Whether you’re shopping for your mom who throws detailed dinner parties or a girlfriend who always finds the most unique and eye-catching jewelry, these 11 gifts will surely bring comfort and joy to the women in your life.
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Help her create a flowerbed bustling with activity. Each Pollinator Push Garden contains seeds specifically selected to grow a garden that will attract butterflies, bees, or hummingbirds—three of nature’s most notable pollinators—to your backyard. Flowers like black-eyed Susans, rocket larkspurs, and dwarf cosmos provide a bright backdrop.
Easy does it: These mason jars are filled with all the dried fruits, herbs, and bitters required to create an unconventional cocktail experience. To whip up the drink, she’ll just need to add the recommended alcohol to the jar, let it steep, strain it, and then enjoy the tasty new beverage. Each one boasts no added sugars; just creative flavors (Campfire Bourbon Vodka, anyone?) and as a bonus, she’ll get the satisfaction of knowing she made it herself.
Saving face: This kit includes six of Peter Thomas Roth’s most popular masks, including the nourishing Blue Algae Mask and the anti-aging 24K Gold Mask.
Craft the perfect present for the friend who’s always looking for a new skill to pick up or a project to work on. This kit comes with all the items she’ll need to make a wool beanie. (You can even add a knitting needle for an added cost.)
Upgrade her timepiece with a modern, minimalist design from Tinker Watches. You choose the size (34mm, 38mm, 42mm) and the metal finish (copper, silver, gold) of the 24-sided face and the color of the interchangable leather strap. Each watch also features a date function, which can show the day of the week in both Spanish and English.
Help her clean up a disorganized jewelry collection with this gem-shaped tray. The 9.25 by 6.5- inch piece features a linen base and a brass-plated frame.
A birthstone necklace is a sweet and thoughtful gesture, but a lunar phase necklace shows that you really pay attention to details. Select the moon phase that occurred on the recipient’s birthday from eight available options.
For the woman who knows that presentation is everything, opt for this desktop charging stand with a brushed aluminum finish. It’s compatible with the iPhone 5 and newer, as well as certain iPods, so every device can always be charged and ready to go.
Lightweight and stylish, each of these stainless steel growlers in bright copper or sophisticated black will come in handy all year long. Perfect for toting on the next microbrewery tour.
Give the gift of quiet luxury with a handmade Spa Tower. The pomegranate-and-cardamom scented candle sets a calm tone while the scrub, soak, mask, and body butter complete the spa experience right in her own home.
Pouring a beer properly is an art that many of us haven’t quite mastered. Mess it up and you’ll be left with a glass full of foam. You can either shrug and drink it, wait for the froth to settle—or you can take a cue from the American Chemical Society’s latest Reactions video, and use science to make your brew sippable.
The ACS recommends touching a piece of pizza, French fries, or even your nose, and then swirling your greasy finger through the bubbles. The oil breaks the bonds between beer proteins and hop compounds, causing the foam to dissipate. (Pro tip: Leave a little foam, as it lends the brew extra aroma and makes it creamy.) To learn more about the chemistry of beer bubbles, watch the clip above.
¡Three Amigos! came galloping into theaters on December 12, 1986. Directed by John Landis from a script by Steve Martin, Randy Newman, and Lorne Michaels, the film follows a goofy group of silent movie cowboys who are mistaken for real heroes by a small Mexican village. To this day, ¡Three Amigos! is one of the most infamous (which we all know means “more than famous”) films of the 1980s. It was named one of the Top 100 comedies by both Time Out and Bravo, and is celebrated as a unique collaboration between some of the greatest comedians of all time. There’s a lot to learn about “those darn amigos,” so here’s a plethora of facts about the comedy classic on its 30th birthday.
1. STEVE MARTIN LEARNED THE ROPE TRICKS HE DID IN THE MOVIE WHILE WORKING AT DISNEYLAND AS A TEENAGER.
Martin worked there part-time from age 10 to 18, first selling guidebooks then hawking spinning lassos in Frontierland, according to D3. “The ropes were hard to sell,” Martin explained. “I had to wear a Western costume, cowboy shirt, hat. I did a little bit of that in ¡Three Amigos!“
2. ALL BUT ONE OF THE MOVIES, ACTORS, AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS MENTIONED IN THE FILM ARE FAKE.
