HelloGiggles » Sarah Heyward

Item of the Day: The Cabin Sisters

Sarah Heyward — Tue, 28 May 2013 19:00:45 +0000

I’m not usually the first to know about a hot new band, so I’m really excited to tell you guys about The Cabin Sisters, whose weird, dreamy, magical folk music has me totally transfixed. Real-life sisters Zosia and Clara Mamet (ahem, stars of GIRLS and NEIGHBORS, respectively) decided they wanted to start a cover band as a way to spend more time together but quickly found themselves inspired to write their own music instead. Check out their Facebook page and you’ll hear for yourselves how hypnotic and catchy they’ve made their tunes. I seriously can’t stop listening.

Their album is currently available through their Kickstarter, where you can also help out the girls in creating their first music video.

The post Item of the Day: The Cabin Sisters appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Item of the Day: Canopy New York Sun Protective Fashion

Sarah Heyward — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:00:23 +0000

You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that we’re supposed to wear sunscreen every day (although if you were living under a rock, you probably wouldn’t need the sunscreen anyway). But how many of us actually take the time to apply it? Sure, my face cream has SPF but that only goes on my face! If only there were an easier way. Well, now there is. Canopy New York is a new line of sun-protective clothing that blocks a whopping 98% of the sun’s UV rays (in contrast, the average tee shirt provides a mere SPF 4). The dresses they’re offering are totally cute and come in a variety of figure-flattering shapes, so you can feel good knowing you’re protecting your skin while also looking your best. Bonus: they also make leggings and infinity scarves.

Available through their Kickstarter page.

The post Item of the Day: Canopy New York Sun Protective Fashion appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Item of the Day: theSkimm Daily Newsletter

Sarah Heyward — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Not to be a total cliche, but I’m pretty bad about keeping up with the news. Frankly, I usually find out what’s happening in the world via Twitter, and even then I often need someone else to fill me in on all the details I missed while I was obsessively adding stickers to photos instead of, you know, caring about important global events.

I’m not proud of any of this, but I am proud to say that my lack of news-knowledge is about to be a thing of the past. And it’s all thanks to a little thing called theSkimm (yes that’s how they write it). Two ambitious twentysomethings decided to make a highly digestible, highly informative newsletter that appears painlessly in your inbox every weekday morning, updating you on what’s happening in the world in extremely readable prose. It’s short, surprisingly thorough, and will help you from asking awkward questions like, “I heard you talking about Cyprus, are you planning a fun vacay?!?!”

The post Item of the Day: theSkimm Daily Newsletter appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Don’t Wake Me Up: Remembering Saturday Morning Teen Shows

Sarah Heyward — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 15:00:08 +0000

It was pretty awesome to be a teen in the ’90s. After an evening of pretending to hate-watch TGIF, you could wake up bright and early on Saturday and tune in to a very special lineup of shows made just for you. No, I’m not just talking about Saved by the Bell – although that was certainly part of it. In fact, the popularity of SBTB is what spawned a bunch of apparent lookalikes, each different in their own cheesy way.

California Dreams

Arguably the most famous of the Saved by the Bell wannabes, California Dreams lasted a whopping three seasons and featured a group of attractive, multi-ethnic teenagers starting their own band. Well, originally it was about a family, but nobody seems to remember that. Naturally, the cast members are the ones singing the infamous theme song, “California Dreamin’”, and they even reunited on Jimmy Fallon recently for a repeat performance.

Hang Time

Picture Saved by the Bell but… with basketball! I’m sure that’s how they pitched this silly but long-lived teen sitcom. The original premise featured an Indiana high school boys’ basketball team with one female player. Peppered with visits from real NBA players and, be still my heart, Screech Powers, the actual cast of teens changed almost entirely every single season (and there were six seasons!). By the end, there were only two cast members who had survived the entire run.

City Guys

Okay, if Hang Time was Saved by the Bell with basketball, City Guys was kinda just Saved by the Bell. Sure, the setting was “urban” and the cast was “diverse” but it was about a bunch of high schoolers dealing with high school stuff in the glossy Peter Engel-ified world we all knew and loved. City Guys did focus on two boys in particular: Jamal and Chris. They both struggled to stay out of trouble while navigating the wacky world of high school. Oh, and it supposedly takes place in Manhattan, where everything seems to have been designed by the same architect who did The Max.

USA High

So this show actually didn’t air on the TNBC Saturday Morning lineup; instead, it aired confusingly enough on the USA Network. The name is a coincidence but try telling that to the teen programming conspiracy theorist I was as a 12-year old. The premise for this one is pretty fun: six teens attend school at the fictional American Academy of Paris under the tutelage of a strict and stuffy British headmaster and a sexy Dutch teacher. Fun (?) fact: both Shannon Elizabeth and Mario Lopez guest starred.

