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punkcupcakestyles · 5 years ago

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Love Song

Part 15

Catch Up!

Sofia Welsh-De La Rosa and Timothée Chalamet will star in new Amazon series and, honestly, I won’t talk about anything else ever again

Amazon Prime has just announced the release of its new original series set in 1970’s New York. According to Hollywood Reporter, the new series will be lead by Sofia Welsh - De La Rosa, Timothée Chalamet, and Logan Lerman, and will be produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out and Us) and directed by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey). The ambitious project is in talks with some other big names in Hollywood, such as Meryl Streep and even Robert de Niro, to join the series.

Honestly, I’m gagging.

This might come as a surprise as both Sofia, who has been enjoying lots of Oscar’s buzz for the third year in a row, and Timothèe are on the prime of their movie careers, as two of the most prominent young actors in Hollywood, but according to many sources, Sofia has been looking for a way to work with Peele for a long time, while Timothèe is excited to add some action to his resume, after his role in Hostiles and The King. Also, rumor has it, Amazon is willing to pay a hefty (and I mean hefty) amount of money to sign the young stars.

As for Logan Lerman, this is his the actor’s first TV role since 2005 and is set to be his comeback after his career faded a bit to the background. With the star-studded cast, Amazon is hoping this to be the platform’s next big hit.

There is no doubt that Sofia, Timothèe, and Logan are three of THE most talented young actors today, with Sofia being the reigning queen of the pack. Recently, the actress has played a pirate, a thief, a devious courtesan and a feminist writer trying to bring down love, and she’s been rumored to have just signed a deal with Disney to play her very own princess, as well as an undisclosed character in MCU’s highly anticipated Black Widow. She truly has the range, Darling!

Sofia was seen having coffee with Timothèe early in the week, before the show’s announcement, which sparked rumors that the actress had ended things with Harry Styles after he had dinner with his ex in London. She was also seen leaving the James Corden Late Late Night’s studio with Logan...

@BobbyC I’m sorry but all of them are gay...

@Peanutbuttah Eh, she can’t act anyway

@Loveisloud @peanutbuttah She can act, she has been in commercial and art-house movies and has received rave reviews every time. You just don’t like her because she’s dating your fave.

@Arewethereyet she’s an sl*t. So glad Harry’s done with her…

@Soph Are you drunk Buzzfeed? One does not leave Harry Styles for anyone!

****

Harry was cooking.

The air smelled like garlic and butter and I breathed in deeply, just realizing how fucking hungry I was, as I followed him to the kitchen. It just occurred to me that I hadn’t eaten anything that day, other than a cup of coffee that Harry had made me in the morning. It was a little strong for my taste, I liked mine with sugar, even when my mom kept telling me I was being violently disrespectful to coffee. I didn’t care, not one bit.

I never really ate on interviews or auditions days, it made my tummy feel funny and I was usually afraid that my clothes wouldn’t fit like they were supposed to after, so, no food for me, thank you. Usually, D would force-feed me as soon as we were done, practically shoving fruits, nuts, and salads down my throat (sometimes even a burger!), but today I was way too anxious and excited to even pay attention to her efforts. I was going on a date with Harry, I couldn’t care less about anything else!!!

And now, I was fucking hungry and it smelled even better in the kitchen.

“I didn’t know you cooked,” I smiled, looking at the pasta that was boiling on the stove and the bubbling alfredo sauce. Grilled prawns and a green salad were carefully plated in rustic blue and gold plates.

My eyes traveled to him, and I saw him hesitate for a second before he gifted me with a shy smile. He was so lovely, it was no surprise that my head became fuzzy every time I was around him. Even the most superficial thought struggled to grab a hold to my brain. I wondered if anyone could keep their wits around him, but somehow, I doubted it.

“It takes my mind off of things,” he finally said. “And I kinda wanted to impress you, I guess.”

The admission made my heart soar in my chest and I beamed at him as he stood in front of me. I admired his beauty for a second, his skin was slightly tanned and it looked almost delicious against the white fabric of his shirt, and his smile was warm, making me feel giddy as he trapped me against the counter with his arms on each side of my body.

I wanted to kiss him, so so badly, but instead, I let my fingers brush over his neck until they reached the tips of his hair. It tickled and he laughed softly with the most wonderful smile.

“Really?” I asked him softly, cause I didn’t want to break the intimate moment we were sharing.

“Yeah. A bit silly, innit?”

“No, it’s not silly. But, if you wanted to impress me, then you should’ve made a chocolate lava cake,” I teased. “You would’ve gotten me, then.”

“Chocolate, uh?” The right corner of his lip shot upwards, and an adoring feeling hit me right in the chest like a tidal wave.

“Yeap.”

“I’ll keep it in mind for next time,” Harry muttered, his words getting lost in the air as he leaned down to kiss me.

I realized that it was all I wanted: To kiss him slowly, maybe even for hours. But I knew I had to stop him. I was under his spell and there was nothing I could do about it, nothing I wanted to do, anyway. But even I could admit that this was just a dream, one that I wanted to remember every second of. So when he was gone, I would still have those memories.

So before his lips could brush mine, before he could melt my brain with his kisses, I pressed my forehead to his and dropped my hands to his chest, right where his heart was beating rapidly.

“Sorry,” I said shyly, casting my eyes down so I wouldn’t have to look at him, not a few more seconds, not until I had gathered the will to stand strong by my decision.

“Is there something wrong?” His voice was full of sincere concern, a little bit rougher as well, which made his accent more noticeable.

“No,” I shook my head, finally looking into his green eyes. “Everything’s perfect.”

“You just don’t want me to kiss you?”

“It’s just...I want to remember every bit of tonight,” I said, as I tried to ease the utter embarrassment that was crawling over my chest. Who said stuff like that? Writers in cheesy movies or bad teen shows. Fuck.

“Except for my kisses?” He insisted, almost like a little boy fishing for reassurance. I brought my fingers to his cheek and grazed them it until he smiled at me.

The answer was “fuck, no”. His kisses were a memory I wanted to carry with me forever. But I also wanted to have that night, so I could carry it with me, and compare it to every other date, every other person that would come my way.

“I want to remember the little details,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “The dinner you made, which is really close to burning, the grandpa pants…”

“Hey! These look cool! And the sauce, I have it under control!”

“If you say so,” I sneered mischievously, twisting my lips into a mocking smile as he pretended to be offended. “And I want to remember everything you did to make me feel special”

Harry’s arms looped around my waist as he pulled me to his chest and I hugged him back and looked at him, battling the need to just lean in and kiss him. His lips were so pink.

We both sucked at the whole “no kissing allowed” thing, and somehow that made me feel a lot better. For once, I wasn’t the needy, dreamy one.

“What do you think?” I asked in a whisper, smiling against the brush of his lips as he bumped our noses together.

“I want to kiss you, Sof, all fucking night long,” he pouted. “Been thinking ‘bout it all day.”

“I’ll make it up to you. Just...lemme have this, yeah?”

“Why?”

“Cause…” I laughed embarrassedly. “I already have your kisses in a little folder in my brain. Now I wanna have this.”

“Is it just me in that folder?” Harry asked, suddenly interested in some other thing that frowning. Curiosity and amusement were burning in his stare and I rolled my eyes at him, almost scoffing at the fact that was the only thing that had managed to catch his attention.

“Mostly you…” I conceded, even though the petty part of me was all for rolling out with a long list of names before I got to his name. “And Sebastian Stan…” I said, not being able to resist it.

“Bucky Barnes?” His eyebrows twisted in confusion and he looked at me as I licked my lips, considering just how weird I wanted my answer to be.

“And the cartoon, too...” I replied, a little bit too casually for it to go unnoticed, but Harry didn’t seem to notice, cause as he was nodding thoughtfully, his hands traveled to my neck again, making me look at him as he dipped his head down to reach the curve of my neck.

“That’s a bit greedy, baby,” He whispered against my skin, pressing soft kisses down to my pulse point. I wasn’t sure if that was technically a kiss, and I didn’t care, it felt so good. “Someone else?” He was cheating, and we both knew it. I could feel his smile growing bigger, and I sighed as he grazed his teeth over the curve of my neck and let his tongue soothe my skin. “Babe?” He insisted, just to tease me. It was hard to think, and he knew it, but I wasn’t going to admit it just yet.

“Uh.” I licked my lips and struggled for a second, as I struggled to remember what was it that I was going to say. “Chris Evans, “ I began. “and uh, Michael B. Jordan. Mmm… and Logan Lerman.”

“Isn’t that the guy you’re gonna work with?” He asked, stopping suddenly to look at me. I fluttered my eyes open and smiled when they could finally focus on him.

“Yeah, him and Timothée Chalamet.”

“Mmmm...I don’t know if I want to share my folder with them,” Harry pouted, which made me laugh. I realized it was no laughing matter, but still, a warm, almost giddy, laughter kept bubbling out of my tummy.

“Why? Does it make you jealous, H?” I teased.

“Should I be?”

“Mmmm...I don’t know. I honestly think I would let Logan fuck me...those eyes, man.”

“So funny, S…” Harry rolled his eyes. He was not as amused as I had expected him to be.

“You shouldn’t be,” I said softly, looking him in the eyes, serious and sincere.

“You sure?” He asked and I was sure he wasn’t talking about Logan Lerman anymore.

“I’m sure, baby.” I wasn’t even lying. “So, who’s in yours?” I asked, cause maybe that’d take attention away from myself. I didn’t think things through though, cause he had a whole bunch of options for his answer. Who could it be? One of his supermodel exes? His singer ex? This wasn’t a fun game at all.

“You.”

“Oh, so THAT’S how you answer that kind of question!!” I exclaimed, which made him laugh, and, as he did so, his dimples showed on his face, making him look a little boyish. He was fucking pretty, Jesus.

“I’m not even trying to be a good boyfriend here,” Harry chuckled, and I relished on the way the word `boyfriend” sounded out of his lips. So pretty, so fucking pretty. “My folder is called “When Sof’s not around”, and I think we need to fill it up, so I don’t run out of thoughts.”

“Oh, we don’t want that,” I scrunched up my nose and shook my head at him as a smile played on my lips. I was so fucking happy and I couldn’t even figure out why.

“No, we don’t.” The tip of his tongue lapped across his pink lips, and I followed it with my eyes, taking a second or two before I peered up to him again. “I was hoping we could kiss all night,” he said softly. “and maybe I could eat you out by the pool.”

“I didn’t bring a swimsuit…”

“You wouldn’t need one, baby,” Harry laughed, a mix of mischief and endearment lacing with it. I couldn’t stop staring at him, and my knees wobbled a bit as he leaned down, bumping our noses together one more time, as the soft brush of his lips against my skin made me shiver.

“Don’t cheat,” I whispered and his soft laugh echoed down in every inch of my body. His lips grazed over my forehead, as he pressed a soft kiss to my skin.

“Ok, baby. We’ll do it your way.”

“Thank you.”

“I think it’s silly, y’know?” He started, pushing me back so he could look at me with his bright green eyes. “We’re just starting, Sof.”

****

I wanted to kiss him.

I looked at him, licking a spoonful of dessert with my head propped on my hand as I listened to him talk, but all I could think of was how much I wanted to lick the trace of chocolate out of his lips.

“Is there something wrong, S?” I noticed there wasn’t much concern in his voice, not like there usually was when he asked me if I was ok. This time, there was a hint of mockery, almost as if he knew exactly what I was thinking and that all I wanted to do was to sit on his lap and press soft kisses from his jaw to his lips.

Fuck.

“No,” I smiled sweetly, cause I wasn’t one to go down without a fight, and I took his hand in mine and pressed it to my lips before I looked at him again.

“Were you distracted?” His smile was turning more devilish as the seconds went by and I felt myself get warm as he leaned closer, his hands dropping to my thigh and pressing softly to it.

He wasn’t gonna win. I was not going to let him.

“Nope,” I said, letting the ‘p’ pop between my lips. “Tell me about your album, I promise I’ll be a grown-up about it.”

“Nice save…” Harry chuckled. “I think you’re gonna like it.”

“I have recently discovered that I’m a very jealous person. I don’t think I’ll like it, but I’ll be happy for you.”

“You shouldn’t be jealous.” A smile tugged on his lips and I felt warm, so warm inside, I couldn’t help but smile as well. “And I think you’re like it, especially since I made a few last-minute changes, against Jeff’s will.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he kept saying I had the guts, the audacity to change the album when we’re about to drop the first single.”

“What changes?” I insisted, because Jeff’s feelings were the least of my concern at the moment.

I wished I could have played it cool. Maybe that would’ve made me look more interesting, aloof, unapproachable, and all those things a girl should be in front of her crush. But my heart was racing and the world was turning chaotic as my head ticked, like a tiny little bomb.

I needed to know.

Tick, tick.

“You’re already sure you’re not gonna like it,” Harry smirked, surely unaware of the mess inside my head. “You might as well wait for it.”

No!!! TIck tick.

“Oh, please, please, pretty please?? What’s the advantage of this if I can’t get a tiny sneak peek?”

“Well, for instance, you get me to cook for you…”

“It was delicious, thank you.”

