary in order to achieve a lifetime of familial bliss. But my relationship with my baby's father was in tatters even during my pregnancy. Though tensions eased when our son's birth came and went, I knew that I would either have to face the consequences of staying with an unideal partner and eventually leave-or I'd have to choose to work things out. After being given the most beautiful gift I've ever received on earth-my baby boy-why wouldn't I continue to try, for his sake? I signed up for couple's counseling with my partner of almost four years, but counseling came much too late for our relationship.

Our communication was shattered, fraught with hateful words and a meanness that we couldn't escape. Our mutual trust had been broken and rebuilt upon a wholly unstable, codependent foundation. At my son's first birthday party, his father had an emotional outburst that resulted in my family leaving our home. We discussed this incident during a counseling session, and in a move I'd never experienced before, that particular counselor agreed with my ex entirely. He blamed my sarcasm for our problems-not my then-partner's aggressive behavior. Until then, I'd never known a professional counselor to so haphazardly place judgement on one side; to claim that there is a clear-cut right and wrong in any situation. Clearly, saving our relationship was skewed to be my responsibility. And that was the nail in the coffin of a degrading and unhealthy relationship that gave us an angelic baby.

When I broke up with my son's father, or my baby daddy, as I like to call him, I had to combat certain “grin-and-bear-it” belief systems.

As a feminist, I resent those attitudes. “Grinning and bearing it” does nothing to assuage the unhappiness and near-terror of a failing, unhealthy relationship for all parties involved. And where the hell were my feminist homies in my time of need? When I divulged my decision to leave my ex, even my most empowered, wise friends were extremely confused and wary for me. Their first questions were always about childcare and financial next steps, and my inner reactions were, “Go ask him,” and “Bitch, can I breathe.” These women themselves had never imagined leaving their own partners-despite palpable issues they continued to battle in relationships with their children's fathers. It was shocking to me; why is choosing single motherhood over dysfunctional relationships with men still so taboo?

My baby daddy's mother would even periodically vent to me about the horrid behavior and treatment she endured with her own ex-husband, describing-with tears in her eyes-her eventual breaking point in the relationship. I realized that she not only tried her fucking best-she tried too much for someone who'd proven themselves to be a thoughtless and harmful person. Yet, despite her stories and general “fuck men” attitude, I never got any support or understanding from her when I shared my decision to leave. Not even when I expressed to her that my relationship was on its last legs because her own son replicated the tendencies of her ex-husband towards me. I thought to myself, why are single mothers disregarded? Why is it a tragedy for a woman-not for a man-to be left dealing with single parenthood?

But, admittedly, I could see this coming. As a young mother, most folks my age could barely even wrap their heads around me undertaking parenting with a partner-let alone on my own, unless perhaps they'd grown up in a similar household.

But my son and I have been blessed with one another. We've only benefited from the separation between me and his dad.

I have done my best to replicate a home similar to the one I created with his father, and on the days when my precious baby is with me, I make sure to center him. Since I am now a thriving and happy mom, it's a lot easier parenting my child alone than it was alongside a difficult partner. The only thing I've missed during this journey as a single mother is more understanding and support from some my feminist friends. They could have learned from one of the most challenging decisions that I, and many other women, have needed to make.

The post Breaking up with my baby's father was the best thing I could do for my son and myself, so why didn't my friends support me? appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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This Black news anchor says she was fired for speaking out about racial discrimination at her network

This Black news anchor says she was fired for speaking out about racial discrimination at her network

Brittany Noble is an award-winning Mississippi-based journalist who worked for the local Jackson news station WJTV for several years. But she was terminated eight months ago. Noble claims she was fired because she filed several formal complaints about discrimination within the network. In a first-person account of her experience published on Medium on January 7th, Noble recounts several incidents in which she felt blatantly targeted because of her race, as well as times when she observed systemic discrimination against herself and her Black colleagues.

“After having my son, I asked my news director if I could stop straightening my hair,” she wrote. “A month after giving me the green light I was pulled back into his office. I was told 'My natural hair is unprofessional and the equivalent to him throwing on a baseball cap to go to the grocery store.' He said, 'Mississippi viewers needed to see a beauty queen.' […] When I asked him how I should address the change on social media he told me to write 'I was told to change my hair back to the way it was because that's what looks best.'”

The Journalism & Women Symposium stands in solidarity with award-winning journalist Brittany Noble Jones and other women journalists, particularly Black women, whose employers have discriminated against them because of their gender and race. https://t.co/u1uGd6WXxA pic.twitter.com/IyQT7SAMP0

- JAWS (@womenjournos) January 14, 2019

And this was just the tip of the iceberg. Noble also recounted how stories involving Black Lives Matters, historically Black fraternities and sororities, and stories involving racial discrimination were almost always rejected by her higher-ups on the grounds that they “weren't for everyone” (regardless of the fact that Jackson is 80% African American). Noble also noted that it was common knowledge that the network never wanted to have two Black anchors on air at the same time because it didn't project the proper “image.”

“That means station management goes out of their way when scheduling holiday and vacation requests to keep up us from sitting next to each other on the desk,” she wrote.

Noble eventually filed two formal complaints with the station's parent company, Nexstar, and when that only resulted in harassment from her higher-ups, she went to the state, specifically the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC). However, not only is the case now stalled because of the government shutdown, but Noble wrote that she recently learned that her assigned caseworker is suing the EEOC himself over complaints that the organization does not fully investigate claims when it comes to a number of high-powered private companies (it's unclear whether Nextstar is one of them).

“I turned in everything I had to the state hoping they would fight for me. To think the state could actually be working with the corporations and not for the people is beyond disheartening,” Noble wrote.

Disheartening is the right word for this entire situation, and we are livid on Noble's behalf. However, we're beyond inspired that she's taking her story into her own hands and doing what she can to get the word out-both for herself and for other journalists of color. If you want to help support Noble-Jones and her cause, you can follow her on Twitter here, visit her website www.thenoblejournalist.com and purchase a blackjournalistsmatter shirt, or visit her GoFundMe Page, which supports her work telling the untold stories of people of color.

HelloGiggles has reached out to WJTV for comment and is still awaiting a response.

