…Then, on a thursday — I watched it begin again… |
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I love the idea of a new year. A new beginning. When I think of January, it's a frosty blue color. It's ice rinks and piles of snow. It's Lorelai Gilmore walking around with her baby blue beanie and scarf, holding a Luke's cup and looking up at the Stars Hollow sky. In some ways, it's lighter. In others, it feels like an uphill battle…Or maybe a soft landing after rolling down the icy hill of snow. You know what I mean? Beginnings are often hard because it's a clean slate. You're starting over. It's exhilarating but also intimidating. Will it be better than last year? Will it be worse? Will the characters be the same? Will there be a new setting? It's hard to know or be able to map it out. What are you going to write? And will it be a bestseller? There's only one way to find out…By beginning again. We've arrived at January 2026. Where does the time go?! December was heavier. It was filled with adjustment and adapting. It was filled with painful, tearful goodbyes. Family time. Some festive fun. There were some things ignored this year because I just couldn't find the cheer or spirit, more working from home. I had a hard time focusing and concentrating, like finishing books, movies…I'd start and put it down, then jump to the next thing if it didn't grab me in the first few chapters or first fifteen minutes. Work days felt longer and harder. I visited Stars Hollow once again, and it was a magical experience that would make the Gilmore girls proud. I found the shimmering moments when I could, and did my best to be present. It was a different kind of Christmas, but there was still beauty in it. And, so, we welcome in January. |
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Lessons & Highlights from the month: |
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- “Let your heart be light…”
- This line from “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” stood out to me this year. It's been a heavy year and a heavy Christmas season. And while there's grief and pain, there's still a peace in knowing that the Savior is bigger than anything we experience here on earth. Somehow I found it comforting in the midst of loss and mourning.
- Life, good and bad, really does happen in an instant.
- My uncle passed away unexpectedly, and that's shaken all of us. We have the peace of knowing that he was a believer and is up there singing with Jesus, now. But, all of us ache down here, for the loss. He was larger than life, lived life to the fullest, loved dad jokes, history, the Broncos, but most importantly, his family and Jesus. He became the patriarch in our family after my grandparents passed, and it was so natural for him. He was such a leader and did it with such ease in a way I haven't seen many do. He was a large presence in all of our lives, whether we talked constantly or not.
- People, myself included, are craving connection, nostalgia and an analog 2026.
- Analog: Describes systems that use continuously variable physical quantities to represent information, mirroring the real world infinite possibilities. | All of this to say, we want physical copies of magazines and letters in the mail, workbooks, puzzles and not just having everything digital or virtual. We want the real thing again. I'm curious, and nervous, to see how this plays out for social media and my role in the new year. GULP
- The main thing about scrolling is that it will only mask what you're dealing with.
- It doesn't help you process the main issue. It only helps you ignore and numb it for awhile. And sometimes, a good doomscrolling session is needed. But, lately, I've found especially that there have been many things in my life over the past couple of years that I've blown off, rather than working through them and processing. That's not a healthy way to go! Some changes are being made in that department.
- Take the pictures. Make the memories.
- Sure, there are some moments to just live and be present in. But, it's okay to record some of the silly moments or take pictures of the things that not everyone else quite understands. Sometimes that's what you have left when all is said and done. There have been so many moments, lately, that looking back on photos, I'm glad I took them, even when it seemed lame or pointless at the time.
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- Something From Tiffany's (it's become a holiday favorite of mine and my mom's over the last few years - so cute, takes place in NYC - I forgot we watched this at the end of November)
- PODCAST: Great Hang with Amy Poehler (Ina Garten, Ariana Grande, Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
- The More the Merrier (Hallmark)
- Champagne Problems (Netflix)
- Hot Frosty (Netflix)
- Dancing with the Stars Holiday (ABC, HULU)
- CMA Country Christmas (ABC, HULU)
- The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular (ABC, HULU)
- My Secret Santa (Netflix)
- Our Little Secret (Netflix)
- Gilmore Girls: Christmas and winter episodes
- The 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Special
- The Weakest Link: Holiday edition (celebs from Christmas movies)
- I'll Be Home for Christmas
- Home Alone
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York City
- Miracle on 34th Street
- With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration (Netflix)
- She's Making a List (Hallmark)
- Oh What Fun (Amazon Prime)
- Password: Holiday Edition
- A Merry Little Ex-Mas
- No Sleep `Til Christmas
- Christmas Classic Cartoons: 14 cartoon classics (we watched about half of them - they were WILD, and yet, I feel like I'd seen them before at my grandma's house when I was younger).
- The Eras Tour: The End of an Era - Taylor Swift (Disney+, HULU)
- Christmas at the Catnip Cafe (Hallmark), among a few other random ones that I caught bits and pieces of, but fell asleep.
