Dear Gossips,

As an award season junkie, I’m still not over how wide open this Oscar race is and how the Golden Globes shook up the situation – which probably makes the Hollywood Foreign Press Association very happy. They love that they’re actually a factor this year, especially since Oscar nomi…

I’m one of those Type A people who has a hard time slowing down. My mom told me to stop drinking coffee, she was around my age when she cut out coffee due to menopause, but I’m loathe to do that. To relax I try to drink herbal tea, do mediation and sometimes yoga. Sheet masks are another nice way to slow down and do self care. (I recommended these earlier and got good feedback on them!) If you don’t have a lot of time or cash there are options. There are free yoga and meditation videos on YouTube that take less than half an hour. This is an affiliate post but please research cheaper alternatives on eBay and in your area. (Also check out Goodwill and thrift shops! I know it’s not for everyone but I love thrifting and find great bargains.)

An acupressure mat to improve circulation and relieve plain

People say that lying on this mat for a few minutes a day can aid recovery time after working out and that it also reduces back pain. I own a similar product after Lainey Gossip recommended it years ago. I nearly forgot about it because I put it in a closet and it’s one of those “need to remember you have it” products, like that awesome tens unit I recommended earlier. I just used it again, while wearing thin workout clothes, and it was so nice. I’m leaving it in my office so I use it every day. I’m going to lay on it while meditating!

Quick meditation that doesn’t take work at all

When I can remember and take the time out (about 2-3 times a week) I do 10-15 minute free guided meditations at home. It’s not a big time investment and I don’t second-guess myself like when I’m trying to meditate on my own. My favorite channel is The Honest Guys and they have some sleep talkdown meditations along with some truly creative scenarios. This 15 minute one, where you (spoiler) meet an ancient human-like bird that takes away your anxiety, is so weird but it’s one of my favorites. I also love this simple 10 minute meditation with music.

Also, listening to relaxing music while you work can feel like a real treat. Sometimes I listen to lofi hip hop or vaporwave. (It’s different and I have to be in the mood.) Alpha waves can be amazing for focusing and studying. If you have an extra monitor or just want to spend some time looking at nature and beautiful scenery there are so many options on YouTube, some with music.

A fleece robe to keep cozy and warm at home

There’s nothing quite like taking a shower, slipping on a cozy robe and then lounging around the house. Of course most of us put on clothes and go about our day but doesn’t a day at home on the couch watching netflix in a robe sound amazing? Wearing a soft enveloping robe for even 20 minutes while getting ready sounds so nice. My terrycloth one is so busted. This one has hundreds of positive reviews, it’s very affordable at around $30 and it comes in seven different colors.

A velour tracksuit you won’t mind leaving the house in

I own a pink velour tracksuit and I’m not ashamed to go out in it. I have white old school reeboks I wear with it and it’s such a throwback. It’s one of my favorite lounging outfits and I’ve even worked out in it. I got mine from Peebles but this velour tracksuit from Amazon would be a nice option. It comes in navy, black and wine . If you’re looking for separates, here’s an absolutely gorgeous velvet hoodie in the same color as my tracksuit. Look at these velvet leggings! I want these now for mix and match.

A tray for your tub so you can settle in for a long soak

I once covered a story with Liv Tyler where she said she spends, no joke, two hours in the tub every night. She was pregnant at the time, but I often wonder if she still does it. She would watch entire shows from the tub. Now that I have a waterproof Samsung phone I realized that this is an option for me. Here’s an adjustable tray with room for a wine glass or cup of tea, your waterproof device or a book, a candle and soap. I have smallish tubs but this is supposed to fit those too. If you have a big soaking tub or even a jet tub you could be spending more time there while keeping your products close at hand.

Bath bombs to make bathtime special

Bath bombs can be expensive and perfumey. It’s hard to know what you’ll get before you use them. This set has 24 organic bath bombs for around $30. Users say they’re not heavily scented, that the oils leave your skin feeling nice, and that they make a very thoughtful gift. They have no parabens, sulfates or chemicals and are all natural. Some people say they turn the water weird colors, but that seems like a minor complaint.

Make tea and boil water for cooking really fast

If you don’t have an electric kettle yet, consider getting one. It’s nice to make a fast cup of tea or to preheat the water for food like rice, pasta or vegetables. I’ve had this Ivation electric kettle for years and it still works great. (My mom has a model from another company that automatically restarts itself if you don’t use the water within a few minutes. That can be annoying, but this one turns itself off.) It’s a nice break to have a cup of tea, and is also a nice wind down for bed.

