How to Use MoviePass and Still Get Good Spots on Summer Blockbusters
When we last collected our staff’s weekly updates , our editors deleted our nasty old tweets, made us get up earlier, found new ways to get our veggies, and struck annoying tasks off our to-do lists.
This week we’re birdwatching, optimizing MoviePass usage, doing household chores and sipping cocktails in the bathtub.
What updates have you made this week? Let us know in the comments.
Meet the birds in your area
I hung up the bird feeder but this is not my upgrade. This led me to use the Merlin Bird ID to identify my new visitors, and found that a little brown sparrow that I had never noticed before is making this buzzing sound that I hear all the time . He sang around me all my life, and I never knew that he existed. So now I’m trying to find out more bird sounds. I downloaded another app, Chirp! that teaches you and tests you. It’s damn hard to tell the difference between all those birdcries, but it’s so nice when you start to understand. This morning I was driving with open windows and thought: “This is a redbird … a cardinal … a robin … another cardinal …” without taking my eyes off the road!
Beth Squarecki, health editor
Complete the finishing of your apartment
I bought a sofa and rug for my tiny apartment and now it feels cozy and finished. I even managed to break the couch by dropping a slice of greasy pizza on it after I covered it last night. Home Sweet Home!
alisia adamchik, staff writer
Bring a drink to the bath
I tried to be more responsible financially and drink less, so I started using my well-stocked bar cart and drinking one glass in the bath. If I still feel like going out after that, I let myself go out, but usually I get so relaxed on the bath drink that I stay at home, go to bed early and wake up feeling pretty good. It saves me money and keeps me out of trouble to some extent!
Claire Lowe, Food and Beverage Editor
Do that home improvement project you’ve been putting off
I finally built a box from IKEA that bullied me for two months. (It took the company so long to ship a replacement for a critical part that had been damaged in transit.) Since the whole process annoyed me so much, I used a drill instead of a nifty little screwdriver to speed up the assembly process. … (No, it wasn’t FIXA.) Finally I have more crates, nothing was damaged during construction, and now I can direct my blow to the house towards my car, which badly needs to be washed.
David Murphy, Senior Technical Editor
Use the library for quiet operation
I was writing something at the local library this week. It wasn’t really productive — ten minutes later I was distracted by PDQ Bach parodies of classical music — but it was a clean and quiet place to sit with my laptop. Next time I’ll turn off the phone.
Nick Douglas, staff writer
Switch to energy efficient light bulbs
I swapped out the bathroom bulbs for LEDs, which apparently have four times the lumens, so now everything is so bright and I can see all my pores, but I am saving so much energy and they last 13 years.
Joel Kahn, Senior Video Producer
Work on internal MoviePass flaws
MoviePass doesn’t allow you to book tickets online, but I want to see new blockbusters on my first weekend. So, I started doing this when I go to the theater late in the morning, buy a ticket to good seats for the matinee that day, then grab lunch and hang out in a cafe to work before the show starts.
Patrick Allan, staff writer
Pickled red onions and put on everything
I finally took the time to cook pickled red onions at home and it improved my life as much as I expected. First, they are stupidly easy to make – I used a recipe similar to this one . But they’re also delicious, go with almost anything, and tend to be very beneficial for gut health. They are definitely becoming a permanent staple in my fridge.
Virginia K. Smith, Editor-in-Chief
Make your takeout order double duty
Recently, when ordering a takeaway dinner, I was ordering an additional dish for lunch the next day. I know I should cook more, eat less to go and spend less money, but this is a little thing that makes my life easier. And I am usually very anxious in the morning about the upcoming meal.
Michell Wu, parenting editor