It’s December!
This is my favorite time of the year, but also the time of year when my anxiety peaks. I plan to take it a bit slower than usual this holiday season by being kind to my mind and body, enjoying the quiet moments (simply sitting and enjoying our fresh tree with a mug of mulled wine and aebleskiver, driving around to look at lights rather than hanging our own), and trying to cut back on the number of commitments this season, and – hardest of all – saying no when it needs to be said.
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Michael has just returned home from a week-long conference in Las Vegas, so our holiday season officially begins this weekend. We plan to decorate, purchase a tree, and begin lighting our advent candle each day. Since I’ve been home alone more this week, I can tell that it’s impacted the number of articles and blog posts I’ve read online, and there are a few more than usual listed here:
Travel
The holiday displays in New York City have always fascinated me (we even booked an overnight trip to the city a couple of years ago to check them out); here’s an interesting look at the big changes happening this year.
Please be kind to your fellow travelers.
I’ve just stumbled on this service for accessible travel, with booking methods, resources, and community reviews and I’m so impressed!
Yet another accurate map: Every City in America.
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Life
I would have been all over this font as a college student.
Do you have a smart speaker in your home? Here’s the underlying reason companies want you to buy them.
What are your thoughts on this new program run by the French postal service? Is it helpful and heartwarming, or cold and invasive?
Yes, yes, yes: the constant magazine feature of “weight loss tips” needs to go.
You (and your kids!) are so much more than your Instagram numbers. This has to stop.
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Food
Looks like it’s time to break out the blowtorch.
But what exactly is birthday cake flavor?
An ultimate tipping guide for the USA. To be honest, I kind of hate the practice of tipping as it creates a weird power dynamic that I’m not comfortable being in. I really wish our restaurants would just pay servers a living wage and charge me a couple of extra dollars for my meal.
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Style
Yes, they’re just basics, but what are you getting? This author goes shopping for similar-looking basics at all price points and compares.
things I bought this week
I ordered some Palo Santo from Amazon a few weeks ago, but they lost my package. Apparently, our region has switched from using one of the main shipping companies to using Amazon’s own delivery service and people are furious with the number of late or missing deliveries. Whether or not you believe in its cleansing properties, I’m happy with the scent of the bundle of Palo Santo I purchased from Etsy. Glossier held their annual Black Friday sale, and I stocked up on a year’s worth of Boy Brow with a 20% discount and 3.5% cash back from Jewel. Last weekend in Denver we saw some Advent candles at the Hygge Life Pop-Up at the Source Hotel, and it reminded me that we forgot to pick one up this year (theirs were large and nearly $30, so I passed). I looked online and the candle at Terrain popped up at $18 plus shipping – not bad, but I also recognize that we’re literally just burning money by burning this candle every day, so I wanted one as cheap as possible. Then I stumbled on these stickers from an Etsy seller and immediately ordered. We have a set of taper candles in our house already, so why not use what we already own? This Custom T-Shirt (embroidered with my last name, which isn’t Michelle) has been sitting in my cart for a little while, and when Known Supply announced that they would be including free monogramming (usually a $10 charge) on each order, I was glad I waited. Each maker signs the garments they create, and you can read their bios here. The last item I ordered this week was a gift for my grandmother: a pair of mittens from Reese Witherspoon’s Southern brand, Draper James. With a 25% discount and 5.25% cash-back from Jewel (now Capital One Shopping), this gift was a no-brainer.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If not, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with five days of gift guides coming your way starting Monday!
