Make Every Day National Ice Cream Day With This DIY Ice Cream Cart

DIY Ice Cream Cart

Friends! National Ice Cream Day is the third Sunday of July, and if you haven’t had at least three scoops of ice cream yet, I suggest you should get on that. :) Brit + Co’s love for ice cream is no secret, given how many ice cream sando, sundae, and affogato recipes we have on our site.

To celebrate our favorite frozen treat, Brand Experience Designer Lee Schellenberger and Creative Content Producer Irene Lee(Team Lee!) are showing you how to make a DIY ice cream cart so that every day can be National Ice Cream Day.

SO chill. Let’s get started!

Materials and Tools:

First up is spray painting the cooler! To get a spotty ombre effect, start by spray painting different colored patches, keeping the spray bottles about 10-12 inches away from the cooler. When the cooler is fully painted, “blend” the patches of color by lightly spraying between the patches. For example, between orange and pink patches, lights spray pink 12 inches away until you get a gradient effect.

Tape together tiled printable pages and place on white vinyl. Cut out letters with a utility knife. Peel off sticker back from the vinyl letters and stick on the front of the cooler.

Spray the cooler legs, handles, and basket and the PVC pipe. Cover the legs’ wheels with painter’s tape before spraying to avoid getting paint on them. Let dry.

We tried to keep the colors in semi-rainbow order, like if we sprayed a patch of pink, we sprayed a patch of yellow and purple on each side.

Spray the wood circles in a solid color. Spray the bottom edge of the umbrella with the same color. We held the spray bottle 10-12 inches away from the umbrella to get an ombre effect. Let dry.

Saw off the umbrella handle.

Put the cooler together based on the packaging’s instructions.

Here is the point when we realized hot glue is the best thing ever. Place the PVC pipe in the cooler basket and seal in the cracks with hot glue. Use lots of glue to make sure it’s secure.

Glue string lights along the edge of one circle. At this point, we tried to attach the circles to the cooler legs, but we realized it would bump against the wheels. To solve this, hot glue an inch-wide wood block to the center of the back of the circle. Hot glue the circle to one cooler leg. Use lots of glue to secure. Glue another block on the center of the circle and glue the circle to the other cooler leg.

Glue string lights along the bottom edge of the cooler until you get to the other wheel leg. Glue string lights along the wood wheel and then glue the rest of the lights along the top of the cooler.

Place umbrella in the PVC pipe. Pat yourself on the back, because you just made an ice cream cart!

Time to party!

This ice cream cart is the cutest, but it also actually works as a cooler! Fill it up with ice packs, soda pop bottles, and ice cream pints for the most adorable ice cream social.

Lee 1: Let’s be real: Ice cream is the real hero of any party. As a longtime cake-hater, I’ve subbed in delicious ice cream cakes for those icing-covered sugar sponges at every single one of my birthdays (even the adult ones…). Myself and Irene (AKA Lee 2) are here to save all your parties from subpar desserts with this crucial party supply made for those icy, melty treats!

Lee 2: Irene Lee, AKA Lee 2, here. Saying I love ice cream is an understatement (I had ice cream for breakfast the other day and I’m *not* a 12-year-old boy). I also think ice cream carts are so wonderful, nostalgic, and delightful. It’s impossible to see an ice cream cart and not go, “Aww,” right??

Have a chill National Ice Cream Day, okay?

Tag us with your DIY ice cream carts on Instagram and subscribe to our email newsletter for more fun summer content!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

DIY Production and Styling: Team Lee (Irene Lee and Lee Schellenberger)
Photography: Chris Andre

This post has been updated.

Sometimes a sweet treat just hits differently in warmer weather, and Trader Joe’s (in true Trader Joe’s fashion) just dropped thedessert of the spring and summer. I hear you, I hear you… it’s a tad bit early to start thinking about scorching, sunny days, but trust me: this new $5 dessert will have you yearning for summer the second you see it.

Scroll on to discover the newly-dropped Trader Joe’s find shoppers are calling delicious, yummy, and amazing!

@trader_joes_treasure_hunt

The summery dessert in question is the all-new Blood Orange Mochi Ice Cream, and it’s so dreamy. Featuring dollops of blood orange-flavored ice cream cased in sweet mochi dough, it’s the kind of sweet treat you can easily eat with your hands… and keep eating over and over and over again.

Any Lane / PEXELS

The mochi ice cream is also crafted without any artificial colors or flavors, so you really get the full effect of the rich citrus. Blood oranges are also typically sweeter than regular oranges, making them perfect for putting into desserts.

@traderjoesobsessed

TJ’s fan account @traderjoesobsessed shared the new Blood Orange Mochi Ice Cream with their followers, saying the treat is “tart and creamy” and also “not too sweet.” One commenter that got a taste noted that each ice cream piece is like “a creamsicle's more worldly cousin.” Another person compared the flavor to a Flintstone's Push-Up popsicle.

