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Like Fine Wine, This Extremely Fashionable Couple Only Gets Better With Age

By Yael Meshulam
Elderly Couple are World's Fashion Icons
(Instagram/britt.kanja)

Most people on some level have an aversion to the idea of aging. Maybe you’re afraid of your looks changing, or that you won’t be able to do everything you enjoy doing now. The reality is, getting older is inevitable – but aging doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to start missing out on things you love. In fact, sometimes the best opportunities present themselves after you’ve already gone gray. Or maybe you’re the type that refuses to slow down, chasing adventure at any age. For this Berlin couple, getting older meant finally being recognized as the fashion icons they are.

Britt Kanja and Günther Krabbenhöft are the epitome of the idea that age is just a number. Not only have they taken the world by storm with their incredible sense of style, but they are both extremely active in their daily lives. Günther is known for dancing pretty much non-stop, sometimes for hours upon hours each day. He hasn’t always been this active – in fact, Günther didn’t discover his love of dancing until much later in life.

 

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Günther has been dubbed the “Hipster Grandpa” after a tourist posted a photo of him looking debonair as ever waiting on a subway platform in Berlin.

 

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According to her Instagram page, Britt a “Creative Icon of Style at Berlin’s Art, Party, and Cultural Scene.” She’s also a model, club owner, and adorably, a roller skate enthusiast.

 

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The dapper couple has been known around Berlin for years, but it wasn’t until 2015 when they were thrust into the world-wide fashion scene after Vogue’s Instagram page shared their photo. The photo accumulated over half a million likes, solidifying them as international fashion icons.

Not only is this couple incredibly well-dressed, but their photos have both a sophisticated and joyful energy that leaves their fans wanting more. They are often quirky, always elegant, and definitely make it harder to justify wearing sweatpants every day.

 

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The draw of this couple extends far beyond what they’re wearing – their pictures are so full of energy, it’s hard to look away.

 

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Günther explained to Sueddeutsche that a big reason he dresses the way he does is to reflect how he feels inside. He often considers “whether it’s all in harmony,” and makes sure his outward appearance reflects who he is.

 

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Günther’s advice to the next generation? “Live wild and dangerous!” Now that we can do, if that’s what it takes to become as stylish and full of life as this duo.

 

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Gucci Beauty Campaign Features Teen Model With Down Syndrome

By Mark Chalifoux
Ellie Goldstein Gucci Model
(Instagram/elliejg16_zebedeemodel)

A teenager with Down syndrome is one of the stars of a new Gucci Beauty campaign, making her one of the first models with Down syndrome to work with the iconic brand. 18-year-old Ellie Goldstein was selected for the campaign as part of an Instagram scouting project in conjunction with the Photo Vogue Festival.

It was photographer David P. Hyde who shot Goldstein for the special editorial featuring the brand’s Mascara L’Obscur, which was described as “for an authentic person who uses makeup to tell their story of freedom, in their way.”

It’s a big win for inclusion and representation for Goldstein to have been selected. She’s been modeling since she was 15 for an agency that aims to “increase the representation of people who have until now been excluded in the media.”

The theme of the photo contest Hyde won was unconventional beauty, and Goldstein’s picture ended up being a hit, as it’s the most popular photo ever on the brand’s Instagram account.

Goldstein told Vogue U.K. that representation is important and she wants to see more models with disabilities.

“Representation is very important to me—let the world see that anyone can model and act with a disability,” she said. She also mentioned that, in public, people tend to look over her and talk to her mom like she isn’t even there.

“Once people realize I can talk and have a great character, they are different towards me and smile,” she said. “There needs to be more positivity out there and people should give us a chance and not be so ignorant.”

 

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SUNDAY MIRROR! Newspaper. Great article thanks to Anna Gizowska @zebedee_management #sundaymirror #inclusivemodel #model #teamzebedee #zbd

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More brands have begun to include models with Down syndrome in recent years, including the iconic American Girl catalog. Overall, Goldstein said she was thrilled with the reception to her inclusion on the campaign and with the support she’s seen for her picture.

