How to Throw a Killer Olympics Party

Aug 02, 2012

The schedules are set, apps are downloaded, Olympians are pumped, and your DVR is officially at maximum capacity. Clearly it’s time to throw together a killer Olympics party! From the best commercial break entertainment to all sorts of ring-themed sweet treats, here are 20 must-haves for any Summer Olympics soiree.

Olympic Rings Candy Jars

Talk about yet another perfect use for mason jars and mason jar rims! Could do a similar thing with fruit and veggies (with toothpicks on the side), or a mixture of sprinkles and candies for some cupcake or ice cream decorating action. (Tutorial and Photo: No Biggie)

Popcorn Cone Torches

Mmm. Popcorn in an ice cream cone is a great combo of savory and sweet, and so easy to put together. Kick it up a notch with one of our tricked out popcorn recipes, or scoop a little butterscotch ice cream into the cone before topping with popcorn. (Tutorial and Photo: A Small Snippet)

DIY Olympic Torch

If you’re looking for an awesome centerpiece, take an old trophy or candleholder, grab some fiery tissue paper and make yourself a torch! (Tutorial and Photo: Hostess with the Mostess)

4. Olympia Headpiece ($165): Take your love of the games to the next level but wearing your love on your head! This crazy headpiece is just what the Brits ordered for an extravagant and awesome summer games.

5. Team USA performs Call Me Maybe: Another Call Me Maybe lip dub, this time brought to you by the hotties on the US Swim Team. Love it!

6. Summer Olympics Corgi and Labrador Cards ($10): On this list because they exist. That is all.

Strength and Honor Cocktail

Remember how Gaston from Beauty and the Beast ate four dozen eggs every morning to help him get large? This drink is sort of like that in that it promises strength and honor. Just a little gin, honey syrup, lemon juice, and an egg white and you’re on your way. (Recipe and Photo: The Daily Meal)

Olympics Beach Games

If you’ll be getting into the Olympic spirit in a more analog way, take to the beach and set up your own games! (Photo: A Small Snippet)

10. Olympics Nails: Nail art has made it to the Olympics too!

11. Olympic Diving Faces: If you haven’t seen this, you are probably cracking up right now. Thank you super fast cameras for being able to capture these totally priceless facial expressions.

Olympic Rings

For a quick bit of decor, grab paper plates or styrofoam rings and wrap colorful streams around them to create rings. Use pins, staples, or glue to keep in place. (Tutorial and Photo: Hostess with the Mostess)

Nanaimo Bars

What we’re most pumped about with this sweet treat is finding out the Olympic Cookie Cutter exists! Incredible. (Recipe and photo: The Kitchn)

Olympic Rings Candy Bar

Set up an Olympic-themed candy bar using cheap spray painted buckets and brightly colored candy. (Tutorial and Photo: You Are My Fave)

16. Cool Runnings: Gotta have a few Olympic movies ready to go should you need a switch up or party until the wee hours. Though Cool Runnings is more of a Winter Olympics jam, your guests will still get a kick of nostalgia when you throw it on.

17. Olympic Ring Photo Props ($12): Photo booth time! Grab or DIY a set of Olympic-themed photo booth props, perhaps with a triple level medal ceremony podium to match.

18. Mobile Apps: If you’ve gotta watch the games on the go or don’t have an official cable or satellite situation, these apps are essential. Our fave is definitely Curly’s, an app that uses super simple illustrations and copy to describe every Olympic sport.

19. London 1948 Olympic Games Poster ($5): Get a little vintage wall decor by snatching up one of these gorgeous 24″x36″ prints from the London 1948 games.

Olympic Rings Bracelet

Finally, some DIY style. This simple bracelet is a subtle piece to show your Olympic spirit. Stay tuned for our very own style DIY next week! (Recipe and photo: Brassy Apple)

7 “Impressive” Whole Foods Deals Will Save You Major Cash On Your Grocery Bill

I truly feel like I’ve been living under a rock when it comes to what’s good at Whole Foods. Turns out, they’ve been hiding some really impressive deals on groceries in the shadows, but I’m here to shed some light on ‘em. Whole Foods offers savings every week, and I’m fully convinced that my local Whole Foods will be seeing a whole lot more of me from now on.

Scroll on for details on Whole Foods’ top deals to shop starting today!

Kaboompics / PEXELS

1. BOGO 50% off packaged soups (Tuesdays)

Tuesdays and Fridays are the main days of the week that Whole Foods offers savings on their groceries. The first amazing deal for Tuesdays is BOGO 50% off packaged soups – perfect for this time of year!

They’ve got every kind of flavor from minestrone and chicken noodle to Italian wedding and broccoli cheddar. Their packaged soups average out at about $9 per 24-ounce tub, so saving 50% on one when you buy one is pretty good, especially for meal prep purposes.

Lukas / PEXELS

2. $2 off classic and organic rotisserie chickens (Tuesdays)

You can take $2 off two kinds of Whole Foods’ rotisserie chickens every Tuesday. Their classic rotisserie chicken goes for $9 while the organic version sells for $13. I love using rotisserie chicken for soups, sandwiches, wraps, and pastas, so getting a whole chicken to use for recipes all week long for just $7 is so nice!

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

3. $8 large cheese pizzas (Friday)

Sometimes you just do not feel like cooking on a Friday evening after work – that’s where this Whole Foods savings hack comes in! Every Friday, you can get a large cheese pizza for $8. While there’s nothing wrong with a plain cheese pizza (nostalgia galore!), I’d take advantage of this deal then bulk up my slices with various toppings like peppers, pepperoni, and olives.

