5 Creative Gift Wrap Ideas You Can Do With Stuff Around Your House

Anjelika Temple
Dec 23, 2015

You’re an excellent shopper. When it comes to finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list, you’re at the top of your class. The only thing? You don’t always remember to wrap those gifts until the very last minute. We’ve all been there. I’ve been known to turn paper grocery bags inside out and use those as gift wrap with a very elegant shipping tape seal and stolen-from-the-tree ornament topper.

Today, we’ve teamed up with Google to up your gift wrap game twofold. First, use the Google app to set yourself a reminder so that you remember to wrap presents when you get home. The app will send an alert your way the moment you get home — how awesome is that? All you have to do is speak to set a reminder up. It’s like having a personal assistant!

Second, you need a few pro gift wrap hacks up your sleeve. Here are five creative gift wrap ideas you can make using stuff that’s probably already lying around your house.

1. Twine Pom Pom Present Toppers: Can’t find ribbon or a bow? Pom poms to the rescue! You can turn just about any fabric or string into a pom pom, so start foraging around your house for possible future pom poms. Baker’s twine is a great option, especially if you’ve got a spool that’s multi-colored like this red and white combo. I’ve also made pom poms out of old t-shirts, fabric scraps, rope and more. Get creative!

2. Create Your Own Wrapping Paper: If you want to jazz up a roll of plain paper, paint pens and Sharpies are all you need. You can do this with printer paper, brown paper bags or even newspaper to really make it your own.

3. Peekaboo Patterned Wrap: Take two scraps of last year’s saved wrapping paper and combine them to mimic this peekaboo present. If you don’t have wrap from last year, you can do the same sort of thing by combining white printer paper with colorful magazine pages.

4. Printable Gift Wrap and Gift Tags: We’re doing you a solid here — as long as you’ve got access to a printer (or a Kinko’s). Download these patterned papers, gift tags and holiday cards and you’re good to go.

5. The Good Old Potato Stamp: And if all else fails, you can always turn to your friend ’til the end: the potato stamp.

Still looking for creative inspiration? You can ask Google for that as well. Your future as a wrap star is just moments away ;)

6 New Google Maps Features To Make Your Next National Parks Trip Painless

Visiting ourU.S. National Parks is a must for every nature and adventure lover — a journey through breathtaking landscapes and amazing experiences with the ones you love (including yourself!). For 2025, National Park Week will be observed from Saturday, April 19 through Sunday, April 27, and Google Maps can make navigating them worlds easier. Between integrating more detailed instructions to trailheads and sounding off in response to relevant heat warnings, Google Maps features are the travel buddy you never knew you needed. Plan now and get ready to hit the road for an epic park trip. Read on for all of the features here to guide you through every step of the way!

1. View trails from beginning to end on Google Maps

Image via Google Maps

Trails are easier to discover via Maps. When you search for a trail, you’ll see the entire route displayed, so you can easily find the starting point and the end. Upon searching, you’ll get a preview of the trail with reviews and photos from the Google Maps community. You’ll also be able to see the trail’s difficulty as well as what it’s used for.

2. Detailed Google Maps directions bring you straight to the trailhead or park entrance

Photo by Chris Janda

Spare yourself the confusion of whether the trailhead you parked at is the trailhead you’re supposed to be hiking. Now, when you request walking or cycling directions to a particular trail, Google Maps will direct you right to its beginning.

3. Get informed when there's a heat wave warning

Image via cottonbro studio / PEXELS

When you Google search for information on extreme heat events, the engine will show you details on predicted heat waves, tips on staying cool, and any urgent health concerns associated with hot weather. This feature is helpful for exploring National Parks in particular, so you’re not risking your wellbeing for exploration and fun. These warnings will pop up in a conspicuous space on your screen to eliminate confusion.

4. See how the planet evolved over time with Google Earth's update

Image via Google Earth

Immerse yourself in Earth’s transformative nature using the biggest Google Earth update since 2017, Timelapse. The 4D experience takes you from the Amazon rainforest to the palm oil-rich land of Indonesia to shine a light on our changing planet and its problems and solutions, as well as a handful of beautiful natural phenomena that have unfolded over the past decades.

