We’ve all heard of Christmas in July, but how about Thanksgiving in February? If it’s not already an honorary holiday, Chrissy Teigen has made it an official celebration as of this year, and we’re totally supporting this excuse to have an all-you-can-eat feast and ruin any 2018 fitness goals.

Before officially kicking off the evening, Teigen brushed up on her impersonation skills and channeled her inner Salt Bae (Turkish chef and butcher Nusret Gökçe), while putting the finishing touches on some scrumptious dishes.

Teigen also enlisted husband John Legend to work like a real Gordon Ramsay. In addition to his carved duck, the impromptu feast featured some inventive bacon-wrapped figs and classic mashed potatoes. The item that really put Teigen over the edge was the stuffing and we can’t blame her. Serving sizes are almost always miniscule, but when it comes to boxed stuffing, that’s another story.

“The box says six servings. Look at these people. Who the f**k can f**king eat this much stuffing? Nobody wants this,” Teigen said in one of her Instagram stories. Luckily, Legend, being the supportive husband he is, gave the majority of the stuffing to the dog.

Next year, Chrissy, call me, I'm there!

Women are finally being taken seriously about serious period pain. After an article in Marie Claire, published on Tuesday, discussed how a professor of reproductive health at the University College London has referred to menstrual cramps as “almost as bad as having a heart attack," the Internet responded with a resounding "no, duh."

For many years, women have frequently been dismissed as just having a little bit of pain during their periods, where they are advised to simply take some over-the-counter medicine and assume that it will probably go away. The Marie Claire article pointed out that doctors, specifically male doctors, also happen to take women’s pain less seriously than pain reported by men.

The professor who compared cramps to a heart attack is a man, but Marie Claire says it is a step in the right direction to see that menstruating folks (because, of course, not all women get periods and not all people who get periods are women) might finally be taken seriously for when it comes to pain.

On Twitter, plenty of folks responded to say that while it’s good this article was published and that the conversation is moving (slowly) forward, it’s still “nothing new.”

Controversies over how doctors treat women in pain have been in the news for a few years now: An article in Cosmopolitan in 2016 talked about how doctors just don’t take the time to know more about their patient's pain — particularly when they're connected to period cramps.

"Doctors need to be asking specific questions," OB-GYN Dr. Sherry Ross said to Cosmopolitan at the time. "How disruptive are the cramps? Do they cause you to miss work or school? Are you unable to exercise because of them?" Dr. Ross also advised women to come to doctor’s appointments prepared with questions so doctors can realize that patients care much more about their health.

In 2015, Joe Fassler wrote an article for The Atlanticabout how his wife Rachel could have died because of the sexism in an emergency room. He writes that some nurses told her it was “just a little pain” and what she was experiencing was not an emergency. In reality, she had an ovarian cyst that had grown so much it was causing organ failure in the ovary. Finally, after the male doctor left and a female doctor took over in the emergency room, she was able to get the help she needed.

While it's a given that period cramps are the worst— it's nice to be reminded that, despite stigma and sexism, this pain deserves to be recognized for what it is. 

At the same time that the White House began cutting the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget by $8.8 billion on programs for the homeless, elderly, and poor, Ben Caron’s office was getting a $31,000 dining room set, according to a report from The New York Times. Carson, the secretary of HUD, had the redecorating done in late 2017, but the federal procurement records have just been made public. 

The Washington Post dove deeper into Carson’s expenses. Carson’s wife reportedly insisted on redecorating the office, which included a $5,000 office chair. In a conversation between HUD’s chief administrative officer, Helen Foster and the Acting Secretary of HUD (her supervisor before Carson’s position became official), the acting secretary reportedly said that “$5000 will not even buy a decent chair.”

According to a Post investigation, a $5,000 office chair is one of the most expensive chairs that money can buy.

People on Twitter obviously had some thoughts about the hefty $165k he spent in total redecorating the office:

According to New York Magazine, Foster filed a lawsuit against Carson’s wife after she instructed the staff in charge of redecorating to find extra money for the high quality furniture she wanted to put in Carson’s office. Foster was demoted after she raised concerns, the Los Angeles Times reported. Her lawyer stated that Foster "has suffered much humiliation and loss of reputation, and harm to career advancement, as a result of this retaliatory assignment."

CNN reported on issues with Carson family involved in HUD last week.

A spokesperson for HUD’s Inspector general said that there is “an open matter” concerning an investigation into the family’s involvement in the department. “However, it is our policy not to comment any further during its pendency,” the spokesperson said. 

For the past several years, Demi Lovato has made it her mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health, especially while she's on tour. Just 12 days after a gunman struck down 17 people at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, Lovato arranged for a group of the school's students to be flown to San Diego for the first night of her new tour.

Taking a moment during her set to discuss our society's terrible habit of shaming mental health, she brought out the students to emphasize the dangers of putting mental health on the back burner. The students stood along the piano in matching shirts as she spoke about the tragedy, and exited as she dove straight into her powerful anthem, "Warrior."

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, Lovato belted out the fan favorite as "screens behind her showed fans how they could donate to the CAST Foundation by text message, money she said would go to supporting the students from Florida."

The 25-year-old has also taken the mental health discussion one step further, by setting up pre-show workshops that give concert-goers the opportunity to discuss mental health issues and find the resources that will help them or someone they know best deal with their situation. “I think every artist has the ability to speak out about things they believe in, and that it’s important, but it’s also a personal choice," she said. "Some people like to keep it private, and that’s totally their choice. But, for me, I see the importance of sharing my story and speaking out.”

