Latest news with #Crayola
Buzz Feed
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
31 Cheap Things From Amazon's "Most Wished For" Section
Psst! Did you know Amazon has a section called "Most Wished For" that's filled with products fellow shoppers are currently adding to their wishlists? From parenting must-haves to new beauty favorites, here are some items to add to your cart (or wish list) ASAP! Suction cup knobs that are about to completely change your bathroom storage game. The twist-and-lock design can easily adhere to glass, plastic, mirror, or porcelain surfaces — and it holds up to 15 pounds! You can also easily remove them and place them in a new area as many times as you want, so your loofah knobs can become your hand towel knobs with ease. A set of 10 retractable Crayola markers — wait, how long have these been a thing?! Do you know how many markers child-me had to toss because the cap went rolling under the stove, never to be seen again?! Well, today's kids (and kids at heart) can simply give these a satisfying click once they're done coloring, and today's parents can rest assured that these markers will last through dozens of arts and crafts sessions. OPI RapiDry Quick Dry Nail Polish that dries more quickly than... actually, it already dried before I could think of a clever example!! One minute is all it takes — yes, just 60 seconds — to get a fully-dried veil of vibrant color that'll help you hold off on that expensive gel set you've been meaning to get. The new NeeDoh "Dream Pop" fidget toy from the makers of the wildly popular Needoh Nice Cube (which went triple platinum on last year's Stocking Stuffer charts). You can squeeze and stretch this all you want, then watch it return to its original shape. It even comes with a cute stand so it'll be ready to grab any time you need a fidget break. A pack of duster sponges some reviewers say are even better than the often-sold-out Scrub Daddy Damp Duster (also, why isn't it called the Dust Daddy?!) This is perfect for that annoying caked-on dust that a typical dry duster can't tackle — just dampen it, swipe, then rinse to reuse. Skala's Mais Cacho Hair 2-in-1 Conditioning Treatment that's truly a multitasking marvel. You can use it as an in-shower conditioner by applying it to clean hair and rinsing out after three minutes, or you can apply it as a leave-in treatment for all-day moisture that won't weigh your curls down. A Dash single-serve ice cream maker — it can whip up a half-pint of creamy goodness in 20 minutes. Oh, and it's not just for ice cream — it can also make froyo, sorbets, and frozen drinks! Reviewers say it seems awfully similar to the Ninja Creami, except it takes up way less space while saving you around $100. A super absorbent Muddy Mat to stop dirty paw prints in their tracks! It may look like a simple doormat, but pet owners say this one actually traps dirt and water from their pup's paws when coming back inside on rainy days. Oh, and it also works on kids/spouses/roomies/etc. who simply can't be bothered to wipe their feet off. Just take deep breaths, the Muddy Mat has you covered. And a beloved duck-shaped crinkle squeaker that has me convinced dogs know how to use Amazon when we're not looking — because how else did this end up on so many wishlists?! Pups will love investigating the mysterious squeak, while pup parents will love the fact that it won't leave stuffing all over your home. An absolutely genius trash bag dispenser so you can ditch the flimsy cardboard box they come in. Simply place it on your counter or mount it to the wall — but don't be surprised if you suddenly start looking for excuses to take out the trash. A Frida Baby rinse cup that's on basically every parent's wishlist for making bath time an absolute breeze. The spout creates a gentle rainfall effect to help make the rinsing process less overwhelming for babies who are a bit suspicious of this whole H2O business. You can also use the other side for a slightly heavier "waterfall" pour that's still gentle enough for even the fussiest toddler. I'm gonna be honest with you, reader — this looks so relaxing I kind of want one for myself. And a set of wrist and sock rattles — they'll get all their kicks and stretchies in, and a bit of sensory exploration while rattling their hearts out. I'm gonna be honest yet again, reader — I would absolutely buy an adult size of these. Medicube's collagen jelly that reviewers say has a "glass skin" effect that's nothing less than spellbinding. The hydrolyzed collagen is formulated to be easily absorbed by your skin, which helps hydrate and might even add a slight plumping effect to really emphasize your ~glow~ for the day. And the jelly consistency is just plain fun. A pair of sandals with a foam footbed so soft and supportive it'll remind you of your fave yoga mat. The fabric laces will keep the top of your feet just as comfy as your soles — and make you officially swear off the cheap rubber flip-flops that break after taking 2.5 steps in them. In fact, they might even make you say sayonara to the way-pricier Sanuks. 👀 The Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener, which will have you singing 🎵 "where have you been all my li-i-i-i-i-ife?" 