Get Your BBQ on with a Dozen Innovative Grills

Anjelika Temple
May 10, 2012

You’ve busted out the flip flops, sunscreen and are already sporting all your favorite sundresses. Summer’s just about here, and it’s time to get your barbecue on. Whether you’re a country gal or an urbanite, we’ve rounded up a dozen awesome grills ready to handle all those hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie kebabs, and cobs of corn.

1. FireSense Notebook Charcoal Grill ($32): Great for the city dweller who has to head to the park or suburbs to grill it up, the notebook grill folds flat to just 1 inch thick and takes a simple two steps to set up.

Bodum Fyrkat Grill

baseball jello shots, and you’ve got a rockin’ San Francisco Giants tailgate party.

3. Fuego Element Portable Gas Grill ($150): Do you wear your love of bbq on your sleeve? How ’bout carrying it on your shoulder?

Kettle Pizza Grill Kit

Weber charcoal grill and a love for brick oven pizza? This pizza kit doesn’t include bricks, but it does turn any 22 1/2 inch charcoal grill into a fully functional pizza oven. Molto delicioso!

5. BBQ Bruce Handrail Grill ($77): Have a tiny balcony, fire escape, or window you call your yard? Then you’ll definitely want to snag this ridiculously handy handrail grill!

6. Grill Dome ($800): This ceramic grill can grill, smoke, roast, and bake just about anything. Featuring the thickest ceramic walls of any ceramic grill on the market, this hefty sucker is big enough to roast a 30lb turkey but is also totally handy for small jobs. Once you cook a big fat brick chicken in the dome, you may toss your oven to the wind.

7. SmokinTex Smoker ($600): You don’t have to fly to Texas to get yourself some authentic smokey barbecue. With this sizable electric smoker, you can slow-cook beef, pork and poultry to perfection in the comfort of your own yard. All you need is wood chips and an outlet!

Konro Charcoal BBQ Grill

s’mores!

9. Cobb Premier Portable Grill ($150): This super efficient bit of grilling innovation is made of stainless steel, takes just a handful of charcoal, and comes with a handy carrying bag for all your outdoor adventures. Best of all, the unique design allows fats and greases to drain without dripping onto the charcoal, creating a virtually smoke-free grill.

10. Grill / Fondue Pot ($35): What’s one surefire way to take your grill to the next level? Add a built-in fondue pot! Get your bread toasty and your veggies roasty before cheesing it up.

11. Fyrkat BBQ Cone Charcoal Grill ($260): Another colorful Fyrkat from Bodum, this conical grill with stainless steel spit is stylish and ideal for roasting veggies, kebabs, or even an itty bitty cornish game hen.

12. The Art of Barbecue Grill 300 ($3,240): And finally, a super designy take on the ‘cue. This sleek number is designed with a minimalist aesthetic and would look right at home in the backyard of Apple HQ.

'One Tree Hill' Star Bethany Joy Lenz "Disappeared For 10 Years" After Joining A Cult

One Tree Hill fans know every little detail about Nathan Scottand Haley James Scott. How old Nathan and Haley were when they got married, Haley James Scott's birthday, and the fact that actress Bethany Joy Lenz was really pregnant when Haley got pregnant in season 8. But there's one behind-the-scenes detail OTH lovers might not have known about Lenz's life at the time: she was in a cult.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for PEOPLE x IHG Hotels and Resorts

The actress, who's currently promoting her book Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), recently revealed that her cast mates on One Tree Hill (which she auditioned for while already a part of the Big House Family Cult) could tell something fishy was going on — and that Craig Sheffer, who played Uncle Keith until season 3, even said something to her.

"I could see it on their faces," she tells People. "But I'd justify it, like, 'I couldn't possibly be in a cult. It's just that I've got access to a relationship with God and people in a way that everybody else wants, but they don't know how to get it.'"

At first, the group had a lot of aspects that fans have loved about One Tree Hill for years, like connection, emotional intimacy, and "the idea that someone out there says, 'No matter what you do or how badly you might behave or what dumb choices you make, I still love you, and I'm here for you.'”

Brownie Harris/The CW

She met the pastor at 20 years old, when she joined a Saturday night Bible study in LA. At first, it was "nothing to be suspicious about," she says in an episode of Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, because it was just like other church gatherings she'd been a part of. But before long she was sucked in, and basically "disappeared for ten years."

The loving environment morphed into one that Lenz says villainized independence, and her One Tree Hill costars quickly realized where she was at. The cult's control continued to expand as they told her not to trust her cast mates (and to isolate herself instead), caused her to stop communication with her father for six years, and led her to turn down major movies. Oh, they also took upwards of $2 million from her.

Amazon

Bethany Joy Lenz ended up marrying the son of the cult leader around 2005, and despite the fact she'd always had "crazy sex drive," she didn't desire sex with him, and it got to the point the couple was put on a literal schedule. Even though she hated it, she believed her duty as a wife was to have sex, so she agreed. “I take marriage seriously, and I made a promise before God. This is something I really want to figure out how to make it work."

