And that's just what the Stark daughter is doing in the upcoming Game of Thrones Season 5.

More: New Game of Thrones poster proves two fan favorites finally meet (PHOTO)

Entertainment Weekly nabbed the first photos of the young swordswoman with her hair done in braids (braids!!!) and a pretty, gypsy-esque skirt.

With Needle back in her hands and The Hound dead, a new adventure is surely in store for Arya. But it's not what you'd expect.

WARNING: Spoilers about what's to come for Arya below. If you haven't read the books and don't want a sneak peek into her story line in the upcoming season, do not continue reading.

More: Why Taylor Swift trademarking her lyrics was a smart move on her end

Of course, there's a caveat to my warning this time: Game of Thrones producers and George R.R. Martin have made it clear they will no longer be following the books perfectly in the upcoming seasons. Because of that, Arya's story line could surprise even the most avid fans.

But here's what we know about all the new things coming from the books.

1. A new location

Arya will be leaving Westeros and settling down in Braavos for Season 5.

2. A new teacher

In Braavos, she will find a home at the House of Black and White among an association of assassins known as the Faceless Men. Her mentor won't be a fierce warrior like The Hound or Syrio Forel but a kindly old man.

More: 9 Game of Thrones predictions straight from the leaked trailer (VIDEO)

3. A new vibe

Life will get quieter for the youngest Stark daughter. Remember, she thinks her entire family is dead (except Jon), so she doesn't have anyone left to search for.

4. A new name

As part of her training, Arya will spend her days as a street urchin, learning the secrets of the city, which she reports back to the kindly old man. On the streets, she goes by Cat of the Canals.

Also, it's important to note that after being initiated as a trainee of the Faceless Men, Arya is supposed to discard everything from her previous life, including her past personality. But Arya secretly keeps Needle, and she has wolf dreams, which means the Stark girl isn't gone for good.

See all of Arya's makeover pics on Entertainment Weekly's website.

Game of Thrones Season 5 premieres Sunday, April 12, on HBO.

Everyone is afraid of getting old. But what's scarier than losing your beauty is losing your brains. That's exactly what Alzheimer's does. It takes your memories and then can interfere with every aspect of your daily life, and those diagnosed with Alzheimer's usually live an average of eight more years after their symptoms become noticeable to others. Maria Shriver has been a leader in advocating for Alzheimer's education, research and brain-saving for over 10 years, and she wants women to get fired up, energized and empowered to help fight this horrible disease.

I asked Maria what she wishes more people knew about Alzheimer's, and she said that it ruins women's lives. Not only the women who develop the disease, but because the majority of people caring for someone with Alzheimer's are women. Not only does it affect a woman emotionally because being a caregiver is very stressful, but it can also affect her ability to continue working due to caring for an elderly parent or relative. It can wipe out a family's finances due to caring for someone with Alzheimer's, and it can affect her ability to care for her own children if she is providing care for an elderly person. Which is why Maria wants us all to start our own brain trust, to educate ourselves about the disease, to surround ourselves with supportive people who also care about the disease and to take charge of our own future and the future of those we love by infusing hope and power toward people also dealing with Alzheimer's. We need to support the amazing scientists and doctors who are studying the brain, and raise money for research to help obliterate this disease.

Maria is calling on the innovators, agitators and instigators out there to get fired up, to get engaged, to get inspired and get empowered. Maria wants you to take the pledge and join a movement of women who care about women's brains. Our brains are sexy. Let's use them to make a difference.

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1. That time he took limitations and said to hell with 'em

Image: Tumblr

We're not quitters, either. For example: We'll never quit you and your perfect face, Alex.

2. When he said something profound about going through pain

Image: Tumblr

If ever there was a Grade A example of needing to mess up to step up, it's Alex Karev. Guy's been stepping up for years now.

More: Camilla Luddington weighs in on how Shonda Rhimes creates such fierce TV

3. That time he taught us a lesson about how relationships need to be reciprocal

Image: Tumblr

Sure, he might have said it angrily, but he's right: If someone isn't adding to your life, then DNR.

4. When he spouted this gem, and we could tell he legit believed it

Image: Giphy

But, just in case you are wondering what we think, Alex, we think you're hot in a scrub cap, and we'd like to marry you.

5. That time he had more self-awareness than most people ever have

Image: Tumblr

Hey, the first step to overcoming a problem is admitting you have one. Some of Grey Sloan Memorial's other characters could stand to follow Alex's example and find some self-awareness of their own shortcomings (cough, April Kepner, cough).

More: 10 Grey's Anatomy losses ranked by how much we miss them

6. When he thought he might die, and he had these words of wisdom

Image: Tumblr

Um, hey, no need to tell us twice. We're getting the maple syrup as we speak. And if you aren't sure which one of these two things we're using the syrup for, well, props to you and your exciting life.

7. When he said this thing about teams

Image: Pinterest

Where is the Alex Karev Team sign-up sheet? We will fill all available positions.

8. That time he knew he deserved better

Image: Tumblr

It took him a while to realize it, but Alex eventually figured out he deserved better. You don't get more unless you demand it.

9. When he knew the secret to overcoming issues between people

Image: Giphy

Gosh, who'd have thought way back in the days of Season 1 that talking things out would be Alex Karev's MO? We dig it.

More: QUIZ — Which Grey's Anatomy character are you?

10. When he was realistic about life

Image: Tumblr

True dat, Alex. True dat. Kudos to you for realizing what show you're on and what that means for your unlikely sky-high happiness levels.

11. That time he made us realize where our problems sit in the grand scheme of things

Image: Tumblr

Alex is with Jo and not with us, but if we listen to what he's saying, then we know we can overcome this. Also looking like something we need to survive? Delusional feelings of love for a television character who is not a real person.

12. When his feelings on life extended to how it should end

Image: Giphy

So, Alex will be there with us when we go, right? Just going to go ahead and lock that in now.

