Category: Heavy Handed Advice

Heavy Handed Advice is exactly what it sounds like — opinions you didn’t ask for but probably need. This is the corner of the internet where I tell you what I’d tell my best friend, which is sometimes “you’re right” and sometimes “you’re being ridiculous.”
What kind of advice is on TTB?
Life stuff. Money stuff. Relationship stuff. Parenting stuff. The kind of advice that doesn’t come with a 17-step plan or a $99 download. Just honest takes from someone who’s made every mistake worth making and lived to write about it.
Who writes the advice posts?
I do. Jamie Slack — blogger since the AOL days, currently raising one kid and several houseplants. If I write it, I mean it.
Got a question that isn’t covered here?
If it’s the kind of question you’d ask at midnight when nobody else is awake — love, work, the weird dreams — that’s exactly what I built Elementually for. No scripts, no judgment, just answers.

You Can Get 4 More Free COVID Tests. Here’s How.

Ugh. Cold and flu season is upon us.

Because of all the sick germs running rampant, more people are coming down with COVID.

It’s all hit my family, and it’s No Bueno!!

Because things are so bad right now, the government has stepped it up again.

They are, once again, offering FREE COVID tests to families.

covid.gov

All you have to do is ask for them.

So, do it!! FREE is good!!

Here are the details for the FREE COVID tests.

We knew there will be a moment later in the year when COVID cases would rise again. So we preserved the tests so we could have them on hand for exactly this moment.
Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 response coordinator

covid.gov

Every single US household is eligible to receive FOUR free at-home COVID tests.

The tests available are rapid at-home antigen tests. They are NOT PCR — which are the ones that are super accurate.

covid.gov

These tests can be taken anywhere, and will give you results in about 30 minutes. You don’t have to send them off to a lab.

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Even if you aren’t actively having COVID-19 symptoms, it will tell you if the virus is present in your system.

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To get your own set of COVID at-home tests, simply go to the COVID.gov website.
You Can Get A Giant Fruit Loop That is A Half-Pound of Fruit Loop Action

I like Fruit Loops as much as the next person, but this “little diddy” has me scratching my head.

Walmart

When it comes to breakfast cereal, it doesn’t get much better than Fruit Loops, AMIRITE?

Those tasty fruit Os have most everyone going back to the cereal box for seconds.

Walmart

But, with this new Fruit Loops cereal, there is absolutely no need to ask for another helping of those yummy Os.

MSCHF

This ginormous take on the classic Fruit Loop cereal is brought to us by MSCHF — the people that brought us the “Eat the Rich” popsicles.

MSCHFsicle

They also brought us those über controversial “Satan Shoes” — that weird collab with Little Nas.

cl_crepz – Instagram

We look at things in culture and figure out how to make a twist on it.
Daniel Greenberg, MSCHF’s co-founder

Their current innovation is the HUGE Fruit Loop cereal.

MSCHF

It is so big, there’s no way you’re going to need more than one to make you smile.

Not to mention, there is NO WAY you are going to fit more than one of these Fruit Loops in your cereal bowl.

MSCHF

You better be careful, if you are watching that waistline.

Just one serving — one singular Fruit Loop — contains 930 freakin’ calories!! YIKES!

MSCHF

Well, I mean, that’s kind of to be expected. It is a dang HALF POUND or Fruit Loop fun.

MSCHF

MSCHF worked to replicate the exact texture and taste of the real Kellogg’s cereal – and Greenberg says the final result is almost indistinguishable from the real thing
CNN

MSCHF

The unauthorized Fruit Loop cereal is going to cost $19.99 per Loop, and will be available soon, according to the MSCHF website.

MSCHF
Walmart Is Selling a New Year’s Eve Ball Drop That’s Actually Moves to Countdown To The New Year

This year, there is no need to be traveling to watch a countdown of the new year…

Courtesy of @donnasbeautycottage

Thanks to Walmart, there’s no need to take a trip from out of state to see New York’s famous ball drop to ring in the new year because now, you can do it right at home!

Courtesy of @flightcentreeastgardens

And no, we aren’t just talking about turning on the television to see it broadcasted from your living room!

Courtesy of @a.s.g.on_this_date

Rather than watching the celebration on television or driving miles to see the ball drop, you can snag your very own standing ball drop to put in the living room while hosting your New Year’s Eve party.