Lovato's foundation intends to raise money and see that the victims of Stoneman Douglas, and anyone else who struggles with their mental health, will get the assistance and support they deserve.

Two weeks to the date of the horrific February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced they will no longer sell assault-style rifles in their stores. The mass shooting left 17 people dead and has been the catalyst in sparking the most recent gun control debate. 

Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the largest sports retailers in the country, released a statement early Wednesday announcing their decision. 

CEO, Edward Stack appeared on Good Morning America to defend the company’s stance. He said, “We’re staunch supporters of the Second Amendment. I’m a gun owner myself.  We’ve just decided that based on what’s happened with these guns, we don’t want to be a part of this story and we’ve eliminated these guns permanently.”

If this announcement seems like deja vu for Dick’s customers, that’s because they made the same claim in 2012 following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School where 20 children and six adults were killed. In response, Dick’s announced they would be suspending all sales of certain semiautomatic weapons at the time. However, that suspension was not permanent and the weapons were later sold at their Field & Stream stores, according to Vox. 

When asked if Dick’s would rescind on their decision again, Stack said, “Never.” Mass shootings in schools is not a new trend or something we’re just now seeing. However, the outcry and swift demand for change is beginning to make a dent in the pockets of corporations and has slowly pressured companies to cut ties with the NRA and use their power to demand change as well. 

“When we saw what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and upset," Stack told The New York Times. "We love these kids and their rallying cry, ‘enough is enough.' It got to us.”

For a number of Americans, enough is enough after this last horrible shooting — and maybe this time it will stick.

Whether you're a newbie to makeup or a bona fide guru, chances are likely you've had to deal with acne, scarring, or just plain lousy skin at one point or another.

These things objectively suck: Your foundation doesn't go on as smooth, flaking and patching become issues, and you generally have to shell out a lot more for specialized skin care products. For makeup artist Antonio Bermudez, however, a skin-saving solution came along from an unlikely place, one that's far less likely to leave your wallet bone dry. 

After struggling with painful cystic acne and scarring, Antonio started educating himself on skincare matters and ultimately built the perfect routine for him out of exclusively drugstore products. For starters, he had to identify his specific skin concerns. He told Allure, "If I'm not moisturized, I will overproduce oil, and it'll create acne and bigger pores".

Bermudez's stellar routine begins with Cetaphil's gentle cleansing bar ($8 at Target) to cleanse his skin without stripping away natural oils. Next, he moisturizes with La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ ($19.99 at DermStore). To slough away dead skin buildup, he uses the St. Ives Apricot Scrub ($3.59 at Target) to exfoliate twice a week, and finally, he uses Vichy's Thermal Spa Water ($18 at DermStore) to moisturize and heal the skin.

The secret key to his baby-faced glow though, is the No.8 Early Defence Glow Activating Serum ($21 at Target), which he swears has saved his skin for good.

All this just goes to show, you don't have to go far or spend your whole work-study paycheck to get that golden-girl complexion you're chasing. 

Brb, high-tailing it to CVS. 

It's been nearly five years since Paul Walker's untimely and tragic death, and now his memory is being honored in a big way.

Paramount Network (formerly Spike TV) is developing a documentary around the late actor. Set for release this summer, I Am Paul Walker will discuss Walker’s life and career, as well as the 2013 car accident that resulted in his death. (I am already emotional wreck and it hasn't even aired yet!) According to Entertainment Weekly, I Am Paul Walker will feature “interviews with some of Paul’s most cherished cast mates and friends who knew him best.” The film will also dive into Walker’s charitable work following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and his love of marine life.

No further details about the Paul Walker-focused documentary have been released yet, but here's a video montage of the late hottie to hold you over until it drops...

President Donald Trump's longtime communications director Hope Hicks is reportedly planning to resign,the New York Timesreported on Wednesday afternoon, one day after Hicks testified for eight hours before the House Intelligence Committee in a closed door meeting. 

Hicks' decision to leave her powerful White House post was reportedly months in the making. White House aides told the Times that Hicks had said that she believed she'd done all she could in her current role and that it was the right time to leave.  

Hicks, 29, has been a much-discussed member of Trump's team since his 2016 campaign — she's been cited as a "Trump whisperer"who was uniquely able to understand and navigate the president's moods, she's been meme'd for being comically silent and elusive and was romantically connected to White House Aide Rob Porter who resigned earlier this month after allegations that he abused his ex-wives.

Most recently, however, Hicks made headlines for comments made during her eight hour testimony, as the Times notes,  for only answering questions about her time campaigning with Trump and confirming that she did tell what she called "white lies" for the President who has a long and complicated history with the truth.)

Not surprisingly, Hicks (who has never been a big talker herself) said that she had "no words" to express her gratitude to the president and instead let Trump serve up a statement of his own on her behalf: 

“Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years. She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side, but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood. I am sure we will work together again in the future.”

There’s the cliché of young women looking in their closet in the morning or before they go out and bemoaning that they have nothing to wear. But seriously, it happens! However, if you find yourself unimpressed with your clothing choices every day, it might be time for a wardrobe makeover. One problem — where do you get the money it takes to restock an entire wardrobe?

Another cliché is the broke college student. But again—that’s actually a real thing. So finding the funds for a mega shopping spree (especially without giving up Sunday brunch with the girls and late night Dominos) can be tricky. The hard truth? You probably won’t just stumble upon a couple thousand bucks, so you have to get a little creative.