🎵 on those busy mornings when you need to look like you got a full eight hours of sleep. It's meant to blend seamlessly into the skin and adds light coverage to dark circles. And an eye cream from mega popular K-beauty brand Beauty of Joseon — it features retinol to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and niacinamide to brighten. Dab it on as part of your night routine, or swipe some on before applying your go-to concealer for an even base. And!!! Grace & Stella eye masks to help brighten and depuff the dark circles that have had your under-eyes in a chokehold since college. Pick up the blue "illuminating" formula to help brighten under-eyes (thanks to the niacinamide!) the yellow "Energizing" formula to help smooth fine lines (thanks to sea moss!), or the pink "Moisturizing" formula to help add extra moisture. (Thanks to hyaluronic acid!) Bio-Collagen's Real Deep sheet mask that works overnight to refresh your skin. No, really, it's designed to be worn while you sleep — it's transfer-resistant, so it won't leave a mess on your pillow! It's infused with hyaluronic acid to hydrate, collagen to maximize absorption and minimize the appearance of pores, and probiotics to strengthen the skin's barrier. Best of all, it turns transparent when your skin is done absorbing the serum, so you'll know when it's ready to take off. A pair of leggings with a double-take-worthy price and a jaw-dropping 17,000+ rave ratings. According to reviewers, these are comfy with just the right amount of stretch, and they're thin enough for warm weather but thick enough to pair with a jacket in the fall. We love a wardrobe staple that'll take us through several seasons! An Anua pore-clearing cleansing oil that's specifically designed to help regulate your sebum production and break down blackheads, making it a great option for all my fellow oily-skinned peeps. It also helps break down makeup, so you can finally stop wasting money on makeup-removing wipes! A pair of rounded square aviator sunglasses to add a retro-chic vibe to all of your outfits. They're so lightweight you might forget you're even wearing them, but the influx of "Where did you get those?!" comments will remind you! A satin bonnet so silky smooth it's inspired more than 10,000 reviewers to leave a 5-star rating. Those satisfied reviewers love that it's super soft (yes, the inside is also lined with satin!) and roomy enough for long hair. And all my fellow hot sleepers will be relieved to know it's breathable enough to wear all night long! A set of four art prints to add a bit of greenery to your space without needing a green thumb. The vibrant artwork is printed on high-quality paper with an embossed linen texture. All you have to do is supply some 8x10 frames and decide whether to hang them together or split them up between different rooms! A pair of rechargeable motion sensor lights so you can finally see exactly which Little Debbie you're reaching for in the pantry when that late-night snack craving hits. They're also great for closets, under cabinets, or even illuminating the shelves holding your exquisite Lego Flower collection. A toilet wand with disposable cleaning heads (the cleaning solution is built-in — just activate with water!) that'll make scrubbing the porcelain throne feel like less of a chore. The kit comes with six refill heads (and a handy dandy storage stand for the wand and refills) to get you started, so you can immediately say goodbye to that dirty toilet brush and get to scrubbing in about 30 seconds! A pack of two dark spot corrector soap bars packed with tons of vitamin C and turmeric — aka the ultimate superhero ingredients for potentially brightening and reviving dull skin. Reviewers have had luck using this on both the face and body — but we recommend giving it a patch test first on a small area to see how your skin reacts. All good? Then start sudsing away! A stain treater spray so effective that you'll remain suspiciously calm the next time your tot's chocolate milk makes its way from their sippy cup to the couch cushion. Or when your glass of merlot faces a similar fate. Just spray, blot, rinse, and pour another. A cropped tank top sports bra that has rave reviews for providing support without skimping on comfort. It features removable cups for a more customized feel, and the sweat-wicking material makes it perfect for intense workouts. Reviewers say it's a way cheaper alternative for Lululemon's similar style, so future you will be so glad you saved some coin. A nifty strainer you can attach to the side of your pot so you'll never burn yourself while awkwardly straining into a colander ever again. Imagine not having to wash a bulky full-size colander every time you cook pasta!!! It's flexible enough to fit on a wide array of pot sizes, and reviewers say the clamps keep is firmly in place — so no need to worry about your tortellini taking a tumble into the sink. A crevice cleaning tool reviewers are raving over thanks to its comfortable nonslip handle and elongated bristles that are perfect for cleaning hard-to-reach areas, like window tracks, keyboards, toilet seats, grout, and the very scary nastiness that's lurking around your faucet. Eos' Shea Butter Vanilla Cashmere body lotion that gives brands like Bath and Body Works and Philosophy a run for their money. Not only does it smell like a caramel-vanilla dream, but it also includes shea butter and shea oil for a light touch of moisture that won't take 3,000 years to absorb.