13. That time he had some thoughts on not denying fate

Image: Pinterest

If there is one thing Alex knows for sure, it's that sometimes, you just can't avoid a gravitational pull toward someone else. We already knew this, though, because gravity obvs has some real desire for us to be with Alex.

14. The time he did this

Image: Fan Pop

Yeah, we know he hasn't said anything profound, but he's certainly doing something profound — holding a very premature baby to his chest, and that's pretty much all you need to know about Alex and why he should have your attention, even when he's not saying anything.

The Trainwreck star was taken to task by a Bustle writer for supposedly deflecting the attention from the #AskHerMore cause with her own funny hashtag. At the time, she responded with her usual candor.

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Schumer explained that the writer's comments really rubbed her the wrong way because she has devoted her career to portraying women as strong, intelligent, funny and real. "I just thought the wording was funny, you know?" she told the Hollywood Reporter of her hashtag. "Of course I want women to be asked more than what dress they're wearing — that's my whole thing! So yeah, it did annoy me. I've devoted my life to being a feminist and showing women as more than just vapid, materialistic sex-monsters."

Schumer also addressed that nasty movie critic who said she wasn't sexy enough to play a romantic lead. "From the bottom of my heart, I don't care," she told THR. "I didn't star in this movie because I'm the prettiest girl. You're not going to catch me developing an eating disorder and getting a bunch of work done. I'm trying to say something and make people think."

We can't imagine too many ideals more feminist than that.

We don't know about you, but we, too, like to peruse an upside-down toy catalog while sipping on our morning bottle of milk. That is, of course, after we've completed our morning aerobics in a seriously committed manner, all the while remaining seated. We love exercise where we get to sit down.

Besides inducing some serious belly chuckles, this video made us realize that we would enjoy life so much more if we were capable of finding amusement in the small stuff, just like babies. To that end, if you're looking for us, we can probably be found in the bathroom wrapping toilet paper around our heads. Probably won't head out to the backyard to do jumping squats, though; that's standing up exercise and we don't do that.

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This 2-year-old who dances to Dubstep is cooler than you (VIDEO) 

After being estranged from my mother for almost 10 years, she gave me my very own copy of The Colour of Magic for my birthday last year. I devoured this first book in the Discworld series faster than my morning bowl of Cocoa Pops, proving that Pratchett's inherent silliness and astonishing imagination can stand the test of time and span all generations.

To me, Pratchett's books conjure up fond memories of a time when my biggest worry in life was which colour crayon to use. And his incredible attitude towards life in general, especially how he handled his illness, has personally helped me put things in perspective during the times when I've felt like I've lost my sparkle and I'm not the prettiest or the smartest or seem to have to slog my guts out for everything I've got.

When Pratchett announced he'd been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's back in 2007, he never used his illness as a crutch or let it stop him from doing what he loved.

In his lifetime, Pratchett sold over 85 million books across the globe and is still the second most widely read author in the U.K. He was knighted in 2009 for his contribution to the literary world and, in 2010, he was awarded the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

As the world is mourning his death and taking to social media and blogs to commemorate his life, Pratchett is most likely debating his untimely demise with Death. A little part of my heart broke upon hearing the news; Pratchett wanted us to celebrate his premature departure and the fact he finally made it to the front of the queue.

My mother and I are no longer close, but we will always have our love for Terry Pratchett books in common. His death is our loss, but the man himself did say, "Did you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?"

RIP, Sir Terry Pratchett.

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By now you have put the pieces of this complicated puzzle together. I picked a puzzle because it's fun and probably took a lot of thought to assemble without a picture to guide you. It's a lot like life too, but for me, you have always been there to guide me, so I have a very important question to ask you in the longest possible way…

To my Potential Bridesmaids and Bridesmen,

I'm starting off with "potential" because I want you to sincerely have the option of saying no, an option people aren't often afforded guilt-free when asked this. By the end of the letter, though, I really hope you say yes to standing beside me and see it as less of a duty and more of an honor.

You are a few of my very best friends. You celebrated the great times with me and have been there when life wasn't all roses. Each of you watched me date the wrong guy, after guy. And you told me when they were just awful and told me when I needed to make more of an effort. You took me out to parties the first week of college and you stumbled through SoHo at 3 a.m. with me, years after college. You hung out with me when I was feeling totally alone. You went on vacation with me. I came to visit you in your far-away city. I loved being your roommate. I love being your friend. I look forward to our phone calls. I don't want to lose you guys in this marriage. I want you to be a part of my special day and to thank you for being my friend, and maybe even be open to finding a friend in the guy I'm so excited to marry.

I have a few promises to make to you that will hopefully make you smile.

Brace yourself. This will not be the best day of my life. It will be one of the many. I want you to be there on my wedding day and all the other days that are just as amazing, like coming over to our new home or when you and I finally go on a safari or being in the stadium together when S.U. finally plays in the Final Four. On my wedding day, I want it to be full of love, and it will be if you are there.

I said yes to all of this, you didn't. You will not be "required" to come to every event. Even the thought of asking you would be completely ridiculous. You are in no way supposed to give us three to five of your weekends for all of this. You have lives, careers and kids. I will not beg you to come to everything, I only ask that you truly want to be there when you do come.

Bridesmaids: You will never wear the dress again, end of story. In lieu of a giving you a silly gift bag filled with candles and lotions at the rehearsal dinner, the dress is on me. I haven't decided on what color or type yet, but there is no way in hell I'm forcing you to pay for something you can only wear again as a Halloween costume. I will try not to subject you to a cut that smooshes your boobs or makes you look fat. If you do find it so glamorous that you can't wait for another function to show it off, that's wonderful. Otherwise, you can slap me across the face if I utter the most hated words in bridesmaid-dress shopping, "Oh, you’ll wear it again!"

Image: eelnosiva/Getty Images

Bridesmen: I don't have the same feeling towards suits or tuxes, and we haven't decided what clothing to subject you to, but it will be a rental. I promise though that all the guys will get a really awesome present at the rehearsal dinner... so there's that.