- Gilmore Girls (winter/Christmas episodes and other favorites in anticipation of Holidays Made Here event)
- On the plane home from South Carolina: Christmas Vacation (again) and Elf
- Write Before Christmas (Chad Michael Murray and Hallmark with one of their best)
- Merry Gentlemen (rewatch)
- White Christmas
- A Lot Like Christmas
- Frosty the Snowman (original)
- Christmas with the Kranks
- Shop Around the Corner
- Christmas episodes for: Friends, Parks and Recreation, The Office
- The Little Drummer Boy
- Santa Claus is Comin' To Town
- PODCAST: Call Her Daddy [feat. Zooey Deschanel]
- Jingle All the Way
- The Family Man (didn't finish; wasn't as good as I remember)
- Holidate
- Cheaper by the Dozen
- Thank God: Christmas at Keller Ranch (Lifetime)
- A Pickleball Christmas (Lifetime)
- A Christmas Story (I finally saw it for the first time - after years of being very set against it, I don't know why)
- A Christmas Story Christmas (the sequel)
- Deck the Halls
- The Family Stone
- Four Christmases
- Jack Frost
- Fred Claus
- **Another situation of starting so many random movies but turning them off within about five minutes because they're so cringe**
- Jingle Bell Heist (started, gave up on it)
- It's a Wonderful Life
- The Quiz with Balls (game show on Fox)
- What's in the Box? (game show on Netflix)
- NFL games
- Simon Cowell: The Next Act (Netflix)
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- Hot Desk by Laura Dickerman
- Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
- The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
- The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
- Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas
- Snow Place Like Home (Amazon Original Novella) by Laura Pavlov
- Merry and Bright (Amazon Original Novella) by Ali Rosen
- All Wrapped Up in You (Amazon Original Novella) by Rosie Danan
- Acting Merry by Martha Keyes
- A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn (reread)
- My First Mistake by Sadie Kincaid
- How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor
- Unravel Me: A Small Town, Second Chance Romance by Jenn Plummer
- Partnershipped in a Pear Tree by Savannah Scott
- Love, Holly by Emily Stone
- Yours for the Season by Uzma Jalaluddin (didn't finish)
- Better Not Pout by Maren Moore (didn't finish)
- Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin (didn't finish)
- **This is another month of starting and stopping so many books because I just can't find one that keeps my interest**
- Heart, Life, Music by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (reread)
- A lot of Substack letters: Going Places, Notes On, Feeling! Magazine, Secret Stuff
- Truly by Lionel Richie
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- Decorating the Christmas tree and adding more Christmas spirit to the house.
- Finishing up my Christmas shopping and getting things ready for family and friends.
- Investing time and effort into my Gilmore Girls Substack and Instagram account (@Gilmoresandcoffee), preparing for the Holidays Made Here event at WB. (Was praying I'd get invited to the lot with media perks, but alas, another year of not getting the ask).
- Trying to make it through the last few weeks before break! TWO WEEKS OFF!
- Taking naps whenever I can…
- Traveled to South Carolina after my uncle unexpectedly passed away. Our family is still in shock and processing. Just reminiscing and in my feels about a lot of memories, life, my family.
- Enjoying the low lights and glow of the Christmas tree in the living room (dark and cozy vibes).
- Prepping and planning for the Christmas table (I've purchased some new items to give the aesthetic of a Ralph Lauren Christmas - on a budget).
- Watching all the Christmas movies and listening to the albums that I possibly can before the season comes to a close.
- Wrapping and getting gifts together for friends and family.
- Enjoying my time off for two whole weeks; not planning out social media and trying to unwind as much as possible.
- All the word search puzzle books. I'm on my third from the last week or so…
- Reflecting on 2025
- Getting out of the house a little more
- Sleeping in
- Baking cookies and exchanging gifts with family friends on a Saturday morning
- Catching up on shows and all the things I've put off for festive Christmas specials
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- Home for Christmas by *NSYNC
- Wrapped in Red (deluxe edition; finished it) by Kelly Clarkson
- Fruitcake (EP) by Sabrina Carpenter
- On This Winter's Night (Volume 2) by Lady A
- My Gift by Carrie Underwood
- Santa Claus Lane by Hilary Duff
- A Very Laufey Holiday by Laufey
- Radio Disney Holiday Jams 2
- Christmas Kisses (EP) by Ariana Grande
- Under the Mistletoe (Deluxe Edition) by Justin Bieber
- Christmas, With Love by Leona Lewis
- When Christmas Comes Around by Kelly Clarkson
- PODCAST: Gilmore to Say: A Gilmore Girls Podcast - Gilmore to Consider #16: Season Four, Team Marty, and Iconic Emily Gilmore
- Billboard Holiday Countdown channel on Sirius XM (A LOT of Michael Buble, a few Pentatonix, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, etc.)
- Behold: A Christmas Collection by Lauren Daigle
- Snow Globe Town by Brad Paisley
- When Christmas Comes Around…Again by Kelly Clarkson
- Home for Christmas by Amy Grant
- It Must Be Christmas by Chris Young
- On the plane to South Carolina: Christmas by Cher, Merry Christmas Strait to You by George Strait, What a Wonderful World by LeAnn Rimes, (started) Christmas in the City by Lea Michele, It's Officially Christmas by Dan + Shay (Disc 2 - their original songs)
- On the plane from South Carolina: On This Winter's Night by Lady A and (started) Glow - Deluxe by Brett Eldredge
- Holiday Movie Hits Playlist (Spotify)
- A Christmas Album by Amy Grant
- These are the Special Times by Celine Dion
- This Christmas by 98 Degrees
- The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift (just to break things up a little on the plane)
- Some of Patterns by Kelsea Ballerini (because it was centered around mentions/vibes of the Carolinas)
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There's a lot we're leaving behind in December, or working through. I 'm journaling more, I'm picking up hobbies again and trying to ease into the year, watching more football with my dad (college and NFL), drinking too much soda and eating too many sweets, still geeking out over Gilmore girls, trying to keep anxiety at bay when I think of going back to work in another week. I'm setting a few new goals, but reminding myself to keep it light, so as not to overwhelm myself. Full 2025 recap to come…Stay tuned! |
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Stars Hollow Ct.
Bakersfield , CA 93311, USA |
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