1. Invest in statement pieces

Rather than spend your money on uninteresting, cheap pieces, consider looking for stylish statement pieces that can easily change the less exciting clothes in your closet into trendy outfit

“Buy one really expensive piece from a store you’ve always admired,” Erica Galluscio, a junior at Hunter College, says. “You’ll wear it all the time and constantly find new ways to style it, I promise. It’s such a confidence boost.” There’s something so satisfying about buying something you’ve been eyeing for a while.

Related: The 7 Pieces You Need to Dress Like a Cool Girl Without Breaking the Bank

“I tend to buy a lot of plain basics but buying a few pieces that are totally different and eye-catching can spice up all the basics you have,” Iesha Ismail, University of Florida ’19, says. “I bought this really cool black and white striped blazer with flowers printed on it and it's not subtle at all but once I paired it over my black t-shirt and black jeans, it looked really chic and totally different from what I normally wear.”

If every few weeks you buy a new statement piece, eventually you’ll have a wardrobe fit for envy-worthy Insta posts.

2. Shop secondhand

Cue “Thrift Shop.” No one said your new wardrobe had to have new clothes. Lucky for ladies on a budget, hipsters have deemed vintage, a.k.a. cheap secondhand clothes, in style.

“Thrifting is such a great way to get staple items, especially if you’re into a minimal or retro aesthetic,” Claire Biggerstaff, Davidson College ’19, says. It can take a little shopping around, but frequenting thrift stores can pay off with some one-of-a-kind pieces that will have people thinking you’re stylish AF.

Iesha’s bold blazer? “I got it at the thrift store so it was a steal,” she says. If you’re as lucky as her, you could have a whole new look without having to anxiously check that your bank account.

Hannah Hershe thrifts online and buys clothes from other collegiettes. “U of M has this Facebook group where you need a UMich email to join, and it's literally buying selling and trading clothes for so cheap,” Hershe says. “I got jeans for like $10 each. Whenever I need new clothes, I just check there and usually can find a top for like $5 or a bralette or game day clothes or whatever I need.” It’d be worth checking if your school has something similar.

Like Macklemore says, “One man’s trash, that's another man’s come up.”  Here’s hoping you snag something fire.

3. Borrow or buy from friends

I was blessed with an older sister, so I got very good at “borrowing” clothes from her, bringing them to school with me, and then just letting her slowly forget she ever even owned it. Diabolical—but effective. If you don’t want to steal, you can actually borrow. Most friends will let you use a nice dress or eye catching purse for a special event or date.

Also, if friends are cleaning out their own closets, you can see if they’re willing to give or sell you anything. “Organize a clothing swap with your friends or sorority,” Claire suggested. That girl who always wears an Instagram-worthy outfit might be over that jacket you’ve been pining for.

4. Shop sales

Sales happen all year round, and being patient and persistent can pay off when the skirt you want gets marked down or there’s a massive sale online.

“I'm a huge fan of watching sales online and shopping in the clearance sections,” Emily Schmidt, Stanford ’20, says. “If I need something specific or just want to buy some new pieces, I challenge myself to stick to a budget and only buy thing in a certain price range. I also try to find as many coupon codes as possible to try and bring the total down even more.” Pro-tip: The Honey plug-incollects coupon codes for you and automatically tests them out at the sites you’re shopping on. Install it on your toolbar and it will do the coupon hunting for you.  

A lot of stores, like Urban Outfitters and J. Crew, have extra discounts for college students. The fashion industry knows we’re poor.

“I recommend signing up for UniDays, which hooks students up with sweet high-end discounts,” Erica says. “Just the other day UniDays sent me a 90 percent off code for Nasty Gal and I bought something I really needed (denim skirt) from a store I never thought Id be able to afford.” Okay, so where do I sign up?

It can be easy to think that cute, on-trend clothes are only the full-price items displayed on the mannequins, but that’s just what they want you to think. Think like a college student — just like you’ve mastered the art of eating and drinking on a budget (thank you two-buck Chuck and Kraft macaroni and cheese), you can also revamp your wardrobe with sparse funding. You can feel like a million bucks without spending that much, because lol, who has a million dollars in college? 

Only hours after Dick's Sporting Goods said it would entirely remove assault-style rifles from its stores, Walmart has announced that it will stop selling guns and ammunition to customers under 21 years of old and begin removing all toys resembling assault-style weapons. The New York Times reports that the massive chain came to the decision after reviewing its attitude toward firearms "in light of recent events," or the deadly Feb. 14 shooting at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

While Dick's Sporting Goods will work to completely remove powerful weapons from its shelves, Walmart has only decided to raise its age requirement to buy firearms from 18 to 21 years old. The store's decision to avoid a complete ban is due to the company's overall mission in serving a particular brand of customers. 

"Our heritage as a company has always been in serving sportsmen and hunters, and we will continue to do so in a responsible way," the chain explained in a statement. "We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller or firearms and go beyond Federal law by requiring customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm."

In the statement, Walmart also clarified that its stores stopped selling AR-15 assault rifles in 2015. It also doesn't sell handguns (except in Alaska stores), bump stocks or high-capacity magazines. The items geared toward children that are set to be removed from stock include "nonlethal airsoft guns and toys." 

Being the largest retailer in the United States, Walmart has now set a high precedence for any chains that carry similar items. 

I'm counting down the days until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding on May 19, but until then, the duo have been reshaping my literal couple goals with their multiple public appearances together. Meghan has clearly inserted a fun dose of American realness and relatability into traditional royal family procedures, and she proved this even more when speaking at the first Royal Foundation Forum alongside Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The charitable foundation, which William and Harry began in 2009, includes the group's work for the mental health awareness organization Heads Together. Kate was inducted as a third patron of the foundation in 2011, while Meghan is expected to be finalized as a member following her wedding. 