But when her husband came to town, her "stomach dropped every single time." The schedule affected her so deeply that it gave her PTSD in future relationships. However, it was still too risky to leave. "The stakes were so high," she tells People. "They were my only friends. I was married into this group. I had built my entire life around it. If I admitted that I was wrong...everything else would come crumbling down."

Warner Bros. Television

During the period of filming the show, she used the role of Haley James Scott as a sort of escapism. She'd lean into her onscreen relationship with James Lafferty while filming, but clarifies she "never had to worry" about developing feelings for him off camera: “I always sort of saw him in real life as a brotherly figure and he was lovely.”

However, while she treasures her relationship with Lafferty, fans have theorized a feud between Lenz and Hilarie Burton (who played Peyton Sawyer until season 6), a rumor that first started when fans realized they weren't following each other on social media. “I love Hilarie,” she tells Alex Cooper. “I have always and will always and I don’t have any problem with her...There have been some bizarre misunderstandings that I really hope we can figure out one day, but I love that girl."

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

When One Tree Hill wrapped, and Bethany Joy Lenz started therapy, she had the breakthrough that would change everything. Her therapist pushed her to set boundaries, and helped her leave her physically abusive relationship. But having to start a new life was far from easy.

"To leave a TV show after nine seasons, to leave all my friends that I had known for the last 10 years, to leave my marriage, to leave the state, all at the same time," she says. "Not knowing how I was going to make rent because all the money was gone...I had many, many weeping-on-the-floor nights, just trying to figure out how to manage and what I was going to do and what to do with my emotions, the anger, the injustice, all those things."

So why talk about the experience now? "I don't think of [opening up] as brave," she says. "I think of it as important. Living silently in the suffering I experienced, I don't know if that helps anyone...I think of this more as the right thing to do."

Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!) is available to purchase starting October 22. Pre-order it now!

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

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The 5 Best Moments You Missed From Last Night's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Tyra Banks' modeling days aren't over — after 20 years away from the catwalk, she commanded the runway yet again during last night's highly anticipated Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Not only is Tyra one of THE '90s It Girls, but she had us all "smizing" and practicing our own modeling skills for years with America's Next Top Model.

Thankfully, Tyra's back on the runway after her two decade hiatus, helping to revamp the highly controversial lingerie show alongside some other incredible models. And she's not the only big name helping to revitalize the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show — an iconic diva for the ages is took the stage, and let's just say you'll want to "turn back time" to watch her performance again and again.

Here are all the exciting details you need to know!

The BEST Moments From The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Bella Hadid

The Model Lineup Was Impressive

We held our breaths at the beginning of the show because we genuinely wanted to believe Victoria's Secret would have the best models for the show. It seems like they've been listening to customers because some of favorite faces made an appearance. It was hard to keep up with the names of everyone we say, but E! News made our day with their breakdown of names we may have missed:

  • Bella Hadid
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Ashley Graham
  • Paloma Elsesser
  • Kate Moss
  • Lila Moss (Kate's daughter)
  • Jasmine Tookes (We were bummed she didn't get more screen time)
  • Candice Swanepoel
  • Irina Shayk (Super interesting because Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are an item)
  • Behati Prinsloo
  • Adriana Lima
  • Alessandra Ambrosio
  • Barbara Palvin (Dylan Sprouse's wife)
  • Joan Smalls
  • Liu Wen
  • Doutzen Kroes
  • Taylor Hill
  • Awar Odiang
  • Vittoria Ceretti
  • Mika Schneider
  • Valentina Sampaio
  • Maty Fall
  • Alex Consai
  • Mayowa Nicholas
  • Grace Elizabeth
  • Anok Yai
  • Imaan Hamman
  • Blesnya Minher
  • Devyn Garcia

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Ashley Graham

Body Positivity Was On Display

From Paloma Elsesser to Ashley Graham, we were genuinely excited to see more diverse bodies on the runway. It's our belief that all bodies should be celebrated, not just those with slender frames. As we know, bodies come in all shapes and sizes, complete with stretch marks, thigh dimples, and more!

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Gigi Hadid

Angel Wings Made Their Memorable Return

We were wondering if we'd see the famous angel wings on display during the Victoria's Secret fashion show and we were not disappointed. Our favorite pair was the soft feathery design worn by Gigi Hadid. She wore a sexy satin romper that gave way to a little peek-a-boo underwear action that gives us some ideas for our next sleepwear spree!

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadioGettyImages

Cher

Cher's Performance

One of the best moments from the show was watching Cher give an electric performance that made us forget she's almost 80 years old. She wore a monochromatic outfit that featured silver hardware and wore her signature jet black, middle-part hairstyle that flowed each time she moved.