A product that will make staying at home quite fulfilling

A friend owns this product and considers it indispensable, however that company seemingly went out of business and there are dupes that may be just as good for less. Buzzfeed writers raved about it.

Thanks for reading and commenting on our affiliate post!

Images credit pixabay, bruce mars, via pexels.

Last Friday, the breaking political news about freshman congresswoman Rashida Tlaib telling a crowd of progressive voters that we will “impeach that motherf–ker.” The reaction was…telling. We’re more than two years past Hillary Clinton’s electoral college loss in the presidential election. Did we learn anything in those two years? Why are we still tone-policing and nitpicking female politicians to a degree we never do with male politicians? Of course, most of the negative reaction to Rep. Tlaib came from the right-wing media and politicians, who got to perform their outrage that a woman – a Palestinian-American woman, no less – would dare to say anything so vulgar! Donald Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women in vulgar terms AND HE WAS STILL ELECTED PRESIDENT.

New York Magazine did a thoughtful piece – as did other media outlets – about why Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are being targeted by so much vitriol from the right, and so much tone-policing and pearl-clutching from the left, and from the media as a whole. Ocasio-Cortez’s “controversy” was… daring to make a factual statement in her 60 Minutes interview, which is that Donald Trump is racist. Rep. Tlaib and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez… two younger women of color, two politically progressive women, two women who “don’t know their place,” at least according to the white patriarchy.

That all of these conversations about when women of color are allowed to, you know, SPEAK and be political and be full citizens are all happening against the backdrop of a government shutdown that is still happening. The president is an unindicted co-conspirator in an assortment of federal crimes, and he, his people and his family are being targeted by a dogged special prosecutor. Trump is literally parroting Kremlin talking points whenever he makes any kind of public statement, and it just feels like… we’re talking about the wrong things.

Also: all networks will be carrying Trump’s address about the Border Wall tonight. Because no one learned anything.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex have been extremely quiet since Christmas. Harry was seen on the royal Boxing Day shoot, and Meghan allegedly joined the Queen and Duchess Kate for lunch with the shooting party. But after that, Meghan and Harry either went to their country estate rental in Cotswold, or they went on some kind of babymoon out of the country. We know when they’ll be back though – Meghan and Harry are due to make their first 2019 engagement next Monday, the 14th. They will spend the day in Birkenhead, Merseyside, where they will unveil a plaque honoring poet Wilfred Owen, then meet with veterans and women recently released from prison.

All of that would have been thought out and coordinated and planned very specifically. Unfortunately, they still haven’t found a way to control Meghan’s rogue relatives. Thomas Markle decided to spend the first weekend of the new year sh–ting all over his daughter and her husband. Thomas sat down with The Sun for what I can only assume was another paid interview. You can read the nonsense here – he doesn’t make any sense, and I actually laughed out loud a few times because Thomas is either the most illogical man in the world, or he’s the thirstiest. Or both. This is the section that made me laugh:

“This whole thing should have been one of the proudest moments of my life. Now it’s like a dream that has turned into a nightmare. The royals and Meghan can help end this nightmare by simply giving me a call. To this day, I cannot think of anything I’ve done to deserve how I’m being treated now. I’ve been a good father I’ve done nothing wrong. Axe murderers kill 19 people and their daughters still come and visit them in prison. It’s just incomprehensible for Meghan to treat me this way.”

“I’ll keep talking and I’ll probably get louder. Meghan and Harry’s silence empowers all the crazy tweets and insults against me and my family.” Thomas admits he has made mistakes in the past, but said he is keen to make amends. He also hopes for an eventual first meeting with Harry. But today his message to him is: “Man up and get over it.’ If I’m the first person who’s insulted you or hurt your feelings, you’ve got a long way to go. He’s human just like the rest of us. I feel that he feels he is above everyone else and that he has a right to talk down to people. And I cannot accept that. It feels like arrogance.”

