My Favorite Things: May Edition

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

Movies

The Duff

The Duff is a fun comedy movie based off the novel of the same title by Kody Keplinger. The film stars stars Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, among other notable actors. The story follows high-school senior Bianca (Whitman) who has a rude awakening when she learns that her classmates secretly know her as the DUFF — designated ugly fat friend — to her prettier and more popular pals. In order to reinvent herself, Bianca enlists the aid of Wesley (Robbie Amell), a charming jock in order to save her senior year from becoming a complete disaster.

This was such a hilarious film! Whitman is fantastic as Bianca and she does the character justice in this film adaptation. It’s funny, heartwarming, and has a story that can resonate with most people. I also enjoyed the chemistry between the actors as well as how the story played out in the end. I haven’t read the book, but I want to read it now!

Keanu

The comedic duo, Key & Peele is back in their first full length movie ever. Recently dumped by his girlfriend,  Rell (Jordan Peele) finds some happiness when a cute kitten winds up on his doorstep. After a heartless thief steals the cat, Rell recruits his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) to help him retrieve it. They soon learn that a thug named Cheddar (Method Man) has the animal, and he’ll only give it back if the two men agree to work for him. 

I’m a huge fan of the show, Key & Peele, so I couldn’t miss going out to see this movie in theaters! The consensus? It was fantastic. The comedy was great, there was tons of action, and best of all the chemistry between Key & Peele was gold. I loved how the movie turned racial stereotypes on its head and that it’s plot has humor with heart.

Food

This month’s food obsessions include smoothies, veggie straws and “Reading Nook Tea” by Plum Deluxe. I actually have had to take a break earlier this year from veggie straws (favorite brand pictured above) since they are so addicting and I was eating them almost every day. I always end up binge eating a whole bag while reading or watching TV accidentally. Whoops!

I’ve also been drinking tons of smoothies lately. My favorite flavor is strawberry banana, but now I’ve learned to branch out and try new ones. I want to stop buying smoothies all the time and finally break out the blender I have at home. Can you recommend any smoothies I should try to make? I also really enjoyed Reading Nook Tea by Plum Deluxe that I reviewed this month. It’s very calming and tastes amazing!

TV

Hana Kimi

In an effort to get back into practicing Japanese listening comprehension, I dug out my  Hana Kimi DVD. I was eager to watch this popular show among J-Drama fans. Hanazakari no Kimitachi e which translates to “For You in Full Blossom” in English is 2007 live-action drama based off the manga of the same name. Actress, Maki Horikita, plays the protagonist Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese girl in the United States who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi compete in the high jump on television. Sano gets injured one day in America while trying to help Mizuki escape from some gangsters and as a result stops high jumping. Mizuki blames herself for the incident and decides to go to Japan and help Sano find his love for high jumping.

To be honest, I was really underwhelmed by this drama. It definitely doesn’t beat Ouran High School Host Club for me, but it’s not a horrible show. Besides the obvious fact that you can tell Mizuki is a girl (she deosn’t even barely talk/act like a guy) throughout the show, I thought the plot was kind of thin. But as I watched more of the show I realized that this wasn’t a strong plot based drama, but rather a funny, wacky, no-nonsense show (you have to watch it to see what I mean). I ended up falling in love with all of the characters and their hilarious antics in the end. All in all, Hana Kimi was an okay show.

Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy

In this fun one hour Netflix special Anjelah Johnson showcases her hilarious impressions about religion, married life, travel, and food among other topics. I have been of fan of Anjelah’s comedy style since her days on the show Mad TV and I was eager to watch a new comedy special from her.  The show is fantastic, will make you laugh out loud. From her interesting travel experiences to impressions of her well-known characters, there’s something for everyone.

Music

Fire by BTS

My new, favorite K-pop boy group is BTS. Their new track Fire is upbeat, the choreography is fantastic, and it makes a great dance track. Though this newest single still doesn’t beat my favorite song, Dope, by the group it will be one of my many summer K-pop anthems.

Heartburn by Wafia (Jarami Mix)

I have had this remix of Wafia’s Heartburn on replay for the entire month. The 22-year-old Brisbane-based songwriter and vocalist debuted with impressive cover of Mario’s ‘Let Me Love You‘ that amassed over 5 million online plays to date. This song has such a mellow vibe, and with summer around the corner, it’s the perfect song for the season.

Rich Girl by Hall & Oates

I’ve also been listening to a lot of music from the 1970s lately. Hall and Oates is the second best-selling music duo of all time. While sifting through the internet I discovered Rich Girl and I immediately fell in love with the song. It has fun hook and is a smooth fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues.

And that concludes “My Favorite Things” for May! What are some of your favorite things for this month? Comment below!

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