The post This Black news anchor says she was fired for speaking out about racial discrimination at her network appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 13th to January 19th: Be patient-the year has only just begun

Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 13th to January 19th: Be patient-the year has only just begun

We're in the last week of steady, reliable Capricorn before we zoom off into the territory of those forward-thinking madcap scientists, otherwise known as Aquarius. So use this week to keep working toward your goals. The key is consistency. No matter what the weather's like outside, the mountain goat keeps climbing that mountain.

Jupiter square Neptune on the 13th forces us to get real about our dreams, which might mean creating a daily discipline to make the most out of our artistic visions. Sticking with a routine will help you to maximize results with minimum time. Remember: even incremental actions can add up to awesome breakthroughs. Writing a paragraph, taking a 30-minute YouTube dance class, reciting lines on the subway-these are all small things that can ultimately lead you where you want to go. No matter what social media might have us believe, there are no shortcuts when it comes to making dreams come true. It takes practice, steadfastness, and 10,000 hours. Focus on what you want and keep at it. Jupiter square Neptune will also shatter any idealized illusions we might be holding on to when it comes to a project or a relationship. Don't be afraid to let go of something that is no longer working for you. Or maybe you just need to put in the time to make your desire a reality.

Here's what else the stars have in store for you in your weekly horoscope.

CAPRICORN

Your vision of how you want your life to look has changed, Capricorn. That's okay. Change is good. Not everything has to go according to plan. Allow yourself to move in a radically different direction. Adventure beckons; answer the text.

AQUARIUS

Focus will help you determine which direction to go, Aquarius. You tend to get distracted by the next great idea, but this will only lead you toward chaos and you're more about calm this year. Pick one. You can't get it wrong.

PISCES

Clarity is one of your most basic tenets, Pisces. It helps your head stay above water. But sometimes the Universe, and humans, aren't very cooperative with what you want. Which is why you need to give yourself clarity. You already know the answer.

ARIES

Cut yourself a break, Aries. It's only January and you're already thinking that you're behind. Take a load off. Get yourself off the subject of what you're desperate to achieve, and live a little. Life happens when we're busy making other plans.

TAURUS

You might be stuck in the comparison game, Taurus. That is no bueno. You already have everything you need. If you can't see that, then it's time to make a list of your most amazing qualities and achievements. You were born for greatness. Remember that.

GEMINI

You're ready for take-off, Gemini. Whether it's a literal journey or a new venture, you're ready for transformation and change. Be careful that your busy mind doesn't forget the details that this entails, including contracts and the feelings of others.

CANCER

You're longing for closeness, Cancer. While you enjoy your independence and isolation, you're feeling lonely. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Maybe that's reaching out to friends or going on a dating app. It's okay to say you need people.

LEO

This is the perfect time to get a sense of what you want for the rest of the year, Leo. Where do you want to go? Which projects do you want to work on? How do you want your relationships to feel? Knowing what you want will help get you where you want to go.

VIRGO

You're all business this week, Virgo. Organizing and planning are things that bring you joy. You don't need Marie Kondo. But you might need a little fun in your life. Because when we relax a little, we allow new things to enter our lives. Get a little messy.

LIBRA

Take a moment to breathe, Libra. There are many different choices coming at you and you're having difficulty discerning which one is best for you. While you tend to be a caretaker to others, it's time to take care of yourself.

SCORPIO

Your energy is a little heavy this week, Scorpio. You're identifying what brings you the most peace and what doesn't. You might be thinking of turning your life upside down. Do what you do best: investigate, research, and meditate until you feel lighter.

SAGITTARIUS

You're in the middle of a whirlwind, Sagittarius. While it's easy to cast blame, if you take a step back, you'll see that everything you're experiencing is a result of your thoughts and actions. Take responsibility and see how things change for you.

We're still getting the hang of this year, bbs. So be gentle and patient with yourselves, and keep working toward your biggest dreams. We've still got 11 more months to make them happen.

The post Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 13th to January 19th: Be patient-the year has only just begun appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 13th to January 19th: Be patient-the year has only just begun

Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 13th to January 19th: Be patient-the year has only just begun

We're in the last week of steady, reliable Capricorn before we zoom off into the territory of those forward-thinking madcap scientists, otherwise known as Aquarius. So use this week to keep working toward your goals. The key is consistency. No matter what the weather's like outside, the mountain goat keeps climbing that mountain.

Jupiter square Neptune on the 13th forces us to get real about our dreams, which might mean creating a daily discipline to make the most out of our artistic visions. Sticking with a routine will help you to maximize results with minimum time. Remember: even incremental actions can add up to awesome breakthroughs. Writing a paragraph, taking a 30-minute YouTube dance class, reciting lines on the subway-these are all small things that can ultimately lead you where you want to go. No matter what social media might have us believe, there are no shortcuts when it comes to making dreams come true. It takes practice, steadfastness, and 10,000 hours. Focus on what you want and keep at it. Jupiter square Neptune will also shatter any idealized illusions we might be holding on to when it comes to a project or a relationship. Don't be afraid to let go of something that is no longer working for you. Or maybe you just need to put in the time to make your desire a reality.

Here's what else the stars have in store for you in your weekly horoscope.

CAPRICORN

Your vision of how you want your life to look has changed, Capricorn. That's okay. Change is good. Not everything has to go according to plan. Allow yourself to move in a radically different direction. Adventure beckons; answer the text.

AQUARIUS

Focus will help you determine which direction to go, Aquarius. You tend to get distracted by the next great idea, but this will only lead you toward chaos and you're more about calm this year. Pick one. You can't get it wrong.

PISCES

Clarity is one of your most basic tenets, Pisces. It helps your head stay above water. But sometimes the Universe, and humans, aren't very cooperative with what you want. Which is why you need to give yourself clarity. You already know the answer.

ARIES

Cut yourself a break, Aries. It's only January and you're already thinking that you're behind. Take a load off. Get yourself off the subject of what you're desperate to achieve, and live a little. Life happens when we're busy making other plans.

TAURUS

You might be stuck in the comparison game, Taurus. That is no bueno. You already have everything you need. If you can't see that, then it's time to make a list of your most amazing qualities and achievements. You were born for greatness. Remember that.

