My Favorite Things: July & August Edition

My Favorite Things” is a monthly segment where I share my personal and current favorites in seasonal products, health & beauty, food, decor, movies, TV, and more. Hope you enjoy these personal picks!

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TV

The Good Place: Season 2

Synopsis: When Eleanor Shellstrop finds herself in the afterlife, she’s both relieved and surprised that she’s made it into the Good Place. But it doesn’t take long for Eleanor to realize she’s there by mistake. She hides in plain sight from the Good Place’s architect Michael and his all-knowing assistant Janet. Her seemingly perfect neighbors Tahani and Jianyu and open-hearted soul mate Chidi help her realize that it’s never too late. With the help of her new friends — and a few enemies — Eleanor becomes determined to shed her old way of life in hopes of discovering a new one in the afterlife.

This show keeps getting better and better! I binge-watched Season 2, since Season 3 starts in September. I loved the character development this season and how we get a better look of our main cast and how they ended up in the “good place”. As usual it was full of many comedic antics and lots of surprises. I did not see the end of the season coming, that was a perfect twist to end the show. I like that as funny as this show is I also enjoy how it tackles the subject of what truly makes up a good person. If you haven’t watched this show, check it out soon.

Regular Show

Synopsis: Mordecai, a blue jay, and Rigby, a raccoon, are groundskeepers at a park. But these best friends are lazy and don’t let their jobs interfere with their ability to have fun.  The friends often end up having to pay for their irresponsible actions as they usually get into more trouble than they anticipated. Their slacking off at work causes much chagrin for their hot-tempered gumball machine boss, Benson.

Regular Show is one of my all-time favorite newer cartoons. In college, my roommates and I used to watch it on a weekly basis. Since I don’t the majority of new animated shows I thought I’d do a re-watch of this series since I’ve never finished it. It’s funny, laid-back, and has a since a sense of nostalgia too. The characters are always getting into crazy situations so it’s always a fun show to watch.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Synopsis: A freakishly strong, but totally sweet girl is caught between the love for her arrogant, yet gorgeous boss, and her handsome but disinterested childhood crush.

One of the best k-dramas I seen in a while! I’m definitely adding Strong Woman Do Bong Soon to my favorites list. My co-worker has been praising this show and I finally see why. The characters are great, the OST has the best music, and I like the unique story-line. The genre is an interesting fusion of murder mystery, fantasy, and slapstick comedy. The love triangle I felt was a bit lop-sided (we know who Bong Soon will end up with), but I liked how she and the CEO fall in love. Their constant witty banter was too funny. My favorite part of the drama was Bong Soon’s family, they had me laughing through the whole show!

 

Young & Hungry: Seasons 2&3

Synopsis: Feisty young food blogger Gabi is desperate for a job. When she finds out wealthy tech entrepreneur Josh needs a personal chef, she wants the position. But Gabi must prove herself to Josh’s aide, Elliot, who would rather have his boss hire a famous chef. Gabi gets help from best friend Sofia and Josh’s housekeeper, Yolanda, in order to turn the opportunity into employment … and maybe love.

This show is such much fun. It’s a light-hearted comedy and it also features some of the most delicious food! I used to watch it all the time when it was on TV, but thankfully Netflix had my back so I can get caught up once again. I really enjoy the characters and the chemistry between the cast members on-screen. They make the show entertaining. I like how Gabi has grown in not only being a more confident cook and person. Sure she might not handle situations in the best way, but I admire her tenacity to take obstacles head on.

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Movies

A Wrinkle in Time

Synopsis: Meg Murry and her little brother, Charles Wallace, have been without their scientist father, Mr. Murry, for five years, ever since he discovered a new planet and used the concept known as a tesseract to travel there. Joined by Meg’s classmate Calvin O’Keefe and guided by the three mysterious astral travelers known as Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, the children brave a dangerous journey to a planet that possesses all of the evil in the universe.

This movie was amazing! I never read the original novel as a kid, but if I did and saw this movie as an adult, I would be blown away. I was mesmerized by the cinematography the entire movie and couldn’t keep my eyes from being glued to the scene. The acting was impressive and I thought the soundtrack, though modern, really fit with the setting of the film. Most of all I loved the positive message and diversity in this film, it left me with a goof feeling. It’s a great message about family, but also believing in yourself and your dreams.

Crazy Rich Asians 

Synopsis: Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse — Nick’s disapproving mother.

I still have yet to read the book, but I wanted to see this movie so bad I couldn’t wait. I’ve already seen in theaters twice and am definitely going to buy this film once it comes out on DVD. It’s one of the best feel-good romantic comedies I’ve seen in a long time and I appreciated that it was a mix of comedy, drama, and a heavy focus on culture and family. The story along with the soundtrack and beautiful shots of Singapore add to the whole film’s experience. This film is so important because of representation of the Asian community just like Black Panther was for the Black community. We need more diverse movies Hollywood!

The Greatest Showman

Synopsis: Inspired by the imagination of P. T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business & tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

I haven’t watched many musicals lately, but I was excited to watch this after I’ve heard such glowing reviews of it. This movie did not disappoint! I loved how it was a period musical, but the music was contemporary (I have Rewrite The Stars on repeat on my iPod). They had a lot of my favorite actors/actresses and even some new talent that really impressed me. I enjoyed the message of pursuing your dreams and how everyone comes together as one to have their time to shine, despite how society shuns then. The cinematography was great too! Recommended for fans of musicals!

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Music

Spotlight by VAV

I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know much or hear about this group until I saw their US tour advertised through social media. I’m so behind with catching up with newer K-Pop groups as there are so many debuting each year. After checking out some of their tracks, I feel that VAV is a solid group. They’ve got killer choreography, good vocals, and the visuals for their MVs are amazing. Definitely a group I’ll keep on my radar.

Think by Aretha Franklin

I’m still in shock about Aretha’s death (R.I.P.) as she had such a major impact in the Motor City (where I’m from), but also worldwide. She was such a legendary singer as the Queen of Soul and she had such powerful vocals. I’ve been listening to some of my favorite tunes by her including this track.

Instruction by Jax Jones

This is my song! I’ve had it on repeat for the last few weeks and I love how upbeat it is. I usually listen to it when I’m working out or when I need something to dance to.

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*This post is in no way sponsored

What are some of your favorite things in July & August? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

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