The film is full of fake movie references, from Harry Flugleman (played by Joe Mantegna), the amigos’ fictional producer, to fake films like Amigos! Amigos! Amigos! and Little Neddy Grab Your Gun. There’s only one scene where a real star of the silent film era is mentioned: When he’s bragging to some of the Santo Poco villagers about his film career, Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) name drops actress Dorothy Gish, telling the confused villagers about the time Gish visited him on set. Today, that name would probably go over about as well with audiences as it did for the fictional villagers. Though she’s largely forgotten today, Dorothy Gish was an actress and director from the silent movie era, as well as the less famous sister of Oscar-nominated actress Lillian Gish.
3. RANDY NEWMAN PLAYED THE SINGING BUSH.
Well, technically, the Singing Bush was played by a bush, but Newman provided its voice. His voice was digitally altered for the role. In an interview with Movies.com, director John Landis explained that he’d considered several different ways of portraying the singing bush—including animating it, or somehow showing its lips moving—but ultimately decided to make the bush more naturalistic, and just let Newman’s singing take over the scene.
4. IT WAS MARTIN SHORT’S FIRST MOVIE ROLE.
Short had been doing sketch comedy—including on Saturday Night Live and SCTV—for years before he landed the part, but ¡Three Amigos! was his breakout film role. He went on to work with Steve Martin in two more films: Father of the Bride (1991) and Father of the Bride Part II (1995).
5. THE ACTOR WHO PLAYED EL GUAPO WAS IN A 1970 MOVIE CALLED TRES AMIGOS.
The Spanish language adventure comedy is largely forgotten today, but Alfonso Arau not only went on to play “El Guapo” in ¡Three Amigos!, he also appeared as the villain, Herrera, in Sam Peckinpah’s classic Western The Wild Bunch (1969).
6. JOHN LANDIS’S FAVORITE MOMENT WHILE SHOOTING WAS AN ARGUMENT WITH CHEVY CHASE.
Landis told Movies.com, “Probably the funniest moment for me when shooting was when I had the Three Amigos on horseback in the desert and I was shooting while they were wearing those ridiculous outfits and after having been shooting for three weeks, Chevy objected to a line of dialogue and he said, ‘I don’t think I should say this.’ And, remember, Chevy plays a character named Dusty Bottoms. So I said, ‘Well, why not?’ He said, ‘Because my character would have to be a moron to say this.’ All I could think was, What movie has Chevy been making? So I said, ‘OK, I’ll give it to Marty because it’s a laugh.’ Then Chevy said, ‘I’ll say it!’ It’s one of my favorite moments with an actor.”
7. SEVERAL FILMS THAT CAME OUT AFTER ¡THREE AMIGOS!SHARED ITS PREMISE.
Like ¡Three Amigos!, films like Galaxy Quest (1999) and Tropic Thunder (2008) have featured movie stars accidentally ending up in real danger. Vulture outlined the many similarities between Tropic Thunder and ¡Three Amigos!, which include everything from similar catchphrases and movie star cameos (Tom Cruise plays Jewish film producer Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder while Joe Mantegna plays Jewish film producer Harry Flugleman in ¡Three Amigos!) to characters eating bats when they’re short on food. Galaxy Quest meanwhile featured a group of washed up sci-fi stars who end up cavorting with real aliens.
Referring to the spate of movies that borrow from the ¡Three Amigos! premise, John Landis said, “They completely ripped it off! The first Pixar movie about the ants, A Bug’s Life, took the same plot. It’s amazing how often the plot has been used. If Galaxy Quest weren’t so funny, it would probably bother me more.”
8. WHILE PROMOTING THE FILM ON DAVID LETTERMAN, STEVE MARTIN INTRODUCED A SERIES OF THREE AMIGOS SOUVENIRS OF INCREASING RIDICULOUSNESS.
These included: Three Amigos rubber cement, holy water (“blessed by the Three Amigos”), turkey basters (in sizes ranging from “Martin Short” to “Steve Martin”), the “Egg McMigo” breakfast sandwich, and Three Amigos contraceptive foam.
9. STEVE MARTIN DEVELOPED TINNITUS WHILE SHOOTING THE FILM.
While shooting a pistol fight in the film, Steve Martin developed tinnitus—a constant ringing in the ears which sometimes fades over time. In Martin’s case, the condition turned out to be permanent: regarding his experience with tinnitus, he explains, “You just get used to it. Or you go insane.”
10. ROGER EBERT GAVE IT ONE STAR.
He called it “too confident, too relaxed, too clever to be really funny,” and complained that the performers were underutilized—particularly Chevy Chase who “hardly seems in the movie at all.” He also argued that the film lacked the energy of Landis’s earlier comedy, Animal House.
