Modern Family Recap: American Skyper

The season six finale of Modern Family centers on Alex’s graduation party, where the whole family gathers at Jay and Gloria’s house, except for Phil, who is stuck in Seattle. Luckily, Phil is able to be present as Robo-Phil, communicating via Skype through an iPad attached to a Segway. 

Throughout the episode, family members give the most amazing gifts to the high school grad, causing a competitive Claire to try and find the best gift for her daughter. Cam made Alex a handmade scrapbook of every note and drawing she ever gave him. Jay gives Alex a trip to Europe. Gloria delivers a heartwarming toast to Alex, sharing that Alex was the first one to make her feel a true part of the family. In the end, Alex gives Claire the best gift by not only telling her mother she gave Alex the best gift by helping her get into MIT, but also by inviting her on a joint European adventure.

Meanwhile, there is trouble in paradise with Cam and Mitch. After Mitchell was fired from his job, Mitchell has been pretending to go to work for the past month in the hopes that he would quickly find a new job. Instead, he befriends and plays checkers with an old unemployed man named Spencer at the park. Cam suspects that Mitchell is having an affair and eventually confronts him. Mitch explains and confesses the truth about his job situation, to which Cam is relieved, creating another neat and tidy ending. 

The relationship between Hayley and Andy, however, is not completely resolved by the episode’s close. Andy confides in Phil that he’s considering proposing to Beth, but that he also feels a strong connection with another girl. Phil advises Andy to propose to Beth, to which Andy agrees. Meanwhile, Hayley is dealing with Andy's psychotic girlfriend Beth, who believes that Hayley is secretly in love with Andy. While talking to her dad, Hayley realizes that Beth is right, but also that she can’t pursue those feelings because she believes Andy loves Beth. Phil eventually pieces together that Hayley and Andy like each other, but don't know that the other feels the same. Although he tries to fix his mistake by yelling out the truth, the iPad volume is not working and the two don't hear him.

The new fall season is sure to bring exciting new plot twists; maybe someone or something  will bust up Andy and Beth’s engagement! I don’t know about you all, but I want to see this "will they/won’t they" dynamic between Hayley and Andy finally go to a "yes, they did."

Young and Hungry Recap: Young and Pretty Women

In this week’s episode of ABC Family’s original comedy Young and Hungry, Cooper moved from China to be with Gabi, his girlfriend who he recently exchanged “I love yous” with. Cooper isn’t the only one in love with Gabi though; Josh finally admitted to Gabi that he loves her. After he tells her, she reveals to her best friend Sofia that she felt nothing and loves Cooper. She even took the advice of Allan, Elliot’s boyfriend, to kiss Josh and ensure, once and for all, that she has no feelings for him. After she left his apartment, Josh ran after her and passionately kissed Gabi. Although she admitted to Yolanda that there is chemistry between her and Josh, she wonders if she should ultimately choose Cooper or Josh. 

Meanwhile, Allan opens a karaoke bar, which Elliot disapproves of. At the grand opening, Allan proposes to Elliot, adding that his only regret is not making that move twenty years ago. His speech and proposal moves Gabi to choose Josh. Cooper, feeling rejected, reveals to Gabi that Josh thought he loved her three months ago, before he called off his wedding, and told everyone about it. Then, when Josh changed his mind, he convinced everyone to lie to Gabi about his feelings for her. After the truth was finally revealed, Gabi storms out of the party. Tune in next Wednesday at 8 PM ET/PT to find out what happens next!

Spotted: Lonely Boy on Campus

Hey Upper East Siders, do I have the biggest news for you. Spotted on my college campus, Lonely Boy jamming with his band Mothxr. Dan Humphrey played an hour long set to an outside crowd that was unsurprisingly majorly female. Like me, the rest of the girls there had never heard of Penn Badgely’s music before, but were still excited to see the band perform because it was Gossip Girl, after all. If you’re a fan of indie music this Brooklyn based band is definitely worth checking out. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. 

Girl Meets World Recap: Girl Meets Gravity

Season Two of Girl Meets World premiered this past Monday. It’s the first day of 8th grade at John Quincy Adams Middle School, where Riley and Maya believe they are the kings of the school, seemingly at the center of the universe where everyone and everything revolves around them. To lock this independent ruler status, they want to avoid another year of Cory as their teacher, so the best friends transfer to another history class. Their new teacher, however, is very strict and forces the girls to sit separately. They later transfer back and Cory gladly welcomes them back.