Courtesy of @minglis73

That’s right, this standing New Year’s Eve ball drop is high enough for all guests to see without a sea of people blocking the view.

Courtesy of Oriental Trading

And better yet, this multi-colored ball is 3-D and it even moves too!

Courtesy of @minglis73

So when it’s officially time to say goodbye to 2022 and say hello to 2023, this ball drop can ring in the new year right in your own home!

You can currently find the 3-D, moveable, and standing ball New Year’s Eve ball drop on Walmart’s website just before the New Year!

It is also sold on the Oriental Trading Website here.

Courtesy of Oriental Trading
A Limited Edition Harry Potter Trunk Full Of Wizarding Goodies Is Dropping Just In Time For The Holidays
Calling all wizards — and even you muggles out there.

Uber Eats is giving Harry Potter fans the chance to get a hefty helping of the Wizarding World, and I’m so excited!

iam_harry_

They are going to be offering a very limited edition Holiday Trunk, and it’s gonna be filled with a magical assortment of goodies.

MuggleNet.com

Uber Eats recently took to Instagram, posting a very cryptic and mysterious picture, announcing the Holiday Trunk.

ubereats

We solemnly swear…that something good is on its way. Coming soon to witches, wizards, and Muggles —
ubereats

Now, Uber Eats isn’t exactly spilling the deets on the contents of this special Harry Potter Holiday Trunk.

ubereats

In fact, they tease us by starting to open the Holiday Trunk, just to immediately close it, keeping the contents of the mysterious Harry Potter Holiday Trunk hidden.

ubereats

But, thanks to MuggleNet.com, we get to be privy to what’s on the inside of this special Holiday Trunk!

mugglenet.com

The Wizarding World Holiday Trunk will include a personalized letter, materials to build and decorate a gingerbread Hogwarts Castle, nine Harry Potter–themed cookies, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, a Chocolate Frog, and an “interactive AR layerand [sic] light-up cake board.
mugglenet.com

Now, before you get too excited, there is — of course — a catch.

This Limited Edition Harry Potter Holiday Trunk is only going to be available in 18 cities.

mugglenet.com
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New Jersey
- New York
- Phoenix
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Washington DC
- Toronto
- Edmonton
- Calgary
- Vancouver
Looks like it might be time for a Christmas road trip!
Pepsi Is Officially Releasing Their Peeps Flavored Soda Nationwide and I’m So Excited

Thanks to Pepsi, we finally have an excuse to eat Peeps aside from Easter.

Courtesy of @danerose8

Dubbed Pepsi x Peeps, if you remember, the soda company previously released the funky mashup months back, but to get your tastebuds to try the quirky flavor, it wasn’t as easy as it will be soon!

Courtesy of @markie_devo

The new soda flavor combines the marshmallow flavor from Peeps and the same great taste from Pepsi, creating an extra sweet soda for those of you with a nagging sweet tooth.

Courtesy of @hooverash

The cans, which are colored the same as the Peeps sweet treat, Pepsi has also decided to decorate their cans in blue, pink, and yellow rather than the classic dark blue we’re used too from Pepsi.

Courtesy of @nailsaloveaffair

And the best part?

Courtesy of @nailsaloveaffair

Rather than entering a contest to win the new marshmallow flavor, Pepsi instead is releasing the flavor to stores nationwide!

Courtesy of @nailsaloveaffair

Pepsi plans to drop the new soda flavor in 20 ounce bottles and cans sometime in February 2023 and people are already finding it in-stores now!

Courtesy of @i_need_a_snack_

Just look for the bright colored cans of carbonation with Peeps’ bunnies and chicks on the front of the bottle and you’ll know you’ve found the right flavor!

Courtesy of @i_need_a_snack_
Bruce Willis And Demi Moore Are Coparenting Goals In This Christmas Family Photo

Oftentimes, coparenting causes so many problems — it’s hard, y’all.

