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When homeowners compare energy-efficient windows, the focus usually falls on glass, Low-E coatings, gas fills and frame materials. But another component sits quietly around the perimeter of insulated glass: the spacer.

That narrow strip separates the panes, helps maintain the insulating gap and affects how much heat moves through the edge of the glass. A conventional metal spacer can conduct heat relatively quickly, while a warm-edge spacer is designed to reduce that transfer.

The result is a warmer glass edge, better condensation resistance and improved overall thermal performance. Here’s everything you need to know.

Considering replacement windows? A free quote and inspection from Renewal by Andersen can help you evaluate your existing windows and compare replacement options for your home.

What are warm-edge spacers on windows?

Warm-edge spacers are components that separate the panes of insulated glass while reducing heat transfer through the edge of the window. They use materials or designs with lower thermal conductivity than conventional metal spacers, helping keep the interior glass edge warmer and reducing the potential for condensation.

What does a window spacer do?

An insulated glass unit contains two or more panes separated by a controlled space. The spacer runs around the perimeter of the glass, maintaining the distance between the panes and forming part of the window’s edge system.

That space is critical to the window’s thermal performance. U.S. Department of Energy guidance identifies spacers as one component of an efficient window and says they keep the panes the correct distance apart to “reduce heat flow and help prevent condensation.”

The spacer also forms part of the insulating glass unit’s edge assembly, so its thermal properties influence how cold the perimeter of the glass becomes in winter.

Related: Impact-Resistant Energy-Efficient Windows: Hurricanes, Noise and Security

Why are they called ‘warm edge’ spacers?

The name refers to the temperature of the interior-facing edge of the glass.

When outdoor temperatures fall, heat naturally moves from the warmer interior toward the colder exterior. A highly conductive spacer provides a relatively efficient pathway for that heat transfer at the edge of the glass.

A warm-edge design reduces that pathway. The interior edge, therefore, stays warmer than it would with a more conductive spacer under the same conditions.

Energy Star identifies warm-edge spacers as one of the technologies used in energy-efficient windows and says modern versions can be made from steel, foam, fiberglass or vinyl.

Do warm-edge spacers prevent window condensation?

Warm-edge spacers can reduce the risk of condensation by keeping the edge of the interior glass warmer, but they cannot guarantee condensation-free windows.

Condensation forms when a window surface falls below the dew point of the surrounding indoor air. Energy Star notes that even certified windows can experience condensation during cold weather, particularly when indoor humidity is high.

That makes the edge of the glass an important part of the equation.

Why does condensation often appear around the edges?

The center of an insulated glass unit benefits from the insulating properties of the glass, gas-filled space and coatings. The perimeter has a different construction, including the spacer and seals. If that edge becomes sufficiently cold, moisture from indoor air can condense on the surface.

Warm-edge spacers raise the temperature of that edge by reducing conductive heat loss. That can make condensation less likely under the same indoor and outdoor conditions.

However, indoor humidity still plays a major role. Energy Star recommends managing humidity and maintaining airflow over the window surface to reduce condensation.

Do warm-edge spacers make energy-efficient windows more efficient?

Yes, but a spacer is only one part of the window’s overall thermal system. The DOE says window efficiency is primarily evaluated using factors such as U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). A lower U-factor indicates better insulation.

Other components also contribute to performance:

Window component

Primary function

Low-E glass

Controls infrared heat transfer and solar heat gain

Multiple panes

Creates additional insulating layers

Argon or krypton gas

Reduces heat transfer between panes

Warm-edge spacer

Reduces heat transfer around the glass perimeter

Frame

Influences heat transfer and structural performance

Weatherstripping and seals

Limits air leakage and moisture intrusion

The components work together. A warm-edge spacer does not turn an otherwise inefficient window into a high-performance product by itself.

The DOE also recommends considering condensation resistance when comparing windows. A higher condensation-resistance rating indicates greater resistance to moisture or frost forming on the interior surface.

Related: Are ENERGY STAR Replacement Windows Worth the Extra Cost?

What type of spacer does Renewal by Andersen use?

Renewal by Andersen uses a low-conductivity stainless-steel spacer in its insulated glass systems.

According to Renewal by Andersen’s energy-efficiency documentation, its stainless-steel spacer “resists heat transfer four to five times better than aluminum spacers.” The company also says the thinner stainless-steel spacer wall conducts less energy.

That is an important distinction when discussing warm-edge technology: warm edge does not necessarily mean nonmetallic. Stainless steel has substantially lower thermal conductivity than aluminum, allowing it to serve as a warm-edge spacer despite being metal.

Renewal by Andersen also emphasizes that the spacer is only one component of its glass system. Its documentation describes the combination of Low-E coatings, double glazing, an argon gas blend, seals and the low-conductivity spacer as parts of the overall design.

If your existing windows develop heavy condensation, feel unusually cold around the edges or create noticeable drafts, a professional inspection from Renewal by Andersen can help determine whether the problem is the glass, spacer, frame, seals or installation.

Are warm-edge spacers worth considering when replacing windows?

If you’re replacing older windows, warm-edge spacers are worth including in the comparison, particularly if cold glass edges, winter condensation or thermal comfort are concerns. But don’t evaluate the spacer separately from the complete window.

Look at:

• U-factor: Lower values indicate better insulation.
• Condensation resistance: Higher ratings indicate greater resistance to interior condensation.
• Air leakage: Lower values indicate less air leakage.
• Glass package: Consider pane count, Low-E coatings and gas fill.
• Frame and installation: Both affect the window’s installed performance.

Energy Star and the DOE emphasize that climate should also influence window selection. In cold climates, the DOE recommends low-U-factor products and high condensation resistance, while installation quality is essential to achieving the expected performance.

New Windows From Renewal by Andersen

Renewal by Andersen

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Can warm-edge spacers solve cold windows by themselves?

No. A warm-edge spacer addresses heat transfer around the perimeter of an insulated glass unit, but it cannot compensate for every weakness in an older window.

Drafts may come from failed weatherstripping or gaps around the frame. Condensation may result from excessive indoor humidity. Fogging between panes can indicate a failed insulating-glass seal. And an older single-pane window has fundamental thermal limitations that a spacer cannot correct.

For homeowners comparing energy-efficient windows, the better approach is to evaluate the complete window assembly and its performance ratings rather than choosing a single feature in isolation.

Ready to compare your options? Schedule a free quote and inspection from Renewal by Andersen to evaluate your existing windows and discuss replacement options suited to your home’s needs.

Parade aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

‘Tis the season to start thinking about all things merry! Sure, your tree might not be up yet, but soon it’ll be time to break out the tinsel and baubles. In the meantime, there’s no harm in preparing for the fun that’s to come — and if you’re a country music fan, the Dolly Parton Holiday Toile Mug and Ornament Set is the perfect starting point.

The adorable duo is destined to get you into the spirit of the season, and you can snag it for just $23 at Walmart right now. Pairing a decorative porcelain coffee mug with a charming felt ornament, these gift-ready pieces are part of Dolly’s wondrous (and ultra-popular!) holiday collection of cute home decor.

Dolly Parton Holiday Toile Mug and Ornament Set, $23 at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Fans will especially love the mug’s playful and melodic motif, which features a bow-adorned guitar accented by a lush green wreath. Sparkling stars and fluttering butterflies add signature Dolly glamour and sweetness to the mix, while lavish poinsettias complete the cheerful design. The mug’s rim is just as eye-catching, reading “Deck the Halls With Songs of Dolly” in a nostalgic-looking font reminiscent of bygone eras.

At 4.5 inches tall by 4 inches wide, the chip-resistant mug is also practical. Its 18-ounce capacity makes it a go-to pick for cozy cups of marshmallow-topped cocoa, a warming chai, or that first coffee of the day. It’s safe to put in the microwave and the dishwasher, designed to retain its integrity no matter how often you use it.

Related: Dolly Parton’s Jewelry Collab With Kendra Scott Dazzles With Giftable Heirloom-Inspired Pieces Under $100

The felt ornament makes a fitting companion for the music-themed mug. Shaped like an acoustic guitar, the petite decoration measures 6 inches tall and 3 inches wide. The medley of red, pink, and white hues is sure to catch the eye, serving as a colorful and fitting tribute to the famed songstress.

