Cutting and growing your hair is a never-ending task — albeit a fun one. One day you're loving the idea of a short bob, maybe because it's the look du jour in Hollywood, so you bask in all your short-haired happiness for a few months only to randomly look in the mirror one day and miss your old cut. What comes next — the decision to grow out your strands — is often referred to as the "awkward phase," when your hair is hard to style and far from the length you're after.
It's also the point where you might revert back to a short cut as your patience runs thin. But if you're going strong, and still growing out your hair, there are a handful of mid-length styles that make the hump easy (and stylish) to get over. To help you out of your style rut, we rounded up some of our favorite looks for mid-length strands, ahead.
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No request is too big and no intricate detail is too small when it comes to the "Big Day." But why do we get married the way we do?World Wide Wedexplores the customs and traditions that define weddings around the globe — and shows how today's multi-cultural couples are making their ceremonies uniquely their own.
At any wedding — but especially a Nigerian wedding — it should always be about the happy couple, the dancing, and the food. At least, according to Ruth and Ayo Afolabi. "The last thing you want people to be saying about your wedding is one, they were hungry, and two the food wasn't good," Ayo says. "That's like social suicide."
The British-Nigerian couple combined traditions from their Yoruba and Igbo roots and celebrated with a colorful, dance-filled evening. "In Nigerian culture marriage is seen as such a big thing," Ruth says, "and even though I say I'm not that traditional, that aspect of our culture is something I really appreciated." Watch their magical night unfold in the video above.
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The weekend is finally here. You can breathe out a sigh of relief — you've earned it. But haven't you also earned the ability to lounge around and watch Netflix in something other than the high school sports T-shirt you've been wearing for a decade?
Think about it: You've started to embrace adulting in so many other areas of your life — doing your dishes instead of letting them sit for five to seven days, doing your own taxes, etc. — so why should your pajamas fall to the wayside? You work like an adult, you deserve to relax like an adult too. And a nice set of silk pajamas is the perfect place to start.
Sure, they don't come cheap, but these pieces double as street-clothes too, so you're really getting double the wear for your money. And honestly, what's more grown-up than wearing fancy PJs to work? Click on to step into what adulthood really feels like. Hint: it's silky soft.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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Name a more iconic winter duo than Lenny Kravitz and his giant scarf...we'll wait. The iconic photo of the singer strolling down a city street wearing a colossal scarf exudes excess and the memes it inspired will live on forever. Oversized sweaters are exaggerated, low-key dramatic, and most of all comfortable to the core. And since winter is coming — as you've likely heard a Game of Thrones fan declare at some point in the past few weeks — we took a page from Lenny's book and went on the hunt for some big-time knits.
The comfort of a roomy sweater is undeniable. Whether it's hand-knit from your grandma or the product of some weekend retail therapy, everyone should consider hunkering down in a wearable tent of snuggly softness. Plus, nothing looks better when you're curled up by a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa — not that we'd suggest any pre-orchestrated "in the moment" Instagram captures for your upcoming ski trip trip — if it happens, so be it. So, let's get down to the knitty gritty and check out 29 of the most comfy oversized sweaters worth being meme-ified on your next winter outing.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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Elite bargain hunters know that the best time for holiday shopping isn't the month before or even the night before the big celebration, it's in the days after. Wait to indulge in Halloween candy until November 1st, and you'll be enjoying the sweet, sweet taste of a discount. Postpone your Valentine's Day plans for the 15th, and you'll be swimming in half-off chocolates and roses.
And it's especially true for the days following Christmas, when retailers slash prices and announce massive end-of-year sales for cult brands — Kylie Cosmetics included. From now until December 28, Kylie fanatics can enjoy up to 40% off Lip Kits, limited-edition eye shadow palettes, brushes and more. When you spend over $100, you can also get a makeup bag as a perk for spending your holiday cash. What more could a girl lounging around in pajamas ask for?
Find the discounted items we're stocking up on, ahead.
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Happy New Year, Stargazers. Whether you’re single or coupled up, 2019 will be overflowing with romantic energy. Venus — the planet of love and pleasure — is direct all year long which means that you’ll experience her vibrant vibe as she passes through the all twelve houses of the zodiac, and makes a second trip through four. But that doesn’t mean all will be calm and majestic because Jupiter, the planet of luck squares against Neptune three times this year, which might encourage you to set unrealistic expectations in your relationships. You’ll want to watch out for January 13, June 16, and September 21. If you can resist the temptation to set those lofty goals for your partners, Jupiter will inspire everyone while he inhabits his own sign of Sagittarius until December 3. It’s a great year to travel and potentially have a romantic rendezvous in a different country.
Meanwhile, Uranus will help some of us overcome relationship obstacles by bringing clarity to situations that might be a little confusing. And if you’re worried about misunderstandings, you should know that there are three Mercury retrogrades this year. Remember to move slowly and communicate carefully on the following days: March 5 -28, July 7 - 31, and October 31 - November 20.
