Holiday gift ideas for pretty much everyone in your life

I recently read an article about the proliferation of gift guides on the internet that asserted that no writer or editor really likes making gift guides. This…is not true!!! I fuck with creating gift guides on a deep spiritual level, which is why I’m spending my Sunday putting these together. Please, I’m begging you, let me help you choose gifts.

This is the first of three gift guides I’m going to publish on Just Good Shit this year; it contains the all-around greatest hits that I think would make good holiday gifts for men or women; people you love but also people you don’t know super well; and people who are fairly hard to shop for. I own and/or have gifted pretty much everything on this list.

Mike’s Hot Honey

This was my go-to gift in 2018; it’s unique, delicious, and costs less than $10. Buy it on Amazon for $8.48.

Anomia

One of my favorite new party games! Buy it from Amazon for $13.99.

A pretty salt box

I own this (in the Artichoke color) and have gifted it; it’s an elegant way to store kosher or Maldon salt and keep it handy on your counter. (Very useful when you make a lot of chickpea pasta.) It comes in several other colors; buy it from Amazon for $25.49.

1000-piece vintage pencils puzzle

I love puzzles as a gift, and this one is very fun/good (I own it). Buy it from Amazon for $16.39. If that design isn’t doing it for you, check out Galison puzzles and Mudpuppy puzzles; those are my two favorite brands. I’m also a big fan of a puzzle mat ($12.99 on Amazon.

Heat Holders socks

These socks are GLORIOUS; they are incredibly thick/cushy/warm. They come in 29 colors/styles; buy them on Amazon for $15.99 a pair.

Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House

I will never get sick of this book, which is basically a home ec encyclopedia that I’ve been raving about for the past two years now. Get it from Amazon for $13.53 or find it at a local bookstore via IndieBound.

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

Another one of my favorite books/gifts from the past couple of years. Buy it on Amazon for $19.69 or find it at a local bookstore via Indie Bound.

A bee hotel

Bee hotel are actually good for bees, and make a nice addition to a garden/outdoor space. Buy one from Amazon for $19.97.

Compression socks

These are a good gift for runners, travelers, nurses, teachers, and basically anyone who is on their feet all day. Even my mom — who is very hard to shop for — is a fan. Available in 10 colors; buy them from Amazon for $16.67.

Mint tea tree toothpicks

Another one that I've written about! These actually look fairly elegant and would be a good stocking stuffer or gift to buy in bulk for coworkers or other groups. Buy them from Amazon for $6.74.

An electric blanket for the car

I’ve given this blanket as a gift a couple times now; it’s a good one for people who live in colder climates and drive a lot. Buy it from Amazon for 19.95.

Beeswax wraps

I love these! They smell great and feel really lovely, but are still practical and affordable. They come in four colors; buy them from Amazon for $15.

Rosehip oil

This is a such a great all-around skincare product that feels really luxurious and works for a lot of different skin types. Buy it from Amazon for $13.95.

And a 6-ft charging cable

This is a super practical gift that makes a great stocking stuffer. Buy one from Amazon for $7.99. 🎁

🍑

Everything I'm doing to be the moistest woman in Brooklyn this winter

“Slugs must always be moist, or they can die from desiccation. Desiccation occurs when something gets extremely dry and starts to shrivel and crack. When slugs move around, they must protect their body and avoid dryness by always producing slime.” —Sciencing

Same…except I can’t produce my own slime, so here we are!

Even though I love winter and feel, generally speaking, like I have the appropriate gear to make the season not just bearable but actually enjoyable, I still tend to find myself shocked by how dry it gets every single year. I’ve finally started to do a better job of properly preventing/treating dryness and am feeling very good heading into this winter. Here’s what I’m using…

Face

My girlfriend got very into skincare this year, which has been great for both of us. My face doesn’t get terribly dry in the winter, but a couple of her products have made a noticeable difference in how bright/glowy/soft my skin looks, and how moist it actually feels in cold and dry weather. I’ve been using two products in the morning after I get out of the shower: first, I pat on Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence ($16.30 on Amazon), which I’m told is a very good SK-II Facial Treatment Essence dupe. It’s super thin/watery and I always think it’s not doing much, but then I follow it up with a couple dabs of Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream ($14.60 on Amazon). This moisturizer has the best pudding-like texture. It feels amazing, and there’s something about the combination of the two products that has really been working for me (especially when I also jade roll).