Shop More Dolly Parton Decor Deals

• Dolly Parton Holiday Toile Stoneware Serve Bowl, $36 at Walmart
• Dolly Parton Holiday Toile Serving Platter, $27 at Walmart
• Dolly Parton Holly Dolly 12-Piece Dinnerware Set, $63 at Walmart

Of course, the Dolly Parton Holiday Toile Mug and Ornament Set also makes an exceptional and unique gift idea for any collector or longtime Dolly enthusiast. Don’t miss the chance to make their day or to give your own home an instant festive makeover! Pick it up while it’s still in stock at Walmart.

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Fans of Dancing with the Stars‘ Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert got a nice surprise on Oct. 4 when the former marked a special milestone for their baby daughter, Everley, by sharing a new rare photo of the little one.

Hough took to Instagram to post the snap, with the picture showing the dancer holding his daughter in his arms. Everley’s back is to the camera, and fans can see Hough’s face as he looks lovingly at her. Hough wrote in the caption, “9 months ❤️ she’s getting too big.”

View this post on Instagram

Hough’s sister and fellow dancer, Julianne Hough, commented on the sweet photo to say, “I love her so much ❤️.”

Fans loved getting to see the meaningful moment and many complimented Hough on the photo. “Parenthood looks great on you…it’s a new awakening❤️,” declared one fan, while another said, “You can tell you love her, she’s a lucky little lady!🥰.”

Many more warned Hough to cherish this time, speaking from experience about how fast time goes by when raising children. These replies included, “Next time you turn around, she’ll be in school…it goes sooooo fast,” and “Hold on tightly @derekhough because they do grow so quickly and every moment presents something memorable.”

Related: Ella Langley’s Record-Setting Chart Run Delivers Big Milestone for Her Record Label

Quite a few people noted how tall Everley’s grown since they last got a glimpse of her, while other fans speculated whether she looks more like Hough or Erbert.

Erbert and Hough welcomed Everley on Dec. 29, 2025. As of writing, the two dancers have kept their daughter’s face out of any photos or videos so far, maintaining their privacy.

Previously, the new parents have shared little peeks at their life with their daughter, such as when she made a visit to the Dancing with the Stars set or when Erbert took Everley outside to get a good look at the beautiful sky.

Related: Elizabeth Hurley, 61, Poses in Peach Bikini and Shares Sunset Kiss With Billy Ray Cyrus in New Update

Getting invited back for Survivor 50 wasn’t entirely about gameplay for one former contestant.

Jeff Probst recently revealed that Jonathan Young essentially guaranteed himself a spot on the milestone season by repeatedly turning down opportunities to appear on other reality shows, making sure Probst knew where his loyalty stood.

During an appearance on the Popcast podcast late last month, Probst explained that Young, who originally competed on Survivor 42, would approach him whenever another opportunity came his way.

View this post on Instagram

“Mr. Jeff, I’ve been offered this show,” Probst recalled Young telling him. “I just want to let you know, no is the answer. I’m waiting for you.”

So, did that loyalty help when producers began assembling the returning-player cast for Season 50? According to Probst, absolutely. “When we got to 50, it was like, you know who’s been loyal to us?” he said. “Jonathan’s on 50 no matter which version of the cast we look at. Jonathan’s on this show.”

Probst called the invitation “the payback for loyalty,” adding that Young’s return paid off for him in the game as well.

A lot of fans weren’t too happy about this stance, however.

“‘you can go do other shows and we won’t have a problem…except look at this guy who turned down other shows, we rewarded him because of it,’” one person wrote in the comments on Instagram.

“If you truly care about people as humans, and if you want to see them succeed in their careers—you don’t create some arbitrary purity test,” another shared.

“Boooo Jeff! It’s giving 1800s,” said a third.

The revelation comes after Probst publicly changed his stance on former Survivor contestants joining other reality shows.

READ MORE: Jeff Probst Addresses Controversial ‘Survivor’ Phrase Change

In the past, the longtime host admitted he could get “a little territorial” about contestants taking their talents elsewhere, particularly because Survivor could potentially want them back for a future season.

But in an August 2025 interview with Gold Derby, Probst acknowledged that he’d changed his thinking. “I’m embarrassed that I was upset about it, because I have nothing to do with it,” he said, later encouraging former contestants to take advantage of opportunities that come their way. “If you’re a former Survivor player and another show will pay you to come do their show, absolutely go make that money because you’re entertaining,” he said.

Probst reiterated that position on Popcast, but offered one caveat—appearing too frequently elsewhere can make a player’s story feel less fresh if Survivor eventually comes calling again.

Kash Patel and longtime girlfriend Alexis Wilkins are getting married.

The FBI director and country singer announced their engagement on Sunday, October 4, sharing the happy news after more than three years together.

Wilkins posted a black-and-white photo of the couple smiling as she held up her left hand, giving followers a clear look at her new diamond ring.

“​​Went and got the law involved,” she joked in the caption, adding a diamond ring and heart emoji. Patel reshared the announcement with his own heart and ring emojis.

How Did Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins Announce Their Engagement?

Went and got the law involved 💍❤️ @Kash_Patel pic.twitter.com/OjZmOOrVg7

— Alexis Wilkins (@AlexisWilkins) October 4, 2026

The couple kept the announcement simple, letting the photo and Wilkins’ playful caption do most of the talking. Wilkins, 27, stood beside Patel, 46, while showing off the large diamond on her ring finger.

Their engagement follows a relationship that has drawn increasing public attention since Patel took over as FBI director in early 2025. The pair have generally kept the personal side of their romance more private than the headlines surrounding Patel’s government role.

How Did Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins Meet?

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Patel and Wilkins first crossed paths in 2022. According to People, they first met at a conservative event connected to country singer John Rich, and the couple began their relationship in early 2023.

They have now been together for roughly three and a half years. Wilkins has built a career in country music, while Patel’s profile rose sharply after he became FBI director.

Why Has Their Relationship Drawn Attention? View this post on Instagram

Their relationship has occasionally entered the public conversation around Patel’s job.

Last year, Patel pushed back after reports questioned his use of government aircraft while traveling to events where Wilkins was performing.

According to The Hill, he dismissed the reporting as “fake news” and “noise from uninformed internet anarchists.”

He also defended Wilkins from what he called “disgustingly baseless attacks,” referring to her as a “conservative and a country music sensation.”

Newsweek reported in November 2025 that an FBI spokesperson said Wilkins had been assigned protection after receiving “hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel.”

What Has Alexis Wilkins Been Doing Recently?

Wilkins has also been involved in her own legal dispute. In late May, she filed a defamation lawsuit against Versant, the parent company of MS NOW, as well as reporters Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig, NBC News had reported.

She challenged a report that she said falsely portrayed her as a heavy drinker. MS NOW asked a federal court in August to dismiss the suit or move it out of Tennessee. The case is still pending, according to Mediaite.

For now, however, Patel and Wilkins are marking a far happier milestone, with the couple officially moving from longtime partners to fiancé and fiancée.

If you’ve ever browsed the beauty aisles of your local drugstore, flipped through a lifestyle magazine or watched a skincare routine video on social media recently, chances are you have encountered the term “hyaluronic acid.” It is stamped on everything from daily moisturizers and hydrating serums to lip glosses and facial mists. In the ever-evolving world of cosmetic ingredients, trends come and go with the seasons. Yet, hyaluronic acid has managed to stand the test of time, cementing its place as a staple in both luxury and affordable beauty regimens.

But for all the buzz surrounding this popular ingredient, many people are still left wondering what it actually is. The word “acid” can sound intimidating, perhaps conjuring up images of harsh chemical peels or intense exfoliants that might leave your skin red and sensitive. However, hyaluronic acid is entirely different from exfoliating acids like glycolic or salicylic acid. Instead of stripping or sloughing away dead skin cells, it acts as a powerful moisture magnet.

Despite its ubiquitous presence in our daily routines, understanding the science behind the ingredient can help demystify why it’s so widely used. Whether you are a skincare minimalist who sticks to a basic cleanser and moisturizer or a beauty enthusiast with a multi-step nightly routine, knowing the facts about the ingredients you apply is essential. So, what is hyaluronic acid, exactly, and what makes it such a powerhouse ingredient in the cosmetic industry? Let’s break down the science, the sources and the safety behind this famous hydrating hero.

Related: 7 Creams With Hyaluronic Acid That Are Perfect for Dry Skin Over 50

What Is Hyaluronic Acid, Exactly?