Ahead, you’ll find a little romantic advice for every sign. Get ready for a year filled with love!
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For the past few years, I’ve drawn out intricate vision boards on New Year’s Day (I tend to stay away from ‘resolutions ’) mapping out all of the things I aspire towards — from outlining a list of all of the places I intend to travel to, to health goals, to career and financially-related intentions — for the next year.
This is the time of year when it’s hard not to take mental stock of what’s happened over the past twelve months — what’s gone well and what’s gone awry. And indeed, many of us use this time off from work to think about how to make changes in the next twelve. If you, too, have started thinking about your career goals for 2019, a great way to start is by setting a few concrete intentions that you’re certain, with a modicum of effort, you can achieve.
We’ve put together a list of simple goals for setting — and getting closer to — your career goals in 2019. From negotiating new offers or raises, to getting to work on time, these goals will help you get started on your own goal-setting for next year. Read on to get started.
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This morning, the world woke up to what some felt was a rude change in their Instagram's feed: A horizontal tap-through instead of the vertical scroll we all know and love. And users immediately wanted to know how to undo it.
In an in-platform pop-up explaining the feature, Instagram announced that it was rolling out a new way to explore posts where users could now tap from left to right, rather scrolling up and down, the way that you watch Instagram Stories.
The change rolled out across the world, and Twitter exploded. Users were, to put it lightly, unhappy with the update. In a matter of hours, however, the feature appeared to have disappeared, and feeds were back to normal.
In an official statement, Instagram told Refinery29: “Due to a bug, some users saw a change to the way their feed appears today. We quickly fixed the issue and feed is back to normal. We apologize for any confusion.”
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, also responded to users on Twitter, admitting the rollout was only meant to be a small test but went much broader than anticipated. This morning, Instagram is reassuring its users that it's not planning to change the beloved Feed in such a significant way in the near future. And if you are still seeing the changed interface on your Feed, restart your app and you should see the normal Feed again.
But now that we can breathe a sigh of relief, let us admire some of the best reactions.
Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
Today: a part-time writer working in publishing who makes $33 per hour (around $108,000 per year when combined with her husband's income) and spends some of her money this week on a snow globe.
Occupation: Writer Industry: Publishing Age: 38 Location: Cleveland, OH My Income: $33/hour (~$36,000/year) My Husband's Income: $30/hour (~$72,000/year) My Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,400 (I work part-time — 20 to 30 hours per week.) My Husband's Paycheck Amount (2x/month): ~ $2,700
Monthly Expenses Mortgage: $560 Electric: $106 Gas: $84 Water: $33 Sewer: $45 Child Care Expenses: $85 per day, 1-2 days a week Internet: $67 Cell Phones: $118 (for both of us) Netflix: $15 Amazon Prime: $0 (We use my mom's account. Thanks, Mom!) Piano Lessons: $25 per week (for my seven-year-old daughter) Dance Lessons: $42 (for my four-year-old daughter) New York Times Subscription: $15 Charitable Donations: $70 Church Donation: $20 per week 401(k): 30% per paycheck (Our employers match is 5%)
Annual Expenses Property Taxes: $5,500 Home Insurance: $800 Car Insurance: $840 Health Insurance: $4,300 529 College Fund: $6,000 ($2,000 per daughter. We already have $73,000 saved.) Washington Post Subscription: $99
Day One
8:30 a.m. — I head downstairs where my husband, T., and our three daughters, M. (age 10), B., (age 7), and L. (age 4) are watching Elf on the Shelf videos on YouTube. Our elf just arrived yesterday.
10:30 a.m. — We head to church where we have to drop B. off at PSR class (that's basically kid's Catholic religion class). I don't usually eat before mass, but today I have a brownie (we baked a bunch last night) and a glass of iced tea lemonade.
12 p.m. — After church, we always eat lunch at Qdoba. We order a burrito bowl, a quesadilla kids meal, chips, and queso. Kids eat free on Sundays, and I have coupons on my Qdoba app. $14.13
1 p.m. — Back at home, T. watches half the Browns game, the girls clean their rooms, and I order $345 in Target gifts cards as Christmas presents because they're 10% off today. $315
2 p.m. — I chat with Apple online about my mother-in-law's iPad. The battery keeps dying and apparently it will cost $100 for a new one. I'll have to stop by the Apple Store after work one day to take care of this in person.
3 p.m. — T. and I play Twister with the girls for a little bit, and then I clean the second floor of the house. We used to have a pay someone $90 to clean our house every two weeks, but that was before we moved to this 2,300 square-foot home four years ago. Since then, we've been doing a lot of remodeling and it seems silly to have someone clean while projects are ongoing. I've been thinking about having someone back once we're more settled though. My kids are slowly accumulating a layer of dust.
4:15 p.m. — I take a quick break to drink a Sparkling Ice and eat a brownie. Okay, two brownies.
