Monthly report: December favorites
ft. some *very* off-brand selections
Comin' at ya live from the lawless vacuum of space and time between Christmas and New Year’s with a gingerbread cookie in one hand and a mimosa in the other, here’s the best of what I’ve been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating myself to this December.
Reading: SCI-FI/FANTASY (!)
I know, right? Who IS she?
While these are notably not my go-to genres, I received advanced reader copies of two books coming in 2025 that absolutely riveted me from start to finish. Per Storygraph (which hopefully you’ve switched to from Goodreads by now):
These gripping page-turners were both read in single sittings while traveling, so you know they were good. Which is to say: Even if you don’t think of yourself as someone who enjoys these sorts of plotlines, I challenge you to add them to your TBR and give them a shot once their pub days arrive in 2025!
Eating: HOME-COOKED MEALS
Look. Listen.
As an exhausted AuDHDer with one full-time day job in SEO and a second full-time the-rest-of-the-time job as an author, my executive function spoons are limited. I have to be careful about when and how I use them if I want to have any left by the time my work days wrap up—for like, personal care or socializing or to enjoying my own hobbies—otherwise I’m stuck wasting away my evenings as a spoonless zombie lump on the couch until it’s time for bed.
So, what’s a neurodivergent gal to do to save a few spoons?
Outsource!
We subscribed to a meal delivery service here in Haarlem called Marleen Kookt. Every Monday afternoon, we receive three Pyrex dishes containing three healthy home-cooked meals (which we choose from a weekly menu selection on her website) and all we have to do is cover them with foil, pop them in the oven for ~30 minutes, and enjoy. Then we just stick the empty Pyrex container in the dishwasher and boom: no further clean-up necessary.
It’s truly been a game-changer, and it has me wondering whether there are other aspects of our life that we can outsource to maintain more consistent spoon reserves in our double neurospicy household. It’s almost like budgeting for childcare, except we’re the children we’re paying to be cared for? As usual, unlike peers my age with growing families, I am basically my own baby!
Playing: NINTENDO SWITCH (!)
Again: who IS she?
My partner and I have never had a video game console of any kind in our home, and I never played them growing up. But after I accidentally ended up on the “cozy gamer” side of TikTok, we started thinking about whether we might enjoy hopping onto the Switch bandwagon. We got one for a steal on Black Friday and have been testing out which kinds of games we enjoy ever since.
Delighted to report that I way underestimated the connection that can be nurtured during parallel play between two married unmasked AuDHDers snuggled up on the couch together booing Bowser. I never would’ve guessed, but this has become one of our favorite ways to spend time together since the winter evenings have grown so long and dark here in the Netherlands.
Obsessing over: THE MUPPETS, PER USUAL
The Muppets have been one of my special interests since I can remember, or since I wore out the VHS tape of The Muppet Christmas Carol at my grandparents’ house in elementary school—whichever came first.
Naturally, my partner and I still watch that film together every year on Christmas Eve (because duh, only one more sleep ‘til Christmas). But this year we improved upon that tradition with the ceremonial lighting of a bougie candle we managed to find secondhand from the 2018 Sandro x The Muppet Show collaboration line.
It’s in a joyful yellow glass container featuring none other than a smiling Kermit the frog with happy little heart eyes, with a musky vanilla scent. It’s a delightfully whimsical addition to our coffee tablescape and brings me such a buoyant sense of childlike joy when I light it each evening.
Recommending: SIMMER POT MOCKTAILS
Speaking of household scents, we’ve been on a major simmer pot kick this month, and I can’t believe the whole world isn’t out there using simple ingredients to make their homes smell deliciously cozy all winter long!
Here’s a spiced, citrus-y starter recipe for beginners—in a small saucepan (or a little cauldron if you have one, I guess) add:
1/2 of a sliced orange
1/2 of a sliced lemon
1 handful of cranberries
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
Sprinkle of fresh-ground nutmeg
Top this ix with water, pop the pot onto the stovetop, and bring to a gentle boil.
Stir clockwise for a few moments, then reduce to low heat and leave the mixture to simmer away until most of the liquid has evaporated. Usually this takes about 2-3 hours, and my house smells like I lit the world’s best holiday candle except I didn’t light anything with weird chemicals in it—the dream, really.
At this point, you can add more water, then repeat this process 2-3 more times with the same pot’s materials.
Or!!!
You can turn off the heat entirely while there’s still some liquid in the pot, then pour all of the pot’s contents it into a separate heat-safe container. Filter this mix through a colander or cheesecloth, add ice and sparkling water, and voilá, you’ve got a delicious spiced and sparkling mocktail made with all-natural ingredients. This has been my go-to holiday beverage this year; highly recommend!
Treating myself to: SPA SHOWER UPGRADES
Our new home has no bathtub. Naturally, this has been devastating. But! It has also encouraged me to find ways to make our shower more spa-like so I still have somewhere steamy to hang out and relax like the weird little frog lady I’ve become.
So far, this has included treating myself to unnecessary but extremely appreciated luxuries like:
Fresh eucalyptus strung from the showerhead
A shower seat (which double as a hidden hamper)
A waterproof shower lamp (so I don’t have to turn on The Big Light)
If anyone has any other ideas for how to make our walk-in shower and/or our tiny bathroom feel more spa-like overall, please let me know—I am all ears!
What’s in your December report?
Even if you’re not someone who enjoys “journaling” per se, this kind of guided reflection is a fun way to think about how you’ve been spending your time and energy lately. So, what have you been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating yourself to in the past month? I’d love to know!