Here are some photos from the Together at Christmas caroling event, which was held at Westminster Abbey on Friday. Considering the Princess of Wales has never been particularly popular within the royal family, it’s always interesting to see who comes out for this event. This year, King Charles and Queen Camilla skipped it, which seems pretty ominous. But the Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie), Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie all came out. Eugenie and Sophie’s husbands skipped it though! Kind of hilarious. Beatrice brought along her stepson, Edo Mapelli Mozzi’s son Wolfie, and Edo was there as well. Some minor royal-adjacents attended as well. I wonder what the math is for Kate – she clearly wants this to be a big royal-family event, but fewer and fewer royals come out with each passing year.

Interestingly, the Middletons came out as well. James Middleton and his wife Alizee skipped out (they recently welcomed their first child), but Pippa was there with Terribly Moderately Wealthy James. Pippa wore a pantsuit and I keep going back and forth about whether I find it ghastly or sort of retro and cool. The material is too “upholstery” I think, but it was an interesting idea. Meanwhile, Carole and Michael Middleton were out in public for the first time since the coronation, and the first time since Party Pieces collapsed. Is it just me or does Carole look drunk? The wheels have really come off.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty, Cover Images.

Throughout everything that’s happened to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it’s always been clear that they never blamed Queen Elizabeth II for any of the bad stuff, even if one could argue that she was effectively the CEO and she probably could have been a lot firmer on many issues. Still, in the last four years of her life, it was clear that Charles was assuming more power, and so were QEII’s courtiers. They clearly kept things from her and did some ghastly things in her name. One thing that seemed to get through to QEII was that under no circumstances should the Sussexes be without royal protection. She had her private secretary write a cover-your-ass memo expressing her feelings on the subject – that she felt strongly that the Sussexes needed a great deal of security.

The late Queen Elizabeth II considered it “imperative” that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex kept “effective security” after leaving the working Royal family, court documents have revealed. Her most senior aide told a Home Office committee that keeping the Sussexes safe was “of paramount importance to Her Majesty and her family” as he put forward a case for their continuing security, a letter has revealed.

Sir Edward Young wrote to Sir Mark Sedwill, the then Cabinet Secretary, after the Sandringham summit of January 2020 to explain what had been decided by the late Queen and her grandson. The letter, included in newly published court documents, reveals how Sir Edward – writing on behalf of the Palace in his role as the late Queen’s private secretary – made the case for the Sussexes’ continued “effective security” as they left the working Royal family. It invokes the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and talks of the threats the Sussexes face from “extremists”.

The letter, published as part of a summary judgment on Friday, contradicts the prevailing narrative that the Duke and Duchess were cut off by the Royal family after being “forced” to leave Britain. It has been submitted to the High Court as part of evidence to reach the truth of whether and when the Duke made an offer to pay for his own security. He has claimed it was raised during the Sandringham Summit. Ravec, the Home Office committee that rules on security matters, did not receive any such offer at that stage, it is claimed.

Reporting the details of what was agreed at the summit, Sir Edward wrote: “During their time in the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex expect to attend public-facing engagements representing the charities and causes which remain dear to them. These engagements would no longer be formally undertaken on behalf of Her Majesty but, given the profile of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, we would expect they would still attract public attention…

“… Of course, a number of these patronages have been granted to them by Her Majesty, which they will continue actively to fulfil. Her Majesty may from time to time invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to attend national royal occasions in their private capacity, and Her Majesty is likely to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to participate in family events in keeping with other non-working members of the family.”

On the matter of the Duke and Duchess’s ongoing security, he wrote: “You will understand well that ensuring that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain safe is of paramount importance to Her Majesty and her family. Given the Duke’s public profile by virtue of being born into the Royal family, his military service, the Duchess’s own independent profile and the well-documented history of targeting of the Sussex family by extremists, it is imperative that the family continues to be provided with effective security. And, of course, the family is mindful of tragic incidents of the past. The discussions to date, including with [the former chairman of Ravec], have been useful in making sure that the parameters of the Ravec process are well understood. Of course, Her Majesty and her family recognise that these are independent processes and decisions about the provision of publicly funded security are for the UK Government, the government of Canada and any other host government.”

