Relationships Talk

Fans of Hershey’s Kisses may have noticed a troubling trend hidden underneath the chocolate’s shiny, aluminum wrapping.

The bite-sized chocolates are missing their tips.

Wait, what?

Traditionally, Hershey’s Kisses are made in a distinctive teardrop shape with a flat bottom and a fine point on top. However, the points are cut off leaving the tops flat or jagged instead.

Go ahead and unwrap a piece for yourself. The problem is affecting virtually all Hershey’s Kisses out on the market.

A group of bakers who use Hershey’s Kisses in their cookies were first to notice the imperfections, complaining on social media the chocolate maker’s apparent production issues hurt the presentation of their baked goods.

Hershey issues statement

Jeff Beckman, director of corporate communications for The Hershey Company, addressed the controversy with a written statement to the Lebanon Daily News.

“The Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook group brought this to our attention,” said Beckman. “We appreciate their love of the brand and taking the time to bring the appearance of our iconic Hershey’s Kisses to our attention.

“We are looking at the issue now. We understand that bakers’ expectations are high for an iconic brand that is more than 100 years old because they are proud of their desserts.

“Our Hershey’s Kisses brand team reached out directly to the Wedding Cookie Table Community over the weekend to donate a number of our iconic baking items as a thank you for their love of the Hershey’s brand and our Kisses and to heartwarm their holidays.”

Hershey’s Kisses are still good

The Hershey Company has not provided an explanation for the missing tips, nor given any indication of when the problem might be corrected.

Whatever the cause of the issue, it should be noted this is a purely a matter of appearance. The Lebanon Daily News can confirm Hershey’s Kisses still taste great.

While the women of RHOBH are regularly blasting themselves with lasers and harvesting entire new faces from the poor as routine parts of their on-camera skin-care regimens, our New Jersey divas have just now discovered Korean face masks. With impressively little concern about the potential for property damage and/or arson, Margaret invites all the gals over to her home for brunch and beauty treatments. Even Danielle is there — in a bedazzled denim jacket I feel I would be remiss not to mention, at least in passing — compulsively addressing everyone as “honey” and expounding on her elaborate dietary restrictions. “You know how allergic I am to everything,” she says. “Not to penis,” Dolores observes.

Teresa reciprocates Jackie’s attempt at a cheek-kiss hello as unenthusiastically as is humanly possible, and when Jackie dares to defend Melissa once more, their argument picks up where they left off. “You’ve been here five minutes, if you want to make it to ten, I would shut it if I were you,” Teresa yells. She further illustrates her point, confusingly but not ineffectively, by dropping a flurry of F-bombs (or is the proper collective noun a fuckton of F-bombs?) and banging her fork on the table.

Of course, Teresa’s fight with Jackie is really Teresa’s fight with Melissa poorly disguised in a pair of big sunglasses and a kooky hat. She and Dolores get up from the table and leave without saying good-bye to the group. I hope Teresa drove all the way home with her mask still dried in crispy Crypt Keeper patches all over her face.

Danielle suggests that Melissa and Jackie’s newfound closeness might be evidence of a “little lesbian thing” between them, and as much I would love to watch Jackie meaningfully leave her gloves behind on Melissa’s department-store counter, it is obvious that Melissa is desperate for sisterly affection — and more importantly, for any kind of life preserver against the rising, all-consuming tides of Teresa’s disapproval.

Maybe it’s that Jackie’s had a change of heart, or maybe it’s that she’s decided she would like to make it to ten after all (or at least make it to ten with less screaming). She calls up Dolores, who has Jackie’s last name listed as “Goldschnidier” in her phone (seeing how wildly misspelled Housewives’ iPhone contacts are is never not a delight), asking to meet up and get advice on moving forward in her relationship with Teresa. Also, Jennifer’s brother is engaged to a Turkish woman and this is very exciting, but especially exciting for Jennifer, who set the couple up. I bring this up strictly to confirm that yes, Jennifer is still a part of this television program.

Everyone else is off to Bimini, a beautiful island paradise that Teresa knows isn’t part of the United States! Well, she’s pretty sure.

As Marty waddles along with two armfuls of Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man white garment-bag blobs containing gowns, gowns, and gowns, Danielle berates him for risking wrinkles. The dresses take up most of the seating space on the small boat transporting them all to the resort. When it’s finally agreed that they should be moved to make room, she seethes, “If these blow overboard, my wrath will not be pretty.” Personally, I would try to be less annoying when in circumstances where it would be extremely easy for the people I’m annoying to bury me at sea, without a trace. She is also demanding her bridesmaids participate in a “Bride Squad” bathing suit photo shoot, and is displeased by Margaret’s plan to wear a bra underneath hers for extra support. (Marge’s description of her body in swimwear: “Meat, meat, meat, and more meat.” I would, for one, would be excited to shop the Margaret Josephs x J.C. Penney Meat, Meat, Meat, and More Meat Summer 2019 swim collection.)