I also love this Radha Beauty rosehip oil ($14.95 on Amazon) and actually need to order some more; it’s a great one-stop skincare product, and I occasionally use it as a cuticle oil too.

Hands

My hands get very red/scaly in the winter if I’m not careful…but so many widely beloved hand creams are greasy and bad! Last year, I started using O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream ($12.95 for a pack of two tubes on Amazon) and it’s great. It’s not terribly greasy, it soaks in quickly, and it just…works. I’ve also found that using cuticle oil regularly goes a long way; I like CND Essentials Solar Oil ($8.50 on Amazon).

Part of the reason my hands get so bad is because I have Raynaud’s, which makes my hands and feet incredibly cold; if I want them to look good, I have to do my best to keep them warm. I think wearing gloves is kind of a pain in the ass (I’m constantly misplacing one or both of them), but I have two pairs to recommend: first, my doctor told me that I should wear fingerless compression gloves indoors ($14.99 on Amazon), and they really do help my hands feel/look better. I don’t wear them all day, every day, but I pretty much always wear them at night in the winter, and it makes a difference.

When I’m outside, I’m wearing J. Crew’s men’s wool smartphone gloves ($59.50, but can pretty easily be bought on sale), which are so warm and cozy and make me feel like a dad coming back home with a Christmas tree for the family. While these are smartphone gloves, I actually don’t think they allow for enough dexterity needed to, say, text while wearing them, but I don’t think most smartphone gloves do that, and I’m OK with that in this case because these gloves are so nice.

Body

Instead of trying to find the perfect body lotion, I’m just committing to applying a lotion regularly before bed. Right now, that’s Aveeno, but it could just as easily be CeraVe or Cetaphil. I also have two fancier lotions in the rotaysh. The first is Blank from the Hoxton Hotel, which you can buy in their gift shop; it’s one of those fragrances that everyone who tries it/smells it loves. The other is Aesop’s Rind Concentrate Body Balm, which was a gift from my gf. Both lotions work for hands and body, and smell so nice and feel so special that they make it easier for me to talk myself into moisturizing when I don’t feel like it.

Home

The big addition to my routine this year is the Honeywell Designer Series Cool Mist Humidifier ($65.99 on Amazon). It’s not small (most humidifiers that pump out mist longer than a few hours aren’t) but it’s also not, like, a big boxy fish tank either.

My goal is to be so well-gooed that anyone less than sopping feels inclined to throw salt on me. If you see me plodding around Brooklyn on a trail of mucus this winter, you’ll know I’ve succeeded. 💦

🍑

Just Good Shit: 12.01.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Friends, I have…an intense shopping hangover right now. Like, I bought the J. Crew glitter booties and a Christmas tree and also a new phone. Here’s what else I had going on…

Reading

I…don’t have any links to share tonight?! I was out and about all week, and made an effort to not be on my phone during my time off. But I did blast through Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, which was a true delight. I had a couple minor questions/quibbles with it, but overall, I enjoyed reading it so much. Now I’m about two-thirds of the way done with Song of Achilles.

T-givs

Thanksgiving was really lovely this year! I spent it in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and it was incredibly cozy from T to B. On Wednesday night, we had drinks and burgers with a friend at Alameda. On Thursday, we went out and about in the morning, and then watched every single Thanksgiving episode of Friends. This turned out to be the perfect mellow activity. I’ve probably only seen 10 episodes of Friends in my entire life, so it was genuinely novel and fun for me. It felt like a more intentional version of the traditional holiday activity of scrolling through your phone while “watching” whatever channel a family member puts on.

Meanwhile, we cooked a really delicious feast! The main course was the Spiced and Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Potatoes from Nothing Fancy which was…so goddamn good. It’s a great recipe to have going in the background while you lounge and watch an old sitcom. It was just such a good, chill day, and I felt very grateful.

Have a great Sunday! 🛍

Sign up to receive these links each week in an email.