 The girls are frustrated because they feel as though their parents are a hovering presence, circling around them like planets, with Cory once again as their history teacher and Topanga and Katy, Riley and Maya’s mothers respectively, working at the bakery. Mrs. Svorski, the former owner of the bakery, asked Topanga to take over the bakery and by the end of the episode, has passed away. At the funeral, Riley realizes that she isn’t the center of the universe with planets revolving around her, but instead that she and the rest of us should circle loved ones as long as they’re here and hold them close, because they hold you in place like gravity. She concludes that people are not kings, but just tiny little speaks in this great big universe, invoking a similar message from Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, a play Cory was teaching the class earlier in the episode. Cory later calls Mr. Feeny to make sure he's still there, and he is.

Girl Meets World returned with a big bang, a fitting compliment considering the use of planets, the sun, and the greater solar system in this episode. Not only did we take away the always-important, but often forgotten message to appreciate life and our loved ones, but also we, as loyal Boy Meets World fans, squealed in excitement when Mr. Feeny made his special appearance. Stay tuned for other familiar faces this season like Rider Strong as Shawn Hunter and Will Friedle as Cory’s older brother Eric. Other future guest stars include Anthony Tyler Quinn as Mr. Turner, Trina McGee-Davis as Shawn's ex-girlfriend Angela, and Blake Clark as Shawn's late father Chet. I simply cannot wait!!

Four Female Fronted Comedies to Heal your Mindy Project Broken Heart

Last week, Fox cancelled The Mindy Project leaving many loyal fans heartbroken. The series may be headed to Hulu, but, until there is confirmation on that move, you can heal your shattered heart with these four female fronted comedies still on the air. Soon, those angry, bitter tears will be replaced with happy tears as you laugh out loud, trying not to pee in your pants, while watching these shows.

New Girl (2011-present)

Zooey Deschanel stars as Jess Day, a bubbly young woman who teaches at a Los Angeles middle school. She moves into an LA loft with three men, Nick, Schmidt, and Winston. Jess' best friend Cece and old-turned-new loftmate Coach also appear regularly. The series follows these characters, all in their early 30s, as they deal with a myriad of career choices and maturing relationships. Not only is there a strong female friendship, but also romantic relationships, like that between Nick and Jess, which arguably rivals Friends’ Ross and Rachel will-they-won’t-they tango. The offbeat, quirkiness of all the characters also makes this an irresistible show to watch. 

2 Broke Girls (2011-present)

Set in Brooklyn, the series follows roommates and waitresses Max Black and Caroline Channing. The two work together at a Brooklyn diner, but dream of one day opening a cupcake shop. The show also features Han Lee, their Korean boss; Oleg, an upbeat but perverted Ukrainian cook; Earl, a 75-year-old African American cashier; and Sophie, their neighbor and part-time boss who runs a house-cleaning company. The eccentric characters mesh well and are entertaining to watch.  Also, the honest writing, where no topic seems to be off limits, adds a raunchy comedic element to the show.

Girls (2012-present)

This comedy-drama follows a close group of twenty-something friends living in New York City. Aspiring writer Hannah navigates this time in her life alongside her circle of friends including Marnie, Jessa, Shoshanna, Ray, and on-and-off again boyfriend Adam. The show is inspired by some of Lena Dunham’s, the creator and star, real-life experiences, which makes for extremely relatable storylines and authentic portrayal of women. I’d like to think of Girls as our generation’s Sex and the City, not only because both are HBO shows set in New York, but also because they are both honest, humorous series that tackle women’s issues and can happily marathon watch again and again. 

Orange is the New Black (2013-present)

The comedy-drama show revolves around Piper Chapman, who is sentenced to 15 months in a women's federal prison for transporting a suitcase full of drug money to her former girlfriend Alex Vause, an international drug mule. Since Piper committed the crime ten years prior to the start of the series, her sudden and unexpected arrest disrupts her relationships with her fiancé and her family. In prison, Piper is reunited with Alex and they re-examine their relationship and deal with their fellow prisoners, whose pasts are revealed through flashbacks. Not only does the truthful portrayal of diverse women deserve applause, but also the show’s ability to capture a wide range of human emotions and stories have got me forever hooked on this Netflix series.  

Parent's Weekend Visit

My family came up to visit me this weekend. We enjoyed the sunny weather with some ice cream and an exciting round of mini-golf! I also gave them a small tour of my college, even though they had already seen the main spots like the libraries, the visual arts center, and more. Still, they seemed genuinely interested in knowing my day-to-day routine from my favorite place to study to  my photography class on the other side of campus. They also bought some apparel at the co-op, because who doesn’t need more college gear?!