At its core, hyaluronic acid (often abbreviated as HA) is a natural substance. Scientifically speaking, it’s an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan. In simpler terms, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), hyaluronic acid is a type of sugar—specifically, a polysaccharide.

This naturally occurring molecule is already present throughout your body. It’s found in high concentrations in your skin, connective tissues, cartilage and even the fluid inside your eyes. The primary function of hyaluronic acid in the body is to retain water, keeping your tissues well-lubricated and moist.

What makes hyaluronic acid so remarkable from a scientific standpoint is its extraordinary capacity to bind and retain moisture. The molecule can hold many times its own weight in water. As the FDA explains, when hyaluronic acid is in a gel form, it combines with water and swells, which creates a smoothing and filling effect. This unique ability to act like a biological sponge is exactly why it has become a superstar ingredient in the world of topical cosmetics and personal care products.

Related: The Clever Serum Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner

Where Does Hyaluronic Acid Come From?

Since hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in human tissues, you might be wondering how it ends up in the bottles and jars on your bathroom counter. The hyaluronic acid used in commercial products is not sourced from humans.

Historically, according to the FDA, some hyaluronic acid used in various applications has been derived from avian sources, such as rooster combs. However, as the demand for vegan and cruelty-free beauty products has surged, the cosmetic industry has largely shifted its manufacturing methods.

Today, the vast majority of hyaluronic acid found in topical cosmetic products is created in a laboratory setting through a process called microbial fermentation. Using specific strains of bacteria, scientists can safely and efficiently produce hyaluronic acid that is bio-identical to the kind your body naturally makes.

Related: Forget ‘Baby Botox’: This Peptide Hack Is the Secret to Naturally Plumper Skin

Is Hyaluronic Acid Safe?

Because the word “acid” is in its name, consumers frequently ask if hyaluronic acid is safe for regular use. The consensus among regulatory and safety bodies is a resounding yes.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, a respected and independent group that evaluates the safety of skincare ingredients, has extensively reviewed the data on this molecule. The CIR Expert Panel concluded that hyaluronic acid, along with its salt forms (like sodium hyaluronate and potassium hyaluronate), are safe for use as cosmetic ingredients.

Furthermore, because hyaluronic acid is a substance that the human body already produces naturally, it’s generally considered biocompatible and is well-tolerated by a wide variety of skin types. The FDA also recognizes the safety of hyaluronic acid across multiple uses, noting its natural presence in body tissues and its predictable, water-binding behavior.

Related: This ‘Gold Standard’ Anti-Aging Ingredient Is ‘Non-Negotiable’ Over 50, Dermatologist Says

How It’s Formulated in Skincare

When shopping for products, you may notice that hyaluronic acid goes by a few different names on the ingredient list. Formulators often use “sodium hyaluronate,” which is a salt derivative of hyaluronic acid. Sodium hyaluronate has a lower molecular weight, which allows it to mix easily into water-based serums and lotions without feeling overly sticky or heavy.

Regardless of the specific derivative used, the goal of these topical products is simply to deliver hydration to the surface of the skin. By trapping moisture from the environment and holding it on the skin’s surface, hyaluronic acid formulations help maintain a hydrated, dewy appearance without making any structural changes to the skin.

Up Next:

Related: Dermatologists Warn: These 7 Habits Make Crepey Skin Worse After 50

M*A*S*H actor Alan Alda recently opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, sharing a candid update on his life during an interview with Dr. Jon LaPook on CBS Sunday Morning.

Alda revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis on CBS This Morning back in 2018, three and a half years after he found out. The 90-year-old told LaPook on Sunday, “I thought it would be good to say so publicly, to let people know that I did have it because it was only a matter of time that some article would come out that was full of syrup…Alan’s family is worried. He has this terrible disease. His friends don’t know what to do, you know. Nonsense. I was exercising. I was taking medicine. And I was facing it.”

Alan Alda. Photo: Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

He continued, “It’s really important to me to face reality. It sounds like a self-help model, but I really think reality is my friend. I don’t want to wish it away. I can’t wish it away. I can’t hope for a better future. I got to accept what it is. Now, if there’s a chance I can change what is, that’s reality too. And I’d be foolish not to pursue it.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s symptoms may include tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, poor posture, poor balance, speech changes, writing changes, depression, or anxiety. While the shaky tremors are among the most recognizable symptoms of the neurological disease, Alda noticed something else first.

The actor explained, “I had a symptom which at the time was not that well known. Acting out your dreams. I had a dream that somebody was attacking me. And I picked up a sack of potatoes and threw it at him. What I was really doing was throwing a pillow at Arlene, my wife.” He added, “I had no twitch, no tremor, no problems with my voice. I just had this. So I went to a neurologist. And I said I think I got Parkinson’s.”

Even though Alda waited to reveal his diagnosis, he isn’t secretive about the disease. “I didn’t see a problem with letting people know. I also wanted to demystify it. There were people I told that I had it, and they said, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’ Well, which is appropriate because in the later stages, it’s really debilitating. But before you get to that, you can hold it off for some amount of time. Everybody has a different case and every day is different for everybody.”

When it comes to how he handles Parkinson’s, Alda had this to say: “There’s a lot I have to do to fight Parkinson’s. Takes up a lot of my day. Exercise, vocalize, sleep…But I don’t let Parkinson’s define me. It’s not who I am. It’s just a hobby.”

Of course, the M*A*S*H star’s sense of humor helps him through the day-to-day of the disease. Alda says it’s “Very important because the best way to deal with anything that’s a little bit of a problem is to find out what’s funny about it and laugh at it.

There’s a long-running joke, or conspiracy theory depending on who you ask, that any man who dates a Kardashian woman is doomed. The term for the theory is the “Kardashian curse” and references several famous men who’s career or personal lives took a hit while romantically linked to a member of the famous family. Pete Davidson recently opened up about how his brief relationship with Kim Kardashian took a toll on him because of the level of scrutiny he was under.

“I’m one of the survivors — the few and the proud. We’re like the Marines,” Davidson joked to Variety about the men who’ve famously dated members of the Kardashian family and left unscathed. 

On the difficulties of being with someone with that level of fame, he admits it was not easy. “Look, man, that’s a really tough atmosphere if you’re not game. One of the things I love about Kim and that whole family is they’re like, ‘This is what we do.’ I found that very attractive and mature,” he said. “I was never subjected to anything I didn’t want to be a part of. She was super respectful of all of it, but the craze of that lifestyle — being followed everywhere, having security and looking over your shoulder — for a guy with mental stuff and at the time drug problems was a little too much for me. But we’re cool, and I have a lot of love for her, and I knew what I was getting into.” 

At the time of their relationship, Kardashian was going through a contentious divorce from rapper Kanye West. West publicly taunted Davidson. “What tripped me out is I was super open about mental stuff — everyone knows this about me — and it’s like he was [saying], ‘Kill yourself.’ And he did push me,” Davidson recalled. 

Despite this, Davidson says he has empathy for West because of his mental health struggles and ongoing grief surrounding the loss of his beloved mother. “I don’t know how he deals with it or who he has around him. Probably a lot of people who want to be his friend. I’ve had that,” Davidson shared. “When people are so far up your ass and constantly pushing and provoking you and not showing you love, you want to burn it all. I think it got to a certain point where he was like, ‘Leave me the f*** alone. I’m just going to say crazy s***.’”

Kardashian is currently dating Lewis Hamilton. In a recent interview, she says that after her relationship with Davidson, she intentionally stayed single for five years.

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Fall is a great time to do a bedroom refresh, especially if your bedding could use a new look. A new comforter set can instantly change the look of your space without the cost of a full makeover, and floral prints are an easy way to bring a classic, welcoming feel into the season.

Right now, the Juniper Reversible 3-Piece Comforter Set at Macy’s is on sale for $24, down from $80, which means you can save a whopping 70% on a stylish bedding upgrade. The comforter features an elegant taupe floral print on one side and a charming pink gingham pattern on the reverse, giving you two looks in one. Shoppers said the lightweight set was “pretty” and “cozy,” making it an easy way to bring extra comfort and style to your bedroom this fall.

Juniper Reversible 3-Piece Comforter Set, $24 (was $80) at Macy’s 

Courtesy of Macy's

Shop at Macy's

The set is available in three sizes — twin, full/queen, and king — so you can find the right fit for your bedroom. The twin includes a 68-inch by 86-inch comforter and one 20-inch by 26-inch sham. The full/queen comes with an 88-inch by 88-inch comforter and two 20-inch by 26-inch shams, while the king includes a 106-inch by 88-inch comforter and two 20-inch by 36-inch king shams. All three sizes are currently $24, which means you can size up without spending more. 