5. Easily view a National Park destination's can't-miss attractions

Image via Google Maps

With a National Park-related search, you’ll now be able to easily view any notable attractions, campgrounds, visitor centers, and trailheads within your desired park.

6. Go properly off the grid with offline Google Maps features

Image via Anna Alexes / PEXELS

Reliable cell coverage isn’t guaranteed in the great outdoors. To help you responsibly explore parks with clarity, Google Maps brings you offline features. Just tap the "download" button on any park’s Google Maps listing to download it for offline use.

Itching to explore more?

Image via Pixabay / PEXELS

Here are the most popular U.S. National Parks, according to Google*:

  1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  2. Bryce Canyon National Park
  3. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
  4. Kenai Fjords National Park
  5. Rocky Mountain National Park
  6. Acadia National Park
  7. Badlands National Park
  8. Mount Rainier National Park
  9. Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  10. Grand Teton National Park
  11. Crater Lake National Park
  12. Redwood National and State Parks
  13. Olympic National Park
  14. Haleakalā National Park
  15. White Sands National Park
  16. Arches National Park
  17. Sequoia National Park
  18. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  19. Dry Tortugas National Park
  20. North Cascades National Park
*Determined by National Parks with ratings of 4.5 or higher and more than 1,000 reviews on Google Maps

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Header image via Google Maps

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Still Processing? Let's Break Down the Emotional 'The Pitt' Ending

The Pittseason 1 has been nothing short of gripping — and even the slower-paced season finale still lived up to that to that hype. From the moment the medical drama's ending started, we finally got answers to questions we've had all season about the incredible, life-saving doctors we've followed for 15 episodes. Let's unpack it all.

Here's everything you need to know about that emotional The Pitt season finale...

Warrick Page/Max

From the jump, we finally found out why Dr. McKay has an ankle bracelet — she's in a custody battle and was deemed flight risk. This explains so much about the tension with the "Bonus Mom" girlfriend, Dr. McKay's ex-husband, and her son. We don't know why the split and custody battle are so contemptuous, but at least it explains why someone with an ankle monitor is able to work in the medical field. It was always obvious Dr. McKay was a good doctor, but this little detail definitely confused me for the whole season.

I'm glad the police decided to let her go after tampering with the monitor — ya know, so she could save lives after a literal mass shooting.

Warrick Page/Max

This Dr. Langdon situation continues to get murky. He chose to confide in Dana which wasn’t necessarily unexpected, but it was interesting. It's clear he was desperately searching for allies to confirm that he's not actually an addict...whether he's looking to confirm that to himself or to Dr. Robbie is another story.

It seems like Dr. Langdon really believes he was just "weening" himself off of the pain medication like a doctor would, but it doesn't seem like anyone else is really buying that. When Dana tells him that Dr. Robbie will do what's best, it really shows how much the entire staff trusts his leadership, but also how questionable Dr. Langdon's choices really may be.

Warrick Page/Max

While we already know David isn’t the shooter from the festival, it's clear that Dr. McKay still finds him a bigger threat than just a depressed high schooler. He may not have deserved the intensity from the police at first, but I think the subsequent persistence for preventative mental health treatment is brilliant. This all feels especially timely given the “manosphere” and the rise of toxic masculinity in young men right now.

Totally love how they approached this, and I hope season 2 gives us a glimpse into a follow-up here.

Warrick Page/Max

When Dr. Langdon and Dr. Robbie finally had their confrontation about the drug use, I was genuinely shocked by Langdon's behavior. Dr. Robbie offered an out that made sense — NA meetings, random drug testing, etc — without requiring Dr. Langon to lose his job (or medical license). Instead of taking that graciously, Dr. Langdon acted out and used Dr. Robbie's panic attack very obviously caused by PTSD against him. This low blow was incredibly addict behavior-coded, and he really only proved that he's not fit to practice.

Warrick Page/Max

After a pretty tumultuous season for her, Dr. Santos definitely proved her bedside manner is so much better by the end! Her cutthroat mentality, rash decision-making, and blunt demeanor clearly wasn't serving her — or her patients — at the beginning of her first shift. Not only did it upset everyone around her, but it lead to some patient complications that honestly could have been avoided.

