Are you feeling that—the pull toward nesting? Is your energy dipping? Do you fall asleep earlier? Because, same. I’m leaning into it—slower mornings, softer nights, and heartier meals with the impending colder weather and darker evenings.
I won’t be denying it. There’s always a reason for our bodies’ shifts. It’s time to nest and cuddle up to a pot roast and melting roasted potatoes. The challenge is figuring out how to still fit in a couch rot when my schedule is as busy as summer’s. I think I’ll just have to put it in the calendar. It is, after all, some of my most important work.
I hope you do the same. Maybe an extra splash of cream in your coffee wouldn’t hurt either. Take it, sit on that couch, and let’s take a look at some of the links I’ve stumbled across since we last caught up.
• It was my fault—or at least that’s what I thought when I couldn’t get pregnant. I wasn’t eating well enough. I was a defective body. But if I could just work harder at the things they said to do, maybe I could bend the outcome. The truth is, those were just false rituals to make me feel like I had any control in the matter. Amy Gallo Ryan dives into her journey trying to Goop herself out of infertility. (Self)
• All press is good press—or so they say. And so it was with the Mona Lisa. Her very heist is what made her globally famous. Unlike the current heist at the Louvre, the culprit didn’t steal her for parts. Not for money at all. History reflects on the heist that made the Mona Lisa famous. (History)
• Buy some plain Greek yogurt. You’re going to want to make these Apple Butter and Cream Cheese Kolaches. The dough is incredibly soft and makes the most bakery-level pastry right from your oven. The dough is in my fridge now, ready to bake up for a scary movie night we’re having with my cousins this weekend.
• Do we feed the chef? Do we gift the gift giver? This week, I reflected on a moment in my weekend when I was served a bowl of soup and the joy that came from it. (Substack)
• I need your help. Does anyone own a Lola Blanket—and are they worth it? It seems like such a wild investment for a throw blanket. But I don’t know—it might be the call of the colder months coming, but I might be influenced into investing in one soon. They seem heavy, cozy, and just the right vibe for a couch rot. At the very least, I’m putting it on my Christmas list. If you’d like to de-influence me—now is the time. (LolaBlankets)
• One thing I know about the internet is that it goes hard on a trend. But as someone who has collected “Ralph Lauren Christmas” décor for years now, I’m happy it’s getting its flowers. Although I always called it “Traditional Cinnamon Christmas” because I like the sound of it. It reminds me of how my mom decorated for Christmas when I was a child of the ’90s. However, please don’t feel the need to throw out your curated collection of Christmas décor just because the internet deemed 2025 the year of the Ralph Lauren Christmas. No—just lean into what makes you happiest. But if you’re interested in leaning further into the trend, People gives us some decorating rules for a real Ralph Lauren Christmas. (People)
• This one’s a bit niche, but the Interesting Times podcast sat down with an economist to ask a very important question: Is AI a bubble—and is it about to burst? As someone who worries that AI might be the death of culture (and many jobs), it’s interesting to hear about it from a strictly economic standpoint—and maybe what our government can do to lessen the negative impacts on our economy. (New York Times)
• These little quilted makeup bags are just my favorite thing ever—washable, flexible, and so feminine. I’ve bought them for gifts, used them to organize a stack of highlighters, and of course for my travel makeup. I find so many uses for them, and they just make me so happy. (Amazon)
• Lastly, here’s a day in my life in Salem (please drop by Floso and say hi!), and a very cozy crockpot chili offering. (Instagram, Olive and Artisan)