“And you get me to eat you out at night when you’re not being stubborn and imposing kiss-bans.”

“I like that very much, too,” I giggled, looking at his green eyes as he got just a bit closer, just an inch away from me.

“So it’s not such a bad deal, is it?”

“I guess not.”

“Good.” His bottom lip rolled into his lips and he bit it thoughtfully for a couple of seconds as his eyes kept burning little holes into my soul. That’s how it felt. “Let’s watch a movie, baby. Are there any bans on cuddling?”

“No, not yet.”

His fingers squeezed mine and he got up swiftly from the table, smiling brightly as we covered the few steps to a different room near the pool, where a giant screen awaited for us. There were a bunch of individuals blue chair, blue and velvety, and a larger one, that was meant to comfortably fit two. The room was dark, only lit by the lights coming from the screen, and I followed him blindly until we were sitting side by side. Slowly, we found each other, and as Harry sat against the armchair, I settled between his legs, cuddling up to his chest while his large hand rested on the curve of my waist.

He smelled like a lazy Sunday morning when the rain is lightly tapping on your windows and all you can hear are the chirping birds when still early, so the world hasn’t woken up just yet and you get to focus on that feeling, on the promise of what’s coming.

He also smelled like pasta and chocolate, and I didn’t mind that at all.

He felt soft, comforting, and sweet, but above all, he felt safe. I was safe with him.

And, I struggled for a bit, trying to understand what came next, what was the warmth and giddiness that settled in my tummy every time I looked at him.

“You ok, baby?” Harry asked and I nodded absentmindedly, not ready to let my thoughts go just yet. What was it? “Wanna watch Set It Up?”

“Yeah, whatever you want. your choice.”

“Are you sure you’re ok? You don’t say that often.”

“Oh, shhh, Harry I always do whatever you want.”

“We definitely have different definitions of ‘Whatever Harry wants’” He mused and I propped myself up to look at him, almost suspiciously, almost angry.

“Do we? What do you want?” I asked.

“To kiss you. And for you to stay the night.”

“I have a bed, y’know?” I quirked my eyebrow, looking at him as I had already won the argument.

“Yeah, unfortunately…”

“And we promised we would behave tonight.”

“You can stay in a different room,” he offered. “Or I will.”

“What’s the point then?”

“You won’t have to miss me in the morning…” he shrugged. I laughed out loud, despite my best efforts to look offended. “And I won’t have to miss you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Love.

He looked a lot like love.

And love looked a lot like him.

***

Harry Styles and Sofia Welsh were out grabbing Fro-yo and I’ll never be as cool as either of them

Yes, I know what you’re gonna say: Are they paying you to write this sh*t? And the answer is yes! someone’s paying me to write this sh*t! Alas, neither Harry nor Sofia is. I wish.

The usually private couple, and bear in mind I am using the word couple loosely here as they haven’t confirmed to be dating, gave the world a glimpse of their relationship as they stepped out in Los Angeles to grab ice-creams and bubble teas, along with friends.

Ever since the rumors of their relationship spread around, the couple has been mostly keeping a low profile - which is not very surprising as Harry Styles is not very open about his personal life since he was a member of One Direction and a large part of his fans believed him to be romantically involved with one of his bandmates (that was a mouthful! And also very true, there has been a lot of conspiracy theories about it)

Sofia, who’s in the middle of an Oscar campaign (and has been showing us just how much designers adore her), sported a pair of leggings, a crop top, and a large blazer, a perfect outfit for the ever-changing LA weather, and looked happy and relaxed as she waited for Harry to get their orders. Both stars took photos with fans and left together in Styles’ classic car…

****

We were made out of good intentions.

We slept together that night and every night after that for an entire week. We didn’t do much, we kissed and cuddled, and spent our mornings lazily together until one of us had to go out to the real world. We even went out and we kept stealing looks and smiles at each other, like two little kids that were too shy in front of their crushes.

Photos were taken. Articles were published. Midge was elated.

Harry’s new single was coming out that night, and there was going to be a party to celebrate it. If it was a hit, they were going to celebrate their success and all the hard work that went into it. It was a flop, and it was not going to flop, they were going to drink for better times ahead.

“Fuck!!!”

I stared at the ceiling, willing my body to move and failing miserably at it as every little muscle in my body contracted painfully. My arms hurt, and my legs felt like they were on fire.

I just needed 5 more minutes before I got up and got ready to leave.

It was day 4 of “my new life” as my trainer liked to call it, and after another lunch of grilled chicken and steamed broccoli, I was ready to quit. I had trained and dieted before for different roles, but this time, I had a feeling she wanted to suck the life out of me. It even made me reconsider if I needed to be in a Marvel Movie. Would Midge kill me if I quit?

“Sof…” The male voice scared me just a little, as I thought I was alone in my house. I turn around just slightly, as much as my tired poor body could handle and smiled as I saw Sam standing by my door. “Can I come in?”

He was holding a tray, with something that looked like a sandwich, coffee, and a glass of water, along with a white bottle of medicine. I nodded, grunting even at the soft movement, and he walked quickly to my bed, setting the tray down before me as he stood awkwardly.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” I struggled to ask while I propped myself up and sat criss-cross on my bed. I sounded angry, and maybe I was, why would he bring me a sandwich? It was all I wanted to eat and all I couldn’t eat at the same time.

“I’m off work today, and I wanted to check on you. Cat told me you’ve been feeling under the weather. I called your mom and she told me you should “just eat a sandwich and take an aspirin”, so here they are,” he said, offering me a childish smile as he pointed the tray with a little too much joy.

“I can’t eat a sandwich,” I sulked. “And I need to get ready, I have to go to Harry’s.”

“You can eat a sandwich. And he can wait 5 minutes, you’re always there.”

I realized we hadn’t talked about the kiss, not really. I avoided being alone with him, and whenever the occasion presented itself, Sam would go out of the room, giving me space and maybe waiting for me to be the first one to reach out. I had never done that. Honestly, I didn’t think I would.

“You’re right, Sammy,” I said, picking the sandwich in my hands and noticing that he had already cut the crust off. “Thank you.”

It was weird between us, tense and quiet, and I didn’t like it. I bit into the bread looking at an empty spot on the wall as I waited for him to say something. Anything, I would take it. But Sam remained silent, pressing his palms on his thighs as he went to get up.

“Sam,” I called for him and I smiled shyly when he finally turned around. He took his time, though, and for a moment there, I was scared he was going to leave. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s not what you want to hear when someone you like kisses you.”

“I shouldn’t have…”

“Did you want to?”

“Yes,” I breathed and I realized I wasn't lying. I did want to kiss him, there was no use in denying that.

I put the sandwich down on the plate and moved closer to Sam until I could see the golden freckles that were hidden in his light brown eyes.

“Do you remember that night when you came through my window and stayed the night with me?”

“Yeah, I heard your dad scream, and I wanted to be there in case…”

“I know, Sam. I’ve wanted to kiss you ever since then,” I admitted and he kept staring at me as if he was considering what his next move would be. Would he kiss me? Did I want him to kiss me?

“You’re not being fair to me, Sof.”

“I know. You haven’t been fair to me either, but here we are.”

There was a moment of panic, cause for a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. He leaned over me and I held my breath as I looked at him, not able to stop him just yet. But as his lips brushed over my forehead, I closed my eyes, smiling as he pulled away from me.

“Eat the fucking sandwich, Sof,” he replied and it wasn’t enough. I took his hand before he could leave and I licked my lips, peering up to him with something more than just fear pressing up to my chest.

“Are we good?”

“Yeah.”

“I guess we’ll talk about it again when he gets back with his ex.”

That was a low blow, and we both knew it, but I just stayed quiet as he left the room, wondering if I deserved it.

****

It took me a while to get ready, so I was late for Harry’s party. I went straight to the pool, where a large screen had been set up and the new video seemed to be on a loop. I couldn’t find Harry anywhere, but at the same, he was all I could see. I stared at the screen, looking at his golden skin as he was surrounded by the adoring crowd, at the way they kept touching and the expression on his face as he leaned into them. The song didn’t even matter, cause all I could focus on was his stupidly beautiful green eyes.

I mean, I had watched his videos before. I had seen him fly through the sky and be surrounded by kids, but this was different. Those were entertaining and beautiful, and I felt the emotion in my tummy simply because it was him, and somehow, just seeing him made me happy. But in this one he meant to capture your attention and a little bit of your soul. He wanted to be desired and to be free along the way. And it was such a fucking sexy video.

I lost count of how many times I allowed myself to watch the video, but it was probably too many times. After a while, I decided it was time to look for the real Harry, who was still nowhere to be seen, so I left the pool, smiling and greeting everyone as I passed by.

I hoped he was alone, cause I wanted to fucking kiss him like no one else was looking. I wanted to tell him how lovely, talented, and amazing he was. I was going to kiss him a lot and praise him, it couldn’t get better than that.

I looked for him in the living room, where a small crowd was throwing back cocktails and beers and went out to the front door, where people were lounging about, a bit drunkenly. But he wasn’t anywhere, and I was starting to feel uneasy.

It took me more than a few minutes to make my way to his room because people kept getting in my way. I did my best to smile and engage in silly conversations about nothing, but my heart was growing heavy and my brain was too anxious to even remember if I had succeeded.

I heard him talk even before I stood by his door. I couldn’t quite tell what he was saying or who he was talking to, but I noticed that his words were a little bit slurred, and his accent dripped thick in his low voice. The door was slightly ajar and I pushed it open and stood by the frame as I saw him talking on the phone. He had his back to me, so he didn’t notice that I had arrived, not that it mattered.

“C, you’re drunk,” I heard him say and I wished he had just said a different name. “No...I know I told you it was just a PR relationship...Cause I need time to figure out...Really, C? Wanna know if I still love you? You’re not being fair...” The last part came out as a dry laugh, and I knew I had to leave, it was rude and inappropriate, but, most importantly, it was breaking my fucking heart. But my feet seemed like they were made out of cement, and my legs had chosen that moment to numb out of pain. So, I was still standing there when he turned around, and probably saw the tears that were threatening to spill down my eyes.

I wanted to know the answer too. Could I know it? It’d save us a lot of pain.

“Bye, C.”

He dropped his phone to the bed and I looked at him as he walked quickly to me. He looked flustered and worried, but it all seemed so distant, that it didn’t matter.

“Baby,” Harry said, but that wasn’t my name. Did her call her baby too? He probably did, he was a ‘baby’ kind of guy. “Are you ok?”

“Yes, I was looking for you cause I wanted to check if you wanted me to post something on Instagram,” I lied. “D already drafted a tweet, it’s really simple.”

“Sof, how much did you hear?”

“Nothing. I’m gonna get a couple of photos and uh, I’m gonna go home, I think I need a rest day.”

His hand went to grab mine, but before he could do it, I turned and walked away rushing down the stairs until I could get lost in the crowd.

Fair? None of us was being fair.

#Harry Styles #Harry Styles writing #harry styles smut #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fluff #harry styles fanfic #harry writing #hs #writing #I'm gonna post this cause I may never post it otherwise!#Please lemme know if you read it and if you liked it!

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tabloidtoc · 4 years ago

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OK, March 8

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Bruce Springsteen

Page 1: Big Pic -- as part of Coach's latest campaign Jennifer Lopez posed with a supersized pink version of their new Pillow Tabby purse

Page 2: Contents

Page 3: Contents

Page 4: Chris Harrison gone for good? The Bachelor host's future with the show remains uncertain after his controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay

Page 6: Since the start of his career Justin Timberlake has endured his fair share of scandals but after welcoming his second son with wife Jessica Biel over the summer and celebrating his 40th birthday, he is confessing that he feels immense guilt about the past and he won't be making the same mistakes in the future -- Justin's done some soul-searching and accepts that he's wronged a lot of people over the years with his own terrible mistakes and he says he's still a work in progress, but step one has been to stand up and admit he's hurt too many women -- in addition to a boozy night out with his Palmer costar Alisha Wainwright in 2019 and his part in the now-infamous Nipplegate incident with Janet Jackson at the 2004 Super Bowl, Justin recently came under fire again due to the documentary Framing Britney Spears which showed him exploiting his breakup from Britney Spears to help his solo career -- Justin's learned from his mistakes and has a lot more sensitivity about the impact of his actions on other people and that's the big difference between the Justin of today and his old, immature self and that self-awareness was evident in an emotional statement that he posted apologizing to both Britney and Janet for the errors in his ways -- his words drew praise from his wife Jessica who says he's come a long way as a husband, a father and more importantly, a human being

Page 7: Wendy Williams is on the prowl for a new man and he's got to be husband material and she is ready for a serious commitment -- Wendy's been staying up until all hours of the night checking out guys online and on exclusive dating apps and she wants someone age-appropriate, fun, kind, independent and of course has no history of cheating -- she's feeling very optimistic and even buying new perfume and clothes and jewelry for all the dates she hopes to have once lockdown lifts

