The Weekly, 12.21.20

It’s Christmas week, and all I can think about is that I just have to make it through three work days this week. I don’t think I have ever been so desperate for a holiday break from school, even without travel to look forward to. I think we are all, to put it mildly, ready and exhausted.

It is certainly hard to believe that we have made it to the holidays. We saw an old friend on Saturday who I hadn’t seen since last year, around this time. It’s so crazy to think how much has happened in this year, and that the things that happened in the winter and spring now feel like blurred memories. Anyone else feeling this way? When we do all come out of hiding, and see one another again, our lives will have changed so drastically, yet, in some ways, not at all.

Chris and I are planning on celebrating Christmas quietly, at home, likely just the two of us. Not only is this my favorite Christmas ever away from my family or his, but it’s also the first without my beloved grandmother, Babci, who passed away earlier this year. Our Christmas Eve Wigilia (the Polish term for the meal served on Christmas Eve) was something we always did for her. Because she passed away at the start of the year, right at the start of the pandemic, we were not able to celebrate her life. And while I missed her, it’s hitting me a bit harder right not at the holidays. This year I am going to attempt to make some homemade pierogis (worst case, order some locally) even though Chris won’t eat them, as a way of honoring her. My mom also sent along this really neat “outdoor bonfire” to make s’mores. There’s quite a few safety measures you have to take, but it’s a very cute gift idea for anyone without access to a fire.

We did our first official outdoor winter dining this weekend in New York, and I have to say, I was prepared to be so much colder. It was in the thirties this weekend, and I layered up in preparation for cold toes and hands. But really, the real hero of the weekend was this new puffer coat that I got in from Everlane after Chris accused my old one of looking like a grandmother’s coat. This jacket is 10/10, better than my tried and true North Face hot dog parka, as I lovingly called my knee-length jacket that braved many a Syracuse winter. The quality of this jacket is just incredible, from two-sets of fleece-lined pockets – perfect for anti-glove people like myself – to the length and zipper location, and of course, the warmth. Plus, it’s made out of recycled polyester. I was totally afraid I would be swimming in this coat, but I ended up going with the perfect size (large) for a regular fit. If you’re in the market for a new parka, look no further than this coat.

I am also just continually impressed by the quality of Everlane clothing for a bunch of reasons. Their products rarely go on sale because they price things transparently in the context of the production of their garments. One of the things I love most from Everlane are their Perform line. I have multiple pairs of their leggings, and their bike shorts and sports bra, and they are all just so luxe. The quality is incredible- they are buttery soft and give you the perfect amount of compression. They also wash so. well. They released a bunch of new colors in the leggings, so I grabbed this pair in the pine green with the matching bra and another of the bras in copper to match the bike shorts I have. These pieces are great if you’re looking for athletic wear that can easily transfer to loungewear or casual looks.

In case you don’t have social media and missed it (highly unlikely in 2020), it snowed heavily in the city for the first time in maybe two years. The snow is pretty for about 2 hours, until the plows come through and the sidewalks are just slushed with dirty piles of snow that you have to pull off an elaborate gymnastics routine in order to navigate. I did not wear winter boots, because I actually hate them and don’t even own a pair, but pretty much everyone had hopped on board this lug sole boot trend that I was really resisting until I watched Stephanie Trotta style a gorgeous pair perfectly (I mean, which of those outfits wouldn’t I wear?). Am I sleeping on this trend? I know I’m past the “wear only what looks good on your body” vibes, but I was not sold until I saw them everywhere this weekend, pretty good at trudging through the snow. I do love this waterproof pair from Sam Edelman with the squared toe…might just be on my post-Christmas sales shopping list. Looking for winter sweater inspiration, but not willing to shell out? I loved this list of 25 cheap sweaters that look expensive for this season.

We also decided to walk through Soho, one of our favorite past times living in New York. I want to pop into each and every store, especially now that it’s not as filled with tourists, but we only stopped in to Diptyque. I think I have officially converted Chris into a candle lover (he’s still resisting, but definitely enabling). Everything in that store smells and looks divine, so we ended up grabbing two of my favorite scents – Baies and Figuier. If you’re looking for a last minute gift, these are available at multiple retailers and would be great, even if slightly delayed. We are officially ready for the holidays at home. Next on my list? A gorgeous wick trimmer, which actually helps keep your candles for longer.