Courtesy of Macy's

Its lightweight polyester construction makes it a versatile year-round pick, especially if you prefer bedding that doesn’t feel too bulky. One reviewer said it was a great option for warmer days while still being “heavy enough” to keep them comfortable “throughout the winter.” 

Macy’s shoppers praised the set’s quality and style, especially for the price. One called the bedding “absolutely lovely,” while another said it was “comfortable” and “stylish.” A third shopper shared that the design was “beautiful” adding that the bedding felt “very soft.” 

Shop More Deals

• Adidas Swift Run 1.0 Animal Print Casual Sneakers, $45 (was $80) at Macy’s
• Macy’s Wispy Floral 3-Piece Comforter Set, $24 (was $80) at Macy’s
• On 34th Hand-Beaded Shoulder Bag, $44 (was $110) at Macy’s

Related: Walmart’s ‘Soft and Cozy’ $42 Pintuck Comforter Set Instantly Makes Any Room More Inviting

At just $24, the Juniper Reversible 3-Piece Comforter Set at Macy’s makes it easy to give your bedroom a fall refresh without spending much. With a 70% discount, this deal is one you’ll want to snag before it disappears!

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

Every parent knows the warm, glowing feeling that comes with watching a child succeed. Whether they just scored their first goal on the soccer field, mastered a tricky piano piece or finished a towering LEGO creation, our immediate instinct is to shower them with praise. “I’m so proud of you!” falls off the tongue almost automatically. It is a loving, well-intentioned phrase meant to lift children up and show them that their achievements matter.

However, child psychologists and developmental experts are encouraging parents to pause before blurting out those four familiar words. While it seems harmless—and even supportive—saying “I’m proud of you” can inadvertently shift a child’s focus from their own inner satisfaction to a constant search for external approval. Over time, kids can begin to measure their worth based on whether the adults around them are pleased, rather than developing their own intrinsic motivation and self-worth.

By changing how we frame praise, parents can foster genuine confidence, resilience and a lifelong growth mindset in their children. This is why child psychologists recommend ditching “I’m proud of you” and what you should say instead.

Related: Child Psychologist Says Overpraising Kids Can Backfire—Here’s What To Say Instead

The Hidden Impact of External Praise

When you tell a child “I’m proud of you,” you are placing your emotional response at the center of their achievement. While reassuring in small doses, making this your default compliment teaches children that the ultimate reward for their effort is making you happy.

Psychologists note that this dynamic can create people-pleasing tendencies or anxiety around failure. If a child believes their primary goal is to make their parents proud, a poor test grade or lost game feels like letting down the most important people in their world. Instead of viewing mistakes as natural steps in the learning process, children become overly cautious, avoiding challenges where success isn’t guaranteed.

Shifting away from approval-based language helps kids develop a strong sense of autonomy. When praise highlights their personal agency and internal pride, children learn to rely on their own self-evaluation rather than constantly looking outward for validation.

“It becomes much more effective when it is anchored to an observable effort or behavior so the child understands what you are recognizing,” Dr. Sarah Tannenbaum, PsyD, ABPP, a child and adolescent psychologist, said in a previous article about the best compliments to give children.

Related: We Asked 3 Child Psychologists What Phrase To Avoid With Kids—They All Said the Same Thing

Phrases To Use Instead for Internal Motivation

According to child psychologists, the key to effective compliments is focusing on the child’s effort, process, and internal feelings rather than the final outcome or adult approval.

In a recent analysis on Parade, experts highlighted several powerful alternatives to traditional praise. Dr. Ioana Pal, PsyD—a licensed clinical psychologist at Stramski Children’s Development Center at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital—explained that subtle tweaks in phrasing can completely change how a child internalizes success. For example, swapping “I’m proud of you” for “You should feel proud of the work you put into that” makes a world of difference.

“It shifts the emotional reward inward,” she revealed. “The child learns to connect pride to personal effort and self-evaluation instead of external applause.”

Related: Child Psychologist Recommends Using This Phrase When You Know Your Child Is Lying

Other psychologist-approved phrases from the Parade breakdown include:

• “I saw you working hard on that.” Dr. Holly Schiff, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, noted in the same piece that this phrase “is powerful because it focuses on the child’s process rather than just the outcome or final result.”
• “You stuck with it even when it was hard.” Dr. Tannenbaum shared that this compliment “reinforces perseverance and distress tolerance… It communicates that progress matters, not just perfection, and that sticking with something challenging is worth noticing.”

Building on this approach, another Parade guide on growth-mindset praise emphasized validating a child’s internal experience first.

• “I can tell you’re proud of yourself, and I’m proud of you too.”  Dr. Nicole Lipkin, PsyD, MBA, a psychologist and the founder of HeyKiddo, noted in the piece that this balanced phrase “reinforces their own sense of accomplishment first, then layers in your support. It builds internal motivation instead of making your approval the only prize.”

By making these simple shifts in your daily vocabulary, you help guide your children toward building deep, lasting self-confidence that stays with them long after the applause fades.

Adapted from Parade’s “We Asked 3 Child Psychologists What Compliment Is Best for Kids—They All Said the Same Thing” by Beth Ann Mayer and “Psychologists Are Begging Parents and Grandparents To Give These 10 ‘Growth Mindset’ Compliments to Kids” by Ashley Broadwater

Up Next:

Related: We Asked 4 Child Psychologists What They Wish More Grandparents Would Stop Doing—They All Said the Same Thing

Sources:

• Dr. Sarah Tannenbaum, PsyD, ABPP, is a child and adolescent psychologist as well as the Senior Director of Outpatient Clinical Services at The Baker Center for Children and Families.
• Dr. Ioana Pal, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at Stramski Children’s Development Center at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
• Dr. Holly Schiff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist.
• Dr. Nicole Lipkin, PsyD, MBA, is a psychologist and the founder of HeyKiddo,

To lift or not to lift. That is the question Slow Horses star Kristin Scott Thomas is currently wrestling with. Though the actress is no stranger to noninvasive treatments like lasers and buccal massage, Scott Thomas recently shared that she is specifically “conflicted” about getting a face-lift.

“I suppose the question is to facelift or not to facelift,” Scott Thomas told The Telegraph in an interview published Sept. 26, recalling a conversation she had with a younger woman in New York. The woman told her that if she did get a facelift, she would never look the same—but she would look “expensive.”

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“I thought, she has a point,” Scott Thomas said, adding that she’s “conflicted about it.”

View this post on Instagram Kristin Scott Thomas Says the Face-Lift Has Become a ‘Status Symbol’

Scott Thomas went on to discuss the complicated pressure women of a certain age can face around their appearance.

“It’s always slightly diminishing when someone says, ‘That woman hasn’t taken care of herself,’” she said. “Deep down, we do care about these things. Sometimes you see women who are 70, and they look fantastic. And they’ve had a brow-lift, perhaps. What’s dangerous is when all the things that people think are little things build up.”

For now, Scott Thomas said she has stuck to noninvasive treatments.

“Yes, but always non-invasive. Lasers, that sort of thing,” she said. “Nothing that requires any recovery time.”

She also revealed that she sees a massage therapist in Paris who works on her facial muscles from inside her mouth.

“She just releases all these muscles, and it’s amazing,” Scott Thomas said. There is one downside, however.

“Oh, but it hurts,” she added.

The Actress Pointed to Imelda Staunton and Maggie Smith

When the conversation turned to whether cosmetic procedures are necessary for actresses to continue working as they age, Scott Thomas pointed to two fellow British actresses.

“I mean, actresses such as Imelda Staunton keep on working, and I don’t think she’s ever gone down that road,” Scott Thomas said. “I don’t think Maggie [Smith] ever did either.”

Smith died in September 2024 at age 89.

Scott Thomas also said that as actresses get older, they can bring something different to their work.

“As you get older, you know that when you take on a role, you have something you can bring,” she said. “There are more interesting roles for grown-up women than there were before. I’ve been asked to do quite a lot of things that are just for women of that age. It feels like there is a change.”

Kristin Scott Thomas Says She Doesn’t Always Like Her Reflection

Still, the Oscar-nominated actress said that accepting her own reflection is another story.

