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Back in the day, if we didn’t move, we didn’t survive. People hunted and gathered, cultivated crops and protected themselves from predators. Sitting? That was a luxury. It goes without saying that today’s technologically advanced world has made sitting standard practice for many.

“Naturally, this also resulted in the comfort and convenience of completing our work in a cozy office chair,” states Dr. Randy Karim, PT, DPT, NCS, CBIS, MSCS, a Cleveland Clinic physical therapist. “Many of us spend the vast majority of our day in a sitting position. If we are not careful, years of sitting can have a profound negative effect on our body.”

The oversimplified version of the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle, he says, is that it affects your joints, muscles and nearly every bodily system. And he isn’t surprised when people come to him with tight hip flexors and hamstrings, weak glutes and weak spine muscles. These issues can change our biomechanics, which Dr. Karim says is a fancy way of describing “the way we move our body through the simple machinery of our muscles and bone alignment.”

“Years of sitting can decrease nerve activation, reduce blood circulation, decrease lung capacity and even increase the risk of nerve compression injuries, low bone density and metabolic disorders—think hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Karim tells Parade. “Without appropriate physical activity to balance out the negative effects, you are at risk.”

In short, he says, “Sitting is the new smoking.” Even with a desk job, you can lead a less sedentary lifestyle. Physical therapists shared five exercises to undo 10 years of sitting, along with how to do them.

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5 Exercises That Can Undo a Decade of Sitting, Physical Therapists Say

Movement can help you avoid sitting for too long, which can contribute to aches, pains and even internal health problems, like heart disease. But how often should you move around to avoid a sedentary lifestyle? Quite a bit, but in small amounts.

“Think about movement as a lifestyle,” Dr. Karim says. “[Have] intentional ‘exercise snacks ‘ throughout the day, instead of a short period of exercise, such as 30 minutes in the morning and sitting for the rest of your day. “You can reverse the effects of prolonged sitting by standing and performing the following exercises for three to five minutes every 45-60 minutes.”

Dr. Joseph R. Hribick, PT, DPT, DSc, COMT, FAAOMPT, a clinical assistant professor of Physical Therapy at Lebanon Valley College, offered a lower baseline, which might help you get started. He suggests doing short exercises once or twice per day, in addition to your regular workout routine.

“It’s best to do them spread across the course of a day rather than one long stretching session followed by several hours of uninterrupted sitting,” Dr. Hribick notes. “Don’t think of it as a formal workout every time. Stand up, take a short walk, perform several repetitions of one or two of [the] exercises and then return to work.”

With all that in mind, here are the top exercises to try:

1. Seated thoracic extensions

What it works: Mobility of the thoracic spine (the area of the upper and middle portion of the back)

Why it works: Seated thoracic extensions can help combat the impact of sitting while letting you stay in your seat. Plus, you don’t need any special equipment. “It’s very common for people who sit for long periods to feel stiffness through their upper back, neck and shoulders,” Dr. Hribick says. “This simple movement helps combat stiffness in the mid-upper back.”

How to do it:

1. Sit up with your back pressed against the backrest of a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor (folding chairs with lower backs tend to work great for this exercise).
2. Place your hands behind your head (or across your chest) and gently lean your upper back backward over the top of the chair.
3. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
4. Return to the starting position.
5. Repeat 10 times.

Modification: If placing your hands behind your head triggers shoulder or neck discomfort, Dr. Hribick suggests crossing your arms over your chest instead.

When doing this exercise, it’s important to avoid arching through the lower back. “The goal is to encourage movement through the upper and middle back. The movement should also be comfortable and not forced,” Dr. Hribick says.

2. Scapular retractions (AKA shoulder-blade squeezes)

What it works: The postural support muscles around the shoulder blades and upper back, including the middle trapezius and rhomboid muscles
Why it works: According to Dr. Hribick, a study of office workers with chronic neck pain indicated that scapular strengthening lowered pain and disability and improved posture. “After hours spent reaching toward a keyboard, mouse or steering wheel, this movement pulls in the opposite direction and activates key postural muscles around the shoulder blades,” he says.

How to do it:

1. Sit or stand tall with your elbows bent to 90 degrees.
2. Gently draw your shoulder blades back and slightly down, as if you were trying to place them into your back pockets.
3. Hold this position for about 10 seconds.
4. Relax completely.
5. Repeat 10 times.

Modification: “Don’t draw your shoulder blades back quite as far if you feel shoulder or neck discomfort,” Dr. Hribick says.

Keep in mind that this exercise should be a controlled muscle contraction—don’t force the posture. “Do not shrug your shoulders toward your ears or aggressively force your shoulder blades together,” he emphasizes.

Related: ‘I’m a Physical Therapist—Here Are Exercises I Wish People Would Do to Help Ease Back Pain’

3. Lunge stretch on the stairs

What it works: Gluteals, iliopsoas (hip flexors), tensor fascia latae, quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius and soleus

Why it works: Dr. Karim says this quick stretch loosens all of the “usual suspects” that get tight after hours of sitting, especially around the hip.

How to do it:

1. Find a stairwell or set of stairs, preferably with handrails.
2. Hold onto the handrails for support.
3. Step up onto the third step with your right foot. Keep your left foot on the ground.
4. Keep both feet flat.
5. Lunge forward, leading with your right knee. Keep your right knee pointed over your fifth toe (pinky toe). Keep your left knee as straight as you can.
6. For added stretch, use your hands to arch your back and look upwards. Hold for 30-45 seconds.
7. Breathe deeply and slowly while stretching. Inhale through your nose for 3 seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth for 5 seconds.
8. Switch legs and repeat the process.
9. Complete 3 sets of 30-45 seconds on each leg. 

Modifications: “If the stretch is too aggressive, you may use the first or second step instead,” Dr. Karim notes. He adds that you can also rest your forearm on the handrail for added support.

Regardless of how you do this move, look down at least once. “Avoid your front knee bending or collapsing inward towards your 1st toe—your big toe,” he says.

4. Standing hamstring stretch with hip hinge

What it works: Hamstrings, calves, glutes and posterior chain

Why it works: Dr. Lara Heimann, PT, a physical therapist and founder of LYT Yoga, says our hamstrings shorten when we sit. When your hamstrings are tight, they pull on the pelvis—hello, back pain. “This variation is functional as it reinforces the hip-hinge pattern, which is often lost when someone sits most of the day and rarely bends from the hips correctly,” Dr. Heimann says.

How to do it:

1. Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Inhale. Let the belly lower. Lift your chest and tailbone (cow), and move them apart.
3. Feel the stretch through the backs of the thighs. Go only as far as you can while keeping the low back neutral/long.
4. Hold for 20–30 seconds, then slowly slide your hands along your legs to return to standing.
5. Repeat 2–3 times.

5. Cat-camel (cat-cow)

What it works: Spinal extensors and flexors and deep core stabilizers, with mobility through the entire spine (lumbar, thoracic and cervical)

Why it works: “Sitting locks the spine into one position for hours,” Heimann says. “This move is the simplest way to restore segmental motion.”

How to do it:

1. Start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders, knees under your hips.
2. Inhale. Let the belly lower. Lift your chest and tailbone (cow) and move them apart from each other.
3. Exhale and round your spine toward the ceiling, tucking your chin and tailbone (cat).
4. Move slowly through 8–10 full breath cycles, letting each segment of the spine articulate.

Modification: Got sensitive wrists? “Perform this one on your forearms, knuckles or seated in a chair with hands lightly on the thighs,” Heimann suggests.