GEMINI

You're ready for take-off, Gemini. Whether it's a literal journey or a new venture, you're ready for transformation and change. Be careful that your busy mind doesn't forget the details that this entails, including contracts and the feelings of others.

CANCER

You're longing for closeness, Cancer. While you enjoy your independence and isolation, you're feeling lonely. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Maybe that's reaching out to friends or going on a dating app. It's okay to say you need people.

LEO

This is the perfect time to get a sense of what you want for the rest of the year, Leo. Where do you want to go? Which projects do you want to work on? How do you want your relationships to feel? Knowing what you want will help get you where you want to go.

VIRGO

You're all business this week, Virgo. Organizing and planning are things that bring you joy. You don't need Marie Kondo. But you might need a little fun in your life. Because when we relax a little, we allow new things to enter our lives. Get a little messy.

LIBRA

Take a moment to breathe, Libra. There are many different choices coming at you and you're having difficulty discerning which one is best for you. While you tend to be a caretaker to others, it's time to take care of yourself.

SCORPIO

Your energy is a little heavy this week, Scorpio. You're identifying what brings you the most peace and what doesn't. You might be thinking of turning your life upside down. Do what you do best: investigate, research, and meditate until you feel lighter.

SAGITTARIUS

You're in the middle of a whirlwind, Sagittarius. While it's easy to cast blame, if you take a step back, you'll see that everything you're experiencing is a result of your thoughts and actions. Take responsibility and see how things change for you.

We're still getting the hang of this year, bbs. So be gentle and patient with yourselves, and keep working toward your biggest dreams. We've still got 11 more months to make them happen.

The post Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 13th to January 19th: Be patient-the year has only just begun appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same

data-account="4607804089001" data-player="default" data-embed="default" data-stickyplay="desktop" data-autoplay="true" class="video-js brightcove-shortcode" controls playsinline >

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding. The Mad Men actress joined the collective of thirsters after James Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's youngest sibling, made his Instagram public this week. The internet lost its mind, as Middleton's page showcased “heavily-bearded Jude Law” selfies and cute animals. HelloGiggles took to Instagram on January 11th to marvel at the revelation of Middleton's existence, writing, “We were today years old when we found out Kate Middleton has a hot brother who breeds dogs, looks like a bearded Jude Law, and just made his Instagram public.”

View this post on Instagram

We were today years old when we found out Kate Middleton has a hot brother who breeds dogs, looks like a bearded Jude Law, and just made his Instagram public. Our full and rigorous investigation at the link in the bio. #rg: @jmidy

A post shared by Hellogiggles (@hellogiggles) on Jan 11, 2019 at 12:45pm PST

Jones then took it upon herself to share what everyone was thinking. She wrote, “Wtf, where's HE been hiding?!”

HelloGiggles/Instagram

We don't know, January! We're glad you're posing the important questions.

Middleton is a businessman and the youngest of the Middleton family. His eldest sister, Kate, married Britain's Prince William in 2011. They have three children together. His youngest sister, Pippa, made media headlines after her appearance at Kate's royal wedding. She married boyfriend James Matthews in a highly-publicized wedding in 2017. They have one child together. Given the glitz and glamour surrounding his sisters, we're glad James is getting his shine.

If you need us, we definitely will not be scrolling James' profile for the millionth time.

The post January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same

data-account="4607804089001" data-player="default" data-embed="default" data-stickyplay="desktop" data-autoplay="true" class="video-js brightcove-shortcode" controls playsinline >

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding. The Mad Men actress joined the collective of thirsters after James Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's youngest sibling, made his Instagram public this week. The internet lost its mind, as Middleton's page showcased “heavily-bearded Jude Law” selfies and cute animals. HelloGiggles took to Instagram on January 11th to marvel at the revelation of Middleton's existence, writing, “We were today years old when we found out Kate Middleton has a hot brother who breeds dogs, looks like a bearded Jude Law, and just made his Instagram public.”

View this post on Instagram

We were today years old when we found out Kate Middleton has a hot brother who breeds dogs, looks like a bearded Jude Law, and just made his Instagram public. Our full and rigorous investigation at the link in the bio. #rg: @jmidy

A post shared by Hellogiggles (@hellogiggles) on Jan 11, 2019 at 12:45pm PST

Jones then took it upon herself to share what everyone was thinking. She wrote, “Wtf, where's HE been hiding?!”

HelloGiggles/Instagram

We don't know, January! We're glad you're posing the important questions.

Middleton is a businessman and the youngest of the Middleton family. His eldest sister, Kate, married Britain's Prince William in 2011. They have three children together. His youngest sister, Pippa, made media headlines after her appearance at Kate's royal wedding. She married boyfriend James Matthews in a highly-publicized wedding in 2017. They have one child together. Given the glitz and glamour surrounding his sisters, we're glad James is getting his shine.

If you need us, we definitely will not be scrolling James' profile for the millionth time.

The post January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same appeared first on HelloGiggles.

[theinternetismylyfe-blog]

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same

data-account="4607804089001" data-player="default" data-embed="default" data-stickyplay="desktop" data-autoplay="true" class="video-js brightcove-shortcode" controls playsinline >

January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding. The Mad Men actress joined the collective of thirsters after James Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's youngest sibling, made his Instagram public this week. The internet lost its mind, as Middleton's page showcased “heavily-bearded Jude Law” selfies and cute animals. HelloGiggles took to Instagram on January 11th to marvel at the revelation of Middleton's existence, writing, “We were today years old when we found out Kate Middleton has a hot brother who breeds dogs, looks like a bearded Jude Law, and just made his Instagram public.”

View this post on Instagram

We were today years old when we found out Kate Middleton has a hot brother who breeds dogs, looks like a bearded Jude Law, and just made his Instagram public. Our full and rigorous investigation at the link in the bio. #rg: @jmidy

A post shared by Hellogiggles (@hellogiggles) on Jan 11, 2019 at 12:45pm PST

Jones then took it upon herself to share what everyone was thinking. She wrote, “Wtf, where's HE been hiding?!”

HelloGiggles/Instagram

We don't know, January! We're glad you're posing the important questions.

