Weekend Reads v. 3.1.2025
Try not to break anything.
Ah, the promise that comes with a blank calendar. Fresh starts and corrections and achievement are all possible when each square of the month is blank. Mistakes haven’t happened and laziness hasn’t won you over. Such was 2025 until it wasn’t.
My plan all along was to tip toe out of 2024 and into 2025, hoping to arrive in the New Year surrounded by a profound sense of dullness. I very much wanted a dull year after so many years of bumps in the road. A respiratory virus arrived in that hazy set of days between Christmas and New Years, and I was all set for my quiet introduction to a new year, what with my forced rest (see also: absolutely conking out for hours at a time due to extreme exhaustion).
And then, well, 2025 revealed itself to be one of two equally troubling things. 2025 is either one last tantrum of 2024, or it is yet another year that just isn’t getting our message, and that message is the entire world just wants to hit snooze, please and thank you very much.
That is where I find myself – still groggy from the holidays and not quite ready for the endurance required of a M-F work week. Alas, there is hope! While I’ve not articulated a list of resolutions, this year I am determined to get to work on a long-time dream. Perhaps it will be a glorious disaster, but perhaps not. Let’s make it a pact to just enjoy the journey, shall we?
My collection of reads for you this week closely resembles the wide array of tabs open on my browser. This should tell you all about my mental state. From reflection to researching savings accounts to sewing, it’s a hodgepodge over here for certain!
Happy reading and (hopefully) enjoying the last of this season’s forgivable spell of foggy days before we are all expected to be productive.
In a reflective mood? These questions for a new year are very thorough and may prompt some proper reflection on the past year before you charge on into the new year.
Turns out, my friend Molly and I are not the only ones absolutely riveted by this whole Blake Lively / Justin Whatshisface drama. When The Free Press gets in on the story, you know it’s legit. (See also the extensive coverage from House in Habit on this very Hollywood drama)
Avoca, my favorite brand in the whole wide world, is having a big sale.
Related: of course La Coquette has a major sale on the most perfect clothing for kids when I’ve sworn off shopping for the next wee while.
If you’ve also sworn off shopping for the foreseeable future, you may enjoy this article about taking advantage of the best CD rates for 2025 before rates drop again. I sure did! (Am I making 2025 the year of the nerd?)
I’ve seen the theory about Time Wealth making the rounds on social media over the last 6 months, and it’s a compelling idea to frame a new year around. In short, the theory emphasizes time – experiences, time spent with loved ones, etc. – more than material success. While resources certainly make a difference in the quality and enjoyment of one’s life, it is sobering to sit with the realization that you may be able to count on one hand the number of times you will see a loved one. This is especially true for those who live far from loved ones (raises hand). This article by Esther Haynes for The Free Press presents a pathway to be happier, starting with this observation about time versus things:
“When Sahil Bloom went out for a drink one evening in 2021, his friend said something that upended his life: ‘You’re going to see your parents 15 more times before they die’
That calculation—based on his parents’ ages (mid-60s at the time) and his infrequent visits home from California to Boston—shook Bloom and, ultimately, made him reprioritize everything. He realized he had been brainwashed, in a way, into focusing on cash as a source of contentment when there were other types of wealth he needed to build.” Source
Dave Matthews + Emmylou Harris perform at the Kennedy Center Honors for Bonnie Raitt, and gosh this is just lovely. Side note: I’d go grey if I could be guaranteed to look as beautiful as Emmylou!
Tips to combat smartphone addiction. Because life without a screen really is much more enjoyable.
Now, go be lazy and don’t apologize for it!