Author: Cortlyn McCarthy

The Top “Soft Skills” That Could Land You a Job

If you’re planning to job-hunt in 2026, polish up that resume – but don’t forget to brush up on your people skills too.

ResumeTemplates.com polled over 1,000 hiring managers and found that “soft skills” are no longer just a nice bonus. Even if you’re overqualified on paper, they could make or break your chances of landing that next gig.

While “hard skills” refer to job-specific knowledge, soft skills include traits like teamwork, communication, and time management. And in today’s workplace, they matter. A lot. In fact, 62% of managers say hard and soft skills are equally important, and 24% go even further – saying soft skills now outweigh the rest.

So, what should you work on if you want to boost your hireability? According to the survey, here are the top 10 soft skills hiring managers are most drawn to:

  1. Good communication: This includes being clear and concise in emails, listening well, and generally not sounding like you’re typing with oven mitts on.
  2. Professionalism: Yes, this is still a thing – apparently, some younger applicants have never heard of it. One expert noted that Gen Z’s “more laid-back attitude” could be the reason professionalism ranks so high now.
  3. Time management: Can you actually meet a deadline without five reminder emails and a last-minute panic attack?
  4. Accountability: Own your wins and your losses.
  5. Resilience: The ability to bounce back when things go sideways.
  6. Problem-solving: Can you troubleshoot without spiraling into existential dread?
  7. Critical thinking: This one’s about thinking beyond the obvious, and also knowing when an idea is just plain bad.
  8. Attention to detail: Because “teh best condidate” probably isn’t the best candidate.
  9. Collaboration: Work well with others or risk becoming the office cautionary tale.
  10. Adaptability: Roll with the changes, especially with AI shaking up just about every industry. Leaning in and learning to use it well could be your secret weapon.

Bottom line? Your resume might say you can code in 12 languages. But if you can’t play nice in the digital sandbox, that job might go to someone who can.

So start practicing now – and maybe don’t begin that concise email with “per my last message…”

Have You Considered Eating Your Christmas Tree?

You need to get that dried-out tree out of your living room before it bursts into flames! Why not make a meal of it?

If you dragged a real Christmas tree into your living room this holiday season, here’s a fun, weird, eco-friendly option for your post-holiday cleanup: you can eat it.

How to Eat Your Christmas Tree

A food writer in the UK named Julia Georgallis published a book with the straightforward, no-nonsense title, “How to Eat Your Christmas Tree.” The artisan baker and cook claims you can use nearly the entire thing to whip up some surprisingly classy recipes.

Don’t Just Grab a Fork and Knife

Of course, this isn’t a “just toss a log in your blender” situation. Before you dive face-first into a bowl of pine needles, there are a few culinary pro tips.

Most of her tips involve using your tree to season your meal. For example, the needles can be treated like rosemary or bay leaves, adding an earthy flavor to roasts, sauces, or even cocktails. (Apparently, crushed needles make a great flavor boost for gin or vinegar.) They also pack a decent punch of vitamin C.

Not All Xmas Trees Are Edible

You’ll want to make sure your tree hasn’t been treated with chemicals, pesticides, or fake snow. So if yours came from a big-box lot with a barcode tag and neon netting, you may want to skip the dining experiment and stick with curbside pickup.

Still, it’s a compelling idea: finding a second life for something that usually just sits in a landfill or gets mulched.

And if nothing else, it’s the kind of quirky fact that makes you sound like a weirdo at parties—“I finally got rid of my Christmas tree yesterday. It was delicious.”

10 Things That Happened 10 Years Ago: Jan 4-10

Sean Penn chills with a drug lord, Ricky Gervais roasts Mel Gibson, and Ziggy Stardust returns to the stars. Here’s what was in the news 10 years ago this week.

David Bowie Passes Away at 69

The world lost a legend on January 10, 2016, when David Bowie passed away at 69 after a private battle with cancer. The music icon had just released his final album Blackstar two days earlier, making the news feel like a surreal and devastating final act.

Sean Penn’s Secret El Chapo Interview

In one of the most bizarre celebrity-meets-crime stories ever, Rolling Stone revealed Sean Penn had secretly interviewed notorious drug lord El Chapo while he was on the run. The meeting supposedly helped Mexican authorities track the kingpin down.

Ricky Gervais Roasts Mel Gibson at the Golden Globes

Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes again in 2016 and didn’t hold back. He roasted Mel Gibson to his face, poking fun at Gibson’s past scandals. Meanwhile, The Revenant won Best Drama, and The Martian confusingly won Best Comedy.

Is the New Year’s Eve Ball in Times Square Racist?

