3 Millennial Women in Media Reveal Their Morning Routines + More!

Angela Velez
Aug 17, 2015

In this week’s installment of #IAmaBoss, we’re heading to New York City to meet some talented ladies working in media. From wine and religion to breaking news, these witty women are keeping readers informed and entertained. We’re chatting with them about their morning routines, fave apps and more. Scroll on to read their words of wisdom.

Christina Pellegrini: Christina is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to penning food, drink, travel and lifestyle stories for Wine Enthusiast magazine, she is a contributing beauty and tech writer for Cambio, a millennial lifestyle site under the AOL umbrella. Her work has appeared in publications including Hamptons, Gotham, Philadelphia Style, Racked, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Bicycling.

Ahiza Garcia: Ahiza Garcia is a breaking news reporter for CNNMoney in New York City. Before joining CNNMoney, she was a news writer for Talking Points Memo and interned and freelanced for Nightline, Fox Sports and ESPN the Magazine. She holds a BA in psychology from Columbia University and an MS in digital journalism from Syracuse University.

Miriam Krule: Miriam Krule is an assistant editor at Slate, where she writes about religion and culture and edits the photography blog, Behold. She lives in Brooklyn, where she likes baking vegan desserts and biking everywhere. She’s such a cliché. She’s also a member of the Park Slope Food Co-op.

What is your morning routine?

Christina

Oh goodness. Morning is not when I shine. If I manage to get myself out of bed to work out, here’s what my schedule looks like:

5:45am: I roll out of bed and — some days — make it to a spin or HIIT class before work.

7:15am: Pop in the shower. Currently I’m working on lightening my locks with John Frieda’s Go Blonder line. I think it’s working.

7:30 am: I’m a makeup minimalist most days. I apply a layer of Benefit Total Moisture Face Cream underneath Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream. Then I swipe on Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara.

7:45am: Get dressed. I’m currently wearing Need Supply’s Outsider pants like, twice a week.

7:45am: Out the door! I’ll have a bowl of Kashi cereal with banana or berries when I get to my desk.

Ahiza
 6:00am: Alarm goes off.

6:00-6:15am: Get out of bed, brush my teeth and drink a glass of water.

6:15am: Get dressed, do my makeup and hair.

6:30-6:45am: Head downstairs for another glass of water. Spend some time on my phone getting ready for the day and catching up on overnight/over-weekend news. Check Seeking Alpha for market news.

6:55am: Pack my bag and grab breakfast and lunch from the fridge. Make sure I have workout gear for the day. Head out the door.

7:10am: Get on the subway and read my Nook.

7:50-7:55am: Get to work.

Miriam: I usually aim to wake up between 7:30am and 8am. (I often set my alarm for 7:30am and snooze while listening to Morning Edition.) I’m not a big runner, but I’ve started doing sprint triathlons, so if I’m feeling energetic, I’ll quickly brush my teeth and run two or three miles in Prospect Park. Otherwise I’ll pretend to do some yoga-like stretching to wake up. I’m usually in the shower by 8:45am. I have really long, curly hair and alternate between using Devachan One Conditioner and whatever Dove conditioner I can find at the drug store. I usually use Biolage extra firm gel to help it keep its shape.

Out of the shower and dressed by 9:10am. I’ll usually pack a lunch the night before. Then I hop on my bike and head to my office in the West Village — if I haven’t packed a lunch, I’ll stop at the Park Slope Food Co-op and pick something up. It usually takes about 45 minutes to get to work depending on what bridge I take. If I’m in a rush I’ll take the Manhattan Bridge, but I prefer the Brooklyn Bridge. Even though it’s more crowded and not as bike friendly, it’s glorious to bike over first thing in the morning. At my desk by 10am (ideally)!

Tell us your favorite weekday breakfast.

Christina: My fave breakfast hack is cooking up a big batch of Bob’s Red Mill steel-cut oats on Sunday night, and portioning it out during the week. I love to top it with almond milk, blackberries or raspberries and a drizzle of honey.

