Karlie Kloss Just Launched a Scholarship You Need to Know About

Oh, Karlie. Let us count the ways we love thee. The 22-year-old is already a ballerina, fitness ambassador, ultra-famous model and professional baker, but it looks like she’s about to add another talent to her resumé: coding expert. Kloss just released a video with the Flatiron School in New York encouraging girls to come code with her this summer. The best part? She’s footing the bill.

In a video advocating the school’s summer program she introduces the #KodeWithKarlie scholarship. She and the school will select 10 girls (ages 13-18) to attend the school’s NYC location and 10 girls to attend Flatiron’s other locations across the US. They’ll be enrolled in a two-week class, which will teach them the building blocks of code. They’ll even learn how to develop their own app. Girls can apply by submitting a 60-second video of themselves explaining how they’ll use their “coding superpowers.”

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If you’re under the impression Flatiron School has just partnered with Karlie to add some appeal to their program, make no mistake, this isn’t just a publicity stunt. The supermodel has been learning to code for some time now. She recently completed the same program she’s advertising and was also involved in Code.org’s Hour of Code campaign. She has even shared a video on Instagram of a drone she programmed to deliver one of her Karlie’s Kookies (send some of those our way, girl).

In the #KodeWithKarlie promo video she tells candidates, “I think it’s crucial that young women learn to code as early as possible to ensure that we as young women have a voice and a stake in what the world looks like.” So whatcha waiting for girls? Applications are due May 1, so you’d better get those cameras rolling.

Are you teaching yourself to code? What learning tools are you using? Share with us in the comments below.

(Photo via Larry Busacca/Getty)

Protecting women's reproductive rights feels like an uphill battle. To date, 14 states have a total abortion ban in place that don't allow any exceptions for sexual violence against women or young girls. One of the states is Missouri, where model Karlie Kloss spent time as a child.

Having given birth to her first child during the pandemic, she feels fortunate to have a positive birth story, but she knows this isn't always the case for others. Unfortunately, doctors don't always prioritize women's pain and this can end up especially hurting Black moms. There's also things like postpartum depression to consider.

Luckily, there are moms — like Karlie Kloss — who are willing to push back against any stigma by sharing their postpartum stories and advocating for maternal health.

Karlie's Postpartum Experience + Maternal Health Inequality

There are birthing classes and books dedicated to educating moms about life during postpartum, but that doesn't always mean you can know exactly what to expect. In Karlie's case, she remembers the difficulties she faced after giving birth. She told Glamour, "My body was completely turned around, you’re not sleeping, and there’s this enormous learning curve that you have to figure out." For some moms, postpartum anxiety or postpartum depression can add to the challenges of adjusting to a new normal. The truth is that 1 in 10 women experience PPD, making it a common occurrence.

As tough as the postpartum experience can be, Karlie feels like it helped open her eyes to things she didn't have prior knowledge about. She said, "...the access to, say, the right kind of formula to feed your child, or protections and rights, is not equal."

Why Karlie's Advocating For Maternal Health Support + Paid Leave

When Karlie learned about the trigger ban on abortion in Missouri, she told Glamour she was upset and wanted to figure out how to become active in fighting for reproductive rights. She said, "We are living in a country where forced birth is a reality. And yet when that mother goes into labor and that child comes into the world, she also is not protected...before being forced to go back to work." She went on to express frustration about the lack of policies that can ensure birthing women are actually protected in a country that demands ownership of their reproductive rights.

It's one of the reasons she chose to join Bobbie's Motherboard and the #passpaidleave campaign. She said, "As I’ve gotten more informed on the history of it, learning how many times [paid leave] has been tried to pass and how close we got this past fall, now is the time to really bring this to the forefront." This inspired her to implement a 12-week paid leave policy at her own company, Kode With Klossy. Right on!

We still have a long way to go when it comes to women's health. We know it shouldn't be a hard decision for the government to determine women need more beneficial policies and less threats of criminal charges but, thankfully, there are people who are committed to using their platforms to advocate.

What do you wish people knew about maternal health? Let us know in the comments.

Header image by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

This edible crescent-roll cornucopia is our way of making a normal cheese boardmore festive — and definitely more fun — during the holiday season. Our go-to this time of year is a massive cheese plate that can stand alone and be the main attraction, or the starter for a larger meal. Press on for the surprisingly easy steps to braid a breaded cornucopia.