Related: Weighted Vests Are Everywhere—but a Cardiologist Says Some People Should Think Twice Before Using One

How To Handle Pain—and When To Take an Impromptu Rest Day

You may experience some pain that you can work through. “The general clinical rule of thumb for discomfort or pain is: Pain that improves with movement is usually safe to work with,” Dr. Heimann says. “Pain that worsens with movement or comes with numbness, swelling or systemic symptoms needs professional eyes on it first.”

Indeed, Dr. Hribick says that mild muscle soreness isn’t necessarily a cause to stop doing these exercises. “In many cases, gentle movement is actually helpful in relieving aches and pains,” he says. “However, pain is also information, and people should not simply try to push through every symptom.”

Dr. Hribick advises people to stop an exercise if it causes sharp or severe pain, worsening symptoms, weakness, dizziness, numbness, tingling or loss of balance. Also, stop if symptoms keep getting worse after you finish the exercise.

Up Next:

Related: I Tried Denise Austin’s ’80s Low-Impact Aerobics Workouts 4x a Week for a Month: Do They Actually Work?

Sources:

• What a Sedentary Lifestyle Can Do to Your Health. Cleveland Clinic.
• Dr. Randy Karim, PT, DPT, NCS, CBIS, MSCS, a Cleveland Clinic physical therapist
• Dr. Joseph R. Hribick, PT, DPT, DSc, COMT, FAAOMPT, a clinical assistant professor of Physical Therapy at Lebanon Valley College
• Dr. Lara Heimann, PT, a physical therapist and founder of LYT Yoga
• Effects of a combination of scapular stabilization and thoracic extension exercises for office workers with forward head posture on the craniovertebral angle, respiration, pain, and disability: A randomized-controlled trial. Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

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Shopping for Halloween costumes with my kids is one of our favorite family activities. Even now that they’re teenagers, we still get a kick out of planning what we’ll all dress up as. Though instead of simply picking up their favorite superhero costume at Walmart, we now comb costume shop aisles and order accessories from obscure cosplay websites. If you’re still in the little-kid era of Halloween and need to add the finishing touch to their costume this year, Skechers’ light-up shoes are the season’s must-have trick-or-treating footwear.

From princesses to dinosaurs, mermaids, and pirates, there’s a Skechers light-up style for every little ghoul and goblin. Each pair will illuminate the way as you and your kids make your way from house to house on Halloween night — putting safety first, so you can all have a scary good time. And even once all the candy collecting is through, these adorable kicks are ones your child will want to wear well past Oct. 31. Below, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites that’ll complement their costumes and light up the night.

S-Lights: Princess Steps, $60 at Skechers

Courtesy of Skechers

Shop at Skechers

These light-up kicks are fit for royalty — and a perfect match for princess costumes. The glitter mesh uppers feature charming details like a ribbon lace keeper and delicate scrollwork, while the whimsical tiara-wrapped midsole lights up with every step. Inside, your little one’s feet get the type of cushioned support you’d expect from a pair of Skechers sneakers, keeping them comfy and complaint-free as you trek through the neighborhood.

These shoes come in pink or blue in little kids’ half sizes from 10.5 through 3.5 and big kids’ size 4, though select sizes have already sold out. You can currently save 25% on this pair with a Skechers Plus membership, which is free to sign up for. Just sign in and add the shoes to your cart to secure the discount. 

Twinkle Toes: Twinkle Sparks – Precious Jane, $45 at Skechers

Courtesy of Skechers

Shop at Skechers

For the tiniest trick-or-treaters, these sparkling Mary Janes are available in toddler whole sizes 5 through 10. Easy to put on and take off, they feature an adjustable instep strap with an adaptive hook-and-loop closure. The red version could be used as ruby red slippers for a Dorothy costume, while the pink or silver options are great for ballerinas and princesses, and the black option is perfect for little witches or black cats. 

Though they’d be great for Halloween, one reviewer said their child wears these “pretty” shoes “for school and just about everything.” These light-up shoes are also eligible for a 25% discount with a Skechers Plus membership.

Related: Skechers’ Nurse-Approved Sneakers Have Great Cushioning for All-Day Wear, Now 50% Off

Skech-O-Saurus Lights 3.0, $60 at Skechers

Courtesy of Skechers

Shop at Skechers

When my kids were small enough to fit into these light-up sneakers, spending $60 on shoes wasn’t in our budget, but if it had been, you’d better believe I’d have snapped these up for my dino-loving boys. The aptly named Skech-O-Saurus Lights 3.0 have a roaringly adorable design with reptilian details like green claws that light up the rear lower of the shoe. Available in little kids’ half and whole sizes from 10.5 through 3.5, these sneakers are going quickly, with select sizes already sold out. 

Skechers Slip-ins: Meteor-Lights – Brisk-Beams, $37 (was $52) at Skechers

Courtesy of Skechers

Shop at Skechers

One of the more subdued light-up styles available for kids at Skechers, these classic sneakers would complement just about anything costume-wise and look just as cool on the preschool playground after Halloween is through. The hands-free design with an adjustable instep strap, memory foam sole, and supportive heel pillow is perfectly suited for toddlers who are always on the go. These sneakers are available in toddler whole sizes 5 through 10, but at 29% off, they’re currently selling fast!

Oct. 31 is right around the corner. Snag your little one a pair of Skechers’ Light-Up Shoes now to add the perfect finishing touch to their costume!

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

The Voice Battles begin in earnest tonight and 36-year-old Alt Bloom from Montana and 27-year-old Morgan Lett from Georgia from Team Queen Latifah were the first two to take the stage in a head-to-head duet.

The song that Queen selected for the Battle was “Ex-Factor” by Ms. Lauryn Hill.

“That duet was amazing,” Adam Levine commented.

“How are you going to pick?” coach Kelly Clarkson asked Queen.

“I’m not going to pick,” Queen wailed, not wanting to have to make the decision.

“You just crushed Lauryn Hill on national television,” Kelly exclaimed. “I’m going to be honest with you, I was worried for you. People should generally not cover Lauryn Hill. Pow-pow. That was so good.” And then to Queen, “Dang, your team is incredible.”

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Then Riley weighed in, saying, “It’s going to be extremely difficult to top how fun that was for everybody. Morgan, there’s notes I didn’t know existed that you just hit now, you know? And Alt, your high register is awesome. I don’t know how you pick one of these. I guess if you have a coin in your pocket maybe you could go that route.  Maybe Morgan, you just had so much energy the whole performance. That was great both of you. I really enjoyed it.”

Then it was back to Kelly, who said, “Morgan, it’s a proud moment when someone does not only justice to your song but honors it in such a beautiful way. And Whitefish, Montana, there were times when I was like, ‘This might be how Adam would sound on this song.’ Leaning into the soulfulness and the falsetto. I’m telling you what Alt, you were the surprise for me. I just didn’t expect. I’m leaning a little toward you because that was such a tall order, and Alt stood out a tiny bit for me.”

Adam weighed in next, saying, “I feel like Morgan, you sang the s—t out of that. You can’t do the song more justice than you did it. You really killed it. Where Alt, you stuck out because of your range. I got range, but you got more almost. I was like, ‘Damn.’ It’s going to boil down to taste and what Queen wants to go with. You both are amazing.”

Related: The Voice Season 30: Who Went Home and Who Made It Through the Battles Tonight?