On to more fun things...

You aren't responsible for the bridal shower. After all the ones I have been to, I truly never understood why the bridesmaids paid the mother for the party. I'm erring on the side of tradition, and if my mom wants one she's paying for it. You guys can help, but it won't mean writing a check. I honestly don't even know if I want one anyway; I haven't perfected my excitement over spatulas and can openers yet.

The maid of honor will be responsible for the bachelorette party. Since you have known me long enough to know that I'm less of a party girl and more of a spa day-turned-awesome-dinner type, you can breathe a sigh of relief that you don't have to fly to Vegas. So ladies, if you say yes to the well-fitting dress, the honor also includes a partially paid weekend away planned by the maid of honor, my dear sister, should she accept. Bridesmen, consider this your "get out of jail free" card since you live across the country, unless you can't contain your excitement over the spa.

Image: Martin Barraud/Getty Images

Finally, if you are single, I won't force our single friends upon you. I was not appointed matchmaker as soon as I became part of a couple. I don't know any more about love than you do. Since our friends are from all parts of our lives, you may not have crossed paths with a lot of them, including some of the other bridesmaids/men. We will give you a rundown of who is coming and how we know each other, only so you have something to talk about over the open bar, single or otherwise.

That is all I have. Hopefully you find these terms and conditions to your liking!

So... will you be my bridesmaid/man?

I hope you can't wait another second to call and say yes.

I love you all, I thank you all and I need to you help me through the wedding binders (which you are apparently supposed to have), picking the dress (that I will freak out about when there is no coupon I can use), and fights with the parents (about all our terrible choices).

Love you!

Image: SZE FEI WONG/Getty Images

The Oscar nominee was on the show to talk about his new documentary, Seymour: An Introduction, which tells the story of a man who gave up his performing career as a pianist to teach.

More: Hugh Jackman strips for Kelly Ripa (VIDEO)

On the talk show, Hawke shared that the star of the film, Seymour Bernstein, helped the actor overcome his stage fright, explaining, "Of course, the pianists have it worse than anybody. I mean, you want to talk about game-day jitters. If I'm doing Macbeth at Lincoln Center, that's stressful, right?"

But Hawke might as well have stopped after he said "pianists," because Ripa tuned out when she heard a very different word.

"Did you say 'pianist'?" Ripa said, leaning in closer to Hawke. (Thinking he said penis.)

More: Ethan Hawke jumps on the Oscars-bashing bandwagon

"You may have heard... another word... I said pianist, like a piano," Hawke said, scolding the host for her dirty mind. "I have no idea what word you're thinking of! And I have to say, I'm a little shocked!"

"No, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything," Ripa said. "I couldn't figure it out."

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation," Hawke said, continuing his lecture, "and you bring us down into the gutter.

More: Jon Hamm, Ethan Hawke fight over one woman: Who is Anne V. Coates?

Meanwhile, Strahan just sat there laughing and shaking his head.

Honestly, we could see how Ripa misheard. It's a tricky word, people.

Watch the clip below and sound off on what you heard Hawke say below.

Diners have had enough of the hipster ways of some restaurants around the world, though, and are sharing the laughable lengths some places will go to be "on trend" or "cool" by sharing photos of their meals on Twitter.

A Twitter account called @WeWantPlates was set up by a man named Ross Grimes after a friend posted a picture of a meal served on a slab of slate.

He realised that there were so many restaurants serving their food in similar, and much more ridiculous, ways and encouraged other people to share their snaps with him.

Since then, more than 11,000 people have followed the account, which shares images of meals, showing the hilariously awkward lengths restauranteurs go to impress their diners.

From sneakers to flat caps filled with bread, diners have snapped some seriously ridiculous ways to serve an otherwise perfectly good meal.

Here are just some of the most hated hipster meals we've come across.

1. Why, oh why, would you serve dessert on a clock face?

2. At one restaurant, they have no need for plates at all. At least it saves on dishwashing liquid:

3. There's the slate plate again:

4. Anyone game enough to eat curry from a toilet bowl? I think I've just lost my appetite:

5. For goodness sake, get this person a plate!

6. This just looks unhygienic:

7. Flat bread in a flat cap. Again, gross:

8. Oh, heavens:

9. Just stop!

10. And step away from the slippers:

Have you ever been served food in a ridiculous object? Share your photos with us on Twitter or tell us all about it in the comments section below.

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Whether you are looking for something sweet or savory, your kids will love these 10 green St. Patrick's Day inspired treats.

Image: Zakkalife.blogspot.com

Shamrock chips

These shamrock chips are festive and super easy — with no special baking skills required. Simply use a shamrock cookie cutter to cut out the shapes on a spinach tortilla wrap and then bake.

Image: Spabettie.com

Lucky pancakes

Your kids will flip when they see these lucky pancakes on their plate. Yes, you could use green food coloring in your regular pancake mix, but we love how Spabettie ups the healthy factor by using spinach to create the green color. Check out the gluten-free, dairy-free recipe on the website.

Image: Better Than Burgers

Pistachio St. Patrick's Day bread

This St. Patrick's Day bread would be perfect as a sweet treat in lunch boxes. You can get the full recipe on the website, however, she simply mixes in instant pistachio pudding mix (and a few drops of green food coloring) into yellow cake mix.

Image: TheYummyLife.com

Green popcorn and pretzel party mix

This green popcorn and pretzel party mix is positively drool-worthy. Check out the complete recipe at TheYummyLife, however, combine pretzels, green popcorn, white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanuts, green candy-coated chocolates and decorating sprinkles and then melt it in the microwave.

Image: erecipecards.blogspot

Green crinkle cake cookies

These soft and chewy cookies are sure to get your kids in the St. Patrick's Day spirit. These would be perfect for class parties. The website has the complete recipe, however, she mixes standard cake mix with green food coloring (and mint flavoring, if you would like) to create these yummy cookies.