Ahiza: Organic granny smith apples + plain Greek yogurt + hemp granola OR whole-wheat burrito wrap with soy sausage + avocado + potatoes + cheese + homemade salsa.

Miriam: I used to love eating yogurt for breakfast, but when I became a vegan five years ago I gave that up. (It’s one of the only things I miss.) For a while I ate a lot of oatmeal, but lately I’ve been making a cashew milk chia seed parfait. Just combine 1/2 cup of cashew milk with a little bit of maple syrup and a tablespoon of chia seeds and refrigerate overnight. Throw some fruit on top and it’s the perfect breakfast.

What is the last app you downloaded and what did you do with it?

Christina: It’s not the last app I downloaded, but I just wrote about celebs to follow on Snapchat. I love catching glimpses into their daily lives (that aren’t overly edited, as they are in Instagram).

Ahiza: I just downloaded Flavour and used it to find a restaurant for dinner tonight with my sister.

Miriam: Punkpost! It’s this great new app that lets you send hand written cards instead of texts. The first one is free, and I haven’t used it yet, but I already know who I’m going to send it to!

What is one life hack you keep in your “tool kit?”

Christina: Since I’m working around the clock, I always need a quick meal option. I keep Aloha protein shakes on hand for that reason.

Ahiza: I installed a small extension rod in my shower window where I can hang washcloths without them touching the shower walls so they dry faster. Also, shelf liner is awesome! I recently used it to cover all the wood shelves in my closet wardrobe — it made the process so much easier because I didn’t have to wait for paint to dry, and it’s a smoother, cleaner surface so my clothes are protected.

Miriam: My life hacks are usually food related. The best way to clean a blender is to just fill it with a tiny bit of water and soap and let it go. Once I learned that I started using my food processor every day.

Tell us about one maker you admire

Christina: Karen Russell. I love the supernatural, otherworldly fantasies that she weaves in her stories; they’re hauntingly beautiful.

Ahiza: Cameron Russell — she’s a Columbia University alumna and a powerful voice within the fashion industry as an advocate for women. She’s also the managing editor of Interrupt Magazine, which is an awesome publication that gives a voice to underrepresented individuals.

Miriam: Gonna have to go with my mom (I dressed up as her for four years straight for Purim, so this is long-standing). She started her own market research company and travels all over the world for her work. Yet she’s also an awesome mom and one of the smartest people I know. Definitely the fastest reader.

I wish someone had told me _______ when I graduated from college.

Christina: That I had inherited a vast fortune and a penthouse in NYC from a kind, yet eccentric uncle.

Ahiza: There’s no rush to have it all figured out. People actually did tell me this, but I wish I’d taken it to heart. I’d always very carefully curated my life and when I graduated from college, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure my next job/step was perfect and, when it wasn’t, I was stressed. Now a few years out, I’ve realized that that time right out of college was invaluable, even if it didn’t help me advance my career. There were lots of important lessons and enriching experiences that I wouldn’t necessarily have had if I’d immediately found my way and started my career. Also, I’d add this to the aforementioned advice: There’s something to be learned from every job you have and, more importantly, it’s okay to change your mind until you find the right fit.

Miriam: Make my home my home. My first year out of college I moved around a lot and felt like a nomad. Just because you’re on your own and not living with family or in college doesn’t mean your home isn’t its own kind of permanent. Settle down, relax. Buy some nice things.

Does their advice resonate with you? Know a #girlboss we should interview? Send an email to editorial@brit.co and she could appear in the next column!

(Photo via Jemal Countess/Getty)

Angelina Jolie "Is Not Dating At This Time" — See Her Full Dating History Here

We almost broke our necks reading headlines about Angelina Jolie and her potential new boyfriend, but the rumors were quickly shut down. Yeah, yeah, yeah...cue the world's smallest violin, I know.

Angelina's been through a very public divorce with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, so we know better than to expect her to display something new for the tabloids just yet. It did, however, make us start thinking about her past dating history. It's time to take a walk down memory lane, because these romances are filled with fellow entertainers and lessons learned!