* Texas native Matthew McConaughey is seriously considering throwing his hat in the ring to become the state's next governor -- he's been putting out feelers to see if he's got sufficient support and if enough donors are willing to write checks, he'd mount an aggressive run in 2022 -- he's already gotten the thumbs-up from his wife Camila Alves and their three kids -- at this point, he needs to see an actual path to winning because he's not interested in just making a protest statement; don't be fooled by his aw-shucks attitude, Matthew means business

* Now that Keeping Up With the Kardashians is coming to an end, the hunt is on for a new family to replace the clan and one reality pro is poised to nab the prize: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna -- there's already been talk about Lisa picking up the torch and her family is camera ready, consisting of husband Harry Hamlin, and their daughters Delilah Hamlin who's dating Love Island's Eyal Booker and Amelia Hamlin who's dating Scott Disick

Page 8: Things keep going from bad to worse for Armie Hammer -- he was forced to drop out of his upcoming movie Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez after direct messages he allegedly sent to women in which he described himself as a cannibal and detailed disturbing sexual fantasies were leaked online -- Armie was also fired by his talent agency WME and now the disgraced star may get cut from his new film Next Goal Wins which has already been shot -- he's radioactive and everybody knows it and his completed but unreleased work is getting a second look as studios want to do damage control, and that includes another of his finished projects Death on the Nile where his part could end up on the cutting room floor -- he's a pariah now and it's hard to see how he's ever going to come back from this

* Jennifer Aniston has always had a spiritual side but these days she is taking things to a whole new plane -- Jen has surrounded herself with psychics and has been doing Goddess Circles with the same group of close friends for 30 years, but now she's taking courses to learn to heal herself and be her own guru -- BFF Courteney Cox has been a big influence and Jen's learned a lot from Courteney, who's had a long-term interest in mediums, astrologists and horoscopes, and she's trying to fuse it all together into her own brand of spirituality -- Jen's had a lot of time alone, which has only deepened her questions about the universe and how she can make the most of her life and she's determined to find the answers

* Princess Eugenie is over the moon after welcoming her first child, a baby boy with businessman husband Jack Brooksbank but now the new mom is torn about taking time out from her royal responsibilities -- Eugenie would love to take a long break from everything and focus solely on raising her son however she knows deep down how much she's needed, especially since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are showing no signs of coming back -- as she weighs her options, Eugenie is looking to her multi-tasking cousin-in-law Duchess Kate for some inspiration because she's impressed by how Kate is able to juggle her official duties while raising three young kids

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars captivate in enchanting puff-sleeve numbers -- Bel Powley, Aubrey Plaza, Lupita Nyong'o

Page 11: Kaitlyn Dever, Lucy Boynton, Margaret Qualley

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Hilary Swank vs. Madeline Brewer, Bella Hadid vs. Devon Windsor, Alison Brie vs. Dua Lipa

Page 14: News in Photos -- Tayshia Adams and her fiance Zac Clark felt on top of the world when the visited the Empire State Building together

Page 15: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were inseparable while out and about in Beverly Hills, Bill Murray and NFL player Larry Fitzgerald Jr. were among the many stars to shoot their shot during a charity golf tournament in Pebble Beach, Rita Ora performing on an episode of the U.K. show Dancing on Ice in Hertfordshire

Page 16: At the Australian Open Serena Williams came out on top during the fourth round, Bachelorette alum Jordan Kimball and fiancee Christina Creedon couldn't wait until they got home to enjoy Candy Pop popcorn's new Peanut M&M's flavor from Sam's Club in Houston, Heidi Montag spent the day hitting the slopes at Lake Tahoe

Page 17: Hailey Bieber starring in Beyonce's new Ivy Park x Adidas collection

Page 18: Brody Jenner had a blast snow tubing while shooting the second season of The Hills: New Beginnings in Lake Tahoe, Avril Lavigne stepped out with her new boyfriend Mod Sun for a romantic dinner in West Hollywood

Page 20: Justin Bieber looked like he'd just hopped out of bed in a sweater and checkered fleece pants in L.A., Robin Thicke in front of a piano in L.A.

Page 21: Steve Martin doubled up on face coverings on the set of his new project Only Murders in the Building in NYC, Michelle Obama on her new show Waffles + Michi, Cardi B spoiled herself with high-end goods during a day of shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills

Page 22: Brooke Burke romancing with boyfriend Scott Rigsby on Valentine's Day, Lucy Hale accessorized her look with her newest rescue pup Ethel in L.A., Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon masked up for a snowy outing in NYC

Page 24: For Galentine's Day Vanessa Lachey snacked on macarons and sipped on wine in L.A.

Page 25: Bella Hadid alongside models Mayowa Nicholas and Heejung Park in Michael Kors' new campaign for the Spring 2021 collection, Hugh Grant stepped out for some fresh hair in London, Sofia Vergara kept it casual during a visit to a pal's house in Beverly Hills

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley's Rocky Mountain retreat

Page 28: Marriage isn't easy especially during a global health crisis but for Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard divorce is not an option -- Kristen said she and Dax at the start of the pandemic were at a point in their marriage where they definitely needed a little therapy brush-up and every couple of years they're being very antagonistic towards each other and they don't want that so they go back to therapy and figure out how they can serve their team goal better and it's been incredibly helpful and even in the toughest times they always have each other's back and they're committed to being each other's biggest support systems -- while their relationship may never be perfect, they're happy and love each other and that's what matters most

Page 29: Now that Tom Brady has won his seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has set his sights on the next prize: baby No. 3 with wife Gisele Bundchen -- they've been telling friends they hope to make an announcement by summer at the latest and Tom and Gisele have been super loved-up since leaving Boston and moving to Florida after the QB signed on with the Bucs and the change of scenery has worked wonders on their love life and put them in baby-making mode -- the duo, who recently bought a $17 million spread on Miami's exclusive Indian Creek Island, plan to build a luxury mansion there complete with a nursery and they hope to be all settled in when the new arrival comes -- they've never felt healthier or been happier

* Aaron Rodgers looked positively giddy when he revealed he had a fiancee, Shailene Woodley at the NFL Honors, but the QB is dreading the next step: bringing her home to meet his parents because it's no secret that Aaron's been estranged from them for years and the last thing he wants is for Shailene to get caught up in the drama -- Shailene wants Aaron to clear the air with his folks, but he's not ready to do that and he doesn't want to bring Shailene into a toxic environment

* It's only been two years since Miranda Lambert married Brendan McLoughlin but she's already itching for some alone time -- she's headed to Texas in April for her first concert in over a year and she's told Brendan he shouldn't come because it will be all work and no play but she really wants to get away from him for a while and after the pair's recent road trip together, Miranda is desperate for some space -- sometimes Miranda feels like she's living with a baby because Brendan whines and complains about life on her farm

Page 30: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's romance is heating up fast, so much so that she's practically handed over the keys to her Calabasas estate and she loves having Travis sleep over and sometimes he'll stay the whole weekend -- he gets along famously with her children and Travis has been a friend of the family for years, so the kids have pretty much known him their whole lives and they'll do fun stuff together like hiking or playing video games and Travis loves making breakfast and showing off his pancake-flipping skills --Travis is spending so much time at Kourt's place that he's moved a bunch of his stuff in to make it easier for his kids Landon and Alabama with ex Shanna Moakler to visit him there -- everyone's convinced they'll be living together full-time before you know it

* Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were met with a flurry of well-wishes after they revealed they're expecting baby No. 2 -- the couple decided to wait until Meghan was safely into her second trimester to share the news and they only told a handful of family members before the public and they wanted to cherish this secret for as long as they could -- Harry and Meghan have been nesting at their Montecito mansion and have been busy prepping the nursery and making sure it's eco-friendly with energy-efficient lighting and they're keeping it as plastic-free as possible

* Love Bites -- Clare Crawley and Dale Moss reunited, Kit Harington and Rose Leslie welcomed a baby boy, Paris Hilton and Carter Reum engaged

Page 32: Cover Story -- Bruce Springsteen's private world -- he's an open book in his songs, but here's Bruce's untold story of his struggles with depression and regret -- he still has dark thoughts from time to time but therapy and medication have helped a great deal

Page 36: Stars' Cheating Confessions -- sometimes all you can do is beg for forgiveness; these celebs have all had to plead their case -- Donny and Debbie Osmond, Jude Law and Sienna Miller, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith

Page 37: David Letterman and Regina Lasko, Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling, Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish

Page 40: Interview -- Elizabeth Olsen -- the Avengers star dishes about getting witchy again for Marvel's mind-bending WandaVision

Page 42: Golden Girls -- how these Golden Globes nominees get their award-worthy figures -- Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Lily Collins

Page 43: Kaley Cuoco, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Seyfried

Page 44: Aadila Dosani's vegan recipe for Chickpea and Potato Soup

Page 46: Style Week -- Ashley Graham is the new global brand ambassador for self-tanning label St. Tropez

Page 48: What's Hot Right Now -- create a naturally gorgeous, flushed look with fashion designer Jason Wu's namesake makeup collection

Page 49: Haute hippie retro jeans -- take a trip back to the '70s with Revice Denim's ultra-cool capsule, Los Angeles Lovers -- Delilah Belle Hamlin

Page 50: Flower Power -- floral prints are spring's hottest trend -- rock the pretty blooms for a fresh, boho-chic look -- Kaia Gerber

Page 52: DIY Blowout -- these foolproof finds deliver impeccable hair right at home -- Drew Barrymore

Page 54: Entertainment

Page 55: Q&A with Mary Fitzgerald of Selling Sunset

Page 58: Buzz -- after months of playing it coy, these celebs confirmed their relationships on Valentine's Day -- Scott Disick and Amelia Hamlin

Page 59: Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker, Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Halsey on not conforming to conventional beauty standards, Anderson Cooper on coparenting with his ex, Ashley Graham on the importance of self-care, Kate Winslet on feeling like a fish out of water in Hollywood

Page 61: Tom Holland on the plot of the next Spider-Man flick, Mila Kunis joking about keeping her family entertained during quarantine, Drew Barrymore when asked if she's ever been skinny-dipping, Madelaine Petsch on playing a teen in Clare at 16

Page 62: Horoscope -- Pisces Lupita Nyong'o turned 38 on March 1

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Riz Ahmed

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cloudsncoffee · 6 years ago

Note

so I’m not sure how cute this request is but you can literally take straw and turn it to gold as far as writing goes!! so becoming good friends w one of the boys girlfriends and them introducing you to the band when they’re in town near you and you become really good friends w Daniel and then it slowly becoming more as time passes and he shows up to your dorm randomly to tell you he loves you bc he can’t hold it in anymore

Aww, you’re so sweet! Thank you!

I’m not actually all that creative when it comes to college campuses, and don’t write about my own, so Columbia is my go-to, (my heart doesn’t reside in NYC anymore, but dear god, do I love that city) and there’s nothing quite like being kissed soundly under those lights so, I hope you think this is gold anyway <3

(Also, it was an adorable request.)

…

You became friends with Christina by accident.

Seriously, by accidentally falling into her lap on the subway.

To be fair, you were shoved by a businessman too engrossed in his iPhone to notice you, and she thought it was hilarious, but still; it was an accident.

She liked your sneakers and the brand of the empty coffee cup in your hand, and you recognized her from a dozen other early morning subway rides downtown because your route to the Met for Monday art history ‘field-trips’ happened to coincide with hers for her early morning FIT classes.

Christina decided it was fate, and now you were friends, without your input, because she’s that type, and you adore that about her.

The first time she introduced you to the boys, you thought you were being dragged to Times Square for a weirdly touristy lunch to meet her mysterious always ‘traveling’ boyfriend.

Instead, when you arrived at her apartment makeup-less and wearing leggings, she ambushed you. You left, firmly suspicious, wearing her leather jacket and fake eyelashes.

You were grateful for both, however, when instead of lunch you ended up backstage at TRL, shaking hands with a boy with the cutest smile you’d ever seen, Christina introducing you by announcing, “Hey, Dani, have you met your soulmate?”

Your cheeks went immediately pink, but she just kept talking, grinning, “Her sheets are watermelon.”

“I mean, they’re mostly white,” You were confused by this whole conversation, but he just kept smiling, your hand still in his.

“With watermelons!” Christina seemed ridiculously giddy to share that fact, then immediately resumed her quest to find out exactly how much of Corbyn’s, her not-so-mysterious anymore boy-bander boyfriend, clothing she could remove before they had to go on stage.

And Daniel still hadn’t let go of you.

It started with voicenotes. Daniel’s voice in seconds and melodies you couldn’t help dancing to. Your return messages all variations on the theme of, “How are you so talented?” and “It’s perfect. You could try going higher, maybe. But it’s perfect.”

Then it was facetime. Hours of explaining your homework and listening to his sleepy monologues about history and architecture and getting lost in whichever city they were performing in. Sometime around November, when Daniel took to reminding you every morning to water Franklin, the tiny cactus on your windowsill, you realized you were in love with him.

Now, it’s January, and you still haven’t done anything about it. What do you say to your best friend when the only thing you‘re capable of thinking of lately is kissing him?

It gets so dark so early in the winter here that walking back to your dorm from dinner at Christina’s apartment it might as well be midnight.

You’re nearly home, striding through the campus gates, when you see him.