Image: weelicious.com

St. Patrick's Day mac and cheese

Your kids will love this recipe because its mac and cheese and it's green — you will love it because the green color comes from healthy veggies including spinach, broccoli florets and peas. Win-win.

Image: Recipebyphoto.com

Green shamrock cupcakes

How clever is this? Simply take your favorite white cake mix, add green food coloring and use marbles to create this design in a cupcake pan.

Image: Recipebyphoto.com

After the cupcakes bake, ice them with green icing and apply some silly candy eyes to create cute shamrock cupcakes.

Image: recessiv.com

Shamrock eggs

Your kids may turn their noses up if you tell them they are going to eat eggs and bell peppers — but if you call them "shamrock eggs" and add some grated cheese... well, that is another story. Simply slice a green bell pepper to get the shamrock shape, place the slices in a frying pan and crack an egg in the middle of each one. You can even serve the eggs with ham for a Green Eggs and Ham theme.

Image: GetCreativeJuice.com

Green fruit skewers

This is such a fun way to get your child to try different types of fruit. On a skewer, stack only green fruit — including apples, pears, honeydew melon, kiwi and green grapes. Add a green ribbon at the top for a festive touch.

Image: iambaker.net

Green ombré cake

If your child's birthday is around St. Patrick's Day, this cake would be perfect. In fact, it is almost too amazing to eat. If you want to attempt this gorgeous ombré cake, you can check out the full recipe — but we warn you, it is fairly labor intensive. If you master it, however, it is totally worth it. Can you imagine your child's face when you cut into it? This cake is truly Instagram worthy.

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But when you look at the actual definition of "diet," it paints a different picture. Merriam-Webster defines "diet" as food and drink regularly provided or consumed; habitual nourishment. Therefore, our diet is the food we typically eat. So if someone asks you what diet you're on, you can reply with "my diet consists of... "

When somebody goes on a diet that means one thing. At some point, they will also go off said diet. The typical association of the word "diet" implies several different things: restriction of one or more macronutrients or food groups, eating a large amount of one or more macronutrient or food group and/or feeling frustrated and deprived. Thinking of dieting immediately creates mental pictures of having to stay at home while your friends go out on Friday night cause drinks "aren't on your diet," or skipping out on a family meal at your favorite restaurant.

Going on a diet is OK in certain situations. When people are working towards a very short-term goal, say, an upcoming wedding or some other occasion such as vacation, diets can produce temporary results. Note the word temporary. The extreme measures that often accompany dieting rarely, if ever, result in long-term healthy weight loss. They instead serve as a temporary means of dropping weight (usually mostly water weight), typically in an unsustainable fashion. Picture this: You go on a diet that consists of eating three-fourths of your meals from a particular source (say lean protein and nuts, for example). At some point, your body is going to experience lethargy and other symptoms as a result of a nutrient imbalance.

So what's the alternative to going on a diet? Weight loss is a very popular goal among fitness goers and non-fitness goers alike. Although exercise is a necessary component of the healthy lifestyle equation, eating healthy is a big (if not bigger) factor as well. But you can eat healthy without being on a diet. This is where practicing a well-balanced diet comes into play. What exactly is a well-balanced diet? The word "balanced" in itself should be a breath of fresh air, as balance in life is a necessity. Whether it's balancing life, work, school, kids, family, relationships or whatever it may be, balance is a good thing!

A well-balanced diet is labeled as such when the things you consume consist of a combination of foods that provide you with optimal energy and nutrition. While dietary needs vary from person to person, a well-balanced diet generally consists of the following components:

• Foods from each food group at each meal
• At least 3 meals each day

It's important to meet nutritional needs with the foods you consume, without overdoing it. Too much of a good thing does exist. In order to figure out what works best for you and your body's needs, you can check out a variety of government sources such as Choose my Plate to help determine your caloric and nutrient needs. You can also use Fitkloud to plug in your height, weight, etc. and get a breakdown of the macronutrient totals your body needs in order to reach your goals and maintain a well-balanced diet.

The goal of a well-balanced diet is to create something that is sustainable, to partake in foods that help you experience optimal health and quality of life. A well-balanced diet is not a means to an end, it is a lifetime journey. If looking good and feeling great on a permanent scale is what you're looking for, a well-balanced diet is your answer.

Image: Betsie Van der Meer/Getty Images

More: 10 Mind-numbing quotes from Kanye West's interview

The video titled "Anonymous — A Message to Mr. West" shows a V for Vendetta mask with some clips of West and Kim Kardashian peppered in the nearly eight-minute rant.

"You're like a spoiled child in a grown man's body who is ready to set off a boiling temper tantrum the very moment you don't get all the things you want," the British-accented voice says. "I bet your wife is subconsciously fed up with raising a little boy for a husband and I am sure your mother would have been so proud of your behavior.

West's mom died in 2007 from surgical complications.

More: New Kanye West parody Instagram involves skintight onesies (PHOTOS)

"You see, Mr. West, we once had a great deal of respect for you," the masked face says. "We admired your art, creativity, original vision and nonconformity in your work. But now, Anonymous has targeted you here with this message because you disgrace what we stand for. When you self-proclaim to be a modern renaissance prodigy in your radio and TV interviews, with such an obnoxious history, it pisses us off."

Though the video is focused at West, the speaker also takes the time to call out Cyrus, too, particularly for her decision to ride a giant inflatable penis during her Bangerz tour.

"After all, what's wrong with teaching teenage girls that society actually rewards you for posing nude? Let's just influence the whole country to embrace perversity," the masked person says sarcastically. "That's a good way to lead society, as if it wasn't bad enough already. What a great idea you can teach your daughter."

More: Kanye West's BET speech is actually worth a watch for many reasons (VIDEO)

The speaker concludes, "Anonymous is sounding off the new renaissance era this year for humanity, and if you don't shape up, then your legacy will not be included. Poor examples such as yourself will not be tolerated anymore in the new age."

Watch the full video below.

