How to Make Your Own Colorful Custom Yoga Bag

Roxy Taghavian
Apr 03, 2014

It’s time to unearth some of those old New Year’s resolutions about getting healthy! You’ve been meaning to make it to yoga one of these evenings, but still haven’t made it happen. Well, we can’t promise this bag will actually get you to your class, but we can guarantee it’ll make you the most stylish budding yogi around!


– VELCRO® Brand VELSTRAP® with Handle

– VELCRO® Brand Sew On White Tape

– 1 yard of patterned fabric (at least 30×20 inches)

– 1 yard of sturdy canvas fabric (at least 30×20 inches)

– piping

– rope

– Heat Bond

Tools:
– sewing machine

– fabric scissors

– measuring tape

– safety pin

– sewing pins

This project is all about planning. You’ll be creating each component of the bag, and then putting it all together. There are a lot of steps, but we promise this is totally doable and will only take you an hour or two if you follow along! :)

All yoga mats are different in terms of size. Roll yours up and then roll fabric around it and cut fabric to size. Cut your canvas, patterned fabric and Heat Bond all to size.

Use Heat Bond to bond your canvas to the patterned fabric.

Iron the top edge of the fabric (where the bag will stay open).

Hem it! Make sure to leave enough room to wiggle a piece of rope through this hole to act as a drawstring.

Now it’s time to prep that pesky bottom piece. Again, measure your yoga mat and cut the fabric to size. Layer it up as you did last time, using Heat Bond.

Next up, we’ll create a pocket for the outside. We cut ours to 5×5 inches. Fold and pin the piping along the edges and sew on the inside. Then cut canvas fabric that will go along the inside of your pocket.

Cut a piece of VELCRO® Brand Sew On White Tape and attach to the top inside of the pocket.

Attach the other side of the VELCRO® Brand Sew On White Tape to the center of the fabric that is about to become your yoga bag.

Sew the VELCRO® Brand Sew On White Tape onto the fabric, and then sew the pocket right on there too!

Now you’ve got this piece of fabric, and it’s time to make magic happen.

Pin all the edges of the circle to the fabric.

SEW! Don’t press that pedal too hard — it’s good to keep a slow pace when attaching the bottom circle of the bag.

Turn it inside out, you’re almost done.

Use a safety pin to snake a piece of rope through the top seam.

Hand-stitch on the VELCRO® Brand VELSTRAP®.

And you’re done!

P.S. How awesome is this shirt? Our awesome editorial intern Kelly Bryden made it a few days ago! ;)

30 Bougie But Affordable Gifts To Spoil Everyone On Your List

Charles Chocolates
Chocolate Brand

December always has a way of sneaking up on us with a frenzy of cute holiday decorating, festive gatherings, and dreaming up the best gifts for our besties. If this month has you feeling more frazzled than festive, don’t worry—we’ve got you (and them) covered.

Charles Chocolates

Charles Chocolates Winter Fleur de Sel Collection

We partnered with Charles Chocolates, the award-winning artisanal chocolate brand, to create a gift guide filled with unique and just-a-little-bit bougie finds, because everyone deserves to treat themselves once in a while, holiday season or not! From a plushy robe and scented candles to a box of the most creative handmade chocolates, including a chocolate box you can actually eat, these picks are perfect for everyone on your list — and maybe even a little treat for yourself.

Score a FREE Charles Chocolates Bar when you spend $25 or more!

The Coffee Lover

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Winter Collection Edible Chocolate Box

These coffee-lover gifts, including a colorful French Press and adorbs mug, are sure to perk up your day — and theirs! Pair your morning cup with a delicious piece of handmade chocolate for the ultimate sensory experience. You can literally eat the box in this Winter Collection from Charles Chocolates filled with Fleur de Sel Caramels, Peanut Butterflies and Milk Chocolate Caramels. SO good!

Featured:

The Cozy Homebody

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection

For the pal who loves to stay in and get cozy, here’s a cute kettle for steeping her favorite tea, some cozy wears, and Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection with flavors like Pecan Fleur de Sel Caramel, Cinnamon Spice Truffle, Orange Zest Truffle, and Maple Truffle. Charles Chocolates are all natural so it’s real chocolate vs. a sugary (read: cheap) substitute. The flavors are so unique and fun to taste-test. It’s the perfect gift for when you’re feeling indoorsy!