Now, by the end of her first 15 hours of her Emergency Medicine rotation, it's clear that Santos embraced a thoroughness and thoughtfulness that ultimately lead her to save a man from future self-harm. So proud of her growth!

(And I can't wait to see what roommate Santos and Whittaker are like in season 2!)

Warrick Page/Max

Throughout the episode, the residual blood prints on the floor highlighted the ever-present tragedy the ER just faced in only a few hours. It's such a good, small, specific detail that shows how the doctors, nurses, and overall hospital staff have to continue on in the face of their own trauma, saving more and more lives as the clock ticks on.

These details make Dr. Robbie’s speech all the more poignant. He said, “None of us are gonna forget today — even if we really, really want to.” And while that's exemplary of how people experience trauma in real life, but it also clearly exhibits his character’s direct experience with the trauma of COVID and the loss of his friend and mentor.

With that in mind, it's fitting that Dr. Robbie and Dr. Abbott share an emotional moment the roof after meeting each other there in the first episode. The men discuss the hardship of this role, questioning why they keep coming back day after day to such a heavy job.

Meanwhile, the ER waiting room starts quickly filling up all over again, further highlighting the continuous fatigue and mental health hardships each doctor and medical professional faces throughout their shifts – and their entire careers.

At the end of the day, when all the doctors cheers to the work, the patients saved, and the patients lost, it felt like Nick Caraway's last quote from The Great Gatsby:

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Warrick Page/Max

Remaining Takeaways:

  • Dr. Whitaker not being able to afford a place to live or a car as a literal doctor shows how messed up it is that we can’t pay a livable wage to the people literally saving lives day in and day out — even when they’re students, interns, or otherwise.
  • Poor Dr. King's caregiver fatigue. I hope she’s okay because she's definitely gonna burnout operating at the level she is — high metabolism or not.
  • The rats coming back is honestly hilarious.
  • Dr. Abbott worked so hard all day with that prosthetic and didn't let a single person or patient feel bad about it. A consummate caregiver.
  • Dana won’t come back — she’ll be the medical professional to break the cycle of putting themselves in this day-in and day-out.
  • We still don't know what's going on with Dr. Collins — I hope she's okay!

Is episode 15 of 'The Pitt' the season finale?

Warrick Page/Max

Yes, episode 15 of The Pitt is the season 1 finale!

How long is the last episode of 'The Pitt'?

Warrick Page/Max

The last episode of The Pitt (episode 15) is 60 minutes long.

Is there a season 2 for 'The Pitt'?

Warrick Page/Max

Thankfully, Max confirmed that The Pitt season 2 is definitely coming! And the best part? We're supposed to get the second season by January 2026 — Yay!

Is 'The Pitt' based on a real hospital?

Warrick Page/Max

No, The Pitt isn't based on a real hospital.

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7 Spring 2025 Beauty Trends To Glow All Season

City Beauty
beauty products

Spring 2025 beauty is all about bold yet wearable, polished yet playful looks. From the return of the lip liner to fresh, nature-inspired nail and eye colors, this season’s trends blend nostalgia with modern minimalism. Expect soft, dramatic eyes, skincare-infused makeup, and lip liner that enhances without overpowering. These trends are all about embracing your natural features in an elevated, beautiful way so you glow, and look your best, all season.

Here are spring 2025 beauty trends to try this season.

City Lips® Defining Liner

Liner Revival

The lip liner trend for spring 2025 embraces bold definition with a fresh, modern twist. This season, it's about pairing rosy nudes with soft, lighter lip colors and rich, warm tones with deep browns and cherry reds for a sculpted, high-impact look. City Lips Defining Liner is our favorite new lip liner. It prevents color fading, smudging, and feathering, so you can keep your look intact all day or night! It’s available in two pretty shades: Blush, a soft, rosy nude that pairs beautifully with pink hues and lighter lip colors, and Willow, a rich, warm-toned nude that complements brown tones and deeper shades.

City Beauty

Multitasking Makeup

The trend toward skincare-infused makeup is making your beauty routine work harder with nourishing ingredients. City Lips Defining Liner features vitamin E, helping to keep the lip line smooth while subtly enhancing its shape for a fuller, more defined look. For the ultimate plump and polish, pair the pigmented liner with City Lips Plumping Gloss — a duo that gives you a naturally voluminous pout, plus extra hydration.