“When I look at the images, I feel happy with myself, and all the likes and comments on social media across the world have been overwhelming.”

Blame Canada: The ‘Brokini’ Has Arrived

By Yael Meshulam
Canadian Friends Invent Brokini Bathing Suits
(brokinis.com)

If you’ve ever gone to your local Target looking for a bathing suit, chances are you’ve wandered through aisle after aisle of women’s swimwear in hundreds of colors and styles before finally stumbling upon the single shelf of swim trunks. It seems to be a theme across all types of fashion – women getting nearly endless choices to showcase their individuality, while men essentially have to choose from five different combinations of shirt and pants. Two friends from Toronto were fed up with the monotony of men’s swimwear, so they decided to do something (very weird) about it. If women get to wear bikinis, then dammit, men should get to wear Brokinis.

In a style reminiscent of Borat but more absurd somehow, the brokini is basically a speedo with a single over-the-shoulder strap connecting the front to the back. Chad Sasko and Taylor Field describe their creation as a “bathing suit revolution of schmedium proportions”. Can’t argue with that, mostly because we wouldn’t know where to start. Though the entire line of brokinis seems like one big spoof on itself, the innovative Canadians, bless their hearts, built a fully-functional website to showcase their product.

Two patterns are for sale for $45 each on the Brokini website, but even if you’re not in the market for a “Bromingo” or “Fineapple” Brokini, the product’s site is well worth a visit. “We (the founders) excelled in high school and found classes to be a joke. We therefore didn’t develop any work or study ethic and spent most of our time playing hacky sack and sword fighting with meter sticks,” the “about” section explains. “We somehow made it into business school and were both perfectly mediocre and that is why we are stuck running a business that loses money like crazy.”

The pages of the Brokini site are filled with the two friends modeling their creation, posing with inflatable water animals, and frolicking about – my God, there is so. Much. Frolicking. In case you need more information about the Brokinis themselves (pretty sure we get it), the product pages provide some handy facts. ”The perfect swimwear to make your parents question where they went wrong,” the site aptly states. “2 out of 2 moms polled said our website is: ‘it looks great honey.’”

Whether or not Brokinis are the next swimsuit craze to hit Holiday Inn pools around the world is yet to be determined, but there is one thing I can say for sure: if you have the confidence to unironically rock a Brokini in public, you’ve already made it.

Teen Creates Clothing Company to Promote Love Over Violence

By Yael Meshulam
Love1 Clothing
(Instagram/love1biz)

It’s exhilarating to watch your favorite superhero beat the everloving heck out of their arch-nemesis, but it’s important to remember that in real life, violence is pretty much never the answer. We’ve seen far too much of it lately, and too often, guns have played a major part. 18-year-old RuQuan Brown of Washington, D.C. knows all too well about the crushing and extensive effects of gun violence. In the span of just over a year, both Brown’s teammate, as well as his stepfather, were shot. Neither survived. Two years later, RuQuan is absolutely crushing it. He’s a star athlete, he was accepted into two dozen colleges, and he even earned 16 full-ride scholarships (!). Through all of his successes though, RuQuan has never forgotten the pain he experienced as a result of his unimaginable losses.

RuQuan is clearly not one to let things continue unchanged when action is needed. Filled with resilience and perseverance, RuQuan found a unique way to cope with the loss of his loved ones. He started a clothing company called Love1 – but this is no ordinary brand. Not only is he donating 20% of the proceeds, but those proceeds go directly to an organization called One Gun Gone. OGG is a New Jersey-based initiative that purchases guns in local communities and transforms them into beautiful works of art.

