1. Which toys are the best to play with? Independent consumer organization Toyportfolio.com has revealed the kid-tested winners of their 2013 Platinum Awards. From dolls to trucks, check out the best playtime companions:
2. Let’s all shed a tear? Supermodel Bar Refaeli, 28, has bemoaned her inability to snag a man after her six-year relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio ended in 2011. The TODAY anchors wonder if maybe men are too intimidated by the Israeli fashion model? Either way, we need to help Bar!
3. In other royal news, new mom Duchess Kate isn't afraid to get sporty — in heels. Kate made her first solo public appearance since giving birth to Prince George at a volleyball event for young athletes, and as always, she gave fans something to root about.
4. Look at that hair! To celebrate Flashback Friday, we had Maria Shriver (who was guest co-anchor of today's show with Matt Lauer) give us a taste of the old-school days when she was a full-time TODAY anchor, the last time being 1998.
5. John Grisham is back with his twenty-sixth novel, "Sycamore Row," a courtroom drama surrounding the mysterious suicide of a wealthy and secretive tycoon. (Read an excerpt here!)
But before he was a king of the best-seller list, Grisham recalls, he went door to door trying to sell copies “A Time to Kill” out of the trunk of his car.
And that's TODAY's Takeaway!