Warning: Brain break ahead.
We’ve lost track of the weeks at this point, but what we have not lost track of is the importance of giving ourselves a breather from the endless news cycle and concentrating on nice things, like Jake Gyllenhaal’s hair.
Anything But Coronavirus, or ABC, is our place to disconnect, rejoice in happy moments and just relax for a minute or two.
This week we were given the gift of song, a new way to support local businesses and more. Check out five things to obsess over besides coronavirus, below.
An easy way to support local businesses
Shopping local is a great way to support small businesses being impacted by COVID-19. Shop, an app by e-commerce company Shopify, wants to help you do it. The new app, which allows shoppers to make purchases and streamline package tracking information, also has a “shop local” feature that helps users discover local businesses and provides information on how to support them.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s hair during the Stephen Sondheim 90th birthday celebration livestream
Jake Gyllenhaal was one of many familiar faces who belted out Sondheim classics in honor of the iconic Broadway composer and lyricist’s 90th birthday on Sunday. The actor and his delightful head of hair sang “Move On” from “Sunday in the Park with George,” which he starred in on Broadway in 2016. It was, as the tweet above says, perfection.
The technical difficulties at the top of that very livestream
Musical theater enthusiasts waited with bated breath for “Take me to the World: A Sondheim 90th birthday celebration” to start Sunday night. And waited. And waited. And then, an hour after the start time, were treated to a tech disaster only possible in live theater (or in this case, live Zoom theater). The show must ― and did go on ― and it was beautiful. And while we feel for all those involved, those chaotic moments were perfect campy madness and for some of us, provided the first real laugh we’ve had in a long, long, time.
A steamy Timothée Chalamet mug for your coffee or tea
Writer Rachel Syme tweeted out a request Thursday for any “artist who makes mugs and could use a boost right now” to share their info, leading us to SCraft1980, Texas-based artist Sara Crump’s Etsy shop. The treasures are endless, but we’re particularly taken by a Timmy Chalamet red carpet mug that would make any morning better.
A mouthwatering cauliflower recipe that feels like a vacation in your mouth
Chef Eden Grinshpan has been sharing recipes from her life and upcoming cookbook available for pre-order, “Eat Out Loud,” on Instagram and this one, for charred cauliflower with preserved lemon and currant chimi is so damn good. And easy! I made it with regular lemons and raisins, making it substitution-friendly, too. If we can’t be on vacation, we can eat things to make it feel like we’re on vacation, right? Yum.