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Crayola's CEO On Building A Colorful Past Into A Creative Future
Pete Ruggiero started working at Crayola in 1997 under its previous name, Binney & Smith. In his time at the company, he's worked in operations, sourcing, supply chain and running its European business. He was COO from 2020 until last year, when he was named CEO. I talked to Ruggiero about the company's position at the intersection of creativity and nostalgia for consumers of all ages, and its plans for innovation and expansion. This conversation has been edited for length, clarity and continuity. It was excerpted in the Forbes CEO newsletter. What do you see as the purpose of the Crayola brand? Ruggiero: I see a brand that is ubiquitous. Wherever a consumer is experiencing a creative moment, this brand is present. I see a brand that's much more global in nature. It's underrepresented outside the United States, yet our brand recognition is surprisingly high in all markets. One of our initiatives is to grow Crayola to be 30% outside of the U.S. and Canada by 2030. It's competitive, but we have some intentional work to do there. This whole idea of being wherever the consumer is comes through innovation, international expansion and category expansion. We are right now held tight in what we call the 'Crayola aisle.' The consumer expects us to be in the toy aisle, the craft aisle, at checkout and other places, and we're underrepresented there. We're at an interesting moment for international business. How does the current situation with tariffs impact your expansion plans? Let's talk supply chain strategy. The mantra of what we've been doing since 2007 has been to develop a capability that gives us competitive advantage of close-to-market responsiveness. The idea of us being able to respond and forecast the demand in critical seasons is an advantage that we enjoy over our competitors. Specifically, if we're talking about concentration of a business model in North America, having 1.7 million square feet of under-roof automated equipment scale, we make 3 billion crayons a year in Easton, Pennsylvania. We make three quarters of a billion markers. We make 100 million jars of paint. It keeps growing. To be able to make that here in the U.S. makes the tariff situation more palatable. We do sourcing overseas and some of that has been a close-to-market responsiveness sourcing from and producing in Asia for Asia. But we buy some things, like toys, from Asia. Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero. Crayola I'll give you a great example of how the tariffs are affecting us. We made decisions in 2000 to consolidate all of our colored pencil production into Brazil. The majority reason was because there's an extremely capable supplier who has a renewable tropical pine plantation in Brazil, so we've been able to vertically integrate pencil production in Brazil. There is no renewable forest in the United States, so I'm not going to put a plant in North Carolina and make colored pencils. There's really nothing we can do. It's just additional cost for us. How about your efforts to move to other countries and increase supply available to consumers outside the U.S. and Canada? Is the escalating trade war impacting your expansion plans? No. We've been blessed with a vision for a diversified supply chain and a diversified supply base. Some of our key categories, we've got multiple source points on them. During the pandemic, when one country would have a problem with the virus, we could go to another country and source. We adopted [business process improvement methodology] Six Sigma here in 2007, and my project was on de-risking the supply chain. We specifically created redundancies in the supply chain as a result of that work that long ago. I'm fairly confident that whatever it is, we will have the capabilities and the skill to navigate and still fulfill the purpose of international expansion. You want Crayola to be a brand that's ubiquitous whenever anybody is thinking of creating. How do you expand from what everybody thinks about—a go-to for children's art projects—while using the branding that you have, and not alienating the people who have depended on you for what you have been? It always comes back to the consumer and this majestic brand. You just have to look at some of the work we've been doing. Our Campaign For Creativity was our effort to understand more deeply why is creativity so important to our consumers: Why is it that nine out of 10 parents