Finally, it was Queen’s turn. “I’m emotional over here because you were so damn good. Y’all were so good. First of all Morgan, I think you’re so unique in that your choices of notes feels like you lean into a jazzier version of those choices. When you go there, it seems like, ‘Where’s she going? Oh, OK. She knows where she’s going.’ You don’t get lost in it. Alt, I asked a lot of you on this record because with someone who can do so many runs like Morgan can, you can try to go there, but you can’t go there and get lost and you did not get lost. You went there and nailed it. Watching y’all sing together was so beautiful because this arrangement of this song, no one’s done this arrangement before.”

At which point, Kelly interceded to ask, “How did y’all come up with that arrangement.”

And Alt answered, “It started off with me coming in with the guitar and saying, I’d love to have a chance to play on a record.’ And she said, “I got you,’ and then she started doing some beautiful vocal things, and I said, ‘Morgan, I will follow you until the end. Let’s go.’”

Kelly responded, “So cool, which means you’re so screwed.”

And Queen agreed, saying, “I am. I don’t know how to make this decision. It’s the toughest decision of my life. You’re both winners to me. You’re both in my top.”

Tune in to The Voice tonight to find out if it’s Alt or Morgan moving on.

The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Streams next day on Peacock.

Next, The Teams Are Full! Meet The Voice Season 30 Rosters for Kelly, Adam, Latifah, and Riley

On Sunday, October 11, Selma Blair was reportedly arrested after landing in New York due to an in-flight altercation, with fans showing their support for the actor on her last social media post before the incident.

Hours before her flight, Blair posted a video including a series of photos and videos before the altercation took place, with the caption, “From LA to New Mexico to La to nyc to LA Scout and I have been busy. I miss you.”

The post included selfies from the actor, photos of her dog, and close friends. Following the news of her arrest, fans flooded her last social media post with comments of support.

“just saw tmz . , girl life happens and I want you to know , everything will be ok . You will be ok. My mom was diagnosed with MS when I was 10 , . You are doing everything perfectly. Take a breath if you need it and ignore the noise,” siad one fan.

“Selma — the noise is loud right now, but the people who matter know who you are. Take care of yourself first. Everything else can wait,” said another.

One fan also commented, “I stand with Selma Blair during this time. We got you and sending you love and light.”

“Just saw the news. Praying you’re getting the help you need babe and that it’s nothing serious,” added another.

View this post on Instagram

In a report by TMZ, Blair had allegedly punched, bit, and physically assaulted flight attendants on a flight headed from Los Angeles to New York. Some details reported state that one of the flight attendants sustained a “laceration,” and another was reportedly bitten by the actor. Blair was also said to have tried to open the plane’s door and was later placed in restraints.

TMZ later reported that audio from an eyewitness had Blair “screaming bloody murder as an alarm rings.” She was also said to have bashed her against a bulkhead. It was also reported that the Cruel Intentions star “repeatedly kicked a Port Authority police officer in the head” and was then loaded into an ambulance en route to a nearby hospital.

“Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition,” reported her rep.

It’s unclear for now what caused the medical emergency, with a Delta spokesperson’s statement saying they have “zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior.” They do reveal they have no record of Blair having attempted to open the aircraft door mid-flight.

Related: Sofia Vergara Shares Cryptic Message About ‘Narcissistic Men’ After Ex Joe Manganiello’s Memoir Claims 

Dispatch audio has been released from the incident involving Selma Blair, with a pilot being heard on the 911 call asking for medical assistance and law enforcement to be at the door of the plane when they arrive on the flight from LAX in Los Angeles to JFK in New York City on Sunday, October 11, to deal with an “abusive passenger.”

“A bloody nose as well as some bite marks,” the pilot can be heard saying in the audio obtained by TMZ, referring to the injuries sustained by the flight attendants. Blair allegedly.

“Could you pass on to the folks at JFK, we’d like to have some medical personnel at the gates for a couple of [flight attendants] involved in the passenger incident,” the pilot said. The pilot is then asked what the “estimated station count” is for how many ambulances are needed. He replied, “No ambulances. Just some medical personnel available for two flight attendants at the gate should be fine for that.”

The pilot further said that the passenger, who has since been identified as Blair, “bashed her head on the bulkhead” and needed to be “potentially checked out as well as involved with law enforcement.”

In the dispatch audio, Blair can also be heard screaming after she was restrained and removed from the plane. She reportedly kicked a police officer while on the way to the hospital and assaulted a nurse at the medical facility.

Port Authority Police released a statement, saying Blair was taken into custody and has been “transported to the hospital for evaluation.”

“Two flight attendants also reported injuries, and one was transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The FBI is investigating this incident. For further information, please reach out to the airline and the FBI,” the statement further read.

Blair’s representative also spoke out, saying that she “experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct” and is currently in “stable condition.”

Amy Winehouse was just 23 when she reflected on one of her biggest fears in a previously unpublished interview, offering a glimpse into how she viewed her career and the legacy she hoped to leave behind.

The late singer’s 2007 conversation with The Sunday Times has resurfaced nearly two decades after it was recorded, revealing her thoughts on fame, her music and her personal life. One particularly striking moment came when Winehouse explained that she had once worried about dying without making a lasting impact.

“When I was younger, yeah. The thought of dying without ever making my mark, that was my biggest fear,” Winehouse said in the interview, according to The Sunday Times.

At the time, however, the singer felt she had already accomplished something she could be proud of. Her acclaimed second album, Back to Black, had established her as one of the most distinctive musical voices of her generation, with songs that drew on heartbreak and personal experiences.

“Yeah, I’m really proud of myself,” Winehouse said of her work, adding that she had made an album she was proud of. “If I die tomorrow then cool, do you know what I mean?”

Her remarks were made years before her death and reflected her satisfaction with her creative achievements, rather than a prediction of what lay ahead.

The interview also captured a more personal side of Winehouse. She spoke affectionately about her then-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she married in 2007, and expressed a desire to see him succeed in his own career as a screenwriter.

When asked whether she believed the couple would remain together forever, Winehouse responded, “I know we’re going to die together,” according to The Sunday Times.

The pair’s relationship later ended in divorce in 2009. Winehouse died in July 2011 at age 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning.

The interview remained unpublished for years after a scheduling conflict involving competing newspaper coverage, according to reports about its rediscovery.

YouTube star, comedian, and author Grace Helbig shared an update about her health with fans.

Helbig took to her Instagram account on October 12 to announce that she has two brain tumors and will have surgery on Wednesday, October 14.

The video showed Helbig in a hospital gown, in her usual good spirits. She explained that she had been experiencing “leg numbness” and “ended up coming to the emergency room,” where doctors discovered “two tumors in [her] brain.” She then referenced that she had been in remission from breast cancer.

“My cancer missed me, and why wouldn’t she want to be in my body? It’s silly, especially the brain area. It’s very silly,” joked Helbig.

She said following her “brain surgery on Wednesday,” she may “do some radiation.”

“We might do some other things. We don’t quite know,” said the comedian.

She also said while the diagnosis is serious, she is feeling “very positive and optimistic because these are operable brain tumors.”

“There was a moment in time where it wasn’t certain,” said Helbig.

In addition, Helbig shared gratitude towards her family, her friends, and her husband, fellow comedian Elliott Morgan, whom she described as a “saint.”

She also let fans know that the rest of her and YouTube star Mamrie Hart‘s This Might Get Weird Tour will be postponed until 2027.

In the caption of the post, Helbig wrote that she is “cautiously optimistic but taking it day by day.”