Clearly lost, wondering around between the rows of trees covered in fairy-lights, because the man can hum Mozart flawlessly, but completely lacks any kind of internal compass.

“Daniel?” You’re utterly incapable of suppressing the smile his presence inspires.

He turns towards you, his jacket zipped all the way up to his neck and a crazy colored beanie covering all his hair, “Hey,” He drags out the word, obviously trying to be cool for some reason you can’t fathom.

“What are you doing here?” You move closer, and wrap your arms around his waist.

“I, um,” He stutters.

You step away, because he isn’t hugging you back, “Is something wrong?”

Daniel wrings his hands together, and nods.

Your face falls, and his eyes go wide.

“Oh, god,” He grabs you by your arms, “Not with you!” He shakes his head, “I mean, sort of…”

“You’re kind of freaking me out here, bud,” You look into his eyes, trying to read his mind.

Daniel takes a deep breath, “I don’t want to be your bud.”

“Um,” Being stabbed might’ve been less painful than hearing that, and you don’t know what to say.

“No,” He rushes out, “God, no. That’s not,” He pulls you closer, and you’re helpless in his arms, “I don’t want to be your bud, babydoll, because I want to be your boyfriend.” Daniel has an excellent ear so, of course, he hears your tiny shocked inhale. “I’m so in love with you, it’s insane. I haven’t written anything in days, except your name next to mine, and I ditched the guys at the airport because I had to see you. I can’t quit thinking about you.”

He gives you a minute, holding you tight, then whispers, a little bit nervous and a lot more amused because he knows you, “Well, are you going to say anything?”

“I love you too?” It’s muffled into his chest.

“Is that a question?” He asks back, his breath hot in your ear.

“No?”

“Good,” Daniel slides his hands up, and then, suddenly, you’re kissing in the center of the sidewalk, ten feet from the guard-stand, lit up by the sparkling lights surrounding you, your tongue tracing the gap in his teeth you’ve been dreaming about for weeks and the sting of his bite at your bottom lip, and it’s so, so, indescribably good.

Just like him.

…

*super shy self-promotion* If you’re interested, I wrote a variation of a story similar to this (but much, much longer) centered on Jack on AO3. I think it’s pretty cute? <3

#why don't we #why don't we imagines #daniel seavey #fanfic

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cilldaracailin · 5 years ago

Text

Under Pressure

This story is on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570293/chapters/56548318

“Sometimes the greatest adventure is simply a conversation.”

“So, did I hear Maggie say you were going home tomorrow?” asked Taron breaking the silence the four had been sitting in for the last few minutes. “Have you just been here on holiday?” He really needed to start the conversation going again because not only was the constant hammering from Frankie and the others trying to break into the bank from the aisle across from them not doing anything for his pounding head, he could feel his head lolling and his eyes closing as sleep threatened to take him over. Sitting down, just gave his body, his battered and bruised body, a moment to rest and after four months of intense filming, it was a rest his body ached for. However, the throw he sat on and shelf he leant against was not his idea of a comfy place for a sleep and as he sat, he was definitely starting to feel his injuries but even his current uncomfortable circumstances couldn’t stop him from feeling heavy-eyed and drowsy.

“Oh no, I have been working here for the last six months. I work in a creche and but companies can apply do this exchange programme where you switch with a staff member from a creche in a difference country and work there for a period of time to experience how the other runs.”

“Oh, right that is pretty cool.”

“Yeah I was very excited to come here to Clearwater. I have been before on holiday and I love it here so it was great to come back and actually get to live here for a while.”

“She’s a bit obsessed with dolphins.” Chipped in Maggie.

“And although it has been an amazing experience coming to work here, there were challenges.”

“Christina,” Added Maggie. “Definite challenge.”

“Jesus Maggie.” Said Robyn looking at her friend.

“And she was planning on watching Rocketman this evening too to take said challenge from her mind.”

“Maggie!” Exclaimed Robyn as she brought her hands to her face.

“While eating lots of turtles.”

Taron felt the shelf move as Robyn hit her head against it, a frustrated sigh leaving her lips.

“Oh, I see that sunburn on your cheeks that you were talking about earlier, now.” Laughed Maggie as she watched her friend grow more embarrassed. “I am just making conversation, Robyn.” Added Maggie when Robyn gave her one of her teacher stares.

Robyn adored Maggie most of the time, but when she got into these giddy moods, Robyn got annoyed pretty quickly. She had already had a ridiculously stressful day and the events of the last two hours has been seriously burdening on her and she really needed Maggie to be less giddy and more aware of people’s emotions at the moment, particularly her own. Robyn had been strong for herself, Richard and Taron and had hoped her friend could have shown a little consideration and less flighty behaviour.

“I have heard that Rocketman is a decent movie.” Helped Taron when he saw Robyn’s shoulder’s rise and fall with annoyance as well as hearing the exasperated sigh that left her lips. He knew from the brief conversations he had had with her, that Robyn was definitely able to make a joke as well as take one, but could understand her reaction to Maggie, who he felt had taken the joke a little too far, as Robyn tried to answer his question. He knew that she had recognised him when he dropped his phone on the cashier desk earlier on, her surprised look giving it away but she had not once mentioned it or treated him any different because of who he was, not that she really had a choice given the situation they had found themselves, Taron not being able to put in words how much he appreciated how she had selfishly came and helped him without question, not knowing if he would ever be able to say it but what he did know was that it was a nice relief that she hadn’t done what Maggie had done and made a deal of sorts about knowing who he was and he was actually genuinely interested in getting to know the young woman who had not thought twice about helping him. “Not too sure about the guy who played Elton though.” As he gently nudged her leg with his.

“Yeah he really wasn’t that great, was he.” She nudged him back.

“And I am partial to a turtle myself.” He laughed a little.

“He had just run out.” Pipped up Richard, feeling for Robyn as Maggie called her out, glad to see that Taron was doing his very best to help her.

Feeling relieved that Taron was trying to lighten the mood she turned to look at him. If it was at all possible, the bruising on his cheek had darkened and his green eyes carried more fatigue then before. “Let’s take that pulse again.” Taron willingly moved his arm over to her and Robyn took his pulse once more, writing it down again. Still a little fast but Robyn knew Taron was hiding his pain so took that into account.

“You are going to have to show me how to do that,” Commented Taron as she put the pen down in-between them. “I am guessing because you work with children you have to be first aid trained.”

“Yeah and I happen to be first aid officer back home too so I get to do that extra training every now and again.”

“Well I am very grateful for that extra training. Now how do I do this? I know the basics behind it but can never get it.” Taron explained hoping his distraction would also distract Robyn.

She let Taron place her left arm on his leg and he looked at her waiting. “Two fingers at the top of the wrist almost in line with the thumb, not actually in the middle of the wrist and then you should feel the heartbeat.” Robyn guided Taron’s fingers into the right place on her wrist and watched as his eyes focused on what he was doing.

“Oh, I got it.” He said excitedly. “Now how do I count it.”

“Count the beats for thirty seconds and then double the number you get and you should get my rate of my pulse.” Robyn placed her other arm on Taron’s leg so he could look at her watch and again watched as he visibly nodded his head to each beat of her heart.

“So, eight-six beats per minute then. That good or bad?” he asked

“That is fast, faster than normal for me. Not bad.” She added quickly when she saw Taron’s face frown. “But then a lot has happened in the last two hours so it would be expected that my pulse is a little fast.”

“Pen please and the paper!” Said Taron holding his hand out.

“What?”

“I want to write it down for you. Doctors may need it.”

“Taron you are right-handed.”

“I can write two numbers with my left hand.” He countered. “Gimmie.”

Robyn handed the noted pad over to Taron and he settled it on his knee and taking the pen he awkwardly wrote eight-six on the page. When he was done, he handed it back to her.

“Satisfied?”

“Yes.” He answered contently.

“So, we are going to just skip over the whole Rocketman thing?” Asked Maggie as she sat up.

“The whole Rocketman thing?” Repeated Robyn looking to Maggie, finding it almost hard to believe that she was bringing Rocketman up once again, starting to feel very annoyed with her friend. “How it is a movie and it’s a wonderful movie that tells a heartbreakingly sad story about a man who just wanted to be loved and have love in his life with an outstanding soundtrack to go with it? About how it showed an utterly devastatingly sad relationship between a mother, a father and their son? A movie that showed a man who spiralled downhill only to build himself back up to feel loved and worth something?”

“Well yeah.” Said Maggie taken aback by the slightly abrupt tone in Robyn’s voice.

“Then what else do we need to say. It’s a beautiful movie and it just makes me want to listen to Elton John songs afterwards.”

“Which Elton song is your favourite?” Asked Taron wanting to break the tense atmosphere between the two friends beside him. He couldn’t even bring himself to tell Robyn how much he appreciated how she spoke about the movie he had been in, focusing on the story rather than anything else.

“I don’t think I have a particular favourite one, I quite enjoy them all but Are You Ready for Love always puts a smile on my face, mainly because I have a story behind it and of course Your Song is a classic.”

“What’s the story?” He asked. “About Are You Ready for Love?” He finished when he saw her confused look.

“Oh right. Well my friend, Claire and I drove to Limerick, in Ireland, a good few years ago to see Elton John in concert in a rugby stadium and it was so bloody cold, like freezing cold and raining and a bit miserable but then he played that song and the whole place just started to dance and it was amazing to watch and be a part of. It makes me smile when I hear it.”

“I like it when songs have stories like that and you sing?” He asked.

“Sorry?”

“You sing?” Asked Taron again. “When you were showing me how to control my breathing you seemed to know about warming up your voice before you sing, especially for those high notes. So, I am figuring you sing.”

“I sing,” Replied Robyn slowly.

“Uh-huh.” Taron raised an eyebrow to her urging her to go on.

“Back home, I am part of a gospel choir.”

“Oh really? That must be good fun. What kind of songs does your choir sing?”

“Yeah I love it and we sing everything and anything. Well I haven’t been in a while, obviously but I shall be back in rehearsal on Wednesday. I definitely miss it.”

“Have you had to sing a song by yourself?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Do you get nervous beforehand?” Asked Taron with interest. “Because now with Rocketman, I have had to do a lot more singing in front of people and I get so nervous.”

“I definitely get nervous, with that horrible butterfly feeling. You get that?”

“Yes, it’s definitely horrible.”

“For me, it’s not so much the singing part, that’s ok it’s more remembering the words. I have definitely had a big freak out before going on stage before, panicking that I was going to forget the words to the song I had to sing. I also stupidly got talked into doing an X-Factor style competition back home by a member of the choir. That was the most nervous I have ever been before singing. I almost didn’t go on stage but once I was up there, I was grand.”

Taron grinned at her. “X-Factor?”

“It was for a local musical society and I got roped into doing it.”

“What did you sing?”

“Hello by Adele but about three keys lower.”

Taron was immediately impressed. “Adele. She is amazing. The other time, when you thought you were going to forget the words? What song did you sing that time, with the choir?” Robyn looked to Taron with wide eyes. “What song Robyn? It was an Elton song, right?”

“Actually no. It was a Queen song. Somebody to Love?”

“Seriously? That is big powerhouse song.”

“Yes, it is.”

“You must have a great voice.”

“I can hold a tune.”

“So, when we get out of this, we are going to go to a bar that has karaoke and you are going to sing that for me.”

“Yeah absolutely not.”

“I will sing some Tiny Dancer in return.”

“Deal.” Replied Robyn immediately holding out her hand for a handshake, which Taron accepted and they awkwardly shook hands, Taron using his left and Robyn her right.

“Maybe we should have to have a sing off?” Suggested Richard.

“I don’t think so.” Replied Robyn quickly.

“No?” Asked Richard raising an eyebrow to her.

“Could pass some time for us.”

“Let’s not start something we can’t finish.” Grinned Robyn winking at Taron. “And I would have an unfair advantage as Taron is nursing some badly bruised ribs. He won’t be able to get those deep breathes in to hit those high notes, where as I can belt a note out here and now.” Taron started to laugh but on feeling his ribs protest knew exactly why Robyn had said what she said. He definitely would struggle to sing at the moment. “I mean I can hit that start note to Somebody to Love every time!”

Holding his side, Taron enjoyed the grin he felt on his face. A proper one since he had been in the car with Richard earlier.

“Ok well I don’t want to lose on grounds of bruised ribs, so let’s wait until we have hit that karaoke bar then.”

“I agree. So now that we have secured our second deal, how about I give your arms a once over? And Richard’s too and then maybe somehow I can get to your back?”

Taron’s grin gave way to a small smile. He had been enjoying the light banter with Robyn as it kept him distracted and he was needing some serious amount distraction at the moment. With a woozy stomach and groggy head, the talking was keeping his reality at bay.

“Taron?” He heard a soft voice call him name. “We can sit for another while if you want. I don’t mind. It won’t make any difference really. The little scratches on your arms are easily cleaned. We can torture Richard for a while first, while we keep chatting about music. I feel it is my turn for an interrogation. Or I can teach you the song about Tiny Tim the Turtle.” She suggested, glad to see that Taron lifted his eyes to look at her, the green shade changing to reflect each emotion he experienced. She decided she enjoyed the sparkle in his eyes much more than the gloomy apprehension she saw now.