believe creativity is important for their children, and why is it that 96% of parents use color to help their children understand creativity? We used some of our artwork from the Dream Makers program, and went back to some of the artists who had created that 30 years ago to understand what creativity has meant in their lives. We get a deeper understanding of the consumer. Creativity Week is a program that we've done for the past four years. We started out as a test and we've been able to expand it this year to 44% of all school-aged children in the United States. This was actors and artists and authors, an Olympian, astronauts all participating in bringing creativity to children. We were in 122 countries doing these programs. The nostalgia and excitement around our brand is very interesting. There's more to us than back-to-school business. We're selling year-round. When I came to this company, we started building inventory in January. We would ship everything out the door, and I'm not sure what we did with ourselves from September until December. The business model now is global and year-round in nature. As soon as the Easter period ended, now we're prepping for and shipping back-to-school. As soon as back-to-school is over, we'll be prepping for and shipping Halloween, and then the holiday season. Then we'll go back in school, then Valentine's Day. It's a year-round business with innovation, but we're actually going a step further to experiential retail with the Crayola Experience. We have a Crayola Experience model—Orlando, Florida and Easton, Pennsylvania are the lynchpins—800,000 people come through those two Crayola Experiences a year. The dwell time is three and a half hours. We've expanded that model to overseas. We've already announced China. We've got other markets that we're announcing shortly. When you think about a brand that moms and teachers and dads trust and kids love and adore, and we have a parent company—Hallmark, [with a] media business, the Hallmark Channel. There's this great opportunity for us to be in more and to enter the studios business. Tell me about the 'unretirement' of eight colors this year. I'll take you back to National Crayon Day 2017, when we retired Dandelion. There was then and has been an outpouring from consumers: Why would we have retired Dandelion? Everybody loves Dandelion. I didn't realize it. We started working all the way back then with bringing Dandelion back in an authentic way. Then we looked at what other colors should we bring back. We had retired 13 colors over our history. We chose these eight for their appeal to this generation and to older fans of our brand. We've been surprised by the outpouring of excitement over this. We had 2 billion impressions in the first 24 hours that we had brought Dandelion back. We had the International Coloring Day launch because we're trying to think with a global mindset. I attended the Dandelion celebration on National Dandelion Day. What I was most surprised by was the age ranges of the people that came. We had a mom and daughter who came from San Francisco, flew in just for the event. Many of the people in the line were adults, and they were just so excited to see Dandelion there. It's an interesting dynamic with us right now. 54% of the people who bought Crayola last year were adults without children in their household. We say we help parents and teachers raise creatively alive kids. That's been our mission for 15 years. We're intentionally limiting ourselves by saying that, because we're much more than that. I've been liking to say recently that we try to make the world a more colorful place, one smile at a time. Wherever I go in the world when I'm wearing my Crayola attire, you get a smile. I saw it this morning at my speaking engagement at the Philadelphia Federal Reserve. Then we get a story, and the story's invariably about the 64 box Crayola crayons with the built-in sharpener. That's not just the United States, that's anywhere I go in the world. I'm standing at the airport boarding gate anywhere, with my Crayola-themed phone case. 