[From The Telegraph]

What’s interesting about this is NOT that it “contradicts the prevailing narrative that the Duke and Duchess were cut off by the Royal family after being ‘forced’ to leave Britain.” What’s interesting about this is that QEII wanted a cover-your-ass memo written to explicitly state that her grandson and his family were still under mortal threat, meaning that even QEII believed that HER people were working against the Sussexes’ interests and that her wishes would likely be disregarded. She was right – the memo was promptly disregarded by RAVEC, by the queen’s Lord Chamberlain and by the man who wrote the letter, Edward Young. Young was part of RAVEC at that time, he not only “presented” the Sussexes’ case to Ravec (leaving out the fact that Harry wanted to pay back his security costs while visiting), and Young was part of the Ravec team who suspended the Sussexes’ security in 2020. The Lord Chamberlain withdrew the Sussexes’ funding and security as punishment for Harry not backing down on Christian Jones and Dan Wootton. And Ravec was all too eager to leave the Sussexes unprotected.

One of the things I’ve always believed (and some of the reporting reflected this) is that when QEII was alive, she had her royal protection team cover Harry and Meghan during their visits in 2021 and 2022. Harry was reportedly pleased with how that arrangement worked. It changed when his father became king, probably because Charles was the one who authorized the withdrawal of the Sussexes’ security in the first place.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

For a second, I honestly thought that they sent Kylie Jenner over to interview Jennifer Lawrence and I thought “wow, that’s actually sort of cool?” But no, reverse it – Interview Magazine sent J-Law to interview Kylie for their cover story. Jen loved every minute of it too – she’s still so obsessed with all things Kardashian-Jenner, she refers to Kris as her own mother and Jen and Kylie bond about makeup and a lot more. Some highlights (for space, JL = Jen Lawrence and KJ = Kylie).

KJ on her best hire: “Probably my dog nanny, since I have seven dogs. Because they kept multiplying. One of them had children and I had to keep the family together.”

KJ on her lack of struggle: “Yeah, it’s a challenge, breaking through [preconceived notions]. But I’ve had such an amazing platform and I choose to put in the work. I could have been handed the same gift and decided not to do anything with it, but I took advantage of this amazing opportunity. But with the paparazzi, it’s been really hard. I’ve had some horror stories….Just, like, when I was 16 and these 50-year-old men were saying, “Hi, little slut,” and—Trying to shoot up my skirt and jumping out of the bushes, scaring me, blocking my car. It was actually worse when I was younger. But I don’t really know what it would be like to grow up not in the spotlight, and that’s helped me because I have nothing to refer back to.

JL on horoscopes: “You and Kendall are so different. You and me are Leos. We’re happy, excited golden retrievers. And Kendall, of course, is a Scorpio like our mother, Kris.

KJ on lip contours: “I think it started because I just wanted big, fat, juicy lips, and I just wanted that illusion that I had fuller lips. But no one taught me. When I started doing that, I wasn’t really working with makeup artists and stuff.

JL on how makeup transforms her face: “That’s really, really cool. And I also think it’s incredible what makeup can do because I work with Hung [Vanngo], who overlines the lip, and I call him a plastic surgeon, because everybody in the last few months since I’ve been working with him is convinced that I had eye surgery. I’m like, “I didn’t have eye surgery. I’m doing makeup.”

KJ on lip fillers: “I did end up getting lip fillers, but it’s also the same with me. I’ll see before and after photos when I’m 12 years old versus 26 and my eyebrows are filled differently. I have contour on. I’m like,“How can you compare my 12-year-old face and say I’ve gotten my jaw shaved and eyelids removed?” I’m like, “What are we talking about?”

JL on how her face has changed: “I have the same thing. I started at 19, so I get the before and after pictures from when I’m 19 to 30 and I’m like, “I grew up. I lost baby weight in my face, and my face changed because I’m aging.” Everybody thought I had a nose job, and I’m like, “I’ve had the exact same nose. My cheeks got smaller. Thank you for bringing it up.”

