We already knew Macklemore had a heart of gold, but his homage to country and folk is so biting, so on the money, and so surprisingly subtle in how it pulls on your heart strings, that I found myself wanting to immediately slam my theoretical pint down on the bar and run into the streets screaming “ERIN GO BRAGH!!!” (Ireland Forever), but I’ll refrain until it’s socially acceptable on March 17th.

Whether you’re Irish by blood or association, a jovial drinker or abstain completely (Macklemore himself has been sober since 2008), I think we can all agree there’s a lovely elegance in a “drinking song” that tips its cap to all of our ancestors who fought a white-knuckle tight battle to be free of the ties that bind.

So, here’s the to freckle faced hustler in all of us, and this Sunday, I hope you’ll join me in raising “a pint for the people that aren’t with us, and livin’ tonight cause you can’t take it with ya.” Sláinte!

The post A Toast, This St. Paddy’s Day, To The Irish In All Of Us appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Next thing I know mah boo Beyoncé is lip syncing at the President’s Inauguration, Punxsutawney Phil is declaring an early spring and I’ve done diddly squat as far as implementing a new fitness regime. Cue Richard Simmons. Yes, that Richard Simmons. The man, the myth, the bedazzled leotard wearing legend, came into my life on a crisp Thursday night. I was supposed to meet up with a girlfriend I hadn’t seen for a while at a bar until she suggested something really wild…what if we went to Simmons “Sweat” class instead? Um, no doi!

As it turns out, Simmons personally teaches three fitness classes a week at his Beverly Hills studio (depending on whether or not he’s doing press or making public appearances), and while I thought I was well versed on the Sweatin’ to the Oldies cultural phenomenal that he has built his empire on, I had no idea how truly phenomenal my education with Richard would be. I was welcomed into a room full of all ages, races and sizes, personally greeted by RS before and after our workout, and introduced to this fabulous world where “skill” is an irrelevant term, “dancing as if nobody is watching” isn’t as far fetched as you think, and I was sent home grinning from ear to ear with the reinforcement that all that truly matters is being happy with who you are.

Forget what calendar day it is. All any of us need to realize is that our dress size does not dictate our worth as a human being, we do that for ourselves. So, I’m not going to beat myself up if I decide to hoover a bowl of mac and cheese from time to time (read: more often than I care to admit), because the pressure of holding myself to someone else’s ideal is a fruitless effort. As silly as it sounds, it took an ’80s aerobicise class with an exercise icon to strip me of my inhibitions and remind me of that.

Maybe I’ll see you in class.

The post Oh-My-God Becky, Look At Her Butt! A Workout With Richard Simmons appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Here are a few of my current favorite things:

IKEA Bästis Hooks, $2.99 

Image via IKEA

Humorous, colorful and organizational, what more could you want in a wall hook? Keep your pooch’s leash in one place with these charming soft rubber hooks. Available at IKEA.

Trophy Play Balls, $6.00-8.00

Image via Harry Barker

The standard, yellow tennis ball is so last season. Pump up play time with these rewarding pops of color, which are sure to make “fetch!” that much more exciting. Available at Harry Barker.

Dog Smog Remedy, $14.00

Image via Happy Tails

You know that awful moment when you’re making out with Ryan Gosling and can’t help but wonder why he has such bad breath? Then you wake up and realize your dog has been kissing you this whole time? This all natural peppermint and fennel breath freshener is the perfect solution.* Available at Happy Tails.

* does not guarantee to help you lock lips with the real Ryan Gosling.

Stainless Steel Bowls, $65.00-165.00

Image via Canine Styles

Make meal time as chic as possible with these stainless steel food/water bowls. The anti-slip rubber feet make them great for puppies in training too. Available at Canine Styles.

Yoga Dogs, $15.95

Image via Dan Borris/Yoga Dogz

Inspired by a friend’s dog who would imitate it’s owners yoga stretches, photographer Dan Borris’ hilarious collection of photographs captures dogs “doing” various yoga poses. It’s a silly and sweet addition to the rest of the presents under the tree. Available at Barnes & Noble.

Happy shopping!