'You work for Crayola?' Yes. And again, you get the smile and then you get the story. The other interesting point in the last year has been we trademarked the scent of the Crayola crayon. It's the number 18 most recognizable scent—one and two are peanut butter and coffee. It engenders memories of childhood and creativity and fun. How do you go about innovating, and what are some of the new innovations that you're hoping to bring to the brand? The innovation engine and the innovation process that we have is integrated with designers and capabilities and chemi-mechatronic engineers, as we call them. We have a secret laboratory along Bushkill Creek [in Easton, Pennsylvania], right next to where the original Crayola crayon factory was. In there, our scientists and chemical engineers are creating the wow factor of the brand, those chemical engineering marvels that cause color and creative experiences for our consumers. For the last 15 years, we've been adding to color excitement with mechanical and electronic toys. A great example of that is the Color Wonder Magic Light Brush. Color Wonder is a technology that we launched in '99. We took that and added an electronic mechanical element to it for the invisible paint of Color Wonder, so when the paint brush touches it, it lights up so you know what color you're about to paint. We'll sell more than a million units of that this year. I'm excited because we have made some intentional investments in people to prepare ourselves to go to the next level with innovation. You've seen the company for a long time and from many different viewpoints. How is it different from the CEO's office? I've worked directly for four CEOs, and I've seen five CEOs come through. Each CEO that I've had the chance to work for or with had great ideas, brought great things to this company. One of the first things I did when I became CEO was to pull out their strategic planning exercises, many of which I participated in as a member of the leadership team, and figure out those ideas that are working that we need to double-down on, and those ideas that were really good, that for whatever reason stalled out. That's the exciting part for me: To be able to step into the chair having seen all of the good work that previous CEOs have done, and take the greatest of the work that's going on, and take it to the next level. There's also learnings of things that didn't work. What I'm most excited about bringing to the table is a focus on a very simple strategy of next-level mindset building Crayola for the next quarter century, focused on culture, growth and diversification. The culture here is around collaboration, celebration. We try to celebrate when we win. A culture of: It's healthy to celebrate your problems. It's unhealthy to kick them under the carpet. And a culture of perpetual optimism, that if you say it out loud, it has a pretty good chance of coming to be. A major element of what we do as a culture is to build an environment where we're trying to make the communities in which we live and work better. That's a Hallmark culture that's been passed to Binney & Smith/Crayola when they bought us in 1984. The last piece here is we're trying to get excellence in everything we do. As Vince Lombardi said, we're chasing perfection so that we can achieve excellence. That's a very lofty target, but we're going to be very good in things that we do. You've mentioned building Crayola for the next quarter century. If all goes according to your plan, where will Crayola be then? I have a book produced for our sales meeting in 2024 talking about the history of the company. I've used this book and this mindset of: People are going to be writing about us a hundred years from now. Those are the guys that got it, they understood it, and they're the ones that transformed Crayola. I think it's a global business. It is a highly diversified product range. And we are definitely engaging the consumer through Crayola Studios and through a much-expanded Crayola Experience business model. It continues to bring back the current focus of our consumers of safety, quality, color. All of the elements that teachers and moms and dads and kids have loved about Crayola for the previous 122 years. That's all there, but it's more than that. It's this concept of our footprint—either by our own limiting or by how we've allowed ourselves to be limited, either because of our strategy or because of our unwillingness to push against boundaries. It's a massive brand and it's not fully fulfilling its purpose. What advice would you give to other CEOs? Transparency and authenticity are the most important characteristics. Your employees have to trust you. They have to believe in what you're doing. And the only way to gain that trust is through transparency and authenticity. When things aren't good, you take accountability for it. When things are great, you're celebrating it and you're giving credit for where the successes have been.