 

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One Gun Gone collaborates with adult artists like Jordan Seabury. We gift artists one of our Crayon Gun Sculptures. Since children are the primary users of crayons, we have used crayons and crayon wax to create the physical form of a gun. To us, the Crayon Gun Sculptures communicate that children are learning about gun violence too early. The artist takes our sculpture and transforms it into their own expression of how they feel about gun violence. Here Jordan Seaberry transformed our sculpture into a gun melting or exploding into, onto or through a pile of open books. Whatever the interaction is… the books and the knowledge within them are being changed forever. Is this artwork about gun violence in schools? Is this about the effects of trauma after gun violence? Maybe that is up to the viewer. This work is now in a private collection. The profits were added to our gun buy back, which currently stands at $9000. #contemporaryart #artcollector #collectart #curator #endgunviolence #endginviolencenow #honoreithaction #enough #dosomething #pvd #pvdart #iloverhodeisland #youtharts #giveback #community

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RuQuan told Because of Them We Can, “I started it to honor the lives of my teammate and step dad, who were murdered a year apart. I wanted to beat gun violence to the punch so that our families don’t have to continuously fall victim to tragic losses.”

With every step on the road to his company’s success, RuQuan knows that he’s doing something tangible to honor his teammate and his stepfather. Perhaps more importantly, he knows he is taking concrete steps to prevent other kids from experiencing loss as he did. RuQuan explains, “We’re eliminating a small fragment of the problem in order to reduce the amount of our loved ones being taken from us.”

The Love1 website features t-shirts, hoodies, and keychains with the company’s logo. You can make purchases directly from the website if you’d like to support this awe-inspiring teen.

Disney Creates New Line of Adaptive Halloween Costumes

By Mark Chalifoux
Disney Adaptive Costumes
(ShopDisney.com)

Disney continues to make Halloween a brighter, more inclusive holiday for all kids by introducing the brand’s first line of adaptive costumes for kids with disabilities. ShopDisney.com now has a trio of new costumes, along with special accessories for kids to fully embrace the holiday.

This continues a positive trend of making holidays more accessible to kids with different needs. Last winter, we saw malls around the nation opening early so kids with autism could visit Santa in a calmer setting. We also saw American Girl release their first doll with a hearing impairment.

The first costumes released by Disney were an Incredibles 2 suit, a Buzz Lightyear Costume, and a Cinderella dress. Disney also released wheelchair cover sets to go with the Cinderella dress (the cover is an awesome looking coach) and with the Incredibles costumes (the wheelchair cover is the Incredimobile).

The costumes incorporate stretchier fabric and they open in the back to make it easier for kids to put on. The length is also a little longer (to make them more wheelchair friendly) and come with a flap on the front to accommodate tube access. The wheelchair cover sets fit most wheelchairs and have plastic support pieces included for stability.

Who knows what Halloween will look like this year? The pandemic has ruined much else in 2020, but one thing is certain, Halloweens going forward, whether it’s this year or those in the future, will be a little more inclusive of ALL kids.

Laundry-Shop-Owning Couple in Their 80s Are the Influencers We Need

By Yael Meshulam
Laundry-Shop-Owning Couple in Their 80s are the Instagram Models we Need
(Instagram/wantshowasyoung)

Instagram always felt like it was missing something, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what until I found it. As it turns out, what this globally popular image and video-based social media platform desperately needed was 83-year-old Chang Wan-ji and 84-year-old Hsu Sho-er, aka the fashion icons of Central Taiwan.

It started with the all-too-familiar quarantine slump. Reef Chang, the couple’s 31-year-old grandson, saw that his grandparents’ business had dwindled significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite their age, this couple didn’t want to slow down – with the lack of business came overwhelming boredom, and the loving grandson wanted to bring some brightness back into their lives. So Reef became a stylist of sorts, using clothes that had been left behind at his grandparents’ laundry shop to create their iconic Instagram looks.

And let me tell you, they were naturals.

 

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A post shared by 萬秀的洗衣店｜WANT SHOW as young (@wantshowasyoung) on

The couple’s Instagram page exploded, with only 21 posts and over 450,000 followers, and it’s easy to see why. The concept is not only brilliant, but the couple is overflowing with personality. The sass, the lighthearted nature of the photos, the youthful playfulness of this elderly couple, it’s the breath of fresh air we need right now.

