Hello lovely readers! Apologies on the radio silence last week. I actually drafted a post titled “Sick (and tired)” but had to scrap her after being too sick (and tired) to write a coherent sentence.
Last week hit me with my first illness of the winter (my immune system is public enemy number one during this time of year). It was some form of flu/RSV/cold — and it was not fun. However, I am back on the horse as they say and feeling almost back to healthiness.
If I had to guess what really got me sick, it had to be a combination of stretching myself too thin and ending up at an open gym in Brooklyn with about 90000 children under the age of 10. Add to that a weekend away in D.C., a Halloween palooza with my best friends, a birthday dinner and a club and PLENTY of wine — and you get a little sick (totally 1000% worth it for all the fun). Anyways, a lot has been going on over the past few weeks and I am going to update you all through teaching a few lessons I have learned during them:
Start planning and purchasing your Christmas gifts now! The other night I had a few hours of free-time, and I joyfully ended up on Etsy’s Christmas gift section. The decorations! The stocking stuffers! The personalized ornaments! I loved every page a little more. There was also a sale going on (and still is until November 5 for select items) and it encouraged me to start thinking about what I wanted to gift my loved ones this year. After I realized I don’t need to wait until Black Friday to start my shopping, my night became such a fun one of snacking and searching and making my lists! Starting so far ahead of time this year has also given me a lot of peace going into this very hectic season. I am hoping that if I get most of the shopping out of the way before December 1, the weeks leading up to Christmas will be truly so special and person-focused. The best deals I saw besides Etsy’s you might ask? Lulu Lemon’s “We Made Too Much” section has really good pricing right now for your work-out guru friends. If you’re into Christmas PJs, stores like Target and Hanna Andersson have great deals right now for the whole family. If you want to send your girls the mascara or skincare of their dreams, Sephora also has a very nice online sale through November 6. If you’re really stuck on what to get, Advent calendars are also becoming an all-time favorite gift of mine to send. Some of the coolest calendars I have seen include charcuterie items, different tea and hot beverage packets, and even wines for each day of the month! (But don’t forget — gifts don’t need to cost a lot to be incredibly special — framed photos for Grandpa, a hand-written card to your long distance best friend, or a crocheted blanket for Mom.)
Do NOT ever, ever, EVER attempt to buy resale tickets on Facebook. A few weekends ago I visited my two childhood best friends (so, non-biological sisters) and we planned to attend Snallygaster — an all-day beer and cider tasting with bands, food, and of course, delicious beers! Myself and my girlfriend Mary *thought* we bought our tickets months ago, just to realize they never came through. We only noticed about 10 minutes before we were supposed to head to a pregame at a mutual friend’s apartment, so we panicked and started searching Facebook. We were unfortunately scammed after paying for a set of the tickets. Then, when my friend Steph tried to buy on Facebook, she was scammed too. Finally, our dear savior Julia found a nice, pleasant guy selling the tickets and who emailed them to us right away. We cheered, continued to pregame, and left shortly after for the event. As Mary and I approached the woman scanning tickets, she let us know, to our terrible disappointment, that the tickets were fake. She was our lady in shining armor, however, and let us go in regardless as long as we made a donation to the organization who puts on the event. Lesson learned, and we luckily still had an absolute blast. And if you’d like to help us support that same awesome cause — which supports sustainable food, food access, and nutrition and education programs — see HERE to learn more and possibly donate! (‘Tis the season of giving, after all).
Spend a day in a neighborhood you have been meaning to check-out in your city or town. I did this a few weekends ago with friends who were visiting. We spent the entirety of the day bouncing around Greenpoint in Brooklyn, which is a part of the city I have been wanting to peak around for awhile now. We went to an open-gym in the morning, hit the phenomenal Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop for lunch, grabbed coffees and laughed around a bookstore, found a vintage clothing shop, and ended it all with a trip to Threes Brewing for flights of beers we didn’t remember the names of. Oh! And we stumbled upon the most gorgeous kitchenware and supply shop too. For a few quarters, they had a machine that gave you a small art-print by a local artist. It was the best part!
And just a few last bits of things to do for some good-ole-spirit-lifting: spend a night in and make homemade pasta with your friends (it’s actually not as hard as I thought and such a cool process to watch); consider buying a real Christmas tree for your place this year (just think of that fresh pine SMELL); watch a Nancy Meyers film or any movie that gives Nancy-vibes (I suggest Father of the Bride, The Parent Trap, or The Family Stone); and wash your sheets with the most delicious smelling detergent.
Have a wonderful week and weekend loves! I am seeing Stevie Nicks on Saturday and will be turning on my inner witch the second it’s 5pm tomorrow.
All my love love love XO
We have officially been summoned by Stevie herself. Tonight I will be picking out an outfit, deep cleaning the apartment AND making pasta. Wine may be involved, TBD. Thank you for a great read, Hells!