Happy Winter Solstice, darlings! It’s the shortest day of the year. It’s also apparent an astrological time bomb, if you believe in such things.

I have mixed feelings about this time of year. I struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder, if you hadn’t guessed by how frequently I’ve talked about hiding in a nest of blankets since October, and the less daylight there its, the harder that tends to be.

But I have ways to deal with that and I’m trying to be good about taking care of myself. Also, I love the holidays. I grew up in an Interfaith family and I’ve carried both Hanukkah and Christmas traditions forward into my own life. Double the holidays, double the fun, right?? Who doesn’t love celebrating things?

Mr. DitL and I both have family locally, so we’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of December with those closest to us, eating delicious foods and toasting to the season. I hope that that same is true for you: that whatever this time of year means to you, you’re staying warm in the cold and getting to spend a little extra time with your favorite people.

I’m not going on winter break yet: I’ll be back next week to talk about my top picks of the year. Have a great weekend and I’ll be back soon!

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading:

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah Maas. I’ve read a few of these before, but there have been several more published since I last checked. I’m devouring them again now – picked them up again while I was recovering from my asthma attack last week. They’re pretty great. Badass ladyhero, interesting universe, lots of action.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Stone family’s Harry Potter audiobook re-listen continues!

Internets:

The Anxious Activist’s Survival Guide. Relevant to so many of our lives right now.

18 Boozy Hot Chocolate Recipes You Need to Make Right Now. Boozy hot chocolate is perhaps my favorite beverage on earth. My preferred poison is usually Swiss miss + Bailey’s, but some of these options in here make me want to branch out.

6 books about Net Neutrality: an unfortunately necessary reading list.

Have you heard the news? Santa’s reindeer are female. Suck on that, patriarchy.

Speaking of which…have you seen the reindeer boob trend? It’s hilarious. (Don’t click if you won’t think it’s funny to see women who have made their boobs look like reindeer, because that’s what this is.)

And how about the best stories by women in 2017? According to Bustle.

Gingerdoodle cookies. Please come to my house and make these for me, because I would like to eat them.

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Hi darlings,

If you follow me on IG, you already know I had an eventful weekend. I’ve had asthma my whole life, but it still manages to sneak up on me sometimes and this time was quite the ambush. I’m breathing like a normal person again now (yay!) but I’m mostly just focusing on taking all of my medications at the right times and cuddling with a heating pad.

That means I’m going to post a little less for the next week or so than I’d planned, but I still have lots of good stuff coming up for you. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves!

xoxo,
Becky

PS: don’t forget that you only have a week left to get the special deal on my favorite pearls!

What I’m reading:

Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne. I just read this and I really enjoyed it! YA fantasy with a strong female character at the center. You know I love a badass ladyhero.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik. This is a reread. I read this book in December of 2015 and it knocked my socks off. (I reviewed it last January.) Quite a few of you have read it since then and emailed me to talk about it – which I love, by the way. Keep the emails coming!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling. Mr. DitL and I are continue our audio reread of the Harry Potter series and it’s the perfect winter activity. A blanket, tea or hot chocolate, and a cuddle buddy are the perfect companions to any audio book.

Internets:

It’s time for Hanukkah!! So here’s how to build a menorah out of mini bagels.

Inside the Secret World of Tiffany & Co.’s Silversmiths​.

Welcome to the World’s Oldest Surviving Doll Hospital. This is so weird and creepy and delightful.

What anyone buying their first diamonds should know, according to Vogue India.

Do you know the story of George Washington’s diamond eagle? A fascinating jewel from early American history.

A bunny has been riding the bus in London because he has somewhere to be just like everyone else, okay?

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Hello my darlings! I’ve been pretty busy this week between Mr. DitL’s birthday yesterday and family arriving for Thanksgiving today, but I still wanted to stop by and say hello.

Thanksgiving may be a holiday based on subversive colonialist mythology, but it’s also a time of year that brings many of my favorite family traditions. I’m going to take a couple days off to eat pie, hang out with my cousins, and get some great stuff ready for you for December.

I hope you all have a great week, whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or not!

xoxo,
Becky

PS: Here’s my best Thanksgiving post ever, in case you want to revisit. I can’t top the vintage turkey ring, so why try?

What I’m reading:

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I’ve read this book once before and it’s just as good as I remembered! I love when that happens.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. This is the sequel to Ember in  the Ashes. I’m only partway through, but I’m enjoying it so far. This series has some great female characters.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (audiobook). Mr. DitL and I have been revisiting one of our favorite audiobooks. We started listening to this again recently on a night when neither of us could sleep.

Internets:

Just in case you needed a reason to love Carrie Fisher even more: Carrie Fisher’s final gift to the Star Wars franchise was space jewelry.

How Alexander Hamilton’s House Got Moved. Weird and totally fascinating.

14 Times Carolina Herrera Proved That A White Blouse and Jewels Are The Chicest Combination.

Illinois high school introduces inclusive dress code.

The fascinating in-depth analysis of a single mourning ring from 1727.

In an Era of Strife, Museums Collect History as It Happens. This is a really interesting perspective on living in such eventful times.

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