4:45 p.m. — We leave for a Santa Claus event downtown and have dinner at Wahlburgers. I've never been before, so I try the smoked bacon mac 'n cheese. It's pretty disappointing. Someone needs to get Marky Mark to take time from his busy pants-dropping schedule to figure out this soupy pasta. $40
6:40 p.m. — It's finally time to visit Santa. We prepaid for this whole holiday adventure a few weeks ago. I got a discount through a moms' group I belong to, but it was still $131 for the five of us. We've done this for the last several years, and the kids still enjoy it so I suppose it's worth it. They get to privately meet with Santa and talk to him and tell him what they want for Christmas. We have always told them that Santa only gets them one present (the rest of their presents come from us), so whatever they ask for during this visit is their "Santa present."
7:30 p.m. — When we see Santa, it turns out that we know him. (Santa! I know him!) He is my husband's former high school teacher and a really nice man. So then we have to buy the photos of the girls with him, of course! The kids also pick out some small toys in the gift shop. $32.36
9:30 p.m. — Back at home, the kids are finally asleep and I can crawl into bed myself and relax with a glass of iced tea lemonade and another brownie. I was lucky enough to snag a copy of Michelle Obama's new book from the library, so I read that until I fall asleep.
Daily Total: $401.49
Day Two
7 a.m. — Alarm goes off, but I stay in bed. My husband takes M. to band practice. He's also going to take our car in for service. It stalled on me this weekend and I haven't driven it since.
7:40 a.m. — The phone rings. The car stalled again as T. was driving it, so he doesn't think it will make it to the repair shop by his office. He's bringing the car back home and I'm going to be stuck with it. Crap. I call my mom and dad who live 10 minutes away. Luckily, I can borrow my mom's car for the day and my dad can help me get the car to a repair shop up the street from us. Crisis averted.
8:40 a.m. — I get B. on the bus. My dad, L., and I drop off the car and then we hang out with my parents for a while at their house. I hope there's nothing seriously wrong with the car, especially since it's over 10 years old. My mom tells me that she would just buy a new car if it were her. That is definitely something she would do, but I hate being rushed into major financial decisions.
10 a.m. — Back at home, I have to check in with work. I need to do some new writing, process paperwork, and work on some rewrites. Hopefully I can get it all done by the time L. needs to leave for preschool. I have a dentist appointment at noon and I want to leave a little early to pick up some cookies for the folks in the dental office as a Christmas thank you to them for being so good to our family.
11:45 a.m. — We get to preschool, and L. is in tears. I've been so busy all morning I've hardly had a minute for her, but she still goes into class like a champ.
12:10 a.m. — Arrive 10 minutes late for my dentist appointment after stopping to pick up cookies at a bakery on the way. Luckily I have gorgeous teeth, so all is forgiven. $15
1 p.m. — After my cleaning and exam, I grab a handful of Tootsie Rolls from the bowl at the front desk at the dentist's and head home. I work on cleaning up the kitchen and living room and then make lunch — sausage ravioli with olive oil and iced tea lemonade to drink. I also finish my rewrites and send them off to my boss for approval.
2:20 p.m. — I pick up L. from preschool and we stop by McDonald's for a Happy Meal. It works by bringing the promised happiness. $3.97
5 p.m. — M. and B. get off the bus after school. B. has piano lessons, so I help M. and L. with their homework while calling the repair shop to check on the car. Apparently, they need to keep it one more day. Luckily, my mom can loan me her car again tomorrow. Moms are the best.
6:30 p.m. — My husband comes home from work and takes M. to PSR. While he's out, he also stops to get his haircut at Great Clips with a $3 off coupon ($14). (Yeah, it's a cheap haircut, but he looks gorgeous no matter what.) He grabs a few groceries ($14.68) on the way home, too. $28.68
9 p.m. — Once the kids finally go to bed, I take a shower. When I get out, T. is preparing for some training classes he'll be teaching the rest of the week at work. He also mentions that the Santa we saw last night has offered to stop by our house and visit with our kids on Christmas Eve. My heart just grew three sizes.
9:45 p.m. — I realize I didn't eat anything for dinner, so I grab some peanut butter trail mix and an iced tea lemonade to take up to bed with me. I read more about the formative years of Michelle Obama while I crank up my electric blanket, finish my snack, and then nod off to sleep.
Daily Total: $47.65
Day Three
7 a.m. — My alarm rings and I glance over my schedule for the day. It's a bit hectic, since T. has already left for work and I've got to get three kids to three different places and then myself into the office.
8 a.m. — I finally get out of bed and get M. on the bus. I get breakfast for the younger girls and pack a lunch for B. Then, I take a shower while they get dressed for school on their own.
8:45 a.m. — B. gets on the bus and I drop off L. at the babysitter's. She's only watching the kids for five days in December because I'm taking off some time around the holidays, so I write her a check for the whole month today.
9 a.m. — On my way to work, I listen to My Favorite Murder and drink a black raspberry Sparkling Ice. At work, my rewrites from yesterday are partially approved. Yay! But one still needs work. I also see that I have a $10 gift certificate sitting on my desk as a reward for winning a little contest we had last week. Have I mentioned that my job is the best? I spend the morning Googling memes (work-related) and working on new options for the rewrite.