It’s a real shame for whoever left these clothes behind, because they’ve never looked better.

 

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The Instagram comments show just how quickly people around the world have fallen for this stylish couple. “I want to have as much swag as them when I get older,” commented one user. “The two of you are what the world needs right now. Thank you for these joyful photos,” replied another. Several others on Instagram share memories of their own grandparents, connecting with the photos in a deep and meaningful way.

Reef told the New York Times, “I’ll read them some of the messages we get and tell them where the senders are from, and they’ll say, ‘Ah, I’ve been there!’”

The viral photos have helped the family stay entertained and connected during a time where both of those things are exceedingly difficult. Even more amazing? Someone spotted some familiar clothing in one of the photos and, more than a year later, returned to pay the bill and take them home.

Crayola Unveils Colorful Mask Pack for Kids and Teachers

By Mark Chalifoux
Crayola school mask pack
(Crayola)

Parents are facing an incredibly difficult choice as schools prepare to open this fall. While districts in some cities have already announced plans to return with a remote format, many are attempting to have at least some in-person instruction, with a surprising number resuming their full schedule. Most schools are also allowing an online option for families who don’t feel safe sending their kids back.

It’s an incredibly difficult decision, different for every family in every city, and it’s a choice each family makes for their own reasons. For those sending their kids back to school this fall, there will be a new item on most back-to-school shopping lists: face masks.

As the science has proven the dramatic effect universal masking can have on limiting the spread of COVID-19, mask mandates are becoming the norm in many cities and school districts are following suit in requiring masks for teachers and strongly suggesting them (if not requiring them) for students.

This adds an extra layer of difficulty for parents, especially as many may have had their kids at home for much of the past four months. There’s a big difference between having your 8-year-old wear a mask for a weekly trip to the grocery store and wearing one every day for six hours.

Crayola is trying to make things easier on parents, with the release of a new set of masks for kids and teachers that are supposed to be safe, yet breathable. The colorful masks come in packs of five, as the School Maskpack provides a new mask for each school day.

A special laundry bag is included in the packs so parents can wash the five masks at the end of the week. The masks are adjustable so the fit isn’t an issue (as any parent knows, an ill-fitting mask just means your kid has their hands in their face CONSTANTLY). They also have options with name tags on them, helpful for teachers trying to make the masks seem a little less intimidating to younger students.


Wearing masks are going to be a routine part of everyday life for the foreseeable future, especially as more stores require them for shoppers nationwide.

Crayola’s masks are already a bestseller and are an easy way for parents to keep track of the newest classroom essential for kids. Parents can order them on Amazon and get them in early August, ahead of their kids returning to school.

Buffalo Wild Wings Unveils the “Moist Tielette” For Father’s Day

By Mike Julianelle
Moist Tie-Lette
(YouTube/Buffalo Wild Wings)

Father’s Day is this Sunday, which, if you’re anything like your dad and his dad and so many dads over the years, you’re probably going to get a tie. The “tie for Father’s Day” stereotype is well-known for a reason: it’s a very real thing. But what if I told you it didn’t have to be a bad thing? q

It’s 2020, the summer of COVID, and many of us are still working from home. Which means if we receive a tie on Sunday, we probably won’t need to wear it anytime soon. Unless it’s a special tie. A tie that does more than just bring a splash of color to your outfit. A tie that serves a real purpose.

I give you: the moist tie-lette, which is a necktie that is also a wet wipe.

That’s right! Buffalo Wild Wings unveiled this new product, a groundbreaking piece of dad-wear that isn’t just there to make you look good, it’s also there to help you stay clean while you eat their wings.

From BWW’s Moist Tie-lette website: While they won’t be available at fine men’s retailers, the tie-lettes are sewn from the most absorbent towelettes and designed to mimic a standard necktie. They are paired with a one-of-a-kind chicken wing bone tie clip, adding some extra flair to dad’s look. The Moist Tie-Lettes are packaged like an oversized version of the typical moist towelettes you’d find at any BWW sports bar. Further details can be accessed HERE.