Associated Press
07-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
GOODBY SILVERSTEIN & PARTNERS TAKES HOME "BEST OF SHOW" AT THE 2025 AAF AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS
'The Other Hand' for Cheetos Wins Best of Show; Work From BYU AdLab for Crayola Captures Best of Show in the Student Competition WASHINGTON, June 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A campaign from Goodby Silverstein & Partners for Cheetos ( 'The Other Hand' ) was named 'Best of Show' at the 2025 American Advertising Awards, sponsored by AAF. The winner was announced at a Gala Awards Ceremony as part of AAF's ADMERICA annual conference held in Pittsburgh, PA. The event was hosted by Nina Parker, the Emmy-nominated television personality. Work from BYU AdLab for Crayola ( 'Ink Up, Wash Out' ) was named 'Best of Show' winner in the Student portion of the competition. The American Advertising Awards are widely acknowledged as the largest and most representative competition of its kind. Campaigns need to advance through both local and regional levels of the three-tier competition before they can become eligible for the national prize. In all, just 51 Gold ADDYs were awarded among Professionals. 'Competition in the ADDYs gives us a chance to see how we stack up against the best in the business,' said Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at BBDO who served as the first-ever Competition Chair for this Year's American Advertising Awards. 'It's exciting to measure our work against the industry's top talents and learn from what others are doing. It pushes us all to elevate our game.' He added, 'I'm thrilled to see so much exceptional work being recognized through the ADDYs. Celebrating these achievements not only highlights our creativity but also reinforces the impact of effective advertising on our clients' success.' 'The Other Hand' campaign notes how '99% of people eat Cheetos with their dominant hand. Using your other hand? It's a Cheetos thing.' It's the second time in the past three years that work for Cheetos from Goodby Silverstein & Partners has taken home 'Best of Show.' In addition to the overall 'Bests of Show,' other notable campaigns recognized at this year's American Advertising Awards included: You can view these Special Awards, along with all of the winning work, at Summing up, Beresford-Hill said, 'Congratulations to all the winners of this year's ADDY Awards! Your creativity and hard work exemplify the best of our industry. You've set the bar high for all of us!' ABOUT AAF The AAF's Board of Directors guides and oversees the Federation's signature events and initiatives, including the Advertising Hall of Fame, Advertising Hall of Achievement, American Advertising Awards, Advertising Day on the Hill, Most Promising Multicultural Students Program, and HBCUs for Advertising – all serving the Federation's 35,000+ professional members nationwide, 4,000+ students and educators, and more than 60+ corporate members spanning media and tech companies, advertisers and agencies. Established in 1905, the American Advertising Federation (AAF), acts as 'The Unifying Voice for Advertising.' Visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE American Advertising Federation
Buzz Feed
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
35 Fun Things To Treat Yourself To This Summer
A 3-in-1 Lego set with everything you need to build three summer-ready critters. The 288-piece set can be rearranged to make a flamingo, axolotl, or cockatoo, which can be moved into different poses. Costing less than $25, it's a pretty solid deal compared to most Lego kits. Pickle cashews because real brineheads know that literally anything tastes better with a little dill and garlic flavoring. Warning: Only open this bag if you're prepared to eat all 5 ounces because reviewers say these are capital T tasty. A brick-shaped mold so you can found your own sand construction company and start building beach-front properties. Pack wet sand into the cube and pop out bricks that will give your castles a little more structural integrity. And after beach season, you can use this mold again to make snow chalets! A set of 10 retractable Crayola markers, which honestly should have always existed. How many of us suffered the fate of losing a marker cap or attempted to color only to find the red has completely dried out? Kids these days have it easy — just click and a fresh marker tip pops out, ready for art. Medicube Turmeric Overnight Wrapping Peel Off Mask boosted with kojic acid, hydrolyzed collagen, vitamin C, and turmeric to help reduce hyperpigmentation and dark spots, even skin tone, and add a little bounce. Apply the mask with a brush, get some beauty sleep, and awake to see the gift of ✨ glowing skin ✨ — just unwrap (peel off) and enjoy. ;) A miniature Stanley tape measurer keychain so you no longer have to wonder how tall something is and try to guesstimate with your hands. This would come in clutch when furniture