Weekend Dispatch

I can't believe Christmas is 8 days away. This holiday season flew by, and it didn't help that Thanksgiving was soooo late this year. That shortened time frame really puts the pressure on. I still have some shopping to do, and this weekend we have a surprise birthday party to attend in north Jersey. It's at a tapas and wine bar in Newark, so I'm excited for that. And then on Sunday, my nieces and their SOs are coming over for dinner since they won't be joining us on Christmas Day. And then Monday starts the mad dash to Christmas. I'm looking forward to a very chill week between Christmas and New Year's Day. My oldest was diagnosed with mononucleosis last week, so if anyone needs lots of rest around here, it's definitely her! Hope your week is off to a great start.

Here's what I've been up to:

Over the weekend I watched Marriage Story on Netflix. It is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The cast (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johannson, Laura Dern, and Alan Alda) is top notch. The movie should actually be titled Divorce Story as it is about divorce and based loosely on the writer/director's own experience with divorce as well as interviews with friends. The movie portrays the struggles of a couple, Nicole (Scarlett Johannson) and Charlie (Adam Driver) who have agreed to separate - without involving lawyers until Nicole decides to move to LA and take their son. She hires a high-powered attorney to help her get custody. It's heart wrenching, but I loved the interactions between the characters, both positive and negative.

The long awaited final installment in the Star Wars series (which first hit theaters in 1977) will be in theaters on Thursday, December 19th. In this much anticipated sci-fi thriller the surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn, and Poe's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences. With special appearances, The Rise of Skywalker promises to knock your socks off. For starters, Carrie Fisher who sadly passed away in 2016 will appear through the use of unreleased footage from The Force Awakens. Many shows are already sold out as tickets went on sale weeks ago. Luckily, we bought ours early and will be seeing it on Saturday evening.

If you are gifting food this holiday season, this DIY peppermint bowl is the cutest way to deliver it. It's two gifts in one! It seems pretty simple to make. I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend, and then place cellophane bags filled with candy and fudge in them to give as small gifts. If you'd prefer to make a platter, here are instructions.

I've been pretty clear here about how much I love The New York Times' 'The Daily' podcast. Listening to it each weekday morning has become a sort of ritual. I've recently added another daily morning podcast to the list, 'What A Day'. It shares important stories that you may have missed and cuts through a lot of the noise you get via most media outlets to bring you the news without all the fluff. Most episodes average about 18 minutes, so it doesn't require a huge commitment of time. You can listen on your drive to work, you morning walk, or while you eat breakfast or enjoy a cup of coffee.

So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend.