May is a long month! For us, May really marked the start of winter. We began to have some rather chilly mornings and the days are getting short…it’s time to get cozy! Here’s a few things I loved last month, all with a rather cozy theme actually – read on for a very specialist movie rec, fun indoor activity, a super-snuggly sweater, and the best saviour for dry, itchy, sensitive winter skin I know of.
1. Senior Year
I loved Senior Year! Is it high art? Certainly not. But it also didn’t deserve the total panning it received in reviews (the ones I saw, anyway). I suspect the problem is that none of the reviewers fit the very particular demographic this movie is aimed at, which is clearly people exactly my age. I’m probably thinking too small there. I’m sure the audience that I see loving it could possibly expand a little bit – maybe everyone who graduated between from high school between 2000-2003, say. I haven’t checked but I can only imagine this movie was both written and directed by someone firmly in this target market. It is done so well – I have never seen a movie encapsulate my high school years so completely.
One more thing – real quick – before I move on. To the particularly curmudgeonly reviewer grousing about the ex-boyfriend’s poorly developed character, you clearly missed the fact that 👏 The 👏 Men 👏 Are 👏 Not 👏 The 👏 Point. The ex-boyfriend doesn’t have, or need, a clearly developed character, backstory, or even a full complement of clothing options because 👏 He 👏 Is 👏 Not 👏 The 👏 Point. You are not meant to care about him. In a movie like this, men are essentially doing the same thing as a fake olive tree in a pot – providing a bit of height variation so your eye doesn’t get bored. In a former life I studied film and I suspect I have more to write on this topic. But for now, just remember – fake olive tree.
2. Peter the T-Rex
One of the most intact Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons ever found and it goes on display at ‘my’ museum first! Whoop! We all loved going to see him. The way the Museum has displayed him is so good also. You just walk into the Atrium and he’s right there. I can’t imagine many other institutions making a big display ‘get’ like this so accessible. Go Auckland Museum!
3. My first(?) bit of green clothing
This cheery cardigan caught my eye when I was perusing Next looking for shoes for Amelie, and what do you know, I bought it. I truly think that it might be the first piece of green clothing I’ve ever owned in my adult life. I think I was inspired by Grace Atwood to buy green (I guess the word I’m looking for is influenced!) and I love it. It’s such a happy piece. It’s also super warm, comfortable, and 100% cotton (so important, I can’t really wear most wool pieces anymore, my ridiculously sensitive skin just gets too itchy). I bought a size up from my usual because I wanted a slightly oversized, slouchy fit, and so far I am wearing the heck out of it.
4. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream
Dry, itchy, sensitive, late-autumn skin, meet the best thing I’ve found to combat you. I basically have to bathe in most moisturisers for them to have any effect, but this stuff keeps my face happy all day (no small feat) and I don’t even have to use much. I’ve been using this for years and have just pulled it out for the winter months again. An absolute hero product.
5. Time with my family
I create Five Things near the start of every month out of a combination of memories, photos from the month previous, and my gratitude lists (I’ve written about these before, if you’re curious). Often my gratitude lists help me remember highlights from the previous month, but equally often they’re things that are hard to turn into a highlight as they are more of a constant underlying pattern of gratitude (grateful for my health, my family, my family’s health…etc.). May had a lot of that. Amelie was ill a couple of times, so I was too of course, and Hayden had a serious bike crash which could have been so much worse (touch all the wood). In between all of that though, we had some really lovely family time. Usually lovely family time wouldn’t make it into Five Things – it’s too broad, and somehow doesn’t seem glamorous enough to be a highlight? But this month it feels important to call out specifically. My constant highlight.
The Judd Crew 
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