The public forum on Wednesday, having a theme of "Making a Difference Together," was held in order for the two couples to share about their experiences working together and overseeing ongoing charity projects. While the topic of mental health was a highlight in the foursome's discussion, Refinery29 reports that Meghan spoke about her wish to focus on women's issues once she is an official patron of the foundation.

"I hear a lot of people speaking about girls' empowerment and women's empowerment...you'll often hear people say, 'you're helping women find their voices,'"she said during the conversation. "And I fundamentally disagree with that because women don't need to find a voice, they have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen."

"I think right now in the climate we're seeing, with so many campaigns, with Me Too and Time's Up," Meghan continued, "there's no better time to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them — men included in that. It makes such a tremendous difference."

Um, can we just make her a Duchess now? In a society that is often known for keeping a stiff upper lip when it comes to discussing difficult subjects, Meghan has displayed some much-appreciated honesty while assimilating to life in England. Given the fact that she's been casually smashing the patriarchy since she was a kid, I have a feeling that she'll work devotedly with some phenomenal women's charities in the near future. Fingers crossed that Meghan is helping Princess Charlotte with her Rosie the Riveter Halloween costume next. 

We can all admit that one of the first things we do when we find a new crush is to stalk their social media. Of course, we never really intend for it to happen but every once in a while we may run across a certain ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend that they shared a photo with. One thing leads to another and somehow we end up six years into their past. As harmless as this seems, it may actually have a bigger effect on you than you think. If you still think it’s a good idea, here are five reasons why you should stop immediately:

1. You might find yourself knowing too much

One of the most obvious but overlooked reasons is that you may accidentally say something about something you shouldn’t know about. In casual conversations it’s often easy to speak without thinking and this is definitely not a situation you want to be in with a new crush. Although it may not seem too creepy to know all the details of their romantic trip to Canada, it’s probably not the best topic for a first date.

Heather Peart, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says that this is definitely a possibility. “I don't think you really realize how much you know until someone else points it out,” she says. “When you’re going through anyone’s Instagram in general, you almost get a summary of who that person is. It becomes just common knowledge and you really can’t keep track of what you should know and what you have to pretend you don’t know. “

That’s a pretty good way to put it if you ask us. You don’t want to seem like the crazy, paranoid girlfriend/boyfriend before you even start dating. Even if you think you’re being careful, it’s easy for something to slip. 

2. It may affect the way that you act

If you’re busy studying up on your crush’s past relationships, you may feel the need to be more like his/her ex. It may seem like it’s unlikely, but you may find yourself subconsciously thinking about the photo they posted of her reading and feel the need to show him/her that you love to read too. We all know how crazy we can get when it comes to impressing someone like. It’s all the little things we tend to focus on to get their attention. However, this is the last thing that you want to happen. Even if you’re oh so positive that they are gonna be the love of your life, you want to make sure that the relationship starts off as honest as possible. You want to show this crush your true self instead of who you think they want you to be.

Elyza Bailey, a sophomore at Southern Methodist University, couldn’t agree more. “You shouldn’t try to be someone that you’re not,” she says. “I know people say that all the time, but sometimes you don’t even realize that you’re doing it. When you study someone that you know your crush liked and dated, it just seems safer to be more like them.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. A little inspiration is never a bad thing, but you never want to copy someone else, especially if you’re trying to impress someone else.

 3. You could find yourself comparing yourself to them

 Even if you’re not trying to copy how their past significant other was, you may find yourself mentally comparing yourself to them. Whether it be the way that they look or the things that they do, you may start to think that you’re not good enough. While we all make occasional jokes about how we will never find love because there’s too much competition, we never want it to actually get to our heads. It’s important to remember that Instagram is a reflection of only the best version of a person, not who he or she is entirely. People rarely go around posting their crazy moments, bad angles and horrible habits. When people post an Instagram photo, they make sure to spend ample amounts of time to make it the best that it could possibly be. However, if you compare their moments to your worst, it could really take a toll on how you view yourself.

Vanessa Le, a junior at the University of Texas at Austin, says that this is a big problem in today’s society. “There have been multiple studies showing that looking through Instagram can make people unhappy because they find themselves comparing themselves to them,” she explains. “I think in the case of an ex of a crush, it’s even worse because they’re real instead of a celebrity.”

That’s a good point. Many people find themselves feeling like they aren’t good enough because of the standard that photos on Instagram may set. However, it’s important to remember that they’re probably as much a mess as you are behind the camera.

4.  You may get worried when he/she doesn’t treat you the same

Even if you don’t find yourself getting jealous of who the ex is as a person, you may start to get worried and paranoid when he/she doesn’t seem to treat you the same way that they treated their past significant others. We know, you’re probably wondering how in the world could you tell so much by just a couple Instagram photos right? Well it’s important to take into consideration that the app is much more than just the photos. They also show comments. If your crush was the type to comment words of affection on every single photo and they don’t immediately do the same, it may create unreasonable expectations. Even if they don’t comment anything, even a picture of a bouquet of roses they may have received from your current crush could make you worried. These things may seem petty, but we never want to underestimate a boy or girl in “love.”

Ellie Butler, a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, says that you should never look back when starting a new relationship. “There comes a point where you realize an ex is an ex for a reason,” she says. “If you're going to be a meaningful part of their future, you need to stop focusing on their past.”

5. Social media distorts the truth

One huge reason why you should not get caught up in researching the ex of your newly found beau is that social media never tells the whole story. This could apply in a variety of different ways. For example, people don’t show who they really are on social media. Whether it be editing a photo or simply picking and choosing the best ones, social media only shows the side of people that they choose to show. When you see the perfect Instagram photo of the seemingly flawless ex, you’re only judging their appearance. We know, it’s hard to put appearances completely aside but at the end of the day it is true that looks will only get you so far.