KJ on Jordyn Woods: “Jordyn and I, we always stayed in touch throughout the years and we would meet up at my house and catch up and just talk through everything. We never fully cut each other off, and one day, naturally, we were like, we want to get sushi and we don’t want to hide anymore. There’s a learning lesson in everything, and I think that in a weird way, everything happens how it’s supposed to happen. We were so attached at the hip that we needed space to grow into the people that we were supposed to be. I needed that independence and that confidence because she was like my security blanket for so long.

[From Interview Magazine]

The part about everyone thinking Jennifer got plastic surgery is real, although it’s not exactly recent. People noticed that she began to look “different” several years ago, although it’s gotten more pronounced this year. Is it just makeup? Perhaps it is, because I still can’t put my finger on exactly what’s changed, but something has. As for what Kylie says about Jordyn… I’m glad that they never cut each other off and that whole situation with Khloe and Tristan was just so utterly unhinged.

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Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red,Cover Images, Interview’s IG.

Selena Gomez has been quietly dating Benny Blanco for months. There are several levels of gossip here but mostly I’m like “good for her, I hope she’s happy.” [Buzzfeed]
Glen Powell: It was easy to pretend to fall in love with Sydney Sweeney. [Just Jared]
Taraji P. Henson wore Vlora Mustafa to The Color Purple premiere. [RCFA]
Kristen Stewart & Steven Yeun in a love story?? [LaineyGossip]
How do we define a thing’s “cultural value”? [Pajiba]
Another May December screening, Charles Melton is so attractive. [Go Fug Yourself]
A new Christmas anthem! [OMG Blog]
Now I want Chanukah donuts. [Seriously OMG]
I’ve been going back and forth on mentioning this – Julia Roberts looks like she had some kind of surgical refresh, right? [Tom & Lorenzo]
Revisiting Jodie Turner-Smith & Joshua Jackson’s split. [Hollywood Life]
Plathville star Olivia Plath moved to LA. [Starcasm]

This week, Prince Harry’s lawyers were attending a closed-door hearing regarding the Sussex family’s ability to get and pay for royal protection when they visit the UK. As part of that hearing, Harry’s lawyers released a statement from Harry in which he said: “It was with great sadness to both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020.” If you’ve read Spare, Endgame or the recent Byline Times cover story, you understand Harry’s reference – he went into the Sandringham Summit in good faith, believing that they were all negotiating some kind of situation which would see the Sussexes as beloved family members and part-time working royals. Instead, the fix was in, the Sussexes were forced into a “completely out” position, and then they were stripped of security and funding when Harry refused to back off the Christian Jones-Dan Wootton leak issue. All of that is the jumping-off point for the latest Royalist column, all about how Prince William, Kate and Charles feel about the idea that Harry would like to visit the UK more often, if he could get the security issue fixed.

Friends of Prince William and Kate Middleton have ridiculed Prince Harry’s suggestion that he and his family would like to spend more time in the U.K.

“The one saving grace of this whole situation is that they live 5,000 miles away,” the friend said. “The idea of them coming back here will go down like a bucket of warm sick.”

However, a friend of King Charles told The Daily Beast that they thought Charles would be “thrilled” to have Harry and his family back in the U.K. more often.

The differing royal reactions came after Harry revealed, while arguing in the High Court that he should still have the right to automatic police protection on British soil, that he wants his children to spend more time in the U.K. He suggested the only thing stopping them was his family not having the right to the automatic police protection that they would have enjoyed as full time members of the Firm.

On Thursday, to widespread disbelief voiced by his critics on social media, Harry argued in a statement submitted to the High Court that it was not a “choice” to leave the royal family, saying: “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020.” The argument that they were “forced” to leave will not, however, come as a huge surprise to many in the palace. Harry and Meghan had initially hoped to continue representing the monarchy on a part time basis, and have said they felt they had no choice but to quit completely when that was refused.

A former courtier told The Daily Beast: “The idea that they had ‘no choice’ but to quit is a classic example of their ‘this is my truth’ concept. It’s just a figure of speech. It is not actually true. Of course they could have carried on if they had wanted to. They were not forced out.”

