The Week Ahead: 10 Things You Absolutely Have to Do
**A guilt-free edition for your holiday viewing pleasure.
Relax. We’re not telling you to whip yourselves further into a frenzy. Because whether or not you’ve crossed everyone off your gift list, we all need a breather from the holiday festivities—are we right? Join us. There’s always more spiked eggnog where that came from.
1. Heat up a hot chocolate. We’re talking a really good cup—high-grade cocoa, artisan marshmallow, and all. These ingredients and tools are all you need to get a good froth on.
2. Dream of the tropics. Sun, sand, and a swaying palm tree or two... Escape to this brand-new beach resort, if only in your mind.
3. Pimp out your sink. It’s dinner-party season, which means your powder room is on full display. You think any old hand soap will do? We beg to differ—choose a design-savvy pump soap that perfectly complements your bathroom style.
4. Sketch it with a Sharpie. Take a cue from Chicago wunderkind Matt Carollo and create your own casual masterpiece with a permanent marker. Bonus points for the clever (and gift-worthy!) DIY framing job.
5. Bring back the planner. Yeah, we’re pretty attached to our smartphones too. But thanks to these gorgeous gold foil–embellished paperbound versions from Julia Kostreva, we’re seriously considering going analog again.
6. Decorate with houseplants. Never underestimate the power of a little plant to elevate your mood. Think of it as a necessary winter indulgence—with endless fun ways to display.
7. Cozy up with a throw blanket. No explanation needed. All you need to do is find just the right one to fulfill your latent Linus fantasies.
8. Dive into this book. Step one: wrap yourself in the aforementioned throw blanket. Step two: lose yourself in Lisa Borgnes Giramonti’s lushly photographed, literature-inspired coffee-table tome. Highly, highly recommended.
9. Bake up a batch of popovers. Because the more we eat, the hungrier we get. Let’s just make peace with this fact of life for the time being, and plan for a Boxing Day breakfast feast that will have you napping again by noon.
10. Dress like your decor. Give the word wallflower a glamorous new meaning by planning to make a cohesive style statement in and out of the closet.