Chris Andre

Materials + Tools:

  • 1 roll of tin foil
  • 2 packages of crescent rolls
  • 1 egg (for egg wash before cornucopia goes into the oven), optional

Chris Andre

Instructions:

Start by sculpting tin foil into the shape of a cornucopia (it looks like a cone with an upturned tail). Pro tip: Lightly pack tin foil so it's easier to remove later from your baked cornucopia. Crescent rolls should be buttery enough that this shouldn't be difficult.

Chris Andre

Your tin foil mold should look a little something like this.

Chris Andre

Pop open the crescent rolls and cut the triangles into strips. Pinch together the ends of strips to make strips longer.

Chris Andre

Braid crescent roll strips. You can make these as fancy as you want. Not a braiding pro? Skip this step and leave those strips alone.

Chris Andre

Wrap tin foil cornucopia with braids/strips. Make sure you cover all the tin foil. Leave a little wiggle room at the opening of the cornucopia, so that when you’re done baking you can pull some of that tin foil out.

Chris Andre

Use any extra dough to cover the bottom of your cornucopia. Pinch the sides and anchor those braids/strips in.

Chris Andre

Brush on egg wash before placing your cornucopia in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and cover spots of cornucopia that are already golden brown with extra tin foil. Bake for another 20 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chris Andre

Let it cool down until it’s easy to handle. Remove tin foil.

Chris Andre

Place cornucopia in corner of your cheese plate. Arrange cheese on your serving tray.

Chris Andre

Add crackers — we like to have two or three options.

Chris Andre

Don’t forget to fill up your cornucopia. It's called "the horn of plenty" for a reason. Fill with fresh fruit like grapes, apples, and pears.

Chris Andre

Add nuts like walnuts and pistachios to fill in any empty spaces. Garnish with fresh herbs like rosemary and sage to finish it off.

Chris Andre

Voilà! Invite over your friends, open a bottle of wine, and dig in!

Chris Andre

A cornucopia cheese board will become your new favorite holiday tradition.

Show us your crescent-roll cornucopias on Instagram and check out our baking classes (and our Easy Thanksgiving Desserts piece) for more holiday food inspo!

DIY Production and Styling: Paris Fried

Paris Fried: Paris loves any excuse to celebrate and throw a themed party. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and has a terrible sweet tooth. When she's not crafting in her studio, she's at the farmers' market buying seasonal produce or at her favorite local theater watching double features.

This post has been updated.

Lately, Vogue has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the March issue of the magazine — the same one that was said to be championing those who “democratize fashion” featuring models like Kendall Jenner, Ashley Graham, Adwoa Aboah and Liu Wen — there is a multi-page spread of Karlie Kloss styled as a geisha in yellowface.

The leaked images surfaced on the web yesterday and, needless to say, netizens are pretty angry. Their choice to outfit Karlie in geisha attire, Shimada hair and white makeup as she poses in Japan’s Ise-Shima National Park in an editorial titled “Spirited Away” (a nod to Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 film of the same name), is problematic, to say the least.

The spread was photographed in Japan by Mikael Jansson, who shared the above photo, and was styled by Phyllis Posnick. It features Karlie posing by a sumo wrestler, walking down the stairs of a tea house and even soaking in a bath, and obviously, the internet is upset. How did this happen? People took to Twitter to sound off. Read some of the noteworthy reactions below.

Karlie has since apologized, saying that she’s “truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive” and that she will work to “ensure” her future projects “empower and inspire women.”

What do you think of all of this? Tweet us @BritandCo!

(Featured photo via Ryan Pierse/Getty)

Though Black Friday is traditionally the official start of the holiday shopping season, we argue that it’s been kicking since mid-October. We know, we know: it still feels extremely early to start thinking about the holidays, but they’ll be here before you know it! Plus, many brands and retailers are already promoting their holiday goodies with plenty of sales and discounts available right now.

If you’re ready to embark on your holiday shopping journey, but still need answers to questions like ‘when’s the best time to shop?’ and ‘where should I shop for gifts?’ and even ‘how the heck do I save money this season?’, you’ve come to the right place. Consider this your go-to guide for holiday shopping in 2024.

Scroll on for our best guidance on navigating this busy time of year and finding the best gifts possible!

When's the best time to do holiday shopping?

Kaboompics / PEXELS

The best time to do holiday shopping really all depends on your personal shopping goals. Do you want to get a jump on items you know will sell out soon? Do you want to save the most money possible? Do you want to focus on handmade, personalized gifts? These factors will undoubtedly influence your holiday shopping schedule.

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Shopping early can be advantageous for all of the aforementioned goals. A lot of retailers start promoting their holiday products early on, giving you ample time to snatch up that limited-time lip kit or fancy water bottle you’ve been eyeing way before the holidays.