Do you agree with the hacktivists?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

What she did: Threatened to tie a small child to a tree to be walker fodder if he told anyone her secret.

Why we forgive her: Carol was looking out for herself and the rest of her family when she told that kid to mind his own beeswax or face the consequences. Do we really think she would have done that to a child? Boy, we sure hope not, but the kid had to believe it in order to keep the information to himself.

More: 8 Reasons The Walking Dead's gender-swap is a huge deal

Image: Giphy

What she did: Killed Karen and David in the prison.

Why we forgive her: It may have sucked for Tyreese, but Carol thought she was taking steps to keep the rest of the prison family safe. She thought she was preventing a sickness from spreading through everyone and we can't fault her for that.

Image: Giphy

What she did: Shot Lizzie in the back of the head.

Why we forgive her: Look, it's a whole different world in the zombie apocalypse. Lizzie was a disturbed child who posed a threat to everyone around her. In that type of world, the kindest thing to do — even if watching it felt like our hearts were being torn from our chests — was to end her life as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Image: Gene Page/AMC

What she did: Defended her abusive husband after Shane beat Ed.

Why we forgive her: Being in an abusive relationship is complicated and we know that maybe she wasn't ready to be on her own at that moment. Seeing how well she did later, we can totally forgive Carol for not being ready then.

Image: Giphy

What she did: Let Ed be eaten by zombies.

Why we forgive her: See above. The guy was an abusive bastard. That is all.

Image: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

What she did: Cut open a walker.

Why we forgive her: How else are you supposed to prepare yourself for a possible C-section? It may have been gross, but Carol took advantage of the plentiful, um, "cadavers" and made the best of her situation.

More: The Walking Dead — for the love of God, Rick, please shave

Image: Giphy

What she did: Scared Daryl half to death.

Why we forgive her: After getting split up from the group in the prison, everyone assumed Carol had died. When Daryl heard noises behind a door, he thought for sure he'd find a walker version of Carol there, but instead he found the real, live, human one. We're sure Daryl would agree that it was worth the fear to find her alive.

Image: Giphy

What she did: Used poor Axel's body as a shield.

Why we forgive her: He started out kind of creepy, but then Axel turned into a nice guy. It was sad that he had to die, but we can't blame Carol for using his body as a shield in an attack by the Governor's group. We'd rather have her around than Axel. Sorry, Axel.

Image: Gene Page/AMC

What she did: Turned Andrea into a murderer, almost.

Why we forgive her: The Governor was an evil son of a bitch who deserved to die. If Andrea had done what Carol instructed and killed him after they had sex, Hershel might still be alive. Carol's idea was genius, even if it would have made Andrea a murderer.

Image: Giphy

What she did: Used story time to teach children to kill.

Why we forgive her: Carol has an interesting history with children, but ultimately her goals are to keep as many people safe as possible. Teaching the children of the prison to use knives would get someone tossed in jail these days, but it's perfectly understandable in an apocalypse.

Image: Gene Page/AMC

What she did: Tortured a woman and let her be eaten by walkers.

Why we forgive her: Pulling off the best ninja routine ever, Carol infiltrated Terminus to rescue her friends. When she came upon Mary, Carol shot her in the leg to question her, but when Carol realized Mary was, you know, an insane cannibal, she let the walkers take care of her. End of story.

Image: Gene Page/AMC

What she did: Wore that terrible sweater.

Why we forgive her: That sweater was awful, but Carol's plan to infiltrate the people of Alexandria by becoming "invisible" was brilliant. We love how well she can act like a sweet, innocent "den mother," when she is in fact a stone-cold killer.

More: The Walking Dead's sweet gay kiss spawns ignorant Twitter hate

Image: Giphy

What she did: Threatened to hose off Daryl.

Why we forgive her: Because, duh, we all want to see Daryl wet.

What do you think of Carol on The Walking Dead?

Let the birthday shenanigans commence

Tiff is the first to announce Lyle's birthday, suggesting there could be no better way to kick off the birthday celebration than to turn him into a living birthday cake.

As this involves crashing his shower and dousing him in chocolate syrup, I am naturally in favor of the idea. Particularly when he turns the prank around on them and does a naked dance in the shower. Happy birthday to us all, eh?

Following a quick redneck bath in the pool, the gang heads out to a local restaurant called the Blue Crabhouse — Lyle wants lobster for his birthday.

Daddy, apparently, wants to get sloppy drunk for Lyle's birthday. And to that end, he starts ordering up Vegas bombs. Which is basically to Party Down South what the cosmopolitan was to Sex and the City.

What happens at the Blue Crabhouse doesn't stay at the Blue Crabhouse

While Lyle gets cozy with a little lobster buddy and Daddy gets, you know, blitzed, the rest of the crew remain preoccupied with Hott Dogg's lack of socialization with anyone but Mattie. For her part, Hott Dogg looks mortified over Daddy's behavior at a family restaurant in the middle of the day.

"Hott Dogg was for sure embarrassed about how Daddy was acting in the restaurant," confirms SallyAnn Salsano, 495 Productions president and founder and creator/executive producer of Party Down South. "The other roommates told her to get used to it because that is just Daddy, and in time she does."

But not before Daddy straight up passes out on the premises.

"At one point, Daddy realized he had had enough to drink, walked out to the balcony in front of the restaurant and just sat down in front of the doors, passing out," says Salsano, adding that wasn't all we didn't see. "Mattie decided to try to surf on the giant bench swing just inside the restaurant, but it didn't go well."

While Mattie helps drunk Daddy to the car, drunk Lyle drops a truth bomb on Hott Dogg: "I still don't like you. You still gotta work on your likeness."

Yowch. That had to sting. Or, as Walt put it, "That's harsh as a motherf***er."

Lyle soon after starts doing the inchworm on the bar and the gang wisely decides to leave. OK, so maybe they got a little added incentive in the form of the manager threatening to throw them out.