🍑

Just Good Shit: 11.24.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hello! Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• Here are all of my all-time favorite podcast episodes

• Tiny party tip: state your shoe intentions in advance

• The best things to do with your mom when she visits NYC

Editing

How to Support Your Partner of Color at Your White Family's Holiday Gathering

Winter Has Surprised Me for the Last Time

Reading

This week I read In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, which I loved.

Also:

What It Means to Name a Forgotten Murder Victim, The Atlantic.

Here’s Why I Stopped Making ‘Healthy Swaps’ at Thanksgiving, SELF.

#1237: “What to do about deliberately bad gifts?” A post about letting go of some etiquette rules when they no longer serve you., Captain Awkward.

Sisqo Told Us the Origin Story for His Timeless Masterpiece, 'Thong Song', VICE.

Listening to

I listened to several very good episodes of You’re Wrong About this week, including “The Challenger Disaster” (one of my favorites of the series), “Enron,” “The 2000 Election,” and “The Duke Lacrosse Rape Case.”

And I couldn’t stop bopping to this Nicki Minaj x Animal Crossing mashup!

Have a great Sunday! 🦃

Sign up to receive these links each week in an email.

🍑

The best things to do with your mom when she visits NYC

I have a treat for you today: Terri is back! This post was borne out of a conversation I was having with a few coworkers about things to do with moms when they visit NYC. My main contribution was “I just ask my friend Terri” because it’s true — she’s truly the best when it comes to NYC recommendations. My coworkers immediately clamored for Terri’s list of mom recs. (“Terri, drop the album” is an exact quote.) She graciously obliged, which brings us to this list! —Rachel

Photo: Callum Chapman on Unsplash

My mom likes to visit New York. A lot. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, and two of her daughters and two grandchildren live here, so yeah, you could say she’s a New York stan. To be honest, I think she’d be perfectly content if every visit consisted of nonstop bonding time with her daughters and grandsons, punctuated by a few visits to Bloomingdale’s and more than a few plates of chicken parm. But! I love activities, and I love my mom, so I find distinct joy in thinking of new, fun things to do with her that make her say, “New York has changed so much since I left, I love it! Do you want a Twizzler?”

If your mom is planning a visit to New York, you may be wondering what to do with her that isn’t too touristy (or too fussy), but still feels fun and special. Luckily, I have a large data sample, and I’m not afraid to show it. Here are some favorites — you could easily apply these activities to any family member or friend that’s visiting, but know that these have the Carol Pous seal of approval: 

1. Go to Governor's Island.

   I love Governor’s Island, and so did my mom when I took her there (my dad did too, FWIW). It’s a cheap ferry ride to get there, and on a nice day, you get incredible views of the city, lots of places to bike around (get a got-dang SURREY if you know what’s good for you), food trucks, historical buildings, and usually some kind of fun event — they do the Jazz Age Lawn Festival there. Do it!!!!

2. Stroll along the Dumbo riverfront (aka Brooklyn Bridge Park).

   This is perfect for a nice day. You can see the carousel and an amazing view of Lower Manhattan, walk around the really nice waterfront and surrounding neighborhood, and eat at the new Time Out Market, which has a ton of popular New York spots and a rooftop that looks right out onto Brooklyn Bridge.

3. Visit the Tenement Museum.

   This is less of a museum, and more of an experience, but if you want something really powerful and meaningful to do, this is it. You can choose from several different stories (Irish immigrants, Jewish immigrants, Puerto Rican immigrants, Chinese immigrants, etc.) and then go inside the actual places where they lived and worked. You have to book at least a few days in advance, but it’s so worth it, especially if your mom loves history and family stories. I’ve also done the Lower East Side food tour through the museum, and I highly, highly recommend it.

4. Eat dessert.

   Do this literally anywhere?? Veniero’s and Ferrara’s are classic, old-school Italian bakeries where you can sit down and have a little coffee and some ‘zerts. I also like Serendipity, Caffe Panna, and Two Little Red Hens.

5. Go to Bloomingdale’s.

   Are there three Bloomingdale’s within a 10-minute drive of my parents’ house? Yes. Is this still my mom’s number-one favorite thing to do in the city? Also yes. It’s a New York institution, and I think my mom loves Bloomie’s so much because growing up, she couldn’t afford to shop there, so now it’s a never-ending treat that she can partake in while also eating a Magnolia cupcake (because of course there’s a Magnolia Bakery in a department store).