All of that said, I am not sure I’d join Margaret et al. in calling Danielle a “bridezilla,” if only because that implies her behavior is not monstrous under normal, non-wedding conditions. On any given Tuesday, she is, on her best behavior, a Mothra.

When Danielle develops a mysterious “hole” in her tongue from eating cantaloupe (no, I assure you there is no additional context for this that you’re missing), Margaret’s Joe is somehow roped into pinching the wound with a washcloth, chosen for this task based on his professional medical expertise as a contractor.

Over dinner, we learn that only two of Marty’s three kids will be in attendance at the wedding, but even the ones that are coming don’t care for Danielle. Well, I’m sure it’s just some normal, temporary friction that everyone will work through soon! Or perhaps not.

“I command respect,” Danielle explains, her eyes glowing red, the group’s complimentary “Bahama” shots bubbling to a spontaneous boil, the table shaking beneath her and — unsteadily at first, and then with unbelievable speed — levitating five inches above the ground. “If you’re not going to respect me, stay out of my space.” Then she adds, charmingly, to her fiancé, “You raised that, not me.”

As if in an explicit attempt to lighten the mood, Teresa and Melissa start shouting (and, in Melissa’s case, giving the air the finger) about Jackie and Dolores, respectively. Joe stands up, waving his arms like the demented conductor of the Garden State Repertory Conversation Orchestra, and takes his wife and his sister aside to make three-way amends once and for all.

I mean, we’ll see. Everybody is sorry; everybody loves everybody. At least, I’m confident that Joe and Teresa love each other, Joe and Melissa love each other, and Melissa loves Teresa. End of list. Group hug!

New Delhi: You probably have a list of invitation lined up this winter, after all, it is the wedding season in India. It is late evening by the time you reach the marriage venue fighting traffic jams that are, perhaps, choking cities around the world. The menu spreads are lavish and you are starving, but what about your weight? Starving yourself can actually sabotage your weight loss goals.

Whether you’re a guest or in the bridal party, you would certainly want to look at your best considering the amounts of photos being captured at a wedding reception. Dr Parul Patni, Nutritionist- Lifestyle and Weight Management Expert, lists five simple strategies to help you avoid weight gain during the wedding season. Read – The Bride Diet: Best pre-wedding weight loss plan to slim down your tummy and waistline in just 2 weeks

Plan in advance

Yes, don’t reach on an empty stomach to the venue. Make sure you eat something around 5-6pm to avoid overeating, which can disrupt your efforts to lose weight. But feel like ‘what can you have as I don’t have time’? Winter season is full of fresh produce – have some guava, orange or pomegranate.

Drink ample amount of water

Water will help you to eat lesser. At times, we are thirsty but read it as hunger and end up eating. Have water before entering the wedding venue. It is said that drinking water half an hour before meals can aid weight loss. Read – Weight loss: 5 quick tips to trim your belly fat in 1 week before Christmas – without dieting or exercising

Do not fast

It is advisable to eat like you would on any other day. Fasting during the day because you have to eat out in the night won’t help. In fact, one might end up consuming more calories and making unhealthy food choices.

Low-calorie food options

Prefer healthy starters like roasted paneer, chicken or fish, vegetables, etc. You may go to pasta corner and have some aglio olio (made with garlic, olive oil, chilli flakes, parsley and Parmesan cheese). Keep in mind that sodium in sauces/dressings can make you gain weight.

Indian Cuisine

One can have moong dal cheela (less oil), mattar chaat, tandoori paneer, plain dosa or idli, Mongolian rice, etc. It is generally advisable to avoid salad and fruits at such events because they are chopped few hours in advance.  A cup of coffee without or less sugar is always welcome.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

This is not your grandmother’s marriage advice.

Marriage advice for the modern couple no longer involves the best way to broil a roast. Because the times, they are a-changin’, and your grandparents’ old-fashioned perspective on marriage is so out of touch with modern life that it’s practically its own form of satire.

The success of a modern marriage is now widely recognized as being a joint effort (and thank goodness for that), and that means there are universal rules every partner should follow. This is not your grandmother’s marriage advice. This is real advice for modern couples.

RELATED: If You Do These 7 Things In Your Marriage, It’s Basically Unbreakable

1. Social media is not marriage counseling.

The best way to undermine the strength of your marriage is to invite a random person’s opinion into it. It’s one thing to go to a trusted advisor privately and another entirely to post a relationship Gallup poll on Facebook.