[From The Sun]

“To this day, I cannot think of anything I’ve done to deserve how I’m being treated now,” he says in his 20th paid interview in the past year, after he and his unhinged daughter organized paid photoshoots with a paparazzo ahead of the wedding, even though Meghan and Harry warned him about all of it. He could have been brought into the fold. HE f–ked it up with his lies and his instance on selling out his daughter. For the British papers to still give him money for these exclusive interviews is just…bad business. It’s also “helping a toxic parent publicly abuse his daughter, who has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with him.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

To be clear, I don’t actually believe that Gwyneth Paltrow should be canceled. Any cancellation – if it should happen – won’t come from me. That’s partly because I halfway enjoy how obliviously awful she is, and it’s fun to cover her sometimes. It’s not a “cancel Gwyneth y/n” issue. It’s more like: please recognize that she’s terrible. Please recognize that she’s getting rich off of bad science, elitism and expensive feelings. Please recognize that whatever Gwyneth is, she’s not f–king harmless. Gwyneth has a newish interview in the Financial Times, and she is just as dangerous clueless and obliviously elitist as ever. Some highlights:

How she started Goop: “It’s bizarre to think back on. I had such a different life then,” says Paltrow of the “life crisis” that precipitated Goop. “I was completely burned out. I had done 40 films in a decade, and even though there were aspects of it that were incredible, it was also pretty lonely. I was on the road alone a lot. And I had had my daughter and I thought, I don’t want to do that any more. And then I started to realise I was very interested in the digital space. I certainly had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was trying to figure out WordPress alone in my kitchen. It was ridiculous.”

She’s still telling that asinine story about bitching out a yoga-studio employee: “I started writing about this kind of stuff when it was ahead of the curve, and we are still ahead of the curve. Even when I started to do yoga, pre-internet, I remember there being very cynical articles about how yoga was culty and weird and for freaks. It’s been great watching the sea-change. I had this funny experience the other day where I went to a yoga studio in LA and the beautiful 22-year-old girl behind the counter was like, ‘Have you ever done yoga before?’ And I was like: ‘Bitch, you have this job because I’ve done yoga before.’?”

On her detractors who say “wellness” is only for privileged, rich white women: “But this is bullsh-t. This idea that wellness is aspirational, and for rich people, it’s absolutely not true at all. At the crux of it, the true tenets of wellness — meditation, eating whole foods, drinking a lot of water, sleeping well, thinking good thoughts, trying to be optimistic — are all free.”

Why people are really mad at her: “I think the reason why people get pissed off with me is because I’m like, ‘No, I actually work my ass off in all areas of my life.’ Some people are really inspired by that and some people are annoyed by it.”

Going into to meet with investors for Goop: “Oh, it’s hilarious. And so brutal. Firstly, every investor will take the meeting. And then, for about the first 90 seconds, I am Gwyneth Paltrow and maybe they want a selfie for their wife and maybe they tell me about how much they loved The Royal Tenenbaums. And then you sit down to do the presentation it’s like: ‘Oh sh-t, this is what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.’ It’s such a great lesson, because when you’re a famous person?.?.?.?people are always treating you with kid gloves and removing obstacles for you. Investor meetings were a huge wake-up call, in the best way. It was when I realised I’d been treated like a fake person for 20 years.”

On all of the lawsuits & fake science: “As you grow, you realise you have a lot of responsibility and accountability. We’re getting very buttoned-up about all that stuff now. I think the scariest thing for me is not knowing what I don’t know. I have made huge mistakes because I didn’t know those particular mistakes were even conceivably possible to make.”

[From Financial Times]

First of all, do you enjoy how she glosses over the lawsuits and consumer-advocacy watchdog reports about all of her expensive fake science? It’s only NOW that Goop is starting to get “buttoned up” about, you know, making sure that they don’t say or suggest that stickers can cure cancer. It’s “scary” for Gwyneth because of “not knowing what I don’t know.” *twirls blonde hair* You mean I can’t charge $599 for jade eggs and claim that they cure Crohn’s?? I DIDN’T KNOW THAT. See if that stands up in court.

But really, this is the most offensive part: “This idea that wellness is aspirational, and for rich people, it’s absolutely not true at all. At the crux of it, the true tenets of wellness — meditation, eating whole foods, drinking a lot of water, sleeping well, thinking good thoughts, trying to be optimistic — are all free.” WHOLE FOODS ARE NOT FREE. Flint still doesn’t have clean water. Being able to “sleep well” if you’re a working parent is not free. Having the time and access to focus on meditation and mental health is not free. Does she honestly think food and water are free and accessible to all people? This is the same woman who tried to “live on food stamps” for a month, only to blow all her SNAP money on limes and then quit after a few days and go to lunch at a fancy restaurant.