Ex-Husband Jonny Lee Miller

United Artists/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller entered each other's orbit during the filming of Hackers. This 1995 movie has everything to do with it's name, and ends with said Hackers ultimately unraveling a greater conspiracy. As is sometimes inevitable, Jonny and Angelina got close throughout filming, but went their separate ways once their time on set ended (via US Weekly).

They didn't stay apart for too long because they eventually got married the following year. It's even reported that Angelina proudly made a dark statement during their small wedding by wearing a t-shirt with Jonny's bloodied name written on it. She didn't do it to be gross though, but wanted to solidify their vows. "You’re about to marry him. You can sacrifice a little to make it really special," she remembers telling herself (via The New York Times). But, their marriage dissolved in less than two years and they decided to get divorced in 1999, according to US Weekly.

The two would go on to be amicable with each other, with Angelina even referring to Jonny as a "great friend" (via US Weekly). Earlier this year, Jonny sat down with Johnny Vaughan of Radio X to reveal something shocking. "I jumped out of an airplane...I was dating a young lady called Angelina," he said. He then shared that it was Angelina who encouraged him to do this daredevil feat with her. "She is cool as a cucumber. Fearless, that woman."

Ex-Girlfriend Jenny Shimizu

Dario Cantatore/Getty Images

During the brief time Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina weren't communicating, the Maria actress entered her first relationship with a woman. Jenny Shimizu and Angelina co-starred in another mid-'90s movie called Foxfire that centered the lives of teens and the bad decisions that land them in precarious situations.

Recounting how she felt about Jenny Shimizu, Angelia told Girlfriends magazine, "I fell in love with her the first second I saw her. Actually, I saw when she was being cast in Foxfire, and I thought she had just read for my part," she said. Ironically, her future ex-husband Brad Pitt was mentioned in the same interview, but the two hadn't met yet.

There's not much info about Angelina and Jenny's relationship beyond this, so it seems like things didn't last long.

Ex-Husband Billy Bob Thornton

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Here's where Angelina's relationships truly started to getting interesting. After things ended with Jonny Lee Miller and Jenny Shimizu, her next partner was none other than Billy Bob Thornton. InStyle recalls the two co-starred in Pushing Tin together, a movie about the ins and outs of two co-workers' fraught romantic relationships. Given the movie released in 1999, everyone didn't know how to respond to Angelina and Billy Bob's marriage the next year.

Unfortunately, even Laura Dern was caught by surprise — she and Billy Bob were allegedly engaged at the time. "I left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I’ve never heard from him again," she said, according to ABC News. That's...not the way to go about things, but apparently Angelina and her new husband didn't care at the time.

From then on out, Angelina and Billy Bob frequented red carpet events together. They didn't shy away from pulling off, uh, interesting stunts, that left everyone speechless. No one will ever forget when Billy Bob unashamedly admitted the two got frisky before walking the red carpet at the premiere of Gone in 60 Seconds.

However, their marriage dissolved because of their "different lifestyles," according to Billy Bob (via E! News). "So, that's really — that's the only reason we're probably not still together, maybe, because of a different path in life we wanted to take," he said.

Ex-Husband Brad Pitt

Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

This divorce breaks our hearts to revisit, but here we go! Everyone knows Brad and Angelina starred in the hit movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but we also could tell their intense chemistry had nothing to do with playing their respective roles. These two had such sizzling energy onscreen that it didn't take long for people to speculate Angelina was the reason Brad decided to part ways with Jennifer Aniston.

However, Angelina reportedly denies that was the case. She did notice she and Brad were excited to see each other at work though. "Because of the film, we ended up being brought together to do all these crazy things, and I think we found this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened," she said (via PEOPLE). According to the same outlet, it didn't take long for Brad and Angelina to move forward with their feelings once it was clear Jennifer was going to be out of the picture.