Says Salsano, "The other patrons were definitely paying attention to Lyle and Daddy, and for the most part laughing with them. The gang left on their own accord when they realized how gone Daddy was. I think we got out of there moments before we would have overstayed our welcome."

The birthday BBQ surprise that'll change the way you look at lobsters

Back at Casa del PDS, they do it up right for Lyle's birthday with a giant Slip 'N Slide and not one, but two cakes — one for eatin' and one for smashin'. And those weren't the only presents Boudreaux got.

"He did get some surprise lobsters and a keg," explains Salsano. "What more would a Lousianimal want?!"

I heard that.

Because they have orientation for work the next day, the party winds down surprisingly early. But don't worry — the gang isn't getting soft on us. In fact, divulges Salsano, things got pretty wild off-camera.

"Lyle took his lobsters on the soapy slide with him," she says, "and sat in the cooler of lobsters at one point and farted on all of them. Happy birthday, Lyle!"

Happy birthday, indeed.

Walt, in a moment I'm sure he'll still be regretting by season's end, decides that even though Daddy and Hott Dogg seem super flirty, he's confident enough in his ability to bang the new girl first that he thinks it's safe to go to bed.

Daddy "baby girls" Hott Dogg into bed

The two continue to drink and flirt, with Hott Dogg admitting she's strangely drawn to Daddy's Jersey Shore circa-1984 style. Then, well, Daddy turns Hott Dogg "into a pretzel dog." Or did he?

The next morning, Mattie breaks the news to <del>everybody</del> Walt, who cannot believe "the hottest chick gives it to Daddy." Tiff takes the news surprisingly well, but I suspect we'll see her emotions boomerang back and cause some damage later.

Hott Dogg swears she did not, in fact, get any of Daddy's hot dog, but Lauren is highly and hilarious dubious, yelling, "It did happen. I heard you. You were very loud."

Later that day, the gang's job orientation with Biloxi Beach Co. lasts about five seconds — just long enough for Daddy to deduce that his new bosses have the wrong consumption of him.

To celebrate their new job and undoubtedly Lyle's birthday, too, they head into Slap Ya Momma's BBQ, where Murray throws down the initiation gauntlet to Hott Dogg. Which, of course, involves drinking. Lots and lots of drinking.

By night's end, everyone is plastered and Hott Dogg is "Daddy drunk." She antagonizes Lauren and Tiff like a little sister (albeit a wasted one), eventually shaking up a Coke and spraying it on them.

Since the episode ends with Tiff screaming, "Daddy, take your drunk bitch to bed," I think it's safe to say those repressed feelings Tiff has about Daddy hooking up with Hott Dogg may be rearing their ugly little heads.

But is it also safe to say the saga of Hott Dogg and Daddy has begun? I mean, really... did they or didn't they?

"They truly only spooned and made out that night, but... stay tuned," Salsano reveals, teasing, "So good."

More on Party Down South

Party Down South: You won't believe what Daddy did behind the scenes this week
Party Down South: An insider spills, is Lil Bit gone for good?
EXCLUSIVE: Watch Lauren and Lyle's booze-fueled fight on CMT's Party Down South

More: Amber Rose and Chrissy Teigen face off for Fashion Police hosting gig

After only seven episodes on Fashion Police, the My Life on the D-List star is cutting ties with the show and the E! network, she announced on Facebook in a long, candid rant.

"Hi, my name is Kathy Griffin," she wrote in a photo posted to the social media site. "I'm 54, have written and starred in 23 stand-up comedy specials, have two EMMYS, a Grammy, a NYTimes #1 Bestseller, decades of activism for the #LGBT community, have performed for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, among many other things. When I chose to step into the shoes of my beloved friend Joan Rivers at Fashion Police, I was thrilled to continue her legacy as a woman being brash and eccentric on television. I am a freedom-loving female and gay rights activist who loves to find the funny in all people… but only when the context permits intelligent humor."

More: 7 Steps to becoming an iconic comedian: The Joan Rivers legacy

Griffin replaced Rivers on the show after Rivers' death last year. She's the second host to leave the show in recent weeks — Kelly Osbourne walked out last month following controversy over Giuliana Rancic's joke that insinuated singer Zendaya was a drug user because she had dreadlocks.

It sounds like Griffin's decision to depart the show follows some pretty major creative differences with the E! network. Her statement goes on to say, "After 7 episodes of Fashion Police, I discovered that my style does not fit with the creative direction of the show & now it's time to move on."

She adds at the end, "I wish E! and the E! team only the best and I hope to continue to make you all laugh performing live or on television where I can be smart, irreverent, unrepentant and unafraid in an observational way that is candid, honest and justified," which sounds like she may have been asked by the show or the network to censor some of her comments. We can't tell for sure, though, because she doesn't go into any further detail than that — she ends her statement by saying, "Thank you to my fans for taking this ride with me. See you at the gay bars…and the MF-ing KENNEDY CENTER… How's that for #unapologetic?"

Well, if she was going for #unapologetic, she #nailedit.

More: Kelly Osborne leaves Fashion Police: Should they just throw in the towel?

What's your take on Kathy Griffin's abrupt departure from Fashion Police? Are you sad to see her go? Or can they replace her with someone better? Sound off down in the comments!

You might not even realise you're missing out on a whole discourse from women, given that as recently as 2011, 70 per cent of the books reviewed by a leading Australian newspaper were written by men. And even those reviewing the books were more often men.

Things are changing, though, and the people behind the Stella Prize have a lot to do with that. They're bringing attention to female writers through their annual literary award.

The 2015 Stella Prize short list has been released and these six women are highlighting the great work of women writers in Australia through their literary exploration of identity, family, displacement and belonging.

Emily Bitto

Image: The Stella Prize

Emily Bitto says a literature degree is just as important for writers as studying creative writing, and she must know what she's talking about because her debut novel, The Strays, was short listed in the 2013 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. This year, she's also in the running for the Stella Award. "Sometimes, when writing, the things that are the most productive are things that seem completely at odds with productivity in the commonly accepted sense of the word," she says.