Middleton is a businessman and the youngest of the Middleton family. His eldest sister, Kate, married Britain's Prince William in 2011. They have three children together. His youngest sister, Pippa, made media headlines after her appearance at Kate's royal wedding. She married boyfriend James Matthews in a highly-publicized wedding in 2017. They have one child together. Given the glitz and glamour surrounding his sisters, we're glad James is getting his shine.

If you need us, we definitely will not be scrolling James' profile for the millionth time.

The post January Jones wants to know where Kate Middleton's hot brother has been hiding, and same appeared first on HelloGiggles.

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The pain of loving Britney Spears' “…Baby One More Time” while looking nothing like the white pop princesses of the '90s

The pain of loving Britney Spears' “…Baby One More Time” while looking nothing like the white pop princesses of the '90s

Britney Spears' debut album, …Baby One More Time turns 20 on January 12th. Here, an HG contributor reflects on her childhood spent simultaneously adoring Spears's debut music video and navigating low self-esteem as a Black girl.

Twenty years after her debut album's release, I still remember the first time I  heard Britney Spears' “…Baby One More Time.” I was in the parking lot of Walmart, listening to the car radio after seeing The Rugrats Movie with my family. I was in seventh-grade, and that distinctive “dunh dunh dunh” immediately grabbed my attention. I instinctively reached for the radio dial and turned it up-and I've never been the same.

When I saw the music video a little while later on MTV, I was in love. It was, in my mind, perfect. The outfits, the dancing-this video had it all! I may or may not have chosen my all-girls Catholic high school based on the similar uniform I'd get to wear (I'm only slightly kidding here). But little did I know that Spears' video and song would begin a long, hateful relationship with my skin color and identity as a Black teenage girl.

Growing up I'd idolized R&B singers Brandy and Monica, often donning box braids to look like the Moesha star. Back in the '90s, #BlackGirlMagic (though it wasn't called that yet) was everywhere. Sister, Sister was a hit, and I'd sometimes sneak in episodes of Living Single-the Black ensemble cast that basically created the template for whitewashed favorites like Friends, Sex and the City, and, later, Girls.

But somewhere around the early aughts, the blonde pop princess emerged as the formula for mainstream success. And I took notice.

Brandy and Monica never quite received the amount of magazine covers and accolades that their white peers accumulated seemingly out of nowhere. And as someone who was easily impressionable and subscribed to nearly every teen magazine (a dangerous combination, if ever there was one), I began to feel self-conscious about my appearance.

With dark hair, brown eyes, full lips, a wide nose, and emerging curves, I looked nothing like the thin, busty, blonde-haired and blue-eyed singers covering my favorite magazines.

Being a typical teen, I'd tear out the covers and photo spreads, essentially using them as wallpaper for my bedroom. I so desperately wanted to look like Britney, Christina, Jessica, and Mandy that I'd pray to God to make me white so I'd be deemed beautiful by society's standards. When I'd share my insecurities with my mom, she'd assure me that I was fine just the way I was…but that's what she's supposed to say, I'd think. She's my mom after all.

Besides, when I was a 12-year-old girl no one's opinion mattered more than a 12-year-old boy's. And I already knew what they thought-two years earlier, I managed to sneak a peek at the “rankings” that the boys had given the girls in our fifth grade class. My light-skinned best friend with the “good hair” received three “pretty's” next to her name, while I earned a lowly two “ugly's” next to mine. Skipping a grade certainly didn't help my popularity either.

Oh, what I would have given to be able to emulate the looks of my favorite pop stars! In an effort to channel my inner diva, I dressed up as “Oops!…I Did It Again” Britney during the fall of my freshman year of high school. I wore patent red leather pants, a black tube top, and a Britney Spears-branded microphone headset as a finishing touch. (Yes, such a thing existed.) 18 years later, I still know all the choreography to “Oops!” You can say I was obsessed.

But, as is the case with most obsessions, it wasn't healthy. At a young age, I'd already internalized that I wasn't “good enough” or “pretty enough” because I was a Black girl. It wasn't until Destiny's Child's “Survivor” music video came out in the spring of 2001 that I started to come around to the idea that maybe, just maybe, I was perfectly fine the way I was.

As I mentioned in a previous essay, that song became my anthem, giving me newfound strength after years of enduring middle-school bullying and having feelings of low self-esteem.

I still loved Britney, but Beyoncé was quickly taking the throne of pop queen in my heart. I began replacing some of my Britney posters with pictures of Destiny's Child and Jennifer Lopez-their curves more accurately reflecting my own. In fact, I'd plastered the border of my mirror with their images so that I'd literally and figuratively “see” myself in them. They gave me hope.

Twenty years later, I'm still rocking out to Britney, for she'll forever hold a place in my heart.

But thankfully, due to learning a lot of self-love, unlearning internalized self-hate and nearly two years of therapy and inner work, I'm no longer the insecure Black girl I was back then.

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Why do we go back to people who hurt us? A sexologist explains this unhealthy (and common) habit

Why do we go back to people who hurt us? A sexologist explains this unhealthy (and common) habit

Shelby Sells is an artist, photojournalist, and sexologist known for her exploration of modern sexuality. She has produced numerous videos, interviews, and articles on the subject, and is a sought-after speaker on matters of love, sex, and relationships. Sells is finishing her degree in Psychology with a Human Sexuality focus in hopes of becoming a sex therapist.

We see it time and time again in media, in our friend and family groups, and sometimes even in our personal decisions: The resurrection of painful and toxic relationships. The question is, “Why do we go back people who hurt us?” From a third-party perspective, it's easy to point the finger and identify the harmful patterns in a person's behavior, but is it that simple from an insider's perspective? Not always, and here's why.

We, as humans, are creatures of habit, meaning that once we develop a routine, it can be hard for us to break free from it.

The instability of an unhealthy relationship provides some folks with a sense of ease, and that's why they're drawn to it. There's nothing to risk or lose when you know the end game is always the same.

For some, familiar pain is a source of comfort, so it comes as no surprise that those people find themselves in a constant cycle of hurt. Where this pain pattern stems from is unique to each individual. It can be related to childhood traumas or variations of abuse at any age. When pain is all you know, it can be challenging to seek alternative behaviors.