Last thing: someone needs to tell her to stop telling that story about how she invented yoga and bitched out a young woman. That story isn’t the charming little tale she thinks it is.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Pete Davidson turned up for some of the Golden Globes parties on Sunday. He went to the InStyle party and posed with Machine Gun Kelly, although I don’t know if they actually went together to the event as bros. After that, it seems like Pete went to the Netflix party, which is where he ran into Kate Beckinsale. And… like, sparks flew? The weirdest sh-t goes down at some of these parties, I swear to God.

Pete Davidson and Kate Beckinsale were spotted leaving the Netflix Golden Globes party together.

“They were flirting and sipping Moët champagne,” a spy told “Page Six TV.” “They were outside on the patio and left together.”

“Saturday Night Live” star Davidson, 25, and fiancée Ariana Grande ended their engagement in October after four months. TMZ reported in December that he was spotted on a date at Carbone with a “mystery woman.” Beckinsale, 45, divorced Hollywood producer Len Wiseman in 2016, and has most recently been linked to British comedian Jack Whitehall. She shares 19-year-old daughter Lily with ex Michael Sheen. Reps didn’t immediately get back to us.

[From Page Six]

I have no idea about Pete’s “type,” but I do know that Kate Beckinsale has been going through a serious younger-man phase for a few years. Remember when she started dating that 21-year-old douche-bro? It felt like she picked him at the mall or something. I mean, Kate is gorgeous and she has an incredible body, and if she wants to bang 20-somethings, so be it and that’s her business. But she has TERRIBLE taste in 20-somethings. Rando college bros and Pete Davidson? Nah. If I was a 45-year-old cougar with a bangin’ body, I’d be trying to lure Timothee Chalamet into my web of seduction.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Melissa Joan Hart is more than just a one note actress, she’s one of those superior Christians who teach their kids that non Christians aren’t to be trusted. She said, in a recent podcast interview, that she had to move her son from a Christian preschool to a regular preschool and that she had to have a talk with him about whether nonbelievers were good people. I hate when people say crap like this.

Years ago, when her son was transitioning from a Christian preschool to a traditional school, Hart was nervous. At his old school, she knew everyone. She told her then 6-year-old son:

“We don’t know if these people are good people. We don’t know if they believe in Jesus…and he really took the Jesus part to heart.”

On the bus, her son made friends with a neighbor who was Jewish.

Later, her son wanted to know, “If you’re Jewish, how do you get to heaven?”

Hart got a call from the friend’s mother after the boys started discussing religion. Hart said she and the mom had “chats” about these questions of faith that were congenial until their boys reached sixth grade.

“The conversations got a little more heated. And some problems came out of that,” she said, but did not elaborate.

Hart said, overall, the two boys had good conversations. As a parent, however, she stepped in and said sometimes it’s best not to push certain things.

Hart stressed the importance of “respecting each other’s beliefs and listening to each other,” she said.

Hard told Faris, the podcast host, that upon reflection it was a difficult time.

“I was like, ‘Do I regret telling my son that we don’t know if people believe in Jesus so we don’t know their character? Was that a wrong thing to say? Did I just set my son on a wrong path or was that a right thing to say and I should defend that?’”

[From USA Today via Pajiba]

Since when was believing in Jesus a prerequisite for being a good person? She’s practically calling everyone else heathens. Kids don’t even consider religion unless their parents drill it into them, they just want to hang out and play. This is totally anti-Semitic. I want to know what “problems” came out of this. My guess is that her kid told the other kid they were going to hell.

Instead of apologizing, Hart wrote a comment claiming that we didn’t really understand, that she never said Christians were superior, and that she was just having a conversation with her son. This explanation really clarifies her previous remarks in that she’s not apologizing or taking the anti-Semitic complaints seriously.

This is not an apology this is doubling down. When people say “I don’t judge,” they f-ing judge. I hope she loses her next role as a goofball in a sh-tty Hallmark holiday movie for this. She can keep working on faith-based films or maybe she can get a job on CBN or Fox.

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#Repost @paulafaris ??? You may know her as “Sabrina The Teenage Witch”. Or, Clarissa from “Clarissa Tells All”. On this episode of #JourneysOfFaith podcast you’ll hear from @MelissaJoanHart. The doubter, skeptic, believer. Melissa takes us on her faith journey of not connecting in church, asking questions like “WAS JESUS JUST A REALLY COOL DUDE OR WAS HE THE SON OF GOD?” and how she eventually overcame her doubt. She also dishes about her new project and why we recorded this in her CT home. Link to #JourneysOfFaith in bio. Thanks for your support.

A post shared by Melissa Joan Hart (@melissajoanhart) on Jan 2, 2019 at 7:26am PST

Photos credit: WENN

This is very interesting – we’ve heard for a few months that the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex would be announcing new projects, new patronages, new royal work. Some of us were expecting Kate to launch her big solo initiative in November or December, but that didn’t happen, so maybe it will happen this month. As for Meghan, we’ve been waiting to see which patronages she would take on. In December, we heard that Meghan will likely become the patroness to the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), an international organization involved with (you guessed it) educating girls in developing nations. Now we’re hearing that Meghan will likely take over one of the Queen’s long-held patronages too: Meghan will be the patron of the National Theatre.

She is the Hollywood starlet who has found her greatest part as the most glamorous member of the Royal Family. And now the Duchess of Sussex is set to take over the regal role of patron of the National Theatre from the Queen, The Mail on Sunday has learned. According to royal sources, Her Majesty has made the decision that Meghan should be given the coveted position as a mark of her growing confidence in the Duchess. It is understood the appointment will be announced in the next few days.

Last month, Meghan had a private meeting with Rufus Norris, the director of the National Theatre, and, according to sources, they discussed plans for her role. Royal insiders believe Meghan’s career as an actress makes her a ‘natural fit’ for the position. The handover from the Queen will lower the curtain on an association going back decades. Founded by Sir Laurence Olivier in 1963, the National first had its home at the Old Vic theatre, but relocated to its current home on the South Bank in 1976. One part of Meghan’s job will be strengthening connections between the theatre and American benefactors, and the hope is the Duchess will add a ‘Meghan dividend’.

The National Theatre has an office in New York and many of the company’s most successful productions including History Boys and War Horse have opened to rave reviews on Broadway. Part of the role will see Meghan becoming involved with The American Associates of the National Theatre – a New York-based charity which contributes more than £3million a year to supporting the National’s work.

Rufus Norris, who succeeded Sir Nicholas Hytner as director of the National Theatre in 2015 and who lived in Ethiopia, Malaysia and Nigeria as a child, is said to be acutely aware of promoting openness to different cultures. Until now, however, he hasn’t openly courted the theatre’s connection to the Royal Family, saying last year that the National did not use the ‘Royal’ prefix for fear of being considered elitist. He said: ‘This country is still very class divided and anything that adds to that perception, that this place is not open to everybody, could be a downfall.’

The Duchess, who has been outspoken about the racism her mother Doria experienced, is said to have bonded with Mr Norris. She has taken a great interest in the arts since moving to Britain. Meghan and Harry attended a benefit performance of the hit musical Hamilton to support Harry’s charity Sentebale.

Royal sources said Meghan has been holding various private meetings with organisations that tie in with her charitable and humanitarian interests. She is expected to begin work with these groups before taking leave to give birth to her first child later this year.

[From The Daily Mail]

It’s a smart connection, and it’s a sign of just how much regard the Queen has for Meghan. It doesn’t sound like it’s one of those patronages where Meghan will be expected to turn up once or twice a year at most – if she gets this, there will probably be meetings and she’ll be expected to wine-and-dine American donors and raise the profile of the British-American associations. I suspect that Meghan’s patronages will follow the same kind of ratio – one CAMFED, then one artsy patronage. One serious, international-flavor patronage, and then one local and “softer” patronage.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.

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Mild trigger warning for this story
I’d heard the rumors about R. Kelly for so long, but didn’t know the suvivor’s stories until seeing the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries. My husband and son watched all the episodes with me while my daughter choose not to watch, but did talk about it with us. If I shout from the rooftops on this, non-stop, for the rest of my life, I still will not have done enough for these women. Through six hours over three nights, we heard about unthinkable acts done to vulnerable girls and women, all of whom trusted this man. Instead of delivering on promises to fulfill dreams, he systematically trained each one into a relationship involving every form of abuse. (Roxana Hadadi at Pajiba did a great review, if you want those details.) In addition to exposing R. Kelly’s heinous crimes, the series exposed his cadre of enablers who readily turned a blind eye as they perpetuated his depravity. It is tragic, it is unthinkable and it is a devastating statement about the value we put on black women and girls lives. And even though society failed these survivors, they bravely sat for what must have been excruciating hours, reliving their pain, telling their truths.