   However, I highly recommend skipping Magnolia and instead stopping by 40 Carats on the seventh floor, kind of hidden near the linens — you can get the delicious fro-yo in the to-go line, or you can do what my mom and I do, which is have a full sit-down lunch (I recommend the carrot soup, the pretzel bread, the three-salad combo, and any special that comes with a side of fro-yo). Overall, Bloomie’s is almost more of an activity than a shopping spot. Although there is some great shopping there, too.

6. Go to the Met.

   I mean, duh. Every visitor should go to the Met — it’s great. My mom particularly loves the Costume Institute exhibits, but the Met has everything from Egyptian artifacts to an entire Frank Lloyd Wright living room. There is something for every mom!

7. Eat a “cute” brunch.

   My mom loves doing “special things with her girls” (I have three sisters), and cute brunches are pretty high up there. Any place will do, but some tried-and-tested favorites are Friend of a Farmer, Friedman’s, Sadelle's, Westville, and Bluebell Cafe.

8. And go to a cozy dinner.

   The same cute brunch rule applies to cozy dinners. Some favorites that really play into the cozy factor are Supper (get the chicken parm and the hazelnut panna cotta) and Cafe Katja (get the Austrian meatballs).

9. Walk around the Union Square Farmers Market.

   We rarely buy anything, but there’s great people watching (big plus for Carol), and there are usually free samples (even bigger plus for Carol). 

10. Shop on Fifth Avenue by Flatiron.

    If you and mom want to go shopping, and it’s also a nice day out, this is your best bet. It doesn’t get slammed with tourists like Soho, but it has almost the exact same stores (Gap, J. Crew, Madewell, Anthro, Zara, H&M). Plus, you can walk over to Madison Square Park after and get Shake Shack and people watch.

11. Hang in Central Park.

    You already knew this, but it really doesn’t disappoint. Spread out a blanket in Sheep Meadow, bring some bagels from Ess a Bagel/Brooklyn Bagel Cafe/Murray’s/Zucker’s, sneak in some wine, and sit and watch the world go by.

12. Walk on the High Line to the Whitney or the Vessel/Hudson Yards.

    I know, I know, I said these weren’t touristy ideas, but I low-key love the High Line when it isn’t wall-to-wall people. I like sitting on one of the lounge chair thingies or walking from one end to the other; it’s just a great, scenic activity. Chelsea Market is also a really great place to stop along the way (go to Cull and Pistol and get anything with seafood).

13. See a Broadway show.

    But if you want to get cheap tickets, go to the TKTS line in Lincoln Center or South Street Seaport (not Times Square). The TodayTix app and Stubhub are also faves for getting last-minute discounts. [Rachel’s note: Every season, I just wait for Terri to tell me which show to take my mom to and her rec is always correct. My mom loved Something Rotten and The Prom. On her next visit, we’re seeing Derren Brown’s Secret.]

14. Take a ferry ride!

    You can do the whole shebang and on a proper Circle Line tour, or you can pay $2.75 and take the NYC Ferry. (Either to go to a destination or just to be on a boat for a bit — it’s very nice up top.)

15. Check out Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty.

    Again, this is kind of an obvious one, but worth mentioning. (The ticket includes both locations). If you want to save money, the Staten Island Ferry is free, and offers great views of the Statue of Liberty as you sail by. 

16. And take in the botanical gardens.

    Pick with either the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, or the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. They’re lovely when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and NYBG does some awesome exhibits like the Chihuly installation, but you can’t go wrong with either. I am freaky for botanical gardens!!!!

Thanks, Terri! By the way, here are my personal recs for moms (or really any out of town visitors): Brooklyn Flea; The New York Transit Museum (which was originally a Terri rec); the Staten Island Ferry; shopping at Flying Tiger, Fishs Eddy, and Books Are Magic; walking the Brooklyn Bridge; brunch at Miriam; and any food hall type places (like Smorgasburg, Chelsea Market, or City Point). I also recommend just hosting a house party/inviting your friends to come over to hang out/eat/drink/play games with you and your mom. —RWM ✨

🍑

Tiny party tip: state your shoe intentions in advance

Image: Birdies

As winter party season approaches, I feel compelled to share a bit of advice that I consider crucial to being a good host/good friend. It’s quite simple: if you are a shoes-off household, tell your party guests that at some point in advance of said party.

