APROPOS OF 2021...
We believe in a balanced news diet here at The Squiz. And we get a zing out of the quirky - let’s call them news-adjacent - stories, just like you do. And because we like being helpful, we've put all the recommendations you loved in one quick and easy place.
Just plain funny things
Someone in the Melbourne suburb of Kensington defaced a much-loved duck-themed neighbourhood mural. There's no easy way to say this - the ducks received breast enhancements… “I do feel mixed about it because I couldn't help but laugh at the diversity of the boobs," said one local who was keeping abreast of the situation…
Businesses in the Canadian town of Listowel (pop 7,500) had some good, clean fun with a sign war. That was good for a smile.
The best memes of the year. Believe it or not, there was so much content to make light of in 2021…
Things that made us go “wow”
It was a most unfortunate thing to report, but whale tails made a brief comeback.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian won social media when Nine News gave her a startling glimpse of herself…
Tenpin bowling isn't in the news a lot, but an 18yo's near-impossible move has been lauded by serious commentators as a stroke of genius. Spoiler alert: it's a knockout.
Elon Musk’s pop-up tiny house has a 47,000-person waitlist. So while you’re waiting, here’s a tour…
“I'm going to have a bit of a rest," said 92yo Margaret Seaman from Norfolk in the UK. And you can’t blame her - she’d been knitting for up to 15 hours a day over 2 years to create a 3x5m version of the Queen’s Sandringham Estate, including members of the royal family.
Things that made us go “aww”
Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank had their first child, a boy weighing in at a healthy 3.6kg. “!!” was the young royal’s Insta caption - sentiment many new parents will recognise…
A photographer was in the right place at the right time to capture a Welsh couple’s proposal - and he picked up the gig to take their wedding snaps. Photography, like love, is all about timing…
This awesome thing from the internet - a Japanese pufferfish constructing a love pattern in the sand - was undeniably awesome.
Things we recommended
Someone got us this butter knife for Christmas last year, and we thought you might like to know. Seems you like butter as much as we do…
We nailed a life goal this year - to find a comfy bra. Next up: a hairstyle that suits us…
Supermarket beauty products? We were sceptics until our Champagne tastes met startup budgets… We bought this under-eye/dark circles concealer on a whim, and it’s better than any high-end brand we’ve tried. You’re welcome…
If high fashion isn’t your thing, we have a recommendation for you. This lightweight jumper has got us through a lot of casual and slightly more dressy situations this year. It comes in 3 colours, and who doesn’t like an all-rounder?
It's probably time to refresh the t-shirt pile, and this is our favourite. The fabric’s good, it washes well, and while there’s room and length, it doesn’t swamp you.
PS. None of this is sponsored, just stuff we liked.
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Picture galleries we clicked through
After 2020 was dominated by the pandemic, the judges couldn't see past this compelling image for the winning World Press Photo of the Year. Hugs all around…
A gallery of photos from the pivotal moments of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul - this one from CNN is a pearler.
Growing up, we had geese - Gordon and his 2 lady friends Gilda and Gertrude. So we can firmly attest that the honking trio and their offspring came nowhere near the majesty of the geese that helped win the award for drone photo of the year.
Helpful things that, well, helped…
According to the fashion gurus, the longtime wardrobe staple - skinny jeans - are a thing of the past. The new craze? Straight leg jeans. If, like us, you're wondering what the difference is and how to style them, this has you sorted.
In April, it came to light that the phone numbers, locations, email addresses and other personal details of more than 533 million Facebook users were published on a hacking forum. These tips on finding out if your data was exposed and how to protect yourself was well clicked by Squizers.
If you’re getting into mango season as much as we are, this cutting technique is intriguing. Let’s just say it divided Squiz HQ…
And while we're being helpful...
Here are all the recipes we recommended this year. Happy cooking!
And just ICYMI, we wrapped up the biggest stories from each month of 2021, pulled out your most clicked items in the Squiz Today email, and picked a pic and podcast to note. So if you want to take a look back on the year in news that was 2021, head on over here.
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