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Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

14. Dolly

If you're planning on hiking this week, think twice about watching Dolly. In writer/director Rod Blackhurst's slasher movie, a couple (Fabianne Therese and American Pie's Seann William Scott) find their wilderness wandering violently interrupted by a mask-wearing figure, played by pro wrestler Max the Impaler. The film, which premiered at Fantastic Fest last year, sees the doll-faced villain hell-bent on mothering one of these doomed adventurers. You heard me. Mothering. If you're still recovering from Barbarian, this won't help. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, and Max the Impaler

How to watch: Dolly premieres on Shudder April 24.

13. Cheech & Chong's Last Movie

"Is this a documentary or a movie?" asks Cheech Marin in Cheech & Chong's Last Movie, and it's a fair question — one Tommy Chong can't really answer. Tracking the illustrious, high-flying career of the comedy legends, director David Bushell's film was fittingly released on 4/20. Countercultural icons of the '70s, Cheech and Chong team up for a rambunctious road trip down memory lane, through the cannabis-fuelled creativity and stoner humor of their hit films, stand-up sets, and comedy records. Buckle up. — S.C.

Starring: Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong

How to watch: Cheech & Chong's Last Movie premieres on Paramount+ April 20.

12. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl

Nikki Glaser, the stand-up comedian whose fame rocketed after her brutal live roast of Tom Brady on Netflix, is back with a new Hulu special. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl sees Glaser discussing beauty, sex and fame, mixing her trademark insult comedy with dry observational humor.

"Thank you for being here," she tells the audience in the teaser above. "Every single person in here, you mean so much money to me." — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Nikki Glaser

How to watch: Nikki Glaser: Good Girl begins streaming on Hulu April 24.

11. This Is a Gardening Show

In Zach Galifianakis' new Netflix show, the actor sits between more than two ferns. This Is a Gardening Show sees the Baskets star proudly presenting exactly that, a short-format series in which Galifianakis celebrate his love of growing plants in his garden in rural British Columbia. In his signature deadpan style, he interviews kids and gardeners about the importance of growing our own food, living off-grid, and questioning the food systems that run what's on our plates. — S.C.

Starring: Zach Galifianakis

How to watch: This Is a Gardening Show begins streaming on Netflix April 22.

10. Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders

For years, the unsolved murders of the Long Island Serial Killer horrified both true crime fans and New York residents, who helplessly followed the trail of bodies left along Gilgo Beach. Now, just weeks after suspected LISK Rex Heuermann pled guilty to seven murders, including the Gilgo Four, Prime Video offers a new docuseries with Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders.

Five-time Emmy Award–winning journalist Kristin Thorne serves as the guide through the grim details of the Gilgo Beach murders, digging not only into Heuermann's homicidal behavior but also the stigmatizing of sex workers that inhibited the victims' families from getting public support or police assistance. Through interviews with sisters, friends, and mothers, this docuseries explores who these women were before it gives any attention to the brute who murdered them.

It's a fascinating series that plays out over four episodes. But pace yourself. Now that Heuermann is convicted, horrid details are revealed here that are hard to process. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders begins streaming on Prime Video April 22.

9. Criminal Record, Season 2

British crime drama Criminal Record is back, with Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo's detectives likely set to clash again. This time around, June (Jumbo) witnesses a young man's death when far-right protestors accost a political rally. Racked by guilt, she seeks to bring the man's killer justice — but to do so, she'll have to take a dangerous bargain from Daniel (Capaldi).* — Belen Edwards, Writer

Starring: Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo

How to watch: Criminal Record Season 2 debuts on Apple TV April 22.

8. Stranger Things: Tales from '85

It's been four months since Stranger Things ended with a controversial finale, but Netflix is already taking fans back to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales from '85. This animated spin-off series takes place during the winter between Seasons 2 and 3, when the Hawkins party faces off against dangerous new creatures from the Upside Down. How did these creatures make it through the gate Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) closed in Season 2? More importantly, how does this adventure fit into the live-action seasons?

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' review: This baffling prequel won't cure the Season 5 hatred

The answer to the latter question: not too well. Tales from '85 has little to no bearing on the main series. If its story feels like an afterthought, that's because it is — one that's been awkwardly smashed between two established seasons. As I wrote in my review, "For something that's meant to fit into Stranger Things, Tales From '85 winds up feeling woefully disjointed." — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Luca Diaz, EJ Williams, Braxton Quinney, Benjamin Plessala, Brett Gipson, Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips

How to watch: Stranger Things: Tales from '85 begins streaming on Netflix April 23.

7. Kevin

Created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert, this animated series is for adults only.

Set in the hip neighborhood of Astoria in Queens, New York, Kevin centers on a coddled house cat (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who is so livid when his people break up that he runs away. Soon, he ends up in a pet rescue named Furrever Friends, where a snippy Shih Tzu (Amy Sedaris) barks orders to a crusty crew of pets.

Much like Archer or South Park, the humor here is outrageous and crude, dealing in sex, drugs, violence, and gross-out gags. And it's added fun to listen for the many, many celebrities that Plaza and Wengert got to play in their turd-filled sandbox. —K.P.

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Amy Sedaris, Aparna Nancherla, Gil Ozeri, Aubrey Plaza, John Waters, and Whoopi Goldberg

How to watch: Kevin debuts on Prime Video April 20.

6. Running Point, Season 2

Celebrate the NBA playoffs with the return of Running Point, Netflix's charming basketball comedy from Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, Elaine Ko, and David Stassen. Season 1 introduced viewers to Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson), the freshly appointed Los Angeles Waves president tasked with saving a sinking team. By Season 2, she's got her sea legs, but she's also got more opposition in the form of her brother Cam (Justin Theroux). He claims he's a reformed man, but will he try to take control from Isla? Who will prevail in this sibling showdown of who knows ball? — B.E.

Starring: Kate Hudson, Scott MacArthur, Drew Tarver, Max Greenfield, Brenda Song, Fabrizio Guido, Justin Theroux, Toby Sandeman, Jay Ellis, and Chet Hanks

How to watch: Running Point Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Marty Supreme

Polarizing comments about opera and ballet aside, Timothée Chalamet is on fire in Marty Supreme, which at first glance might look like a sports drama. But under its greasy and gritty surface, it's much, much more.

Co-written and directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme takes the true story of a charismatic ping-pong player and makes it the stuff of New York legends. Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a skilled pro table tennis player whose mouth is regularly writing checks his ass can't cash. Though set in the 1950s, Safdie chooses an '80s soundtrack of synth pop that makes Marty feel like an anti-hero ahead of his time, with a hustle and frenetic energy better suited to an era of big egos and bigger ambitions. Chalamet and an incredible ensemble build on this energy to the point where at times, as in Safdie's Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme can feel like a masterfully orchestrated panic attack.

As I roared in my review, "This zinging dialogue, racing score, and electric cast collide to create cinema that celebrates New York, while recognizing its warts with a bleeding grin. All of this makes Marty Supreme an unusual crowdpleaser. Full of wild humor and shocking turns, it has its audience in a chokehold of tension and surprise, rarely letting up for us to breathe. And yet, what a thrill to be breathless."* — K.P.

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher

How to watch: Marty Supreme begins streaming on HBO Max April 24.

4. Good Boy

Mashable's Entertainment team fell hard for Good Boy, a haunted house thriller that centers on a charismatic dog named Indy. When his owner takes him to a remote cabin, this good boy quickly realizes something is off. But, being a dog, he struggles to communicate the threat they face to his human. The traditional haunted house scares hit all the harder when audiences are watching a sweet dog in a fight for survival. And we only came to love the movie more as we learned how it was made.