It’s $25 bucks, but can you really put a price on a product so bizarre and yet so perfect? So ridiculous and yet so right? So mantastic and so multi-functional? No, you can’t.

So if you’re stuck on what to get your dad for Father’s Day, Buffalo Wild Wings has got you covered. And after he opens his unique gift, you can sit down with a plate of wings, without any worry that you’ll make a mess, and watch the making-of video:

Meet the Dad Whose New Balances Glow When It’s Time to Mow

By Jimmy Applegath
Scott Golz, American Lawnmower
(SUPPLIED)

Meet Scott Golz. Dad. Lawnmowing enthusiast. He caught our eye when he commented on a story we did about a community lawnmowing gang. He shared an amazing photo of him proudly posing on his trusted machine, hoisting an American flag. But our community also noticed a subtle glow coming from his New Balances. We needed to find out more. Thankfully, Scott was gracious enough to share his story and some of his tips for a ballpark-esque turf.

Every superhero has an origin story, what’s yours?

My lawn mowing history began around the age of 12. My father passed away 4 years prior so I am what you would call “self-taught”. I didn’t have much technique but damn were my lines straight. The interesting thing is, I had heard stories of my father and how he could mow the lawn with one hand and drink a cup of coffee with the other. It is quite possible that I had acquired some of the raw talent he possessed.

Tell us about your lawnmowing footwear.

The New Balance sneaker – I had my daughter at the age of 32, it was maybe a couple of weeks later when I purchased my 1st pair of New Balance running shoes. I can’t say what inspired me to try on that 1st pair but I did, and haven’t looked back since. New dad instincts I’m guessing.

Lawnmowing Footwear New Balance
(SUPPLIED)

I have a theory called the New Balance evolution. That 1st pair was my everyday shoe. I’d wear them to the grocery store, casual work meetings, and fun nights out on the town. When they began to lose their luster, they evolved into “work shoes”, mainly worn while doing various light-duty yard work. At this point, I purchase a new pair for everyday use. Once the new pair loses its luster, they evolve into the “work Shoes” and the old “work shoes” graduate to “Lawn Mowing Shoes”. These grass-stained soles are basically the Holy Grail of Dad footwear. I have a large assortment of grass-stained New Balance sneakers on display in my walk-in closet and the collection isn’t showing any signs of slowing. In terms of what pair I choose to wear when I mow, the sneakers basically dictate which pair will be worn on any specific day. I don’t choose the sneaker, the sneaker chooses me.

You may notice the “N” symbol on my New Balance shoes will glow at times. I compare it to the Bat-Signal. I always say “When the New Balance Glow, it’s time to mow”. I couldn’t tell you exactly when this phenomenon first occurred but I can tell you that every Dad has the ability to harness that power. It does come with time and patience. I have been a Dad now for 13 years and I would say it took a good 10 years before I experienced “The Glow”. The funny thing is… I believe it was right around the time I got my 1st riding mower. It was sitting in the garage of the new house we were putting an offer on. In my offer, I negotiated the beautiful green mower into the price of the house and the rest is history. The only thing that can diminish the glow is a rainy day. It is Dad Law that you cannot and must not mow when those blades of grass are wet.

How did becoming a dad change your mowing mindset? 

You need to teach your kids to take pride in everything they do, even mowing the lawn. I am sad to say, however, my 13-year-old daughter shows absolutely no interest in lawns, lawnmowers, or lawnmower accessories. She does say the striping looks really nice when I finish. I’ll take any compliment I can from her at this point.

Scott and Jenna Golz
Scott and Jenna (SUPPLIED)

What do you think of Robo-Mowers?

THEY’RE A JOKE. This is a major part of living the dad life. Don’t let robots take that away from you. If you want a robot to vacuum your new bamboo hardwoods, that’s acceptable.

Do you have any signature moves?