But, that isn’t an issue for Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

demimoore / dobledebruce

They are absolute goals when it comes to maintaining a good relationship and coparenting their 3 kids — Rumer, Tallulah, and Scout.

demimoore

We’ve previously seen their awesome relationship and coparenting in action during the pandemic, when Bruce Willis chose to quarantine with Demi Moore instead of his current wife.

buuski

Now, we are seeing that they’re truly one big family in a new Instagram photo that Demi Moore posted to her IG page.

demimoore

We are FAMILY!! Getting into the holiday spirit!
Demi Moore

The photo shows Demi, Bruce, his wife, Emma Heming Willis, their two girls — Evelyn Penn (8) and Mabel Ray (10) — and the three older Willis siblings all hanging out in front of the Christmas Tree.

demimoore

And the dog — Pilaf. We can’t forget the dog.

demimoore

Demi also included a few more photos to the same post, and they are equally as sweet.

One of the photos shows Bruce and his wife holding hands and smiling at the dinner table.

demimoore

Another shows Demi, Tallulah, Bruce, and Pilaf — all smiles — in a group hug in front of the tree.

demimoore

These photos are especially sweet in light of Bruce’s latest health issues, which have caused him to take a step back from acting.

dobledebruce

We are so happy for the big blended family, and I must admit — just a little jealous that they seem to do it all with so much ease.

demimoore

Huzzah and Merry Christmas to the Willis family!

demimoore
Dunkin’s ’12 Days of Free Treats’ Is Here And I’m So Excited
Dunkin’! You had me at “Freebies!!”

dunkin

I have to admit — I’m not usually a Dunkin’ fan. I’m a Starbucks diehard, and I don’t seem to veer from my normal habit.

starbucks

BUT, that may be about to change.

Dunkin’ is hosting an entire plethora of FREEBIES, and you don’t want to miss out on the fun.

dunkin

And, the good news here — you can sit your butt at home watching Christmas movies, and have the Dunkin’ delivered to your door!!

How, you ask?

According to Chewboom, Dunkin’ is teaming up with Grubhub for 12 Days of FREE Dunkin’ Treats.

dunkin

Now, we are already in the middle of the 12 Days Of Dunkin’ Treats, so jump in right where they are at, and enjoy the FREE Dunkin’!

dunkin

Each day, from 2:00 p.m. local time to close, all orders of $15 or more will also come with that day’s special treat — for FREE! Plus, you will get free delivery on your entire order.

dunkin

First of all, you HAVE to be a Dunkin’ Rewards Member to take advantage of the FREE deals. So, get to getting, and sign up.

Dunkin Donuts

You can sign up to be a Dunkin’ Rewards Member HERE.

Next, you want to order your Dunkin’ through Grubhub. You can do so HERE.

grubhub

Now, for the fun part. Here’s what’s included in the 12 Days of Dunkin’ Treats.
- December 16: Free snacks and sides (up to $6)
- December 17: Free donuts and bakery items (up to $5)
- December 18: $5 off $15 purchase
- December 19: Free hot drinks
asheborodunkin
- December 20: Free Wake-Up Wrap (up to $5)
- December 21: Free iced drinks plus frozen drink (up to $5)
- December 22: All drinks free (up to $5)
- December 23: $5 off $15 purchase
- December 24: 25 free Munchkins Donut Holes (up to $11)
foodiemasterfi

But wait, there’s more!!

Dunkin’ is also having a 12 Days of Donuts.

snack.food.dude

Every day, from December 13 through December 24, Dunkin’ Rewards members can get one free classic donut with any medium or large drink purchase.

dunkin

You just have to make sure you activate the offer in the app before you checkout.

So, the moral of the story — get the Dunkin’ Rewards app. Order your donuts — $15 or more. Get FREE stuff.

le_couple_gourmet

OR — order your medium or large drink and get a FREE donut!!

dunkindownersgrove
Move Over Strawberries, Chocolate Covered Jalapenos Are The Hot New Food Trend

If eating spicy foods typically isn’t your thing, prepare to have some type of relief when biting into this spicy fruit.

Courtesy of @nenalicious01

Whether you’ve eaten jalapeños raw, cooked, coated in cream cheese or never at all, the new trend revolving around this hot food makes it sweet for those who typically don’t eat spicy foods daily.

Courtesy of @lutinii

Thanks to TikTok, chocolate dipped jalapeños are the hottest new food trend and if you like chocolate and spice, this might be the next midnight craving for you.

Courtesy of @nenalicious01

And making chocolate dipped jalapeños is exactly how it sounds.

Courtesy of @nenalicious01

Sliced or whole, dip your jalapeños in melted chocolate.