The team behing the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball’s official Twitter account apologized after tweeting “#BallLivesMatter” on New Year’s – a play on the Black Lives Matter movement. Critics slammed it as tone-deaf, while others chalked it up to a silly attempt at puns. The tweet was deleted quickly.

George R.R. Martin Delays Next Book

Just in time to crush fans’ New Year optimism, George R.R. Martin confirmed he wouldn’t finish The Winds of Winter before Game of Thrones Season 6 aired. A decade later, the book still isn’t out, and fans are still not okay.

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2016

Fandango’s annual hype list for 2016 was packed with blockbusters. The top picks included Batman v Superman, Captain America: Civil War, and Rogue One, kicking off a massive year for superhero and sci-fi fans.

“The Force Awakens” Breaks U.S. Box Office Record

Star Wars: The Force Awakens officially became the highest-grossing film ever in the U.S. in January 2016, passing Avatar. It was a nostalgic mega-hit that brought back Han, Leia, and Chewie while launching a new trilogy. It still holds the record a decade later.

Sylvester Stallone Says He’s Done with Rambo (Spoiler: He Wasn’t)

In 2016, Sly Stallone claimed he was hanging up Rambo’s headband for good, telling Variety, “The heart’s willing, but the body says, ‘Stay home!'” That didn’t last – he returned for Rambo: Last Blood in 2019, proving you can’t keep a good action hero down.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza Head to Cooperstown

Baseball legends Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected to the Hall of Fame. Griffey made history with the highest voting percentage ever at the time, receiving 437 of 440 votes (99.3%).

Science Debunks the “Mommy Kiss Fixes Boo-Boos” Myth

A study confirmed what skeptical toddlers suspected: a kiss from mom doesn’t medically help a scraped knee. Still, science can’t measure the magic of comfort, so moms everywhere carried on smooching boo-boos anyway.

Midnight?! 44% Will Snore Their Way Into 2026

If you’re the type who likes to start the New Year well-rested instead of wildly hungover, you are absolutely not alone.

Staying up until midnight on New Year’s Eve used to feel like a sacred tradition. The countdown, the champagne, the awkward kiss at 12:01. But for nearly half of Americans, that whole vibe is officially getting… snoozed.

44% won’t stay up for it

A poll by AP-NORC found 44% of people plan to be asleep when 2025 turns into 2026. No fireworks, no toast, no “Auld Lang Syne.” Just a nice, peaceful doze under a weighted blanket while the rest of the world yells “Happy New Year” at their TVs. And honestly, can you blame them?

January 1st is a work day for some

New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday in 2025, which means Friday is still a workday for many – and nursing a headache the size of Times Square isn’t a great way to start the year fresh.

Some time zones have it easier

West Coasters have an easy out. They can catch the New York ball drop at 9 p.m. Pacific, do a quick celebratory cheer, then dive into bed before East Coasters even finish that glass of champagne. (Is watching a replay three hours later even worth it anyway?)

Most of us do still care

The fact that over half of us plan to stay up until the wee hours means New Year’s celebrations are still alive and well. The midnight countdown isn’t going extinct anytime soon – maybe just evolving. For some, the New Year starts with fireworks. For others, a solid eight hours of sleep and maybe a smoothie the next morning.

That said, health-conscious Gen Z is more apt to sip a mocktail than take a tug on a bottle of champagne. And once you’re over 50, it can take more than a calendar flip to muster that much enthusiasm.

New Year’s Eve is still a big night either way… some of us just celebrate with less glitter and more melatonin.

New Dating Trend: Letting Mom Run Your Tinder

Modern dating is hard, so why not hand the whole task off to your parents? What could possibly go wrong? 👀

According to the Wall Street Journal, Gen Z and millennial singles have started outsourcing their love lives to their parents.

People in their 20s and 30s are letting Mom (and sometimes Dad) take the reins on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge… because if you’re gonna be disappointed and rebuffed by strangers, it might as well be a family affair.

Failing to find someone can be exhausting

Struggling to find your soulmate isn’t a new problem, but online dating has made the search feel like a neverending slog. When you’ve spent years swiping yourself into oblivion, you suddenly find yourself saying, “You know what? Let’s see if Mom can do any better.”

Does mother really know best?

A 31-year-old woman the WSJ talked to said she has to reject a lot of her mom’s picks because they just don’t vibe. “She’s picking guys who are wearing Gucci and more designer, put-together apparel. And I’m like, okay, but how are they gonna do on a hike?”

Success stories are rare but real

Another woman said her dad convinced her to give a British guy a shot – even after the potential suitor didn’t respond to her messages right away. They started FaceTiming daily, and he picked her up from the airport when she moved to London for grad school. Now they’re a couple. Chalk one up for Team Dad!