She sang "Strong Enough" and "Believe" as the audience swayed to the beat. It seems like these were fitting choices for the night because the models seemed to gain an extra dose of confidence in their walks.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Tyra Banks

Tyra's Major Comeback

Just like we predicted, Tyra's comeback at the end of the night wowed us. She wore a stunning sparkly corset that accentuated her cleavage and let us know she still hasn't lost the 'smize' we've always adored. We can tell she genuinely enjoyed being on the runway again because she held both hands up at the end of the show and was smiling from ear to ear as pink confetti flowed down.

When did Victoria's Secret announce the 2024 Fashion Show?

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Adriana Lima

Victoria's Secret shared a cute reel on Instagram in May about the return of the fashion show. It wrote, "We've read the comments and heard you. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is ✨ BACK ✨ and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more! Stay tuned…it only gets more iconic from here. 🪽#VSFashionShow," in the caption. For the most part, fans seemed eager to see the models, lingerie, and energy of the show on their TV screens again.

What is the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?

Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Once known as one of the United State's most popular lingerie brands, Victoria's Secret created a fashion show to showcase popular lingerie designs with the help of gorgeous models, reimagined angel wings, and an amazing musical score to boot!

Debuting in 1995, this show highlighted lingerie in a way that was previously unheard of, and it really caught the attention of the fashion industry (via Fashionista). However, it wasn't until 1997 that the well known "Angel" collection for the brand was introduced to the public. According to Fashionista, Tyra Banks was actually the first person to wear the famous 'wings' onstage, starting a lasting legacy.

Why was the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show considered controversial?

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss

This was the first Victoria's Secret fashion show to premiere on TV since 2019, and that's sadly due to controversy that plagued the brand. While they attempted to bring the show back in 2023, people weren't showing as much interest in watching, so the brand made the difficult decision to cancel, according to NBC News. This is probably due to the horrific comments it's parent company's former chief marketing officer, Ed Razek, made in 2018.

He didn't see the need to include transgender models that were usually seen on the runway "because the show is a fantasy," (via NBC News). Razek later tried to clean up his original statement by saying, "We've had transgender models come to the castings ... And like many others, they didn't make it ... But it was never about gender," but the damage was done.

Things continued to go downhill for the brand when its models penned and signed a call-to-action letter to CEO John Mehas. It made a connection to L Brands' CEO Leslie Wexner's friendship with the disgraced and deceased Jeffrey Epstein along with rampant sexual misdeeds in the entire fashion industry (via NBC News). Yikes...

Plus, many people didn't feel like these shows embodied body positivity, only showcasing traditionally thin women on the runway. As of this year, it seems like the brand is committed to change, though.

The Victoria's Secret fashion show is available to watch on Amazon Prime! You can also relive your favorite moments by heading over to YouTube!

Are you excited to watch the Victoria's Secret fashion show? Let us know & follow us on Facebook!

This post has been updated.

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When Is Starbucks' Red Cup Day?

The holidays at Starbucks are creeping up on us, people! Per menu leaks, Peppermint Mocha season will return on November 7. If you’re a die-hard Starbucks fan, you know Red Cup Day is a whole holiday in itself – the frenzy for a free reusable cup is truly no joke. There’s even an entire website dedicated to counting down the madness! Even though there’s no official word on when Red Cup Day 2024 will be, there are several clues that cue us into the annual event. Scroll on for details!

What is Red Cup Day?

Starbucks

Red Cup Day is Starbucks’ highly-awaited annual event that marks the start of holiday beverage season at the coffee chain. For one day only (and while supplies last), customers who order any of Starbucks’ holiday drinks receive a reusable red cup that features a bespoke design for the respective year.

Starbucks

Here’s a list of all the drinks rumored to be available on the Starbucks holiday menu starting November 7:

  • Peppermint Mocha
  • Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
  • Caramel Brûlée Latte
  • Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
  • Chestnut Praline Latte
  • Salted Pecan Crunch Cold Brew
  • Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

What do the red cups look like for 2024?

Starbucks

Starbucks hasn’t officially announced when Red Cup Day will be for 2024, let alone what the famed red cups will look like this go-around. The one obvious point is that the cups will be red! They’ll also likely feature some festive motifs that echo the holiday season. Last year’s red cups boasted playful white and green stars and ornament-like shapes.

Why should I participate in Red Cup Day?

Starbucks

Red Cup Day = freebies, which can feel really rewarding if you’re really into receiving free goodies. Plus, it’s just a fun way to lean into the holiday spirit. The red reusable cup keeps giving beyond Red Cup Day, though! Every time you use the reusable cup for future Starbucks orders, you get a 10-cent discount as well as 25 bonus stars toward your Starbucks Rewards account to save up for more discounts on drinks, food, and merchandise.

When is Starbucks' Red Cup Day 2024?

Starbucks

Again, Starbucks hasn’t alerted us on when Red Cup Day will be for 2024, but based on previous Red Cup Days, we can infer it’ll land on the third Thursday of November. In 2022, Red Cup Day happened on November 17, and for 2023, it was November 16. The third Thursday of November in 2024 hits on November 21, so mark your calendars, everyone!

Additionally, check back here for official info as Red Cup Day approaches.

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