After all, you only met your little sister’s boyfriend’s great-uncle Jim that one time at the boyfriend’s birthday party last month and friended him out of pity. There’s no way he knows you well enough to offer any sort of valid advice. Same goes for the frenemy from high school, your ex-boss from that one job you quit three years ago, and yes, even your best friend. Marriages are not saved in the comments section.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

There is a universal truth to all relationships that hasn’t changed at all since your grandmother’s day: Communication is key, and your partner doesn’t have mind-reading abilities (probably). Your needs, desires, and opinions are all things that live inside your head, and no one can get to them unless you speak them out loud.

Get comfortable with the idea of putting your thoughts into real, actual words. That can be heard. With real, actual ears. When something happens in your relationship, don’t expect your partner magically to know why you’re reacting the way you are (good or bad!); the only person who knows why is you.

3. You aren’t in a threesome with your phone.

Yeah, I said it. PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE and focus on the person you chose to spend your life with.

4. Don’t touch your partner’s phone.

Why is it that people are so afraid of privacy? Privacy is not the enemy; it’s a sacred right afforded to all adults. Your spouse has the right to his privacy, and so do you. (We can discuss opinions on whether kids have the right to privacy or have to earn it later.)

Think about it like this: you go to the bathroom and you shut the door. Does your spouse know, more or less, what’s happening in there? Yes. Does that mean he (or she) has the right to come in and watch? OH, HELL NO. Same goes for the phone. Is he texting people? Playing on Facebook? Yep. Do you have the right to read those messages? Nope.

If that makes you uncomfortable, or if you have reason to believe your spouse is hiding something from you, you two need to have a conversation about the foundation of trust in your marriage. There are bigger issues at play here. You don’t need to prove that you have nothing to hide in order to justify your right to privacy.

RELATED: 9 Game-Changing Pieces Of Marriage Advice The Happiest Couples Follow

5. Go to bed angry.

Anger is an uncomfortable emotion, and being in a committed relationship doesn’t change that. But the idea that going to bed in any emotional state other than blissful euphoria is bad for your marriage is, quite simply, absurd.

That mentality comes from a place of fear — the fear that your relationship isn’t strong enough to withstand a true argument. (If you’re not confident it can; no amount of internet marriage advice is going to help you.) So go ahead and give yourself permission to be upset with your spouse, and just as importantly, for him to be upset with you. Sleeping on it might just let cooler heads prevail in the morning.

6. Polyamory is healthy.

Well, not like that. Humans are complex emotional beings, and the weight of those emotions is too much for one person to bear alone. Each member of a marriage needs friendships, and not just for your own personal fulfillment (though that’s the most obvious benefit).

It’s not a sign of strength in your marriage if your spouse has the responsibility of being your “everything.” You’re eventually going to see that burden begin to wear him down like Atlas with the world on his back. Be a good spouse: Spread out the weight and make loving friendships outside your marriage.

7. Self-improvement will strengthen your marriage (if you let it).

Here’s a basic fact about life: Humans are in a constant state of evolution (even if you think humanity is not). The person you have married will not be exactly the same 5 years from now, or 10, or 50. Neither will you.

Embrace these changes and you will grow together, like vines on the same wall. Choose to stagnate and you can watch in resentment as your spouse’s vine continues to grow without you. Reject them, and one of you will find a new wall.

8. Don’t Netflix without your partner.

It seems like such a fluffy thing to discuss, but there’s a real basis for having Netflix on a list of marriage advice. When you agree to watch a show together, you’re making a small, seemingly innocuous promise. It’s now your “thing.”

Netflix (and other things you do only as a couple) represents that undefined, unique bond between spouses. It’s a trivial but accurate representation of how seriously you take your commitment to each other. Show that you’re trustworthy by keeping even the tiniest, silliest of promises.

9. Kinky is good.

Maybe actual kink isn’t your thing, but that’s not really the point. What’s important is to identify the intimate details about you that you wouldn’t share with anyone else, and then share them with your spouse. That’s how deep, long-lasting bonds are formed.

10. Learn to give good apology.

Saying I’m sorry — and meaning it — is an acquired skill that shows two things. First, that you don’t value your pride above your spouse’s feelings. Second, that you’re capable of recognizing you’re not perfect. Because while self-respect is a requirement in all healthy relationships, ego is not.

RELATED: 3 Surprisingly Common Behaviors That Ruin Even The Happiest, Healthiest Relationships

Jennifer Oradat is a freelance writer and editor, and the producer/director of the upcoming Listen to Your Mother show. Her work has been featured on Scary Mommy, Huffington Post, Good Men Project, and more. Check out her Facebook and Twitter.