Parents finally get to experience dating in 2025

Whether it’s good or bad, the experiment is giving parents a front-row seat to the chaos their kids have been dealing with. Suddenly, their “why can’t you find anyone” mantra is giving way to “Wow, I see why you can’t find anyone.”

One mom was stunned by how many men on dating apps proudly posed in full hunting gear, or mid-chug with a handle of cheap liquor. (Ma’am… that is the modern courting ritual. Just wait until they start texting. 🍆)

Is it worth a try, or is it just too risky?

Before you jump in with both feet (and both parents), remember this: If you let Mom into your relationship before it even gets started, there may be no going back.

So, the question is are you desperate enough to let your mom play matchmaker? Or will you continue to suffer in solitude, stubbornly swiping into the void?

There’s also a third option. Maybe just sack up, Gen Z, and resign yourself to the idea of dying alone like the rest of us. 😘

Amazon Drivers Hate Us for Ordering These Three Things

The holidays are a rough stretch for Amazon drivers, it’ just comes with the territory. So maybe take it a little easier on them the rest of the year.

An Amazon driver shared a list of the top three things she wishes we’d all stop ordering online, because they’re just so heavy. If you want your Amazon person to not hate you, consider tossing these in your grocery cart instead.

Kitty litter

Cat people, you’re on notice. It’s one of the most common – and most despised – deliveries. We go through it fast, so Amazon drivers are constantly lugging those bulky Chewy boxes up porches and stairs, all the while hoping their back doesn’t give out.

Dog food

Those 50-pound bags of kibble might be convenient to have dropped at your doorstep, but for drivers making 150+ stops per day, they’re another backbreaker.

Bottled water

Not those five-gallon jugs your Culligan man drops at your door – he knows what he signed up for. We’re talking about those cases of Poland Spring you like buying on Amazon because they’re $3 cheaper.

Amazon drivers in urban areas can deliver 250-300 packages a day.

So if you can’t live without these doorstep conveniences, at least consider tossing them a small tip around the holidays.

And come summer, maybe offer them a bottle of that water.

10 Things That Happened 10 Years Ago: Dec 14-20

Google searches, Kardashian butts, and Barbara Walters hits on Bradley Cooper. Here’s what was in the news 10 years ago this week.

The Top Google Searches of 2015

Google revealed what the world obsessed over in 2015 – everything from Lamar Odom and Caitlyn Jenner to “Jurassic World” and obviously fake babies. It was a year of comebacks, scandals, and dinosaurs.

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year Is “Ism”

Merriam-Webster couldn’t pick one word in 2015 – so they went with a suffix: “ism.” As in racism, feminism, terrorism, capitalism… basically all the “isms” that dominated headlines and debates that year. It was less about one word and more about how we defined the times – literally.

The Best TV Shows of 2015

E! News crowned the best of the small screen in 2015. “Game of Thrones” topped their list, followed by “Mr. Robot,” “Outlander,” “Fargo,” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”

Advance Ticket Sales for “The Force Awakens” Hit $100 Million

Before it even hit theaters, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” had already smashed records with $100 million in advance ticket sales. Fans camped out, crashed websites, and debated Kylo Ren theories months in advance. The Force was awakened – and it was profitable.

“Thriller“ Is the First Album to Go 30x Platinum

Even in 2015, nobody could touch the King of Pop. The RIAA confirmed “Thriller” had become the first album ever to go 30 times platinum – that’s 30 million copies sold in the U.S. alone. Zombies, red jackets, and dance moves that refuse to die.

“Lardass” Autocorrects to “Kardashian”

Someone realized iPhones had started autocorrecting “lardass” to “Kardashian,” and the internet exploded with laughter. The prompt popped up after typing in the first five letters (L-A-R-D-A) because it was just one letter off the start of “Kardashian.” ‘K’ is also right next to the ‘L’ on keyboards, so that didn’t help.

Barbara Walters Calls Bradley Cooper “Very Screwable”

During her annual “Most Fascinating People” special, Barbara (then 86) got a little too real – declaring Bradley Cooper “very screwable.” America nodded in agreement as Brad blushed, and Barbara cemented her place as the queen of unfiltered truth bombs.

“Sports Illustrated” Names Serena Williams Their Sportsperson of the Year

Serena dominated 2015, winning everything she touched – except her own charity 5K. Fresh off being crowned Sportsperson of the Year, she hosted a charity race in Miami and caught a cab halfway through. She’d been dealing with injuries, and insiders claimed she wasn’t even planning to run it at all. It drew jeers online, but hey… even legends deserve a break. The ‘Sportsperson’ nod was the mag’s first for a solo woman since 1983.