Asked why, if he was so enthusiastic to see lots of Harry and his family, Charles had evicted them from Frogmore Cottage where they would have had benefited from the enhanced security of being on the Windsor estate, the friend said: “He can’t be seen to be keeping luxury homes on standby for his children.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Frogmore Cottage is not a “luxury home,” it was a dilapidated shack which the Sussexes lovingly renovated and decorated, and they had a valid and paid lease on it when Charles evicted them. Post-eviction, Frogmore Cottage has been sitting there vacant too, because we have not heard one thing about Charles finding a new tenant. As for this: “The idea of them coming back here will go down like a bucket of warm sick.” I cannot even imagine the cruelty and vile racism coming from William and Kate if this is the way their “friends” openly discuss Harry and Meghan. That too is why the Sussexes were forced out of the country – to appease Will and Kate and their need to be the center of attention.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.

Back in September, the news began spilling out. The Princess of Wales was skipping out on the big trip to Singapore for this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony. The palace staggered around, trying to figure out a suitable lie for why Kate didn’t go to New York with her husband and then was apparently refusing to go to Singapore. The lie ended up being “Prince George has to sit for an important exam and Kate wanted to be there to help him.” There were other stories though, about Kate being a “reluctant traveler,” stories which were hilariously refuted as everyone insisted that no, George’s exam is so, so important. Basically, George was taking a standardized placement exam on his road to eventually go to Eton. Only we’ve heard many times that Kate doesn’t want to send George to any boarding school, and she would prefer to send him to her co-ed alma mater Marlborough. Well, that’s what Richard Eden’s recent column was about:

The Princess of Wales is so committed to her children’s education that she stayed at home while Prince William was in Singapore for his Earthshot Prize awards earlier this month so she could support Prince George as he prepared for school exams. Now, I hear, the couple face a dilemma over where to send their elder son for the next stage of his education.

‘Catherine is not a fan of single-sex schools,’ a friend of her family, the Middletons, tells me. ‘She did not enjoy her time at Downe House, but loved it at Marlborough College.’

It is said that Kate Middleton was the target of bullies at Downe House, an all-girls boarding school in Berkshire where she endured two miserable terms when she was a teenager. She was delighted to move to Marlborough College, a co-educational boarding school in Wiltshire, where she excelled in the classroom as well as on the sports field before she went on to St Andrews University, where she met Prince William.

Last month, I disclosed that Catherine had made a secret return visit to her beloved alma mater.

‘Catherine was here the other day,’ a source at the £46,995-per-year boarding college in Wiltshire told me. ‘It’s been the talk of the school.’

Parents speculate that the Princess may be thinking about sending her elder son, Prince George, to Marlborough, where her sister, Pippa, and brother, James, were also pupils. Princess Eugenie, Samantha Cameron and comedian Jack Whitehall are among its other alumni. George, aged ten, is in Year 6 at Lambrook prep school in Berkshire, but was recently spotted looking around Eton College with his family ahead of a potential move there.

[From The Daily Mail]

I honestly wonder why Eden even bothered with this? We’ve been hearing variations of this for months, if not years. The new wrinkle is that Kate is wary of same-sex education, while previously she had qualms about boarding schools in general. I’ve always said that Kate got “her way” on the kids’ education in their early years (heh) because the institution would make her send the kids away by their teen years. William clearly wants his sons to go to Eton, which is a guarantee that they will go to Eton. Kate will probably get her way with Charlotte though – I bet Charlotte ends up going to Marlborough, and not as a boarder.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

It’s good that the Sussex Squad hasn’t gotten their hopes up about Prince Harry’s court battle for royal protection. Harry has been waging this battle for more than two years, and the battle is simply about wanting high-level royal protection when he visits the UK and wanting to pay for the security himself, in effect “paying back” the police for their protection. The Windsors and the Ravec (the committee overseeing who gets protection) have blocked him completely. And guess what? Harry isn’t going to win. Even if his case makes good points, even if Harry is right on the law, Ravec will continue to block him from receiving police security in the UK regardless of who pays for it. That won’t change until Harry’s father decides to stop putting the Sussexes in mortal danger. That won’t change until Harry’s father cares about whether his son and grandchildren are safe and healthy. The problem is, King Charles doesn’t give a sh-t.

