I certainly did not think back in March when I started working from home that we would be going through the holiday season still in some kind of lockdown situation. To be honest, it’s been difficult to get into the holiday spirit under the current circumstances. I abandoned most of my fall plans, which included apple and pumpkin picking, because “I wasn’t in the mood” and ended up having a small Thanksgiving meal catered for me and my grandmother this year. So, now with Christmas on the horizon, I was very much up in the air about whether I would put up a tree. Up until a week ago, I was leaning toward not doing it—but, since I now spend 100 percent of my time at home—I figured it would add a nice backdrop when on all those Zoom calls.
I wish I could say I have a robust December agenda planned over here, but I do not. What I do have for you are some creative ways to shop, gift, and virtually travel this holiday season…as well as a fun giveaway for you to enter on Instagram!
Here’s what’s on my agenda this month:
Enter: I’m hosting a holiday giveaway over on Instagram with some inspiring wellness warriors who have all been touched by cancer. The giveaway will be open until Sunday, December 13 at midnight EST, so head over to this post on my feed to learn how you can enter and possibly win some amazing products. We’ll be announcing the winner on Monday, December 14 at 10 am EST, so stay tuned!
Do: One of my friends gifted me a MasterClass focused on writing for my birthday. If you’re unfamiliar, MasterClass is an online platform where you can take a variety of classes taught by experts in their field. I have thoroughly enjoyed the short lessons recorded by one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote Talking to Strangers, Blink, The Tipping Point, and many other books that should make their way on to your reading list. Malcolm breaks down his writing process into short, digestible pieces and discusses some of what goes into writing his books. I thought this was a creative and thoughtful gift to get someone—especially if you’re like me and determined not to venture into a big box store for the foreseeable future. My goal is to finish all 24 lectures by “Professor Gladwell” by the end of the month!
Buy: Online shopping is becoming my new best friend (as is curbside pick-up)! I used to enjoy physically going to a store, trying something on, and buying it that same day. But, online shopping has been coming through for me. I needed to replace my beloved Skechers sneakers after the pair I had were destroyed on a cold and wet beach walk in Montauk last month. Of course, while on the DSW site, I found a pair of cold weather booties that I couldn’t live without (not that I have too many places to go in them, but still). The Hilva booties are comfortable, and for a boot that I didn’t see in person or try on until they arrived at my door, they have exceeded my expectations (and everyone else’s, as evidenced by their almost sold out status online). I think it is fair to say that I will be living in these booties this winter!
Gift: I’m all about shopping small, but this season more than ever, small businesses need our help. I started ordering holiday gifts much earlier than usual this year (like, right after Thanksgiving to be exact), as I suspected a lot more people might be shopping online. Most of the things I’ve ordered have already arrived, which has helped relieve some of the holiday stress that usually begins to appear at the end of the month when I’m frantically searching for last-minute gifts. Some other great gift ideas that don’t require you to leave home are memberships to museums, a donation to a local nonprofit in someone’s name, a membership to a favorite meditation app or online workout class, or a MasterClass!
Travel: I have to admit, staring at the same four walls day in and day out has gotten old, so I’ve now resorted to traveling—virtually. Yes, virtual travel is a thing (well, at least on Facebook it is). I have a virtual trip planned to Barcelona and also have virtual tickets to The Nutcracker. I know it’s not nearly as exciting as doing these things in person, but hey, it’s 2020…and there is just so much Netflix one person can take.
What’s on your agenda this month?
Leave a Reply