There's also the instances in which we are blinded by love. It's easy to get caught up in a relationship, even when it's toxic. Later, we'll tell ourselves “Maybe they'll change” or “Maybe things will be different this time” in order to justify going back. Frankly, the drama itself can be addicting for some people. One friend told me that she gave her ex another chance because she believed he had to make up for how he had mistreated her in the past. While people do have the capacity to change, more often than not a person won't change their innate nature.

Another reason people go back to partners who have hurt them? Because it's easy.

Investing time and energy into a relationship is a lot of work, and the thought of starting over can seem daunting. Dating takes a lot of effort. Opening ourselves up to someone new inevitably comes with the potential to be hurt again. It's scary, and that fear alone is enough to keep people at bay. Plus, why start over with someone new when our hurtful partner already knows us so well? It's especially easy to run back to someone familiar if we are going through an emotional rough patch. When we've made ourselves vulnerable to someone and labeled them as a person who knows us, it can be hard to categorize them as unsafe. When you've had some distance from a partner, it's also easy to romanticize the good memories until, suddenly, the bad memories are less significant. After all, repressing negative memories is a tool we use to protect ourselves from re-experiencing trauma.

Lastly, reviving relationships with people who have hurt us has to do with self-worth issues. Trying to break free from a toxic relationship, and then returning to it, feeds and fuels an unhealthy cycle of low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. These feelings can make us believe that we are undeserving of, unworthy of, or not good enough for a better love. This idea is heartbreaking-we are all deserving of love and healthy companionship.

Sometimes we go back to unhealthy relationships to seek validation from a partner who was unable to give us what we desired.

We fight to try and gain what they could never provide us the first time around. Also, it's not uncommon for people in toxic relationships to experience a sort of “Stockholm syndrome” in which they begin to favor their abusers. Many people in this situation are convinced (either by themselves, by their partners, or both) that this is the “best” relationship they'll ever have. Of course, this is untrue, and a tactic used to justify abuse and neglect.

The good news is that if you or a loved one find yourself in a situation like this, there is hope.

While it may be difficult to leave an unhealthy relationship, there are an abundance of resources out there to help you through the process. Ask yourself if your needs are being met in this relationship and if the pros outweigh the cons. Therapy is a vital outlet in working through the pain, letting go, and unlearning toxic patterns and behaviors. A colleague of mine, Crissy Milazzo, created a website called youfindtherapy.com that helps people access affordable therapy.

Besides therapy, there are a number of support groups, books, and online resources available to those who are trying to make changes in their relationship routine. Remember, a healthy relationship is one where your partner brings out the best in you, where you feel safe and secure, where you have shared goals and values, and where you are both equally emotionally invested in each other and in your future together. It's never too late to break free from pain and embrace love.

If you or someone you know is an abusive relationship and needs help, check out these resources from The Center For Relationship Abuse Awareness or The National Domestic Violence Hotline. You can call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat with a counselor online here. 

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I come from a family of hoarders, so “tidying up” is more than just a trend to me

I come from a family of hoarders, so “tidying up” is more than just a trend to me

When I was a senior in college, my dad's hoarding began to hit its peak. I was embarrassed to invite even my closest friends over, including the ones who had messy homes and spare rooms filled with junk of their own. They didn't have piles of untouched, dusty paperwork from eight years ago all over their kitchen tables. They didn't have multiple old, useless computer monitors crowding the doorway to their bedrooms. While our one-bedroom apartment was about as crowded with stuff as it could be (my dad's room transformed into the living room), it didn't quite qualify as Hoarders-level.

I'm not an organized, neat person by nature, but my dad's hoarding tendencies frustrated and challenged me when we lived together. I have ADHD, so it really helps me to have a system in place. When certain things go in specific places, I don't have to worry if I have my debit card on me because it's always in the same spot, and so on. I couldn't control my dad's decisions about what to keep, but I could at least control my own space. I worked hard to keep my room as free of hoarding as possible, and to build habits that would prevent me from getting to that point.

Hoarding runs in my family on both sides; I also noticed it when I visited a cousin in Texas a few years ago, and saw all the stacks of books and photos in her spare room. A few years before Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up came out in 2014, I began a DIY process of my own: Whenever I received something new-anything from a free brochure at the library to a Christmas gift-I asked myself whether keeping it would bring me joy. If the answer was no, I found kind and compassionate ways not to keep it.

Marie Kondo's decluttering techniques have been a life-changing trend for people worldwide, and in her new Netflix show Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, she helps people through the process in their own homes.

The show is as emotional and vulnerable as the tidying up process is in real life. It took me months to get around to the decluttering process for the first time, but after I was raped at a college dorm party in 2012, I decided I needed to get to work. I came home for winter break and went through all of my possessions by category, making a particular pile for things that I associated with my rapist, who was someone I'd known in high school.

Decluttering can be a really harrowing process, and Kondo's show has an episode that focuses on a widow working through her late husband's belongings. I grieved similarly when my dad and I went through my mom's things after she died, moving stuff we wanted to keep into our new home and also ensuring that other family members and friends got to take pieces of her memory, too. I still remember sitting with my two childhood best friends on the floor of my old living room, sorting through my mom's library to figure out which of her books I should take with me.

Now I live with my fiancée in our own apartment, and I have a Marie Kondo-esque process for deciding whether I'm going to keep things. It isn't entirely joy-based; some of my decisions are based on necessity or the knowledge that I should hold onto an item because it will give someone else happiness in the future. I'm also conscious of how my purchases and decisions impact the environment, so I opt for plastic-free packaging, online-only receipts, and electronic account statements and bill pay. I try to print out as little papers for my work as possible, unless I'm editing the manuscript of a book (because I just can't work through 200+ pages in Microsoft Word).

I also take a very joy-based approach to acquiring new items so that I don't just buy any discounted shirt when Black Friday sales tempt me. I only get new things if I really need them-like when I finally outgrew a 10-year-old beige winter coat from middle school-or if they truly bring me joy-like the Betsey Johnson phone purse I bring with me everywhere. This method gives me a wardrobe and jewelry collection that really feels like me, and it makes choosing an outfit so much easier. I'm not compelled to “refresh” my wardrobe with new stuff every season, even though the fashion industry wants me to.