“Whether I like my face is another matter. I sometimes look in the mirror and think, God, who is that?”

Scott Thomas has spent more than four decades in the spotlight, earning an Academy Award nomination for The English Patient and starring in films including Four Weddings and a Funeral before taking on her current role as Diana Taverner in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses.

Her candid comments make clear that even someone who has built a decades-long career while embracing the aging process can still have complicated feelings about what she sees in the mirror.

Related: Jaclyn Smith, 80, Morgan Fairchild, 76, and Donna Mills, 85, Are Ageless in Rare Reunion Photos

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As a self-identifying fashionably challenged adult, I am constantly looking for ways to make my wardrobe seem more intentional. Part of that means figuring out what my choices, specifically my color preferences, tell the world around me.

Thanks to color psychology and The Color Institute founder Michelle Lewis, I know that colors can have a dramatic effect on how people perceive you, even if they aren’t aware of it. Different wavelengths and colors can trigger emotional and physical responses—including changing your heart rate and cortisol levels. This can help explain why, for example, a person loves blue or red—because it evokes a certain mood or feeling. In fact, it turns out that your favorite color could actually reveal something about yourself through color psychology, like, say, how trustworthy you are.

There are, in fact, seven main favorite colors loved by trustworthy people, but knowing what these colors are and what they communicate to others is only half the battle.

“Color psychology can tell you a lot,” Lewis tells Parade. “But consistent, repeated choices always tell you more.”

It’s one thing to recognize trustworthy colors, but as she explains, sometimes a person’s color preferences and habits tell you more than the colors themselves.

Related: Color Psychologist Says These 5 Colors Are Worn Most by ‘High-Level Thinkers’

What Does Color Psychology Say About Authenticity and Trustworthy People

“The most trustworthy people tend to wear colors that are consistent with who they actually are rather than colors chosen to perform a version of themselves,” says Lewis.

It’s true that color psychology can tell us what colors signal trustworthiness, but it’s also less about the color and more about consistency.

“That consistency is something we pick up on unconsciously—and it’s one reason why someone can look ‘off’ in a color even when you can’t articulate why,” she continues

A color preference can’t exactly tell you if a person is trustworthy on its own, but it can reflect a person’s authenticity.

“Someone who dresses intentionally, in colors that genuinely suit them and communicate something real about who they are, is often expressing the same quality of self-awareness that underlies authentic behavior,” she explains. “It shows in ways people feel before they can name.”

Related: Color Psychologist Says These 5 Favorite Colors Are Loved by Especially Intuitive People

Is There a Link Between Trustworthiness and Color Preference?

As noted above, there isn’t necessarily a strong link between trustworthiness and a specific color preference. That said, Lewis notes, there is evidence that certain colors can “make people perceive you as more trustworthy.” For example, she says, a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology found that “cool colors—including blue—consistently rated higher for trust than warm colors across participants.”

There has also been evidence to suggest that trustworthy people prefer a certain color palette.

“Color preference can significantly predict certain personality dimensions, including Agreeableness, which is the Big Five trait most closely associated with trustworthy, cooperative behavior,” Lewis explains, citing a 2022 study. “People who score high on Agreeableness—warm, considerate, genuine in their dealings with others—tend to gravitate towards softer, more harmonious color palettes rather than highly dominant or aggressive ones.”

Specific colors aside, she says that trustworthiness is reflected in “how color is worn,” not necessarily their specific shade or tone.

“A person who wears colors that genuinely suit them and feel authentic to who they are is communicating something real,” she states. “That ease is part of what we read as trustworthy.”

Related: Color Psychologist Says These 5 Favorite Colors Are Loved by ‘Especially Creative’ People

7 Colors Most Associated With Trustworthy People 1. Blue

“Blue is the most specifically and consistently documented trust color,” Lewis says, citing a 2023 study. It concluded that blue clothing had the highest trust rate of colors tested. Other studies have also found cool colors and blue to have higher trust ratings.

“Blue’s biological associations—clear sky, calm water, environments that historically signaled safety rather than threat—are embedded deeply in human perception,” she shares. “When you wear blue, you’re triggering something in the people around you that communicates: this person is stable, reliable, and not a threat.”

2. Navy

“Navy takes blue’s documented trust signal and deepens it—literally and psychologically,” says Lewis, adding that while blue can signify trustworthiness, navy adds authority into the mix. “Navy doesn’t just signal that you’re trustworthy. It signals that you’re trustworthy and that you’ve earned it.”

According to the color analyst, this is reflected in how society has adopted the use of navy in professional uniforms.

“Darker tones in the blue spectrum subconsciously signal authority and gravitas—which is why navy has been the default professional trust color across financial institutions, law enforcement, military and diplomatic settings for centuries,” she says.

3. Indigo

“Indigo sits between blue and violet on the visible spectrum—and psychologically it carries qualities of both while adding something distinctive of its own,” Lewis explains. “Indigo’s spectral position means it carries those same calming, wavelength properties of blue while adding a quality of depth and introspection that pure blue doesn’t have.”

Citing a 2024 BMC Neuroscience study, she says that indigo is associated with calm, and thus can signify confidence and self-knowledge, which “is one of the most reliable trust signals available.”

4. Violet

Trustworthiness can also be measured in how open a person is to others, which is where violet comes in.

“In color psychology, people drawn to violet and lavender are consistently described as the most open and internally oriented personalities—people who are genuinely interested in what others have to say rather than managing how they appear,” Lewis states. “That receptivity is one of the most powerful trust-builders available.”

5. Soft lavender

Slightly separate from violet, soft lavender has a similar, but more inviting effect.

“Lavender specifically—softened and grayed—carries violet’s openness without its intensity,” explains Lewis, “Making it approachable and warm rather than mysterious.”

6. Green

Lewis cites deep and muted green as colors that “project stability, groundedness, and warmth in a way that makes people feel psychologically safe to open up.” Green can cause an immediate calming response, which she explains, “is one of the fastest routes to building trust.” Making others feel calm is reassuring and, thus, increases trustworthiness.

7. Teal

“Teal is particularly compelling for trust because it combines the two most research-backed calming wavelengths—blue and green—in a single color with no red in its composition whatsoever,” Lewis explains.

It also happens to be a color that she calls “universally flattering,” which can also increase trustworthiness.

“Someone who looks genuinely good in what they’re wearing reads as authenticity without trying,” she notes.

Are There Colors Linked to Deceitfulness?

Yes and no.

“From a scientific standpoint, there’s no peer-reviewed research that responsibly links specific color preferences to deceptive or dishonest personality traits,” Lewis states.

That said, there are colors that are linked to deceitfulness through culture, including visual media (film and TV) and other societal norms. In American cinema, for example, Lewis notes that yellow and green have historically been used to relate contradictions and unsettling tones.

Furthermore, when thinking about color psychology, it’s important to think about the cultural context, as different colors are used in various ways across continents, religions, and ethnicities. This means that your color preference can accidentally express distrustfulness without even knowing it.

“Someone wearing a color without awareness of its cultural register in a given context can create unintended trust or distrust signals—not because they’re dishonest, but because the color is landing differently than intended,” the color analyst explains.

Related: These 3 Favorite Colors Are Often Linked to Emotional Intelligence, According to a Color Analyst

How To Use Color Psychology in Everyday Life To Build Trust

Building trust with those around you is no small task, but there are a few ways you can use color psychology to make it a little bit easier.

“The most powerful thing you can do is dress with genuine consistency,” Lewis advises. “Wear colors that actually feel like you, that you reach for repeatedly, that you’re comfortable in. The ease of someone who is genuinely themselves in their clothing is one of the most trust-generating signals available.”

If you’re hoping to build trust during a specific interaction, then she suggests using different colors depending on the situation.

“For a job interview, navy or deep blue is your most defensible choice,” she says, noting that the color “projects competence, reliability and calm authority.”

But for a difficult conversation with a friend or family member, she suggests trying green or teal. “You want to signal openness and emotional safety rather than authority,” she says. “These colors say: I’m here to connect, not to defend myself.”

Finally, you can also use color psychology to discern how trustworthy someone is.

“Watch less for specific colors and more for the ease with which someone wears what they have on,” Lewis says, adding, “Genuine comfort in one’s clothing—the sense that someone is dressed like themselves rather than dressed for effect—is one of the most reliable non-verbal trust signals we have.”