Thalia Carrillo, a junior at the University of Texas at Austin agrees that she’s had similar thoughts. “I feel like it’s hard to remember that things like Instagram are a way to advertise the best sides of a person,” she says. “Of course, no one is going to admit their flaws on such a public platform. I’ve found that stalking my crush’s exes has only created a false image of them in my head. It makes me overthink about how their relationship might’ve been and that can really eat you up.” We’ve all been there.

Furthermore, the pictures they may have posted during their past relationship probably only highlights the best parts of them. We highly doubt that they would go around posting pictures of the endless arguments, crying, and fighting that may have gone on in the background. Either way, stalking the ex is only showing the ex’s point of view of the relationship. No matter how perfect the relationship may have seemed from the ex’s side, it may have been a total wreck from the side of your crush.

Related Article: 10 Common Long-Term Relationship Mistakes & How to Fix Them

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that you are not anyone other than yourself. The person that you choose to love should love you for being you’re own perfect self. We know, it’s about as cliché as it gets, but there’s a reason that it is such a popular idea. It’s always tempting to do a little bit of research on the person you’re potentially going to date, but you should never delve too deep into trying to get to know the person. Remember, the best way to get to know a person is by having real, in-person conversations with them.

Warner Bros. TV has announced that Fuller House showrunner and Full House creator Jeff Franklin will not return to the Netflix series after the production company received complaints of Franklin's recurring abusive behavior. Variety reports that the 63-year-old being dismissed from his duties will not affect Netflix's plans to film and release Season 4 of the spinoff series Fuller House. 

Executives at Warner Bros. reportedly first learned of Franklin's troubling actions more than two years ago when they received an anonymous letter describing his interactions with the Fuller House writing staff and other employees. Franklin was reportedly verbally abusive toward his team and would speak inappropriately in the writers' room. The anonymous sources also spoke about his tendency to make "sexually charged comments" about his personal life and invite women he was dating to set for small guest roles in the series. 

While it hasn't been specified if executives looked into original reports of Franklin's behavior at the time, several other complaints soon followed, inspiring Warner Bros. to research the validity of the claims. 

Franklin has not been accused of sexual harassment or physical misconduct in any encounters with Fuller House staffers. 

Every penny is precious for the average college student, but spring break has a way of making you throw your good spending habits out the window. But you don’t have to sacrifice all of your savings for a stellar spring break vacay, collegiettes! Try these tips to have a blast this year but still have money left when you return.

1. Stay with people you know

Know a friend who lives in New York? Maybe your Aunt Jan has a vacation home in Florida. Call those friends or family members and ask if you can spend a night or two with them. You could save yourself $100 or more per night by not staying in a hotel or Airbnb.

Sophie Dodd, a junior at Middlebury College, says that when she vacations with friends, she tries to crash with buddies along the way as often as possible. “Chances are you’ll have a friend at school in Florida, New York, etc.,” she says. So if you know someone who lives at your spring break destination, give him or her a call and see if you can crash there for a night or two.

2. Take the bus instead of flying

Let’s face it: plane tickets are expensive. If you can, take a bus instead of a plane to your spring break destination. The tickets will cost you a fraction of the price of a plane ticket!

Gabrielle Sorto, a sophomore at Georgia State University, says that she once took a Megabus to New Orleans for vacation and paid only $90 for a round trip, a fourth of what the plane ticket would have cost. “It obviously did take longer,” she says. “But it was worth it with how much I saved.” If you’re traveling with friends, you can always play games and have a great time along the way!

3. Make it a camping road trip

Make the journey to your vacation destination into a road trip adventure! If everyone pitches in for gas, your traveling costs will be astronomically lower. Instead of paying for hotels every night, camp out under the stars. You can rent camping equipment from REI for a pretty decent price. You can also check out Recreation.gov to find government-owned campsites along your route, which are much less expensive to rent than private campsites. You can even save money by finding the least expensive gas stations along the way: check out GasBuddy. Pump up your favorite jams, pack your camping gear and remember that getting there is half the fun!

4. Do some creative touring

When it comes to vacation, it’s easy to spend your bucks on swimming with the stingrays, but there are so many fun and exciting attractions all over the country that you can try for free! Using the free app RoadTrippers, you can search for tourist attractions and offbeat destinations in your area and even compare their costs. You just enter your starting location and your destination, and RoadTrippers will show you tons of interesting tourist spots along your route. Instead of spending nearly $100 on a theme park ticket or breaking the bank over dinner at an expensive restaurant, you can use this app to find fun activities that are totally inexpensive.

5. Bring your own food

Dining out can drain your wallet fast. Did you know that in 2011, the average US restaurant meal cost $35.65? Think of how much money you could save if you packed lunch or cooked your own dinners!

When going on a trip, pack snacks! And, if you’re 21, bring your own booze (those fancy umbrella drinks aren’t always worth the $12). Stock up on granola bars, microwavable treats, other healthy snacks and supplies for preparing meals at a grocery store near your hotel.

Meghan Gibbons, a senior at Boston College, says that to save money on drinks, she brings a reusable water bottle. “I’ll bring it with me by the pool, on the beach or on an adventurous activity to save me money,” she says.