Plus, some of the best deals for holiday shopping happen ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – in 2023, Experian observed a surge in early spending in October, thanks to early discounts, a trend likely to continue in 2024.

Finally, shopping early can be especially helpful if your plan is to focus on handmade or personalized gifts, giving the artisan you buy from (or yourself, if you’re DIY-ing your gifts) plenty of time to craft the item with love and care.

Gallup reported in 2023 that one in four shoppers start shopping as early as September, a trend likely to continue in 2024 – so you might already be embarking on your shopping spree!

Mikhail Nilov / PEXELS

If right now is just still too darn early for you to start holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best times to shop since so many retailers offer their largest discounts of the entire year. Plus, the late November-early December timeline can feel a bit more appropriate for the gifting season opposed to late October-early November, when everyone’s still recovering from Halloween.

The only thing to consider during this time is the shipping timelines for the items you purchase – but most retailers will typically advise their specific shipping schedules, so you don’t risk your goodies arriving late.

Where should I shop for gifts?

Ron Lach / PEXELS

You have three main options when it comes to where to shop for holiday gifts: online, in-store, and via our amazing gift guides. Of course, each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Shopping in-store offers a tangible experience: the opportunity to hold specific items in your hands and gauge exactly what they’ll be like when you give them as a gift. The pitfall with shopping in-person is that it typically requires a commute and journeys through potentially very busy malls and shopping strips, which can add to the already-stressful holiday experience.

In-store shopping can be more physically exhausting, but it’s all about preference! Sometimes strolling through the stores that get all dolled up for Christmas is the best part of the season.

Andrea Piacquadio / PEXELS

Per Google, 65% of those planning to shop for the holidays say they will shop online more. Shopping for gifts online can be super helpful since you can centralize your findings in your browser’s bookmark tab or via virtual cart(s). Plus, shopping online can pose more opportunities for saving some money: lots of retailers typically offer discount codes for online users, especially if you sign up for their digital marketing channels (like email and text) and make a purchase.

Shopping online isn’t just shopping, either. The internet can be a stellar research tool to help you vet whether certain products are worth it, where they can be bought, and when they’ll be available. In fact, Google reported that more than half of U.S. holiday shoppers who went into a store last year say they looked up product reviews online and/or located an item in-store by checking it online.

Kaboompics / PEXELS

Last but not least, scrolling gift guides has to be our favorite place to shop for gifts – and not just because we write and publish them.

At their very core, gift guides help streamline the holiday shopping process, alleviating the stress that bubbles up when you’re wondering what the heck to shop for in the first place. Our gift guides are backed by real people, real experiences, and real opinions from our editorial team. We only promote products that we really love and believe in, oftentimes ones we’ve tested and reviewed ourselves.

We have gift guides for just about everyone on your list, with more on the way! Check ‘em out:

What are the best kinds of gifts to give?

Kaboompics / PEXELS

The best kinds of gifts to give are thoughtful gifts that consider the giftee’s interests, wants, and needs. These gifts can be sentimental, practical, or both simultaneously. What matters most in a gift is that it’ll be meaningful to them past just the holiday season, whether it’s helping them get through daily tasks, reminding them of a memorable trip or event, or giving them small doses of joy.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking for personalized and unique gifts that reflect the recipient's personality and interests,” says Mia Anderson, Owner of ChicSew. “With the rise of online shopping, many consumers are opting for curated gift boxes or experiences that add a special touch.”

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Gift boxes, personalized items, books of interest, self-care goodies, and even gift cards can all be thoughtful gifts depending on the recipient. If you have no clue what your giftee is into, it’s not a bad idea to ask them what they want the most!

“My idea of a great gift is something that is in tandem with the recipient's interest and offers something new to the person, be it learning a new skill, enjoying a calming activity, or simply spending quality time with the family,” says Alfred Christ, Sales Manager & Marketer at Robotime. “This season, we encourage shoppers to shift their focus on quality and the memories their gifts will create and not just merely material aspects.”

When is Black Friday?

Sora Shimazaki / PEXELS

Black Friday is always the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday lands on November 29.

When is Cyber Monday?

Kindel Media / PEXELS

Cyber Monday is typcally the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, Cyber Monday will land on December 2. Oftentimes, retailers and brands extend their online offers through the week (coined Cyber Week) after the event. Salesforce reported that 67% of shoppers in 2024 plan on shopping during Cyber Week!

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on our best 2024 gift guides, shopping advice, and all things holiday!

The holidays at Starbucks are creeping up on us, people! 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 will 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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This post has been updated.