The November Edit

Magnesium baths, big magic, a holiday playlist, & caffeine-free peppermint mochas!

The Monthly Edits are a round-up of what made this month enjoyable: eats, reads, finds, listens, experiences. They also include Lauren’s Lists - a collection of links from around the web to capture your attention and get you thinking. Buon appetito!

November was robust, mystical, and dark. Kind of like the loaves of rye bread I’ve been eating lately. The days were short but the weeks seemed to hold on a little longer. I enjoyed my regular walks (albeit with several more layers), tried something new (which I’ll share more about below), and started listening to Christmas music. Yes, I’m that person.

A very happy Thanksgiving to my American readers, may your stomachs and hearts be full of love this weekend. I’m headed over to Salt Spring Island to have a sleepover with my best gal friend. Her husband is away for a few days and we haven’t had a weekend to ourselves in years, so I’m very excited for some quality time together. There will be crackling wood fires in her cabin, long conversations over our favourite snacks, and creative full moon energy.

Alright, here’s how the month went:

Any guesses on what this puzzle will be?

• I pulled the patio table inside, threw a bed sheet over top of it, and claimed it as my new office space. I’m not sure how we survived this long without a kitchen table to be honest. We’ve already hosted a few dinners with this new setup and I absolutely LOVE it. We were just eating at our counter top with stools for the past… three years!? Good god. My newly found office space didn’t last all that long though, Scott has decided it’s “puzzle season” so there are now 1000 little pieces sitting with me at my desk.

• Magnesium baths have come back into my regular rotation lately. This mineral can easily get depleted in the body when stressed, overworked, or travelling (aka: the holidays). Since it absorbs well as a transdermal (through the skin), putting a handful into your bath with epsom salts is a lovely cure-all combination. This method will help reduce bodily stress, fatigue, and inflammation. You should be able to find pure magnesium flakes at your local health food market or online.

My most recent visit to the elegant and festive Munro’s Books.

• The bookstores in Victoria are so pretty during the holidays. Housed in heritage buildings that feel like old world London or New York City. I find myself wandering the aisles in the early evenings, admiring the curated shelves and imagining how Kathleen Kelly would design the centre table if this were The Shop Around the Corner. I mean, what else is there to do when the sun sets at 5:00pm?

• A goal of mine each year is to have all holiday shopping done by the end of November. I like to avoid the crowds, the overly-picked shelves, and the frantic chaos that December often brings. I’m happy to report that I’ve completed my goal! Cards will be delivered to the post later next week and the rest of December will be dedicated to enjoying the company of loved ones and listening to the best damn holiday playlist, ever. I don’t often share playlists but my five-hour marshmallow mix is worthy. Roll out the gingerbread, wrap the gifts, and sing your hearts out.

The Big Magic crew!

• I tried something new this month and joined a writing group! I was nervous for our first Zoom call but it went really well. We’ve titled ourselves the Big Magic✨Writing Group and I’m beyond grateful to have a community of people with similar hobbies who understand the behind-the-scenes of this work. Let me introduce them (in order of the above photo): Petya writes Lifequakes (navigating life’s disruptions with kindness, humour and self-awareness) and is currently working on a novel. Kaitlyn is an off-duty psychotherapist who writes Dialoguing and feels like the best friend you’ve always needed. Sonya writes Travel Is More Than Just Visiting Places and shares about sustainable tourism. She also teaches yoga here in Victoria! Gabriella is a wise soul working on a historical fiction novel with fantasy elements and not currently sharing her life online. They are all amazing, inspiring, and well written. In addition to our more intimate meetings, the group will be hosting co-working writing sessions that will be open to anyone interested in joining (fill out this form if that’s you). The first session will be Tuesday, December 12th at 6:00pm PST. Come one, come all.

Outfit Of The Month

• As the late Amy Winehouse once sang, I’ve gone back to black this month with my wardrobe. A moody November vibe, dramatically different from my peppy Amsterdam in October* attire. I blame it on the time change and the fact that the sun is setting by the end of my work day. I’m choosing to embrace this Wednesday Addams mood and trust that December’s OOTM will bring more wardrobe cheer (and maybe sparkle?).
  *I did not travel to Amsterdam, just themed my wardrobe with inspiration from the city.

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Lauren’s List Vol. 6

The best planners for 2024.
A good read about struggling to find hobbies.
Five great tips for better mental health this holiday season.
Do you say “I love you” to your friends?
Recipes: Honk if you love stuffing (honk), a cranberry curd tart (double honk), & sparkling ginger pear mocktail (honkkk)!
Finds: This quilted stocking & these old school organic cotton Christmas pjs.
Interiors: the casual flamboyance of this restaurant & the romantic charm of this Christmas palazzo.
Alexa Chung’s 40 pearls of wisdom.
What if nostalgia isn’t what it used to be?

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The best homemade peppermint mocha (sans caffeine).

• I don’t drink coffee [the whole crowd boos], but I absolutely love the flavour! My Aunt introduced me to a coffee alternative from Switzerland (Bambu) that is pretty darn good - especially when mixed into a latte or mocha. Here’s my earthy evening blend:

  ☕

  1 heaping tsp bambu
  1 tsp cacao powder
  1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
  1 tsp ashwagandha powder
  splash of peppermint extract
  1 mug worth of liquid (milk or water)

  ☕

  Add all ingredients to a pot. Slowly heat on medium and whisk until fully combined. Heat until desired temp (around 65 degrees C). There’s something about warm milk in the evening that truly soothes the soul.

This month in reading:

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was GOOD. Watching the trailer for the Apple TV series really motivated me to speed through this one. It follows the story of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who is forced to become a television chef when she finds herself a young, single mother. Here’s a great interview with the literary agent behind the book - Felicity Blunt (Yes, Emily’s sister who is married to Stanley Tucci - so cool!).

• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I was on a book-turned-mini-series kick this month apparently! This book was a gem (now on Netflix) and it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2015. I read about half of it earlier this year and ended up putting it down because I was having a hard time connecting with the slow pace. The dark evenings of November seemed to offer me more patience. A beautiful story about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France during World War II. Romance, hope, cursed diamonds, and radios - this poetic classic has it all.

• Scott has been making us all sorts of noodle bowls for dinner. Some with bone broths and poached eggs, others with shiitake mushrooms, edamame, and seaweed blends. The one pictured above features prawns, corn on the cob, and broccoli stalks. We’ve been using a buckwheat soba noodle and topping them all with black/white sesame seeds and this delicious chili miso oil.

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Another month of beautiful walks.

I hope you’ve had a mystical November. Thank you so much for reading and as always, I would love to hear from you!

Do you listen to Christmas music?

What are you watching right now? Have you seen either of the mini-series I mentioned?

What sort of surprises or joys did November bring you?

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In Case You Missed It! 📣 Lately on YGL…

• The 2023 Holiday Gift Guides!

• Good Digestion While Travelling For The Holidays

• Recipes: Quiet Luxury Granola + Cashmere Coffee Body Polish