*Mornings Archives

---

Jeff Bridges has been in the news this week, after revealing the sad news that he has been diagnosed with lymphoma. But Bridges is ready to face the challenge – with his wife of 43 years, Susan Geston, by his side. In a recent interview with Today he revealed that he always carries a photo with him of the moment he and his wife spoke for the very first time. It was taken by the makeup artist on the set of the 1975 movie Rancho Deluxe. Susan, who turned him down when he first asked her out, was a local in the small Montana town where the movie was filmed. 10 years into their marriage, the makeup artist who took the picture sent him a copy … and he’s kept it in his wallet ever since.

---

Now here’s a costume that really captures 2020 … You can now dress as a Franzia wine box. Franzia is selling the costumes for $25 via their online store. You can choose a Chillable Red or a Sunset Blush. (Delish)

---

Just when you thought a law school graduate going into labor while taking the bar exam was impressive, along comes Makenna Myler. The 28-year-old ran a mile last week in just 5 minutes and 25 seconds — an impressive feat for anyone — but she did it while nine months pregnant and just a week shy of her due date. Her husband captured her run on video and shared it on TikTok.

---

47% of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s – and if you’re a millennial or gen-z’er looking for an over-the-top proposal, two hotels in Santa Monica, California, are here for you. Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar are offering a “The Sky’s the Limit” engagement package – and when they say the sky’s the limit, they’re not kidding. The packages, which begin at $9,900, include the engagement ring delivered by a drone and the entire proposal filmed by hidden cameras and a second drone, so you can use the footage on your social media later. The package also includes a one-night stay in an ocean-view suite, a bottle of champagne, dinner for two, and a fully-produced engagement documentary. Not enough for you? You can upgrade the package with a number of options – including having a message on the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier that reads, “Marry Me.” (Travel & Leisure)

---

First there was the sexy hand sanitizer costume … and now … the sexy mail-in ballot costume. You can get them both at Yandy.com. They even have a sexy quarantine banana bread costume. Yes, really … (Mashable)

---

Speaking of Halloween … Seems there’s a new TikTok trend where people are super-gluing vampire fangs to their teeth. What could go wrong? Yep, superglue is super strong – and they’re having a super hard time getting the fangs off. There are tons of videos of teens yanking on their teeth to try and remove them. No surprise – dentists are warning against this. First, they say to never use superglue or nail glue on your teeth. If you’ve tried it and your fangs get stuck, see a dentist immediately to remove them. If you aren’t able to see a dentist, don’t pull on them – just leave them alone until they fall off on their own. And if you really want to put fangs on your teeth for Halloween, dentists say to use something safe – like denture adhesive. (Insider)

---

A new study by Maastricht University in the Netherlands reveals that mood lighting in restaurants may make food taste bad. Researchers say, ”Guests dining in a brightly lit restaurant perceive the overall taste of a dish – created for the purpose of the study – to be more intense than guests dining in a dimly lit restaurant. The results thus show that modifying the ambient illuminance level in a restaurant does not only affect the overall ambience, but also changes the overall taste experience of the food being served”

---

The Daily Mail says brushing your teeth can help ward off the coronavirus because toothpaste contains some of the same antibacterials as hand sanitizer.

Professor Martin Addy tells the paper, ”Toothpaste contains the same detergents as those found in handwash gels recommended. The antimicrobial action of toothpaste in the mouth persists for three to five hours and, thereby, would reduce the viral load in saliva or infection by viruses entering the mouth. For the vast majority, the timing of tooth brushing should be focused when they are about to go out of their homes for exercise or shopping. Ideally, tooth brushing frequency should be increased.”

Evaluate Your Life Day: It’s a day to pause and reflect upon your life — where it’s been, and where it’s going.

---

If you’re lucky enough to be working from home, are you still showering first thing in the morning, before you start work? Or, have you started showering at night? If you’ve changed to a night-time shower … it’s probably a good habit to keep. According to experts, showering at night is better for you. It helps you sleep, washes off the dirt and germs of the day (especially important in these times of COVID-19), and it’s better for your skin – rinsing off all the makeup, oil, dirt, and pollutants built up during the day. (Best Life)

---

Tech neck is real … and getting worse. A new survey found that 30% of women have suffered “tech neck” – strain on the neck and shoulders — from looking down at their phone too much. And it’s gotten worse during the pandemic. 42% of respondents said they have spent more time than usual looking at their phones over the last several months and 50% admitted they spent too much time staring at their phones – checking them an average of 13 times an hour. 25% said their neck has aged “noticeably” because of all the time looking down. (SWNS)

---

Hug a cow … So, cow hugging is the latest wellness trend. It originated in The Netherlands and is now becoming popular all over the world, with farms offering cow hugging as stress therapy for people. Apparently, the cow’s large size, warm body temperature and slow heartbeat helps humans relax. (People)