“My family and friends are with me, and my sweet husband, who I’ve already put through the wringer the first time around, has been a damn super hero. Stay tuned for new TMGW tour dates, we were just getting into a groove with it!” continued Helbig in the caption. “But Mamrie and her Virgo a– has found a million ways to pivot into helping me get through this. I feel very blessed and deeply loved. Thank you for all the support! This is probably a niche request but any brain surgery recovery tips are more than welcome!!!”

Hart was quick to comment on her friend and collaborator’s post.

“That’s my best friend, y’all. Still being hilarious in the face of everything she’s going through. I love you so godd–n much. I also just texted that to you like 30 minutes ago but we need it in the public forum! 💕,” wrote Hart.

Grace Helbig Discussed Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis in an October 2025 Interview

In an October 2025 interview with People magazine, Helbig suggested she was surprised by her 2023 breast cancer diagnosis.

“I have no pre-existing conditions and no family history, so I wasn’t even telling my family that I was getting a biopsy because I was so putting it out of my mind of it being anything serious, and I didn’t want to worry anyone,” said Helbig.

She also said she decided to let her fans know about her breast cancer diagnosis because “[i]t felt like so much more work to keep it offline than to just tell people what was going on.”

“I got my diagnosis, I told my family, I told immediate friends, and then I made the decision to make a video,” said Helbig to People.

In addition, the 41-year-old said she was concerned about how the news would affect her audience.

“My biggest concern about telling people is that I didn’t want it to be like, ‘Here’s your responsibility of handling this really difficult thing.’ I think I’ve always been protective of an audience in making sure that they didn’t have to carry something for me in some way,” said Helbig during the 2025 interview.

In addition, she said that fans have expressed gratitude for her being so forthcoming about her cancer battle.

“People have thanked me for showing them the thing that they might not have seen from their mother or their sister, their sister-in-law, their grandmother,” said Helbig.

Helbig also noted that she discussed having breast cancer in her one-woman special, Let Me Get This Off My Chest.

“You, as an artist, hope you can turn bad s— into good s—. There’s a lot of heart in the show. And it’s also goofy at the same time. That’s what I want [audiences] to take away — the permission to look at very serious things in a silly way,” said Helbig while speaking to the publication.

November is just around the corner, and the latest weather outlook suggests parts of the United States could get an early taste of winter while other regions enjoy temperatures that feel more like fall.

According to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys, the Southwest and southern Rocky Mountains are expected to see below-average temperatures and above-average snowfall in November. Meanwhile, much of the northern United States, along with the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, could experience warmer-than-normal conditions.

The forecast comes as a potentially historic El Niño develops in the Pacific Ocean, a climate pattern that can influence temperatures and storm tracks across the country.

Four States Could See More Snow This November

Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas are the four states to watch for above-average snowfall, according to Roys’ forecast shared with Men’s Journal on October 12.

Temperatures across the region are expected to run 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, with the coldest conditions centered around the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Temperatures there could fall at least 2 degrees below average.

The combination of cooler temperatures and an outlook favoring above-average snowfall could mean a snowier-than-usual start to the season for parts of the Southwest and southern Rockies.

The forecast does not specify exact snowfall totals or identify individual cities expected to receive the most snow. Conditions can also vary considerably across these states, particularly between higher-elevation mountain communities and lower-lying areas.

Warmer Temperatures Expected Across Much of the Country

While four states could see more snow, other parts of the country may experience a milder start to November.

Roys’ outlook calls for temperatures at least 2 degrees Fahrenheit above average across much of the northern tier, including areas stretching from Washington to Minnesota and Michigan.

The Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are also expected to lean warmer than normal. Along the Carolina coast, as well as in Georgia and Florida, temperatures could run at least 2 degrees above historical averages.

Elsewhere, temperatures across parts of the central Rockies, Great Basin, central and southern Plains, and Mid-South are expected to remain closer to seasonal norms.

A Developing El Niño Could Influence November Weather

The outlook arrives as a strong El Niño develops, potentially influencing weather patterns throughout the fall and winter.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, there is a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño developing during fall and winter 2026-27. NOAA’s September outlook also indicated a 75% chance that the event would reach a level exceeding previous events dating to 1950 during October through December.

El Niño occurs when sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific become warmer than normal. The resulting changes in atmospheric circulation can shift the jet stream, affecting where storms travel and how temperatures develop across the United States.

Megan Fox pretty much broke the Internet last Friday when she launched her exclusive paid-content website and announced that she’s now a co-owner of the direct-to-fan platform subs.com (created in 2025 by OnlyFans co-founder Tim Stokely). As if access to racy never-before-seen pics of Fox wasn’t enough, the Jennifer’s Body actress just quietly dropped a new line of Megan-covered merch.

Fans of the Transformers star just can’t get enough of her. Last Friday, her new site crashed repeatedly as it was flooded with viewers waiting to catch a glimpse of her risqué photos. Just a few short days later (on Monday), Fox posted several new snapshots of herself on Instagram. Clad in lacy pink satin lingerie, thigh-highs, and one-hundred-dollar bills, the post garnered almost 300,000 likes in under 30 minutes. But that wasn’t Fox’s only IG share. She also added a photo of her “So Sad” hoodie to Instagram Stories, with a link to her paid-content site, Megan Fox World. And yes, fans can now get their very own hoodie featuring the latest Instagram pic (Fox in pink-and-black lingerie, drying her eyes with a $100 bill).

Per Fox’s website, the black hoodie with the “So Sad” photo print sells for $100 and is available in sizes small, medium, large, extra-large, and 2XL and will ship October 21 to October 30. 

Megan Fox. Photo: Franziska Krug / Getty Images

Franziska Krug / Getty Images

Don’t have extra $100 bills lying around on your bed like Fox? One commenter gushed over Fox’s new social media share, writing, “Hanging this in my living room.” So, that’s one way to get the photo without the pricey hoodie. Of course, plenty of other fans flocked to her latest post, praising the scantily clad actress. 

“Instagram not ready for these posts because they afraid she might break the internet again,” wrote one fan.

Another added, referring to the now-iconic scene from the cult-classic 2009 film: “PLS drop Jennifer’s Body merch with the lighter.” While it doesn’t look like Fox has Jennifer’s Body merch in mind right now, the original movie’s director, Karyn Kusama, did tease an update on the sequel. Last October, Kusama told Deadline that writer Diablo Cody was developing a script. “I know she’s working on it right now, and I’m very excited to hear what comes of it.”

While industry reports stated that Fox and actress Amanda Seyfried would return for the sequel, neither has confirmed that they will reprise their roles.

As for Fox’s new merch, get more information on her Megan Fox World shop here.

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Ask anyone who’s ever been splattered while facing a bubbling pot: A good apron is as essential as a kitchen towel for maintaining some semblance of order. While the two pieces are typically more functional than fashionable, the Dolly Parton Apron and Kitchen Towel Set is a chic and colorful alternative that can make food prep far less messy.

This duo is just $28 at Amazon — a great deal for two items that absolutely brim with Dolly’s signature brand of cozy country charm. It’s as evident in the sweet palette of soft teal green and peachy-pink as it is in delicate frills and cute butterfly motif. Everything comes together perfectly, giving you a homey choice that you’ll look forward to using whenever you cook.

Dolly Parton Apron and Kitchen Towel Set, $28 at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

The apron has a warm and traditional quality, evoking the appeal of the retro farmhouse style that resonates as much in modern kitchens as it did in bygone eras. Measuring 33 inches wide by 37 inches long, it’s made from 100% cotton and features frilly details at the arms and hem. Vibrant butterflies pop from the white trim and two roomy front pockets, while the gingham pattern nicely balances the contrasting frill. 