11. IT TOOK SIX YEARS TO GET THE FILM INTO PRODUCTION.
It was originally going to be called The Three Caballeros. Steve Martin, who came up with the original idea, was talking about it in interviews as early as 1980, but it took a long time to find a director willing to make it.
12. FRAN DRESCHER WAS IN THE ORIGINAL FILM, BUT WAS CUT BECAUSE OF TIME ISSUES.
Before she was The Nanny, Drescher had a small part in ¡Three Amigos! as a shallow movie star in the Hollywood segment of the film. Though the film was eventually re-released with deleted scenes, Drescher’s footage didn’t appear—it seems to have been lost entirely over the years.
13. STEVEN SPIELBERG ALMOST DIRECTED THE FILM.
Spielberg considered making the film in the early 1980s with Martin, Robin Williams, and Bill Murray as the leads. Ultimately, he decided to make E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) instead.
14. JOHN BELUSHI, DAN AYKROYD, AND RICK MORANIS WERE ALL CONSIDERED FOR AMIGOS PARTS, TOO.
Martin had initially imagined co-starring in the film alongside Belushi and Aykroyd. It’s unclear what happened—perhaps the film just took too long to make it into production. Next, Spielberg had expressed interest in casting Murray and Williams alongside Martin, but when he dropped out of the project, the idea went with him. Finally, Landis considered casting Rick Moranis as the third amigo—but only if his first choice, Martin Short, was unavailable. Splitsider notes that many of these actors were collaborating with each other around this time: Moranis, Murray, and Aykroyd all appeared in 1984’s Ghostbusters together, while Belushi and Aykroyd famously co-starred in 1980’s The Blues Brothers and 1981’s Neighbors.
15. A NOVELIZATION OF THE FILM WAS PUBLISHED, WRITTEN BY LEONORE FLEISCHER.
It was an official adaptation of the original screenplay, and was even promoted in the film’s credits. Fleischer has written a number of film novelizations, mostly for classroom use, including the novelization of the Academy Award-winning 1988 film Rain Man.
The intrepid home brewer can now create a truly unique beer. The ODIN, a company that sells DIY science kits, has created an at-home brewing kit that lets you create glowing beer, as Eater reports.
The bioluminescent beer gets its glow from a jellyfish gene in the genetically modified yeast. Jellyfish-derived fluorescence has also been used to create glowing animals, including sheep, rabbits, and pigs.
The ODIN was founded by a former NASA biologist, Josiah Zayner, who has previously launched kits for amateur scientists to perform experiments with technology—like the gene-editing tool CRISPR—at home. While the FDA has come calling over worries that the beer kit would be unsafe for consumption, the company has performed safety tests to allay those fears, so brew up a batch of luminescent suds at your own discretion.
The intrepid home brewer can now create a truly unique beer. The ODIN, a company that sells DIY science kits, has created an at-home brewing kit that lets you create glowing beer, as Eater reports.
The bioluminescent beer gets its glow from a jellyfish gene in the genetically modified yeast. Jellyfish-derived fluorescence has also been used to create glowing animals, including sheep, rabbits, and pigs.
The ODIN was founded by a former NASA biologist, Josiah Zayner, who has previously launched kits for amateur scientists to perform experiments with technology—like the gene-editing tool CRISPR—at home. While the FDA has come calling over worries that the beer kit would be unsafe for consumption, the company has performed safety tests to allay those fears, so brew up a batch of luminescent suds at your own discretion.
Study after study has found that taking breaks and caring for ourselves makes us better and more effective at what we do. Yet when crunch time comes, taking a break seems like an impossible luxury. Here’s our finals-week gift from us to you: official, scientific permission to take a few minutes and treat yourself. If you need an idea, try one of these seven free and easy methods.
1. BECOME AN EXPLORER.
There are places in your town you’ve never been, and sights on campus you’ve never seen. Identify one new-to-you spot—whether that’s a museum, a hiking trail, or the site of a famous haunting—and go check it out. If you’re at a loss as to where to begin, consider playing tourist for the day, and pay a visit to your town or university’s visitor’s center. They’ll be able to point you toward the little-known sights worth your time.
2. PAMPER, PAMPER, PAMPER
You don’t have to shell out $85 for a mud mask to baby your body. Give yourself a manicure or make your own exfoliating sugar scrub or face mask (a quick online search should turn up plenty of recipes for masks using stuff you probably already have in the fridge). Dig out all those free samples from the bottom of the bathroom cabinet. Or, consider visiting a department store’s cosmetics counter, or your favorite beauty retailer, to stock up on samples of face masks, moisturizer, and more. At one major national chain, employees are encouraged to send shoppers home with samples, even if they don’t end up buying anything.
