Staying Sane

Hello, all! Welcome back from the holiday weekend. How glorious was it to hang with friends and family over wine and pie? We did Thanksgiving with our family friends and brought the dessert. I worked a Black Friday shift, which is always kind of a blast, and we finished the long weekend with a lazy Saturday brunch and family game night––Scattergories and brandy slush is absurd.

Now that I'm back for the final weeks of semester, I'm definitely feeling the crazy. Here's how I'm staying sane these days:

1). I read this article, and after visiting Germany this summer, I overhauled my correspondence habits. While in Berlin, I didn't have cell service; since then, I don't habitually check my phone. I also only send emails between 8:00am and 8:00pm in an attempt to keep work and life separate.

2). Sleep. It's so contradictory sounding when you have a to-do list that is a mile long, but I got over seven hours of sleep last night (!!), and now I'm refreshed for a productive day. I'm also less cranky, which my roommates appreciate.

3). Watching less television. I usually fall into a dangerous habit of turning on Netflix when I have down time, or when I'm doing homework. Abby did something brilliant over holiday: she started Gone Girl and she just finished it last night. Reading unwinds you like none other. (I'm dying to start and finish 100 Years of Solitude as well as Both Flesh and Not over winter break.)

4). Cheer-boosters: our apartment has strings of lights, a small tree, and a silvery wreath. Even when our unit feels freezing, the twinkling colors make us feel cozy and cheerful.

Top photo via Instagram; Scattergories photo via Abby Carlson Instagram

Do You Write Thank You Notes?

In the age of email, Facebook families, Twitter conversations, and the ever-convenient iMessage, do you still take the time to send out hand-written thank you notes? Even as a little girl, my mom taught me that when someone gives you a gift, does something nice for you, or deserves some heartfelt gratitude, you send a thank you card. To this day, I have a stock pile of pretty blank cards that I can use for thank you notes. (These sweet sparkly ones are actually my moms!) It's quite easy to send a quick text message "thx" (yuck!), or to send someone a little GIF, but it's just not the same. I still get giddy when I see I have post in the mail box! It means a lot to people in this era to write a thank you. 

Plus, stationery is cool! There are so many great paper companies to support in an increasingly paperless world, and I have to think that's pretty awesome. 

Not Without You

A big warm thank you on this chilly day of the new year. Without your readership and loyalty, the switch over to a new blog would have been impossible! Thank you for sticking around while so many things changed! We had lots of fun over at Clyde and Nora, but I feel that there are so many exciting new things to be explored at Sarah Carlson Etc. This blog is here because your comments, your readership helped in the transition of the blog and me really becoming something true and special. You helped it bloom. Happy New Year, and thanks!