Links | December 8, 2023
I'm off to my first holiday party tonight and another one lined up for tomorrow. It's that time of year again! Our weekends are not our own, but they are very indulgent and it does set things up nicely for a New Years craving to restructure and get back to a routine. I mean, not yet, but soon.
I mentioned earlier this week that Duke isn't sleeping well, and so I'll follow up briefly and just tell you that our saucy little Elf on the Shelf has opted to not move unless Duke stays in his room until 6am. A small improvement, but since he reports back to Santa, he carries more authority than I do. AKA it's working.
And then last curiosity before I embark on sending you all over the internet to find more interesting things - are you a game family? I grew up playing boardgames most nights before bed, and even now, when I stay with my Oma overnight, we'll throw a game of dice like it's 2002 before I head up to the room that still looks the same as it did when I was in high school. Peak deja vu, by the way. Ryan, not so much, but Duke and I play a game most evenings.
We've been playing a lot of Uno, Guess Who, and Sorry lately, but he also loves this Bluey game, and once a week maximum, I'll play a game of LIFE with him. I have Yahtzee and Tenzi wrapped up under the tree for family gifts, but I'm always looking for recommendations. If you're a game family, what do you like playing that's engaging for adults, but also comprehensible for kids? That seems to be a tough balance.
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1 // ICYMI
A few things I've pushed "publish" on recently -
Thanksgiving 2023 and rolling with the punches.
I will do what I say I will do - on finding self confidence in keeping my commitments.
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2 // SHOPPING
My Black Friday impulse buys are starting to trickle and Target continues to hold me in its clutches for so many reasons, but mostly speedy fulfillment. Here's a quick report out on some the goodies that have arrived:
These Target pjs are chef's absolute kiss. Soft, swingy, and just oversized enough that you can get your true size and comfortably eat 13 Christmas cookies before bed.
This "hidden agenda" wooed me with how kitschy it is, but upon arrival, I find the whole thing very high quality and well made. It's also the perfect size to fit in my mom purse (or something smaller!)
Glossier took forever to arrive, but the cookie butter balm does smell heavenly. And it's definitely tan, while I usually pick more pinky/red shades, so it fills a nice gap in my product roster.
My Sephora order arrived yesterday and the first thing I did was smear on the cryo-mask. It's expensive, so I wanted it to be too hyped (so I wouldn't be tempted to buy it again), but also it's expensive so I wanted it to be a miracle. The bittersweet news is that it absolutely works and I love it. I loveeeee it.
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3 // INTO IT
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4 // LINKS
I feel like a kid when I go home for the holidays. Sure do.
Shared a few of my favorite underrated holiday movies on Instagram this week and answered some "where are they streaming?" DMs. Here's the consolidated list: Family Man (Peacock), Holiday Inn (Prime), Ernest Saves Christmas (Disney+) and Happiest Season (Hulu).
Speaking of TV, did you ever watch The OC? I was target demographic when it was on primetime, but never watched it! I just read a Vanity Fair article about Mischa Barton and the show and it made me want to give it a watch-thru, even just for the early aughts blast from the past feelings.
I recently followed this lightly verbally abusive motivation instagram. Discipline is now my phone's lock screen.
Related: Success. I'm clearly in my "get it together" era.
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5 // CONSUMING
Eating: I'm supposed to be making Christmas cookies for a family gathering, but instead got wooed by this chocolate chip recipe. In other news, Ryan spontaneously decided to try the keto diet and has lost approximately 12lbs in 2 days. I'm not remotely jealous. I did see him longingly read the nutrition information on the back of a Fritos nacho cheese container last night, so it's not without suffering. Anyway, I've been making a lot of chicken over here.
Reading: Prince Harry's Spare. Wow, what a bummer. I'm not done, so I'll refrain from a full review, but at this point, the writing is subpar and there are bits that feel like unnecessary dirty laundry airing. He is definitely a person who has a story to share, but I don't think he's the best person to write it, you know? Ultimately though, I feel sad for him. He's obviously unhappy and traumatized and it's a classic case of money not buying everything, and in this case, love and affection. He's very much Diana's son.
Listening: I made a Christmas playlist! It's very Bing and Nat oriented this time. I love a good Kacey Musgraves remix, but I wanted something that felt classic and would remind me of what my mom put on when I was a kid. Is it weird that I want Duke's childhood memories of Christmas to have the same soundtrack that mine do? I vote not really, because I'd bet my mom picked those songs because they were what she listened to as a kiddo too.
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6 // PLANS
At press time, Ryan and I are still noodling on our plans, because we always do, but it's looking like a busy weekend. We're going for a raincheck attempt at seeing family this weekend and hoping for a healthy crew, but all that driving will take up the majority of our free time.
After this week, it feels like we'll be in the final countdown to Christmas and I'm starting to get frantic about all the things I want to pack in. An influencer I follow casually threw out the phrase "last minute shopping" and that, my friends was on December 3rd. I took offense because that's ridiculous, but then I was at TJ Maxx earlier this week and the have some Valentines Day things trickling out. I just can't keep up. I really should give up social media for my mental health. Maybe next year!
Happy weekending!
PS - there are some affiliate links in here, but aren't they everywhere? If you click on a link, they'll throw me a couple pennies for our combined hardwork, so I guess click with caution.
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