R. Kelly has always claimed he’s completely innocent. He’d do anything to convince us of that. During his trial for the infamous tape for which he was arrested, R. Kelly allowed his lawyers to throw his younger brother, a victim of sexual assault himself, under the bus by claiming it was him on the tape. So it’s no surprise that this monster thinks he can get away with it again, going as far as threatening to sue everyone involved with Surviving R. Kelly. He can claim whatever he wants, I don’t care to hear what he has to say about anything ever again. When he’s put in the ground, I hope it’s in an unmarked grave.

After the first two episodes aired, R. Kelly‘s music sales jumped 16%. That mystifying fact has people like Jada Pinkett Smith asking why:

How is it that R Kelly’s music sales have spiked (substantially) since the release of the docuseries Surviving R Kelly? I need some help in understanding. What am I missing??? pic.twitter.com/pysqVxLzyi

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) January 6, 2019

I applaud Jada for this. She put all her anger out there without once raising her voice. And when she finished with, “and I really don’t want to believe that it is because black girls don’t matter enough,” you feel that at your core. In the docuseries, they repeatedly point out that R. Kelly’s music lays out his crimes and that his songs are like trophies, similar to those serial killers take from their victims. Beyond those who still call the survivors liars, there are those that claim the spike is due to people curious to listen for clues. Lyrics can be read online for free. His music is on YouTube for free. The enabling must stop. These women matter. This is a good thread for those of you wondering what more you could or should be doing.

I stand with his survivors and survivors everywhere. And I pray for Azriel Clary, Joycelyn Savage and their families.

#MuteRKelly

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Photo credit: Lifetime and Getty Images. Frontpage image is from Jerhonda Pace’s Instagram

This was one of the weirdest royal stories to break over the holidays, and it really felt like the British papers were going overboard for no apparent reason. The rumor was that the Duchess of Cambridge’s well-liked stylist Natasha “Tash” Archer was leaving Kate’s employ. The rumor started because Tash was given the Royal Victorian Order at the end of the year – a common honor given to people who work for the royal family for a certain length of time. Apparently – and I didn’t know this – Tash has been working for the royal family in various capacities for the better part of a decade. I thought Kate was her first royal job, but I guess not. Tash has been working as Kate’s stylist for about four years. Imagine all of the buttons Tash has had to dutifully sew onto clothes. #CombatPay

Anyway, the RVO honor generally means that someone is about to leave their job. That was the leap that the British papers made, that “Duchess Kate is losing a trusted aide!” I’m sure the tabloids would have found some way to twist it into “Natasha leaving because Meghan made her cry too!” But in any case, Natasha isn’t leaving. She’s just on maternity leave, because she recently had a baby with her husband, a Getty photographer named Chris Jackson. Jackson has gotten so many plum royal assignments over the past few years, and I never put it together before now: Jackson is getting these assignments because he’s married to Kate’s terrible stylist.

Kate Middleton‘s trusted stylist ended 2018 on a high note! In addition to recently welcoming her first child, a son named Theo, Natasha Archer was named to the Royal Victorian Order in the Queen’s honors list.

The award – established by Queen Victoria to honor distinguished service to the monarch, members of the royal family or representative of the monarch – is often reserved for former staff members. However, Kensington Palace said that Archer (better known as “Tash” to Kate’s inner circle) has not left her position but is on maternity leave.

[From People]

For now, I’ll believe the palace. I think Tash is on maternity leave, and she has no plans to quit her royal job. But I do wonder if Kate will hire a temporary stylist in Tash’s absence, or if a temp has already been hired. Perhaps a temporary stylist is the solution to the riddle of “Why did Kate wear honest-to-God trousers in December?”

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Out and about – Funny how life changes, we were only here a couple of weeks ago…now back as a three!

A post shared by Chris Jackson (@chrisjacksongetty) on Dec 29, 2018 at 7:34am PST

photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram and Getty.