Maxine Beneba Clarke

Image: The Stella Prize

Of Afro-Caribbean descent, Maxine Beneba Clarke is an Australian writer, slam poetry champion and a poet who has published a series of works, including Gil Scott Heron is on Parole and Nothing Here Needs Fixing. She's been on the literary radar for a while now — her first collection of short fiction won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. She is a single mother and explores areas of family and identity and has been described as "a small tidal wave crashed into the face of the current Australian literary landscape".

Christine Kenneally

Image: The Stella Prize

Writing about science, language and culture, Christine Kenneally is an award-winning journalist and author who has written for the likes of the New York Times, Time magazine and New Scientist. Her book, The Invisible History of the Human Race, explores genetics, DNA and what it tells us about the individual, our society and our anthropological past.

Sofie Laguna

Image: The Stella Prize

An author and a playwright, Sofie Laguna explores family and identity in her works directed at children and young adults. Beginning her career as a lawyer, Laguna realised life at the bar wasn't for her and turned her attention to more creative pursuits, including writing and acting. She has had a whole host of her books recognised by several bodies, including being named Honour Books and Notable Books in the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, as well as being short listed in the Queensland Premier's Awards. Sofie has also dabbled in works for adults, including her book, One Foot Wrong, which was met with international praise.

Joan London

Image: The Stella Prize

As well as being a bookseller and an English teacher, Joan London knows a thing or two about writing, too, and her books have been recognised around the world. Originally from Perth, London works on short stories, novels and screenplays, and has penned two prize-winning collections of stories, Sister Ships and Letter to Constantine. Her book, The Golden Age, has been short listed by the Stella Awards and is a story of "exile and resilience".

Ellen van Neerven

Image: The Stella Prize

A Brisbane girl born to Aboriginal and Dutch parents, Ellen van Neerven first came on to the literary scene when she won the David Unaipon Award as part of the 2013 Queensland Literary Awards. Belonging to the Yugambeh people of the Gold Coast, van Neerven has won several accolades for her publications, which include McSweeney's, Voiceworks and Mascara Literary Review.

Want to know more about the authors and their novels? Be sure to head to the Stella Awards website for more information.

More on female writers

4 New releases from the best women writers
#OzObituary: Responses to Colleen McCullough's obituary make us feel better about life
#RIPColleenMcCullough: 10 Quotes to remember her by

More: Tom Hanks has a bone to pick with you about his manspreading (VIDEO)

We may not know which Girl Scout cookie variety is the Oscar-winning actor's favorite, but we do know he loves those cookies, and for one group of California Girl Scouts, that was all that really mattered.

Hanks, who was on his way to a Los Altos typewriter shop with his 19-year-old son last week, showed he's just like us in that he absolutely cannot resist the draw of a gaggle of sash-wearing, cookie-slinging girls. When he spotted a trio of Girl Scouts peddling their delicious treats, he stopped, bought four boxes of cookies and then donated an additional $20, People reports.

But the actor didn't stop there. Hanks spent most of the day in the San Francisco Bay area town, hanging out with the girls and helping them sell their cookies. It turns out, the face of a major Hollywood star can go a long way, and when combined with the deliciousness of Girl Scout cookies, that's a combination few can resist.

More: Tom Hanks' son Chet makes emotional confession about drug addiction (VIDEO)

Hanks let buyers take photos with him, but only after they bought cookies, helping the girls reach their cookie sale goals.

"I'm still on cloud nine," Archana Appanna, whose daughter was one of the three Scouts selling cookies alongside Hanks, told the Los Altos Town Crier, which also tweeted a photo of the group, including Hanks. "We did not know who he was at first because he covered his face with a baseball cap and glasses."

Kudos to Hanks for showing a group of Girl Scouts just how far a good deed can go — and how an act that's undoubtedly small in his mind is an unforgettable experience for three young girls.

More: Tom Hanks' son Chet Haze might have the oddest Instagram ever (VIDEOS)

What kind of Girl Scout cookie can you not resist? Head down to the comments and let us know.

But after reading the results from a new study about how using devices in the bedroom can seriously screw up your love life, I'm definitely going to be rethinking my habits with my smart devices and maybe you should, too.

Interviews have recently been conducted around England about how people use technology and how that might impact modern relationships. And the results are pretty daunting, with 40 per cent of people admitting that they have put off having sex to make a call, check their messages or search websites online.

Even more disturbing than that, some participants said they had even rushed lovemaking so they could respond to messages or had even answered the phone during sex. For goodness sake, people! Have we really become so consumed with being connected online that we've forgotten how to connect with the person sleeping beside us? It certainly seems that way.

The sample size may have been small — only 15 couples were interviewed — but the results do say something about the way modern couples interact with each other, or, more to the point, don't interact with each other.

With these results in mind, let's make a pact that we're going to make a conscious effort to reconnect with ourselves and our partners and stop those addictive smart devices from becoming the third wheel in our relationships. Here's how we can do it.

1. Keep the devices out of the love nest

The bedroom is a sacred space; it's where couples should be nurturing their love for each other and having a damn good time in the process. If that phone of yours has a green light flashing through the night, signalling a new message has come through, or if those message tones ring at all hours, then of course that's where your attention is going to be pulled, instead of in the direction of your smoking-hot partner beside you. Ditch the devices in the bedroom, STAT.

2. Turn them off at a certain time

If you really must be contactable at all hours of the day and night, perhaps we need to have a conversation about work-life balance. Do an experiment with yourself and turn the phone off completely from a particular time each evening. It might be 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. or before dinner — whatever time it is, turn the phone off and direct your attention to your partner instead of your device.

3. Tackle this together

Of course, if you've got the phone off and out of the bedroom, but your partner is still checking the news in bed until 11 p.m. at night, then this just isn't going to work. Talk about what you have to lose (a connection between the two of you and an awesome sex life) with your partner and they're sure to come on board eventually.