Married collaborators Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer created Good Boy by building a movie around their lovable pet, Indy. In an interview with Mashable, they detailed how they directed their dog. We even gave it a go on our own, creating a deeper appreciation for the patience and filmmaking prowess demanded of this concept. So, we wholeheartedly recommend Good Boy as a thrilling film. And hey, if you need to know before you hit play if the dog dies, we've got you covered there too. Then, we invite you down the rabbit hole of how a movie like this gets made, so you can appreciate how special Good Boy and Indy really are. — K.P.

How to watch: Good Boy begins streaming on Hulu April 25.

3. No Other Choice

Boasting a corporate jargon title long-deployed to evade responsibility, Park Chan-wook's anti-capitalist parable No Other Choice might feel a little too real to those burned by the job market. This wicked social commentary is one of the director's most comedic films to date, but that doesn't mean it's not dark as hell. 

Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax and written by Park, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar, the film follows hardworking paper company employee Yoo Man-soo (an outstanding Lee Byung-hun), who gets the chop in a merciless company restructure. With his family to provide for, including his wife Mi-ri (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye-jin) and two kids, Man-soo scrambles to find a job — and when the perfect opportunity comes along, he takes drastic measures to ensure he'll land it.

Critics praised No Other Choice for its moral ambiguity and biting social satire. As I wrote in my own review, "As a viewer, we're simultaneously rooting for Man-soo and unnerved by his capacity for calculated manipulation and murder. No Other Choice poses the question: Would you kill for the life you want? In fact, the film doesn't even ask it, instead presenting a man believing himself forced into making such a decision due to cold, hard corporate strategy. It's out of his hands."* — S.C.

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won

How to watch: No Other Choice begins streaming on Hulu April 24.

2. Half Man

The second series – and first fully fictional outing – from Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, Half Man tells the story of the love/hate relationship between two step brothers, from their difficult teenage years in Glasgow to their changing fortunes as adults. It's dark, depressing, and often gripping TV.

"Is it as good as Baby Reindeer?" I asked in my review. "No. But that would have been close to impossible. Baby Reindeer, with its unique subject matter, incredible blend of awkward comedy and extremely dark themes, and true story tagline, felt like a groundbreaking show. The kind of series that doesn't come along every year. Half Man walks a more well-trodden path. But it does what it does well, cementing Gadd as a storyteller with a lot more to offer." — S.H.

Starring: Richard Gadd, Jamie Bell, Stuart Campbell, and Mitchell Robertson

How to watch: Half Man begins streaming on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer April 23.

Best of streaming this week: Apex

From Baltasar Kormákur comes a horror-thriller that should scare the adrenaline junkie right out of you.

Charlize Theron stars as a rock climber determined to take on the white water rapids in Australia solo. But out here in the wilderness, she soon realizes the forces of nature aren't what she should fear. It's a hunter who has his sights set on her.

A truly gnarly action movie, Apex pits a steely Theron against an unhinged Taron Egerton. And sure, the script by Jeremy Robbins sets up some early hints that this is going into sicko territory, but I'd wager you won't predict just how wild this cat-and-mouse game gets. Silence your cell phone. Turn the lights down, and give yourself over to this frightening, fucked-up ride. — K.P.

Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana

How to watch: Apex begins streaming on Netflix April 24.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

When it comes to hookup sites and apps, reputation matters. After all, a company can buy all the advertising it wants, but if it doesn't deliver the goods, word of mouth alone will cause it to sink. 

In the dating app world, lots of contenders have come and gone, but only a handful have stood the test of time, and those that have survived have done so because the word got out that they work. Here are five hookup sites and apps that are extremely popular among their own users, and what makes them so special:

Tinder

Tinder is obviously super popular. With some 75 million monthly users across 190 countries, Tinder is still the go-to app for finding fun connections.

It's also well worth a premium subscription, since that unlocks unlimited likes, profile boosting, and the ability to swipe through singles across the world, which makes planning your future vacation or spring break fling that much easier.

SEE ALSO: Adult Friend Finder vs. Tinder: How they compare as hookup apps

And if you're one of the many people complaining that Tinder isn't working for you, do us all a favor: spend some time and energy taking quality photos of yourself, in good lighting, rather than mirror selfies or grainy, low-res photos pulled from Facebook. For most of you out there, that will go a long way to making Tinder "work" again. 

Grindr

The largest gay dating app in the world continues to improve, having recently achieved the milestone of 15 million active users. If you're in the LGBTQ community and looking for some short-term fun, Grindr should be your first foray into the app-based hookup world.

Standout features for fun-seekers include a grid-based location system, showing you exactly how far or close your potential hookup is, as well as the ability to drop a geo-tagged pin in the chat, sharing your location with your would-be fling. We're also a big fan of the Taps feature, which enables some suggestive, non-verbal flirting and makes breaking the ice easier than ever.

AdultFriendFinder

AFF has been around forever, but there's power in longevity. It's also arguably the horniest hookup site with mainstream appeal — all you have to do is spend a few minutes browsing the homepage, replete with naked photos and live webcam shows, to understand what we mean. 

Sure, it isn't perfect. You will have to wade through a lot of inactive or fake profiles, for example, and some of the best features are locked behind a paywall, but if you spend some time exploring the site's free public areas, from the webcam shows to the discussion boards, you'll quickly see why it's endured for 30 years. 

SEE ALSO: 3 AdultFriendFinder features exclusive to paid users

As of 2026, it boasts about two million weekly active users, most of whom fall into the 30-38 age category, so if you're feeling a bit too old for Tinder but too young for SilverSingles, give AFF a try. 

Pure

If you haven't heard of Pure, you're not alone: the app is a darling of the younger crowd, having recently become the most-used app among Gen Z, and it's easily the most unconventional app on this list. 

Built from the ground up to be a hookup app, Pure features enhanced safety features, including both age and photo verification, as well as something they call Safety Signal, a feature that enables users to share the place and time of their meetup with a trusted third party, helping everyone involved feel more secure.  

When it comes to matchmaking, Pure users have three photos and a 350-word bio to go off, as well as a dedicated Turn-Ons section, where you can list your kinks, including everything from communication to wax play. And if you really want to gamble on a fun time, you can test your luck with their Devil's Bones feature, which randomly connects you with another Pure user in a voice chat. 

Feeld

Feeld is beloved by its users for offering a safe space for queer, polyamorous, and kink-forward dating and hookups. And though it's been around for more than a decade, having been founded in 2014, it's undergone explosive growth in the last few years, as more and more people discover its charms. 

If you're looking for a nonjudgmental space to explore your kinks, and perhaps especially if you and a significant other are testing out ethical non-monogamy and want to find partners with similar interests, Feeld should be at the top of your list. Its Constellation feature, for example, allows you to link your public-facing Feeld profile to up to five other member profiles, allowing people to see your profile when they search for couples or groups

Perhaps most refreshingly of all, while Feeld does employ a carousel-style swiping system, the left and right swipes don't automatically like or dislike a profile. In fact, unless you actively hit the like or dislike button, the same profiles will continue to show up in your search, encouraging you to spend more than a few seconds evaluating prospective matches. 

The Lonely Island's Jorma Taccone has been carving out his reputation as a filmmaker with bonkers parodies like the mockumentary Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping and the action-packed Saturday Night Live spinoff MacGruber, itself a spoof of MacGyver. With his latest, Over Your Dead Body, he moves into a grimmer brand of humor, remaking The Trip, a Norwegian dark comedy, written and directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters).

Samara Weaving and Jason Segel star as Lisa and Dan, a married couple who have grown absolutely sick of each other. Sure, to their friends or family, it seems like they're planning a weekend getaway to Dan's dad's cabin to romantically reconnect. But really, what Dan has planned is what true crime internet would call an "alpine divorce," meaning he's plotting to murder his wife and make it look like a climbing accident.