Saved by the Bell: The New Class

Impressively one of the worst-reviewed teen shows of all time, Saved by the Bell: The New Class featured a whole new cast of characters (that changed practically every season) roaming the colorful halls of Bayside under the lovingly watchful eye of Mr. Belding. If you see another familiar face in the photo above, that’s because Screech was part of this charade, as well. He joined the cast during Season 2. From what I remember, this show freely recycled plot lines from the original series, right down to a love triangle modeled exactly after Zack-Kelly-Slater. Also, there was a character named Maria Lopez. Is that not incredibly strange given that Slater was played by Mario Lopez??? Add it to the conspiracy list.

Much as I miss being allowed to order off the children’s menu without shame, I long for the days when there was a special block of programming just for people my age. Let’s start a campaign to turn Friday nights or Saturday mornings or weekday afternoons into “Late 20s TV”. I hear Mr. Belding is thinking of turning Bayside into a graduate school after hours.

Images via buzznet.com, reocities.com, steeshes.files.wordpress.com, sitcomsonline.com, antoniogenna.net, popcultureaddictlifeguide.blogspot.com

The post Don’t Wake Me Up: Remembering Saturday Morning Teen Shows appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Item of the Day: Just Shea Beauty Products

Sarah Heyward — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:00:35 +0000

Like so many of you, I’m a total product junkie. From candy-scented lotion to body washes claiming to be made of crushed diamonds, I’ve tried it all. But as much as I love bringing home the latest cream that will positively, absolutely change my life, sometimes I feel a little bit guilty about how much I spend on beauty products. That is, until I discovered Just Shea. This company makes deliciously decadent creams for your face, feet, hands, and lips. They’re creamy, lightly scented, and oh-so-luxurious. But the best part is, all the profits go to the women in Ghana who harvest shea (hence the name) to help them get things like snakebite ointment and better equipment. So while your skin will most certainly feel good, your conscience will feel even better.

Available at Just Shea.

The post Item of the Day: Just Shea Beauty Products appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Divorce is Hard, So Let’s Watch a Movie

Sarah Heyward — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:00:37 +0000

Long before my own parents separated, I could recite the movie Bye Bye Love by heart. My best friend growing up had parents who were divorced, and we’d huddle together in her living room and watch the 1995 dramedy again and again, sometimes multiple viewings over the course of a single sleepover, and she’d cry and I’d feel a vague kind of impersonal sadness and the next weekend we’d repeat the whole strange routine.

Divorce movies are a very particular genre and one that’s hard to categorize. They’re often wearing the costume of rom-com (Along Came Polly) or children’s movie (All I Want For Christmas) or good old-fashioned comedy (War of the Roses). But to me, any movie about divorce is a divorce movie, plain and simple. Let me be clear here: whether it’s your parents, your grandparents, your sibling, a close friend, or you who’s getting divorced, there is nothing that is going to make you feel better. Your life will never be the same. Don’t misunderstand, you will adjust – I promise – but all you can do in the meantime is wait. And so while you’re waiting, a divorce movie is a great way to pass the time. Added bonus: you’ll probably laugh and cry.

Bye Bye Love

The Basics: This is one of the more obvious “divorce movies” in the canon. The story centers around three divorced guys adjusting to life after marriage. They all have kids and much of the humor and sadness comes from watching these fathers try (and often fail) to create a new family dynamic. While the movie itself got so-so reviews, the cast can only be described as quintessential 90′s all-star: Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine, Randy Quaid, Janeane Garofalo, Eliza Dushku, Rob Reiner, Mae Whitman, that kid from Sleepless in Seattle who later played Claudia’s boyfriend on Party of Five… but I digress.

When to Watch: If you’re a kid with divorced parents who splits her time or a divorced parent navigating joint custody, this movie will most certainly feel relatable. But I’d actually put this movie at the top of my list for anyone touched by divorce. The fact that it’s an ensemble cast means you’ll get to spend time with all different kinds of divorced families and the moments of genuine humor and raw, painful emotion are very well balanced.

Kramer vs. Kramer

The Basics: The most serious and critically acclaimed (five Oscars!) movie on my list, Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 drama about divorce and its effect on one family: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and their young son. When Meryl’s character walks out on her workaholic husband, he is forced to raise his son alone until she returns a year and a half later demanding custody. While that may sound grim, the movie is absolutely riveting as well as emotionally poignant. The famous scene of Dustin Hoffman attempting to make his son French toast in the wake of the mother’s abandonment is one you’ll never get out of your head. And of course the performances are out of this world amazing.

When to Watch: During any period of adjustment after a sudden divorce or change in the family arrangements. More than anything, this movie is a testament to the power of time to heal wounds and create new traditions, dynamics, and a new sense of family. While Kramer vs. Kramer is certainly not a light and fluffy movie, the underlying message is absolutely one of hope and positivity. Hang in there, it seems to be saying. It’s all going to be okay.

It’s Complicated

The Basics: Bear with me, because I’ll admit this is not a movie I’d recommend willy nilly to just anyone. It’s incredibly silly and flawed and full of obviously mockable moments. That said, it’s one of the only movies I’ve seen that tackles the issue of parents who have been divorced for years rediscovering each other AND how that kind of change can affect the children of divorce. The premise goes: Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin have been divorced for ten years, he’s remarried, she’s not. They each start having an affair… with each other! And so on from there.