On our second day, we grabbed lunch before visiting a local farm, which was actually a lot more fun then I thought it would be. My tuckered out parents took a quick nap in the hotel for about a half hour before we headed back out for dinner. We had a cute picnic, again taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors. Then, we just sat around, relaxed, and talked. It was really nice just to see them again. As much as I love school, I also really do love my family and miss them when I'm here, so I can’t wait to see them again!

The Top Five Disney Channel Original Series of the 2000s

While Nickelodeon had its charm, I must admit that I was a bigger fan of Disney Channel. Growing up, I wanted to be like Hilary Duff or Selena Gomez with my own show, tracing Mickey Mouse Ears with a glowing blue stick during commercial breaks. Yes, that was the dream. Although I have yet to star in my own original series, I still hold these top five Disney Channel shows of the 2000s near and dear to my heart.

Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)

Before Disney introduced us to teenage wizards and pop stars, they gave us Lizzie McGuire, a show about a normal teenage girl dealing with normal teenage girl issues including problems with best friends, boys, and bras. The series stars Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire, who reveals her thoughts and emotions through a sarcastic animated alter ego. Not only is the show extremely relatable, but also I learned a lesson or two about life along the way. Plus, I get a kick out of the crimped hair, chokers, and all of those wild prints, which makes me want to bring back that early 2000s fashion.

That’s So Raven (2003-2007)

Set in San Francisco, the show revolves around teenager Raven Baxter, her friends Eddie and Chelsea, and her family, including her mother Tanya, her father Victor, and her younger brother Cory. Raven’s psychic powers and variety of disguises helps get her into and out of amusing situations that are still entertaining to watch. Also, there’s nothing better than a That’s So Raven reference whether that be a well placed “You naaaastyyy” to a an accurate description of anything and everything, “That is soooo not Raven.”

The Suite Life of Zach and Cody (2005-2008)

The show centers on twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin, who live in the Tipton Hotel where their mother Carey sings and performs in the hotel lounge. Zack and Cody often get in trouble and come up with ways to get out of it. Their twin antics occasionally involve other fun characters like the wealthy, yet dipsy London Tipton and the hotel's down-to-earth candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick. Although, I wasn’t a big fan of the spin-off The Suite Life on Deck, this show had a fresh, lighthearted charm that made me want to live at the Tipton with my twin at my side.

Hannah Montana (2006-2011)

The series focuses on teenager Miley Stewart, who leads a double life as an average schoolgirl by day and famous pop star Hannah Montana by night. Her father Robby Stewart, is a successful country music singer under the stage name Robbie Ray, and raises Miley and her brother Jackson in Malibu. The show not only follows the Stuart family, but also the day-to-day lives of Miley and her best friends Lily and Oliver as they navigate friendship and romances from middle to the end of high school. Not only do we enjoy sassy one-liners from the entire cast, but also get to groove to catchy hits like “Nobody’s Perfect.” Great music and acting, it really is the best of both worlds.

Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2013)

The show chronicles the adventures of the Russo Family, who live above their Manhattan sandwich shop. The three teenagers Alex, Justin, and Max Russo are wizards who live with their Italian father, Jerry, a former family wizard, and their mortal Mexican mother, Theresa. After their wizard training, the Russos participate in a competition to decide who will become the Family Wizard and keep his or her magical powers, while the others become mortals. Jerry gives his children wizard lessons, but also tries to teach them to not become dependent on magic. With a stellar script and cast, I have honestly laughed out loud when watching this show and proud to say that I stayed with it until the end. 

Baked by Melissa Times Square

While in New York, I also dropped by Baked By Melissa, a bakery that specializes in mini-cupcakes. Inside the small, minimalist styled shop nestled in Times Square, I bought a three pack of cupcakes. After dinner, I only wanted a small dessert, but if you’re craving something more, the store also offers six-pack, twelve-pack, and twenty-five packs of cupcakes. For reference, each cupcake is only slightly larger than a quarter and can be finished in one to two bites.

Wanting to try something new, I ordered April’s mini of the month, Confetti Crunch, which was made with vanilla confetti cake, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, and a cereal crunch topping. I also went with a tried and true favorite with the red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese icing and red sugar crystals. Finally, I asked for a triple chocolate fudge cupcake, made of chocolate cake, chocolate icing, fudge stuffing, and a chocolate cookie topping.

For satisfying my chocolate craving, the triple chocolate fudge was my favorite! Thanks to the small size, you can also enjoy a versatile mix of cupcakes to find your favorite too. And there’s no need to feel guilty after enjoying these cupcakes because each one is less than 50 calories. So, the next time you’re in New York City, pop inside Baked by Melissa and try one of these sweet and adorable mini-cupcakes.