12/20/24 Volume 3 Issue 51
Five on Friday
December 20, 2024
“Christmas is a holiday where everybody thinks they’re doing it wrong.”
— Carry-On on Netflix
One: Keep it Simple
Christmas is five days away! If you aren’t ready or stressed about getting things done, maybe skip some traditions this year or find creative ways to give gifts.
Here are some ways to keep gifts simple:
- Give a gift card for an experience (Movie tickets, bowling passes, spa treatments, yoga classes, park passes, rock-climbing adventures, museum tickets, ski-lift tickets)
- Gift your time. Share the above experiences with your friends and family. Plan something together. Offer to help for a day.
- Give consumables. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate with some cookies from a local bakery.
- Shop local. Buy a gift card from a local business.
- From PureWow: 50 Experience Gifts for Kids That They’ll Remember Forever
Take a break from holiday events and traditions.
From the Atlantic: What If You Just Skipped the Holidays?
You might not be able to skip some events, but you can scale back on your work to prepare for these events. Buy premade dishes, shorten your visit, or plan a chill event.
Two: What to Watch
This is the last week of Christmas movies premieres. New Christmas movies will have a tree 🎄next to the title. Read more: 2024 Holiday Movies – Lifestyle of a Fashionista
Netflix:
December new releases from Tulum and from Vulture.
The Six Triple Eight (2024 war drama), During World War II, the only US Women’s Army Corps unit of color stationed overseas takes on an impossible mission in Tyler Perry’s drama based on a true story.
The Dead Don’t Die (2019 horror), A celestial event raises the dead in the normally placid town of Centerville, a situation the police chief and his deputy struggle to control.
Ronny Chieng: Love To Hate It — Netflix Comedy Special
Virgin River, season 6
The Equalizer, seasons 1-3
NFL on Christmas:
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans — Netflix Live Event
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — Netflix Live Event
Max (HBO):
December 2024 from Vulture
Juror #2 (2024 thriller), A juror for a high-profile murder trial finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma that could influence the verdict and potentially convict, or free, the accused killer.
Rose Matafeo: On and On and On (comedy special)
The Head, season 3 (Max Original)
The season finale of “Dune: Prophecy” airs on Sunday at 9 p.m.
Hulu:
New on Hulu: December 2024 from Vulture
Ilana Glazer: Human Magic (comedy special)
Law & Order, complete seasons 1-20
Cuckoo (2024 film)
Blink (2024 documentary film), Chronicles a family’s global trip before their children lose vision to a rare genetic disorder, capturing their journey to experience the world’s beauty while they can still see it, and preparing for an inevitable future.
Ilana Glazer: Human Magic (comedy special)
Disney+:
New on Disney+: December 2024 from Vulture.
The Simpsons Christmas, double episode premiere
“What If … ? (season 3 premiere on Sunday), MCU’s animated series
Amazon Prime:
New on Amazon Prime Video: December 2024 from Vulture.
Peacock (& Hallmark Christmas🎄):
Laid, Season 1, all episodes , When a woman (Stephanie Hsu) finds out her former lovers are dying in unusual ways, she must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past in order to move forward. Laid is a rom-com with a dark twist, where the answer to “Why can’t I find love, is there something wrong with me?” is a resounding “Yes. There is. The problem is definitely you.”
December 22: NFL Sunday Night Football – Tampa Bay Bucaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys
New on Peacock: December2024 from Vulture.
🎄New Hallmark films available on-demand for 72 hours after release and will be available at additional times when airing on Hallmark Channels
Dec. 21 at 8 p.m.: Happy Howlidays | Jessica Lowndes
Lifetime (🎄Holiday movies)
Dec. 21 at 8 p.m.: A Carpenter Christmas Romance | Sasha Pieterse, Mitchell Slaggert, Sarah Drew. Andrea, a beloved novelist, hints at killing off a character in her upcoming book, which causes her fanbase to riot. To clear her head and finish her book, she escapes to her family’s farmhouse and ends up running into her ex-crush, Seth, who has been helping rebuild the town after a destructive fire. Andrea and Seth team up to help the town get their Christmas spirit back, which soon leads to growing feelings between them.
Dec. 22 at 8 p.m.: Engaged by Christmas | Marcus Rosner, Brittany Bristow. To save her relationship, Zoe writes to an advice columnist “Dear Adora” for help, but it ends up going south and her boyfriend dumps her before the holidays. She tracks down the columnist to confront her, only to find out that it is a man behind the column. Zoe threatens to reveal his identity unless he helps her turn things around by publicizing a few Christmas-themed events.
