Hi! It’s finally December!!
I hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving, whether you spent it with your closest loved ones or got to see family or friends you haven’t seen in a long time. But above all, I hope that not only are your bellies full, but that your hearts are, also. 🥰
Can you believe it’s ONLY 23 DAYS BEFORE Christmas??!
In an effort to be present and positive, I made it a goal in November to stay aware and take note of the experiences I was having. In the spirit of thankfulness, there’s no better time than now to start. As Jim Rohn (my favorite motivational speaker) always said:
Why?
Why not you?
Why not now?
So as I welcome the month of Christmas, I’d like to share what I loved in November! This will also be the first #thismonthsbest entry, so please join in either using the # or just commenting below!
slowly
One of the random things I discovered this month is this app called slowly – the concept is to write and receive letters electronically, but with a waiting time so people are encouraged to write longer letters (unlike e-mails that are sent and received instantaneously). What was delightful about it are the number of users from all over the world. It’s mostly anonymous, unless you share more information with whoever you’re writing to. And because of the format, it’s not marketed as a dating app, but as a genuine way to connect with people you won’t really get to chat with otherwise. I only joined this month but I’ve already exchanged mail with people from almost all the continents. It’s a really fun way to meet new people & share perspectives, especially at this time, when our options to meet physically are limited.
Philips indoor grill
Korean BBQ is one of my favorite way to eat, mostly resulting from my love of Korean dramas. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a K-BBQ restaurant, but it’s an experience like no other to grill your own meat & veggies (kind of like The Melting Pot, but in more casual settings, more affordable, and more options), also while using chopsticks to eat the meat & the million other side dishes. It gives you an idea of how rich the Korean culture is, but also makes you realize how truly enjoyable eating can be.
Sadly, there’s really not a K-BBQ restaurant near me so I can’t go as often as I’d like. To compensate, I got the Philips Infrared Indoor Smokeless Grill (wow, that was a mouthful, in more ways than one) the next time the craving hit. And believe it or not, it really wasn’t smoky at all, and grilled the meat quite well. It’s quite capable of charring too, as I found out soon enough. So far, I’ve tried grilling chicken, steak, pork chops, and zucchini. Now, I can grill even in the winter!!! This one’s all about the experience.
Starbucks Red Cup Day
I look forward to this every year, not only because I’m excited to get the holiday drinks, but also because it has become a beloved tradition for my mom and me. The anticipation and the laughter we share as we wait in the car become the best parts of the experience. This year, the lines were really long, but it was all worth it as we enjoyed sipping on our much-awaited piping hot Caramel Brulee lattes & took a million selfies. Starbucks has become a brand I love over the years less because of the coffee but rather because of the quality time I’ve spent with my family and friends while we sip on our tasty drinks.
Lindt Creation Dessert
In early October, my family and I went to visit the Lindt Chocolate Factory and went home with 2 bags full of various LINDOR truffles in all flavors imaginable, and other Lindt chocolate and products we felt compelled to try. The Lindt Creation Dessert looked so delectable and interesting as they are the chocolate miniatures/replicas of 7 different types of desserts (see above!) Even the similarities in taste and flavors between these miniatures and the desserts they were trying to replicate are remarkable! My favorite is the tiramisu variant!
The Secret: Dare to Dream
Based on Rhoda Byrnes’ nonfiction book about the law of attraction, this one is the perfect fictional family movie take, available to Amazon Prime* members. It also has the kind of plot that wraps itself up with a perfect little bow at the end! I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to watch on your next movie night.
Glass Ladder & Co Merlot THE DIANA
One of my many obsessions are purses & backpacks, but I’m very very particular. I only ever purchase one if I’m 100% in love with it. As far as classic / stylish backpacks go, Glass Ladder & Co.’s THE DIANA definitely takes the cake. It’s part of their first ever Fall Collection and I can’t believe how perfect it is. As a bonus, it’s even made of vegan leather (produced sustainably) that feels and smells just like the saffiano leather I normally go for. The bold merlot variant gives that desirable color pop for just about any type of outfit!
As a sidenote, Glass Ladder & Co. is one of the many remarkable brands with a cause – not only are they determined to empower women in the business world, but also to produce high-quality cruelty-free products.
We don’t believe in glass ceilings, we believe in glass ladders.
Rustic Cup & folklore local coffee shops
These are two local coffee shops I discovered and especially enjoyed in November. As much as I love Starbucks, each local coffee shop has an authentic cafe vibe (also, the lattes are MUCH stronger). Rustic Cup is much smaller but every square inch is put to its best use, with coffee slogans ranging from funny to need-coffee-now-level-of-irritable and coffee maps plastered on the walls and wooden chairs and tables. What will keep me coming back, though, is the “Surprise Me” option on the menu, because sometimes, a girl just can’t decide! Folklore is another one I love, with very spacious seating areas and unique interior touches like a book shelf tucked in the wall, lamps, and varied heights of chairs and tables. I like folklore’s seasonal menu (I’ve once ordered a “cleopatra” coincidentally right after I just started reading her biography!). And most importantly, it has the same name as Taylor Swift’s latest album! Oh yes, I had photoshoots wearing my cardigan.
Christmas crowd
Even though I usually try to avoid crowd in any other time of the year, I absolutely love it during the holiday season – I love seeing the cheer in people’s faces and that “Christmas feeling” all around!
Christmas movies/shows
One of my favorite activities during the season is watching an insane amount of holiday movies & TV shows. Lifetime, Hallmark, Netflix, Disney, Prime, you name it, I’m there! Three Netflix holiday additions this year that I particularly liked are Holidate, Operation Christmas Drop, and Dash & Lily. Holidate is a cute little romcom film that’s probably going to inspire a new word for the Merriam-Webster. Operation Christmas Drop is a love story between an Air Force Captain and a congressional aide (in the running for the newly-vacated chief of staff position) but the plot is mainly centered on the true-to-life longest-running humanitarian airlift operation by the Department of Defense that started in 1952. So if you’re looking for a holiday romcom with a fresh plot, this one’s for you!
Dash & Lily is about two teenagers that became mystery penpals through a sort of notebook scavenger hunt that all started at The Strand. Much appreciated by a book nerd like me! Not to mention even the supporting characters Sofia and Boomer are so perfect. I have read the book since then, and admittedly I liked the series much more – the characters are somewhat more likable although high-energy Boomer is so lovable in both the screen and the pages.
Hallmark, of course, didn’t disappoint in its 2020 film releases! I liked Love in Store, One Royal Holiday, Chateau Christmas, Midnight at the Magnolia, Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater, and A Timeless Christmas. I may have accidentally thrown in a couple of Lifetime movies on that list 😬
Taylor Swift’s iconic cardigan
Here I am sporting the iconic cardigan in front of the folklore coffee shop. Cardigan is definitely my favorite in the album, this verse gets me every time:
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone’s bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
Your turn! 😉 What were your favorite things/moments in November?
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Nice post catching us up on what’s up in your world. I was surprised to learn you like Korean BBQ. We do too. The best part is all the banchan-the side dishes that accompany the grilled goodies. We have tons of K-BBQ around here, many are all you can eat. Sadly they are all closed because indoor dining is prohibited. We make our own version at home which I grill on the Weber after 24+ hours marinating. Yum.
Yes, I think so too. Those side dishes goes so perfectly with the meat, and every time you take a bite, it’s like you’re hungry all over again – so appetizing! That is sad 🙁 , the one we go to as well is an all-you-can-eat and it is surprisingly open, we went there a couple of times during the pandemic. I’ll have to remember to marinate the meat next time I grill at home – thanks for the tip!!