Why is this so important? Well, because snowy/sleety boots are, understandably, the sort of thing many people don’t want inside their homes. Which is fine! I have no problem with this approach! But showing up to a party and being asked to remove your shoes when you weren’t planning to ranges from mildly annoying to a real inconvenience. Like, maybe you wore very bad socks that night, or you aren’t even wearing socks. Maybe you built your entire outfit around your cute shoes, which are now sitting in your friend’s hallway. None of these scenarios are life-threatening, of course, but all can make a guest feel slightly off their game in a way that is at odds with good hospitality. And it’s all avoidable because you can just tell people up front what the situation is!

You can mention this in the Flyer. You can throw it in with the dress code/what to wear. You can work it in during the flurry of “See you tonight!” “What should I bring?” “BTW our doorbell doesn’t really work!” texts in the days before the party. Truly, the medium doesn’t matter; all that matters is that the message gets conveyed some place that is not your front door.

If you’re a shoes-on household, I think it’s more acceptable to say nothing, because most folks assume that a party is going to be shoes-on. But I also think it’s probably a good idea to make a habit of it regardless!

Some of my friends and I have started texting each other, “Is this a shoes-off or a shoes-on situation?” before gatherings, which works perfectly well, and is always an option if your host hasn’t taken this advice.

In general, I don’t consider myself dogmatic about most things I write about. Like, use these tips or don’t! I don’t know your life!!! But this is one thing I actually feel very strongly about. Like, just tell your guests what to expect, especially if that thing is “I expect you to be in socks all night”! Do what you can to help them feel more comfortable and relaxed! It is literally not difficult or awkward to say this, and I promise you that no one is going to be like, Wow, what a fuckin WEIRDO, doing me this REAL-ASS COURTESY like a BITCH if you make a point to tell them this info up front. 👠

🍑

Here are all of my all-time favorite podcast episodes

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

I recently realized that you can make Spotify playlists for podcasts, which was (great!) news to me. This is so practical, particularly if you want to easily save new podcast recs from friends, or collect/download a bunch of podcasts before, say, a long trip.

After learning this, I decided to put all of my favorite podcast episodes in a single playlist. I believe Terri — who has very good taste in podcasts — turned me onto the fact that episode recommendations tend to be more useful than general podcast recs, and I now have a running list of the ones I love and recommend to friends again and again.

Here are my favorite episodes, in no particular order!

Annnd if you don’t use Spotify, here’s the full list:

1. Phonology with Nicole Holliday, Ologies.

2. The Architect of Hollywood, 99% Invisible. (An excellent Terri rec!)

3. Food Fight, Revisionist History.

4. My Little Hundred Million, Revisionist History.

5. Michael Pollan: Conscious Eating, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations.

6. Tushy, The Pitch.

7. Oprah, The Goop Podcast.

8. Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment, Revisionist History.

9. We Talk BeyChella, Still Processing.

10. Sounds Natural, 99% invisible. (Another Terri rec; she knows all the best 99PI eps actually.)

11. Gabrielle Union Is Fed Up, Death, Sex, and Money.

12. Hoodies Up, 30 for 30.

13. Return to Ring of Keys, Nancy.

14. Cellies, Ear Hustle.

15. The Pentagon's Secret Gaggle of Gays, Nancy.

16. The O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 1, You’re Wrong About.

17. Egyptology with Kara Cooney, Ologies.

While I was at it, I also made a playlist of all the podcast episodes that I’ve been on, if you’re interested!

