-What Is Emotional Labor?

Hello friends, Happy Holidays!

It’s Sunday. We’re here. We’re in it. It’s not Christmas just yet. We’re all ok, I promise.

There’s a frenetic energy this time of year – a buy, buy, buy encouragement that I’ve mostly just observed from a distance this year.  I’ve spent this week writing towards a 2020 project, drinking wine and coffee sometimes at the same time. Writing is really just long stretches of time sitting, thinking, staying off the Internet, and drinking various beverages. They don’t really spell that out for you in college. We have to figure that out on our own.

Next week is my holiday cookie swap so there’s a lot of baking to look forward to.  What are you making? Eggnog!  That’s my vote. Go big.

The offering this week is below. Take what you need. I’m sorry I talk so much about Counting Crows. Thanks for going on this journey with me every week.

•  This list could last you all week: 25 Modern Love Essays to Read if You Want To Laugh, Cry, and Cringe.  These are just so wonderful.  I had a glass of wine and surprised myself by ugly crying through You May Want to Marry My Husband. (The New York Times)

•  This is interesting: What Everyone’s Calling ‘Emotional Labor’ Is Actually Just Labor. (Vice)

•  The False Promise of Morning Routines.  Please please don’t take this from me.  I’m a morning routine person – it usually involves me hitting snooze for a few rounds before literally flinging myself out of bed, getting blurry-eyed to yoga, coming home for coffee, to make the bed, to get the rest of the day going.  Some mornings it’s all I can do to get up and make the bed and that’s perfectly fine too.  (The Atlantic)

•  The Decade The Kardashians Took Over Everything.  Isn’t it incredibly strange? (Buzzfeed)

•  My thought here is that Instagram feels bad about being Instagram.  (Vox)

•  This week I’ve been listening to this live Counting Crows album from 1998.  I coyly shared this fact on Instagram and unearthed a lot of fellow, secret, die-hard Counting Crows fans. The thing is – they were a great band!  August and Everything After defines like… a lot of my teen years. (Spotify)

•  As you might expect, I went down an Adam Duritz (lead singer of the Counting Crows) text message rabbit hole with my friend Cara (fellow secret Counting Crows fan).  We lamented the dreads, the A-list celebrities he dated, the song Anna Begins.  Cara unearthed this doozy of an article on Adam Duritz from 2014 and wow… y’all the dreads are extensions.  A Lesson In Humanity From Adam Duritz. (Men’s Health)

•  This week, at the urging of my friend Jessica, I made this Romesco Sauce. It’s absolutely delicious, very simple, 10/10 recommend. (Bon Appetit)

•  I like when The Kitchn re-makes bloggers recipes with commentary.  A few months back they made my Weeknight Chicken Dinner.  You can read about their thoughts here.  We’re just doing our best to feed ourselves, ya know? (Joy the Baker / The Kitchn)

•  Maybe just maybe you’ll have some time off between Christmas and the new year.  Maybe just maybe you want a craft? HonestlyWTF has my favorite DIYs on the internet. (HonestlyWTF)

•  Here’s a new Amos Lee song to add to your holiday mix: Holiday Song. (Spotify)

•  What to get your girlfriend that is as into the Real Housewives as you: What Remains by Carole Radziwill.  I’m reading it right now and it’s beautiful (and definitely not written by a ghost writer).  (Amazon)

•  I bought this blanket as a gift and I promise not to keep it for myself, probably. (Food52)

Have a wonderful Sunday!

My love to you.

xo Joy