Bonjour! My spouse and I spent Thanksgiving overseas in London and Paris, and wow, it was an awesome 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 in addition 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 submit this manner, however how on the earth is it now December?! This 12 months flew by. It’s been an actual combined bag of a 12 months. However aren’t all years a combined bag, when it comes all the way down to it? One of many issues my therapist and I discuss often is duality — the concept of holding two paradoxical truths without delay. For instance, typically, folks can do their greatest (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 form to your self and people round you as we make it by way of the chaos, collectively.
My want for you is that nevertheless your holidays unfold, you’re capable of finding magnificence and pleasure, even when it’s fleeting or arduous to entry.
Thanks for letting me be part of you on these Sundays — it’s been a candy spot this 12 months. I hope to see you in 2024!
• What are you making for Christmas morning? My spouse and I usually take pleasure in a quiet morning by the tree, and I’m going to combine it up this 12 months and do these Lemon Poppyseed Morning Rolls and a potato leek quiche. Add some bacon (possibly?) and occasional with whipped cream and it seems like a fairly good morning. (Pleasure The Baker)
• My buddy Olivia Muenter is so good and beautiful. I actually loved this submit 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 want 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 mates don’t all need to be the identical age! Personally, I spend lots of time with folks youthful than me (I train center faculty by day, have stayed in touch with many former college students, and have many colleagues who’re youthful than me), and I admire the attitude they bring about to my life. Since I turned 40, I’ve discovered that I actually admire 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 clever older pals. (The Atlantic)
• I’m a lifelong Californian, and whereas I notice many of us don’t assume we have now “actual winters” I’m in Northern California, and common winter temperatures are within the 40ss and 50s throughout 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 blissful lamp, however I additionally appreciated the following tips about get forward of winter and the dread that may accompany it. When you’re in a literal or metaphorical winter, I discover myself returning to this ebook time and again, and extremely advocate a learn in case you want some bolstering. (Self, Bookshop)
• I make this orange gingerbread cake yearly and it’s turn out 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 blissful 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 tough: First Gen Social Media Customers Have Nowhere To Go (Wired)
• I’ve lots of targets for 2024, however the one I’m presently most targeted on is curbing spending on dumb issues. I’ve turn out to be a relentless impulse purchaser in recent times, and I’m over it. I deleted my cost strategies from Amazon (and purpose to cease buying there fully by the tip of 2024), have cleared my bank card data from all my browsers, and am additionally going to do that 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 Weight-reduction plan)
• I’m a books particular person, and I each love and detest this time of 12 months, wherein each outlet posts their greatest books of the 12 months lists as a result of my TBR listing is already fairly lengthy. In accordance with my aim above, I’m making good use of my library and my beloved Kindle (for which I desperately need one in every of these cute Kindle holders). I’ve been getting good books so as to add to my listing 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 just don’t have to attend ceaselessly for on the library! (Etsy, The New Yorker, TikTok)
• I’m hoping to host family and friends extra often in 2024, and I discovered this submit about tablescapes to be fascinating and useful. I additionally comply with Chelsea Fagan’s TikTok for stylish, stellar internet hosting and ceremonial dinner concepts. (Eater, TikTok)
• In an analogous vein, I actually admire posts like this on inventory a pantry, plus Pleasure’s knowledge on set up it. (New York Occasions, Pleasure The Baker)