Complementing this throwback vibe is the jacquard-woven towel in a matching soft teal color etched with an inverted butterfly pattern. A corner loop branded with Dolly’s signature completes the design and makes it easy to hang up and add a splash of color to the room when it’s not in use. At 16 inches wide by 26 inches long, it’s just the right size to fold vertically and throw over a handle or bar.

Related: Dolly Parton’s Colorful Christmas Wine Glass Set Is a ‘Fun’ Way to Toast to the Holidays

While this set is truly adorable and made for the Dolly lover, baking enthusiast, or anyone who appreciates a little bit of whimsy in the kitchen, it’s also incredibly durable. The apron has criss-cross straps at the back, so they’ll sit comfortably over the shoulders. The adjustable tie at the waist ensures an excellent fit. Both pieces are also machine washable for ease.

Shop More Dolly Parton Kitchen Deals

• Dolly Parton Acacia Wood Kitchen Tool Set, $14 at Amazon
• Dolly Parton Prep Bowl Set, $15 at Amazon
• Dolly Parton Reversible Cutting Board, $13 at Amazon

It’s “great quality,” said one shopper, noting that the design is “so beautiful.” Another customer agreed, writing that the design is “super cute.” The nostalgic appeal alone will appeal to anyone who wants to bring some of that inviting aesthetic into their kitchen. Snag the Dolly Parton Apron and Kitchen Towel Set for just $28 while it’s in stock at Amazon! 

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The frozen cinnamon roll brand that goes from freezer to breakfast table in just 45 seconds is expanding its reach. Previously available at Costco and a handful of regional grocers, Sunshine Buns is now rolling out at Target stores nationwide.

Sunshine Buns, a premium frozen cinnamon roll brand born from a 40-year-old family recipe, has been a hit with Costco shoppers since first hitting store shelves. One Instagram user called the microwavable cinnamon buns “warm, soft, and gooey,” while another said, “When I saw our favorite cinnamon rolls at Costco, I knew I had to grab a bag.”

Sunshine Buns is debuting colorful new four-pack boxes for its cinnamon rolls, available at Target nationwide in Original, Cookies & Cream and Strawberries & Cream flavors.

Sunshine Buns

But now, you don’t need a Costco membership to buy Sunshine Buns. The frozen cinnamon buns are rolling out at Target stores around the U.S. now, on sale for $7.99 per four-pack and available in three flavors: Original, Cookies & Cream, and Strawberries & Cream. The 45-second cinnamon rolls also pack eight grams of protein per pastry.

In an Instagram post announcing the partnership with Target, Sunshine Buns wrote, “We’ve been dreaming about this one for a long time. Sunshine Buns is rolling out nationally in Target beginning this week! From our little bakery to Target freezers across the country. Somebody pinch us.”

View this post on Instagram

Fans of the cinnamon roll brand were quick to celebrate the news in the comments. “Yay,” wrote one. “Now I don’t have to buy the huge bag at Costco because I eat them all.”

“Cannot wait to buy Sunshine Buns at Target,” said one. Another chimed in, “Eeek! Right where they belong.”

Along with its arrival at Target, Sunshine Buns is sporting a fresh new look. This means if you’ve purchased them in a bag at Costco, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a four-count box at Target.

Sunshine Buns are rolling out at Target stores nationwide now. Shoppers can check Target.com or the Target app to see whether their local store has the frozen cinnamon rolls in stock.

Halloween may be getting an upgrade if a majority of Americans get their way.

A new survey from Ferrero found that 58% of American adults think Halloween should become a national holiday, as grown-ups increasingly claim Oct. 31 as a celebration of their own.

The candy company’s third annual Halloween Report surveyed 1,000 American adults and found that 70% believe Halloween is just as much for adults as it is for children, an increase from 62% in 2025.

Annual Ferrero® Halloween Survey Finds More Than Half of American Adults Say Halloween Should Be a National Holiday

Ferrero

Among parents, that number is even higher. Eighty-one percent said Halloween belongs to grown-ups too, up 10 percentage points from last year.

“Last year we called Adultoween a cultural movement, and now Americans are ready to make it official,” said Chad Stubbs, Chief Marketing Officer, Ferrero North America, in a statement. “Adults aren’t just embracing Halloween as their own holiday anymore – they’re saying it deserves a permanent place on the calendar. From reclaiming the candy aisle to redefining what the perfect Halloween night looks like, adults have made clear this isn’t a passing trend, it’s a holiday worth recognizing.”

And for the first time in Ferrero’s annual survey, a majority of Americans named Halloween as one of their favorite holidays. Fifty-three percent chose it as a favorite, compared with 47% in 2025.

But Gen Z is really ready to make Halloween official.

A whopping 78% of Gen Z respondents said Halloween should be a national holiday, while 68% called it a favorite holiday. Nearly seven in 10 said they treat Halloween as a multi-day celebration.

Perhaps most tellingly, one-third of Gen Z respondents said they’ve called in sick to work the day after Halloween.

Apparently, the ideal Halloween celebration doesn’t necessarily involve leaving the house, either.

Related: 5 Scariest Haunted Attractions in America Revealed; Did Your Favorite Make the List?

Sixty-two percent of adults said their perfect Halloween night involves staying in rather than going out. A cozy night at home with candy and something to binge-watch was the most popular trend respondents planned to try this year, chosen by 37%, compared with just 23% who opted for an adults-only party.

Watching horror movies or TV shows was the second-most-popular way to celebrate Halloween at 40%, just behind decorating the house at 43%. Twenty-nine percent said they rewatch nostalgic Halloween episodes of their favorite TV shows while enjoying treats.

“Horror” was the preferred Halloween viewing category for 53% of respondents, followed by family-friendly favorites at 44%.

Annual Ferrero® Halloween Survey Finds More Than Half of American Adults Say Halloween Should Be a National Holiday

Ferrero

Adults aren’t giving up the candy, either. Seventy-five percent said Halloween gives them an opportunity to enjoy candy without guilt, while 73% buy Halloween candy even when they aren’t expecting trick-or-treaters.

Parents aren’t keeping their hands out of those trick-or-treat bags, either: 70% believe in a “Halloween parent tax,” giving them the right to claim at least some of their children’s candy.

And apparently you’re never too old to knock on someone’s door and ask for a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Sixty-two percent of respondents said there shouldn’t be an age limit for trick-or-treating.

Some of the survey’s more playful findings reveal just how seriously Americans take the spooky season. Sixty-nine percent would rather encounter a haunted house than run into an ex, while 57% would prefer meeting an actual ghost to getting ghosted by a crush.

Halloween also remains deeply tied to childhood memories. Sixty-nine percent of Americans said the holiday makes them nostalgic, a number that rises to 77% among Millennials and 80% among parents.

Ferrero expanded its survey outside the United States for the first time this year, polling 1,000 adults each in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Canada came closest to matching America’s Halloween enthusiasm, with 65% saying the holiday is as much for adults as children. But Americans were still the most eager to put Halloween on the official calendar: 49% of Canadians said it should become a national holiday.