Featured:

Your Holiday Crush

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark

Sneak a fancy chocolate bar, like Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark Bar, made with homemade peppermint candy, in your S.O.’s stocking, plus some essentials for the camper, music lover, and beanie wearer!

Featured:

The Sweet Tooth

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa

Sweet tooth be gone with Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa Clause. This thing is not small, weighing in at 3 lbs. of deliciously rich chocolate. Adults will actually enjoy this vintage-style Santa as much as kids! Pair with a bottle of wine dressed in an adorable bow, a cake stand candle (so cute!), darling dessert plates, and/or a baking lover’s cookbook! Toss some mint chocolate almonds in stockings too!

Featured:

Your Jewish Bestie

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box

There’s a lot of talk about Christmas this time of year, but not all of our friends celebrate. And this year, Hanukkah starts on Christmas day so we can celebrate together! Gift your bestie who celebrates the Festival of Lights with this Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box filled with flavors like Fleur de Sel Caramel, Passion Fruit Heart, Espresso Caramel, and Meyer Lemon Yankee. They might also enjoy a new cookbook celebrating their heritage, cozy slippers, jewelry, and an artful wine decanter for the holidays. Candle-lighting matches are a perfect stocking stuffer or White Elephant gift too!

Featured:

Score a FREE Charles Chocolates Bar when you spend $25 or more!

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17 Celebrity Cameos On ‘Gossip Girl’ You Probably Forgot About

New York City is a home and a hub for celebrities across all industries, and the glitzy appeal of Gossip Girl’s NYC is made all the more glamorous by its numerous celebrity cameos. Given that Blair and Serena run in the upper echelon of the city’s It girls, it actually makes total sense for them to be rubbing shoulders with Alexa Chung and Lady Gaga. You never know who you’re going to run into on the Upper East Side — and in Gossip Girl’s case, you may not even remember half the celebs you meet.

Over the course of six wonderfully melodramatic seasons, Gossip Girl racked up quite a stacked cast list on IMDB. From stars with recurring roles to those who pop in to play themselves for one scene, here are 17 celebrities who appeared on Gossip Girl that you probably forgot about.

Scroll down to see all the celebrity Gossip Girlcameos we're totally obsessed with!

1. William Baldwin

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Serena van der Woodsen’s got some serious daddy issues. One of Gossip Girl’s longest subplots is Serena’s search for her father, who essentially walked out on her when she was a kid. He finally appears for the first time in Season 3 Episode 19 (“Dr. Estrangeloved), where he’s played by a member of one of NYC’s royal families, William Baldwin. (In case you’re wondering, he’s Hailey Bieber’s uncle.)

2. Lady Gaga

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

You probably blocked out the time Blair and Dan put on a jukebox version of Snow White at NYU given that the whole ordeal was painfully cringe. That means you probably also blocked out the fact that real-life NYU alum Lady Gaga gives a dead-eyed performance of “Bad Romance” at the end of the episode (Season 3 Episode 10, “The Last Days of Discostick”).

3. Hilary Duff

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Also included in the Season 3 NYU timeline is Hilary Duff as Olivia Burke. Olivia’s a famous actress who balances attending NYU, starring in the vampire romance franchise Endless Knights, and dating Dan. She’s basically the Gossip Girl universe’s hybrid of Kristen Stewart and Emma Watson.

4. Sebastian Stan

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Okay, there’s absolutely no way you forgot this one. Before Sebastian Stan was the MCU’s BB, he was Gossip Girl’s lesser-known CB — Carter Baizen. Stan played St. Jude’s sleaziest graduate and one of Serena’s most questionable exes from Seasons 1 through 3.

5. Karlie Kloss

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Karlie Kloss will always attend a NYFW party — even if that party only exists within Gossip Girl’s Season 4 premiere (“Belles du Jour”).

6. Armie Hammer

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Serena’s dating history includes one man whose bite may be worse than his bark. In Season 2, she starts dating a con man named Gabriel Edwards, played by Armie Hammer.

7. Cyndi Lauper

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Girls just wanna have Cyndi Lauper do a surprise performance at their eighteenth birthday party — at least, Blair Waldorf does. Lauper makes a cameo in Season 2 Episode 10 (“Bonfire of the Vanity”).

8. Tyra Banks

Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery

Tyra Banks plays Ursula, a famous actress who Serena keeps from crashing out at a movie premiere, in Season 3 Episode 4 (“Dan de Fleurette”).