“Tiny Tim?”

“He’s a turtle.” She said.

Taron couldn’t understand how she did it, but every time he was brought back to the uncertainty he facing, Robyn managed to lift his mood.

“I also have one about an alligator called Alfred.”

His left hand moved to rub his eyes as they stung with tiredness but it was a natural reflex that caused him to smile at the same time.

“So, Richard first?” Asked Robyn holding up the q-tips.

#Taron Egerton #Taron Egerton Fanfiction #Richard Madden #Angst #Friendship #Blood and Injury

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ashafriesen · 5 years ago

Text

Expert roundup

Christina Nicholson – Christina All Day

Every ten-year-old girl is different and likes different things. Here, in my house, it’s arts and crafts. Any kind of creative gift like this is a gift that keeps on giving because it keeps her busy and is something she can use repeatedly.

Some of these gifts include colorful rubber bands and beads used to make bracelets, canvases with paints, activity books with crayons and markers, and even educational workbooks are a hit in my house.

In addition to creative gifts, games are popular because we have a big family to play games with. We also have some fun cooking and baking tools like kids measuring cups and spoons as well as cute aprons and chef’s hats to help in the kitchen.

Again, I think the best gifts are those that can be used to entertain, especially now during COVID-19 while we’re spending a lot of time at home.

Rebecca Smith – I Always Believed In Futures

I think the best gift for a ten-year-old girl right now has to be a book, especially something like Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, a great look at women in our history or a kid’s classic series such as the Harry Potter series.

With the world ever-changing, it is important to help our kids learn about the world around us as it is right now and the history of great people who have been. I find that young children love books and as they get older, their appetite for reading increases.

As they become pre-teens, they develop even more of a thirst for learning, and nonfiction books such as the one I mentioned above seem increasingly popular, selling out across the world.

The reason I think this is a great gift is that it will last the test of time – she can constantly go back to it over and over again as the years progress. Better still, it isn’t made of plastic and doesn’t need batteries which a lot of toys and products for ten-year-olds do.

Far too often, a girl of that age will end up with a lot of toys that are either not age-appropriate or require an obscene amount of batteries or power.

Erica Schmidt Jabali – I Spy Fabulous

There are so many great gifts for tween girls, but they can all start to look the same. That’s why I created an empowering coloring book and journal for the tween girls in my life. You Are Enough has 55 pages of encouraging quotes, coloring pages, journal prompts, doodle pages, and more, to lift up the young girls in our life.

With powerful messages like, “You CAN do hard things!” and quotes from thought leaders like Michelle Obama, Amelia Earhart, Oprah, and many more, this is a journal designed to give them the boost and make them feel as strong, smart and beautiful as they are.

Plus, with plenty of space to dream, vent, doodle, and draw, this book will be the stress and anxiety reliever they need, too. Pair this journal with a pack of fun pens, coloring pencils or markers and let her creativity run wild.

Plus, you can grab the book and a pack of pencils for around $20, making it a very affordable option for the young girls in your life. It’s a jungle out there. Give your favorite girls the gift of a safe space to be built up and share their feelings.

Allie Edwards – The Perfect Pregnancy Plan

For any 10-year-old girl that is interested in animals and or nature a photograph loaded encyclopedia especially about her favorite animals is a wonderful gift.

It’s great to be able to get something that is educational but fun at the same time. There are so many beautiful encyclopedias about whatever topic your 10-year-old girl is interested in these days.

Just this year we got my daughter an encyclopedia of cat breeds, and encyclopedia of dog breeds, a bug-o-pedia, and one of rocks and minerals!

So I suppose you don’t even have to keep the topic to animals if there is a great encyclopedia available about another of her interests.

Because we don’t need them to look up information anymore, thanks to Google, encyclopedias have taken on a whole new life from the boring ones that we, as moms, can picture from our childhoods that took up an entire shelf in our houses and at the libraries.

Encyclopedias nowadays are focused on a particular interest, loaded with pictures, and put together in a very captivating way. Broaden your 10-year-old girls’ knowledge by fostering some of her interests.

It’s amazing how much more a kid will learn and study just on their own accord when it’s something they are passionate about.

Lauren Tingley – Simply-Well-Balanced

As a mother of a 10-year-old girl and child development professional, I know that it’s important for girls this age to feel confident, empowered, and strong.

As they enter their tween years they will face a lot of pressure from peers and from themselves. That’s why it’s important to build up their sense of self and help them to develop a strong identity as soon as possible.

I always recommend The Confidence Code for Girls as one of the best gifts you could give a 10-year-old girl. It’s a New York Times Bestseller.

It’s an interactive book with fun quizzes, comic strips, and stories from real girls that will encourage your daughter to become her most confident, amazing self.

Abbie Alter – Plano Moms

I have a 10-year-old daughter and recently gifted her a Kindle Unlimited subscription, so she can download books to her iPad (and read using the Kindle app).

A 6-month deal is currently less than $50, and $10 per month thereafter. They also offer a 30-day free trial which gives the chance to really try it out at no risk. The alternative to this type of subscription is to download each book separately (the cost adds up quickly!).

I have an app that checks what she is using and how much time is being spent on different activities online.

So, when YouTube Kids and Roblox time is restricted, she can read a number of different books without trips to the library to pick up books curbside.

There are thousands of amazing kids’ books. I spotted Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and so many more.

If your 10 years old prefers to listen, they also have a great selection of books that they can listen to on the Audible app too. This is helpful on long car journeys or road trips, where we can listen to books together to pass the time!

Melinda Ashley – Unfrazzled Mama

Ten-year-old girls are hard to buy gifts for because they’re in a period of such transition. They’re no longer interested in the “kiddish” toys that they may have enjoyed a year or two ago, but may not yet be mature enough for the products geared towards teenagers.

Though this age is tricky, you can never go wrong with a good book! Books make great gifts for a preteen girl because it doesn’t matter if they’re totally into hair and makeup or still love to play with their stuffed animals.

There’s a good book out there for everyone. I love to give books as gifts because they provide hours of screen-free entertainment, and they are relatively clutter-free as well!

My top pick for a gift for a ten-year-old girl would be a book subscription from a company like My First Reading Club or Reading Bug Books. What’s better than new, age-appropriate books arriving in the mail every month?

The great news for the gift-giver is that you don’t have to try to figure out what books she enjoys. The curators of these subscription boxes know what kids like and do the work for you. With fantastic books arriving each month, it’s practically a guarantee that the recipient of your gift will find at least one book or two that she loves!

A book subscription is a gift a young girl can look forward to receiving and enjoy for months to come!

Barbara Nevers – NeoLittle

Ten-year-old girls are on the stage of great curiosity. They can understand a lot of things already, and are keen to discover everything that they can see. They are also starting to play a lot with other children and are learning how to adapt to different kinds of environments.

As for me, here are three of the best gifts that I would like my ten-year-old girl to receive: 1. Walkie Chalk Stand Up Sidewalk Chalk Holder. This is great for outdoor activities. They can draw a lot of things on the road, and play with their playmates outside.

This chalk holder will also make you join them and not worry about back pains. This can also develop their physical and writing skills while playing.

2. Books about Family and Friendship. Since they can understand most of the things happening around them during this age, you can start giving them good books to read. This can help them to acknowledge and appreciate different relationships in her life.

3. A set of Coloring Materials / Gel pens For them, these will be one of the coolest gifts ever! They will get giddy and excited about coloring, drawing, and sketching. This will help them develop their creativity and express their feelings through art.

Jo Middleton – Slummy Single Mummy

I’ve actually just bought a birthday gift for my niece – ‘Escape This Book! Titantic’

It’s a bit like a classic choose your own adventure book, which I absolutely used to love as a child, with a bit of escape room thrown in!

As well as just solving puzzles, there are interactive activities to complete like doodling and drawing elements, and it would be perfect for taking on trips or holidays as it’s so lightweight and doesn’t need any extra pieces or batteries.

I’m a sucker for a mystery myself and I love that I can nurture this same love in her.

Claire Thrifty – Thrify Parent

Our gift idea for a ten-year-old girl is SmartLab Squishy Human Body Model.

It’s not your standard ‘girls toy’ but for those girls that don’t want to be a Princess or dress like a unicorn (not that there’s anything wrong with unicorns or princesses!), this is great.

It’s fun, educational, affordable and it teaches them something (the kids’ parents will love you!).

No batteries required, this 12″ model comes with 21 removable bones and organs, that then have to be reassembled in the correct order.

It’s a terrific gift for a budding young doctor or surgeon – or just a girl that loves science, biology, and finding out how stuff works!

Evan Porter – Dad Fixes Everything

We desperately need to encourage more young girls to get involved in STEM fields. In my opinion, the best gift for a 10-year-old girl would be one that helps her learn skills like coding, engineering, or science.

I love play robots like the Wonder Workshop Dash Robot that allow kids to program their own commands and functions.

It comes ready to use right out of the box and girls can work their way up using different apps to enable basic behaviors all the way up to more advanced sequences, depending on their age and how quickly they pick up the programming language.

This robot (and others like it) are used in schools all over the country to introduce kids to science, engineering, and coding — and they work so well because they’re actually fun to play with!

This toy comes with a rechargeable internal battery so kids can use it again and again and again.

It’s an awesome first step for girls that will give them the confidence to keep pursuing STEM as they grow into middle school and beyond.

Balint Horvath – Project Father

Well, as you know, just a few days ago a historic event happened: SpaceX and NASA launched astronauts to the ISS. This is a major event that sparks the curiosity of not only many adults, but also children. It’s easy to see that almost all children are fascinated by the night sky and at some point, many of us wanted to be astronauts.

It’s a shame that at some point during a girl’s development, her attention shifts to activities that are supposed to be reserved for girls only. They play with dolls, they want to help mummy cook. That’s all nice, but what about science or engineering fields where there’s a severe lack of women?

My recommendation for a gift for a 10-year-old girl is this toy. It includes 4 women astronauts, showing girls that their dreams can become true even if they are girls. Not only boys can dream big. Needless to say, since it’s a LEGO toy, it offers other benefits, too which boosts kids’ creativity.

Leisa Papa – Little Kids Business

If you have a ten-year-old girl’s birthday on the horizon you will know that every girl is different however most have one thing in common and that is the love of creating music.

What better way to give the gift of music and enable your child to create learn along the way. Smartivity Mechanical Xylofun Music Fun – Let’s make music is one of the coolest and latest S.T.E.M toys.

Affordably priced, with learning based on a D.I.Y. kit, your child can create their very own music for every ear. This gift includes all the elements required to build a music machine, including pegs for arranging and rearranging notes.

Once assembled, children learn about music notations and can compose their own tunes by placing the pegs in different slots.

For those a little nervous, there are easy to read instructions for composing two simple tunes to allow children to explore the magical and wonderful world of music.

For Ages: 8 years and older, this gift will take approximately 90 min to build with no batteries required. With the ability to develop unlimited Analytical, Creative, Motor and Practical Skills, children will love to actually compose their own music tunes on something they made. Show and tell is going to be exciting.

Denise Lisi DeRosa – Cyber Sensible

Get Girls Tech!

More and more our lives, relationships, knowledge, education, and careers are centered around technological literacy so I say, get the girls some tech!

My suggestion is to start with video games. This may seem counter-intuitive given that much of our discussions about technology center around screen time overuse concerns and gaming addiction.

So, why am I suggesting video games? Studies have shown that girls’ interest in STEM diminishes due to the lack of digital products marketed specifically to girls.

We need to make sure that girls are provided the same on-ramps to the tech industry as boys. This starts with games that are created with girls in mind.

For 10-year-old girls, I suggest the Nintendo Switch. There are a number of games that can be played together with family or friends and several titles are geared toward girls.

In addition to popular games like Animal Crossing, Minecraft, Super Mario Party or Pokemon are titles like Just Dance, The Legend of Zelda, Gris, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Ori and the Blind Forest.

If we encourage girls to enjoy tech when they are young, maybe they’ll become the powerful tech leaders of tomorrow.

Mikaela Walker – Orlando Parents Magazine

The best gift for a 10-year-old girl is a Nintendo Switch Lite (my daughter will be getting one for her birthday). At this age, girls seem to have grown out of pretty much everything except electronics, so a Nintendo Switch Lite is a perfect choice, as she will still be delighted with it, but it is much cheaper than a tablet or a computer.

She will be able to take the Switch Lite in the car with her on longer car rides or on road trips. This will keep her fully occupied so that the travel time will fly by. Parents will no longer hear the dreaded words of I am bored and how much longer until we get there.

The Nintendo Switch Lite is also perfect for taking along on plane rides, as it is compact and won’t take up too much space in a carry-on. Your daughter won’t care how long your layover is or how the flight takes as she will have something to entertain her.

Claudie Pomares – Mendability

The best gift for today’s ten-year-old girl is a smartphone without a plan but with Facetime style apps.

Ten-year-olds do not yet have a clear sense of identity and they define their universe by parents’ approval and peers’ acceptance. They are not anxious to grow older and mimic the look and behaviour of adults which is still too confusing and beyond their psychological horizons.