6. Don’t waste the food you do buy

While it’s great to save money by grocery shopping, chances are you’re going to eat out at some point. You’re on vacation, and you have to treat yourself! So when you do splurge, don’t be wasteful. Does your hotel have a free breakfast? Grab a few extra pieces of fruit or a muffin to snack on later. Take your leftovers from a restaurant lunch with you and eat them for dinner. Most restaurants will give you a to-go box, and most hotels have at least a mini fridge to keep your food from spoiling. Don’t let the money you spend on food go to waste!

7. Get discount tickets at Costco

Do your parents have a Costco membership? With a Costco membership, you can get discounted tickets to Disney World, Universal Orlando and many more theme parks. They also offer discounts for hotels, car rentals and vacation packages. You can go to the Costco Travel website to see what deals you can find before you leave. All you have to do is enter your membership information to purchase discount tickets.

8. Bring coupons with you

Groupon and LivingSocial will most likely have deals for your vacation destination! The sites can offer you group deals on dinners out, water sports or even a spa day.

“We went all-inclusive, which in the long run will be far less expensive,” Alli Smith, a staff writer for Her Campus Sewanee, says of finding a good deal on the sites. All you have to do is enter your vacation location a few weeks before you leave, and the sites will send you coupons in your area as soon as they’re available.

9. Use your student ID

You’d be surprised by how many places offer student discounts, and not just on clothes and food: many attractions and transportation companies will offer student discounts. If you’re not sure if a retailer offers a discount for students, just ask!

10. Rent a bike

So many big cities now let you rent bikes for cheap. Instead of paying for expensive cabs or renting a car when you get to your destination, rent a bike at your location and use that to get around. You can log onto Spinlister to find locations near you where you can rent a bike. All you do is enter your location and the site will show you places near you to rent a bike. Or, to save even more money, just walk!

11. Only bring the amount of money you want to spend

Credit cards can be a dangerous thing. It’s easy to lose track of how much money you’re spending when you’re just swiping a card. To make sure you stay on budget, only bring the cash with you that you want to spend when you go out at night. Or, if you’re uncomfortable carrying cash, you can always purchase a prepaid debit card.

Kailee Baylor, president and editor-in-chief of the University of Tampa Her Campus chapter, says that only bringing the cash with her that she wants to spend always keeps her on track. “By only taking out an amount I’m comfortable spending, it stops the temptation of impulse (and often drunk) buys,” she says.

Figure out what you want to spend each night and only carry that with you. It’s always a smart idea to be prepared for the unexpected, though. For emergencies, Kailee recommends keeping an extra $20 in a secret part of your purse. “That extra $20 can pay for a taxi back to your hotel—a lifesaver when you’re in unfamiliar territory,” she says.

12. Spend the night outside of touristy areas

When traveling to areas that draw a lot of tourists, the hotels and hostels right in the middle of everything are usually the most expensive. Chastity Deforme, a senior at Brandeis University, recommends checking websites like Hostels.com to find inexpensive options just a little further away from the center of everything.

“Sometimes you will find bed-and-breakfast houses that give great discounts to large groups, and the places are really quaint,” she says.

13. Use your phone to keep you on track

Have trouble sticking to a budget? You’re not the only one! Budget apps like Mint (free) or Travel Budget Tracker ($1.99) allow you to input the amount of money you have to spend and then track your daily expenses. All you have to do is input your overall budget and then enter in how much you spend every time you make a purchase. You can keep track of exactly how much you’re spending and make sure you’re staying on track.

Having a great spring break doesn’t have to cost you a ton of money. With a little extra planning, you can save a ton of money on your vacation, but still have a whole lot of fun! 

Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

A Georgia Teacher Is Facing Charges After Firing Gun Inside School

After barricading himself inside an empty classroom and firing a handgun, high school social studies teacher Jesse Randal Davidson is facing several charges. HuffPost says that Davidson's shooting inside Georgia's Dalton High School led to a panicked lockdown on Wednesday morning, but no students were critically injured, as Davidson refused to let anyone inside the classroom in which he locked himself. 

"When the principal put a key in the door to try to unlock the classroom, Mr. Davidson apparently fired a shot from a handgun through an exterior window of the classroom," said Dalton police spokesman Bruce Frazier at a press conference. "It does not appear that it was aimed at anybody."

Local authorities arrived at the school soon after the gunshot was heard and took Davidson into custody. According to police, Davidson now faces charges of aggravated assault, carrying a weapon on school property, terroristic threats, reckless conduct, possession of a gun during the commission of a crime and disrupting public school. 

Muslim Women Forced to Remove Hijabs While in Police Custody Reach a Settlement With NYC

Three Muslim women who were forced to remove their hijabs for photographs while in police custody have each reached a $60,000 settlement with New York City. The New York Times reports that the settlements detailed separate cases in which the women claimed that their religious rights had been violated. The three incidents, one occurring in 2012 and two in 2015, all involved the women objecting to police requests that they remove their hijabs for photographs.

One woman asked for a female officer to take her photo alone, while another told authorities that she couldn't remove her hijab in front of men she was not related to. All three women were forced to take their photos without their hijabs and were all arraigned on their individual criminal charges. Each case was eventually sealed without conviction, but the women's settlements have caused police departments to reconsider policies toward various kinds of religious dress.

The First Plastic-Free Grocery Store Aisle Has Launched in Amsterdam

Good News Network reports that, in a time where awareness of recycling is growing, the first plastic-free grocery store aisle has opened in an Amsterdam location. Dutch grocery store chain Ekoplaza opened the aisle, which contains more than 700 products such as fruit, veggies, snacks, non-perishables and more in recyclable and biodegradable materials. 