My clutter prevention system helps me keep my hoarding tendencies in check.

Experts are uncertain if hoarding is genetic, a learned behavior, or some combination of the two. But 30 to 40 percent of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have it, like my dad. If I default back to not having a system for what to keep, I find that I start to hoard things I definitely don't need. A few years ago, I had a folder of every receipt I'd ever gotten in the last five years, including ridiculous things like M&Ms. Whenever I bring new things into our apartment, I take time to sort through them and decide whether to keep, donate, recycle, or give away. And if I'm keeping, I'll find a spot for the items and store them there.

Tidying up can be an exhausting process, but finding your way around a maze of your own stuff-piles and piles of things that may even look somewhat organized but are actually impossible to navigate-is even more exhausting. I'm not perfect and I'm still learning; I've got an entire ottoman full of family photos and letters that I need to declutter. Maybe watching Tidying Up will be the exact inspiration I need to spark my motivation.

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Scoliosis taught me to respect my body for what it can do, instead of for how it looks

Scoliosis taught me to respect my body for what it can do, instead of for how it looks

I remember the day we found it. It was a Sunday, and my family and I were getting ready for church. My mom was fussing over us as she always did, fixing our hair and picking out our clothes. As she zipped up my dress, she froze. “What is this?” she asked while touching my back. My mom often examined the tiniest bruise on my body with extreme caution, so I didn't recognize the fearful urgency in her voice until she called my dad over to take a second look. They had both noticed a round protrusion on the left side of my back, which was raised up slightly higher than my right side. I had no idea what they were talking about.

I was 12 when I was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis, a condition where the spine curves sideways, mimicking the shape of an S. Scientists haven't discovered what causes scoliosis, but it primarily affects adolescent girls. It's estimated that approximately two to three percent of the population (six to nine million people) in the U.S. have scoliosis.

But after my diagnosis, I was crippled by fear. My mind pictured the hospital fundraiser commercials I often saw on TV featuring sick children with breathing tubes and blood bags. Even though my condition was not fatal, I identified as a sick child. At 12-years-old, I learned that my health could not be taken for granted, and for the rest of my life, my health would be discussed differently.

This was the first time I didn't feel in control of my body.

I can't remember when the pain began, but once it started, it was a near constant in my life. The pain tingled along my spine and stiffened my back muscles to the point of soreness. Still, I didn't let the pain stop me. I hung out with my friends, competed in classical music competitions, and even learned to scuba dive. Most of the time, I endured the discomfort with a smile on my face, but I had my limitations.

I couldn't walk for more than 20 minutes without having to sit down and take a break. I couldn't lift anything heavier than five pounds without suffering silently. At the end of a school day, I'd often find myself splayed out on the floor with one of my parents massaging my back with their hands, ice packs, or massaging machines that “promised results” that were promoted on the Shopping Channel. When those options failed to provide relief, I saw an osteopath who gave me manual readjustments, massaging my tissue piece by piece so I could gain just a couple days of relief.

Despite my doctor's best efforts, the scoliosis worsened.

My curve became more severe and I was quite literally shrinking. At my eighth grade graduation I stood 5'3″. By the end of ninth grade, I was 5 '1″. It became a challenge to find clothes that wouldn't emphasize my curve, leaving me to look totally lopsided. My mom and i would spend hours in the mall searching for something that fit, or that at least wouldn't make one side of my ribcage look bigger than the other.

Courtesy of Genelle Levy

As a teenage girl, you learn the value placed on physical appearance early on.

I wasn't exempt from feeling this persistent pressure. I sang the negative tune of self-hate that becomes an anthem for many women. My stomach is too chubby. My cheeks have baby fat. My face isn't alluring. These were all thoughts that spun in the wheel of my mind.

But when my body began failing me, I realized that how I felt about my body was linked to how I felt in my body. We often put a lot of emphasis on how our bodies look, and less emphasis on all the things our bodies can do. I had wasted so much time focusing on my “wish list” (flatter stomach, smaller waist, carved cheekbones) that I had neglected to be grateful for all the things my body could do pre-scoliosis: playing with my sister for hours in the backyard without experiencing fatigue, standing on my feet for endless shopping trips with my mom, running around for hours with lots of energy at Disney World.

I also had never stopped to think about how exercise could alleviate some of my discomfort. In fact, it is only in the last few months (nearly 14 years after my diagnosis) that I have started to reframe exercise as something I do to strengthen my muscles weakened by scoliosis-not something I do to maintain a certain number on the scale. I exercise so that my body can give me all the gifts it can offer, like the ability to be present for experiences with people I love.

When I turned 14, my spine was 65 degrees off-kilter. I needed to have reconstructive surgery to lower the risk of the curve getting worse and crushing my organs. The surgery was followed by six weeks of recovery, and I had to practice walking again while my body healed. I gripped my IV pole and inched forward one half baby step at a time. At first, I could only make it halfway down the hall. It was another few weeks until I could make it down a flight of stairs without assistance. Every step was a victory.

I had a newfound respect for my body and its ability to fight.

Most people don't know my body's story just by looking at it–but I know. So I try not to trash my body. When my mind returns to old habits of self-hatred, I recenter my focus on all the ways my body has changed and grown. I measure it against what it can do now, and what it couldn't do before. It's been 10 years since the surgery, and today marks 100+ days that I've been pain-free. Now I sit up straight with the confidence that my body is a part of my journey, and I refuse to belittle it.

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Bumble users can now filter potential dates by zodiac sign, so our apologies to Geminis

Bumble users can now filter potential dates by zodiac sign, so our apologies to Geminis

Bumble will make sure your next match is written in the stars. The dating app now allows users to filter potential dates by their zodiac signs. So, our deepest apologies to Geminis. In a new feature quietly rolled out in mid-December, Bumble users now have the option to exclude certain zodiac signs in the advanced filters section. The update comes at the heels of the app's update that allowed users to disclose their astrological sign earlier that month.

Here's a look at Bumble's astrologically savage update.

Bumble

Bumble's filters allow users to fill out icons reflective of a user's personal life, such as political leanings, lifestyle preferences, and faith to ensure the best match. So, it makes total sense that a zodiac feature has inevitably been added to the line-up.