When to Watch: If you’re lucky (?) enough to be in a situation like Meryl’s where you and your long-estranged husband suddenly find each other irresistible again, you’ll probably enjoy this movie. But – and more interestingly to me – this would also be a good one to watch if you are an adult child of divorce. Whether you wish your parents would get back together or feel everything worked out the way it should, It’s Complicated is an interesting thought experiment as to how you’d actually feel if it happened. The kids in this movie have a very strong reaction when they find out their parents are seeing each other again, and it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Mrs. Doubtfire

The Basics: This rip-roaring 1993 comedy was one of my favorites long before I had any personal experience with divorce. Certainly one of the funniest movies of all time (in my humble opinion as well as that of the American Film Institute), Mrs. Doubtfire tempers the sadness of divorce with a ridiculous premise. Robin Williams, desperate to spend time with his children after wife Sally Field divorces him, transforms himself into an elderly housekeeper and takes a job working in the house. Hilarity (truly) ensues. But of course, under all those hijinks and that silly accent, there’s the deeply emotional truth of a man who will do anything to be near his kids.

When to Watch: Anytime you want to enjoy yourself thoroughly for two hours. Particularly if you’re a kid whose parents are in the process of divorcing and you wish you had more time with one or both parents. But what I love most about this movie is that despite Robin Williams’ successful efforts to make himself a better husband and father, he and Sally Field (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!) do not end up getting back together. Supposedly, the original script had them ending up together and it was changed so as not to give children of divorce false hope. As depressing as that is, I think they made the right choice. Everything works out okay at the end of this movie, which is not to say the family is back together. Rather, they’ve found a new way of being a family, post-divorce.

Now and Then

The Basics: By far the least obvious “divorce movie” on this list, Now and Then is really a movie about female friendship. Four women return to their hometown as adults and reminisce about the summer they were twelve. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time, but I don’t think anyone other than me would describe it as a movie about divorce. The reason I’m including it is one of the four girls, played in adulthood by Demi Moore and in childhood by the inimitable Gaby Hoffmann, has parents who are divorcing in the flashbacks, which take place in 1970. At the time, divorce was extremely uncommon and as a result, Gaby’s character is embarrassed and secretive about both the divorce itself and her mother’s consequent strange behavior.

When to Watch: If your parents are divorcing or separating or just fighting a lot and you’d rather not think about it, let alone talk about it with your friends, this is a good movie for you. The divorce in this movie is barely a subplot; it’s given the lightest stroke of attention. But it’s handled delicately, realistically, and emotionally. As a result, the image of Gaby and her little sister watching their father drive off in the middle of the night haunts me far more than the many obviously-creepy graveyard scenes and seances.

These movies aren’t going to give you answers to why divorce is happening to you or around you. You aren’t going to come away with a solution or scheme that will surely make everything go back to the way it was. “Before” is gone, and the “after” sometimes takes awhile to settle in. I still don’t feel like I’m in the “after” of my parents’ divorce, and it’s been years. Of course, if you want your catharsis cheery, uplifting, and entirely unrealistic, you can watch either version of The Parent Trap, where the kids get what they want, the parents reunite, and everything is okay. But maybe sometimes it’s better to realize that there are many ways for things to work out okay in the end, even if it’s not the way you wish it could be.

Images via blackspotbox.wordpress.com, movieberry.com, hirendaveworld.blogspot.com, comingsoon.net, getvideoartwork.com, joblo.com

The post Divorce is Hard, So Let’s Watch a Movie appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Item of the Day: Harts and Stars Etsy Shop

Sarah Heyward — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:00:22 +0000

Like so many of you, I’m really, really, really into pop culture. Unhealthily so. I watch a ton of TV, I read all the tabloids, and I challenge you to show me a picture of a celebrity baby I can’t name. All of which means that this Etsy shop I discovered called “Harts and Stars” is pretty much my dream come true, selling jewelry and baubles adorned with all forms of celebrity faces. From the Clarissa Explains It All ring pictured above to a (cough, shameless Girls plug) Lena Dunham brooch to a Justin Bieber blinged-out iPhone case, I can basically cover my body with my favorite celebs. Not to mention the ridiculously cute Lisa Frank ring or the macaroni and cheese necklace. Yes, you read that right.

See for yourself at Harts and Stars.

The post Item of the Day: Harts and Stars Etsy Shop appeared first on HelloGiggles.

Holiday Commercials From The ’80s &’90s By @ShinyUnicorn

Sarah Heyward — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:00:40 +0000

Welcome to the Holiday Commercials From The ’80s &’90s By @ShinyUnicorn! Grab yourself a glass of your fave holiday beverage and enjoy! *If you have a suggestion for a playlist, comment below!*

The post Holiday Commercials From The ’80s &’90s By @ShinyUnicorn appeared first on HelloGiggles.