They surrender to cravings, only exercise if their lives depend on it and are happy in their temporary cocoon.

The magic of childhood which gave life to dolls and plush toys is fading rapidly and they rarely find interest in what demands steady focus or effort.

The first feminine trait to blossom in ten-year-olds is the imperative need for unending chatter with other little girls, nose-to-nose, joy to joy, jumping from whispers to shouts in an adorable frenzie.

Little girls of today only envy one thing their older siblings possess: a phone which opens wide the wonders of timeless and location free conversations with all their best friends.

They will become egocentric teenagers soon enough. It is best to provide a phone early, at an age when they still can be taught about the safe use of the inernet.

Christina Cay – C’MON MAMA

For a 10-year-old girl, the best gift is one that gives her a sense of autonomy. Ten years old is a key age in terms of overflowing curiosity & the desire for some level of independence.

Her own digital camera is one of the best gifts you could give a 10-year-old girl! It is something she can easily learn to operate on her own, it fosters exploration, and it will enable her to share how she sees the world with others.

A digital camera is also a “nice” gift that will make her feel special & important, and a gift like that will encourage her to take care of her things. She will also learn to make sure it is charged before she intends to use it, which further teaches personal responsibility.

But the bottom line is—she’ll love it.

Bonus points if you throw in a tiny photo printer she can keep in her room & operate independently so she can print her favorite snapshots on demand. We used to decorate our walls with posters—how about decorating her wall with pictures & portraits she took herself?

We often say if only we could see the world through a child’s eyes. Let’s give them the tools to show us.

Jane Wilson – Modern Housewives

In my opinion, the perfect gift for a 10 years old girl, is an Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera. It’s a great gift because it’s cool and classical at the same time.

It’s not a digital camera, but the pictures get developed instantly, which is pretty awesome and impressive.

She can run around, make memories, and get cool images she can later on present as cards or just glue them to a notebook or anything else she likes.

These cameras also come in many nice and vivid colours, like flamingo pink or lime green. You can see the product here.

Tracy Murdock – Your Twin Mom

A camera would be a fun gift for a ten-year-old girl.

She could take photos of nature or family. She could create a collage of pictures. She could add pictures to a journal to create a story.

She could set up a photoshoot with her favorite dolls dressed up. She could create a keepsake journal of fun memories with her family that summer.

She could take pictures of animals she observes and adds them to a science journal with animal reports.

Lauren Schmitz – The Simple Homeschooler

We are actually celebrating a birthday for my oldest daughter very soon, so I have been doing a lot of gift shopping lately.

I think the best gift you can give a 10-year-old girl is lego sets. They are an incredible screen-free way to get your girl thinking, building, and creating!

There are endless options to pick from – your daughter could build a palace, a treehouse, or a rocket ship! She will be amazed at what she is capable of building by just following the step by step directions.

Once she has put her lego set together, she can display it – or more likely, take it apart and make something completely different!

She is challenging herself, learning so much, taking pride in her work, and having so much fun!

Definitely a win-win!

Dave Pedley – Your Cub

Finding good gifts for a 10-year-old girl can be challenging, it’s that in-between stage where they’re “leaving” childhood and entering the tricky pre-teen years.

They’re probably seeking more independence than usual and forming their specific tastes and styles.

Personally, I love crafting kits. These kits come in a variety of ways and you’re sure to find an option suitable for the girl you’re gifting… it’s a great activity that doesn’t involve the screen, she can get her friends involved and you have an end-product that serves as a great memory.

Dhanya – Parenting Passage

I believe that gifts for children should have an educational aspect as well as being fun. The best gifts are those that allow children to apply knowledge learned in school to real-life activities that they enjoy.

At 10 years old a child can be enrolled into a PADI Scuba Diver certification course. At school, they will be starting to learn about biology, physics, and the environment. During the course, they will cover all these subjects and put them into practical use in the water hopefully seeing Nemo at the same time!

The course has 3 parts:

– 3 Knowledge Development Sections (eLearning, independent study or in a classroom) to understand basic principles of scuba diving

– 3 Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills which can be done in the pool or in swimming pool-like conditions

– 2 Open Water Dives to use the skills and knowledge to learn and explore the underwater world.

The Open Water dives can be completed on holiday in warm water within a year of passing the first 2 parts. This really is a sport that keeps families holidaying and taking breaks together for years and spans generations.

Shannon Serpette – Mom Loves Best

I’d recommend a Razor A Kick scooter for a 10-year-old girl. My daughter got so much use out of her scooter at that age. Whenever she’d want to go to a friend’s house, she’d hop on her scooter and get there faster.

You don’t need any batteries for this product, and there are several color choices. If your daughter doesn’t like pink, she can opt for other less-girly colors.

They are much more affordable than bikes, less intimidating for kids to try, and they take up far less storage room.

Also, it’s a gift that will help kids stay active and keep those unwanted pounds off. It’s a good exercise for kids, and it can help teach your child how to ride a bike when all else fails.

After a year of riding her scooter, my daughter, who had never learned how to ride a bike, hopped right on a bike and was able to ride it with no problems.

Katie Green – Green Active Family

To me, the best gift for a pre-teen girl is one that’s going to get her away from screen time and outside to enjoy sunny, active days.

To this end, I’d recommend an age-appropriate kick scooter that’s going to grow with her throughout her teen years, too. Scooters are a great gift because they can be used independently or with friends.

They’re a good option for encouraging an active lifestyle on days when friends aren’t around to hang out. She’ll also be able to scoot with friends, either by sharing her own scooter or with friends who have their own.

Scooters are also super practical for getting to and from school and after school activities – doubly so for parents who might be concerned about germs spreading via a school bus. Just double-check your school’s policy before bringing the scooter for the first time.

When shopping for a scooter for a 10-year-old-girl, look for a model that’s going to last a few years, at minimum. Most pre-teen and teen scooters will be suitable, in terms of weight and height, so look for something with good reviews in relation to the price point.

Personally, I like Lascoota’s teen scooter. Despite the name, it’s suitable from ages 8 and up. The handlebar is height adjustable, so this scooter should last well into her teen years.

Joel Flynn – Gentleman Zone

Girls are very tricky at this age. Dolls and construction playsets won’t work on your typical 10-year old.

In their heads, they see themselves as “almost teens” and you just can’t argue with their logic.

If the kid is into sports, your best bet is going to be a skateboard or bicycle.

If she is on the artistic side, a secret diary or a fancy fashion coloring book is the way to go.

Also, a pet is always a good alternative – there isn’t a kid on this planet that won’t be happy with a hamster.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy her a stuffed animal – you won’t hear the end of it.

Scarlet Paolicchi – Family Focus Blog

I would say that the best gift for a ten-year-old is one that encourages her interests. This lets her know that you pay attention to what interests her and that you value her thoughts and feelings.

So if you notice she is quite the reader, some nicely bound copies of books in the genre she enjoys would be perfect.

If you notice she is a writer, a pretty journal and some fancy calligraphy pens may be just the ticket.

If you have a budding scientist on your hands, a telescope, chemistry kit, or crystal making kit may be perfect for her.

If you don’t know the girl well enough to know her interests, I would suggest a craft kit a great all-purpose gift. Crafts are great for encouraging creativity and can be personalized by the girl to suit her style.

They also involve a lot of elements that are great for children, following directions, often learning new skills, problem-solving, and more.

There are all kinds of fun craft kits available or you could even create your own if you have a particular ability you’d like to share such as jewelry making, crocheting, etc. A craft gift is a great experience gift that they then get to keep as decoration.

Pinky McKay

I bought my granddaughter a sewing machine for her 10th birthday, she had been sewing with me when she visited, asking to sew every time she stayed overnight.

She had started making dolls clothes, scrunchies, a reusable bag and a baby carrier for her dolls, we have drafted patterns together, she has learned how to create and follow a pattern, use various seams eg french seams when she made her doll’s pants.

A sewing machine is a vehicle to encourage creativity, confidence, self-sufficiency, and self-esteem as the ten-year-old learns useful, practical life skills.

Erum Zehra – Muslim Moms

I recommend these card games as gifts for ten-year-old girls.

Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game

Young children often have trouble understanding their feelings and emotions and what causes them. This makes it harder for parents to understand and deal with them as well. These card games help children understand emotions, express them and communicate them while playing a game with their parents.

This results in a therapeutic experience for both the parent and the child and they are able to understand each other better and communicate better.

Helen Wills – Actually Mummy

I would say every 10-year-old girl loves glitter! And as girls around this age are starting to become interested in making their own fashion statements, experimenting with face glitter and gems is a wonderful way to let them unleash their creativity.

These Gypsy Shrine face jewels are fun for tween girls who want to dress up for a party, or for creating ‘looks’ on a sleepover. They can go for the full face or hair-parting glitter look, or just use a crystal teardrop for a bit of dazzle. They stick really well and come off with normal makeup remover.

I don’t think parents should be worried about their daughters experimenting with makeup at this age either.

My own daughter became very interested in makeup techniques from YouTube tutorials and started appearing with beautiful eye makeup that was totally beyond her years.

I worried for a long time, but eventually, she stopped, and now at 15 goes for a very natural look.

My point is, it’s just creativity – basically colouring and craft for older girls! Let them enjoy creating fun looks for parties with glitter and gems, and they will love you for it.

Samantha Radford – Evidence-based Mommy

My daughter loves figures from the Schleich Bayala set. These beautifully crafted figurines include elves, unicorns, mermaids… everything from a little girl’s fantasy world! These realistic toys contain a lot of detail, making them super fun to play with.

The Glittering Flower House (with a stable for the horses) comes with a tiny kitchen, a dining area, and more. In addition, you can buy several separately sold unicorns, elves, and dragons to build a whole universe.

The best part about the Bayala set is how it inspires imaginative play. I love listening to the adventures my daughters come up with while playing with their unicorns and fairies. The girls have the fairies cook, ride their unicorns (each fairy and unicorn pair have magnets to make sure they stay together during play).

Schleich toys are beautifully made. My daughter knows that these figures are special toys and takes care of them.

And if your daughter isn’t into unicorns and fantasy, Schleich also offers other playsets – including all sorts of animals, dinosaurs, horse stable sets… There are a lot of options out of this company.

In a world where most toys are electronic and we’re pushing kids to grow up faster and faster, I love that these toys don’t require batteries, just creativity. They’re a great way to get your kids playing and actually enjoying childhood.

Christopher Byrne – The Toy Guy

Tie-Dye is back in a big way. Major designers like Prada and Burberry have been showing the treatment on the runway.

It was featured in a huge Project Runway episode earlier this year.

10-Year-Old girls are aware of fashion in the larger culture, and, of course, want to be cool.

Highly recommended for the opportunity for creativity and self-expression, plus the fun of wearing (or sharing) something you made yourself.

Plus, this combines creativity, fashion, sharing, and social play (Probably just within the family for now.)

This is very easy to use. Tie up the fabric (like a t-shirt up to a Men’s L) put it in the spherical container. Mix up the dyes. Turn the crank, and squirt in the dyes from the one-direction openings, which means NO MESS.

Easy to rinse, wash, wear, and share.

You can make multiple designs with the materials provided, and the instructions show kids how to tie up their fabrics for optimal results.

Plus, it’s a great value at $19.99.

The only drawback: It’s selling out as fast as they can get it in stock! Truly one of the hottest toys for the first half of the year.

Oh, and boys can play, too!

Available at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.

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3one3 · 8 years ago

Text

The Sequel - 829

Eeny, Meeny

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s (okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

“I have until like 2, so I would like to go shopping somewhere- I’m desperate for shopping. I haven’t bought anything but food and diapers in forever- and then take a nap. Also I would like for someone to remind me later tonight when I say I want to wake up extra super duper early to ride on the beach in the morning, that I in fact do not want to do that again. No, no, no, no, no. Nein. Nuhuh.”

“To be fair, you don’t compete until after 10:30 tomorrow morning, so you could do it without having to wake up that early.”

“Stef rides at 8 though.”

“Never mind. Go do the shopping, then. Make sure to have something for lunch.”

“Yes, Dad.”

The Jumping International de France event in La Baule had a few things going for it, in Christina’s opinion, that set it apart from other Nations Cup qualifier venues in Europe’s Division I. The CSIO5* show took place at a permanent equestrian center, with permanent stabling. Most of it was shed row style but the Nations Cup teams were in an annex building with central aisles, so it was quite comfortable. The show ring was grass, and enormous, and featured a small hill with two step-down jumps. The schooling ring was dirt and enormous, and very close to the stabling. Most uniquely, the venue offered riders two different opportunities to ride in water. It was just a few blocks from the beach, and the Atlantic Ocean. Anyone with a horse well behaved enough to follow the established walk through the city streets down to the surf could enjoy the beach until 10 every morning. That was a novelty offered to members of the equestrian club year-round, and tourists too. Riders competing in the 5* classes would also get to ride through water on course in the Nations Cup, Derby, and Grand Prix. There was a 35’-ish tract of shallow water to pass through between regular fences. Christina had been to La Baule before and so some of her horses were familiar with that test, but she had Socks and Calvin with her and neither of them had ever been through that sort of water before. She took Socks to the beach to get familiar with the idea on the first morning, and considered taking Calvin over on the second. It just meant waking up really, really early, and at 9:30 in the morning on the first day she was already feeling tired.