11:40 a.m. — I walk over to the Apple Store to figure out the battery situation on my mother-in-law's iPad. The guy there tells me the battery is garbage and they will replace it for $100, or we can trade this one in for $65 and then upgrade her to a new one. She's 80-years-old and mostly plays Candy Crush, so it's not like she needs the latest and greatest technology, but if we're spending $100 anyway, maybe she wants an iPad that wasn't made in 2013. I tell him I'll talk to her about it.
12 p.m. — I pop into Bath & Body Works to grab some lotions. There's a buy-two-get-one-free deal and the lady at the counter gives me a coupon for some Christmas lotion, too. The four bottles I buy will probably last me two years. $35.64
12:15 p.m. — I need something for lunch, so I head over to Liquid Planet. I get the peanut Thai rice bowl and a mango berry smoothie and then walk back to work. $12.90
1 p.m. — I finally get approval on that rewrite. Huzzah! I spend the rest of the day focusing on paperwork. I even squeeze in a few quick PTA emails to help out another mom at B.'s school.
4:15 p.m. — T. is picking up the girls, but I leave work a bit early so I can meet him to pick up the car from the repair shop. I listen to the Binge Mode: Harry Potter podcast on the way home and get really engrossed in their discussion of "The Tale of the Three Brothers."
5 p.m. — T. and I meet at the repair shop. Apparently, they were able to clean out a bunch of stuff inside the car's engine, and it's starting much better now. I tell T. we should probably start researching new car options so we don't wind up in a situation where we're forced to buy a new car if this one dies on us. He agrees because, after 15 years of marriage, he knows I'm always right. $150.15
5:30 p.m. — We get gas in our car ($20) and my mom's car ($25.97) and then return her car to her house. $45.97
6:30 p.m. — We drop off B. at Girl Scouts, where she will earn her science badge. At home, I make pierogies and broccoli for dinner. T. and I debrief about the day and he calls his mom to ask what she wants to do about the iPad. She's fine with just keeping the old model and upgrading the battery.
9 p.m. — With the kids finally in bed, I relax with my iced tea lemonade. T. and I watch Merry Kissmas on Netflix. It's unspeakably idiotic. I go to sleep very happy.
Daily Total: $244.66
Day Four
7 a.m. — T. doesn't have work today, so he takes M. to band practice in the morning and I get the younger girls ready for the day.
8:40 a.m. — B. gets on her bus and then I get dressed. L. has her first dance class today, so she wears an old pink leotard we have in our costume trunk.
10:30 a.m. — L. crushes her dance class, so we sign her up for weekly lessons. It's $42 per month (which is now part of our regular expenses) but there's also a $20 registration fee. $20
10:45 a.m. — We run to the grocery store to buy a gift card ($10) and a book of stamps ($10) for the giving tree at church. We also need a snack for L.'s preschool class. This week they are learning about the letter G, so we pick up gingerbread people ($6.57). T. buys three more books of stamps ($30) for home, too. $56.57
11 a.m. — We run over to McDonald's for a quick lunch and use some coupons. T. and I both get Big Macs and split large fries. L. gets a Happy Meal. $12.07
11:50 a.m. — We eat quickly and then drop off L. at school. On the way home, we fill up the gas tank in our car. $19.63
12:30 p.m. — At home, we order groceries online. Aside from meeting my husband and bringing home my children, online grocery shopping is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I hate shopping in stores. We spend about 15 minutes online selecting a whole cartload of food for breakfasts, school lunches, and dinners, and then we're done. We'll pick up everything in a few hours.
1 p.m. — We decided a few weeks back to get a landline at home so our daughters would have a phone in the house if they needed to call us. It increased our internet bill from $65 to $68 per month, so it was a cheaper option than a third cell phone, which we also considered. The phone modem has arrived in the mail, and I'm installing it myself to avoid the $75 installation fee. I run into an issue and have to call tech support. The guy on the phone is super nice and accidentally lowers our bill to $67 a month, but it turns out we do need a coaxial cable splitter.
1:30 p.m. — T. and I drive to the nearest cable company store and pick up a splitter kit. (It's free.) In the car, we discuss the stock market, a potential recession, and property taxes. The romance never ends! We pick up L. from preschool on our way home.
2:30 p.m. — Back at home, I hook up the splitter for the landline. It works! We've officially arrived in 1987. I open a bunch of delivery packages that have been piling up, including some snow tubes I bought for our post-Christmas getaway. We are surprising the kids with a weekend trip to a lodge in an Ohio state park. We used credit card points to pay for our hotel, so it technically didn't cost us anything.
3 p.m. — I also open an HDMI cable I ordered from Amazon. Now I can hook up our new Blu-ray player from Target I got on Black Friday for $65.
4:30 p.m. — I pick up the groceries. $172.21
5 p.m. — I put away the groceries while the kids work on homework and play Wii games. Eventually, I make some Hamburger Helper with a "twist" (per the box) by throwing in some vegetables. It's pretty good.
8 p.m. — Kids go to bed early tonight, and I help T. sort a mountain of laundry while we listen to his Morning Joe podcast.
8:30 p.m. — T. gets ready for his class tomorrow while I prepare for work by checking emails and starting some more writing. When I'm too tired, I put away my laptop and drift off to sleep.
Daily Total: $280.48
Day Five
8 a.m. — I get out of bed, put the girls on their buses, get myself ready for work, and drive L. to the babysitter's house.
10 a.m. — At work, I duck into a meeting late. Oops. Afterwards, I drink a cherry lime Sparkling Ice and look over the writing I did last night to see if there's anything I can turn in today.
12 p.m. — I run out to grab a Cuban sandwich with a side of tater tots for lunch. I've never had a Cuban before, and it's pretty tasty. I eat at my desk while I polish up my writing. $7.78
1 p.m. — The rest of the afternoon is spent bouncing from meeting to meeting. Everyone has been so great since I moved from full-time to part-time work five years ago. I am really lucky to have coworkers who make balancing work and life a little bit easier.
4 p.m. — I book it out of work and head back to the Apple Store. The Genius Bar guy tells me the iPad battery's maximum capacity is 8%, and that this was probably caused by a malfunctioning battery. Unfortunately, I still have to pay $100 plus tax to replace it because my octogenarian mother-in-law didn't realize that the battery capacity was failing and therefore didn't bring it in within the warranty period. I make a mental note to complain to Apple later. $106.92
5 p.m. — Back at home, T. and I chat about our days while the kids do their thing. His classes are going very well. I wrote some pretty okay stuff today. I warm up leftover Hamburger Helper for dinner for those who want it.
8 p.m. — I glance at my phone and notice that some of the ladies from my moms' club are talking about our annual holiday dinner tonight. I have it on the calendar for tomorrow night. Crap. It started at 7 p.m. and now I'm in my pajamas eating Hamburger Helper, which is annoying, since I prepaid $20 to attend. T. tells me to go anyway, but I'm already in pajama mode.
9 p.m. — The children are nestled all snug in their beds and I get T. to help me look over their Christmas lists. I'm unsure if I'm spending too much — about $175 to $200 per child. I have an Excel spreadsheet of every gift I buy for Christmas, which tells me I'm on track to spend about $1,200 on Christmas presents this year for everyone — kids, family, friends, teachers, etc. We're buying for almost 30 people. T. and I usually don't exchange gifts because we don't really need anything.
9:30 p.m. — I end up ordering my daughters' "Santa presents" on Amazon. I get some headphones for M., a snow globe for B., and some Disney Doorables for L. I add a few more presents to the order, too. $126.73
10 p.m. — I sip on a can of Sparkling Ice and catch up on a little work before drifting off to dreamland myself.
Daily Total: $241.43
Day Six
7:30 a.m. — T. has to leave for work early today, so I have to take M. to band practice. I get all three girls in the car and we head towards school.
8 a.m. — Back at home, B. gets ready for school. L. and I will probably lounge around in pajamas today, since she doesn't have preschool and I don't need to head into the office.
10:30 a.m. — I spend some time updating our Mint account and see that our net worth is over $900,000. I keep hoping it will cross the $1 million mark, because it seems like it would feel neat to be millionaires. I assume it's the same feeling Scrooge McDuck gets when he swims in that room full of gold coins.
11 a.m. — L. keeps asking to go to McDonald's, but I put her off because I just bought a fridge full of fabulous groceries. I end up getting her to eat some yogurt instead. Afterwards, I take a shower and get dressed for the day — if you call a fluffy sweater and leggings dressed.
12:30 p.m. — A friend from my moms' club stops over to drop off a stack of donations for a charity event I am planning. I secretly love organizing fundraiser events and this one is shaping up pretty decently. We've already had local businesses donate some hotel stays and theater tickets and gift cards. Cleveland is very generous.
1:30 p.m. — I realize I haven't eaten anything yet, so I grab a bunch of walnuts and a Sparkling Ice. (Yes, I recognize I'm a terrible eater.) L. asks me to play carnival and beauty salon with her, so we do that for a while, too.
2:30 p.m. — I need to tackle some actual work, so I take out my laptop and start on that.
4 p.m. — The girls get off the bus and T. gets home from work soon after. We all get ready to head out for my niece's 16th birthday dinner. I grab a birthday card from my greeting card stash and we stop and buy a gift card on the way to dinner. $40
5:30 p.m. — At dinner, I order a flatbread B.L.T. and my brother-in-law pays for all of us in honor of his daughter, the birthday girl.
7 p.m. — We head home and the girls decide to have a sleepover in M.'s room. All is calm and I'm able to finish up some work stuff with my laptop before bed.
Daily Total: $40
Day Seven
8 a.m. — Saturday mornings are for lying in bed, but the girls are up and wandering about. My sister-in-law and I have decided to take our kids to see Ralph Breaks the Internet this morning, so I'll need to get up at some point.
11:30 a.m. — We leave the house a little early to buy eight boxes of movie candy ($8.29). I have a voucher for a free movie ticket and then I buy three more for the girls at the theater ($22.50). My sister-in-law and nephew get their own tickets. I buy a large popcorn with a free refill for all of us to share ($8.37). I drink a Sparkling Ice and eat Milk Duds and popcorn for my breakfast/lunch combo. $39.16
2:30 p.m. — After the movie (which is super cute), we head home and the girls help me do some online Christmas shopping. We are exchanging gifts with the kids who live next door, so we pick out some presents on the Target website. $50.62
3 p.m. — I order some more gift cards on Amazon as Christmas gifts. I also notice that I am so very close to finishing my Christmas shopping spreadsheet. Powers of organization don't fail me now! $75
6 p.m. — The girls and I watch a couple episodes of Doctor Who because we all love the new lady Doctor. T. gets home from work and I make pierogies and veggies for dinner.
7 p.m. — After dinner, T. reads over my diary entries and has lots of suggestions for improving them. I tell him I'll take them under advisement. Once the girls go to bed, we watch The Holiday Calendar on Netflix and I drink yet another Sparkling Ice. The movie is much better than expected, which is always the ideal way to end a day.
Daily Total: $164.78
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The gifts have been opened, the wrapping paper has been put away, and now we're officially ready to count down to the new year, pop open the champagne, and wear that sparkly dress that's been sitting in our closet since September.
But before we let the holiday season go, brands are giving us an excuse to linger in the joyful spirit for just a little longer with some of the biggest sales of the entire year. And joining the party this week is Sephora, with an after-Christmas sale special of 20% off already marked-down items. All Beauty Insiders have to do is enter the code "TWENTYOFF" when they make a purchase in store or online through January 1st.
So, if you're looking to treat yourself after all that holiday stress or want to cash in on that Sephora gift card from grandma, here's your chance to save big. From skin-care sets to best-selling lipsticks, there are hundreds of items on sale, with some even 50% to 70% off with the extra discount. Find our top picks, ahead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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Get GlamVR is an insider look at how high-profile celebrities prep for the red carpet. With a full glam squad at their disposal, they show us the behind-the-scenes of major events. In this episode we follow Nia Sioux as she preps for an important red carpet event.
Actress, singer, and dancer Nia Sioux is accustomed to being in front of the camera, but when it comes to the Streamys — also known as the Oscars of Youtube — even she has some firsts. Sioux wasn't just walking the red carpet, she was also interviewing celebrities. To help her feel confident, her team whipped up a sophisticated combination of an edgy Self Portrait dress, a burnt red lip, and her first red carpet updo, topped off with lashes and some body glow. Watch the video above to see Sioux and her team get ready in 180 VR.
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If you’ve read even a handful of R29’s Money Diaries, then you know how much more there is to learn from someone’s daily spending than just the cost of their morning green juice. The real lessons lie in the larger details of the diarists' lives — their jobs, their interests, their social habits — and how money fits into each of those. It’s these things that let us see a little bit of ourselves in the diaries and think about the role money plays in our own lives.
Take, for instance, self-employed diarists. Whether you’re currently out there hustling on your own or are thinking of one day leaving your 9-to-5 to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams, there’s so much that can be gleaned from the spending habits of others who are already at it — from how to handle inconsistent pay to adequately valuing your time.
That’s why, in partnership with Intuit, maker of the money management tools every self-employed person needs in their arsenal, we checked back in with some of our favorite entrepreneurial diarists and dug deeper into what it’s really like to run your own business. Ahead, find out what’s changed since their diaries were published, key lessons they've learned, and their best advice for those also looking to go out on their own.
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Nearly two years after leaving the White House, Michelle and Barack Obama still hold the hearts of the American people. A new Gallup poll released Thursday found that the former first couple are the most admired woman and man in the country.
Michelle, who is currently promoting her bestselling memoir Becoming, dethroned former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton for the first time in 17 years. Clinton — who's also been in the public eye as first lady, U.S. senator, Secretary of State, and two-time presidential candidate — had held the title of most admired woman for 16 years in a row and 22 times overall, more than anyone else in the history of the poll.
This year, however, Michelle captured the attention of the country with her book and tour, leading to her winning by a significant margin, holding about 15% to Oprah Winfrey's 5%. Clinton and first lady Melania Trump tied third with 4%.
Meanwhile, former president Barack Obama won the title for the 11th consecutive year, with 19%. He was followed by President Donald Trump, who got 13%. Former president George W. Bush and Pope Francis tied in third place with 2%. According to Gallup, this is only the 13th time in history the incumbent president has not been the most admired man in the United States.
Gallup has been conducting its annual survey since 1946. (The only year it didn't take place was 1976.) Americans across the nation are asked an open-ended question: Name the man and woman, living anywhere in the world, whom you admire the most.