shopping or calling out a date for lying about their height (JK, JK). A set of itty bitty vintage-inspired spoons — if these aren't cottagecore, I don't know what is. Set them out at your next tea party and let the compliments roll in. Praise for your good taste? Sweeter than two lumps of sugar. A clay charm kit so you can begin your foray into jewelry design. It comes with a metal bracelet, findings, and enough clay to make up to 35 different charms. Is it Pandora? NO it's Klutz. A Flamingo Estate candle whose smell can best be described as "sticking your nose directly in a pile of tomatoes at the farmers market." The fragrance is fresh, herbaceous, peppery, and PERFECT for summer. A pack of glittery paint pens to add some razzle-dazzle to your crafts. Phone cases, furniture, rocks from outside — nothing will be safe from the glitter ray once you see how deliciously smooth and pigmented these things are. Teeny-tiny onigiri vases who look thrilled by the opportunity to hold your new clippings and flower buds. Each smiling rice ball is handcrafted, so they're all unique. A viral "Soft" perfume rollerball for anyone who wants people to think of them and think "yum." Reviewers compare this ~$5 fragrance to caramel, lemon cupcakes, warm vanilla scones, and cotton candy. An ACOTAR hair claw featuring all the published books from everyone's favorite steamy romantasy series. Unlike other novelty clips, this one is still shaped like a traditional claw, meaning it can actually hold up thick hair — probably even Lucien's luscious locks! An expanding file folder you can fill with up to 200 pieces of paper and free up sooo much desk space. As an accordion folder follower, I have to say these things are top-notch for organizing everything from restaurant menus to ticket stubs. Reusable water balloons if you're sick of every balloon fight ending with little pieces of plastic littering your lawn. The silicone balls self-seal when filled with water and explode on contact. A pretty ribbed bikini that's so cute, mermaids will come out of the ocean just to compliment you. It comes in a TON of colors, so good luck picking just one! Liquid I.V. electrolyte drink mix in a variety of exciting, summer-ready flavors ranging from watermelon to pina colada. Besides being delicious, the electrolyte powder is formulated to help hydrate faster than plain water. It also just tastes good so you might be more likely to drink more in general. Sour blue raspberry gushers for masochist snackers who think their tongue has had it way too easy. One reviewer says these are 4–5 levels MORE sour than Sour Skittles. 🫣 A can of whipped crea— I mean, sunscreen that just looks like dessert, so don't eat it, OK? This tasty-looking skincare will make you feel like a cherry pie instead of looking like one (baked and bright red). Laneige's Neo Blurring Powder, a low-maintenance option for makeup minimalists who want a matte, yet still radiant, complexion. It absorbs oil and blurs pores, leaving your face as glowy as a forest nymph. An acrylic grid box for your tiniest treasures. The clear design ensures that your discoveries can be properly viewed, like a miniature museum. And if you fill it with sea glass, it'll create a stained-glass effect when you hold it up to the light! A pack of *limited edition* fabric Band-Aids with such fun, summery patterns, you'll find yourself actually wanting to get a paper cut just so you can wear one. A beeswax tulip candle that looks so much like the real thing, you could probably prank your guests when you light it up. I, for one, would never dare to set something so pretty on fire — it's going under a bell jar, Beauty and the Beast-style, forever. A glow-in-the-dark capture the flag game sure to be a hit on temperate nights. This game can accommodate two teams of five and is great for all ages, so even your neighbors can join the fun. Groovy Fruit, a summery variation from the beloved NeeDoh fidget toy line. The orange, banana, and strawberry toys are non-sticky and have the *perfect* amount of give, securing themselves a place in the stress ball hall of fame. A miniature stapler-in-gelatin set, which may very well be in the running for best office decor ever. It comes with a lil' book of Office quotes and a recreation of Jim's aspic prank, which plays quotes when pressed. Slam the button whenever you need a quick "That's what she said!" from Michael Scott. Lottabody Wrap Me Curl Mousse, a whipped-cream-like delight that defines curls, moisturizes with shea and coconut oil, and tackles frizz. The foam makes it super easy to distribute throughout your hair, and the heavenly scent will make you feel like you're on a tropical vacation. Mama Teav's Hot Garlic Chili Crisp sure to become your go-to condiment this summer. Throw it on pizza, chicken sandwiches, salads, I cream? Reviewers love the flavor and the fact it's free of sugar, soy, gluten, or other common allergens. A magnetic meal planning pad with a super cute, summery design and detachable