Environmental group A Plastic Planet oversaw the aisle's launch and will likely be involved when Ekoplaza opens similar aisles in its other branches. Here's hoping that more effort to use less plastic in our daily lives continues!

What to look out for...

Happy Holi! Tonight marks the beginning of the annual Festival of Color, which calls for a celebration of fertility, love and the kickoff to spring. While the lively tossing of colorful powder, called Rangwali Holi, actually occurs on March 2, tonight is the Holika Dahan portion of traditional festivities. This involves a "purification ritual" during which logs are burned to symbolize good triumphing over evil. If anything, take this as a sign that warmer weather is on the way!

While a team of Insta-famous sisters have been busy managing their popular Instagram accounts and YouTube channels, they’ve also been actively distancing themselves from their vocally Islamophobic mother, conservative columnist, Pamela Gellar — in public, anyway.

The Daily Beast reports that Claudia, Jackie, Olivia and Margo Oshry are a team of sisters that have used their relatable Insta posts and recycled tweets to collect millions of Instagram followers. Claudia, who claimed her internet fame shortly after graduating college, has just under 3 million Insta followers via her @GirlWithNoJob account.

Nevertheless, Margo (aka @hungoverandhungry) and Jackie (@JackieOProblems) also run their own successful niche accounts. According to BuzzFeed, Olivia produces and manages Claudia and Jackie’s YouTube series, “The Morning Breath.”

Although all four siblings make a collaborative effort to hype each other up and retweet their fellow sisters’ posts, they have generally kept quiet about their problematic mother. As BuzzFeed reports, Gellar is a frequent Breitbart contributor and a conservative influencer who promotes anti-Islam campaigns, hate speech and ideology in her own career (and on her own Instagram). Gellar has waded into discourse around social media herself and has even hosted a panel on "social media censorship against conservatives" after many of her posts violated Instagram's terms. (After all, hate speech and discrimination are against most social media platforms rules and policies.)

Despite the sisters’ substantial following, they had been very quiet about their association with their mother before The Daily Beast's report came out. On Wednesday night, Claudia posted a video to her @GirlWithNoJob account on apologizing for "stupid," problematic tweets in the past that had resurfaced:

On Wednesday, an attorney representing Claudia also gave a statement to BuzzFeed that clarified that the sister's views were "separate" from their mother's: 

"We want to be clear to our audience and fans that our political and cultural beliefs are not anti-Muslim or anti-anyone. Our views are separate from our mother’s. Being raised by a single parent, we were taught to make our own choices based on our personal beliefs. We are inspired to think for ourselves and we do. We do not condone discrimination or racist beliefs of any kind."​

We already knew that Queen Elsa was a badass feminist icon. While her sister Anna was in full squee mode over her engagement to a man she had just met, Elsa was busy outside freezing the entire kingdom with her own damn hands.

But aside that badassery, Elsa is about to become even more of a trailblazer (or trail-freezer) in the world of Disney. According to writer and co-director Jennifer Lee, there’s a possibility that the Frozen sequel will feature Elsa having a girlfriend, making her the first LGBT Disney princess.

Source: GIPHY

When asked about the possibility, Lee told the Huffington Post, “Where we’re going with it, we have tons of conversations about it, and we’re really conscientious about these things…”

Lee continued, “For me ... Elsa’s every day telling me where she needs to go, and she’ll continue to tell us… We’ll see where we go.”

Since Frozen’s 2013 release, internet fans have been making speculations about Elsa’s sexuality. She is one of the few Disney princesses without a romantic male interest in the film, and the lyrics of her song “Let It Go” are reminiscent of coming out. (“Can’t hold it back anymore… I don’t care what they’re going to say… The fears that once controlled me can’t get to me at all”)

Source: GIPHY

I think it’s amazing that we may see some new LGBT representation in a very mainstream way. (After all, a Disney film is probably the most mainstream anything can be.) Presenting a relationship between two women in a loving, wholesome light would start good conversations among families, and give kids questioning their sexuality a positive role model.

However, I also think it would be cool if there existed a Disney princess whose story wasn’t about romance at all, letting little girls know that romantic love isn’t the end-all, be-all of life.

But, I mean, as long as it’s going to happen, I really hope Elsa’s girlfriend sets things on fire. Because, you know, opposites attract. We'll see!

Source: GIPHY

You probably thought majoring in STEMor business would keep you safe from taking a humanities class, and finding out that you needed an English course was an unwelcome surprise. Whether it's a literature class or English composition, it’s time to buckle up your literary seat belt and accept that this ride has to happen.

It’s not all bad! English will sharpen your critical thinking, abstract thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity and communication, which even if you're a STEM powerhouse will help you in the future. Getting out of your comfort zone is scary, but there are ways to make it easier for yourself. Here are six pieces of advice that will help make your English class exceed your expectations.

1. Choose the course you want

Depending on how you register for classes at your college, odds are you’ll have more than one option when you choose your general English requirement. Whether there are multiple professors teaching the same English 101, or you get to choose between American literary history and modern drama for your literature course, there are key factors you’ll want to consider.

Dr. Amy Wiley, an English lecturer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, highlights a few of these considerations. “First ask yourself which course pairs best with your academic and career goals,” she says. “If you’re going to be doing a lot of research and proposal writing, you’ll want to take a composition class geared towards argumentation. Look at the time of the class; try to take it in a gap where your brain will be functioning. Buy in to professor ratings since it is a low-stakes class and choose who will provide a fun learning experience. Most importantly go with a subject matter that calls to you, interests you and doesn’t make you scared of English. The point is to learn something, not suffer.”

Essentially, go with your gut feeling on this. If you’re still lost, your college’s academic advising center can answer more questions and help find you the best fit.

