Whoah, another month has gone by. I hope you all had a nice holiday and spent it with those you love. Ours was cozy and peaceful at home as we planned it, followed by a long walk after our meal, and movies on the sofa in the evening — our holiday tradition.

November felt like a long and short month all at the same time, packed with a plethora of things, good and bad, and… sales, lots of sales… I don’t know about you, but at some point, I had sales overload and just stopped looking… With a lot of them, it’s the same stuff and deals we see all year long, year after year. While they’re great if you need replacements/stocking up, I’m really over browsing the same items again and again… Plus, how many things/gadgets/appliances does one really need? With that said…

What I bought

In all honesty, I am sorely guilty of buying (and sharing, though I only share what I love or indicate otherwise) too many clothes, accessories, and the like (even if I don’t necessarily feel that I have too many, except when it comes to moving and even storing…), as well as home decorations. I had to put a hard stop on those for a while, even if my heart beats faster when I see the ones I like…

OK, ok, I did break down and got very few decorations, including some Himalayan salt tealight candle holders + this one (I’m a fool for it, and other natural stones, including marble), and a few Christmas crafts like this cat ornament I plan on painting in Enzo — our kitten’s colors, black and white.

Speaking of crafts, how cute would this pre-lit Christmas village be as a DIY project with kids?

I also purchased these pearl hoop earrings, which I’ve been wearing a lot since — they’re gorgeous, these hoops, and a few dresses from Amazon that I haven’t received yet to comment on.

Speaking of earrings, how adorable are these?

When it comes to appliances and devices, I only purchase those that I *know* I will use constantly or that will significantly make my life easier (like this IPL permanent hair removal device reviewed here that would make a great gift!). The only appliance that is truly on my wishlist is an air fryer, however, due to limited space, we’re not sure when we’re going to pull the trigger on it.

WHAT WE WATCHED

Mr. Robot. As we’ve been busy, it took us a while to finish this show (that we started last month), and OMG! We found season 3 to be a bit boring and dragging and had it running in the background often. However, that was not the case with season 4 (and the final one). Every episode kept us on the edge of our seats, and it was so tough limiting ourselves to one to two episodes per night (that’s all we had time for). I mentioned last month that Rami Malek is incredible in this show, but really, the entire cast is amazing. Bottom line: this is a different kind of show, but I recommend it if you’re looking to watch something thought-provoking.

The Patient. We love Steve Carell which is the reason we decided to watch this show, but we did not enjoy it, even if the acting was good. I think what infuriated me about it is the serial killer’s mother and her “he’s my son” response as to why she wouldn’t condemn/turn him in — I can’t accept that, so I’m neutral about recommending watching it.

Last Christmas. Not the ending I was hoping for, but otherwise, this is your typical holiday rom-com — recommend it!

During the long holiday weekend, we re-watched some older movies including Eat Pray Love, There’s Something About Mary, The Santa Clause movies, and Home Alone (duh!) just because they were on TV and we wanted to take a break from serial shows.

CURIOUS/funny READS

Nature Goes Nuts in Delightful 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards Shots — hilarious and adorable!

People Hilariously Explain The True Meaning Of Country Flags, and You May Not Like The Results — laughed out loud at this and definitely recommend reading it.

Do these things to get yourself into the holiday spirit — not feeling the holiday season yet? Start crossing things off this list and watch yourself get festive!

Wishing you the happiest holiday season!

xo,

Em