Welcome to our December Favorites! From cozy essentials to festive treats, join us on a journey through a handpicked selection of our favorite themed picks for this magical month.
Books: Must Reads
The Holiday Swap
by Maggie Knox
The International Bestseller—A feel-good, holiday rom com about identical twins who swap lives twelve days before Christmas.
Books: Inspiring People You Need to Know
A Trip of One’s Own
by Kate Wills
A Trip of One’s Own is not just a travel memoir; it’s a profound testament to the transformative power of traversing the world on your own terms. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a novice adventurer, this book will ignite your wanderlust and motivate you to chart your course towards self-discovery and personal growth.
Books: Books That Will Positively Move You
7 Days of Christmas: A Season of Generosity
by Jen Hatmaker
Inspired by and adapted from her breakout book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, 7 Days of Christmas takes Hatmaker’s social experiments in seven key areas—food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, stress—and turns them into thoughtful and practical generosity that captures the true spirit of Christmas.
Documentary
Dear Santa (2020)
‘Dear Santa’ shines a light on the 100-year-old ‘Operation Santa’ Program of the United States Postal Service. Each year, hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa arrive at Post Offices around the country. Through Operation Santa, the United States Postal Service makes it possible for the public to safely adopt these letters and make children’s dreams come true. The film invites audiences along for the magic of this massive endeavor.
Movies: Fiction… But Absolutely Fabulous
Holiday Heritage (2022)
Ella returns to her hometown to mend fences with her fractured family. With help from her ex-boyfriend, she encourages her family to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa and heal their past wounds before it’s too late.
Movies: Based on Positively True Stories
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2022)
The journey that led to Charles Dickens’ creation of “A Christmas Carol,” a timeless tale that would redefine Christmas.
TV: Shows to Lift Your Spirits
Fresh Off the Boat
Based on chef Eddie Huang’s best-selling memoir of the same name, “Fresh Off the Boat” takes a humorous look at the lives of immigrants in America. In the 1990s, Eddie, a hip-hop-loving 11-year-old, relocates with his parents and two brothers to suburban Orlando from the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C. As Eddie’s dad, Louis, pursues the American dream by opening a Western-themed restaurant named Cattleman’s Ranch Steakhouse, Eddie and the rest of the family try to acclimate to their new, strange surroundings.
TV: Shows that Go Head to Head
Holiday Baking Championship
Eight bakers compete in making delicious and innovative holiday treats for a chance to be named the Holiday Baking Champion and win $50,000.
Podcasts to Keep You Positive
Hosted by Petronella Lugemwa, the “I Am Multicultural” Podcast explores what it means to be multicultural by sharing stories of love of various interracial, multiracial, mixed, biracial, blended, interfaith couples, families & friends.
Nutrition: Healthy Breakfast Gets The Day Going!
This healthy dish will fuel you and your family up for whatever the day ahead holds. Your family will be so into the sausage, eggs, and bread here, they won’t even notice we snuck in some mushrooms and spinach too.
Nutrition: Mid-Day Power Ups!
Winter Rainbow Panzanella Soup
This panzanella salad is packed with in-season veggies, crisp and crunchy sourdough croutons, and coated in a tangy grapefruit vinaigrette, making it the perfect way to brighten a bleak winter day. It’s time to toss the tomatoes and cucumbers (for now) and fall in love with beets and squash instead.
Nutrition: Dinners that Deliver!
When it comes to stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, it’s difficult to beat tender, flavorful pot roast. A classic main player on holiday tables, this slow-cooking dish is the meal to make when you want to impress and satisfy without a crazy amount of effort. The shredded beef meal comes complete with tender potatoes and carrots and a sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything.
Guaranteed Wellness: Positively Good for Your Heart
11 exercise tips to keep you motivated as the weather gets colder
Cold days and long nights make it hard to get out of bed, let alone get the body moving, but there are simple ways to get motivated when the weather outside is frightful.
Guaranteed Wellness: Stretch, Relax, & Re-Power
Yoga for Digestion | Holiday Meal Digestion!
Yoga for Healthy Digestion is a suitable practice for all levels and perfect for the winter holiday season. Adriene encourages you to breathe deep and focus on the sensations of the body to go deeper and experience the therapeutic benefits of Yoga practice in addition to the home workout. You can have it all! Breathe deep, smile and find what feels good!
Guaranteed Wellness: Positively Omm
20-Minute Holiday Meditation for Presence, Love and Light
This is a 20-Minute Holiday Meditation that brings us through an experience focusing on being present, bringing love to ourselves, giving it to others and uncovering the light within. Everything the holidays are about. Enjoy!
Guaranteed Wellness: Get a Good Night’s Sleep
How To Improve Your Winter Sleep
For some people, winter can wreak havoc on sleep quality and quantity. If you’re one of those people—who finds that those colder, shorter months mean more tossing and turning at night—here are 10 tips that may help your winter sleep.