Courtesy of @nenalicious01

After letting the jalapeños dry, they’re read to eat!

Courtesy of @nenalicious01

And while some have just stuck with a plain chocolate shell that covers the jalapeño, others have drizzled white chocolate for an extra sweet touch!

Courtesy of @nenalicious01

And for those who already have a hot tongue, this snack should be easy peasy to bite into!

Courtesy of @lutinii
Chris Hemsworth Has A Unique Way Of Putting The Christmas Star On His Tree And We Love It

It’s Chris-mas time, and the God of Thunder is showing us all how it’s done when it comes to putting the Christmas Star atop his glorious Christmas Tree.

chrishemsworth

Really, I’d expect no less from Thor, himself.

Disney+

Last year we tried this but with me on Elsa’s shoulders… nor the tree or @elsapataky’s knees made it. After 12 months of preparation we finally figured it out. A star is born!!
Chris Hemsworth on Instagram

Disney+

Some might call this a questionable way to stick the star on the tree, but all I see is one lucky wife.

elsapataky

In the Instagram video, Chris Hemsworth helps his wife climb onto his shoulders.

chrishemsworth

With his kids watching from the sidelines, giving encouragement and tons of giggles, Chris and Elsa fight their way to the top of the Christmas Tree.

chrishemsworth

Finally, after much effort, Elsa is able to grab the tree and place the star on top.

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Woohoo!! Way to go, guys.

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The comments on the Instagram video are pretty priceless.

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I’ll tell you what. Chris Hemsworth can lift me up on his shoulders any-dang-time to put the star on the top of my Christmas Tree!

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You can catch the entire Chris Hemsworth Instagram video HERE.

chrishemsworth
10 Creative, Cute, And Easy Ways To Display Your Christmas Cards

I am a fan of the holidays for so many reasons, but one thing I LOVE is receiving all the Christmas cards.

It’s a bummer, though, when I don’t have a plan for them, and they end up sitting on my entryway table for weeks on end.

happy_hyacinth_vintage

This year, I have decided to get organized and creative with my Christmas card display, and put them up as pretty decorations throughout the house.

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There are so many ways I can choose to display the cards, and I love them all!

The trick will be choosing just one or two ways!!!

stampix.prints

Side Note: For almost all these Christmas Card Displays, you will need clothespins. You can pick them up pretty cheap on Amazon HERE.

Amazon

Check out these cool Christmas Card Organizational Display Ideas below

Kitchen Cabinet Christmas Card Display – Tape long, wide ribbon to the cabinets, decorate with wreaths (or big bows) at the top, display the cards with clothespins

At Home With Shannon

Banister Christmas Card Display – Hang a string from one end of the banister to the other, decorate the ends with bows, hang the cards with clothespins.

Madonna McGinty

Side Wall Christmas Card Display – Tape a long wide ribbon to the side of a wall, decorate with a big bow at the top, attach the Christmas cards with clothespins.

Melissa Blystone

Framed Chicken Wire Christmas Card Display – Get a big old frame, nail chicken wire to the back, attach Christmas cards with clothespins. You can decorate the frame with bows, wreaths, or ornaments.

Christmas Card Display Ideas

Staircase Garland Christmas Card Display – Run a long piece of garland up the rail of a banister on your staircase, attach Christmas cards with clothespins.

notice the little things

Garland Around A Window Christmas Card Display – Frame a long piece of garland around a window, and clothespin the Christmas cards to the greenery.

brunchwithbabs

Ribbon Wrapped Door Christmas Card Display – Wrap ribbon around a door (like it’s a gift), and attach the Christmas cards with clothespins.

everydaylovelee

Coffee Table Christmas Card Display – Punch a hole in the upper left corner of all the cards, attach a ring binder clip to a stack of cards, display the Christmas cards on a coffee table — like a little book.

shobizreads

Christmas Tree Christmas Card Display – Simply place the Christmas cards in between the branches of your Christmas tree.

herhappyhome

Curtain Light Christmas Card Display – Hang Curtain Lights on your wall, and attach the Christmas Cards with clothespins.

hardinsandhardhats

Category: Heavy Handed Advice

Here are the details for the FREE COVID tests.

Check out these cool Christmas Card Organizational Display Ideas below