Prince Harry has said the UK is his home and he was forced to leave – as he wages a battle over his security. The Duke of Sussex is challenging the decision to downgrade his publicly-funded security detail after he quit as a working royal in 2020. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) decided he should no longer have the same level of security as senior royals. But his legal team say there was a lack of transparency, and the usual risk analysis was not applied.

In a statement read out in the High Court today, Harry said he felt forced to leave the UK after the security downgrade.

He said: “It was with great sadness to both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020. The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States. That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I can’t put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life I’m reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”

Harry was not in court, and the statement was read out on his behalf. At a hearing today, the duke’s barrister Shaheed Fatima KC said Harry did not accept that it was a “choice” for him to have stopped being a “full time working member of the royal family”.

Earlier the lawyer said Ravec should have considered the wider impact on the UK’s reputation should he be attacked. She said: “It failed to treat the claimant in the way it has treated others. It failed to tell the claimant how he was being treated and why.”

[From The Sun]

“I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020” – one thing Harry did well in Spare is remind everyone that, in his mind, all options were on the table and there could have been a “half-in” solution, one where he and Meghan would have happily worked for the Firm part-time. That option was denied by Edward Young, QEII’s private secretary. The fix was in – the Sussexes were always going to be shoved out. Then Charles made sure to yank their protection and funding because Harry wouldn’t back down from his pursuit of Christian Jones and The Sun. The goal was never “protect Harry” or “treat the Sussexes like their lives matter.” The goal was control, humiliation, mortal danger. These really are some sadistic sh-theads.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as speaker of the House a few months ago, announced that he will retire at the end of this year. Hilarious. [Pajiba]
Sean Combs denies all of the (many) rape, abuse and trafficking allegations he’s now facing from multiple victims. [Socialite Life]
Jennifer Lopez received yet another Icon Award (and looked amazing). [LaineyGossip]
Holiday season AITA posts! Festive. [Buzzfeed]
The highest paid female athletes of 2023 – way to go, Coco Gauff! [JustJared]
Julia Roberts has not gotten much attention this week, right? [GFY]
Bradley Cooper, Irina Shayk & Gigi Hadid did something. [Hollywood Life]
Adam Driver understands that he’s unconventionally attractive. [OMG Blog]
Reba McEntire has some thoughts on Taylor Swift. [Seriously OMG]
Phoebe Dynevor wore Louis Vuitton to the Elle WIH event. [RCFA]
This Alabama cop needs to be dealt with. [The Root]

The story of Princess Diana’s revenge dress is legendary. On the night her estranged husband was confessing his affair in a TV interview, Diana stepped out at the Serpentine Gallery wearing an off-the-shoulder little black dress. The British papers ran the two stories side-by-side: Diana looking sexy and vivacious beside the heir to the throne dithering over his adultery. Diana always sent powerful messages through fashion, and this was one of her most iconic fashion moments.

Over the past week, the British papers have tried to make “Kate’s revenge dress” into a thing. It hasn’t worked, because A) Kate is not an iconic fashionista and B) the thing to which she’s supposedly seeking “revenge” is her own racism, or allegations of her racist behavior towards Meghan. When people are wondering if you had concerns about how dark your mixed-race nephew would be, that’s probably not the moment to show up looking like a Disney villainess who poisons apples in her spare time. That’s not “revenge dressing.” That’s actually theme-dressing. But still, those British papers are still trying to convince people that Kate has been revenge-dressing in the past week, especially at Tuesday night’s Diplomatic Reception, where Kate repeated a boring Jenny Packham gown (and she was actually copykeening Crown Princess Mary).

What a difference a year, and a few undeserved missiles, make. In 2022, at the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace, the Princess of Wales was regal, yes. Beautiful, yes. But a little too appropriate. A scarlet, embroidered and embellished Jenny Packham gown.