Ferrero’s U.S. survey was conducted online Aug. 11-21, 2026, among 1,000 nationally representative adults ages 18 and older. The company reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Related: Huluween 2026 Schedule: Every Halloween Movie and Show Streaming on Hulu This October

Milania Giudice is speaking out about an airport incident that happened with her mother at the Tampa International Airport. The 20-year-old daughter of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice shared an emotional video on Instagram, speaking about these hard few months as well as sharing an update.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Milania Giudice, for those who do not know,” she began in the video posted on Monday, Oct. 12. ““I was gonna wait to make this video for, like, when I look good or whatever. But honestly, that’s just not me. I’m a very raw, true, authentic person and that’s who I’m gonna continue to be.”

“I want to publicly apologize because I don’t think that I have been using my platform the way I want to use it,” she continued. “Since I was a little kid, I told my family and my parents that I want to help people in life, and that is what I want to do. I want to help people, and I want to spread awareness and share my story the way I want it to be shared. Social media is like an onion; you see layers of people’s lives, and you guys, quite frankly, have been seeing the worst, worst times of my life, and it has been the worst time of my life.”

Milania explained that she struggles with multiple mental health issues including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, PTSD and ADHD.

“And I am not ashamed of any of my mental health disorders because I’m currently in a treatment center,” she added. “My mom’s actually on her way to come visit me today, and I do work on myself. But you know what? I am only 20 years old, and this summer hit me like a bus.”

Before news of the airport incident came out, it was revealed that Milania was suffering a heartbreaking loss, as her best friend Victoria Zardoya died at age 20 after sustaining severe injuries from a fall at Fort Dade in Florida.

“A lot of things happen in a short amount of period of time, and I’m trying to just process everything, and it’s really hard being in the public light while you go through things in life, so I just want to say I’m sorry,” Milania explained, “because I was grown up on pure respect, love, and I just haven’t been showing the Milania that I want to show, and I want to do better, and I’m gonna continue working on myself and trying to completely change everything that I’ve been posting and everything because I want to help people in life.”

In 1962, Lucille Ball was sitting at the head of a Hollywood studio when her board of directors told her two pilots on her desk would bankrupt the company. She’d heard worse. In 1935, she was making $50 a week at that same studio, getting small parts in other people’s movies. She’d started as a Goldwyn Girl — a chorus dancer in the big musical films — and worked her way to RKO Radio Pictures, where Ginger Rogers and Katharine Hepburn were the stars, and Ball was the one holding scenes together while the camera pointed somewhere else. They called her the Queen of the B movies. She was there for seven years. Nobody at RKO would have predicted what came next.

In 1940, while she was still there, she appeared in a film called Too Many Girls. One of her co-stars was a Cuban bandleader named Desi Arnaz. They got married that November. A decade later, they built I Love Lucy from scratch — insisting on owning the show outright when CBS didn’t want to pay for filming in Los Angeles.

CBS paid them more than $4 million for the right to rerun shows they’d already paid for once. Arnaz used that money to buy the building. In late 1957, Desilu paid $6 million for the entire RKO lot. They now had 33 sound stages — four more than MGM. The studio that’d paid Ball $50 a week to appear in movies nobody remembered was now hers.

Related: ‘Barney Miller’ Set 8 Seasons in 1 Room From 1975 to 1982, Real Cops Called It the Most Realistic Police Show Ever Made

Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960. In November 1962, she paid him $2.5 million for his shares and became the first woman to run a major Hollywood studio on her own. Then her board voted against those two pilots. One was a science fiction series that NBC had already rejected — they’d said no to the pilot, and Ball had paid for a second one anyway. The other was about an elite spy team that got self-destructing mission briefings. Her board said both would bankrupt her. She greenlit them both. Star Trek and Mission: Impossible both hit television in September 1966. Both are still going today.

She Ran It Alone

By 1967, both shows were on the air, and Desilu was back in the black. The woman who’d appeared in B movies nobody remembered had greenlit two of the most enduring franchises in American entertainment. Ball sold the studio to Gulf+Western for $17 million. Gulf+Western folded it into Paramount Pictures. The studio that’d called her the Queen of the B movies at $50 a week became part of one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. Lucille Ball died on April 26, 1989. She was 77. She’d gone from $50 a week to owning the whole lot. She ran it alone. She never lost a dime.

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According to What’s on Netflix, Netflix has officially shared a first official poster for the highly anticipated new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia from Barbie filmmaker Greta Gerwig.

As fans of the fan-favorite book series might readily know, Gerwig and Netflix’s new version of the Narnia series will offer a chronological rendition of Lewis’s books, starting with 1955’s The Magician’s Nephew (which was the second-to-last published book in the original series).

As What’s On Netflix eloquently put it, the first official poster for the series is “dominated by a huge silhouette of Aslan in profile, his mane trailing off into the stars. His shadow fills almost the entire frame, with the cosmos itself appearing to sit inside the Great Lion, a clever nod to the story’s central moment, where Aslan sings Narnia into existence.”

Arriving in theaters on February 12 before premiering on Netflix itself on April 2, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will act as the fourth adaptation of Lewis’s novels following The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader back in the late 2000s.

The series will feature an ensemble cast of chactors, including the likes of David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Carey Mulligan, Emma Mackey, Ciaran Hinds, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep as the voice of the all-powerful lion, Aslan.

Both Gerwig and Netflix have remained hard at work on the series since Gerwig released her critically acclaimed Barbie.

“A rare phenomenon that spans generations and geographies, Narnia’s release will match the scale and fandom of C. S. Lewis’s beloved books,” the streaming platform said in September. “Audiences will experience a true cinematic event, in IMAX, in theaters, and on Netflix.”

“I was a child when I first read The Magician’s Nephew, and I fell in love with the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life,” Gerwig said of the new movie.

“I didn’t know that I would grow up to make films, but a universe built out of music is an idea that always lived in my heart,” the filmmaker continued. “It is the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being. Because of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, I believed in magic and hidden worlds and adventure. I believed that anywhere could be enchanted and that anyone could be swept up into an epic. That wonder and awe was available to everyone, even ordinary people like me. … It transformed me.”

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff are showing their support for a longtime member of the team’s family following a devastating personal loss.

Campbell and Goff became emotional while honoring Dan Miller, the Lions’ longtime radio play-by-play announcer, after Miller’s wife, Cindy, died on Saturday, October 10, following a battle with cancer. She was 63.

Following Detroit’s 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Oct. 11, Campbell opened his postgame press conference with a special message for Miller and his family.

“This ball goes to Dan Miller and his family,” Campbell said, holding up a football as he fought back tears. “It was hard to hear what they went through. You know, it’s been a tough road for Dan.”

The coach went on to describe Miller as a “salt of the earth” person before offering his condolences.

“I know this has been hard, but now I know Cindy’s at peace,” Campbell said. “We love you, Dan. Appreciate you.”

View this post on Instagram

Goff also struggled to hold back his emotions while speaking about Miller during a postgame interview with Fox Sports.

“We’re thinking about Dan,” the quarterback said before pausing to collect himself. “Sorry. We’re thinking about you, Dan. Love you, man.”

Goff went on to explain just how much Miller means to the Lions organization, emphasizing that the broadcaster is much more than the voice fans hear during games.

“He’s just an important piece to the culture here. He really is,” Goff said. “His voice is Lions football, and he means a lot to us. He’s a part of our family.”

The quarterback added that he speaks with Miller weekly and that the broadcaster and his family are in the team’s thoughts and prayers.

An emotional @JaredGoff16 sends his thoughts to @Lions radio play by play announcer Dan Miller 💙 pic.twitter.com/QvzwSexHJx

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 12, 2026

Miller has been the Lions’ radio play-by-play announcer since 2005. He was absent from Sunday’s game to be with his family following Cindy’s death, with Detroit Tigers announcer Jason Benetti filling in for him.

