Tiny Tires and Tiny Miracles
Special weekend reads for Christmastide
Ah, we made it to Christmastide. I love this week, but I get it, I get it. This week can be an absolute buzz kill for those of you who crave routine, to-do lists and working in a full office. For others of us – like yours truly! – this collection of hazy days is sacred time. This is the week we finally visit that new cafe we’ve been meaning to check out since summer. We revisit a favorite hike in our hometown. We get around to organizing that dang mess of a drawer in the kitchen.
Or, if you’re like me, we prioritize fixing a flat tire this week.
While I wait for that tire situation to be remedied, I’m writing to you from the makeshift waiting area of a busy tire shop in my hometown. We had a tire blow out of epic proportions on Christmas Eve that left us stranded for a bit on the side of a busy freeway. All was well as AAA dispatched not one but two roadside assistant technicians, one state Department of Transportation service technician stopped to assist, and a kind passerby in a fancy truck also pulled over to check on us. It felt like a roadside version of the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Considering all that could have gone wrong, it was a small miracle of sorts that we made it safely off the roadway and were able to get help when we did. I was nervous about our tiny tire making the 90 mile drive home, but the tiny tire did it! That little tire carried us safely across the state line so that we could arrive perfectly on time for my mom’s annual birthday lunch.
The blown-out tire is just one item in a growing list of things that need repair in my home. This shedding of the old and broken seems a fitting way to shed the Year of the Snake. Do you feel an eager anticipation to shed this old year and gallop into the new one? I sure do.
Across social media channels and blogs, people are signing off for the rest of the year to give into this glorious collective pause of a week. But not me! I realize all these influencers and content creators on break might mean your online entertainment options are quite slim. Your inbox and social feed likely ranges from yearly recaps that leave you feeling exhausted to the talking heads who walk you around their neighborhood while trying to squeeze one last sale out of you.
With that entertainment desert in mind, I’m sharing a few things to read and do in the event you find yourself with a bit of free time. This list is especially perfect if you find yourself in my position – killing time in a waiting room this week.
To read - absolutely free long reads you may enjoy:
Lost on Sullivan’s Island - “When a multimillionaire offers a massive reward for her missing cat, searchers race each other across a ritzy island filled with mysteries.”
Six Months with Mom - “As a teenager, Danielle, a straight-A student, has the chance to live with her mom, a wild spirit with a dangerous streak who has disappeared into the witness protection program. Danielle searches for a bond that has been missing in her life in a whirlwind six months that changes their lives forever.”
The Champions - A true story, shared for the first time here. “As the arcade craze explodes, three women compete to become the world champion on Centipede, even as the genius behind it, gaming’s first female designer, fights to stop her creation from being stolen.”
You’ll find more amazing long reads here.
More reading - here are interesting essays that don’t require your credit card:
My (newly engaged!) friend Tirzah breaks down how culture shaped Christmas aesthetics in her essay, “Santa Isn’t the Villain.”
Arthur Brooks shares what he wishes he knew when he was younger.
Town & Country makes the case for dinner parties and “forced fun” in 2026.
Daydream - Here are resources that will help you plan the trip of a lifetime:
PRIOR’s world guides are just perfect. Gorgeous photographs coupled with unique insights make for a perfect catalog as you decide on your travel destinations for 2026.
I really should not share this next resource with you as I absolutely do not want these special places to become overrun with fellow travelers! But you’ve been a dear friend to me this year, and so I shouldn’t hold back. Alastair Sawday’s Special Places has been a go-to guide for my travels in the U.K. and Europe. The writing in these guides is to the point and honest, two essential qualities for any reliable travel advisor. And the lodging guide includes some of the most memorable places I’ve ever visited. You might enjoy reading through their Detours collection as you dream about your upcoming travels.
To cook or make - projects to do solo or with your favorite people:
Erica Chan Coffman has some of the most clever DIY projects on the interwebs. Her velvet ribbon garland tutorial promptly emptied Jeff Bezos’ warehouses. Maybe one of these projects would be a perfect way to fill a Tuesday afternoon? This Tila bead bracelet or this woven macrame bracelet could be fun with little nieces.
Recipes from Alexandra Stafford for a perfect breakfast / brunch situation. Specifically looking at you, yummy breakfast casserole, cranberry & orange buttermilk breakfast cake, overnight brioche cinnamon buns, Tartine’s famous quiche, or the apple Dutch baby.
Or maybe you’re in search of festive cocktails before you embark on a dry January? Half Baked Harvest has a long list of recipes to try, all accompanied with beautiful photographs. She also has an impressive collection of holiday cookie recipes in her 2025 cookie box. (Side note: here are notes on how to have a successful dry January)
Speaking of holiday cookies, Joy the Baker also offers a large collection of recipes that are classic and easy to pull off.
This recipe using store bought crescent roll dough will make the most perfectly cheesy, garlicky break-apart bread.
And if you received a fondue pot for Christmas (or have one in the back of your closet), maybe make a Tuesday night more fun by throwing a quick retro fondue party together with this guide from Bon Appetit?
I hope this weekend brings you unexpected joy and productivity!