+ The incredible obituary that everyone is talking about.
+ This camel blazer from LOFT is a fabulous basic.
+ How to unplug from work over the holidays and rest.
+ The Nordstrom Rack version of my favorite pajamas are great too.
+ What happens when influencers turn their families into a brand?
+ This MM LaFleur sweater was on my wishlist. I love the belt.
+ Directions for deleting your Facebook account (and deleting all your old accounts).
+ A Holiday Dinner Outfit: Sweaterdress + black tights + black tall boots
+ The copycat Panera soup that I’m making for lunch.
+ Express has a gorgeous cable knit cardigan and a cool wrap-front tunic.
+ Pandemic depression is real, and it’s settling in in year three.
+ My favorite under-$20 serum is back in stock!
+ Advice on resilience: Take criticism seriously, not personally.
+ I love these soft, comfortable Vuori leggings and coordinating sweatshirt.
+ Is a facial laser right for your skin?
+ The wire-free bra that I love wearing.
Long Read. The divorce that sparked the auction of the year.
Let’s talk about you.
With the holidays coming up, what are you doing to rest? To relax? To spend a little time doing something you love?
Is there a show you’ve been waiting to watch, a book you’ve been waiting to read, a mask you’re going to try, or some other way you plan to rejuvenate?
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}
Love the”last word” picture- so serene made me smile. Happy Christmas to all!!
I also love the closing picture. Living in California for the past 3.5 years, I miss snow! On the opposite end of the spectrum, I can only aspire to be the recipient of such an “I laughed so hard I spit out my coffee” farewell (obituary).
We are in Canada, so we have plenty of snow. Looking forward to cooking good meals, cuddling with our dog and taking snowy walks. Between Covid and dealing with infertility, we have a lot on our plate and really need to recharge. I’m re-reading Tender is the Night (an old favorite) and watching the new season of Call my Agent.
I have some TV recommendations should you have time to unwind in the next couple weeks:
‘Yellowjackets’, starring Cristina Ricci & Juliette Lewis. Kind of Lost meets Troop Beverly Hills? It is EXCELLENT. (Prime & Showtime)
‘Sex Education’ – funny, endearing, and just all-around good (Netflix)
‘Succession’ – because their family is more dysfunctional than yours, probably. (HBO)
Abra, take care of yourself this holiday season, and same to everyone else reading!
Not your typical rest but I’m doing a mini half-bath remodel this week. I enjoy manual labor and I may not have the spare time to initiate such a project in the future. These days, I feel like I’m better off staying busy rather than still and stuck with my own thoughts.
I love the closing picture. Many years ago, we spent Thanksgiving in Bavaria. We drove into random back roads and stopped to take pictures of similar villages. I’d love to go back but I’m not sure I could find out again where we were.
Thank you so much for another year of your posts. I look forward to your recommendations, and those of your (my fellow) readers.
I am planning to disconnect from social media. I want to clean out all the clutter/junk I’ve accumulated. I have some jigsaw puzzles to work on to give my mind a different kind of rest. And I will spend time outside no matter how cold it is (Michigan). Finally, no clue if it will do anything or not, but I ordered a new facial mask to try.
I hope you and your readers have a restful break, whatever that looks like for each.
I have my Biannual Flight Review today. I only wish I could take a break,lol.
I am in Japan and Christmas is not the same here at all, however my husband and I try to make it special by decorating our apartment and having special meals on Christmas Eve and Day. To relax, I plan on reading next to the Christmas tree, doing puzzles, and watching re-runs of Father Brown with my husband until the next season comes out! Merry Christmas to all!
Probably a lot of, “making.” I just made another batch of Smitten Kitchen’s Apple Cider Caramels the other day (they are divine). I plan to make a batch each of Grand Marnier and Chambord truffles tonight. Of all of that – some for me, some to accompany Christmas gifts. 🙂
Aside from that? Instead of sourdough, I picked up soap-making in the initial quarantine period in 2020 and found that I really enjoy it. So far, I’ve only experimented with melt-and-pour varieties (so, there’s already unscented soap but you add fragrance, color, and shape it) but just bought some lye to actually *make* soap. It’s a slow hobby in that, if you’re mixing oil, water, and lye to create cold-process soap, there is no instant gratification. Even once it sets in a few days, you need to wait 4-6 weeks to use it. In a way, I’m teaching myself to slow down with it and vegetable gardening in the fair weather months.