Apple TV+:
New on Apple TV from Digital Trends
The Secret Lives of Animals (documentary series), Showcases rare footage of animal behaviors across 77 species in 24 countries, highlighting their intelligence and adaptability through pivotal life moments like birth, raising families, and finding food.
Paramount+:
New On Paramount+
In Theaters:
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024 Adventure/musical), Lost and alone, orphaned cub Mufasa meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destinies.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG 2024 ‧ Action/Adventure), Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, they seek out an unlikely alliance to stop Shadow and protect the planet.
Homestead (2024 ‧ Action/Adventure), A former green beret and other survivors take refuge inside an elaborate compound when an attack on America leaves the world in chaos.
The Last Dance (2024 Comedy/Drama, sub-titles), A debt-ridden wedding planner inadvertently becomes a successful funeral planner. However, he must convince a traditional Taoist priest of his legitimacy to continue operating in the field.
Three: What to Wear
Slippers:
Do you take your shoes off when you enter your home? Invest in a nice pair of slippers for yourself and have some available for guests. Keep your slippers as indoor shoes to keep away outdoor germs.
From Wirecutter: The Best Slippers
From CNN (2023), The dirty truth about taking your shoes off at the door. Is there significant evidence going shoeless stops the spread of germs in a home?
“Absolutely,” said Gabriel Filippelli, chancellor’s professor for the department of Earth sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and executive director of Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute. “We can track in all sorts of bacteria, but certainly some of the ones we’re most concerned about are E. coli that cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting,” he said. “There’s been studies that swab the bottom of shoes and something like 99% of the shoes test positive for fecal material.”
Taking off shoes at the door may be the best way to limit germs and potentially toxic dust from coming inside, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think of your guests’ comfort, Filippelli said. Providing washable slippers or nonslip socks can be a thoughtful gesture.
Asking guests to remove shoes would be difficult if you host many people over the holidays. But in the new year, you can try having guests remove shoes at the door if you’re prepared with washable slippers. Another option would be to let guests wear shoes and only have those who live at home swap slippers for shoes when they come home.
Four: What to Try
Watching movies and drinking “the best” hot chocolate:
From PureWow: The 105 Best Holiday Movies You Can Stream Right Now
Read my updated list: https://lifestyleofafashionista.com/2022/11/25/christmas-movies/
From Allrecipes: We Tried the Hot Chocolate That Broke the Internet—and It’s the Best Our Test Kitchen Has Ever Tasted
Five: What to Do
Donate
Foodbanks and shelters need extra donations this time of year.
Here are some local charities:
Women’s Lunch Place: “WLP is equipped to support guests who fall through the cracks of social welfare and healthcare systems. Whether we are providing legal services to women fleeing domestic violence, rent assistance for those facing eviction, or simply a consistent refuge and hot cup of coffee, our thoughtfully-built environment is one of trust, resilience, and hope.“
From The BSide:
Boston’s Boys & Girls Club is always looking for support on everything from service projects to programming to admin. Pine Street Inn could use help with kitchen work and dinner service; La Colaborativa, which supports Latinx immigrants, has a variety of volunteer positions open from food distribution to practice interviewer, as does ABCD, a program supporting underserved Bostonians. Finally, Somerville’s Bikes Not Bombs has weekly volunteer nights breaking down and building bikes (no experience required).
Second Chancesis taking a wide variety of clothing, especially women’s and men’s clothes in larger sizes. St. Francis House needs everyday and business casual clothing, Cradles to Crayons is asking for winter coats and shoes, and Solutions at Work could use professional attire, accessories, and school supplies. If you have toiletries, Rosie’s Place is the place to drop them.
Speaking of ABCD, the antipoverty organization recently put out a major call for toys after receiving over 6,500 requests this year, and zero donations. Most toys will do, but especially for kids 10 to 12 years old.
Your local food pantry is a no-brainer option, which you can find here. Or, you could drop items at one of the many, many community fridges in Greater Boston, which you can find here — just make sure to note any specific guidelines.
In Boston:
Last minute local shopping in Boston: Join us for our LAST WEEKEND of our Sip & Shop Holiday Market. Sip craft cocktails, local beer, wine, or hard cider while you shop from our permanent vendors PLUS additional pop-up small businesses this Friday–Sunday. We’re your ultimate one-stop shop for entertaining and gift-giving this holiday season!
Pop-up vendors vary on a daily basis. Bar opens at 11am.
Lifestyle of a Fashionista 
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