All posts in: This or That

27 Jan 2021

A Kraft Valentine’s Day

We were slightly okay with this when we thought it was macaroni and cheese dyed pink. It’s unconventional, but we get it given the theme. However, learning that this is a sweetened version of mac and cheese, we have major reservations. First off, who is asking for this?

How exactly is the macaroni and cheese sweetened? ie) what gives it the sugary taste? According to a spokesperson, the shade of bright pink comes from beetroot and carrot concentrates. It could be worse, but it actually sounds healthy. As for the taste though, you’ll find fructose, natural flavors and vanilla extract. Basically, this meal is going to taste like candy.

While it is an interesting PR move, you won’t be able to find this special edition box in stores. Kraft instead will be holding a sweepstakes where 1,000 winners at random will receive one of these select boxes. You can enter now until February 8th [here]. And yes, while I’m completely confused by the idea, I did enter because I like to win.

24 Jan 2021

LoveShackFancy x Beach Riot

[LoveShackFancy x Beach Riot Jennifer Sweatshirt] – $164

Pre-pandemic, you would have had a hard time convincing me to spend my money on active/lounge wear. Even though we’re not spending much time outside of our homes these days, I’m a huge advocate for dressing up at home and that includes pieces that are active/lounge wear. Two brands that I’ve been following closely in the last year have just joined forces and it’s an 80’s party up in here. LoveShackFancy is known for their romantic and girly house dresses. After collaborating with Target in 2020 for a capsule collection, they’re back with a project involving Beach Riot. Though I don’t own any pieces from them, their swimsuits have been on my wish list for years!

Their latest collection together was made for an 80’s child or someone who needs every shade of pink. Here are our favorite pieces!

[LoveShackFancy x Beach Riot [Leah Top] and [Jade Legging] – $108 / $138

[LoveShackFancy x Beach Riot [Leah Top] and [Ayla Legging] – $98 / $128

[LoveShackFancy x Beach Riot Layla Top] – $118

[LoveShackFancy x Beach Riot [Georgia Top] and [Bike Short] – $118 / $118

For an entire look at the collection, visit their website [here]

21 Jan 2021

Blog Roundup

  • Airbnb’s Most Wish-Listed Properties in all 50 States [Matador Network]
  • How Often Should You Reboot Your Computer? [Gizmodo]
  • How Many Minutes Per Day Should You Spend Outside? [InsideHook]
  • Vice President Kamala Harris is an ARMY [PINKVILLA]
  • Meena Harris Would Like (Politely) Remind You That She Is ‘Not Kamala’ [The Cut]
  • Pharrell Partners with Georgia Tech and Amazon to Teach Music Coding to Young Students [Hypebeast]
  • 13 Korean Dramas to Look Forward to in 2021 [Hypebae]
  • Glastonbury 2021 Has Been Cancelled [The Fader]
  • Anderson Cooper Fangirls Over Poet Amanda Gorman [CNN]
  • They Prepare the White House for a New President. They Have 5 Hours. [NY Times]
21 Jan 2021

A Matcha Maker At Home

In pandemic times, we’ve all had to make adjustments both big and small within our lives. Those of us who are used to buying a daily coffee (myself included) no longer find it safe to uphold those same habits. As a result, people are given two options really – learn to live without it or do it yourself at home. We’re not quite at the stage of making it ourselves yet, but in six months, maybe we will be!

[Cuzen Matcha] is giving people the chance to get their regular matcha fix at home with a new machine and it’s just as easy as one that makes coffee. In a traditional tea shop, making matcha involves grinding and adding in water by hand which all feels manual. However, this device automates a portion of this process making this even simpler and convenient for home.

Boasting a minimalist appearance, the innovative kitchen device features a compact ceramic mill that grinds tea leaves and dispenses them into a carafe, while a magnetic stirrer mixes water with the matcha powder to create the perfect cup of beverage.

If you’re a regular matcha consumer who could benefit from having a device like this, you can purchase one [here] for $369 USD. The machine also comes with three packets of tea leaves as well as a whisking cup to get you started.

[Source]

21 Jan 2021

Nike SB Dunk High in “Baroque Brown” Reminds Me of Andes Chocolate Mints

I’m told that that 2021 is the year that Dunks are making their huge comeback and this one looks promising! Nike’s SB Dunk High in “Baroque Brown” is crafted from a vegan leather build only displaying slight contrast through its laces and midsoles. Both the laces and the outsoles are in a matching forest green hue. Upon first eyeing the shoe, I was immediately brought back to a favorite childhood candy of mine – the Andes Chocolate Mint – but this is not that collaboration project.

