You know how everyone talks about how awful it is to be alone around the holidays?
Apparently that fear extends to celebrities, businesses, and even satirical political commentators, as they’ve all decided to join one union or another just in time to have someone (or thing?) to kiss under the mistletoe.
Taylor Swift and Harry Styles
The union of Taylor Swift and One Direction’s Harry Styles caused an explosion within the tween (and, let’s be honest, teen and adult) blogospheres as the couple was spotted – get this – holding hands. The newly-confirmed relationship provided answers to "who will be the subject of Taylor’s next song?" and "WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ONE DIRECTION RIGHT AT THIS VERY MOMENT?" (caps lock necessary). It broke the hearts of many who wanted to date the superstars themselves, and even caused a few to balk at the age difference between Swift, who will be 23 next week, and Styles, who turned 18 in February. (Fun fact: Styles was born in 1994. Seriously.) Tonight, the two will team up for the Z100 Jingle Ball with Justin Bieber at Madison Square Garden – and there are miraculously still tickets left. All we can say to this is: OMG.
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It was a busy week for everyone this week, but here are just a few of the things that made headlines:
Thanksgiving
Of course, the biggest event of this past week was the Thanksgiving holiday. A day full of food (and I mean a lot of food) and family get-togethers. Yesterday as a holiday treat, we shared with you the awesomely bad "It's Thanksgiving" music video, but today I figured I would show you the much better "Thanksgiving Song" by Adam Sandler. Enjoy.
Black Friday
As soon as the clock strikes midnight after Thanksgiving ends, people across the U.S. go into shopping mode with the start of Black Friday. Deals from stores across the country have people waiting in lines for hours and fighting through huge crowds in order to get the perfect holiday gift. I suggest waiting a couple days until Cyber Monday, where you can find deals online from the comfort of your own home.
Hostess closes; Twinkies are no more
In perhaps the saddest development of the week, Hostess, the brand that brought you Twinkies, officially went out of business this week. People cleared the shelves of Twinkies in stores across the country in order to get their final fixes of the confectionery treat. Hopefully it won't be too long before someone buys the Twinkie name and brings back the American classic.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Happy 4th of July! Hopefully you have super awesome plans to celebrate our country's independence. Wait, you don't? Well, here are some ideas:
Go to a parade
Many towns host Independence Day celebrations, including parades, and since you don't have work/school to go to anyway, you might as well enjoy some awesome floats and/or fire trucks and/or candy-throwing.
Have a barbecue
What's more summery than a good old-fashioned barbecue? Fire up the grill and cook up some burgers, hot dogs, veggies...whatever floats your boat. Don't forget dessert!
Watch fireworks
This is practically a requirement for a good 4th of July experience. Find a show near you in the local newspaper or online, though keep in mind that many celebrations do not take place on the actual holiday.
Set off fireworks
Setting off your own fireworks can be a blast (pun intended), but make sure to check local laws regarding which types (if any) are ok to set off. Depending on the state (and how big the risk of forest fires is), rules can vary widely.
Watch a good movie
After the festivities (or in place of them), settle in for a patriotic film fest. Suggestions include "Independence Day" and "1776".
Catch a concert
If you're up for a different kind of live event than fireworks, check out events happening on the 4th.
So what are your plans for the 4th? Any other suggestions for fun festivities? Let us know in the comments!
All this week, the TN Team Blog is celebrating Father's Day by sharing our staff's stories of events they attended with their dads. Want to make your own memories? Check out our Father's Day Gift Ideas Guide for a hand-picked selection of events that Dad is sure to enjoy!
My Memory
When I was a child, the weekend routine at our house involved my dad switching on the record player and spinning his favorite albums — Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Laurie Anderson, Pink Floyd, The Beatles — often with the volume at full-blast (especially if my mom wasn't home).
So, I guess it's no surprise that I grew up to have a lot of the same musical tastes. Even now that I'm "all grown up" and living on my own, my dad is my go-to concert date. We've seen a lot of amazing shows together, from the indie (Joanna Newsom) to the iconic (Paul McCartney).
One of my favorite father-daughter dates was to see Leonard Cohen during his acclaimed 2008-2010 world tour. From our orchestra seats, my father and I watched in awe as this preeminent songwriter and poet performed for three solid hours, receiving standing ovation after standing ovation. It's definitely a night I'll always remember. And who knows — now that Leonard Cohen's on tour again, maybe it's time for another father-daughter concert outing...?
My Father Recommends:
This week, the TN Team Blog is celebrating Father's Day by sharing our staff's stories of events they attended with their dads. Want to make your own memories? Check out our Father's Day Gift Ideas Guide for a hand-picked selection of events that Dad is sure to enjoy!
My Memory
My dad knows I'm a big fan of oldies music; I love the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, you name it! So when he got tickets for us to go see Jersey Boys last year, I was beyond excited!
For anyone who isn't familiar with Jersey Boys, it's a musical about the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, who sang big hits like "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry." Since my dad grew up during the era when Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were popular, even he was looking forward to going with me.
We were not disappointed at all! Every song was perfect and sounded just like the originals, even my dad thought so. Besides getting to enjoy some of my favorite music live, I loved this gift because it gave my dad a chance to go back to his teen years and relive music he loved growing up. I would definitely recommend this show to everyone!
My Father Recommends: