Author: candacebd
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Causebox Vs. FabFitFun: Which Subscription’s Better?
After seeing endless Instagram ads and influencers touting the latest swag they scored in their subscription boxes, admit it: You’re kind of curious whether they’re worth the cash each month (or quarter). But with all of the options out there, it’s hard to know which one’s worthy of scoring your credit card number. That’s why…
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What It’s Like Inside the New York Toy Fair
Two eight-foot-tall Care Bears waddle past me, steps away from a remote-controlled parrot flying through hoops (and, admittedly, into walls) and what looks like a museum featuring artifacts—a bear’s windmill! A bunny cottage!—from the Calico Critters’ 35-year history. There’s a center stage spotlighting dozens of bug-eyed Beanie Boo’s, the latest iteration of the Ty Beanie…
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Maida Heatter’s Baking Soda Trick for Baking Cookies, Tested
Maida Heatter’s a legend among bakers for her cakes, but her cookies are pretty popular, too. So popular, in fact, that she had no qualms about naming her take on chocolate chip cookies “Positively the Absolute Best.” Since I’m perpetually in pursuit of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, I’m morally obligated to try it.…
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What Happens During an Aura Reading?
Let’s get weird. I’m always down to try something new, so when I heard LA’s House of Intuition was offering free aura readings as part of the launch of its New York pop-up store this past holiday season, I said yes. I had no idea what that even meant, but I headed down to the…
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15 Unconventional-Yet-Awesome Compliments to Give Someone
There’s a certain high you get when someone says something truly, genuinely kind about you. Sure, classic compliments (“You look so great in that sweater!”) always bring a smile, but they’re so tried-and-true that they don’t have quite the impact as something that delves a little deeper, that’s a little more specific and insightful—or that’s…
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How to Dice an Onion Like a Chef
Learning how to dice an onion was honestly, truly the best thing I learned after weeks and weeks of intensive culinary school programs. Sure, I learned how to debone a fish, roast a chicken, cover a cake with fondant and all of the essentials of fine cooking, but the one thing I turn to again…
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Starting A ‘Present Over Perfect’ Revolution
Maybe you can relate to my struggle right now: Lately, it seems like words wash over me more than I absorb them. My mind feels fractured; even when I think I’m fully present, I find that any lull makes me want to reach for my phone, check that notification, or think up how I’ll respond…
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The Best Time of Day to Make a Major Decision
Often, whenever I have to make a huge decision, I put it off. I want to give myself as much time as possible to weigh the pros and cons, visualizing every outcome. And, to be very honest, the more complicated the decision is (Should I accept a new job? How should I handle this difficult…
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The $4 Trick That Saved My Sanity When Flying with a Baby
Every time I fly, the same knot of anxiety tangles up inside of me: Will Emerie have a meltdown? Will I subsequently have a meltdown? Why am I so concerned about upsetting other people? Why am I wasting energy on this? And so the shame spiral plunges me deeper into some strange, soul-excavating journey, where…
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Why Criticism Leaches Off Us So Much Longer Than We’d Like
You’ve heard that it takes 6 compliments to offset a single piece of criticism, and any time you screw up, you can’t help but play that tape—or that awful thing someone said—over and over again. Why is that, exactly? Blame the Negativity Effect. Also known as the Negativity Bias, it’s the research-backed theory that negative…
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Testing John Frieda’s Go Blonder In-Shower Treatment
Since I moved to New York, my travel and hairstyling budget have been virtually the same. I went through a sort of sticker shock when I moved to the city (cereal’s $5.50 a box?!), but the hardest adjustment was the thought of shelling out $200+ to maintain my highlights, especially when my mom does a…
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What’s Inside Anthropologie’s Self-Care Advent Calendar
All kinds of advent calendars exist these days: booze-filled ones, cheese-filled ones, Funko Pop doll-filled ones. So it only makes sense that Anthropologie would get in on the action, releasing a weeklong advent calendar that capitalizes on one of the buzziest terms right now: self-care. And I’ve got to admit—the tactic worked. I couldn’t wait…
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