The individuality of the La Baule event mattered for one reason: it wasn’t boring. Christina was happy to be there once she arrived. Meeting up with her Germany teammates and her coaches was actually nice. Lukas and Espen weren’t there with her, but she wasn’t lonely because there was actually a sense of the existence of a team mentality right off the bat. The Nations Cup team for the French event consisted of Daniel, Marcus, Christian, and Marco in addition to Christina. Christian wasn’t so harsh to her face anymore, thanks in large part, she believed, because her success were undeniable and couldn’t be bought in the form of great horses. Marco was still just a colleague, not a friend, but one that she was getting to know more all the time. He was perfectly nice, and content to defer on some things to his more experienced teammates. He’d been competing a lot longer than she had, but not as part of the top Germany squad. It was unlikely that Heiner and Holger would select him to actually ride. Stefanie was there with Julian for the Under-25 classes. Heiner took “the girls” to dinner on Wednesday night and got them a little drunk, which didn’t help with the whole wake up very early to ride on the beach thing but did help set a nice tone for the show week.

“Should we change first or just go to the avenue with the stores?” Stefanie asked while Christina gave Dirk nose kisses on the crossties in one of their stalls. The King Of The Barn was there to compete for his country in the Nations Cup, and his rider was very into that. There was a derby on the undercard, which normally would have been a Dirk class. Christina thought it more important to do the Nations Cup with him and continue his legacy as a great team horse, and she didn’t want to over-jump him and make him do the derby too coming off his little injury. She bravely put Calvin in it instead, and had low expectations for success and high expectations for hilarity. Her attitude was that it didn’t matter if they didn’t do well, that it would be a good learning experience for him, and that it might be really fun and/or funny to try to get him around the extra-long and extra-difficult derby course. Heiner said he liked that- that she thought the still young and still dopey Hanoverian stallion would find cantering through water and jumping off hills challenging and potentially terrifying, and that she would enjoy whatever antics ensued as a result. It took the drinks at dinner to get her to explain that attitude. The story she gave Holger, the horse’s owner, was about how well prepared Calvin was for a derby class because he loved to gallop out at home and jump natural obstacles. She hoped he hadn’t forgotten about that since moving to Germany, away from the field and the natural obstacles.

“Let’s just go. I need coffee on the way. Can we walk there or do we need to get a cab or an Uber or something?”

“It’s raining. Why would we walk? Get coffee in the gourmet village and I’ll get a car to meet us on the street behind there.”

“Mkay. You have the rest of the day off, bro,” Christina told her favorite Holsteiner. “Enjoy your blanky and your hay and stuff and I’ll bring you something nice later.”

“I like presents too,” Tom interjected. He was drying the horse’s legs. She patted his head and tried to look a certain kind of way while strutting out of the stall, but then tripped on the lip between the stall and the concrete aisle. Everyone, including the horse, laughed at her.

Shopping tiiiime, she sang to herself once she zipped her team jacket on in place of the show coat and down vest she’d had on since she finished her second round of the morning. What’s boyfriend doing, she wondered, liberating her phone from the pocket she forgot it in earlier. The temperature was in the 50’s when she left the hotel to get her horse and go to the beach, and it rose to about 60 since then, but also grew damp and drizzly, so the Germany star had been changing layers constantly to adapt to the conditions and the level of physical activity she did in them. There was a text from a Chelsea midfielder on her phone that couldn’t keep up with the wardrobe changes.

“What time is your qualifying competition this afternoon? I want to watch on the train to West Brom,” he told her with the train emoji. He’d only just sent it.

“It starts at 1:45 your time, so you’ll probably still be on the training pitch. It’s nothing that special anyway. Watch the Nations Cup tomorrow while you’re sitting around getting nervous about THE TITLE WINNING MATCH.” It’s not possible to make him nervous, Christina smiled to herself, falling into step with Stefanie. The two girls were going shopping in white breeches, knee socks, and sneakers. One wore black and white Chelsea socks, and the other wore the stocking variety. The West London club was three points from the Premier League title and the one in the tributary hosiery was practically giddy about it. The team put in a professional but swaggering performance on Monday evening to relegate Middlesborough, and fans everywhere couldn’t wait for Friday. Their biggest fan in the German show jumping team warned everyone that if they won the Nations Cup that afternoon and wanted to celebrate a little that evening, they’d have to do it without her. She had an appointment with the TV in her hotel room.

“I will. I’m trying to keep that off my mind. You better help with that tonight. I’m counting on you cariña.”

“Moviefone once you get settled in the hotel for the night? I have team dinner but we’re ahead of you.” Juan’s best girlfriend knew he was teasing her. He didn’t get nervous that far ahead of playing. He got pumped during warm ups, and he could become a little ball of Spanish nerves on the pitch during crucial moments, like penalty shootouts, but not the night before. Nevertheless, Christina wanted to spend bedtime with him, virtually at least, to make sure he went to sleep feeling relaxed and ready.

“Yes. What are you doing? Have you ridden yet today? I don’t want to get out of bed.”

“I’ll get the coffee since you bought breakfast,” Stefanie offered as they neared the tent in the gourmet village- a small section of exhibitor tents set off the main drag of regular horse show shopping. There was an extremely Parisian bakery tent with way more coffee options than were available in the rider’s restaurant. The 5* riders were entitled to free breakfast at the hotel, lunch in the rider’s restaurant, and dinner in another nicer restaurant at the show facility. The U25 riders were not. The girls got smoothies from the continental buffet at the hotel after their workout, and then Christina sprang for baked goodies between the beach ride and her morning class. She felt sad going back to the tent for just coffee instead of coffee and another delicious Nutella croissant.

“I did Cal and Dirk in a little warm up class already, and we rode Socks and Jules on the beach at sun up. I made an Instagram story. What do you do in bed before getting up besides look at social media? That’s all I do.”

“I think about what I’m going to eat when I get to Cobham.”

“Cafe au lait again or something different?”

“Nah I need it with espresso this time or I’ll run out of battery.”

“Un grand crème, s’il vous plait, avec le lait à part...and...un café noir,” Stefanie shrugged to the lady behind the domed platters of fresh baked treats. She then went back to looking at her phone, like her coach, to get them a ride to the city center for shopping purposes. Her coach was actually glaring at her, jealous of her knowledge of the French language.

“Since when do you drink black coffee?”

“I don’t. I asked for a double espresso for you with the steamed milk on the side so you don’t end up with way too much. I just want a few drops in mine, so we can share.”

“Mkay.”

“If you win tomorrow, will Conte play the kids on Monday and let you guys stay home?”

“Yes but probably me too because I missed so many games. I would go down there to see you if I could.”

“I just wish we didn’t have to wait until Cannes.” Especially because Cannes might be super weird, Christina thought, leaving the coffee conversation aside and allowing herself to feel sad about how much she missed her ex-boyfriend. She hoped he might be available to come to the horse show on Saturday night and hang with her throughout Sunday. Her own packed schedule dictated that she had to go home Sunday night so that she could have some time there with her husband and her son and her other horses before heading to Madrid on Thursday for the next round of the Tour. After that, it was just one full day at home and then on to another round in Hamburg, which André would probably be able to attend for a day or two if he still couldn’t train. Even if he could go, it would only be for the beginning of the event, during the non-consequential classes, because his team would play their cup final on Saturday in Berlin and he wanted to be there whether he could play or not. Christina would be home for two and a half days after Hamburg, and then travel to St. Gallen for her second Nations Cup qualifier of the season. She’d get a couple of days at home before then heading to Cannes for the Tour. The plan was for Juan to be there with her for 5 days, on the boat.

The wait was far too long for her, firstly, and she didn’t know how exactly to explain to the Lilly XO crew that she was spending the better part of a week with Juan, sharing the same bed, being affectionate, and then say goodbye to the Spaniard and hello to her husband and son, who were spending the next week with her on the boat. Obviously their employment contracts demanded their silence on such matters, but the rider feared their judging looks. The situation actually seemed completely impossible. The choice was to try to hide the nature of her relationship with Juan and thus not fully enjoy the experience, to actually explain it to the chief stewardess and assume she would explain it to everyone else onboard but not go sell the story to the media, or carry on however she wanted and just not address the appearance of an affair at all. She cringed uncontrollably at the thought of the looks she’d get from the crewmembers when they saw her sitting in André’s lap or something a few days after they watched her do the same with another guy.

“Come here Sun night. Even if I play Mon, the manager will probably allow us to sleep home. Night time kickoff, meaningless match. Stay just the night.”

“Maybe.”

Christina had to put the text chat on hold to assemble her coffee and get in the taxi to the shops. She was most interested in the Lacoste store, and buying a polo shirtdress. They were a staple of her wardrobe when she was a little kid, and for some reason were staging a comeback in her mind. Also, she was determined to play more tennis despite no longer having her own court. André joked that she should have made better use of the one they had, and his joke fell flat. His wife reminded him that she wasn’t the one who wanted to leave her tennis court behind in the first place. She also reminded him that Juan had a tennis court. That went over about as well with him as his joke did with her.

He was waiting for her to call home on Thursday morning. They discussed her plan to work out and ride on the beach, and he knew she had a class at 8, so it didn’t surprise him that Christina hadn’t called yet at 10 when he left for training. It was going to be day-two of individual training for him, and that was great. He was out of the gym and off the treatment table and back on the pitch instead. It felt great. Getting to do some work with the ball felt great. The possibility that he could play some role in the cup final felt great. What didn’t feel so great was knowing what Christina’s schedule looked like for the coming weeks. She was taking Lukas away with her for some of it too. And then there was the whole holiday with Juan in the south of France thing. That really rubbed him the wrong way. André told her so, but he also told her that he accepted that she wanted some time to see her friend. She invited him too. If he wasn’t going to be with the Germany squad for the pre-tournament camp, he was invited to Cannes. It was pretty obvious that joining his girl and his ex-teammate would be weird for everyone, and perhaps even more so than what she was envisioning with the guys being there separately. There were questions, like if they were all going to hook up again, or if he would be expected to stand by why they cuddled on the top deck or shared a kiss in the water or something. He wasn’t entirely sure what it would all look like, in part because he stopped asking what went on when Christina visited her best friend. It was more palatable to just let them go on their own, for at least part of the week. That left him with a month of very little face time with her. He tried to Face Time her on his way to Brackel. The rider declined the call and then rang him back normally.

“Mooooorning,” she greeted him cheerfully. “I’m just getting out of a cab and it’s raining and my phone is safer in my hood by my ear than if I hold it in front of me. Watcha doin?”

“Driving. Did you ride yet?”

“Yeah, it was fine. How’s Lulu Schü?”

“He had his first poached egg today. Not made by me, obviously.”

“Did he like it?”

“He likes everything.”

“Does your ankle hurt?”

“No. Does yours?”

“Always.”

“How are the horses? Are they behaving?”

“They’re good. I miss you.”

This is why her showing sucks, André sighed with disappointment inside after hearing Christina switch from giving a conversational update to making an unhappy plea. She said she missed him as if she wanted him to be there with her- like it was serious, and not some throwaway “I miss you”. Sunday night she starts crying because all she wants is to feel the way she used to, which she can’t even explain but apparently hinges entirely on me but not in any way I can actually control because it’s just some subliminal effect I have on her, we spend every minute together possible after that and she says it makes her start to feel better, and then she goes away. We’ll have to go back some steps. It goes backward when we don’t see each other enough. I hope it’s like it used to be, and it’s okay, and that our problems before were just because we were apart so much for so long. We used to be fine when she had shows. It was hard to be apart but we didn’t have to re-establish our relationship together each time she came home. Being apart for 5 days didn’t damage how we relate to one another. That’s got to stop.

“Get out of your head, Prinzessin. Don’t think so much. You’re going to have all sorts of fun with your horses and your friends and you have to experience that when it happens instead of missing out on it because you’re thinking about how you want to feel. When we made everything okay for each other, that was true no matter where we were, apart or together. You were still calm and all right at your horse shows without me and I was still calm and good at home without you. We’ll get back to that.”

Wasn’t his whole argument for what was wrong between us for most of the last year that we can’t be okay when we’re not together? He’s so...hypocritical lately, Christina reasoned while hopping over puddles behind Stefanie to get to the protection of an awning over the front of a shoe boutique. Every problem is something to do with my career and definitely not something between us, and now we’re fine when we’re apart? I don’t even think he’s this way deliberately. I think he’s so busy trying to find an answer that makes everything okay and nothing to worry about that he doesn’t bother to actually examine the situation and find the RIGHT answer.

“Chris?”