3. DANCE BREAK!
Think back to the last time you enjoyed dancing. Now find that song on the Internet, get up from your desk, press play, and let the rhythm take you away.
4. HUG A TREE.
We don’t mean literally, but you could. Make snow angels. Build a bonfire. Lay in the grass and watch clouds go by. Get yourself out into the natural, primal world just for a few minutes. (Or, if weather forbids, cue up a good old-fashioned Yule log video and enjoy the crackles and pops of cheerful, simulated flames.)
5. INDULGE YOUR SENSES.
Dip a hand in cool running water. Change into your softest, coziest pajamas. Dig out that fancy perfume or cologne you save for special occasions. Eat one really good piece of chocolate. Do something that takes you out of your head and into your body just for a moment.
6. MAKE SOMETHING…
It doesn’t have to be complicated or even good. You could spend a few minutes with a coloring book or baking a cake from a mix. You could arrange the food on your plate into a ridiculous face. You could write a limerick about how much you hate finals. The goal is to stop thinking and let your creativity flow—without applying any pressure.
7. …OR BREAK SOMETHING.
Sometimes the best way to relieve tension is to let it rip. We’re not suggesting that you take a hammer to your roommate’s alarm clock, but you could shred a page of notes you no longer need, stomp on a sheet of bubble wrap, or make friends with the birds by crumbling a bunch of cookies on the sidewalk.
Over budget? Under budget? What’s a budget? Answer these questions and more with tools like Slice-a-Budget on Prudential.com.
When it comes to saving money, the best time to start was yesterday. But today is pretty good, too! It may feel like you have no money to save when you’re just starting out, but even a small amount of cash put away on a regular basis can add up to a respectable amount over time. Here are seven smart money habits worth practicing at any stage in life.
1. PLAN OUT YOUR MEALS.
Feeding yourself without keeping an eye on your budget is a quick way to blow money—something that comes as a shock to many people leaving the nest for the first time. Instead of going out to eat every other meal or spending money on more perishable groceries than you can possibly consume, take the time to plan out your meals. Only buy the ingredients for the dishes you actually plan to cook that week and save takeout meals and restaurant trips for special occasions. You’ll be surprised to see how much better off your bank account will be because of it.
2. DON’T MAKE A HABIT OF DIPPING INTO YOUR SAVINGS.
A savings account doesn’t serve much of a purpose if you’re taking more money out of it than you’re depositing into it. You should only dip into your savings for serious emergencies. Medical issues, damage to your property or vehicle, and sudden unemployment are all situations where a hefty amount of savings can come in handy. In order to have that cushion to fall back on, make sure that your daily spending comes from your checking account.
3. SET UP AUTOMATIC DEPOSITS TO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
When looking at your monthly expenses, it’s important to budget money for savings just like you would food, gas, or utilities. If you’re employed part- or full-time and your salary is direct deposited to your checking account each month, consider setting up an automated transfer to your savings account. The amount doesn’t have to be large: If all you can afford to set aside is $20 per deposit, that’s better than saving nothing for the next five years.
4. SAVE YOUR SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME.
Whether you’re a student or a recent graduate, there are plenty of opportunities to earn a little income on the side. Dog walking, babysitting, and freelancing in your field are all ways to supplement your regular income. And although you most certainly deserve a vacation right about now, consider sending it straight to your savings account. It may not sound like the most glamorous use of your extra cash, but you’ll reap the benefits in the long run.
5. KEEP A MONEY DIARY.
It’s hard to know how much money you should be saving without knowing how much you’re already spending. For one month, commit to writing down every transaction you make, from student loan payments to snack purchases. Once you have the full list recorded, you can decide which purchases were unnecessary and calculate how much money you would save without them. Go into the next month aiming to stick to the necessities and vow to put away whatever money you would have spent otherwise.
6. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR FULL BENEFITS PACKAGE.
If you’re employed full-time, you could be passing up free money through your employer without even realizing it. In addition to healthcare, vision, and dental, many companies offer money-saving perks like matching 401(k) programs, discounted gym memberships, and transportation reimbursements to their full-time employees. If you’re still a student, there are other ways to save cash that are unique to your situation. Museums, retail stores, and restaurants often offer student discounts. Don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions of your human resources rep (if you’re employed full-time), or of your campus’s student activities council. They’ll be able to point you towards benefits and discounts you didn’t even know existed.