But fret not for Lisa. The twist that launches Over Your Dead Body into Act Two is Lisa's homicidal scheme of her own, intended for her husband. However, both their deadly plans will be thwarted when a trio of home invaders crash their perverse party.

Let the gruesome games begin.

Ready for some sick shit? Over Your Dead Body will deliver. Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Jorma Taccone’s "Over Your Dead Body." Credit: Independent Film Company

Out of this remake's premiere at SXSW, Over Your Dead Body had audiences screaming with shock and laughter. Dan and Lisa are amateurs at deadly violence, making a comical mess of it. But the home invaders are experts, and Taccone relishes turning his pretty stars into grisly mulch.

See, Pete (a perfectly cast Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine) are brutish convicts who've escaped prison with the help of Allegra (Juliette Lewis), a corrupt corrections officer desperately besotted with Pete. The three of them were happy to squat in this seemingly empty cabin until this miserable couple showed up with their bickering and reckless weaponry.

It won't be the invading trio who sheds first blood in this cabin. But the first bit of violence will lock in the audience's understanding of just how macabre and gory this comedy is going to get.

To survive this home invasion, husband and wife must (resentfully) team up to survive. But the battle getting there will be bone-snapping, blood-spraying carnage.

Don't watch The Trip before Over Your Dead Body. Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, and Keith Jardine in Jorma Taccone’s "Over Your Dead Body." Credit: Independent Film Company

This isn't a matter of one being better than the other, but more about the element of surprise. Screenwriting partners Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney (also known as the sketch comedy duo BriTANicK) kept pretty close to the plotting of Wirkola's script, down to the damage done to certain characters' limbs. However, they made the clever change of turning a trio of three male escaped convicts into a pair of runaway criminals with one lovestruck guard.

Through Pete and Allegra, Over Your Dead Body offers a funny foil to the hero couple's toxic dynamic. At first, these natural born killers seem proof there's a lid for every pot, being almost sickeningly sweet and into each other. But as their escape plan gets messier, even this couple's chemistry begins to sour, with brutal results.

That deviation brings some truly new elements to this adaptation. But if you want to experience the thrills of the SXSW audience — who jumped, hooted, and screamed with each gruesome blow — best to not watch The Trip first. Having seen it, I could tell where Taccone had followed Wirkola's wicked lead, and where he'd leaned into goofiness to better suit the humor of American audiences.

Admittedly, I was surprised that a prolonged sequence involving the threat of rape made it into the American movie. Thankfully, it's not as long or as menacing as Wirkola's version, which goes harder and darker. So, consider your own mileage before choosing which trip you want to see (first).

Timothy Olyphant steals this movie. Juliette Lewis, Samara Weaving, and Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s "Over Your Dead Body." Credit: Independent Film Company

Props to Weaving and Segel, who gamely take a beating as the movie demands. However, Weaving's had to face more devilish onscreen threats in Ready or Not and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which also premiered at SXSW. Her Lisa, who is more a griper than a fighter, feels a faint echo of the kind of kick-ass and darkly funny heroine we've seen her play before. (See also: Guns Akimbo.) So, she gets outshone by her co-stars here.

For his part, Segel is a terrific clown, whether fumbling a murder attempt or getting his ass beat by a merciless menace. Jardine plays a solid oaf in this chaotic ensemble, and it's wild fun to watch Lewis spit insults between cooing over Olyphant. But the Justified star manages to be truly terrifying while sexy and silly.

The dude just has range! From Deadwood to Santa Clarita Diet, you can see Olyphant go from steely machismo to daffy suburban dad. Here, he can sneer to rattle our nerves, but then delve into a beguiling conversation about cinema with unabashed charm or breezily deliver relationship advice about how to keep things "fresh."

Ever riveting, his eyes can flash to mercilessness or mirth with ease. Olyphant's volatility as Pete drives the tension of this hostage situation forward, because Lisa and Dan can never be quite sure where they stand with this mercurial man.

Simply put, if you're looking for a twisted good time, Over Your Dead Body will deliver. It's not radically different from its source material yet charts its own course in some compelling ways. And if your humor leans toward the dark side, you won't want to miss this.

Over Your Dead Body was reviewed out of SXSW. The film opens in theaters April 24.

In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality? That’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.

Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.

I’ve spent the past three years (yes, years) researching, downloading, and testing dozens of the top dating apps to find the best ones for all kinds of daters, including the one-night-stand crowd. From discrete sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships, I've swiped through them all. I also consulted a panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.

How to get the most out of hookup apps

My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you’re looking for. You’re here for a good time — so own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.

"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

And here's a little insider secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.

Recent updates to this guide

• Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list as of October 2025. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.

• Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a dating site.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.

• FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.

• Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles.

• Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut this year:

• Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels limited compared to more open apps like Tinder.

• DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.

• Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for hookups specifically.

SAVE OVER $300: As of April 23, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is on sale for $428.99 at Amazon. That's a 46% discount off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $428.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $370.01   Get Deal

The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 has dropped in price again at Amazon. As of April 23, it’s reduced by $370.01, bringing the price down to $428.99. There are also discounted add-ons available, including solar panels, extra charging cables, and carry cases, if you’re looking for a full setup.

This portable power station delivers 1,500W of AC power with a 3,000W surge and 1,070Wh capacity. It's capable of powering all kinds of devices, including phones and laptops as well as larger appliances like fridges.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Yet, despite this performance, it comes in a completely portable design. It weighs just 23.8 pounds, and includes a foldable handle to make it easier for carrying with you when camping or on vacation.

You won't need lots of time to set it up as it supports fast charging. It can reach a full battery in around one hour using the app’s emergency mode, or 1.7 hours with the standard charging function. And the LFP battery is rated for around 4,000 charge cycles, so you'll be getting your money's worth.

Get this portable power station deal online at Amazon now.

TL;DR: Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box listed for $68.95. TCGplayer’s lowest listing is $64 plus shipping.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box $68.95 at Walmart
  Shop Now

In the wake of high-value chase cards driving up Ascended Heroes prices and attention turning to Chaos Rising preorders, Perfect Order has gradually become the most affordable modern set in the Pokémon TCG — and you can now grab its ETB for under $70.  

As of April 23, Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box listed for $68.95. Over on TCGplayer, the absolute lowest listing is $64 plus shipping, while multiple unopened shipped listings are sitting right around the $70 mark. Against TCGplayer’s current $68.79 market price, Walmart is only 16 cents over where this box is actually trading.. 

Amazon, by comparison, is still lagging behind, with the lowest listings for the ETB starting at $84.06, with third-party offers starting at $83.70 with free shipping. Unless you specifically want to shop there, Walmart is easily the better buy right now.

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Offering nine Perfect Order Booster packs (each with 10 trading cards), a full-art foil Tyrunt promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide, damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live — you’ll get the same no matter where you buy this Pokémon TCG Elite Trainer Box.  

If you're after some pricey pulls with this ETB, these are the Perfect Order expansion’s most valuable chase cards in the Pokémon TCG right now: 

• Mega Zygarde ex (Mega Hyper Rare) — $169.40 (market price)

• Meowth ex (Special Illustration Rare) — $156.16 (market price)

• Mega Zygarde ex (Special Illustration Rare) — $93.29 (market price)

• Rosa’s Encouragement (Special Illustration Rare) — $81.92 (market price)

• Mega Starmie ex (Special Illustration Rare) — $74.23 (market price)

If you want even more boosters at a low price, you can also grab the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Booster Bundle for just under $40. As for the latest from other expansions, you can also find the Pokémon TCG Ascended Heroes ex boxes for as low as $70. 