Though Brad and Angelina expanded their brood to include six children — Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne — a terrible incident unraveled everything. According to the BBC, Angelina accused Brad of become a belligerent drunk during a flight that resulted in injuries. She didn't waste time filing for divorce, which spoke volumes to us.

Um, The Weeknd?

Theo Wargo/Getty Images For US Weekly

Much to our surprise, Angelina Jolie and The Weeknd were rumored to be getting close around two years ago. They were seen on several 'dates,' one being at Giorgi Baldi, which continued to make people believe they were secretly dating (via Daily Mail). Since neither confirmed or denied the nature of their relationship, it's hard to say if there's any merit to the rumors.

We'll just have to speculate and keep it moving!

Is Angelina Jolie dating anyone these days? 

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC

Last year, Angelina spoke with WSJ Magazine to talk about about her life and career. She intimately revealed that her body reacted to all the pressure from going through her divorce from Brad which serves as a stark reminder why stress is never good for anyone! "I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce," she shockingly admitted. She also made it clear her focus was on her kids and nothing else. "They are the closest people to me and my life, and they’re my close friends."

Despite being recently linked to British rapper Akala, Angelina put an end to rumors they're dating today. A source said, "They all work together," referring to Akala's relationship with someone else. "Angelina remains focused on her family and is not dating at this time," (via PEOPLE).

The common theme throughout Angelina Jolie's dating history is her attachment to unconventional romances. Maybe she didn't always make the best choices in love, but it doesn't seem like they've create a hole in her heart. We can't wait to see who she finally lands with next!

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I’m Convinced This $10 Bottle Is The Best Drugstore Conditioner To Add Shine

It takes a lot for me to love a hair product. I’ve always kept maintenance around my locks super low-key, usually opting for the cheapest and most seemingly-effective shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in treatments you can find at the drugstore. To make a long story short, I’m not picky.

At the beginning of this year, I sought out to upgrade my self-care routines (albeit in small, affordable ways) so I could look and feel my best. Knowing hair care had become an afterthought, I figured why not switch up Old Reliable (AKA the Pantene shampoo and conditioner combo I’d used for years)?

I’m not knocking Pantene in any way, but after using the same products over and over again across countless showers, my locks became noticeably tired. Thus, I stumbled into Target to explore their perpetual collection of hair care and landed on what I think is now the best, most joy-evoking drugstore shampoo and conditioner I’ve ever experienced.

Meredith Holser

Other than the beautiful bottles, the Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo + Conditioner set caught my eye for claiming stronger, longer, and healthier hair. I had seen the brand’s hair oil go TikTok-viral a few months prior, which gave me all the approval I needed to add the duo to my cart.

After 10 months of consistent use, I’m loving the set. Though I don’t necessarily use it for hair growth alone, I have observed accelerated growth as well as improved strength in my strands.

The conditioner in particular has earned a mass amount of bonus points in my book for depositing noticeable moisture to my locks after shampooing and providing a fairly no-fuss detangling routine, which is my most urgent hair concern.

Meredith Holser

The Mielle conditioner contains biotin (for “longer, healthier hair”), coconut oil, and babassu seed oil that work to moisturize and soften your hair after a good wash. This isessential since I’ve found that most shampoos strip oils from my scalp and hair – not a bad thing though. It’s what shampoos are made to do, but my hair craves more moisture!

The conditioner is also infused with rosemary and mint essential oils which increase blood circulation, allowing more oxygen to reach the scalp, thus stimulating hair growth.

Meredith Holser

Before drying + styling

As I mentioned, my hair has that classic “squeaky clean” feel after shampooing, and though that’s what I want from a shampoo, it doesn’t help to use only shampoo once my hair’s dried. Without conditioner, my hair definitely lacks moisture and feels dry and stiff – even while I’m still in the shower. This conditioner feels ahh-mazing and never fails to restore all the necessary moisture my locks have lost after a thorough wash!

When using it, I use 1 to 1 ½ pumps of the product. I typically focus it around the ends of my hair (where there’s the most damage) before working the remaining product closer to my scalp. I leave it on for around 5 minutes while I wash my body and face before thoroughly rinsing it out. My hair feels super silky and detangled after the conditioning’s done!