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

4. 12 for $12 wild caught oysters (Friday)

Ooh, fancy! Every Friday, Whole Foods’ wild caught oysters go for $1 a pop. Buy a dozen for just $12, and you’re golden. This deal would be perfect for a bougie at-home date night.

Pixabay / PEXELS

5. BOGO 50% off packaged sushi rolls (Friday)

This is another great date night pick! Buy one packaged sushi roll, and get another 50% off on Fridays only. From rainbow rolls to California rolls, this Whole Foods savings hack has my cravings going crazy.

Minchephoto Photography / PEXELS

6. $10 family-sized tiramisu (Friday)

Got a hankering for a sweet treat? Don’t fret – you can shop a whole family-sized serving of tiramisu at Whole Foods for just $10 every Friday.

Kseniia Lopyreva / PEXELS

7. $12 bottles of prosecco (Friday)

The death of the work week and start of the weekend is obviously a cause for celebration, and Whole Foods has you covered with $12 bottles of Presto prosecco every Friday. Cheers!

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Elle Fanning "Uncontrollably Sobbed" During One Of Dakota's Movies As A Kid

As much as I love celebrity couples, I love celebrity sibling relationships even more. And Elle and Dakota Fanning are two sisters I've grown up watching since I first saw Dreamer in 2005. Considering Elle Fanning is only five months older than me, and I have a sister of my own, this is one relationship that feels particularly familiar. And while Elle has also watched Dakota Fanning act since we were kids, Dakota just revealed seeing Elle onscreen is just as special for her.

Here's why Dakota & Elle Fanning get emotional seeing each other onscreen.

Elle remembers "sobbing" during one particularly emotional Dakota Fanning movie.

“When Elle’s in anything, it makes me feel it deeper,” Dakota Fanning said at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on December 3. “She never can fully disappear into a character totally for me as her sister. She obviously does an amazing job, but I’m always gonna see my little sister a little bit.”

And Elle is just as touched by Dakota's roles, and remembers "uncontrollably sobbing" after seeing Now Is Good, a movie where Dakota's character was dying of cancer. “Because it was my sister, I had a real traumatic reaction after that premiere and the screening,” Elle says. “Obviously the acting, but it was something felt on a deeper level.”

“I’m doing this job, I’m an actor because my sister started before me and I watched her,” Elle continues. “I wanted to do exactly what my big sister wanted to do.”

And their movies have also made an impact on everyone who watches them.

When Brit + Co caught up with Dakota Fanning at the world premiere of The Watchers, I had to ask about one of her most iconic movies: Uptown Girls. "I love it," she says of TikTok memes and edits giving the movie new life. "It's nostalgic for people who are kind of around my age, who grew up watching that movie, I think it's like a comfort movie for people. And so I love that people are still revisiting it and loving it. And maybe now that everyone's older [they're] understanding different things about it."

Dakota starred opposite Brittany Murphy, who also had roles in movies like Clueless, 8 Mile, and Girl, Interrupted. Brittany passed away in 2009 when Dakota was 15. "I loved Brittany so much and I still miss her," she says. "So anytime that she has, you know, a moment where people think about her is also nice."

You can see Elle Fanning in A Complete Unknown, in theaters December 25, and you can also stream Dakota Fanning's new show The Perfect Couple on Netflix now.

pop culture relationships celebrity

13 Yummy Christmas Cookies From Around The World

Heaping plates of Christmas cookies are synonymous with the holidays. It seems that nearly every country around the globe has their own variation on the holiday classic. In fact, some of these regions have been making their version of Christmas cookies for literal hundreds of years.

If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with your heritage, or maybe just want a little baking inspiration, check out our picks for the yummiest Christmas cookies from around the world.

The Noshery

Mantecaditos con Guayaba

These may look like ordinary thumbprint cookies, but these almond shortbreads from Puerto Rico are filled with a special guava marmalade. (via The Noshery)

Broma Bakery

Meringues

French meringues are a classic crumbly egg white cookie with a chewy interior. These get an extra European twist with the addition of Nutella. (via Broma Bakery)

Pretty. Simple. Sweet.

Alfajores

Deeply flavored dulce de leche, a caramel made from whole milk commonly found in Spain and many Latin American countries, is the key ingredient in these super pretty sandwiched Christmas cookies. (via Pretty. Simple. Sweet.)

Fancy Peasant

Melomakarona

These Christmas cookies that hail from Greece get their sweetness from a generous soaking of fresh honey! (via Fancy Peasant)

Very Eatalian

Baci di Dama

The name of this Italian treat translates to “lady’s kisses” — how adorable is that? These bite-sized cuties are made with ground hazelnuts and filled with a dollop of dark chocolate. (via Very Eatalian)

Cooking Classy

Linzer Cookies

These Austrian Christmas cookies are typically made with raspberry jam, but feel free to get crazy with a filling of your choice. Plus, the gorgeous windowpane look will make them a prize takeaway at your next cookie exchange. (via Cooking Classy)

Olivia’s Cuisine

Basler Brunsli

If you’re hanging out in Switzerland around Christmas time, you’ll definitely see these chocolate treats around. They’re often described as Swiss brownies due to their deliciously chewy texture. Perfect with a cup of eggnog or coffee! (via Olivia’s Cuisine)

Cilantro Parsley

This post has been updated with additional reporting by Meredith Holser.

Lead image via Pretty. Simple. Sweet.

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