I often joke that Chris is a little Christmas grinch, because he moans and groans his way through my holiday decorations each year, especially given the limited space in apartment-living. He ultimately ends up loving our tree once it’s decorated, but it’s harder to get him into the Christmas spirit. But Chris is an incredible gift-giver, and this year he has gone above and beyond. This week he surprised me with a package from Aesop, and I am in love with the products he got for us, including this body balm that has the. most addicting scent and is keeping my hands super soft, and this room spray that has a very deep and earthy scent without being too perfumed. We also grabbed this exfoliating hand soap that I cannot wait to try – its got little bits of crushed pumice to keep your hands exfoliated. A+ for Chris.

Are you already feeling the effects of being indoors? I probably mentioned that my recent bloodwork showed that I am extremely deficient in vitamin D, so much so I am now on a weekly boost prescription. I think it’s from the lack of being outdoors – at one point this week, I hadn’t walked outside of the door for 3 days. And with that comes just feeling dried up and dehydrated constantly, especially with the heat on full blast this week. Chris and I both had headaches and were just feeling breathing in dry air. We went on the hunt for a humidifier, and ended up ordering two of the top recommendation from The New York Times’ 2020 list to hopefully get some hydration/moisture back into our bodies without keeping the windows open. Until then, it’s Aquaphor everywhere, especially in my nostrils and around my eyes at night.

In skincare I am loving for keeping my skin hydrated the last few weeks is this ultra-hydrating Ursa Major Recovery Balm moisturizer I bought during the Fall, but am really digging into now that my skin is drying out with the heat on full-blast. If you’re looking for a clean, extremely rich moisturizer to lather on at night, this is for you. It has a wonderful earthy, menthol-light smell and really penetrates the skin to give you the ultimate dose of hydration. I am also about to run out of my evening eye cream, and so I grabbed this eye mask from Elemis while it was on super sale this week. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve never met an Elemis product I didn’t love. I look for a very rich and thick eye cream for my evening routine, so if that is something you’re into, then I’ll be sure to update you on this heavenly-sounding eye cream.

For the last few weeks, I have been on a mission to clear out some of the products in my medicine cabinet, instead of buying anything new to try. I have so much, and am officially out of real estate to store anything else. So I’ve got more empty products to share with you this week, my favorite being a product I shared in my top 10 beauty products of 2020 – the PCA Skin ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Facial Serum. I already got my new bottle of this today, because I am just not willing to go a day without it. I can tell a noticeable difference when I use this in my evening skincare routine (more on that here). Also out? This setting spray from Pixi that is very refreshing, budget-friendly, and certainly does the job, as well as one of my favorite lip balms that I use daily- the Balm Dotcom in Mango from Glossier. This is one of my favorite Glossier products and one of the most hydrating and long-lasting lip balms.

I think I may be one of the only people doing my makeup when working from home? But honestly, I just really love being back in my old routine and putting myself together every morning. It’s really helped my mental health and my energy around each day. Instead of feeling like I am just in a continuous cycle without boundaries or separation between work and life. I love to play with eyeshadows, and just feel like it lets me be a little creative every day. Next on my list, this palette from Makeup by Mario that I am seeing everywhere, and heard more about on the Breaking Beauty 2020 roundup for best beauty releases of 2020. If you’re looking for just a one-stop-shop for eye makeup and keeping it simple/neutral, try this one.

I was having so much trouble sleeping earlier in quarantine, and it was not something I had really experienced before, even with my anxiety. Recently, I decided to pick up melatonin gummies when I was getting my other vitamins to try them out, and I have never slept better in the last 10 years. If you’ve ever contemplated taking melatonin, don’t wait! I’m also going to share my absolute favorite silk sleeping eye mask, because my friend and I both swear they are the best for helping you sleep at night. Here’s to ten days of uninterrupted sleep with no alarm.

So what’s on the agenda for ten days without work? Not a whole lot my friends. I hope to get in a lot of blogging, a lot of reading, and a lot of TV binge-watching. If you’re in need of reading inspiration, I am looking to this list of the 10 most anticipated novels for winter from The Every Girl. We cruised through Murder on Middle Beach, a docu-series on HBO the produced by and featuring a son of a wealthy family who lost it all and their mother to murder and scandal. It is so good! I’ll be watching The Real Housewives of Potomac, because I feel like I am missing out on this franchise

I’ll be taking down Christmas decorations and finding some way to get them back to my parents the weekend after New Year’s (New York = no storage). I hate taking them down…it’s so sad, and there’s something so festive about holiday decor. It’s also kept my home decor shopping to a minimum. Looking for simple pieces to bring luxe vibes? These marble trays from West Elm are some of my favorites, and I just grabbed a few more on sale in the black and green marbles. The quality for the price is just awesome, and they make great trays for the bathroom, the kitchen or your living room.

Merry Christmas to those celebrating! May we enter into the New Year happy and healthy, and I hope everyone finds a way to slow down this week.

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