TL;DR: Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle listed for $38.95. TCGplayer has unopened listings starting at $39.14 with shipping included. That puts Walmart right at TCGplayer’s current $38.95 market price, with both retailers now coming in well below Amazon’s current third-party offers from $45.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle $38.95 at Walmart
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In the Pokémon TCG market, Perfect Order prices have been sliding down for a while, and the expansion’s Booster Bundle has quickly become one of the least expensive options in the modern market.

As of April 23, Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle listed for $38.95. Over at TCGplayer, unopened shipped listings are starting at $39.14.

Amazon, by comparison, is still much higher, with third-party offers starting at $45.95 and the main product page showing $47.45. That makes Walmart the easiest, most straightforward buy. TCGplayer is still right there if you prefer shopping through the dedicated trading card marketplace.

At Walmart’s current price, the six-pack bundle works out to about $6.49 per booster pack. TCGplayer comes in only a touch higher at roughly $6.52 per pack, so there really isn’t much separating the two. More importantly, Walmart matches TCGplayer’s current $38.95 market price, while TCGplayer’s $39.14 shipped offer is only 19 cents above market and still comfortably below the site’s $41.99 listed median.

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The Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle includes six booster packs from the Perfect Order expansion. Each pack contains 10 cards, one Basic Energy, and one Pokémon TCG Live code card, making this one of the more budget-friendly ways to jump into the set’s lineup of over 120 cards.

If you’re keen on this Pokémon Legends: Z-A-focused expansion featuring cards like Mega Zygarde ex, alongside Mega Clefable ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Meowth ex, this is the bundle for you.

For the newest expansion, you can still preorder the Pokémon TCG’s Chaos Rising Booster Bundle for just under $60. If you’re after packs from the rare Ascended Heroes, you can find the Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box available to buy at a market price at Amazon.

After several harrowing encounters with "snow sharks" and "Jerk-O-Lanterns," Stranger Things: Tales From '85 ended with a decisive victory over the monsters of the Upside Down — or so the Hawkins party thinks. That's because Tales From '85 leaves the door open for more tales, which would still take place before the start of Stranger Things Season 3.

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' review: This baffling prequel won't cure the Season 5 hatred

From a possible Season 2 to the truth about the monsters and the fate of Nikki (Odessa A'zion), here's what you need to know about the ending of Stranger Things: Tales From '85.

Who created the Queen in Stranger Things: Tales From '85? Credit: Netflix

Tales From '85's monstrous foes aren't like Stranger Things' Demogorgons or the Mind Flayer. They're constantly evolving, and it's all because of human experiments.

Dustin (voiced by Braxton Quinney) initially suspects substitute science teacher Anna Baxter (voiced by Janeane Garofalo) of creating the monsters, including the Queen who controls them. The evidence adds up: She's a science teacher obsessed with evolution, and she's working on cutting-edge research that can reanimate dead plant life. Plus, the view of the radio tower from her house matches up with the image that the monsters' human victims remembered seeing after being swallowed.

SEE ALSO: Gaten Matarazzo hoped 'Stranger Things' fans would be conflicted about Dustin in Season 5

However, Anna was just a red herring. The culprit is actually her partner Daniel Fischer (voiced by Lou Diamond Phillips). Before he was a store clerk beefing with Dustin over change, he was a scientist at Hawkins lab. While he didn't have high-level clearance, he did get his hands on a dead vine from the Upside Down. He brought it back to life using green goo similar to what Anna used in her experiments, and from there it evolved into the deadly monsters the Hawkins party faced off against. He thought he'd made a viable, controllable sample with the flower-like "Queen." But turns out, her roots were growing deep below Hawkins, extending her and her offspring's influence. When Dustin shows Dan the truth, the Queen transforms into a massive, almost unstoppable beast who tries to open a gate back to the Upside Down and return to her place of origin.

I say "almost" because Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) manages to stop the Queen by telekinetically slamming the gate on her, chopping her in half. Not before the beast can eat Dan, though.

That's the end of that saga, right? Wrong.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 sets up a Season 2. Credit: Netflix

The final scene of Tales From '85 reveals that we may not have seen the last of this new breed of Upside Down beastie. Right before the credits roll, we see the corpse of the Queen lying prone in the Upside Down. While she's dead, something within her isn't: A small blue flower bursts from her skin, letting out a screech from its Demogorgon-like petal mouth. Funnily enough, the entire scene is set to Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again," which also scores a haunting Stranger Things Season 3 sequence involving the Mind Flayer's growing army of human hosts.

SEE ALSO: 'Half Man' review: Is Richard Gadd's new series as good as 'Baby Reindeer'?

Could this new flower be linked to Dan's life source, since he was swallowed by the Queen and might still be in her corpse? Or is it just another stage in these creatures' evolution? Either way, it's clear that these monsters are sticking around a while longer. However, given that they're not a threat in Stranger Things Season 3, or any future seasons, for that matter, you can guess that they'll die out eventually. Tales From '85 leaves the "how" of that open for the future. (Maybe Vecna does some weed whacking?)

What happens to Nikki in Stranger Things: Tales From '85? Credit: Netflix

Speaking of characters who never come up in the rest of Stranger Things, let's talk about Nikki. She's the latest addition to the Hawkins party, which also comes to be known as the Hawkins Investigation Club in Tales From '85. (Again, not something that comes up in the flagship series.)

Since Nikki isn't involved in later seasons of Stranger Things, it's clear she's out of the picture by Season 3. However, Tales From '85 keeps her firmly in the picture in its finale. While Nikki and her mother Anna were originally going to move away from Hawkins, they end up staying and moving into a new house, one without any spooky secret laboratories. (That we know of, anyway.) Nikki joins in on the group Dungeons & Dragons game, and everything seems hunky-dory.

Of course, that's sure to come crashing down in any future seasons of Tales From '85, as Nikki has to exit eventually. Maybe she and Anna will end up moving away. Or maybe she'll join Barb, Bob, Alexei, and Eddie in the ranks of beloved Stranger Things characters who were killed off. For now, though, she's embracing her role in the group after years of being too afraid to make any long-lasting connections.

Will there be a Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 2?

As of now, Netflix has not yet renewed Stranger Things: Tales From '85 for a second season.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is now streaming on Netflix.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 might be the most bizarre step Stranger Things could have taken.

Take the release date, for starters. Tales From '85 airs just four months after the Stranger Things series finale. That gives fans barely any breathing room between the end of the flagship series and the beginning of this animated spin-off, proof of Netflix's ambitious, nonstop designs to turn one of its most original shows into a massive franchise. (It's already got a stage play, books, and games to its name.)

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things' fans are furious about the finale. Here's why.

There's just one big wrinkle in that plan: Stranger Things' final season was so controversial, it left distraught fans theorizing about a secret surprise episode and accusing the Duffer Brothers of writing Season 5 with ChatGPT. The outrage is still too fresh for another TV trip to Hawkins, Indiana, to go the way Netflix hoped.

That trip back to Hawkins doesn't actually move the story of Stranger Things forward. Instead, Tales From '85 returns to the past, sandwiching itself between Seasons 2 and 3 and raising tons of questions about the series. Namely, why?

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is a bewildering trip to the past. Credit: Netflix

Tales From '85 is set during the winter of 1985, many months before the Hawkins kids ever set foot in Starcourt Mall. It's winter break, and Mike (voiced by Luca Diaz), Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt), Dustin (voiced by Braxton Quinney), Lucas (voiced by Elisha Williams), Will (voiced by Ben Plessala), and Max (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) are excited to enjoy the snow, the Hawkins winter festival, and of course, some Dungeons & Dragons.

But the Upside Down has other plans, as a strange new wave of creatures descends on Hawkins. A "snow shark" burrows through snowdrifts, its relentless motion reminiscent of the Graboids from Tremors. "Jerk-O-Lanterns" plague the pumpkin patch that proved pivotal to Season 2.