This year? It was the ultimate revenge dress. It signalled, as Diana’s Little Black Dress did at the Serpentine on the night Prince Charles confessed to adultery on national televsion, that Catherine will not be cowed. She will not go quietly into the night. (And, to be honest, why on earth should she?) The dress isn’t overtly sexy: the occasion is too formal for too much skin and, for most women, an elaborate sash and brooch would instantly kill anything too sensual. But it is form fitting and, like Diana’s LBD, very modern.

On Tuesday night, we glimpsed a woman who not only wears diamonds (the tiara this time was the Lover’s Knot, often worn by Princess Diana; it was a wedding gift from the late Queen) but who is one. She literally shines under pressure. She knew all eyes would be on her, as the reception on Tuesday night was the first time senior royals will have been seen together since the racism row, when both the Princess of Wales and King Charles were named in the Dutch version of Omid Scobie’s new tome.

So, what did Catherine do? She wore the soft pink Jenny Packham to great effect, at the wedding of the crown prince of Jordan earlier this year. She did the high hair with tiara thing again. Earrings are the Greville Diamond Chandeliers, made by Cartier. The ensemble certainly beat a pair of black leggings and baseball cap, pulled on in a car park in Montecito.

No cap sleeves, no full-on frou frou Disney skirt. No lace. No black velvet. No white lace, as though she isn’t a mother of children. Those past gowns by Alexander McQueen et al revealed a woman who hadn’t yet found herself. Who was still trying things on, literally and figuratively. No, last night she showed real confidence. Full-length sleeves. Matching clutch and shoes. All of which she has worn before.

William had earlier in the day been freezing, out selling The Big Issue. It would have grated had Catherine not worn a recycled gown. It would have been crass. Instead, it was perfect.

[From The Daily Mail]

Do these people honestly believe the horses-t they’re shoveling? That Kate turning up in a repeated ensemble (she didn’t even change the earrings) was some kind of statement of revenge? Revenge against her own alleged racism? No, the point – which they keep making so inarticulately – is that they want to imagine the Duchess of Sussex seething with jealousy when she, the victim of Kate’s racism and Karening, sees Kate wearing borrowed jewels and gopher wigs. “The ensemble certainly beat a pair of black leggings and baseball cap, pulled on in a car park in Montecito.” LMAO – Meghan was running errands or coming back from the gym, and that’s being compared to Copykeen Barbie’s white-tie reception look? Anyway, if this was supposed to be revenge dressing, Kate failed once again. (Next up: they’ll say that Meghan must be jealous of Kate’s revenge buttons.)

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

From CB: I bought these earring sets in silver and gold tone because I’m constantly losing earrings and wanted some more for daily wear. They’re affordable and cute and I wear them a lot. I also bought three sets of the fire blankets we featured to give as gifts this Christmas. (Note that they are primarily for putting out fires.) Here are some more things Rosie and I are looking at on Amazon along with gift ideas!

A heated jacket that will be someone’s favorite gift

From CB: I have this heated jacket by Ororo, I bought it in November, 2021 and I love it! This link is to the women’s version and you can also get a men’s version. I wear this vest all the time in the winter and I even wear it around the house. It has three temperature settings and keeps me toasty without being too warm. I have it in black and it also comes in gray and white. This listing has almost 9,000 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Most people like it as much as I do. “I love this vest! I got this one for myself and the men’s one for my husband for us to wear while golfing in cold weather. The vest doesn’t affect range of motion and is so nice and cozy – especially appreciate the heating elements in the pockets for your hands. I wear this when I’m chilled even just around the house or out and about. It is a warm vest even without being turned on.”

An under $19 mixing bowl set would make a great gift

From CB: I got this set of Pyrex mixing bowls in early 2021 and I use them just about every day. They’re priced at under $19 and would be a great gift for a chef or baker in your life. They’re microwave and dishwasher safe and mine have not chipped at all. Plus they fit inside each other for easy storage. These have over 27,000 ratings, 4.8 stars and a B on Fakespot. Most people like them as much as I do. “They’re very easy to wipe out, easy to clean, and simply elevate my kitchen experience. Wish I’d bought them years ago!” “These bowls are awesome, perfect size for mixing, easy to stack and store. Good value!” (Note that these do not come with lids, but you can get them separately.)