The Obamas semi-retired to private life after leaving the White House, but became active during the midterm elections and beyond. Michelle's memoir in particular was a hit with the public, quickly rising to be the most sold hardcover book of this year.
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Ivanka's schedule has not been made public, so each week, we will do our best to cover the public events and forums she attends, the meetings she has with lawmakers and government officials, and her social media presence.
After a big week in Washington, which included the passing of the biggest overhaul to the criminal justice system in decades, Ivanka laid low for the holiday. But not so low that the Daily Mail couldn't find her at Mar-a-Lago.
Tuesday, December 25
• On Christmas Day, paparazzi spotted Ivanka and Jared walking hand-in-hand at Mar-a-Lago, the Trump family estate in Palm Beach. As the government shutdown continued, she was seen strolling in a visor hat and sundress. Jared and Ivanka "made no attempt to keep a low profile," reported the Daily Mail. She was also seen out for a jog on Christmas morning, as Donald and Melania were back in D.C. Donald Jr. and his five kids, their own three kids, as well as Barron Trump, reportedly joined Jared and Ivanka in Florida.
Wednesday, December 26
• Predictably, Jared and Ivanka were slammed on social media for brazenly vacationing in Mar-a-Lago as government workers lost pay due to the shutdown — the two are federal employees and all. "Nepotism is so much fun!" said one Twitter user. "Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner traveling during the Trump shutdown means Secret Service agents who are not currently receiving paychecks missed Christmas with their families so they could escort wealthy nepotists with no conception of public service," tweeted Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who had resigned in protest. President Trump continues to refuse to authorize funding for the federal government until Congress caves to his demand for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
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As Kardashian West told Refinery29 earlier this month, "I already know North is into makeup for sure. She had friends over this weekend and some of her girlfriends came and they were just all in her room, giving themselves makeovers."
But where there are kids and makeup there will also be mommy shamers — and they came for Kardashian West this week when she uploaded pictures from the family's Christmas party featuring five-year-old North in bright red lipstick. "Nice pic but why does your baby girl have on lipstick?" one wrote. Another said, "Make up on a little girl..why tho?"
While those criticisms flooded in, Kardashian West tackled the controversy head on, explaining that North picked out the shade herself. "She picked it though! It’s a special occasion!" Kardashian West wrote on Twitter.
While Kardashian West's stance on her daughter wearing makeup certainly differs from some, she did tell us that North has her own set of makeup rules she has to follow. "I don't think she should wear lashes or too dark of a lipstick," Kardashian West says. "I want her to express herself, but I want her to be appropriate, too."
To Kardashian West, that red lip wasn't too dark or inappropriate at all, but rather a fitting red for a Christmas Eve party — not to mention, head-to-toe Prada.
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On December 23, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth tied the knot in what appears to have been a Nicholas Sparks-level intimate ceremony at Cyrus's home. The former onscreen lovers (they costarred in The Last Song) took to social media this week to share (and confirm) their wedded bliss with the world, including a video of Miley getting down to "Uptown Funk" at the wedding.
The power couple first got engaged in 2012, then broke up in 2013, and then reunited in 2016. Two years later, they are husband and wife. And while we aren't sure if they signed a prenup, we know one thing for certain — they both bring a lot of money to the table.
Miley Cyrus has been a household name pretty much since 2006, when she sprang onto the scene as Hannah Montana in the eponymous Disney sitcom. She starred on the show for five years (and reportedly earned $15,000 per episode), which led to a Hannah Montana movie in which she also starred, and a world concert tour. USA Today reports that the Hannah Montana world tour earned $54 million, with the concert documentaries grossing $64 million.
Since then, nine of Cyrus's songs have hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 list, including bangers like "The Climb," "Party in the U.S.A.," "Malibu," and "Wrecking Ball," which hit number one. Cyrus has earned MTV Awards, Teen Choice Awards, VMAs, and more, and has also been nominated for a Grammy. Her more "edgy" post- Hannah Montana albums, including Bangerz ( remember the twerking?) , along with their tours reportedly grossed her a cool $62.9 million.
Cyrus is also into properties: She owns a $5.8 million Tennessee farmhouse, a $3.9 million home in Studio City, CA, and a $2.5 million Malibu home next to Hemsworth's, which tragically burned in the recent California wildfires. But she's also been generous with her money: In 2014, she founded the Happy Hippie Foundation, which serves homeless and LGBTQ youth in Los Angeles. And she's no stranger to TV — Cyrus has been a judge on The Voice since 2016.
As for her hubby Liam, he got his start on the soap opera Neighbours, following in the footsteps of his brother Luke (the eldest of The Hemsworth Brothers Trinity), who also acted on the show. Next came The Last Song, which put him on the map in the U.S. (and in our hearts). But his biggest break came as Gale in The Hunger Games franchise, which reportedly earned nearly $3 billion in box offices worldwide. So it's safe to say he earned a good chunk of change for that role.