Well-rounded and nostalgic? Now I have to try this!

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

The Trader Joe’s Blood Orange Mochi Ice Cream can be found on shelves for $4.99. Each box comes with 6 mochi ice cream bites, and what’s even more exciting is the nutrition label says a single serving size is 6 pieces – AKA the entire box. Woah!

Additionally, this sweet snack is kosher and gluten-free.

I’m definitely going to be grabbing several boxes to try – and hopefully manifest an early start to springtime!

What are your favorite Trader Joe's desserts? Let us know in the comments and subscribe to our newsletter to discover even more new Trader Joe's items!

We’re total sneaker heads over here, so we’re uber excited for what spring has to offer in the shoe department. It appears spring 2025 is brimming with fresh sneakertrends that embrace all things colorful and retro – a power combo! If you’re looking to step up your ‘fits with something a lil’ bit different on your feet, this season’s kicks are anything but basic.

Scroll on to see the 4 sneaker trends set to dominate spring 2025!

1. Pink Sneakers

Urban Outfitters

Gola Elan Sneakers

Pink sneakers are popping off this spring, ranging from pastels to bold, hot pink shades. They’re the perfect sneakers to snag if you’re seeking a seasonal pop of color!

Anthropologie

Puma Palermo Sneakers

For a playful feel, wear hot pink kicks with an all-black outfit to make them stand out. For a more femme look, wear some pastel pink sneakers with light-wash jeans and a flowy white top.

2. Retro Track Sneakers

Onitsuka Tiger

Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 Sneakers

Inspired by vintage running shoes from the ‘70s and ‘80s, retro track sneakers are definitely on the come-up. Brands are continuing to bring a mix of nostalgia and sporty aesthetics to the forefront, and we couldn’t love it more!

Saucony

Saucony Trainer 80 Sneakers

These sneaks are not only stylish, but practical, too! Seek out a comfy pair with some chic suede detailing or bold color blocking. Whether you pair ‘em with wide-leg trousers for a vintage-inspired outfit or biker shorts for a lax weekend look, a good set of bold retro sneakers will undeniably turn heads your way.

3. Hiking Sneaks For The Street

Keen

Keen Jasper Zionic Sneakers

We’re starting to spot hiking-inspired sneakers on the street more and more. Technical shoe brands like Keen and Salomon have styles that are both functional and fashionable!

Salomon

Salomon XT-6 Sportstyle Sneakers

With rugged soles, durable materials, and utilitarian designs, these shoes provide unmatched comfort, too. To give your ‘fits a sportier vibe, try hiking sneakers with cargo pants and a fitted tank top. For added contrast, certain styles also look ahh-mazing with mini dresses and denim jackets!

4. Sneaker Charms

Free People

Free People Shoe Charm & Pin Pack

Customizing your look is key in 2025 – so sneaker charms let you infuse your kicks with personality! From pearls and pendants to lace and beads, you can truly find sneaker charms of all kinds… or make your own!

Dolce Vita

Dolce Vita Notice Lace Sneakers + Gold Charm Bundle

Shoe charms also work well beyond sneakers. You can easily tack them onto boots or loafers!

Subscribe to our newsletter to shop more seasonal fashion trends!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Here at Brit+Co, we're suckers for a good pun. We mean, Fourth of Jul-ice cream is TOO GOOD. It also begs the question: What is Fourth of Jul-ice cream? The obvious answer is a cold red, white and blue milky, sugary slap in the face. In a good way. Keep reading for three ways to get your fix. We've got a classic cone, a layered milkshake and a childhood recipe for ice cream “soup" (you all know what that is).

Brit + Co

Ingredients:

Brit + Co

— coconut (or other white) ice cream

— red and blue gel food coloring

Instructions:

Brit + Co

1. Scoop ice cream into a bowl.

2. Add food coloring and mix well.

For all three treats, you will need red, white and blue ice cream. There are red and blue flavors on the market, but we couldn't find any, so we used dye. Feel free to buy or dye.

Brit + Co

You gotta be quick with the licks to keep this from melting on your hand. We didn’t go with classic Neapolitan flavors (strawberry, vanilla, chocolate), but you could easily do so by dyeing the strawberry a deeper red and using white chocolate for the blue. Our version is solid coconut, but follow your heart!

Red, White and Blue Neapolitan

Brit + Co

Take note of the round container we used for this. It was a fail! We highly recommend you use a bread tin instead. To make your ice cream, scoop the more solid white ice cream into a strip down the middle of the tin. This will act as a barrier for the other two, which will be in a more soup-like form due to mixing in the food coloring. Add red to one side and blue to the other. Place it in the freezer for around two hours.