A fun party game you’ll want to play this season

From CB: Ransom notes is a word magnet prompt game that’s mostly for adults but can be adapted for kids. It has 4.4 stars, 4,600 ratings and a B on Fakespot. Most reviewers say it’s raucously fun. “My sister and I (both in our 50’s) gave this game a try. I was skeptical at first but after a few rounds we were hysterically laughing at our responses! The question cards were clever & funny as well and at some rounds we found ourselves laughing so hard.” “I was 10 minutes into playing this game at a friend’s house, and I was buying it on Amazon. What I love is that it’s works for any group. If you want to play it with kids, you can. Just be selective in what prompts you choose. If you want a more adult game, you can choose to play it that way. Super fun and different every time!”

A ventilated, cooling gel memory foam pillow

From Rosie: This memory foam pillow is designed to give users a cooler sleeping experience. It’s infused with temperature-regulating gel and ventilated to help dissipate body heat. It also has a removable polyester cover for easy washing. You can buy it in a standard, king, or queen size, as well as a one- or two-pack. It has a 4.4 star rating, more than 37,700 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People rave about how supportive yet comfortable it is. “This is exactly the perfect pillow for us. It’s soft but firm that your head doesn’t touch the mattress but not high that you’re getting neck pain. We both suffer with neck, shoulder and back pain and so glad I took the plunge and bought them.” “This foam is squishy yet sturdy. It’s comfortable.” “If you’re like me and like a firm pillow where your head isn’t sinking in, look no further! This pillow cups my head perfectly and gives just the right amount of support!”

Exfoliating shower gloves for softer, healthier skin

From Rosie: These gloves can be used to exfoliate your skin while you’re cleaning your body to help give you softer, healthier skin and improve blood circulation. These gloves come in multiple colors and three exfoliation levels. You can get them in a one-, two-, three-, five-, or ten-pack. They have a 4.5 star rating, more than 23,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. Users love how effective they are. “I absolutely love this! It’s perfect for exfoliation! I put them on, put body wash in the palms and it’s ready to wash up and exfoliate at the same time.” “Such a game changer. These gloves are more effective than any brush, towel, loofah, or anything else you may use to exfoliate. I use them for a few days in a row then toss them in the wash. Super easy to use and clean, and leaves your skin fresh and soft.”

A shape-shifting cube that provides hours of brain-stimulating fun

From Rosie: Someone gave us one of these Shashibo shape-shifting boxes and I have to admit, they’re pretty awesome. You can twist it around to form 70 different shapes that are held together by magnets inside of the cube. (They give you a booklet with possible configurations.) No joke: Mr. Rosie, the kids, and I all play with it. It’s especially great as a fidget activity. There are 20 different pattern options. It has a 4.6 star rating, and more than 40,000 reviews on MetaReview. People who’ve bought them find them just as fun as my family does. “I bought [it] as a gift for my nephew who loves puzzles and origami. He was amazed by the different shapes and patterns he could create with this magnetic cube. The SHASHIBO box is a great toy for kids and adults alike, and it can also be used as a stress reliever or a decoration.” “This is a durable little cube, and addicting.” “Got this for my grandson and he loved it! It is nice to see something that is not electronic to pique their interest. It is nice that you can add on to them and make bigger things.”

A fashionable, long-sleeve holiday dress with pockets

From Rosie: I bought the “Red” version of this dress in 2020 and still get a lot of use out of it every holiday season. I’m always cold, so I like that it’s a long dress with long sleeves, but my favorite part is that it has pockets. My sister liked my dress so much in 2020 that she and my niece got matching ones in the “Red Plaid” pattern. There are 10 different colors and patterns to choose from. Some options are not offered as a part of Prime shipping, though. It has a 4.3 star rating and more than 5,600 reviews on Review Meta. Users love how stylish and comfortable it is. “True to size and extremely comfortable. The pockets are a good depth and don’t stretch the dress when things are in them.” “This dress is so pretty on. I love the pockets lol but who doesn’t. This dress was very flattering.”