The sneaker is available now until February at select skate shops outside of the US and in Mexico and Europe. For more details on the sneaker itself and locations to buy, visit [Hypebeast].

20 Jan 2021

Bernie Goes Viral

Leave it to Bernie Sanders to completely steal the show on Inauguration Day. Arriving today with a strong showing of his mittens, arms crossed, and using a cell phone like your grandfather, he left the internet with no choice to turn him into a meme. And boy, did this take off! Here are just a few of my favorites from the day:

20 Jan 2021

Hot Pink Teeter-Totters at the US-Mexico Border Win Beazley Design of the Year

As we end today, I am glad I never have to hear about “building the wall.” For years, this topic brought us both sadness and pain. As a country that has strong values in building bridges and bringing people together, the wall couldn’t have been more divisive.

Two Oakland based artists, [Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello] came together to bring their playful idea to the border. In July 2019 at the border of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, three pink teeter-totters were installed to connect both sides. While the installation seemed timely given the tension brought on by the administration, the project itself had been a decade in the making. Though the teeter-totters were used for only an hour, it left a lasting impression. Known for being used by children, you can see in the photo that it is being used by both children and adults. The message that this symbolizes is the unity between children and adults and that both countries can work together to physically lift each other up.

When asked about the administration separating families at the border, Rael shared this re: the proejct:

The teeter-totters represented the kind of balance necessary for any two people, two nations, to achieve equality, with the understanding that the actions on one side have direct consequences on the other. The teeter-totter is the physical manifestation of the Golden Rule—treat others as you would like others to treat you—a maxim that is shared by all cultures and religions. To experience joy on a teeter-totter, you must allow the other person to experience joy as well.

This highly prestigious award was given to the two artists from London’s Design Museum.

[Source]

20 Jan 2021

TinyTan | Animation – Dream ON

We’ve spent some time talking about BTS’s collaboration with Line Friends, but they also have their Tiny Tan characters. Earlier this week, the group released a new animated music video of them visiting an ARMY and giving her an extra boost of confidence in her dreams. Could we have watched a full length movie of this entire storyline? Absolutely. Did we nearly tear up at certain parts? Of course.

For ARMY, you’ve likely already watched this and enjoyed all of the personality quirks of their animated characters that translate into their real life personalities as much as I did.

17 Jan 2021

8-Year Old Army Meets 42-Year Old Army

I often times get asked what the demographic of fans looks like for a K-pop group like BTS. Naturally, you want to assume it is young teenage girls. We associate it with that because for some of us, as young teenage girls ourselves, we loved boy bands growing up. The phenomenon around BTS though is that they don’t cater to one specific type of demographic. Attend one of their concerts and you’ll find a mixed crowd with people from all different age groups. Think because the majority of their songs are sung in Korean that the fans won’t sing along at their shows? Wrong. Their fans all over the world can sing in Korean too. After being an army for five months now, I’m not even able to pinpoint what type of genre they lean towards. They can do it all.

In things that popped up on my YouTube feed today was the most endearing video of two Army fans meeting each other for the first time. Despite that age gap, they’ve got quite a bit in common with each other.

17 Jan 2021

Blog Roundup

  • The Kamala Harris Vogue Cover Has Issues [Refinery29]
  • The Grammy Awards Have Been Postponed [Nylon]
  • The Unlikely Connection Between Wellness Influencers and Pro-Trump Rioters [Cosmopolitan]
  • A Reservation for Insurrection [Intelligencer]
  • 10 Things You Never Knew About IKEA [Cool Material]
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
  • The Best Sandwich in Every State [Food & Wine]
  • Governor’s Ball 2021 Announced For September [The Fader] honestly how
  • Why Do I Spend Weeks Avoiding Tasks That Will Take Me 10 Minutes To Do? [VICE]
  • You Know Awkwafina, But Have You Met Nora Lum? [Harper’s Bazaar]
  • How Instant Ramen Became An Instant Success [Business Insider]
  • How TikTok’s ‘For You’ Algorithm Works [Wired]
  • Netflix Promises At Least One New Movie Every Week in 2021 [The Verge]
  • Yelp Will Display How Well A Restaurant Is Observing COVID-19 Guidelines [Eater]
  • Ariel Pink Goes On Tucker Carlson [The Fader] And no, we don’t feel bad for the guy at all.