2. Psych yourself up for it

Semester goal: make English class as lit as possible. But really, if you come to class stoked on life and ready to take on the world, you’ll have a better experience. Maybe for you that means treating yourself and bringing a venti latte to lecture, or buying a new journal and highlighters to make notetaking vibrant instead of dull. Small joys keep your interests and motivation up.

Additionally, if you’re feeling comfortable in class, you might be more likely to participate. “I think speaking up in class, engaging in discussions and trying to relate the text to your own life helps,” says Iris Goldsztajn, a University of California Los Angeles alumna. She’s totally right!

Meaningfully contributing in class is one of the surest ways to make the experience more rewarding, and keep you excited to come back for more.

Related: What to Do If You’re Failing a Class​

3. Grab an audiobook

If reading is your personal hell, trade in your paperback for an audio recording. From poems to full novels, there are audiobooks and YouTube videos for pretty much everything in the English canon. They’re low maintenance, and even better you can listen to your homework while you're at the gym, driving or making dinner. I'm an English major, and there are some texts even I prefer to listen to rather than read. Let's be honest, nobody really wants to read Moby Dick or The Canterbury Tales. Bless audiobooks for taking our pain away.

4. Let yourself be a critic

If you don't like a text or totally disagree with an author, then be vocal about it! The point of your English class isn't to like everything you read, it's to respond to what an author is trying to say, form an opinion and add to the scholarly conversation. If you like it, great! But if you want to set your copy of The Great Gatsby on fire, that’s okay too because it means you’re engaging.

“When I teach, I find that students force themselves to like the material because they think that’s how they pass or how they make the class worthwhile,” says Dr. Wiley, about being critical in class. “That’s so wrong! I love when my students feel peppery about a text. It means they’ve done the reading and are thinking critically about it in some way. Literature is unique because it doesn’t have a right or wrong answer. The only answer is how you react to it.” If that wasn’t enough English inspiration for you, I don’t know what is.

Related: Should I Drop A Class? How to Decide Whether to Stick It Out or Drop It

5. Try to learn something new every day

You don’t need to be the star pupil, or anxiously exhaust yourself trying to get an A. If you’re taking away one surprising bit of knowledge each day, you’re winning––and probably making your class feel more worthwhile too.

“I’m a marketing major and English was the bane of my existence,” says Caitie Donovan, a senior at Biola University. “To cope I tried to make a little game with myself of how many new facts/realizations I could learn that day, even if I didn’t think they helped me with marketing. By the end up the class I realized I had fun. I tricked myself into being interested, and ended up actually interested and proud of myself for every new thing I learned.”

We totally recommend following Caitie’s model. If nothing else, try to succeed for your own personal gratification, not the grade.

6. Do the reading

You’re probably exhausted from hearing this advice, but people keep saying it for a reason. Doing the reading is the number one tip for kicking butt in English class, both because you’ll understand the material better and your professor will literally love you. Even in a class that’s writing based, you’ll likely be reading journal examples and some creative work.

Dr. Wiley can’t emphasize the importance of doing your homework enough. “Get out of the mindset where reading is a daunting obligation, and look at it as the chance to learn on a deeper level,” she says. “Literature contains the record of humanity. In English and American literature, you learn history, culture, emotional insights and get to look at social behavior. Reading a book is art, just like going to a museum, or watching a play or movie. You’ll take away a lot more from a book than from your professor, I promise.”

If you’re not putting in the work to make English enjoyable for yourself, it won’t happen. Enjoying the course all depends on your attitude, and if you follow these simple tips you’re sure to succeed. Good luck, collegiettes!

Swimsuit model and all-around babe, Ashley Graham, is on the cover of 2018's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition for the fourth year in a row, and her family couldn't help but exchange hilarious (and definitely unexpected!) comments about it.

The 30-year-old Nebraska native recently posted a screenshot of a group chat between her husband, sister, mother, and herself to her Instagram story.

Her husband Justin Ervin sent a shot of Graham pulling down her bikini bottoms during her SI Swim shoot, to which he added a scribble pointing out his wife's clean shave down there. "Needs a bush to make this photo better," Ervin joked in the text message. I think most girls would be mortified if their husband made a joke about pubic hair to their family members, but clearly Graham wasn't fazed. She simply responded: "You wish your bush looked like mine."

Her mom and sister also have quite the sense of humor. "I got a big bush & I cannot lie. You other brothers can't deny," her sister Abigail wrote, making reference to the song "Baby Got Back." Her mother then chimed in, "I have no bush and it's divine. Be jealous."

As Graham noted on Instagram: "Gotta love family group text."

Last week, Girl Scout Charity Joy Harrison and her father posted a video of themselves singing their own rendition of Childish Gambino’s “Redbone.” But here’s the catch — they changed the words to create a sales pitch for Girl Scouts’ life-changing cookies.

With a wide, adorable smile and some great new lyrics, Charity’s video reached over 2.2 millions views on Facebook. Two of those views just so happened to be from Stephen Colbert and Childish Gambino himself, Donald Glover.

On last night's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Charity was invited on as a guest to meet Glover. If the video itself, with its references to “tagalongs that make you feel fine” and encouraging the viewers to “stay woke [and] buy these cookies” aren’t enough to make you smile, Glover’s interactions with Charity definitely will.

The Atlanta actor was left not only touched by her use of his song, but also hungry for some Girl Scout cookies (particularly Thin Mints), so when he saw the number of boxes Charity needed to sell to meet her goal, he bought every one of them. And they also handed out Thin Mints to the audience together after…#goals.