Encounters with these beasts range from frightening to full-on fun, thanks to dynamic, vivid animation from Flying Bark Productions. The painterly style is reminiscent of Netflix's smash hit Arcane, and while that series certainly isn't the first to pioneer that look, there is a sense that Netflix is trying to recreate that same magic in what could be a blockbuster new animated series.

SEE ALSO: Gaten Matarazzo hoped 'Stranger Things' fans would be conflicted about Dustin in Season 5

However, as inventive as each creature or fight gets, there's a larger issue hanging over Tales From '85. None of this has any bearing on future seasons of Stranger Things itself. In Season 3 and beyond, no one brings up the perilous winter of '85, or discusses how the strategies they used while solving this mystery could help them in their current investigations. Dustin even makes a full-on push to start a Hawkins Investigators' Club, something that would definitely come up in later seasons were Tales From '85 more than an afterthought.

Plus, not to be too much of a stickler for canon, but Eleven is pushing her psychic abilities here to almost Season 5 levels of superhero-dom, all without breaking a sweat. (Nosebleeds are still included, of course.) That comes down to the magic of animation, which allows Tales From '85 to go wild with its portrayal of Eleven's powers. As epic as it is, it's also divorced from the reality of the main series. For something that's meant to fit into Stranger Things, Tales From '85 winds up feeling woefully disjointed. Nowhere is that clearer than when it introduces a new key character whom we know has to disappear from Hawkins before Season 3.

Nikki is the heart of Stranger Things: Tales From '85... and its biggest problem. Credit: Netflix

That new character is Nikki Baxter (voiced by Odessa A'zion). A brawny punk accustomed to moving towns with her scientist mother Anna (Janeane Garofalo), Nikki's not used to putting down roots. But when she gets caught up in a snow shark attack and witnesses Eleven's powers firsthand, she's welcomed into the Hawkins party and quickly becomes fast friends with them.

Despite her intimidating appearance, Nikki proves to have a heart of gold (as well as a keen ability for tinkering that makes her indispensable to the party's investigation). While she often serves as the friend group therapist, mediating arguments with ease, she also bonds with Will over their outsider status, encouraging him to embrace what makes him different. Tales From '85 overtly ties Will's "difference" to his supernatural troubles in Seasons 1 and 2, although given his coming out as gay in Season 5, Nikki's advice takes on new meaning here. Does Tales From '85 act further on that subtext, or do anything in its power to reflect more meaningfully onto the show's next seasons? No.

In rewinding us to the time period between Seasons 2 and 3, Tales From '85 traps its characters in an odd arrested development. We know where their character arcs lead them, but here, we've taken several leaps back in their journeys. That none of the original actors lend their voices to the series doesn't help either. While the voice cast does a solid job, even nailing several of their live-action counterparts' mannerisms, there's no denying how important the original cast was in establishing these characters. Without them, the Tales From '85 versions of the Hawkins party wind up as uncanny simulacra of the real thing.

That's why Nikki is so important to Tales From '85. As an original character, she's a breath of fresh air in an ensemble we've spent a decade with. It's exciting to shake up the Hawkins party with a new face, even if her worries about moving away or not fitting in are fairly cliché.

Given that Nikki doesn't appear or even get mentioned in future Stranger Things seasons, audiences will know she eventually exits the narrative. Does she continue Stranger Things' proud tradition of introducing a beloved side character only to kill them off? (See: Barb, Bob, Alexei, and Eddie.) Does she move away as she's always feared? Does she get wiped from everyone's memories somehow?

I tried to banish these questions from my mind as I watched Tales From '85, hoping to meet the show more on its level. But when its level is awkwardly shoehorning itself into a broader show in order to keep a franchise chugging, how can I not be thinking of how it will all eventually connect, and why this exists in the first place?

Of course, we already know why it exists: franchising. More than that, though, it's an attempt to stir up easy nostalgia for earlier Stranger Things seasons, which fans might be more willing to digest following their reaction to Season 5. But a franchise needs more than nostalgia to survive, and it's clear from Tales From '85 that Stranger Things still needs to learn that lesson.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is now streaming on Netflix.

We're almost at the First Quarter which means the Moon is almost half illuminated. Each night it gets a little brighter, and this will keep happening until the Full Moon when the reverse will then occur and each night it will appear less.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, April 23, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 41% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

If you're looking at the Moon with just your naked eye, you should be able to catch a glimpse of the Mares Serenitatis, Tranquillitatis, and Fecunditatis. If you have binoculars, the Mare Nectaris and Endymion and Posidonius Craters should also come into view, appearing from halfway up the Moon to near the top. And, finally, with a telescope you'll see all this plus the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots, and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

NASA says that the Moon completes a full orbit around Earth in about 29.5 days, during which it passes through eight stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward us, the portion illuminated by the Sun shifts as it travels along its path, producing the familiar cycle of full, half, and crescent shapes. These variations are referred to as lunar phases, and there are eight altogether:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Be sure to read the fine print about Beaches: A New Musical, now on Broadway. This is not an adaptation of the beloved 1988 movie, in which Barbara Hershey played advocate and lawyer Hillary Whitney, and Bette Midler brought bawdy brilliance to singer C.C. Bloom. The Broadway stage musical Beaches is instead based on the movie's inspiration: Iris Rainer Dart's 1985 novel about the highs and lows of the friendship of outgoing actress Cee Cee Bloom and sheepish preppy Bertie White. 

The author has a heavy hand in this stage adaptation, writing both the book — with the help of playwright Thom Thomas — and the lyrics, while Mike Stoller, who once co-wrote songs for Elvis, composed the music. This makes for a stage show that is shockingly disconnected from Garry Marshall's cinematic tearjerker, as the plot is starkly different, especially for Bertie/Hillary. However, directors Lonny Price and Matt Cowart fight hard to bring the Beaches that movie-goers loved to the stage in some capacity. And leading lady Jessica Vosk does her damndest to bring a Midler-level moxie to every scene and song. 

It's just a shame that Dart's book and lyrics are less the wind beneath her wings and more an anchor sinking the whole production. 

Beaches on Broadway ditches most of the movie's songs.  Samantha Schwartz, Bailey Ryon, Jessica Vosk, Kelli Barrett, Emma Ogea, and Zeya Grace as Cee Cee and Bertie in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

Only "Wind Beneath My Wings," which won the Grammy for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, makes the playlist for the stage musical Beaches. In the movie, Midler also sang moving covers of "Under the Boardwalk," "The Glory of Love," and "Baby Mine." None of these makes the stage. And bad news for fans of Midler's playful performance of "Otto Titsling," the comical story of the uncredited inventor of the brassiere; that daffy track doesn't make it to Broadway either. Worse news: This last omission sharply reflects how Dart leaned hard away from the movie's most fun and campy bits. 

Beaches — in both versions — begins with a grown-up Cee Cee (Vosk) rehearsing a song for a big show, when a mysterious phone call causes her to race away. Then, the story flashes back to decades before, when Cee Cee was a fiery little girl (Samantha Schwartz) who befriended a shy, posh little Bertie (Zeya Grace) on a beach in New Jersey. The two became pen pals, supporting each other through fights with their overbearing mothers and frustrations with boys and then men. For a stint in their 20s, they'd live together in a cramped but beloved apartment as Cee Cee tried to make it as an actress, and Bertie helped out at the theater — mostly to avoid her mother and Michael, the boring man she was expected to marry. 

Both women will marry soon enough. But while Cee Cee's career takes off, Bertie (unlike her movie counterpart, Hillary) fails to realize her dream of becoming a lawyer. However, she does still have a daughter that she adores. A big misunderstanding will keep the two friends estranged for years, but they'll ultimately reconnect over Bertie's pregnancy, and then again when she gets fatally ill.