7. SPLURGE RESPONSIBLY.
After weeks spent budgeting your meals, taking advantage of discounts, and padding your savings, it’s important to reward yourself for all that self-discipline. Rather than spending indiscriminately throughout the month, determine a set amount of money for splurging like you would with any other expense. This cash can be used for a spa day, a fancy meal out, or that pair of sneakers you’ve had your eye on for a while—all that matters is that you spend it guilt-free so you can jump right back into your money-saving habits the next day.
Ready to learn more? Visit Prudential.com for tips and tools on budgeting, overcoming procrastination and more.
When it comes to saving money, the best time to start was yesterday. But today is pretty good, too! It may feel like you have no money to save when you’re just starting out, but even a small amount of cash put away on a regular basis can add up to a respectable amount over time. Here are seven smart money habits worth practicing at any stage in life.
1. PLAN OUT YOUR MEALS.
Feeding yourself without keeping an eye on your budget is a quick way to blow money—something that comes as a shock to many people leaving the nest for the first time. Instead of going out to eat every other meal or spending money on more perishable groceries than you can possibly consume, take the time to plan out your meals. Only buy the ingredients for the dishes you actually plan to cook that week and save takeout meals and restaurant trips for special occasions. You’ll be surprised to see how much better off your bank account will be because of it.
2. DON’T MAKE A HABIT OF DIPPING INTO YOUR SAVINGS.
A savings account doesn’t serve much of a purpose if you’re taking more money out of it than you’re depositing into it. You should only dip into your savings for serious emergencies. Medical issues, damage to your property or vehicle, and sudden unemployment are all situations where a hefty amount of savings can come in handy. In order to have that cushion to fall back on, make sure that your daily spending comes from your checking account.
3. SET UP AUTOMATIC DEPOSITS TO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
When looking at your monthly expenses, it’s important to budget money for savings just like you would food, gas, or utilities. If you’re employed part- or full-time and your salary is direct deposited to your checking account each month, consider setting up an automated transfer to your savings account. The amount doesn’t have to be large: If all you can afford to set aside is $20 per deposit, that’s better than saving nothing for the next five years.
4. SAVE YOUR SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME.
Whether you’re a student or a recent graduate, there are plenty of opportunities to earn a little income on the side. Dog walking, babysitting, and freelancing in your field are all ways to supplement your regular income. And although you most certainly deserve a vacation right about now, consider sending it straight to your savings account. It may not sound like the most glamorous use of your extra cash, but you’ll reap the benefits in the long run.
5. KEEP A MONEY DIARY.
It’s hard to know how much money you should be saving without knowing how much you’re already spending. For one month, commit to writing down every transaction you make, from student loan payments to snack purchases. Once you have the full list recorded, you can decide which purchases were unnecessary and calculate how much money you would save without them. Go into the next month aiming to stick to the necessities and vow to put away whatever money you would have spent otherwise.
6. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR FULL BENEFITS PACKAGE.
If you’re employed full-time, you could be passing up free money through your employer without even realizing it. In addition to healthcare, vision, and dental, many companies offer money-saving perks like matching 401(k) programs, discounted gym memberships, and transportation reimbursements to their full-time employees. If you’re still a student, there are other ways to save cash that are unique to your situation. Museums, retail stores, and restaurants often offer student discounts. Don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions of your human resources rep (if you’re employed full-time), or of your campus’s student activities council. They’ll be able to point you towards benefits and discounts you didn’t even know existed.
7. SPLURGE RESPONSIBLY.
After weeks spent budgeting your meals, taking advantage of discounts, and padding your savings, it’s important to reward yourself for all that self-discipline. Rather than spending indiscriminately throughout the month, determine a set amount of money for splurging like you would with any other expense. This cash can be used for a spa day, a fancy meal out, or that pair of sneakers you’ve had your eye on for a while—all that matters is that you spend it guilt-free so you can jump right back into your money-saving habits the next day.
Ready to learn more? Visit Prudential.com for tips and tools on budgeting, overcoming procrastination and more.
In the southern United States, a tri-state region is home to an incredible density of caves. Known as “TAG” (for Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia), this is a hidden world explored by secretive cavers, for good reason—the more traffic these caves receive, the faster they’re destroyed.
In the short film below entitled Sharing the Secrets, director/cinematographer Drew Perlmutter brings us inside these caves, with perspectives from cavers on why these landscapes are so significant and fragile.
If you’re interesting in getting started with caving, check out this FAQ.
