holidays

Every year there comes a time to begin preparing for the inevitable phenomenon that is 'Hot Girl Summer.' This year though, the universe took it up a notch and really said, "How about 'Heat Wave Summer'?" Although we appreciate the sun's creativity and effort this year, I think I can speak for us all when I say, "Universe, we can take it from here, thanks." Maybe things will chill out after the Fourth Of July, but if it doesn't, let's make sure you all don't end up having a 'dehydrated girl summer.'

Father's Day is upon us once again. This year is basically guaranteed to be better than the last due to... obvious reasons. Luckily there are many more options if you're looking for a fun place to take your old man. Don't ask us what to buy him though, it has (un)officially been decided that dads are the hardest people to buy gifts for — a close second being older brothers. How many ties can a man possibly own after all? 

Mamas go through a whole lot of sh*t, and they never really seem to get a break. Not even on weekends - the horror! Mother's Day is the one day a year that we shower them in hugs, kisses, and gifts, even though they deserve the world at all times. If you totally forgot that it's Mother's Day today, but are looking to celebrate your mom properly, we've compiled a concise list of quirky gifts to get her at the last minute. We're the last people to judge you for being last minute. Scroll on down to check 'em out, and have a lovely Mother's Day! 

It's always a tough decision what to get your beloved mother for Mother's Day. There are go-to gifts, flowers, chocolate, candles. But that stuff can get so boring. Also, in these trying times, there are limited places you can go to celebrate. This all means it's time to get creative. What better place is there to start than asking a bunch of moms what they actually want for Mother's Day. Lucky for you, there's already a Reddit thread full of answers!

Alright, ladies and gents, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, it's time for a super quick history lesson about the holiday. To make a long story short, the Mexicans totally kicked a** at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, totally taking down the French while boosting Mexican morale. Over time, Mexican and American culture became intertwined, and because Americans love any excuse to drink, they go hard on Cinco de Mayo annually with tacos, tequila, and sombreros. We really will use any excuse to drink, even if it's a battle that took place in a different country two centuries ago. Obviously, Twitter is always in on the action - scroll down for the funniest Cinco de Mayo tweets this year. 

Remember way back in the day when we were about to approach a 4-day weekend? Seems like ancient history now. But there's no reason we cannot reminisce on the pure joy we had looking just a few days ago as we had this rare beauty to look forward to. We were so young back then, so naive. Heck, we had a whole 4-day weekend ahead of us! The options were limitless! Well actually the world is kind of going through something so I'm sure 90% of us spent it indoors, but it still felt good to get a break from the daily BS we all deal with.

Here's my official proposal for 4-day weekends every weekend. Anyone else with me?

We all have our St. Patrick's day routine. Whether we like to go out with friends, get absolutely smashed in a small bar with a bunch of strangers, or murder a man just to watch him die and then drink daiquiris out of his skull, this holiday is fun for everyone. And whether you've just woken up next to your best friend who is pantsless, or discovered the man you killed was your long-lost brother, part of the fun is the crushing regret we all get to feel the next day after realizing the alcohol-induced decisions we made were really bad ones! Unfortunately, these holiday traditions won't be an option this year with most bars closed, but not to worry. Here are some memorable bad decisions you can make without risking your health! Well, except your liver and mental health, of course.

What would the world be if bad girls weren't here to shake things up? Us women have only the bad girls to thank for getting us our right to vote, to study, heck, even our right to show off our luscious legs in a mini skirt. The bad girls are the ones who don't ask for permission when they change the world. They barely even ask for forgiveness either. They take what is theirs. They reject stereotypes and prove every day that there is a place for women in every professional setting. We all owe the bad girls a big thank you!

Every culture is rich with unique traditions. It is amazing to be able to hear how somebody else was brought up completely different from you. All cultures should be celebrated and loved. But let's be honest, whatever culture you grew up with: Western, Eastern-European, Asian, Middle-Eastern, etc, there are some questionable traditions that you never found weird until you grew up and realized not everyone could relate. Some just seem downright silly, but hey, a part of loving your culture is laughing at your culture!

Valentine's day is the day of love, and this year I decided to treat myself to a little self-love (the most important kind)! Especially after the craziness that was 2020, I think we've all earned the right to focus on self-pleasure. Plus, there are LOTS of health benefits to orgasms--they can relieve stress, cramps, headaches...they're kind of a cure-all. Why are doctors not prescribing them more?? In my quest to give my V the perfect V-day, I did quite a bit of searching and eventually settled on the Sweet Treat Spinnator toy from Satisfyer. I chose it (over a regular vibrator or a suction toy) based on its adorable design, its affordability, and its spinning mechanism that I was curious to try. If you want to learn more or if you just want to enjoy more jokes about my vagina, read on.

Okay, it's incredibly easy to make fun of Valentine's day. The holiday has no real historic purpose, and really only benefits consumerism. If you're in a committed relationship there is an immense amount of pressure to behave a certain way on this random day to 'prove your love' or whatever. If you're not really dating, but seeing someone,  it's just kind of awkward because you might not want to go so full-out so early on. If you're single, well, you get a whole day to really (over)think about that. 

Let's be real. Whether you like it or not Valentine's day is coming up quickly. Yes, we're are in the midst of a global pandemic, but that doesn't mean you cannot make February 14th your B. Options may be limited, but there are still plenty of ways to go off and show Saint Valentine who's boss. Who needs a man when there are heart-shaped pizzas out there that can fill you up without unleashing their emotional baggage on you? Here are fourteen ways to thoroughly smash your first (and hopefully last) social distancing Valentine's day as the single queen that you are. 

Don't you just love when the family gets together? After all the time apart, there's so much to catch up on, and so much love to go around. Or judgment. Maybe a little bit of both. Depending on the relative in question, you're either really hyped to see them or dreading being in the same room as them.

This holiday season is no different. It's time to refresh your memories when it comes to the best and worst relatives at every holiday dinner. We know it's a hard pill to swallow, but these people are integral to the reality of your life. You didn't choose 'em, but you're stuck with 'em for every holiday dinner till the end of time. Cheezcake babes, time to rip off the bandaid, get through it together, and celebrate our survival with hot toddies afterward!

Americans take many things very seriously, much to the rest of the world's confusion, including but not limited to portion sizes, the American flag, and Halloween. Everywhere else, Halloween lasts one day, people dress up and may or may not go trick-or-treating, and that's about it. But in America, Halloween lasts a month, everything is pumpkin-flavored, and no one understands why. These tweets articulate the rest of the world's confusion with America's go-big-or-go-home attitude when it comes to the spookiest day in the calendar.

The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start planning your 2020 festivities. And who better to educate you on putting together the picture-perfect, instagram-worthy holiday than the top social media influencers?

We scoured the depths of Pinterest and Instagram for the best beauty, fashion, cooking and decorative bloggers out there, but none of them came close to good enough. And since you deserve the best of the best, we had no choice but to recruit our very own influencers. So go forth and educate yourselves, and start prepping for this year's holidays now. Because if your holiday isn't Instagram worthy, Christmas might as well be cancelled.