Despite all the highs and lows of their relationships, the songs that Dart and Stoller write all feel achingly one-note. "You Believe in Me," "Wish I Could Be Like You," and "My Best" all share the sentiment that these two are so different yet love each other more than anyone else. Even "God Bless Girlfriends" — sung by their annoyed husbands — echoes this. And none of these numbers has the emotional wallop or the visual language of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Instead, they all feel like mediocre AI-generated imitations of that great song. 

Beaches on Broadway presents confounding characters.  Brent Thiessen (left) and Ben Jacoby (right) as husbands John and Michael in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

Seeing Beaches the movie made me curious about Beaches the musical, but Beaches the musical does not make me curious about Beaches the book. The songs are frustratingly forgettable, but moreover, the story feels vexingly dated and thin. 

In Mary Agnes Donoghue's script for the movie, Hillary's ambitions as a lawyer made her equal to C.C. in ambition. In Dart's Broadway show, it's hard to understand who Bertie is, as the author/playwright leaves gaping holes in her story. Bertie has dreams of becoming an attorney, but when they go nowhere, it's unclear what she's done instead. Likewise confusing is, who is Aunt Neetie? Bertie's daughter Nina brings her up repeatedly, qualifying her as her "real" aunt as a means to show disdain for Cee Cee. And while both "aunts" seem in contention for raising Nina after Bertie dies, because Neetie isn't on stage, she's a distracting obstacle with no grounding. What we do know is Bertie says she has no sister. So maybe Neetie is her sister-in-law? But after their divorce, Michael has no relationship with his daughter Nina. So, what's the likelihood Aunt Neetie is Michael's sister? It's a perplexing plot hole that becomes more grievous in the show's final act.

Dart also ignores Bertie's privilege with a song called "Normal," where Bertie taunts Cee Cee that the brassy star could never have a "normal" life. But all her examples are about being wealthy, like having servants on hand. And these are all things the affluent Bertie has had access to since birth. Her husband, Michael (Ben Jacoby), gives no further insight into who she is, as he's a thinly sketched creep in a suit coat. By contrast, Cee Cee's husband John (Brent Thiessen) is a creep in an open denim shirt. They come off as the same guy in different fonts. 

Now, you might wonder if that's intentional to bolster the queer undertones that existed in the movie. Queer audiences have long speculated whether or not these women were actually in love with each other. Well, a lyric in "The Brand New Me" might have you think so, as Bertie sings about realizing she's in love with a girl. But it's a misdirect; she means the brand-new her. Then, the women share a double wedding on stage, where both are giddily dressed as brides. Here, the six actresses who play Bertie and Cee Cee as children, teens, and adults frolic together, while the grooms are a bland accessory. (Like an unconvincing beard?) 

Jessica Vosk and Beaches directors try to bring the camp and Midler flare.  Jessica Vosk stars as Cee Cee Bloom in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

This is a thankless show for the cast. The songs are awful. And all of the adult actors, aside from leads Jessica Vosk and Kelli Barrett, are tasked to play multiple thin roles, including teen Cee Cee (Bailey Ryon), teen Bertie (Emma Ogea), Cee Cee's mom (Sarah Bockel), and nuns, TV studio techs, nurses, and people waiting for a plane. It can actually be confusing when all of a sudden the actor who plays Cee Cee's husband is in a scene as a different character, with no attempt at disguise beyond a suit jacket. But props to Zurin Villanueva, who is given a smattering of bit parts, and manages to be dazzling and funny in every one. Here's hoping she'll get a role worth of her charisma soon.

As for Barrett, she commits completely to Bertie's agonies and ecstasies as Dart's script has her character turn on the head of a pin, from furious to benevolent. It's not her fault that it doesn't work. It's the unconvincing lyrics, made-up cliches possibly snatched from Hallmark cards. Barrett is at her best in the dialogue scenes, where she can play with Vosk, whose vivacity lifts everyone around her. 

Vosk gives her all to every underwhelming song. And while I can't remember a single lyric from the new Broadway numbers, I can remember the way my heart soared as she hit a high note with a broad smile. She's a stunner who understands why the audience has come. She's working hard to give us Midler-like oomph. And that is echoed by her teeny counterpart, Samantha Schwartz, who is a dynamic pint-sized showgirl with charisma and chutzpah to spare. 

Zeya Grace (left) and Samantha Schwartz (right) as Little Bertie and Little Cee Cee in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

Vosk sinks her teeth into Cee Cee's zeal, jealousy, and earnestness. Directors Price and Cowart support her by bringing in Midler allusions, like a scene where the staging suggests Cee Cee is performing at a bathhouse, as Midler used to, or a double-bunned red wig that recalls Midler's look in Hocus Pocus. Likewise, some costume choices — including the little girls' outfits — recall the movie directly, gladly playing on the audience's nostalgia. You can feel in these choices the attempt to please an audience of women who connected to Hillary and C.C.'s tumultuous story and to the queer audiences who love Midler's brassy bravura. But these flourishes,  while charming, cannot wrestle Beaches from the banality of Dart's writing. 

Plus, the rest of the staging is a mess. Rather than physical set pieces, a collection of columns affixed with projectors blares suggestions of a setting, like street signs or graphics, which do not evoke mood or location effectively. The front of the stage is a sandy beach dune, with fronds poking up for the girls to play on. Then, in the final act, when they are on a beach, the backdrop is painted. After so much projection, in this final moment, where the beauty of the beach itself could help anchor the heavy emotions about to flow, they went with a backdrop that looks like a motel room painting.

More thoughtless, though, was the blocking. A platform on the stage creates a second stage, which is used as a beach house veranda, a TV studio set, and a variety of other theater stages for Cee Cee to strut upon. This was multipurposeful and smart. However, the blocking often has the actresses sitting or lying down on this stage. In my orchestra seats, there were times I could not see who was singing without moving my head to crane around the person in front of me. I'm short, admittedly. But at the intermission, I switched seats with my guest, and he, who is not short, still had issues, despite the person in front of us not being exceptionally tall! Maybe this is a show better suited for the cheap seats?

All in all, Beaches is a profound disappointment. Vosk gives her all to racy jokes, high notes, and an iconically bold heroine. The supporting cast is asked to sing, dance, and play a bevy of small parts and thinly written characters. The directors try to weave in elements from the movie and Midler's broader impact to appeal to fans of her and the film. But in the end, this show is doomed by Dart's underwhelming writing.

Beaches is now on Broadway, and will begin national tours this fall.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be a lot easier if you're a football fan. And if you're not, then good luck!

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Draft day

• Green: First half

• Blue: A player in very high demand

• Purple: Famous firsts

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Draft Pick Information

• Green: Can Precede "Draft"

• Blue: Associated with Fernando Mendoza

• Purple: Non-QBs Picked First in NFL Draft

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #577 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Draft Pick Information — ALMA MATER, PICK, POSITION, ROUND

• Can Precede "Draft" — FANTASY, MOCK, NFL, SUPPLEMENTAL

• Associated With Fernando Mendoza — CAL, HEISMAN, INDIANA, QB

• Non-QBs Picked First in NFL Draft — FISHER, LONG, MARYLAND, PACE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 23, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for April 23, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 23 Pips

Equal (3): Every domino half in this purple space must have 3 pips. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): The domino half in this red space must have less than 5 pips. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this yellow space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 23 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this purple space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this red space must have 3 pips. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; and 5-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this light blue space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): The domino half in this yellow space must have more than 4 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this dark blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this green space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this purple space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 23 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this purple space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): The domino half in this red space must have less than 5 pips. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 1 pip. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): The domino half in this dark blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): The domino half in this green space must have more than 2 pips. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this purple space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Does Not Equal: Every domino half in this red space must have a different number of pips. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (5): The domino half in this light blue space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): The domino half in this yellow space must have less than 4 pips. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this ark blue space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (17): Everything in this green space must add up to 17. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically; and 3-6, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): The domino half in this purple space must have less than 3 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): The domino half in this red space must have less than 3 pips. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a history buff.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 23, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Provinces of the pantheon

The words are related to history.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ancient Roman values.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Domain.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 23

• Thunder

• Harvest

• Wisdom

• Domain

• Love

• Marriage

• Underworld

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

To be human is to love a good life hack. I like the part of Google's definition that refers to a life hack as a technique to "reduce chaos," because that's precisely how I find myself chronicling the mental benefits of keeping my household as low-waste as possible.