Shutterstock

Pastel Pop

From butter yellow to sage green, this season’s nail trends are embracing soft, yet statement-making hues that bring a fresh pop of color. Alongside these chic shades, almond-shaped nails are offering a sleek, elegant look that flatters your mani aesthetic.

Monserrat Tosca | Dupe

'90s Nostalgia

A softer, smudged take on the classic cat-eye is making waves, with eyeliner staging a bold comeback in full, effortless sweeps. Blue eyeshadow is also back and better. Expect a nod to cool-toned, ’90s grunge eyes, a trend that lends itself to easy, minimalist lines, like a single, clean swipe of liner, proving that less can truly be more.

Claire Craig | Dupe

Lobs, Bobs & Natural Manes

Haircut season is in full swing, and lighter, fuss-free bobs at all above-shoulder lengths, plus natural curls, are making their way in and out of salons for spring. We couldn't be happier for the low-maintenance 'dos!

Katie Mansfield | Dupe

Satin Skin

This understated look highlights healthy, natural skin with a soft-matte finish — radiant, yet never flat or overly glossy.

City Beauty

Glossy lips, instead, shine this season. Upgrade your lip routine this spring with City Beauty’s new City Lips Defining Liner and lip glosses for a refreshed look.

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Here's Your First Look At Sydney Sweeney & Halsey's "Magnetic" New Crime Thriller

Sydney Sweeney and Halsey's Americana movie debuted at SXSW in 2023, but we don't have to wait much longer to see the film on the big screen. Thanks to Lionsgate, the movie is coming to theaters this year — and Collider just gave us an emotional (and bloody) first look at the movie.

Here's everything you need to know about Americana, coming to theaters August 22, 2025 and starring Sydney Sweeney, Halsey, and Paul Walter Hauser.

What is the movie Americana about?

Lionsgate, courtesy of Collider

According to Lionsgate's official synopsis, "a rare artifact falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town" in the Americana movie, and before long, "the lives of local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwine."

And fans and critics who saw the movie at the 2023 SXSW loved it. "The more AMERICANA sits with me, the more I love it," one X user said at the time. "Halsey’s screen presence is magnetic and the chemistry between Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser is so sweet. A neo-western that puts the eccentric characters of the modern wild west in the sun-soaked spotlight."

The Colliderfirst look features an image of popstar Halsey, dressed in a mint green collared top, with blood splattered across their face, looking out a shattered window.

Where can I watch Americana?

Lionsgate, courtesy of Collider

The Americana release date is sooner than you realize! Americana is coming to theaters August 22, 2025.

Who's in the Americana cast?

Lionsgate, courtesy of Collider

The Americana movie cast includes:

  • Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo Poplin
  • Halsey as Mandy Starr
  • Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter
  • Simon Rex as Roy Lee Dean
  • Eric Dane as Dillon MacIntosh
  • Zahn McClarnon as Ghost Eye
  • Gavin Maddox Bergman as Cal Starr

Why is Americana rated R?

Ursula Coyote/Lionsgate

Americana is a crime thriller, and it's rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual references.

Where can I stream the movie Americana?

charlesdeluvio/Unsplash

Sydney Sweeney's Americana isn't available to stream yet, but stay tuned for the official streaming distribution! (You can also stream the 2016 movie Americana on Tubi).

Stay tuned for the latest updates on Sydney Sweeney and Halsey's Americana movie! Check out The First Look At Sydney Sweeney As "Incredible" Christy Martin while you wait.

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Netflix's 'Pride And Prejudice' Finally Found Its Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I will absolutely eat up any Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Jane Austen's most famous story has everything: romance, sisterly love, and the blueprint for the enemies-to-lovers trope. To this day, I've never read a fight with dialogue as memorable as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and the fact the story eventually gave us THE hand flex in Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation? That's just the cherry on top.

