Life Is Like a Book of Chocolates

Feb 08, 2012

So, you’ve got a lovely batch of Snickers Starburst truffles but need to up your game from the ordinary box or basket. Thankfully we’re here to arm you with a crafty way to sweeten up old textbooks! We take the old hidden box in a book trick to new heights with individual candy compartments.

Materials:

– a book (we recommend old textbooks)

– X-acto knife

– straight edge

– Sharpie

– chocolates (snickers + starburst anyone?)

– mini cupcake liners or parchment paper

First, you’re going to create a template that fits your chocolates. Use this to mark where to cut on the first page of your book. Using a straight edge to make precise cuts over a mat cutting board.

For our book, we were able to cut three pages at a time. Do a few tests in the back of the book to see what you can get away with.

After you’ve cut about a 1/2 inch of pages with the 9 individual compartments, you can cut large rectangles for an additional 1/2 inch. This is a shortcut so you don’t lose your mind cutting individual boxes until the cows come home.

One way to make pages stay together would be to glue each individual page to the next, but that would be crazy. We used strips of clear tape to attach all the pages except the first one.

We used six strips in total.

After you’ve done this, use any kind of adhesive to glue the first page to your stack, as flat and smooth as possible.

Now for your chocolates, you’ll need cupcake liners, candy liners or parchment paper. We went with mini cupcake liners and simply cut them down to fit in our book.

Place the chocolates in the book, lay a piece of parchment paper over them (so the book doesn’t get too chocolatey) and close it up!

We think it would be pretty hilarious to give your Valentine a super boring book (Pre-Calc maybe?) with this super sweet surprise inside.

OMG, Ben Affleck Wants "Another Chance" With Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner may have split back in 2015, but they're spending an awfully lot of time together as of late. Ben's latest divorce from Jennifer Lopez was the split heard 'round the world over the summer of 2024, after giving us the ever-enigmatic 'Bennifer 2.0' and its whirlwind marriage. However, we would be lying if we didn't say we were so sad when he and our favorite 13 Going On 30star ended things almost a decade ago.

Jen and Ben share three children together, and have found a way to successfully co-parent together. But could they be back on their way to finding something more? These two seem to be out and about together quite a lot lately, and it's got us thinking: could Ben reunite with yet another Jennifer from his past? Here's what's going on!

Everything you need to know about the state of Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner's current relationship.

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Apparently, Ben Affleck "would love another chance" with Jennifer Garner — at least according to a Page Six source. They told the outlet that he "would definitely be open to giving things another shot with Jen if the timing is ever right." However, the source noted that "Ben knows it’s just not realistic at this time in their lives."

These comments come after the ex-spouses have spent quite a bit of time together, starting with the holiday season and recently culminating in a family paint ball outing.

On March 2, 2025, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner shared a family outing with their kids at a paintball park, according to Page Six. The two seemed really relaxed with one another in the photos, smiling and laughing throughout their time together.

Since then, sources shared with PEOPLEthat the former couple is "on great terms" with each other. They said, "Jen's very happy with Ben. He spends a lot of time with the kids." Another source told people, "They get along great. She makes him laugh like no one else can. She seems happy that Ben's happy."

It's definitely clear that these two still have a unique bond!

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

This isn't the only time the exes have been out together recently. Page Sixreported that Jennifer and Ben were driving out in LA together in early December, ultimately grabbing bagels and heading back to Ben's place. This outing comes after a source shared with PEOPLE that Jen and Ben planned to spend the holidays together in 2024.

"Jen truly just wants her kids to be happy. She will continue to make sure that they spend time together as a family and include Ben," the source said. "They have Christmas plans with the kids too. The kids enjoy when they all spend time together."

Christmas isn't the only holiday this former family of five shared in 2024 either. They all spent Thanksgiving together as well, and a source told Page Sixthat Ben Affleck "felt blessed" for that time together. Apparently, Ben feels like he "can just be himself" when he's with her. “Even though Ben and Jen have been split for a while now, he feels a certain level of comfort with her," the source said. “Ben has a strong relationship with Jen that will never dissipate because they have a lot of history together and she’s the mother of his kids.”

Meanwhile, another source shared with PEOPLEthat Jen, Ben, and their kids all worked together at The Midnight Mission's Thanksgiving Street Fair as well. The source said, “They truly enjoy giving back to their community and cherishing quality time together as a family."

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Right now, Jen's technically still dating John Miller, according to PEOPLE. However, we'd be remiss not to notice how close the former couple is at the moment. Could there be rekindled feelings? Is this the REAL second chance love story we deserve? Is it really just about the mutual respect these two have for each other — and their family? Definitely keeping an eye on this space to see what happens next!