Naturally, users were elated about the new feature. After all, astrological compatibility is a very real concern. What if an Aries unknowingly swiped for a Libra? Apocalyptic.

thanks to Bumble for asking everyone to put their star signs on their profiles now so I never have to run the risk of going on a date with a Gemini again

- Lizzie (@elizaloo18) December 23, 2018

U know bumble lets u filter ppl by their star signs? This is life changing

- Kassy (@itskassywithak) December 15, 2018

Bumble isn't fucking around any more, it lets people list star signs now. Swipe left to all Scorpio ladies.

- Edwin Hughan (@EdwinHughan) November 23, 2018

A friend just informed me you can now finally filter boys on Bumble by star sign and honestly it's made my year pic.twitter.com/TOZowsV3kv

- Francine Jordan (@FrancineJordanH) January 8, 2019

men who don't list their star signs on bumble are cowards

- Maddie (@maddiemagoogles) December 4, 2018

Be advised that the feature only works for users who have disclosed their zodiac signs. So, the probability of swiping for a Scorpio is still likely. Love is an astrological battlefield, friends.

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The best new books to read this week: Thick, An Anonymous Girl, and more

The best new books to read this week: Thick, An Anonymous Girl, and more

Here's the thing: I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. I'm sure they're highly motivating and work wonders for some people, but I've never gotten on board; there's too much pressure. But I am on board with reading resolutions. If you're resolving to read more books in 2019, this list of the best new books of the week is the perfect place to start.

Every January, an increased number of dark mysteries and thrillers hit bookshelves. Winter is the perfect time of year to pick up something especially twisted, and these titles don't disappoint. Along with them are nonfiction essay collections and memoirs that you'll feel deeply.

Here are the 11 best new books to read this week:

1. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, out January 8th

St. Martin's Press

available at Amazon | $19.58

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The Wife Between Us was one of our favorite books of 2018, so it's no surprise we loved An Anonymous Girl. This psychological thriller about a woman who signs up for a psychology study takes some seriously dark twists and turns, and you'll love every minute of it.

2. Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom, out January 8th

The New Press

available at Amazon | $16.50

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Challenge yourself to read at least one book of essays a month this year-and start with Thick. It's a brilliant, witty, and thought-provoking collection about race, class, beauty, and body image.

3. Looker by Laura Sims, out January 8th

Scribner

available at Amazon | $14.27

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Looker is on the shorter side, but it's wholly satisfying. You'll read this dark, suspenseful character study about a woman obsessed with her beautiful actress neighbor in one sitting.

4. Hollywood's Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of L.A. by Lili Anolik, out January 8th

Scribner

available at Amazon | $17.10

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Whether you're new to Eve Babitz's writing or discovered her just recently, you'll devour this intimate biography of Hollywood's former “it” girl.

5. The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh, out January 8th

Doubleday

available at Amazon | $17.07

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Sophie Mackintosh's debut is heralded as “The Handmaid's Tale meets The Virgin Suicides.” As if that's not intriguing enough, it's about three sisters who grow up on an island with their parents and are taught to be afraid of men.

6. We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai, out January 8th

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

available at Amazon | $12.91

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In We Are Displaced, the Nobel Peace Prize winner writes about her own experiences as a displaced person and the stories of other displaced girls she's met through her work as an activist. It's a timely read that's more important than ever right now.

7. Sugar Run by Mesha Maren, out January 8th

Algonquin Books

available at Amazon | $17.67

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Sugar Run is a beautiful novel that's hard to put down. It's about Jodi, a young woman who goes to prison in 1989 at age 17 for killing her girlfriend. When she's released 18 years later, she begins the search for a new place-and person-that feels like home.

8. Burned: A Story of Murder and the Crime That Wasn't by Edward Humes, out January 8th

Dutton

available at Amazon | $18.30

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If you spent the holiday break binge-watching An Innocent Man, satisfy your true crime fix next with Burned. It explores what really happened the night of a tragic house fire in Los Angeles in 1989.

9. The Au Pair by Emma Rous, out January 8th

Berkley

available at Amazon | $11

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I love mysteries with complex premises that make me say, “OMG, I must read this immediately, please hold my calls.” That's exactly what you'll say about The Au Pair, a suspenseful, page-turning novel about a woman, her twin brother, their mother who took her own life shortly after they were born, their au pair who fled, and a mysterious family photo.

10. The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris, out January 8th

Penguin Press

available at Amazon | $19.49

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Senator Kamala Harris is one of the most inspiring political leaders of our generation. Her memoir about growing up the daughter of immigrants and finding her passion for social justice is just as inspiring.

11. An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma, out January 8th

Little, Brown and Company

available at Amazon | $18.30

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Have you ever wondered, What would it be like if “The Odyssey” was set in Nigeria? Thanks to Obioma's contemporary twist on the epic about a love story between a farmer named Chinonso and a woman named Ndali, now you don't have to.

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KFC is giving away free bowl haircuts to celebrate its new Spicy Famous Bowl

KFC is giving away free bowl haircuts to celebrate its new Spicy Famous Bowl

KFC is celebrating its KFC Famous Bowls in the most nostalgic (and slightly terrifying) way. In a pop-up event to market its $3 Famous Bowl (and to introduce the Spicy Famous Bowl to the menu), the chicken chain will offer '90s bowl haircuts to coincide with the tasty menu item. Yes, what you read is finger-lickin' true. KFC will set up shop in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday, January 10th with real-life hairstyle designers to give chicken connoisseurs “stylish, modern-day takes on the bowl cut hair style.”

via GIPHY

In a press release sent to HelloGiggles, KFC's chief marketing officer Andrea Zahumensky said of the pop-up:

“I can't believe we are actually selling a pound of delicious food for just $3, and I also can't believe bowl cuts are making a comeback, but here we are. So naturally we're offering KFC-ified Famous Bowl Cuts to anyone who wants to be as famous as our Famous Bowls.”