I have several signature moves. I usually pull out the 1 handed finger gun and pew-pew the next-door neighbor. Sometimes if I am having an exceptionally good mow, I whip out the double-handed finger guns and pew-pew like the wild west. Know this much, if you drive down my street, you will always get a wave no matter what. You will also see me mouth the words “who the hell is this”.

Do you have any lawnmowing rivals?

When I moved to my current house 3 years ago, my lawn was horrendous. Riddled with a cornucopia of weeds and the invasive “Nutsedge” I was a bit overwhelmed. My next-door neighbor Simon has a beautiful lawn and I decided if I get to look out at his masterpiece, he should get a masterpiece as well. I have been on a mission to be on the same level and it looks like I am almost there. I would not consider him competition, I would consider him motivation. He and his family are wonderful neighbors as well.

Between the two of us, we are the dominating forces in our neighborhood.

Ball Park Lawn Lines
(SUPPLIED)

What advice do you have for up and coming lawnmowing dads?

Keep your blades high, do not under any circumstance scalp your lawn. It opens the lawn up to weeds like you’d never imagined. Get yourself on a 3 step fertilization program and do not mow when the grass is wet. Another major component to my lawn success is to mulch your clippings, do not bag. The clippings are a natural fertilizer. Aerate the lawn every so often and dethatch as well. When you have things looking good and the grass is lush, buy yourself a striping kit for the mower. This will give you those beautiful lines you see at ballparks. This is how you attain lawn domination in your neighborhood. Sticking flame decals your kid got you for Father’s day on your mower definitely scores domination points as well.

Crocs Expanded Their Shoe Give Away to Include All Essential Workers

By Mark Chalifoux
Crocs Giveaway to Essential Workers
(Twitter/Crocs)

Some companies are trying to make a difference in the lives of those who have been affected most by our global pandemic. Whether it’s donating more than a million dollars of flowers to moms stuck in senior centers, or organizing a fund-raising effort to bring in millions for restaurant workers, people and organizations are giving back in creative ways.

Crocs is one of those companies. The shoe-maker with a very specific audience began giving away tens of thousands of pairs daily to healthcare workers, people who are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic. The shoe is a popular choice for healthcare workers, given the comfort and ease to wash. The campaign was a popular one, as eligible people could sign up before 12 p.m. ET every day to win a pair, as Crocs has given away more than a half-million pairs.

And now the company has expanded its popular free-shoe giveaway, widening the groups of people they recognize. On Friday, Crocs organized a #FreePairFriday for all essential workers, starting a “pairs that care” campaign, allowing servers, line cooks, delivery drivers, grocery store attendants, and “anyone else significantly affected by the crisis” to enter the free shoe giveaway. The company gave away 10,000 pairs of shoes to those essential workers.

And Crocs is firing up its campaign for healthcare workers again as well, starting another round of “Sharing a Free Pair for Healthcare.” If you’re a healthcare worker – or if they do another FreePairFriday this week), the place to sign up every morning of the giveaway is here.

Props to Crocs for continuing to give back to the people helping the most right now.

10 Hilariously Creative Face Masks People Are Wearing Amid Coronavirus

By The Dad
Funny COVID-19 Face Masks
(reddit/staceyjg314 Twitter/mjxsmith24)

2018 was the year of tiny sunglasses and biker shorts with blazers. 2019 brought us a spike in boiler suits and cheetah print. In 2020, the year of the socially distanced, protective face masks are the hottest new fashion trend.

While we all strive to make the most of such dire circumstances, some folks are outright refusing to let one measly pandemic compromise their good time. Here are 10 of the funniest, most inventive face masks. We can’t vouch for their effectiveness against the spread of COVID-19, but they’ll certainly elicit a smile in these strange times.

We are all Harold now.

“Say it, don’t spray it” gets a reboot.

Then there’s this old man, crushing it.

Quarantine fun with Mom! Only masks available on-line! from r/funny

🙂

This guy should be on currency.

This guy didn’t have a mask, so he came to the orthopedist as a polar bear from r/funny

Genius money-saving hack.

