Little boy holding a decorated gingerbread man cookie.

1. Dominic hit a huge milestone last Friday – he took his last dose of a medication called Bactrim. He’s been on it since his first day of chemo in April 2022; it helps to prevent a certain type of fungal pneumonia that you are more susceptible to while getting chemo, and he had to take it for 6 months after his last chemo treatment. I asked him how he wanted to celebrate, and he said by having gingerbread men cookies 😄

2. Dominic and Isabelle have mostly recovered from last week’s flu, though we did end up finding out on Friday afternoon that Isabelle ALSO had strep; Dominic has a lingering cough and his energy is not quite back yet, but everyone is much better than last week!

Little girl sitting at a table smiling.

3. Santa cominig around on the fire truck was such a big thing when I was a kid, and I’m so glad that some places still do it! The kids were THRILLED when they saw it on the street a couple of weeks ago.

4. What holiday cookies or treats are you most excited to make? Do you have any long-standing traditions?

5. Of all the ideas I’ve shared since November in my gift guides, these have been the most popular items purchased, in case you’re looking for some last-minute ideas:

6. I absolutely adore this “big sandwich night” tradition!

7. Love this from the latest James Clear newsletter:

“The way to live a full life is to act quickly.

Particularly as you grow older, it’s alarmingly easy to let a year or two (or five) slip by without doing the big things you always felt like doing. You get into a rhythm—not necessarily one you love, but one you become comfortable repeating—and the grooves of your daily routine become deeper and more established.

Speed is perpetually undervalued. That doesn’t mean you should feel frantic or rushed. In fact, it’s likely you should eliminate some of the things that make you feel so busy to make space for things you always wanted to do. But it definitely means you should stop letting the days drift by waiting for the moment to be right.

Stop acting like there is infinite time. This—the way you are living right now—is your one life.”

8. I finished Reminders of Him a couple of days ago and thought it was a good read! Would give it 4 stars… if you’ve read it, what did you think? Next up for me is Before We Were Yours; has anyone read it?

9. We finally began the last season of The Crown and it totally captivates me, but also leaves me feeling a bit sad for everyone involved.

10. TGIF! These two are the coziest!

Two dogs sleeping next to each other on a dog bed.