At the pop-up, which will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST, participants will receive a gift card for the KFC Famous Bowl and be photographed with their new bowl cut. Those in New York can sign up for a time slot at Ludlow Blunt (85 N 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY) at kfc.com/famousbowlcuts. And if you're not in the Big Apple, you could show your local hairstylist the KFC lookbook and share the results with the hashtag #KFCFamousBowlCuts to be featured on social media. (If you dare.)

Check out some of the modern bowl 'dos below.

KFC

KFC's menu-favorite Famous Bowls combine mashed potatoes with gravy topped with corn, bite-size crispy chicken, and shredded cheese in one bowl. The hearty dish will retail at $3 from now through January 27th.

KFC

The pop-up isn't KFC's first foray into novelty products and events. Before the holidays, the fast food chain sold an 11 herbs and spices fire log that smelled like fried chicken. In 2017, the chain released limited-edition fried chicken bath bombs.

If you need us, we'll be making our way to Brooklyn for our '90s bowl haircuts-fanny packs in tow.

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What is the Golden Globe-winning movie Roma about?

What is the Golden Globe-winning movie Roma about?

Tonight, January 6th, marks the 2019 Golden Globe Awards. And while you may have heard of most of the movies and TV shows nominated this year, there's one film in particular that may be new to some: Roma, by writer and director Alfonso Cuarón (who also edited the film).

For those who don't know, Roma-which was filmed completely in black and white-follows the life of Cleo (newcomer Yalitza Aparicio), an indigenous girl who works as a maid for a middle class white family in early 1970s Mexico. Cuarón provides the viewer with an unflinchingly realistic portrayal of what life would have been like for a girl like Cleo at the time, as well as what daily life was like amid the backdrop of the country's political violence. The subtle and quiet film is largely autobiographical, with Cuarón telling Vanity Fair that “ninety percent comes out of my memory”-with Cleo based on his childhood nanny, and the mother in the film based on his real-life mom.

#Roma (96%) wins Best Foreign Language Film at the #GoldenGIobes pic.twitter.com/ILny3HERjS

- Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) January 7, 2019

When describing his process for writing Cleo's character, he said, “I had extensive conversations with the real-life Cleo. Writing her character, I was forced for the first time in my life to see her as a woman [and to see] the complexities of her situation.”

He continued: “A woman that comes from a more disadvantaged social class, that also comes from an indigenous heritage in a society that is ridden by class-and, in the Third World, there is a very perverse relationship between class and race.”

Cuarón also directed Children of Men and Y Tu Mama También, among many others projects. You can see Roma in select theaters now, as well as stream it on Netflix.

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Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 6th to January 12th: It's all about exploration and living life to the fullest

Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 6th to January 12th: It's all about exploration and living life to the fullest

We're finally settling into 2019 and catching a glimpse of what this new year might bring. As we recover from an ambitious new moon and Uranus going direct, we're feeling more motivated to build our empires and more committed to living our lives truthfully and authentically. What worked last year-or, rather, what we put up with last year-won't be happening this year. No, sirree. We've learned, we've grown, we're woke. As we integrate these lessons and move steadily towards our new goals, Venus enters Sagittarius on January 7th, bringing us a sweet and adventurous vibe when it comes to our human connections and life experiences.

Sagittarius is an energetic fire sign that's all about exploration and living life to the fullest. When it comes together with the planet of love, where it will stay until February 3rd, we can expect to explore the brighter side of life. We might be determined AF right now, but we're also embracing new adventures that will enliven and enrich our spirits.

Here's what else the stars have in store for your weekly horoscope:

CAPRICORN

The new moon and partial solar eclipse in your sign, Capricorn, have you more determined than ever to create a stable foundation for your future. As you move forward with your goals, don't be afraid to have some fun. Life's supposed to be an adventure, after all.

AQUARIUS

You're on a deep spiritual quest, Aquarius. You're a big thinker anyway, and this week has got you pondering big thoughts about your future and where you want to journey to, and through, this year. Remember: you don't have to make any big moves yet.

PISCES

This is the time to really ground your energy, Pisces. You have many creative ideas that you would love to explore, but being indecisive or scattered won't bring anything to fruition. Instead, focus on one and take aligned action to move it forward.

ARIES

You're flying high on #goodvibes, Aries. You're feeling confident about where you're going this year, and you're determined to make your mark. Just make sure you're organized, and double-check all documents and fine print before proceeding.

TAURUS

It's time to really focus on you, Taurus. You're a good friend who usually puts others first, but this is your time now. Don't be afraid to go after what you truly want and live the life of your dreams. Give yourself permission to live large.

GEMINI

You're craving more authenticity in your life, Gemini. Whether it be in your connections or career, you're craving things that sound and look like truth. It might mean you have to go it alone for a while. That's okay. You got this.

CANCER

You're feeling like you need more in life, Cancer. You're restless and eager, and also excited about what's on the horizon. These are all new energies for you, which can be daunting. Lean into them and take baby steps to help your desires turn into reality.

LEO

You're keen on really building your empire, Leo. From your career to your personal life, you want it all. And you can have it. But first you need structure, a plan, and a whole lot of patience. While the latter isn't your strongest suit, it'll help you get where you need to go.

VIRGO

You're feeling more sentimental than usual, Virgo. While you might be quick to defuse your feels with work, don't. Relationships are key to a full and well-balanced life. Don't neglect your heart's desire and need for connection. It's okay to be soft.

LIBRA

You're ready to take control of your life, Libra. If last year caused you to feel unstable and insecure, now's your chance to get it right. Follow your instincts and don't hold back when it comes to tackling new projects and starting fresh. It's a new year, after all.

SCORPIO

You're on the precipice of big change, Scorpio. The only thing holding you back is yourself. Trust that you're more than ready for this new beginning. Radical change must be followed with discomfort. Learn to find ease in risk.

SAGITTARIUS

With Venus entering your sign this week, Sag, there's nothing that can get you down. While you might be trying to get yourself sorted out post-new moon, you'll find that love and support surround you. Don't be afraid to reach out for support. Your tribe is there for you.

A powerful week awaits us, bbs, as we get ourselves situated with this promising new year. Keep moving towards your dreams, and don't forget to have fun along the way.

The post Your HelloGiggles horoscope, January 6th to January 12th: It's all about exploration and living life to the fullest appeared first on HelloGiggles.