The list:

1. Episode 27: Uniform Factor with Rachel Wilkerson Miller, Forever35

2. Episode 69: The Life-Changing Magic of Listening to Rachel, Another Round

3. How to Show Up, The Nod

4. Make New Friends (And Keep Them), NPR Life Kit

5. When Friendships Change, How To Cope, NPR Life Kit

6. The Surprising Benefits of Journaling, Stuff Mom Never Told You

7. How Am I Supposed to Make Friends?, Real Simple Adulthood Made Easy

8. 023 | Rachel Wilkerson Miller, Day in the Life

I may eventually get motivated enough to make themed podcast playlists, but I also don’t want to overpromise here. Regardless, I’ll continue update these playlists with new episodes as they come up (in case you’d like to follow them)! ✨

   🍑

Just Good Shit: 11.17.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

I’m normally a very resolute “I don’t recognize the existence of Christmas until after Thanksgiving” person…but this year, for whatever reason, I’m ready to skip ahead. I think it’s because Thanksgiving feels late this year (even though it always feels early when it’s not November 28th or later) and because I don’t have any big plans for that week. And because my body is calling out for twinkle lights and cozy blankets. Like, let’s just get on with it!!!

Anyway, here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• Cozy potluck ideas

Editing

• Amateur Hour: ‘I Want to Fit in at Work, but I’m Not a Big Drinker’

• How to Explore Your Queerness When You Have a Straight Partner

Reading

What the battle over a 7-year-old trans girl could mean for families nationwide, Vox.

Suzy Batiz’s Empire of Odor, The New Yorker.

How to Make a Website, The Atlantic.
I love WikiHow and its incredibly wholesome/earnest approach to service content, so I really enjoyed this.

One of the most famous incidents of campus outrage was totally misrepresented, Vox.

Robyn Crawford Opens up to Lena Waithe About Her Relationship With Whitney Houston, Oprah.

The New Power Lunch Is Sweetgreen, Eater.

How foil balloons went from Instagram bait to every party in America, The Goods / Vox.

Apple Gives Up On Its Worst Design Mistake Ever: The Butterfly Keyboard, VICE.

Alison Roman Cooks Thanksgiving in a (Very) Small Kitchen, The New York Times.
This post is threatening to change my mind about Thanksgiving! I really want to try this stuffing. Also, it’s just a fun/voicey/servicey read.

Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Started Cooking, A Cup of Jo.

I’m a Normal Person and I Buy My Instagram Followers, The Cut.

How To Name a Lesbian or Bisexual TV Character, Autostraddle.

Watching & listening to

I’ve started watching Twin Peaks, which I’ve never seen. I’m really enjoying it so far — it’s so mellow and the cozy mountain vibe is very much my shit. I also listened to some very good You’re Wrong About eps this week: Marcia Clark, Anita Hill, and “A Dingo’s Got My Baby.”

Shoe news

My beloved Tessa Clogs are now available in two new colors: honey and golden tan. I’ve ordered the honey and am very excited for them to arrive!

My girlfriend and I saw the J. Crew Sadie glitter boot online earlier this fall and were very into them, but then they suddenly disappeared entirely. After a lot of searching, she eventually found a new pair at a deep discount on Poshmark. I was (and am) jealous because even though they aren’t my typical style, they are so goddamn cute in person. Anyway, now they are back in stock at J. Crew! They are perfect for holiday parties, winter brides, and really anyone who wants to look like a winter witch.

Have a great Sunday! 🍁

Sign up to receive these links each week in an email.

🍑

Cozy potluck ideas

This weekend, I had some friends over to my apartment for a potluck. I didn’t call this gathering a Friendsgiving because I didn’t want to give anyone the impression that I would be making a turkey (absolutely no), or imply that they should limit themselves to bringing Thanksgiving sides.

I’ve never been a big fan of Thanksgiving. This is due in large part to the fact that no one ever really bothers to make it fancy, which I don’t understand. Like, what is the point of a holiday if there isn’t cozy lights, a little sparkle, and an on-theme outfit???? (This doesn’t just apply to the end of year hols; it also includes Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and the 4th of July.) Give me a bougie Williams-Sonoma catalog party or nothing at all!!! I also just don’t like Thanksgiving food very much. It’s a lot of work/stress/money for not a lot of payoff, imo.

Anyway, the potluck went great! My mantra when thinking about this gathering was “do less.” I have a tendency to go overboard with stuff like this, and I wanted this dinner to be easy and fun without too much fuss or expense. Or, put another way, mood over food.

Food & drink

I made The Kitchn’s baked ziti, which I also made for a cozy winter party last January. It’s easy, inexpensive, delicious, and feeds a lot of people. It’s also so practical. It can be made it advance, so you still have plenty of time to do the dishes and clean your kitchen before anyone arrives.