“Yeah.” And yet, it was working for him earlier this week, the equestrian countered herself. We had a few days together that almost felt normal- like the “olden days”. I was so upset on Sunday because it’s like...It’s like I’m never going to feel the way I did when I last really loved my life. Or like I’m never going to get back to true north or something. I’m always lost, and unsettled. And I told him about it and he actually did make me feel better. It wasn’t anything he said, or did. I just cried on him and then when I stopped, it was better. Maybe it’s not even him. Maybe I have to purge the unsettled-ness from myself. How long does it take to cry out a year of bad feelings? I’ve tried sweating it out. That doesn’t wor-

“What are you doing?”

“Um, shoe shopping? I just got inside.”

“Okay...”

“I’m fine. I- I was just- I miss you, is all. You sounded...I don’t know, some way, when you asked if the horses are behaving, and I had like a rush of missing you.”

“I’m here.”

“I know, babe.”

“What sort of shoes?”

“Uhhdunno.” Christina turned around and looked up to survey the shoes on the walls and on some tables around the store. The selection included a mix of trendy and classic styles, with no obvious theme. Her student was already browsing in the casual sandal section. “All kinds?”

“Get some slutty stilettos for when you come home.”

“K. Let me go. I have a coffee I really want to enjoy, and Stef’s holding a hideous espadrille. I must go talk her into putting it down.”

“Have fun, Prinzessin. Love you.”

“Love you, byyyye.”

“I don’t want to get up,” was the message waiting for her from Juan. She rolled her eyes and started to write back that he was a lazy bum. Instead of finishing the thought, she deleted it and told him she wished she could be a lazy bum with him. This horse show would be amazing if I could take a break between classes to drink delicious coffee like this in bed with Juanin and do nothing. Actually, what would be amazing is if someone could tell me why Schü can ask a joking question and make me desperately wish I were home with him and looking at his dopey face, and then a minute later I’m dying to go snuggle with Juanin and espresso and milk. That would be amazing. A guide to my own brain. It would be wonderful.

“Chris, do you like these sandals?”

“No.”

#hello to you if you somehow wandered in here

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ashafriesen · 5 years ago

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Expert roundup

Christina Nicholson – Christina All Day

Again, I think the best gifts are those that can be used to entertain, especially now during COVID-19 while we’re spending a lot of time at home.

Rebecca Smith – I Always Believed In Futures

As they become pre-teens, they develop even more of a thirst for learning, and nonfiction books such as the one I mentioned above seem increasingly popular, selling out across the world.

Far too often, a girl of that age will end up with a lot of toys that are either not age-appropriate or require an obscene amount of batteries or power.

Erica Schmidt Jabali – I Spy Fabulous

Allie Edwards – The Perfect Pregnancy Plan

For any 10-year-old girl that is interested in animals and or nature a photograph loaded encyclopedia especially about her favorite animals is a wonderful gift.

Just this year we got my daughter an encyclopedia of cat breeds, and encyclopedia of dog breeds, a bug-o-pedia, and one of rocks and minerals!

So I suppose you don’t even have to keep the topic to animals if there is a great encyclopedia available about another of her interests.

It’s amazing how much more a kid will learn and study just on their own accord when it’s something they are passionate about.

Lauren Tingley – Simply-Well-Balanced

As a mother of a 10-year-old girl and child development professional, I know that it’s important for girls this age to feel confident, empowered, and strong.

I always recommend The Confidence Code for Girls as one of the best gifts you could give a 10-year-old girl. It’s a New York Times Bestseller.

It’s an interactive book with fun quizzes, comic strips, and stories from real girls that will encourage your daughter to become her most confident, amazing self.

Abbie Alter – Plano Moms

I have a 10-year-old daughter and recently gifted her a Kindle Unlimited subscription, so she can download books to her iPad (and read using the Kindle app).

I have an app that checks what she is using and how much time is being spent on different activities online.

So, when YouTube Kids and Roblox time is restricted, she can read a number of different books without trips to the library to pick up books curbside.

There are thousands of amazing kids’ books. I spotted Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and so many more.

Melinda Ashley – Unfrazzled Mama

There’s a good book out there for everyone. I love to give books as gifts because they provide hours of screen-free entertainment, and they are relatively clutter-free as well!

A book subscription is a gift a young girl can look forward to receiving and enjoy for months to come!

Barbara Nevers – NeoLittle

This chalk holder will also make you join them and not worry about back pains. This can also develop their physical and writing skills while playing.

Jo Middleton – Slummy Single Mummy

I’ve actually just bought a birthday gift for my niece – ‘Escape This Book! Titantic’

It’s a bit like a classic choose your own adventure book, which I absolutely used to love as a child, with a bit of escape room thrown in!

I’m a sucker for a mystery myself and I love that I can nurture this same love in her.

Claire Thrifty – Thrify Parent

Our gift idea for a ten-year-old girl is SmartLab Squishy Human Body Model.

It’s fun, educational, affordable and it teaches them something (the kids’ parents will love you!).

No batteries required, this 12″ model comes with 21 removable bones and organs, that then have to be reassembled in the correct order.

It’s a terrific gift for a budding young doctor or surgeon – or just a girl that loves science, biology, and finding out how stuff works!

Evan Porter – Dad Fixes Everything

I love play robots like the Wonder Workshop Dash Robot that allow kids to program their own commands and functions.

This robot (and others like it) are used in schools all over the country to introduce kids to science, engineering, and coding — and they work so well because they’re actually fun to play with!

This toy comes with a rechargeable internal battery so kids can use it again and again and again.

It’s an awesome first step for girls that will give them the confidence to keep pursuing STEM as they grow into middle school and beyond.

Balint Horvath – Project Father

Leisa Papa – Little Kids Business

If you have a ten-year-old girl’s birthday on the horizon you will know that every girl is different however most have one thing in common and that is the love of creating music.

Once assembled, children learn about music notations and can compose their own tunes by placing the pegs in different slots.

For those a little nervous, there are easy to read instructions for composing two simple tunes to allow children to explore the magical and wonderful world of music.

Denise Lisi DeRosa – Cyber Sensible

Get Girls Tech!

More and more our lives, relationships, knowledge, education, and careers are centered around technological literacy so I say, get the girls some tech!

My suggestion is to start with video games. This may seem counter-intuitive given that much of our discussions about technology center around screen time overuse concerns and gaming addiction.

So, why am I suggesting video games? Studies have shown that girls’ interest in STEM diminishes due to the lack of digital products marketed specifically to girls.

We need to make sure that girls are provided the same on-ramps to the tech industry as boys. This starts with games that are created with girls in mind.

For 10-year-old girls, I suggest the Nintendo Switch. There are a number of games that can be played together with family or friends and several titles are geared toward girls.

If we encourage girls to enjoy tech when they are young, maybe they’ll become the powerful tech leaders of tomorrow.

Mikaela Walker – Orlando Parents Magazine

Claudie Pomares – Mendability

The best gift for today’s ten-year-old girl is a smartphone without a plan but with Facetime style apps.

They surrender to cravings, only exercise if their lives depend on it and are happy in their temporary cocoon.

The magic of childhood which gave life to dolls and plush toys is fading rapidly and they rarely find interest in what demands steady focus or effort.

Little girls of today only envy one thing their older siblings possess: a phone which opens wide the wonders of timeless and location free conversations with all their best friends.

They will become egocentric teenagers soon enough. It is best to provide a phone early, at an age when they still can be taught about the safe use of the inernet.

Christina Cay – C’MON MAMA

For a 10-year-old girl, the best gift is one that gives her a sense of autonomy. Ten years old is a key age in terms of overflowing curiosity & the desire for some level of independence.

But the bottom line is—she’ll love it.

We often say if only we could see the world through a child’s eyes. Let’s give them the tools to show us.

Jane Wilson – Modern Housewives

In my opinion, the perfect gift for a 10 years old girl, is an Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera. It’s a great gift because it’s cool and classical at the same time.

It’s not a digital camera, but the pictures get developed instantly, which is pretty awesome and impressive.

She can run around, make memories, and get cool images she can later on present as cards or just glue them to a notebook or anything else she likes.

These cameras also come in many nice and vivid colours, like flamingo pink or lime green. You can see the product here.

Tracy Murdock – Your Twin Mom

A camera would be a fun gift for a ten-year-old girl.

She could take photos of nature or family. She could create a collage of pictures. She could add pictures to a journal to create a story.

She could set up a photoshoot with her favorite dolls dressed up. She could create a keepsake journal of fun memories with her family that summer.

She could take pictures of animals she observes and adds them to a science journal with animal reports.

Lauren Schmitz – The Simple Homeschooler

We are actually celebrating a birthday for my oldest daughter very soon, so I have been doing a lot of gift shopping lately.

I think the best gift you can give a 10-year-old girl is lego sets. They are an incredible screen-free way to get your girl thinking, building, and creating!

Once she has put her lego set together, she can display it – or more likely, take it apart and make something completely different!

She is challenging herself, learning so much, taking pride in her work, and having so much fun!

Definitely a win-win!

Dave Pedley – Your Cub

Finding good gifts for a 10-year-old girl can be challenging, it’s that in-between stage where they’re “leaving” childhood and entering the tricky pre-teen years.

They’re probably seeking more independence than usual and forming their specific tastes and styles.

Dhanya – Parenting Passage

The course has 3 parts:

– 3 Knowledge Development Sections (eLearning, independent study or in a classroom) to understand basic principles of scuba diving

– 3 Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills which can be done in the pool or in swimming pool-like conditions

– 2 Open Water Dives to use the skills and knowledge to learn and explore the underwater world.

Shannon Serpette – Mom Loves Best

You don’t need any batteries for this product, and there are several color choices. If your daughter doesn’t like pink, she can opt for other less-girly colors.

They are much more affordable than bikes, less intimidating for kids to try, and they take up far less storage room.

Also, it’s a gift that will help kids stay active and keep those unwanted pounds off. It’s a good exercise for kids, and it can help teach your child how to ride a bike when all else fails.

After a year of riding her scooter, my daughter, who had never learned how to ride a bike, hopped right on a bike and was able to ride it with no problems.

Katie Green – Green Active Family

To me, the best gift for a pre-teen girl is one that’s going to get her away from screen time and outside to enjoy sunny, active days.

Personally, I like Lascoota’s teen scooter. Despite the name, it’s suitable from ages 8 and up. The handlebar is height adjustable, so this scooter should last well into her teen years.

Joel Flynn – Gentleman Zone

Girls are very tricky at this age. Dolls and construction playsets won’t work on your typical 10-year old.

In their heads, they see themselves as “almost teens” and you just can’t argue with their logic.

If the kid is into sports, your best bet is going to be a skateboard or bicycle.

If she is on the artistic side, a secret diary or a fancy fashion coloring book is the way to go.

Also, a pet is always a good alternative – there isn’t a kid on this planet that won’t be happy with a hamster.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy her a stuffed animal – you won’t hear the end of it.

Scarlet Paolicchi – Family Focus Blog

I would say that the best gift for a ten-year-old is one that encourages her interests. This lets her know that you pay attention to what interests her and that you value her thoughts and feelings.

So if you notice she is quite the reader, some nicely bound copies of books in the genre she enjoys would be perfect.

If you notice she is a writer, a pretty journal and some fancy calligraphy pens may be just the ticket.

If you have a budding scientist on your hands, a telescope, chemistry kit, or crystal making kit may be perfect for her.

They also involve a lot of elements that are great for children, following directions, often learning new skills, problem-solving, and more.

Pinky McKay

I bought my granddaughter a sewing machine for her 10th birthday, she had been sewing with me when she visited, asking to sew every time she stayed overnight.

A sewing machine is a vehicle to encourage creativity, confidence, self-sufficiency, and self-esteem as the ten-year-old learns useful, practical life skills.

Erum Zehra – Muslim Moms

I recommend these card games as gifts for ten-year-old girls.

Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game

This results in a therapeutic experience for both the parent and the child and they are able to understand each other better and communicate better.

Helen Wills – Actually Mummy

I don’t think parents should be worried about their daughters experimenting with makeup at this age either.

My own daughter became very interested in makeup techniques from YouTube tutorials and started appearing with beautiful eye makeup that was totally beyond her years.

I worried for a long time, but eventually, she stopped, and now at 15 goes for a very natural look.

My point is, it’s just creativity – basically colouring and craft for older girls! Let them enjoy creating fun looks for parties with glitter and gems, and they will love you for it.

Samantha Radford – Evidence-based Mommy

Schleich toys are beautifully made. My daughter knows that these figures are special toys and takes care of them.

Christopher Byrne – The Toy Guy

Tie-Dye is back in a big way. Major designers like Prada and Burberry have been showing the treatment on the runway.

It was featured in a huge Project Runway episode earlier this year.

10-Year-Old girls are aware of fashion in the larger culture, and, of course, want to be cool.

Highly recommended for the opportunity for creativity and self-expression, plus the fun of wearing (or sharing) something you made yourself.

Plus, this combines creativity, fashion, sharing, and social play (Probably just within the family for now.)

Easy to rinse, wash, wear, and share.

You can make multiple designs with the materials provided, and the instructions show kids how to tie up their fabrics for optimal results.

Plus, it’s a great value at $19.99.

The only drawback: It’s selling out as fast as they can get it in stock! Truly one of the hottest toys for the first half of the year.

Oh, and boys can play, too!

Available at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.

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