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It's Peak Cozy season, and we're wishing you some moments of calm. In this series, we're sharing our best tips on gifting, recharging, and getting the most out of downtime during what can become a super hectic season.
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Editor's Note
Questions to Ask a New Person
How to avoid saying "So, what do you do?"
by Carey Polis, Senior Director of Content & Audience Strategy at GNI
Good morning,
Sort of a strange holiday season, huh? Things don’t feel “normal” again for many of us (and for good reason… the pandemic isn’t over…we have all been dealing with a lot), yet we’re in a different stage than we were a year ago.
When it comes to socializing, while we may have gotten past the post-vax phase of “What do I even say to someone?”, we (at least I) haven’t quite entered the “Oh yes, I’m just a super suave conversationalist who deftly knows how to handle meeting new people again.” It’s just a lot more to deal with than it used to be.
Thus, we queried you, our readers, about the questions and topics you like to bring up when you are meeting someone new. Yes, we have upcoming holiday parties on the mind, but also other things, like big (safe) functions, or a date, or just a casual hang.
No surprise, you had FABULOUS responses, from the semi-philosophical (“what lights your soul on fire?”) to the absurd (“would you rather never kiss again or always have pasta in your pockets?”) to the good old-fashioned fun (“what’s your karaoke song of choice?”).
We compiled them all in a Google Doc, for you to reference anytime you need a little extra social mojo. If you break any of ‘em out soon (Thanksgiving, anyone?), let us know how it goes!
Happy chatting! —Carey
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a few (fun, we promise!) updates
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For all you holiday party throwers, we just launched a really exciting Holiday Host Care Package giveaway! Enter here to win a year’s supply of Spindrift, four olive oil blends from Brightland, a dutch oven and cast iron pan from Great Jones, a set of sauces and seasonings from Omsom, and two tabletop kits from Social Studies. Tbh, we really wish we were eligible to enter!
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Is there anyone on your list who’s extremely tough to find the perfect gift for? Like a friend who has everything or a teen cousin who you hope thinks you’re cool? Tell us about them! We’ll be sharing highly specific gifting recs soon.
- Know anyone who would love our newsletter? We're launching a new referral program where you can win prizes for spreading the word about GNI. Scroll to the bottom of this email for your unique URL—when someone signs up with your link, you'll get closer to the next prize. The deets:
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🍽️ If you refer two friends: Unlock an exclusive spreadsheet with our best tips for hosting a dinner party. It's got recipes! It's got our favorite tableware! It's got all our tips for making people feel welcome!
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✏️ If you refer five friends: Receive a special trio of pencils with ~very GNI~ phrases that remind you to take care and take your time. We love them and think you will, too.
- 👝 If you refer fifteen friends: Win an EXTREMELY OFFLINE zipped pouch to house those pencils, your skincare products, snacks—you name it.
SPONSORED SPOTLIGHT: WONDRIUM
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Wondrium is your go-to place to learn mind-blowing information—in other words, a place to wonder!
Want to learn how to make pies from an expert? Hoping to brush up on a language you haven't spoken since high school? Or maybe you're looking for a guide to get started with woodworking, photography, or ballroom dancing? With thousands of streaming videos on these topics and beyond, Wondrium is here to help.
You can start learning today: GNI readers get one month of streaming for free when you sign up for a subscription.
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weekly picks
this week's picks and reads were curated by Carey Polis
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- GIFT GIFTS GIFTS: Speaking of holiday parties, you might want to check out our favorite food gifts (pro tip: it's got fun sauces and condiments to make dinner parties easier!) or our cozy gifts for ideas to make your space more comfy for guests. There's tons of other ideas throughout the Peak Cozy holiday gift guide!
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Right from the start, Bombas' comfy clothing essentials were made to be given away: for every item you purchase, the same is donated to someone experiencing homelessness. You can shop their high quality socks and loungewear for everyone on your list this year and know that you'll be supporting those in need. Sponsor
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Confession from Alisha: “Until recently, I kept my growing makeup collecting in an old J.Crew shoebox. So I bought the medium bin from Open Spaces and let’s just say it’s a much more aesthetically appealing storage solution. I like the minimalist Scandi vibes and the wooden lid add-on to hide clutter. I love it so much that I just bought 2 more and some of their wire baskets to better organize our linen closet.”