Regardless of their romantic relationship status, it's honestly so nice to see Ben spending time with his family at the holidays and beyond. Thankfully his highly dramatized relationship with Jennifer Lopez didn't seem to harm any goodwill Ben has with his kids and ex-wife, and there's something really lovely about that! So, here's hoping this modern family continues to find happiness together!

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Wow, Paul Wesley Just Revealed The Most "Forced" Relationship On 'Vampire Diaries'

The Vampire Diaries eight-season run means that the writers had to come up with a lot of plot lines. Jeremy seeing ghosts, vampire pregnancies, the whole concept of turning off your humanity and then having to deal with the consequences. But after Nina Dobrev exited the show after season 6, the writers decided to include a relationship that, during a game of Hot Ones Versus, TVD star Paul Wesley (who played Stefan) said should have been left in the writer's room: Stefan and Caroline.

Here's what Paul Wesley had to say about Stefan and Caroline's relationship on The Vampire Diaries.

Paul Wesley teases Caroline & Stefan never should have gotten together.

In the latest installment of Hot Ones Versus, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder went head-to-head to discuss all things love languages, the Lost ending, and, of course, The Vampire Diaries.

Right out of the gate, Ian picks up a card about Vampire Diaries and asks which single storyline Paul thinks shouldn't have "made it out of the writer's room." What a way to start!

“After Nina left the show, they were like: We need to pair Stefan with some romantic partner and then Stefan and Caroline ended up having a wedding and getting married, right?” he says.

I've always been a MAJOR Caroline and Tyler shipper (anyone else?!) so I remember not being a fan of Stefan and Caroline the first time I watched the show (although to be fair I didn't like Caroline and Klaus either). As a viewer it did feel like it was a random addition with no real buildup beforehand.

“It was a little forced but it was cute,” Ian says. "She's pretty and you're pretty."

“It was cute,” Paul agrees.

But Ian Somerhalder loves that his "longest relationship" is with Paul Wesley.

Ian Somerhalder exclusively told Brit + Co at the Nutro Farmer’s Market for Dogs that Paul Wesley is his "longest relationship," and that working on The Vampire Diaries "feels like it was yesterday." (Even though the show just had its 15th anniversary!)

“It's so funny,” he says. “Obviously, it was a lifetime ago, but it feels like it was yesterday. And so, you know, obviously streaming changed the game. The show is one of the most viewed shows in history, period — that's been seen by over a billion people, which is 1/8 of the planet.”

Ian continues that because of its reach, “[The Vampire Diaries] allowed me to build a platform. To work on things that were very close to my heart, but at the global scale, and it's allowed me to help create, enact, or build the road for a lot of change."

Let us know your favorite The Vampire Diaries relationship on our Facebook — and which one you think should've stayed in the writers room 👀.

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We Just Got An Exciting Cast Announcement For 'The Handmaid's Tale' Sequel!

The Handmaid's Tale is one of the best, yet eerily specific dystopian shows we've watched which is why we couldn't wait to see Offred get her sweet revenge. It's without a doubt Margaret Atwood's most memorable books so we're excited The Testaments, the sequel to the exhilarating series, is in the works! Adaptations can be a hit or miss, but we have high hopes for this one based on how its predecessors had us glued to TV screens.

Learn everything we know about the highly-anticipated The Testaments series!

What is 'The Testaments' about?

Euan Cherry/Getty Images

The Testaments is set to follow the book's plot (via Variety) and will feature three central characters — Aunty Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy. As the Republic of Gilead continues its rampage, the intersection of their lives changes the course of history.

Is casting information available?

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Yesterday Variety announced Lucy Halliday (Blue Jean) will be playing Daisy! Aside from her, Ann Dowd will be reprising her role as Aunt Lydia while Chase Infiniti will portray Agnes. It'll be interesting to see if viewers will see Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy again.

Who's the showrunner for 'The Testaments?'

Variety confirmed Bruce Miller will bring his insightful eye from The Handmaid's Tale to The Testaments. He will also be an executive producer with Warren Littlefield (War Game) and Steve Stark (Fargo).

When will 'The Testaments' premiere?

A premiere date is still TBD! We know you hate waiting, but we have a good feeling it'll be worth it!

Read 'The Testaments' Before You Watch The Show

Amazon

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Reread this fantastic novel before the final season of The Handmaid's Tale premieres April 8, 2025 (via PEOPLE).

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