9. Clémence Poésy

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

When Chuck goes to France in Season 4 and attempts to restart his life as Henry Prince, he takes Fleur Delacour — err, I mean, Clémence Poésy — along for the ride.

10. Mädchen Amick

Tara Ziemba/Getty Images

Sorry, Archiekins — Alice Cooper’s got her eye on a different Archibald. Riverdale star Mädchen Amick appears in Season 2 as Nate’s first foray into MILF territory.

11. Elizabeth Hurley

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Lionsgate and Grindstone

Mädchen Amick walked so Elizabeth Hurley could run … Nate’s life into the ground. Hurley plays shady media mogul Diana Payne throughout Season 5.

12. Aaron Tveit

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This guest star lives rent-free in Broadway fans’ minds. Aaron Tveit, the patron saint of tenors, appears in Seasons 2 through 5 as Nate’s cousin, politician Tripp van der Bilt.

13. Alexa Chung

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

In Season 6 Episode 3 (“Dirty Rotten Scandals”), Alexa Chung, the minimalist darling of the 2010s fashion blogging scene, refuses to walk the runway at Blair Waldorf’s debut fashion show.

14. Rachel Bilson & Kristen Bell

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for SCAD & Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Rachel Bilson and Kristen Bell show up in the series finale as two actresses auditioning for a role in Inside Out, the movie adaptation of Dan’s bestselling book, Inside. Bell’s voice should ring a bell — she’s the voice ofGossip Girl.

15. Tim Gunn

Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Nespresso

Project Runway’s iconic mentor, Tim Gunn gives Jenny a little mentorship in Season 4 Episode 6 (“Easy J”).

16. Rachel Zoe

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tom Ford

Rachel Zoe: celebrity stylist, fashion designer, and extremely good sport. In her GG cameo in Season 4 Episode 7 (“War at the Roses”), Zoe takes a tumble and spills chocolate sauce all over her head before delivering her iconic catchphrase, “I die.” We die, too.

17. Florence Welch

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Welch’s performance of “Cosmic Love” in Season 4 Episode 14 (“Panic Roommate”) was reportedly due to her real-life friendship with Blake Lively. The actress suggested to the producers that they should use Florence’s music in the show. The producers went one step further, and we’re all the better for it.

Wonder what other celebs have appeared in your favorite TV shows? Check out these 24 Sex and the City cameos and 11 Gilmore Girls cameos you may have missed!

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18 Beauty Buys We're Loving This Holiday Season

City Beauty
beauty products

'Tis the season to look your glowiest. We’re diving into our favorite beauty picks for the season to moisturize and refresh. It’s the perfect time to embrace self-care with the impending festive hustle and winter chill. Friday night facials, anyone? From hydrating cleansers to rich body butters and everything in between, here are 18 beauty essentials bringing us a boost of joy this holiday season. They make great BFF gifts and stocking stuffers too!

City Lips Plumping Lip Gloss

This festive Holly-colored lip gloss gives you an instant plumping look while it also moisturizes, and it comes in a slew of gorgeous colors. Plus, the lip gloss keeps plumping over time! City Beauty products are Leaping Bunny-certified (AKA cruelty-free), and made without irritants or harsh chemicals. Win-win.

Steve Madden Goldie Fragrance

Feminine and sweet, this fragrance is a mix of fruit and floral scents like pear, jasmine, gardenia, and sandalwood. It's a lovely reminder of summer mid-winter and perfect way to feel officially dressed up.

Dieux’s Baptism Gel Cleanser

Reset your winter skincare routine with this gentle cleanser that moisturizes, protects, and deep cleans. It has a rich, creamy foam that actually removes makeup and sunscreen so you feel so very refreshed!

Sweet Relief Overnight Barrier Balm

Your bedtime routine just got better with this moisturizing mask and balm. It features nutrient-dense seed butters and antioxidant-rich apricot kernel oil to protect your skin barrier so you wake up all glowy and pretty.

City Lips Night Oil

City Beauty's City Lips Night Oil is another essential for your bedtime routine. You can feel the deep hydration that helps your lips look naturally radiant and it works to add volume while you sleep. Sweet!

LOOPS Clean Slate Detoxifying Mask

Spend your Friday night in with this 10-minute detox mask that feels so refreshing and really soothes your skin. It has a mix of mineral-rich volcanic ash to help remove dirt, while aloe vera and bamboo water add all the vitamins, electrolytes, and nutrients your skin craves. Try it a few times a week for fresh-looking skin!

