Honestly this week has been . . . better than anticipated! The call week x book launch mashup was fine (turns out there’s nothing much you have to actually DO on launch day, other than celebrate!) and the hardest part was actually the week prior, prepping podcast eps to air through the start of the new year.
AND, I’m done with overnight call for 2025! I do feel like I made some progress in how I handled call this year (logistics and mindset). I still find it really hard to deal with night call for 7 nights in a row. I was lucky enough to make some swaps so that the nights weren’t always consecutive, which helped SO much! HOPING I can make that happen next year.
THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN:
- Sign out email (will be done by end of day)
- Record remaining January ads. (So far I have all the same sponsors headed into 2026 which is great because they are all companies I really like and enjoy working with!)
- Figure out if we need last minute gear for Montana (probably yes . . . no one has tried anything on. Eek. JENNY I might have to go to the awesome REI near you!)
- PACK. GAH! My goal is to be done with this by our Hanukkah dinner Sunday night.
- Wrap Hanukkah gifts for my niece/nephew (or find gift bags)
- Get stuff to host Hanukkah dinner Sunday night. (Keeping it simple and will just pick up or Instacart ingredients the day of).
Ummmm that’s pretty much it! Tomorrow will be spent basking in the glow of freedom and enjoying The Nutcracker (which ended up turning into a whole event with 2 of A’s friends — we’re having brunch first then taking the Brightline down to Miami together). I am super grateful and excited for 2 weeks of (mostly) relaxing and down time. I remember how stressed I was going into this trip last year with book deadlines looming and am going to savor the fact that everything worked out and now I get to just chill for a minute and celebrate.
MINI 5 ON A FRIDAY:
- I was on the Happier Ladies podcast this week! (If you don’t know Azizi and Malika — 2 sisters who host this podcast — they are DELIGHTFUL. And I loved this chat!)
- I just started Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment. (I also have Heart the Lover on deck, our January book club book!). I think I’m going to LOVE my reading life for the remainder of the year. ALSO, if I finish these two plus Ina’s memoir, I’ll be at exactly 50 books for the year. It’s my magic reading number, and I tend to end up there whether I meant to or not!
- I love Laura’s suggestion (on her Vanderhacks newsletter) to Name Your Breaks. I think naming a lot of things kind of helps make them . . . more salient! More of a Thing! And with something like a break, that can make it more effective.
- Speaking of More of a Thing, I am leaning into a more elaborate evening wind down. The catalyst was eye doctor suggesting I stop wearing contacts for 16-17 hours/day (ie all waking hours). I am have started changing into loungewear AND glasses and doing all skincare after dinner. I’m into this!
- Pantsuit Politics just released their final main ep of 2025, a Predictions ep for next year! I have really enjoyed PP’s takes and reactions to the news this year.
Next year I will be working Christmas week (call) so I feel like I will savor this break even more than usual. LET’S DO THIS, WINTER VACAY 2025/6!!
2 Comments
My worlds are colliding because I know ALL ABOUT Brightline as it’s an investment in one of our mutual funds and the economics of it have not been good for investors… municipal products don’t fall under me so I have avoided having to talk about it luckily. It sounds like a great form of transportation, though! And the nutcracker outing sounds fun!
Hooray for being on the precipice of a fun vacation! And to have fun events this weekend to look forward to. Your cozy outfit looks great. Since I tend to wear dresses to work, I immediately take them off when I get home and put on pjs or lounge wear and it’s the best feeling. I should do my face washing and contact removal at that time as well.
Have so much fun!