Happy May! Is it just me, or did April last about three years?
1. “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup”: Inside Amy Schumer‘s brilliant boy band video parody-slash-commentary on all the crap women paint our faces with every day before leaving the house. I know I talk a lot about makeup and beauty products here, but I don’t wear as much of it or apply it as often as you might think. However, if I have a social outing I do put some effort into makeup because 1) I legitimately enjoy the process of applying makeup and 2) I too feel the need to present myself as somewhat polished/less corpse-like. Anyway—I love this video for its on-point skewering of our society’s beauty standards. Also, the #girlyoudontneedmakeup movement inspired me to tweet my own makeup-free selfie. Amy Schumer is a genius. Genius!
2. Sabra Tzatziki Greek Yogurt Dip. This stuff is THE SHIT. I could literally, in the correct use of the term, eat it with a spoon. But how I usually consume it is this: I spoon a generous amount into a small bowl and then dip crackers in it as sandwich side. I’ve also tried Sabra’s Cucumber Dill yogurt dip, but I like their classic tzatziki better. ADDICTED.
3. Marvel’s Daredevil: OMG, this show. I’m only five episodes in on this Netflix Original so far, but I’m all in. The cast is amazing, starting with Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. You may recognize this guy as Owen Slater (“Mr. Slater”) from Boardwalk Empire or as the Duke of Crowborough (with whom invisible mustache-twirling Thomas had a fling) from season one of Downton Abbey. Other cast highlights include Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, and Vincent D’Onofrio as a disturbingly rageful Wilson Fisk. Plus, that Oldboy-reminiscent single shot hallway fight scene in episode two? What an incredible feat of stunt choreography. The show is ultra-violent—a first for a Marvel show or film—which makes sense because one of its executive producers is Steven S. DeKnight, creator of the blood/boobs/butt fest that is Spartacus (which I’m also currently in the middle of watching). Also running the show? Drew Goddard, director and co-writer of The Cabin in the Woods and writer of many episodes of Buffy, Angel, Alias, and Lost. With Daredevil‘s cast and crew pedigree, there was no way I wasn’t going to like this show. I haven’t read any of the comics, but my husband has a couple of them and I’m going to dig into them soon!
4. Fitbit Zip: I got this fun little activity tracker so that I can start keeping track of how much I walk. I haven’t had time with it just yet because I got it two days ago, but so far so good. It’s tiny and clips on to my waistband, where I forget that it’s even there. The device syncs with my computer and my iPhone so that I can log on to see my stats like how many steps I’ve walked and how much distance I’ve covered. You can also use the Fitbit Zip to help with weight loss goals, track calories consumed and burned, and track your water intake. I’m mostly using it for the steps/distance, but it’s nice to know these other features are there too! 
5. Cherry Blossom Season at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Last Saturday I attended the garden’s annual Sakura Matsuri festival in celebration of Japanese culture and the trees coming into bloom. The majority of the trees were in pre-bloom state during the festival, but according to the garden’s map most of the trees are in first bloom right now (with a few currently at peak bloom). This means that in the next week or so all of those first bloom trees will hit peak bloom and the Cherry Esplanade will be bursting with gorgeous pinks and whites. I highly recommend hitting up the BBG soon to see the trees in all of their bloomy splendor—it’s truly a magical experience!