Wahlburgers Goes National

Mark and Donnie took Wahlburgers from a family project to a full-on burger empire in 2015, announcing a nationwide expansion. There were only five locations – in Massachusetts, New York, and Toronto – when they announced another 100-150 were on the way. They made good on the promise, building to 109 locations by 2023. But they reversed course and closed most of them two years later. By mid-2025, the count was back down to 32.

Secret Santas Pay Off Nearly $500,000 in Walmart Layaway Items

Holiday spirit hit big in 2015 when three anonymous donors paid off almost half-a-million bucks in Walmart layaway bills. Hundreds of families got the surprise of their lives – proof that even in a year full of “isms,” generosity still made headlines.

How Often Do We Listen to Music? For One in Four, the Answer Is: Always

If you feel like life should have a soundtrack, you’re in good company.

One in four Americans, according to a new YouGov poll, say they more or less always have music on, turning their daily routines into personal concerts.

23% listen to music “almost all the time”

The jumps to 36% for younger listeners as Gen Z’s headphones continue the process of fusing to their skull. Another 44% of Americans listen daily.

Not everyone listens to music

18% only pump the tunes a few times a week, 13% said even less than that, and then there’s the elusive 2% who claim they never listen to music at all, which… we don’t even know what to do with. Silence? On purpose?

Who’d you listen to this year?

The numbers dropped alongside Spotify’s annual Wrapped feature, the thing that lets everyone flex their favorite artists and songs from the past year—or quietly hide them, depending on how 2025 went for your playlists. (3% of us think our taste in music is so cringe, we’d rather keep it a secret.)

A quarter of people say their musical taste evolved over the past year. Maybe they got into jazz, finally gave in to K-pop, or circled back to emo after pretending they’d outgrown it. As for the rest of us? We stuck with our tried-and-true faves like it was still 2011.

So whether you’re blasting music all day or saving it for special moments, the numbers don’t lie – America’s love for music is still going strong, earbuds in and volume up.

Look at how much this guy loves music.

Red Wine and Ice Cream Sounds Good (But Is It?)

Is vanilla ice cream topped with red wine really every desperate mom’s new favorite treat?

I’m a strong proponent of “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” So, I’ll reserve judgement until the next time I have a half-pint of ice cream in the fridge and a half-bottle of zin on the counter.

That said, this recent review from TikTok has me thinking that in this case, the whole may not be greater than the sum of its parts. 🤮

@barreldork

🍷🍦… This might be a career low point. #wine #winetime #winelovers #winecocktails #redwinelover

♬ original sound – Barrel Dork

Plenty of others claim it’s amazing. 🤩 But the question as always with wannabe influencers is… are they dirty liars just doing it for the clicks.

@jennandshae

♬ Intimidated (feat. H.E.R.) – KAYTRANADA

Australia Banned Social Media for Kids Under 16—Here’s How It Could Backfire

It’s official: Australia just hit the digital reset button on childhood – but not everyone’s convinced it’s actually a good idea.

As of December 10th, 2025, kids 15 and under in Australia are banned from using any social media platform, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and others. It’s the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide age-restricted ban, and reactions immediately started coming in faster than a group chat meltdown.

The law, which passed in November 2024, gave platforms a year to comply. They face serious fines if they don’t play along, and also have to take “reasonable steps” to prevent kids from setting up new accounts.

Will Real-World Socializing Make a Comeback?

Supporters of the move are hoping it turns back the clock a bit. Like, pre-smartphone era back. The idea is that without apps to scroll through 24/7, kids might (gasp!) actually start hanging out face-to-face again.

A poll found 77% of Australians support the crackdown, so a lot of parents are probably crossing their fingers that this means more bike rides and fewer TikTok dances in the living room.

How It Could Backfire

Not everyone’s convinced it will work as planned. Critics say kids could just end up feeling isolated or less informed, especially if the only online voices they can access are their parents’ Facebook posts from 2011. If kids can’t connect (and get their news) from social media, will they go elsewhere? Or will they just not connect at all?

The negative effects could be even more pronounced for children with health issues or disabilities that keep them isolated, effectively eliminating their only social outlet. Others argue enforcement could be impossible anyway, since kids are already finding ways to get around the law.

A Global Test Case

It’s a massive shift for a generation that’s never known a world without social media. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a proponent of the ban, but even he admitted, “This will be one of the ­biggest social and cultural changes our nation has faced.” He predicted it would eventually become “a source of national pride.”

Other nations are closely watching to see how it plays out as governments everywhere struggle with how to protect kids online. Will it lead to more analog childhoods, or just more creative loopholes?

Exit mobile version