Glossier You Fragrance Discovery Kit

Traveling for the holidays? Pick up this limited edition travel spray trio of Glossier You (our fave), a creamy, clean scent; Doux, a woody blend; and Rêve, a lush, dreamy fragrance. Bon voyage!

Wild Refillable Deodorant

These planet-friendly refillable deodorants come in fun seasonal cases and scents, like this Fresh Cotton & Sea Salt, inspired by freshly washed linen drying by the seaside. And they actually work!

Davines OI Hair Oil

Before you head out to the holiday party, run this multipurpose hair oil through your 'do. It detangles, reduces frizz, and leaves all hair types so soft and shiny.

City Beauty Lid Lifting Treatment

This lid-lifting cream makes you look awake even when you've been tossing and turning all night. It lifts and firms the appearance of saggy eyelids and feels like an instant lift!

Liquid Panacea Centella & Kombucha Firming Recovery Booster

Skin looking a bit dull and tired, or red and dehydrated? Try this firming serum with anti-inflammatory kombucha. If you suffer from really dry winter skin, THE MOST Hyaluronic Super Nutrient Hydration Serum is your winter superpower with hyaluronic acid, kombucha and organic safflower oil to relieve stressed and dehydrated skin.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Balm

Upgrade your mani and give dry, cracked cuticles a little love this season with this lemony butter made with beeswax, shea butter, avocado oil and lemon! You can also use it on feet, elbows or knees.

Rinna Beauty The Perfect Party Eye Kit

Party season has begun so you can go all out on the eyes with this shimmering eye shadow and complementary mascara and lip makeup.

Ogee Complexion Perfecting Tinted Serum

This tinted moisturizer is organic and cruelty-free and glides on smooth. It's the perfect blend of plumping gooseberry fruit, refining daisy flower, and brightening vitamin C Concentrate to give your winter complexion a healthy boost!

OSEA Undaria Algae Body Oil

This seaweed-infused body oil is a staff favorite (I keep it on my desk) because it never feels greasy but instantly makes your skin look soft and nourished. It also smells amazing.

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

This award-winning concealer is super light and gives you that no-makeup makeup look. It helps soften dark circles and keeps your skin hydrated and glowy. It's also vegan and cruelty free.

Yaman Medi Lift 3D Microfiller Micro-Tip Patches

Need a little skin boost for the holidays? Fit in a micro-beauty-moment with an at-home facial using these beauty patches that hydrate and help firm up skin with collagen.

Mutha Body Butter

This whipped butter made with shea, cocoa, and mango butters smells citrusy and hydrates skin for up to 48 hours. It's great for after the shower and helps improve the look of stretch marks. Indulge and treat yourself!

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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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Blake Lively's 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' Co-Stars Slam Justin Baldoni For "Forceful Retaliation"

This weekend, news dropped that Blake Lively filed a bombshell lawsuit against It Ends With Usco-star Justin Baldoni, and everyone is rushing to her support — including her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsco-stars!

One day we need to have a conversation about how easy it is to assign the 'mean girl' role to women like Anne Hathaway, Hailey Bieber, Meghan Markle, and now, Blake Lively. Since that's a separate article, let's focus on the situation at hand. According to Deadline, Lively's suing Baldoni for "sexually harassing her and subsequently enacting 'a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation.'" After the news dropped, The New York Times subsequently published article that details the winding allegations against Baldoni, producer Jamie Heath, and more players in the supposed targeted attack against her.

While a lot of public opinion turned against Lively during the It Ends With Us rollout, it's clear those closest to her showed unyielding support. Now, fellow celebrities are showing up in droves to stand with Lively amid the allegations. One bold show of support that we're totally here for? Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Amber Tamblyn taking their "sisterhood" to new heights. Here's what they — and everyone else — has said in support of Blake Lively so far.

Scroll down to see everyone who's supported Blake Lively amid the Justin Baldoni lawsuit so far!

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Blake Lively's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Co-Stars

Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn, and America Ferrera made it clear that they're firmly in support of their friend Blake Lively. They released a message on Instagram that left no room for assumption about their beliefs following Blake's lawsuit against Baldoni.
The statement reads:
As Blake's friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation. Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.

Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.

We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can still face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe work environment. We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others.

For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate for the New York Times.

We love the lasting, strong friendship between these four!