Image via Shutterstock/Mariia Masich

The post The Ultimate Gift Guide For Man’s Best Friend appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Measuring Hedgies, $36.00

Image via Anthropologie

This set of four, adorably whimsical measuring cups will put a smile on any girl’s face, even if you’re gently suggesting that she get in the kitchen and, gasp, cook something. Available at Anthropologie.

Jonathan Adler White Smartphone Dock, $48.00

Image via Houzz

Ring, ring! Your mock rotary phone is calling. This sleek, universal charging dock gives a tongue-in-cheek wink to the past while keeping your current advances in technology at full battery levels. Available at Jonathan Adler.

Dogeared Charmed Kingsnake Necklace, $64.00

Image via Dogeared

Give your quirky girl a little bit of edge with this chic Kingsnake charm on deco chain. It’s just enough of a statement piece without having to shout. Available at Dogeared.

NARS Andy Warhol Collection, $18-$200.00

Image via NARS

Your “15 minutes of fame” is at your fingertips with NARS’ cosmetic tribute to one of the most iconic expressionists of pop art. Channel your inner-Edie (sans the substance abuse problems) with this colorful collection of eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks. Available at NARS.

Ryan McGinley’s “Whistle For The Wind,” $55.00

Images via Ryan McGinley

The youngest artist to ever have a solo show at the Whitney, Ryan McGinley captures ethereal, adventurous youth at it’s finest. Available at Barnes & Noble.

Happy shopping!

The post The Ultimate Gift Guide For The Quirky Girl appeared first on HelloGiggles.

It’s a relationship dynamic that is often equal parts unconditional loving, tempestuousness and complex-inducing if not executed correctly. Some of us are Lorelai’s & Rory’s, a select few are unfortunately Mommie Dearests and for Jennifer Lawrence, her mom is an identity thief!

Jennifer recently appeared on Ellen where she shared a highly embarrassing, and potentially career marring story about her mother stealing her Oscar ballot, posing as her to vote and mailing it into the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, an association you’re only allowed membership into once you’ve been nominated for an Academy Award. Way to go, mom.

I feel for Jennifer, because my wonderful mother has put me in a few awkward, albeit wonderfully intended, moments herself. Let me preface this by saying that my “Mumsy” is hands down the most important person in my life, but we are certainly not “BFFs,” which makes us all the stronger for it. There are things about each of our lives that we respectfully don’t need to share with one another, but at the end of the day, come hell or high water, she will always be in my corner, fighting the good fight, and I love her so much for that.

So no, I really don’t care that there is video evidence somewhere out in the world of me as a fifth grader belting out “A Whole New World” from Aladdin in a mom crafted Princess Jasmine ensemble, complete with bare midriff and black wig. You know why? Because my mother taught me how to have a sense of humor, and she also taught me not to care what other people think. Thanks to her, I never thought I was anything less than spectacular. I love you, Mom, but don’t even think about stealing my Oscar ballot after I’m nominated for Best Screenplay.

Image via TheDailyBeast

Clip via People

The post Mother Knows Best! Until She Steals Your Oscar Ballot appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Another one bites the dust. On the off chance you’ve been living in a fallout shelter, I’ve got some terrible news: Justin Timberlake is officially off the market. Shhhh, don’t cry, it’s going to be alright. He married Jessica Biel in a reported $6.5 million Italian destination wedding earlier this month, making him the latest in a long line of dreamy teen/heartthrob idols who are no longer in contention to sweep us common folk off our delusional feet. Life is one cruel mistress.

I know the sharp pain of reality all too well. I’ve been there. The year was 1993. The movie was Untamed Heart, and I instantly knew upon feasting my eyes on Christian Slater that this was true love – nay, this was something bigger than all of us. I should probably also mention that I was 11 at the time. Why concern yourself with reason or logic when Robin of Loxley’s illegitimate half-brother is like…whoa!

I’m not going to lie; to this day I still hold a candle for mi amore, even after all these years. He got me through some very tough adolescent times in dreary middle class Northern California-home to countless terrifying Abercrombie & Fitch gangs-thanks to cinematic escapes like Pump Up The Volume, Kuffs, and of course, Heathers. Which is why it was such a junk punch when he married the stunning and seemingly lovely Ryan Haddon in 2000. Where does that leave me, Christian? Where? Alone, and surrounded by way too much khaki.