Benetti also took a moment to recognize Miller during the pregame broadcast, describing him as one of the most remarkable and sincere people he has met during his time in Detroit.

Cindy and Dan had been married for 33 years and raised four children together. Cindy was also a devoted Lions fan who regularly attended games, often sitting in the fifth row behind the team’s bench. According to her obituary, some of her favorite memories included attending Detroit’s two home playoff games with her daughters in 2024.

Selma Blair was arrested on Sunday, October 11, due to an incident she was involved in during her Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York, TMZ reports.

The actress allegedly punched a flight attendant, bit another flight attendant, and tried to open the plane’s door while they were in the air. The outlet further reports that one of the flight attendants “sustained a laceration and the other a bite.” She was placed in restraints on the plane and was arrested upon landing.

Law enforcement further told TMZ that while she was being transported to the hospital following her arrest, she repeatedly kicked a Port Authority police officer in the head. Then, when she arrived at the hospital, she allegedly assaulted a nurse, who has pressed charges. She is being charged with 2 counts of assault – one on a police officer and the other on a nurse.

The incident is being investigated by the FBI.

A representative for Blair shared a statement with TMZ, which said, “Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”

A Delta spokesperson also told the outlet that the airline has a “zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first.”

This is not Blair’s first incident on a plane as the actress was removed from a flight on a stretcher in 2016 while traveling with her 4-year-old son because she “had a total psychotic blackout,” per Variety. Blair said the incident occured because she was drinking a glass of wine and had taken a pill.

“It was horrible and frightening, and I had empathy for myself actually afterwards because it was actually so out of character for me, especially because I’m a mother,” she said at the time.

This story will continue to be updated.

No pressure or anything, but sometimes an entryway can make or break the first impression of a home. We often think of that little alcove or space as a place to drop everything the second you walk through the door. But in fact, it’s also a real style moment if you give it a thoughtful reset.

This can mean a well-placed mirror to reflect light and make the space feel bigger, a table or credenza to tuck away everyday essentials while anchoring the space, and a small rug for a pop of pattern or color. Even incorporating just one of these options creates a stronger sense of design than that pile of shoes kicked off by the front door.

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Craft Chandra Antique Ivory Carved Medallion Console Table, $799.99 at World Market

World Market

If you have the space, the Craft Chandra Antique Ivory Carved Medallion Console Table from World Market has everything you could want in an entryway piece. It has a long surface for flowers or pictures, while the little cupboards are perfect for stashing what you need when you’re coming and going. Then there’s the lower tier, which is perfect for a couple of pretty baskets to store more items, or even just to stack a few beloved books.

Related: Store Your Favorite Holiday Treats in Target’s Beautiful Plaid Stoneware Cookie Jar

All of this, with that hand-carved, ornate look, packs a ton of character into the console’s 54-by-17-by-32-inch footprint.

The table is made of mango wood, a beloved material because it offers that gorgeous, natural wood look without feeling overly formal. It’s especially appealing if you love furniture that feels less cookie-cutter than what you’ll find in most big-box stores.

It’s also a hardwood, which means it’s sturdy enough for everyday furniture like dining tables, dressers, coffee tables and this very console. Another big selling point? Sustainability. Mango trees are grown primarily for their fruit, and when they produce fewer mangoes, people often harvest their wood and replace the trees with new ones. Using the wood gives the trees a second purpose instead of letting it go to waste.

Related: Crate & Barrel’s Stunningly Spooky Stoneware Platter Is Back for Halloween—but Not for Long

The Traitors: New Blood has arrived! Throughout the season, Mike Bloom will speak with someone from the star-studded cast who was murdered or banished on the iconic Emmy-winning reality series.

As a writer, Sherry Kuehl knows when to sit back and let the characters drive the narrative. And that’s what she did through the vast majority of her time on The Traitors: New Blood. In the first few rounds, her perspective on the game was not necessarily first-person, given her inclination to stay in the background and not feel the need to speak up if she wasn’t offering something valuable. The pure irony, however, is that one poor choice of words led to quite the unhappy ending.

After the second banishment, Sherry openly speculated to Abby Lee about there being at least one man in the turret, saying, “We know there aren’t three female Traitors.” Abby L. was immediately suspicious of the comment, feeling that Sherry was outing herself by revealing how many Traitors there were. What she thought was a major clue turned out to ultimately be a red herring. But that doesn’t matter in the brainstorming session that is the Roundtable. After admittedly being quiet for the first few weeks, Sherry came alive when Abby L. revealed her theory, taking the floor to not only defend herself, but draw attention to Jay Vinnedge. Unfortunately, while she accused the physician of creating a “crockpot of confusion,” it was her game that was ultimately cooked. For the third time, the Faithfuls followed speculation that a Traitor had made a verbal faux pas. And, for the third time, they were wrong.

Read below for our interview with Sherry. And check out new episodes of The Traitors: New Blood Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC

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I’m not sure if you typically like to start from the end while writing, but we need to do so here. What was your reaction when your name was being brought up at the Roundtable?
You know, you get a vibe. The castle vibes are strong, my friend! You definitely get a vibe. So I knew something was up. I didn’t feel like I was totally blindsided. But I mean, I was just like, “Seriously, we’re stumped by math?!” Two plus one equals three. Alan said two Traitors picking another one. And then historically, if you watch Traitors, the normal number of Traitors is three. If you have more or less than three, that’s called an anomaly. That doesn’t happen. So I didn’t think that three would be quite such a trigger. But, alas, it was. S

So I went in there going, “Oh, this vibe. Yeah, they’re going to come for me.” But I went in there with a to-do list, and the top of it was to say my piece about Jay because he irritated me so much I couldn’t stand it. If I didn’t say something about Jay, I would explode. It needed to be said, and I was going to say it. And we all yelled at him and everything. But I’m like, “It needs to be said in a Roundtable setting.” It’s one thing just to yell at him during a mission. So that was on my to-do list. And then after I said that, I go, “And then I’m sure my banishment journey will be beginning.”

I thought I defended myself the best as I could. I’m not going to get angry. I’m not going to lose my dignity over math. Math has brought me down in many areas in my life. Balancing a checkbook, my SAT math wasn’t as great as the SAT verbal; I can tell you that right now.

There’s a reason why you’re a writer and not an accountant!
Brought down by simple math: Two plus one equals three. But you just kind of know what’s going to happen. Even before people write their little names on a chalkboard, I go, “I’m out. I’m out of here.” So then I just started thinking of ways to make my banishment fun. So I’m like, “Okay, like my outfit, so that’s good.” And I decided I didn’t want to say, “This has been the best time of my life. I love y’all so much.”

I was tired of the foolishness. I really felt “do better”! This is the third woman that you’ve banished in a row. So good job there. Can you not see there’s men sitting at the Roundtable? And it’s women banishing women. A guy has never put a name forward. I’m like, what is going on? They needed a stern scold. So, I leaned into all 65 of my years and just gave it to them. I was their mother. I was their grandmother. Do better. It felt good, too. So I’m glad I did it.

During that Roundtable, you admit that you do bring names to select people; you’re just very careful about who you choose to disclose information to. You also say that, because of your age, you won’t necessarily jump into conversation unless you feel you’re contributing. Talk to me more about that. Did you go into the castle intending to play that way?
Well, once I discovered I was the oldest person there by a lot. I think Joe was the oldest guy there, and he’s 44. And then I had like a decade plus on everyone else. You just can’t go in 100% loud, large, and in charge. You can’t do that. You’ll get Boomer backlash. “Who does she think she is? Oh, great. Mom’s here.” I was really cognizant of that.