That psychological boost doesn't solely stem from feeling good about helping the environment — being more eco-friendly at home is one of the only habits that consistently helps me feel less overwhelmed about life. Like many other adults, my mood, emotional state, and ability to sleep have become heavily intertwined with the length of my to-do list. Living more low-waste minimizes the number of household tasks I need to worry about, making me feel a little more put together.

SEE ALSO: How to recycle Amazon packaging (yes, all of it)

So yes, while I find deep comfort in minimizing my plastic and food waste footprint for the planet's sake, I also find comfort in less trash to take out, fewer nasty smells, and less clutter overall. Those are all tangible results of the easy, eco-friendly changes that actively de-stress my daily routine. If the internet's traditional stress and anxiety hacks haven't worked for you, let me explain how creating less waste has helped me to protect my peace.

The psychology of a clean, de-cluttered space, but applied to trash

I firmly believe that my household's trash production and my anxiety level are positively correlated. The physical chaos of an overflowing bag, the tedious walk to the trash room, the wastefulness of it all — it's overwhelming. So I've implemented a few easy routine changes over the years that have seriously limited my garbage output by a long shot, and that control has done wonders to keep me sane when I'm spiraling.

You've probably heard of the connection between physical clutter and mental clutter. Maybe you read an article (or watched a TikTok) about it or found out that you are, in fact, more productive when your desk is tidy. Though most references to this connection are talking about your mind's subconscious reaction to visible clutter, my mind definitely counts concealed trash as clutter, despite the trash can living behind a cabinet door.

The mere thought of gallons of gross, sticky, smelly trash piling up in my kitchen feels just as disorderly and dirty as crusty dishes stacked in the sink.

Imagine how rarely you'd have to take out the trash if you weren't throwing food away

My Mill food recycling bin has put the biggest dent in the amount of waste my apartment makes, and I can't imagine living without it. It's basically the size of a traditional step-on kitchen trash can, and even has the presser foot.

Instead of putting plate scrapings, food prep scraps, or old leftovers directly into the trash, just about any food can be dumped into the Mill instead. Every night, before any of the meat or dairy or soggy spinach would start to stink up the place, Mill dehydrates and churns food into a soil-like consistency, which I then mail back to Mill to be repurposed into chicken feed.

Mill's massive filter traps nasty smells way better than any expensive scented bag could. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable That's around 246 pounds of food per year — think of how many garbage bags we've saved. Credit: Screenshot / Mill

Without food in the equation, my three-person household barely goes through one garbage bag per week. Trash duty is needed so infrequently that no one dreads it, especially because it's not that gross of a chore, either — no food means no mystery juice dripping from the bag onto your sock.

Pre-Mill, I was first introduced to the concept of compacting home food waste through Lomi. Most of those electric countertop composters aren't actually creating real "compost," but they're still drying and grinding your food scraps to a fraction of their original size. The result is a small bucket of "dirt" that won't reek if it then sits in your trash for a few days, and won't release as much methane at the landfill. Any of these countertop gadgets is a game-changer if you don't have a garbage disposal.

Plastic waste has been another leading source of the permanent pit in my stomach since 2018, when I learned that most plastic doesn't actually get recycled.

SEE ALSO: Texas resident used Apple AirTags to track her recycling. It ended up in the middle of nowhere.

All of the empty cleaning bottles and laundry detergent jugs that hogged so much space in my bin were basically destined to rot for 500 years. Awesome! For the majority of us who don't have curbside recycling, taking the recycling out involves extra walking or driving. For me, it's a dreaded elevator ride down to my apartment's sketchy basement — so I'm always trying to strategically stretch my recycling bin's life before I have to go down there again. The switch from plastic to paper packaging that can be folded or flattened creates more room to shove stuff in.

A low-waste lifestyle requires less chaotic storage at home

Pretty much my entire cleaning routine has been low-waste-ified, which plays just as big of a role in the organization of storage spaces as it does in downsizing my trash. And organization at home plays a critical role in my daily stress level.

There aren't a million plastic spray bottles clanking around in the cabinet under my sink. Multi-surface cleaning spray refills come in the form of a small Blueland tablet dissolved in the same glass bottle. My dissolvable laundry detergent strips come in a thin cardboard envelope, which is much easier to tuck away than a huge, crusty jug of laundry detergent. Stretchy dishwasher-safe silicone lids have fully replaced plastic wrap, and Swedish dishcloths (reusable paper towels that can go in the dishwasher) have freed my closet from a never-ending tower of paper towel rolls.

Laundry sheets, dishwasher pods, and carton of dish soap are easy to store in an apartment with limited space. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Don't let me catch you using a Ziploc bag as Tupperware after this. Credit: Stasher

My parents have also had a positive downsizing experience on their lower-waste journey. My dad hasn't had to step around an industrial case of bottled water in the garage since they simply switched to a nice faucet filter. My mom took my robot vacuum and mop advice and got to free up precious shelf space that had previously been home to boxes of Swiffer WetJet refill pads. Seriously, don't underestimate the calming power of structure within your home's storage setup.

The low-waste route shrinks my recurring shopping list

I don't think enough people realize that switching to lower-waste home habits would mean that they won't have to restock so many household supplies all the time. There's serious freedom in severing your reliance on disposable items, plus shorter (cheaper) grocery store lists.

Replacement paper towels or Ziploc bags aren't permanent fixtures on the grocery list now that we've stopped relying on the disposable versions of either. When you don't burn through multiple garbage bags on a weekly basis, you rarely experience the rage of realizing you're out of fresh bags. Yes, some low-waste swaps do cost a little more up front, but their reusability pays for itself within a few months.

I'm a maximalist when decorating, but a minimalist when holding onto junk

The mental weight of stuff is real. Not "stuff" in a maximalist chic decor way, but "stuff" as in all the crap that's living in your home and your mind rent-free. You don't know what to do with it, so you just keep it (and then feel its dark presence hovering every time you're in that room). That overstimulating stress loop made it impossible for me to fully relax at home for quite some time. But after being in low-waste mode in my kitchen for a few years, the pipeline to all-over home decluttering came naturally.

Suddenly, I was inspired to clean out the drawers, shelves, and under-bed bins that had accumulated anxiety-inducing levels of junk — and then sit down and research how to sustainably get rid of that junk. It turns out that there are comically easy ways to recycle broken phone chargers, dried-out pens, dead batteries, old glasses, and so many other random knick-knacks that I held on to just because I'd feel just as anxious about sending them to a dumpster.

For unwanted items with a little more value, like clothes or old AirPods or decor that isn't my taste anymore, online resale apps have become core to mitigating my messy home restlessness. You'd be shocked at the range of niche items that shoppers are willing to take off your hands. If there was any level of sentimental attachment, I can breathe a little easier knowing the item is getting a second life instead of collecting dust on an overflowing Goodwill shelf.

SEE ALSO: The Suri recyclable electric toothbrush is my favorite eco-friendly self-care swap

I've realized that maintaining an uncluttered space isn't a challenge when you have clear-cut methods to properly discard unwanted stuff. I now have a pretty solid idea of what can be recycled where, even the really-hard-to-recycle stuff, and what might sell on eBay.

