The Weekly Digest

I went to a holiday party the other night and this story about the Yule Log Cake came up. It’s been a few years since we made one, but I always loved how they turned out. It’s a lot easier than the traditional, rolled yule cake—but those are fun, too. We haven’t done any holiday baking, yet, but I have made sure to get the Trader Joe’s Pepper Joe-Joe boxes ready before they run out. I panicked a little when Aron told me he’d called around and everyone was already sold out. Luckily the one closest to us was the one store who had them (ha!).

I’ve been posting some photos of recent goings-on on Instagram: highlights have included the Winters Tractor Parade, a night out in Sacramento with friends, and wreath-making with the kids. That was such a hit! We decorated wreaths for the city to hang downtown in a contest and they turned out so fantastic! As it turns out, the city won’t let the downtown association display them (I’m at a loss as to the why), but luckily the kids think they’re somewhere out there for all to admire. And, really, they are because here’s a picture.

In sadder news, my parents’ dog of 14 years, Ruffus passed away this week. He was a loving, miniature schnauzer with the ears of a jackrabbit and the anxiety of Larry David. We will really miss him.

Wishing you a cozy weekend. Some links of note… 

“Something I think about a lot is if they remade Back to the Future today. Marty would travel back in time to 1992, and probably accidentally invent dubstep or something. But if he and Doc still met in the parking lot at the shopping mall, it would be a very different, much more haunted place. ” On the death of the American Mall. 

How Deb stocks her Smitten Kitchen. Wow!

Sheet-pan everything, please.

The Target and Lego collaboration is really good! I especially was drawn to the tote bags.

Do we all need this after the pandemic? How to rekindle a friendship after years apart.

We got married in Los Olivos. I’d love to follow this guide and go to dinner there to celebrate an anniversary one day!

The years of tabloid scrutiny around Jennifer Aniston’s fertility… it’s NOT OK.

Have you heard of The ‘Jennifer Lawrence Pipeline’? This article really resonated with me.

West Side Story is out today! I’ll never forget: we watched the original while I was in labor with Skyler!

Also, will you watch the Sex and the City reboot?

A.O. Scott chose Questlove’s Summer of Soul as his best film of the year! (Here’s a list from Motherly of their picks for best kids movies of 2021.)

Interesting points regarding where should California focus its policy in the midst of a severe drought: “While in-home conservation doesn’t hurt, a majority of California’s residential water — as much as 80 percent of it — is used outdoors.”

The editors of Bloomberg News produce a “jealousy list” every year. These are the articles from other news publications that they all wish they’d written.

Cute ornament.

I still haven’t tried a weighted blanket, but I think I’d like it. (Have you?) This one is awfully pretty.

I didn’t realize that there was a special edition of the Kindle for kids. We love ours for traveling—it made such a difference when Hudson started getting into chapter books.

Erin’s DIY gifts are always so inspiring.

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