So together, the newlyweds have $176 million with Miley as the breadwinner of this household. You know what they say: "Mix it all together and you know that it's the best of both worlds."
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It's T-minus 4 days until the end of the year, which means it's officially time to sit back and reflect on the joy and chaos that was 2018 — including this morning's Instagram feed scare.
And what better way is there than by looking and posting your most popular Instagram posts of the year? Rather than sifting through your grid and manually choosing highlights to post, you can use the Top Nine app to create a collage of your nine most-liked photos of the year that you've been seeing all over your feed from your friends. Because if it's not on your Insta grid, did it really happen?
To get your top-nine grid, first download the free Top Nine app, or go to the website. Then, all you have to do is enter your Instagram handle and an email, and the app will generate a downloadable collage (as well as email it to you), which you can then save and post to your Instagram grid or Story. If your account is private, you'll be prompted to log in with your Instagram email and password in order to grant third-party access to the app.
In addition to the grid, Top Nine tells you the number of likes you received in total over the year and also gives you the option to have your photos printed on phone cases, canvases, pillows, tote bags, and more. (Hello, last minute holiday gifts.) Similar to Top Nine is Best Nine, another app curating top-nine Insta collages.
If you'd rather pick and choose which photos you want to showcase, you can always go the DIY route with a photo-editing app like PicsArt or display your picks using Instagram's slideshow feature.
Of course, you can also creep on the top-nine Instagrams of any public account you desire. (This is a rabbit hole. You've been warned.) For example, I just checked out Kylie Jenner's top nine and was unsurprised to find that her most popular posts of the year were of her daughter, Stormi, which then propelled me down a Stormi/Kylie rabbit hole. Also, the app tells me she got 1.8 billion likes this year. For reference, I got 1,000. Happy top-nine hunting!
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Remember when Selena Gomez arrived at the 2017 American Music Awards with a brand new platinum blonde bob? In a matter of hours, the superstar had traded in her signature, deep brunette color for a shade of rooty, icy white that was eventually dubbed "Nirvana blonde." Twitter was clogged with tweets and your local salon's phone was blowing up because, suddenly, everyone wanted to bleach their hair — and expected to do so overnight. Turns out, going that blonde isn't as simple as it seems.
Still, we get the misconception. With stars like Gomez, Khloé Kardashian, Solange, Zoë Kravitz, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Lucy Liu, Leighton Meester, Karlie Kloss, and Lady Gaga hopping from dark to blonde quicker than you can blink an eye, it seems that the process is a lot easier than it looks. Of course, if you've ever followed in their footsteps, you know that it definitely is not. It requires hours in a salon chair, hundreds of dollars, bottles of purple shampoo, and getting used to seeing strands of broken hair coating your floors on a regular basis.
In reality, Gomez's new platinum bob took nine hours to complete. Celebrity hairstylists Riawna Capri and Nikki Lee from Nine Zero One salon revealed on Instagram that the singer's stellar new color was the result of a painstakingly-long process — and, celebrity or not, you should expect the same when looking for similar results. Still, that shouldn't deter you. If you have the itch to go platinum (we’re talking Ansel-Elgort -courtside-at-a-Knicks-game platinum), then go for it. Sure, it's a lot of work, but there's a reason why so many people love the experience — if only for a few months.
We consulted Hollywood hair color experts — Kristin Ess, Aura Friedman, and Rita Hazan — to find out everything the average person needs to know before going platinum. Their insider tips, ahead.
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Cutting and growing your hair is a never-ending task — albeit a fun one. One day you're loving the idea of a short bob, maybe because it's the look du jour in Hollywood, so you bask in all your short-haired happiness for a few months only to randomly look in the mirror one day and miss your old cut. What comes next — the decision to grow out your strands — is often referred to as the "awkward phase," when your hair is hard to style and far from the length you're after.
It's also the point where you might revert back to a short cut as your patience runs thin. But if you're going strong, and still growing out your hair, there are a handful of mid-length styles that make the hump easy (and stylish) to get over. To help you out of your style rut, we rounded up some of our favorite looks for mid-length strands, ahead.
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No request is too big and no intricate detail is too small when it comes to the "Big Day." But why do we get married the way we do?World Wide Wedexplores the customs and traditions that define weddings around the globe — and shows how today's multi-cultural couples are making their ceremonies uniquely their own.
At any wedding — but especially a Nigerian wedding — it should always be about the happy couple, the dancing, and the food. At least, according to Ruth and Ayo Afolabi. "The last thing you want people to be saying about your wedding is one, they were hungry, and two the food wasn't good," Ayo says. "That's like social suicide."
The British-Nigerian couple combined traditions from their Yoruba and Igbo roots and celebrated with a colorful, dance-filled evening. "In Nigerian culture marriage is seen as such a big thing," Ruth says, "and even though I say I'm not that traditional, that aspect of our culture is something I really appreciated." Watch their magical night unfold in the video above.
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