Hi readers,

So, funny story—I had an entirely different newsletter planned for today, but something outside of my control caused me to switch things up last minute. So here we are! Sometimes you just have to roll with it, right?

Instead of the original plan, I put together a short roundup of a few joyful things from my week. I almost didn’t hit send on this because it’s almost too…silly? Fluffy? Random? I’m not sure, but hopefully someone out there appreciates it.

Think of this as a little grab bag of joy: holiday vibes, cozy discoveries, and a bit of silly indulgence to brighten your day.

Enjoy, and I’ll see you back in your inbox soon.

x Alisha

P.S. I was thrilled to relaunch the Bookmarked series this week with an inspiring conversation with author Nikki May, who wrote one of my favorite reads of the year. Here’s the link if you missed it!

Bookmarked with Nikki May

Dec 11

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P.P.S. Reminder: This weekend is the shipping cut-off for many online retailers, so check out the Downtime gift guides here, here, and here for last-minute inspiration.

Cozy Little Luxuries and the Simple Gifting Formula I’m Using This Year

Nov 22

This is the Friday post at Downtime, a feel-good weekly roundup of recommendations and delightful distractions. If the email cuts off, you can view it on the web.

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Your Toughest Gifting Questions, Answered

Alisha Ramos · Dec 4

This is a long newsletter. If it cuts off, you can see the full version on the web here.

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12 Small Joys from the Week

1. The magic of not overthinking joy. This week, I did something very unlike me: I went to a matinee of Wicked—alone, and on a last-minute whim. No planning, no spreadsheets, no weighing the pros and cons (all things I usually do). I just woke up, felt crappy from a lingering cold and the general chaos of holiday solo parenting, and thought, “F it. I need a win today.”
   

   So, I bundled up, grabbed my tissues, and marched myself to the theater. For two hours and forty minutes, I fully leaned in: reclining seats, warm buttered popcorn, a Diet Coke the size of my head, and holding space for “Defying Gravity” in an empty theater. It was indulgent, unplanned, and perfect.
   

   What struck me most afterward was how good it felt to skip the overthinking. I usually want to optimize the sh*t out of everything: What’s the best choice? The most efficient use of my time? But joy doesn’t need to be efficient. It just needs to be yours. Sometimes, all it takes is giving yourself permission to pause and do something a little spontaneous.

2. Letting go of my “literary tastes” and leaning into holiday reads. I shared on Instagram that my next “fun” reads are The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter and In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. The allure of a fun holiday romance was just too much to resist.

   For even more holiday romance reading recs, check out this list, which was curated by the co-host of a long-running (twenty years!) romance website/podcast that I’m kind of newly obsessed with. (I love a website that loks like it was built in 2005).

3. Feeling happy about my nails: I’ve been wearing this nail polish this week and it’s the perfect shade of deep, cranberry red for the holidays.

The rest of today’s post is just for paid subscribers of Downtime. ❤️ ...