- There's no better way to combat the stress of the season than to cozy up with a book, and Book of the Month makes it easy to find the very best ones. Each month, their team curates reads from new and emerging authors of exciting hardcover fiction for you, all at great prices. As a GNI reader, get your first book for just $9.99 with code GNI2021. Sponsor
- If you agree that we’re all a little too online right now: "You might enjoy this podcast conversation between writer Jia Tolentino and host Jon Favreau. They discuss what they actually *liked* about the internet (can you imagine?) in the days of yore before it became…Very Bad, why the internet feels like an endless performance, and what they’re doing to use the internet more intentionally.” —Alisha
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A hot tip for fresh sheets: I am a new convert to dryer balls (yes, I am late to the party thankyouverymuch), which has saved me from super tangled sheets. Plus, I’m convinced my clothes dry faster now too. Olivia (dryer ball party VIP?) has a great tip—she adds a few drops of essential oils to them to give her clothes a subtle fresh scent.
- I guess it’s puffer coat season: In case you didn’t think groupthink was a thing, turns out that Alisha recently purchased this cropped recycled puffer coat in wine and I bought the long version in black (my first new winter coat in… 15ish years??). And apparently, Olivia already had the cropped one and liked it so much that she just bought the long one too. There’s also a midi version if you can’t decide between long and short. If you too are thoroughly convinced by our purchases, all outerwear is 30% off (!!) right now.
- Cheesy holiday movie rec of the week: "Love Hard has it all: catfishing, a karaoke scene gone bad, elderly folks learning how to create profiles for dating apps. But also some genuinely hopeful moments: Asian male leads, a lesson on honesty, and a consent version of 'Baby It’s Cold Outside.' On the scale of 1 - 5 of cheesiness, it’s a solid 4." —Jannelle, content production assistant
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Thoughtful gift of the week: "For my birthday last year, one of my friends surprised me with skincare products from Latina-owned clean beauty company Brujita. I know less than nothing about skincare, but this friend has patiently taught me the basics over the years, like the importance of sunscreen and the difference between bronzer and blush (or, for example, this friend had to explain to me that I should be using moisturizer on my face instead of body lotion...so we were really starting from zero here). I loved that she not only got me something I wouldn't have known how to buy myself, and that she went out of her way to research a company that made sustainably made and ethically sourced products. I've reordered from Brujita several times now and they're a regular staple in my (admittedly still very limited) skincare routine." —Cara R. Reader Rec
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weekly reads
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“What if our obsession with coziness has grown in step with our growing feeling of collective precariousness—economic, environmental, social?” (Mothers Under the Influence)
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An homage to scorched rice, aka xoon, tahdig, com cháy, socarrat, pegao, nurungji, hikakeh, graten, kanzo, guoba, concón, cocolón, okoge, raspa, kerak nasi, bun bun, tutong, dukot, cucayo and bay kdaing depending where you’re from. (New York Times)
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Interesting commentary on Kristen Stewart’s career trajectory, but moreover her relationship with publicity. (Slate)
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One writer’s experience with joyscrolling as a way to mitigate postnatal depression. (The Guardian)
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Did someone say braising? This article celebrates Chinese red-cooking, aka the magic of soy sauce, sugar, and Shaoxing cooking wine. (Epicurious)
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Yes, we fully endorse a Second Halloween. (The Chatner)
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take action and take care
Take a free class on white supremacy and beauty politics. Learn about Transgender Law Center's Agenda for Liberation. Support and find resources through Youth in Motion, an organization providing discussion guides and lesson plans for LGBTQ+ youth and allies. |
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reader ❤️ from our instagram...
"Loved seeing this in my inbox today! I think I’ll do some painting later 😌✨" —Taylor (Need some art prompts? We shared some here!)
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Share GNI with a friend.
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