Up Next:

Related: Color Psychologist Says These 5 Colors Are Worn Most by ‘Mentally Strong’ Women

Sources:

• Michelle Lewis is a color psychology expert, founder of The Color Institute and ColorAnalysis.com, as well as the creator of the Universal Color Psychology Standard and Color Language. She is the author of Color Secrets, a TEDx speaker and a consultant whose work has been featured in Fast Company, Inc., HuffPost, the Daily Mail and the New York Post. You can follow her @colorpsychologist.
• “Influence of Clothing Color Value on Trust Perception.” (2021) International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology.
• “Exploring the relationships between personality and color preferences.” (2022) Frontiers in Psychology.
• “Association Between Patient Perception of Surgeons and Color of Scrub Attire.” (2023) JAMA Surgery.
• “The effects of multi-colour light filtering glasses on human brain wave activity.” (2024) BMC Neuroscience.

Dorit Kemsley‘s increasingly contentious divorce from estranged husband PK Kemsley is raising serious questions about the couple’s finances, and one financial expert says the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star’s latest allegations highlight a problem that goes far beyond celebrity marriages.

In new court documents reported September 28, Dorit alleges that PK “controlled the family finances” throughout their marriage and treated her questions about their financial situation as a sign of distrust. She claims she eventually stopped asking questions and relied on him to manage their money.

The consequences became impossible to ignore after their separation, she says. Dorit has previously revealed that she discovered the mortgage on their approximately $6.5 million Encino home wasn’t being paid after foreclosure notices began arriving. In her latest filing, she also alleges that gas service was about to be shut off because of unpaid bills and that accounts in her name damaged her credit.

PK disputes her broader account of their finances, arguing that Dorit has substantial income of her own and that he never agreed to pay her bills indefinitely after moving out. The couple’s home has repeatedly faced foreclosure, and a judge ordered it sold in August.

For Kelly McGinnis, a former Fortune 100 president and CFO who founded Homera, the most troubling part of Dorit’s allegations isn’t the foreclosure itself.

“Foreclosure gets the headline. What stopped me was Dorit saying that when she asked questions about their finances, those questions were treated as distrust, so eventually she stopped asking,” McGinnis says. “You should never have to choose between trusting someone you love and understanding your own financial life.”

McGinnis, who spent more than 20 years in corporate leadership before leaving to focus on financial transparency for homeowners, says she’s seen similar situations in other cases.

“There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘My husband handles the money’ or ‘my wife handles the money.’ There is something wrong if the next sentence is, ‘So I don’t know,'” she explains. “Divide the work however you want. Don’t divide the knowledge.”

McGinnis urges couples to understand what they own, what they owe, whose names are on financial obligations and whether payments are current, even when one partner manages the household finances.

Homera offers mortgage analysis and auditing tools designed to help homeowners better understand their financial commitments. Its upcoming Homera Life Magazine will explore the mortgage industry and other aspects of homeownership.

“Wanting to understand a financial obligation with your name on it isn’t distrust,” McGinnis says.

 Faith Margaret Kidman-Urban, the rarely seen 15-year-old daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, is adorable as she’s stepping into the spotlight on her own.

Kidman, 59, is a major movie star known for films ranging from The Others and The Hours to Practical Magic and Moulin Rouge!. She has two daughters, Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith Margaret, with ex Keith Urban, whom she split from in September 2025 after 19 years of marriage. Urban, 58, is an Australian-American country singer and songwriter. While Sunday Rose is scoring major points for walking the runways in fashion shows across the world, sweet Faith Margaret is just getting a slice of the limelight. The young woman attended the Valentino “Antibiblioteca” Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 fashion show on her own as part of Paris Fashion Week, and posed elegantly in a white dress as she smiled for the camera. While she has brown hair, her face absolutely made it clear that Kidman is her mom!

Check out the sweet photos of Faith Margaret below:

Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images

Victor Boyko / Getty Images

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What Has Nicole Kidman Said About Parenting a Teen?

During a recent interview with Extra, Kidman appeared with her Lioness costar Zoe Saldana, who noted that the cast bonded by riding horses together. However, Kidman wasn’t able to attend. Why? Because she was flying home to be with her daughters for Thanksgiving.

“Nicole would if she was there, but as soon as Nicole finishes, she flies home to her family,” Saldaña said. “And it’s so beautiful to see, too.”

 “I go home to my family. I’ve got one child in junior year and one who’s a freshman. So, I was like, ‘Okay, I got to be there taking care,’ you know? Multitasking, right?” Kidman added.

Check out the fun conversation below:

Does Nicole Kidman Have a Lot of Rules as a Mom?

Kidman made it clear in a recent interview that she has one unique rule as a mom: Her daughters need to deliver the snuggles!

“Both my daughters will kill me for saying this, but I’m like, ‘You need to hug [me] for two minutes a day,'” she said during a live event, HISTORYTalks, with former Today host Hoda Kotb, HELLO! noted. “It releases certain chemicals in the body and everyone needs to be hugged for about two minutes a day. Did you know that?”

Related: Nicole Kidman Reveals the Warning She Got Before Marrying Tom Cruise—and Opens up About Keith Urban Split

Alijah Kai is living the dream. As a star of the hit Netflix reboot A Different World, it was recently announced that the series was renewed for a second season just days after its release. 

Kai’s mom is legendary actress Tichina Arnold. She grew up in the industry watching her mother live her dreams, seeing what it takes to make it firsthand. But just because she grew up with a Hollywood mom doesn’t mean she’s had it easy. In fact, her mom has made her work for her own, so much so that she “cut the cord” pretty early. 

Kai explained in a 2024 interview that filming for a BET movie was completed on her 18th birthday. Production took place in Atlanta, where Arnold also had a place she shared with her daughter. To celebrate the milestone, she says the Martin star surprised her. 

“My dad pulled up, and then my mom, and we all had dinner. And my mom gave me my check from my Coogen account, and I was like, ‘I ain’t never seen [so much money].’ I looked at that money like, ‘What I’m ‘bout to do?’ I ain’t never seen nothing like it. But when I looked at it, I said, ‘Oh, I can go to town,’” she joked. 

At the time, Kai said she planned to travel with the money. “We’re about to go to India. We’re about to go to Tokyo, Australia,” she said. While on the ride back home, she was stunned to learn that she’d be moving out, and it wasn’t necessarily on her terms.

“I’m in the car with her driving back, and she’s like, ‘Oh yeah, you need to move your stuff out by tomorrow because you’ll be moving into your own apartment.’ It was her choice,” she remembered. “She kicked me out. Technically, she kicked me out, and now I’m living off her money.”

Initially, she was excited because she always dreamed of the day she’d move out. “Then, I was like, ‘You trying to get rid of me or something? You don’t miss me or want me staying with you no more?’ She was like, ‘You turned 18, honey. Figure it out.’”

It took some getting used to, but Kai says she’s grateful for her mother’s preparedness and the push because it gave her a level of independence and autonomy that later served her well. She also says her mother has worked hard in her career and deserves to enjoy her space on her own terms.

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As we get deeper into fall, the days are starting to get shorter with later sunrises and earlier sunsets. Before you know it, you’ll be waking up before the sun even rises. If you already find it difficult to get up out of bed in the morning, it’ll only get harder in a dark room. A sunrise alarm clock is a simple solution, waking you up with a gradual glow and gentle sound. Looking to get yourself one? This Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock with Sound Machine at Amazon is a fabulous option, and right now, you can get it on sale for just $40, marked down from $51. 

This alarm clock is available in two styles, including silver and woodgrain. The woodgrain version comes in an old and new design with identical functions. The only difference between the two versions is where the sunrise setting is. This clock has a dual-alarm function, so in the old version, the sunrise activates during the second alarm, whereas in the new version, the sunrise turns on during the first alarm. 

Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock, $40 (was $51) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

Designed to help regulate your circadian rhythm, this alarm clock mimics the natural process of a sunrise. It turns on 10 minutes before your alarm is set, starting with a dim glow and gradually brightening until it’s time to wake up. It’ll stay on when the alarm goes off, illuminating your space and leaving you refreshed and alert. 

There’s truly nothing more aggravating than waking up to a jarring phone alarm. Luckily, this alarm clock has 10 gentle and soothing sounds to wake you up. Choose from ocean waves, birdsong, flowing water, bonfire, summer, rain, fan, Tibetan bowl, music box, and ticking clock. It has 12 volume levels that are adjustable depending on how deep of a sleeper you are.