4. Avoid checking e-mail and texts first thing in the morning

Instead of busying yourself first thing in the morning with checking the e-mails that you missed last night, wake up properly. Have a cup of tea or some water, hydrate yourself; maybe you want to have a morning snuggle or something more. Just think of all those early-morning moments you missed because your nose was buried in your phone. Let's stop that from happening, shall we?

5. Reclaim your space

There's no use saying no gadgets in the bedroom when they're just going to be all around the other more regularly used spaces of the house instead. Leave the devices for the study or the home office or put them away in a drawer. Organise time to use the device and schedule that time into your daily life. And keep them away from living rooms and areas where you spend time catching up or eating. Reclaim your space and show that device who's boss!

What do you think? Has your device caused havoc in your own relationship? Share your opinions in the comments section below.

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Although this is a "don't" list, I am a huge advocate for honesty in a relationship. I'm also an advocate for knowing when to shut up and have a good time. If you want to breathe some life back into your union, take one night to focus on what brought you together in the first place — and avoid these conversation killers like the plague:

1. In-law drama

Image: giphy.com

The appetizer course is not the time to air your grievances about your mother-in-law. Even if she never volunteers to babysit, criticizes your cooking or calls your husband too often, resist the urge to bitch by stuffing more food in your mouth.

2. Having another baby

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When, oh when, will it ever be the right time to plan for baby number two? Your biological clock is a-tickin'. One thing's for sure — it's not while you peruse the wine list at a five-star restaurant.

3. How much the babysitter is charging

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Knowing that your babysitter is charging you $15 an hour to watch your kids while they sleep will not make your $30 Beef Wellington any more delicious.

4. Money troubles

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Speaking of money, a relaxing night of dinner and a movie will be ruined when you hash out how you're going to balance your car payment, mortgage, after-school care and dance classes. Save that Debbie Downer discussion for an already-excruciating Monday night.

5. Playgroup gossip

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It should go without saying that the point of date night is to reconnect and remember the early dating days — not to dish on your hurt feelings when another mom purposely excluded you for a play date.

6. Problems with the kids

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It's so easy to want to dissect every kid-related problem as soon as you have a second to think, but fight this temptation. Stay-at-home mom Kathryn Wales writes for Verily Magazine that she sticks to a "no kid-talk" date night rule to spark nostalgia from the pre-baby days.

7. Religion and politics

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Unless you and your spouse see eye-to-eye on all vital topics (very unlikely if you are not clones), don't tank a good dinner by arguing about the latest news scandal. Bantering until midnight about righteous causes may have been cute in your college days, but remember — someone's still got to pay the babysitter.

8. The last fight you had

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A rare night out in public is not the time to bring up your husband's video game addiction again. While it's never a good idea to suppress long-standing resentment, cutting remarks made in front of the waiter are just sad.

9. Upgrades on the house

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If you must bring up retiling the bathroom on date night, you're going to have to order coffee with dessert. Yawn.

10. Work stress

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Your partner is the one person you can safely vent to about your terrible boss, but this subject is a big fat "nope" on a romantic date. Take the sage advice of Belinda Martin, married for 30 years: "One of the things you never do on date night is talk about negative things and business. What's a date night if you don't feel a connection during the date? There is nothing more disappointing than a date that reminds you how much you're not connected. You will wish you never went on the date to see how far apart you are."

More on dating

25 Jaw-dropping outfit ideas for date night
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Because everything these days has chemicals in it and I'm just not so sure they all belong on our face.

I still love makeup and it would be a lie to tell you I only use natural products (sometimes you just have to throw in the towel in the name of a product review). But there are several days you'll find me hiding behind my computer hoping no one realizes I'm not wearing any makeup.

My dark eye circles are often front and center on my face because I've decided to let my skin breathe (the horror) and I spend more time getting ready for bed than I do in the morning getting ready for work. This means more skin care, and less makeup.

And I'm not the only one doing this. The 5:2 Skin Diet is gaining popularity in the U.S. and the U.K. (five days of makeup and two days without). If you're fixing to try this, here's what you can expect during a makeup detox. And I'm talking no BB cream, no foundation, no tinted moisturizer, cold turkey with no cranberry sauce, nothing. Exceptions = Mascara and lip gloss/stick/crayon. Nothing else.

1. At first, you'll feel totally naked

Image: Giphy

And you might obsess over blotchy spots and lines and looking washed out and the blackheads that you're sure everyone is staring at.

2. Someone will comment that you look different

Image: Giphy

If you rarely leave the house without makeup, expect that someone will notice when you do.

3. You'll want to punch them

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Because who cares if you wear makeup? Women are more than that, you know?

4. You might secretly want to scrounge for concealer though

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After all, you have rights and wearing makeup is one of them. So don't judge, OK?

Image: Giphy

5. After a few weeks, you'll look in the mirror and see Beyoncé

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Just kidding, but your skin should be feeling pretty good at this point.

6. You'll get overly excited about new skin care products you buy

Go ahead, post a selfie with #iwokeuplikethis just because you can.

Image: Giphy

7. You'll still occasionally catch a glimpse of yourself and wonder why on earth you thought you could skip makeup that day

Hello, baggy eyes. How are you today? Good? Good. Great. That's just great.

Image: Giphy

8. But people will start to compliment your skin

Because, duh, your pores are so healthy right now.

Image: Giphy

9. And you'll feel like you got sweet, sweet revenge on all the mean things you know people were thinking

You're not sure, but people were probably, almost definitely, talking about how bad you looked.

Image: Giphy

10. Eventually: Your reaction to anyone who expects you to wear makeup to their dinner party

You're funny.

Image: Giphy

11. Your reaction to anyone who thinks skipping makeup is lazy

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Sorry, I'm just too busy kicking ass at life to care.

More on makeup and skin care

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The 5:2 skin diet: Is anyone brave enough to try it?
Wearing makeup to the gym doesn't have to make you break out