The French seem to do everything better. They’ve got awesome healthcare, don’t get fat, and have closets full of Chanel. Apparently, they also know how party on the 4th of July—with a city-wide treasure hunt in Paris, called Les Trésors de Paris (the treasures of Paris). The day-long experience leads groups through sets of riddles that take them to destinations that even Paris natives might not know about like secret gardens and historical buildings. Along the way, you get to meet shopkeepers and other participating business owners. If you make it to the secret final location in time, you’re entered into a ballot from which you get the chance to win rad prizes like swank dinners, hotel stays, or special Paris walking tours. The grand prize gains the winner entrée into an annual secret cabaret that’s one of those invite-only events Parisians clamor to get into. Two other awesome things of note: the hunt was organized in part by the city itself (props to the French government), and in part by a company that specializes in making treasure hunts, which might possibly be the raddest job ever. Except of course, working for TheFrisky. [Tresorsdeparis.fr, English translation available by clicking the U.K. flag item at the bottom of the page]

With the beautiful weather these days, I’ve been keeping cool by wearing cute summer dresses and staying barefoot as long as possible. I’ve also been making use of my ice maker and blender to stay cool. Smoothies, iced tea, you name it and I’ve made it (or plan to!). Nothing beats sitting down with a cold drink, a fun book, and the afternoon passing by. But wait, don’t forget the coaster! Nobody likes excess moisture, especially your wood furniture. Whether you have a valuable antique or a cheap Craigslist find, your furniture is supposed to last. Quite unlike the fast fashion scene we’ve been experiencing, it’s hard to buy and then throw away your furniture after a season or two. So that’s why we’ve got to take care of it to keep it in shipshape. Take a look at the set of slate coasters from Crate and Barrel. You can keep track of the owners of each drink by writing your name on the coaster with a piece of chalk. Another favorite are the pinecone shaped coasters made out of durable vinyl. Take a look at the slideshow for more!

The 4th of July is rapidly approaching and I’ve been busy figuring out how I’m going to go to all the barbecue parties and picnics I said I’d go to! (I mean, how could I say no to juicy burgers, grilled veggies and cold drinks with all my friends and family?) Anyway, I know I have plenty of capable people who can work the grill as well as Bobby Flay so I can definitely count on a delicious meal. They’ve got the grill and the charcoal ready, but the last time I went to an outdoor grilling party, I noticed that all their tools have seen better days. I’m looking to replace their ratty and singed oven mitts with a suede bbq grilling mitt instead. There are some things that they didn’t know they need too like the magic seasoning sheets that lay on the perfect flavor. For more outdoor entertaining tools that will make your 4th of July (and beyond!) tastier, check out the slideshow!

• Rihanna could be fined for illegally inking three tattoo artists. [Starpulse]
• Michael Jackson was reportedly working on two albums at the time of his death. [Entertainment Weekly]—If Tupac can release albums after his death, so can Michael.
• Amber Rose is rocking a turquoise hair now. [Dlisted]—We wouldn’t pull this off, but it looks superb on her.

Or as she put it, “I’m not retreating, so much as advancing in another direction.” May I be so bold as to commend the Governor for this extraordinary act of patriotism? Surely this has nothing to do with that little Vanity Fair story does it? [CNN]

Kerry Washington is back in the edgy role of Marybeth, a transgender prostitute with a drug addiction in “Life is Hot in Cracktown.” Based on the book by Buddy Giovinazzo, who also wrote and directed the film, “Cracktown” is a haunting tale of intertwining stories surrounding the crack-cocaine epidemic. 

The Bronx, N.Y., native is known as one of the most respected actresses of this generation for her work in films like “Ray,” “The Last King of Scotland” and Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me.” Washington has never been afraid of provocative roles and says, “This film allows us to have a window into a world that we normally wouldn’t pay attention to,” referring to “Cracktown.”

Here, Kerry Washington sounds off on “Cracktown,” playing a transgender woman, homophobia and much more. Continue reading…

The deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett kept us, sadly, preoccupied this week—but this is The Frisky, so we still found some time to have fun, too! If you missed it the first time around, here’s what we were talking about.

• Meghan McCain wanted us to forgive Governor Mark Sanford. We wanted Meghan McCain to go away.
• We were horrified by Michael Jackson’s autopsy results.
• We wondered if a Dutch animal rights group went too far with an ad that clubbed and stripped a fetish model, like an animal.
• We noodled over the ethical qualms of paying drug addicts $300 take birth control or undergo sterilization.
• We laughed at parents who write about their baby’s bowel movements on Facebook.

Just in time for the 4th of July, Gwyneth Paltrow has voiced her disdain for America...again. This time the GOOP master has Latin lust for Spain, saying, “It is so different from the United States. It seemed to have a history, and the buildings are years and years and years old. Here in the United States an old building is about 17 (years old), and over there it’s from 500 B.C., it’s incredible.” Yeah sure Gwynnie, Spain’s old, but in terms of years I think it should be quality over quantity. It’s totally fair to judge a country based on how long they hold onto the mullet, which in Spain’s case is at least two decades too long. 

It’s 4th of July weekend, which means you’re gonna be busy, sun-soaked and let’s face it, drunk. Since you’ll be useless on Sunday anyway, you might as well take it easy while reliving American history with “Public Enemies” or you can take the munchkins to “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” but keep in mind that 3-D isn’t the most hangover-friendly dimension. 

Here’s my boyfriend, Rob Thomas, performing this morning on “The Today Show.” Amelia watched and says he’s icky and his sunglasses were douchey. But I say if anyone talks smack about the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, who I’ve had a crush on since I was 14, I’m going to be handing out knuckle sandwiches. [NYC, 7/3/09]