---

Last week we told you how Hormel was making a bacon-scented mask – and now, here comes the chicken … southern and western fast food chain Jack-in-the-Box has launched a fried chicken-scented face mask to promote their new plant-based offering: the Unchicken sandwich. They are giving away the masks for free on October 23rd, while supplies last, on the company’s website. (People)

---

You love taking adorable pics of your pup, but what about those not-so-flattering shots? There’s a place for them. Twitter has an #unflatteringdogphotochallenge – and it’s awesome. Find the worst/funniest pics of your pups and post them. We can all use a laugh these days. (Pop Sugar)

---

Working from home is quickly becoming working from anywhere … A new survey by Airbnb of work-from-homers found that 60% want to spend some time working from somewhere other than their homes. And no surprise – their ideal destinations are near water. 37% want to work at a place near the ocean and 18% want to rent a place by a lake. The survey found that 54% are looking for a change of scenery, and 29% said a new location would make them more creative. 19% said they wanted to stay somewhere closer to friends and family. (The Sun)

---

Speaking of working from anywhere … First it was Ferris wheels as restaurants, and now … offices. Remote workers are being lured to an amusement park in Tokyo, which promises free WiFi and the opportunity to use a Ferris wheel car as your office desk. Talk about a change of scenery. For just $18, work-from-home employees have full access to work from anywhere in the park — including on the Ferris wheel. And the best part? After quitting time, anyone who worked remotely at the park gets full access to all the other attractions. (Daily Motion)

---

Is the election stressing you out? Maybe it’s time to live under a rock for a while. Hotels.com is offering a five-night stay in a room under a rock, in a cave about 50 feet underground in New Mexico. The website says the room is perfect for “those who are experiencing election stress disorder” — and it costs just $5 a night. But I can’t imagine it will very comfortable.

---

Speaking of stress … Nature really helps lift your mood — even if you’re just watching it on TV. Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK found that watching nature programs not only made people happier – but it also significantly reduced feelings of boredom.

---

Have things gotten boring in the bedroom? It might be time to repaint. A survey by Travelodge found that people who painted their room a caramel color had more sex – three times a week on average. And if you thought painting your room red would equate to more passion … yeah, not so much. People who slept in red bedrooms did it just once a week on average.

---

Let’s face it — no one enjoys wearing masks. It makes our faces hot, fogs up our glasses, and forces us to smell our own breath. But help is on the way … thanks to Hormel. Yes, the company known for processed meat. Hormel is now offering bacon-scented facemasks. If you love the smell of breakfast, you can now wear Hormel’s Black Label Breathable Bacon mask. As Hormel says, “Don’t just eat bacon. Inhale it.”

But if you want one (and who doesn’t?) you’ll have to win one. Head over to BreathableBacon.com and enter for your chance to score one.

---

Bored with traditional Christmas trees? Among the latest trends in holiday decorating are giant cactus Christmas trees. Yep, Amazon is selling artificial trees shaped like a cactus. They come in three sizes – 5, 6 and 7 feet — are pre-lit with LED lights, and come with red and gold ornaments and a big gold bow. (Insider)

---

The Los Angeles Fire Department has a new robot — called the RS3 — that battles flames too dangerous for humans.

It looks like a miniature tank and is equipped with a plow nose and water cannon. And, most importantly, it can blast 2,500 gallons of water or foam per minute, with enough power to knock someone off their feet. (MSN)

---

If you’re working from home, have you found that it’s now harder to relax at home? A new survey found that 25% of respondents say that when their home became their office, they had a harder time separating their work life from their home life, making it more difficult to just chill out. (SWNS)

---

How confident are you in your cooking skills? Seems a lot of people are very confident. In fact, 50% of people in a recent survey said they have a recipe so good that it could be served in a five-star restaurant. And 46% said their cooking skills were on par with professional chefs. (SWNS)

---

Speaking of dining … A restaurant group in San Diego wants to take COVID-safe dining to new heights … on a Ferris wheel. Yep, the group wants to build a 148-foot Ferris wheel that they say could safely accommodate as many as 288 people in 36 separate eight-passenger gondolas. “The views are amazing from the top of this wheel, and it’s a day and nighttime activity for locals, visitors, families, seniors and everyone in between. It’s also a very COVID-safe activity,” says David Cohn of the Cohn Restaurant Group. (Food & Wine)

---

Time to start your holiday wish list … First it was Gucci’s $1,200 grass-stained jeans, and now Ralph Lauren is selling paint-splattered coveralls … for $800. Here’s how they’re described on the website: “Made from Japanese cotton satin with the reverse side facing out. Utility pockets. Allover paint splatters.” (Independent)

---

In these turbulent times, it’s great to see people taking a stand and fighting for the important stuff — like Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza.

A Change.org petition is out there with more than 100,000 signatures, with the goal of keeping the menu item around.

If Taco Bell continues with their plan of “streamlining” operations — and if people don’t make enough noise about the Mexican Pizza going away — then it will disappear for good on November 5th. So … maybe … eat as many as you can until then? (Food & Wine)