If you've been on TikTok for more than a day, you've probably seen the scene, which stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, replayed at different speeds and angles, which is both its own commentary on the female gaze and a testament to how rich Austen's books are. There are countless glances and touches between Elizabeth and Darcy that add so much nuance to their relationship. And it looks like we're getting countless other moments to turn into TikTok edits because a brand new limited series is coming to Netflix! And the new Pride and Prejudice cast is unbelievable.

Here's everything we know about Netflix's Pride and Prejudice, starring Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden, and Olivia Colman.

Who's in the Netflix Pride and Prejudice cast?

Des Willie/Netflix

The Pride and Prejudice cast is already a super buzzy lineup (and "fantastic," according to one X user). I agree! So far we have:

  • Emma Corrin as Elizabeth Bennet: a headstrong and intelligent young woman determined to marry for love.
  • Jack Lowden as Mr. Darcy: a handsome and wealthy bachelor that has a reputation for his pride.
  • Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennet: Lizzy's very enthusiastic mother, who wants her daughters married and cared for.

“Playing Elizabeth Bennet is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Emma says in an interview with Netflix. “To be able to bring this iconic character to life, alongside Olivia and Jack, with Dolly’s phenomenal scripts, is truly the greatest honor. I can’t wait for a new generation to fall in love with this story all over again.”

The other characters we're still waiting on are Jane Bennet, Mr. Charles Bingley, Caroline Bingley, Mary Bennet, Kitty Bennet, Mr. George Wickham, Lydia Bennet, and Mr. Bennet. According to The Daily Mail, Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters) has been sent scripts for the series, and now I just NEED to see her as Jane! (Maybe we could get Paul Mescal as Bingley?)

Is there a new Pride and Prejudice coming out in 2026?

Focus Features

Yes we're getting a brand new Pride and Prejudice! THR reports the series is set to film later this year, so there's a good chance we'll see the show next year.

Dolly Alderton (Everything I Know About Love) is writing the script for Pride and Prejudice while Euros Lyn will direct.

“Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story and I feel very lucky that I get to be a part of it,” Dolly tells Netflix. “Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the blueprint for romantic comedy — it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of bringing this beloved book to life."

"The book is a gift to adapt — packed with drama and depth as well as comedy and charm," she continues. "In it lies the opportunity to examine the complexities of love, family, friendship and society, while aspiring to Austen’s delightfully observational voice. With Euros Lyn directing our stellar cast, I am so excited to reintroduce these hilarious and complicated characters to those who count Pride and Prejudice as their favorite book, and those who are yet to meet their Lizzie and Mr Darcy.”

Where can I watch Pride and Prejudice?

Nick Wall/Netflix

You'll be able to watch the show on Netflix, but stay tuned for the Pride and Prejudice release date!

This is going to mark the first time the streamer's adapted a Jane Austen story since 2022's Persuasion, which received a 30 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and led to reviews with titles like Netflix's Persuasion is an absolute disaster and ‘Persuasion’ Is Awful and It’s Also Everything That’s Wrong with Netflix. The report also follows the news that the BBC is adapting The Other Bennet Sister, which revolves around Mary.

With Dolly Alderton behind the scenes, I'm sure the new adaptation will have the same wit as the original story, with a modern edge that will attempt to make it more relatable, with (hopefully) enough respect for the original work to make it not feel untrue to the original story.

How many episodes of Pride and Prejudice are there?

​John-Mark Smith/Pexels

Pride and Prejudice on Netflix will have six episodes total.

Where is Pride and Prejudice filming?

Pixabay/Pexels

Pride and Prejudice is set to film in the U.K. later this year.

What is Pride and Prejudice about?

Amazon

Pride and Prejudice Plot

Pride and Prejudice follows the Bennet family and their five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. When Mr. Darcy arrives to town — and Elizabeth immediately dislikes him — she strives to see as little of him as possible. This proves to be a difficult task when Jane falls for his best friend Mr. Bingley.

Does Netflix have Pride and Prejudice?

Focus Features

Wondering, Where can I watch the original Pride and Prejudice movie? Both the 2005 Pride & Prejudice and Persuasion are on Netflix now! The 1995 Pride and Prejudice is on Peacock.

Check out The Best Jane Austen Books Everyone Should Have On Their Bookshelf to catch up on all the best Austen novels.

This post has been updated.

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