There’s this duo who seamlessly reconciled Star Wars Day with CDC guidelines.

Who needs facemasks, or hand sanitizer when you can have beskar armour to protect against Corona? from r/TheMandalorianTV

Please, please tell us she had a dog with a person mask.

This woman who came into our restaurant said this is the only protective mask she could find. from r/funny

Over here, some really misguided Jughead cosplay.

Mysterio has been seen in Tbilisi metro fighting COVID19

Finally, this brilliant mask modification is bound to be the hottest trend of summer 2020.

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.

Sign of the Weird Times: Disney Is Selling Baby Yoda Face Masks

By Mark Chalifoux
Baby Yoda Face Mask
(Disney)

The pre-virus world was marked by many a craze, but none carried the fall of 2019 quite like Baby Yoda (not his name) from “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. The BaYo obsession reminds us all of a much simpler time. But now there’s a way to bring Baby Yoda into the Coron-era: Disney’s new Baby Yoda masks.

To be fair, it’s not just Baby Yoda masks. Disney is selling four-packs of face masks featuring a variety of characters from Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars.

As much as I’d like to make fun of this, being a website that treasures humor above all else, this is actually a cool idea. Now that the CDC recommends facial coverings for anyone in public over the age of 2, having masks with familiar characters on them will make the concept a whole lot scarier for kids. Tying a bandana around their face like you’re about to take the family to a bank heist can be intimidating, and the last thing parents need right now is more resistance.

Getting a kid to look more like Iron Man or Elsa before going to run an errand? A much easier task.

“We realize this is a challenging time for families and wearing any type of mask can be daunting,” a senior VP for the Disney Store said in a statement. “Our hope is that Disney’s cloth face masks featuring some of our most beloved characters will provide comfort to the families, fans and communities that are so important to us.”

Wearing masks routinely is a very foreign concept to most Americans, so it will take some getting used to. It may feel weird or silly, but it helps to remember that when you see someone wearing a mask – they’re doing their part to protect others. And given this seems like the new normal for the next while, finding a mask that’s both comfortable and fun can make a big difference, especially when it comes to kids.

You can buy a four-pack for yourself (or your people) online at the Disney Store for just 19.99. Disney will also be donating $1 million of sales to COVID-19 relief efforts and will be donating masks to underprivileged communities.

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.

Nurse Designs Customized Power Rangers and Teletubbies PPE

By Nick Ciavarella
Power Ranger Nurse
(Instagram/Adrian Pe)

A Philippines-based nurse is using his expert design skills to give back to his very own healthcare community. Adrian Pe is one of those all-too-common nurse/fashion designers and has decided to use his combined talents for good by creating customized PPE (personal protective equipment) based on the Power Rangers, Teletubbies, and more. Adrian explains:

I chose the Teletubbies because it gives frontliners not only the protection but the positive vibe, and Power Rangers to inspire workers to live out their childhood superheroes.

No need to inspire healthcare workers to live out their childhood superheroes, though. They clearly already are the heroes we so desperately need but do not deserve.

And because good news spreads like wildfire, Adrian’s designs have been making the rounds on social media, inspiring others to use their sewing techniques to help produce larger quantities of colorful suits—because why make boring old hospital-blue PPE when you can make awesome bright red, green, purple, and yellow PPE?

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Team RED ♥️ #COVID19 TMCILOILO OR DR NICU

A post shared by Adrian Pe (@senoritoaidz) on

Sewers can finish six to eight suits at home or four to five suits in the hospital (I guess they’re busy at the hospital or whatever). Adrian and his team have already completed and distributed more than 600 suits.

“In general, all front liners and nurses, they are risking their lives and also their families’ lives as well,” said Adrian. “I correlate it with our modern-day heroes, our front liners.”

Not only has Adrian created PPE based on popular 90s’ shows, though. Here is a group of healthcare workers posing as Kylo-freakin-Ren:

Yo, Adrian! Thanks! You’re adding some needed color to a very bleak situation.