If I'm not sure, my reflex is now to research what to do with it instead of cramming it into a procrasti-clutter drawer. Similarly, I've been able to keep up with a weekly fridge clean-out schedule because I can casually throw anything in my Mill bin. I no longer put expired stuff back in just because it'll stink in the trash, and old leftovers are no longer piling up to the point that no new groceries can fit.

Now that my brain is rewired to take the path of least waste in most situations, I've gotten really good at acquiring less stuff in the first place. If I'm on the fence about a purchase, the first question I ask myself is, "Will this be a pain in the ass to deal with a year from now?" Am I really going to be excited about this item for longer than a few months? Is it high-quality enough to last for a long time? Can I find it secondhand on Depop? While I'll never deny the importance of getting yourself a little treat just because, intentional shopping is such an underrated method of stabilizing a swirling mind.

Kia is finally ready to reveal full details of its Vision Meta Turismo concept car after a brief glimpse in December. It's clear the sports car is built to preview the brand's long-term approach to performance EVs, including more to do while you're not moving at all.

It might feel like a curveball to compare a Toyota to the likes of BMW or Mercedes-Benz. Usually, these brands exist in different worlds. However, the 2026 Toyota Crown Signia is not a typical SUV. It replaces the traditional (and dare we say boring) mainstream feel with a luxurious cabin, a quiet ride, and a standard feature list that rivals the best from legacy European brands.

TL:DR: Visual Studio 2026 combines AI-powered coding, cross-platform tools, and real-time collaboration — now just $42.97 for a limited time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 $42.97
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Modern development doesn’t have to feel like a grind, especially when your tools are built to keep up with how you actually work. Visual Studio Professional 2026 is Microsoft’s latest take on a full-featured IDE, now with deeper AI integration and performance upgrades that actually make a difference when you’re working on real-life projects.

Built as a 64-bit environment, Microsoft’s latest handles large codebases and complex solutions more comfortably, which is especially useful if you’re juggling multiple services or working across teams.

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But the real shift here is how much easier it is to stay in flow. AI-assisted coding tools like IntelliCode help predict and complete lines of code, while built-in refactoring suggestions reduce repetitive work and help catch issues earlier.

Cross-platform development is also front and center. You can build mobile and desktop apps with .NET MAUI, create modern web interfaces using Blazor, and test across environments including Windows, Linux, and containers — all from the same place.

Hot reload features let you see changes instantly, reducing back-and-forth during development.

Collaboration feels more natural, too. With Live Share, teammates can jump into your session to edit, debug, or review code in real time.

This version of Visual Studio makes it easier to access a professional-grade toolset without overthinking the investment.

Get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for just $42.97 (reg. $499.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Tesla has reported its earnings for the first quarter of 2026. The automaker is reporting $22.4 billion in total revenue, a 16 percent year-over-year increase, and $0.41 earnings per share (non-GAAP).

Google's landing page for an Earth Day-related search brings up some relatable frequently asked questions: What should we do on Earth Day? If you'd like to do more than go outside and post a pretty tree on your Instagram story for Earth Day this year, consider making some eco-friendly swaps at home.

A quick look at the best Earth Day 2026 deals Best kitchen deal Reencle Prime Electric Composter $429.00 at Amazon (save $70) Get Deal Best cleaning deal Blueland Laundry Detergent Tablets (60 count) $23.99 at Amazon (save $6) Get Deal Best tech deal Pela biodegradable compostable phone cases buy one, get one free Get Deal Best entertainment deal "Planet Earth II" (4K UHD) $34.65 at Amazon (save $25.34) Get Deal

Like Prime Day, Earth Day sales are a great opportunity to stock up on home products that you already use every day — these versions just create way less waste. Swap plastic cleaning spray bottles for dissolvable cleaning tablets, swap tree-destroying toilet paper for bamboo toilet paper, or splurge on a countertop composter to shrink your household's food waste. We'll be keeping track of the best Earth Day deals through the end of Earth Week:

SEE ALSO: How to actually recycle electronics, beauty empties, toys, and more tricky items in 2026 Best home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Reel Reel Bamboo Toilet Paper save 30% with code EARTHLOVE30 Get Deal Why we like it

I've tried a lot of sustainable swaps for my home in the past five years, and Reel's bamboo toilet paper is easily one that's been repurchased the most. Not only is it three-ply and super soft — to the point where multiple guests in my apartment have inquired about the brand — but no trees were harmed in the making of this TP. Bamboo is considered the fastest-growing plant on earth, and making toilet paper out of it requires significantly less water and energy than your typical tree toilet paper. When it feels like there's news about new cuts to national parks and forests on a daily basis, I'll take my bamboo toilet paper usage as a W.

Countertop composters and food waste condensers

• Dreame Electric Composter — $199.99 $399.99 (save $200)

• Reencle Prime — $429 $499 (save $70)

Eco-friendly storage

• Stasher Silicone Reusable Snack Bag (12 ounce) — $7.79 $9.99 (save $2.20)

• Flip-It! Premium Bottle Emptying Kit (pack of 2) — $15.99 $21.99 (save $2.20)

• Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Containers (set of 4) — $34.94 $42.99 (save $8.05)

• Stasher Silicone Reusable Snack Bags (3 pack) — $41.50 $51.99 (save $10.49)

Air purifiers and water filters

• Levoit Core Mini Air Purifier (255 sq. ft) — $39.97 $49.99 (save $10.03)

• Culligan Water Filter Dispenser with ZeroWater Technology (23 cup) — $26.24 $35.43 (save $9.19)

• Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max Air Purifier (1,800 sq. ft) — $168.99 $229.99 (save $61)

• Blueair Blue Signature SP3i Air Purifier (498 sq. ft) — $239.97 $299.99 (save $60.03)

• Bluevua Countertop Reverse Osmosis System — $317 $454 (save $137)

• Dreame FurCatcher Air Purifier (3,708 sq. ft) — $424.99 $499.99 (save $75)

Mattresses and bedding

• Cozy Earth — save 15% on bamboo sheet sets

• Avocado Green Mattress — save 15% on organic mattresses

• Buffy — save 20% on recycled PET and lyocell comforters and pillows

• Birch — save 20% on natural mattresses, bases, and bedding

• Saatva — save $300 on organic mattress purchases of $1,000 or more

SEE ALSO: The Mill food recycling bin is the easiest indoor composter alternative, and my all-time favorite appliance Cleaning product deals

• Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets (60 count) —  $16.79 $23.99 (save $7.20)

• Blueland Bathroom Cleaner Dissolvable Refill Tablets (10 pack) —  $20.40 $24 (save $4.60)

• Blueland Oxi Laundry Boost Powder —  $21.59 $26.99 (save $5.40)

• Seventh Generation Dishwasher Packs (45 count, 2 pack) —  $23.18 $29.74 (save $6.56)

• Blueland Toilet Bowl Cleaner Dissolvable Tablets (14 count) —  $23.19 $28.99 (save $5.80)

Outdoor deals

• Earth Pak Waterproof Roll-Top Backpack — $66.99 $85.99 (save $19)

• LifeStraw Personal Water Filter (4 pack) — $44.64 $59.95 (save $15.31)

• Rumpl Backcountry Puffy Blanket — $110.93 $149 (save $38.17)

Pet deals

• World's Best Multi-Cat Clumping Corn Cat Litter (15 pounds) — $19.15 $23.39 (save $4.24)

• Earth Rated Recycled Plastic Dog Poop Bags (240 count) — $31.49 $44.99 (save $13.50)

• Petkit Clump+ Tofu Cat Litter (5.29 pounds, 3 pack) — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)