Happy Holidays

Our team meeting this week was…strange. Normally, our meetings are full of laughter, jokes, heartfelt discussions, a good brainstorm or two (or even a good cry), but this week’s was…not…that. We logged on. Stared at each other. Discussed the week’s schedule. Stared at each other some more. 

In silence.

Laura, who can usually be relied on to provide some sort of personality (comic relief? brainstorm? thoughtful question?) laughed – once — at our bizarre silence, and we all responded — more or less — by attempting to move our faces into shapes that resembled amusement.

It will surprise no one to hear that faces moved ‘into shapes that resemble amusement’ are still grumpy AF faces.

It’s rare one knows the exact day in which they have reached their absolute limit (and 2020 has had plenty such days to choose from) but apparently, for us, it was Dec 22nd. We made it to day 355 out of 365, and now I’m calling it CLOSE ENOUGH.

I’m joking, of course. We can’t actually call off the rest of 2020 (HA, HA…ha) because it is a TRAIN in which there is no STOPPING.  If there’s ONE thing we’VE leaRNed ThiS yEAr it’s THaT the 2020 trAIn keePS oN GOing & gOiNG reGARdlesS of oNe’s SaNitY.

On the upside, it does feel like a monumental shift has started. Our conversations with friends and family have changed — they’re deeper now, more honest, real. The movies and TV shows we consume look different — or, at least, our reactions to the old, well-used tropes have changed. And my social media feed is starting to show signs of hope: our front-line workers, tired but smiling as they get their first doses of the COVID vaccine. I suspect our world, at this time next year, will look very different.

One thing I am especially grateful for? This insanely amazing Mom Edit community. Not only am I lucky enough to count my coworkers as friends (you can’t work on the kinds of life things we work on without becoming really close), but The Mom Edit reader community has also been a huge source of strength, of support.

I am blown away that so many of you — passionate! empathetic! intelligent! — spend your time with us. For those of you who have taken the time this year to comment on our words, offer support, weigh in on tough topics, or even just keep it light…we cannot thank you enough. We are so grateful. We are grateful, too, for those of you who subscribe to our newsletters, or who make a concerted effort to use our links, and for those of you who insist on typing in “www.themomedit.com” on the daily (we see you, Old-Schoolers).  

I feel so lucky that our community is growing in new, unexpected ways. Our Facebook Insiders Group is an absolute hoot — the questions and advice and PHOTOS are so freaking fun, and this group is directly responsible for both article ideas and some apt nicknames of trends we’ve covered (“stupid pants” comes to mind). 

And a HUGE thank you to the gals that started our buy-sell-trade group on Facebook. True sustainability is a passion of ours, and actively enabling clothing re-use within this community is truly a gift.  

And as I type this, readers have just donated — in less than a week — over $9700(!!) to The Mom Edit’s Feeding America drive.  Which means that our goal of $10K by 12/27 is easily in reach. I couldn’t be more grateful for this generous community, and am so proud to match your donations with our own $10K.

Finally, we are just so very grateful to you, our readers, for your ongoing support. Know that the entire team lights up when talking about you guys (yes, we know many of you by name) and that YOU have been one of the very brightest spots of 2020.

Which, as I mentioned, should only have been 355 days. 

Sending you all of the peace and joy and love and light. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for you.

Happy holidays.

---

Curling up with this book…I picked up my own Christmas Day read at Snowbound Books (a local bookstore in Marquette): Forest Feast Mediterranean (also available at Amazon). It’s one-part vegetarian cookbook and one-part travel: a family trip through France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Exactly what my wanderlusting heart wants to read right now.

Also reading…I’ve been staying up wayyyyy too late reading Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America and can’t freaking put it down. It’s a really well-researched book but, thankfully, isn’t dry. The author, Ijeoma Oluo, offers insights and perspectives all her own in a frank and candid way — it almost reads like a cozy chat with a smart, witty, highly-opinionated friend (aka the very best kind). Warning: I keep waking Mike up to read passages out loud. It’s a fun book to discuss and debate, for sure.And NO: she’s not calling for the downfall of white men. Please. #eyeroll She is, however, illustrating how our current culture is also bad for white guys — as well as the rest of us non-white males. (Also at Amazon.)

Top two local bookstore recos for kids…due to the pandemic, we can’t go in and browse Snowbound Books (one of my all-time favorite things to do during the holidays), but we can, however, stand in the entrance, describe what we’re looking for, and let them bring their top recommendations to you. It’s genius. For Raines (almost 13) he recommended This Savage Song (also at Amazon) — a city at war, overrun with monsters, two teens caught in the middle. For Pax (age 10) he recommended Skunk and Badger (also at Amazon) — a perfect chapter book for the kid who prefers graphic novels, and one of the best kid’s books of 2020 (according to several lists). And because we like “Santa” to bring good-for-you books, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything American History Textbooks Get Wrong (also at Amazon). Although that last one might be more for Mike and I: my kids’ teachers are doing a MUCH better job.

Mike’s fav is predictably boring….he has been reading The Living Constitution and won’t stop talking about it. Apparently it “demystifies the Supreme Court”. Also at Amazon.

The two books I bought my mom and sister…How to Be An Anti-Racist (it’s finally back in stock – also at Amazon) and Such a Fun Age (also at Amazon). Those are the two I’ve been dying to discuss with SOMEONE. (Oooo…should we start a bookclub next year?)

Our favorite family Audible book this year…Peter and the Starcatchers. It’s the backstory of Peter Pan, so if your kids are familiar, this series becomes especially delicious (“Mom! I think that’s Wendy’s mom!!). It’s written by Dave Barry (the funny newspaper columnist) and the story is witty and exciting and daring and just…freaking brilliant. The Audible book is narrated by Jim Dale (the same guy who narrated the Harry Potter series), and the telling leaves us breathless.

A fun little sparkle for NYE…I’d wear this necklace with a white tee. And maybe layer one of those chunky chain necklaces (like this one) — both are on sale.

Let’s swoon. Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly sale is starting — and we’ll be coming out with real recommendations — but for now, why not dream a little? This Marchesa dress would be perfect for a trip to Rome, I’d wander Paris in this Oscar de la Renta frock (with sneakers!!) and stomp around London in this Alice + Olivia and my big black boots. Lastly, I’d wear this insanely sexy Alexander Wang with flat nude sandals in Barcelona.

Oh, man. I’m feeling better about 2021 already.

xo,

S