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Colleen Hoover, Author of It Ends With Us

According to Entertainment Weekly, Colleen Hoover also spoke up in light of the damage Baldoni inflicted. She tagged Blake via Instagram Stories and wrote, "You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt." A picture of the author and star hugging followed Hoover's words, adding to the depth of the moment.

Paul Feig, Director of A Simple Favor

Director Paul Feig also shared his thoughts about what it's like to work with Blake on X. He said, "I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this."

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Robyn Lively, Blake Lively's Sister

The sisterly energy is real and we're so glad Blake is surrounded by it. Robyn, Blake's big sister, shared her full thoughts in a lengthy Instagram caption just 10 hours!

While encouraging people to do research for themselves by reading The New York Times article that details the devious plot to publicly destroy Blake, she had other things to say. "We live in an age where we have access to people’s personal lives like never before — especially actors. It makes us feel like we know them. We see them on social media, watch clips of them, and make snap decisions about their character," she wrote. This reminds me of the parasocial relationships author Amanda Montell detailed in The Age of Magical Overthinking — definitely something for us all to keep in mind.

She also called out how easy it is for the media to warp the public's perception of the truth. "The 'truth' in the tabloids is hardly ever what you think," she added before eventually expressing how "proud" she is that her sister "didn't allow herself to be silenced in the face of adversity and lies."

Bart Johnson, Blake Lively's Brother-in-law

According to Page Six, Blake's brother-in-law Bart Johnson didn't hesitate to share his thoughts about the behavior of Baldoni and his team. He reportedly wrote, "Her complaints were filed during the filming. On record. Long before the public conflict. The cast unfollowed him [Baldoni] for a reason." in the comment section of the NYT Instagram post about the lengthy deep dive into what happened.

He continued by writing, "His PR team was stellar. Gross and disgusting but highly effective. Read the article, their text message exchanges and his PR campaign strategy to bury her by any means necessary. No one is with out [sic] faults. But the public got played."

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Nicole Kidman Spills On Spending "A Lot Of Time In Bed" With Harris Dickinson During 'Babygirl' — Exclusive

The most important detail about any romantic movie is chemistry between its leads. Even the worst movie can be rescued by two characters you believe actually love each other. But that's not a problem for A24's Babygirl (in theaters December 25) because Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson have chemistry in spades. The new A24 movie follows CEO Romy (Kidman), who begins a torrid affair with a young intern named Samuel (Dickinson). And AMC queen Nicole says she knew Harris was different the moment he walked in the room.

Here's what Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson had to say about their chemistry in our exclusive Babygirl featurette.

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson connected the moment they met.

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"As soon as he walked in, I was like, 'Oh good, here's somebody who's gonna play with me," Nicole Kidman says in our exclusive Babygirl featurette. "We spent a lot of time in bed. Hours would go by, and it was like you would step out of there and you would say, 'What just happened?'"

"From the moment [Samuel] sees her, he's attracted to her. He realizes there's someone at the height of their power," Harris says. "There was an element of mystique that needed to be there for the exploration of the relationship."

Harris continues that "perhaps there's something unfulfilled going on," perhaps referencing Romy's fizzled-out marriage with Jacob, while Nicole adds that "she's searching for something else" as the movie examines "desires, wants, [and] needs."

"Drink it in and be transported," she says.

​And their chemistry in 'Babygirl' was so intense, Nicole Kidman had to take breaks from filming.

In addition to spending "hours" in bed (which, honestly sounds like a pretty good work day to me), Nicole told The Sun in October that filming those scenes with Harris Dickinson became so intense, she would need breaks. “There were times when we were shooting where I was like, ‘I don’t want to orgasm any more,'” she said. “Don’t come near me. I hate doing this. I don’t care if I am never touched again in my life!”

But having a woman at the helm of the film (writer-director-producer Halina Reijn) both made Nicole feel more comfortable, and empowered her to tell this story. "Doing this subject matter in the hands of the woman that wrote the script, that's directing it and is a really great actress herself — we became one in a weird way, which I'd never had with a director before," she says in a statement. "When you're working with a woman on this subject matter, you can share everything with each other.”

"I really decided in the beginning, I want to make a sexual film, just as sexual as all these films that I've always admired so much," Halina says, "but now I'm going to do it completely through female eyes. What does that mean and what does that look like?” See Babygirl in theaters December 25 to find out.

Here are the 10 New December Movies You Need To Add To Your Calendar ASAP.

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