So I just wanted to go in – I call it “low and smoky.” Get to know people. You learn more from listening than talking, and that would be some other advice I’d give my castmates. [Laughs.] Then I do my journey and slowly release my personality. But I didn’t want to come in full force, so that was kind of my way to go. But then I just got activated after the Arisa thing because I was so mad at myself. Even though I voted for it, I go, “This is stupid. We banish a second woman. What the heck’s going on?” And then you see me have my conversation with Abby. I go, “We’ve got to get some men.” And I was focused on Joe because I was pretty sure Joe was a Traitor.

Talk to me more about that. Who was on your Traitor radar by the time you left?
Oh, Joe for sure. Because he had the biggest tell. He would just sit down and go, “Wow, those Traitors are really smart, aren’t they?” And I’m like, “No, the Faithfuls are really dumb. The Traitors don’t have to be smart.” And I’m thinking, “Is he seeking positive affirmation for being a Traitor?” And I had a whole wall of Post-it notes in my room, like a murder board. And he was at the top. And then by that time, I was so focused on guys. Come on, we’re gonna get some parity in this banishment situation! So I was very focused on him.

But the problem is Joe’s the mayor of Castletown. He was the most beloved member of the castle. So you can’t just go in hard on Joe, or people would think, “Sherry’s crazy. She’s 65. Is she having a cognitive decline episode?” You can’t go in like with Abby L., going, “She said there’s three Traitors.” I mean, you can’t do that. It has to be solid evidence, and it has to be more than one thing to convince people. So that was my plan. Alas, that plan did not get executed. But, if I stayed in the game, that was my plan most definitely.

Let’s go to the exact opposite end of the popularity scale and go back to Jay. As you mentioned, you had quite a number of words for him at the Roundtable, outright saying, “You are a detriment to all of us playing this game.” Talk to me more about your perspective on him.
He was just a huge irritant and a detriment to us finding a traitor. He was a horrible Faithful. For the record, I love and adore Jay. He is a funny, great guy. He’s a physician in Oklahoma. If I lived in Oklahoma, I would want him as my doctor. I mean, I adore Jay. In the game setting situation, his whole “master of confusion thing,” it was bad. It was just really, really bad.

I felt like he was playing very selfishly. I felt like he was playing for himself only, and perhaps for the cameras. So I thought his gameplay was very selfish, and we were all focused on him, like, “Jesus. Oh my God, Jay.” We weren’t focused on the Traitors. So I thought that, if he was gone, then we could reset and refocus. And I said, “I understand people not wanting to waste a Roundtable on getting rid of Jay because we all know he’s not a Traitor.” And another thing that happened is he lost his credibility because he caught Katie. But he had no credibility because of his behavior. Maybe he’s the freaking genius because I got banished and he’s still in the game. Maybe the master of confusion is the way to go, baby!

We see you connect with Shane at one point, bonding over thinking a lot rather than talking a lot. Who were you closest with by the time you had left the castle?
Oh my gosh, I was close to Shane. I was close to Kriste, although she got that Madeline thing. I’m telling you, that’s what she heard. People argue that’s what she said, that’s what she didn’t say. But I’m telling you, at that moment when Kriste came to me, if she had told me she had seen and been touched by the Holy Spirit, I would have believed her. There was no one more convincing than Kriste, 100%

Did I feel just as disgusted with myself when I voted for Madeline, and it wasn’t her? I mean, I felt horrible. And you know what surprises me? I felt more emotional about people getting banished. I mean, it’s just a game. Better that you throw a name out there than it’s you. And I think my Achilles’ heel was being a mother. Because my daughter is Madeline’s age, and I thought, “What if somebody did that to my daughter? Oh my gosh, I would be furious.” She’s so gorgeous, and she would have been great for the show. Maybe a little showmance with Victor, who wouldn’t have loved that? I just felt terrible. And she’s very, very smart. And Arisa, very smart. Both of them were like made for TV. I’m like, “What the heck is going on?” I was very disappointed. So that was my Achilles’ heel, because I cared more than I thought I would care.

It makes sense. It’s one thing to regard the players as characters, as you would do in your writing. It’s something else to be so immersed alongside them and get to know them as people.
Yeah. And love Shane. We were basically two pieces in a pod. I have such respect for him. Loved Mark; he was the first person I met. I was in the train first, and he came in, and I just thought — once again, it’s the mother in me. I’m just like, “Look at this gorgeous, lovely boy.” And he deserves everything that’s coming to him. And Shane was like so smart, so well-spoken. He’s a thinker. He was one of those, “I’m gonna listen before I speak.”

I mean, I think Shane and I, we both are the people who did not need to be the loudest voice in a room. Our philosophy was the same. But I like all the people on the cast. I enjoyed everyone on the cast. So I mean, I have nothing but good things to say about them. Even Abby, we’re grown-ups. She was playing a game. She was throwing out names. So she’s smarter than me because she was still there, and I’m gone. I mean, that’s how you play the game. So maybe my gameplay was heinously off.

You said at the beginning of the season that your last book had been a murder mystery. Was there anything from your time on The Traitors that inspired any of your creative works?
When you watch shows, and you even when you watch Traitors, you’re like, “How could they be so dumb?!” Okay, well, it’s harder than you think! The castle messes with your mind. It’s the groupthink of it all. And I grew up reading Agatha Christie and all that stuff. But how easily people can be swayed when even logic is telling them, “No that can’t be.”

I’ll definitely bring that kind of psychological part into [my writing], because that was an eye-opener. The groupthink was strong, and I was like a member of it. It was not like I was sitting there going, “Oh no!” I like to say that when you get to the Roundtable, 80% of you is just happy that it’s not your name, and then your brain’s only working 20.% So 80% of your brain’s like, “It’s not me, it’s not me, and that’s outweighing the other 20%.

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For the last seven or so decades, American artists have made a significant impact in the world of rock and roll. For instance, the publication Collider recently spotlighted some of the most acclaimed and beloved rock songs written and released by American musicians.

The ranking, titled the “10 Best American Rock Songs of All Time,” included tracks like “American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1977, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in 1968, 1975’s “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, “Hotel California” by The Eagles from 1977, and 1966’s “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys. According to Collider, the “best American rock song of all time” is Don McLean‘s 1971 classic, “American Pie,” off his album of the same name.

Collider noted that the 8-minute-and-36-second song was inspired by McLean’s reaction to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson‘s 1959 deaths following a plane crash. According to the publication, the emotional tune’s Americana imagery evokes a sense of patriotism.

The Guardian reported that McLean was just 24 when he penned “American Pie,” which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1972.

Don McLean Discussed Writing ‘American Pie’ During a 2020 Interview

In a 2020 interview with the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, McLean, now 81, explained his thought process in writing a song that touched on the deaths of Holly, Valens, and Richardson.

“I carried that event with me for years and years. Buddy Holly had an emotional impact on me, as just, a lesser degree, Ritchie Valens, too. Those songs he wrote and those guitars. So here I found a place for expressing that,” said McLean during the 2020 interview.

He then said he purposefully mentioned Valens and Holly’s deaths at the start of the song to be “the vehicle for” a larger discussion about his belief that “politics and music influence one another.”

“Politics influences the music, music influences the politics,” said the musician.