Brit + Co

Here's where the fail happened. When we tried to scoop the ice cream, because it was in a round tin, the act of pulling the scoop towards me spun ALL of the ice cream around in a circle. Whoops! I managed to get some in the end, but it wasn't ideal.

Brit + Co

The proper way to eat ice cream is two scoops on a cone.

Brit + Co

Ice cream: a true American patriot.

Brit + Co

It took us five stores to find dragon fruit and when we sliced it open, it was a vibrant magenta rather than the white we expected. Sweet surprise in our book and a perfect topping for a layered milkshake.

Fourth of July Layered Milkshake

Brit + Co

Mix and pour, mix and pour, mix and pour. If you want a thinner shake, add a bit of milk to your ice cream before you pour it in the glass.

Brit + Co

Top with dragon fruit and pocky or any other fruit/candy combo you love.

Brit + Co

We couldn't stop staring at these. They're so pretty!

Brit + Co

This one is a callback to childhood. When we were kids, we loved mixing my ice cream until it was liquid and then pretending it was soup. What is with that? Why would we want to turn DESSERT into something that would normally be dinner or a side?

Ice Cream “Soup"

Brit + Co

All you need to do for this award-winning “recipe” is mix your ice cream until it is the perfect consistency. Then add toppings. This is a dessert soup, after all, so toppings can consist of candy, sprinkles and fruit.

Brit + Co

Meet your match, smoothie bowl.

Brit + Co

Other ideas for toppings include blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, mochi, chia seeds and white chocolate. Don’t be afraid to add all different shades of red, white and blue. Your toppings don’t all need to be bold primary colors.

Brit + Co

We hope we've inspired you to get creative with your ice cream this year! Happy Fourth of July!

Follow us on Pinterest for more recipe ideas!

This post has been updated.

As far as I'm concerned, 2024 was Daisy Edgar-Jones' year. The Normal People actress captured our hearts with her role as Kate in Twisters (as well as her viral Hot Ones interview with Glen Powell and "Apple" TikTok dance). But while Kate led a pretty adventurous life, her risk threshold is nothing compared to Daisy's newest character, Muriel, in On Swift Horses.

Living in post-Korean War California, Muriel's life with her husband Lee is disrupted when Lee's brother Julius arrives in all his addictive, charming glory. The film, based on Shannon Pufahl's 2019 book of the same name, made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. Here's everything you need to know.

What is On Swift Horses about?

Luc Montpelllier

On Swift Horses Plot

Muriel begins a new life with her husband Lee when he returns to California from the Korean War. But the life they're building together — and their future — changes forever when Lee's brother Julius, a headstrong gambler, arrives. Julius is attractive, charismatic, and hiding plenty of secrets.

According to the official synopsis, "when Julius takes off in search of the young card cheat he’s fallen for, Muriel’s longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible."

Luc Montpelllier

The story explores LGBTQ+ identity and desire in the 1950s, but does so with a hopeful tone rather than a devastating one. “The first scenes that we filmed were the scenes we had together, so we got all of that done with—when we were apart, we had put the groundwork in,” Daisy tells Vanity Fair of working with Jacob, who adds, "I believe Taylor Swift calls it an invisible string.”

"I loved the connection between gambling and risk-taking, and pushing the boundaries of her desire and what she’s looking for,” Daisy adds. “Muriel’s rebellion throughout the film is quite quiet, in the small ways in which she takes back her power by concealing things. A lot of what’s happening is behind closed doors.”

Who's in the cast of On Swift Horses?

Luc Montpelllier

On Swift Horses Cast

On Swift Horses stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Sasha Calle, and Diego Calva.

"It's not hard to make chemistry with Jacob because he's just so charismatic," Daisy said during a Q&A, via People, adding that the script "felt almost like reading poetry and so much of what happens is in the subtext."

"This movie is just about love,” Calle added. “It’s important to just feel that — whoever that might be, where that takes you. It’s important to feel that and to feel safe in it.”

Has On Swift Horses been released?

Luc Montpelllier

On Swift Horses Release Date

On Swift Horses premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, and is currently looking for a distributor. Check back here for news on its release date!

Watch The Teaser Trailer For 'On Swift Horses'

www.youtube.com

- YouTube

As charming as Julius appears in the teaser trailer, his brother Lee tells Muriel they live differently than he does. "He's just not like us," he says before a scene cuts to Muriel exploring her own "passions." Based on this, On Swift Horses appears to blur the lines of love, lust, secrets, and recognizing one's identity.

Read up on Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh's We Live In Time, which also premiered at TIFF last year!

Lead image via Robin Marchant/Getty Images

This post has been updated.

The 2000s were a wild time for movies. It was an era of debatable fashion, even more questionable humor, and films that, looking back, we can't believe ever made it past a pitch meeting.

While certain movies from this nostalgic period remain classics, others haven't aged very well. Whether they're filled with problematic tropes or outdated stereotypes, here are the 10 cringey 2000s movies that wouldn't stand a chance in Hollywood today.

Scroll to see all the super cringe 2000s movies we wouldn't see today...

Summit Entertainment

1. Twilight (2008)

When Twilight premiered in 2008, it became an instant sensation and sparked a cultural obsession with supernatural romance. However, while it left an undeniable mark on pop culture, this film has some major underlying issues.

Once viewed as swoon-worthy, Bella and Edward's relationship feels problematic in hindsight. He was controlling, exhibited stalker-like behavior, and gaslit her into believing that she imagined his supernatural abilities.

Add in the fact that Edward is technically over a century old when Bella is a high schooler, and it's clear why Twilight might not resonate with audiences the same way in 2025.

Universal Pictures

2. Knocked Up (2007)

Directed by Judd Apatow, Knocked Up was initially well-received despite heavily leaning on outdated gender stereotypes. The movie follows responsible and career-driven Alison, who is forced to navigate an unplanned pregnancy with slacker Ben.

Even though Knocked Up delivers plenty of laughs, it also portrays women, especially Alison, as rigid and joyless. Katherine Heigl, the lead actress, criticized this, too, saying the film "Paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys."

Dreamworks

3. Norbit (2007)

This movie might've showcased Eddie Murphy's ability to transform into multiple characters, yet Norbit is still more cringeworthy than comedic. The portrayal of Rasputia, an over-the-top and domineering woman whose character is built around fat-shaming jokes, is particularly offensive.

Moreover, Murphy also plays Mr. Wong, a wildly stereotypical caricature of an elderly Chinese man.

20th Century Fox

4. Shallow Hal (2001)

Shallow Hal may have set out to deliver a message about inner beauty, but it really missed the mark. Again, this film relies on fatphobic humor, with Gwyneth Paltrow's character serving as the target of the jokes.

It arguably reinforces stereotypes about weight and attractiveness, and Gwyneth (who wore a fat suit) actually called the movie a "disaster" in 2020.

Columbia Pictures

5. White Chicks (2004)

Featuring over-the-top humor and absurd disguises, White Chicks was a hit in 2004. Nonetheless, it's a tired portrayal of women as materialistic, shallow, and obsessed with their looks.

The premise involves two FBI agents posing as socialites during a Hamptons weekend, and it was always meant to be ridiculous. Even so, there are certain scenes that are especially questionable, like when an athlete at the club attempts to spike a woman's drink.

Universal Pictures

6. Brüno (2009)

Brüno was intended to be a bold satire, Sacha Baron Cohen's specialty, but it crosses the line of edgy humor. He plays an exaggerated, flamboyant Austrian fashion journalist, and the mockumentary was meant to expose homophobia.

Despite that, the movie incorporated a lot of outdated gay stereotypes and might've reinforced the notions as opposed to challenging them. In fact, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) representative Rashad Robinson called the work "problematic in many places and outright offensive in others."

New Line Cinema

7. Wedding Crashers (2005)

Wedding Crashers revolves around two men who lie their way into weddings to manipulate women into sleeping with them. At its core, the film's plot is unsettling and questionable.

Aside from that, it features gay stereotypes, a racist grandmother, and scenes that blur the lines of consent. All that being said, t's obvious why this movie wouldn't fly today.

New Line Cinema

8. The Notebook (2003)

The Notebook is still one of the most favored romance movies of all time, so this may be an unpopular opinion, but some of its most iconic moments are more disturbing than anything.

There's no denying that Noah and Allie's love story is passionate, but his relentless pursuit of her is borderline manipulative. Remember when he threatened to let go of the Ferris wheel if she didn't go on a date with him?

Plus, once they actually get together, their relationship is filled with constant fighting, including scenes when Allie hits Noah. Female-on-male violence has traditionally been glossed over in films, but today, Hollywood is moving away from these problematic depictions.

Paramount Pictures

9. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

This movie follows advice columnist Andie Anderson, played by Kate Hudson, who wants to write an attention-grabbing piece. She finds Ben Berry, an advertising executive who's arguably creepy and manipulative.

While How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days may be a classic rom-com, it relies on gender stereotypes that can feel more offensive than humorous now.

Paramount Pictures

10. Mean Girls (2004)

Finally, we can't forget about Mean Girls, one of the most iconic teen comedies of the 2000s. Sure, it's filled with endlessly quotable lines and a sharp take on high school cliques, but it also has relentless body-shaming.

Many of the scenes would hit differently in today's more body-positive era, making Mean Girls a more cringey watch in 2025.

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