I also made Alison Roman’s labneh dip, which was a hit. I doubled it, and I’m glad I did. I also waited until right before the party to assemble the dip/add the oil (which I’d made in the morning) — I was able to get a nicer presentation that way.

My girlfriend made the apple cider spritzes from my friend Jess’s blog. I always love Jess’s cocktail recipes, and these were no exception. Would recommend/make again!

Everyone’s potluck contributions were great. In terms of recipes, there was a broccoli rubble farro salad (love Smitten Kitchen), a cheesy Hasselback potato gratin (gorgeous and delicious), and leeks in vinaigrette (the unexpected hit of the night).

Decorations

Because I was committed to doing less, I scrapped my initial plan to go to Michaels and/or Party City; the bulk of my energy went to finding a tablecloth online. (Two tablecoths, actually — I decided to set up a folding table my girlfriend bought this summer in my dining room for food and move my actual dining room table into my living room, a setup that worked out very well. In general, I’m a fan of rearranging furniture to make a party work better in a small space.) Because the tables were kind of It, I wanted a really cool and special tablecloth and…turns out, that doesn’t really exist for Thanksgiving!

I ended up going with two gray buffalo check tablecloths ($22.99+ each on Amazon), a dozen mini white pumpkins ($24.89 on Amazon), and two bouquets of flowers from BoHaus. (Tiny bonus tip: go for a floral arrangement with eucalyptus; not only does it look great/dramatic, it smells wonderful.)

Anyway, that turned out to be all I needed! Everything else was just stuff I already owned. One of my favorite things about holidays/hosting is going through the cabinet where I keep all my fancy wares and being surprised/delighted by what’s in there. I’ve acquired a lot of different items (cloth napkins, bottle openers, cheese boards, serving ware) over time, and faithfully sticking to neutrals + metallics for years means I rarely have to worry about the specific items I need matching/working for a given occasion. You really can’t go wrong buying dishes or oven-to-table items in white. (Also, if you stick to white, you can use regular bowls and plates as serving dishes as needed and still have it look cohesive. I also think it’s easier to decorate on a small budget this way.)

If you want something a little more festive, I think tree/branch/wood motifs in white/silver and/or stripes in black/gray/cream/green are the way to go because they work for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Also! It pays to hoard good finds from the Target dollar section until the moment you need them. I have no idea when exactly I purchased two packs of dessert plates with a copper foil autumn leaf pattern on them—I thiiiink maybe 2017???—but I was very grateful to Past Me when I found them! The fabric pumpkins I mixed in with the new ones fro Amazon also came from Target several years ago.

Things I would do differently next time

• Start at 5 p.m. instead of 4.

• Buy bigger cups. (This was the one downside of not going to Party City.)

• Make the ziti the night before instead of the morning of.

• Move my kitchen trash can into my dining room for convenience.

• Decorate with/incorporate twinkle lights.

• Take more photos. ✨

🍑

Just Good Shit: 11.10.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hi! Just a short one for you tonight — I was sick with terrible allergies this week, and then was out of town in the Catskills this weekend. Here’s what else I was up to…

Elsewhere

How to Say No During Wedding Season, The New York Times.
My first NYT byline!

Why Being Organized Was The Best Thing I Did For My Life, BuzzFeed Nifty.
(Adaptation of this essay.)

Reading

Managing Your Friendships, With Software, The Atlantic.
I’m all for using apps or spreadsheets to remember your friends’ birthdays and such, but this just seems like software bros discovering emotional labor for the first time and feeling the need to “disrupt” that (for profit!!).

The Death of the Rude Press, The New Republic.

What Happened to Deadspin, According to the People Who Were There, Slate.

Should I Fake My Astrology Sign to Be More Employable?, Out.

Eating

My girlfriend made olive oil roasted chicken with caramelized carrots from NYT Cooking this week, which was delicious. One caveat: the cooking temperature/time listed…didn’t work. (It seems like that was the case for several commenters, too.) We made a second batch the next night and baked everything at 350 for an hour, and then turned it to 400 for another 25 minutes or so, and that was perfect. (I also recommend adding potatoes to the pot!)

Have a great Sunday! 🌲

Sign up to receive these links each week in an email.

🍑