My Week In Review (otherwise known as WIR) posts are just that: a review of my past week. I post an update here every Tuesday sharing some tidbits of my previous week as well as an accompanying photo recap with selections from my Instagram. Here’s the buzz from my week:
Fall is waning here in the midwest. The leaves have almost all fallen from the trees, the pretty mums are browning thanks to overnight frosts, and the temperature drops a little every day. It feels like the winter winds have picked up and are bringing along the new season quickly. Plus, with the days growing shorter and it getting darker earlier every day, it’s truly starting to feel like winter is swiftly on its way. I don’t mind so much, as winter is one of my favorite seasons once the snow comes. I’ve also been enjoying fully embracing boot and sweater weather as well as enjoying hot steamy cups of spiced tea. This transitionary time between crisp and bright fall days and winter snow reminds me that change is inevitable. Accepting what I cannot control allows me to embrace what life brings me, both good and bad, and illuminates the importance of the cycle of things and the journey within. That might all sound a bit overdramatic to some, I supposed, but seasonal transitions like we are experiencing now really do act as gentle reminders of these things for me. There is so much to learn from observing nature without judgements or agendas.
Speaking of winter’s coming, the holiday season is approaching with the speed of a three year old zooming to the tree on Christmas morning. In other words, it’s practically upon us! I kicked off my annual Holiday Prep series with a look at how we do our holiday cards. Every year I get better about ordering them ahead of time so I’m not stuck frantically trying to stuff, seal, and label them at the last minute. Another one of my pre-holiday traditions is to check out The Container Store’s Gift Wrap Wonderland soon after it launches, typically in late October. I was super lucky this year to be invited by my local TCS for a private tour of this gorgeous space. No one does holiday gift packaging like The Container Store! I will have photos and more information I learned during my visit up soon.
With the holidays comes longer to-do lists and busier schedules with both the increase in content I produce in my work life as well as more social gatherings with my loved ones. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, yes, but also all of that extra busyness can leave me feeling overwhelmed and drained. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I decided it would be fun to kick off the holiday season with a morning spent together relaxing. We headed downtown to the Trump Hotel on Saturday to enjoy their beautiful spa. I opted for a pedicure and brought along my knitting. Talk about double pampering! Later that day, we had our friends over for a fun and causal evening at our home together. On Sunday, Don and I went to see the Chicago Shakespeare Theater‘s production of King Lear with Don’s parents. What an incredibly intense and powerful performance! We’re very much looking forward to seeing one of our favorite Chicago actors, Larry Yando who was Lear, play Scrooge at the Goodman Theater’s A Christmas Carol next month. We shared a wonderful meal afterwards at one of our favorite Chicago steakhouses, The Capital Grille. Our weekend was filled with time spent with our loved ones and we’re looking forward to more like it in the remaining weeks of the year.
If you’d like to see more from my weekend, check out my vlog:
I’m so excited to be gearing up for the most wonderful and also my personal busiest time of year. I find planning in advance even more important than usual during this time of year. I’d love to hear some of your tips and tricks for staying on top of things during the holiday season if you care to share. Let the holidays begin!
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