The Verdict

Meredith Holser

After drying + styling

Where a conditioner’s performance really matters for me is making my hair look soft and healthy after it’s dry, so I can go on to style it without pesky knots and further damage. Brushing my hair post-conditioner is always a breeze with this Mielle pick, and the same goes for styling. I use an air styler and it glides smoothly and easily through my strands for a nice at-home blowout every single time.

More than anything, this is the best drugstore conditioner to leave my hair looking supremely shiny after all is said and done. I know that using it consistently over the course of this year has set my hair up to be super healthy so I never have to worry about excessive dryness breakage!

Try It For Yourself

Amazon

Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Conditioner

I bought this bottle (12 fluid ounces) back in January, and haven't had to restock it just yet. For $10, I can certify it's a really great deal and I've absolutely gotten my money's worth. Plus, for the results this conditioner delivers, it feels just like a luxury hair care product. It also goes for around the same price (there's a 12-cent difference) at Target!

Amazon

Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo

I also highly recommend you use the conditioner in conjunction with the coordinating shampoo. It has a delicious rosemary and mint scent that leaves your scalp feeling uber-refreshed after a thorough wash. This bottle currently goes for $9 on Amazon and $10 at Target.

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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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Tom Holland Is Finally Returning To Our Screens After The Job That "Absolutely Broke" Him

The age of the movie star might have been replaced by the age of the fictional character, but there are still more than a few actors audiences L-O-V-E. Rachel Zegler, Florence Pugh, and Madelyn Cline are just a few of the stars who make the list, but there's one A-lister who's finally making his return to the big screen: Tom Holland!

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on October 21 that the Spider-Man actor would join Christopher Nolan's new movie alongside Matt Damon and I have never leapt down an internet rabbit hole so fast. If you're wondering 'What movie is Tom Holland making?' then look no further. Here's everything you need to know about the new movie before it hits theaters.

  • Tom Holland is finally starring in a new movie.
  • After The Crowded Room "absolutely broke" him, he decided to take a break from Hollywood.
  • The new film, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon, is coming next summer.


AppleTV+

Tom Hollandand Matt Damon will star in Christopher Nolan's new movie for Universal Pictures. The film is still unnamed for now, but if these two actors are involved, it's sure to be one heck of an action movie. We don't have an official synopsis yet, but sources told THR that it likely won't be set in the present day. The movie is scheduled for July 17, 2026 and Deadline reports they're expected to begin filming at the beginning of 2025.

Considering Tom is one of my favorite actors ever, I'm super excited to see him return to the screen — especially given how devastated I was when he said he needed a break from acting. "This show absolutely broke me in every way possible,” he said at the premiere for AppleTV+ show The Crowded Room in New York City. “I just kept my head down. I dug my heels in, and I just tried my best.”

"I'm no stranger to hard work," he told ExtraTV. "I've lived by the idea that hard work is good work. Then again, the show did break me. There did come a time where I needed a break and disappeared and went to Mexico for a week and had time on a beach and laid low. I'm now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was."

Sony Pictures

This reminds me of Emma Watson's recent break from acting following 2019's Little Women, and her comments that being a child actor left her feeling "caged."

“The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over," she told The Financial Times. "To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, ‘How does this align with your viewpoint?’ It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process.”

Bero

Both Emma and Tom have been able to step into more senior creative roles...and they both happen to be in the drink space (Emma and her brother Alex launched Renais gin in April 2023, while Tom announced his new non-alcoholic beer BERO on October 16).

“After two years on my sobriety journey, I wanted to create something that reflected my lifestyle and values," Tom Holland said in a statement. “This beer isn’t just for those on a similar path, but for everyone who appreciates quality, craftsmanship and living life to the fullest."

Here's hoping you get to cheers a BERO on the set of your new movie, Tom!

Check back here for the latest Tom Holland movie news! And read up on his adorable relationship with Zendaya, of course.

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