When the alarm goes off, you can choose to snooze it for 10 more minutes so you can catch a little more shuteye. If you’re a heavy sleeper, the dual alarm function will definitely come in handy. It’ll also be useful if you have a partner with different sleep schedules. 

Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock, $40 (was $51) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

You can also use this clock as a sound machine to block out outside noise so you can relax and peacefully fall asleep. If you don’t want the sound to go on all night, you can set a 30-, 60-, or 90-minute timer. With four brightness levels, this clock also acts as a table lamp. Whether you’re reading in bed or unwinding to fall asleep, it’ll meet all your cozy lighting needs. 

For convenience, the back of this clock has a USB charging port so you can charge your phone while keeping it within arm’s reach. Measuring 11 inches long, 8.8 inches tall, and less than an inch wide, this clock will hardly take up any space, allowing you to place it on your nightstand or your headboard, if it has a shelf. It has a unique and modern design, doubling as an elegant decor piece that’ll add character to your bedroom.  

“This alarm clock has changed my morning routine,” one reviewer raved. “It makes mornings feel calmer, and I’ve noticed I wake up in a slightly better mood on most days.” Attesting to the effectiveness of this alarm clock, a second shopper said that they have always had trouble waking up and getting out of bed, but with this clock, they were “fully awake two minutes before the alarm went off.” They called it a “game changer” and noted that they “felt rested and actually got out of bed.” 

Shop More Amazon Deals 

• Dreamegg Portable White Noise Machine, From $13 (was $22) at Amazon
• Hodans Northern Galaxy Light Projector, From $30 (was $44) at Amazon
• Amazon Echo Spot, $55 (was $110) at Amazon

Related: Add a Whimsical Glow to Your Home With These Sweet Little $14 Bird Lamps

Amazon shoppers loved everything about the Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock, with several people raving that it’s “worth every penny.” If you want to start your mornings off on the right foot, don’t hesitate to snag it while it’s still on sale for just $40!

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LBR (let’s be real), keeping up with all the new slang these days can feel like you’re trying to read a foreign language. One minute, something is “bussin’,” and the next, it’s “cheugy.” It’s like there’s something new popping up every week. Just when you think you’ve figured out what “WTM” or “PMO” means, someone drops an “ONG” in your TikTok comments or group chat, leaving you confused all over again.

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your screen, wondering if your friend just made a typo for “OMG,” you’re not alone. One of the newer acronyms making waves online that’s leaving people scratching their heads is “ONG.”

While you might not instantly know what it means, here’s a clue: It stands for a common sentiment you’ve probably heard people say out loud when they’re trying to prove they’re telling the truth.

So, what exactly does “ONG” stand for? To save you from the embarrassment of using it wrong, keep reading! We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the term below.

By the time you’re finished, you’ll no longer be confused when you get a text that says, “This is the best pizza ever ONG.” Instead, you’ll be able to confidently throw it into a conversation yourself without a second thought.

Related: 70 Texting Abbreviations Everyone Should Know

‘ONG’ Meaning

Believe it or not, if someone texts you “ONG,” they probably didn’t make a spelling mistake. According to Dictionary.com, the acronym “ONG” stands for “on God.”

The slang phrase “on God” is used to express honesty, strong belief or intense emotion. It’s essentially the Gen Z equivalent of saying, “I swear to God,” “I’m telling the absolute truth” or “I completely agree with what you just said.”

Because it’s only one letter away from the extremely common “OMG” (“oh my God”), it’s incredibly easy to assume it’s just a typo—which makes identifying it a bit tricky for anyone not in the loop. However, like many slang abbreviations, ONG is rarely said out loud as individual letters and is almost exclusively used in texting and on social media.

Related: Wait, What Does ‘PMO’ Mean?

‘ONG’ Meaning in Text

When used in a text message, “ONG” serves as a quick way to emphasize that you aren’t lying or joking, or to heavily validate what a friend just texted you. Here are a few examples of how it can be seamlessly used in your everyday texts:

• To swear you are telling the truth: “I literally just saw Ryan Gosling at the coffee shop, ONG.”
• To strongly agree with someone:
  • Friend: “That math test was impossibly hard.”
  • You: “ONG, I definitely failed.”
• To express frustration or strong emotion: “This traffic is making me so mad ONG.”

Related: ‘WTM’ Meaning: What It Really Stands for and How To Use It

How To Use ‘ONG’ on TikTok, Instagram, Etc.

Like most slang words, “ONG” isn’t something recommended for use in formal or professional settings (keep it out of those work emails with your boss!). Instead, it’s mostly used during casual conversations on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

Comments

If you see a TikTok video or Instagram Reel you deeply agree with—like a creator ranting about how iced coffee tastes better in the winter—you can simply comment, “ONG!!” to show your absolute agreement.

Captions

You can use “ONG” as a caption for a photo or video to emphasize a relatable point. For example, you can share an image of yourself exhausted on the couch and caption it, “I need 14 hours of sleep tonight ong.”

DMs and Group Chats

When messaging friends on social media apps, you can use it to emphasize a wild story you’re telling. “You guys will not believe what just happened to me at work ONG.”

Related: 90 Best Rizz Lines That Make Flirting Seem Effortless

This article was drafted with the assistance of AI and thoroughly reviewed, edited and fact-checked by Parade editors. See our complete AI Policy.

The cast of Modern Family developed deep friendships with one another while filming 11 seasons of the hit ABC comedy. Though the show ended in 2020, their friendships have remained. 

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Julie Bowen, who starred as Claire Dunphy on the show, said the key to staying connected is their text group thread. “The group chat is everything, because we’re all spread out,” she explained. Eric Stonestreet lives in Missouri, Ty Burrell lives in Utah, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sarah Hyland are both in London. “The group chat is the key.” 

“We’ll just throw things on there, things that crack us up, nice things,” Bowen continued. “We’re always chatting.” 

In her own June interview with PEOPLE, Sofia Vergara, who starred on the show as Gloria Pritchett, also mentioned their group chat, noting that her on-screen husband, Ed O’Neill, is the hardest to keep up with. “Yes, we do. We do, and we use it a lot. It’s very confusing. Ed answers like five days later about something, and then we have no clue what he’s answering about. So it’s pretty cool,” she explained at the time. 

In August, Bowen, O’Neill, Vergara, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson reunited, sharing a snap on Instagram to excited fans. “With my American family!!! ❤️❤️ I cant believe its been 6 yrs since the Modern Family finale!!!😫😫 I miss u guys!!!” Vergara captioned the photo. Ferguson wrote alongside his photos from their reunion, “I love these people.”

Modern Family premiered in 2009. The 2020 series finale marked the show’s 250th episode. During its run, the show won 22 Emmy Awards out of 88 nominations. Since the show ended, O’Neill has largely stayed out of the spotlight, resurfacing as the disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in FX’s Clipped and having a recurring role in 2025’s All’s Fair. This winter, he’ll appear in the Netflix film Bad Day with Cameron Diaz and Danielle Brooks.

Jennifer Lawrence is proving once again that a small hair change can make a major difference.

The 36-year-old actress stepped out at Dior’s Spring 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week on Sept. 29 with a noticeably different take on her signature fringe. Lawrence wore her long, honey-blonde hair in loose waves, but her bangs were shorter, lighter and more piecey than the style she had been sporting just weeks earlier.

The new fringe sits about an inch above her eyebrows, with wispy pieces creating a softer, more open look around her face. Hairstylist Matthew Sosnowski styled the bangs with a bit of texture to give them a deliberately lived-in finish, according to British Vogue.

The change is particularly noticeable because Lawrence had only recently debuted another new bang style. In early September, hairstylist Chris Appleton introduced her “butterfly bangs,” which were shorter and airy in the center before sweeping outward toward her cheekbones.

Lawrence has become something of a bangs chameleon in recent years, cycling through several variations, including Jane Birkin-inspired bangs, curtain fringe and U-shaped bangs. Her latest look is a much more pared-back version, with the shorter pieces drawing attention to her eyes while leaving the rest of her long hair untouched.

For her Dior appearance, Lawrence paired the fresh fringe with a pale blue slip dress featuring delicate lace trim and a simple, polished beauty look. The result was understated but noticeably different, plus a reminder that you don’t need to make a dramatic chop to completely change your look.

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“They ought to make the day the time changes the first day of summer.”

