We did it, guys. We made it to that sacred week that comes between Christmas and New Year’s Day, when business-as-usual does a 180, going from running around like chickens with our heads cut off, to long days of quiet interrupted only by our moms giving us a mug of hot cocoa or a glass of champagne. So we’re officially taking the opportunity to bed down and hibernate. You can find us in our apartments, where candles gifted throughout the last month will be lit, slippers will be on, and Seamless will be the only app in rotation. We can’t wait. See you in 2017.
But don’t worry, we’ll actually be here all week with lots of new stories for when you get bored of the below reading material during said hibernation. Our holiday gift to you.
Set The Mood
If all you got is a bunch of weird, fruit-scented candles this month (SNL really nailed that one), we feel you. To create a cozy atmosphere, the key is slightly muted, homey, warming scents—avoid anything too sweet or floral. Just remember to extinguish any candles if your eyelids happen to be getting heavy (we advise based on experience).
Swaddle Yourself In Luxury
Pile on the cashmere—all the cashmere. And once you’ve finished swaddling your body, keep on with the layers in the form of blankets and throws. There’s no such thing as too much when it comes to hibernation, even when it comes to colorbrite faux fur.
Zone Out
True hibernation means turning off and tuning out—yes, even that phone that’s seemingly stuck to your hand. Read carefully, now: Place phone in separate room; close door; slowly back away. Now light those candles, get under those blankets, and read one of this year’s most talked-about books. Choose J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy to try to get a clue as to why Trump is President-Elect, or Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad for a surreal approach to America’s scarring and violent legacy of slavery. Then there’s In the Darkroom by Susan Faludi, a memoir that takes an unexpected but topical turn in the well-worn parent-child relationship genre. The Vegetarian by Han Kang is a literary gut punch (in a good way), as is Zadie Smith’s Swing Time. Nathan Hill’s The Nix is required for anyone with a family or anyone who lives or has visited this country. Read up—it’ll give you something to chat about when you suddenly have to talk to people again on New Year’s Eve.
Host a Secret Dance Party for One
Assemble a Spotify playlist with all the songs you’ve been singing in your head throughout the year. At least the music was good.