shopping list so you don't have to hem and haw about what to make for dinner. If you plan out the whole week in advance, maybe you'll finally be able to finish an entire bag of spinach! A pack of self-heating lavender eye masks to help you get in the zone and let off some steam if upcoming summer travel plans, that one broken AC, an ant infestation, etc., have got you STRESSED! Just open, pop one on, and it'll heat up to 113 degrees — no microwave needed. Reviewers note that these are also great for headache relief. A giant bubble kit with a two-handle wand so you can all compete to make the biggest bubble. Just make sure no one tries to trap the dog in a soap ball prison. A high-end bottle of Takesan Kishibori soy sauce if you ever want to learn what you're missing by sticking with grocery store brands. No offense to Kikkoman, but this elevated sauce from Shodoshima, Japan offers a richer, more complex flavor that has happy reviewers pledging their allegiance. A floating cabana, so now any pool can have a swim-up bar. The nearly 6-foot-long inflatable offers shade, drink holders, and places for your ice or ingredients. With such a legit setup, I wouldn't blame you if you charged your guests for drinks. An alarmingly adorable capybara night-light to keep you company on sleepy summer evenings. Just bop your new silicone friend on the head to toggle through seven different colors and three dimness settings. And if you opt for the flower version, it comes with two different buds to hold. 🥹 A swimsuit with ruched sides and drawstrings that allow you to customize your fit, sort of like a corset. Reviewers like that the strings can change how much coverage you get, so you can adjust the look throughout the day. Phoenix and Miles sticky notes in case arguments with your roommate have left the passive-aggressive text stage and have entered a full-on aggressive realm that could be compared to a legal battle. Buy one for yourself and one for your opponent so you can duke out the case of "whose turn is it to do the dishes?" And L-shaped scissors so you can easily slice through all the gifts from Summer Santa coming your way. The Japanese stainless steel blades are designed to create the perfect angle that can glide through everything from cardboard to annoying plastic clamshell packaging. Thank you, Summer Santa! Your generosity knows no bounds. Me when I realize that I have to buy my own lil' gifts until December: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Patel: ‘I won't be lectured' by Comey
FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed criticism from one of his predecessors, James Comey, who recently suggested Patel was ill equipped to run the bureau. In an interview Wednesday on Fox News's 'Special Report,' host Bret Baier asked Patel about Comey's recent Instagram post of shells arranged to form '8647,' in what many supporters of President Trump's said was a threat on the president's life. Others suggested the message could have been a call to oust Trump from power. Comey insisted, however, that he did not arrange the seashells himself — merely took a photo of it — and that he would never call for violence. He subsequently removed the post. 'You know, the FBI is bigger than any leader it's ever had or ever will have,' Patel said about the post. 'And James Comey is a private citizen, and he can walk around the beach and talk about seashells and Crayola crayons for all I care about and talk about how we're the conspiracy theorists.' 'But I'll just remind the American people of one thing,' he continued. 'When that man was the leader of the FBI, he perpetrated the largest criminal conspiracy, packaged political information from overseas, took it to a federal FISA court and illegally surveilled a political opponent.' 'So, I won't be lectured on how to run this FBI from that man,' the FBI chief added. Earlier that day, Comey had made an appearance on CNN and raised questions about Patel and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino's leadership abilities. The former FBI director said he's not confident in the agency's leadership but that he has faith in the career officials there. 'I hope the career people are able to support the director and the deputy director,' he said, referring to Patel and Bongino. 'There are lots of people in the FBI who know what they're doing. I hope these two guys are letting them guide them.' Comey, appointed by former President Obama in 2013, noted he lacks confidence in the leaders themselves. 'Nothing in their life or their career gives me confidence that they know anything about leading an organization like that,' Comey said. 'And so, I would have serious doubts.' 'I bet they do internally … have doubts. Great. Let the people who know what they're doing give you advice, and listen to them,' he added. Trump ousted Comey from his post leading the FBI in 2017, and the two have been vocal critics of each other since. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
