Bonjour! My spouse and I spent Thanksgiving overseas in London and Paris, and wow, it was a terrific alternative. I’m not a giant Thanksgiving fan (I do know, I do know) and attending to spend the vacation consuming espresso in little cafes, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle, and exploring corners of London, was an actual deal with. I hope you’re making it by way of this vacation season, and likewise the world proper now. It’s heartbreaking. I hope you’ve discovered methods to look after your self, but in addition discovered methods to talk out and take motion in ways in which really feel significant to you.
It sounds cliche to begin a publish this fashion, however how on this planet is it now December?! This yr flew by. It’s been an actual combined bag of a yr. However aren’t all years a combined bag, when it comes right down to it? One of many issues my therapist and I discuss steadily is duality — the concept of holding two paradoxical truths without delay. For instance, typically, folks can do their finest (together with us) and typically, that isn’t sufficient. I discover the vacations to be an ideal instance of this duality. There are such a lot of enjoyable issues to do and locations to be, however it may be exhausting and costly. We see the folks we love, and but time collectively can even trigger us ache. We will have excessive expectations for ourselves and the way the vacations ought to really feel, and but our efforts or expertise can really feel prefer it’s not sufficient. I hope you’re sort to your self and people round you as we make it by way of the chaos, collectively.
My want for you is that nonetheless your holidays unfold, you’re capable of finding magnificence and pleasure, even when it’s fleeting or laborious to entry.
Thanks for letting me be a part of you on these Sundays — it’s been a candy spot this yr. I hope to see you in 2024!
• What are you making for Christmas morning? My spouse and I usually get pleasure from a quiet morning by the tree, and I’m going to combine it up this yr and do these Lemon Poppyseed Morning Rolls and a potato leek quiche. Add some bacon (possibly?) and low with whipped cream and it seems like a fairly excellent morning. (Pleasure The Baker)
• My buddy Olivia Muenter is so sensible and wonderful. I actually loved this publish from her Substack about dressing up in your life. (Instagram, Substack)
• ‘Tis the season for planning and household time! I cherished the following tips for navigating your loved ones textual content chain. Additionally, a reminder I would like for instances once I’m with folks I don’t know properly (like vacation events) and aiming to be social and nice: it’s okay to be awkward! (TIME journal, The Good Commerce)
• Your pals don’t all must be the identical age! Personally, I spend quite a lot of time with folks youthful than me (I educate center faculty by day, have stayed involved with many former college students, and have many colleagues who’re youthful than me), and I respect the attitude they bring about to my life. Since I turned 40, I’ve discovered that I actually respect the attitude, recommendation, and way of life of so many ladies older than me. I don’t have aunts or older sisters, so I’m very into having smart older buddies. (The Atlantic)
• I’m a lifelong Californian, and whereas I notice many people don’t assume now we have “actual winters” I’m in Northern California, and common winter temperatures are within the 40ss and 50s through the day, and we’ve already had numerous frost (and a random snow warning?!). The worst half is that it will get darkish by 5 PM, which is tough for folks like me who are suffering from seasonal affective dysfunction. I swear by my completely satisfied lamp, however I additionally favored the following tips about methods to get forward of winter and the dread that may accompany it. If you happen to’re in a literal or metaphorical winter, I discover myself returning to this guide time and again, and extremely advocate a learn when you want some bolstering. (Self, Bookshop)
• I make this orange gingerbread cake yearly and it’s grow to be a signature dish to the diploma {that a} buddy particularly requested me to convey “that tremendous orange gingerbread you all the time make” to an upcoming gathering. Clearly, I’m completely satisfied to do it — it’s scrumptious, seasonal, and the pomegranate seeds make it look bejeweled. (Pleasure The Baker)
• As an elder millennial, I really feel this difficult: First Gen Social Media Customers Have Nowhere To Go (Wired)
• I’ve quite a lot of targets for 2024, however the one I’m presently most targeted on is curbing spending on dumb issues. I’ve grow to be a relentless impulse purchaser in recent times, and I’m over it. I deleted my fee strategies from Amazon (and purpose to cease purchasing there fully by the top of 2024), have cleared my bank card info from all my browsers, and am additionally going to do this impulse spending journal thought, as a result of it combines the factor I’m working to enhance AND my love of gold stars. (The Monetary Food regimen)
• I’m a books individual, and I each love and detest this time of yr, by which each outlet posts their finest books of the yr lists as a result of my TBR checklist is already fairly lengthy. In accordance with my objective above, I’m making good use of my library and my beloved Kindle (for which I desperately need considered one of these cute Kindle holders). I’ve been getting good books so as to add to my checklist from The New Yorker (although the maintain instances are months and months for a few of them!) and my new favourite factor, Ann Patchett Tok (aka the Parnassus Books Tik Tok account) the place she recommends backlist books that you simply don’t have to attend endlessly for on the library! (Etsy, The New Yorker, TikTok)
• I’m hoping to host family and friends extra steadily in 2024, and I discovered this publish about tablescapes to be attention-grabbing and useful. I additionally comply with Chelsea Fagan’s TikTok for stylish, stellar internet hosting and banquet concepts. (Eater, TikTok)
• In an identical vein, I actually respect posts like this on methods to inventory a pantry, plus Pleasure’s knowledge on methods to manage it. (New York Occasions, Pleasure The Baker)