What is it, exactly, that compels us to worship at the altar of certain people? These personalities who we, almost always, are the ones to put on a pedestal to begin with? Is it escapism? Longing for a seemingly better life? Or maybe it’s nostalgia because they remind us of a moment in time when we were carefree, helping us to forget the outside world in all its “cray cray” glory, even if only for a short while. Regardless, when our idols move on with their lives, unfortunately, we’re expected to do the same. The real difficulty lies in admitting we all have to leave Neverland at some point, with or without our super famous husband.

Fortunately, fate still can work in your favor from time to time. For instance, when you find yourself pulling into the valet of a Los Angeles hotel, only to realize the man getting out of the car in front of you is none other than your former “fiancé.” Somehow you manage to lock eyes for a brief moment as you’re both getting out of your vehicles, he flashes you that famous son-of-a-gun grin, gives you a quick head nod, then disappears into the night. And for a fleeting moment, the world makes sense again.

Image via Totally Awesome Teen Pinups And Magazines

The post Everything I Do, I Do It For You…Unless You Marry Jessica Biel appeared first on HelloGiggles.

In the spirit of notable firsts comes Jon Kasdan’s (In The Land Of Women) new film, The First Time, starring Britt Robertson and Dylan O’Brien. I talked to the stars about their experience making the movie.

DO: “It’s about two high school kids meeting, and their relationship over the course of a weekend. What drew me to the script was how smart it was for a teen movie.”

BR: “I think this is more of a traditional coming of age film in the sense that it’s very much boy meets girl and it’s really simple, but it deals with a lot of complicated, relevant topics.”

Both actors made a point to reference a conscious throwback when making the movie, to John Hughes and all of the heart-wrenching, poignant teen movies that defined a generation.

DO: “There’s so much that goes on inside of you, that as you get older kind of becomes routine and you learn about yourself, but when these things are first happening to you have to decide how to deal with them.”

Don’t bother scoffing at the notion that an epiphany of self-realization can occur in one weekend, either.

BR: “It’s so high school. You have these huge, gigantic, monumental things that happen over the course of three days that feel so big because it’s such a short period of time, but then Monday morning rolls around and it’s all the same again, it’s all just routine.”

If Dylan has any luck, audience members will walk away with a sense of nostalgia after seeing The First Time.

DO: “I really think that everybody in some way can watch this movie and remember back to when they were a teen. It doesn’t matter if anything in the movie is specific to what happened to you or not, just kind of bringing back all those feelings to what it was like to go through that for the first time.”

Now, does anyone know if Jake Ryan needs a date to the movies?

The First Time is in selected theaters October 19th, AKA today!

Image via fanpop

The post Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby! Let’s Talk About “The First Time” appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Since auditions started for the next season of American Idol, two of its newly appointed judges have seemed to have it out for each other since day one. Apparently, the origin of said spat started when Minaj became fed up with Carey constantly talking about how many records she’s sold and Grammys she’s won.

This caused Minaj to verbally lash out (which AI producers caught on camera), informing Carey, “I’m going to knock you out” and exclaiming, “I told them I’m not [expletive] putting up with her [expletive] highness over there.” This sassy simmer reached a boiling point last Tuesday during an audition taping, when Minaj became so fed up with Carey’s behavior, she allegedly threatened, “If I had a gun, I’d shoot the b**ch,” prompting Carey to beef up her security detail.

The threat was unfortunately not caught on camera, but Minaj immediately took to her Twitter to make light of the whole situation, while Carey seemed to waste no time in getting Barbara Walters on the phone to confirm the gun threat.

Here’s the $64,000 question: is this truly a diva duel for the record books, or simply the  latest and greatest TV publicity stunt? It seems awfully convenient that we’ve only just begun the audition process, and already Minaj and Carey are at each other’s throats enough to threaten violence. Then again, this isn’t the first time Carey has ruffled some feathers. She’s famously duked it out with Eminem and Christina Aguilera.

Only time will tell if we’ve been duped Hollywood yet again or are legitimately playing witness to one monster of a cat fight, but the claws are definitely out, so hopefully these kitties will learn to play nice… before we find out if Minaj really is packing heat.

Image via InsideTV

The post Nicki’s Got A Gun! Or Maybe Not…The Art Of The Diva Duel appeared first on HelloGiggles.