This is the first line uttered in George A. Romero‘s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. It’s a strangely stylish line for a movie made almost 60 years ago—a movie that earned 240 times its budget at the box office and ignited a wave of zombie flicks that has never stopped.

That offbeat, unassuming quality is the DNA of the film. It’s in the acting, the cinematography and the storytelling itself, and it’s what makes Night of the Living Dead watchable today.

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S. William Hinzman and Judith O’Dea in “Night of the Living Dead”

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‘A Sudden, General Explosion of Mass Homicide’

Night of the Living Dead follows Barbra (Judith O’Dea), who travels to a rural Pennsylvania cemetery with her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner) to place a wreath on their father’s grave. While there, they are attacked by a strange man who appears to have come back from the dead. Johnny is killed, and Barbra escapes and eventually finds shelter in an isolated farmhouse, where she meets Ben (Duane Jones), a black man who has also been attacked by the creatures.

Ben and Barbra barricade themselves inside the house, but they soon discover that they aren’t alone. Five other people are hiding in the basement, and outside, a growing crowd of reanimated corpses gathers around the house. As the night progresses, the danger outside becomes increasingly difficult to separate from the conflict among the people trapped inside.

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Duane Jones and Judith O’Dea in “Night of the Living Dead”

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Performances That Don’t Feel Like 1968

The dialogue in Night of the Living Dead is almost naturalistic. There’s a distinct Mid-Atlantic accent, a staple of old movies, but the characters have a casual way of speaking that sounds modern. This is evident from the opening scene where Barbra and Johnny are arguing about having to make the long drive to their father’s grave.

“Look at this thing,” Johnny says, reading the message on the wreath. “‘We still remember.’ I don’t. You know, I don’t even remember what the man looks like.”

Romero worked with a cast that included local actors, friends and colleagues from Pittsburgh, and he gave them room to find their own rhythms. O’Dea recalled to Daily Dead that the scene in which Barbra tells Ben what happened at the cemetery was not scripted. Romero gave her things to include and let her and Jones play out the scene, which they nailed in the first take. Some of it is almost a little mumblecore, if a ’60s movie could approach anything like mumblecore.

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Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman and Kyra Schon in “Night of the Living Dead”

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The Rough Filmmaking Is Part of the Appeal

The cinematography in Night of the Living Dead is messy but expressive, with dark, blotted contrast, frequent handheld shots and occasional little jumps in the footage due to lost frames. It is clearly a low-budget movie, but that low budget allows Romero’s artistry to come through. In the age of streaming originals, when carefully formulated visual styles have removed so much of the human charm from the art form, Night of the Living Dead looks and feels astonishingly human.

Romero himself was well aware of the film’s technical shortcomings. Looking back years later, he said he could still see the mistakes, including basic problems with eye direction and screen direction.

“I was clueless about all of that,” he said in an interview with the British Film Institute, explaining that his experience making commercials had taught him to approach filmmaking one shot at a time rather than thinking through an entire sequence.

But those shortcomings give the movie some of its roughest and most appealing qualities. The camera doesn’t always feel like it’s imposing order on the action. It often feels like it’s simply there, watching. Even the lulls in the movie, like when Barbra and Ben work together to board up the house, are made interesting thanks to Romero’s unpolished presentation.

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“Night of the Living Dead”

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These Aren’t the Zombies You’re Used To

The “ghouls” in the film—they wouldn’t be more popularly called “zombies” until the mid-1970s—are quite unlike the zombies we know today. Their expressions are demented and their movements deliberate. They’re violent and desperate. But on the spectrum of zombie behavior, they’re a sort of middle-ground between the sluggish, mindless creatures in The Walking Dead and the enraged sprinters in 28 Days Later.

They’re scarier than modern zombies, because they’re not entirely stupid. They act as if there is still a light on upstairs. If they can’t break through your car window by pounding on it, they’ll find a rock to smash it out.

Romero later developed a loose approach to directing his zombie performers in future films. He explained to Vanity Fair that when he tried to demonstrate a movement, actors would simply imitate him, so he preferred to let them invent their own physical behavior. His direction to zombie actors was essentially to “Do your best dead.”

This might explain why the ghouls in Night of the Living Dead don’t all move exactly alike. They look like individual people who have died and returned, rather than a uniform army of extras performing the same choreography.

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Duane Jones in “Night of the Living Dead”

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Duane Jones Made Ben One of Horror’s Most Important Heroes

About 13 minutes into the movie, Barbra is trying to escape the farmhouse when headlights suddenly shine into her face. A vehicle pulls up, and a man gets out to help her. It is Duane Jones, playing Ben, and his entrance changes the movie.

Jones is strikingly handsome, composed and considerably more controlled than the frantic people around him. He gives easily the best performance in the film. His restrained, naturalistic delivery would have fit right in with modern styles of acting.

Jones was not an untrained actor picked at random. He had studied in Norway and Paris and was completing an M.A. at New York University when he was cast. Romero later said Jones was “the best actor we met to play Ben.” The original Ben had been conceived as a white, lower-class, uneducated truck driver, but Jones changed the character’s presentation, including his dialogue and wardrobe.

Jones understood the significance of the casting in a way the filmmakers initially did not. Romero later told the BFI, “We thought, we’ll be hip and not even notice that he was black. Duane was very aware of it. He was really conscious of being a black guy in this role, and of course because he is black it takes on a completely different personality—a completely different texture and politics. We were a bit blind to it.”

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Judith O’Dea, Duane Jones and Keith Wayne in “Night of the Living Dead”

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Is Night of the Living Dead Really About Race?

Romero spent much of his career resisting the idea that he consciously made Night of the Living Dead as a racial allegory. He said that Ben had originally been written as white and that Jones was cast because he was the best actor for the role. Race, however, is hardly absent from the movie.

The film was released in 1968, the same year Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Romero later recalled that he and Streiner were driving the first print of the movie to New York when they heard the news of King’s assassination on the radio.

“All of a sudden, the film became a racial statement,” Romero told The Village Voice. “These two things were accidents that benefited us. Millions of people saw the film because of our lack of a copyright…and the fact that it was perceived as a kind of racial statement lent it gravitas.”

The ending of Night of the Living Dead makes the racial reading even harder to ignore. Ben survives the night, only to be shot and killed by a white posse that mistakes him for one of the ghouls.

S. William Hinzman and Duane Jones in “Night of the Living Dead”

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Jones embraced the racial implications of Ben’s fate. When Romero and his collaborators considered an alternate ending in which Ben survived, Jones argued against it, believing that killing the black hero would have a greater impact.

“I convinced George that the black community would rather see me dead than saved, after all that had gone on, in a corny and symbolically confusing way,” Jones explained (via TheWrap). “The heroes never die in American movies. The jolt of that and the double jolt of the hero figure being black seemed like a double-barreled whammy.”

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How a $125,000 Movie Started the Zombie Boom

Night of the Living Dead was made for just $125,000. That’s roughly $1.2 million today. The movie went on to gross around $30 million worldwide, putting its theatrical return at roughly 240 times its production cost.

Its influence was even larger than its financial return. Night of the Living Dead helped establish the modern flesh-eating zombie, replacing the older cinematic idea of the zombie as a person controlled through Haitian voodoo. Romero’s creatures were originally called ghouls, and he said he never called them zombies when he made the film. The term was applied later and became the standard name for the creatures he had created.

Romero returned to the subject with Dawn of the Dead in 1978 and Day of the Dead in 1985. Other filmmakers soon adopted and reworked the flesh-eating undead, with Italian director Lucio Fulci‘s Zombi films becoming prominent early examples. The zombie eventually spread far beyond movies, becoming a staple of television, video games and popular culture. Romero’s basic concept of the reanimated dead as flesh-eating monsters has become one of horror’s most recognizable ideas.

“Night of the Living Dead”

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A Classic Pick for the Halloween Season

It’s easy to see how Night of the Living Dead kicked off a new era of horror. Romero was doing something wildly different from other filmmakers of his time, but it wasn’t different for its own sake. The film is scary, entertaining and—critical to its legacy—laced with meaning. What’s most surprising is how well it holds up today.

Don’t let the 1968 date chase you off it. You don’t have to be a film nerd or an old head to enjoy this one. If you’re tired of the overly polished, formulaic oatmeal being churned out by studios and streaming giants, give Night of the Living Dead a watch. It’s free on YouTube.

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